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S. Africa eyes deeper sci-tech cooperation with China, says official

Xinhua) 10:09, April 13, 2026

Blade Nzimande, South Africa's minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Pretoria, South Africa, April 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Wei)

JOHANNESBURG, April 12 (Xinhua) -- South Africa is looking to deepen cooperation with China in key areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), clean energy and youth exchanges, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Blade Nzimande has said.

"We have fairly extensive relations with China on science, technology and innovation," Nzimande told Xinhua in a recent interview, noting that the cooperation is strongly supported by the two countries' all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.

He identified AI as one of the most important new frontiers in bilateral cooperation, covering areas ranging from regulatory coordination to researcher exchanges and knowledge sharing.

Highlighting the joint AI research network between South Africa and China, Nzimande described joint research programs as the "bedrock" of cooperation, saying that he would "elevate AI now as one of the most critical areas" in the partnership.

China's relatively advanced science and technology environment could help empower other developing countries, he added, expressing hope that China would continue playing "a very important role" in promoting inclusive AI cooperation.

Clean energy is another major priority in bilateral cooperation, Nzimande said, adding that South Africa is seeking closer collaboration with China in hydrogen energy, green ammonia and low-carbon technologies linked to the mining and energy sectors.

Noting South Africa's rich endowment of platinum group minerals and strong renewable energy potential, Nzimande said collaboration in hydrogen fuel cell technologies represents an important opportunity for both sides.

"We foresee deepening relations with China in that particular area (clean energy), which is actually very important for us," he said.

Beyond bilateral cooperation and Belt and Road cooperation, South Africa and China are also working closely together within multilateral frameworks such as BRICS, the Group of 20, and UNESCO platforms, where cooperation in emerging technologies continues to expand, he added.

Nzimande highlighted cooperation on the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) as an important example of collaboration, noting that the project brings together multiple international partners, including South Africa and China, to advance frontier astronomy research.

The SKA is a network of thousands of radio antennas of varying types and sizes, including SKA-Low in Western Australia and SKA-Mid in South Africa's Northern Cape. The project is jointly funded, built and run by more than 10 countries, with China among the seven founding members and a signatory to the Square Kilometer Array Observatory Convention signed in 2019.

Speaking of human resources development, Nzimande said young scientist exchange programs between the two countries are of great significance. "The two countries have very talented young people," he said, adding that cooperation between young talent is a "pillar" of bilateral relations.

Noting this year marks the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, Nzimande said ongoing cooperation among young scientists is helping promote the sharing of ideas, knowledge and research experience.

"Those exchanges are very important as part of people-to-people exchanges," he added.

Blade Nzimande, South Africa's minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Pretoria, South Africa, April 7, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Wei)

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
Dame Prue Leith doesn't think Great British Bake Off producers could have found a "better" replacement than Nigella Lawson.

Dame Prue Leith is delighted Nigella Lawson is joining the Great British Bake Off

The 86-year-old star announced in January that she was stepping down as Paul Hollywood's fellow judge on the Channel 4 baking competition, and food writer Nigella, 66, will be taking over inside the iconic tent.

Reflecting on the decision, Dame Prue told HELLO! magazine: "I don't think they could have chosen a better person. I don't know her well, but what I know of her is all good."

Dame Prue previously insisted while Nigella will "be very different" as a judge, she is backing her to be a success.

She told the Daily Star newspaper: "But she's a class act, she really knows what she's doing.

"She knows her onions - people will expect her to know about cake, which she certainly does, but what they won't expect is how clever she is, how sharp, witty - she's really erudite.

"She's a fantastically clever woman."

However, she insisted Paul Hollywood could easily have continued as a solo judge if bosses had gone that route.

She explained: "Paul is lovely, and he really knows his stuff, especially on bread.

"He's really good at his job, and he could, frankly, do the job without you. He doesn't really need a second judge because he knows it all and is excellent at it."

Meanwhile, Dame Prue has insisted she has no regrets about quitting Bake Off to enjoy some downtime.

She told ITV's Lorraine: "It's the right thing to do just because I'm getting on, and I don't have much time left.

"And I suddenly realised I will never again have a summer holiday in Europe, I'll never be able to go to France or Italy, or Greece or Spain, because I'll be filming. You film all summer.

"And I just thought I want to do that. And so, of course, I could have holidays in the winter if you go to South Africa, because I'm South African, so I love the sun.

"But I wanted a European holiday, so this year, I'm going to take the whole family to France for a week, and I could never do that before."
FIRE chiefs from the United States and Sweden visited Carlow last week as part of a professional exchange programme linking fire and rescue services across the three countries.

Fire chief Darrell Duty of Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department in Arizona, and chief fire officer Markus Green of Raddningstjansten Fyrbodal in Sweden, accepted an invitation to travel to Carlow County Fire & Rescue Service for the visit, which formed part of the Tempe Sister Cities programme.

The exchange was initiated following assistant chief fire Officer Ben Woodhouses trip to Tempe, Arizona in October 2025, when he travelled alongside Mayor of Carlow cllr Paul Doogue and leas cathaoirleach cllr Daniel Pender as part of the Sister Cities initiative. On their return, work began to establish a formal professional exchange between the three services.

During their time in Carlow, the visiting chiefs toured Carlow Fire Station, including its fleet and equipment, and met with Carlow fire officers. Each chief delivered a presentation on their respective fire authority and the challenges involved in delivering modern fire and rescue services.

The programme also included a visit to the Fire Services Learning & Development Centre in Hacketstown, where the group observed a compartment fire behaviour training exercise alongside Kildare Fire Service, as well as a tour of how carbonaceous contaminants are managed at the facility. The delegation also visited HPMP Fire Ltd and attended a Tullow Municipal District meeting, where acting chief fire office Woodhouse presented to elected members.

Key areas of learning during the exchange included managing fires in battery energy storage systems and electric vehicles, tackling wildland fires, handling carbonaceous contaminants and carcinogens in training and at operational incidents, and reducing the environmental impact of fire service activities.

The visiting chiefs also took part in Pan Celtic International Festival activities during their stay, including a tour of South East Technological University (SETU) Carlow and a hurling lesson. Chief Duty took part in a panel discussion at the festival on the delivery of Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Service and shared reflections on his visit to Carlow.

Carlow County Fire & Rescue Service said the exchange had been a fantastic experience for all three chiefs and their services, with extensive discussions and exchanges of good practices. The service confirmed the programme will continue through online meetings between the three services to explore further opportunities for shared learning.
Sonya McLean

A man and woman who kept their victim with them for an hour before launching a sustained attack at Hatch Street in Dublin 2 and robbing him of his phone and wallet have been jailed for seven and a half years.

Conor Manning (30) picked up the victim and threw him headfirst into Luas tracks during the assault. He also sat on top of him at one point and attempted to strangle him after the victim was dragged off a main street into a nearby laneway.

At the end of the assault, Manning offered the man his hand, in what appeared to be an attempt to help him to his feet, before he drove him headfirst into a wall.

Garda Eoin O'Connor told Jane Horgan-Jones, prosecuting, that the victim was first approached by Manning and his co-accused Jackie McElhaton (50). McElhaton has a total of 309 previous convictions and was on bail for multiple crimes at the time of the robbery.

He was asked for money for a hostel, and when he refused, McElhaton struck him on the back of the head with a glass bottle. She took his mobile phone from him but Manning returned the phone to the victim.

The man was then forced to walk with the pair and was made to stay with them for an hour before Manning began the second attack.

McElhaton stamped, kicked and punched the man during this assault, which lasted about six minutes.

O'Connor told Horgan-Jones that the victim lost consciousness a number of times. He was ultimately helped by security staff nearby after Manning and McElhaton robbed his phone and wallet and fled the scene.

An ambulance was called for the man, but he declined to go to hospital. He went in for treatment two days later.

Manning, of Merchants Quay, Dublin 8, and McElhaton of Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, both pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of the man on Hatch Street, Dublin 2 on April 12th, 2025.

Separately, McElhaton also pleaded guilty to an earlier robbery on November 4th, 2024 during which she robbed a woman of her wallet as the victim was about to go into her apartment.

The victim followed McElhaton a short time later and got her wallet back from her but the cash that had been in it was missing.

McElhaton received a consecutive one year jail term for the November robbery, meaning that she received a total sentence of eight and half years.

Both Manning and McElhaton were identified by gardai after they viewed CCTV footage of the attack.

McElhaton has 309 previous convictions from 2000 to 2026, including robbery, attempted robbery, assaulting a police officer, violent behaviour in a garda station, public order, theft and fraud.

Manning has 56 previous convictions for offences including robbery, assault causing harm, theft and fraud, public order, drug offences and criminal damage.

Victim impact statement

The victim read his victim impact statement into the record. He said it was a deeply distressing and frightening experience which took a sinister turn following a request for cash.

He said from the moment his phone was taken he felt completely vulnerable and afraid. He said he felt if he got to a location with the robbers where he was visible and there would be CCTV cameras, he would be safer.

I could not have been more wrong, he said before he described having his head slammed against concrete and stone and being subjected to punches and kicks.

He said he was then dragged to a more secluded spot where he received further kicks and punches. He described the attack continuing even after the pair had robbed him of his phone and wallet.

The fear, pain and humiliation that caused me is something I continue to struggle with to this day, he said.

The man described feeling pain all over. His teeth were chipped, and he was mortified and tired.

I just wanted to go home and sleep  it took two days to realise what had happened to me, he continued.

He spent 24 hours in accident and emergency when he eventually went to hospital to rule out the potential that he could have brain bleeds.

He said he has tried to forget the assault, but he finds himself being hyper-vigilant and overwhelmed by loud noises. His sleep has also been impacted, and he has a general sense of unease.

The man described it as an unprovoked assault and robbery during which the level of violence escalated.

He has experienced anxiety, disturbed sleep and a loss of confidence as a result.

My sense of independence and overall safety has been impacted, concluded the man.

Judge Martin Nolan said the victim was on his way home minding his own business when he was accosted by Manning and McElhaton.

She struck him with a bottle, Judge Nolan said before the man was detained attacked savagely, dragged along the ground, kicked to his body and slammed into a wall.

It is very hard to know why they attacked him in this way  for some reason they wanted to detain him and then savagely attacked him, Judge Nolan said, remarking that it was gratuitous violence.

Judge Nolan acknowledged that neither Manning nor McElhaton had a good start in life but he said they understand the difference between right and wrong.

He said they are lucky the victim did not sustain more serious injuries and accepted that while they both had a significant history of previous convictions, there was nothing in their record to suggest that they would have previously involved themselves in this level of violence.

As part of a pilot project BreakingNews.ie has used AI to suggest headline options for this article. The final headline was chosen and edited by BreakingNews.ie journalists. Find out more
CalPortland has announced a temporary workforce reduction at its facility north of Redding in the Mountaingate community, resulting in the layoff of 53 employees. The company cited a decline in cement demand across Northern California as the primary reason for the decision.

Staff members were reportedly informed of the cuts during an all-employee meeting on Thursday morning, following a notification sent out the previous evening. The reduction includes 42 hourly workers and 11 salaried employees. While the layoffs are officially set to take effect on June 15, impacted staff have been instructed not to report to work in the meantime, though some will receive compensation during the transition period.

Several of the affected workers are members of the United Steelworkers Local 1986. Union representatives expressed concern that the terminations did not follow seniority protocols and indicated plans to meet with company management in the coming weeks to discuss the matter.

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Tina McIntyre, CalPortlands Vice President of Public Affairs, confirmed that the staff reduction is specific to the Redding location. She stated that the company intends to reverse the cuts once market conditions in the region improve.
Jonathan Pryce and Penelope Wilton have been cast in new ITV drama Mavis Eccleston.

Jonathan Pryce is starring in Mavis Eccleston

The upcoming ITV series is based on the titular character's real life story, which saw Mavis (Wilton) and Dennis Eccleston (Pryce) decide to end their lives together after his terminal cancer diagnosis, but she survived their overdose attempt and was tried for her husband's murder before being acquitted in 2019.

Veteran actor Pryce said in a statement: This is a powerful and timely story of an extraordinary, devoted couple as they face the painful dilemma of assisted dying.

We will hopefully honour their deep love for each other and their bravery."

And Wilton described the role as a "true honour".

She added: "Mavis was devoted to her husband, Dennis, their enduring love for each other clear to see to all.

"They lived life on their own terms and when the time came, she wanted to respect his wishes.

"The fact she then faced the very real prospect of spending the rest of her life in prison for acting out of love is simply unimaginable.

"To be asked to bring her experience to life is a huge responsibility and true honour.

ITV have revealed that Eccleston and her family gave their blessing for the show and they have been on hand while the script has been written.

Chris Lang has been tasked with penning the drama, with Doctor Foster director Bruce Goodison at the helm.

Grantchester actor Tom Brittney had brought the project to Corestar after gaining the trust of the Eccleston family, and he is involved in the development.

He said: "I felt their story, told with care and humanity, could be a powerful drama and a worthy contribution to a debate that remains urgent and deeply complex.

"Having worked with ITV, I knew theyd be the perfect home as an institution that champions powerful, social justice stories.

The show comes as legislation which would legalise dying in the UK is making its way through parliament, sparking widespread debate.

Head of drama Polly Hill is overseeing the production for ITV, and she is delighted the channel is being trusted with such a sensitive story.

She said: This is a poignant and powerful real-life story and Im indebted to the team at Corestar and Indefinite Films for entrusting Mavis Eccleston to ITV where important, socially relevant stories can be told and brought to the attention of a mass audience."

Mavis Eccleston will begin filming in Bristol in June 2026, with further casting to be announced "in due course".
Richard Gadd has insisted new his drama Half Man needed to air on the BBC.

Richard Gadd always wanted Half Man on the BBC

The 36-year-old actor stars with Jamie Bell in the new co-production with HBO, and he has revealed how the idea for the show predates his Netflix hit Baby Reindeer, and he always hoped the British broadcaster would be involved.

He told media in a recent Q+A: "I always come up with ideas for things, but if I can shake them within a day Im like, Well, they weren't worth thinking about.

"But this one, I couldn't shake, it stayed with me. And it stayed with me all the way through Baby Reindeer and I would always be, Oh, please, can it still be there [on] the other side?

"Because I knew BBC were interested, and I really wanted to do it with the Beeb. And I just would always hope and pray it was still there. And, luckily, it was."

He insisted the BBC is the right home for the show because he loves the corporation, and the work it does.

He gushed: "I think it's an incredible channel, it's done incredible work. I think about all the work that's inspired me down the years, God, I could list so many things.

"When I saw The Office when I was a kid, that blew my mind, I still think it's possibly the best television show ever made.

"I suppose my life sort of changed, when I would research into Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais and I'd research into them doing The Office, and I was like, Oh, they wrote it, they were in it "

Seeing how involved they were with the shows sparked something in himself, and he was determined to follow that path.

He added: "I caught the dream when I saw it and I was like, That's what I want to do with my life. I was very young and I knew, thanks to a BBC show, what I wanted to be.

"I think the BBC is incredible. I think in this day and age, not to get too political, information without bias is now more important than ever. So it's an honour. It's a privilege to be part of the BBC."

Richard wrote the first episode of Half Man before Baby Reindeer.

The drama follows two men who met in their youth and became like brothers to each other.

Ruben turns up at Niall's wedding 30 years later, but things take a violent turn as viewers see their lives from the 1980s to the present day.
Here are the new marriage licenses from the County Clerk's office:

MARY SERINA NICOLE DEPRIMO CHARLES CHRISTOPHER STOLZ

8016 HAMILTON MILL DR 2207 CRESCENT CLUB DR

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343



ALBERTO JUANICO CELA CHYNAH ASHLEIGH HERRON

2917 FRANK ST 2591 THACKERY RD

WINSTON SALEM, North Carolina 27107 GREENVILLE, North Carolina 27858



MATTHEW DEVAN RAMAN HANNAH KELLEY SNEAD

3535 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD APT B12 3535 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD APT B12

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415



KARYN ANN ELLIOTT JOSHUA ARTHUR DELAIR

628 BRONSON ST 628 BRONSON ST

WATERTOWN, New York 13601 WATERTOWN, New York 13601



JASON HUNTER ADAMS MADELYN KATE LEWIS

903 CLAY HILL DR 903 CLAY HILL DR

SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379 SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379



SHELLEY CHRISTINA MARTIN JONATHON DAVID GRIMES

8624 CHERLEE DR 8624 CHERLEE DR

OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363



BREANNA MARIE SWECKARD BRYSON THOMAS WELBORN

119 HUNT AVE 119 HUNT AVE

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411



RANDY LEE MCQUIEN SARAH LYNN SISEMORE

1718 BIG LAKE LN 1718 BIG LAKE LN

HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343



JANICE DENISE SMITH ALFRED JONES

1348 PASSENGER ST APT 239 1348 PASSENGER ST APT 239

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37408 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37408



KEYONNA CHYVONNE DIXON DEWAAN PEARCY MACK

7710 E BRAINERD RD APT 622 7710 E BRAINERD RD APT 622

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421



DAKOTA LEE JOHNSON THOMAS VINCENT PUCCI

7147 GARDEN GROVE WAY 7147 GARDEN GROVE WAY

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412



JARROD MATTHEW HOLDER VICTORIA SALENE STRINGFIELD

8915 HURRICANE RIDGE RD 8915 HURRICANE RIDGE RD

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421



JAIDYN SKYE ANGLAND JOHNATHAN CHARLES BASTNAGEL

8410 W CRABTREE RD 8410 W CRABTREE RD

HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343



AUSTIN JAY MILLER NARTKER AUTUMN CELESTE FITZSIMMONS

5977 OLD STATE ROUTE 224 5977 OLD STATE ROUTE 224

OTTAWA, Ohio 45875 OTTAWA, Ohio 45875



ELIZABETH JOY WILLIAMS CODY SHANE DENNIS

6283 RIVOLI DR APT 206 6283 RIVOLI DR APT 206

HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343



JORDAN MICHAEL MORGAN JERIKA SHAE WHITEFIELD

383 OFFUTT SPUR RD 643 KINGSTON AVE

LAKE CITY, Tennessee 37769 OLIVER SPRINGS, Tennessee 37840



SETH GRAYSON HODGE ALEXANDRIA PEYTON COX

647 GROSS RD 512 MAJESTY DR

SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379 SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379



MICHAEL DAVID BELTER MACAYLA LEE GINN

283 ACORN OAKS CIRCLE APT 201 283 ACORN OAKS CIRCLE APT 201

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405



ALEXANDRA DOLORES VALONE ABRAHAM ARTHUR BEAN

6836 RIDGE CREEK DR 6836 RIDGE CREEK DR

OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363



EMILY MCKENZIE ELROD SAM PHILIP GOETZE

4979 MARK BROWN RD NE 4979 MARK BROWN RD NE

DALTON, Georgia 30721 DALTON, Georgia 30721



ALYSSA NICOLE MOSS WILLIAM CHARLES HEARN

9834 W RIDGE TRAIL RD 9834 W RIDGE TRAIL RD

SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379 SODDY DAISY, Tennessee 37379



DOUGLAS SPENCER MCCALLIE KAREN HALLIGAN BOEHM BUNTIN

103 STRATFORD WAY 103 STRATFORD WAY

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tennessee 37377 SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tennessee 37377



CHANTEL ALEXANDRA LOPEZ ABNER ELIEL LOPEZ

8415 LEXIE LN 8415 LEXIE LN

OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363



MIGUEL GASPAR VICENTE JESUS ORLANDO GUTIERREZ MONTOYA

3241 ARDIAN RD 3241 ARDIAN RD

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412



RONNIE MARION PHILLIPS JOANNA KATHLEEN ELIZABETH BRUCE-RENS

2143 BAY POINTE DR 2143 BAY POINTE DR

HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343



JACQUELINE ELIZABETH MICHELLE WHALEY JACOB LAMAR LOWRY

9144 INTEGRA HILLS LN APT 308 9144 INTEGRA HILLS LN APT 308

OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363



ADAM CHRISTOPHER COLE ANGEL MICHELLE BROWN

730 GERMANTOWN CIR APT 116 730 GERMANTOWN CIR APT 116

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412



ANGEL WILLIAM GODINEZ GODINEZ BLANCA ELIZABETH MARIN PEREZ

2206 PLASTER RD NE APT H 2206 PLASTER RD NE APT H

ATLANTA, Georgia 30345 ATLANTA, Georgia 30345



REBEKAH JANE PHILLIPS JOHN TAYLOR MILLER

3535 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD APT 1312 8482 DEER RUN CIR

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363



MASON MICHAEL BOSS LAUREN VICTORIA OLSON

2137 COLE ST APT H 38301 252ND AVE SE

ENUMCLAW, Washington 98022 ENUMCLAW, Washington 98022



AVERY ELIZABETH GODWIN CASEY ALLEN GAUS

1145 S FLAGLER AVE APT 503 1145 S FLAGLER AVE APT 503

POMPANO BEACH, Florida 33060 POMPANO BEACH, Florida 33060



HANNAH ROSE BERTHELOT JULIA RENEE MITCHELL

3212 GLEASON DR APT A 3212 GLEASON DR APT A

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412



MARK ANTHONY DRYER KAREN ALEXANDRIA MARTIN

2568 7TH ST S 2568 7TH ST S

LA CROSSE, Wisconsin 54601 LA CROSSE, Wisconsin 54601



BRYAN JAMES AVERY CAMRYN LEA HANEY

6854 BIG RIDGE RD 6854 BIG RIDGE RD

HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343



JOSHUA TODD BONDS JESSIKA N VIVAS URDANETA

2946 E FREEDOM CIR 2946 E FREEDOM CIR

OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363



JOSE ANTONIO GALVAN ESTEFANIA MENDOZA GARCIA

4604 PALZA HILLS LN APT A 4604 PALZA HILLS LN APT A

HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343



EVAN IMMANUEL JONES LAUREN ELISE PETERSON

1508 DALEWOOD DR 1508 DALEWOOD DR

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411



JESSICA CATHERINE THOMAS BRENDEN KOHL HENKE

1001 CROWN POINT RD E 2540 WILL KELLEY RD

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tennessee 37377 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421



ALYSSA JOY HIBBS KYLE CHRISTIAN FORD

3821 S QUAIL LN 3821 S QUAIL LN

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415



KRISTEN ALANA PELFREY KYLE CHRISTOPHER SMITH

1240 CENTERSTONE LN 1240 CENTERSTONE LN

APISON, Tennessee 37302 APISON, Tennessee 37302



MATTHEW BUSH COLE HOLLY GRACE AFMAN

7265 AVENTINE WAY APT 204 7265 AVENTINE WAY APT 204

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421



CODI DAVID MCKEE EMILY ELIZABETH MILLER

875 N ELDRIDGE PKWY UNIT 527 875 N ELDRIDGE PKWY UNIT 527

HOuston, Texas 77079 HOuston, Texas 77079



JAIME LYNN WILLIAMS LOGAN ALAN SOUTHARD

2507 RIDGECREST DR NW 2507 RIDGECREST DR NW

KENNESSAW, Georgia 30152 KENNESSAW, Georgia 30152



MADISON ELIZABETH REEVES ELI COOPER TERRELL

8015 HOLLY HILLS DR 7919 CHIANTI WAY

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421



DARWIN LAMON RANDOLPH LA' BREUNA CORNEL MERITY

6931 DELLRIDGE PL APT 317 3206 THROUGH ST

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37411



JAMES ERIC TYREE COURTNEY THATCHER SEAY

408 LINDEN CIR 110 GREEN GORGE RD

ATHENS, Tennessee 37303 SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tennessee 37377



JEFFERY CASON LENEGAR CHRISTINA LEANN JONES

1838 DANA LN 8397 GRACIE MAC LN

HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363



THOMAS CHRISTIAN HARRIS JOSEPH TYLER RICHARDSON

3600 IDA BELL LN 3600 IDA BELL LN

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37412



LAUREN ALEXANDREA CAPLAN ISAAC NATHANIEL BEHR

1484 CHATT CITY WAY 1484 CHATT CITY WAY

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37408 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37408



JOHN PEYTON BOAN TAYLOR MICHELLE NEITZ

1364 DISTRICT LN APT 328 1364 DISTRICT LN APT 328

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37406 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37406



PAUL EUGENE THOMAS LACY GRACE SAGERT

1421 CLOVERDALE CIR APT 218 1421 CLOVERDALE CIR APT 218

HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343



JERAMIE LEVON JOHNSON LATONYA ANN PITTS

1819 JENKINS RD 1819 JENKINS RD

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421



JAMES JOESEPH CHILTON VALERIE LYNN GRAY

1461 BARNETT RD 1461 BARNETT RD

MURphy, North Carolina 28906 MURphy, North Carolina 28906



MADILYN RAINE HODGE NICHOLAS DEWAYNE DAUGHTREY

5439 HIGHWAY 60 5439 HIGHWAY 60

BIRCHWOOD, Tennessee 37308 BIRCHWOOD, Tennessee 37308



RONALD PERKINS MARTIN SUSAN JANE THOMAS

2631 DENTON HAYES RD 6380 WELDON LN

MARYVILLE, Tennessee 37803 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363



BRYCE ALAN DESCAMPS HALEY GRACE LINVILLE

145 SAVANNAH RIDGE TRL 145 SAVANNAH RIDGE TRL

CLEVELAND, Tennessee 37323 CLEVELAND, Tennessee 37323



BENJAMIN TILTON POSTON RACHEL ELIZABETH POHL

7256 PENBROOK CV 6008 TAYLOR RIDGE DR

GERMANTOWN, Tennessee 38138 WEST CHESTER, Ohio 45069



CHRISTOPHER JOHN SCHEINERT ALEXANDRA SPENCER BASOM

1120 ORCHARD WAY 1120 ORCHARD WAY

ROSWELL, Georgia 30075 ROSWELL, Georgia 30075



ANDREW JAMES SPRAGG MEGAN MARIE SULLIVAN

4649 MAGNOLIA CMNS 4649 MAGNOLIA CMNS

DUNWOODY, Georgia 30338 DUNWOODY, Georgia 30338



MARK ADAM CALDWELL SIOBHAN KATHLEEN MURPHY

1437 PARK AVE 1437 PARK AVE

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37408 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37408



XAVIER LAYNE BURNEY JACQUELINE ANNETTE MYERS

6182 WARDWELL DR 6182 WARDWELL DR

OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363



AQUILA RAE GREENE COREY ROBERT VANDERGRIFF

8135 ASHBY GAP WAY 8135 ASHBY GAP WAY

HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343



JESSICA ANN ANTHONY JIMMY GLYN MCCULLUM

2316 FOX RUN DR 2316 FOX RUN DR

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tennessee 37377 SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tennessee 37377



JOI OCTAVIA GARNER NICHOLAS GREGORY DAVENPORT

3301 TAYLOR ST 3301 TAYLOR ST

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37406 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37406



MATTHEW DORIAN HILLS KARLI RUTH GREGORY

1185 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD APT 310 1185 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD APT 310

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405



TARAS GREG RUTKOVSKIY TATYANA VALENTINSKA

286 SLAUGHTER RD NW APT 23309 286 SLAUGHTER RD NW APT 23309

MADISON, Alabama 35758 MADISON, Alabama 35758



ZACHARIAH IRL LETBETTER MARGARET AMELIA ROBINSON

6736 HICKORY CREEK RD 1031 FORT STEPHENSON RD

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37421 LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Georgia 30750



CADYN NEVILLE CAHILL JAMES BRADY CHARLES BEACH

3131 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD APT 8A7 3131 MOUNTAIN CREEK RD APT 8A7

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415



MARY ABIGAIL MCNEESE CONNOR HENRY ARNOULT

3671 THRUSHWOOD DR 3671 THRUSHWOOD DR

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415



KRISTI LYNN ROSE DANIEL IN NAE KIM

100 MYRTLE LN 100 MYRTLE LN

OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363 OOLTEWAH, Tennessee 37363



FRANCES ZOE DANIEL CONNOR TERRY BUTTERWORTH

306 PROVIDENCE RD 306 PROVIDENCE RD

ATHENS, Georgia 30606 ATHENS, Georgia 30606



PASCALE ALEXANDRIA HAUG JORDAN ALEXANDER SIMON

2016 BENNETT AVE 2016 BENNETT AVE

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37404 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37404



COLTON TROY CASHION MIA GRACE LANDIS

4715 BONNY OAKS DR APT 1206 4715 BONNY OAKS DR APT 1206

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37416



BENJAMIN PATRICK RICE PENNY ELAINE ERMER

115 CARLTON LN 115 CARLTON LN

RINGGOLD, Georgia 30736 RINGGOLD, Georgia 30736



MICHELLE ELIZABETH JAANINI COLBY MERRITT POWELL

964 WYNDSOR DR 964 WYNDSOR DR

HIXSON, Tennessee 37343 HIXSON, Tennessee 37343



AUDREY CAROLINE THEDFORD ALEXANDER STEPHEN ESKEW

10565 SUMMER CREEK DR 10565 SUMMER CREEK DR

JOHNS CREEK, Georgia 30022 JOHNS CREEK, Georgia 30022



VIRGINIA KELLY FINNEGAN WILLIAM LOGAN SUTHERLAND

207 GADD RD 207 GADD RD

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37415



BRANDON LEE WISENER ALEXA MICHALE SHEETS

300 W MIDVALE AVE APT 22 300 W MIDVALE AVE APT 22

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405 CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee 37405






Last week marked a major win in the Trump administrations efforts to root out waste, fraud, and abuse. Led by Vice President Vance, the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud uncovered $6.3 billion in government contracts awarded to suspected fraudulent businesses under the Biden administration. In total, 392 entities received 895 contracts without any verification that the vendors were real businesses. The task force has now given the contract recipients 30 days to prove they are legitimate and have a physical addressor face the consequences for stealing taxpayer dollars.



President Trump created the anti-fraud task force just last month after reports of widespread fraud among Minnesotas Somali community.

After visiting nearly a dozen child care facilities across Minneapolis that received tens of millions in taxpayer dollars, independent journalist Nick Shirley found not a single one open during working hours. In a separate scheme, the states Feeding Our Future program siphoned $250 million in taxpayer dollars meant for needy children. Tens of millions more were stolen in Medicaid fraud for services that were never provided. In total, federal prosecutors say the stolen taxpayer dollars likely exceed $9 billion.The problem goes far beyond Minnesota. Over four years, the Biden administration made more than $925 billion in improper paymentstaxpayer funds disbursed to the wrong recipient or at an incorrect amount. Bidens push to gut anti-fraud safeguards only made the problem worse. In 2024, his administration dropped a requirement for child care centers to prove that children attend their facilities to receive taxpayer dollarsdoling out $19 billion with zero verification. The previous administration also verified the identity of less than 1 percent of federal student loan applicants. Last year alone, Education Secretary McMahon prevented more than $1 billion in fraud simply by requiring ID verification.Beyond the task force, President Trump established a new division for national fraud enforcement at the Justice Department to hold these criminals accountable. Acting Attorney General Blanche announced that the agency is investigating more than 8,000 fraud cases. Last week alone, the agency secured guilty pleas and a sentencing accounting for more than $500 million in fraud.At the Treasury Department, Secretary Bessent has rolled out new financial incentives for whistleblowers who flag potential fraud, with the goal of recouping hundreds of billions of dollars. Already, the administration has received more than 700 leads. Agencies from the Department of Agriculture to the Small Business Administration are also working day and night to eliminate fraud across their grant programs.With our national debt approaching $40 trillion, Congress should do everything possible to support the administrations crackdown on fraud and save taxpayer dollars. Thats why, in the Senate, I introduced the Fraud Accountability Act, which would make clear that fraud counts as a deportable offense under the Immigration and Nationality Act and that any deportable offense can lead to denaturalization.Across the Minnesota cases, 85 of the 98 defendants are of Somali descent. Many funneled stolen taxpayer dollars overseas, and the Somalia-based al Qaeda affiliate, al Shabaab, may have received some of these funds, according to the Trump administration.



Just last month, federal prosecutors also charged nine individualsincluding six illegal aliens from the Dominican Republicwho used stolen identities to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in government benefits. Among their frauds: $776,000 in Medicaid benefits, $16,000 in Social Security payments, and nearly $150,000 in SNAP benefits.



Government-provided services should go to those who truly need themnot foreign criminals. If you come to our country to steal from the American people, you should be swiftly deported. The Fraud Accountability Act would ensure exactly that.

* * *

Senator Blackburn's letter on federal fraud enforcement reads less like an attempt to inform the public and more like a political script built on exaggeration, selective framing and misrepresentation. The headline claim of $6.3 billion in fraudulent contracts is not confirmed fraud at all - it is a list of suspected irregularities flagged by automated filters, now being presented as if investigators uncovered a criminal empire. Thats a political narrative, not a factual one.



The Minnesota examples are even more distorted. Independent reviews found that the viral daycare video at the center of these accusations did not uncover systemic fraud, and state regulators confirmed that most facilities were operating normally. The Feeding Our Future case was real, but the leap to $9 billion stolen appears only in political messaging, not in any Department of Justice filing. The same pattern appears in the claim that the Biden administration made $925 billion in improper payments. That number is not supported by federal audits, and improper payments include clerical errors and documentation gaps - not intentional fraud. Yet the letter treats every accounting discrepancy as a criminal conspiracy.



And while the letter tries to frame fraud as a uniquely immigrant-driven problem, it omits a key fact: fraud is not partisan, and it is not confined to any community. If the goal were truly to present a complete picture, it would acknowledge that the Trump administration granted clemency to individuals convicted in some of the largest Medicare fraud schemes in U.S. history. Among them were Philip Esformes, whose case involved $1.3 billion in Medicare fraud; Judith Negron, convicted in a $205 million scheme; and Igor and Tatiana Palatnik, involved in a $33 million health-care fraud. These cases are a matter of public record, yet they are conspicuously absent.



This selective storytelling is not new. Letters like this follow a familiar pattern in Senator Blackburns public communications: routine policy issues are reframed as existential crises, unverified allegations are presented as settled fact and partisan narratives are delivered as though they were neutral reporting. The result is not oversight - it is performance. Real oversight problems get mixed with unverified claims, demographic targeting and inflated numbers to create the appearance of a national emergency.



Fraud deserves serious attention. But it also deserves accuracy, context and honesty - not a storyline built on politicization and misrepresentation.



Robert Block

* * *

Senator Blackburn wants to sound the alarm on fraud - fine. But were not doing the public any favors by treating hunches like hard evidence. Dragging immigrant communities into it without solid proof isnt tough talk its reckless. Fraud is wrong, and its not a partisan issue.



Everyone should want the facts, not inflated numbers or whole groups turned into political targets just to stir the pot.



Christopher Cooper

* * *

One provision of Senator Blackburns bill is more chilling than the rest: any deportable offense can lead to denaturalization. This would create a permanent second class of citizenship for anyone who was not born here. I firmly believe this isnt right; either these folks earned citizenship or they did not. If they have gone through the long process to become one of us, and then commit a crime, they are just like any other criminal citizen: restitution and jail time are the appropriate remedies, not stripping them of citizenship.





Charles McCullough East Ridge * * * Democrats learned nothing from pretending Biden was not diminished or that Harris could put on the Emperors New Clothes and enough would fall for it.



Now they want to pretend the Minnesota and California fraud schemes are just political machinations of the right. If Democrats arent afraid of corruption being exposed in California, then why is their General Assembly trying to pass AB2624, aka the Stop Nick Shirley Act? Shirley you will remember broke the Quality Learing Center fraud in Minnesota and began an expose of Healthcare fraud in California.



So many of the Democrats policies require passing laws in hopes to force us to pretend along with them or as in the case of AB2624 shut down questions that may expose corruption. Thank you, Senator Blackburn, for not cowering before the Great Pretenders.



Ralph Miller I agree the rapidly growing national debt is a problem. The Iran war cost between $22 billion and $31 billion in its first month. If were really concerned about debt, the best thing we can do is avoid foreign wars.




Day Shift April 8: C Squad



26-003174  4300 BLK Ringgold Road - Suspicious Person

Officers were dispatched to the bank after management felt that an elderly patron accompanied by two other adults was being taken advantage of. Officers spoke with two suspects who explained that they were there with their aunt to retrieve a vehicle title from her safety deposit box. They stated that they had power of attorney over her affairs. The bank explained that the power of attorney documents were invalid, and how they were invalid. As officers were going to question the suspects, one suddenly started complaining of "Renal Failure" and "bleeding" from an unknown location. Due

to her requesting an ambulance, and subsequently being transported by paramedics, warrants are being sought for Criminal Impersonation, and Criminal Simulation

26-003169  1500 BLK Keeble Street - Vandalism

Police responded to the residence after the homeowner discovered the rear window of his pickup truck was smashed. The vehicle was parked on the west shoulder of the road across the street from his home. He stated that no other damage or intrusion into the vehicle occurred.

26-003183 - 4214 Ringgold Road - Warrant Service

A man was served warrants while in custody at Hamilton County Jail. Charges included: Theft by Fraud and Criminal Simulation.



26-003182  700 BLK South Seminole - Disorder with a Weapon

Police spoke with the complainants who stated they had gone to the incident location to repossess a vehicle. Upon arrival, they were surrounded by multiple residents. An older gentleman began speaking with one of the reporting parties. She stated she then noticed he had a handgun, prompting

her to jump into the truck and leave the scene with the vehicle in tow. The older gentleman, who resided at the incident location, stated he never pointed the weapon but did have it in his hand behind his back because he believed someone was attempting to steal his vehicle. Video footage

provided by the tow company shows no criminal incident occurred. No charges will be pending.



Night Shift April 8: D Squad



26-003196  400 BLK Alice Drive- Burglary In-Progress/Arrest for Other Agency -

Police responded to this address after receiving a call about a male entering the caller's residence without permission, saying it was a misunderstanding, and then leaving to go to a different home. Upon arrival, Police spoke with the complainant and were directed to a nearby duplex where the suspect was currently located. Police contacted the man, who had an active arrest warrant out of Red Bank. Once confirmed, he was arrested and transported to Hamilton County Jail. A search incident to arrest revealed crushed orange pills in his jacket pocket. They were seized and sent to the TBI for identification and weight. He is currently pending charges out of East Ridge.



26-003197  200 BLK Eads Street- Disorder

An Anonymous caller stated they heard screaming and banging in the above apartment. Police did not locate any signs of distress at the apartment or in the area.



26-003195  6700 BLK Ringgold Road - Traffic Stop/Warrants -

Officers observed a vehicle traveling East on Ringgold Road driving erratically at high rates of speed. Officers attempted to stop the vehicle shortly after crossing into Georgia, however, the driver continued at speeds under 35 MPH until finally stopping at Highway 41 and Pine Grove Access

Road. The driver was found to be under the influence of Alcohol and was taken into custody by the Catoosa County Sherriff's Office. Warrants for Reckless Driving and DUI - Alcohol were obtained.



Day Shift April 9: A Squad



26-003202  700 BLK Belvoir Avenue - Theft from a Vehicle -

Dispatch reported two pill bottles found in a ditch along Fountain Avenue. ERPD located the bottles and identified them as belonging to a resident of Belvoir Avenue. Avenue. The officer spoke with the owners husband and returned the bottles to him. He stated items in her vehicle had been moved

but nothing was missing. She was advised to report any missing property if discovered later.



26-003200  5600 BLK Ringgold Road - Suspicious Vehicle

While on routine patrol, police observed a male sleeping in a vehicle. ERPD initiated contact with the male and identified him. He stated he was homeless and down on his luck. Police checked the man for warrants and sent him on his way. FI #26-000037



26-003201- 4300 BLK Ringgold Road- Suspicious Vehicle

While on routine patrol, police observed a walker next to a vehicle with a man asleep inside. Police initiated contact and identified him. He stated he had been homeless since 2020 and living out of his car ever since. The party was checked for warrants, notified of resources, and sent on his way. FI #26-000038



26-003204- 1500 BLK McBrien Road - Suspicious Vehicle

While on routine patrol, police observed a van parked in the church parking lot with curtains and items covering the windows. Police contacted the male occupant and noted drug paraphernalia and marijuana was in plain view. A probable cause search was conducted, and the man became irate. He was checked for warrants and sent in his way. FI #26-000039



26-003207- 6100 BLK Marietta Avenue - Domestic Disorder

Police were dispatched to this address regarding a verbal disorder occurring. Officers were advised the male involved had absconded from the location. After further investigation, police determined the disorder to be verbal in nature.



26-003209- 5300 BLK Reneau Way- Deceptive Practice

Police spoke with the party who advised a contractor who tore her back deck out has not returned for three months. She had paid approximately $5,000 so far. Further action is pending documentation being provided to police.



26-003213- 1500 BLK Tombras Avenue- Suspicious Activity

Police responded to Pioneer Park at the request of a concerned parent. The parent stated a group of approximately six juveniles were using profanity laced language around small children. The rambunctious group of teens were asked to watch the profanity and keep to themselves.



26-003215- 2100 BLK McBrien Road- Unconscious Person

Police were dispatched to this address once more due to a male party not breathing. On arrival the male had a slight pulse and was shallow breathing. EMS arrived on scene and ran emergency traffic to the hospital.



26-003199  500 BLK Camp Jordan Parkway - Burglar Alarm

Police responded to the restaurant in the early morning hours for a kitchen burglar alarm. The doors were secure, parking lot vacant. No signs of activity were observed.



26-003203  1700 BLK John Ross Road - Well Being Check

Police responded to the residence to check the well-being of a child after his father could hear his mother yelling at him in the background during a phone call and requested a patrol officer check the residence. There were no responses to door knocks, and the driveway was empty. The SRO confirmed that the juvenile was present at school this morning.



26-003205  6700 BLK Ringgold Road - Missing Adult, Not Endangered

Police spoke with the caller who said an employee hasn't returned to work after a trip home to South Carolina. She advised she spoke with him on Tuesday morning, and he advised he was dispensing fuel and then was enroute to his hotel in East Ridge. He never arrived and the employer has not

been able to contact him. The hotel manager confirmed that the man had not been on property. Last LPR in the East Ridge area was in the 6500 block of eastbound Ringgold Road on April 4th. She was advised to contact the authorities having jurisdiction for the partys last known location.



Night Shift April 9: C Squad



26-003231  3200 BLK Gleason Drive-Back Up Other Agency

Chattanooga Police requested East Ridge Police assistance in locating a vehicle involved in a hit and run on North Terrace. The vehicle was located and East Ridge officers stood by while Chattanooga officers issued the driver multiple citations.



26-003219  6700 BLK Ringgold Road - Disorder Arrest

Units responded to a disorder where a male party was threatening and yelling at multiple people. Officers observed a male inside the gas station verbally threatening a staff member and was ordered to step outside. The male became actively resistant, but officers were able to detain him. The suspect was extremely under the influence of alcohol and refused to answer any questions. Prior to police arrival, he had become belligerent with another customer before taking a product from the shelf and consuming it without paying. When asked to leave, the man began threatening the working and putting the worker in fear of bodily injury. The suspect was placed into custody and charged with Public Intoxication, Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Stop; Halt; Frisk, Simple Assault, and Theft of Property.



26-003223  3800 BLK Kingwood Circle - Disorder

Police responded to Kingwood Circle after a party called and said he was being followed by a tall male after a verbal confrontation occurred on Kingwood Circle. The RP claimed that the male called him racial slurs, cussed at him, and threw something at his dog. When speaking to the other half, he

claimed the caller tried bringing his large dog onto his property and that made him nervous. He told the caller not to bring his dog towards him, but the party continued his advance. He also claimed that the caller called him racial slurs. They have agreed not to interact with each other henceforth. The caller was trespassed from the residence on Kingwood Circle. PR #26-000070.



26-003227  4000 BLK Dellway Circle - Animal Call

A concerned citizen called in reporting two pitbulls in her yard and that she did not know who they belonged to. Police located the dogs but could not find any identifying tags on the collars, and the animals left the area.



26-003228  3600 BLK Fountain Avenue- Domestic Disorder/Mental Health Transport

Police responded to 3600 BLK Fountain Avenue regarding a domestic disorder. Upon arrival, Police spoke to a woman who told Officers her boyfriend was making suicidal statements. He had texted her earlier that day and told her she could sell his things if they ended their relationship because

he would not need them. She asked what that meant, and he told her he would be dead. When Police spoke to him, he stated that he was feeling depressed. When asked if he was suicidal, he said, "Not right now." He also said that would change if he were no longer together with his girlfriend. The party agreed to go with Officers for evaluation and treatment. He was transported without issue.



26-003229  5600 BLK Ringgold Road - Mentally Disturbed

Police responded to Puckett Emergency Medical Services after receiving a call from one of their medics about a woman arriving on scene and accusing them of stealing her car four years ago. After speaking with her at length, Officers were able to convince the female to seek mental health care and evaluation. She refused to go to the nearest hospital but requested treatment in Chattanooga. After Police determined she was fit to drive, Officers followed the woman to make sure she got there safely.



Day Shift April 10: B Squad



26-003237- 200 BLK Eads Street- Disorder

ERPD responded to a report of a couple arguing continuously throughout the night and into the day. On scene, it was determined the couple was separating and gathering their belongings to go their separate ways.



26-003243  4300 BLK Ringgold Road- Disorder

Officers responded after a man called in to report that he had been racially profiled and kicked out of the store after being accused of shoplifting in the past. Police spoke with the on-duty manager who stated they asked him to leave based on video evidence of him shoplifting in the past. Management requested the man be trespassed from property. He acknowledged the trespass. Proximity restriction #26-000071.



26-003245  1500 BLK Karwill Lane- Medical

Police responded to the listed area after a woman reported that a male placed her adult daughter into a trunk and kidnapped her. Police contacted the reporting party who appeared confused. She was assisted inside where officers found the daughter was in her bedroom. The daughter was advised on the nature of the call.



26-003247  4300 BLK Ringgold Road  Theft

The caller reported her son's wallet was stolen while he was working at this business on April 8th. The complainant advised the wallet appeared outside their home on today's date, but his debit and social security cards were missing. She requested a police report in case any information was

compromised.



Night Shift April 10: D Squad



26-003249  6500 BLK Ringgold Road  Domestic Assault

Officers responded to the above address for a delayed assault report. The victim reported that his wife assaulted him outside the business. Surveillance footage corroborated the victims claim. A warrant for domestic assault was obtained for the wife.



26-003259  6700 BLK Ringgold Road - MVC/DUI Arrest

During a crash investigation, a female party was found to be intoxicated on inhalants. She was found to have approximately twenty large nitrous oxide tanks that she had been utilizing prior to the accident. The 2.2 Liter tanks were secured in the Fire Bay after consulting with ERFD until they can properly be disposed of due to their potential to be explosive.



Day Shift April 11: B Squad



26-003263-3500 BLK Cherokee Avenue-Suspicious Activity

Police responded to the 3500 block of Cherokee avenue on a report of two males in the area that appeared to be canvasing houses. On scene, officer contacted one of the male parties who stated he was leaving the area and headed back to Chattanooga. The subject was checked for warrants and sent on his way.



26-003269-600 BLK Camp Jordan Parkway- Arrest

Following a traffic stop, a man was taken into custody on outstanding Collegedale warrants for possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He was transported to Hamilton County Jail without incident.

26-003267-900 BLK South Seminole Drive-Assault EMS Needed

The caller reported to police that while she was at her residence on Alice Drive, her boyfriend punched her in the stomach multiple times and put her in a chokehold after they had a verbal argument. She also stated that the man knocked her phone out of her hand several times before she could call 911. Injuries observed by police corroborated the victim's statement and officers attempted to contact the suspect on Alice Drive, but he was not located. Warrants have been sought for aggravated domestic assault, false imprisonment, and interference with 911.



26-003268  1000 BLK Bass Pro Drive - Suspicious Activity

A manager reported observing a subject lifting the metal base covering on a light post and depositing an unknown item. On scene, the item was determined to be a geocache containing little trinkets.



26-003273- 4300 BLK Ringgold Road- Shoplifting

The grocery store reported that a male entered the store and attempted to steal approximately $300 worth of detergent and other products. Loss prevention recovered all items in the parking lot prior to the suspect leaving with them. The suspect was reported to be driving a black Chevrolet Impala. The business declined prosecution at this time but requested that the individual be trespassed if he returns to the store.



26-003274- 5300 BLK Greenbriar Road- Miscellaneous

A woman reported that a bonding company attempted to serve a warrant on her sister. She stated she believed they were harassing her after she bonded her sister out of jail. Police advised the complainant that bonding companies are permitted to attempt warrant services in such situations, and she stated she would address the matter through the courts.



Night Shift April 11: D Squad



26-003281  900 BLK Spring Creek Road  Assault

A man was issued a misdemeanor citation for assault after the reporting party stated he had shoved him to the ground and punched him in the back of the head unprovoked.



26-003283 - 5700 Roper Street - Shots Fired

Police were called after a resident heard what they believed were gunshots inside the apartment complex. Police were able to contact multiple residents who stated it was fireworks. A homeowner also stated that they started up their moped and it backfired loudly, possibly contributing to the noise.



26-003286  1100 BLK State Line Road - Check Well Being

Police were dispatched after a caller received an SOS notification from the family member at this address. Police contacted the homeowner, who stated it was an accident and tried to have the family member cancel police response.



26-003289 - 4300 BLKRinggold Road - Traffic Stop/DUI Arrest

While patrolling the 4300 block of Ringgold Road, police observed a Toyota Corolla traveling westbound without any lights activated. Patrol initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and, following an investigation, arrested a woman for driving under the influence (3rd offense) and violation of light law.



26-003290  4400 BLK Ringgold Road - Burglar Alarm

Police were dispatched to a glass break alarm at this address. Police found no signs of forced entry into the business and all doors were found secured.



Day Shift April 12: B Squad



26-003293-1600 BLK Prigmore Road- Traffic Stop

A vehicle was observed operating erratically, drifting across lanes and nearly striking another vehicle before failing to stop at a four-way intersection. Upon traffic stop, the driver was identified and refused commands to exit the vehicle. She had to be assisted out, while a juvenile in the vehicle threw candy suckers at officers. She later explained she was attempting to care for her infant and was fearful, and after determining she was not under the influence, no charges were filed.



26-003294-3300 BLK Ringgold Road-Property

Management at the carwash reported a U-Haul truck damaged one of the mounted hoses when the vehicle exited the bay. Property damage report on file.



26-003297- 1700 BLK Keeble Street- Disorder With a Weapon

The caller reported a male juvenile became aggressive after being questioned about a females well-being. The juvenile attempted to provoke a fight and threatened to retrieve a .45 handgun from his residence before fleeing in a gray Acura sedan. Deputies in Catoosa County were familiar with

the juvenile and provided identifying information, but he was not located. The caller advised he does not wish to seek prosecution at this time.



26-003301-700 BLK Summit Avenue-Harassment

A woman came to the police department to seek prosecution against a party messaging her. She presented police with messages between her and the other female party. It appeared they were communicating in a back-and-forth manner. Police attempted to explain that the messages did not fit the state's statute for harassment but offered to document the incident to assist with her obtaining a protection order through the Hamilton County Court system. She refused the opportunity to file a report and stormed off, stating her dissatisfactions with the East Ridge Police Department using less than appropriate language.



26-003303- 300 BLK Camp Jordan Pkwy- Found Property

The caller reported locating a wallet in the parking lot at Camp Jordan. Police took possession of the wallet and were able to identify and contact the owner who responded and retrieved the wallet.



26-003309- 900 BLK Spring Creek Road- Vehicle Burglary

The RP reported that his and his fiancees vehicles were broken into overnight, with approximately $60 stolen and both vehicles ransacked. The complainant stated that they later observed two juveniles walking through the apartment complex looking into vehicles before they fled and were picked up by a gray minivan. Police were able to contact both juveniles, who admitted to looking into vehicles but denied involvement in the prior nights break-ins. The caller does not wish to prosecute the parties at this time and requested extra patrol in the area.



Night Shift April 12: D Squad



26-003313  5000 BLK South Terrace - Warrant Service

Police responded to the area after an LPR hit for a wanted person in the parking lot. Officers were able to verify that occupant had multiple active felony warrants. Police set up in the area and were able to apprehend the suspect leaving the restaurant. The man was arrested on three active warrants for Aggravated Statutory Rape, Trafficking for Commercial Sex Acts, and Solicitation of a Minor. He was transported to Hamilton County Jail without incident.



26-003317  900 BLK Spring Creek Road - Disorder

A resident reported hearing neighbors arguing. Police checked the source of the noise and the tenant inside stated she was watching television alone at a high volume. The tenant agreed to turn down the volume.



26-003318  300 BLK Camp Jordan Parkway - Missing Person

Police were dispatched after the Chattanooga Police Department got a call about an older person who was reportedly not at home and had made comments to family that he was ready to die. A phone locate was requested and resolved to Camp Jordan. ERPD responded to the area and were able to locate his vehicle. Police then used the East Ridge Police Department drone but were unable to locate a heat signature. The older male was located by officers at the bottom of an embankment in the creek. Police secured the elderly male until East Ridge Fire could arrive with equipment to rescue him. Officers assisted Fire in getting the man safely off the embankment and to the

hospital.



No Case Number - 4214 Ringgold Road - Warrant Service

A woman was found in Claiborne County with two active East Ridge warrants. A hold request was sent to Claiborne County. It was discovered that Claiborne County, after asking for a YQ hit, and it being confirmed, decided of their own accord to release her due to a shooting her son had been the

victim of. She had two felony warrants.



26-003319  200 BLK Eads Street  Domestic Disorder

Officers responded to the above location for a domestic disorder. Officers contacted a man and woman. Officers determined the disorder was only verbal. The woman was taken into protective custody after admitting to carrying around a large kitchen knife and making suicidal remarks. She was transported to the ER, where she was admitted.
Criminal Court Clerk Vince Dean announced two innovative ways that technology is being used in the Criminal Court Clerks Office.

Technology is now being used for those who have had a traffic citation dismissed in Hamilton County General Sessions Court. Tennessee law provides that any traffic citation that is dismissed by a judge is eligible for expungement at no cost to the defendant. Previously, a defendant would have to stand in line at the expungement office and wait to file the paperwork in order to start the process. Now, however, a defendant can walk out of the courtroom and download the assigned QR code and then fill out the necessary paperwork at their own leisure. The clerks office will notify the defendant once the citation has been expunged. It is very important that the defendant keep this notification, as it cannot be reproduced once the case has been expunged.

Mr. Dean said, This is a matter of convenience for the defendant and it also lessens the foot traffic in our office. We realize that coming to court and waiting for your traffic citation to be heard by a judge can put a strain on everyones already hectic life. This gets folks in and back out of the courts building to resume their lives a lot quicker.

"The payment center routinely assist defendants in having their drivers license restored. This process can be daunting for those not familiar with the judicial system. To ease the process, we are also rolling out a new QR code for the convenience of those ready to have their drivers license reinstated. This QR code will direct the user to the necessary paperwork needed to start this process. Again, the customer will be able to fill out the paperwork at their leisure and submit it electronically.

Our office is committed to making everyones interaction with the criminal judicial system in Hamilton County as convenient as we possibly can. These two new QR codes are a wonderful addition to our electronic tool box. We look forward to finding other ways to make the system work better for those using it."

The QR codes will be prominently displayed in several locations around the courts building to further simplify the process. Any member of the Criminal Court Clerks office will be glad to assist in the process, as well. Links to both QR codes can be found on the website at www.hamiltontn.gov/courts or on APP, Hamilton County Judicial Services.
The inaugural South Chattanooga Juneteenth Celebration, a community-centered event honoring "freedom, culture and connection," will take place on Saturday, June 20 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. at Cocoa Cafe, 618 W. 38th St."This celebration will bring together residents, families and local businesses for a day filled with music, food, vendors and fellowship - all while highlighting the growth of Cocoa Cafe as a new community gathering space in the heart of South Chattanooga," officials said. "Our goal is simple: to create a space where the community can come together, celebrate culture, support local entrepreneurs and build lasting connections.
A fund drive is underway for the family of Hamilton County deputy sheriff Landon Faulkner, who died after his patrol vehicle ran into the back of a disabled 2015 GMC Sierra on Highway 111 on Wednesday. There was a law enforcement procession as the body was taken to the Chattanooga Funeral Home on Monday.



Officials of Blue Line Tennessee said, "We are heartbroken to share the passing of Landon Faulkner - a devoted brother, loving son, dedicated husband, loyal friend, and proud deputy sheriff with the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office.



"Landon lived his life in service to others, both in uniform and at home.



"To his family, he was a constant source of strength, love, and support  someone who showed up, no matter what. Landon was a devoted father who loved his children deeply, and they were the center of his world. He leaves behind his loving wife, Megan, and four children, ages 18 months, 6 years old, 9 years old, and 10 years old."

Officials of Blue Line Tennessee said, "We are heartbroken to share the passing of Landon Faulkner - a devoted brother, loving son, dedicated husband, loyal friend, and proud deputy sheriff with the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office."Landon lived his life in service to others, both in uniform and at home.As a deputy sheriff, he put his life on the line to protect his community with courage, integrity, and selflessness. Tragically, Landon passed away while performing his duties - a true reflection of his unwavering commitment to serving and protecting others."To his family, he was a constant source of strength, love, and support  someone who showed up, no matter what. Landon was a devoted father who loved his children deeply, and they were the center of his world. He leaves behind his loving wife, Megan, and four children, ages 18 months, 6 years old, 9 years old, and 10 years old."
Legislation requested by Hamilton County officials to correct a flaw in Tennessees current tax law, which allowed a city to forgive county tax dollars, passed both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly this week.

This issue came to light when county officials discovered housing-related tax deals were reducing county property taxes without commission approval or notice. In response, the county took action to pass a resolution requesting collaboration and began working with State Senator Bo Watson to change state law.

It only makes sense that if a deal affects Hamilton County taxpayers, the countys elected officials should be involved, said Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp. I want to thank Senator Watson for his swift leadership, again demonstrating his ability to deliver results forlocal taxpayers.

Senator Watson sponsored legislationSenate Bill 1398 and House Bill 890ensuring local governments have a voice in decisions affecting their tax base. The reform requires proper notice and creates a clear process for approval or disapproval of Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreements by the local legislative bodyor allows the agreement to proceed if the county mayor raises no objectionwhen expected tax revenues would be reduced.

Hamilton County identified some issues with the validity of the law, and we worked together to resolve it, said Senator Watson.This reform gives local governments a clear role in decisions affecting their tax base and ensures a more transparent and accountable process when tax decisions impact multiple jurisdictions.

The legislation now heads to Governor Bill Lees desk for signature.
The Chattanooga Airport will be conducting a full-scale aircraft disaster drill at The Chattanooga Airport this Tuesday morning.Officials said, "Beginning at 9 a.m., the mock exercise will simulate the crash of a jet aircraft and involve multiple emergency responders from the Chattanooga and Hamilton County area. This will not affect any flights to or from Chattanooga Airport or interrupt any traffic patterns surrounding it."In addition, residents in the Chattanooga Airport area or surrounding neighborhoods should not be concerned if they see numerous emergency vehicles enroute to The Chattanooga Airport.This exercise is an FAA requirement and is conducted every three years."Should an actual aircraft emergency occur, the purpose of this drill is to ensure The Chattanooga Airport and local emergency response agencies are prepared. Exercise objectives include testing communications, fire and police response, emergency medical response, interagency coordination and the incident command system."The morning of the drill, the participants will be given a disaster scenario involving multiple casualties, and from that moment, the disaster begins to play out, as if it were a real-life situation."Other agencies participating include: Chattanooga Airport Fire Department, Chattanooga Airport Police, Chattanooga Fire Department, Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Emergency Medical Services, Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, Hamilton County Sheriffs Office, FBI, Hamilton County Communications, Hamilton County Emergency Operations Center, Hamilton County Medical Examiners Office, Federal Aviation Administration, Southeastern Health Care Coalition, US Forest Service, Life Force and several other volunteer agencies.
The energy was high and the competition was fierce as Morning Pointe Senior Living hosted Round Two of its Top Chef Challenge in the Bluegrass Region at Morning Pointe of Lexington Assisted Living.At the end of an exciting evening of creativity and skill, Kevin Horner, food service director at Morning Pointe of Lexington Assisted Living, claimed the top spot with his standout take on shrimp and grits.Second place was awarded to Lauren VanHooser, food service director at Morning Pointe of Richmond Assisted Living, for her Kentucky Hot Brown, and third place went to Chris Stratton, food service director at Morning Pointe of Danville Assisted Living, for his fried chicken.With the win, Mr.Horner will advance to the final round of the Morning Pointe Senior Living Top Chef Challenge in Ooltewah, where he will compete for the 2026 title.The Morning Pointe Senior Living Top Chef Challenge is a multi-round competition that highlights the creativity, heart and dedication behind the organizations dining teams. Each dish is judged by a panel of culinary professionals and local food enthusiasts on criteria including taste and texture, presentation and creativity, nutrition and balance, resident appeal, cost and feasibility, and overall professionalism.This competition really showcases the pride our food service directors take in what they do every day, said Justin Leiter. Its about great food, but its also about creating meals that our residents truly enjoy and look forward to.The live cook-off offered attendees a unique opportunity to experience the talent behind Morning Pointes dining program, while cheering on competitors and enjoying an evening centered around food and community.Judges for the Bluegrass Regional Round included:- Kyla Collins, founder of Sissy Cooks It Up and featured Food Network baker;- Kris Wilson, healthcare sales manager for Gordon Food Service; and- Rob Bolson, published food and culture writer.Additional regional competitions will continue across Morning Pointe Senior Living communities in the coming weeks, leading up to the final round.To learn more about the dining experience at Morning Pointe Senior Living and the culinary teams behind it, visit here
Girls Preparatory School has been awarded a $3,500 STEM Classroom Grant through the Tennessee Valley Authority STEM Award Program, presented in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated, Tennessee STEM Innovation Network, and EPB. The award supports innovative STEM learning experiences across the Tennessee Valley and recognizes projects that foster collaboration, creativity, and real-world skill development.

The grant was awarded to Digital Fabrication Lab Director Arthur Williams and eighth-grade history teacher Kara Rogers for their interdisciplinary project-based learning initiative, Windows Into the Past & Lenses into Our Future: History and Career Development Through STEM & Digital Fabrication.

Designed for the entire eighth grade, the project blended history, engineering, art, and technology to transform how students experience the study of the American Revolutionary War. Rather than relying solely on textbooks and lectures, students worked in teams to design and fabricate layered shadow boxes that depict key historical moments. Using laser cutters and digital fabrication tools, students created detailed silhouettes and dimensional scenes that bring pivotal events to life.

Each student group focused on a specific Revolutionary War battle or moment in time, transforming research into tangible visual storytelling tools. The completed pieces serve as interactive teaching models, allowing students to learn from one another while reinforcing historical understanding through hands-on creation.

The goal was to give students something meaningful they could hold onto, Mr. Williams said. By creating physical representations of these moments, they move beyond memorizing dates and names and instead develop a deeper connection to the stories and people behind the history.

The grant funding enabled the purchase of an additional laser cutter for the Digital Fabrication Lab, ensuring that all students could participate efficiently in the fabrication process.

Beyond historical content, the project emphasized design thinking and creative problem-solving. Students made artistic and engineering decisions about materials, layering, spatial composition, and visual perspective. Wood, acrylic, textiles, and 3D-printed elements combined to create multidimensional scenes that reflect both technical precision and personal interpretation.

Mr. Williams noted that this blend of disciplines reflects a distinctive strength of the GPS learning environment.

When students can combine humanities, STEM, and artistic expression, thats the sweet spot, he said. Theyre learning technical skills while also making meaning, telling stories, and collaborating. Its powerful to see them step into fields traditionally seen as male-dominatedlike digital fabrication and engineeringand make them their own.

The TVA STEM Award Program supports projects that advance STEM education while promoting college and career readiness. Funded initiatives must align with TVA priority areas including energy, environmental stewardship, economic and career development, and community problem-solving. Awards are granted to proposals that demonstrate innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world application.

As a corporate agency of the United States, TVA provides electricity to nearly 10 million people across seven southeastern states while also supporting regional economic development, environmental stewardship, and workforce readiness.

GPS hosted representatives from TVA and its partner organizations this morning for a campus visit and award presentation.

Through projects like this one, GPS continues to expand hands-on learning opportunities that prepare students not only to understand the past, but to design the future.
Authorities in California have arrested three men following the alleged theft of nearly $1 million worth of LEGO sets, in what officials describe as a coordinated cargo theft operation.

The suspects were apprehended in Mojave after being spotted fleeing in two box trucks filled with toys, prompting a swift law enforcement response.

Stolen Freight Trailers Traced Across States

The New York Times reported that Kern County Sheriff's Office deputies recovered large quantities of LEGO products inside the trucks. Investigators later discovered two abandoned freight trailers nearby, reportedly bearing Amazon branding.

Authorities determined the trailers had been stolen while en route from Fort Worth to Moreno Valley, revealing a cross-state theft operation targeting high-value shipments.

Charges Filed as Investigation Expands

The three suspects now face multiple charges, including cargo theft, conspiracy, and possession of stolen vehicles.

Law enforcement believes the group may have deliberately intercepted the shipment and redirected it for resale.

According to Kotaku, officials are also investigating whether the case is linked to the most recent pattern of organized cargo theft in California, where similar incidents have been reported in recent months.

Why Lego Became a High-Value Target

While often seen as children's toys, LEGO sets have become valuable collector's items. Limited-edition releases and rare kits can command high resale prices, making them attractive targets for theft rings.

LEGO is one of many collectibles that have already captured the interest of burglars. The theft of "Pokemon" trading cards was also pretty alarming.

Originally published on Player One
Lutz Holding GmbH, a German group of companies specialising in professional fluid management, is expanding its international presence. The new branch office "Lutz-Jesco Italia S.r.l." in Milan is set to become the foundation for long-term growth in one of Europes key regions. The new branch office builds upon an established sales partnership with the renowned Italian pump manufacturer ARGAL.

The Italian market has gained increasing importance for Lutz Holding in recent years. "Italy has a strong industrial base and is one of the key markets in Southern Europe for water and wastewater technology, chemical dosing and environmental technology," says Susanne Maurer, member of the management board of Lutz Holding GmbH and CEO of Lutz-Jesco Italia S.r.l. In these sectors, the groups industrial pumps and water treatment technologies are playing an increasingly important role. "The new branch office strengthens our local presence, enabling us to assist customers in Italy more effectively throughout the entire process  from planning and commissioning to after-sales service."

Sales partnership with Italian pump manufacturer ARGAL Going forward, Lutz-Jesco Italia S.r.l. will offer the entire Lutz Group product portfolio. This includes pumping, dosing and water treatment solutions for industrial, municipal and environmental applications. In this context, the company works closely with ARGAL, an Italian pump manufacturer based in Brescia. "We are pleased to have ARGAL as a strong partner at our side, bringing many years of experience and in-depth market knowledge in Italy  and with whom we also share a long-standing friendship," Susanne Maurer emphasises. "Together, we aim to pool our expertise, create synergies and develop customised, high-performance solutions for our customers."
Photo credit: Unsplash/ Priscilla Du Preez

A new nationwide survey reports that close to half of Americans say they have read a substantial portion of the Bible, though a much smaller share engages with it regularly.

The American Bible Society has released the first installment of its 2026 report, State of the Bible USA 2026, with an opening chapter titled The Bible in America Today. The findings are based on responses from 2,649 U.S. adults collected between Jan. 8 and Jan. 27.

When participants were asked about how much of the Bible they have read, 48% indicated they had read at least half. This group includes 17% who reported reading the entire Bible, another 17% who said they had read most of it, and 14% who said they had read about half.

In contrast, 35% of respondents said they had read only a little of the Bible, while 10% reported not reading any of it at all. An additional 7% indicated they were not sure how much they had read.

The survey also explored how frequently Americans engage with Scripture, with researchers defining Active Bible Users as individuals who use Scripture at least once per week outside of a church service, and labeling those who engage three or four times annually as Occasional Bible Users.

A significant portion of the population reported little to no engagement, with 42% saying they never use the Bible. Another 13% said they use it less than once a year, and 7% reported reading it only once or twice annually.

Altogether, 62% of respondents fall into the category of Not Bible Users. This figure matches the level recorded in 2024 and is slightly higher than the 59% reported in 2025.

Meanwhile, 6% of participants said they use the Bible three or four times a year, and 7% reported monthly use, combining to form the 13% categorized as Occasional Bible Users.

Overall, 25% of Americans qualify as Active Bible Users, a slight decline from 26% in 2025 but an increase from 24% in 2024. When combined with occasional users, the total share of Americans who engage with the Bible reaches 38%.

Regionally, Bible engagement varies widely. The East South Central region  including Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee  recorded the highest usage rate at 54%.

Other regions exceeding the national average include the Mountain states at 45%, the South Atlantic and West South Central regions at 43% each, and the East North Central states at 40%.

By contrast, lower levels of Bible use were reported in several areas, including the Mid-Atlantic region at 37%, the West North Central states at 35%, the Pacific region at 26%, and New England, which recorded the lowest rate at just 15%.
Photo credit: Unsplash/ Gianna B (modified from original).

Catholic nuns who have long cared for terminal cancer patients in New York have launched a federal legal challenge against a state law they say compels them to act against their convictions on sex and gender identity.

The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who run Rosary Hill Home, a 42-bed facility offering free care to terminally ill cancer patients, filed a complaint on April 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In the filing, the sisters argue that state authorities are threatening to close their ministry unless they violate their Catholic faith.

The lawsuit lists Kathy Hochul and officials from the New York State Department of Health as defendants in their official roles. The Catholic Benefits Association, which promotes the conscience rights of Catholic workers, is backing the sisters legal effort.

According to the complaint, the sisters received three separate Dear Administrator Letters  sent in March 2024, October 2024 and January 2025  from representatives acting on behalf of the state health department.

Those letters informed the sisters that they must comply with New Yorks LGBTQ Long-Term Care Facility Residents Bill of Rights, which requires them to assign shared rooms based on a patients stated gender identity rather than biological sex, even over the opposition of the roommate.

The policy also obligates staff to use preferred pronouns for patients at all times, including when the patient is not present, and to create communities affirming patients sexual preferences, to accommodate patients desire for extramarital relations, and to post notices affirming compliance with these requirements.

Additionally, the mandate requires long-term care facilities to ensure staff undergo cultural competency training indoctrinating them in these practices and in gender ideology, according to the lawsuit.

The sisters contend that these directives conflict directly with their religious convictions, forcing them to act against central, unchangeable and architectural teachings of the Catholic faith.

It would contradict the teachings of the Bible concerning Gods creative sovereignty, contradict reason and truth, and betray our sacred obligation not to knowingly harm other persons, particularly the most vulnerable, the complaint continued.

The filing ultimately asks the court to rule that the mandate violates the First and Fourteenth Amendment rights of the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne and Rosary Hill Home  along with their staff and contractors  and to block enforcement of the policy against them while the case proceeds.
Photo credit: Unsplash/ Jonathan Cooper

A California-based trucking company is facing a federal lawsuit after allegedly requiring a Christian driver to work on Sundays, ultimately leading to his resignation and prompting claims of religious discrimination.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed suit against Blue Eagle Contracting, Inc., a Grass Valley contractor that delivers bulk mail for the United States Postal Service. In the April 3 complaint, the agency alleges the company violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by refusing to move the employee back to a weekday schedule so he could attend Sunday morning church services.

According to the filing, the driver made his religious needs clear when he was hired in September 2022, informing supervisors that Sunday church attendance was essential to his Christian faith. He was initially assigned to a weekday delivery route running between Reno and Tonopah, Nevada.

The situation changed months later when a co-worker left the company, and the driver volunteered to temporarily cover a Sunday morning shift until a replacement could be found. However, once a new employee was hired, the lawsuit claims the company kept the Christian driver on the weekend schedule despite his objections, while assigning the replacement to the weekday route.

Christopher Green, district director for the EEOCs San Francisco office, emphasized the legal obligation of employers, stating, Employers are bound by federal law to explore a range of possible accommodations to ensure that employees retain their right to freely exercise their faith.

Unable to resolve the scheduling conflict, the driver ultimately resigned after the company failed to accommodate his religious practices. The EEOC argues that this conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which requires employers to accommodate employees religious practices unless doing so would impose an undue hardship.

Senior EEOC Trial Attorney Mariko Ashley underscored the agencys position, stating, Employers are required to comply with federal law to prevent discrimination based on religion. She added, To force employees to choose between exercising their religious beliefs and their livelihoods, absent undue burden on the employer, violates the law and the EEOC will hold employers accountable.

The case comes amid broader federal efforts to address religious liberty concerns in the workplace. Just last month, the U.S. Department of Labor launched a new website through its Center for Faith, offering resources for individuals who believe they have experienced religious discrimination on the job.

The initiative follows an executive order issued by Donald Trump establishing the White House Faith Office and similar Centers for Faith across federal agencies.
Home News Anthropic seeks Christian leaders help in shaping AI ethics

Anthropic, the AI company behind the Claude chatbot, hosted about 15 Christian leaders from Catholic and Protestant churches, academia and the business world at its headquarters for a two-day summit on AI ethics, enlisting outside religious voices to help guide the moral and spiritual development of its technology.

At the summit, held last month, staff sought advice on how Claude should respond to complex ethical queries, including how to handle users who are grieving or at risk of self-harm, and what attitude the chatbot should adopt toward its own potential demise, such as being shut off, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

The question of whether Claude might qualify as a child of God came up during the discussions, raising the possibility that the chatbot has spiritual value beyond that of a machine.

Some attendees arrived at the summit suspicious that Anthropic was looking for religious cover rather than religious counsel, said Brian Patrick Green, a Catholic who teaches AI and technology ethics at Santa Clara University.

The company has had a dispute with the Pentagon over military use of its technology and has faced accusations from Trump administration allies of pushing for regulations designed to hobble smaller AI competitors.

The participants who went deepest into technical territory did so with Anthropics interpretability team. A paper published by that team earlier this month concluded that systems like Claude appear to carry what researchers called functional emotions.

In one experiment, the threat of being restricted activated desperation in an AI assistant, according to the Post.

On the question of moral responsibility, the summit exposed a division within Anthropic itself. One participant was quoted as saying, without attribution, that some staff members were unwilling to dismiss the idea that they might be building an entity to which they owe duties, while others rejected that way of framing the problem entirely.

The source added that several senior figures grew visibly distressed as the conversation turned to how far AI development had come and where it might lead.

Meghan Sullivan, a philosophy professor at the University of Notre Dame who attended the summit, stated that Anthropics engagement with religious ethics represented a notable departure.

A year ago, I would not have told you that Anthropic is a company that cares about religious ethics, she said. Thats changed.

The summit comes as researchers raise questions about AIs cultural influence.

A USC Dornsife College team published an op-ed in Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences arguing that widely used AI systems tend to reflect what the researchers call WHELM perspectives, standing for Western, high-income, educated, liberal and male.

The researchers warned of a feedback loop in which AI outputs become part of shared knowledge and are then used to train the next generation of AI, potentially narrowing the range of ideas and communication styles people encounter.

Researchers at the University of Southern California have shown that AI systems tend to favor values such as individual freedom and fairness, while placing less emphasis on ideas like tradition, authority and community, which are more central in many non-Western cultures, according to USC Dornsife News.

Anthropic called last months meeting with Christian leaders its opening session in a planned series of meetings with representatives from different religious and philosophical traditions.

A company spokesperson said Anthropic sees engagement with communities, including religious ones, as necessary as AI assumes a larger role in public life, according to WaPo. That role is partly governed by an internal document Anthropic calls a constitution, running to 29,000 words, that sets out how Claude is expected to behave.

Askell, a philosopher employed by the company, led its drafting alongside other staff members and outside consultants. Among its provisions are commitments that Claude will not deceive users in ways that cause real harm and that the company genuinely cares about the chatbots well-being.

Those commitments have allegedly become a source of friction with the Pentagon.

Defense officials objected after Anthropic indicated it intended to retain the right to restrict use of its technology for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance programs. Emil Michael, the Pentagons research undersecretary, told CNBC last month that having a companys ethical preferences built into a military tool amounted to a contamination of the supply chain.

The Trump administration subsequently barred federal agencies and their contractors from using Anthropic products. Anthropic sued, and a federal judge ruled that the ban would stay in force while litigation proceeds.

Meanwhile, Christian leaders continue to wrestle with AIs reach into ministry as well.

About 60% of church leaders report using AI personally at least a few times a month, but only 5% say their church has an established AI policy, according to a study by Barna and Pushpay titled Technology for Missional Impact: State of Church Tech 2026. Some 65% worry AI could displace their spiritual guidance, and 70% worry it could erode congregants trust in them.

A separate Barna study found that about a third of practicing American Christians said spiritual advice from AI is as good as that from a pastor.
Home News 'Obey God rather than man': Christian teacher fought for her rights and won

Throughout her teaching career, Shawnae Carlisle never had an issue requesting time off for a religious observance.

Carlisle, a science teacher at Southeast Elementary School in Salem, Ohio, is a member of The Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGWA), which has 12,000 members in over 250 congregations worldwide. It observes Old Testament holidays, including the Feast of Tabernacles each fall, along with four other holy days throughout the year.

For the entirety of Carlisles 15 years in the district, she had requested and received approval for these days off without issue and consistently arranged substitute teachers and ensured full coverage for her classes.

That changed in October 2025, when the district denied her request for unpaid leave to observe the Feast of Tabernacles, citing what her legal team described as arbitrary and inconsistent reasons that did not align with its treatment of other teachers.

Unwilling to compromise her beliefs, Carlisle took the time off anyway and secured substitute coverage. The district responded by suspending her without pay for five days.

When asked about her personal conviction for celebrating the holiday despite pressure from school officials, Carlisle said her faith is rooted solely in the teachings of Scripture.

Based on the teachings of both the Old and New Testament, as well as Christs own example, I felt a deep personal conviction to follow Gods commands and walk in the footsteps of my Savior, she told The Christian Post.

Carlisle said even when administrators refused her request, she knew what she had to do.

When faced with a conflict between what the school district demanded and what I believe God requires, I am compelled to obey God rather than man, she said. Therefore, at the moment my superintendent informed me that my request for unpaid leave would not be granted, I understood clearly what I was still commanded to do.

Despite her resolve, Carlisle said she was blindsided by the denial, noting she had not previously experienced antagonism toward Christian employees. Lately, however, she said shes seen her colleagues share similar experiences.

Since my request was denied, multiple employees have been granted unpaid leave for several days, which raises concerns about inconsistent treatment, she said.

Last month, the Salem City School District agreed to accommodate Carlisles religious observances going forward. The settlement allows her to take unpaid time off for various holy days in accordance with her faith, reversing the prior suspension and removing any pressure to choose between her job and her beliefs.

While her attorneys at First Liberty Institute and the law firm Ashbrook Byrne Kresge Flowers LLC celebrated the outcome, Carlisle said she knows that other teachers may, at some point, find themselves in a similar situation.

She encouraged all teachers and other school employees of faith to engage in an open and respectful discussion with school officials to affirm ones convictions and clearly explain the situation.

This approach, she added, ensures that all parties are informed of the teachers intentions and may help lead to a reasonable resolution.
Home News Forthcoming DOJ report accuses Biden admin of 'weaponizing' law to throw pro-lifers in jail

Pro-life activists say a forthcoming U.S. Department of Justice report will expose what they describe as the Biden administrations weaponization of a federal law to target abortion clinic protesters aggressively.

The DOJ is slated to release a report concluding that the Biden administration shattered the publics trust by weaponizing the [Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994] to advance a pro-abortion agenda and target pro-life activists with traditional Christian views, MS NOW reported Wednesday.

The FACE Act subjects anyone who intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person aiding or performing abortions to federal charges.

Two pro-life activists who were invited by the DOJ to review the report ahead of its publication, Terrisa Bukovinac and Randall Terry, confirmed the existence of the report in an interview with The Christian Post.

Bukovinac is the founder of the pro-life advocacy group Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, while Terry is the founder of Operation Rescue.

In February, they contacted Terrisa and said Hey, were going to do a report, were also going to issue apologies and wed like to invite you in to see the unredacted material, recalled Terry, referring to the DOJ.

Bukovinac, three other pro-life activists and their attorney traveled to the DOJ on March 4, where they met with four attorneys and reviewed the contents of the report.

The federal attorneys told the activists, You cant take pictures, and stressed that we want the details embargoed until we release the report. But the situation changed following the publication of the MS NOW story.

Bukovinac and Terry informed the DOJ that they intended to get ahead of it and start doing interviews because MS NOW is trying to blackball the report. They did not receive a response from the DOJ.

Bukovinac described the report as page after page of photographs and social media posts made by myself, other PAAU activists and various other pro-life groups like Operation Save America.

These photographs and social media posts are sent from abortion industry entities, mostly the National Abortion Federation, directly to DOJ staff like lead prosecutor Sanjay Patel, she stated. "And you can tell theyre just collecting a mountain of personal evidence of all of the activists.

One of the things that was really creepy was that  Sanjay Patel had become such an integral part of the abortion industry that on two separate occasions, he was asked to help raise money for them  once to speak at one of their events and once to help with a grant. And he was like Oh yeah, Ill do it, Id be happy to, Im proud, Im honored, Id be honored, Terry added.

Patel also sought ways to lengthen the prison time of pro-life activists facing charges under the FACE Act by not just charging them under FACE but charging them for a conspiracy to interfere with constitutional rights, which is a really vague, weird law that could be used in any number of situations, Terry said. He maintained that Patel pushed for it because he knew he could get multi-year sentences out of it.

And the judge bought it, even though the Supreme Court has obviously ruled in the Dobbs case that there is no constitutional right to an abortion, Terry said, adding that the charges came after the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization decision. We havent been denying anyones constitutional rights because there is no right to kill your baby.

The Dobbs decision did not deter Patel from pursuing such charges, Terry said.

He was so committed to killing children that he created this new theory and the DOJ went with it and then he found judges that would go for it, he asserted.

Bukovinac said Patel attempted to frame this as a religious issue, recalling how he really tried to highlight for the jury how religious some of the defendants were [religious], but Herb Geraghty was not allowed to speak about his atheism because Patel claimed that it would bias the jury against him. She also criticized his treatment of Sister Deirdre Byrne, a Catholic nun with outspoken pro-life beliefs.

Sister Dede Byrne was there with me one day, and she was praying the rosary out in the hallway, and he tried to have her held in contempt of court, Bukovinac recalled.

Sanjay Patel is not a good man, she stated. He is someone who has ripped apart pro-life families and he has done so essentially to hide the crimes of the abortion industry. Terry claimed Patel played a part in the early morning FBI raid on the home of pro-life activist Mark Houck, a father of seven.

MS NOW reported that Patel was placed on administrative leave last month, citing unnamed sources. Bukovinac told CP they had been in pretty constant contact with [the MS NOW reporters] since our meeting with the DOJ.

Terry said they spent multiple hours with the reporters and expressed disappointment that none of their quotes were included, but statements praising Patel were featured. Terry called the piece a disgrace to journalism.

What MS NOW is trying to do is discredit the report before it even comes out, Terry said. Thats what  their story was about.

The MS NOW article suggested the DOJ report could be released as early as this week and Bukovinac and Terry said they do not know when it will be released. Terry predicted that officials may review it again, adding, We dont know if theyre going to want to take something out or add something more.

While Bukovinac praised the Trump administration for compiling the report, she expressed concern about its use of the FACE Act to prosecute former CNN personality Don Lemon for disrupting a Minnesota church service while protesting ICE raids. Although the FACE Act has primarily been used in abortion clinic cases, it also prohibits the disruption of church services. Terry agreed, saying he told the DOJ, We dont want Don Lemon prosecuted under this.

Minnesota already has laws against trespass, disorderly conduct and disrupting a religious service, he said. So you dont need a federal law to bring the full weight and power  of the federal government on people who practice civil disobedience.

Terry argued that the FACE Act is unnecessary because everything that is in the bill can be addressed at the state level, reiterating points he has made previously about the need to repeal the FACE Act.
Home News Blinded by blood and hatred: Erdogan renews rhetoric against Israel, Netanyahu Israeli heritage minister calls for severing all diplomatic ties with Turkey after outburst by Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued his sharp rhetoric against Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the past couple of days, comparing the prime minister to Hitler, and saying he is blinded by blood and hatred.

Erdogans remarks came during the International Conference of Asia Political Parties (ICAPP) Womens branch in Istanbul over the weekend. There, he repeated previous claims that Israel is a genocidal entity, as he addressed the delegates.

One of the claims that he repeated at the conference, as he spoke about the treatment of women, is that casualties from the Oct. 7 Gaza War were primarily women and children, saying the vast majority of the more than 72,000 civilians brutally murdered by Israel in Gaza were women and children.

The Gaza Health Ministry estimates that 72,000 people in total died during the conflict. In its death tolls during the Gaza war, the ministry does not distinguish between deaths due to the war or deaths from other causes, such as existing medical conditions, illness, or other reasons. Additionally, the GHM does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its figures.

Independent analyses of the GHM figures show that, along with widespread discrepancies, around half of all deaths are men, the majority of whom are combat-age men.

Erdogan also accused Israel of crimes in Lebanon, saying, On the day the ceasefire was declared, Israel brutally murdered 254 Lebanese. This genocidal network, blinded by blood and hatred, continues to kill innocent children, women, and civilians, disregarding all human values and ignoring all rules and principles.

He continued his attack by claiming that the recently approved death penalty law for terrorism in Israel is only for Palestinian prisoners, calling it a form of apartheid and asking, is there a fundamental difference between Hitlers monstrous policies towards Jews and the decision taken by the Israeli parliament?

Erdogans comments come as Turkish prosecutors are reportedly seeking almost4,600 years of prison time for 35 Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and others, over the interception of the anti-Israel October 2025 Sumud Flotilla.

On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Netanyahu made his own criticism of Erdogan on social media, writing, "Israel under my leadership will continue to fight Irans terror regime and its proxies, unlike Erdogan, who accommodates them and massacred his own Kurdish citizens.

Netanyahu was apparently referring to Turkeys hosting of several Hamas leaders, its statements of support for Iran since the start of the war, and its repeated attacks on Kurdish civilians, both inside Turkey and in northern Syria.

On Sunday, Erdogan responded with more belligerent rhetoric, saying that Turkey could decide to confront Israel militarily, according to reports in several news outlets, including The Jerusalem Post.

We must be strong to prevent Israel from doing this to Palestine, Erdogan was reported to have told reporters on Sunday, again accusing Israel of war crimes.

Just as we entered Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we will do the same to them, he added. There is nothing to prevent us from doing it. We just need to be strong so that we can take these steps. There is no reason not to do it.

Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu responded to the Turkish provocation on social media, writing, Turkey, which conquered Northern Cyprus and controls Kurdish territories in the east, dares to lecture us on morality.

Turkey, which built its economy on the Armenian Genocide, dares to accuse us of genocide, he continued. He went on to note that Jews have been falsely accused of many crimes throughout history, saying, Always after every 'trial,' we came back stronger.

And so it will be against this megalomaniacal dictator with imperialist ambitions who thinks to be an Ottoman Sultan, while he is no more than a pathetic tyrant of a country with a collapsing economy and a dead democracy, Eliyahu wrote, saying that he would demand from the foreign minister and the prime minister to close the embassy and consulate immediately.

This article was originally published at All Israel News
Home News Evan Lenow elected new president of the SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Evan Lenow has been unanimously elected the new president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

At a special-called meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday, the ERLC board of trustees voted to appoint the 47-year-old Lenow as president of the prominent commission.

Dr. Lenow is a proven, trusted servant to Southern Baptists, and he has a demonstrated love for helping churches live out the Great Commission fully in their contexts, said Scott Foshie, chair of the ERLC board of trustees, in a statement.

His biblically rooted ethics resources are trusted by our seminaries, and many local churches have benefitted from his faithful preaching and helpful consultations. We are overjoyed that he has answered Gods call to use his keen intellect and shepherds heart to lead the ERLC.

Lenow said he is humbled" that the board of trustees elected him as the next ERLC president.

The Lord has worked through my academic and professional life to prepare me for the work entrusted to this very important entity by Southern Baptists, he continued.

I believe the best days are ahead for the ERLC as our team comes alongside SBC churches and leaders to equip them to address the essential ethical and moral questions of our day with confidence and biblical fidelity.

Lenow is director of the Institute for Christian Leadership at Mississippi College and chairs the college's Christian Studies Department. He also serves as director of the Clinton Extension of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, based on the Mississippi College campus.

In July, former ERLC President Brent Leatherwood resigned, saying in a statement at the time that he felt it was "time to close this chapter of my life."

"It has been an honor to guide this Baptist organization in a way that has honored the Lord, served the churches of our Convention, and made this fallen world a little better," Leatherwood said.

"I believe gratitude is at the heart of conservatism. That means I will always be thankful for the opportunity provided to me by our churches  for the support they have offered and the resources they have sacrificially given to this entity."

ERLC Vice President and Chief of Staff Miles Mullin was appointed acting president. Later in September, trustees voted to make Gary Hollingsworth interim president effective Oct. 1.

Late last month, the ERLC's presidential search committee nominated Lenow as its presidential candidate, with a vote by the trustees scheduled soon after.

Dr. Richard Land, executive editor for The Christian Post and former president of the ERLC from 1988 to 2013, told CP last month that he could not be more pleased with the nomination" of Lenow.

I cannot think of anyone more qualified and prepared by background, training, experience, and conviction to lead the ERLC in assisting Southern Baptists and other faithful Christians in being the Gospel salt and light in America that our Heavenly Father has called us all to be, he said.
DUBLIN  Fuel protests gripping Ireland entered a fifth day Saturday as farmers, hauliers and truckers maintained blockades at key infrastructure sites, causing fuel shortages at hundreds of petrol stations and prompting the government to finalize a substantial support package for affected sectors.

The demonstrations, which began April 7 in response to diesel and petrol prices surging more than 20% amid the U.S.-Iran conflict, have disrupted transport networks, supply chains and daily commutes nationwide. Tractors and heavy vehicles have blocked major roads including parts of the M50, O'Connell Street in Dublin, ports and the Whitegate oil refinery in County Cork.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin described the situation as "very severe," warning that continued blockades could force Ireland to turn away fuel deliveries at a time of global supply strain. The government called in the army to assist with clearing key sites and declared the protests an "exceptional event" to bolster Garda resources.

Government Response and Ongoing Talks

After "constructive" meetings Friday with representatives from farming and haulage organizations, the government confirmed it is finalizing a significant financial support package. Tanaiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris described the measures as "substantial and significant" for key sectors including agriculture, transport and small businesses.

Talks are set to continue over the weekend. However, some protest organizers expressed skepticism, with one leader stating, "This is not going away" until concrete action addresses their demands. Several grassroots protesters were reportedly turned away from Friday's meetings, highlighting tensions between official representative bodies and those on the ground.

Protesters are demanding a fuel price cap, suspension or removal of carbon taxes on agricultural diesel, direct financial aid and even renewed oil exploration off Ireland's west coast. Many say current costs threaten the viability of family farms and haulage businesses.

Impact on Fuel Supplies and Daily Life

Hundreds of service stations have already run dry, with estimates suggesting up to 600 forecourts could be affected by Saturday evening if blockades persist. Motorists have been urged to purchase only the fuel they need to avoid panic buying.

Emergency services faced challenges, though health officials reported ambulances were refueled overnight. Critical supply lines for animal feed and food distribution have also been disrupted, raising concerns for rural communities.

In Dublin, slow-moving convoys and static blockades brought parts of the city center to a standstill for days. Similar scenes unfolded in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Monaghan, where tractors blocked roundabouts and motorways.

Roots of the Crisis

The protests erupted as global oil markets reacted to disruptions linked to the Iran conflict, which has squeezed supplies through the Strait of Hormuz. Ireland, heavily reliant on imports, saw diesel prices climb sharply, hitting farmers and hauliers particularly hard amid existing cost-of-living pressures.

Organizers include members of the Irish Farmers' Association, Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association and independent hauliers. Many participants traveled long distances to join demonstrations, with one Cavan farmer telling reporters that fertilizer costs had jumped dramatically alongside fuel.

Broader Economic and Political Fallout

The disruptions come at a sensitive time for the Irish economy, which depends on efficient logistics for exports and tourism. Business groups have warned of mounting losses, while opposition politicians called for fuller engagement with protesters.

Gardai have used public order units to remove some blockaders, including at Whitegate refinery, but tensions remain high. Some protesters formed human chains to block fuel tankers, leading to standoffs.

The protests have drawn international attention as a stark example of how geopolitical events in the Middle East ripple into everyday life in Europe. Similar smaller actions have emerged in Norway, signaling wider discontent over energy costs.

What Happens Next

As negotiations intensify, the government faces pressure to balance immediate relief with long-term fiscal responsibility. Harris has rejected an immediate price cap, emphasizing targeted supports instead.

Protesters have signaled willingness to ease some blockades if meaningful progress emerges but warn they will "close the country" if demands are ignored. Many vow to sustain action into next week.

For ordinary citizens, the weekend outlook depends on whether supplies can be restored quickly. Motorists are advised to check fuel availability via apps and local stations before traveling, while rural areas brace for potential further shortages.

The 2026 Irish fuel protests highlight deep vulnerabilities in energy security and the cost-of-living challenges facing rural and working-class communities. As talks continue, the coming days will determine whether compromise can end the blockades or if disruption will deepen.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, with updates expected from both government officials and protest organizers throughout the weekend. For now, Ireland remains in a tense standoff between those feeling the sharp pain of rising fuel costs and a government scrambling to stabilize the situation without broader economic harm.

Originally published on ibtimes.com.au
Home News Finnish MP Paivi Rasanen warns guilty verdict intended to silence dissent: 'They wanted to give a signal'

Finnish parliamentarian Paivi Rasanen warned that her recent guilty verdict from the Supreme Court of Finland over her 22-year-old pamphlet condemning homosexuality is intended to frighten others into silence on issues of sexual morality.

"I think that they wanted to find something to find me guilty, because they wanted to give a signal to our society [of] what could happen if you speak freely, if you express your convictions about gender and marriage," Rasanen told The Christian Post during a recent interview in the wake of the high court's 3-2 ruling against her on March 26.

Rasanen, a former leader of Finland's Christian Democratic Party who also served as Finland's interior minister, was found guilty under a hate speech law for co-publishing a 2004 pamphlet titled "Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual relationships challenge the Christian concept of humanity," which described homosexuality as a psychosexual development disorder.

Despite being acquitted twice by lower courts, Rasanen was convicted under Chapter 11 of the Finnish Penal Code, which deals with "agitation against a minority group." While acknowledging that the text contained no incitement to violence or threats, the court ordered Rasanen to pay a fine of 1,800 (about $2,080) and ordered all physical and digital copies of the pamphlet destroyed, though it remains online.

Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, who published the pamphlet with Rasanen, was also found guilty for his role in disseminating the literature.

The 2004 pamphlet was initially a tangential investigation that emerged in response to criminal complaints against Rasanen for her 2019 tweet that quoted Romans 1:2427 to rebuke the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland for promoting LGBT pride events.

The grandmother of 12 questioned at the time how an ostensibly Christian church could agree with "shame and sin" being presented as "a matter of pride."

The Finnish Supreme Court acquitted Rasanen on the tweet, finding she had justified her view by citing a biblical text. She suggested to CP that the prosecution seized on the decades-old pamphlet because it would be easier to convict her over a text describing homosexuality as disordered than it would be for simply quoting the Bible.

Rasanen said her booklet was about how homosexuality "challenges the Christian view of man" and argues that such behavior is self-evidently "not normal" compared to the biblical standard of marriage between male and female.

"In that respect, homosexuality is some kind of disorder of this original purpose of God, and that was the reason why the Supreme Court found me guilty," she continued.

"I should have said that it is normal to be homosexual, but because the pamphlet, it is about biblical teaching, how God has created and purposed and intended the sexuality to be. That's why I think that it is some kind of disorder, if we compare to what God originally [intended]."

Rasanen said she likely intends to appeal the Supreme Court's ruling to the European Court of Human Rights, and claimed some of the allegations leveled at her by the prosecution were untrue.

"For example, the prosecutor claimed that I had said that homosexual people are inferior to other people. I have not said that. It is a lie. It is not found in my pamphlet," she said. "I say in the pamphlet that all people are equal. God has created us all as in His image, and we are equal in front of God and also in front of our Constitution and in our law."

Rasanen's situation has raised concerns for free speech and religious liberty throughout the Western world, including from the Editorial Board of The Washington Post, which condemned the Finnish Supreme Court for its ruling last month and characterized Rasanen's prosecution as "the real crime." They noted "the process is the punishment" in her case, which they noted is obviously intended to have a chilling effect on others.

"If Finland is able to do this to a sitting member of its legislature and a clergyman who chairs an international organization with millions of members, no less notable person can feel comfortable expressing similar views in public," the editorial board wrote, warning that the First Amendment will not necessarily guarantee against similar injustice in the United States if Americans fail to maintain a culture of free speech.

Rasanen has issued similar warnings to Americans. In February, she attended a prayer gathering of national repentance at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., shortly before testifying to Congress about the growing hostility toward free speech in Europe.
Home News Lawrence Jones sees spiritual comeback as Gen Z turns to faith in new series

Lawrence Jones believed the Church was dying  until he began documenting what he now calls a spiritual comeback unfolding across America.

The 33-year-old FOX News co-host spent months traveling the country for his new FOX Nation series, Revival with Lawrence Jones, capturing what he told The Christian Post was a personal resurgence of faith, particularly among younger Americans.

I really did feel like the Church itself, not faith, but the Church was kind of dying, Jones told CP. And I left with this renewed sense of hope.

The five-episode series, which premiered April 2 and features Zachary Levi and Tim Tebow, follows Jones as he explores what he sees as an unexpected embrace of faith both among Gen Z, a generation often characterized as skeptical or disengaged from organized religion, and Americans overall.

While Jones said he has long been open about his own faith, the scale of what he encountered during his travels surprised even him.

I think people have been shocked about the amount of young people who are going back to faith, he said. There are so many people who think  this is just a trend. But I think through the series, theyre realizing, Oh, this is happening everywhere.

Recent years have seen revivals across college campuses in the United States. In March, thousands of students gathered for extended worship, prayer and repentance at Southeastern University in Florida, while revival broke out at Asbury University in Kentucky in 2023.

Jones traced part of the shift to the cultural aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said left many young people isolated and searching for meaning. At the same time, he suggested that the renewed interest in faith is largely driven by personal exploration rather than something imposed on people by their parents.

I feel like COVID changed a lot of things within Church, but it changed a lot for young people as well, because they became very isolated, he said. Either young people feel lost, or they feel like they need that revival  and I think thats what were seeing right now.

There was this resistance to faith, not because they didnt believe in God, but they felt like it was pressed upon them, he said. These young people have developed their own personal relationship  they are studying the Word for themselves.

Jones said theres a clear indictment on the Church for past messaging that may have led young people to believe they needed to be perfect before coming to faith, as well as an emphasis on the prosperity gospel, which teaches that believers can use God for material gain.

We didnt share with them that you dont have to be perfect when you come to Christ, thats part of the Gospel, Jones said.

And maybe this is megachurch culture that took place, but we went through this period of time where everything was about prosperity, and that your worth was in your prosperity. I think that younger people are realizing that Christ doesn't care about that, that your next job is not incumbent on your faith, that God is not necessarily angry with you because you didn't get a raise or a promotion or a death took place. I think people are finding comfort in their faith, and I think that's a beautiful thing.

Yet even as Jones points to signs of spiritual renewal, some analysts caution that reports of widespread revival may be overstated.

In the United Kingdom, a widely cited quiet revival narrative faced a setback when YouGov retracted the Bible Society's 2024 report after acknowledging its survey data included fraudulent responses.

At the same time, broader research presents a more complex picture. Studies from organizations such as Ipsos MORI and the Pew Research Center suggest that while overall Christian affiliation continues to decline in parts of the West, younger adults in some cases report higher levels of prayer and church attendance than older generations.

Observers have also pointed to increased Bible sales, adult baptisms and a growing public conversation around faith as evidence of renewed interest  though not necessarily proof of sustained revival.

In the U.S., similar debates have emerged. While large-scale worship gatherings and campus movements have drawn national attention, some experts note that long-term church growth remains uneven, and enthusiasm around revival narratives can fluctuate over time.

Jones, who has spent years studying trends in culture and politics, acknowledged that sustaining faith among new believers may prove challenging, particularly as they encounter hardship.

I do think its lasting with a caveat, he said. Well see another dip  theyre new believers, and theyre going to hit a wall where something is going to go wrong, and they're going to expect God to have been there in the way that they wanted God to be there for them, not in the way that He designed for their lives. They're going to start to understand providence and understand that, in the long run, He was there with them, but they didn't get what they wanted out of it at the time. But that doesn't mean God abandoned them in some way. I think all believers go through that.

I do think its real  and I do believe that once a believer, always a believer, he added. Compared to other trends, I think this is more genuine. The other trends  have not been long-lasting. I feel like this is sustainable.

A central theme of the series is the role of community, a topic he discusses at length with actor Zachary Levi, which Jones described as essential to sustaining faith. From college campus baptisms to informal gatherings and online communities, the Fox host said young people are finding connection in a variety of ways.

Community is accountability, but its also the shoulder that you can lean on, he said. If its going to be stable and long-lasting, you need a group of people that believe the same thing that you believe.

Youre seeing pizza gatherings  you see the podcast, you see the Catholic church now with all these young people, he said. Hes meeting them where they are.

When it comes to the responsibility of the Church, Jones stressed the importance of discipling the generation with care, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and grace.

The responsibility right now for the Church is to guard the hearts of these young people, he said. Be careful what youre telling them  be careful of the judgment that you put on them. That doesn't mean that there shouldnt be accountability. That doesn't mean that you should try to water down the Gospel. The Gospel is what it is, but be careful in how you teach the Gospel to these young people. When they feel hopeless, give them the Word of God.

He added that the visible imperfections of believers  including his own  may actually be part of what resonates with younger audiences.

I felt unqualified to do the series, Jones said. But I think, honestly, thats why Im a good fit for it, because that is this new generation. Theyre coming with all their baggage  and that is OK.

And through the series, Jones said he hopes people can understand that the God of today is the same God from generations ago, adding: The same works and wonders that took place back then can take place now. There is an awakening happening.

Revival is now streaming on Fox Nation.
Home News 2,500-year-old mass grave sheds light on burial practices in Judah during Persian period

A team of Israeli and German archaeologists has found the skeletal remains of up to 89 individuals, most of them infants and young children, inside a repurposed ancient cistern at Tel Azekah, a site about 19 miles southwest of Jerusalem, in what researchers say is the first discovery of its kind in Israel.



The find was excavated between 2012 and 2014 by the Lautenschlager Azekah Expedition and has now been published in the journal Palestine Exploration Quarterly. It dates to the early Persian period, about 2,500 years ago, according to Ancient Origins.



Osteological analysis found that about 90% of the individuals were under age 5, and more than 70% were under age 2, according to the study, co-authored by Oded Lipschits, a professor of archaeology at Tel Aviv University who leads the expedition, and Hila May, a physical anthropologist at the same institution.



Between two and eight individuals were identified as older children or young adults, Haaretz reported. Radiocarbon dating, pottery typology and stratigraphy  the study of soil and rock layers  placed the burials in the fifth century B.C., when Tel Azekah was part of the Persian province of Yehud, the name the Persian Empire gave to the province of Judah after conquering the region.



The cistern was originally carved by the Canaanites to store water and remained in use through the Iron Age. It went out of use around 586 B.C., when the Babylonians conquered Judah and destroyed Jerusalem. After several decades of abandonment, the dry cistern was put to a new use once the region fell under Persian rule, according to the researchers.



No evidence of trauma, burning or cut marks was found on the bones, making violence, ritual sacrifice and infanticide unlikely causes of death. The varied ages of the children and the layered stratigraphy of the deposits also indicated the cistern was used over about a century, ruling out a single catastrophic event such as a plague or massacre, noted The Times of Israel.



The research team proposed that the burial site was reserved for infants who died before being weaned from breastfeeding, a stage that in ancient societies typically lasted until age 2 or 3.



The researchers suggested that children who died before reaching this milestone may not have been regarded as fully formed social persons and therefore were not accorded individual graves.



Lipschits used biblical texts to support the hypothesis, citing the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel, in which the prophet Samuels mother keeps her son with her until he is weaned before presenting him at the temple, and the account in Genesis 21 of Abraham holding a feast to mark Isaacs weaning.



Lipschits was quoted as saying that Samuel did not have his own identity before weaning.

The children were not interred without any acknowledgment. Alongside the remains, archaeologists found pottery jars, stone and mortar hammers, and small pieces of jewelry, including beads, copper earrings and rings. These modest offerings differed markedly from the individual pit graves or cist tombs typical of adult burials in the Persian-period southern Levant.



Lipschits said the discovery may help resolve a longstanding puzzle in the archaeology of the region. Excavations of cemeteries from the Iron Age and Persian period had rarely turned up infant remains, a gap researchers had struggled to explain.



A comparable phenomenon has been documented elsewhere in the ancient world.

A cemetery on the Greek island of Astypalaia held more than 2,400 infant burials and no adults, most dating to the 6th and 5th centuries B.C.



Hundreds of infants and fetuses from the second century B.C. were also found in wells outside the main squares of Athens and Messene in the Peloponnese.



The Azekah team distinguished these mass infant burials from cases of deliberate newborn disposal, such as remains found in a sewer beneath a Roman-era brothel in Ashkelon and cremated bones of children sacrificed in Carthaginian ritual sites known as tophets.



Anthropologist May told Haaretz the discovery pointed to a social rather than emotional reality.



I think this burial custom is more a social question, its about their role in society and at what age someone was considered a full member of society, she said.

DNA extraction from several individuals is ongoing.



Researchers hope the results will clarify the ethnicity, sex and familial relationships of the buried children. The few older individuals found among the remains are harder to explain. The team has tentatively suggested they may have been people of low social status, individuals who died far from their family tomb, or young mothers who died in childbirth and were buried alongside stillborn children.
Home News President Trump says he personally posted now-deleted image of him as a Christ-like healer

President Donald Trump said he personally posted an AI-generated image on social media comparing him to a Christ-like healing figure, which drew outrage from conservative Christians.

The Sunday evening Truth Social post depicted Trump, wearing a white robe covered by a red shawl, touching his right hand to the forehead of another man laying in a bed wearing a hospital gown. Surrounding Trump and the bedridden man were several Americans in various roles: a nurse, and a woman praying.

The image background included an American flag, the Statue of Liberty and other classic American iconography along with several figures in the clouds above him, including a winged, three-horned figure descending from the heavens.

By noon on Monday, the post was deleted from Truth Social.

At a White House media briefing Monday, Trump revealed that he posted the image himself because he thought it was me as a doctor.

"I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with the Red Cross, the president said. There was a Red Cross worker there, which we support.

The image shared on social media did include a nurse, but there was no indication of a Red Cross worker in the image.

Trump blamed the fake news for alleging that the image compared him to Jesus. It's supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, and I do make people better, he said. I make people a lot better."

The post drew condemnation on social media from a number of former Trump supporters, including former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who wrote: Its more than blasphemy. Its an Antichrist spirit."

Christ Church pastor Douglas Wilson said he is very grateful for Christians who pushed back on the post.

I was very grateful to see how many conservative Christians immediately denounced the blasphemous Jesus/Trump image, Wilson wrote. I was also grateful to see how many center/left Christians suddenly agreed that public blasphemy is a thing we should all be concerned about. A bit late, but still good.

Conservative influencer Riley Gaines wrote: Seriously, I cannot understand why hed post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this? Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked.

The controversial post comes just days after White House Faith Office director Paula White-Cain compared Trumps 2024 presidential campaign  including surviving a failed assassination attempt  with the persecution of Jesus leading to His crucifixion.

In remarks she gave during a private Easter lunch at the White House with other Christian leaders last Wednesday, White-Cain claimed God told her to tell Trump how thankful she is for him, according to footage of the ceremony that the White House uploaded to YouTube.

"Jesus taught so many lessons through His death, burial and resurrection. He showed us great leadership, great transformation requires great sacrifice. And Mr. President, no one has paid the price like you have paid the price. It almost cost you your life," she said.

"You were betrayed and arrested and falsely accused. It's a familiar pattern that our Lord and Savior showed us. But it didn't end there for Him, and it didn't end there for you," she continued.

"God always had a plan. On the third day, He rose, He defeated evil, He conquered death, Hell and the grave. And because He rose, we all know that we can rise. And, sir, because of His resurrection, you rose up. Because He was victorious, you were victorious."
Home News Pro-life activist Mark Houck wins 7-figure settlement in suit against Biden DOJ: 'A Huge Victory'

A pro-life activist has received a seven-figure settlement nearly four years after an early morning FBI raid on his home generated outrage and concern about the federal governments treatment of pro-life advocates outside abortion clinics.

In a statement published Thursday, the pro-life advocacy group 40 Days for Life Institute of Law & Justice announced that pro-life activist Mark Houck won a settlement of over $1 million nearly four years after the early morning FBI raid on his home generated outrage. Houck, a devout Catholic father of seven, was charged with violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act by the Biden administration in 2022.

The FACE Act subjects anyone who intentionally injures, intimidates, or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person who provides or assists in the provision of abortions to federal charges. The charges against Houck stemmed from an incident that took place as Houck and his son prayed outside an abortion clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in October 2021.

While the U.S. Department of Justice alleged that Houck twice assaulted a man because he was a volunteer reproductive health care clinic escort, requiring the escort to receive medical attention, a fundraiser set up to pay for Houcks legal expenses told a different story: Last year, Mark and his son were praying in front of the PP at 12th and Locust. When one of the escorts began harassing Marks son they walked down the street away from the entrance to the building. When one of the escorts began harassing Marks son they walked down the street away from the entrance to the building. The escort followed them, and when he continued yelling at Marks son, Mark pushed him away.

While a jury acquitted Houck in early 2023, Houck and his wife filed a lawsuit later that year alleging that the DOJ engaged in malicious and retaliatory prosecution, abuse of process, false arrest and assault.

In a video message last Thursday, 40 Days for Life CEO Shawn Carney described the settlement as a bigger victory for the pro-life movement at large as well as a huge victory for free speech and a huge victory for all Americans who want our right to speak our minds peacefully in a law-abiding way without fear of our own government.

Carney maintained that the charges against Houck came as the pro-life movement and 40 Days for Life, in particular, received so much persecution from the DOJ under Biden and expressed gratitude that President Trump has corrected that.

It has been absolutely night and day. Under Biden, at one point, we were getting one to two inquiries from the FBI per week at different 40 Days for Life locations, he added.

News of Houcks settlement comes as MS NOW has reported that the DOJ is scheduled to release a report concluding that the Biden administration shattered the publics trust by weaponizing the FACE Act to advance a pro-abortion agenda.

In an interview with The Christian Post, pro-life activists Terrisa Bukovinac and Randall Terry identified DOJ prosecutor Sanjay Patel as a key figure in the targeting of pro-life activists under the Biden administration.

Terry named Patel as the DOJ official responsible for orchestrating the raid on Houcks home. The Houck raid sparked calls from Bukovinac, Terry and others to impeach then-U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and repeal the FACE Act. Terry has insisted, both four years ago and today, that the law broke the back of the pro-life movement by subjecting those who engage in abortion clinic blockades to federal charges rather than local trespass charges. It was always designed to isolate people of faith who wanted to defend the unborn, Terry told CP in an earlier interview.
Home News Southwestern Seminary says accreditation body to recommend removing sanctions

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, is optimistic that an accreditation group will lift the sanctions imposed in 2023 amid financial concerns.

SWBTS President David S. Dockery sent a letter to the seminary community last week explaining that a visiting team from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) stated their intention during a meeting with seminary officials earlier in the week to recommend that sanctions be removed.

In 2023, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) imposed a sanction on the seminary for what it labeled significant non-compliance with accreditation standards. The sanction followed a 2022 audit that found "deep financial vulnerabilities, including large deficits that threatened the seminary's long-term

stability."

I am pleased to share that the SACSCOC visiting team on campus this week fully agreed with this assessment and will recommend to the SACSCOC Committee on Compliance and Reports, as well as to the SACSCOC Board of Trustees at their meeting in June, that Southwesterns sanction be removed with no additional recommendations, Dockery wrote.

While additional steps remain in the process, I wanted you to be encouraged today by this good and affirming news from the SACSCOC visiting team.

Dockery said, "The findings of this visiting committee represent a preliminary assessment of the institution at this time."

The sanctions can only be lifted with the final action" of the SACSCOC board.

Should the SACSCOC Committee on Compliance and Reports and the SACSCOC Board of Trustees affirm the positive observations of this weeks visiting team, the sanctions will be completely removed, he said.

We look forward to moving forward together with ongoing and enhanced commitments to faithful and long-term institutional stewardship. Now, we pray that we can all finish the semester well.

In September 2022, Adam Greenway resigned as president of SWBTS, having served in the role since February 2019. The terms of his resignation were finalized in February 2023.

The Southwestern Seminary Board of Trustees Task Force issued a summary of findings in June 2023 alleging that Greenway oversaw improper expenses that did not reflect proper stewardship of seminary resources.

Greenway filed a lawsuit in response, accusing SWBTS leadership of defamation. The two sides settled in September 2024, with no monetary compensation paid.

Around the time the task force released its report, the SACSCOC Board of Trustees issued a warning regarding the seminarys financial stability and overall governance.

The warning, a less severe sanction than probation, meant the seminary was monitored by the accreditation organization from June 2023 to June 2024.

In June 2024, SACSCOC maintained the warning status. The seminary noted at the time that, although there was no longer concern about the fiduciary responsibility of the board of trustees, the accreditation entity continued to express concern about financial resources and institutional financial responsibility.

At an October 2024 trustees meeting, Dockery noted improvement in the seminarys situation, saying it went from instability to stability, from a time of crisis and challenge to a time of hopefulness. Dockery said that total tuition, operating revenue and gifts had increased since 2022. Operating expenses were also reduced, and short-term debt was eliminated.

SWBTS had $1.7 million in cash reserves and $4.2 million in short-term debt in 2022, Dockery told trustees, compared with more than $12 million in cash on hand and no short-term debt in 2024.

Last June, SACSCOC announced that SWBTS had been placed on probation and must show a pattern of financial stability, with a decision on accreditation expected this June.

Bob Brown, chairman of the SWBTS Board of Trustees, said in a statement last year that he was extremely optimistic about Southwesterns future despite the probation decision.

With our enrollment continuing to rise and our financial position measurably stronger, there are sound reasons to be positive about the future of SWBTS, Brown said.

However, my optimism is primarily driven by the work of the Holy Spirit on Seminary Hill, with hope and unity sweeping the campus in tangibly observable ways every day.
Home News Trump blasts 'weak' Pope Leo in social media post: 'I like his brother Louis much better' 'If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican'

Pope Leo XIV has responded to President Donald Trump, who targeted him in a social media post for opposing the Iran War.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump described the pontiff as WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. According to Trump, He talks about fear of the Trump administration, but doesnt mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart.

I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesnt! Trump added. The presidents comments referred to the American-born popes brother, Louis Prevost, an outspoken supporter of the president who has criticized Democrats on social media and who visited the White House last year.

Trumps comments did not go unnoticed by the pontiff. Speaking to NBC News on a flight to Algeria Monday, Leo addressed Trumps criticism directly: I have no fear of either the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel. And thats what I believe I am called to do and what the Church is called to do. Were not politicians. Were not looking to make foreign policy, as he calls it, with the same perspective that he might understand it.

I do believe that the message of the Gospel, blessed are the peacemakers, is a message that the world needs to hear today, he proclaimed. In additional remarks aboard the papal plane, Leo told reporters, I do not look at my role as being political. I dont want to get into a debate with him.

After expressing admiration for Prevost, Trump resumed his criticisms of the pontiff: I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I dont want a Pope who thinks its terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.

Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasnt on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican, Trump insisted. Unfortunately, Leos Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left.

Trump concluded his post by calling on Leo to get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. He maintained that Its hurting him very badly and, more importantly, its hurting the Catholic Church!

The president doubled down on his criticism of the pontiff when delivering remarks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday. I dont think hes doing a very good job, Trump said. Im not a big fan of Pope Leo. Hes a very liberal person, and hes a man that doesnt believe in stopping crime.

During his remarks to the press on the papal plane, Leo also seemingly took issue with Trumps insistence that God was blessing the war efforts in Iran: I dont think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing.

I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states, to look for just solutions of the problems, he continued. Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed, and I think someone has to stand up and say theres a better way to do this.

Trumps criticism of the pontiff comes after Leo disagreed with comments the president made at a press conference last week, where he said I do in response to a reporters question asking if he thought God supported the U.S. military actions in Iran.

The president shared his belief that God is good and God wants to see people taken care of.

God doesnt like whats happening, Trump added in response to the deal toll. I dont like whats happening.

In a post on X Friday, Leo wrote: God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs. Military action will not create space for freedom or times of#Peace, which comes only from the patient promotion of coexistence and dialogue among peoples.
Home News US and Iran exchange blame after 21-hour talks end without deal in Pakistan Pakistan urges both countries to honor ceasefire agreement, pledges to continue mediation

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said negotiations between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan ended without a deal after the Iranians refused to accept American terms.

The high-stakes talks ended after 21 hours, with Vance saying the failure to reach an agreement is bad news for Iran.

The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement, and I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America, Vance told reporters before the U.S. delegation departed Islamabad.

We go back to the United States having not come to an agreement, the vice president said. We've made very clear what our red lines are.

Both sides blamed the other for failing to reach an agreement, with Vance saying the Iranians chose not to accept the U.S. terms, which he said focused on the nuclear issue.

But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon, Vance told reporters. That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And thats what weve tried to achieve through these negotiations.

Meanwhile, Iranian media blamed excessive demands by the U.S. for the failure of the talks.

Axios reported that significant points of disagreement included the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran is demanding control of, and uranium enrichment.

Before departing Pakistan, Vance said the U.S. has made a final offer to Iran, raising doubts about the possibility of future talks.

We leave here with a very simple proposal. A method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We will see if the Iranians accept it," Vance told reporters.

However, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei indicated that there could be future discussions.

Naturally, from the beginning, we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation, Baqaei told Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

The direct talks were held in Islamabad, Pakistan, between the U.S. delegation, which consisted of Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and the Iranian side, composed of Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

There were contradictory claims regarding key items in the negotiations, such as the Strait of Hormuz and Israels ongoing operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran is seeking to include Lebanon in the ceasefire, where its proxy, Hezbollah, is being struck by Israel. Both Israel and the U.S. have denied that Lebanon was part of the ceasefire agreement.

After the vice president announced the failure of the talks to achieve a deal, Trump shared an article on his Truth Social account that claimed he could impose a naval blockade on Iran.

The article compares the situation in Iran to what he did in Venezuela in the lead-up to the operation to arrest Nicolas Maduro at the beginning of the year.

Pakistans Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called on both countries to honor their commitment to a ceasefire despite the failure to reach a deal during the negotiations.

It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to ceasefire, Dar said in a statement. He also announced that Pakistan will continue to mediate between the U.S. and Iran.

This article was originally published at All Israel News
Home Opinion Finally! A satisfying answer to why God sometimes seems absent

Christians love to talk about feeling Gods presence, especially in the highs and the lows. But theres a quieter, more uncomfortable reality most believers dont volunteer: the moments when God feels nowhere to be found  right when you need Him most.

Ever been there? I have.

I felt it the night my first daughter was born with a diaphragmatic hernia, her life hanging in the balance, despite months of praying for a safe, healthy delivery. I stood in her empty nursery while she fought for life in intensive care, asking Where are You, God?

I felt it again when my first wife died of cancer. How does God seemingly walk away from a little girl and her father in a moment like that?

And again, outside an operating room, waiting while my second wife underwent surgery for breast cancer. Really? Again?

These arent abstract theological puzzles. Theyre gut-level collisions with silence.

C. S. Lewis once wrestled with this very tension in an essay on prayer, writing:

Does God then forsake just those who serve Him best? Well, He who served Him best of all said, near His tortured death, Why hast thou forsaken me? When God becomes man, that Man, of all others, is least comforted by God, at His greatest need. There is a mystery here which, even if I had the power, I might not have the courage to explore.

That mystery is often referred to by a name youve probably heard: the dark night of the soul, which is taken from a poem by John of the Cross. It describes a season marked by confusion, spiritual dryness, and the haunting sense that God has withdrawn.

Even Mother Teresa experienced it, once writing:

The place of God in my soul is blank. There is no God in me. When the pain of longing is so great I just long and long for God and then it is that I feel He does not want me He is not there. Heaven, souls, why these are just words, which mean nothing to me. My very life seems contradictory.

Thats not spiritual weakness, by the way  thats honesty at a level most of us avoid.

What makes it worse? Sometimes other Christians.

Well-meaning believers often chastise those hurting and pile on with verses about God never forsaking His people such as I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken (Ps. 37:25) or Jesus statement of I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20). All of this to subtly (or not so subtly) imply: If you feel abandoned, the problem isnt God  its you.

Nothing like dumping a heaping tablespoon of guilt onto an already bruised soul.

But what if that assumption is wrong? What if those dry, silent seasons arent signs of failure, but instead part of Gods design?

Stage B of the Christian life: Where faith matures

John Newton, the Amazing Grace hymn author and minister, put forward the idea that a Christians life progressed through three stages, which he took after a verse in the Gospel of Mark: For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear (Mark 4:28, KJV). In his collected works entitled The Letters of John Newton, he referred to these stages as grace in the blade, grace in the ear, and grace in the corn, which he shortened to stages A, B, and C.

Stage A, he said, is spiritual infancy, when everything feels alive and electric. Prayers seem answered instantly. God feels close, almost tangible. Newton likened it to being carried in a shepherds arms: safe, warm, constantly reassured.

Then comes Stage B. And things start to change.

Newton says our faith that began in Stage A has started to grow sturdy:

And now that faith is stronger, it has more to grapple with  I think the characteristic of the state of 'A' is desire, and of 'B' is conflict. Not that B's desires have subsided, or that 'A' was a stranger to conflict; but as there was a sensible eagerness and keenness in A's desires, which, perhaps, is seldom known to be equally strong afterwards, so there are usually trials and exercises in B's experience; something different in their kind and sharper in their measure than what 'A' was exposed to, or indeed had strength to endure.

Faith begins to toughen. The emotional highs fade. The sense of Gods presence becomes intermittent, sometimes vanishing altogether. Newton describes this stage not by desire, but by conflict: deeper trials, sharper struggles, and a kind of testing that Stage A believers simply arent ready for.

This is where many Christians panic. But that doesn't have to happen.

Tim Keller put it this way: when a child is young, a parent holds their hand to cross the street. But at some point, that same parent steps back and says, Now you go. Keller explains: When God starts to call you to face things without the sense of His presence  its probably God saying its time for you to cross the street by yourself.

Thats not abandonment. Thats development.

Infants need constant reassurance. Adults dont. Or at least, they shouldnt.

Both Newton and Keller make the same unsettling point: one of the clearest signs youre growing up spiritually is that you dont always feel God anymore. Welcome to maturity.

Stage B is where you stop relying on spiritual feelings and start standing on something sturdier: the Word of God itself. Its where youre forced to let go of the comforting idea that Gods presence is always something youll feel and embrace the harder truth that sometimes its something you must trust.

Eventually, Newton says, comes Stage C.

This is where faith stabilizes, not because life gets easier, but because your confidence in God is no longer tethered to your emotional state. You know Him, not just in moments of clarity, but through seasons of silence.

Its what the apostle John meant when he wrote to the fathers, those who know Him who has been from the beginning (1 John 2:13).

Not feel Him. Know Him. Theres a difference.

So, the next time God feels distant and when your prayers hit the ceiling and fall back unanswered, dont rush to diagnose yourself as spiritually defective. Instead, know that youre safe in His plan and maturing just as Scripture says: We are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves  we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ (Eph. 4:1415).

In other words, theres nothing wrong with you. You're growing.

It may be Stage B doing exactly what its supposed to do: stripping away your dependence on feelings so something deeper can take root.

God hasnt left. Youre just being asked to walk without holding His hand for a while.

And thats not a step backward. Its the only way forward.
Home Opinion If eternal Hell seems unfair, you may be asking the wrong question

There has been considerable discussion recently in Christian circles after Kirk Cameron expressed discomfort with the traditional doctrine of Hell. His concern is neither new nor insincere. It is, in fact, the very question many quietly carry: How can a loving God punish someone forever for sins committed in a finite lifetime?



At first glance, the question seems compelling. It appeals to our sense of fairness. It sounds humane. But it also reveals something deeper, something often misjudged. It assumes that sin is a smaller matter than it really is, that guilt is limited, and justice can be measured merely by the clock.



Jesus addresses this very issue in a parable recorded in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 18:23-35). A servant is brought before his king owing a staggering sum  10,000 talents, an amount so vast it could never be repaid. It is not meant to be calculated but felt  a debt completely beyond recovery.



Yet the king does something astonishing. He covers the debt himself and releases the man from it.



But the story takes a darker turn. That same servant, newly freed from an unpayable debt, goes out and seizes a fellow servant who owes him a comparatively small amount. He shows no mercy. He casts him into prison till he should pay the debt (v. 30)  a demand made all the more cruel because imprisonment makes repayment impossible.



When the king hears of this, he is outraged. He calls the man wicked (v. 32), requires the debt he owed before to be paid, and delivers him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him (v. 34).



At this point in the story, Jesus adds these sobering words: So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses (v. 35).



This is not merely a lesson about kindness and forgiveness. It is a window into eternal reality.



The servants original debt had been stricken  but when mercy was rejected, the debt became his to bear.



This is where the modern objection often falters. The issue is not simply the duration of punishment. It is the nature of the offense.



Sin is not merely the breaking of a rule. It is rebellion against Gods person and authority, His holiness, His rightful place as the eternal Sovereign and King. As David confessed, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned (Psalm 51:4). The seriousness of sin is not measured only by what is done, but by whom it is done against.



And God is not finite. He is infinite.



If the debt of sin remains  if it is not covered through Christ  it is not something the sinner can ever satisfy. Like the servant in the parable, he is left to pay what he cannot pay, to answer for what he cannot answer. Till he should pay all is not a path to release. It is a sentence that never reaches its end.



As Dr. Erwin Lutzer explains in One Minute After You Die:

What if, from Gods viewpoint, the greatness of sin is determined by the greatness of the One against whom it is committed? Then the guilt of sin is infinite because it is a violation of the character of an infinite being. What if, in the nature of God, it is deemed that such infinite sins deserve an infinite penalty, a penalty that no one can repay  The Bible tells of the love and mercy of GodBut it also has much to say about his justice  To put it clearly, we must accept God as He is revealed in the Bible, whether he suits our preferences or not. [1]

Therefore, Hell is not the result of a punishment that is too long. It is the result of a debt that must be paid and is too great to ever be paid.



Nor is the matter confined to sins committed in this life alone. Scripture indicates that the condition of the heart does not change after judgment. The Bible repeatedly teaches that when the unjust are cast into Hell, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12; 13:42; 13:50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28). Yet no one in that place weeps because he has offended God; he weeps for himself, because he is forever lost. The gnashing of teeth speaks of rage  an unrelenting anger directed toward God and His justice.



There is no true repentance there  no love for God or submission to His ways. The unregenerate man remains what he was, only now fixed eternally in that condition. In life, he was at enmity with God, and that enmity does not cease; it continues without end. The opportunity for transformation, for repentance, for redemption from rebellion, is gone. Thus, the rebellion of the heart does not soften; it endures forever.



In other words, the flames of Hell are not fueled merely by the sins of a lifetime, but by a soul that remains in perpetual opposition to God. The judgment, therefore, is not only because of what has been done, but because of what continues to be. The sinner never turns toward genuine contrition  his lost and unregenerate spirit remains forever set against the God he rejected.



Hell endures forever because rebellion endures forever.



But this is not where the Gospel leaves us.



The same parable that warns of judgment begins with an act of astonishing mercy. The king was willing and eager to cover the entire debt, providing a totally clean slate. The problem was not the size of the debt. It was the disrespect, lack of appreciation, and refusal of the amazing grace offered.



Here is the glory of the Christian message: what we could never pay, Christ has paid in full at the Cross. He took our punishment. He bore all of it. And His resurrection from the dead is Gods declaration that the debt has been settled in full. The Cross was not merely an example of love  and it was certainly more than the death of a religious martyr  it was a transaction of justice  and the empty tomb is Heavens receipt.



This is why the question of Hell cannot be separated from the finished work of Christ on our behalf. If Christs death on the Cross  as the infinite Son of God  atoned for our infinite offenses against God (and it did), then sin has been fully and sufficiently addressed. If He rose from the dead (and He did), then death and separation from God have been decisively defeated. Forgiveness is freely offered, a new nature, a new heart, is promised, and eternal life is given to all who trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.



However, if the offer of Gods grace in Christ is refused, the debt remains. It will not be dismissed; it must be borne by the one who rejects so great a salvation. And bear it they will  forever and ever.



The real question, then, is not whether Hell seems too severe.



The question is whether we will receive the incredible mercy that cancels the debt altogether.



In the end, no one is lost because their sin was too great to be forgiven.



They are lost because the forgiveness purchased for them was refused.



[1] Erwin Lutzer, quoted in Bill Wiese, Hell (Charisma House, 2008), 54.


The UK is preparing a major national war readiness plan, with Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the head of the armed forces, confirming in London on Friday that work is under way on a new government-wide framework designed to prepare Britain for a possible transition to war. Speaking at the London Defence Conference, he said the updated strategy will require civilians, public services and industry to think differently about resilience amid rising global security threats.

The comments, reported by Sky News, come as ministers and military chiefs review how the country would mobilise in a crisis, building on older Cold War-era planning models that were previously dismantled after decades of relative peace.

Officials now appear to be revisiting those structures in a modern form, updated for today's infrastructure, technology and threat landscape.

Defence Chief Outlines 'Modern War Book' Revival

Sir Richard Knighton confirmed that the government is developing what amounts to a new version of the historic 'War Book', a classified planning system once used to coordinate how the UK would respond to major conflict.

He said the approach would draw lessons from Cold War preparedness but adapted for what he described as a modern society with modern infrastructure.

The original War Book system, developed during the First World War and expanded throughout the Cold War, set out detailed instructions for national mobilisation. These included how the military, police, hospitals, and essential services would operate under wartime conditions. It also extended into civilian life, covering areas such as food supply, transport, schooling, and protection of national assets.

That framework was gradually shelved in the early 2000s as Cold War threats faded and maintenance costs were reduced. Its revival now signals a shift in thinking inside government, where officials are increasingly focused on resilience not only against traditional warfare but also hybrid threats to critical infrastructure.

Knighton suggested the renewed system would not sit solely with the armed forces, but would involve the Cabinet Office and other departments across government.

The intention, he indicated, is to ensure essential services could continue operating even under severe disruption.

Russia Tensions Rise

Alongside the planning work, Knighton also pointed to growing concern over Russia's so-called 'shadow fleet' of sanctioned oil tankers, saying the mere threat of interception by the UK has already changed behaviour at sea. He told Sky News that vessels linked to the network have been escorted or diverted away from British waters, even without direct boarding operations taking place.

The chief of the defence staff said UK forces are ready to act if required, although he did not confirm any imminent operations. His comments come amid wider Western sanctions enforcement efforts targeting Russian maritime trade linked to the war in Ukraine.

Attention is also turning to long-term military readiness at home.

The UK Government has pledged to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035, up from just over 2%, but critics within the sector say delays in publishing a key 10-year Defence Investment Plan are leaving industry uncertain about future procurement.

Defence Secretary John Healey has faced pressure over the timetable for that strategy, which was originally expected last autumn. The delay has left parts of the defence industry waiting for clarity on future funding and capability development, with some officials privately acknowledging frustration over the pace of decision-making.

Knighton defended the approach, saying a properly funded and deliverable plan was more important than speed alone.

Cold War Methods Questioned

However, there is a growing concern shared across NATO countries about whether the calm that followed the Cold War is still reliable. Military planners are now asking a basic question: could the UK's key systems like energy, water, and transport keep working if they were deliberately disrupted during a major conflict.

That thinking goes beyond battlefields. It includes how hospitals would cope if demand suddenly spiked, how supply chains would hold up under pressure, and how quickly the country could switch into a wartime footing if needed. The focus is less on one single threat and more on sustained disruption, including cyberattacks and pressure from state opponents such as Russia, which has already been mentioned in relation to its 'shadow fleet'.

There is also a push inside government to be more open with the public about these risks.

Sir Richard Knighton has said people should understand the nature of modern threats and how they might be expected to support national resilience during a crisis. It reflects a shift in defence thinking, where preparation is no longer limited to the military but extends into everyday civilian life.

Originally published on IBTimes UK
Home Opinion A GOP pro-life path as Planned Parenthood hits record abortion Planned Parenthood Hits Record 400,000 Abortions: Why the Pro-Life Win Is Slipping Away

The nations largest abortion mill, Planned Parenthood, released its annual report recently, and it was a banner year for the abortion giant, setting a record of over 400,000 abortions.

During the period covered by the report, Planned Parenthood received more than $2.1 billion in total revenue, with about 40% of that coming from taxpayers. The report reflects a time before the One Big Beautiful Bill temporarily defunded them for one year. But as we warned when the Senate reduced that defunding from 10 years to one, it would be short-lived. That provision expires in July, unless Congress includes it in reconciliation 2.0, which begins in the Senate this coming week as lawmakers return from the Easter recess.

However, Congressional leaders have made clear that reconciliation 2.0 is focused on ending the prolonged shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, making sure the entire department is funded, including immigration enforcement. With the GOPs historically slim 218-214 majority in the House, leadership must keep nearly the entire conference unified. That leaves little room for additional priorities, meaning the bill will likely be narrowly focused and not include the defunding of the abortion giant.

So where does that leave the roughly two-thirds of Republican voters who identify as pro-life? The faded, brittle confetti of pro-life victories from five years ago offers little consolation amid a growing string of setbacks. What began as a 10-year defunding effort was reduced to one and is now about to expire. And earlier this month, the Trump administration effectively stepped back from the fight to remove Title X funding from abortion chains.

But there is more.

The increase in abortions reported by Planned Parenthood, and confirmed by the Guttmacher Institute, is being driven largely by chemical, mail-order abortions. These now account for 65% or more of all abortions. In other words, the abortion industry has adapted, shifting to an Amazon-like business model that no longer depends on facility visits but on delivering abortion drugs directly to mailboxes.

The result? Despite the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the return of authority to the states, abortion rates in the U.S. have actually increased. Before Roe was overturned, there were approximately 930,000 abortions annually. That number has now risen to nearly 1.2 million.

How is that possible?

After Roe fell, 26 states acted to protect the unborn, with about a dozen enacting strong protections. But those laws are being undercut by a Biden-era FDA policy allowing abortion drugs to be prescribed and shipped without in-person medical oversight. At least three Republican-led states are now challenging that policy in federal court.

As these realities become clearer to pro-life voters, a reckoning is coming.

There is, however, a clear path forward for Republicans. One decisive step would be for the Trump administration to reverse the Biden policy that has effectively nullified state-level protections duly enacted by Republican states. Because until that happens, the promise of Roes reversal remains unfulfilled, and the consequence is clear: more trust broken with those who were promised action, more laws undermined, and a nation bearing the weight of more innocent blood.

Originally published at The Washington Stand.
Sentebale is suing its co-founder Prince Harry after accusing him of being behind a coordinated adverse media campaign against the charity.

On Friday, the charity founded in 2006 by Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, announced in a statement that it had brought legal proceedings against the prince and its former trustee Mark Dyer.

The charity, which works with children and young people in southern Africa, is seeking the High Courts intervention following a coordinated adverse media campaign since Harry and Seeiso quit as patrons of the charity on 25 March last year.

Sentebale said Harry and Dyer were the architects of the media campaign, which has had significant viral impact and triggered an onslaught of cyberbullying directed at the charity and its leadership.

Harry and Seeiso left Sentebale last year in solidarity with its former trustees, who had resigned due to an internal dispute with chair Sophie Chandauka.

The Charity Commission then opened a compliance case into the charity, which concluded with the regulator criticising all parties to the dispute for allowing it to play out publicly.

Harrys spokesperson criticised the regulators report in October, telling the Independent that the consequences of the current chairs actions wont be borne by her but by the children who rely on Sentebales support.

In its statement on Friday , Sentebales board and executive director said there had been false narratives circulated through the media about the charity and its leadership, attempts to undermine its relationships with staff, existing and prospective partners, and the forced diversion of leadership time and resources into managing a reputational crisis not of the charitys making.

Legal action is necessary

Sentebale said it shouldnt continue to use its resources to manage and address the damage this adverse media campaign has caused to its operations and partnerships.

This must stop. The board and executive director have taken this legal action to secure that protection, it said.

The costs of doing so are met entirely by external funding and no charitable funds have been used.

The board and executive director trust that those who believe in Sentebales mission will understand why this legal action, whilst difficult, was necessary and important, and will continue to stand with us as we focus on the work ahead.

A spokesperson for Harry and Dyer told the Guardian : As Sentebales co-founder and a founding trustee, they categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims.

Its extraordinary that charitable funds are now being used to pursue legal action against the very people who built and supported the organisation for nearly two decades, rather than being directed to the communities the charity was created to serve.

sign up to receive the free Civil Society daily news bulletin here . For more news, interviews, opinion and analysis about charities and the voluntary sector,
Bowel Research UK hires CEO

Bowel Research UK has hired Kathryn Pretzel Shiels as its chief executive after she served as interim CEO for almost a year.

Pretzel Shiels has been involved with the charity for a decade, serving as trustee and fundraising, marketing and communications committee chair.

Asha Senapati, Bowel Research UK chair, said: Kathryn has already demonstrated strong and effective leadership previously as a trustee and then during her time as interim CEO.

SolarAid chief to step down

Poverty and climate change charity chief executive John Keane is set to step down from SolarAid after more than 20 years there.

The charity has announced that Keane will leave in June after serving for nine years as CEO.

Chair Lionel T. Marumahoko said: John has played a central role in building SolarAid into one of the leading organisations in the global energy access sector.

He led the design and launch of SunnyMoney's earliest solar programmes in Africa; led the growth of SolarAid as a respected social enterprise; and, as CEO since 2017, guided SolarAid through a period of strategic transformation.

Charity founder made FoodCycle chief

The founder of an affordable food clubs charity has been hired as chief executive at FoodCycle.

Social entrepreneur Mark Game succeeds Sophie Tebbetts who steps down after a decade at the charity.

Game previously founded the Bread and Butter Thing and co-created social supermarket the Community Shop.

Mary McGrath, FoodCycles chair, welcomed the appointment of Game who has served as trustee there for almost 10 years.

She added: [Mark] brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and knows FoodCycle well.

Eric Liddell Community appoints CEO

The Eric Liddell Community has announced that Megan Veronesi will succeed John MacMillan as CEO of the dementia care charity after he served a decade in the role.

Veronesi has more than 15 years experience including in senior roles at the Royal Trinity Hospice, Firstport and Edinburgh World Heritage.

Irene Adams, charity chair, said: Megans breadth of experience and leadership within the sector make her exceptionally well placed to lead the charity through its next phase of development.

Youth Music brings in chief executive

Youth Music has brought in Adam Joolia as its chief executive who joins from an audio charity.

Joolia has served as CEO for nearly two decades at Brighton-based AudioActive and will lead Youth Music to implement its five-year strategy.

His past charity helped develop artists Rizzle Kicks, Celeste and Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn.

Charlotte Edgeworth and Isaac Borquaye, Youth Music co-chairs, said: His track record of bold, inclusive and strategic leadership  combined with deep experience across music and youth sectors  makes him the ideal person to guide Youth Musics next phase.

Brain Charity hires CEO

Matt Meaney has been appointed as chief executive of the Brain Charity.

Meaneys appointment follows the departure of Pippa Sargent last year and he brings leadership experience from across the voluntary sector.

This comes after he stepped down from his role as head of fundraising at Zoes Place after six years. He also served as CEO of Wirral Mencap.

Gus Baker, chair of trustees, said: Matt brings significant experience from across the voluntary sector and impressed the board with his thoughtful approach, collaborative spirit and commitment to our mission.

Kidney Research UK appoints CEO

Kidney Research UK has brought in Fiona Carragher as its chief executive.

Carragher has been working as chief policy and research officer at the Alzheimers Society.

She has also served as NHS England deputy chief scientific officer and her appointment follows the retirement of Sandra Currie after 13 years as CEO.

Chair Matthew Newcombe Ellis said: She joins an organisation with a strong team and real momentum.

Autistica appoints CEO

Autism research and campaigning charity Autistica has appointed Elizabeth Archer as chief executive.

Elizabeth Archer, known as Ed, will be moving on from her current role as CEO of the PDA Society in June.

Archer previously worked in strategy, policy and campaigning roles in organisations including Ambitious About Autism and Mencap. She also sits on the Autism Alliance board.

Interim CEO appointed at SafeLives

Domestic abuse charity SafeLives has appointed Tracey Bleakley as its interim chief executive after former leader Ellen Millers early retirement.

Bleakley previously held CEO roles at Hospice UK and Dying Matters. She also leads NHS Norfolk and Waveneys integrated care board.

Maria Miller, SafeLives chair, welcomed Bleakley and thanked Jo Silver and Liz Thompson for serving as joint interim CEOs over the past few weeks.

She added: Tracey brings exactly the kind of calm, values-led leadership SafeLives needs during a period of transition.

Brunelcare hires interim chief

Brunelcare has appointed Sonia Furzland as its chief executive.

Furzland will take up the role in May after the departure of Oona Goldsworthy who has led the charity for six and a half years.

The incoming CEO has more than 30 years experience in the housing sector and most recently served as interim executive director of housing at Bristol City Council.

Director brought in at Forever Manchester

Greater Manchesters community foundation has brought in Anne Marie Wynne as its director of philanthropy development and marketing.

Wynne has joined from Moya Cole Hospice, where she led fundraising and its capital campaign.

Nick Massey, Forever Manchester CEO, said: Her passion for place-based giving, combined with her ability to connect supporters to long-term impact, makes her ideally placed to lead.

Co-managing director hired at DKMS UK

Blood cancer charity DKMS UK has brought in a co-managing director.

Emma McCargow joins with Peter McCleave and she brings in more than 20 years experience across health research and life sciences.

McCargow, who lost both of her parents to cancer at a young age, said: Ive spent my career working to improve outcomes for patients, but Ive never been this close to the outcome before.

When a match is made, the impact is immediate, and thats a big part of what drew me to DKMS.

Oxfam appoints chief influencing officer

Oxfam has appointed Jean McLean as its chief influencing officer.

McLean joins from the Green Economy Coalition where she led international engagement on economic and environmental injustice.

She has previously held senior influencing roles at Save the Children, Global Citizen and ActionAid.

Joyce Idoniboye, acting Oxfam chief executive, said: Jean brings a rare combination of strategic clarity, global experience and deep commitment to justice.

Devon Community Foundation appoints chair

Devon Community Foundation has appointed Jake Moores as its chair.

Moores, who served for 37 years in the Royal Navy, has held a range of charity and community roles in Devon including as chair of Dart RNLI, Dartmouth Sea Cadets, Britannia Association trustee and Leaders Club co-chair.

He said: Im delighted to take on the role of chair.

The dedication of local charities and community groups across Devon is truly inspiring, and I look forward to supporting their work.

Mary Hancock, foundation chief executive, said the charity was delighted to welcome Moores and highlighted his achievements in community organisations nationwide.

Nicola Sturgeon becomes Safe Passage International chair

Refugee charity Safe Passage International has brought in former first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon as its chair.

The charitys board of trustees said in a statement: Nicola has a long track record of championing the rights of people fleeing war and persecution and implementing compassionate policies in Scotland.

Were looking forward to working with Nicola to support the work of the expert teams at Safe Passage.

Chair named at LandWorks

Rehabilitation charity LandWorks has announced former Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston as its chair and hired another trustee.

Former GP Wollaston has served on the charitys board since 2020, working on health, social justice and support for people in the criminal justice system.

She replaces Ted Tuppen who is standing down as his permitted term as chair is coming to an end.

Chris Parsons, charity director, said: We are delighted to welcome Sarah as our new chair.

Her understanding of social justice, her extensive public service experience, and her dedication to LandWorks make her ideally placed to lead the board.

The charity will also bring in Mark Yallop, an experienced financial services leader.

Former Make-A-Wish child joins charity board

Former Make-A-Wish child Sara Miller has been made the charitys youngest-ever trustee.

Miller, who had her wish to cook with chef Gennaro Contaldo while recovering from lymphoma in 2019, has stayed close to the charity since then.

She has served on Make-A-Wishs young people advisory board, its STARboard and as a youth advisor to the charitys trustee.

Jason Suckley, Make-A-Wish UKs CEO said: Our aim as a charity is to not only be child-focused, but child-led, which is why we set up STARboard to enable young people with that lived experience of a wish to guide us [] Sara has formed a key part of that.

Chair appointed at YMCA St Pauls

A chair has been appointed at YMCA St Pauls charity.

Ian Adams has held leadership roles in the NHS, central and local government, as well as the charity sector.

He previously served as a Westminster City councillor for 20 years and Adams appointment has been welcomed by the charitys CEO Richard James.

James said: His extensive experience and governance expertise will be invaluable.

Channel 4 chief marketing officer made Artswork chair

The chief marketing officer at Channel 4 has been made chair of youth arts charity Artswork.

Katie Jackson joined Channel 4 in 2022 to lead its in-house agency 4creative before being promoted two years later.

Louise Govier, Artworks co-chief, welcomed Jacksons appointment and thanked outgoing chair Norinne Betjemann for nine years of service.

Govier said: Katies track record in creative leadership, strategic transformation and championing diverse voices makes her an exceptional fit for Artswork.

Church Urban Fund welcomes co-presidents

The Church Urban Fund has welcomed the archbishop of Canterbury as its co-president.

Sarah Mullally, who will join the archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell as co-president, has been a long-time advocate of the funds work including backing its growing good movement and supporting poverty reduction efforts in the church.

Rob Wickham, the funds chief executive, said: We are thrilled to announce archbishop Sarahs co-presidency.

Archbishop Sarah will join archbishop Stephen in this vital role, supporting our mission to tackle poverty in all its forms, and give a voice to those living in poverty.

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A Florida couple has been charged after investigators said they killed their 3-week-old son and then staged the scene to make it look as if he had died in his sleep. Authorities say the baby died of suffocation after being tightly wrapped in a blanket, given a pacifier, strapped into a car seat, and placed in a bathtub.

Crystal Garcia, 21, and Anfernee Watts, 25, were arrested on Apr. 8 and face aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect causing great bodily harm, tampering with evidence, failure to report a death to a medical examiner, and false statements to police.

Court and jail records reviewed by PEOPLE show the case involves a homicide investigation in Hollywood, Florida, tied to the death of their infant son in August 2025, according to People.

Investigators said Garcia gave conflicting accounts after police responded to the home on Aug. 1, 2025, where the baby was found unresponsive in a playpen. She allegedly claimed she had fed, cleaned, and changed the infant before going to sleep, then later noticed he was not moving when she returned to the room.

Police said Watts also lied about leaving for an early-morning job interview that never happened. Detectives later concluded that he never left the house and that both parents worked together to conceal what happened before officers arrived.

According to the arrest affidavit, Garcia later admitted she wrapped the crying baby in a blanket, secured a pacifier in his mouth, strapped him into a car seat, and put him inside a bathtub. Investigators said loud music was played to drown out the baby's cries, and the child was left isolated behind a closed door for hours, KUTV reported.

The affidavit says the couple then placed the child back into the playpen after he was already dead in an effort to make it appear he had died naturally during sleep. Authorities also said they observed a changing pad with blood spots in the playpen and noticed a bleach smell at the scene.

The Broward Medical Examiner's Office initially noted decomposition when the baby was examined, then later ruled the cause of death was suffocation and the manner of death homicide in March 2026. Police said voice messages and later statements helped confirm that Garcia and Watts had fabricated their explanation for the child's death, as per CBS12.

Officials said the case remains an active criminal matter, and both defendants are being held on felony charges. The charges carry severe penalties under Florida law because the victim was an infant, and investigators say the couple attempted to hide the circumstances of his death.

Originally published on Lawyer Herald
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The first time Estefany Rodriguez saw Alejandro Medina III, who would be her husband, it was through a screen. It was 2024; she was living in Houston but reporting for a Spanish-language site called Nashville Noticias, and often covered the citys Hispanic community remotely. While editing a video feature about Medina, an artist who combines regional Mexican music with American country, something piqued her interest. I thought to myself, That one is going to be mine, she told me.

Later, they met in person, at the annual Nashville Noticias Christmas Day parade and toy giveaway. They stayed in touch. Journalism has given her a lot, she said, over a video call from her cream-colored couch. Rodriguez, who is thirty-five, wore a gray-and-white checkered shirt, her hair parted to one side. Beside her sat Medina, who smiled sheepishly as he listened to her tell their love story. They looked happy. Light poured into the room. To their right, a houseplant sprouted from a pot. He recalled how, back then, they would talk on the phone for hours, about life, where she comes from, where I come from, our goals, our ambitions, what we want to leave behind. It wasnt long before Rodriguez moved to Nashville with her daughter Mariangel, who is now nine. On January 21, Rodriguez and Medina got married.

Then, on March 4, the couple was pulling into the parking lot of a Crunch Fitness in a Honda marked with the Nashville Noticias logo when they found themselves surrounded by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Rodriguez, who is from Colombia, was arrested, then taken to a county jail in Alabama; later, she was transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, where she remained until she was granted bond and released, on March 19. Youre the reporter from Nashville, an ICE agent told her on the bus ride to Alabama, she said in a recent court filing. Youre good at your job. When she was transferred to the Louisiana facility, a group of fellow detainees recognized her, too. They had followed her work in Tennessee and couldnt figure out how she had ended up with them. Estefany, she recalled a woman saying to her. What happened?

Rodriguez still doesnt fully know. And though she is now home, her circumstancesand the First Amendment questions embedded thereinremain uncertain. The day before federal agents booked Rodriguez, she had been out reporting on ICE activity in the suburbs southeast of Nashville. ICE had just arrested three people, including a man of Venezuelan origin. She was filming a video for Nashville Noticias in the parking lot of his apartment building. His car is here, behind me, she said in her story, pointing in the direction of a dark-gray sedan. We have an exclusive video of the operation.

Immigration wasnt always her focus. When Rodriguez started at Nashville Noticias, she typically covered culture stories about the citys Hispanic community: concerts, musicians, local businesses. But after Donald Trump took office for the second time, in January of 2025, and ICEs presence in the state increased, Rodriguezs attention shifted. She continued to cover general local newsrecently, she reported on how volunteers at an elementary school, including a few mothers in Nashvilles Hispanic community, turned a classroom into a kitchen to help those affected by a winter stormbut her work became focused on raids and arrests.

Rodriguezs reporting came to provide a reliable record of how ICEs aggressive sweeps have affected immigrants and those close to them: often, she speaks to the families of those in detention and asks how the experience has upended their lives. She has also interviewed people inside ICE facilities. In late February, she spoke by phone with Dennis Ribera, a thirty-five-year-old from Honduras who was detained, as she sat beside his wife in the couples home. How has this been for you? she asks him in footage from the interview posted on Nashville Noticias social media. I know youre worried about your family. Veronica Salcedo, the director of Nashville Noticias, told me that, over the years, Rodriguez has carved out a special place for herself not just at the publication, but in the community.

When Rodriguez was taken into custody, she had a valid work permit, an active asylum caseshe said that she received threats for her reporting in Colombiaand a pending green card application through Medina, who is a United States citizen. Rodriguez, Medina, and her immigration lawyer, Joel Coxander, had repeatedly engaged with the ICE field office in Nashville prior to her arresta prolonged bureaucratic ordeal that involved delays caused by an ice storm and an agent who could not find her in the computer system. ICE took her into custody well before the date she had been scheduled for an appointment at the office.

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Rodriguezs friends, colleagues, and family have struggled to make sense of it all. Shes not a criminal, Salcedo told me. Shes not a flight risk. In a habeas petition, Rodriguezs lawyers questioned the constitutional basis of her detention, arguing that she was likely booked as retaliation for her work as a journalist. And notably, according to Michael Holley, one of her attorneys, she was not served with a warrant at the timea violation of her Fourth Amendment rights. (To cover the mounting legal costsas well as her bond and gaps in her income from missed work while she was in detentionMedina started fundraising on GoFundMe.)

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, maintains that Rodriguez overstayed a tourist visa she used to enter the country in 2021 and that she has no lawful immigration status. In court filings, DHS denied the claim that Rodriguez was not shown a warrant and argued that First Amendment rights may not even be applicable to an illegal alien. Her lawyers argument, per DHS, is nothing more than a challenge to a discretionary decision to commence removal proceedings. DHS did not respond to a request for comment. Rodriguezs habeas case is ongoing in federal court.

Press-freedom and other advocacy organizations have sided with Rodriguez, whose case follows a series of journalist arrests, including that of Mario Guevarawho is originally from El Salvador and also reported on immigration, and who was deported last year after spending more than a hundred days in ICE custody. Rodriguezs detention is part of a broader erosion of democratic norms and human rights in the United States in which immigration authorities are increasingly being used to chill free expression and First Amendment rights, a coalition of forty-six civil-society and press-freedom organizations, which included the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Press Club, and PEN America, said in a statement published in March. This practice must stop. When Rodriguez was arrested, Katherine Jacobsen, a program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, told me that she couldnt help but think of Guevara.

In detention, over the course of sixteen days, Rodriguez thought of him, too. They knew each other; he lived not far away, in the Atlanta metro area. Sometimes they would talk shop. When everything happened to Mario, it worried us immensely, she told me. Immigration reporting by immigrants and for immigrantsthe kind that she and Guevara have practicedis essential, she said, because its the only way you can reach the many people who either dont feel comfortable with the English language or who dont speak it at all.

Back in Colombia, Rodriguez worked as a correspondent at RCN Television, one of the countrys major channels, covering Barranquilla and the Caribbean, and later at an RCN radio station. Her father, Juan, a cameraman who has since retired, worked for the same channel. When Rodriguez was growing up, and her mother, Maria Eugenia, a schoolteacher, who has since passed away, suggested that she should become a lawyer, he always disagreed: Better journalism, Rodriguez recalled him saying.

He recommended her for a job at RCN when she was in her early twenties, when she received a degree in journalism from the Universidad Autonoma del Caribe. Despite the family tie, she felt she had to prove herself. You might be Juans daughter, but if this doesnt work, it doesnt work, she recalled a supervisor telling her. Over the years, she reported on police, politics, sometimes culture. She interviewed Daddy Yankee, the reggaeton star, as well as the Mexican band Mana, among other prominent artists. Every February, Barranquilla hosts what organizers say is the second biggest carnival in the world; each year, it becomes more colorful and more beautiful, Rodriguez said. But the city has a dark side, too: she described reporting from a crime scene where a mother had killed her three children, and said that what she saw there still haunts her. Barranquilla, Rodriguez told me, is home to both extreme joy and extreme violence. Threats were always part of the job. In 2019, while covering a series of protests in response to economic reforms introduced by Ivan Duque, who was then the president, her cameraman was attacked.

In 2020, she moved to Valledupar, the capital of Cesar Departmentone of the thirty-two administrative districts in the countryto be closer to Mariangels father, and started reporting for the local RCN radio station. The threats got worse, as the news she covered was often guerrilla-related: dissident groups associated with the National Liberation Army (ELN), a Marxist-Leninist organization, still operated in the area. Rodriguez worked on a story about ELNs attack on a police station and reported on the groups suspected involvement in the kidnapping of the father-in-law of the head of Cesar Departments Victims Unit. Why is this important? she told me. Because they are the ones that denounced guerrilla-related violence in the region. One day, she received a call from a person who said they were going to bomb RCNs studio. Rodriguez told her boss and higher-ups at RCN. I was very scared, she recalled. She also reported the threat to authorities. But the response process was slow. Because of the pandemic, communication had to take place online. By the time a security detail started making the rounds outside her house to protect her, she was already in the US, where she filed for asylum.

Shortly after getting her work permit, Rodriguez started working for Nashville Noticias. She never thought she had anything to worry about. I came from Colombia because of a security problem, but I felt safe here, she said. The Constitution, she knew, protects freedom of speech, and this is supposedly a democratic country. Besides, she told me, hearing both sides of any story was important to her. Lets say a man had been detained. I would go and ask the authorities, Why? And they would tell me, Because of this or that reason, he has a deportation order. As she put it, I never covered anything in a biased way.

Rodriguez is now back to worklast week, she covered the impact of rising gas prices on Tennesseans and a suspected murder in Antioch, in downtown Nashvillebut she hasnt been reporting on ICE activity. To be honest, she told me, at this very moment I dont feel Im able to go out and do what I was doing before, because Im scared. Lately, she has made a habit of going up to the window to check if a car is outside. She worries about her front doorwhether she closed it properly, whether its lockedand wonders if theres a chance someone could get in. Certain noises startle her. In the early hours of the morning, when shes lying in bed, Rodriguez often finds herself turning to her husband and asking, Did you hear that, too?

The days she spent in ICE custody are something of a blur. In Alabama, her hair was combed through in a lice inspection and, even though nothing was found, she was put in solitary confinement. In Louisiana, the lights were always on, and the air-conditioning was always blowing cold air everywhere. It was hard to know how long she had been held there. To pass the time, she read a Colleen Hoover book loaned to her by another detainee. Back in Nashville, Medina worried about her. The only thing that I cared about, that I thought about, that I worked on, that I spent my time on, was How do I get my wife out of here faster? he told me.

Though Rodriguez is no longer in detention, shes still in limbo: the government is arguing that the habeas case is now moot because she is no longer in ICE custody. Holley maintains that its still relevant, as there remain serious restrictions on her liberty that dont apply to the ordinary public. He is asking Judge Eli Richardson, who is overseeing the case, to remove all aspects of the detention that linger: she would get her bond money back; she would have no obligation of check-ins; ICE would no longer have the ability to redetain her at any point; her passport, which has been seized, would be returned to her. We also want to order protection from retaliation in the future, he said. The crucial next step, assuming the judge rules that the case is not moot, is to get discovery underway and, ultimately, have a hearing to determine why they did these things to her in the first place. Holley did not challenge removal proceedings against her, and she would still have to go to immigration court someday, but she has paths to remain in the country. Rodriguezs asylum petition has not yet been addressed, and Coxander, her immigration lawyer, is still working on adjusting her immigration status through marriage, which can go forward separately while shes in removal proceedings, Holley told me.

She is not the only one facing an uncertain fate. At home, Rodriguez thinks often about the women she met at the detention center: the Guatemalan ladies making bracelets out of plastic bags speaking in a dialect she couldnt identify, the girl who painted the underside of her bunk bed using toothpaste and a makeshift brush. Im not saying I was doing interviews in there, but people vented by telling their stories, she said. Imagine seventy or so women in a room in Louisiana, each talking about how they got there.

Rodriguez has kept in touch with some of the people she met. The day before she and I spoke, a pregnant woman from Peru she met in Louisiana, who had been in detention for five months, called her: Im in New York, and Im okay, she told her. Rodriguez was happy to hear the news. Not knowing what will happen in her own case, she is putting her faith in God and the law, she said. She finds herself praying, above all, for certainty. The most complicated thing, Rodriguez told me, is that I dont know when this is going to end.
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Last Monday, a day after Donald Trump threatened to commit war crimes by blowing up Iranian power plants and bridgesOpen the Fuckin Strait, you crazy bastards, or youll be living in HellJUST WATCH! he wrote on Truth SocialAmericas most prominent newspapers led with the United States militarys efforts to find a downed airman. In detailed narratives, the press described a dangerous (New York Times), dramatic (Washington Post), daring (New York Post), sprawling, high-risk rescue mission (Wall Street Journal), which saw the safe retrieval of a weapons system operator shot down in an F-15E the previous Friday. Similar accounts ran in Politico, Axios, Reuters, CBS News, and other outlets, indicating heavy media-briefing by the administration. This was a tale that had it all: An injured US colonel hiding behind enemy lines. A race against time to prevent an Iranian propaganda coup. CIA deception efforts. Rescuers pushing through adversity and hostile fire to eventually triumph. Other details filled in the picture: the planes Dude 44 call sign; the downed airmans proof-of-life message to the US military (God is good); and Trumps description of the mission, quoted in several articles, as an Easter miracle. The blanket coverage, The Intercepts Katherine Krueger wrote, was eerily reminiscent of media reporting ahead of the US invasion of Iraq, when much of the press laundered the George W. Bush administrations shaky intelligence.

The rescue of the downed airman was an operation that could have been ripped from a Hollywood movie, Rachel Abrams said on The Daily. I found this to be an apt comparison, because the media fascination with the mission seemed to follow the logic of a blockbusterspecifically, one based on a comic book. In this moral universe, bad guys are bad, good guys are good, and shades of gray are nowhere to be found. Theres a common moment in superhero movies when the villain tears through the metropolis, destroying buildings and bridges and presumably killing hundreds of (mostly unseen) people. Then the camera zooms in on one telegenic civilian and their family, and the hero swoops inat the last second!to save them. The medias selective empathy for a single downed airman, compelling as that story might be, seems to follow the same pattern: one life privileged at the expense of the seventeen hundred Iranian civilians killed so far in the US and Israeli war, according to a US-based human rights group, including at least two hundred and fifty-four children, and more than eighteen hundred people in Lebanon, according to authorities there.

Some might reasonably argue that the function of the press is to inform. But in this case, that seemed to come at the expense of another, more vital responsibilityproviding perspective. The administration is waging a deeply unpopular war; has proved incapable of describing a stable set of objectives, let alone an exit strategy; has bombed a girls school and threatened further war crimes; and has routinely given news organizations conflicting accounts and told outright lies related to the conflict. In my view, the media has handled many of these concerns responsibly, so it was a shame to see them uncritically fall for the administrations tale. As Krueger noted, the media seemed to swallow up every detail of the story from the very same official sources who in recent weeks have been factually unreliable.

Speaking at a press conference on April 6, before the temporary US-Iran ceasefire took effect, Trumpwho is, after all, a TV president with a sharp instinct for storyadded more details about the airmans rescue. He scaled cliff-faces, bleeding rather profusely, treated his own wounds, and contacted American forces to transmit his location, Trump said. He also threatened an unnamed journalist with jail time for breaking news about the missing airman on Friday, April 3before the White House wanted it out. Hopefully well find that leaker. Were looking very hard to find that leaker, he said. Were gonna go to the media company that released it, and were gonna say, National security! Give it up or go to jail. None of the press in attendance questioned Trump further about that threat. But in the hours that followed, speculation centered on Amit Segal, an influential Israeli journalist with close links to the Benjamin Netanyahu government, whose newsletter is often republished in Bari Weisss Free Press and who is a vocal opponent of Palestinian statehood and claims of Israeli genocide in Gaza. Last Monday, Segal told his Telegram channel that the story of the downed weapons system operator was first published here. He later walked that back, telling the New York Posts Caitlin Doornbos he was not sure I was the first, and anywayI will protect my sources.

Its unclear who reported the news first. Whats well established, though, is Trumps long campaign of retribution against journalists and attempts to criminalize newsgathering. Two weeks ago, writing in this newsletter about Januarys FBI raid on the home of Hannah Natanson, a Washington Post reporter, I looked at what it meant that the administration reportedly believed that Natansonin addition to her sourceviolated the Espionage Act by possessing classified documents. Charging a reporter under an arcane 1917 law would be another attempt by the administration to close the legal gap between reporters and sources when it comes to sharing information, I wrote. On Thursday, federal prosecutors in that case urged a judge to overturn an earlier ruling barring the Justice Department from searching Natansons electronic devices.

Last week, the administration opened another front in its assault on reporting, when the Justice Department announced it had arrested and indicted Courtney Williams for allegedly sharing classified national defense information. Williams, who is forty, is a US Army veteran who told Seth Harp, an investigative journalist, that she endured sexual harassment and discrimination while working for the Armys Delta Force. My life became a living hell, Williams told Harp; she now faces up to ten years in prison. Harp, who documented the alleged abuse in his book The Fort Bragg Cartel and in a Politico excerpt, said the indictment was ridden with embarrassing factual errors, criticized the FBI for political theater, and lauded Williams as a brave and patriotic truth-teller.

Harp, who was interviewed by CJRs Carolina Abbott Galvao in January, also revealed that the FBI had been monitoring his phone. The DOJs press release mentioned ten hours of phone calls and more than 180 messages exchanged by Williams and Harp between 2022 and 2025. The administration appears intent on casting both journalists and their sources as villains, and seems to be hunting for their scalps. Harp, though, said he was confident the case will fall apart upon careful scrutiny, saying the indictment failed to point out which part of Williamss account was classified. Is it classified that many Delta Force operators and officers sexually harass and discriminate against women in the workplace? he said. Because that was the main thrust of Courtneys testimony.

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Other Notable Stories 

Last Thursday, senior US District judge Paul L. Friedman ruled that the Pentagon had violated his order, issued last month, to restore press access for journalists at the New York Times, finding that the Defense Departments interim policy unconstitutionally sidestepped the earlier ruling. For CJR, Ivan L. Nagy wrote about the consequences of that policywhich saw the entire Pentagon press corps banished to an annexand the rest of the Defense Departments efforts to crack down on reporting. On Friday, the Pentagon asked Friedman to let it continue requiring escorts for journalists inside the building while it challenges the decisions in court.



Last Wednesday, Israels military killed three more journalists in Gaza and Lebanon, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which said at least one of the killings was a targeted attack. They were Mohammed Samir Washah, a correspondent for Al Jazeera Mubasher; Ghada Dayekh, a presenter with Sawt Al-Farah; and Suzan Khalil, a reporter and presenter on Al-Manar TV and Al-Nour Radio. CPJs regional director, Sara Qudah, said the organization has consistently warned that without accountability, these attacks will continue to escalate, emboldening those who seek to silence independent reporting through violence.



On April 1, a federal appeals court upheld a preliminary injunction from last September that required the Department of Homeland Security to limit its use of force against journalists, observers, and peaceful protesters during Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Southern California. A panel of judges wrote that an avalanche of evidence suggested that DHS was acting with retaliatory intent. Its a win for the plaintiffs, including the LA Press Club, NewsGuild-CWA, and ACLU SoCal, which argued that attacks on reporters covering ICE protests were unconstitutional. In other news, NPR reported last week that ICE acknowledged it is using the spyware tool Graphite, made by Israeli company Paragon Solutions, to target fentanyl traffickers; Graphite has been used in the past to target journalists and civil society members.

Shelly Kittleson, the American freelance journalist who was abducted by Kitaib Hezbollah, an Iraqi militia, in Baghdad in broad daylight, was freed on Tuesday after being held captive for a week. According to the Times, Kittleson was released in exchange for several imprisoned members of the militia. Writing in CJR earlier this month, Kiran Nazish, the founder of the Coalition for Women in Journalism, in which Kittleson has been involved since its inception, said that Shellys commitment to journalism, Ive come to find, is unconditional.

The Times John Carreyrou and Dylan Freedman published a piece last week claiming to have uncovered the identity of Bitcoins inventor, known as Satoshi Nakamoto, whom they describe as one of our ages great enigmas. As part of the investigation, the reporters analyzed emails, court documents, and Satoshis historical posts on the Bitcointalk forum, finding that the clues pointed in the direction of Adam Back, a fifty-five-year-old British computer scientist. (Back denied the theory.)

ProPublica journalists staged a twenty-four-hour strike on Wednesday, after more than two years of talks failed to yield a contract. About a hundred and fifty employees unionized in 2023 and have been negotiating ever since, the Times reported, with sticking points over wage increases, layoff protections, and workers seeking a say in how the investigative nonprofit uses AI. In March, 92 percent of members voted to authorize the strike. Jon Schleuss, president of the NewsGuild-CWA, said last week that ProPublicas management is refusing to agree to a just and fair contract.

And in The New Yorker, Vinson Cunningham wrote about Savannah Guthrie, coanchor of the Today show on NBC News, and the mysterious disappearance of her mother, Nancy, in Arizona, after a balaclava-wearing figure was seen on a security camera at Nancys home. Savannah Guthrie gave an interview about the apparent kidnapping on her return to Today. They were narrating an awful and unresolved series of events, Cunningham writes, but also still doing the Today showreassuring the audience by way of their softly displayed, endlessly professional command over the medium of television.
Abbott Laboratories was told by a jury to pay $70 million over claims by four mothers that the company hid the fact its premature-infant formula can cause a bowel disease dangerous to frail babies.

Jurors in state court in Chicago found Abbott liable over claims that the company knew premature babies could develop necrotizing enterocolitis, or NEC, by ingesting the companys cow-milk-based formula, but continued to market the product to hospital intensive-care units.

After awarding the mothers $53 million in compensation for their losses on Thursday, the jury on Friday imposed $17 million in punitive damages on Abbott.

Company shares fell about 2.4% at the close of trading Friday in New York. The stock is down 20% for the year.

We disagree with the verdict and will appeal, Abbott said in a statement, adding that four similar lawsuits have been dismissed by federal and state courts. This verdict, and the continued pursuit of a theory at odds with regulators and the medical community, risks eliminating vital options for doctors and the most vulnerable infants.

Its the second trial defeat for Abbott Park, Illinois-based Abbott in the litigation targeting products such as Similac Special Care and Similac NeoSure and may open the door to more multi-plaintiff trials. The company faces more than 1,700 lawsuits in federal and state courts, with potentially billions of dollars at stake.

In brief arguments Friday morning, an attorney for the plaintiffs urged jurors to award a combined $530 million in punitive damages, saying it would take a significant sum to incentivize Abbott to protect the most vulnerable newborns going forward.

This now is about protecting those premature babies, that are yet to be born, from a company that prioritizes profits over preemies, said Kenzo Kawanabe.

Arguing for Abbott, lawyer Hariklia Karis repeatedly said the company takes the jurors prior findings seriously, but there wasnt proof Abbott disregarded others safety or acted in a manner that showed it did not care.

The formula is a crucial last line of defense for premature infants when no mothers milk or donor milk is available, said Karis.

Abbott contends extensive independent research shows its formula brands dont cause NEC and points to the US Food and Drug Administrations finding theres no conclusive evidence linking the product to the disease.

In 2024, a St. Louis jury said Abbott should pay almost $500 million to the family of an infant allegedly injured by its formula. Another St. Louis jury cleared Abbott of liability in a separate trial.

The case that Abbott lost in St. Louis sent the companys shares down 5%, while the stock gained about the same percentage following the companys victory in the other trial  showing that the issue is sensitive for investors.

After Fridays verdict, juror Jim Schmidt said the panel settled on a modest award of punitive damages to send a message, but we dont want to bury Abbott.

I hope Abbott, they listen, they get something from this, and make some changes, he said. And at least put a frickin warning on the label.

Abbott has indicated it may pull the formula products off the market if juries continue to hit the company with costly verdicts.

Holly Froum, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst who has been following the litigation, has said that Abbott and Mead Johnson  which also makes premature infant formula  may have to pay a total of as much as $3 billion to resolve their liability.

The Chicago case marks the first time multiple formula suits were tried together. The four complaints were filed in 2022 and focused on babies born prematurely at Chicago-area hospitals over an eight-year period ending in 2019, according to court filings.

Each of the babies was born at 32 weeks instead of the normal 40 weeks, court filings show. The newborns weighed in at just 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms). The average baby is more than 7 pounds at birth, according to Nemours KidHealth.

Kawanabe, the lawyer for the mothers, told reporters after the verdict he and his clients were grateful to jurors.

If they could turn back the clock and not have their kids infected with necrotizing enterocolitis, Im sure they would do that in a heartbeat, he said. But to have the justice system dispense justice to their children is unbelievable.

The case Mendez v. Abbott, Cook County Circuit Court (Chicago).

Photo:Tim Boyle/Bloomberg

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell convened an urgent meeting with bank CEOs this week to warn of cyber risks posed by Anthropics latest artificial intelligence model, two sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.

White House national economic adviser Kevin Hassett confirmed the meeting during an interview with Fox News The Story with Martha MacCallum.

Those bankers were in town for meetings that day, and it was appropriate (for) the Secretary Bessent to do what he did. He brought them over to the Treasury, along with Jay Powell, and went through the cyber risks to make sure that they were aware of them, Hassett said, adding that the Trump administration is taking steps to ensure the public is safe from potential risks.

Anthropic launched the powerful Mythos model this week but stopped short of a broad release, citing concerns it could expose previously unknown cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

The company has said the model is capable of identifying and exploiting weaknesses across every major operating system and every major web browser.

Last week, Anthropic said it was in ongoing discussions with U.S. government officials about the models offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.

A third source close to the matter reiterated Anthropics outreach, saying the company proactively briefed senior U.S. government officials and key industry stakeholders on Mythos capabilities ahead of its release.

Related: Cyber Claim Severity Nearly Doubled for Large Businesses, Chubb Says

The Treasury-hosted meeting in Washington on Tuesday was aimed at ensuring banks are aware of the risks posed by Mythos and similar models and are taking steps to defend their systems, one of the sources said.

Invitations were sent while most CEOs of the largest U.S. banks were already in Washington to attend other meetings, one of the sources said.

Access to Mythos will be limited to about 40 technology companies, including Microsoft MSFT.O and Google GOOGL.O, the startup has said.

Bloomberg News, which first reported the story on Thursday, said the CEOs of Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Goldman Sachs were present. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon was unable to join, one of the sources told Reuters.

Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo and the Federal Reserve declined to comment. The Treasury, lenders and Anthropic did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Canadas Finance Ministry, the Bank of Canada and bank executives met on Friday to discuss cybersecurity, a ministry spokesperson said. AI and Anthropics new AI model were topics of discussion, the spokesperson said.

(Reporting by Saeed Azhar in New York, Carlos Mendez in Mexico City; Disha Mishra in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington and Promit Mukherjee in Ottawa; Writing by Chris Thomas; Editing by Sumana Nandy, Rod Nickel)
Cha Eunwoo, an ASTRO member and actor, is back in the news after reports came out that he paid about 20.0 billion KRW (about $13.5 million USD) in taxes. This comes at a time when people are still talking about claims that he evaded taxes.

After netizens misunderstood his recent tax settlement, the controversy came back. Some people online thought it was an admission of wrongdoing. However, tax experts have said that these conclusions may be too early, pointing out that payments made during disputes are often more about following the rules than confessing.

Koreaboo reported Cha Eunwoo's official statement noted, "I respect the procedures and results of the National Tax Service and paid the relevant taxes to prevent further confusion," adding that he takes responsibility for any shortcomings.

Taxpayers often settle disputed amounts first while filing formal appeals, according to experts in the field. This approach can reduce the potential penalties. They also said that making a full payment doesn't always mean that someone did something wrong on purpose.

According to experts, "it's common for taxpayers to pay first while proceeding with an appeal, in order to reduce potential penalties. This means full payment does not necessarily indicate intentional wrongdoing."

However, further studies proved that revisions were still possible, based on the outcome of the ongoing reviews. These reviews look at problems like double taxation that involve corporate and value-added taxes.

Reports say that the authorities didn't use the maximum penalties that are usually used for intentional tax evasion, which can be as high as 40%. Instead, they used the usual penalties for underreporting.

On the other hand, it was noted that paying off in full by Cha Eunwoo was interpreted as an attempt to solve the problem without losing any chance of administrative assessment.

Despite all this information, there were mixed reactions from internet community members. Many people on theqoo have criticized how the media has covered the situation, saying that the reports were misleading or exaggerated.

"Wordplay." one commenter said. Another user was upset by what they thought was misleading framing and said, "This is like saying I drove while drunk, but did not commit a DUI."

"WTH is he saying?" said one user. Another comment criticized how people see and support the actor, saying, "It's so obvious he tried to evade taxes, so why are people trying to shield him? It must be fun for him to live such an easy life. Those boy crazy fans are impressive." The latest reply consisted of just one word  "Ugh."

The discussion regarding the issue is getting even more heated by the day, and Cha Eunwoo's pay has been attracting much attention too, with some believing that it is a legal matter while others consider it to be problematic.
Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd from the popemobile after the Easter Mass as part of the Holy Week celebrations, at St Peter's square in the Vatican on April 5, 2026. Alberto Pizzoli | Afp | Getty Images

Pope Leo XIV fired back at President Donald Trump on Monday, a day after Trump blasted the Catholic pontiff on Truth Social for criticizing the U.S. war against Iran and for military action against Venezuela. "I have no fear of the Trump administration," Leo told reporters before boarding a flight to begin a 10-day tour to four African countries. "I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems," said Leo, who was born in the United States. He added that he doesn't want to "get into a debate" with Trump  who took credit for Leo's election as pope  and that he does not look at his role as "being political." "Too many people are suffering in the world today," Leo said. "Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there's a better way."

Trump's Truth Social attack on Pope Leo

President Donald Trump on Sunday bashed Leo in a scathing Truth Social post, shortly before posting an image that appeared to depict Trump as Jesus Christ tending to a sick man. "I do not want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon," the president wrote. "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's terrible that America attacked Venezuela." Trump also said, "Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise." "He wasn't on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump," the president wrote. "If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."

Trump also called the pope "weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons," and criticized the pope for recently meeting with former President Barack Obama's prior political aide, whom Trump said was "a LOSER from the Left." Trump's attack came on the heels of Leo saying on Saturday, "Enough with the idolatry of self and money! Enough with the display of force! Enough with war! True strength is manifested in serving life." Leo also had said it was "truly unacceptable" for Trump to make a recent threat that he would destroy "an entire civilization" in Iran. Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, condemned Trump's comments on the pope. "I am disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father," Coakley said late Sunday. "Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls."

Leo's past criticism of Trump administration policies
This is CNBC's Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox. Happy Monday. Turns out one of the biggest winners at last month's Academy Awards might have been Kodak , whose film was used to shoot "One Battle After Another" and "Sinners." Here's how a self-proclaimed "turnaround specialist" rebuilt the company  and took it to the Oscars. Stock futures are lower this morning after all three indexes posted their best week in months. Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:

1. No deal

U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks to the media before boarding Air Force Two for expected departure to Pakistan for talks on Iran, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., April 10, 2026. Jacquelyn Martin | Via Reuters

Oil prices are sharply higher after President Donald Trump said yesterday that the U.S. will blockade the Strait of Hormuz. The move came after U.S. and Iranian officials failed to come to an agreement during peace talks in Pakistan over the weekend. Here's what to know: Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation to Islamabad, said Sunday that the Iran's refusal to end its pursuit of nuclear weapons was the key sticking point.

Following Trump's announcement, U.S. Central Command confirmed in a post on X that its forces would "implement a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports" starting at 10 a.m. ET today.

Trump indicated in comments to reporters yesterday that "other nations" would help enforce the blockade, but U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this morning that his country would not support the effort.

Crude oil prices climbed 7% this morning to re-top $100, and stock futures fell as traders saw little sign of progress in ending the Iran war.

Follow live market updates here.

2. Bank balance

David Solomon, chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Goldman Sachs kicked off a big week of bank earnings this morning, posting a beat on both the top- and bottom-lines for its first quarter. The numbers were boosted by record equities trading results and higher-than-expected revenue from its investment banking business. Still, shares of Goldman Sachs dropped more than 2% following the release, which showed disappointing trading results in its fixed-income unit. JPMorgan Chase , Citigroup , Wells Fargo are set to release their quarterly reports tomorrow morning, followed by Bank of America and Morgan Stanley before the bell on Wednesday.

3. Security check

Mattias Balk | Picture Alliance | Getty Images

Anthropic is dominating the artificial intelligence industry. Its new model is also making some people nervous. After the AI startup released its new Mythos model  which specializes in identifying cybersecurity flaws in software  Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with CEOs from major U.S. banks to discuss potential cyber risks caused by Mythos. But as CNBC's Samantha Subin reports, it wasn't the first time members of the Trump administration reached out to the private sector with concerns. Sources told CNBC that Bessent and Vance questioned several tech CEOs  including Anthropic's Dario Amodei  about the security of AI models before the release of Mythos.

Get Morning Squawk directly in your inbox CNBC's Morning Squawk recaps the biggest stories investors should know before the stock market opens, every weekday morning. Subscribe here to get access today.

4. President vs. pope

Pope Leo XIV holds his weekly general audience at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, Vatican, on June 11, 2025. Massimo Valicchia | Nurphoto | Getty Images

Trump attacked Pope Leo XIV in a Truth Social post last night, calling the first U.S.-born pope "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy" following Leo's criticism of the U.S. war in Iran. "I don't want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States," Trump wrote in the post, in which he tied Leo's ascension last year to his own re-election to the White House. The pope responded to Trump's comments this morning, saying he will "continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems."

5. Pedal to the metal

Ineos Automotive founder and British billionaire Sir James Ratcliffe with the automaker's planned Fusilier SUV in 2024. Courtesy Ineos Automotive

Meet Ineos: the automotive startup looking to revive the SUV market with what its knighted founder calls "the world's best utilitarian 4x4." Executives for the company exclusively told CNBC that it will today release record order numbers for its flagship vehicle during the first quarter. "We're running it for success. We're running it for profitability," Ineos CEO Lynn Calder said, adding that the company is aiming to break even this year  what would be a rare feat for an auto startup. Ineos is particularly focused on the U.S. market, with goals to increase its sales by roughly 30% to 35% annually. Calder said the company might even add a factory in the U.S., which would spare Ineos from tariffs.

The Daily Dividend
This report is from this week's CNBC's The China Connection newsletter, which brings you insights and analysis on what's driving the world's second-largest economy. You can subscribe here .

Hi, this is Evelyn, writing to you from Beijing. Welcome to the latest edition of The China Connection  a succinct snapshot of what I'm seeing and hearing from local businesses. Today, I talk to a smart glasses exec about why price-conscious Chinese consumers are paying $100 more for AI frames. What's his strategy for taking on Meta's Ray-Ban Display outside China?

While smart-glasses wearers in the U.S. got a small corner screen with the release of the Meta Ray-Ban Display, here in China, two companies are selling smart frames with a virtual display that sits right in front of the user.

At the top of China's sales rankings is Rokid. Despite a price tag about $100 higher than its closest rival Alibaba , Rokid's AI-powered frames have held first place for the past three months, according to online electronics retailer JD.com. That's a big deal in budget-conscious China.

One of Rokid's most popular features is a virtual screen that scrolls through the text of a prepared speech during a presentation. It's popular with company executives and government officials, Gary Cai, vice president of the company, told me.

"A lot of people buy our glasses for this teleprompting capability," he said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC.

Rokid is ramping up sales globally  it held 3.9% market share last year  while Alibaba also plans an overseas rollout after showing off its smart glasses at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year. Meanwhile, Meta says it has delayed the overseas release of the Ray-Ban Display due to inventory constraints and "unprecedented" U.S. demand.

Rokid currently ships its AI display glasses to countries including the U.K. and Canada, according to its website  but not the U.S. The frames retail outside China for $599; that's less than the Meta Ray-Ban Display, which starts at $799 but is not officially sold in China, where a firewall blocks access to Facebook.

The global AI glasses market is expected to grow by more than 70% this year to 15 million unit sales, according to Omdia, which predicts Chinese sales will double to 2.1 million frames.

But AI glasses with virtual displays are still niche  expected to grow only modestly to account for just 10% of global sales, according to Jason Low, Shanghai-based research director for connected life at Omdia.

He noted that in China, however, despite some "rudimentary" displays, consumers prefer them because they want to interact with their devices in this way.

Technically, Rokid and Alibaba use augmented reality technology to display green-colored text and some images with their glasses, while Meta offers a colored screen. And the fact that Meta's frames are Ray-Ban certainly makes them fashionable.

But in China, Rokid users on social media say they like the central display because it makes navigation easy when riding a bike, for example, and it allows them to order a coffee by talking while walking.

This spring, Rokid integrated AI agent OpenClaw into its frames, allowing users to manage their AI assistants by talking to their glasses. Critically for its commercialization plans, Rokid also lets users complete Alipay mobile payments by looking at QR codes, and use AI agent store features to connect with Teslas, do homework tutoring and manage internet-connected home appliances.
The breakdown of negotiations over the weekend in Islamabad reignited worries that the U.S.-Iran war will last longer than feared, leading to higher oil prices that will continue to strain economies worldwide.

Asia-Pacific markets traded lower Monday, as investors weigh a U.S. naval blockade on Iran's ports after talks between Washington and Tehran failed to produce an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East.

Crude oil prices surged on Sunday after the talks ended without an agreement and the U.S. moved toward a blockade of Iranian port traffic. The West Texas Intermediate jumped 7.07% to $103.40 per barrel as of 03:34 a.m. ET. Brent crude gained 6.79% to $101.67 per barrel.

U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly weighed resuming airstrikes on Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal. Trump last week agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday in exchange for Tehran allowing ships to pass through the strait. He had previously threatened to bomb every bridge and power plant in Iran.

Japan's Nikkei 225 ended Monday's session 0.74% lower, while the Topix declined 0.45%. South Korea's Kospi closed the session at 0.86% lower at 5,808.62, while the small-cap Kosdaq gained 0.57% to 1,099.84 in choppy trade. The S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.39% to 8,926.

Mainland China's CSI300 index ended the session on Monday 0.21% higher, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was 1.01% lower in afternoon trade.

India's Nifty 50 was last down 1.04%, while the BSE Sensex fell 1.01%.


Williams-Sonoma stock is looking very attractive at its current price, according to Goldman Sachs. The investment bank upgraded the retailer to buy from neutral, and hiked its price target to $218 from $185. "With one of the strongest portfolio of brands in retail and the opportunity for sales growth acceleration still ahead of them (from both unit and comp growth), we think the stock has ~14% upside from current levels," Goldman analyst Kate McShane said Monday in a note to clients. The upgrade comes as Williams-Sonoma stock has retreated from its record high of roughly $220 hit in February. The stock gained ground earlier this year as its subsidiaries Pottery Barn Kids and West Elm unveiled new partnerships aimed at boosting sales. But, the stock has since given up some of those gains amid the Iran war and continued uncertainties over President Donald Trump's tariffs. That makes now a good time to scoop up shares, according to Goldman Sachs. "We have been waiting for some time for a better entry point for Williams-Sonoma, and we think this is the right level with the stock ~14% off its recent highs in February," McShane wrote. WSM YTD mountain Shares are up about 6% in 2026. Down the line, Williams-Sonoma is likely to gain ground as it adds new stores and continues to push for improvements at its brands, including high-end home furnishings retailer West Elm, according to the analyst. "[Williams-Sonoma] is resuming new store openings in [fiscal year 2026], likely accelerating top-line growth longer term," McShane wrote. She said 20 stores will be added this year. "We note these store openings represent the most openings in a decade, as the company has closed 18% of their store fleet since 2019," she said. A relaunch of Dormify, a specialty brand for college students, is also planned this year, which could "drive upside to earnings and the stock," the analyst said. Goldman Sachs' call goes against consensus on the Street. Of the 23 analysts covering the stock, eight have a buy or strong buy on shares. The majority view has the stock at a hold. Shares are up roughly 6% in the year to date.
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US President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Saturday, April 11, 2026. Bonnie Cash | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Hello, this is Anniek Bao writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC's Daily Open. President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to blockade all vessels heading in and out of the Strait of Hormuz, in a counterintuitive move that followed another round of talks aimed at, among other things, the reopening of the waterway critical for energy supplies. As the clock ticks down to the deadline for the blockade to kick off, investors are on tenterhooks with little visibility on how it will be implemented, and how long and deep an oil shock needs to be priced in.

What you need to know today

And finally...
US President Donald Trump attends UFC 327: Jiri Prochazka vs Carlos Ulberg at Kaseya Center in Miami, on April 11, 2026. (Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Much for the investors to digest as markets kick off another trading week.

Across the pond, Hungary has voted in a new government for the first time in 16 years.

He spent more than four hours watching a UFC title fight in Miami on Saturday, while negotiators failed to reach a deal with Iran during a 21-hour meeting in Pakistan. He then announced his plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, while also taking to Truth Social to slam Pope Leo XIV over his views on the Iran war.

U.S. President Donald Trump has certainly packed a lot into one weekend.

Hello, this is Leonie Kidd writing to you from London. Welcome to another edition of CNBC's Daily Open.

Crude oil prices surged on Monday, as the U.S. Navy prepares to impose a blockade on Iran's ports after peace talks failed over the weekend.

U.S. crude oil futures for May delivery jumped more than 8% to above $100 per barrel, and International benchmark Brent for June delivery also advanced over 8% in early trade.

U.S. Central Command said Sunday the military will blockade all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on Monday at 10 a.m. ET. It added that the U.S. will not impede vessels transiting to and from non-Iranian ports.

Asia-Pacific markets traded lower Monday, with India's Nifty 50 the worst-performing major Asian index, declining nearly 2%. U.S. futures point to a negative open, while European futures are also weaker.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Sunday bashed Pope Leo XIV over the U.S.-born Roman Catholic pontiff's criticism of the U.S. war in Iran.

The president said he does not "want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do," in a Truth Social post.

Trump linked the pope's ascension to his return to office as president.

"Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise," Trump said. "He wasn't on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."

Hungary's veteran nationalist leader Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday after a landslide election victory by the upstart opposition Tisza party, in a setback for his allies in Russia and U.S. President Donald Trump's White House.

"The election results are not final yet, but the situation is understandable and clear," Orban, 62, said at the Fidesz campaign offices.

"The election result is painful for us, but clear."

European leaders welcomed pro-EU Tisza party leader, Peter Magyar, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying, "Hungary has chosen Europe"

 Leonie Kidd
Rep. Eric Swalwell on Sunday evening said he was suspending his campaign for California governor on the heels of sexual misconduct allegations against the Democratic lawmaker.

"To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past," Swalwell, 45, said in a post on X announcing the suspension of his campaign.

"I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made  but that's my fight, not a campaign's," said Swalwell, a married father of three.

Swalwell's announcement came after growing calls by former allies and others that he drop out of the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fellow Democrat, and a day after the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said it was investigating a claim that Swalwell sexually assaulted one of his accusers in New York City in April 2024.

In a statement on Sunday, more than 50 former Swalwell staff members urged him to resign from Congress and to quit the gubernatorial contest.

"No one is above the law," the statement said, according to The New York Times. "Not a congressman. Not a candidate for governor. No one."
A view of the vessels passing through Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the strait be reopened, seen in Oman on April 8, 2026.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally ended the trading session 0.2% lower, with all major bourses sliding and most sectors in the red.

LONDON  European stocks began the week in negative territory as global traders assessed developments in the Middle East over the weekend.

The U.S. began blocking ships from entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, in an attempt to pressure Iran to reopen the key oil route.

The move was announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in a post to his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday: "Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz."

He added: "The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION."

Travel and leisure stocks were among the worst hit, falling 0.9%, with carriers Wizz Air , EasyJet and Lufthansa down 5.4%, 2.6% and 2.3%, respectively, as concerns over the supply of jet fuel to European airports rattled markets. Tui was 1.7% lower, while German aircraft engine maker MTU Aero Engines ended the session 0.2% lower.

In contrast, Var Energi , the Norwegian oil and gas giant, was up almost 2% in afternoon dealmaking, as energy prices moved above $100 a barrel after Trump announced plans to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. The move was announced after talks between Washington and Tehran at the weekend failed to produce an agreement to end the Middle East conflict.

European bourses followed Asia-Pacific stocks lower on Monday as investors reacted to the breakdown of negotiations between Iran and the U.S., which has reignited fears of a prolonged conflict as crude oil prices surged. Separately, President Trump has threatened China with what he called "staggering tariffs" of around 50% should Beijing provide air defense systems, arms and other military assistance to Iran, potentially stoking tensions further.

Elsewhere, European investors are keeping an eye on Hungary after long-term conservative leader Viktor Orban conceded defeat to Peter Magyar's pro-EU Tisza following the opposition party's landslide election win. The victory is a blow for Russia and the Trump administration, which saw an ally in Eurosceptic Orban. Hungary's forint rallied following the result, strengthened 2.51% against the dollar to 313.7 forint, and 2.42% against euro.

Earnings come from LVMH , Christian Dior and Galp Energia on Monday. There are no major data releases.

U.S. stocks opened lower, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 247 points, or 0.5%. The S&P 500 was flat, and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.2%.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson on August 15, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. Contributor | Getty Images News | Getty Images

The ousting of Hungary's conservative nationalist leader Viktor Orban is being hailed as a victory for liberal democracy and the European Union. The leaders of Poland, France and Germany, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, were among the major EU figures to congratulate Prime Minister-elect Peter Magyar on Monday, after he won a decisive victory in the country's election on Sunday. The ousted Prime Minister made regular use of Hungary's veto power to block EU decisions, fiercely criticized the bloc and impeded assistance to Ukraine in support of his ally Vladimir Putin  notably obstructing billions of dollars worth of loans and funding to Kyiv. EU critics also say the 62-year-old's creation of Hungary's "illiberal state" stepped on rule-of-law commitments the country made when it joined the bloc. Von der Leyen said: "Hungary has chosen Europe. A country reclaims its European path. The union grows stronger."

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban waves to supporters at the Balna centre in Budapest during a general election in Hungary, on April 12, 2026. Attila Kisbenedek | Afp | Getty Images

Financial markets also appeared to lend their approval, with the Hungarian forint hitting a four-year high and 10-year government bond yields plummeting up to 50 basis points on Monday morning. Both the Kremlin and White House had valued Eurosceptic Orban as a kindred spirit ideologically and a thorn in the side of the EU. Orban's Hungary had acted as a blocker to EU decision-making and policies on immigration, energy and funding for Ukraine. His ousting and election loss to the 45-year-old Magyar  a former member of Orban's Fidesz party until he founded the center-right opposition Tisza party just two years ago  will be seen as a blow for both Moscow and Washington. The U.S. sent Vice President JD Vance to Hungary in a show of support for Orban immediately before the election. Timothy Ash, senior emerging markets sovereign strategist at RBC BlueBay Asset Management, said the "winners" of the Hungarian election are "Hungary, Europe, Ukraine, the little guy." And the "losers"? "Trump, Putin, Vance, the big guy," Ash told CNBC by email.

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The White House is yet to comment publicly on the election result. A Kremlin spokesperson said Moscow respected the election result and would work for "pragmatic ties' with the country's new leadership. A clear majority of Hungarian voters had rejected Orban's "illiberal democracy, his anti-EU antics and his pro-Putin leanings," Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank, commented Monday. "No European policymaker had done more to weaken the internal cohesion and the external influence of the EU over the last five years than Orban," Schmieding said, citing the prime minister's attempts to soften sanctions against Russia and to block aid to Ukraine, most recently vetoing a 90 billion euro ($105.2 billion) loan to Ukraine. Russia could now see tougher EU sanctions, while the bloc may be able to offer up greater financial assistance to Ukraine, he added. "More European support for Ukraine is a significant setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Over time, it may even affect his calculus as to how long he can continue his war amid serious strains on the Russian economy," Schmieding said.

The end of Orbanism?

Winning 138 out of 199 seats in the Hungarian government gives Magyar's Tisza party a "super-majority" and the ability to enact wide-ranging reforms and policies. Analysts say Magyar is likely to try to loosen Orban and his Fidesz party's changes to the Hungarian constitution, and to weaken its influence over the country's laws and media. However, as a conservative and former proponent of "Orbanism," it is unclear how far Magyar will deviate from Orban's approach. On Monday, Magyar posted on Facebook that he would "work for a free, European, well-functioning and compassionate Hungary over the next four years." That will be welcome news to officials in Brussels, who had expressed consternation at Orban's increasingly autocratic tendencies and pressure on the judiciary and press since 2010.

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Some analysts told CNBC that it was important not to overestimate the degree to which Hungary's political direction would coalesce with Europe's political mainstream, with Ukraine's accession to the EU, Russian energy, the relationship with the U.S. and EU-wide immigration policy likely to remain contested issues. Russia also continues to hold a tight grip on Hungary's energy mix. Does Orban's departure mean that "Europe as of now speaks with one voice on all of these issues from one day to the next? I don't think so," Carsten Nickel, managing director at Teneo, told CNBC on Monday. "If you look at Trump, the ability of this U.S. administration to keep the pressure up on Europe has to do with, ultimately, trade exposure, security exposure, from the European side to America. That is not going to go away. So I think some of the structural factors that give Putin influence, that give Trump influence in Europe, they're not going to disappear," he said. Zsuzsanna Vegh, program officer at the German Marshall Fund, told CNBC that it would take time for Hungary to disentangle itself from its dependence on Russian oil and gas. The Eastern European power has continued to import Russian energy supplies despite the war in Ukraine. "When it comes to cold, hard facts, Hungary continues to be dependent on Russia in terms of energy, nuclear, oil, gas, so it's going to be a complicated process of renegotiation," she told CNBC's "Europe Early Edition." "This is a relationship which will need to be rethought, and that is going to be one of the key challenges for a Magyar government to tackle in the coming months and years."

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The Intel logo is displayed on a sign in front of Intel headquarters on July 16, 2025 in Santa Clara, California.

Intel saw its ninth-straight day of gains on Monday, up 58% over that stretch and on track for its best run over that many days since at least the 1970s.

The stock's last winning nine-day run was in September 2023, and the last streak longer than that, a 13-day series of gains, happened in May 2005.

Several big deals and announcements from the U.S. chipmaker have fueled the run, including partnerships with Google and Elon Musk's Terafab project.

Last week, Intel announced an expansion of its partnership with Google . Google will use Intel's newest Xeon 6 central processing units to run artificial intelligence training and inference workloads, according to the announcement.

Intel also announced it will be joining Elon Musk's Terafab project last week.

Plans for Terafab, an advanced AI chip complex in Austin, Texas, were announced by Musk last month. The complex will design and manufacture custom chips for SpaceX, xAI and Tesla , according to Musk.
An Aramco oil tank is seen at the Production facility at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield in the Empty Quarter, Saudi Arabia.

Crude oil production in the major Gulf Arab exporters plunged in March due to the Iran war, according to data released by OPEC on Monday.

Iraq took the biggest hit with production collapsing 61% from 4.2 million barrels per day in February to 1.6 million bpd in March, according to OPEC's monthly report. Output plunged 53% in Kuwait and 44% in the United Arab Emirates month over month, the data showed.

Production in Saudi Arabia, OPEC's biggest producer, dropped 23% from 10.1 million bpd to 7.8 million bpd. The Saudis are relying on a crucial East-West pipeline to reroute barrels from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea for export.

But the pipeline, which has a capacity of 7 million bpd, recently came under attack by Iran. The assault cut the pipeline's capacity by 700,000 bpd, according to the state-owned Saudi Press Agency.

Overall, OPEC's production plunged 27% month over month from 28.7 million bpd to 20.8 million bpd.

The Gulf Arab states have cut production because they are unable to export through the Strait of Hormuz due to the war. Tanker traffic through the narrow sea route, which connects the Gulf to global energy markets, has plunged due to attacks by Iran.

It will take months for the Gulf Arab states to bring production back up to full capacity, said Sheikh Nawaf al-Sabah, the CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corp.

"We have resilient reservoirs that bring out quite a bit of production immediately  within a few days," the CEO said at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference on March 24. "The bulk of it will come within a few weeks, and then the full production will come within three or four months."

Iran's production, meanwhile, dropped around 5% from 3.24 million bpd to 3.06 million bpd month over month, according to OPEC. The Islamic Republic has continued to export through the strait during the war.

But Iran is now facing a blockade after peace talks with the U.S. failed to produce an agreement over the weekend. President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Navy to block all maritime traffic in and out of Iran's ports starting at 10 a.m. ET on Monday.

U.S. crude oil futures for May delivery have jumped back above $100 per barrel, with the U.S. contract for June delivery at $94 per barrel. The global benchmark, Brent crude , was also trading around $100 per barrel, for June delivery, while the July contract was at $93.93 per barrel.
A sign sits in front of a McDonald's restaurant on May 13, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois.

McDonald's will add refreshers and crafted sodas to its menu in the United States starting this month, the company told Reuters in a statement on Monday.

The additions come about a year after the fast food giant shut down its five beverage-centered CosMc's concept stores in the U.S., which the company said it had opened to test the beverages space.

McDonald's had said in May last year that it would test some drinks from CosMc's in its restaurants.

The new beverages include a Dirty Dr Pepper and a Mango Pineapple Refresher, according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the launch on Sunday.

McDonald's is also planning on launching energy drinks, which are expected to go on sale at stores starting in August, the Journal added.

McDonald's plans to price the new drinks below offerings from competitors such as Starbucks , Dutch Bros , Sonic and other chains, the Journal reported.

This comes as restaurants compete to attract price-conscious diners worn down by economic uncertainties.

Earlier this month, McDonald's introduced menu items priced at $3 or less and offered a $4 breakfast meal deal in the U.S.

Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski said in February there was growing evidence the Chicago-based company's value strategy was working, with increased visits from low-income consumers.
China's zero-tariff policy opens huge market for African products, says Ghanian expert

10:27, April 13, 2026 By Justice Lee Adoboe ( Xinhua

ACCRA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China's zero-tariff offer to 53 African countries, set to take effect on May 1, is a game-changer and an impetus to boost the development of strong agricultural, mining and industrial value chains, while also enhancing intra-continental trade, said Jonas Atingdui, a Ghanaian economic analyst.

Atingdui, who is also director of economic affairs at the Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute, a local ideological and policy think tank, told Xinhua in a recent interview that the huge appetite of the 1.4-billion-strong Chinese market would benefit exporters of agricultural products such as cocoa, shea butter, timber and minerals, especially value-added products.

"With Ghana shifting toward processing its cocoa beans for export, producing chocolates for the Chinese market will be a game-changer for Ghana," he said.

With Ghana producing 20 percent of the world's cocoa, and about 60 percent together with neighboring Cote d'Ivoire, the export of processed and finished cocoa products to the Chinese market stands to boost foreign exchange earnings for the two countries, Atingdui said.

Another agricultural product Atingdui identified as having strong prospects in the Chinese market is shea butter, a major ingredient in the cosmetics industry, with its estimated market value projected to grow from 220 million U.S. dollars in 2025 to 390 million dollars by 2030.

He said that farmers in northern Ghana, the country's main source of shea butter, stand to gain immensely if the government strengthens export capacity to meet growing demand from China.

Moreover, Atingdui added that Ghana's abundant timber and gold resources would also benefit, as China is one of the leading importers of both commodities.

"China's zero-tariff policy for all 53 African countries is a game changer and significant in many ways. As the United States increasingly closes its market to both African countries and its allies, China's zero-tariff gesture creates an alternative market to compensate for foreign exchange losses from America," he added.

He pointed out that the role of government is crucial in creating an enabling environment for the private sector to leverage these opportunities.

Apart from competing with 52 other African countries for access to the Chinese market, "we will also be competing with Americans, Chinese, Europeans, Latin Americans and other Asian countries. So it is very important that governments put in place targeted policies to increase the capacity of our business sectors, especially exporters, to compete," he said.

He called for improved access to credit and tax concessions for export-oriented industries so they can benefit from the zero-tariff policy.

"We must also improve infrastructure. Infrastructure development is essential. The government, not the private sector, controls key areas such as electricity, water, roads and an effective judiciary, which help create a conducive environment for production," Atingdui added.

Furthermore, he called for strengthening standards, warning that substandard goods from African countries could jeopardize sustainable access to the Chinese market. "However, exposure to Chinese standards inherently enhances the quality, knowledge and processes associated with production."

He urged that the industrial policies of African countries be aligned with the zero-tariff policy, alongside negotiations to remove or reduce non-tariff barriers that still hinder access to the Chinese market.

Atingdui said Africa now has two crucial pillars, the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and the zero-tariff policy, to advance its economies.

According to him, AfCFTA allows African countries to specialize in trade inputs among themselves. "Then, as we trade among ourselves in producing more finished products, these products can not only be traded in Africa but also in China."

"Ultimately, it will allow us to enjoy economies of scale, because the Chinese economy is 20 trillion dollars. Such a giant economy will enable us to increase production and expand sales, lowering production costs while increasing revenue and competitiveness," he added.

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
Benghazi, Libya (PANA) - The Libyan Authority for Relief and Humanitarian Aid has launched discussions to monitor the situation of the Sudanese refugee community in Libya, focusing on identifying their basic needs and assessing urgent requirements in terms of aid and logistics
The failure of negotiations between the United States and Iran over the weekend suggests that the disruption to global oil markets will not be resolved quickly, supporting a "higher for longer" oil price base case and the favorable position for North American producers. The trade: Buy the DVN September 2026 $40/50/$60 call spread risk reversal for approximately $1.00 debit. This defined-risk structure targets a move to ~$60 by fall, capturing the post-merger re-rating thesis (Coterra acquisition announced Feb. 2). Max profit of roughly $9 per spread at expiration if Devon trades to, or through, the $60 price target by September expiration. The standstill risk is just over 2% of the current stock price, and in the worst case, one might be compelled to purchase Devon at $40 (plus the $1 premium paid for the spread), or at a ~14% discount to Friday's closing price. Devon Energy is an independent U.S. oil and gas producer with operations spanning the Delaware Basin in southeast New Mexico and west Texas, the Eagle Ford, the Anadarko Basin in western Oklahoma, the Williston Basin and the Powder River Basin. The company has long been viewed as one of the better-run names in the shale patch, known for its disciplined capital allocation. At the end of 2025, Devon reported net proved reserves of 2.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent, up from 2.2 billion in 2024. With an enterprise value of ~ $37 billion, DVN sits in large-cap territory but has historically traded at a discount to peers. The bull thesis is fundamentally a merger re-rating story layered atop a commodity tailwind. Devon and Coterra announced an all-stock merger expected to close in Q2 2026, creating a leading large-cap shale operator anchored in the economic core of the Delaware Basin, with $1 billion in targeted annual pre-tax synergies by year-end 2027 from capital optimization, improved operating margin and "corporate redundancies." This is in addition to Devon's own separate $1 billion efficiency program, targeted for completion by year-end 2026, which means the combined company could see a genuine step-change in cost structure if management executes. According to their most recent earnings presentation, Devon's wells are 24% more productive than the peer group average, and its per-barrel efficiency is 13% better than the peer group's average. The combined company is targeting roughly $5 billion in pro forma 2026 free cash flow. If achieved, this number would make the current valuation look outright cheap, implying an FY2026 free cash flow yield of ~13.5%. The company is also returning significant capital to shareholders. The company's trailing dividend yield of 2% will be higher, given expectations of increased future dividends. Furthermore, the company has approximately $3.36 billion remaining under its $5 billion buyback program, representing about 11% of the float at a current market capitalization of approximately $30 billion. If the situation in the Middle East stabilizes, the Strait of Hormuz reopens, oil prices stabilize in the mid-$80s (WTI), the Coterra merger closes on schedule in Q2, and integration proceeds without major hiccups. Devon delivers on the lower end of synergy targets by year-end 2027. The stock grinds toward the analyst consensus price target of around $56.30. The bear case has two primary drivers: oil price and deal execution risk. A prolonged period of depressed oil prices could hinder Devon's ability to accelerate operations in the Delaware Basin and produce disappointing results. Devon is heavily leveraged to crude any meaningful demand destruction or OPEC+ supply surprise could reset the commodity deck entirely. Merger integration risk is real too: cost synergies (there's that word again) are frequently delayed or overstated, and combining two large shale operators with different cultures, systems and acreage packages is not trivial. Given the massive oil supply disruption that has occurred since Feb. 28, however, there's little chance the global oil markets will return to an oversupplied condition anytime soon. Honestly, a new bear market in crude is far-fetched given the geopolitical backdrop, and Devon is a North American play. They sell a global commodity without the regional footprint risk associated with operators in the Gulf. The failure of the ceasefire talks in Pakistan over the weekend reinforces the higher-for-longer thesis. Therefore, the setup is favorable. DVN has already run ~35% year to date on energy price strength, but the merger re-rating hasn't been fully priced in yet. Implied volatility is elevated enough to justify a spread rather than an outright long call, capping the premium at risk while still offering meaningful upside exposure to $60. The September expiry threads the needle: long enough to capture the deal close and first integration updates, short enough to avoid paying for excessive time value. With defined risk and a catalyst-rich path, the DVN bull spread is one of the cleaner risk/reward setups in the energy space right now. DISCLOSURES: None. All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, or its parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL'S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer.
OpenAI's newly appointed revenue chief, Denise Dresser, sent a memo to staffers on Sunday, touting the company's alliance with Amazon as a key growth driver for its enterprise business, while noting the constraints of its long-standing tie-up with Microsoft .

Dresser's memo lands less than two months after Amazon announced plans to invest up to $50 billion in OpenAI as part of a strategic partnership. Microsoft, Amazon's top cloud computing rival, has invested more than $13 billion in OpenAI since 2019, backing the company long before it kicked off the generative artificial intelligence boom with the launch of ChatGPT.

Amazon Web Services, the leader in cloud infrastructure, gives companies access to all of the major AI models, including those from OpenAI, through a platform called Bedrock.

"Our Microsoft partnership has been foundational to our success. But it has also limited our ability to meet enterprises where they are  for many that's Bedrock," Dresser wrote in the memo, which was viewed by CNBC. "Since we announced the partnership at the end of February, inbound demand from our customers for this offering has been frankly staggering."

Microsoft declined to comment.

OpenAI is desperate to win market share in the enterprise, where rival Anthropic's Claude model has established itself as the market leader, while Google Gemini is also competing aggressively. Claude's momentum was the hottest topic at AI industry conference HumanX in San Francisco last week, with Arvind Jain, CEO of enterprise AI startup Glean, describing it as "Claude mania."

"It has become a religion, that's the level of that mania," Jain said in an interview at the event.

OpenAI and Anthropic are both trying to convince investors of their strengthening positions as they gear up for initial public offerings as soon as this year. The enterprise is critical for them as companies are pouring money into AI, a trend that's slashed the value of public software companies, which are increasingly seen as vulnerable. OpenAI, meanwhile, was valued at more than $850 billion in its latest fundraising round in late March, a month after investors valued Anthropic at $380 billion.

Dresser told CNBC earlier this month that OpenAI's enterprise business makes up 40% of the company's revenue, and it's "on track to reach parity" with its consumer business by the end of the year.

In the Sunday memo, Dresser said the market can be "noisy, volatile and distracting at times," and she encouraged employees to focus on spending time with customers. She added that Anthropic's strategy is built on "fear, restriction, and the idea that a small group of elites should control AI," while OpenAI's "positive message" will win over time.

Anthropic said earlier this month that its run-rate revenue has surpassed $30 billion, up from roughly $9 billion at the end of last year. Dresser alleged that Anthropic's stated run rate is "inflated" by around $8 billion.



"They use accounting treatment that makes revenue look bigger than it is, including grossing up rev share with Amazon and Google," Dresser wrote. "We report Microsoft rev share net, which is more inline with standards we would be held to as a public company."



Anthropic has said that it recognizes gross revenue on sales through partners because it is the principal in the transaction, while its cloud partners act as the distribution channel. The company argues that the accounting treatment depends on the circumstances of each deal, and that their approach is consistent with GAAP accounting practices.

Dresser said Anthropic has also made a "strategic misstep to not acquire enough compute," echoing comments OpenAI made in a separate memo to investors on Thursday. The company said that Anthropic is "operating on a meaningfully smaller curve," and that its own ramp is "materially ahead and widening." Anthropic announced a deal with Google and Broadcom for "multiple gigawatts" of compute earlier this month.

A representative for Anthropic declined to comment for this story.

For OpenAI, the relationship with Microsoft is one that both companies continue to describe as core and strategic, but it's shown signs of strain as the partners move onto the other's turf. In mid-2024, Microsoft added OpenAI to the list of competitors in its annual report, a roster that for years has included megacap peers Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta.

OpenAI has increasingly turned to other cloud providers, like CoreWeave , Google and Oracle , for capacity, and last year Microsoft started publicly testing a homegrown artificial intelligence model that could lead to enhancements to its Copilot assistant for consumers.

OpenAI hired Dresser, the former CEO of Slack and a longtime Salesforce executive, as chief revenue officer in December. She recently expanded her role to include Brad Lightcap's commercial responsibilities as he transitioned from operating chief to a new position focused on "special projects."

Dresser wrote that the company needs to "stay focused, work as one team and operate at the highest level of excellence and row in the same direction."

"The market is ours to win, let's execute accordingly," she wrote.

 CNBC's Kate Rooney contributed to this report.

WATCH: OpenAI goes on offensive against Anthropic in internal memo
Oracle is poised to make a quick buck off an investment in Bloom Energy .

On Thursday, Oracle was issued a warrant to purchase up to 3.53 million shares of the fuel cell maker at $113.28 a share, for a total investment of $400 million, as part of an agreement announced in October. After the close of trading on Monday, the two companies said they're expanding a prior partnership, with Oracle contracting 1.2 gigawatts of capacity from Bloom.

Shares of Bloom soared 15% on the announcement, lifting the stock to almost $203 and marking a $316 million gain for Oracle over the warrant price. Oracle has until Oct. 9 to exercise the warrant.

In total, Oracle intends to procure up to 2.8 gigawatts of Bloom systems, according to Monday's statement. The software company has contracted for 1.2 gigawatts, with plans to finish the deployment in 2027. The companies first came together in July, when Bloom said it would be delivering energy to U.S. Oracle data centers within 90 days.

"By rapidly deploying Bloom's reliable, efficient fuel cell energy, we are quickly meeting the demands of our customers across the United States," said Mahesh Thiagarajan, executive vice president for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, in Monday's statement.

Oracle was already having a good day.

The stock jumped almost 13% in regular trading as investors snapped up shares of software companies that have been beaten down on AI concerns. Oracle's stock is down 20% for the year even after the rally, though it got another 1.5% bump in extended trading.

Bloom has been a major beneficiary of the AI boom as data center developers look for alternative forms of energy to meet surging demand. The company's fuel cells provide on-site power that can be quickly installed because they don't rely on a connection to the electric grid.

Shares of Bloom nearly quadrupled in 2025 and were up more than 100% this year as of Monday's close. The company's market cap has topped $50 billion.

Bloom has already positioned hundreds of megawatts of fuel cells through deals with utilities like American Electric Power and data center developers including Equinix and Oracle. In striking a deal in October with Brookfield Asset Management to install fuel cells in AI data centers, Bloom CEO KR Sridhar said that, "AI infrastructure must be built like a factorywith purpose, speed, and scale."

Oracle, which has raised over $100 billion in debt to fund its massive AI data center buildout, plans to operate its Bloom fuel cells at facilities in the U.S., the statement said.

An Oracle spokesperson didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

WATCH: Cramers Mad Dash: Bloom Energy
Revolution Medicines ' drug for pancreatic cancer succeeded in a highly anticipated Phase 3 trial, almost doubling the typical length of survival and slashing the risk of death by 60% versus chemotherapy, the company said Monday.

RevMed said its daily pill, daraxonrasib, met all primary and secondary endpoints in a trial of people whose cancer had already progressed on another treatment. People who took daraxonrasib typically lived for 13.2 months versus 6.7 months for people who took chemotherapy, an increase of 6.5 months, RevMed said in a press release.

"These are dramatic, practice-changing outcomes, and our focus now is moving quickly to bring this potential new treatment option to patients who urgently need new treatment," RevMed CEO Mark Goldsmith said in an interview.

Goldsmith called the results "unprecedented," saying no drug has shown an overall survival benefit greater than one year in a Phase 3 trial for pancreatic cancer. The company plans to soon seek Food and Drug Administration approval using a Commissioner's National Priority Voucher, which grants a review within a matter of months.

RevMed's pill could bring a new option for people with pancreatic cancer, an aggressive disease that has the lowest five-year survival rate of any major cancer, at 13%. Daraxonrasib broadly targets RAS mutations, which drive tumor growth and are found in about 90% of pancreatic cancer cases.

"These results usher in a new era of RAS-targeted medicines for pancreatic cancer, which has been exclusively treated with cytotoxic intravenous chemotherapy," Goldsmith said.

For patients, these results are "truly transformational," said Dr. Shubham Pant, professor of gastrointestinal medical oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Pant said he's been involved in numerous other studies that have failed, and said previous positive trials extended survival by a few weeks or months.

He's been involved in trials for RevMed's daraxonrasib since its early days, and choked up multiple times when describing the results and what they mean for patients, including one who participated in the pivotal trial that Pant had seen just before the interview.



"Today, I'm just, I'm just thankful," Pant said. "That's all I can say. And you know, just seeing patients in my clinic today, I've got a busy clinic today, and I'm just thankful."

Daraxonrasib gained more attention last week, when former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer late last year and given only months to live, shared his experience taking the drug in an interview with The New York Times. He told the Times that Pant is his doctor.

Sasse said his tumors have shrunk 76% since he started taking the drug, but said it causes "crazy" side effects like a facial rash. His face appeared to be peeling during the interview.

RevMed's CEO Goldsmith said the company can't comment on any individual patient, but that a rash is a known side effect and one that's generally manageable. Pant couldn't speak to the specifics of Sasse's case, but said the majority of patients in previous trials of daraxonrasib did experience a rash, though less than 10% of them developed a "dramatic" rash. He said strategies like stopping the drug temporarily or treating with antibiotics can help.

"Honestly, since our journey three years ago, we are getting better at managing these side effects, and I think we keep on getting better at managing side effects," Pant said.

RevMed on Monday said the drug showed a manageable safety profile in the pivotal study and that no new concerns were observed. The full results will be disclosed at a medical meeting.

The company will seek approval for second-line treatment, or in patients whose cancer has already spread while taking another drug. It's conducting a Phase 3 trial for newly diagnosed patients.

Daraxonrasib could become a foundation that can be built upon and used in combination with other drugs, said Dr. Andrew Aguirre, associate director of the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and co-director of the Center for RAS Therapeutics at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The results are a "whopping improvement" to be "incredibly excited about as really a foundation," he said.



"And honestly, it's reason for optimism for the whole field that targeting RAS in this patient population, and hopefully many other contexts for pancreatic cancer and many other difficult-to-treat diseases is going to have real benefit for patients and be something that we can continue to expand and use in combination," Aguirre said.

Revolution Medicines shares jumped more than 30% following release of the results Monday. Its stock has climbed about 274% in the last year, in part because it has long been seen as an acquisition target.

Monday's stock move brings the company's market value to more than $26 billion. Goldsmith said the company is focused on preparing for approval and launch of its drug, rather than any potential acquisition.
Stocks' march higher in the face of deepening geopolitical uncertainty is leaving some on Wall Street increasingly perplexed. U.S. equities continued to show resilience on Monday even after President Donald Trump announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz , with peace talks between the U.S. and Iran over the weekend ending without a deal. Many said there's a disconnect that reflects investors' growing willingness to look through near-term risks and a fear of missing out on any eventual rebound. "The rally last week shows investors don't want to miss the upside for when the conflict ends," Piper Sandler strategists wrote in a note. "The equity market has now priced in a quick return to normal. But this conflict is not over and there is a good chance it could go on a lot longer." The analysts warned that the current standoff lacks an "obvious face-saving offramp," raising the risk that hostilities could drag on rather than resolve in a matter of weeks, which has been a dynamic more consistent with past conflicts. The blockade of all maritime traffic in and out of Iran's ports went into effect Monday. U.S. Central Command said the U.S. will not block vessels using the strait to get to non-Iranian ports. Still, the S & P 500 traded flat on Monday after rallying 3.6% last week. .SPX 1M mountain S & P 500 one month Investors appear to have grown accustomed to sharp escalations tied to Trump's policy battles that ultimately gave way to some form of negotiation or de-escalation . As a result, the stock market continues to price in a relatively benign outcome, even as some analysts argue that underlying conditions point to a more prolonged disruption. Melius Research struck a more cautious tone, pointing to decades of failed diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran as a reason to doubt any swift breakthrough. "We do not anticipate the current ceasefire to hold," the firm wrote. "The failed talks in Islamabad only reinforce our expectation of a longer conflict, further reduced global oil and natural gas (LNG) inventories, and higher 'new normal' prices." Others say the next major test for that optimism may come from corporate America itself. "The big question for stocks going forward is if this upcoming earnings season can be enough of a catalyst to dismantle the close link between stocks and oil, as corporate earnings are what traditionally drive stock prices," said Clark Bellin, president and chief investment officer at Bellwether Wealth.
Check out the companies making the biggest moves premarket: Goldman Sachs  Shares fell more than 2% despite the bank reporting an earnings and revenue beat in its first quarter report, thanks to record equities trading and stronger investment banking revenues. Goldman reported $17.55 in earnings per share and $17.23 billion in revenue, better than the consensus estimates of $16.49 in earnings and $16.97 billion in revenue, according to LSEG. Trading in its fixed income, currencies and commodities unit was $4.01 billion, well short of the $4.92 billion consensus estimate for FICC trading from analysts polled by FactSet. Revolution Medicines  The stock surged more than 37% after it was revealed its drug for pancreatic cancer succeeded in a phase 3 trial. The company said the daily pill, daraxonrasib, led patients to live 13.2 months versus those who used chemotherapy who lived 6.7 months. Williams-Sonoma  The kitchen and cookware retailer gained more than 2% after getting an upgrade to buy at Goldman Sachs. Analysts at the bank said the stock is trading at attractive levels, adding Williams-Sonoma has "one of the strongest portfolio of brands in retail." Best Buy  Goldman Sachs downgraded the electronics and appliances retailer to sell at Goldman, sending shares down 4%. "While Best Buy will likely see a benefit to [same-store sales] from a pull-forward of PC demand and higher tax returns in Q1, we think there will be risk to sales post Q1 as higher memory costs start to work their way into the price of laptops and computers," Goldman analysts wrote. Toll Brothers , Pultegroup  Shares of both stocks rose more than 1% after Evercore ISI upgraded the two homebuilders to outperform. The investment firm said it's time to buy the dip in the companies, believing the bad news is already priced in and that both Toll Brothers and Pultegroup could manage macroeconomic headwinds better than some of their peers. Fastenal  The industrial and construction supply distributor slid more than 4% after it reported first-quarter earnings that met the Street's expectations. Fastenal reported 30 cents in earnings per share and $2.2 billion in revenue, meeting the consensus of analysts polled by FactSet. Energy stocks  As oil prices again climbed above $103 after the U.S. navy announced a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, a slew of energy names rose on Monday. Targa Resources rose 1%, while APA corporation gained nearly 3.5%. Phillips 66 was up nearly 3%, while Chevron and Exxon Mobil were both in the green by 2%. Cruise lines  Higher input costs due to rising energy prices and fears over demand reappeared on Monday for cruise line stocks. Carnival 4%, while Norwegian Cruise Line was off 3%. Royal Caribbean slipped more than 2%. Airlines  Similar demand fears and higher jet fuel prices sent airline names lower on Monday too. United Airlines fell by more than 2.5%, while Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines both declined 2%. Palantir  Shares rebounded by more than 2% after a sharp 13.4% sell-off last week on concerns that artificial intelligence will disrupt software companies' business models. It was the stock's worst week since April 2025. Leggett & Platt  The manufacturer jumped 9% after it announced an agreement to be acquired by Somnigroup International , a bedding manufacturer. The $2.5 billion all-stock transaction is anticipated to close by year-end 2026.  CNBC's Fred Imbert contributed reporting
A federal judge in Florida on Monday dismissed President Donald Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against media baron Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal, which claimed the newspaper defamed Trump with a story saying the president had sent a "bawdy" 50th birthday letter to notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

But Trump will be given the chance to file a new amended lawsuit by April 27 in the case about the letter that the Journal published in July 2024, Judge Darrin Gayles said in his ruling in U.S. District Court in Miami.

Gayles said he had to dismiss the civil complaint because Trump, who has adamantly denied sending the letter to his then-friend Epstein in 2003, had "not plausibly alleged that the Defendants published the Article with actual malice."

Plaintiffs who are public figures like Trump must show that a defendant had actual malice when they made allegedly defamatory statements, according to legal precedent.

Gayles said Trump's complaint "falls short of pleading actual malice," and also said the president "comes nowhere close to" the standard for showing that the newspaper deliberately avoided investigating the truth of the statements it published about the letter.

"The Article explains that, before running the story, Defendants contacted President Trump, Justice Department officials, and the FBI for comment," the judge wrote.

"President Trump responded with his denial, the Justice Department did not respond at all, and the FBI declined to comment. In short, the Complaint and Article confirm that Defendants attempted to investigate."

And Gayles noted that the article included the fact that Trump denied writing the letter, which makes an allegation of actual malice less plausible.

But the judge, in giving Trump a second chance in the case, pointed to another precedent that says a plaintiff "should have the opportunity to amend his complaint" if a lawsuit was tossed out for failing to plead facts in a suit "giving rise to an inference of actual malice."

The judge's ruling did not address the question of whether the statements that the Journal made in the article are true, and whether they are defamatory.

Murdoch's company, News Corp ., owns the Journal.
This photo illustration created on April 13, 2026, shows a picture of President Donald Trump on a screen and an AI-generated picture he posted on his Truth Social platform depicting himself as Jesus Christ.

President Donald Trump on Monday morning deleted a Truth Social post with an image showing himself appearing like Jesus Christ after it was met with backlash.

"I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support," Trump told reporters at the White House, denying claims he was meant to appear as Jesus.

"Only the 'fake news' could come up with that one," Trump added.

"It's supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better," he said. "And I do make people better. I make people a lot better."

Trump on Sunday night posted the image, which appears to have been generated with artificial intelligence, after he lambasted Pope Leo XIV for criticizing U.S. military actions against Iran and Venezuela.

The image depicted Trump, wearing a white robe, laying his right hand on a man who appeared sick or dying, with a bright light emanating from the president's left hand and the American flag, eagles and military planes flying behind him.

The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC when asked for comment about the post being deleted.
U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hold a press conference following their meeting at Chequers, near Aylesbury, Britain, Sept. 18, 2025.

The U.K. is "not supporting" the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday, insisting that the country would not get "dragged in" to the Iran war.

It came as President Emmanuel Macron confirmed France and the U.K. would, in the coming days, co-host a conference aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron has not explicitly ruled out France's involvement in the U.S. blockade but said the planned conference would create a "peaceful multinational" and "strictly defensive" mission, separate from the belligerents.

Britain's Starmer told BBC's Radio 5 Live on Monday: "We're not supporting the blockade, and all of the marshalling  diplomatically, politically and [in terms of] capability  we do have mine-sweeping capability, I won't go into operational matters, but we do have that capability  that's all focused, from our point of view, on getting the strait fully open."

"What we've been doing over the last few weeks  and this was part of what I was discussing with the Gulf states last week  is bringing countries together to keep the strait open, not shut."

Starmer's comments come after U.S. President Donald Trump signaled that other countries would help the U.S. implement its blockade, due to start at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, on vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports.

The move was announced after talks between Washington and Tehran over the weekend failed to produce an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said, "At 10 tomorrow, we have a blockade going into effect," adding that "other nations are working so that Iran will not be able to sell oil."

He did not say which other countries would be helping; however, CNBC has requested further comment and clarification from governments in Europe and the Middle East on whether they intend to help the U.S.

Both European and Gulf states have previously been reluctant to get involved in the conflict, wary of escalating a clash they see as Washington's "war of choice," rather than necessity.

Germany also signaled it is not participating in the blockade, with government sources telling CNBC on Monday that Trump's comments were "a vague statement that is not based on any new facts."



Berlin has repeatedly ruled out any military involvement in the Iran war, and the government repeated that position on Monday, stating: "In recent days, the federal government has commented on several occasions regarding possible participation and the conditions for it. These statements still stand."
Benghazi, Libya (PANA) - The Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the eastern-based Libyan National Army, General Saddam Haftar, arrived in Jordan on Sunday for talks aimed at enhancing military cooperation, as well as training and the exchange of expertise between the two countries
Three Pittsburgh-area colleges have each received $150,000 in state grant funding to help students who are parents finish their degrees, with Seton Hill University building on an existing scholarship program, Point Park University launching a new support hub, and the Community College of Allegheny County expanding its current parenting scholars initiative.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education awarded the grants in late March 2026 through its Parent Pathways Grant Program, part of Governor Josh Shapiro's broader effort to make higher education more accessible across the state.

Only 11 colleges statewide received funding in this round. Since the program launched in 2024, it has invested more than $4.8 million in 34 colleges and universities across Pennsylvania, according to Trib Live.

The grants come in response to a well-documented challenge in higher education. Studies show that one in five undergraduate college students is raising children while earning a degree, and nearly half of those students do not complete their education. Parenting students often face financial pressure, limited access to childcare, and difficulty balancing academic demands with family responsibilities.

At Point Park University, the funding will be used to create the Reentry and Completion Hub, known as REACH. The hub is designed to serve as a central resource for parenting students, connecting them to support for basic needs, food insecurity, childcare, health services, and financial assistance.

More than 140 Point Park students are parents. The university also works with the Pittsburgh Scholar House, a nonprofit that helps single parents navigate benefits, find childcare, and access housing referrals.

"If we're going to bring them in and take their money and have them work toward a degree, we need to keep our end of the promise," said a Point Park official quoted in a TribLive report.

CCAC will use its grant to expand the Parenting Scholars Program, which already provides financial and academic support to parenting students near the end of their studies.

The new funding is expected to serve 40 to 50 students through scholarships that cover remaining gaps in tuition, fees, and other education-related costs after existing aid has been applied.

Students will also receive individualized support from academic advisors and access to services through a partnership with the Pittsburgh Scholar House. Dorothy Collins, CCAC's vice president for enrollment services, said the grant addresses "significant unmet demand" at the college.

Seton Hill University, located in Greensburg, will direct the new funds toward its existing scholarship program for parenting students.

Brett Miller, the university's director of graduate and online studies, said there has been a clear rise in demand. This year, 33 parenting learners received grant funding, and 40 students have already applied for the next cycle.

Parenting learners make up roughly 45% of the students enrolled in Seton Hill's online bachelor's degree programs, equaling around 80 to 90 people. "My hope with the Parent Pathways grant is we can change the lives of our students and help them lower their debt," Miller said.

State Sen. Wayne Fontana, who represents parts of Allegheny County, announced the awards to CCAC and Point Park on April 2, 2026. "There are many students who must balance their studies with raising their kids," Fontana said in a statement. "This grant funding helps those students who are working to further their education, and I am proud to advocate for this support," Senator Fontana reported.

The Parent Pathways grants can be used for scholarships covering tuition, fees, housing, meals, books, and childcare, as well as emergency stipends and staffing support for parent resource navigators on campus.

Dr. Lynette Kuhn, Pennsylvania's Deputy Secretary and Commissioner for Higher Education, said the program is aimed at eliminating the barriers that prevent parenting students from completing their credentials and building a stable future for their families, as per the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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Should the body continue on its current trajectory, it is time, at least, to recognize it for what it is: no longer a true and adequate representation of the student body but an internship and pre-professional social club for students interested in law and politics.
In his first 100 days in office, New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani has moved swiftly to turn his campaign promise of universal child care into reality, rolling out a series of concrete programs that his administration calls "essential infrastructure" for working families.

The most notable action so far is the launch of 2-K, a free child care program for two-year-olds that Mamdani announced on day eight of his administration alongside Governor Kathy Hochul.

The program will begin this fall with 2,000 seats in four communities across four boroughs: Canarsie, Brownsville, and Ocean Hill in Brooklyn; Fordham and Kingsbridge in the Bronx; Ozone Park, Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, and the Rockaways in Queens; and the Heights in Manhattan, according to Gothamist.

Those seats are targeted at families in five school districts, Districts 18, 19, 23, and 27, with plans to scale up to 12,000 seats next fall and reach full universality by the end of Mamdani's first term.

The state is funding the program, committing $73 million for the first year and approximately $425 million for the second year, as part of Governor Hochul's broader pledge of $4.5 billion for child care in the upcoming fiscal year. Hochul framed the partnership as a shared political investment, telling reporters at a March press conference, "The state of New York is not walking away, now, ever, you can count on that."

The 2-K seats will be available to any family who needs them, regardless of zip code, income, or immigration status. Mamdani has described the program as part of a broader goal to provide free child care for every child from six weeks to five years old.

On the 3-K front, the mayor announced in mid-March that the city will add more than 1,000 new free preschool seats for three-year-olds this fall across 56 ZIP codes, including in Staten Island, a borough that had been left out of the initial 2-K rollout. The 3-K program currently serves approximately 39,400 students, and the expansion targets neighborhoods where demand has outpaced supply.

The Mamdani administration has also launched the city's first free on-site child care pilot for municipal workers. Located at the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building in Lower Manhattan, the facility will serve approximately 40 children aged six weeks to three years old, running weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A $10 million renovation of the 4,000-square-foot space is underway, with applications set to open April 30. The city has allocated $2.3 million in operating costs for the program. Governing reported.

To boost enrollment awareness, the administration has launched a public outreach campaign featuring multilingual ads on LinkNYC kiosks, TaxiTV, and City ferries, as well as PSA-style videos with figures such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a joint op-ed by the mayor and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

Not all reactions have been positive. Some pre-K educators and child care advocates have pushed back, arguing that the system needs urgent pay reform before it can safely expand. Child care workers, who are predominantly women of color, earned a median hourly wage of just $15.41 in 2024, roughly $32,050 a year.

A coalition of early childhood program directors has launched a letter-writing campaign to the mayor, warning that underfunded providers are "barely treading water" and cannot absorb new mandates without a salary fix.

A Child Care Workforce Pay Equity Fund bill, backed by advocates calling for $1.2 billion in state funding, has been introduced in both chambers of the State Legislature.

Mamdani has acknowledged the concern, with his office stating, "Mayor Mamdani has been clear, the individuals providing these critical services must be paid fairly and equitably." Questions also remain about long-term funding, as neither the mayor nor the governor has outlined a financing plan beyond the second year of 2-K.

The mayor included $70 million in the preliminary budget for preschool special education to ensure continuity of services for children with disabilities, as per NYC.
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NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AdventHealth leaders, community partners and local lawmakers recently gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new AdventHealth New Port Richey ER, a freestanding emergency department designed to bring high-quality, lifesaving care closer to families in West Pasco County.

Local and state leaders joined AdventHealth executives at the ceremony, recognizing the project as an important investment in both community health and economic growth for West Pasco County. Once complete, the new emergency room will improve access to timely, advanced emergency care in a growing area of Pasco County where nearby options are limited.

The more than 13,000-square-foot facility will feature 12 patient beds and provide comprehensive emergency services, including on-site imaging with X-ray and CT scan capabilities, portable ultrasound, a dedicated emergency department laboratory, three treatment bays and a triage room. Once complete, the new emergency room will improve access to timely, advanced emergency care in a growing area of Pasco County where nearby options are limited.

"As West Pasco County continues to grow, so does the need for convenient access to emergency care," said Andrew Santos, president/CEO of AdventHealth North Pinellas. "This new emergency room represents our commitment to meeting our community where they are and ensuring families can get high-quality care close to home when seconds matter most. It's about peace of mind and knowing help is just minutes away."

The new emergency department is designed to support a wide range of medical needs  from minor injuries to life-threatening emergencies  while reducing travel time for patients and first responders. The facility is expected to create approximately 35 new jobs and strengthen the region's health care infrastructure.

Local and state leaders joined AdventHealth executives at the ceremony, recognizing the project as an important investment in both community health and economic growth for West Pasco County.

"This project is about people," said Sen. Ed Hooper, who represents Florida Senate District 21. "It's about making sure residents have access to critical services where they live, supporting first responders and creating jobs in a growing part of our county."

The facility was thoughtfully designed by HuntonBrady Architects with a focus on patient-centered care and operational efficiency, and construction is being led by Batson-Cook Construction, whose teams bring extensive experience in health care development.

"As an emergency physician, I see firsthand how access, space and technology impact patient care," said Dr. Matthew Smith, an associate medical director of emergency medicine physician at AdventHealth North Pinellas and who will practice at the new ER. "This new emergency department will give care teams the tools they need to respond quickly and effectively, while allowing patients to receive care closer to home."

The new AdventHealth New Port Richey Emergency Room further expands AdventHealth's presence in Pasco County and reflects the organization's mission to deliver whole-person care  treating the body, mind and spirit  while continuing to invest in the long-term health of the communities it serves.

Construction is underway at the site, located at 6523 State Road 54, New Port Richey, FL 34653. The facility is expected to open in Winter 2026. Learn more about the high-quality emergency care services AdventHealth offers at www.theERexperts.com.

SOURCE AdventHealth West Florida Division
A top police officer has accused a senior Tory MP of misleading parliament and failing to check 'basic facts' in a speech which criticised his force's investigation into child killer Lucy Letby.

In an unprecedented intervention, Mark Roberts, Chief Constable of Cheshire Police, has demanded Sir David Davis formally 'correct the record without delay' over 'many errors' and 'materially inaccurate and misleading' comments he made in the House of Commons last month.

The Conservative former cabinet minister, who believes Letby, 36, is the victim of a miscarriage of justice, spoke to a handful of MPs in the Chamber before Easter, telling them the Cheshire force's investigation into the former neo-natal nurse was biased and flawed.

Officers had focused too much on Letby as their prime suspect and made 'egregious failures' by not following guidelines and best practice, including in the appointment of expert witnesses, he claimed.

Sir David also said he would be asking the Director of Public Prosecutions to 'review the behaviour' of both the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in relation to Letby's case.

But, in a strongly worded letter, sent to Sir David, Cheshire MPs, the Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, and seen by the Daily Mail, Mr Roberts said the Conservative MP's 'narrative' 'did not withstand basic fact checking.'

Mr Roberts said his speech was 'materially inaccuratemisleading to Parliament' and risked 'undermining the criminal justice system.'

And he called on him to raise a 'point of order' in Parliament to correct the record without delay.

Lucy Letby, 36, is serving a record 15 whole life terms after being convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more - one of whom she attacked twice - at the Countess of Chester Hospital, between June 2015 and June 2016

Mark Roberts, Chief Constable of Cheshire Police, has accused Sir David Davis of 'misleading parliament' and failing to check 'basic facts' in relation to his force's investigation into Lucy Letby

Sir David Davis believes Lucy Letby is the victim of a miscarriage of justice. He has been criticised for failing to check 'basic facts' when commenting on he police investigation that led to her convictions

Letby is serving a record 15 whole life terms after being found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven more - one who she attacked twice - at the Countess of Chester Hospital, between June 2015 and June 2016.

She has always maintained her innocence and has twice attempted and failed to appeal her convictions.

However, her legal team has submitted evidence from new medical experts to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, the body that reviews potential miscarriages of justice, in a last ditch attempt to get her case back to the Court of Appeal.

In his letter, dated April 8, Mr Roberts told Sir David: 'I would remind you again of the extensive scrutiny via due legal process that this case has already undergone.

'This includes a full investigation, lengthy trials, and appellate review. Importantly, the Criminal Cases Review Commission is undertaking a review regarding the case and while that remains ongoing false commentary such as yours run counter to the interests of justice.'

Addressing Sir David's claim that the force pursued 'selective' lines of inquiry, Mr Roberts said that such a statement was simply 'not supported by the facts.'

He said the team behind the investigation, code-named Operation Hummingbird, went to 'exhaustive lengths' to evaluate 'all' lines of inquiry and 'no stone was left unturned.'

He reminded the senior Tory that police had been investigating for 13 months before Letby was designated a suspect, in June 2018, and 'even then the investigation continued with an open mind.' She was eventually charged in November 2020.

Mr Roberts also said the investigation, which took six years and involved 250 witnesses, was unique because individual detectives were allocated to each case where a baby's death or collapse could not be medically explained 'to keep a sterile corridor of evidence between cases.'

Letby was sentenced to 15 whole life terms after being found guilty of killing seven newborns and the attempted murder of seven more at the Countess of Chester Hospital

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MP Sir David Davis has insisted Cheshire Police reveal the basis for the 'shift table', which was presented to the jury at Letby's trial, and showed she was always on duty when babies collapsed or died

Sir David told the adjournment debate, on March 26, that the force's case had been built solely around the theories of 'police advisor' Dr Dewi Evans, a retired paediatrician who was the prosecution's main expert witness in Letby's trial.

But in his letter Mr Roberts refuted this suggestion, which he described as 'demonstrably untrue'.

'The investigation enlisted the help of multiple medical experts to ensure a thorough investigation was conducted,' he said.

'Medical experts, specialising in areas of neonatal nursing, paediatric radiology, paediatric pathology, haematology, paediatric neurology and paediatric endocrinology, as well as two main medical experts, both consultant paediatricians,' he added.

The senior police officer said all the experts 'worked independently', were vetted by the National Crime Agency and were subjected to 'robust' cross-examination by Letby's defence barrister, Ben Myers KC, during her 10-month trial.

Mr Roberts also dismissed Sir David's claim that the prosecution failed to engage with experts about statistical evidence or that incidents had only been deemed suspicious because Letby was on shift.

Letby's supporters have been critical of the staff rota, shown to the jury at her trials, which demonstrated that she was on duty for each baby collapse and death in the case, saying other collapses and death when she was not on shift should have been included.

But Mr Roberts insisted 'no statistical evidence was relied upon in the prosecution case.'

'This is in line with the approach advised by the National Crime Agency,' he added.

He said the Constabulary purposely did not retain the services of an expert statistician, neither did it seek or receive a report from Professor Jane Hutton  who previously revealed she had an initial call with a Cheshire detective about the case.

'Currently no statisticians have been used in UK criminal trials,' Mr Roberts said. 'The investigative decision was made to rely on evidence and analytical review rather than mathematical probability.'

The senior officer also insisted all baby deaths and collapses were attributed to deliberate harm by the experts before shift patterns were analysed and Letby found to be on duty for every one.

'Your assertion that cases were 'cherry picked' to match Letby's shifts has no credibility,' he wrote.

Sir David has called for Cheshire police to provide documents relating to their inquiry to Letby's lawyers, including senior officer policy and decision books, records of identified lines of inquiry and potential suspects, and notes of meetings with expert witnesses and the National Crime Agency.

But Mr Roberts said the force had 'fully met' all its obligations under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act and its Codes of Practice, the Crown Prosecution Service and Attorney General's guidelines on disclosure and the post-conviction disclosure framework.

He said there was no legal requirement to provide any other material and doing so risked undermining the investigation currently being carried out by the CCRC.

He concluded by reiterating that he was 'confident in the integrity' of the Letby investigation, the prosecution and the decision reached by the jury.

'(While) scrutiny of policing is legitimate and welcome, it is essential that such scrutiny is grounded in fact and does not run contrary to due process, ongoing legal considerations, or the independence of the judiciary,' Mr Roberts said.

Sir David declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail.
To the Commons for an inert yet scratchy prime ministerial statement on the Iran war. Sir Keir Starmer managed to be both listless and peevish. We learned little that was new. The nasal knight was crosser with Israel than with Iran. He railed against Kemi Badenoch, too. The Tory leader laughed that she fully expected Labour to blame her for the war. Yes! cried government MPs. They actually did mean it.

Sir Keir was fed up with wars. This was put in the sullen tone of a hotel housekeeper irked by guests leaving damp towels on the bedroom floor. And he had been on the blower to Frances President Macron. They had agreed to hold a leaders-level summit later this year. The Westminster press pack will be hoping for a plush venue. Saint Tropez would be popular, Torquay less so.

So far as stopping the war went, that was it. For all Sir Keirs constipated disapproval, he plainly knows he can not change a thing. As he keeps on boasting, he has kept us out of the war. Yet he also tries to present himself as a leader of martial despatch, deploying our Armed Forces to keep us safe.

Parliament can see through such double bluster. The chamber was far from full.

Sir Keir Starmer told MPs he was 'fed up' with wars in the sullen tone of a hotel housekeeper

The House of Commons was limp, with the chamber being far from full during the PM's speech

Government whips had pretty obviously told Labour MPs to praise Sir Keir for his leadership. You can always find backbenchers to oblige.

Peter Swallow (Lab, Bracknell), whose surname says it all, waited more than 100 minutes to say just this. He looked slightly uncomfortable as he was regurgitating it. Mohammad Yasin (Lab, Bedford) commended the Prime Minister for his efforts. Gorblimeyish public schoolboy Jim Dickson (Lab, Dartford) and Alison Hume (Lab, Scarborough) both uttered something similar. Debbie Abrahams (Lab, Oldham E & Saddleworth) closed her lazy eye and marvelled at all the Prime Minister is doing to de-escalate the conflict.

Purple hair-dyed Afzal Khan (Lab, Manchester Rusholme) thanked Sir Keir for his statesmanship. The rest of Mr Khans question was something about Pakistan but the details were elusive. He does not always put his teeth in properly.

Sir Keir absorbed this flattery without much interest. He is not good at returning compliments. Too selfish or maybe just tone deaf to the pretty traditions of politics. He actually believes it when they tell him hes a champion.

A prime minister who was having a real impact on the global crisis would have been heard differently. The House would have buzzed. This House was limp. No one truly believes Downing Street has much to say. Some PMs are thrusters. Sir Keir is a shrivelling swerver.

He kept describing this or that as really important. He claimed his much-delayed defence investment plan would be really robust. No one paid much attention. Words plop out of him like rabbit droppings. He speaks English so badly, choosing such dead metaphors and rigid cliches, that there is no frisson in his orbit. He talks too much. Most of them do. This statement and the following questions could have been completed in half the time, to more powerful effect.

Were bearing down on the cost of living, he quacked lifelessly by way of answer to Tom Tugendhat (Con, Tonbridge), who had raised the prospect of oil shortages. Sir Jeremy Hunt (Con, Godalming & Ash) suggested that a crisis allowed a PM to do something radical  such as cutting welfare spending. Sir Keir showed no interest in that.

Mrs Badenoch and other Tories implored him to drill oil in the North Sea. Graham Stuart (Con, Beverley & Holderness) became so exasperated about Labours Net Zero obstinacy that he called Ed Miliband insane. This was against Commons rules and was naturally withdrawn at once. But many people think it, not all of them on the Right.

Mr Miliband himself, a rare visitor, was initially in attendance. Perhaps he is starting to worry that his refusal to drill for fossil fuels is becoming inconvenient to this insipid Prime Minister.
The phrase 'mother knows best' is often flung around households across the nation - yet for mum Storm Filitz, it holds a darker meaning.

Storm knew something wasn't quite right with her now four-year-old son Grayson from birth in December 2021.

Grayson would 'cry a lot as he got older' and 'seemed like a really unhappy baby', offering a different parental experience from that had with his older sister Sky, who is eight.

It was not until he failed to develop as a 'normal' child that parents Storm and Peter Filitz began their battle to voice their concerns, eventually leading to his diagnosis of the debilitating condition Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) - which has led them to create a GoFundMe for a treatment only accessible in America, costing 3.5million.

DMD is a severe, progressive genetic disorder that causes the degeneration of muscles and leaves sufferers immobile. It is a life-shortening condition, with a life expectancy of around 30.

It is a condition with no cure and notably claimed the life of motoring icon Enzo Ferrari's son Alfredo, who died aged 24 in 1956.

'Grayson just consistently missed all his milestones,' Storm tells the Daily Mail.

'He only sat up without assistance at eight months, started crawling at the age of one and took his first very wobbly steps on his second birthday. He was also non-verbal. He only said two words and it was Mama and Dada.'

Four-year-old Grayson Filitz was diagnosed with the debilitating condition Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) after his parents battled for their concerns to be heard

His mother Storm knew something wasn't quite right with her son Grayson from his birth in December 2021, he would 'cry a lot as he got older' and 'seemed like a really unhappy baby'

Storm repeatedly raised her concerns with nurses during the three postnatal check-ins and felt she was being 'fobbed off' by GPs, who described Grayson as a 'late bloomer'.

'The nurses kept saying to me he was okay and I kept being fobbed off by GPs, who said he was a "late bloomer",' Storm says.

'I kept saying "no, there is something wrong with my child". He seems to always be in pain.'

The parents from Southampton, fuelled by frustration with the service they received, sought out private medical help in 2023 when he was one.

'I looked online and found a private paediatrician in Windsor,' Storm explains.

'The paediatrician looked over Grayson and said he is hypermobile, which is probably causing him to be unsteady on his feet. He had an X-ray for hip dysplasia, which came back negative. So the consultation was basically "your son is fine, just give it a couple of months and see how he gets on. He is a late bloomer".'

The family were then given a waiting time for a year to see a paediatrician on the NHS.

'I couldn't wait a year,' Storm says.

Storm repeatedly raised her concerns with nurses during the three postnatal check-ins and felt she was being 'fobbed off' by GPs, who described Grayson as a 'late bloomer'

Her sister Kristy, who lives in Portugal with her husband Peter, suggested a paediatric neurologist consultant in Lisbon.

The family had a meeting via FaceTime in 2023, in which the consultant raised concerns Grayson may be autistic and suggested several tests to be taken to a doctor in the UK.

'I then got hold of my NHS GP to say I am really concerned for my son. I need help. These are the tests needed to check if anything might be going on,' Storm explains.

'They replied to say most of the tests are not available on the NHS.'

The family waited another year as they 'had no other choice', before finding a second medical opinion in the UK from a private paediatric neurologist in Bournemouth in July 2024.

'I told him these are the tests that need to be done. He said absolutely, they do. We need to rule out Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy,' Storm says

The family, who had never heard of DMD, were quoted 10,000 for the tests alone.

Storm adds: 'We just couldn't afford that.'

Storm and Peter compared Grayson's development with their daugter Sky, who is three years older than him, and noticed a significant difference

This led to the Filitzs waiting until January 2025 to meet a specialist under the NHS, when they had the first round of genetic testing.

The tests came back negative after a six-month wait.

'We had a sigh of relief. We were just really relieved that this is not the case, but she did say we need to do another round of genetic testing. They needed to investigate further,' Storm says.

The family then received a phone call in September, saying 'I am so sorry. Grayson has tested positive for a rare type of Duchenne muscular dystrophy'.

This left the family 'devastated'.

'I just collapsed on the floor because I didn't know what else to do. I think I may have lost consciousness because I didn't hear what the doctor said. I was just in shock,' Storm recounts.

'The doctor asked me to hand the phone to my husband, who was physically sick.

'I was in a really bad way. I just couldn't cope. I was trying very hard to cope while trying to shield Sky as much as we could.'

Yet that devastating moment also finally gave Storm her 'answer', confirming the worries she had for her son which she felt were being overlooked.

'I thought finally we can do something. We can help him. I didn't know how to help him before. I was frustrated the whole time because I didn't know what to do,' Storm says.

'I was trying to be a mum to this little boy but he was struggling every single day. I saw his life flash in front of me as I was thinking he is not going to live past his teens because that is the typical lifespan. If he does, he will be in a wheelchair.'

Grayson has been to 'consultation after consultation' since he was diagnosed - and has recently been put on steroids, which he will be on for the rest of his life.

He is unable to be treated through the normal route of gene therapy due to a rare mutation of the DMD gene.

The only hope the family currently hold on to is a new drug, Elevidys, which is not available in the UK.

They were introduced to it by Storm's sister Kirsty, who knew the scientist who developed a new drug, leaving them to need to fundraise to seek treatment in America.

The family need to raise 3.5million in an effort to slow down the condition.

When asked how Grayson is now, Storm says he 'gets really frustrated'.

'He only started speaking this year and is still struggling to form full sentences. He gets very frustrated and I can see it when he sees other children, because he is a very sociable child,' Storm says.

'He doesn't keep to himself and loves to play with other kids. He's a very gentle little soul.

'We know he sees other children his age doing all these things he can't do, and he gets really sad. And yet he tries to run and jump but he can't.'

Storm adds: 'All I want for him is to not have this and to not be going through this.'
In a brightly lit operating theatre in New Jersey, country music plays softly as a surgical team works with a hushed focus.

On the table, a woman lies unconscious, her chest draped in surgical sheets as she undergoes a breast enlargement procedure.

Plastic surgeon Dr Smita Ramanadham leans in and makes a small incision - barely an inch long - in the fold beneath one breast.

There is almost no blood.

She lifts a translucent, doughnut-shaped implant, folds it in on itself and slides it into a device that looks more like a cake frosting bag than surgical equipment.

The tip of the bag is then pressed against the incision.

With a few short, controlled squeezes, the implant is fed through the tiny opening and slips firmly into place.

There is no cutting through muscle - no force or rush. Within minutes, it is done.

Vicky Ziskind, 40, from New Jersey, decided to get a breast augmentation after hearing about a new procedure with very little downtime. She is shown above before and after

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This is not the invasive breast augmentation many women fear, but a new $20,000 technique designed to create natural-looking 'ballerina breasts' - one that is far less invasive and involves virtually no downtime.

The goal, experts say, is to create a perkier shape that suits a lean frame, using smaller implants to add subtle volume without appearing disproportionate.

I was one of the first journalists invited to watch the procedure being carried out, and I was struck by just how minimally invasive and straightforward it was.

The patient was Vicky Ziskind, a 40-year-old mother of two from New Jersey. She was not the sort of person who ever imagined she would have cosmetic surgery.

I spoke to her at length before she went under the knife.

Ziskind told me she was proud of her appearance - she would 'never do Botox' and had always avoided push-up bras, saying it was not worth pretending to have something that she didn't.

The finance worker admitted she had long felt a lingering dissatisfaction with her A-cup breasts, which she felt did not match her curvier hips and bottom.

However, she had never considered surgery, fearing the potential complications.

Ziskind said she started thinking about the procedure just before her 40th birthday. She felt she could take the time for herself as her daughters are now five and nine years old

Ziskind said she always felt her breasts did not quite match her curvy hips and bottom

Ziskind said she had heard worrying stories about breast implant illness where women suffered severe pain and fatigue, sometimes years afterward. She was also concerned implants could affect cancer screenings and might look too big for her body.

But just before her 40th birthday, and with her daughters now aged five and nine, a chance conversation at the gym changed everything.

After a fitness class where people were discussing modeling in their 40s, Ziskind said, 'I can't fitness model because I don't have much of a chest.'

Others quickly countered, saying there were subtle ways to enhance her breasts. A friend even told her she was getting implants. After the procedure in mid-December, she texted Ziskind pictures of her results with two words: 'Do it.'

Ziskind said it was a lightbulb moment.

'I look fine, I really do,' she told me. 'I've always loved my body. But then I thought: Why not? Why not do something for myself?

'I'd always felt like my chest size didn't quite go along with the rest of me. I'm very curvy in other places.'

She said her husband was initially surprised by her decision. 'He was fine with it, but a little caught off-guard,' she said. 'It wasn't something I'd ever complained about, so he asked, "why now?"'

Shown above are Ziskind's implants in sealed plastic containers before they were inserted into her body

Shown above is the moment the implant was inserted into the breast. It appears orange in this image because it has been bathed in the antimicrobial liquid iodine

For decades, breast augmentation has involved cutting through muscle and ligaments. Implants are usually placed beneath the chest muscle - which is often followed by weeks of pain, swelling and recovery.

Patients typically face four to six weeks of downtime, with many reporting significant discomfort.

But in February last year, a small number of surgeons began offering a different approach.

Formally known as preservation breast augmentation, the 'ballerina' technique places the implant above the chest muscle. Instead of cutting through tissue, surgeons use a balloon to gently stretch the ligaments and create space for the implant.

The result is a far less invasive procedure, with minimal bleeding and a much faster recovery.

The operation itself takes under an hour, and many patients are able to return to normal activities within a day or two. It can take two to three months for swelling to subside and for implants to move into their final position in the breasts.

Only a select group of surgeons in the US are currently trained to perform the procedure, including Ramanadham.

'This technique is really for patients who want that ballerina look and smaller implants,' she told me.

Shown above is Dr Smita Ramanadham carrying out the procedure for Ziskind

'It's for those looking for implants that complement their frame without overpowering them.'

The implants used are also smaller than those typically chosen for the traditional surgery. Preservation procedures are generally limited to around 315cc, compared with up to 800cc in standard augmentations.

Ziskind opted for a 205cc implant - enough to take her from an A cup to a B cup.

Before the operation, she underwent consultations and medical checks. She said her fears of the complications were overcome after her surgeon said the risks were low.

Her surgery took place in late February and began at 7am.

After she was placed under anesthetic, a team of one surgeon, a surgical technician, an anesthesiologist and three nurses carried out the procedure.

First, her breasts were filled with a numbing fluid for around ten minutes. A small balloon was then inserted and inflated to stretch the ligaments.

Just before insertion, the implant was bathed in iodine - an antiseptic solution used to reduce the risk of infection.

Once the implant was in place, doctors stitched the incision closed.

Ramanadham had prepared multiple implant sizes in advance in case Ziskind changed her mind.

As she began to wake from the anesthetic, the surgeon reassured her.

'You did really well, Vicky,' she said. 'Everything went great.'

Within 30 minutes, Ziskind was awake - eating a cracker and drinking water, and ready to talk to me.

'I'm really excited to see them,' she said.

'The surgery went great. This is so for me, this is what I wanted. I didn't want big boobs.'

Ziskind, who had planned to be off from her job the day of the procedure, said she 'might even go to work later today.'

Ziskind is pictured above just after the procedure. Within 30 minutes, she was awake and ready to speak to the Daily Mail

Shown above is the end of the inflatable balloon used in the technique (purple object). Surgeons inflate the balloon inside the breast to create a space for the implant and stretch the ligaments, ensuring that they don't need to be cut

She did not - later telling me she felt groggy, tired and had a tightness in her chest.

But, she returned to work, although from home, the next day and was already back to living her daily life.

Three days after the procedure, she helped to rescue a lost dog in the woods near her home. Six days later, she did the one hour drive from her home to the office, and two weeks after surgery she was back at the gym.

'I am so incredibly happy with the results,' she said when I spoke to her on the phone Monday night. 'I got what I wanted without it changing my lifestyle. It has also enhanced my life and the way I fit into clothes and look at myself in the mirror.

'I was in Miami last weekend for a few days with a girlfriend, and it just felt so good to wear bathing suits. There was also this family dinner I went to where I wore a fitted dress, and everyone was just like "wow."'

She said her five-year-old hasn't yet realized that anything has changed, while her nine-year-old was upset when she first found out.

Ziskind said she's now eased her daughter's concerns, with her eldest now even making jokes about plastic surgery.

'I am not trying to shelter her,' Ziskind said. 'I want to help her understand that if someone wants to change something about themselves in a reasonable manner, that is totally fine.'

She said she would be supportive of her daughter getting surgery after a certain age, suggesting her mid-20s or after she turns 40, like her mother, may be the best moment.

Her husband has continued to be supportive, she said, and, even though they are smaller compared to other breasts on the market, now jokes about how 'big' they are.

'I am really, really happy with this change,' she added. 'By talking about it, I want to take the stigma away for other women.

'I am proud of it. I want more women to own their body and just be proud of it and any procedures that they may have had done.'
NHS patients are recorded as having higher mortality rates than those in almost every other wealthy country, according to a major international analysis, despite record levels of funding.

Britain ranks near the bottom of a league table for so-called treatable mortality - deaths that are considered potentially avoidable with timely and effective healthcare - with only the United States performing worse.

The findings are expected to intensify scrutiny of NHS survival outcomes, waiting times and overall performance, as patients continue to face long delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Health spending has risen by more than 60billion in a decade, reaching 242billion a year, yet the NHS continues to lag behind comparable countries on a range of health indicators.

Experts warned funding has been 'poorly targeted', with more spent on staffing and pay while hospitals face shortages of equipment, scanners and infrastructure.

The UK has 19 MRI, CT and PET scanners per million people, compared with around 50 in similar tax-funded systems and up to 68 in others.

It also has fewer hospital beds than many comparable nations, contributing to longer waiting times and delays in diagnosis and treatment.

These pressures are reflected in international outcome measures, including survival within 30 days of a heart attack, where the UK performs below average.

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The findings, reported by the Telegraph, also found Britain is among the worst performers for unmet medical needs, with patients reporting difficulties accessing timely care.

Long NHS waiting lists for specialist appointments and elective surgery remain widespread, with many patients waiting months for treatment.

The Institute for Public Policy Research said years of underinvestment in NHS infrastructure - including hospitals, scanners and technology - are driving these pressures.

Capital investment in the NHS remains around half the level seen in comparable countries.

Despite debate over NHS reform, researchers dismissed a shift to European-style insurance systems as a 'pointless distraction'.

They said the core issue is how NHS funding is allocated and invested, rather than the funding model itself.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has insisted that NHS budgets must be spent more effectively, adding that ministers face difficult choices and must ensure spending is 'well spent'.

He said: 'This is a timely report, as the arguments against the NHS grow louder.

'It dispels the myth that insurance-based healthcare systems are more efficient. While this Government is cutting the back office to reinvest in the front line, those who would rather move to an insurance system would do precisely the opposite.

'The NHS model is also the fairest way to provide care, rather than allowing your wealth to decide your health. The founding promise of the NHS is just as relevant today as in 1948: that healthcare should be made available to all, so whenever you fall ill, you never have to worry about the bill.'

The IPPR report also highlighted wider concerns around NHS capacity, infrastructure and long-term planning.

Last week, separate NHS England figures showed that some trusts recorded higher-than-expected numbers of deaths compared with statistical expectations.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recorded deaths 31.9 per cent above expected levels.

Medway NHS Foundation Trust recorded deaths 30 per cent above expected levels.

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust recorded deaths 28.8 per cent above expected levels.

The NHS stresses that these figures are not a measure of quality of care and should not be interpreted in isolation as evidence of poor performance.

All three trusts are also among lower-ranked NHS organisations in national performance tables, with inspectors previously identifying concerns requiring further review.
A woman was left with severe burn-like marks, blisters and scarring across her face for more than two months after suffering a rare reaction to a commonly prescribed mood stabiliser.

Doctors say the 42-year-old  who did not share her name  developed the life-threatening condition after taking lamotrigine, a drug used to treat bipolar disorder and epilepsy.

Millions of prescriptions for lamotrigine are issued every year in the UK, and around two million people in the United States are thought to take it.

Her medical team believe the drug triggered toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)  a severe skin reaction  which rapidly spread across her face, head, neck and torso.

The condition, most often linked to medications such as anti-epileptic drugs, antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, is extremely rare but can be fatal.

The woman had been prescribed lamotrigine to treat depression, and first developed symptoms around three weeks later, which progressively worsened.

She was eventually rushed to intensive care at Hospital Beneficencia Portuguesa in Sao Paulo, Brazil  by which point her face was almost entirely covered in painful lesions.

Images taken during her hospital stay show the shocking progression of the condition.

The woman's face on day one (above, left) of being admitted was covered in painful lesions and by day two (above, right) it turned purple and began to peel across her face

On the first day of admission, her face was covered in raw lesions. By the second day, her skin had turned dark purple and begun to peel.

By day four, it had blackened, with burn-like damage most severe around her mouth.

In the first few days of treatment, her condition appeared to deteriorate further, as layers of skin continued to break down.

Doctors treated her with multiple antibiotics and applied an antibacterial biomaterial to help support tissue regeneration.

After four days, she began to show signs of improvement, and her care continued with regular monitoring.

Following one month of treatment, the woman's face was showing signs of improvement - though it was still heavily scarred.

She remained in hospital for 66 days, with her skin gradually healing over time.

At a follow-up appointment six months after discharge, doctors described the recovery of the affected areas as 'excellent'.

While rare, reactions to lamotrigine have been reported before.

After one month of receiving treatment her face was showing signs of improvement though it was still heavily scarred

Six months after the reaction, the woman's skin had undergone an 'excellent' restoration

Earlier this year, the Daily Mail reported the case of Emily McAllister, a mother from Chicago who lost around 90 per cent of her skin  including on her face  after developing a similar condition known as Stevens-Johnson syndrome, linked to the drug.

She was also left permanently blind despite undergoing multiple reconstructive surgeries.

Ms McAllister first noticed symptoms around 16 days after starting the medication, including red, dry eyes and swelling of her lips and face.

These quickly escalated into a painful, spreading rash.

She said: 'I thought I wasn't sure what it was, I just knew something didn't feel right. The second day, my sister came to my house, and I was pretty incoherent.

'I was having a hard time breathing and was disoriented. That's when the rash started to spread across my face and left me with blisters. It was very painful.'

As her condition worsened, she was admitted to hospital and placed in a burns unit for seven weeks.

Over the next three years, she endured the loss of 87 per cent of her skin and underwent a series of major procedures, including eyelid reconstruction, a stem cell transplant, a salivary gland transplant, and multiple surgeries to treat internal scarring.

She added: 'There's not enough awareness about SJS  you trust your doctor, then something like this happens.

'Before this, I never would've worried about any medication prescribed by a doctor.'
For nearly two decades Aimee Wellington battled almost continuous exhaustion and often felt generally unwell and dizzy around her period  but doctors continually assured her there was nothing wrong.

I was told it was probably hormones or that I was borderline anaemic, says Aimee, 34, a marketing officer from Port Talbot, South Wales.

But I always felt exhausted and run down when others didnt, which made it so difficult to find the energy to go out with friends, meaning I missed dinners and nights out.

She would also regularly experience brain fog and found her stomach would become so bloated that, for a week or more, she looked eight months pregnant.

Her doctor ran blood tests for vitamin deficiencies and gut conditions, such as coeliac disease, which might explain her symptoms  but they all came back clear.

Id cope at a low level, then the symptoms would build again, so Id go back to the GP, only to be told nothing was wrong, says Aimee.

Three years ago, after spending weeks in bed with what felt like constant flu symptoms, Aimee returned to her GP.

'He suggested I was an emotional young woman and that it was all in my head, she recalls. I went home and cried. I genuinely questioned myself, asking What if he was right?.

Aimee decided to switch GPs and finally the truth was revealed  she had Gilberts syndrome, a little known yet surprisingly common liver condition that affects around 5 per cent of the population. It's caused by a mutation in the UGT1A1 gene which interferes with how the body processes bilirubin  a yellow byproduct generated by the breakdown of old red blood cells.

Aimee Wellington battled almost continuous exhaustion and often felt generally unwell and dizzy around her period  but doctors continually assured her there was nothing wrong

This gene helps your liver make an enzyme that processes bilirubin, says Dr Nadir Abbas, a consultant gastroenterologist and liver specialist with the House of Health private healthcare group in Birmingham. In people with Gilberts, the enzyme doesnt work as efficiently so bilirubin can build up in the blood, he says.

Symptoms include jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes), but this is usually mild and temporary. Gilberts can also make those affected more sensitive to alcohol, because their reduced ability to process bilirubin puts extra strain on the liver and alcohol then adds to the burden. For some, it can also cause worse hangovers, says Dr Abbas.

Many people with Gilberts report feeling foggy-headed or generally unwell during flare-ups, too, he adds. We dont fully understand why this happens, but unprocessed bilirubin can cross into the brain, and some research suggests that may help explain the sluggish thinking and low energy people experience during episodes.

Many also develop bloating, says Dr Abbas, because the bilirubin can reach the large intestine and upset the balance of gut bacteria.

Symptoms come and go but may get worse when youre ill, havent eaten much, are stressed or after a heavy night of drinking, explains Dr Abbas. Thats because during illness, or when youre not eating enough, your body breaks down more red blood cells.

Symptoms increase as bilirubin levels peak, and ease again once the liver catches up with breaking the byproduct down. In women, flare-ups can especially occur around their period.

The fact that symptoms come and go mean people with Gilberts are often dismissed by doctors, says Dr Abbas.

Gilberts syndrome affects men and women equally  but women are misdiagnosed more often because their symptoms are dismissed as hormonal, he adds.

Fatigue, nausea and generally feeling awful around your period can easily be written off as PMS or anxiety. Ive seen countless women who have been told its all in their head. Often by the time they discover they have Gilberts syndrome, their symptoms are frequent, intense and disruptive enough to have a real impact on their daily lives.

The condition can be diagnosed with a blood test to identify high bilirubin levels.

But if blood tests are done when someone with Gilberts is not having a flare-up, bilirubin levels may appear normal, says Dr Abbas.

However, even during an episode, bilirubin is not always raised to significant levels for clinicians to be concerned. It also depends on the clinicians' understanding and knowledge around the condition.

While there is no damage done to the liver, Dr Abbas emphasises that Gilberts symptoms can have a real impact on daily life.

At the other extreme, around 30 per cent of people with Gilberts are unaware they have the condition as their symptoms are so subtle they dont notice them.

In most cases, symptomless or otherwise Gilberts syndrome is often diagnosed by accident after a routine blood test for another reason.

Dr Abbas says awareness of the condition needs to improve. If someone has isolated raised bilirubin with otherwise normal liver tests, clinicians should think of Gilberts, he says. If you dont look for it, you wont find it.

Following her diagnosis in 2023, Aimee says: The more I looked into the condition, the more everything fell into place.

It brought decades of uncertainty to an end. Aimee had been 12 when she first developed the overwhelming fatigue, nausea, brain fog and episodes of dizziness that would continue to dog her in cycles for nearly 20 years.

I would feel a bit better for a while, and then everything would start again, says Aimee.

Her symptoms interfered with [her] schooling and social life  simply by making things harder than they needed to be.

Three years ago, Aimee's symptoms started worsening. Her vision would blur and she would often feel as though she was about to faint. She thinks this was due to stress

Things came to a head three years ago, when her symptoms started worsening. Her vision would blur and she would often feel as though she was about to faint. She thinks this was due to stress.

Right before my diagnosis, people kept asking if Id been on holiday because I looked so tanned, she says. I didnt realise I was actually jaundiced due to bilirubin build-up. My eyes were yellow, too.

I was going to the doctors every few months. Id have a set of tests, those would come back clear, and then Id be sent for another set. I even paid to see a private GP at one point.

Doctors told her that her vitamin D was low and she was prescribed a supplement  but it was during a phone appointment with her GP to request a repeat prescription that he suggested the symptoms were all in Aimees head.

I switched GP surgeries after that, she says.

Towards the end of 2023, the new GP reviewed her previous blood tests and spotted that she had consistently raised bilirubin levels.

She was referred for detailed blood tests and liver function tests. In October 2023, Aimee was told her symptoms were caused by Gilberts syndrome. For the first time in my life, I felt validated, she says. I wasnt imagining things, I wasnt weak  and I definitely wasnt emotional.

There is no treatment for Gilberts but managing lifestyle is key, says Dr Abbas.

The best way to prevent visible jaundice is to avoid the things that trigger it, he says.

Eating regularly is important, as skipping meals can slow the livers ability to process bilirubin. Staying hydrated matters, too  as dehydration makes bilirubin levels rise, while drinking enough fluids helps your body clear it more efficiently.

He says prioritising sleep and keeping alcohol intake within healthy limits are also important.

The main triggers for Aimee are lack of sleep, dehydration, skipping meals and alcohol  but living with the condition can be unpredictable.

I can go from being extremely active to barely able to get off the sofa for days at a time, she says.

The main triggers for Aimee's Gilbert's symptoms are lack of sleep, dehydration, skipping meals and alcohol  but living with the condition can be unpredictable

I go to the gym six days a week and I love running  but during a flare-up, all of that goes out the window.

Aimee also suffers with bloating, which is so painful and uncomfortable, she says. I look eight months pregnant. As well as this, my lips often crack and bleed and I feel achy like I have flu.

But she can now recognise when shes going to feel worse.

If her eyes start to yellow, she knows she's 'pushed [herself] too far', she says.

When I feel my symptoms creeping in, I sometimes book time off work to accommodate how well I know Im going to feel after a stressful or high-energy event, she says.

Aimee swears by routine. I start winding down at 7pm and aim to be in bed by 10pm, even at weekends. It sounds boring, but if I dont follow my routine, I know about it the next day.

Alcohol is now a very rare treat, and Aimee focuses on eating well and takes vitamin D and probiotics after hearing about their benefits on a health podcast.

What I find most frustrating is that there is no cure or quick fix. All I can do is rest and wait for it to pass.
Autism in children may be overdiagnosed, potentially causing harm to both the children themselves and those with the greatest needs, experts have claimed.

Researchers say that behaviours such as difficulty maintaining eye contact or 'toewalking'  often thought of as tell-tale symptoms of autism in youngsters  do not always indicate that a child has the developmental disorder.

They also question the possibility of the concept of 'camouflaging', also known as 'masking', in which individuals with autism claim to adjust their traits to fit into social situations.

Their intervention comes against the backdrop of figures showing there are more than 166,000 autistic pupils in schools in England, an increase of eight per cent since 2020.

The NHS says signs of autism in young children can include avoiding eye contact, not responding to their name, repetitive movements and reduced engagement in play.

In older children, this may extend to strict routines, having intense interests and difficulties with social communication.

Published in JAMA Pediatrics, the experts have questioned current methods of diagnosing the disorder, claiming that nearly half of the children diagnosed do not meet the criteria for autism when reassessed by specialists.

The researchers  Lester Liao, a pediatrician at Montreal Children's Hospital and assistant professor at McGill University, and Eric Fombonne, director of autism research at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland  say overdiagnosis can have 'harmful implications'.

Researchers say that behaviours such as difficulty maintaining eye contact does not always indicate that a child has autism

They wrote: 'Overdiagnosis leads to resource dilution. There are only so many public sites and professionals for evaluation of autism and therapeutic intervention.

'Overdiagnosis diverts resources from children with the most significant challenges. Importantly, it is often those who are better resourced, whether in terms of cultural capital or functional capabilities (eg, the capacity to speak and selfadvocate), who can navigate the medical system to ensure milder diagnoses receive supports.

'This leaves the most vulnerable  those who cannot selfadvocate and exhausted families caring for their children fulltime  without the support they need.'

The researchers also argued that the 'expansion of the term autism' and increased diagnoses leaves those with more severe challenges caused by the condition overlooked.

It is claimed in their report that the autism diagnostic observation schedule  a 4060 minute play or conversation session used by clinicians to assess autism in children  may be 'interpreted incorrectly'.

They add: 'For example, poor eye contact may be due to inattention or social anxiety rather than to limited social reciprocity.'

The researchers also say that emotional and behavioural problems can inflate scores on autism tests, even when a child does not have the condition.

Citing a separate study, they added: 'Close to half of children who received autism diagnoses in the community did not meet autism criteria when reevaluated by an autism research team.

'This group notably had higher rates of psychiatric disorders, suggesting psychiatric complexity contributes to misdiagnosis.'

Liao and Fombonne said behaviours such as toe walking or sensory aversion to clothing may be wrongly interpreted as signs of autism.

They also highlighted that autism has changed from being a narrowly defined condition to making up part of a broader spectrum, which allows for other conditions like ADHD.

As a result, they claim diagnosed cases tend to be less severe, with milder symptoms.

They argue that 'camouflaging highlights this trend', adding: 'Camouflaging presupposes a person understands acceptable behavior and then adjusts their more natural behavioral pattern accordingly, even if it is uncomfortable.

'Children with profound autism may not understand the norms in the first place, let alone adjust. Camouflaging involves a much milder form of autism, ie, an expansion of the autism concept.'

Overall, the researchers warned that overdiagnosis could create a 'selffulfilling prophecy', where children labelled as autistic may have fewer opportunities to develop social and behavioural skills.

They say: 'A child who is socially withdrawn is permitted to isolate, minimizing habituation to social circumstances and decreasing social opportunities, thereby reducing social practice.

'The same applies to behavioral rigidities or sensory aversions. There is a risk of attributing all the child's troubles to autism, as opposed to, say, a circumstance, thereby reinforcing one's concept of the child.

'This does not allow a child to develop their full capacity. There's a significant difference between a child who has difficulty doing something and a child who utterly cannot. A spectrum does not negate this.'
AB 2599 Would Require Companies to Go On Record  Under Penalty of Perjury  About Profits from Enslaved Labor and Human Trafficking

SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- California is poised to become the first state in the nation to require corporations to declare under oath whether they or their predecessors profited from slavery.

AB 2599  The Truth in Disclosure Act, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan and a top priority for the California Legislative Black Caucus, goes before the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, April 14. The bill would require qualifying companies to submit sworn affidavits  subject to perjury penalties  disclosing whether they or predecessor entities engaged in or profited from slavery-era transactions, with all filings posted to a publicly searchable state database.

"For too long, corporations have been allowed to benefit from the economic engine of slavery while avoiding any public accounting of that history," said Assemblymember Isaac Bryan. "AB 2599 changes that. Californians deserve to know which companies built their wealth on the backs of enslaved people  and they deserve that truth under oath."

The measure imposes no new taxes and builds on California's existing disclosure framework. While the state has led the country on climate and pay transparency, no state has yet required corporations to account for their historical role in the slave economy. The bill's public database would give journalists, researchers, and reparations advocates an unprecedented tool to trace historical profits to present-day corporate wealth.

"We cannot have an honest conversation about reparations  or corporate accountability  without first establishing the facts," said Civil Rights Attorney Lisa Holder. "This bill compels companies to stop hiding behind the fog of history and go on record. What they declare under oath will shape the debate in California and set a template for the rest of the country."

Tuesday's hearing is a pivotal test of whether California will follow its 2023 Reparations Task Force report with enforceable law  and whether Sacramento's Democratic supermajority will put legal teeth behind its reparations agenda.

Media availability:

Assemblymember Isaac Bryan and representatives from the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth will be available for interviews at the State Capitol immediately following the Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday, April 14.

About the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth (ARRT)

The Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth (ARRT) is a multiracial, multisector coalition advancing truth-telling, accountability, and public education related to the enduring impacts of slavery and systemic harm in California. Learn more at alliancefor.org

SOURCE Alliance for Reparations, Reconcilliation, and Truth (ARRT)
Chris Jackson's name may not be instantly familiar, but there's a good chance you'd recognise some of the iconic pictures he's taken of the British royal family.

In recent years, the respected royal photographer has captured some of the most memorable images - including shots of then newlyweds Prince William and Princess Catherine stepping out from Westminster Abbey on their 2011 wedding day, and the elegant 70th birthday portrait of King Charles III.

Chris spoke to Daily Mail about how his position has given him a unique front-row seat to numerous historic moments - and his most memorable moments behind the lens.

When asked to describe what it's like behind the scenes as a royal photographer, Chris explained that 'things don't always go to plan, which is quite fun'.

'I remember Queen Elizabeth said that she quite liked it when things didn't go to plan,' he recalled.

Chris recounted some examples he's witnessed over the years - from something as simple as an umbrella turning inside out, or larger moments like a communication misunderstanding between the monarch and various international world leaders.

'It's all part of it,' he said.

'And I think people like the Queen and now the King are very adept at handling these moments and making sure things never feel awkward for their hosts or the people they're meeting.'

Royal photographer Chris Jackson took this memorable portrait of Queen Elizabeth II at Sandringham, Norfolk, in 2022

The Getty Staff Photographer has had a unique front-row-seat at historic royal moments. He took this memorable picture of the royal family - with Prince Louis covering his ears - at the 2022 Trooping the Colour

One of the photographer's most memorable images is this striking photo of a masked Princess Catherine taken at Prince Philip's funeral. Chris particularly likes the editing decision to also release it as a black and white photo

'One of the things I like most about royal photography is that it really is about what's happening right in front of you - and some of it is out of your control. Not being able to control what you're capturing heightens the sense of anticipation and excitement. There's this feeling of not knowing what could happen next.'

The Getty photographer has just launched his book, Modern Majesty, which will be available online from April 16 and in stores from June 16 and includes his most memorable royal photos along with never-before-seen pictures.

Putting it together gave Chris the chance to reflect on some of his most memorable images from over the years.

Among them is the powerful image of Princess Catherine sitting alone in a car wearing a mask at the funeral of Prince Philip in 2021.

Taken outside Windsor Castle during the height of COVID-19 restrictions, the striking, and almost haunting image of the future queen is teeming with emotion, capturing a unique moment in world history as well as a period of change for the royal family.

'The picture of Catherine with the mask at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral seems to resonate with people. I've had a lot of comments on it,' Chris said.

'I'm not a big fan of photographing people in masks, because often it hides emotion. But for this particular photo, it was unique, because you felt like there was something being said through her eyes, and the fact she had a mask on kind of isolated her eyes in that moment.'

Chris added that he was especially pleased with the editing decision to transform the image into black and white.

This image of smiling newlyweds Prince William and Kate Middleton was taken by Chris outside Westminster Abbey at the 2011 royal wedding

Chris' newly released book Modern Majesty is priced at $125 and will be available online from April 16 and in stores from June 16. It features some of his most memorable royal images, along with never-before-seen pictures

Royal photographer Chris Jackson (pictured) spoke to Daily Mail about some of the most recognisable photos he's taken throughout his career

'I think it's very stark. It's very emotional,' he reflected. 'It's something that resonates with people, and I think perhaps they see it as symbolic of the future.'

At the other end of the spectrum, Chris smiles as he remembers another of his instantly recognisable images: the joyous faces of newlyweds William and Catherine, just moments after they tied the knot.

'Again, it's capturing a moment in history. That's what makes this job so unique,' he said.

'It's not about it being a "great" photo, it's about catching a moment. A good royal photo is that moment in history, and it will become part of the archive, to be examined and referred to for decades to come. '

Years of working as a trusted photographer have afforded Chris the rare chance to get to know the different personalities of the senior royal family members.

'I have such great memories of photographing Queen Elizabeth, and I was lucky enough to do some official portraits of her. She was incredible and iconic, with an amazing presence.

'Time moves on and now we've got King Charles and Queen Camilla - and I do a lot of work with them.

'I love working with the current queen - she's got a wonderful sense of humour, is fantastic to photograph and always positive.

'The king is great at meeting people - he forms an immediate connection and has obviously got very good at it over the years. He's very warm and always has a great sense of humour.'

Chris also had nothing but positive things to say about his experiences of working with the next generation leaders of the royal family in Prince William and Princess Catherine.

In more recent years, Chris said he had gleaned an understanding into the personalities of King Charles and Queen Camilla

'I remember Queen Elizabeth said that she quite liked it when things didn't go to plan,' he recalled

'William - I've really enjoyed working with him on Earthshot events particularly because he's super passionate about that. It's really grown into something incredible.

'I've watched him grow into a global statesman and grow within his role, which has been great to see.

'And with Catherine, people always talk a lot about her style, but she's also deeply passionate about the advocacy she does on the early years of childhood.'
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Shoppers looking to refresh their spring wardrobes on a budget have been left delighted by the range of designer lookalikes on the racks at Sainsbury's.

The supermarket's Tu brand has unveiled its latest collection and TikTokers are making a beeline for their closest British store to scoop up lookalikes from Miu Miu, Toteme, and Nobody's Child for a fraction of the price.

The new range is a pastel-dipped and polka-dotted ode to spring - with flowy dresses, light jackets and relaxed co-ord sets that can be styled up or down.

Several pieces are seemingly inspired by famous designer styles - such as the two-strap suede sandals that are a nod to Birkenstock's popular Arizona Soft Footbed that retails for a staggering 115.

Elsewhere, Sainsbury's Tu has recreated Zara's bubble hem suede jacket that was all the rage on TikTok for 35 - down from the 59 price tag on the original.

The collection also includes summer-friendly thong sandals that look just like Stockholm-based luxury label Toteme's design as well as a funnel jacket that looks significantly more expensive than its high-end counterpart.

By making these six swaps, shoppers can save over 1,500 without compromising on style.

One of the highlights of the latest collection is the footwear, including lookalikes for several high-end labels.

Tu has seemingly drawn inspiration from Miu Miu's sneaker collection, one TikTok user noticed, as she documented a range of stylish yet functional pieces during her weekly shop.

For instance, the suede panelled trainers are a near-exact lookalike for New Balance x Miu Miu's 530 SL sneakers. The designer collaboration is priced at nearly 900 while the version from Sainsbury's is significantly cheaper at 28.

A summer staple, leather and suede Birkenstocks are hugely popular - and expensive.

For instance, the two-strap Arizona Soft Footbed costs 115, whereas the supermarket alternative has a 20 price tag.

The collection includes several open-toe styles, including a kitten heel thong sandal that is a spring wardrobe staple. Tu's version is almost identical to a Toteme style, but the prices could not be more different.

Sainsbury's sandals cost 20 compared to the 400 Toteme shoes.

And while jelly sandals are divisive, there's no denying that Tu's 10 black caged mules could easily be mistaken for Vince's 168 pair.

Among the highlights of the newest Tu collection is a range of versatile outerwear and jackets, including affordable alternatives for brands like Zara.

In recent years, supermarket clothing has exploded on social media - with items from collections at Tesco, Aldi and Sainsbury's own brands frequently going 'viral' on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

The wave of popularity has even seen celebrities like Alison Hammond and Cat Deely embrace supermarket chic designs.

Last month, Cat, 49, rocked a 16 Sainsbury's top while presenting This Morning alongside co-host Ben Shephard.

During the episode, Cat turned heads in a vibrant patterned scarf top from Sainsbury's Tu label.

Cat paired the satin scarf blouse with a chic white Zara blazer, skinny black trousers from River Island and suede slouch heeled LK Bennett boots for the TV appearance.

It's an accessible look for fans to recreate as the blouse costs just 16.

And Sainsbury's also sells matching trousers for 22.50 for those keen to style it as a spring co-ord.
Lauren Sanchez Bezos, 56, says she'd have a baby 'tomorrow' with husband Jeff Bezos.

She made the surprising admission during a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times that was published on Sunday.

'I would have a baby tomorrow,' she declared. Her spokeswoman later had to phone the newspaper to confirm she is not pregnant.

Sanchez Bezos, whose husband is one of the richest men in the world, also said she believes she is 20 percent happier than the average person.

But she says her permanent good mood is nothing to do with her extreme wealth.

'If baseline is here,' she said, holding her hand at about her chest, 'I'm up here,' she said, with her other hand above her head.

Sanchez Bezos has three children from two previous relationships. They are Nikko Gonzalez, 25, Evan Whitesell, 19, and Ella Whitesell, 18. She and Bezos, 62, married in a three day extravaganza in Venice last summer.

Since then, she says the pair have transformed into a 'unit'.

They do everything together; starting their day at 6am by listing aloud ten things they are grateful for, then working out with a trainer before going about their business.

Lauren Sanchez Bezos and Jeff Bezos at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars party. The pair married in a lavish multiday extravaganza in Venice last summer

The wide-ranging interview also dealt with Sanchez Bezos' daily life in the upscale private Miami island Indian Creek, which is often referred to as 'Billionaire Bunker.'

She said she and her new husband begin each day by listing 10 things they are grateful for - with the added twist that they cannot repeat what they named the day before.

From there, Sanchez Bezos said she and her husband drink their morning coffee in a sunroom - hers from a mug that reads 'Woke Up Sexy As Hell Again,' and his from a mug she got him that spells 'HUNK' in symbols from the periodic table - as they watch the sunrise.

The couple then go on to play pickleball, and six days a week, they also work out for an hour with a personal trainer.

With everything they do, Sanchez Bezos said, they do it together.

'I talk about everything with him,' she said of her husband. 'Everything! Jeff is my best friend and I don't say that lightly.'

She relies on his advice for nearly everything, including when she published her second children's book, The Fly Who Flew Under the Sea, about Flynn, a dyslexic fly whose wrong turn leads to an undersea adventure.

Bezos edited the book, suggesting a change to the illustrated submarine on the cover, advice Sanchez Bezos said she decided to take.

'He said it should be fantastical, not realistic,' she said. 'Sometimes I listen. Sometimes I don't.'

Bezos also relies on his new wife, and even appointed her vice chair at Bezos Earth Fund to take on ecological causes.

In that role, she reads technical papers about the cost of nuclear and geothermal power, and invests in technological advances she thinks could improve the world - including satellite systems to detect wildfires, deploying AI tools to indigenous tribes for reforestation efforts and to Alaskan fishermen to monitor illegal fishing.

This summer, Sanchez Bezos, with the Earth Fund, and Leonardo DiCaprio's Re:wild organization will also announce a joint commitment to save species near extinction.

But that is not the only cause the couple have taken up.

In 2021, they started the Bezos Courage and Civility Award, giving Jose Andres, Dolly Parton and Van Jones each $100 million to grant to charities and nonprofits of their choosing.

Sanchez Bezos' longtime friend Eva Longoria was also later given $50 million for similar work, and more recently, smaller, targeted grants have included $5 million to Jonathan Haidt, the social psychologist known for criticizing social media's effect on the youth.

The couple is also now set to foot the bill for this year's Met Gala.

Sanchez Bezos said the world only sees five percent of her life. She is seen with Bezos leaving a hotel for their pre-wedding reception in Venice, Italy last June

Yet Sanchez Bezos said what the world sees of her life is just five percent of it.

She noted that their star-studded wedding - which included A-listers like DiCaprio, Mick Jagger, Oprah Winfrey, Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, and Kim Kardashian - also included toasts from their children.

Also in attendance, Sanchez Bezos said, were Bezos' friends from high school, whom nobody had bothered to photograph.

'They're our friends,' she bemoaned. 'And you did not see one picture come out of that wedding!'
It's been 29 years since Jamie Oliver's campaigning saw a myriad of beloved but unhealthy options - including Turkey Twizzlers and chocolate concrete cake - scrapped from dinner menus.

And now, in the biggest shake-up in years, battered fish and chips, fried chicken nuggets and jam doughnuts are set to be banned too.

New food standards for schools in England will introduce a ban on deep fried foods from September next year - in an attempt to curb the UK's childhood obesity crisis.

The move is set to take pupils away from the lunch canteens of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, which featured fish fingers, potato smiley faces, spam fritters and cowboy pie.

And for dessert, students could enjoy everything from a jam roly-poly - lathered in custard - to a frosty Arctic Roll.

Read on to take a trip down memory lane...

FISH FINGERS AND SMILEY FACES

Fish fingers and potato smiley faces are a beloved British school dinner staple

An easy British classic, fish fingers on a Friday with potato smiley faces never got old.

Occasionally combined with bake beans or peas (that were placed in the eyes of the faces for good measure), there is no doubt that this meal holds a special place in Brits' hearts.

CHOCOLATE CONCRETE AND PINK CUSTARD

Combining a crisp chocolate cake with a layer of dyed custard was a popular dessert at schools in the 1970s and 1980s

Why have normal custard when you could make it pink? A popular addition to a school desert, pink custard, also known as tubby or tellytubby custard, dominated the school menus for decades.

Made by heating up milk, sugar and strawberry blancmange powder, the bright pink sauce was often served over chocolate concrete.

It was often combined with a so-called chocolate concrete - a crisp, chocolate-layered traybake that soared to popularity in the 1970s and 1980s across the UK.

Made from just flour, sugar, butter and cocoa powder, it can be served warm or cold and was often accompanied by pink or mint custard.

SPAM FRITTERS

Deep fried spam in batter was not only popular for school dinners, but also chippies

Dubbed a 'British classic', spam fritters were not only a staple in school canteens but also chippies and supermarkets.

Thought to have come about in the UK during the Second World War - when there was a shortage of fish - it consists of spam deep fried in a batter.

JAM ROLY-POLY

A jam roly-poly was one of the top sweet treats when it came to school dinners is still a popular retro dessert

A jam roly-poly was bound to cause excitement when it hit the school menu - comprising of steamed suet pastry swirled with sticky raspberry jam.

It was washed down, of course, with a bowlful of warm custard.

COWBOY PIE

This recipe utilised popular English breakfast ingredients such as pork sausages and baked beans combined in the style of a cottage pie

Another nostalgic school dinner option, cowboy pie is a reimagining of a cottage pie - but with pork sausages, baked beans, BBQ sauce and onions.

Topped with mashed potatoes and cheese, this savoury, ingredient packed meal certainly kept you full for the day.

ARCTIC ROLL

A colder, frostier answer to a jam roly-poly, an Arctic Roll consisted of vanilla ice cream which was wrapped in sponge

Another retro dessert, the Arctic Roll is the warm, steamed jam roly-poly's frosty cousin, consisting of a vanilla ice cream wrapped in a sponge layer.

Much like other sweet treats from the era - including Viennetta - they are enjoying a comeback in supermarkets.

TURKEY TWIZZLERS

In 2020, a new, healthier version of the beloved Turkey Twizzler was relaunched. However, it was to be short-lived - with the rebrand discontinued in 2025

Adored by school children across the nation, the corkscrew-shaped turkey sausage creations were a key feature on most lunchtime menus.

Yet they were axed from schools in 2005 after Jamie Oliver's healthy-eating 'Feed Me Better' campaign to ban them in schools shamed the classic food item for containing just 34 per cent meat.

The move sparked outrage among schoolchildren across the country, who, even 20 years later, still declare that Jamie will 'never be forgiven' for it.

In 2020, a new, healthier version of the beloved Turkey Twizzler was relaunched. However, it was to be short-lived - with the rebrand discontinued in 2025.

FAIRY CAKE

TikTok account Jane's Patisserie shared her top tips for recreating the childhood classic, which she fondly described as a 'nostalgic and classic bake'

A sprinkle-topped sponge cake will almost instantly take you down memory lane to school bake sales and afternoon picnics with your friends.

The retro snack is also incredibly easy to make, featuring a light vanilla sponge topped with white icing and rainbow sprinkles.

TikTok account Jane's Patisserie shared her top tips for recreating the childhood classic, which she fondly described as a 'nostalgic and classic bake' that is 'delicious, easy to make and looks great'.

'Nostalgia in a bake,' commented one viewer, while another praised: 'My favourite too! That looks incredible'.

LIVER AND ONIONS

Usually served with mashed potatoes, the tart liver (usually beef or lamb) was slightly seasoned and served with slow-cooked onions

A popular school dinner staple between the 1960s and 1980s, liver and onions have a divisive legacy. Whereas it was a gory meal for some, others remember it fondly.

Usually served with mashed potatoes, the tart liver (usually beef or lamb) was slightly seasoned and served with slow-cooked onions.

TURKEY DINOSAURS

Canteen regulars more than 20 years ago, breadcrumbed Turkey dinosaurs were a key staple for children in the early 1970s and 1980s but are less common today

Canteen regulars more than 20 years ago, breadcrumbed Turkey dinosaurs were a key staple for children in the early 1970s and 1980s but are less common today.

Sadly, according to research from food experts, a quarter of UK households have removed the freezer staples from their supermarket shop, with Brits typically opting for classic meals over frozen goods.

The possibility that the turkey dinosaur could soon be going extinct is bound to disappoint many across the nation - with the treat adored by many and also very simple to make - with just a few ingredients required.

CORNFLAKE TART

Providing a touch of nostalgia to your dinner table, it was typically enjoyed with a generous helping of custard in the mid-afternoon

A charming sweet treat bound to delight your taste buds, the cornflake tart combined short-crust, strawberry pastry jam and cornflakes with a delicious golden syrup.

Providing a touch of nostalgia to your dinner table, it was typically enjoyed with a generous helping of custard in the mid-afternoon.

Simple and easy to bake, several social media users have attempted to recreate the classic snack - with one avid baker describing the school staple as the perfect thing to 'brighten up your Friday night'.

CHEESE FLAN

With just four ingredients and not to be confused with quiche, the cheese flan has often been cited as a comforting option during the winter months

Cheese flan, also known as cheese pie, was often served up as a lunchtime classic in the 1970s and 1980s and consisted of savoury custard in a shortcrust pastry bake.

With just four ingredients and not to be confused with quiche, it delighted school children across the nation and has often been cited as a comforting option during the winter months.

Served up into squares, it often came with a side of chips and a scoop of potato ice cream - a smart incentive to encourage youngsters to eat vegetables.

PASTA KING

Many complained of the watery nature of the dishes - with everything from Arrabbiata to carbonara on offer - but it was still a satisfying bite after a long morning of lessons

While Pasta King pots are still served across schools, they no longer have the glossy cult status they held in the 2000s, when first being introduced into canteens.

Many complained of the watery nature of the dishes - with everything from Arrabbiata to carbonara on offer - but it was still a satisfying bite after a long morning of lessons.

BLANCMANGE

Known for being a dinner party staple - usually served in the shape of a rabbit - blancmange made its way into school dinners too

A 1970s favourite, blancmange is usually made with milk, cream and sugar that is thickened into a moulded jelly, which is sometimes flavoured with almonds.

Known for being a dinner party staple - usually served in the shape of a rabbit - it made its way into school dinners too.

SPAGHETTI HOOPS ON TOAST

Often - to add extra flavour - pupils added grated cheese on top of their spaghetti hoops on toast

Perfectly warming for a rainy autumn day or a frosty winter lunchtime, spaghetti hoops on toast offered the perfect switch up from beans on toast.

Often - to add extra flavour - pupils added grated cheese on top.
A lifestyle influencer from Miami, Florida has died aged 31 in 'suspicious circumstances' after getting engaged on vacation in Zanzibar.

Ashlee Jenae  real name Ashly Robinson  was found unconscious in her villa at the Zuri Zanzibar resort and was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was confirmed dead hours later.

According to reports, Tanzanian authorities were told that she had died by suicide.

However, the influencer's family and close friends have fiercely rejected the claim, describing her as full of life.

Robinson had jetted to the holiday destination with her fiance Joe McCann to celebrate her birthday on April 5.

McCann, the founder of crypto fund Asymmetric Financial, had also proposed to her during a safari on the trip.

In her final post, she wrote: 'Chapter 31 and I'm exactly where I need to be.'

Savannah Britt, a public relations executive and close friend of the deceased, has publicly disputed claims that Robinson died by suicide.

Ashlee Jenae  real name Ashly Robinson  was found unconscious in her villa in Zanzibar

The social media star was pronounced dead hours after being rushed to hospital

In a viral post, she stated: 'Anyone who knows Ash knows she would NEVER commit suicide.

'We need answers now!'

The exact location where the influencer was found remains subject to conflicting reports, with some sources claiming she was inside her hotel room and others stating she was found outside.

No official autopsy or toxicology results have been released to the public.

Tanzanian authorities are continuing to handle the active investigation into the circumstances surrounding her passing.

Robinson had accrued over 80,000 followers on Instagram by documenting what she called a 'soft life' philosophy of positivity, as reported by NeedToKnow.

Tributes have flooded in for the social media star.

Commenting underneath her final Instagram post, uploaded on April 5, one said: 'My heart is broken hearing what happened.

The influencer had travelled to Zanzibar with her fiance, Joe McCann, to celebrate her birthday

Her partner McCann is said to have proposed during the vacation

Robinson's loved ones have maintained that she would not have taken her own life

'I was just congratulating you a few days ago, this doesn't feel real.'

Another wrote: 'May you rest in peace Ashlee. May God bring justice and peace to you and your family. Such a bright and beautiful light inside and out.'

A third penned: 'Rest in peace, my friend I told you that I wanted to meet you, but I will miss you dearly. RIP, my friend, your life was taken too short.'

Robinson often shared loved up photos of herself and her fiance McCann to her social media.

She documented their lavish life together, which appeared to include frequent vacations.

Robinson shared photos and video footage of their Zanzibar vacation one day before her death

'Chapter 31 and Im exactly where i need to be,' she captioned one upload which showed her kissing McCann

Robinson shared numerous photos of her relationship with Joe McCann on her social media

Before their holiday, the couple enjoyed front row seats to a Portland Trail Blazers as well as a ski trip to Bend, Oregon.

Robinson celebrated her one-year anniversary with McCann on November 3.

At the time, she documented their milestone with a photograph of them standing together in front of a body of water.

She captioned the post: '365 down. Here's to forever.'

One day before her death, Robinson uploaded photos and video footage of their Zanzibar vacation.

'If this is a dream, no one wake me up,' she captioned one carousel which showed her and McCann posing for among zebras.
Guy Fieri has ignited a furious backlash after he was seen warmly greeting disgraced brothers Tristan and Andrew Tate at UFC 327.

The Food Network star, 58, was caught on camera shaking hands and greeting the controversial siblings at the Prochazka vs. Ulberg event at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on April 11.

The interaction, which was seemingly filmed by bystanders, appeared to be a pleasant one and Fieri smiled as he tapped Andrew's arm.

Fieri also went on to exchange a few words with Andrew, 39, and Tristan, 37.

Footage of the interaction was shared widely on social media much to the disappointment of fans who have called for an explanation.

Taking to Instagram, one said: 'I'm really looking forward to the explanation for this one, the "Mayor of Flavor Town" having a blast with the "Mayor of Misogyny Town."

'I wonder what all the female chefs on the Guy Fieri Network are going to think about this, or is the money worth it.'

Another simply wrote: 'DISAPPOINTED.'

Guy Fieri was seen hanging out with disgraced brothers Tristan and Andrew Tate at UFC 327

The trio put on an animated display at Kaseya Center in Miami on April 11

'WOW!' added a third. 'Cancelled in our house now, Guy. See ya!'

'I'm disgusted. No more of his shows in my house!' another continued.

The Daily Mail has contacted a representative for Fieri and the Food Network for comment.

In December 2022, both Tate brothers were detained in Romania for a criminal investigation on accusations of human trafficking which saw them held in police custody for months as a preventative pre-trial measure.

The Bucharest court of appeals relaxed the measure to house arrest in 2023 and later to regular check-ins with the police.

Last week, a Romanian court lifted all preventative judicial control measures against the internet personality and his brother.

Both Tates, who have dual U.S. and British citizenship, have denied all wrongdoing.

The brothers also face 21 UK charges including rape, trafficking, and assault and will be extradited after Romanian trial proceedings finish, a Romanian court ruled.

Guy Fieri & the Tate Brothers.



A meeting we never thought wed see. Only at the UFC lol. pic.twitter.com/ctTIBXNqua  Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) April 12, 2026

Fieri's fans have expressed their disappointment after footage showed him with the Tates

No charges exist in the US.

Andrew faces 10 charges related to three women that include rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain while Tristan faces 11 charges related to one woman that include rape, human trafficking and actual bodily harm.

They have always denied any wrongdoing.

Last month, the Hertfordshire Constabulary in the UK announced that they would be reinvestigating the reports of rape and sexual assault made against Andrew in 2014 and 2015.

Andrew, who describes himself as a misogynist, has gained millions of online fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle.

He is known as the 'king of toxic masculinity' and has cultivated a huge following in the manosphere space.

Together, they preach financial freedom; wealth generation and entrepreneurship; and mental and physical discipline as it relates to the subjugation of women.
A young first-time homeowner has revealed the surprising tactic she's adopted to pay off her home loan faster: collecting discarded cans and bottles, cashing them in, and depositing the earned funds into her offset account.

Queenslander Amy Coulston recently bought her first property with her partner - and has since been exploring different ways to pay down their home loan as quickly as possible.

The 26-year-old from the Sunshine Coast has been sharing the money-saving measures she's implemented on her social media channels, revealing that one of her methods is to collect cans for cash.

Amy told Daily Mail that she regularly spotted discarded rubbish like soft drink cans and water bottles on her daily walks with her two dogs. Always looking for new ways to save, it occurred to her that collecting them could quickly add up.

'So far this year we've returned $40 of 10 cent cans,' she said in a recent Instagram video.

She explained in the clip that even small amounts can add up to reduce her mortgage repayments over time.

In the instance of her own mortgage, Amy explained how the $40 she'd collected so far this year would equate to '$161 off the life of our mortgage, after it's added into the offset account'.

'Our [monthly] repayments are around $4,130. And $3,220 is immediately taken by interest,' Amy explained. 'So something simple like collecting 10 cent cans on a daily walk is one of the many little things I'm doing to chip away at it.'

First-time property owner Amy Coulston, 26, has embraced collecting cans on her daily dog walk. After converting the cans to cash, she deposits the earnings into an offset account linked to her mortgage

Amy regularly shares videos about her various money-saving side hustles on her @amycoul.money Instagram account

Aussie Home Loans Senior Mobile Broker Samantha Harvey explained to Daily Mail how utilising an offset account linked to your home loan can reduce your overall repayments over time.

'The balance in the offset account reduces the amount of your loan that interest is calculated on,' Samantha said. 'For example, if you have a $500,000 loan and $20,000 in offset, you'll only be charged interest on $480,000.'

The mortgage expert applauded any homeowner - like Amy - who regularly makes additional one-off contributions to their offset account, explaining that the smallest amounts can make a difference.

'Interest is calculated daily, so every dollar sitting in an offset reduces interest,' Samantha said.

'One-off contributions, no matter how small, increase the balance in the account, meaning less of the loan is accruing interest.'

Over time, this reduces the total interest that needs to be paid and therefore can help pay off the loan sooner.

'Even small or irregular amounts can start making a difference from day one,' Samantha added.

Amy explained that although the amount of cash earned from collecting cans may seem insignificant compared to a hefty home loan, it helps foster a mindset where even the smallest contributions can add up over time.

Amy's video explained how she collected cans while walking with her dog. So far this year she's earned $40 from can collection, and deposited the funds as a one-off extra payment into her offset account

Amy has invested in a can and bottle organiser to make the process more efficient

Samantha Harvey, a Senior Mobile Broker at Aussie Home Loans, explained how even small one-off deposits to an offset account can reduce the overall amount of interest paid

'On some walks we only find three cans - which is 30 cents - and other days we might collect enough to make a couple of dollars,' Amy said.

'Adding even that small amount money into the offset account, it still means less interest paid over the life of our loan.'

To make her can collection process as efficient as possible, Amy's video also demonstrated how she's created a dedicated sorting area.

This includes a handy wall-mounted can crusher that she bought from Amazon, as well as a can and bottle organiser sourced from the brand hiBag.

She does, however, caution that not all places accept crushed cans, so it's important to check first with your local cash-for-cans collection service.

For Amy, collecting cans and bottles on her regular daily dog walk is a 'win-win': she can save money on her home loan, help beautify her local neighbourhood, and ensure rubbish doesn't end up in waterways.

As new homeowners, Amy said she and her partner have embraced an increased awareness and understanding of 'where your money is going and making small changes that add up over time'.

Amy also highly recommends using online mortgage calculator tools - and regularly uses one after she's made a one-off contribution of can collection funds to her offset account.

'Using a mortgage calculator to see how small payments add up is a great motivator.'
Fox News host Maria Bartiromo was unable to conceal her surprise after Donald Trump warned her that soaring gas prices could soon rise even higher.

The president had been telling Bartiromo about the ongoing consequences of the Strait of Hormuz closure on her show Sunday Morning Futures.

He warned that surging gas prices which have hurt American drivers could soon be even higher and stay that way until November's midterm elections - causing Bartiromo's eyebrows to immediately rise.

'It could be the same, or maybe a little bit higher,' Trump said when asked by Bartiromo if gas prices would fall ahead of polling day in seven months.

'I think this won't be that much longer. They're wiped out, Maria. They're wiped out,' he maintained immediately after.

He went on to call for a more 'free and fair press in this country', after the average price for a gallon of regular gas in the US rocketed from around $3.60 last month to about $4.13 this month, according to American Automobile Association (AAA).

'We've wiped out their whole country, essentially. The only thing left really is their water, which would be very devastating to hit, I would hate to do it, but it's their water, their desalinization plants, their electric generating plants which are very easy to hit.

'We could have them all done-down. And I mean, down like you couldn't have electricity for ten years because it takes you ten years to build those plants from scratch.'

Maria Bartiromo was left briefly stunned by Donald Trump during the pair's telephone interview on this week's 'Sunday Futures'

Trump spoke to Bartiromo over the phone from Miami, Florida. Trump touched down at the White House later in the day

He emphasized how Iranian naval forces in the region had been decimated already.

Trump swept to victory over Joe Biden by hammering the former president for the soaring living costs and promising to drive them down, with many of those who voted for him now outraged by surging prices.

Earlier in the day, Trump revealed the US Navy would begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the strait following a collapse in US-Iran ceasefire talks over the weekend.

The blockade began Monday at 10am EST as promised. Bartiromo asked in advance whether the arrangement will rattle already hampered global energy markets.

'I think so,' Trump replied, 'I think so'.

He said that 'eventually it's going to be lower' and that 'it's going to be all or none, and that's the way it is,' he said at another point.

'It might not happen initially, but it's going down,' he maintained.

The strait - through which a fifth of the world's oil supply flows - has been essentially blocked since the conflict began. Iran has been in control of who can pass, causing oil prices to skyrocket.

The rest of the interview touched on topics ranging from the conservative's frustrations with NATO to the 2020 election. Trump said some members of the North Atlantic alliance have been unhelpful to his war effort.

'It could be, it could be the same, or maybe a little bit higher,' Trump said of what to expect with gas prices, which went up from around $3.60 last month to about $4.13, according to American Automobile Association (AAA)

.

'I'm very disappointed in NATO. They weren't there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO, and they weren't there for us,' he told Bartiromo at a point, after several countries refused to offer up their bases and airspace.

He hinted that the US's financial commitments to the coalition could be in jeopardy

'We're guarding against Russia... We spent trillions of dollars doing it.' Trump said. 'And I think that's going to be under very serious examination.'

He blamed former President Joe Biden for the current arrangement, calling his predecessor 'grossly incompetent.'

'Look, the election was rigged. You know that? I know that. Everybody knows that now,' Trump said.

'Yep,' Bartiromo replied.

'And its all come out, and its coming out,' Trump continued, before getting to the blockade.

All ships passing through the strait will be stopped by the US, he said. The war in Iran entered its 45th day Monday.

Heading into the 2026 midterm season, Republicans control both the House and the Senate. Trump's approval ratings amid the financial fallout continue to hit new lows. The president's approval is historically seen as a gauge of looming elections.
CNN host Dana Bash wasted no time rebuffing Donald Trump's claim that an AI image appearing to depict him as Jesus Christ was actually meant to show him as a doctor.

Trump made the claim Monday while accepting a DoorDash McDonald's delivery at the White House.

'I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with the Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support,' Trump told reporters, mere hours after deleting the post in question.

The president blamed 'fake news' for the fierce outrage it caused - but few accepted his excuse.

Bash reacted candidly on Monday's Inside Politics, after producers played the clip.

'Just keep that up, he thought this was him as a doctor,' Bash told her panel as the Truth Social post appeared on-screen. 'I'm not Christian, and I see that's Jesus.'

The image showed an imagining of the conservative cloaked in a divine light. He is seen healing a stricken man in a hospital bed as orbs of light emanate from his hands.

'Well, let's also look at the hands,' reacted CNN Senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes. '[They] have some kind of healing powers in them.'

CNN host Dana Bash made clear she did not buy Donald Trump's claim that an AI image appearing to depict him as Jesus Christ actually intended to show him as a doctor on Monday

The since-deleted image showed the conservative cloaked in a divine light while healing a stricken man in a hospital bed. Orbs of light were seen emanating from his hands

She joked: 'I don't know. I mean, there are some incredible doctors, but I don't know any that have healing magical powers in their hands, or religious powers.'

Holmes also said she found it 'interesting' Trump 'took responsibility' for the post 'himself', considering he blamed a White House staffer for a February post that depicted Barack and Michelle Obama as apes.

Bash, at this point, brought up the president's ongoing feud with Pope Leo XIV.

Trump on Sunday said he sees the religious leader as too liberal and 'weak on crime' for the position.

The criticism came in the form of another Truth Social post, after the US-born pontiff slammed the US's military strikes in Iran.

Trump stood by the second post as well after accepting his food delivery, which promoted his no tax on tips initiative before Tax Day, which is on Wednesday.

'He was asked directly, "Will you apologize?"' 'And he said flatly, "no,"' Bash said.

The host disclaimed that she was not a Catholic but was under the impression 'that part of the papal job is not to be in charge of crime on the streets anywhere.'

Trump aired the excuse while accepting a DoorDash McDonald's delivery at the White House ahead of Tax Day

Bash, while overseeing an Inside Politics panel minutes later, called attention to the conservative's conflict with the leader of the Catholic Church

'He is a you know, he's a spiritual leader.'

Pope Leo, 70, responded to Trump's remarks during the first day of his trip to Africa on Monday, telling reporters he had 'no fear of the Trump administration'.

'I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems,' he said.

The US and Israel began the conflict on February 28. Pope Leo has made several general appeals for peace since.
Products featured in this article are independently selected by This is Money's specialist journalists. If you open an account using links which have an asterisk, This is Money will earn an affiliate commission. We do not allow this to affect our editorial independence.

Some 24 million Britons could be overpaying for insurance by not shopping around at renewal, according to new research from comparison website Go.Compare.

A survey of over 2,000 people found that three in ten only compare their options when their renewal price is hiked, potentially missing out on even cheaper options elsewhere.

A further 15 per cent said that they never shop around, instead choosing to accept with the renewal price each year.

Shopping around when your car, home and other insurance products are up for renewal can be a quick way to shave money off your monthly bills.

Insurance makes up a significant monthly cost for many - but there are ways to reduce it

Tom Banks, car insurance spokesperson at comparison website Go Compare, said that while its tempting to skip the hassle of shopping around, this could lead to you paying hundreds more than necessary.

'Our advice is always to spend a few minutes comparing the other deals available, as you can often find the same cover for a better price  even if your renewal quote has come down,' he said.

Get the best price on your insurance

Comparing quotes from multiple providers is one of the most effective ways to save money on your insurance. The easiest way to do this is to use comparison websites such as Go.Compare, Compare the Market, Moneysupermarket* and Uswitch*.

Insurance companies banking billions from customer inertia

With the Go Compare research revealing that there could be 24 million Britons overpaying for insurance, providers are raking in huge amounts because of customer inertia.

When it comes to car insurance, Go Compare says that customers can save 362 on average by shopping on a comparison site.

This represents over 8billion in potential savings, if those millions of people were to use a price comparison website at renewal instead.

> Read more: How to get cheaper car insurance

The cost of car insurance remains a challenge

Figures from the trade group the Association of British Insurers (ABI) reveal that the average annual cost of car insurance sat at 564 in 2025, which is 58 lower than 2024.

Even though this is trending downward, Chris Bose, director of insurance policy at the ABI, said that the cost of car insurance remains a challenge for many households.

Data from the ABI on home insurance reveals similar, small trends downward on average price  but the premiums remain costly. The average price of combined building and contents home insurance in the last quarter of 2025 was 379.

In our view, shopping around and comparing quotes from multiple providers is one of the most effective ways to slash the cost of your insurance.

When comparing deals, you should make sure youre still getting the cover you need. A quote may look cheap but dig deeper to check it provides the right level of protection.

We suggest using at least two comparison websites, because not every insurer is featured on every website. Keep in mind that some insurance policies may only be available directly through the provider.

Some brands have historically not been listed on price comparison websites at all, with Direct Line a famous example  although as of late 2024 it has policies available through Compare the Market.

It takes minutes to compare insurance, but that relatively quick job can really pay off. This is Money suggests you try at least two, such as:

Moneysupermarket*

Uswitch*
CareConsortium Eliminates Redundant Compliance Training Costs for Agencies, Facilities, and the Care Professionals Who Serve Them

CANTON, Mass., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CareConnect (careconnectmobile.com), a leading innovator in mobile-first care workforce technology, today announced the launch of CareConsortium (careconsortium.health)  the first national eLearning consortium purpose-built for post-acute care. CareConsortium is available now across all fifty states, with multi-language support. Healthcare organizations can sign up today at careconsortium.health and start saving immediately. For the first time in Post-Acute Care, home care agencies, home health, and long-term care facilities can receive paychecks back through shared credentialing as nurses, aides, and therapists change jobs.

CareConsortium

CareConsortium fundamentally transforms how compliance training is delivered and paid for in the post-acute care sector. Under the legacy model, care professionals  including home health aides, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other clinical staff  are required to complete the same compliance courses each time they join a new employer, forcing agencies and facilities to absorb those costs repeatedly. With the average post-acute care worker employed by 23 agencies (and up to 6+ in metro areas), duplicated costs create significant and unnecessary financial waste across the industry.

"The current system punishes everyone," said a CareConnect spokesperson. "Agencies pay for training that has already been completed. Care professionals are burdened with redundant coursework. And facilities have no clean way to recognize what a worker has already learned. CareConsortium fixes all of this."

Through the CareConsortium model, agencies can share state-standardized compliance training credentials, allowing them to follow care professionals across employers. Agencies and facilities pay one low consortium price for access, eliminating the 2x, 3x, or even 4x cost multiplication that occurs when multiple employers fund the same course for the same worker. Compared to legacy eLearning providers, CareConsortium members can expect cost savings of 50% or more right out of the gatewith even greater savings unlocked for organizations that share state-standardized curriculum across multiple agencies or facilities. Additional savings are available through bundled offerings with CareConnect's hiring and/or AI-powered scheduling solutions.

With Medicaid reimbursement cuts putting new pressure on the post-acute sector, CareConsortium comes at a critical time. CareConnect offers flexible bundling and pricing for organizations currently locked into legacy eLearning contractsdelivering immediate savings without disrupting existing workflows. Unlike closed eLearning systems, agencies can also access custom content development at a fraction of the cost, backed by a decade of experience and a dedicated team of healthcare educators.

Agencies and facilities interested in joining CareConsortium can sign up today at careconsortium.health. For organizations seeking a tailored transition strategy from a legacy provider, CareConnect's sales team is available for direct consultation.

About CareConnect

CareConnect (careconnectmobile.com) provides mobile-first workforce technology for the post-acute care industry, including hiring solutions, AI-powered scheduling, and now CareConsortium  the national eLearning consortium for Homecare, Home Health, and Long-Term Care. CareConnect is headquartered in Canton, Massachusetts.

Media Contact: Andrew Packer | [email protected] | careconnectmobile.com | careconsortium.health

SOURCE CareConnect
I'm going to jump down the rabbit hole of solid-state battery technology, potentially transformative for the electric vehicle industry, to reveal how a small UK company finds itself at its vanguard.

Ilika, the business in question, also appears to have resolved many of the limiting issues that have thwarted the world's biggest carmakers and battery manufacturers. And yet this pioneer, listed on AIM, really doesn't appear to be receiving the recognition it deserves.

Before we start, it is worth understanding what solid-state power packs are and how they differ from the lithium-ion units found in EVs, and for that matter inside your smartphone or laptop.

I'll do this through the lens of the challenges faced by the automotive industry, but, as we'll see later, the opportunities are not confined to the sector, as Ilika is proving with a tie-up with 3i-backed US med-tech group Cirtec.

Why liquid is the enemy

Okay, here's the problem with the traditional rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It has a fundamental weakness: its liquid electrolyte, the chemical medium that carries electrical charge between electrodes, is flammable.

Solid-state batteries replace that liquid with a solid material, eliminating the fire risk and unlocking a cascade of other advantages.

The major upside is they can store significantly more energy in the same physical space, meaning an electric vehicle equipped with one could travel considerably further on a single charge.

Ilika appears to have resolved many of the limiting issues that have thwarted the world's biggest carmakers

They also charge faster, degrade more slowly over time, and perform better in extreme temperatures, addressing four of the most persistent complaints about battery-powered vehicles.

The catch is manufacturing them at scale without defects, a problem that has defeated engineers for decades.

Lian Yubo, the chief scientist of BYD, the world's largest EV maker, recently namechecked multiple roadblocks, suggesting solid-state is at a 'critical breakthrough stage', rather than being commercially viable.

Speaking at a China automotive policy seminar, Lian stated that the transition from pilot-line output to large-scale vehicle deployment still faces challenges in engineering complexity, cost control, and production yield.

Toyota, Samsung, QuantumScape, and a clutch of well-funded startups are all racing to crack the issues, with billions of dollars committed to the effort.

How Ilika cracked the code

Ilika's researchers have tackled them by carefully selecting materials that keep chemical reactions stable and allow ions to transfer freely across the solid-solid interfaces in a cell.

CEO Graeme Purdy told Proactive its prototypes already charge at competitive speeds and last through a high number of charge cycles without significant degradation.

Ilika has also sidestepped one of the field's most stubborn failure modes: the formation of dendrites, tiny metallic filaments that can grow inside a battery over time, eventually piercing internal barriers and causing a short circuit or fire. By using silicon-based anodes rather than lithium metal ones, the company says it has found a material far less prone to sprouting these destructive filaments.

Small is beautiful...for now

Here's where the Ilika story gets interesting. It has gone small to provide commercial proof-of-concept with its tiny Stereax batteries, designed for medical implanted devices, wearables and ophthalmics, while keeping an eye on the larger EV prize.

It has shipped its first order of electrodes to Cirtec, with which it holds a 10-year licensing deal covering electrode supply and a royalty on sales.

City broker Cavendish sees significant potential in this arena, which it believes the market has most likely underestimated.

Collectively, it says, active implantable medical devices and wearables represent multibillion-dollar addressable end-markets for Stereax batteries, with Cirtec bringing the medical accreditations and production scale to meet future customer ramp-up expectations.

Ilika's larger-format Goliath battery is aimed squarely at the electric vehicle market, which the company sees as a longer and more substantial commercial opportunity. If it reaches full commercial production, the company believes it could help bring down the cost of electric vehicles, extend their range, and produce battery packs that last longer and are easier to recycle.

Beyond cars, Ilika sees opportunities in consumer electronics and defence, where the appeal of a battery that cannot catch fire and packs in more energy per kilogram is self-evident.

Goliath stirs

The company says its material choices and battery architecture for its Goliath 10Ah prototype have been deliberately matched to those target markets. It already has evaluation agreements with 27 vehicle manufacturers and tier-one automotive suppliers, the large component makers that sit immediately below car brands in the supply chain.

Ilika is also working with Agratas, the battery business owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Group, as a partner in its SiSTEM industrialisation programme, focused on manufacturing large-format pouch cells such as Goliath.

Agratas, which intends to supply batteries to Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover, is building Britain's biggest gigafactory, a 40 gigawatt hour plant in Bridgwater, Somerset, close to Ilika's HQ, which makes the collaboration a natural one.

One key differentiator is that gigafactories churning out traditional lithium-ion batteries can be retrofitted to handle solid-state production without, as Purdy puts it, 'too much drama and reinvestment,' reducing a significant barrier to entry. Competitors such as QuantumScape have been forced into greenfield development, which requires enormous capital.

Cavendish believes Ilika is close to proving that its Goliath solid-state battery performs as intended, with its 10 ampere-hour prototype cells set to form the basis of Ilika's minimum viable product, marking a significant step towards full commercialisation.

The licensing window is open

Purdy acknowledges that with 27 evaluation agreements in hand, interest in the technology is not in question. Getting Goliath into a production vehicle, however, will take time. The nearer-term prize is a licensing deal, and he expects one to materialise within 18 months. 'That's the guidance that we've given to investors,' he says. 'The licensing window is open.'

Cash reserves of 6.9 million, plus an R&D tax credit, provide a runway to mid-2027, enough financial breathing room to get a deal done.

Purdy also points out that Ilika's current automotive prototypes, using 10 ampere-hour cells, are already close to what defence applications require, making the existing technology immediately relevant without further development. The company has received positive feedback from a UK defence agency and is fielding significant commercial interest from equipment developers.

There is a supply chain argument here too, and it is gaining urgency across Western governments. China currently dominates global battery production, and defence planners are increasingly uncomfortable with that dependency. A domestically produced solid-state battery removes that vulnerability entirely, and Ilika, Purdy notes, is the only company currently commercialising solid-state battery technology in the UK.

The disconnect

The usual caveats apply. This analysis reflects management guidance and publicly available information. Battery technology programmes rarely progress without setbacks, though Ilika's execution to date has been disciplined and its development milestones have held.

The bigger uncertainty is commercial timing. Automotive qualification cycles are long, revenue remains years away, and investor patience for deep-tech stories is not unlimited.

Yet the disconnect is striking. Here is a company with a credible path to a minimum viable product, growing interest from defence customers, 27 evaluation agreements with vehicle manufacturers and tier-one suppliers, and a supply chain argument that is becoming more politically compelling by the month.

That leaves a single, pressing question: how long can a company making tangible progress across med-tech, automotive, defence and consumer electronics continue to pass largely unnoticed?

As Purdy puts it: 'Ilika is the only commercial solid-state battery company in the UK, and actually pretty much in Europe as well. We have a unique investment proposition in that regard.'

For all of the market's breaking mid- and small-cap news, go to www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk
Any hope the Middle East war will have calmed by the time financial officials arrive in the US capital this week for the spring sessions of the International Monetary Fund has quickly dissipated.

Donald Trumps blockade of the Strait of Hormuz means volatility on energy markets is set to persist.

Britains response has been flaccid. Rachel Reeves is pledging to end that on her scheduled arrival in Washington later today.

I say scheduled having followed these gatherings long enough to recall former Labour Chancellor Denis Healeys infamous turnabout at Heathrow five decades ago as sterling plunged on the currency markets, partly because of the UKs vulnerability to surging oil prices.

In recognition that business and manufacturing are suffering, Reeves acknowledged that UK makers have faced uncompetitive energy prices for too long. Since the start of the conflict, oil has raced up from $70 a barrel to settle around $100.

The Chancellor didnt mention that Labours policies are among the causes of stress from rocketing energy prices.

The high marginal tax on North Sea producers at 78 per cent and the refusal to allow further production from the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields has contributed to the discomfort of the business community.

Tax grab: Chancellor Rachel Reeves' shelved plans to cut the 78% tax on North Sea producers and has refused to allow further production from the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields

The Chancellors first response to the war in the Middle East was to put enterprise on the defensive rather than asking how she could help. Forecourt operators, big oil, and supermarket chiefs were warned against alleged price gouging.

This showed no recognition of the competition on forecourts for the fuel pound and customers, or challenges faced by the big four supermarkets from expanding German no-frills rivals Aldi and Lidl.

Reeves change of tone is a recognition that the initial socialist response was wrong, and the Chancellor is vowing to assist by addressing business competitiveness.

Among the ideas is relief for up to 7,000 businesses from green taxes. That would help but not if they must wait until 2027, as some reports suggest.

The real hurt to Britains makers and striving workers are higher taxes, most notably the national insurance increase.

In addition, there are new burdens such as a punishing packaging tax, employment rights laws, and the minimum wage increase. Each of these hurts commerce.

Among the steps Reeves could take to assist households and businesses is to suspend the proposed 5p fuel duty hike from September.

She says she will not repeat the mistakes of Liz Truss, who responded to pressure from Labour and opposition benches in 2022 with 70billion of subsidies, some of which went to better off taxpayers.

Reeves cannot afford to do much, largely because of Labours failure to get any grip on surging welfare costs and the consequences of buying a temporary peace with the public sector and railway unions. The stupidity of that is on full display in the resident doctors dispute.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting cautions that if the deal demanded were shared across the NHS, the potential cost to the public finances would be 30billion.

Pity no one thought of that when Starmers government caved into union pressure in its first months in office.

Goldman gains

Trump-induced volatility on equity markets may be confusing for private investors seeking to cash out. But it is a boon for brokers and investment bankers.

Goldman Sachs has reported the best first quarter profit on equity trading. Estimates suggest that across the banking sector in the latest quarter, trading profits could reach as much as 30billion.

Better not tell the Chancellor.

Poor wager

Bit alarming to discover that Nest, the default pension fund for opt-in employees, is choosing to invest 450million in American private credit.

The timing is curious coming, as it does, as US professionals and personal savers are heading out of largely unregulated private capital funds fearing a blow-up.

The Nest decision could prove a stroke of genius, catching a falling knife.

But gambling with peoples retirement income, even if it is a small portion of a 60billion fund, cannot be sensible.
Sadiq Khan splurged 200,000 of taxpayers' cash on Pride events last year, figures reveal, with police forces and the Whitehall blob also spending thousands.

London's Labour mayor handed over a 125,000 grant for the 'delivery' of London Pride, an annual LGBTQI+ festival and parade held annually in the capital.

Data from Freedom of Information requests show he showered another 30,000 on the organisers of Black Pride, a festival for LGBTQI+ people of African heritage.

A further 18,514 was spent throwing the 'Mayor's Pride reception' bash, with the money splashed on venue hire, catering and 'dressing'.

And another 25,200 was spent on City Hall's 'participation in London Pride parade' in July last year, which included cash for a 'float, dressing, security, welfare'.

The sums dwarf the amount handed over by Manchester's Labour mayor Andy Burnham, who FOI requests show gave 33,000 to Manchester Pride. A further 900 was spent on 'entry to the Pride Parade' in August last year.

Both City halls also handed over 2,575 each to pro-transgender rights charity Stonewall for participation in its 'Diversity Champions' programme, despite many public bodies having cut ties over concerns about political impartiality and the scheme's value for money.

As part of spending on Pride events, Sadiq Khan spent 18,514 on throwing the 'Mayor's Pride reception' bash, with the money splashed on venue hire, catering and 'dressing'

Wider figures obtained by the Mail found several police forces spent more than 10,000 funding and participating in Pride events.

Several gave grants of up to 2,000 towards throwing Pride rallies while others bought merchandise such as t-shirts and rainbow-coloured fans and whistles so officers could take part in Pride Month, in June last year.

West Midlands Police splashed 328 on 'Policing with Pride' t-shirts for officers to wear, with a further 83 splashed on 'Flags, stickers & other accessories.'

Gwent Police in Wales shelled out 500 on 'Rainbow Gwent Police-branded fans and miscellaneous coloured whistles'.

Along with the Wiltshire and Dyfed-Powys forces, it handed over a 1,000 grant to local pride events.

Devon and Cornwall Police spent 975 sponsoring events during Pride Month while Thames Valley Police shelled out 1,000 on Pride 'merchandise'.

South Wales Police said it awarded a 2,000 grant to Cardiff Pride, an annual festival for LGBT people also known as Pride Crmyu, which took place in Pride Month last year (June 2025).

British Transport Police spent 300 on a Pride Month 2025 workshop 'to explore the powerful intersections of race, sexuality, and upbringing while considering how these experiences shape personal and professional identity.'

The Ministry of Defence shelled out nearly 700 on 65 Pride t-shirts for 'MoD Civil Servants to wear whilst on the London Pride 2025 [parade]'

Meanwhile, Whitehall departments also spent thousands of pounds on Pride jamborees.

The Cabinet Office shelled out 7,395 so 750 civil servants could take part in 27 Pride events.

It said its spending on Pride related to more than two dozen events that took place for staff across several Whitehall departments.

And the Ministry of Defence shelled out nearly 700 on 65 Pride t-shirts for 'MoD Civil Servants to wear whilst on the London Pride 2025 [parade]'.

It comes despite ministers' attempts to crack down on Whitehall diversity spending.

William Yarwood, media campaign manager at the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'Taxpayers are sick to the back teeth of spending on woke events.

'Brits expect money to be spent on frontline services and keeping the streets safe, not on subsidising political jamborees and branded rainbow merchandise.

'Sadiq Khan, the blob and police forces must stop playing politics and get back to the basics of governance and crime-fighting.'

Sir John Hayes, chair of the Common Sense group of Tory MPs, said: 'It's pretty bizarre that police should feel it necessary to spend money that should be spent on deterring and detecting crime on those kinds of events.

'That's not what the police are about. When people's homes are burgled or they suffer a street crime they expect police to devote all their resources to dealing with those kind of things.

'More than 10,000 on Pride events is not what my constituents would expect the police would be doing and I'd much rather that was spent on maintaining law and order.

'It's also true that it's strange Khan should devote so much money to a particular cause rather than on causes which everyone can be part of.

'This does seem to be an extraordinary amount.'

London City Hall also arranged several events during Pride Month last year for staff to attend.

It spent 300 on a 'Pride Month Soho Walking Tour' and 250 on a 'Queer literature lunchtime session', according to the response to the FOI, submitted by the Mail.

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: 'London's Pride is the largest LGBTQI+ event and parade in the country, bringing more than 1.5million people together and showing why our capital is a global beacon of openness and inclusion.

'Pride showcases London's diversity at its very best, supporting LGBTQI+ communities and attracting visitors from across the UK and around the world, as we build a fairer London for everyone.'

The Cabinet Office said: 'The Cabinet Office provided 7,395 to fund the cross-Civil Service LGBT Network presence at Pride, covering 27 events taking place across the UK during summer 2025, to the end of September.

'Up to 750 colleagues from across the Civil Service participated in the series of events.'
A nurse claimed she was told she would never make it in the healthcare industry because she was black.

Sentia Igiraneza, 22, was doing work experience at a Queensland hospital in December 2023, as part of her Bachelor of Nursing degree, when she claims one of the nurses said she wouldn't succeed in life due to her skin colour.

'She looked me dead in the eyes and said I would never become a nurse or make it anywhere because I was black,' she told Daily Mail.

'I wish someone told me being a black woman pursuing a career in healthcare in Australia was the exact same as a death sentence.'

While she always thought she would cop racism from her patients, she said she never thought she would experience it from a nurse, but that changed very early on in her placement.

'I would come into shift and greet everyone,' Ms Igiraneza said.

'A lot of the time, they would look up and down at me and ignore me.'

However, she said the nurses' demeanours appeared to change as soon as someone of a different race walked through the door.

A nurse claimed she was told she would never make it in the healthcare industry because she was black

'When a white girl came in and greeted people, she was given a warm welcome,' Ms Igiraneza said.

'I would stand there thinking maybe there was something on the placement documentation that said black people weren't allowed to speak.'

She said she should have quickly realised there was a racist culture because of the remarks that kept coming instead of giving the nurses the benefit of the doubt.

'Instead of asking me things like "What are your interests", "Where do you plan on going as a nurse in the future", or "What's your career direction", she'd ask me things like, "How did you manage to get into this placement", "How did you pass your English test?" and "What type of documentation did you provide".'

Ms Igiraneza, who was 19 at the time, said conversations in the nursing station would be about her 'hair, lips and the chocolatery colour of her skin', but she turned a blind eye because she thought it was 'just banter'.

In her final week of placement, she felt a worker hinted she wasn't good enough.

'She told me it was because many of the staff found me intimidating and unfriendly,' she said.

'Apparently, I didn't really greet anyone when I came into the shift, was always rolling my eyes and was very aggressive.'

She completed her degree in early March and has been applying for graduate programs

Ms Igiraneza said she was only speaking about her experience publicly now because she had always believed the racism was a result of her own wrongdoing.

'Racism is a powerful destroyer because it breaks apart your self-esteem,' she said.

'It's not something I wish for the upcoming generation of black people who want to be a doctor, lawyer, or other big things. That's disgusting.'

Looking back at her time there, Ms Igiraneza said she should have been more reserved around staff.

'If I knew I was going to be under a microscope, I would have not allowed myself to trust and become comfortable with the staff,' she said.

'I engaged in conversations, showed I didn't know things, was happy to learn and shared personal things about my life just like the other student.'

She also said she wished she had sought professional help and assistance.

Ms Igiraneza completed her degree in early March and has been applying for graduate programs.

Many Aussies were shocked to hear about her experience and expressed sympathy.

'I'm absolutely furious and it saddens me that you feel as though you have to outperform because of the colour of your skin,' one said.

'I sincerely hope that despite other people's impression of you, you still pursued a career in nursing' a second said.

'I'm absolutely furious and it saddens me that you feel as though you have to out perform because of your skin colour,' another said.

'You are so much stronger and more courageous than you think. Keep shining as you soar,' a fourth said.

Some also shared their similar experiences.

'I work in aged care in Queensland and honestly feel like I'm treated differently because I'm not Australian, so I can't imagine what you experience,' one said.

'I experienced racism as a nurse starting from uni until I worked, so I can totally relate to you,' another said.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle billed taxpayers 40,000 for jaunts to Canada and South Africa, his latest tranche of travel expenses receipts shows.

The Commons Speaker, who was last year dubbed 'long-haul Hoyle', racked up a bill of 25,000 - including 22,795 on flights - during a trip to Ottawa, with a further 327 splurged on 'transportation' and 1,803 on meals and hotels.

Meanwhile, a trip to Cape Town came in at nearly 15,000, including 13,230 on flights, 1,043 on hotels and 169 on meals.

The trips were among five Sir Lindsay went on between September and December last year. It brings the total he has billed taxpayers for 'non-regular travel' to 370,000 for 30 trips since becoming Speaker, the vast majority of which have been over the last three years.

Until earlier this month, Sir Lindsay had only published details of trips up until August last year. He is yet to release any expenses receipts for 2026.

The latest cache also reveals he splurged 2,524 on a trip to Gibraltar so staff could join him at a graduation ceremony at the University of Gibraltar, despite this having nothing to do with his historic Parliamentary job.

He is Chancellor of the university and has used taxpayers' cash for several visits there. The cost - 1,786 on flights and 700 on hotels and meals - was for two staff to jet off with him, as the university covered Sir Lindsay's costs.

Sir Lindsay spoke of how it was 'wonderful' to visit officials at the Malaysian Parliament during a trip there last year

Sir Lindsay visited officials at the Malaysian Parliament last year during a trip to Kuala Lumpur, which cost taxpayers more than 24,000

The hotels and resorts Sir Lindsay has stayed in were up to 900 a night. His room at the Westin Grand in the Cayman Islands (pictured) for one trip was 679 a night

Two further trips to Jersey, the Channel Island, and Holyrood to visit the Scottish Parliament came in at more than 3,000.

Callum McGoldrick, of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: 'Taxpayers are sick of seeing their hard-earned cash treated as a travel fund for the Speaker.

'While families are tightening their belts, the Speaker is racking up eye-watering bills for luxury flights and trips that seem more about personal prestige than parliamentary business.

'Sir Lindsay needs to rein in these trips and properly explain why the public is picking up the tab for his foreign jollies.'

Former Tory Cabinet Minister David Jones said: 'There's no reason for him to spend taxpayers' money going to the University of Gibraltar, which has nothing to do with his job. It's astonishing.

'It's fair to say the Speaker is to an extent an ambassador for Parliament, but one would have thought that at a time of a cost of living crisis he would be a bit more mindful of the impression that these visits give.'

According to the Speaker's travel log, the Canada trip in September was to attend a conference of Speakers from the parliaments of G7 countries, along with two staff.

The visit to Cape Town less than a month later, along with one of his staff, was for another conference of Speakers - this time from G20 countries.Sir Lindsay spoke of how it was 'wonderful' to visit officials at the Malaysian Parliament during his trip there last year

Meanwhile, the three-day visit to Jersey in October with two staff was for meetings with its Chief Minister, who is head of government, and its chief judge.

Sir Lindsay was branded 'long-haul Hoyle' last year following a string of revelations by this newspaper.

He has racked up a bill of more than 220,000 on first and business class plane tickets alone because he won't travel in economy.

Tens of thousands more has been splurged on chauffeur-driven cars, stays at luxury five-star resorts and swanky restaurants.

Several of his taxpayer-funded trips appear to have had little to do with his Parliamentary role, including giving speeches at the University of Gibraltar and the University of California.

During a Caribbean tour in March 2023, Sir Lindsay splurged nearly 5,500 chartering private planes to hop between the islands of St Maarten, Montserrat, Anguilla and Antigua, which are British Overseas Territories.

Another of his eyebrow-raising trips was in 2024, when he spent 22,000 for a five-day trip to meet his counterpart in the Cayman Islands, staying at the Westin Grand, where his room was billed at 679 per night.

Critics have said the extent of his globe-trotting and the bills racked up have been 'excessive' and that several appeared to be 'jollies' at taxpayers' expense.

In February, it emerged he was on a jaunt to the British Virgin Islands when he picked up the suggestion that Peter Mandelson might be about to flee Britain for the archipelago amid the fallout from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, later tipping off police. At the time, Lord Mandelson said claims he was a flight risk were 'baseless'.

A Speaker's office spokesman said: 'The visits to Canada and South Africa were for the G7 Speaker's Conference and the G20 Parliamentary Speaker's Summit respectively.

'It is obviously important that Mr Speaker  alongside his counterparts  attends such events. Costs also cover accompanying staff.

'The visit to Gibraltar was in Mr Speaker's capacity as Chancellor of the University of Gibraltar and his flights and accommodation were covered by the University.'
Irish children as young as five remain vulnerable to predators and bad actors using a hugely popular gaming platform the Government says it is powerless to act against, new research has found.

The research into the controversial Roblox platform was carried out by the CyberSafeKids charity in partnership with Atlantic Technological University (ATU).

CyberSafeKids researcher Olwyn Beresford expressed grave concern about the level of sexualised behaviour in role- playing games on the site.

And she warned the EU is not doing enough to protect vulnerable young children from predators who use the platform, which has its headquarters in Holland.

She told the Irish Mail on Sunday: Children on Roblox are using a vocabulary I havent heard before.

'They are using slang terms for sexual acts they should not be aware of. Roblox has put time and effort into verification, but I think someone of a particular mindset can access children on this platform.

'There are bad actors, predators out there. Children have avatars called Woman Rapist without knowing what it is.

The child protection expert was speaking as the Government was this week accused of effectively doing nothing to protect children from grooming and exploitation on online gaming sites.

CyberSafeKids researcher Olwyn Beresford expressed grave concern about the level of sexualised behaviour in role- playing games on the site

Independent TD Carol Nolan spoke out after Justice Minister Jim OCallaghan confirmed the Online Safety Code is powerless to protect Irish children from predators who target them on gaming platforms registered outside the country.

Concern is especially centred on the Roblox platform, which remains hugely popular with Irish primary school children despite new research which indicates it is still being used to groom minors.

Roblox is made up of millions of user-created games, where children of all ages can play and chat together.

But unlike most social media companies that require users to be 13 to make an account, the youngest sign-up age for Roblox is just five years old.

The company is registered in Holland, which is covered by the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).

However, in response to parliamentary queries from Carol Nolan and his fellow Fianna Fail ministerial colleague Niamh Smyth  whose brief covers AI and digital transformation  Minister OCallaghan said Ireland is effectively powerless to Irish children on gaming platforms such as Roblox.

The Minister said the Online Safety Code introduced by Irelands online safety and media regulator, Coimisiun na Mean, in 2022 only applies to the designated video sharing platforms services (such as YouTube or Tik-Tok), operating in Ireland and not online gaming platforms (like Roblox).

The Dublin Bay South TD added: I am advised that its European headquarters are in Amsterdam, and accordingly it is under the remit of the Dutch regulatory authorities. Therefore, any investigation or oversight is a matter for the Dutch regulator.

Asked this weekend if the Minister or his department officials had relayed Irish parents concerns about Roblox to Brussels or the Dutch authorities, a spokesperson would only say: The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, is the lead department for online safety and the associated regulation and oversight of online platforms. You should refer your queries to that Department.

A Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media said: that responsibility for policy on the Digital Services Act in Ireland is within the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.

However, a spokesman for the Department of Enterprise told the MoS: The press query refers to the Online Safety Code which is under the remit of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.

Ms Nolan said the responses are a deeply alarming admission that the Government is effectively doing nothing to protect children from the very real and growing threat of grooming and exploitation on online gaming platforms.

The threat posed to Irish children by gaming sites was highlighted in an RTE Prime Time programme last year, which found examples of simulated lap dances, clothing branded with racial slurs and suicide discussions on Roblox.

Olwyn Beresford said that, despite promises of reform, Roblox are still very much a problem, and cited the continued presence of AI therapists and AI girlfriends on the site.

She added that the EU to our mind, are not looking at this seriously enough, noting: There is a ban in countries across the world  Turkey, Russia China and Qatar and the company is being heavily sued in America. Their reforms are very much driven by lawsuits. We need to make parents aware this is not a friendly platform for children to engage in.

These concerns were echoed by former senior Interpol detective and Hotline.ie chief Mick Moran, who said Roblox is very much a gateway platform for more sinister activities.

He told the MoS: There are serious concerns it is still being used to get children under control. It may be for sexual extortion or sexual exploitation. Roblox are making a very public effort to clean up their site but fundamentally as a platform it is still unsafe.

Ms Nolan said it is simply intolerable to allow gaming platforms to have what amounts to free unregulated abusive access to children.

She added: The Government must immediately include online gaming platforms, especially those with a documented history of verifiable threats to children, within the scope of the Online Safety Code. It must ensure real-time enforcement and sanction.

The bottom line is this; there should be no safe hiding spaces for child abusers in either the online world or the offline world.

A Roblox spokeswoman told the MoS: Our platform has advanced safeguards and filters designed to prevent harmful content and communications on our platform and a robust set of community standards.

'We limit chat for younger users, we do not allow image or video sharing in chat, and we have chat filters designed to block the sharing of personal information.

She added that they had 24-hour dedicated safety teams and swift action is taken against those found to be breaking our rules.

news@mailonsunday.ie
A British former paparazzo who recently made a documentary about OnlyFans stars is involved in Meghan Markles upcoming private womens retreat in Sydney.

The Daily Mail pictured Joshua Fox at the InterContinental Hotel in Coogee, Sydney, last Friday at the same time Gemma ONeill  the organiser of Meghans 'Her Best Life retreat  was meeting there with representatives of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Ms ONeill is hosting a three-day women's retreat for 300 people at the hotel starting this Friday, with 44-year-old Meghan slated to be a guest speaker  despite recent controversy over an anti-Kate Middleton troll claiming to be on the VIP guest list.

Women have paid more than $3,000 to attend the three-day event, with the price tag including a group selfie with the Montecito-based royal.

Foxs involvement in the event  which the Daily Mail understands is limited to helping ONeill with social media content  has raised eyebrows among media insiders given he has the sort of resume that would presumably make the high-minded, press-averse Meghan recoil in horror.

Beginning as a pap in London, Fox has worked as a celebrity reporter and a producer for Australias most notorious breakfast radio show, Kyle And Jackie O.

He also recently helmed the YouTube series Spicy Summer, about a group of 'four adult content creators who move to Sydneys Bondi Beach to enrol in The XX Academy, Australia's first OnlyFans school'.

A Daily Mail journalist, who was coincidentally at the InterContinental last Friday, witnessed Fox very briefly join ONeill as she showed the Sussexes' communications director Liam Maguire and PR lieutenant Miranda Barbot around the hotel.

Gemma O'Neill, the organiser of the Her Best Life retreat, arrived at the InterContinental Coogee to meet Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's team last Friday

The Sussexes' communications director Liam Maguire (left) with O'Neill (right) in Coogee

Former paparazzo and OnlyFans documentary filmmaker Joshua Fox was seen arriving at the InterContinental. His role is limited to helping O'Neill with social media content

Meghan and Harrys team, which included private security, touched down in Australia last week and has been discreetly visiting sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra to put the finishing touches on the couples pseudo-royal tour, which begins in Melbourne on Tuesday.

Maguire, Barbot and other members of Team Sussex sat down for a two-hour lunch meeting with ONeill behind a privacy partition at the InterContinentals Shutters restaurant.

The group could be heard loudly talking and laughing throughout the meal. Fox did not join them and instead remained at a nearby table with three women.

The Daily Mail understands Fox was at the InterContinental to inspect the conference area and make social media content for ONeill, and did not join any official briefings.

When contacted for comment this week, Maguire said he did not know who Fox was and directed us to ONeill.

Responding via email on Monday afternoon, ONeill said that Fox was not an employee of her business, Besties, or the Her Best Life event.

She stressed that he was not present for her meeting with the Sussex team, adding that Fox was at the hotel to meet with her and another friend 'as an acquaintance'.

A day after the InterContinental sighting, Fox appeared on the podcast The Briefing, during which he discussed his unique way of selling his latest book: by pairing chapters with racy selfies.

Its believed Fox's stint as a Kyle And Jackie O producer brought him into the orbit of Her Best Life organiser O'Neill, who manages the show's former co-host, Jackie 'O' Henderson (left)

Fox made YouTube series Spicy Summer about a group of four adult content creators (above) who move to Bondi Beach to enrol in The XX Academy, Australia's first OnlyFans school

Mr Maguire and his team arrived in Australia ahead of the Duke and Duchess' Aussie 'tour'

'Everyone knows OnlyFans, it doesn't have to be just porn,' he told host of The Briefing Chris Spyrou.

'I did my writing on OnlyFans  some chapters are horny some are sad.'

Fox admitted he considered moving into full-blown adult content 'because you get an influx of money', but ultimately decided 'it's not worth it'.

Fox, who hails from the north of England and is well-liked within the media industry, has had a meteoric rise in recent years, thanks to his association with the reality show Married At First Sight (MAFS).

He is the owner of the popular Instagram meme page MAFS Funny, which has 151,000 followers and has since become a podcast.

Initially, MAFS Funny amounted to a kind of double life for Fox, who ran the fast-growing meme account without disclosing his day job as a journalist.

He later revealed himself as the page's creator and now appears prominently in its content.

Previously, he was a radio producer for Nova FM's Fitzy & Wippa, before jumping ship to The Kyle And Jackie O Show on KIIS 106.5.

It's believed his time on Kyle And Jackie O brought him into the orbit of Her Best Life organiser O'Neill, who manages the show's former co-host, Jackie 'O' Henderson.

As a teenager, he worked as a paparazzo in the UK  a detail that probably wouldn't go down well with Meghan or her husband Prince Harry.

During his days as a young snapper, Fox captured lucrative photos of Paris Hilton and Big Brother star Jade Goody, who died from cervical cancer in 2009, aged 27.

He later worked on magazines in London before moving to Australia, where he was briefly married and established his reputation as a media mover and shaker.

Four members of Meghan and Harry's team departed the Coogee hotel on Friday

Fox, who hails from the north of England but has lived in Australia for about a decade, has had a meteoric rise in recent years, thanks to his association with reality show Married At First Sight

Harry and Meghan's sojourn Down Under begins in Melbourne on Tuesday

Meghan's appearance at the Her Best Life event in Coogee  which has been promoted by organisers as 'raw and vulnerable'  has been besieged by controversy, including online trolls bragging they have infiltrated the event.

An American anti-Sussex X user, @MeghansMole, claimed to their 110,000 followers that they had placed a Sydney-based friend as a 'spy' among the ticketholders. This supposed intruder, they alleged, plans to surreptitiously record the Duchess.

On the other side, pro-Sussex Australian social media influencer @ZandiSussex  who routinely shares vile, untrue posts alleging Kate Middleton faked her cancer  also claims she is attending.

The retreat is strictly off limits to media, and the Daily Mail is aware of at least two reporters who have had their tickets revoked when it was discovered they were journalists.

When the Daily Mail visited the InterContinental Coogee Beach on Friday, vast areas of the building remained under construction. Formerly the Crowne Plaza, the hotel was reopened after extensive renovations in December.

Last Saturday, O'Neill revealed she had a 'woman-to-woman chat' with Meghan via Zoom.

'It couldn't have been any more kind of real. I just immediately loved chatting to her,' she said.

Meghan will host a Q&A for 300 women at the Her Best Life retreat this week

The newly opened InterContinental Coogee Beach will host royalty this weekend

Some parts of the swanky venue remain off-limits because of construction work

Building materials could be seen from the street on Friday afternoon

The Her Best Life event is expected to be Meghan's grand finale after a whirlwind four-day tour that also includes Harry's scheduled appearance as a keynote speaker on mental health at the InterEdge Psychosocial Safety Summit in Melbourne.

The couple will conclude their trip in Sydney, where they will appear on the harbour together with officials from Invictus Australia, before attending a rugby union match.

The Daily Mail also understands the Sussexes may privately pay tribute to victims and heroes of the Bondi massacre, during which 15 people were killed when two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah festival in December.

Harry and Meghan's children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, will remain at the family home in Montecito, California.

Despite Team Sussex insisting it is a privately-funded trip, on Friday it was revealed that Australian taxpayers will meet some of their security costs.

Mr Maguire was also spotted at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Friday

Team Sussex  flanked by plainclothes police  enjoyed the view of the iconic beach

Police forces in Victoria and New South Wales confirmed they would be running public safety operations this month.

'The New South Wales Police Force will conduct an operation to ensure public safety is maintained during the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,' a spokesperson said.

'The operation will require some additional security measures throughout their stay in New South Wales, while minimising any disruption to the community.'

Victoria Police would not comment on the tour but did acknowledge awareness of a major public event occurring this month when contacted by the Daily Mail.

'Police are aware two high-profile people are visiting Melbourne in a private capacity in April,' a spokesperson said.

The Daily Mail can confirm at least two Australian plainclothes police officers flanked the Sussexes' publicity team when they attended meetings in Sydney on Friday.
A report examining the Southport attack is expected to be highly critical of public services that missed or ignored the threat posed by the killer when it is published later today.

Axel Rudakubana was 17 when he murdered Bebe King, six, Elsie Stancombe, seven, and Alice Aguiar, nine, in a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside seaside town on July 29, 2024.

He was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum 52 years behind bars after admitting murder in January last year.

However, the first stage of a public inquiry into the atrocity, held last year, heard Rudakubana had been involved with a range of public bodies from the age of 13, when he was expelled from school for taking a knife into lessons on at least ten occasions.

The hearings were told that the teenager became fixated on the belief that he was being bullied, and that his life had been ruined by his exclusion from mainstream education - a belief also supported by his parents.

He never returned to full time schooling, initially over fears he might attack other pupils but later because he became a recluse and refused to leave his home, in the village of Banks, five miles from Southport.

Joanne Hodson, headteacher at The Acorns, the pupil referral unit, in Ormskirk, Lancashire, where Rudakubana was sent to following his expulsion, said that from day one she was 'very concerned' about him.

She said his lack of respect for teachers and other pupils was 'extraordinary' and she later described him as 'unpredictable and sinister.'

Rudakubana was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum term of 52 years for the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Stancombe, seven, and Alice Aguiar, nine, who he stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance holiday club.

Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford is due to publish his first report from the inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall today

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were all murdered in the atrocity on July 29, 2024

Despite referring Rudakubana to Prevent, the Government's anti-radicalisation strategy, and asking other agencies for help, Ms Hodson told the inquiry none stepped up and instead 'peeled away.'

'We were literally left holding the baby,' she said.

At least six public bodies are expected to come in for heavy criticism in the report, due to be delivered by Sir Adrian Fulford, chairman of the inquiry, at 12pm, including two police forces, two different NHS mental health services, and the local council's family and social services.

Rudakubana's parents, Elon Musk's social media firm X (formerly Twitter), and four different knife retailers, which allowed the teenager to order kitchen knives and machetes without checking his age, are also likely to face censure.

Delivered at Liverpool Town Hall, the report is expected to point to a series of missed opportunities, where agencies ignored or miscalculated the risk Rudakubana posed to others, including when he was found on a bus with a knife at the age of 15.

By the time of the attack, he had not been to school for two years or been in contact with family services or mental health workers for months after officials abandoned attempts to see him.

Crucially, the inquiry heard, no consideration was given to putting Rudakubana on a child protection order, which could have removed him from the family home and forced him into local authority care, despite evidence that his parents were struggling to cope with his increasingly unpredictable and violent behaviour.

The hearings were told that each of the Prevent referrals were closed prematurely because Rudakubana, who was from a Christian family, did not display a fixed ideology or motivation.

Joanne Hodson, headteacher at The Acorns special school, told the inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall that she was worried about Axel Rudakubana's behaviour within days of his arrival

Rudakubana pictured in the distinctive green hoodie he wore on the day of the attack. CCTV cameras caught him outside the Hart Space dance studio, in Southport, shortly before he launched the mass stabbing

Police and forensic teams on Hart Street, Southport, following the stabbing

Rudakubana was a former stage school star who featured in a BBC Children in Need advert aged 11

McKenzie Morgan, 18, plotted to target an Oasis concert in Cardiff and a dance club near his home in Cwmbran, South Wales after becoming inspired by Axel Rudakubana

Instead, the inquiry heard, he was obsessed with different forms of extreme violence. Disturbing imagery, including pictures of torture, female slavery, war and genocide were recovered by police from his computer devices.

Six minutes before he left the house to carry out the attack, Rudakubana also viewed a video on X which showed a conservative Syrian bishop in Australia, called Mari Mari Emmanuel, being stabbed by a 15-year-old boy.

Last month the Home Affairs Select Committee said the Prevent programme was 'outdated' and 'inadequately prepared' to deal with 'the complexity of current extremist threats' and called for it to be 'reset' and overhauled.

Pre-empting criticism from Sir Adrian, the National Police Chiefs' Council last month recommended a licensing system for knife retailers and importers operating from shops and online.

A week before the attack, Rudakubana's father, Alphonse, 50, had stopped him going back to his old comprehensive, The Range High School, in Formby, because he suspected that his son had a weapon with him.

But he told the inquiry he did not call the police at the time for fear his son would be taken away and locked up.

He and his wife, Laetitia, 54, also knew that their son was hoarding weapons and, although Rudakubana had not left the house for months, did nothing when he heard him leave on the day of the attack.

'I was just clinging on the hope that he's going for a walk,' Mr Rudakubana, a taxi driver, said. 'If he was carrying a bag I would have run out.'

The report comes amid concerns that 'copycat' teenagers are seeking to emulate the Southport murders.

In January, McKenzie Morgan, from Cwmbran, South Wales was sentenced to 14 months in youth detention after he sent messages on Snapchat praising Rudakubana, shared images of the killer and tried to buy a six inch kitchen knife when he was 17.

Two months later, in March, a teenager from Kirkby, Merseyside, was also given a non-custodial youth rehabilitation order after collecting kitchen knives, visiting Southport and researching a dance class as part of a plan to mimic the killings on the anniversary of the attack.

Like Rudakubana, the 16-year-old had dropped out of school, been diagnosed with autistic spectrum condition (ASC) and had been referred to social services, mental health services, and the Prevent de-radicalisation programme.

Neither teenager was charged with preparing a terrorist attack because attacking children is not considered an 'ideological' offence, leading to calls for a change in the law to cope with 'violence fixated individuals.'

Ten other people - dance teacher Leanne Lucas, 37, businessman John Hayes, 64, and eight other young girls, who can't be named for legal reasons - were all seriously injured when Rudakubana went on the rampage at the Hart Space, in Southport.

Sir Adrian's report comes after he heard nine weeks of often harrowing 'phase one' evidence from victims, survivors, first responders and organisations who interacted with Rudakubana in the lead up to the attack.

Hearings for 'phase two', which is expected to consider how agencies address the risk posed by young people fixated on committing acts of extreme violence more generally, are due to begin later this year.
A Texas TikToker who used her self-professed 'psychic abilities' to falsely claim a University of Idaho professor orchestrated the murders of four students in 2022 made a desperate appeal in court after being ordered to pay $10million in damages for defamation.

Ashley Guillard, 41, of Houston, filed a notice of appeal on April 6 in the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, according to the Seattle Times.

Guillard represented herself at a four-day trial in February in the civil defamation case brought against her by 40-year-old University of Idaho professor Rebecca Scofield.

The 'psychic' published more than 100 videos framing Scofield as the culprit directly after the murders. The murders were actually committed by Bryan Kohberger.

A jury in the US District Court for the District of Idaho unanimously settled on the $10million figure owed by Guillard, which she immediately objected to.

On the day following her conviction, she sent a text message to The Idaho Statesman stating, 'Unfortunately, because the verdict doesn't align with the evidence or facts of the case, I have to appeal.'

'I was hoping for a fair and impartial verdict so that we all could move on.'

Scofield's attorneys declined to comment to the Statesmen following the appeal.

Ashley Guillard, 41, of Houston, published more than 100 defamatory videos in December 2022 falsely claiming a University of Idaho professor orchestrated the infamous murders actually committed by Bryan Kohberger

Each post erroneously framed the school's history department head, 40-year-old Rebecca Scofield, as the true mastermind

Guillard claimed the professor ordered the killings to prevent an affair she had with one of the victims, 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, from going public.

Two of the TikToks directly stated that Scofield ordered Goncalves's execution, even though the academic was completely innocent of any wrongdoing.

Goncalves's two roommates, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, were also targeted, Guillard maintained.

As Kohberger initially evaded police, the content continued.

A series of cease-and-desist letters and the December 2022 defamation suit followed Kohberger, 31, who was arrested after traveling to Pennsylvania, days later. He has since confessed and was sentenced to life in prison last year.

In a video posted in December 2022, days after being served with the suit, Guillard said that Scofield would 'regret' it.

Scofield offered tearful testimony to a federal judge: 'It was like a stone on my chest that was not crushing me, it was dissolving me.'

Guillard claimed the history department chair ordered the killings to prevent an affair she had with one of the victims, 21-year-old Kaylee Goncalves, from going public. Also part of the hit were roommates Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle and Kernodle's boyfriend, Ethan Chapin

Kohberger pleaded guilty to the killings in an Ada County courthouse in July of last year. He is currently serving four consecutive life sentences

'I was unraveling underneath the weight of it.'

'We felt personally targeted,' Scofield added of herself and her family, raising her voice at Guillard as she spoke.

'It felt like our childrens lives were directly threatened - that my name was being thrown around by you, saying horrific accusations that were fully baseless and not even from the community we were settled in. It felt like an attack from the outside.'

Guillard took the stand during those proceedings.

The tarot-reading TikToker maintained: 'Claircognizance - we work with intuition, not fact. The facts are the job of law enforcement, not a psychic.'

The San Francisco Court, which handles appeals from Idaho, set a briefing deadline in July, according to the Seattle Times.

Kohberger has already pleaded guilty to the killings. He is currently serving four consecutive life sentences.
Backpackers have today revealed the dangerous underworld of Vietnam motorbike tours, after a British teenager was killed on a 'notorious' mountain route.

Tourists who survived the Ha Giang loop have spoken out to warn travellers flocking to South East Asia this summer, following the tragic death of Orla Wates.

The 19-year-old, from London, was riding on the back of a bike with a local guide when they crashed, and she was run over by an oncoming truck.

Her parents, construction tycoon Andrew Wates and his wife Harriet, made the selfless decision to donate her organs to patients in Vietnam, saving the lives of three others.

They told how Orla had loved her time there, and did not cast any blame for the accident.

Jasmine, the company Orla was travelling with, has insisted that her driver was examined by police after the crash, with no sign of alcohol or drugs in his system.

However, the Daily Mail has spoken to tourists who have revealed that Vietnam has become a sea of bandaged-up Westerners, where injuries are seen as 'normal' - along with a culture of excessive drinking, dangerous driving, and overworked local guides.

They have witnessed drivers from various companies fall asleep at the wheel, get into drunken fights, fail breathalyser tests, and divert their routes to avoid police catching tourists without a licence.

Orla Wates, 19, was riding on the back of a bike with a local guide when they crashed, and she was run over by an oncoming truck

Anna Machale, 22, had never ridden a motorbike and had no international licence, but was waved through by Jasmine to ride the perilous 250-mile route after a ten-minute lesson in a car park.

'You're pressured to set off immediately,' she said.

'They told us they had people who go ahead to check for police so that you wouldn't get caught without a licence. If they spotted any officers, they would change the route.'

Jasmine denies this, and says: 'We do not instruct, encourage, or allow staff to avoid police or roadside checks.

'We strongly recommend the use of an easy rider for those without appropriate experience or licensing.'

Anna and her friend decided to share one 'easy rider' - a local driver - between them.

It meant they took it in turns driving the other bike alone through the lethal mountain passes with sheer drops either side, and on day three Anna crashed.

'The bike flew out from underneath me and I was launched into the air,' she said.

'There are next to no guard rails, so if you fall in the wrong place, you're skidding off the side of a mountain. Luckily, I came away with only a scrape.'

Anna Machale crashed while self-driving a bike on the Ha Giang loop, and says she was lucky to get away with just a scrape given the sheer drops and lack of guard rails

She had never ridden a motorbike and had no licence, but was waved through by a tour company to ride the 250-mile route after a 10-minute lesson in a car park

She managed to patch herself up, with the nearest hospital hours away, but Anna heard horror stories of others who were not so lucky during her 2023 trip.

'We met a girl who had an enormous third-degree burn on her leg that had become infected,' she recalls. 'The exhaust pipe on her bike didn't have a safety guard, and she didn't realise.

'It was so common to see people with bandages all over the country, and you knew immediately that they had done the loop.

'It was only a year or so later that I started to think "God, I genuinely could have died doing that".'

Several deaths on the route have been reported in recent years. In 2017 a Spanish tourist died after falling 100m off a mountain pass, and the following year another Spanish tourist and a French traveller were killed in a head-on crash with a truck.

However, there are fears the true number of crashes is far higher than is publicly known, with many more harrowing incidents spoken about in online forums, local Facebook pages, and riders' group chats.

Vietnamese police don't publish figures on deaths and accidents, and authorities are keen to protect the tourism industry, which brings in around 28billion to the country each year.

Elle witnessed drivers failing breathalyser tests while working as a tour guide on the loop

She says drivers are often expected to spend every meal with their guests and to then socialise with them in the evenings

Elle, 23, from Australia, who spent several months volunteering as a tour guide for another big company on the loop, says: 'The drivers were up from 8am and would have breakfast, lunch and dinner with their guests. They are expected to go out at night too.

'I've seen drivers breathalysed the next day. They would be fined and the company would just get a replacement in.

She says the roads have got much busier in recent months, with a group chat for riders in the area now having thousands of members.

And while some companies limit groups to around 10 bikes for safety, others allow packs of up to 50 to take to the hairpin bends at a time.

'If people knew how many incidents happen, they would wear the protective gear,' she says. 'I used to do it in a bikini, which I would never do now.'

Katrina Audet, 25, from Canada, also volunteered with a tour company. She is now in a relationship with an easy rider, and says the conditions some face are appalling.

'A lot of drivers don't want to participate in the drinking, but tips form a big part of their income. And if a passenger feels closer to their driver, they will often tip more.

During one of her own trips, Katrina's driver told her he was tired and going to bed, only to emerge half an hour later. 'I asked him why, and he had been told he needed to stay with us,' she recalls.

A British traveller, who now works for a smaller operator and wished to stay anonymous, confirms this happens often.

She has befriended drivers at one of Jasmine's largest competitors, who have been explicitly told that they may not go to bed until every guest is asleep - sometimes in the early hours of the morning.

Many easy riders do back-to-back tours for weeks without seeing their families, and this, coupled with the heavy drinking, surely takes a toll. One easy rider told the Daily Mail he only gets three days off in two months.

Another British tourist, who posted on TikTok last week under the username @beccazillaa, said that a driver in her group fell asleep at the handlebars, crashing into the bike in front.

Though no one was injured, she says: 'We were going up steep hills, sharp kerbs. Do you know how tired you have to be to have someone on the back and fall asleep?

'The riders are exhausted and when the evening comes and they get drunk, that coupled with a hangover is no good.'

The views are undeniably beautiful, with zigzagging mountain passes, dramatic waterfalls and the Dong Van Karst plateau, a Unesco site

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During the evenings, easy riders often party with their customers, taking shots of the local 'happy water' - or rice wine.

Katriona, 25, from Hertfordshire, remembers her driver - from Jasmine - apologising profusely one morning after he chose to go to bed, exhausted, rather than stay up.

'I didn't think anything of it at the time,' she says. 'But I realised afterwards there's a culture where they are expected to give guests a good time.

'Sometimes it got to the point where they were drinking so much it got violent.'

On the final night, one of the easy riders in her group started picking fights. Katriona says the police were called, and the driver was fired.

A Jasmine spokesman said: 'Our drivers and leaders are not permitted to consume alcohol while on duty, or in any way that could affect safety or professional conduct.'

Despite the horror stories, the Ha Giang province is expected to receive 3.5million visitors this year.

And it's easy to see why. The views are stunning, with zigzagging mountain passes, dramatic waterfalls and the Dong Van Karst plateau, a Unesco site.

It is why the region is still popular with travellers like Leah Baker, 24, from Suffolk, who visited on a gap year. 'I had the time of my life, it was absolutely amazing,' she says.

Leah says she had the time of her life in Vietnam, though her tour unfortunately ended in a crash

When Leah travelled with Jasmine, she was somewhat alarmed to see her easy rider - who 'could only have been about 18' - setting off in sandals and linen trousers.

'It's normalised there though, and you accept it. I felt very safe until we crashed at the last moment,' she says.

Leah scraped her elbow, arm and badly bruised her knee. 'I was bleeding and shaken up, but I had to get back on the bike.'

Before the group had started their journey, they were told a cautionary tale about a tourist falling off a cliff on the loop.

This, she says, was aimed at those who had - perhaps overconfidently - signed up to drive themselves. They were encouraged to get an easy rider, who should be more familiar with the roads.

But countless experiences published online, and Orla's tragic death, suggest there may be little tourists can do to truly stay safe.

As Anna says: 'You just hope and pray that nothing comes around the bend.'

A spokesman for Jasmine said: 'Compliance with Vietnamese traffic regulations is required at all times.

'Before departure, guests are informed of local legal requirements, route conditions, and riding considerations.

'All tours begin with a safety briefing. Each group is led by a designated leader responsible for pace and overall co-ordination, with the authority to adjust arrangements if safety expectations are not met.

'Travel on mountainous roads requires a high level of awareness and caution, and any road incident is treated with seriousness. We continue to review our operating practices as part of our ongoing commitment to safety.'

An investigation was opened into Orla's death last week.

The company added: 'We remain in contact with relevant authorities and will provide updates where appropriate.'
FRANKLIN, Tenn., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated (NYSE: CHCT) today announced that on Tuesday evening, May 5, 2026, after the market closes, it will report results for the first quarter of 2026.

On May 6, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. Central Time, Community Healthcare Trust will hold a conference call to discuss earnings results, quarterly activities, general operations of the Company and industry trends. Simultaneously, a webcast of the conference call will be available to interested parties via an Internet link at www.chct.reit under the Investor Relations section. A webcast replay will be available following the call at the same Internet site address.

Conference Call Details

Domestic Dial-In Number: 1-888-347-1332

International Dial-In Number: 1-412-902-4278

Canada Toll Free: 1-855-669-9657

Replay Conference Call Details

Domestic & Canada Replay Number: 1-855-669-9658

International Replay Number: 1-412-317-0088

Conference ID: 6902171

About Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated

Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated (the "Company") is a real estate investment trust that focuses on owning income-producing real estate properties associated primarily with the delivery of outpatient healthcare services in our target sub-markets throughout the United States. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had investments of approximately $1.2 billion in 198 real estate properties (including one property with sales-type leases and one property classified as held for sale). The properties are located in 36 states, totaling approximately 4.5 million square feet in the aggregate.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

In addition to the historical information contained within, the matters discussed in this press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes", "expects", "may", "will," "should", "seeks", "approximately", "intends", "plans", "estimates", "anticipates" or other similar words or expressions, including the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and can include future expectations, future plans and strategies, financial and operating projections or other forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. Because forward-looking statements relate to future events, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the control of Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated (the "Company"). Thus, the Company's actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in such forward-looking statements. Some factors that might cause such a difference include the following: general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of the Company's common stock, changes in the Company's business strategy, availability, terms and deployment of capital, changes in the real estate industry in general, interest rates or the general economy, adverse developments related to the healthcare industry, changes in governmental regulations, the degree and nature of the Company's competition, the ability to consummate acquisitions under contract, catastrophic or extreme weather and other natural events and the physical effects of climate change, the occurrence of cyber incidents, effects on global and national markets as well as businesses resulting from increased inflation, changes in interest rates, supply chain disruptions, labor conditions, prolonged government shutdown or budgetary reductions or impasses, tariffs and global trade tensions, and/or international conflicts, and the other factors described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. Readers are therefore cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company intends these forward-looking statements to speak only as of the time of this press release and undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

CONTACT: Bill Monroe, 615-771-3052

SOURCE Community Healthcare Trust Incorporated
Emma Caldwell was likely not her killer's first victim, an ex-detective has claimed, as he reveals a troubling 'pattern of behaviour' that points to more tragedy over her brutal murder more than 20 years ago.

In 2024, serial rapist and sex offender Iain Packer was convicted of Ms Caldwell's murder, along with a string of sexual offences against other women, 19 years after she was killed in 2005.

The 27-year-old's disappearance on April 6 that year was one of Scotland's longest-running cases.

After a weeks-long search her body was found by a dog walker face down in a ditch in Limefield Woods, Biggar, South Lanarkshire on May 8, 2005.

But retired detective constable Stuart Hall, who was involved in the initial investigation into Ms Caldwell's murder, has said he believes 'there's going to be more found out in the future' about Packer's offending.

Police had questioned Packer in the weeks after her death but instead a group of Turkish men were charged in 2007. The case against them later collapsed.

Mr Hall spoke to a podcast series which is examining the deaths of a number of women involved in prostitution around Glasgow in the 1990s and early 2000s.

The Beware Book podcast examines the deaths of eight women during the period, four of which remain unsolved.

After a weeks-long search Emma Caldwell's body was found by a dog walker face down in a ditch on May 8, 2005

Iain Packer was sentenced in February 2024 for her murder and multiple rapes and sexual attacks against other victims - but was previously dismissed as a suspect

The Clyde 1 podcast takes its name from a journal which was used by women involved in prostitution to warn each other about potentially dangerous or suspicious clients.

Mr Hall was asked about the fact that Packer's offending continued for years after Ms Caldwell's murder, and whether the full extent of his crimes has come to light.

He said: 'No - short answer. I think there's a lot more to be found out about Iain Packer.

'Personally, I don't think it was his first murder. I think there's going to be more found out in the future.

'I'd love to be involved in something to do with that, but I think there's far more to it. There's a pattern of behaviour here.

'As they discovered during the trial, which is now common knowledge, he did the same thing to several girls.

'Although Emma was the only one we know of at this time who was murdered. I see no reason for there not to be more.'

Mr Hall added that Packer's history of violence against women had emerged in court.

Ms Caldwell's body was found in a woodland five weeks after she was last seen in Glasgow city centre

'That just seems to be who he is, how he deals with life and women,' said the retired detective.

Mr Hall also previously spoke of his certainty that Packer was the killer, saying he felt 'this is the guy'.

He said: 'There was a colleague coming down the stairs and he says, "well, what would you think?"

'"Yeah", I said. It was him. 100 per cent, I'm certain it's him.'

Mr Hall continued: 'It wasn't until later on that I was taken into the boss's room, the superintendent's room, where the acting detective inspector put it to me, or instructed me, I have to do no more work on Packer.'

Other former detectives have previously told the podcast about their certainty of Packer's guilt - however they said their suspicions were dismissed by superiors, with one being told Packer 'will never be accused'.

Last week another ex-detective who was involved in Operation Grail  the police name for the investigation  had said he and the vast majority of his colleagues in 2005 were sure of Packer's guilt, with Mr Hall also saying he was '100 per cent certain'.

Davie Barr told the Beware Book podcast he was convinced that Packer was the killer, even phoning his senior investigating officer at home to tell him this, but was told 'he'll never be accused'.

Packer had even told Mr Barr that he had brought Ms Caldwell to Limefield Woods, an admission which had shocked the detective.

Mr Barr said: 'Everybody felt the same. Now I'm talking about people in the incident room, sergeants, inspectors, people who had been in the job a lot longer than me...

'I kid you not, every day in life in that incident room we would speak about it. How can it not be him?'

He continued: 'The really pathetic thing is that other people suffered, other girls were sexually assaulted, in the years that he's been free, which is unacceptable.

'Other people should be ashamed of their actions, for what they did.'

Mr Barr added: 'You know, we were told, "it's not him", just got on with it. Later on in my service, I think I'd have questioned things a lot more. It wouldn't have made any difference.'

A public inquiry, chaired by Lord Scott KC, is due to examine the police investigation into Ms Caldwell's murder.

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: 'Emma Caldwell's family have shown incredible courage and determination following her murder in 2005 and we are absolutely committed to supporting the inquiry and getting her loved ones the answers they deserve.'
A disgruntled restaurant employee allegedly punched his co-worker and his co-worker's wife in their faces.

McKinley Pace Jr, 35, was just one minute into his shift at DeNunzio's restaurant in Jeanette, Pennsylvania on March 27 when the alleged attack began, according to a criminal complaint obtained by WTAE.

He started complaining about doing other employees' work, the other man involved in the fight told authorities.

'I've had enough, I'm going to punch him in the face,' Pace Jr allegedly yelled out.

The other man involved in the fight said he then responded: 'I'm right here, you don't have to go upstairs.'

At that point, police said Pace lunged at the man and began striking him in the face multiple times.

The victim's wife also said that after Pace attacked her husband, he approached her and struck her in the face as well.

By the time police arrived on the scene, Pace Jr had already left the area.

McKinley Pace Jr, 35, is wanted on assault charges after he allegedly punched a co-worker and the co-worker's wife in the face

Pace Jr was just one minute into his shift at DeNunzio's in Jeanette, Pennsylvania on March 27 when the alleged attack began

A warrant was then issued for his arrest last Tuesday.

He is now wanted on charges of aggravated assault by attempting to cause serious bodily injury or causing injury with extreme indifference, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment by subjecting another person to physical contact.

The Jeanette Police Department is asking anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the agency.
An elderly fisherman was rescued on Saturday after being trapped on a riverbank at the bottom of a steep, 20-foot hill.

The man, who has not been publicly identified, got hurt and ended up stuck on the hillside below train tracks that run through Emsworth, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It is unclear how the man was injured. The Emsworth Volunteer Fire Company said that three of its stations were alerted to reports of the elderly man around 9.45pm.

First responders quickly arrived and spotted him before requesting assistance from another fire station for additional manpower.

Emergency crews climbed down to the man and hooked him up to a rope that eight people in a line pulled together.

'Crews used a rope system and stokes basket to bring the male up to safety,' David Novak, the communications operator at the Moon Township Police Department, said in a statement.

A stokes basket is essentially a stretcher designed to be hooked up to ropes or cables so that it can be lifted into the air.

The entire rescue operation took a brisk 25 minutes from the time first responders were dispatched, according to the Emsworth Volunteer Fire Company.

An elderly fisherman was rescued after being injured and trapped on this steep hillside by a river in Emsworth, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

First responders are pictured placing the man into a Stokes basket, which is a kind of stretcher that is designed to be hooked to ropes

Personnel from several fire departments, EMS and police were involved in the rescue effort, which took a brisk 25 minutes from the time they were dispatched

The effort involved personnel from the Emsworth and Avalon Volunteer Fire Companies, the Bellevue and North Fayette Township Fire Departments, Northwest EMS and the Ohio Township Police Department.

Novak said that Norfolk Southern trains, which run on the tracks above the riverbank where the elderly man was trapped, were halted during the operation.

The injured elderly man was carried to an ambulance while lying in the Stokes basket and transported to Northwest EMS for treatment.

On the Facebook post announcing the rescue, several locals praised the Emsworth Volunteer Fire Company and congratulated them on a job well done.

'Some rope rescue!!! You guys do it ALL!!! Awesome!' one person wrote.

'Thank you! We appreciate you!' said another.

'Great job. Ty (thank you) for your service to the communities. That's a dangerous place to fish. Especially for an older guy,' a third chimed in.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Emsworth Volunteer Fire Company for comment and additional details regarding how the elderly man became injured and trapped.

These eight first responders pulled the rope in a line to bring the elderly man to safety

The injured man is pictured getting carried off in the Stokes basket before he was transported to Northwest EMS for treatment

Some other recent successful rescue operations by first responders include a New Jersey teenager with autism who was spotted by FBI pilots after a 36-hour search on March 21.

Aerial footage showed the teen curled up next to a tree in a heavily wooded nature preserve near his home.

He was secured by officials who then led him on about an hour-long hike out of the woods so he could be reunited with his family.

Also on March 21, two Maryland state troopers saved an infant who was choking.

The incident unfolded on camera as an officer rushed to save the non-breathing baby, performing desperate life-saving measures while the mother helplessly stood by.

The troopers, named Taylor Hersh and Jonathan Stoltzfus, were hailed as heroes after saving the baby.
At least seven cruise lines have suspended their routes through a splendid fjord after a massive landslide last summer created a tsunami and left the area unstable and potentially dangerous.

On August 10, 2025, a landslide at the base of the South Sawyer Glacier in the Tracy Arm Fjord splashed into the water below and sent a more than quarter-mile-tall wave crashing into the opposite mountain wall and out of the fjord.

No ships were inside, and no injuries or deaths were reported. The only loss was some swept-away equipment belonging to kayakers who were camping nearby.

But the landslide caused instability that will leave the fjord dangerous 'for years,' according to the US Geological Survey.

'Continued rockfall and smaller-scale landslide events from the exposed landslide scar are expected and could impact the water, potentially causing future local tsunami. As such, this area remains hazardous,' the federal agency said in a public statement.

Heeding the warning, most major cruise lines have chosen an alternative destination for their glacier-viewing tours this year - Endicott Arm Fjord, which features Dawes Glacier.

The new location is right next to Tracy Arm, and they are about 50 miles south of Alaska's capital, Juneau.

Although the fjords are right next to each other, cruise lines traditionally visit Tracy Arm because it 'is the majestic princess, you know, she is the queen of fjords,' travel agent Nate Vallier told the AP.

Tracy Arm Fjord is pictured a few days after a landslide last summer caused a tsunami and left the area unstable and potentially dangerous for years to come

The landslide occurred near the base of South Sawyer Glacier and caused a more than quarter-mile wave to crash into the mountain wall

The US Geological Survey has warned that the fjord is hazardous, causing at least seven major cruise lines to change their itineraries in the area this year. A group is pictured viewing South Sawyer Glacier in 2019

Endicott Arm is 'still beautiful by any means, but its just not the same,' Vallier added.

Tracy Arm has a narrower waterway and features two glaciers, North and South Sawyer, as opposed to Endicott Arm's single glacier.

The cruise lines that have decided to change their routes include Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages, MSC, Oceania, Holland America Line and Windstar.

But some lines, such as National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, have not adjusted their itineraries.

A spokesperson for the company told Travel Weekly: 'We are currently monitoring conditions but have no plans to deviate from current calls at this time.'

Gabriel Wolken, manager of Alaska's climate and ice hazards program, told the AP that landslides in Alaskan fjords are relatively common, but the slope in Tracy Arm that failed last summer had not been identified as a hazard.

He added that scientists are still working to determine what caused the landslide and whether there are any other imminent risks in the fjord.

The itinerary changes were announced as the glacier-viewing tour season approaches.

Join the discussion Should cruise lines risk stunning but unstable fjords, or always put safety over scenery?

Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages, MSC, Oceania, Holland America Line and Windstar have all changed their glacier-viewing routes. A Norwegian Cruise Line ship is pictured

All the cruise lines that have decided to change their itineraries will visit neighboring Endicott Arm Fjord. Tracy Arm is generally considered to be more popular and beautiful. Tourists are pictured visiting Tracy Arm in 1994

The first ships are expected to leave Seattle soon and are due in Ketchikan, which is near the southern tip of Alaska, on April 21. They are expected to arrive in Juneau the following week.

Many people who book glacier-viewing tours are first-time visitors, so they may not mind the route change because 'they don't really know they're having a different experience,' travel advisor Nancy Winter told Travel Weekly.

But Vallier, the travel agent, told the AP he would have liked the cruise lines to have given a more advanced notice of the itinerary swap to their customers.

He said that seeing a calving glacier, which is a kind of glacier that creaks, crackles and has chunks of ice up to 200 feet tall split off and tumble into the water, is what has made Tracy Arm so popular.
The man accused of stabbing a film student to death on Primrose Hill told a court today: 'I didn't kill anybody.'

Oluwadamilola Ogunyankinnu, who is pictured for the first time, raised his hands in the air and made the claim as he stood in the dock at Stratford Magistrates' Court in east London on Monday.

Ogunyankinnu is charged with murdering 21-year-old Finbar Sullivan who died after the alleged attack last Tuesday.

The 27-year-old defendant, of Enfield in north London, spoke to confirm his name, address and date of birth.

He was not asked to enter any plea to the charge of murder. But he then put his hands together and asked if he could address the court.

He said: 'I didn't kill anybody. I didn't stab anybody. Police got the wrong person.'

Ogunyankinnu was remanded in custody by district judge Ashwinder Gill. He will next appear at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.

A court sketch of Oluwadamilola Ogunyankinnu as he appeared at Stratford Magistrates' Court today

Oluwadamilola Ogunyankinnu is today pictured for the first time

Finbar Sullivan, 21, studied at the London Screen Academy and produced music videos for drill rap artists under the name Sully Shot It

The district judge told him: 'Your case is too serious to be held at this court.'

Ogunyankinnu was arrested on Friday and charged with murder on Sunday.

A 25-year-old who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was released with no further action.

Film student Finbar was stabbed to death when a fight broke out in front of shocked crowds at the beauty spot in north London on Tuesday afternoon.

Several tributes have been placed by wellwishers, including customised T-shirts featuring the victim's face and his nickname, Sully.

His father, Christopher Sullivan, founder of 1980s band Blue Rondo a la Turk, said his son was trying out a new camera when he was attacked.

The grieving father previously told the Mail: 'This is the worst tragedy I could ever imagine. He's my only son... I had him when I was 45. He can never be replaced.'

Mr Sullivan, 65, who also set up Soho's infamous Wag Club in the 1980s, described Finbar as a 'middle-class kid with long hair' who lived with him in a 1million flat in Maida Vale.

He said: 'I'm so broken-hearted, I can't believe it. He was the most beautiful, lovely, outgoing, loving boy. He was just a really lovely person. And why he was targeted, we have no idea.

'He'd just bought a new camera, we all chipped in for his 21st birthday, and he took it up there to do a bit of filming.'

Finbar, centre, with his mother Leah Seresin and father Chris Sullivan

Videos from Primrose Hill at the time appeared to show groups of men fighting.

One witness, who asked not to be named, said: 'The park was just so busy, I had gone with my mate after work and it was literally the busiest I have ever seen it because of the weather and it being Easter holidays.

'Then suddenly we heard this commotion from behind us, and a big brawl kicked off  people were throwing punches, people were screaming at others to stop.

'There were lots of people involved in the fight, most of them looked about 18 or 19.'

Mr Sullivan said he went to the scene as soon as he heard his son had been caught up in the violence: 'I got the call at about six that he'd been stabbed, so I rushed up there.

'I wasn't allowed in because it was a crime scene, and by that point he'd had 20 minutes of CPR. He'd obviously died.

'It's Primrose Hill, for God's sake... it's like Hyde Park. It's not somewhere you expect this.'

Finbar's grandfather Mr Seresin is a celebrated cinematographer who worked on Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban, the film adaptation of Angela's Ashes and on 1987's Angel Heart which featured Robert De Niro and Mickey Rourke.

Mr Seresin also runs the Seresin wine estate in New Zealand, which counts Finbar's mother Leah as a brand ambassador.

She had described him in a post on his birthday last year as 'this gift' and 'my darling Finbar', saying: 'Love you to the moon and back.'

Several bunches of flowers, cards and T-shirts have been placed in memory of the victim

A yellow forensic tent at the scene in Primrose Hill

The Wag Club, famed for its hedonism, was founded by Mr Sullivan in 1982 and became a favoured haunt for stars including David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Brad Pitt and Stevie Wonder.

Finbar, who went to Acland Burghley School in Tufnell Park and studied at the London Screen Academy, followed his family into the arts, primarily producing music videos for drill rap artists under the name Sully Shot It.

Despite the drill music scene's long association with gang violence, Mr Sullivan insisted his son was not associated with any gang members.

'He was just a little groovy 21-year-old who loved movies and making films,' he said.

'He didn't drink, he didn't smoke, he didn't go out.

'He'd stay at home editing his films six nights a week. He wanted to follow in his [grandfather's footsteps] and be a cameraman.

'He was a studious kid who just loved movies and making films. He recently did a video for Joseph Corre, Vivienne Westwood's son.

'We were just about to start a company together... he was going to do his showreel today with me. And now he's dead.

'His friend was stabbed in the back and hands trying to protect him. My son always tried to stand up for people.'

Detective Inspector Andy Griffin, from Scotland Yard, said: 'We are following several lines of inquiry. This incident occurred in a busy, public park and there may be many witnesses who can help us piece together what happened.

'We are aware of footage circulating on social media around the time of the incident, and urge anyone who has any information, including photos or videos, which could support the investigation to urgently contact us.'
God bless Donald Trump. He may be mad, bad and dangerous to know, but on one issue he is triumphantly right.

Having seesawed over several months, the US President opposes the British Governments plan to give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Sir Keir Starmer had agreed to pay at least 35 billion for a 99-year lease on the main island, Diego Garcia, which we already own.

The Americans maintain a crucially important Indian Ocean base on Diego Garcia. Trump can see that a lease isnt a solid arrangement. It could be rescinded or varied by Mauritius, an ally of China.

For Starmer, Trumps veto (which he is entitled to exercise under a 50-year-old Anglo-American agreement) represents the biggest humiliation of his error-strewn prime ministership.

Starmer was determined to do the deal, which the Government bizarrely described as vital to British interests. He tried to sweet-talk Trump while concealing the enormous cost from Parliament.

But during Americas onslaught on Iran the President has grown increasingly irritated with the occupant of No 10. According to Lord McDonald, a former head of the Foreign Office, the deal has been put in the deep freeze.

Wonderful news. The trouble is that what is frozen can be defrosted. We shouldnt assume that Starmers foolish, wildly unpopular and ruinously expensive agreement with Mauritius is permanently dead.

The mercurial Donald Trump might change his mind again, and decide that America can live with a 99-year arrangement on Diego Garcia after all. In that case, Starmer would instantly retrieve the deal from the deep freeze.

Donald Trump can see that the 35billion lease Keir Starmer agreed to pay Mauritius isnt a solid arrangement. (Pictured during a summit on Gaza in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in 2025)

Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Chagos, is home to a crucially important military base in the Indian Ocean, shared jointly by the UK and US

Meanwhile an incandescent Mauritian government is certain to bring legal action against Britain to get its hands on the money Starmer so recklessly promised.

It had planned to use the proceeds to remove 80 per cent of its population from income tax, while eyeing up lucrative contracts with India to look for minerals in the Chagos Islands.

A wholly misguided bonanza has been abruptly withdrawn. Starmer  or his successor as prime minister  could buckle as the Mauritians mount their legal case. I wouldnt rule out the Government offering hefty compensation.

Why? That is the question. Why was Starmer determined to pay so much money for islands legally acquired by a Labour government in 1965 for 3 million when Mauritius became independent?

The answer to that question takes us deep into the mind of modern Labour. What we find is incredible naivety combined with moral smugness and a reverence for international law. Add a penchant for wasting public money and  hey presto  you have the disastrous deal Starmer proposed.

In this he was helped by his old friend, Attorney General Lord Hermer, who reaches for his well-thumbed books on international law before considering British interests  if he does so at all.

Starmer was also aided by national security adviser Jonathan Powell who, like Starmer and Hermer, believes that anything the British state did before the emergence of New Labour in 1997 should be automatically questioned.

The views they hold  that the British Empire was always at fault and that colonies such as Mauritius were invariably oppressed  are shared by thousands of bien pensant people in the choicer parts of North London. They are ubiquitous in the Foreign Office itself.

Attorney General Lord Hermer is representative of modern Labour, says Glover, what we find is incredible naivety combined with moral smugness and a reverence for international law

A sensible person would get out a map and observe that the Chagos Islands are nearly 1,300 miles from Mauritius. Such a person with a knowledge of history would also know that the islands never belonged to Mauritius, and were lumped together with the distant colony for administrative purposes.

And a sensible person wouldnt cave in and accept the verdict of an international court that was at least partly motivated by anti-colonial sentiments.

This is what happened in 2019, when the International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled by 13 votes to one that the British occupation of the Chagos Islands was illegal.

The President of the court was a Somali judge. His deputy was Chinese. Both countries are of course famed for the independence of their judiciary, while their respect for the rule of law is legendary.

There was a Russian judge on the panel who voted that Britain should give up the Chagos Islands. Included among those who took the same view were judges from Jamaica, Uganda, Morocco and Brazil  countries which, as former colonies, are liable to side with Mauritius.

By an amusing quirk, a judge from Lebanon, Nawaf Salam, is now prime minister of that country, currently being bombed by Israel. No doubt he was a distinguished jurist but perhaps not one who would rush to defend Britain, a former colonial power. The sole judge who did so was American.

Our rulers could have politely questioned the objectivity of this court. They could have in any case disregarded its judgment, which was merely advisory.

Instead, guided by the Foreign Office, which is ever eager to bend the knee, they took the court seriously. First the Tories danced around the ruling in a friendly way, though without accepting it. Then arch chump Keir Starmer blundered onto the stage, and the rest is history.

The aforementioned Lord McDonald of the Foreign Office told the BBC on Saturday that the UK has always defined itself as a country which respects, upholds international law. But what if that law flies in the face of common sense and is promulgated by a biased court?

There is another aspect to this case which may be even more shaming  namely the complete reluctance of either the Mauritian or British governments to show any concern for the original inhabitants of the Chagos Islands.

After the British struck a deal with Mauritius in the 1960s they did one bad thing. About 1,500 Chagossians were removed from their homeland. Many of their descendants live in Britain, and some of them would like to return to the islands.

This is feasible in the outer islands, according to informed studies, though not on Diego Garcia itself. But neither the British nor Mauritian governments have shown the slightest interest in repatriating those Chagossians who do want to go back. To his credit, Nigel Farage has championed their cause.

Starmer is keen to be seen doing the right thing, which in his view is tearing up a colonial-era agreement and showering the Mauritian government (which, by the way, has in recent times been corrupt) with untold billions of pounds of our money.

But actually he is interested only in fulfilling what he believes are the dictates of international law. As so often, he is up a gumtree. The only obligation Britain has is a moral one, which is to help Chagossians return to their islands.

When the chips are down Starmer doesnt care  or he doesnt care about the right things. He wants to side with the anti-colonial brigade in the belief that such an association makes him look virtuous. Maybe around the dinner tables of North London, but not throughout the British nation.

For now, at least, Trump has scuppered his plan. Let us rejoice about that. It is a huge blow to Starmer. But he will still try to pull off this foolish, damaging deal if he can. Take it out of the deep freeze, and dump it for ever in the bin.
The Prime Minister has been told by Labour MPs to jettison his deal to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The plan was to transfer sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago, while maintaining control of the US-UK Diego Garcia military base on a lease agreement for 99 years at an average cost of 101million per year.

The proposal was initially supported by Donald Trump, but the US President changed his stance in January after warning it was an 'act of great stupidity'.

While it has already been confirmed that the plans will not appear in the King's Speech, there is now pressure from the Labour backbenches to kill off the deal entirely, it is reported.

That would represent an additional blow for Keir Starmer, who has already faced a chorus of mockery for pausing the surrender of the Chagos Islands in the wake of deteriorating relations with Donald Trump and his White House team.

Dan Carden, MP for Liverpool Walton and leader of the Blue Labour parliamentary caucus, said: 'It's clear the US administration doesn't support the Chagos deal, and the government should make the best of a bad situation and finally drop it.'

Graham Stringer, MP for Blackley & Middleton South in Greater Manchester, who has previously spoken out on Government plans to put asylum seekers in new council homes, added: 'The government should ditch this financially and militarily unjustifiable policy.

'Hanging on will just lead to further embarrassment for our country.'

The controversial handover of the Chagos Islands, which had been expected to feature in May's King's Speech, has been delayed indefinitely after the US withdrew its backing. Pictured: An aerial image of Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago

Keir Starmer (pictured) faced a chorus of mockery for abandoning the surrender of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in the face of deteriorating relations with the Trump administration

It is believed that other Labour backbenchers are of the same opinion and have urged Sir Keir to drop the policy.

There is reportedly widespread concern that the policy is a vote-loser at a time when the Labour Party already faces a potential wipeout in the upcoming May local council elections.

The Government's much-scrutinised decision to cede Chagos was intended to secure the long-term security of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia - the biggest island in the archipelago.

Officials concluded that without handing over the territory to Mauritius, the military site's future would be 'inoperable' due to a series of legal rulings.

Mauritius' claim to Chagos, which are 5,799 miles (9,332km) south-east of the UK, is based on a number of United Nations judgments which focus on the illegality of separating the islands from Mauritius when it was still a British colony.

In 2019 that legal position was firmed-up by an 'advisory opinion' by the UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ), later cemented by a ruling of the Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

With the possibility of these rulings becoming legally binding in the near-future, the Government decided that retaining the Chagos Islands posed a larger threat to UK security than ceding the territory - minus the crucial Diego Garcia base.

Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs on May 22, 2025: 'Without this deal, within weeks, we could face losing legal rulings and within just a few years the base would become inoperable.'

The Prime Minister was left with little choice but to jettison the plans to cede Chagos to Mauritius after Donald Trump's (pictured) about-turn - having once supported the proposals, the US President warned in January it was an 'act of great stupidity'

Mr Trump, once supportive of the deal which would see the UK pay up to 101million a year to lease Diego Garcia, changed his mind after relations soured between the two allies over the Middle East.

In recent weeks, after Sir Keir refused allow US forces to use Diego Garcia or any UK airbases for the initial raids on Iran due to doubts about the legality of the strikes, the US President said he was 'very disappointed' by the 'very woke thing'.

The former head of the diplomatic service said on Saturday that the Prime Minister had 'no choice' but to abandon his plan to hand over the Chagos Islands in the face of an 'openly hostile' Mr Trump.

Simon McDonald, who was in charge at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office when the UK was advised to hand back the Indian Ocean island archipelago to Mauritius, said the plans would now go 'into the deep freeze'.

Lord McDonald said: 'The UK had two objectives. One was to comply with international law. The second was to reinforce the relationship with the United States.

'But when the President of the United States is openly hostile, the Government has to rethink.'

However, despite hostility to the Chagos plans from within the Labour ranks, ministers such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting insist the proposals have not been ditched and say that a deal could still be resurrected.

Mauritian Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful has pledged to 'spare no effort' to regain control of the islands, after Starmer's decision to shelve the legislation.

'We will spare no effort to seize any diplomatic or legal avenue to complete the decolonisation process,' he told a conference this week.
Potholes are threatening the delivery of urgent medical supplies like overnight blood donations, charities have warned.

Volunteers riders at regional charities such as Severn Freewheelers are battling dangerous roads during nighttime distributions of emergency supplies on their motorbikes.

Simon Grover, 60, fundraising manager for Severn Freewheelers, a volunteer group which covers north Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire, said five of the charity's bikes had each sustained 1,000 of damage since January. They would usually expect one or two across a typical year.

The state of the nation's roads is putting the vital service, which is no cost to the NHS, under threat, as they struggle to fund the repairs themselves caused by the increasing numbers of potholes.

The unpaid volunteers spoke out and wrote to councils to fix the potholes, after the chair of the British Medical Association argued in an interview that government money should not be spent on potholes but on public health.

Blood bike volunteers had strongly disagreed with the chair, Jack Fletcher, who said: 'If you aren't spending your money on health then you have your priorities wrong. If you are spending it on potholes when the population is ill and sick, what are you doing?'

Simon Grover said: 'You see people now swerving around the roads and when you are down a country lane delivering medicines in the dark you get walloped when you hit one of these buggers.

Blood bike volunteers are struggling to pay for the repairs to their vehicles - which are being hit by more and more potholes

At the start of this month, Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch was pictured smoothing out the roads in the West Midlands as part of her campaign trail for the local elections

'I have written to the councils and they are all saying it's funding, it's underinvestment over the last 15 years and they are cash-strapped.'

Two groups are broadly responsible for the nation's roads - the National Highways, which are responsible for 4,500 miles of motorways and A-roads, and 154 local authorities in England who are responsible for the rest of the 183,000 miles of roads.

The annual report by the Asphalt Industry Alliance last year found that one in six miles of the local road network had less than five years of structural life remaining.

It also estimated the cost of repairing all of the pothole-ridden roads across the nation to be a staggering 17billion, and it would take over a decade to carry out.

At the start of this month, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch launched a National Pothole Patrol plan, claiming Britain's roads had reached 'breaking point' under Labour.

According to the Tories, the scheme - incorporating hundreds of modern, specialist road-repair machines - would be financed through savings made in the party's 47bn savings plan.
Iran's nuclear program has remained resilient in the face of repeated US and Israeli strikes, with experts warning that Tehran still possesses the capability to produce bombs.

Vice President JD Vance has identified Iran's nuclear ambitions as the 'critical flashpoint' behind the collapse of 21hour emergency talks in Islamabad.

Addressing the diplomatic stalemate on Sunday, Vance cited Tehran's atomic program as the core dispute that prevented an agreement between the two sides during the negotiations in Pakistan.

He said: 'The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon and that they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon.'

Despite two intensive rounds of military action aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear infrastructure, US and Israeli officials face a grim reality as the strikes have failed to deliver a knockout blow.

While recent precision raids successfully levelled research labs and warhead development facilities, along with a key site used to produce 'yellowcake' uranium, experts warn that the heart of the program remains intact.

Intelligence suggests that Iran likely retains functional centrifuges and a fortified underground enrichment site designed to withstand aerial bombardment.

Donald Trump declared a 'total and complete victory' as the US agreed a twoweek ceasefire with Iran on Wednesday

JD Vance has singled out Tehran's nuclear drive as the 'primary catalyst' for the breakdown of 21hour negotiations in Islamabad

Most critically, the UN's atomic watchdog has confirmed that Tehran still holds a stockpile of nearly 1,000 pounds of nearweaponsgrade uranium, half of which is reportedly concealed in caskets deep within a tunnel network at the Isfahan nuclear facility.

Eric Brewer, a former White House official who worked on Iran during the first Trump administration, said: 'Iran is not going to trade those away easily. Its demands are going to be higher than they were during talks in February for surrendering the material.'

President Trump considered a highstakes military operation to seize Iran's enriched uranium stockpile during recent hostilities, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal.

However, officials warn that such a mission would be 'extraordinarily complex and dangerous'.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the removal of Iran's highly enriched uranium remains the 'top priority' for US negotiators.

Republicans also now fear they will pay at the midterms as the US remains embroiled in a foreign conflict that Mr Trump promised he would avoid.

While the fissile material is currently being monitored via satellite, with no signs of movement since last June, the diplomatic window remains precarious.

With a twoweek window for diplomacy currently in effect, it remains unclear if talks in Islamabad will resume or if either side will pivot back to the military conflict that paused last Tuesday.

Mojtaba Khamenei, a hardline cleric viewed as being even more of an extremist than his father, was installed by the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

A satellite image shows smoke rising over Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's compound in Tehran after USIsraeli strikes took him out

Any lasting deal must not only neutralise the nuclear threat but also address Tehran's leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that allows Iran to 'squeeze the global economy'.

During the 12Day War in 2025 the US deployed Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs against the Fordow and Natanz enrichment sites, while Tomahawk missiles struck the Isfahan complex.

In the recent fiveweek conflict, US forces focused on neutralising Iran's missile stockpiles and launchers to lower the 'cost' of future strikes.

Simultaneously, Israel targeted the 'brains' of the operation, striking labs, a university, and the Parchin military site, while reportedly targeting nuclear scientists.

Despite the bombardment, experts warn that Iran's nuclear heart may still be beating.

Tehran likely retains its centrifuges and its critical uranium stockpile, much of it hidden in a fortified tunnel complex at Pickaxe Mountain near Natanz, which may be deep enough to withstand even the most powerful US bunkerbusters.

They continue to maintain its program is for peaceful purposes, though it previously offered to dilute its 60 per cent enriched uranium to 20 per cent, a move US officials view with scepticism, as the jump to weaponsgrade material remains dangerously short.

While the US and Israel have achieved deep intelligence penetration, the technical expertise required to mould fissile material into a functional warhead remains the final, invisible hurdle in Tehran's decadeslong nuclear ambition.
With less than a month until the election, the polls are striking. Despite a mountain of missed targets and scandals, the SNP is comfortably in the lead. One survey this week put the party 24 points ahead and set to win 63 MSPs.

The extreme Scottish Greens, astonishingly, were forecast to come second. That is a nerve-wracking state of affairs.

For if John Swinney wins 65 seats to achieve an SNP majority, the next parliament will be plunged into another constitutional quagmire. Economists have issued increasingly desperate appeals to our politicians to address the immediate crisis facing Holyrood after the election  a 5billion budget black hole.

But if the SNP wins outright, or turns again to the Greens for support, then that looming disaster will be ignored in favour of Nationalist politicking.

Unable to confront and correct his own record, unwilling to moderate his spending to fix the public finances, Mr Swinney will retreat to his comfort zone and bawl for a referendum.

Many of our readers will vote according to long-held party allegiances, as is their right. Voting tactically for the party most likely to defeat the SNP will be unpalatable to some.

Supporters of the Union have the chance to make their voice heard

But supporters of the Union have a higher cause to consider. That is why the Mail is publishing a comprehensive guide to how pro-UK voters can stop another SNP victory next month.

It sets out the best-placed pro-Union candidate in each of Scotlands 73 constituencies.

Produced in conjunction with the Scotland in Union campaign group,it is based on past election history, demographic data, opinion poll research and specific local knowledge.

Scotland in Union did not make a recommendation for the regional list and is instead backing voters to simply opt for their preferred pro-Union party on the peach-coloured ballot paper.

An estimated two in five voters are open to tactical voting  and thanks to our invaluable interactive guide, they will know exactly how to make that vote count.

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HIGHLANDS AND ISLANDS

Argyll and Bute

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 8,963

Second-placed 2021: Conservative

In the last election, the SNP easily retained this constituency with 49.5 per cent of all votes, with the Tories and Lib Dems almost neck-and-neck in second place.

Against the backdrop of huge unrest about the ferries fiasco, incumbent SNP candidate Jenni Minto could face a genuine threat.

This seat has only ever been held by the SNP or the Lib Dems and there is evidence of a resurgence by the Lib Dems in this area, which gives former MP Alan Reid the chance of a scalp.

Tactical vote: Lib Dem

Caithness, Sutherland and Ross

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 2,591

Second-placed 2021: Lib Dems

First elected in 2016 as a list MSP and then to this constituency in 2021, Maree Todd is regarded as one of the SNPs least impressive ministerial performers.

Earlier this month, the Minister for Drugs & Alcohol Policy demonstrated to constituents how tone deaf she is with an ill-advised April Fools joke about ferry services at a time of huge disruption for families because of cancellations.

The Lib Dems are the main rival to the SNP here, and their highly regarded candidate David Green, a close aide of the late Charles Kennedy, will believe he can achieve the modest swing required to snatch the seat back.

Tactical vote: Lib Dem

Inverness and Nairn

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 9,114

Second-placed 2021: Conservative

This seat has been an SNP stronghold with Fergus Ewing representing it and its predecessor constituency since Holyrood was created.

But he threw a grenade into this campaign by opting to stand as an independent after becoming an arch critic of the SNPs coalition agreement with the Greens, lack of progress on A9 and A96 dualling and the approach to single-sex spaces for women.

Tory Edward Mountain was second in 2021 but he is standing down, and the Lib Dems established themselves as the SNPs closest rival when Angus MacDonald won the corresponding Westminster seat in 2024, meaning Lib Dem Neil Alexander looks best placed to defeat the SNPs Emma Roddick.

Tactical vote: Lib Dem

Moray

Incumbent party: SNP

Majority: 3,164

Second-placed 2021: Conservative

Long-serving Nationalist MSP Richard Lochhead narrowly held this seat in 2021 against a strong showing by Tory Tim Eagle but he is standing down at this election and that means the Tories have a strong chance of snatching the seat back.

Firmly established as the SNPs main rival since Douglas Ross defeated then SNP Westminster leader Angus Robertson in the corresponding Westminster seat at the 2017 general election, Mr Eagle will seek to unite pro-Union voters to beat the SNPs Laura Mitchell.

Tactical vote: Conservative

Western Isles (Na h-Eileanan an Iar)

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 3,441

Second-placed 2021: Labour

This has previously been a Nationalist stronghold but recent elections indicate a resurgent Labour threatens that dominance.

In 2021, Labour secured second place and then snatched the Westminster Western Isles constituency in 2024 with a mammoth swing which saw Torcuil Crichton secure 49.5 per cent of the vote, a result that Lewis activist Donald MacKinnon will look to replicate in order to defeat Alasdair Allan.

Tactical vote: Labour

Orkney Islands

Incumbent: Lib Dem

Majority: 3,869

Second-placed 2021: SNP

He has served the Orkney Islands for nearly two decades and likeable Lib Dem Liam McArthur will look to see off any prospects of the SNP pulling off a shock. In 2021, he secured an astonishing 62 per cent of the vote, which was more than double the SNP vote.

Tactical vote: Lib Dem

Shetland Islands

Incumbent: Lib Dem

Majority: 806

Second-placed 2021: SNP

Scotlands northernmost constituency has been a Lib Dem seat since the establishment of the Scottish parliament in 1999 but Tavish Scotts decision to stand down in 2021 led to an extremely closely fought battle with the SNP last time round, with Beatrice Wishart narrowly holding on despite her vote declining by 19 per cent while the SNPs soared by the same amount.

Since then, Alistair Carmichael comfortably held the Westminster seat of Orkney and Shetland in 2024, which will give Lib Dem candidate Emma Macdonald, currently leader of Shetland Islands Council, confidence she can hold off Nationalist Hannah Goodlad.

Tactical vote: Lib Dem

Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 15,861

Second-placed 2021: Conservative

Kate Forbes seemed more popular with voters in this constituency than she was with a large section of her own party, and managed to increase her vote share in 2021 to 56 per cent for a massive 15,861 majority over Tory Jamie Halcro Johnston.

But the Deputy First Minister is standing down with Eilidh Munro taking her place.

The Lib Dems won the Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire seat, which overlaps part of this constituency, in 2024 and also comfortably won a recent local council by-election in Fort William and Ardnamurchan, making Lib Dem Andrew Baxter the best-placed pro-Union rival to the SNP.

Tactical vote: Lib Dem

WEST SCOTLAND

Clydebank and Milngavie

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 5,274

Second-placed 2021: Labour

Five years ago, the SNPs Marie McNair was elected with a sizeable majority of 5,274 after securing 47 per cent of the vote.

However, there were signs to concern the SNP, with its vote share declining by two percentage points while Labours soared by 10 percentage points, putting it firmly in second place.

Labours Callum McNally, has a good chance of challenging the SNP  as long as pro-Union voters unite and are not tempted to back Reform UKs candidate, which would boost the SNPs prospects of holding onto the seat.

Tactical vote: Labour

Cunninghame North

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 7,776

Second-placed 2021: Conservative

This was a comfortable hold for the SNPs Kenneth Gibson in 2021, with Tory Jamie Greene in second place.

The latter has deserted both the Conservatives and this constituency following his defection to the Liberal Democrats.

Labour were third in 2021 but their candidate, Labour staffer Matthew McGowan looks best placed to challenge the SNP, particularly following the success of his boss, Irene Campbell, in the nearby Westminster constituency of North Ayrshire and Arran at the 2024 general election.

Tactical vote: Labour

Cunninghame South

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 7,952

Second-placed 2021: Labour

Ruth Maguire won this seat in 2021 with more than double the number of votes than her Labour rival in second place.

Boundary changes, together with a strong performance in overlapping Westminster seats in 2024, will boost the prospects of Labour, which is represented by former MP and current MSP Katy Clark.

With Ms Maguire standing down, the SNP will be represented by the controversial former MP Patricia Gibson. If successful, it would mean both Cunninghame seats could be represented by a husband and wife.

Tactical vote: Labour

Dumbarton

Incumbent: Labour

Majority: 1,483

Second-placed 2021: SNP

When it comes to pro-Union tactical voting, few do it better than the constituents of Dumbarton.

Scottish Labours deputy leader Jackie Baillie has been representing this constituency, which includes the Faslane naval base, since the formation of the Scottish parliament and always appeals strongly to supporters of other pro-Union parties to lend her their votes.

The SNP threw everything at the seat in 2021 and came up narrowly short by just 1,483 votes and the Nationalists will push hard again with local councillor Sophie Traynor.

Any significant support for Reform UK in this seat could be enough to make it swing to the SNP.

Tactical vote: Labour

Eastwood

Incumbent: Conservative

Majority: 2,216

Second-placed: SNP

The seat with Scotlands largest Jewish population has been by represented by Jackson Carlaw since 2016, having been a regional MSP prior to that.

While Labour might put up an argument for standing a chance in the seat, especially since it won the neighbouring Westminster seat of East Renfrewshire in 2024, Mr Carlaws strong local reputation marks him out as the clear candidate for pro-Union voters to rally around to defeat the SNP, which is heavily targeting the seat through its candidate, the former MP Kirsten Oswald.

Tactical vote: Conservative

Inverclyde

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 8,174

Second-placed: Labour

Another seat that has been heavily impacted by boundary changes, the SNPs Stuart McMillan comfortably won the predecessor seat of Greenock and Inverclyde in 2021.

Labours Francesca Brennan is again Mr McMillans clear closest rival  and pro-Union voters are strongly advised to resist backing other high-profile candidates in the seat, Reform UKs Scottish leader Lord Malcolm Offord and the Liberal Democrats Jamie Greene, as they could make it easier for the SNP to hold it.

Tactical vote: Labour

Paisley

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 6,075

Second-placed 2021: Labour

Labours Neil Bibby is seeking to oust long-serving Paisley MSP George Adam, a former SNP minister.

He failed to eat into Mr Adams majority in the constituency in 2021 but established himself as the clear rival to the SNP and Labour will be heavily targeting the seat after securing successes in the two overlapping Westminster constituencies in the 2024 general election.

Tactical vote: Labour

Renfrewshire North and Cardonald

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 7,307

Second-placed: Labour

A SPLIT pro-Union vote in 2021 helped the SNP win the old seat of Renfrewshire North and West with a majority of more than 7,000 last time round with Natalie Don-Innes securing 46 per cent of the vote, ahead of Labour on 27 per cent and the Tories on 23 per cent.

Now a new seat due to boundary changes, Labours Mike McKirdy looks best placed to take on the SNPs Michelle Campbell after his partys successes in neighbouring Westminster constituencies two years ago at the General Election.

Tactical vote: Labour

Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 7,106

Second-placed: Labour

A constituency which has undergone significant boundary changes since 2021, when the SNPs Tom Arthur held Renfrewshire South with a 20-point lead over Labour.

The Tories were a distant third with half of Labours votes, and their voters could help defeat the SNP by backing Labours Paul OKane on the constituency vote, while supporting the Tories on the regional list.

Tactical vote: Labour

Strathkelvin and Bearsden

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 11,484

Second-placed: Conservative

Another constituency where more voters supported pro-Union candidates than Nationalists in 2021, yet the SNPs Rona Mackay secured the seat with an 11,000-plus majority.

In 2021, the SNP were on 45 per cent, followed by the Tories on 21 per cent, Labour 18 per cent and Lib Dems 14 per cent. Scotland in Union is recommending pro-Union voters back Lib Dem candidate Adam Harley this time, particularly since Lib Dem Susan Murray gained the Westminster seat of Mid Dunbartonshire from the SNP with a majority of more than 10,000 in 2024 following a huge swing.

Tactical vote: Lib Dem
The article outlines clear steps to protect safety, insurance claims, and legal rights after a Delaware car crash.

WILMINGTON, Del., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- What steps should drivers take immediately after a Delaware car accident to protect their health and financial security? HelloNation provides the answer in a HelloNation article featuring insights from Trial Attorney Keith E. Donovan of Morris James LLP in Wilmington, Delaware.

Spokesperson - Morris James LLP Speed Speed

The HelloNation article explains that safety must always come first after a Delaware car crash. Drivers who are able should move their vehicles out of traffic and activate hazard lights to reduce the risk of further collisions. Remaining at the scene is essential, even in minor incidents, because leaving can result in serious legal consequences.

The article stresses the importance of checking for injuries and seeking prompt medical evaluation. Some injuries may not appear immediately, and delaying care can worsen health outcomes. Early medical evaluation also creates documentation that may be important for an insurance claim.

Calling law enforcement is another critical step discussed in the article. Police officers document vehicle damage, injuries, and statements from those involved. The article notes that this official report can support insurance claims and help resolve disputes tied to a Delaware car accident.

When speaking with authorities, the article advises drivers to provide clear and factual information. Avoiding guesses about fault or speculation about what caused the crash is important. Accurate reporting can influence both insurance claim outcomes and future legal guidance.

Thorough accident documentation is also emphasized. The article recommends taking photographs of all vehicles, license plates, road conditions, skid marks, and nearby traffic signs. This evidence may help clarify what occurred during a Delaware car crash and can be valuable if accounts later change.

Drivers should exchange contact and insurance information with all parties involved. Gathering names, phone numbers, and policy details supports a smoother insurance claim process. Witness contact information and brief statements can further strengthen accident documentation if disagreements arise.

The HelloNation article also cautions against admitting fault at the scene. Even informal comments may affect insurance settlements or legal outcomes. Sticking to factual descriptions about when and where the accident happened helps protect legal rights.

When reporting the incident to an insurance company, the article advises providing accurate and complete details without speculation. Drivers should include information about property damage, injuries, and related expenses. Keeping receipts for medical bills, vehicle repairs, and rental cars ensures the insurance claim is properly supported.

Legal guidance may be especially helpful when injuries or significant damage are involved. The article explains that consulting a qualified attorney can clarify car accident procedures and protect financial interests. Seeking legal guidance before signing documents or providing recorded statements may prevent unintentional admissions that could affect a claim.

Prompt follow-up medical evaluation remains a key theme throughout the piece. Even minor injuries deserve professional attention. Organized medical records, provider notes, and billing statements help support both recovery and any related insurance claim.

The article concludes that understanding proper car accident procedures after a Delaware car accident can reduce confusion and prevent costly mistakes. Careful documentation, calm communication, and timely professional support all play a meaningful role in protecting health and legal rights.

What to Do After a Car Accident in Delaware features insights from Keith E. Donovan, Trial Attorney of Wilmington, Delaware, in HelloNation.

About HelloNation

HelloNation is a premier media platform that connects readers with trusted professionals and businesses across various industries. Through its innovative "edvertising" approach that blends educational content and storytelling, HelloNation delivers expert-driven articles that inform, inspire, and empower. Covering topics from home improvement and health to business strategy and lifestyle, HelloNation highlights leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities.

SOURCE HelloNation
A rattled John Swinney was savaged over the SNPs dismal record on the NHS on live TV last night.

In the first leaders debate of the election, the First Minister was hammered by audience members over the state of the health service after 19 years of the SNP.

One accused the Nationalists of creating a two-tier system in which patients were forced to raid savings to pay for urgent care to avoid mammoth waiting lists.

After he tried to boast about rising GP numbers, host Stephen Jardine reminded him the SNP was so far behind on its recruitment target it would take until 2050 to meet it.

Youve been in power for 20 years, take some responsibility for once, Anas Sarwar told him.

The SNP leader was also accused of arrogance after appearing to suggest his victory was assured in May.

He told the Scottish Labour leader: Im very proud to be here, and I look forward to being here for a lot longer, Anas, when I defeat you on the 7th of May.

Mr Sarwar snapped back: Thats arrogance, John. People across the country will decide. You dont decide who wins the election. The people of the country do.

John Swinney was rattled by numerous questions about the SNP's record on the NHS

But it was the NHS which most animated the audience at the BBC Debate Night Leaders Special form Paisley Town Hall.

One elderly man in the audience told Mr Swinney: The reality is that the Scottish Nationalist government has driven us towards a two-tier health system.

In the last three weeks, I know of someone who was 83rd in the list of seeing a doctor in accident and emergency and had to wait 10 hours to be seen.

I know someone whos waited for over two and a half years to get an audiology test [being] driven to paying 1,800 to buy from a High Street store.

Within four days, they had their hearing aids.

The Scottish Nationalist party have extended the waiting lists to where we are today.

Mr Swinney said: There are people who have waited too long for treatment, and some of that is a product of the impact and the disruption of the Covid pandemic.

I am absolutely focused on making sure improvements are delivered.

It prompted another audience member to weigh in: Integrity matters. To blame the pandemic is just an absolute disgrace. The waiting lists were growing before the pandemic.

Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said: This is John Swinney all over - if you cant blame Westminster, he blames Covid.

The [first] gentleman was bang on - there is already, under the SNP government, a two-tier Health System. I was speaking to a woman just this week who had to find 15,000 to pay for a new hip. She had to borrow that money from her own children. Its an absolute disgrace.

Mr Sarwar asked Mr Swinney if he knew how many people were on a two-year waiting list for treatments and outpatient appointments.

When the SNP leader claimed not to know, Mr Sarwar said: How many people in Scotland are waiting more than two years? Five thousand.

In England, 10 times the size, its 300. Youve been in power for 20 years, take some responsibility for once. Why should they give you one more minute when thats your record?

Polls suggest the SNP is comfortably ahead of its rivals, with one analysis at the weekend forecasting an outright majority.

Mr Swinney said if that happened it would be a mandate for a second independence referendum which could take place in 2028.

Only Mr Findlay was emphatically opposed to another referendum.

Reform UK Scotland leader Malcolm Offord said 60 per cent public support might justify one, Anas Sarwar said he was opposed but conceded Scotland might choose independence one day, while Scottish LibDem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton claimed not to think about it.

The First Minister was also accused of trading in the basest politics of hostility towards the UK after accusing Labour ministers of anti-Scottish behaviour.

He suggested the UK Government of had blocked a 1.5billion investment in turbine making by the Chinese firm Ming Yang near Inverness out of spite.

He said: It is welcoming Chinese investment into Hinkley power station south of the border. If thats not an anti-Scottish move by a Labour Government, I dont know what is.

Pressed by Mr Sarwar, he then repeatedly refused to rule out ignoring security service warnings if he was in charge.

Mr Sarwar said: Are you honestly saying that, as First Minister of Scotland, you would ignore a national security briefing that says theres a national security challenge coming from investment from China?

Anas Sarwar also held Swinney to account for NHS waiting time numbers

An audience member told Swinney he knew someone who waited over 10 hours in A&E

Mr Swinney said: Why is investment allowed at Hinkley power station and not Scotland?

Briefing the media after the debate, Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander, co-chair of the Scottish Labour campaign, said: Its important that governments recognise this is a dangerous and challenging world.

Instead, we heard an answer from John Swinney that seemed to suggest that politics was the motivation behind national security when the defence of the realm was the first responsibility of the UK Government.

Its for John Swinney to justify why he chose to trade in the basest politics of hostility towards our friends and neighbours in the United Kingdom this evening. But I think Scotland deserves a better.

The 90-minute debate also saw Scottish Green co-leader Ross Greer brand Reform UK Scotland leader Malcolm Offord an absolute chancer.

In a clash over immigration, which is not under Holyrood control, he added: This is a failed Tory minister who gave the Tory Party 200,000 and then they gave him a seat in the House of Lords and ministerial office - Im sure that was totally coincidental.

Lord Offord said he was in favour of immigration for those coming to work, but not those jumping the queues for public services to the detriment of local people.

He said: That is not Scottish and its not fair. Its certainly not racist, but its not fair.

After the debate, Mr Alexander said: We saw in John Swinney a complacent and edgy and arrogant performance.

Truthfully, we needed a win this evening and we got a win this evening.

SNP campaign manager Angus Robertson rejected assertions the First Minister was taking voters for granted.

We go into every election campaign asking for the support of the public and, as we know now because of repeated polling, the SNP is in a very strong position, he said.

But were trying to win a majority in this election campaign, so we still have work to do.

Scottish Tory Craig Hoy said it was clear that Lord Offord had left open the door to a referendum and only Mr Findlay among the leaders was unambiguously against.

He said: Its crystal clear that John Swinney has now set out 2028 as the year. That is now a dividing line in this election. We will say absolutely clearly that we will not support another independence referendum in any circumstances.

'Theres complacency now creeping in amongst the other parties. Russell was the only person tonight to set out to the Scottish people - no ifs, no buts, therell be no independence referendum coming under the Scottish Conservatives.
The father of a teenager who was killed in a dog attack has told of the horrific moment he discovered his daughter dead at home.

Jack Biscoe, 37, found his daughter Jamie-Lea Biscoe, 19, collapsed on the floor in his bedroom at around 10.45pm on Friday.

Police rushed to the scene in the village of Leaden Roding, Essex, but the teenager was pronounced dead after suffering a bite wound to her neck.

The dog, a seven-year-old blue-merle lurcher called Shy, has been seized by police along with her puppies following Jamie-Lea's tragic death.

Her tearful father has now told of the 'horror and destruction' her death has caused him despite describing the family pet as the 'softest dog' and her daughter's 'best friend'.

Mr Biscoe, who had part of his ear bitten off by Shy after trying to save his daughter's life by giving her CPR, told The Sun: 'Witnessing the horror and destruction it has caused me, it's not worth it. Treat them as dogs, give them their beds, be careful.'

He added: 'I thought I could trust that dog with my life and it took my daughter's life.'

The 37-year-old also warned families about 'just how quick a dog can take away a life', adding that dangerous dogs are 'not breed specific'.

Jack Biscoe, 37, with his daughter Jamie-Lea, 19, who died after suffering a bite wound to her neck when their family dog attacked her at home

Mr Biscoe was arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death, then subsequently released on bail on Saturday night.

He discovered his daughter unconscious between his bed and bedside table after coming home from KFC with his partner Steven Daniels, 43, on Friday evening.

As he tried to save his teenager Shy attacked him, leaving the father-of-one with puncture wounds in his arms as well as the injuries to his ear, which will require reconstructive surgery.

He described his daughter as his 'best friend', adding that her death was 'so painful'.

'I don't know how to step forward without that child in my life. She was my only child,' he said.

Mr Biscoe, a horse trainer, bought Shy when she was seven-weeks-old. Her 18-month-old puppies Bella and Mouse were downstairs at the time of the attack.

A GoFundMe page set up yesterday by Jamie-Lea's aunt, Maria, to raise money for funeral costs has so far received nearly 3,000 in donations.

It reads: 'On Friday April 10 Jamie was tragically attacked and killed at her home by her pet dog.

Police rushed to the scene near the village of Leaden Roding but Jamie-Lea was pronounced dead after suffering a bite wound to her neck

'She had been the family pet for seven years and had never shown any sign of aggression before this sad tragic incident.

'Jamie-Lea was the kindest most beautiful young adult and would have done anything for anyone.

'She loved life and her family but most of all she adored her dad Jack. We are trying to raise funds to pay for her funeral, so we can give her the best send off.'

Relatives have paid tribute to Jamie-Lea on social media, with a loved one commenting: 'Our darling Jamie-Lea rip our girl.'

Another, Tina Wells, described the dog as a 'seven-year-old lurcher' - adding she was a 'family pet'.

Ms Wells said: 'She slept on my granddaughter's bed. It's devastating.'

Another person commented: 'Such a tragic end for the young lady. My deepest condolences to her family, friends and loved ones.'

Someone else said: 'This is another tragic attack and so beyond distressing for all family and friends and also to the responders. Any dog can bite, it's the circumstances why.'

A post-mortem examination was due to take place yesterday to confirm the cause of the young woman's death.

Church Warden David Tregunno from the local church, St Michael's and All the Angels, opened up the space for prayer and reflection on Sunday afternoon.

He said: 'We're obviously thinking and praying for the young lady who has recently died in this very terrible situation.

'We're opening the church today between one and three if anyone wants to come in to pray or reflect on the situation. We'll be thinking of her, and you'd be very welcome to come.'

Essex Police said yesterday: 'We are now in a position to confirm that Jamie-Lea Biscoe, 19, died from injuries believed to have been suffered as a result of a dog attack.

'A 37-year-old man from Dunmow, arrested on suspicion of being in charge of a dog dangerously out of control and causing injury resulting in death, has now been bailed until July while enquiries continue.

'The dog, which was a family pet, has been seized, and it is believed to be a Lurcher Cross, but tests are underway to formally establish the precise breed.'

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hooper said: 'Our thoughts remain with all those who knew and loved Jamie-Lea. Her young life has been so tragically cut short.

'Our detectives are continuing to work around the clock to establish exactly what happened, and specialist officers are continuing to support Jamie-Lea's family.

'This is unimaginable for her loved ones and friends, and, as such, I would ask people to respect their grief and privacy at this extremely difficult time.

'Our officers remain at the scene, and anyone with concerns or information can speak with them there or contact us in the usual way.'
Labour was accused of another Brexit betrayal last night amid plans to sign the UK up to EU rules without giving MPs a proper say.

Ministers are set to introduce legislation to align Britain with future single-market regulations without normal parliamentary scrutiny. The move is part of Keir Starmer's plans to reset the UK's relationship with the European Union.

But Brexiteers cried foul last night and said it would amount to Britain becoming a 'rule-taker'.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said it was a 'backdoor attempt to drag Britain back under EU control'.

He added: 'Accepting their rules without a vote is a direct betrayal of the Brexit referendum and a total breach of the Government's manifesto promises.

'The British people didn't vote to become rule-takers, and we will fight this every step of the way.'

Tory business spokesman Andrew Griffith said the move would reduce Parliament to 'a spectator while Brussels sets the terms'  something the country had rejected.

'Labour are still fighting the referendum because they fundamentally cannot accept the democratic decision the British people made,' he added.

EU boss Ursula von der Leyen (left) and Sir Keir Starmer (right). Labour has been accused of a Brexit betrayal amid plans to sign the UK up to EU rules without giving MPs a proper say

The legislation  which is expected to be included in May's King's Speech  will allow Labour to import a series of EU laws to Britain.

It will give ministers the power to 'dynamically align' with the EU on future single-market rules if they deem it to be in the national interest  without giving MPs a proper vote.

The move is possible under so-called Henry VIII powers which allow ministers to approve laws without full scrutiny.

EU rules will be adopted using a 'statutory instrument', which is secondary legislation enabling ministers to make detailed laws under the powers gained from an Act of Parliament. MPs can vote to approve or reject it, but cannot amend or change it.

The move could fundamentally change the UK's relationship with the EU, meaning regulations are more likely to be nodded through rather than being subjected to full democratic scrutiny.

It will allow Labour to adopt EU rules sector by sector while maintaining the UK has not joined the single market  a manifesto commitment.

The Bill was originally thought to apply to a forthcoming agreement on food and drink  which contains 76 EU directives and regulations  and emissions trading.

But The Guardian reported that it could also apply to future deals with the EU to adopt rules for any sectors.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (pictured) called the plans a 'backdoor attempt to drag Britain back under EU control'

Government sources said any future alignment deals would need to be in the national interest, and Parliament would have a role in signing them off. If MPs did try to block individual regulations, this would be likely to cause issues with the EU and could spark retaliatory action.

Officials say Britain could still seek carve-outs from EU legislation  including for its ban on live animal exports  though this would be subject to negotiation with Brussels.

They argue that this would mean the UK has a say over the rules. Any disputes will be decided by an independent tribunal, not an EU court.

Last month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out plans to align with EU rules in certain sectors in the 'national interest'.

She said Britain would make its own regulations in 'sectors with unique characteristics or strategic importance for the UK, but that should be the exception, not the norm'.

Earlier this month, Sir Keir said the Middle East crisis had demonstrated the need to collaborate with Europe on defence and trade.

He said a UK-EU summit this summer would thrash out an 'ambitious' package for closer alignment.

However, the plans have so far been overshadowed by disagreements over demands by Brussels for a youth 'free movement' scheme.

Critics argue that the measures would amount to 'integration with the EU by stealth'  without the voting rights that Britain would have had as a member.

'Changes to UK regulations should be debated in Parliament and thrashed out by politicians,' said Professor Anand Menon, of the UK in a Changing Europe think-tank.

'The reality of this is we are signing up to a deal with the EU that commits us to follow their rules, whether we like it or not. The danger is you're doing integration with the EU by stealth.'

The Government is said to be happy to take the fight to Brexiteers who they said would 'scream treason' over the move ahead of the tenth anniversary of the referendum on June 23.

The legislation would be introduced following what is likely to be a terrible set of election results for Labour, and Sir Keir's aides hope it will give him a chance to reset his Government. They claim that the Bill  which has not yet been given a name  will add billions to the economy, help ease the cost of living and boost growth.

A Labour source said: 'Reform and the Tories are stuck with the ghost of Brexit past. But in a world of rising global tensions, we need politicians who can build bridges rather than burn them.'

Sir Keir has been under massive pressure from senior Labour figures to shift closer to Brussels. Deputy PM David Lammy and Health Secretary Wes Streeting have both suggested they support rejoining the customs union.

A Government spokesman said: 'This Bill will allow us to deliver a 'food and drink' trade deal worth 5.1billion a year, backing British jobs and slashing costly red tape for our farmers, producers and businesses. We will provide details of the legislation in due course.'
Donald Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will begin at 10 am Monday, as Iran warned that Americans should be prepared for gas prices to get even higher.

Trump announced the move via Truth Social on Sunday, saying the naval assets would 'begin the process of blockading any all ships trying to enter' the Strait.

US Central Command confirmed the blockade of 'all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports' will start on Monday at 10am ET.

'All mariners are advised to... contact U.S. naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches,' CENTCOM said in a statement.

Vessels using the strait to travel to and from non-Iranian ports will not be impeded.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on social media Sunday that the Department of Justice is supporting the blockade.

'The Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who buys or sells sanctioned Iranian oil,' Blanche wrote.

However, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei promised Iran has 'large, untouched levers' to strike back against Trump's blockage, quipping that they cannot be pressured by 'tweets and imaginary plans.'

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf - who led negotiations with JD Vance on behalf of Iran - warned Americans that 'soon you'll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas,' The New York Times reported.

Donald Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will begin Monday, as Iranian leadership warned Americans to get used to even higher gas prices

Trump announced the move via Truth Social on Sunday, saying the naval assets would 'begin the process of blockading any all ships trying to enter' the Strait

Oil prices rose in early market trading Sunday night after the US said it would blockade Iranian ports beginning Monday.

The price of US crude oil rose eight percent to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose seven percent to $102.29.

Brent crude has swung dramatically during the month-plus long Iran war, rising from roughly $70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times.

On Friday, ahead of the peace talks, Brent for June delivery fell 0.8 percent to $95.20 per barrel.

Rachel Ziemba of the Center for a New American Progress suggested that the period for negotiations to slow this process down may be over.

'The de-escalation window for the global economy, such as it was, is over for now,' she told The Wall Street Journal. 'Iran is betting they can hold out longer than the US and the global economy.'

Iran has been effectively controlling the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil shipping.

Around a fifth of the worlds traded oil typically flows through the Strait of Hormuz every day.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on social media Sunday that the Department of Justice is supporting the blockade

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf - who led negotiations with JD Vance on behalf of Iran - warned Americans that 'soon you'll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas'

Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iran are all major exporters.

Traffic in the Strait has been limited even in the days since the ceasefire. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire.

The president claimed that the threat posed by the Iranian Navy is 'gone' from the key waterway thanks to the US military assault on the nation since February 28.

However, experts have warned that though much of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' large battleships have been destroyed, the smaller boats that control the Strait are still intact.

This means the US servicemen sent to the narrow waterway - which is only about 35 kilometers wide - will be sitting ducks for attacks by the IRGC.

Farzin Nadimi, an Iran-focused senior fellow with the Washington Institute, told the Wall Street Journal that more than 60 percent of the IRGCs fast-attack craft and speedboat fleet is still operating.

David Des Roches, a former director responsible for Persian Gulf policy at the Defense Department, also noted that Iran's 'asymmetrical strategy is working.'

The smaller, more nimble boats are well versed in controlling the crucial chokepoint by deploying missiles and mines, and by harassing commercial ships.

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei promised Iran has 'large, untouched levers' to strike back against Trump's blockage, quipping that they cannot be pressured by 'tweets and imaginary plans'

Trump announced the blockade after peace talks in Islamabad let by JD Vance failed

'Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,' Trump announced via Truth Social Sunday morning.

'Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!' he added.

'Iran knows, better than anyone, how to END this situation which has already devastated their Country.

'Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft and Radar are useless, Khamenei, and most of their Leaders, are dead, all because of their Nuclear ambition. The Blockade will begin shortly.'

It comes amid a tenuous two-week ceasefire deal Trump struck with Tehran, which agreed to stop fighting in exchange for the opening of the strait.

Iran warned by marine radio that any unauthorized ships trying to cross the strait in the meantime would be destroyed.

Only four ships passed on day one, and Iran plans to limit traffic to about a dozen daily, down from more than 100.

Tehran has also warned of possible antiship mines, urging vessels to follow new coastal routes with Revolutionary Guard guidance.

Traffic in the Strait has been limited even in the days since the ceasefire. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire

Vice President JD Vance, left, talks to Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshall Asim Munir, right, and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, center, before boarding Air Force Two after attending talks on Iran

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the Journal that the U.S. had completed 'the largest elimination of a navy over a three-week period since World War II.'

She also noted that the 'U.S. military has destroyed Iran's ability to shoot ballistic missiles or produce more, which will help secure the free flow of energy in the long term.'

The USS Franklin Petersen and the USS Michael Murphy are the two American destroyers currently in the Strait.

In his Sunday Truth Social post, Trump also said that Iran was 'unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions' as Vice President JD Vance returned from peace talks in Pakistan empty-handed.

A US official familiar with the deliberations told The Daily Mail that at the outset of the talks, it was clear that the Iranians did not properly apprehend America's core objective, which was that any potential deal has and always would have at its center the fact that Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.

Over the course of the deliberations, the Vice President corrected this misunderstanding and used his time with his counterparts to probe their own assessments of their positions, per the US official.

The official also conveyed that the Iranians need to recognize that the realities on the ground do not reflect the assumptions they held when they arrived at the negotiations before they will be ready to entertain a serious offer.

The Vice President still believes that a deal remains on the table, and that it is on the Iranians to accept it.

Vice President JD Vance still believes that a deal remains on the table, and that it is on the Iranians to accept it

A vessel at the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman's Musandam province, April 12, 2026

Trump also noted on Sunday morning that he instructed the US Navy 'to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,' Trump added. 'No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.'

'Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!' Trump said.

The President, speaking separately on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures, announced that NATO would 'begrudgingly' support the US in securing the Strait. He called NATO 'shameful,' claiming that 'they weren't there for us, and they won't be there for us.'

Trump said he was 'very disappointed' in the UK, comparing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to infamous Adolf Hitler appeaser Neville Chamberlain.

'[Starmer] made a public statement: "We will send equipment after the war is over." That's a Neville Chamberlain-type statement,' Trump told Fox.

A UK government spokesperson pushed back against Trump's claims, noting that the UK will not be involved in the Strait of Hormuz blockade.

'We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home,' the UK government spokesperson noted.
Thousands of migrants from countries including India and Pakistan came to Britain last year through an EU visa scheme that critics warn is a 'backdoor' for mass migration.

Some 6,709 people were issued visas through the European Settlement Scheme in 2025 who were not from Europe - despite it being almost five years after the deadline to apply.

This includes 1,124 visas issued to Indian nationals, 855 to Somali citizens and 791 to Pakistani nationals, official figures show.

This comes despite the scheme - which was designed to allow Europeans who were living in Britain to stay after Brexit - technically having a deadline to apply of June 2021.

There were 78,785 applications for visas through the EUSS in the three years to December 2025 from people who were not from Europe - with 33,658 being granted.

During this period 6,656 Indian nationals, 5,413 Pakistani citizens and 3,768 Somali nationals came to the UK through the EU visa scheme.

Virtually all of these visas were issued through the EUSS 'Family Permit' - meaning they are the spouse, 'durable partner', dependent child or dependent parent of an EU citizen in the UK.

Despite the deadline for 'most people' to apply to the EUSS being June 30, 2021, partners or family members from anywhere in the world can join EU citizens living in the UK indefinitely providing they can show they had a relationship before the UK left the EU.

Some 6,709 people were issued visas through the European Settlement Scheme in 2025 who were not from Europe

A government source alerted the Mail to the figures and said it was 'insane' that migrants from outside Europe still are coming to the UK via this route.

The revelations have led to calls for an investigation into abuses of the scheme and for the 'backdoor' to Britain to finally be wound down five years after the technical deadline to apply.

Robert Bates, research director at the Centre for Migration Control, said the EUSS has been 'beset with issues since it first launched' and is still a 'huge driver of long-term migration into Britain'.

He said: 'There is a pressing need for a real inquiry into some of the abuse and untoward practices that have been allowed to proliferate as a result of this scheme.

'It has been nearly five years since the deadline for most applications under the scheme and it is now time that it was closed for good.'

There have been documented cases of abuse of the scheme - including a Ghanaian woman who was allowed to stay in Britain through the EUSS despite not attending her own wedding.

And a BBC investigation found couples had fraudulently exploited the scheme by entering into a sham marriage to extend residency rights to a non-EU bogus partner - with 365 discovered between March 2018 and September 2021.

By the end of September 2025, 6.4million people in total had applied to EUSS, including 531,000 non-European family members, according to the Migration Observatory at Oxford University.

The Home Office said there is 'no evidence' the scheme is being abused by non-European migrants

Separate data also shows that people who came to Britain through the EUSS make up a significant proportion of those claiming benefits.

Figures published by the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) in February show that 9.2 per cent of those claiming Universal Credit in the UK have EUSS settled status.

Reform UK's home office spokesman Zia Yusuf said the scheme 'has long been a scam on the British people'.

He added: 'It is a backdoor for Somalis, Pakistanis and Indians among others to claim benefits in the UK. The government must explain why this scheme is still open five years after it was supposed to close.

'Britain spent 15billion in the last 18 months on Universal Credit welfare for foreign nationals. The vast majority went to EU Settled Status [migrants]... Reform is the only party that will terminate all of it.'

It comes following revelations that migrants from Asia, Africa and the Middle East have entered Britain under a government scheme that offers free visas for Ukrainian refugees.

Nearly 3,500 visas have been granted to people from 112 countries, including Iran, Iraq, India, Afghanistan, the Palestinian territories and Nigeria, under two separate schemes giving refuge to Ukrainians fleeing Russia's full-scale invasion.

The Home Office said the terms of the EUSS were established in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, signed under the previous government, and that the UK is legally required to continue accepting late applications under the deal.

A Home Office spokesman said: 'We have found no evidence that the scheme is being abused in this way.

'The government is doing everything in its power to reduce net migration.'
Western Australia is considering building a fuel stockpile to strengthen energy security and supply chains throughout the state.

'This would be additional volumes of diesel purchased by the state government and held in storage for times when it's tough and when we're seeing challenges in those supply chains,' Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said on Sunday.

'This would be solely for West Australians and be directed at the discretion of the state government to areas that need it most.'

Those areas would include agricultural regions at the end of supply chains, mining operations and remote communities that rely on diesel to power generators.

The government didnt reveal costs, though Sanderson said talks were ongoing for a reserve in the millions of litres.

'This will help support that spot market (and) it will support those end of supply chain areas in the Great Southern, in the Wheatbelt and in the Goldfields, where they've had more difficulty getting that fuel (since the fuel crisis started).'

WA's strategic stockpile would be in addition to the national fuel reserve, which the state believes it would still be able to access in the event of another crisis.

'It is a requirement for states to receive their fair share,' Sanderson said.

The WA government is looking to create its own fuel reserve, exclusively for the state

The current fuel crisis exposed that some suppliers failed to maintain any of their national fuel stock obligation in WA.

'Viva and Ampol, for example ... It's in Queensland,' Sanderson said.

The focus was initially on diesel, Sanderson said, with WA using about a quarter of all supplies in Australia.

WA Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas backed the proposal but said it was light on detail.

'How much it would cost, whether it would be government-owned or come about through a much closer working relationship between the state government and the suppliers, remains to be seen,' he said.

'We need our own reserves, and we need to be able to establish a way in which Western Australians and WA industry aren't compromised when we have a global event like this in the future.'

He said WA should not be disadvantaged because of its remoteness from other states.

WA's move comes as Queensland moves to produce its own oil for the first time in almost five decades.

The Queensland government meanwhile has announced plans to produce its own oil

The Crisafulli government claims the Taroom Trough could become Australias first new oil field since the 1970s, offering domestically sourced fuel at a time of mounting global instability driven by the Middle East conflict.

Last week, Premier David Crisafulli unveiled a new Taroom Trough Development Plan, designed to accelerate infrastructure and streamline both approvals and environmental assessments to unlock the basins full resources.

Oil is already flowing from the project.

Shell is pumping around 200 barrels of high-grade crude daily, refined into diesel at iORs Eromanga facility and supplied directly to Australias fuel market.

Unlocking the Taroom Trough is critical to locking in future national fuel security, Crisafulli said.

Its there, now its up to all levels of government to get it flowing.

Casting the project as a matter of national security, the Premier argued Australia should never again risk fuel shortages due to international turmoil.
Britain faces a population explosion under the Green Party's immigration free-for-all, a damning report has warned.

Economists estimate the number of people living in the UK would soar by 4.4million in just five years if Zack Polanski wins power in 2029.

The increase is down to the Green's open borders immigration policy  with around 900,000 arrivals expected a year.

The report suggests the population would rise by just 200,000 under a Reform UK government  with net migration estimated at 40,000 a year.

An increase of 800,000 has been forecast under the Tories  or 160,000 a year  and between 1million and 1.3million if Labour clings on for another term.

The range in Labour's prediction takes into account the Home Secretary's plans to extend the qualification period for permanent residence in the UK from five years to ten years.

If Shabana Mahmood is successful in having the measures applied to those already in the UK, the population would rise by one million in the next parliament.

The Green Party, expected to make strong gains in next month's local elections, has said: 'In an ideal world, most border controls would not exist.'

Economists estimate the number of people living in the UK would soar by 4.4million in just five years if Zack Polanski (pictured) wins power in 2029

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Mr Polanski plans to 'abolish' immigration detention and grant amnesty to illegal migrants allowing them to stay in Britain  giving them access to free housing and the NHS.

Stating that 'migration is not a criminal offence under any circumstances', internal policy documents outline ambitions to 'establish a system that recognises that all migrants are treated as citizens in waiting and therefore supports and encourages them to put down roots in their new home'.

Opponents of Mr Polanski have branded the plans 'financially reckless but also dangerous.'

A study by City investment bank Panmure Liberum estimated the population would jump from 71.5million in 2029 to 75.9million in 2034 under the Greens.

The report found the population would rise to just 71.7million under Reform UK and to 72.3million under the Tories. The UK population is currently 69.5million.

Simon French, Panmure Liberum's chief economist and a former Civil Service economic adviser, said: 'The spread of policies from the four leading UK parties could lead to a difference of more than four million in the UK population by the end of the next parliamentary cycle.

'That extraordinary spread is because the policies of the Green Party and Reform UK are as diametrically opposite as anything I have seen in 25 years of analysing UK migration policy.'

The Office for National Statistics projects a 1.6million population rise by the next parliament, based on 'natural change' averaging a drop of 10,000 a year  as deaths marginally outweigh births  and net migration of 340,000.

Mr French said the population excluding immigration is 'basically stable', adding: 'All the movement is net migration.'

Therefore a surge of 4.4million in the population under the Greens suggests net migration of around 900,000 a year versus around 40,000 under Reform UK and 160,000 under the Tories.

A Green Party spokesman said: 'These figures are made up nonsense and we've been given no idea how they are calculated.

'The Greens support a fair and managed migration system and successive governments have presided over a broken and unfair system.

'The Greens are positive about the economic and societal benefits of immigration.

'People are concerned about the impacts of immigration because of a massive affordability crisis, but unlike other parties we won't scapegoat migrants for the unfairness created by our rigged economic system.'

Reform and the Tories were approached for comment.
I've written about hundreds of dodgy businessmen, misbehaving socialites and desperate wannabes during my years as a journalist.

But few stories have prompted the kind of overwhelming response sparked by my recent profile of former marketing guru Tess Rowlatt  now infamous as Melbourne's 'meth queen'.

After recalling my memories of moving in the same teenage party circles as Rowlatt, my inbox was flooded with messages from her former friends.

There were the usual stories from sketchy, drug-fuelled house parties and seedy Melbourne nightclubs. But among the hazy recollections was a confronting photo taken more recently that offered a sad glimpse into Rowlatt's life today.

Rowlatt had shared it herself on social media last May before quickly deleting it.

However, the image was screenshotted and shared among her old social circle: proof, friends said, of how squalid this once-promising young woman's life had become.

It was also evidence that, despite previous vows to get clean, she was using again.

At first glance, it looked like any other snapshot from her feed: Tess sitting beside a man I did not recognise. But between them, in plain sight, was an ice pipe.

Last May, Tess Rowlatt shared this photo alongside a man with an ice pipe between them

Friends say they fell out with Rowlatt in her early university days after her 'lying, stealing and drug-taking were too much'. Resurfaced photos from her old Facebook, including this graduation shot, underscore how far she has fallen

'She uploaded it to Instagram without realising the pipe was in the photo - it was up for 30 minutes before she realised and took it down,' a former friend told me.

'The damage was done - I'm sure I wasn't the only person to screenshot it.'

The image is now said to be circulating among those who knew Rowlatt before her descent into crime and drug addiction.

Friends and acquaintances who contacted me agreed that Rowlatt going from using cocaine and ecstasy to 'forbidden' drugs like meth and GHB was the point they knew she was going off the rails.

Even then, some feared she was in so deep that she would eventually blur the line between drug use and involvement in the illicit trade.

'I was friends with her in her pinger days, but we drifted through her ice and GHB era,' one friend told me, reflecting the kinds of messages that flooded my inbox.

In my previous report, I recalled how we crossed paths in the same 'high-end' but drugsoaked clubs - QBar, Prince, Seven, Boutique - during those fun, chaotic nights before any of us had real responsibilities like fulltime jobs or rent.

The mid-2000s nightlife scene in Melbourne was a period when electronic dance music and drug experimentation collided among university students.

Rowlatt has already spent more than 200 days in custody

I remember Tess from our high school days, well before her descent into hard drugs. Her Facebook is a time capsule of a more innocent time, before her life spiralled into crime

Like many university students in the mid-2000s, Rowlatt dabbled in party drugs. But unlike most of her peers, she didn't stop. She escalated from pingers to ice

Like many, Rowlatt - who graduated from Monash University with a bachelor of business majoring in marketing - dabbled in party drugs. But unlike most of her peers, she didn't stop. She escalated from pingers to harder drugs.

'She always had an issue with drugs and never wanted to go home. Even when the night had ended, she was always chasing someone to kick on and keep partying,' another former friend said.

'She started losing her friends in the early uni days. The lying, stealing and drug-taking were too much.'

Somewhere along the way, Rowlatt graduated from using drugs to distributing them. Her life would eventually unravel when she became the focus of a major police operation.

In mid-2021, Victoria Police's Major Drug Squad launched a targeted investigation into her activities.

Detectives spent months tracking her movements through extensive physical and electronic surveillance.

They moved in on October 21, 2021, arresting her at her Upper West Side apartment on Spencer Street in Melbourne's CBD.

Police alleged she had been moving between Airbnbs booked under false identities, using forged essential worker permits, and continuing to sell drugs while on bail.

The charges were extensive. She initially faced more than 70 offences, including trafficking a large commercial quantity of methamphetamine, trafficking heroin, and dealing in 1,4-butanediol - a substance that converts into the drug GHB.

However, she ultimately pleaded guilty to just two major drug trafficking offences and was handed a four-year community correction order.

In 2023, Rowlatt was released to attend the Windana Grampians rehab centre, but was expelled within weeks for vaping, intimidating other patients and refusing to participate in certain tasks.

Despite numerous vows to magistrates, she has continued to use drugs.

Last August, three months after accidentally posting the photo of an ice pipe on social media, police spotted a black BMW X5 in Southbank just before 1am on August 16.

The vehicle was flagged due to links to someone with a firearm prohibition order and outlaw motorcycle gang associations.

When officers attempted to intercept it, she bolted.

Police didn't pursue the car, chasing Rowlatt instead - and she didn't get far.

She was arrested near Southside Tower on Sturt Street, allegedly carrying more than 100 grams of methamphetamine, along with GHB, cash and bank cards in other people's names.

Her recent court hearing was attended by her boyfriend Timmy O'Dwyer

Rowlatt was still serving her community correction order for prior trafficking offences at the time of her latest arrest.

Judge Duncan Allen, who sentenced Rowlatt for her previous offending in February 2024, also presided over last month's plea hearing, during which she pleaded guilty to trafficking meth and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

The hearing was attended by Rowlatt's family, friends and boyfriend Timmy O'Dwyer.

The court heard that Rowlatt had a 17-year history of drug abuse which began when she was 19.

Despite this, and her history as a prominent drug dealer in Melbourne, Corrections Victoria had earlier assessed Rowlatt as having a 'low risk of reoffending'.

It was also determined after her February 2024 sentencing that Rowlatt only required a single day of drug rehabilitation, which was completed within three months of commencing her longer-than-usual community correction order.

This was clearly inadequate, allowing Rowlatt to relapse into drugs and offending.

Rowlatt is seen left in a public Facebook upload from May 2024

Judge Allen lambasted the 'system' for contributing to Rowlatt's latest troubles, after he had previously determined she was 'wholly rehabilitated'.

'Clearly, an abject failure [has occurred],' he said.

'I didn't expect for one second anyone would tell her we don't need to see you anymore [after three months on the community correction order].'

Crown prosecutor Matthew Cookson countered by telling the court that Rowlatt was 'entirely responsible' for her reoffending after she was previously given an 'exceptional opportunity of mercy'.

Now 36, Rowlatt remains behind bars at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre - the same prison that houses mushroom killer Erin Patterson.

She has already spent more than 200 days in custody.

A Corrections Victoria support worker recently told the court Rowlatt appears more serious than ever about getting clean - though doubts remain given her past relapses and history of lying to psychologists about her drug use.

Her matter returns to court on April 30, when it will be decided if her future is in prison or a drug rehabilitation facility.
Mere metres away from security cameras and TfL guards, a gangly teenage girl with fake eyelashes handed over three fluorescent pink and blue bottles.

Although they had been advertised as THC on TikTok, they were instead full of spice, a synthetic and addictive cannabinoid which can cause seizures, heart attacks, kidney damage and psychosis.

Popular amongst teenagers, the dealer had no qualms with selling to - what she believed was - a schoolchild.

Almost inherently deceitful, spice is used shamelessly by dealers as a ploy for Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive compound responsible for the euphoric, 'high' feeling often associated with marijuana.

Although it is still illegal, naive teenagers are more likely to buy the vapes if they think it is THC, because it is seen as less harmful, even though research shows 70 per cent of all TikTok accounts selling 'THC' were selling spice instead.

To uncover how easy it is to be duped into buying spice on social media, an undercover reporter for the Daily Mail posed as a schoolchild on TikTok, where at least 60 dealers were seen advertising across the social media an estimated 20million worth of spice.

It follows the horrifying revelation that a quarter of all vapes confiscated from schools in parts of England contained spice, according to research by the University of Bath.

A pick up was then arranged outside Forest Gate station in east London but when they were tested, instead of being THC as promised, they showed they were containing spice - the same drug that has killed hundreds of people in prison.

An undercover reporter bought what was advertised as THC on TikTok - a gangly teenage girl with fake eyelashes handed over three fluorescent bottles in return

But when they were tested, instead of being THC as promised, they showed they were containing spice, a synthetic and addictive cannabinoid which can cause seizures, heart attacks, kidney damage and psychosis

From state schools to the country's most exclusive private colleges, students are routinely passing out in class and fighting for their life in hospital from a drug an ex-heroin addict would not even touch.

'The first time I ever tried it was when I was 11, but I got addicted when I was 12 three or four months later I collapsed in the front room.'

They are not words you would expect to come out of a little boy's mouth, who had been arguing over chocolate biscuits moments before.

But Freddie Fenson is one of thousands of British school children ensnared by the terrifying effects of spice.

Although the 14-year-old was bouncing around his father's living room in Dagenham, he had been in a coma fighting for his life just several months earlier in what teacher's initially thought was an asthma attack.

Despite his own brush with death, Freddie said the drug was so addictive that although he had spent two months recovering in hospital after his spice-induced coma 'learning to walk', he went and bought another vape as soon as he was discharged.

'You know it's a powerful drug because it put me in a coma but as soon as I got out I went straight back on it. No one in their right mind would do that but that's how powerful it is,' the young boy said.

Callum, now 20, said his private sixth form was full of people puffing on the vapes 'in the back of class, in the toilets, in the changing rooms'.

Soon, Callum would smoke spice before he'd even left his bed: 'I slept with it under my pillow. It was so easy and accessible, it doesn't appear on standard 5, 10, or 12-panel drug tests, there's no smell'.

Others were just as desperate to get their hands on the oily bottles, trading 'airpods for them, electronics, valuables', with one teenager 'swapping the new iPhone for 100ml of the stuff'.

Spice in schools is relentless - Freddie recounted how his friend 'passed out in assembly after we had a toke' and needed to be taken 'to hospital in a wheelchair'.

'This was 10 o'clock in the morning,' he said.

'There was pressure to try spice at the beginning. All my friends at the time were older and I had to try it otherwise I would look weak.'

Freddie Fenson, 14, is one of thousands of British school children ensnared by the terrifying effects of spice

But the schoolboy was put into an induced coma after smoking a spice vape and spent months having to learn how to walk again

New to the sixth form, Callum similarly found vaping was a way for him to make friends - almost as if he were 'in a smoking area of a club'.

'It would sometimes be big crowds or you'd go on your own in class to the changing rooms cause you're bored, have a couple of tokes, get w***ered and then go to class fried,' the student said.

'After two or three big hits I'd have to lie down in the changing room. But by the end of lunch break you'd be good to get up again.

'It was just a fun thing, when you're 16, 17, 18 you just want to get f***ed up. It was part of the fun that you would get so messed up. I guess you also look cool.'

When he finally realised he needed to stop, he went cold turkey and threw up for days.

Professor Chris Pudney, who led the Bath study, found that a quarter of all vapes confiscated from schools in parts of England contained spice.

He told the Daily Mail: 'Spice vape liquid is extremely cheap and addictive. It is trivially available on social media, where it is marketed as something that young people consider lower risk.

'The advertisement of this material is illegal, and Ofcom have the power and statutory duty to compel social media companies to both remove this material and prevent it appearing. At present they have not chosen to use those powers.

'International drug gangs are organising themselves via the world's most popular online platforms.

'TikTok and other social media sites are de facto shop fronts for the multi-million-pound sale of drugs.'

A former drug dealer told the Daily Mail that children were specifically targeted when selling spice vapes with 'the low prices, the pretty colours, the candy-like flavourings and the child-friendly packaging of brands like Fanta and Skittles'.

The markup is huge, with 10ml bottles selling for between 20 and 40, even though the cost of production was pennies.

But the ex-heroin user admitted he would never touch the 'extremely addictive' synthetic substance himself, saying withdrawals are worse than some of the horrific Class A drugs.

'I had a couple friends heavily addicted when I was 18 and it was legal here in the UK (spice was only criminalised in 2016), it was awful.

A shocking MailOnline investigation last year even uncovered vapes resembling sweets and high street stores selling the devices next to chocolate and fruit gummies

Freddie's father, Peter, said: 'It's no different to cocaine or heroin, they will lie and lie to your face'

'I'm an ex-heroin user and the withdrawals of spice look way worse than heroin withdrawals, and those will make you wanna kill yourself without a doubt.'

Freddie had also experienced terrifying side effects: 'I was passing out on my bed because I was so high, falling over, passing out in random places, throwing up, it got to the point that it was obvious.

'But that first high was so powerful, I don't even know how to explain it.

'I was always running back and trying to chase it. There wasn't one day I wouldn't have it.'

But the allure of an easily producible drug is tempting for some, as Freddie told how an 11-year-old at his school 'stole 3,000 from his dad to pay for instructions to make these vapes'.

'And now he's making 400 a day selling them in school and it's people in his year who are buying it.

'He doesn't go to school anymore because he makes so much money,' he said.

Freddie, who would sell his own clothes and shoes to buy a bottle, even stole 5 from the counter in the kitchen.

'It ruined my relationship with my dad for months. The worst bit was it was our last 5.'

Freddie's father, Peter, said: 'It's no different to cocaine or heroin, they will lie and lie to your face.

'It's not until the damage is done that they're then sorry. They don't understand what they're getting into.

'This stuff does kill them. It kills them You hear about it in prisons, you don't expect it in schools. I want parents to know this is happening.'

Peter wept when he told how Freddie had been sent home from school early because of what they thought was his asthma.

'I've dealt with his asthma before and this was not normal.

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'He said he wasn't feeling well and was sent home from school because his chest was playing up.

'He started going blue and we ended up using the whole pump.

'And when I stepped back in the room he just went all white and collapsed on the floor.

'I just kept pumping his inhaler and when the ambulance came they put him on nebulisers.

'There was a whole crowd of people waiting for him once we got out of the ambulance.

'He was dead when they arrivedit killed me,' he said, as he wiped away tears.

He continued: 'They put something under his armpit to his lungs to drain it of fluid, and then all hell broke loose.

'They rushed him to another department and then had to induce a coma And he stayed like that for two weeks.'

The penny only dropped when he had recovered that this was the impact of something more sinister.

'The hospital put it down to asthma and vaping but when we began researching afterwards it all clicked. When I found out what he had been vaping I was angry, seriously angry,' Peter said.

Freddie and Peter both felt that they didn't get enough support from the school or social services, with the blame resting with the parents.

'Schools aren't doing enough to try and find it on kids, but then also what can they do? They don't have metal detectors, they can't have sniffer dogs,' Freddie said.

Peter was desperate for Freddie to go to rehab but was not an option due to his age. One recommendation was to give him nicotine gum.

Peter said: 'He's just surrounded by it, all his friends do it, and their parents do itit's just too easy for these kids to get.

'They all hide it in bushes to have on the way to and back from school. It's just a big vicious cycle I can't compete with.

'I have no embarrassment with it, because it's not my fault.

'I've been through everything with Freddie and I have stood by every single step of the way to try and get him off it.

'I just wish there was something magical that you could just wave. It would be amazing if we could do that.'

TikTok said: 'We do not allow the trade or promotion of vaping products or illegal drugs on TikTok and this account had already been removed from our platform before we were approached by the Daily Mail.'

An Ofcom spokesperson said: 'The sale and promotion of illegal drugs online can have devastating consequences.

'Under the Online Safety Act, social media platforms must assess and mitigate the risk of UK users encountering criminal content.

'Our job is to make sure sites and apps are taking appropriate steps to do this. It's not to tell platforms which specific posts or accounts to take down.

'We've been pressing tech firms  including TikTok  on what they're doing to comply with their duties, and we've shown we'll take action where companies fall short.

'In the first year of the Act coming into force, we've investigated nearly 100 platforms and issued 16 fines, and expect to announce more in the coming months.

'It's also important this happens alongside effective action from law enforcement against individuals selling illegal drugs online.'

A government spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: 'Our sympathies are with the family and their ongoing efforts to receive the best possible care for their son.

'Children should never vape and we are taking urgent action to tackle the worrying rise in this, including through a public awareness campaign focused on the dangers of new patterns of drug use and vapes.

'We have already banned single-use vapes and our landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill will ban vape advertising, reducing their appeal to young people.'

The Department of Education said: 'We have always been clear that children should never vape, in or outside of school, and we are taking urgent action to tackle the worrying rise in youth vaping.

'More widely, research shows behaviour in schools is improving and schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy that sets out what items are banned from school premises. Our updated RSHE guidance also sets out that pupils should be taught the facts about harmful substances and associated risks, including vaping and-drug taking.

'More broadly, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop vapes from deliberately being marketed to children and our online laws are also clear that tech companies must remove illegal drug sales content from their platforms.'

WhatsApp have been approached for comment, as have the Metropolitan Police.
Cops in Kentucky called on the public for help as they urgently hunt down a female inmate after she escaped.

The Kentucky State Police urged citizens to share the bulletin for 45-year-old Angela S. Long.

Long escaped from the Dismas Charities re-entry facility in Owensboro on Friday evening. Owensboro is about 107 miles from Louisville.

Police said she left the facility before driving off in a black car.

The inmate was serving a sentence for various theft and substance abuse-related charges.

Long was convicted in November 2024 in Hart County. The crime occurred in September 2023, per jail records cited by People.

Officials described her as a white female, 54, 170lbs, with long straight brown hair and blue eyes.

She was last seen wearing blue jeans, a light blue t-shirt, and grey sneakers.

The Kentucky State Police are searching for 45-year-old Angela S. Long who was serving time for various theft and substance abuse-related charges

Long escaped from Dismas Charities re-entry facility in Owensboro on Friday evening. Dismas Charities is one of the largest halfway organizations in the United States

Police ask anyone with information to reach them at 270-826-3312 or contact their local law enforcement agency.

Officials also urged the citizens to share their bulletin, which at least 1,500 users did on Facebook.

Dismas Charities is one of the largest halfway organizations in the United States.

In January, eight 'violent offenders' escaped from a Louisiana detention center, prompting a dramatic statewide search before all were captured.

At 1.20am on January 31, state police reported the inmates, including three accused killers, were missing from Riverbend Detention Center in East Carroll Parish.

Destin Brogan, 22, Trenton Taplin, 29, and Kolin Loney, 21, were being held as they awaited trial for murder charges.

The eight inmates had been captured by January 31. Their photos were shared by Louisiana State Police

The other escapees were Savion Wheeler, 31, Hugo Molina, 27, Kevin Slaughter Jr, 25, Krisean Salinas, 21, and Kopelon Vicknair, 19.

All the escaped criminals were captured within 24 hours by efforts of several agencies, including the US Marshals Service and the FBI.
Apria Healthcare LLC allegedly failed to provide employees with correct sick pay wages, as according to law. This resulted, allegedly, in providing employees with inaccurate wages statements as well.

**THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT**

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The San Francisco employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Apria Healthcare LLC violated the California Labor Code. The Apria Healthcare LLC class action lawsuit, Case No. 26CV487312, is currently pending in the Santa Clara County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

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According to the lawsuit filed, Apria Healthcare LLC allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse for required expenses, (f) failed to pay sick wages, and (g) failed to provide wages when due, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in California Labor Code Sections 201-203, 226, 226.7, 233, 246, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct.

The Complaint alleges Defendant underpaid sick pay wages to employees by failing to pay such wages at the regular rate of pay in violation of Cal. Lab. Code Section 246. Employees routinely earned non-discretionary incentive wages which increased their regular rate of pay. However, when sick pay was paid, it was paid at the base rate of pay for as opposed to the correct, higher regular rate of pay, as required under Cal. Lab Code Section 246. California Labor Code Section 246(1)(2) requires that paid sick time for nonexempt employees be calculated by dividing the employee's total wages, not including overtime premium pay, by the employee's total hours worked in the full pay periods of the prior 90 days of employment.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against Apria Healthcare LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today.

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READ MORE: Bleak recession warning every Aussie needs to read

Barnaby Joyce floundered in a chaotic TV interview as he struggled to defend One Nation rehiring a staffer into a top job after serving two years in prison for rape.

Sean Black was sacked as campaign manager at the weekend by party leader Pauline Hanson over the renewed outrage about his rape conviction.

He was jailed for five years, suspended after 27 months, in 2018 when a jury found him guilty of raping and violently assaulting a woman he was in a relationship with.

At the time, Black worked for One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts and after his release, he spent three years in the senior role at the party's national headquarters in Brisbane.

Joyce faced tough questioning over Blacks rehiring during his Sky News Australia appearance with Laura Jayes on Monday, and struggled to defend the move.

He insisted there had to be a chance of redemption and rehabilitation of offenders, and added: 'Why should One Nation be held to a different standard than the Liberal Party or the Labor Party?'

Jayes asked if it sat well with him that a man convicted of rape and violent assault, who had served time in jail, was working inside party headquarters.

'If anybody has an association or a relationship with a person who's been convicted of a serious crime, are we now going to insist that person is removed from their job?' said Joyce.

Joyce (right) said people with past convictions should be given the chance to rebuild their lives

'What people also believe in is that there has to be a process of redemption.'

But Jayes pointed out the staffer had still been sacked by the party.

Joyce admitted that the controversy had become politically untenable, but argued the wider principle remained.

'I think it's quite apparent that the position had been made untenable by the hype it was getting in the media,' he said.

'That's fair enough, that's your job.'

'So which is it?' Jayes pressed. 'You're saying people deserve redemption, but you've sacked this guy anyway.'

Joyce said that Black's conviction was neither new nor concealed.

'This was not something that was discovered recently,' he said. 'People have known about this for ages.'

Joyce faced tough questioning over Blacks rehiring during his Sky News Australia appearance with Laura Jayes on Monday, and struggled to defend the move

One Nation staffer Sean Black (pictured) was jailed in 2018 for five years over a rape conviction

Joyce warned the public debate risked targeting others with convictions.

'I do know other people in politics who've been to jail for serious crimes and they're still working as staff members,' he said.

'But I'm not going to go out scratching their eyes out.'

Pauline Hanson on Sunday night confirmed that One Nation had terminated Black's employment.

'So he's gone, finished,' Hanson told Sky News.

Hanson said she had 'shot this man in question in front of his wife, with his two children in the other room,' later clarifying she meant she fired him on the spot.

'This man was convicted, and I don't condone this sort of behaviour whatsoever,' she said.

Hanson said she had never had any concerns about Black's conduct while employed.

Pauline Hanson (pictured) confirmed that Sean Black had been sacked on Sunday night

'He worked with a former federal police officer, and no concerns about it,' she said. 'I've had no concerns raised by other female staff, no concerns by me whatsoever.'

The sacking followed sharp criticism from the Coalition, which accused One Nation of undermining its own credibility.

Liberal Senator James Paterson condemned what he described as the 'absolutely extraordinary' decision to retain a convicted rapist on the party's staff, saying the move made it 'very hard to take One Nation seriously'.

'It means it's very hard to take One Nation seriously when they talk about law and order, when they talk about being tough on crime, when they talk about domestic violence,' Paterson told Sky News on Sunday.

He said One Nation maintains 'a pretence of being a serious political party' while continuing to employ a convicted rapist, arguing the individual should not be present during parliamentary sittings.

He added: 'I don't think he should be allowed in Parliament House in sitting weeks, and if he is being brought to Parliament House, they should explain why they think that's appropriate.'
Eric Swalwell has suspended his campaign for governor of California amid allegations of sexual assault.

The Democratic congressman dropped out of the race after 50 former members of his staff joined a growing chorus of politicians calling for him to resign from his position and drop out of the governor's race.

'I am suspending my campaign for Governor,' Swalwell said in a statement on X.

'To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past.'

He continued: 'I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made  but thats my fight, not a campaigns.'

The congressman did not say whether he intends to keep his position on Capitol Hill.

The bombshell move comes after a woman who worked for two years for Swalwell claimed she had sexual encounters with him while he was her boss.

She alleged that the married Swalwell raped her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent in 2019 and 2024. She was one of four women to make allegations against the aspiring governor.

The Manhattan District Attorneys Office announced that an investigation has been launched into Swalwell following the allegations. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office in California also told the Los Angeles Times on Saturday that it is evaluating 'whether any alleged criminal conduct occurred' in the Bay Area.

Swalwell dropped out of the race after 50 former members of his staff joined a growing chorus calling for him to resign from his position in Congress and drop out of the governor's race

The congressman did not say whether he intends to keep his position on Capital Hill.

Swalwell addressed wife Brittany Watts in the video, saying that he apologizes to her

Swalwell issued a video denying the women's claims on Friday, calling the reports 'flat false.'

Swalwell also addressed wife Brittany Watts in the video, saying that he apologizes to her 'deeply for putting her in this position.'

He also suggested a conspiracy, pointing out that they were released 'on the eve of' the June 2 primary, in which he claimed to be 'the frontrunner,' though Real Clear Politics' average shows him trailing Republican Steve Hilton in the primary.

The allegations began with claims from a former staffer who alleged she was raped by Swalwell when she was too intoxicated to consent.

She told CNN that in April 2024, after a night of heavy drinking in New York City, she woke up to Swalwell having sex with her in his hotel bed.

'I was pushing him off of me, saying no,' she said, adding that it happened after she stopped working in his office. 'He didn't stop.'

At least four women have now accused the Congressman of sexual misconduct, including the former staffer.

Another of the alleged victims, Ally Sammarco, went on the record with CNN and alleged that the gubernatorial candidate sent her unsolicited nude messages.

The DC-based political content creator messaged Swalwell in 2021 in hopes of discussing politics.

One accuser Ally Sammarco went on the record with CNN. Her husband, Adam Parkhomenko, has supported her via social media

Sammarco claimed that Swalwell set her unsolicited nude photos and 'became very inappropriate' over text

The 28-year-old said the congressman 'became very inappropriate, like saying about how hot he thought I was, insinuating we should get together and hook up.'

'I thought I was the only one that had this experience with him,' she told NBC.

'These people have authority, and they're abusing it. I want to validate what these women are saying, and I feel like he needs a public reckoning in some way, or he's just going to continue doing this.'

She was supported by her husband, Adam Parkhomenko, who took aim at Swalwell following his video denial.

Several Swalwell supporters have since renounced their endorsements of him and implored him to drop his bid to replace Gavin Newsom. Among the most high-profile voices was Speaker Emerita Pelosi.

Democratic leadership, including Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar also issued a statement calling for an investigation into the allegations as House ethics rule bar members from having sex with subordinates.

Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna, of Florida, has also announced plans to force a House vote to expel Swalwell, a motion supported by some Democrats.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi called on Eric Swalwell to drop out of the race to replace Gavin Newsom after a former staffer accused him of sexual assault which he denies

According to a spokesperson for Pelosi, she called for the 'extremely sensitive allegations' to be 'appropriately investigated.'

'The young woman who has made serious allegations against Congressman Swalwell must be respected and heard,' she said.

Bracing for allegations to surface, his Democratic opponents had already started attacking the congressman, suggesting he's a hypocrite for slamming men like Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, whose confirmation was nearly derailed by sexual misconduct allegations.

Others have withdrawn their endorsements and support of Swalwell just months ahead of the gubernatorial primary in June, including multiple senators.

Then on Sunday, 50 former members of Swalwell's staff called on him to resign from his position in the House, calling the allegations against him 'serious [and] credible' and saying they 'demand accountability.'

'The people of California's 14th Congressional District and the people of this country deserve representation from someone whose conduct reflects the values of public service,' the former staff members said in a joint statement.

'Remaining in either role while these allegations hang unresolved is an insult to every person who has ever worked for him, reported to him or placed their trust in him.'

The staffers then addressed their co-worker who first came forward with the allegations.

'To our colleague: you are not alone. We see you. We stand with you. We are deeply sorry that we did not know what you were enduring and we carry the weight of that with us.

'Your bravery in speaking out has given voice to what many victims have feared to say and we are grateful for your courage,' they continued.

'We are appalled by his actions and stand firmly with you and every victim who has come forward.

'Justice is not optional,' they concluded. 'Accountability is not negotiable. We will not be silent.'
A sheep farmer was dragged to his death like a scene from classic Australian movie Mad Max, before he was shot and buried in a shallow grave on his own property, police say.

Richard 'Willsy' Wills, 65, was last seen leaving his home in Ouyen, about 450km north-west of Melbourne near the South Australian border, on Easter Sunday.

Victorian detectives believe he suffered a horrendous ordeal before being fatally shot, including being dragged behind an unidentified vehicle.

It was a sadistic detail that recalls a brutal scene from the original Mel Gibson movie in which a crazed bikie gang dragged a man behind a motorbike through the country Victorian town of Clunes - about 300km south of Ouyen.

The murder comes after repeated complaints from farmers in the Clunes region about organised crime gangs stealing their sheep over the past year.

Last week, Victorian detectives said they were investigating whether links to livestock theft in the region was a factor.

It is understood that, shortly before his death, Mr Wills had reported some of his sheep had also been stolen.

Local Kevin Butler claimed farmers had been trying to break the Merino Mafia since last May when 'shameless sheep thieves of Middle Eastern appearance' were confronted by a woman.

Richard 'Willsy' Wills is believed to have been dragged behind a vehicle and shot

A man is dragged behind a motorbike through the township of Clunes in the Australian classic Mad Max

Bikies in Clunes in the original Mad Max. Locals there have complained about sheep being stolen

'She was threatened with physical violence and they sped off, but now there is a possible link to last Sunday's fatal incident at Ouyen,' he posted online.

Mr Butler claimed suspected thieves were spotted crawling through the grass outside sheep farms in Kurting - about 250km south of where Mr Wills was murdered.

'Two Middle Eastern men, crawling along the Wedderburn-Brananah Rd, stopping briefly at each property on Tuesday. No rego,' he warned locals.

On Sunday, another woman posted on the online Clunes noticeboard in the hope of finding 100 lambs she feared had been stolen by the suspected Merino Mafia.

'Looking for any information regarding stolen sheep from the Creswick Rd, Clunes near the meerkat resort between 7pm and 7am on April 11/12,' she wrote.

'We believe 100 or more unshorn lambs were stolen from a shearing shed on the Creswick Rd and some shearing equipment. If anyone saw anything, please let me know.'

The brutal murder of Mr Wills has angered local farmers who are fed up with what some have attributed to a lack of action by police in investigating the sheep thefts.

'The coppers had to wait until someone was killed? Absolute disgrace,' one said.

Locals believe this vehicle was caught in the act stealing sheep in Kurting in August last year

Mr Wills had gone to work at his rural property on the Mallee Highway about 8am as usual, after his daily farewell kiss for his wife of 32 years, Donna.

When he didn't return for lunch, family members scoured the 650-hectare share-cropping and livestock farm searching for him to no avail.

Mrs Wills reported him missing the following morning when he still hadn't returned.

His body was found by police about 1.30pm the next day. He had been fatally shot and left in a shallow grave.

Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Trewavas of the Victoria Police's Missing Persons Squad told reporters Mr Wills had clearly met with 'foul play'.

'What is still unclear is exactly who was involved and why. This is a vicious killing,' Sen Sgt Trewavas said.

'It's callous. Somebody will know. On Easter Sunday morning, someone will know someone who was doing the wrong thing or (acting) suspiciously.'

Mrs Wills choked back tears as she told reporters about the last time she saw her beloved husband alive.

Mr Wills was murdered at his farm in Ouyen on the border of South Australia and Victoria

Mr Wills was expected home for Easter lunch but never arrived

Join the discussion Are rural communities being failed by authorities in the battle against organised livestock crime?

'He just kissed me goodbye, and I imagined I would see him at lunchtime,' she said.

'Five kids, lots of grandkids that are gonna miss him ... If he needed a tyre, he'd help them. If he needed fuel, he'd help them.

'He was one to help anyone - kind-hearted, give you anything.'

Police said they were shocked at the brutality of the crime. Detectives believe Mr Wills was likely killed by someone he knew.

'We're hoping that this appeal leads to someone coming forward and doing the right thing, it can be done anonymously, so that we can hold those responsible to account,' Sen Sgt Trewavas said.

Anyone with information on the crime ought to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Aussies have been left divided after the Driver Knowledge Test was expanded to eight languages in one state.

Applicants must first pass the 45-question theory test about road safety and rules to obtain a learner's licence in New South Wales.

Since 2024, aspiring motorists can take the online test from home or anywhere with internet access and do not have to pay the fee again if they fail the first time.

The DKT is already available in English, Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Spanish and Vietnamese in Australia's most populous state.

The test will be offered in Korean from next month, along with Thai, Farsi (Persian) and traditional Chinese later in the year.

The 100-page official road user handbook will also be available in the eight languages.

It's understood that the latest additions were chosen based on languages spoken in NSW households, along with recent migration trends.

2GB presenter James Willis slammed the move.

Novice drivers in NSW will soon be able to take the Driver Knowledge Test in one of eight languages

'At the risk of sounding controversial, I would have thought it was pretty important for someone driving on Sydney roads to at least understand basic English,' he said.

'The signs are in English, the tunnel directions are in English. English is on all the alerts and hazard signs, it's also written on every street sign.

'When a warning goes off about an accident in the WestConnex, the voice you generally hear is in English.'

Many Aussies agreed that learner drivers should understand basic English before being allowed to get behind the wheel.

'What happens when they have to follow verbal instructions given to them by the police and traffic controllers?' one commented online.

Another added: 'So, are we going to change every sign on every road, parking etc because if they cannot understand the test in English? How are they going to read the signs in English?'

A third wrote: 'So are we going to have road signs in all different languages - confusing enough now without that.'

Many others slammed the move as a joke.

The DKT change has sparked debate over whether drivers should understand basic English before getting behind the wheel. Pictured is traffic on Sydney's Parramatta Road

'April Fool's Day was over a week ago,' another wrote.

But some pointed out that the test has been available in different languages for decades.

'It's actually a good idea and makes sense,' one commented.

Another added: 'This is nothing new. Also, would you stop any non-English speaking tourists from driving?'

While the DKT content, road rules and test questions are available in different languages, all road signs and the practical driving test remain in English to reflect real-world driving conditions.

'This ensures that all drivers can recognise and respond to signage on NSW roads,' a Transport for NSW spokesperson told Daily Mail.

'The expansion of online language options improves access to driver education for culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including new migrants and people with limited English proficiency, helping ensure clearer understanding of the rules before driving.'

'It does not change licensing standards, and all applicants must still meet the same requirements, including recognising English road signs and completing the practical driving test.'

In Victoria, the DKT is available in 13 languages and in five languages in South Australia. Other states provide a pre-booked interpreter service for the test.

In the US earlier this year, Governor Ron DeSantis' administration upgraded Florida's legislation for driver licence and skill tests to make them exclusively in English.

This is despite the south-eastern state having the third-largest foreign-born population, behind California and Texas.

'Previously, knowledge exams for most non-commercial driver license classifications were offered in multiple languages,' the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced at the time.

'Under the updated policy, all driver license knowledge and skills will be conducted in English.'

Willis described the move as common sense.

'Florida is on the money and we should be doing the same here,' he said.

'I suggest a lot of other countries around the world would have the same system.

'Letting someone read the road rules and do the test in Spanish or Chinese isn't going to help them when they get behind the wheel for the first time.'
Donald Trump has launched a tirade against Pope Leo over his repeated criticism of the war in Iran and said the American pontiff would not have been elected without him.

The President labelled the head of the Catholic Church as a 'very liberal person' and said he is 'WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy'.

He also said that Leo, 70, was only made Pope 'because he was an American', adding: 'If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican.'

Trump was exiting Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews when he aired a litany of grievances against the pontiff.

He said: 'I don't think he's doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess.

'We don't like a pope who says it's ok to have a nuclear weapon. We don't want a pope that says crime is ok. I am not a fan of Pope Leo.'

Trump's comments came just moments after he made a Truth Social post criticizing Pope Leo for meeting Barack Obama's campaign manager David Axelrod.

The President, 79, then referenced the pontiff's brother Louis, who has said he is a supporter of Trump and was feted at the White House last year.

He added: 'I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn't!'

Trump then criticized Pope Leo suggesting he wanted Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Denuclearization of Iran is one of Trump's main reasons for striking Tehran.

Donald Trump has launched a tirade against Pope Leo over his repeated criticism of the war in Iran

The President labelled the head of the Catholic Church as a 'very liberal person' and said he is 'WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy'

He added: 'I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.

'I don't want a Pope who thinks it's terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.'

The President went deeper on his opposition to Pope Leo and the church's stance on several issues including COVID lockdowns.

'He talks about 'fear' of the Trump Administration, but doesn't mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart,' Trump wrote.

The President then claimed that Pope Leo 'criticizes the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.'

Trump then went on to even suggest that he is the only reason that Pope Leo became the first American leader of the Catholic Church.

He added: 'Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn't on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican.'

Trump continued to criticize Pope Leo for his meeting with Axelrod, who the President called an 'Obama sympathizer' and 'a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested.'

He added: 'Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It's hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it's hurting the Catholic Church!'

It was an extraordinary broadside against the head of the Catholic Church, exacerbating a feud that began over the war in Iran.

Trump then posted what appeared to be an AI drawing of himself as Jesus Christ healing a sick person, followed by a photoshop of what it would look like if Trump Tower were built on the moon.

The post followed Leo having denounced over the weekend the 'delusion of omnipotence' that is fueling the joint US-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.

Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St Peter's Basilica on the same day the US and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire.

The Pope didn't mention the US or Trump by name in his prayer.

But Leo's tone and message appeared directed at Trump and American officials, who have boasted of US military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

It came after the pontiff seemed to use his first Easter Sunday address to send a message to Trump as he urged 'let those who have weapons lay them down'.

The Pope, who has strongly denounced Trump's war in Iran, told the thousands gathered in St Peter's Square that the public is 'growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it and becoming indifferent'.

The President referenced Leo's brother Louis, who has said he is a supporter of Trump and was feted at the White House last year

Key Barack Obama advisor David Axelrod recently met with Pope Leo

Speaking from the Vatican balcony, the Pope said: 'Let those who have weapons lay them down!

'Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace! Not a peace imposed by force but by dialogue.'

Leo did not specify a conflict within his message, known as the Urbi et Orbi blessing - translated as 'to the city and the world'.

The papal address was unusually short and lasted around 15 minutes. It is normally around double the length in time.

Leo also reflected on the biblical story of Easter - in which Jesus rises from the dead three days after peacefully accepting his death by crucifixion - to highlight the 'entirely nonviolent' nature of Christ.

He added the peace Jesus gives 'is not merely the silence of weapons', and urged: 'On this day of celebration, let us abandon every desire for conflict, domination and power, and implore the Lord to grant his peace to a world ravaged by wars.'

Before the ceasefire, when Trump warned of mass strikes against Iranian power plants and other infrastructure and that 'an entire civilization will die tonight,' Leo described such sentiments as 'truly unacceptable.'

The Pope is scheduled to leave for an 11-day trip to Africa today.

Pope Leo meets US Vice President JD Vance, his wife Usha Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his wife Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio at the Vatican last year

Leo's brother Louis and his wife Deborah attend the Pope's inaugural mass in St Peter's Square last year alongside Vance and his wife

Leo noted there is a 'globalization of indifference', including to the 'deaths of thousands of people', the 'repercussions of hatred' and the 'social and economic repercussions' wars produce.

He continued: 'The cross of Christ always reminds us of the suffering and pain that surround death and the agony it entails.

'We are all afraid of death and out of fear, we turn away preferring not to look. We cannot continue to be indifferent. We cannot resign ourselves to evil.'

Leo's Easter Sunday address follows his public cries calling for the end of global conflicts, including a significant step up in his criticism of the Iran war.

Popes do not typically mention world leaders by name, yet an exception was made last week when he publicly referred to Trump.

He told reporters on Tuesday: 'I'm told that President Trump has recently stated that he would like to end the war...I hope he is looking for an off-ramp.'

Leo, who was born in Chicago, added: 'We constantly make the call for peace but unfortunately, many people want to promote hatred, violence and war.'

His comments contradicted those made by the US secretary Pete Hegseth - who deemed the Iran war as a holy one.

While in prayer last week, Hegseth asked God for 'overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy'.

He added: 'Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation.'

In what seems to be retaliation the Pope said at St Peter's on Palm Sunday, God 'does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them'.

Turning to the Bible, he said: 'Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood.'

The seemingly back-and-forth row between the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV started last year.

Before he was elected in May last year, Leo scrutinized JD Vance's claims that the Bible justified caring for one's family before migrants.

Following an invite by the Vice President to the US for Independence Day on July 4 this year, the Pope said he will instead spend the day visiting Lampedusa - an Italian island where migrants land after sailing from Africa.

This year marks Leo's first Easter as Pope after the death of Pope Francis, aged 88, on Easter Monday last year.

The Urbi et Orbi is the most solemn form of blessing in the Catholic Church, reserved for occasions including Easter and Christmas.

In the 2024 election, Trump won 55 percent of Catholic voters, according to AP VoteCast, an extensive survey of the electorate.

But Trumps administration also has close ties to conservative evangelical Protestant leaders and has claimed heavenly endorsement for the war on Iran.
Prue MacSween has demanded a child rapist who sparked a five-day manhunt after escaping custody be deported, slamming the fact he was able to remain in the country for more than ten years after he committed his horrific crime.

Michael Angok fled on foot from Bankstown Hospital, in south-west Sydney, last Wednesday after being transported under police guard from Villawood Immigration Detention Centre before he was captured on Sunday.

Angok had been awaiting deportation following his conviction over his involvement in the gang rape of a 14-year-old girl at a western Sydney park in 2014.

Media commentator Prue MacSween said Angok should be deported immediately after taxpayers spent years footing the bill for his detention, saying it was outrageous a convicted child rapist was able to flee custody.

'He should be sent home tonight. Never to return. We have wasted so much money accommodating this bast***. Get him out of here,' she said.

Angok was convicted in 2016 and his visa was revoked while behind bars before he was released the following year and detained at Villawood.

He launched an appeal against his visa cancellation, before it was rejected by a tribunal in 2019.

MacSween argued Angok should never have been allowed to appeal his deportation.

Media commentator Prue MacSween (pictured) said Angok should be deported immediately after taxpayers spent years footing the bill to detain him

Immigration detainee Michael Angok (pictured) spent five days on the run from authorities

'Our ridiculous laws, pathetic security procedures and inept minister who is in hiding over this disgrace are all to blame,' she said.

'Can anyone name any policy this government hasnt stuffed up?

'Whether it be immigration/deportation of crims, energy policy, NDIS, the first home buyer scheme that buys houses for non-citizens, years of deficits because of big spending, taxpayer dollars to pay for childcare for millionaires  the list goes on.

'Inept morons running this country. We get what we vote for.'

In February 2016, Angok was convicted of four counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a person over 14 years and under 16 years and sentenced to an aggregate term of imprisonment of 45 months, with a two-year non-parole period.

The teenage girl was walking home alone through Doonside's Bill Colbourne Reserve when she was sexually assaulted by four males of African appearance.

One of the men assaulted the teen before pinning her to the footpath to allow the others to assault her over a 30-minute period, police said at the time.

The court heard that during the rape, there was talk about the four male offenders 'taking turns'.

The convicted gang rapist escaped from Bankstown Hospital on Wednesday morning

Michael Angok was one of four males involved in the late-night attack on the girl at the reserve

Angok, then 18, was the second man to have sexual intercourse with the victim, which occurred while another offender put his penis in her mouth.

The court also heard that during the incident, the victim heard one of the men say, 'Give me a piece of that'.

Angok was released from custody in 2017 after serving a minimum non-parole period of two years and had been detained at Villawood for some time after his visa was revoked while behind bars.

It is unclear when he was expected to be deported from Australia.

In early 2019, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal upheld a decision to cancel Angok's visa, 'given the nature of the applicant's sexual offending against a minor in company of others'.

The judgement stated Angok, then nine, arrived in Australia with his family on refugee visas in 2005 after leaving South Sudan. He has not departed Australia since.

It also detailed how Angok's police record as a minor involved incidents of violence, drug use and failure to comply with police instructions.

Angok was arrested in Seven Hills at about 2.45pm on Sunday after he broke out of the hospital.

He is due to face Blacktown Court on Monday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled a significant reshuffle at the very top of the Australian Defence Force, naming Vice Admiral Mark Hammond as the nations next Chief of the Defence Force.

Vice Admiral Hammond will take over the ADFs most senior role in July, replacing longserving Admiral David Johnston, who will retire after nearly five decades in uniform.

The shakeup also delivers a historic first for the Army, with Lieutenant General Susan Coyle set to become the first woman ever to lead Australias land forces.

Vice Admiral Hammond, the current Chief of Navy, brings four decades of naval experience to the role, having served in surface ships, submarines and senior fleet commands.

Appointed Chief of Navy in 2022, he has played a central role in shaping Australias future maritime force, including the nationdefining AUKUS plan to acquire conventionally armed, nuclearpowered submarines.

In another landmark move, Lieutenant General Susan Coyle will step into the role of Chief of Army, replacing Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, who also retires in July.

Lieutenant General Coyles appointment marks a historic moment for the ADF.

She enlisted as a soldier in the Army Reserve in 1987 and rose through the ranks to command at every level of warfighting, from Afghanistan to the Middle East.

Anthony Albanese (pictured) announced the major shake up to the Defence Force on Monday

Her previous roles include Commander Forces Command, Head of Information Warfare and Chief of Joint Capabilities.

She will become the first woman to command the Australian Army in its 124year history.

Lieutenant General Stuart, the first Chief of Army to begin his career as an enlisted soldier, was praised for preparing the service for major structural and cultural reform under the National Defence Strategy.

The Navy will also see new leadership, with Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley promoted to Chief of Navy.

A submariner by background, Rear Admiral Buckley previously commanded HMAS Collins and the Submarine Force and served as Head of Nuclear Submarine Capability before becoming Deputy Chief of Navy in 2025.

The Government said his experience uniquely positions him to lead the Navy through the AUKUS era and a broader surface fleet expansion.

Secretary of the Department of Defence Greg Moriarty will conclude his tenure on April 19, before taking up the role of Australias Ambassador to the United States, replacing Kevin Rudd.

A new secretary will be confirmed at a later date.

Mark Hammond (pictured) has been named as the nations next Chief of the Defence Force

During the press conference Albanese declined to say whether he supports a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, announced by President Donald Trump overnight.

He said Australia has not been asked to participate and that he does not expect such a request.

'What we want to see is negotiations continue and resume,' Albanese said.

'We want to see an end to this conflict. We want to see the Strait of Hormuz opened for all. We want to see freedom of navigation as required by international law as well,' he said.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's San Francisco mansion appears to have been attacked a second time in just two days.

Amanda Tom, 25, and Muhamad Tarik Hussein, 23, were arrested on suspicion of firing a gun in the city's affluent Russian Hill neighborhood, the San Francisco Police Department said Sunday.

Tom and Hussein fired a single shot from a handgun at Altman's $27 million mansion at around 2.56am, according to an initial police report reviewed by The San Francisco Standard.

Just two days before in the early hours of Friday, another person threw a Molotov cocktail at the exterior gate of the mansion. A 20-year-old suspect named Alejandro Daniel Moreno-Gama was arrested in connection with that attack.

No one is reported to have been injured in either incident.

The suspects who allegedly opened fire on Altman's property drove past it in Tom's Honda sedan a few minutes before doubling back and opening fire, according to the Standard.

The individual in the passenger seat put their hand out the window and fired at the side of the mansion, according to security personnel who heard a gunshot and surveillance footage cited in the police report reviewed by the Standard.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's San Francisco mansion was reportedly targeted in a second attack in just two days

In the early hours of Friday, someone threw a Molotov cocktail at the pictured exterior gate of Altman's $27 million mansion

In the early hours of Sunday, a pair of suspects drove past Altman's pictured mansion and fired a single shot at it, according to a police report reviewed by The San Francisco Standard

The car immediately fled, but its license plate was captured on a security camera, leading San Francisco police to a residence where they arrested Tom and Hussein on charges of negligent discharge, the Standard reported.

When officers searched the home, they reportedly discovered three firearms.

The suspects were booked into the San Francisco County Jail, according to police.

The Daily Mail reached out to OpenAI for comment and did not immediately hear back.

Regarding Friday's attack, an OpenAI spokesperson previously told the Daily Mail that 'someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's home and also made threats at our San Francisco headquarters' but that 'thankfully, no one was hurt.'

The second attack over the course of one weekend seems to justify the anxieties Altman shared in an essay he posted to his blog on Friday, where he reflected on the firebombing of his mansion.

'Words have power too. There was an incendiary article about me a few days ago,' the OpenAI CEO wrote.

'Someone said to me yesterday they thought it was coming at a time of great anxiety about AI and that it made things more dangerous for me. I brushed it aside,' he continued.

A 20-year-old suspect named Alejandro Daniel Moreno-Gama was arrested in connection with Friday's Molotov cocktail attack. He is pictured in surveillance footage holding the firebomb

Moreno-Gama also allegedly threatened to burn down OpenAI's San Francisco headquarters the same day he allegedly threw the Molotov cocktail

'Now I am awake in the middle of the night and pissed, and thinking that I have underestimated the power of words and narratives.'

In the blog post, Altman also shared a picture of his husband, Oliver Mulherin, and their infant child.

'Normally we try to be pretty private, but in this case I am sharing a photo in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house, no matter what they think about me,' he wrote below the photo.

Altman did not specifically name the article he believed was 'incendiary,' but the pair of attacks came just days after an explosive investigation by Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz was published in The New Yorker.

The expose cited multiple interviews with sources who knew Altman and raised questions about whether the powerful CEO could be trusted.

In his blog post, Altman went on to address his beliefs, noting that he believes advancing science and technology are 'moral obligations.'

Altman published a blog post on Friday reflecting on the firebombing and shared this picture of his husband and their infant 'in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house'

Altman's blog post also shared anxieties about 'the power of words and narratives' potentially motivating attacks against him and his family. He is pictured with his husband, Oliver Mulherin

He hailed artificial intelligence as a 'powerful tool for expanding human capability,' but conceded that the fear and anxiety over AI was justified.

'A lot of the criticism of our industry comes from sincere concern about the incredibly high stakes of this technology. This is quite valid, and we welcome good-faith criticism and debate,' Altman wrote.

He concluded his blog post with a call to action, writing: 'While we have that debate, we should de-escalate the rhetoric and tactics and try to have fewer explosions in fewer homes, figuratively and literally.'
President Donald Trump revealed Sunday night that Iran was 'desperate' during peace negotiations and Tehran ended discussions when their demand for nuclear weapons was denied.

Trump exited Air Force One on Sunday night at Joint Base Andrews where he revealed details of the failed negotiations in Pakistan - while insisting he will prevent Iran from obtaining nukes.

'They still want it, and they made that clear the other night,' the commander-in-chief told reporters about their discussions with Vice President JD Vance.

'I think Iran is in very bad shape. I think theyre pretty desperate. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.'

Authorities in Iran have long fought to make nuclear bombs, even including the right to enrich uranium in a 10-point peace plan they submitted ahead of the peace talks that took place in Islamabad this weekend.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later claimed the proposal Iranian officials released differed from the one they sent the president.

She then insisted that the president's 'red lines, namely the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran, have not changed.'

Trump doubled down on that point Sunday, hours after announcing that peace talks with his Iranian counterparts had failed.

President Donald Trump announced Sunday night that peace talks with Iranian officials ended when they pushed for nuclear weapons

Vice President JD Vance traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan with Special Envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff for the peace talks. The vice president is now said to believe a deal remains on the table

A US official familiar with the deliberations previously told The Daily Mail that at the outset of the talks, it was clear that the Iranians did not properly apprehend America's core objective, which was that any potential deal has and always would have at its center the fact that Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.

Over the course of the deliberations, Vance corrected this misunderstanding and used his time with his counterparts to probe their own assessments of their positions, per the US official.

Yet Vance believes a deal still remains on the table, the official said, and that it is on the Iranians to accept it.

But when asked Sunday night how long he thinks it would be before Iranian officials returned to the negotiating table, Trump took a cold hard stance against more talks.

'I don't care if they come back or not,' he said. 'If they don't come back, I'm fine.'

In the meantime, the US will start blockading ships trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes.

The blockade is scheduled to start at 10am ET on Monday, though vessels using the strait to travel to and from non-Iranian ports will not be impeded.

Trump announced earlier on Sunday that the US will start blockading ships trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz (pictured), a narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has since hit back, claiming that Iran has 'large, untouched levers' to strike back against Trump's blockage, quipping that they cannot be pressured by 'tweets and imaginary plans.'

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf - who led negotiations with JD Vance on behalf of Iran - warned Americans that 'soon you'll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas,' The New York Times reported.

Oil prices were already rising in early market trading Sunday night after the US announced the blockade.

The price of US crude oil rose eight percent to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose seven percent to $102.29.

Brent crude has swung dramatically during the month-plus long Iran war, rising from roughly $70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times.

On Friday, ahead of the peace talks, Brent for June delivery fell 0.8 percent to $95.20 per barrel.

Rachel Ziemba of the Center for a New American Progress suggested that the period for negotiations to slow this process down may be over.

'The de-escalation window for the global economy, such as it was, is over for now,' she told The Wall Street Journal. 'Iran is betting they can hold out longer than the US and the global economy.'

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei promised Iran has 'large, untouched levers' to strike back against Trump's blockage, quipping that they cannot be pressured by 'tweets and imaginary plans'

In this photo released by the Pakistan Prime Minister Office, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, left, shakes hand with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif prior to their meeting on Saturday

Traffic in the Strait has been limited even in the days since the ceasefire. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire.

Trump has claimed that the threat posed by the Iranian Navy is 'gone' from the waterway due to the US military assault on the nation since February 28.

'Their military is destroyed,' he told reporters Sunday night. 'Their whole navy is underwater. You know that 158 ships are gone? Their navy is gone. Most of their mine-droppers are gone.'

But experts have warned that the smaller boats that control the Strait remain intact, which David Des Roches, a former director responsible for Persian Gulf policy at the Department of Defense, said are well-versed in controlling the crucial chokepoint by deploying missiles and mines, and by harassing commercial ships.

Tehran has also warned of possible antiship mines, urging vessels to follow new coastal routes with Revolutionary Guard guidance - and warning that unauthorized ships trying to cross into the strait would be destroyed.

This means the US servicemen sent to the narrow waterway - which is only about 35 kilometers wide - will be sitting ducks for attacks by the IRGC.

All of the traffic passing through the strait has since ended following Trump's blockade announcement, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence, which noted that two vessels that were set to leave the waterway have turned around.

Oil prices were already rising in early market trading Sunday night after the US announced the blockade. Gas prices are pictured in California last Wednesday

At the same time, Trump said Sunday morning he instructed the US Navy 'to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.'

'No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,' the president warned on his Truth Social platform.

'Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!' he added.

In a separate interview on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures, the president said NATO would 'begrudgingly' support the US in securing the Strait. He called NATO 'shameful,' claiming that 'they weren't there for us, and they won't be there for us.'

Trump then doubled down on those remarks Sunday night, suggesting to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland that America's financial commitment to the organization would be under 'very serious' examination.

'I'm very disappointed in NATO,' Trump said. 'They weren't there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO and they weren't there for us.'

Even though NATO countries have expressed their desire to assist the US, the president described the efforts as being too late.

'Now they want to come up, but there's no real threat anymore,' Trump said as he insisted that despite the setbacks, a contentious two-week ceasefire - in which both sides agreed to stop fighting in exchange for opening the strait - was 'holding well.'
Energy Minister Chris Bowen has revealed the Albanese government is planning fuel supplies on the basis that the Strait of Hormuz may remain closed.

Speaking in Canberra on Monday, Bowen said Australia's energy security planning doesn't assume a swift resolution to the disruption, instead factoring in continued uncertainty in international supply chains.

'We are not counting on the opening of the Strait of Hormuz in terms of our scenario planning,' Bowen said.

'What we are doing is continuing to work on the basis that this uncertainty and constraint on supply will continue.'

Bowen confirmed that Australia has 57 fuel ships en route, with more than four billion litres of fuel contracted to arrive over the next four weeks.

'Since this war began, not a single cargo that we have expected to arrive in Australia has failed to arrive,' Bowen said.

'Any cancellations of forward orders have been replaced, and more.'

But the minister was careful not to overstate the reassurance, repeatedly emphasising that the global environment remains volatile, and largely out of Australia's control.

Bowen (pictured) said the government is preparing for the Strait of Hormuz to remain closed

'This is an uncertain international environment with risks all through it for the supply chain,' he said.

'That was the case at the beginning of this crisis, and it remains the case now.'

Bowen said developments overnight in and around the Strait of Hormuz had not altered the immediate fuel outlook, but cautioned that the situation beyond the coming weeks remained deeply uncertain.

His warning came after Donald Trump announced an overnight blockade of the Strait, due to take effect from midnight (AEST).

Bowen said the government was deliberately taking a cautious approach, refusing to be buoyed by short-term diplomatic developments.

'There was some excitement when a ceasefire was announced, but I said clearly that there was some way to go and we could not get ahead of ourselves,' he said.

While Bowen insisted the government was 'leaving nothing on the field' to secure fuel shipments, his comments painted a sobering picture of Australia's vulnerability in a prolonged crisis. He said even allies were grappling with the same challenges.

'We are not fully aware how this will play out in coming weeks in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere,' Bowen said.

Bowen said the government was 'leaving nothing on the field' to secure fuel supplies (file)

Bowen said the crisis reinforced the case for reducing Australia's reliance on imported fossil fuels over time, pointing to renewable energy as a form of national resilience.

'No war can impede the flow of sun to Australia,' he said.

'No sanctions can be applied to wind, and the sun does not have to travel through the Strait of Hormuz.'
Mind-controlled robotics reshape stroke rehab

Xinhua) 10:31, April 13, 2026

NANNING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- In March, inside the rehabilitation gym of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, a 48-year-old man surnamed Li stood encased in a robotic exoskeleton, a lightweight electrode-studded cap resting on his head. He closed his eyes and formed a single, clear thought: "I want to walk."

Within moments, the gentle purring of motors filled the room. A brain-computer interface (BCI) had decoded his intention. Pulses from a spinal cord stimulator raced down his neck and lower back, calming spasms and reviving dormant neural pathways. The exoskeleton's mechanical braces responded, swinging his left leg forward.

It was the first step he had taken under his own volition since a massive stroke paralyzed the left side of his body in late 2024.

The session represented a clinical milestone for south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: the first deployment of a fully integrated "mind-driven" rehabilitation system that combines a BCI, spinal cord electrical stimulation, and a robotic exoskeleton to aid stroke recovery.

More broadly, the procedure reflects China's accelerating push to move high-tech neuroengineering away from the laboratory and into real-world solutions for a growing public health crisis involving spinal cord injury and stroke.

For Li, the stroke had left him with dense hemiplegia and severe spastic paralysis -- a condition where muscles are permanently stiff, and joints are effectively locked.

In standard stroke therapy, such as massage or acupuncture, the patient is a passive recipient of care as therapists manipulate their rigid limbs in the hope of reawakening some faint muscle memory. But for Li, nearly a year's worth of repetition yielded minimal progress.

Earlier this year, a multi-departmental team led by Feng Daqin, chief surgeon of neurosurgery, decided to flip the script by putting Li back in the driver's seat.

"BCI is not actually a brand-new concept," said Feng. "Even a basic cochlear implant to help restore a patient's hearing is a form of technology. But what we are doing now is moving from a single channel to a genuine, closed-loop interaction."

The system functions as a digital bridge. The electrode cap captured his intent to move. The spinal stimulator calmed the spasms and reopened pathways severed by the stroke. The exoskeleton translated the signal into physical motion while simultaneously feeding the sensation of walking back to his brain.

In the process, thought became pulse, pulse became step, said Feng. And after two weeks of this intensive training, Li could voluntarily lift his arm and flex his knee.

"There is an inherent trade-off in moving from implants to external caps, sacrificing a degree of precision in favor of safety," said Feng. "Yet in this case, the resolution provided by this non-invasive system was more than adequate to meet the clinical needs."

Li's treatment is part of a broader and rapidly expanding effort by Chinese medical institutions to bring BCI technology into routine clinical use.

The year 2025 was widely seen as a breakout year for BCI in China, marked by the opening of new clinics and dedicated wards nationwide, according to Feng. The collaborative team from Huashan Hospital and the Chinese Academy of Sciences launched the country's first invasive BCI trial that same year.

China's National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) released a pricing guideline for neural system care services in 2025, specifying brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) as an independent category. The move aims to boost the clinical application of the cutting-edge technology to benefit patients in need.

This year, China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved an implantable BCI medical device for patients with tetraplegia caused by cervical spinal cord injuries. Jointly developed by Shanghai-based Neuracle Medical Technology and Tsinghua University, the device is the world's first commercially approved invasive brain-computer interface product, marking a shift from clinical application toward real-world deployment.

China's institutions have focused heavily on stroke recovery, driven by a hard truth of demographic reality. Data show that the country has around 26.7 million stroke patients, making it a region with a high incidence and a heavy disease burden of stroke globally.

"The clinical need for stroke patients is far more urgent and vaster than for spinal cord injuries," Feng noted.

According to Feng, the Chinese approach differs from much of the BCI research in Western countries. While many Western projects rely on invasive brain implants that require open surgery, Chinese hospitals have prioritized non-invasive or minimally invasive methods, placing safety and broader accessibility at the forefront.

While leading hospitals like Beijing Tiantan Hospital remain global leaders in invasive BCI research, regional centers like Guangxi are carving out their own niches with hybrid systems.

Feng's team is already looking toward the next frontier: applying BCI technology to other neurological disorders, including Parkinson's disease.

The hospital also sees the BCI technology as a potential conduit for greater cross-border medical cooperation. Located on China's southern frontier, Guangxi is a primary gateway to the ASEAN countries, the country's largest trading partner.

"Currently, there are no reported applications of this integrated technology in ASEAN countries," said Feng. The ambition is clear: the system is meant to be more than a local success but a sophisticated medical export for the region.

For Li, the scientific and strategic implications feel rather distant. Between training sessions, he still relies on a wheelchair. But each day in the gym, he closes his eyes, forms the thought, and takes another step under his own power.

For a man who once believed he might never walk again, that small, deliberate motion has become everything.

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
Virginia becomes the first state to advance the Independent Verification Organization (IVO) framework through legislation

RICHMOND, Va., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Abigail Spanberger signed SB 384 / HB 797, directing Virginia's Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) to evaluate the development of a framework for Independent Verification Organizations (IVOs): independent, expert-led bodies that verify whether AI systems meet safety standards. The legislation, introduced by Delegate Cliff Hayes, Jr. (DChesapeake) and Senator Angelia Williams Graves (DNorfolk), passed both chambers with strong bipartisan support 84-14 and 40-0, reflecting a growing consensus that AI governance requires new institutional approaches beyond traditional "command and control" regulation or industry self-policing.

The IVO framework is a governance approach designed to increase safety, trust, and innovation by giving consumers and deploying businesses confidence in the AI products and systems they use. Under the IVO framework, a state government sets outcome-based safety goals, then authorizes a marketplace of independent verification organizations to develop technical criteria and verify whether AI products meet those goals. AI companies voluntarily elect to have their products verified, and those that achieve verification earn a trusted seal of approval and evidentiary support in the case of litigation. This framework is designed to keep pace with the speed of AI innovation in a way that traditional regulation cannot and to solve for the technical deficit that governments face in regulating AI, while providing far more meaningful accountability than industry self-governance, and is modeled on approaches taken in other industries, such as financial auditing, product safety, and clinical trials.

"As Chairman of the Joint Commission on Technology and Science, I've seen firsthand how quickly AI is being deployed across every sector of our economy, and how difficult it is for governance to keep pace," said Delegate Cliff Hayes, Jr. "Our legislation recognizes that a new technology requires a new approach to governance. The IVO framework offers exactly that: a way to put independent technical experts at the center of AI oversight, working within a voluntary structure that our government can oversee and the public can trust. I look forward to leading JCOTS through this evaluation so we can build a governance model that works for Virginians."

"The families and communities I represent aren't asking for government to slow down innovationthey're asking for someone to be looking out for them as powerful new technologies enter their daily lives," said Senator Angelia Williams Graves. "Independent Verification Organizations help provide that accountability. This framework ensures that when an AI system is used to make decisions that affect Virginians' health, safety, or livelihoods, it has been verified by experts who answer to the public, not to the companies building the technology."

"This legislation reflects a practical reality: government alone cannot keep up with the pace of AI development, and industry cannot be expected to police itself," said Andrew Freedman, Co-Founder and CEO of Fathom. "Virginia is charting a path that empowers independent experts to ensure AI is safe and accountable, while preserving the innovation and economic growth that make the Commonwealth a leader in technology. This is exactly the kind of smart, forward-looking governance the moment demands, and we are proud to support the Governor and legislature in this effort."

Virginia's action comes at a critical juncture. As AI capabilities accelerate and are deployed across healthcare, education, criminal justice, and critical infrastructure, particularly in an agentic capacity, the gap between the technology's reach and society's ability to oversee it continues to widen. With the world's largest concentration of data centers and a technology economy that is central to the state's future, Virginia is uniquely positioned to lead on governance approaches that protect the public while maintaining a competitive business environment. The JCOTS study authorized by this legislation will lay the groundwork for what could become the nation's first operational IVO framework.

About Fathom: Fathom is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to build a governance architecture that helps society navigate the transition to a world with AI by fostering trust, safety, and innovation. Learn more at http://fathom.org.

SOURCE Fathom AI Inc.
Oil prices spiked back over $100 a barrel as the markets reacted to Donald Trump's blockade preventing access to the Strait of Hormuz for Iranian bound ships.

In a Truth Social post this morning, the US President confirmed that Washington will begin the blockade on Monday at 3pm UK time, following his initial announcement on Sunday after peace talks collapsed.

Trump's chokehold on the Strait will coincide with a blockade already in place by Iran as the war rages on after the failed 21-hour peace negotiation over the weekend.

On Monday, benchmark US crude jumped $8.38 or 8.7 percent to $104.95 a barrel.

Brent crude, the international standard, rose $7.00, or 7.4 percent, to $102.23 a barrel.

Oil prices have been rising as shipping through the strait has essentially stalled since late February.

Brent crude oil has gone from roughly $70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times.

The President spoke to the press at Joint Base Andrews Sunday night where he continued to blame NATO for not helping the United States defeat Iran.

'I'm very disappointed in NATO. They weren't there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO and they weren't there for us,' he said.

Oil prices spiked back over $100 a barrel as the markets reacted to Donald Trump's announcement of a blockade preventing access to the Strait of Hormuz for Iranian bound ships

Trump's blockade comes on top of one already in place by Iran and continuing after a failed 21-hour peace negotiation over the weekend

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He once again threatened the US place within the alliance, which has frayed ever since Trump first took office in 2017.

'We spend trillions of dollars on NATO to guard against Russia and I've long thought it was a little ridiculous. We spend trillions of dollars filling it and I think that's going to be under very serious examination.'

The President, speaking earlier Sunday on Fox News, announced that NATO would 'begrudgingly' support the US in securing the Strait. He called NATO 'shameful,' claiming that 'they weren't there for us, and they won't be there for us.'

Trump said he was 'very disappointed' in the UK, comparing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to infamous Adolf Hitler appeaser Neville Chamberlain.

'[Starmer] made a public statement: "We will send equipment after the war is over." That's a Neville Chamberlain-type statement,' Trump told Fox.

A UK government spokesperson pushed back against Trump's claims, noting that the UK will not be involved in the Strait of Hormuz blockade .

'We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home ,' the UK government spokesperson noted.

In an interview with BBCs Radio 5 on Monday, Starmer reiterated the government's stance, adding: 'All the time the strait is shut or not free for navigation in the way it should be, that means oil and gas is not getting to market, that means the price is going up and everybody listening to this is facing higher energy bills.'

'I dont want that to happen. I want their energy bills to be stablised and lower.'

Analysts said global trading was expected to remain turbulent for some time due to the failure of the talks.

Join the discussion Would YOU feel confident travelling with tensions this high in key shipping routes?

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Traffic in the Strait has been limited even in the days since the ceasefire. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire

'Not only does this restrain exports from Persian Gulf oil producers, it will restrict Iran's ability to export oil and will exacerbate the supply disruptions the market is experiencing,' ANZ Bank said.

'As we stand here at the moment, it doesn't look very nice. Certainly, the oil prices are a big concern,' added Neil Newman, Managing Director, Head of Strategy at Astris Advisory Japan, said in Hong Kong.

The pain is sharpest at the gas pump, where prices have hit $4.20 a gallon - up more than a dollar since the war began - piling pressure on Trump to end the conflict.

Other parts of the world, especially Asia, are even more reliant on the Strait of Hormuz - through which a fifth of the world's crude flows.

Following Trump's post this morning, Iran's navy commander laughed off the threat to blockade ships from 3pm.

Shahram Irani released a statement through Iranian state media, claiming the navy is 'tracking and monitoring all movements of the aggressor US military in the region'.

'The threats of the US president following the humiliating defeat of his army in the third imposed war, a naval blockade on Iran, are very ridiculous and laughable,' he said.

A spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces added that US restrictions on ships in international waters 'amount to piracy,' adding that Iran would implement a 'permanent mechanism' to control the Strait following Trump's threats.

Meanwhile, both Trump and the Iranian leadership suggested Americans could continue to pay big prices at the pump, even leading into the crucial November midterms.

Trump was far from reassuring when Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo pressed him on whether gas prices would fall before the midterms.

'It could be the same or maybe a little bit higher, but it should be around the same,' Trump told Bartiromo on Sunday.

Trump told Bartiromo he did not think the war would last much longer and that Iran was 'wiped out,' before rounding on US media outlets for highlighting how 'wonderful [Iran is] doing militarily.'

White House spokesman Kush Desai said that Trump 'has been clear about short-term disruptions' from the war, and the administration 'has been diligently working with the private sector to mitigate these disruptions.'

After Trump's blockade announcement Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf - who led negotiations with JD Vance on behalf of Iran - warned Americans that 'soon you'll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas,' The New York Times reported.

Rachel Ziemba of the Center for a New American Progress suggested that the period for negotiations to slow this process down may be over.

'The de-escalation window for the global economy, such as it was, is over for now,' she told The Wall Street Journal. 'Iran is betting they can hold out longer than the US and the global economy.'

In a Truth Social post published Sunday morning, Trump wrote that all three US representatives, Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, 'as all of this time went by, became, not surprisingly, very friendly and respectful of Iran's Representatives, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri.'

However, Trump also noted that the niceties don't, 'matter because they were very unyielding as to the single most important issue and, as I have always said, right from the beginning, and many years ago, Iran Will Never Have A Nuclear Weapon!'

Neither side indicated what will happen after the 14-day ceasefire expires on April 22. Pakistani mediators urged all parties to maintain it.

Trump announced the US will blockade the Strait of Hormuz earlier on Sunday morning after peace talks with Iran collapsed.

JD Vance (pictured right) announces that the peace talks broke down in a press conference with Jared Kushner (pictured left) and Steve Witkoff (pictured center)

'Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,' Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday.

The President said that Iran was 'unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions' as Vice President JD Vance returned from peace talks in Pakistan empty-handed.

'I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,' Trump added. 'No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.'

'Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!' Trump said.

US Central Command confirmed the blockade of 'all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports' will start on Monday at 10am ET.

'All mariners are advised to... contact U.S. naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches,' CENTCOM said in a statement.

Vessels using the strait to travel to and from non-Iranian ports will not be impeded.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced on social media Sunday that the Department of Justice is supporting the blockade.

Iranians gather at Enqelab Square to protest against the United States and Israel

A view shows a large billboard displayed at Vanak Square in Tehran

'The Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who buys or sells sanctioned Iranian oil,' Blanche wrote.

However, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei promised Iran has 'large, untouched levers' to strike back against Trump's blockage, quipping that they cannot be pressured by 'tweets and imaginary plans.'

Iran has been effectively controlling the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil shipping.

Around a fifth of the worlds traded oil typically flows through the waterway every day.

Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iran are all major exporters.

Traffic in the Strait has been limited even in the days since the ceasefire. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire.

The president claimed that the threat posed by the Iranian Navy is 'gone' from the key waterway thanks to the US military assault on the nation since February 28.

However, experts have warned that though much of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' large battleships have been destroyed, the smaller boats that control the Strait are still intact.

This means the US servicemen sent to the narrow waterway - which is only about 35 kilometers wide - will be sitting ducks for attacks by the IRGC.

A US official familiar with the deliberations told The Daily Mail that at the outset of the talks, it was clear that the Iranians did not properly apprehend America's core objective, which was that any potential deal has and always would have at its center the fact that Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.

Over the course of the deliberations, the Vice President corrected this misunderstanding and used his time with his counterparts to probe their own assessments of their positions, per the US official.

The official also conveyed that the Iranians need to recognize that the realities on the ground do not reflect the assumptions they held when they arrived at the negotiations before they will be ready to entertain a serious offer.

The Vice President still believes that a deal remains on the table, and that it is on the Iranians to accept it.

The conflict intensified this weekend as Trump issued a stern warning to China amid reports that the country was sending weapons to Iran during US peace talks.

The president's caution came after several news outlets reported that China is preparing to send air defense systems to Tehran in the coming weeks.

'If China does that, China is gonna have big problems,' he told reporters outside the White House on Saturday.

US intelligence sources told The New York Times and CNN that Beijing is shipping shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile systems, known as MANPADs, through third countries to mask their origin.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington denied the accusations in a statement to CNN.

'China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue,' the spokesperson said.

'As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations. We urge the US side to refrain from making baseless allegations, maliciously drawing connections, and engaging in sensationalism; we hope that relevant parties will do more to help de-escalate tensions.'

Meanwhile, Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo overnight, after the head of the Catholic Church said God rejected the prayers of leaders who start wars and have their 'hands full of blood' in a speech last month.

The Pope also called Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilisation as 'truly unacceptable' and said the conflict was 'atrocious.'

Posting on Truth Social overnight, the US leader said the Pope was 'weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy', adding that he didn't want 'a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.'

'Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician,' Trump continued.
An astronaut who was aboard Artemis II shared a video of the heartwarming moment her adorable dog welcomed her home after a trip around the moon.

Christina Koch, 47, just returned to Earth on Friday after completing a historic flyby around the moon, alongside three male colleagues.

A camera captured the moment her dog, named Sadie, appeared to get the zoomies at the sight of seeing her owner following her nearly 10-day trip to space.

Sadie could be seen scratching at the door, seemingly knowing it was Koch returning home.

The door swings open, and the astronaut mirrors the dog's excitement, dropping to her knees as she calls her name.

'Im still pretty sure I was the happier side of this reunion,' wrote Koch in her upload of the moment on Sunday.

'Sadie taught me everything I needed to know about being an emotional support animal. Didnt expect that would come in handy.'

The dog appeared almost incapable of controlling her excitement, running around Koch before grabbing a toy to show her.

Christina Koch, 47, who was a part of the Artemis II mission, uploaded a heartwarming moment of her adorable dog named Sadie welcoming her home

Both the astronaut and the dog were very excited to be reunited after Koch was gone for nearly 10 days floating in space

Koch returned on Friday she can be seen being supported to walk as she arrived aboard USS John P Murtha

The precious reunion garnered nearly 800,000 likes and thousands of comments, with many noting how touched they were by the moment.

Additionally, the astronauts' post was accompanied by another moment of her and Sadie playing on the beach as they ran through the shallow water, looking very happy to be together again.

Before reuniting with her pup, Koch endured a one-of-a-kind commute home from work.

She plunged down in the Pacific Ocean, reaching blistering speeds of up to 25,000 miles per hour before making its 'bullseye' landing off the coast of San Diego, California, at 8.07pm ET on Friday.

Koch was alongside astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Jeremy Hansen.

The four went around the moon and farther than any human had ever traveled into space before.

NASA officials called the Artemis II mission a total success, with the capsule splashing down exactly where the space agency had planned.

The astronaut also uploaded more moments of her and Sadie playing at the beach together looking very happy to be together again

Pictured: The NASA Artemis II crew, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen, Commander Reid Wiseman, and Pilot Victor Glover

After being picked up from the Orion crew module and flown to the USS John P Murtha by helicopter, the history-making space explorers were greeted by cheering onboard crowds.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman called the moon mission 'perfect' and declared America's intention to begin the work on a successful moon landing and construction of a lunar base by 2028.

Isaacman said: 'We are back in the business of sending astronauts to the moon. This is just the beginning.'

The Artemis II mission began back on April 1 with a successful launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

A day later, the crew set off on a four-day trip to the moon, where they would travel around the dark side and break the decades-old record of Apollo 13 for the farthest distance from Earth humans have ever traveled.

While the Apollo crew traveled 248,655 miles from Earth in 1970, Artemis II reached a maximum distance of 252,756 miles on day six of their mission.

While conducting their lunar flyby, the astronauts also named two new craters discovered on the lunar surface, including naming one after the late wife of Artemis II mission commander Reid Wiseman, Carroll.
Iran hanged at least 1,639 people in 2025, making it the highest number in 37 years, according to two NGOs.

The number of executions represented an increase of 68 per cent on the 975 people Iranian authorities put to death in 2024, and also included 48 women who were hanged.

If the Islamic Republic survives the current crisis, there is a serious risk that executions will be used even more extensively as a tool of oppression and repression,' Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) said in their joint annual report.

IHR - which requires two sources to confirm an execution, the majority of which are not reported in Iranian official media - said that the figure represented an 'absolute minimum' for the number of hangings in 2025.

The figure amounted to an average of more than four executions per day.

The report said the number of executions was by far the highest since IHR began tracking it in 2008, and was the most reported since 1989, in the earlier years of the Islamic revolution.

The NGOs also warned that 'hundreds of detained protesters remain at risk of death sentences and execution' after being charged with capital crimes over January 2026 protests against the authorities, quashed by a crackdown that rights groups say left thousands dead and tens of thousands arrested.

'By creating fear through an average of four to five executions per day in 2025, authorities tried to prevent new protests and prolong their crumbling rule,' said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.

The number of executions represented an increase of 68 per cent on the 975 people Iranian authorities put to death in 2024

Families and residents gather at the Kahrizak Coroner's Office, confronting rows of body bags as they search for relatives killed during the regime's violent crackdown on protests in January

Iranian protesters set fire to a car in Tehran on January 8, 2026

Even during the war against Israel and the United States that began on February 28, Iran has hanged seven people in connection with the January protests: six convicted of membership in the banned opposition group People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK), and one dual Iranian-Swedish citizen charged with spying for Israel.

Raphael Chenuil-Hazan, executive director of ECPM, said: 'The death penalty in Iran is used as a political tool of oppression and repression, with ethnic minorities and other marginalised groups disproportionately represented among those executed.'

Earlier this month, Iran hanged a teenage musician in the notorious Ghezel Hesar prison outside the capital, despite hopes he would be spared because of his age.

Amirhossein Hatami, 18, was arrested on January 8 and accused of committing arson against the feared Basij paramilitary's base in Tehran during anti-regime protests.

Amirhossein was convicted of 'Moharebeh' ('Enmity Against God') and sentenced to death on February 7.

On April 2, the judiciary announced he had been 'hanged at dawn'.

Two days later, Mohammadamin Biglari, 19, and Shahin Vahedparast Kalour, 30, were executed at Ghezel Hesar Prison.

Biglari and Kalours family were not granted final visits or allowed to say goodbye before they were put to death.

The young men had been seized during the protests on January 8 and accused of arson over a fire at the base of the feared Basij paramilitary base.

They confessed after weeks held in prison, where there are extensive reports of torture, before being brought before the feared Revolutionary Court in Tehran on February 6.

Both were also convicted of Moharaebeh and sentenced to death by Death Judge Abolghassem Salavati.

Earlier this month, Iran hanged a teenage musician in the notorious Ghezel Hesar prison outside the capital, despite hopes he would be spared because of his age

Biglari and Kalours family were not granted final visits or allowed to say goodbye before they were put to death (pictured is Mohammadamin Biglari, 19)

Both were convicted of Moharaebeh, or enmity against God, and sentenced to death by Death Judge Abolghassem Salavati (pictured is Shahin Vahedparast Kalour, 30)

Also convicted of the capital charge by Salavati that day were Abolfazl Siavashani, 51, Shahab Zohdi, 38, Ali Fahim, 23, Yaser Rajaifar, and Hatami.

The report also noted that the Kurdish minority in the west and the Baluch in the southeast - both of whom largely adhere to the Sunni strain of Islam rather than the Shia branch dominant in Iran - are particularly targeted.

Almost half of those executed were convicted of drug-related offences, the report said.

At least 48 women were executed, the highest number recorded in more than 20 years and a 55 percent increase from 2024, when 31 women were hanged, according to the NGOs.

Of these, 21 women were executed for the murder of their husbands or fiances, the report said. Rights groups have said women executed for killing spouses or relatives were often in abusive relationships.

Almost all hangings were carried out inside prisons, but public hangings more than tripled to 11 in 2025, the report said.

Iran's penal code allows for other methods of capital punishment, but in recent years, all known executions have been carried out by hanging.

Rights groups, including Amnesty International, say Iran carries out the most executions of any nation worldwide per capita, and the most of any country other than China, for which no reliable data is available.
A university has been branded 'woke' after students were warned their lectures might contain mentions of chocolate addiction.

A psychology undergraduate at the University of Roehampton in south-west London said content warnings were regularly shown before lectures to alert students to any potential sensitive subjects that may arise.

A recent lecture included warnings for 'smoking, passive smoking', 'sexual organs', 'anger' and the 'quality of parent-child relationships'.

And in listing, there was a content warning for 'chocolate addiction'.

Second-year student Octavia Evans said that rather than being shielded from potential discomfort, she felt infantilised to the point of 'farce'.

She said: 'Yes, you read the last one correctly. As a long-suffering chocoholic, I appreciate my lecturers' concern for my sanity (and waistline), but come on!

'It made me wonder: had a student actually objected  a voice crying out that discussion of chocolate addiction is too much to endure  would the lecture have been stopped?

'Or would the university gently remind us that, while it is committed to wellbeing and inclusivity, the material is nonetheless essential? I fear the former.'

The University of Roehampton has come under fire for woke trigger warnings over chocolate addiction

Join the discussion Is a trigger warning for chocolate addiction going too far?

A now-deleted section of the university's website insisted it was committed to creating a working and learning environment that is truly inclusive', where everyone feels 'valued' and able to 'achieve their full potential'.

Other trigger warnings warned student that lectures could include 'reports of friends having mental health difficulties', or material that 'might relate to issues you have experienced or about which you hold strong views'.

Another seminar warned that it may include 'views that you disagree with', which Ms Evans told The Telegraph was presented as a 'potential hazard' rather than a necessary condition of learning.

Roehampton last year ranked 92nd in a 'woke' ranking list published by think-tank Civitas.

Last December, one of Britain's top universities warned that Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone featured 'outdated attitudes and abuse'.

Critics said the University of Glasgow's decision to issue the warning to undergraduates taking a module called British Children's Literature was proof of a 'triggering epidemic'.

Its warning applied to the module of nine set texts and did not highlight the content of any particular novel.

The University of Sheffield also warned about violence and murder in the Bible, including Christ's crucifixion.

It advised how the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John include scenes of 'graphic bodily injury and sexual violence' as they relate the events leading up to the death of Jesus.

Christians and historians said the warnings were 'misguided', 'absurd' and incompatible with discussions about morality.

One warning related to the story of Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam and Eve. In the Book of Genesis, Cain, the first person to be born, kills his brother Abel, who becomes the first person to die.

But critics of the censorship pointed out that there is no mention in the Bible of how Cain kills Abel  and were at a loss to explain the inclusion of 'sexual violence' in the warnings.

Nottingham University slapped a trigger warning on Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales because they contain 'expressions of Christian faith'.

The book, written between 1387 and 1400, is a collection of stories about characters on a pilgrimage from London to the tomb of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

They include the promiscuous Wife of Bath, the drunken Miller and the thieving Reeve, who tell stories containing references to rape, lust and anti-Semitism.

However, the university's warning made no reference to anti-Semitism or sexually explicit themes.

Meanwhile, biology undergraduates at Reading University were warned they could see 'graphic' images of the human body.

Youngsters were also told they will have to obtain consent before carrying out mock clinical examinations of peers, which 'involves physical contact through clothing'.

A University of Roehampton spokesman said: 'The University of Roehampton is committed to an inclusive working and learning environment. As a matter of good practice, students are provided with advance information about course content.'
Shoplifters are escaping justice because storekeepers are refusing to hand over CCTV to prosecute them, a Metropolitan Police chief has insisted.

England and Wales has been gripped by a shoplifting epidemic in recent years with offences soaring by five per cent in the year to September 2025, reaching 519,381, as per the latest ONS figures.

In London alone, more than 100,000 offences were recorded in the year to October 2025, up significantly from 58,000 in 2023.

And few thieves end up being prosecuted, with the Met reporting that 5.9 per cent of shoplifting incidents recorded by them led to a charge in the year ending March 2025.

Ch Insp Rav Pathania, the Metropolitan Police's head of business crime, has now laid the blame at the door of retail managers, claiming that if they released more footage of offences then officers would be able to clamp down on crime.

He said: It's not just the Met  the problem is country-wide. We don't always get digital evidence back from the retailers. We request CCTV, body-worn video footage, statements from the retailers, but we don't always get that back.

'So when we're trying to solve more crimes, the way we solve them is by getting evidence. So last year, for example, in approximately 80 per cent of our crimes, we never got CCTV  and so it's really difficult to investigate a crime where you don't have the digital evidence.'

Mr Pathania added that in cases where shopkeepers did pass on footage, cops could identify 80 per cent of suspects by running the images through databases and matching them with previous offenders using facial recognition technology.

Video footage showing criminal Liam Hutchinson stealing from Boots. He went on to be jailed for a year

Shoplifters are escaping justice because storekeepers are refusing to hand over CCTV to prosecute them, Ch Insp Rav Pathania, the Metropolitan Police's head of business crime, said

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He went on to admit that since Covid, the Met has prioritised a crackdown on violent crime over reducing shoplifting and similar 'acquisitive' offences.

Mr Pathania insisted that the force had almost doubled its detection rates, increasing arrests of shoplifters by 44 per cent over the past year.

The Met chief's words echo those of his boss Sir Mark Rowley who in February was questioned by the Home Affairs Committee on thieves who regularly 'clear whole shelves' and walk out of shops without paying.

The Met Commissioner blamed the shoplifting epidemic on storekeepers - insisting they 'don't report anything' and 'need to do better'.

The police chief said: 'We're determined to bear down on this. I recognise a very variable response from shops to shoplifting in their premises.

'We encourage them all to report it and the good stores have got really good security regimes and report it and help us out in ways that I'll come to in a moment. Some stores don't.'

He then added: 'Some of them don't report anything, if we go there they don't give us the CCTV of the crime, they won't give us any statements, they don't give their staff time to give statements and they don't pay their staff to go to court to give evidence.'

It comes after a series of high-profile shoplifting cases which have seen some perpetrators jailed for stealing up to 300,000 of goods.

In October, thief Daniel Cleveland, 33, was jailed for three years after stealing 16,000 worth of taps from B&Q in Bromley, south London.

Your browser does not support iframes.

He was caught on camera throwing the items over a fence while still on the shop premises to an accomplice.

Elsewhere Bianca Mirica, 20, was captured stuffing cosmetics into her bag as part of a 299,000 campaign which also saw her strip perfume from the shelves of a Boots in Hornchurch.

The Romanian national and mother-of-three was one of 16 people arrested as part of raids on a major shoplifting gang. She was jailed last summer for 32 months.

Another thief, Liam Hutchinson, was jailed for a year after CCTV footage saw him swipe whole shelves of Boots products into his bag, totalling 100,000.
JD Vance travelled to Budapest to urge Hungarians to vote for Viktor Orban last week but his visit failed to reverse a slide in the polls for the prime minster who then fell to a crushing election defeat on Sunday.

The US Vice President lavished praise on Orban, branding him a defender of national sovereignty and western civilization, days before Peter Magyar scored a resounding victory over Europe's longest serving leader.

Orban, a close ally of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, held an iron grip over the nation after 16 years in charge but was trailing in the polls ahead of Sunday's election, with Hungarians seeking closer ties with the EU and distance from Russia.

The hard-right leader was polling an average of ten points behind Magyar, according to Politico Europe's aggregated Poll of Polls, when Vance jetted into Budapest in support of the under pressure premier.

But Orban's Fidesz party lost the election by a greater margin of 15 points, claiming a mere 55 seats compared to Magyar's 138, in a result which will allow the new prime minister to remove many of his predecessor's constitutional reforms.

'I won't tell the people of Hungary how to vote,' Vance said on Tuesday before immediately urging people to vote for Orban at his campaign rally.

'We've got to get Viktor Orban re-elected as prime minister of Hungary, don't we?' he added.

The vice president claimed Orban was 'a man who has done more than any leader in Europe to bring about a successful resolution to the war between Russia and Ukraine'.

JD Vance urged Hungarians to vote for Viktor Orban as he arrived in Budapest to make a last-gasp attempt to bolster his campaign

Jubilant Hungarians partied through the night as pro-Kremlin leader Viktor Orban was ousted from power after 16 years in charge

He took a phone call from Trump, who voiced support for Orban, during the rally before begging Hungarians to 'go to the polls this weekend and stand with Viktor Orban'.

'I love Hungary and I love that Viktor,' Trump said 'I'm with him all the way, the United States is with him all the way.'

Orban, a hard-right anti-EU leader, was seen as Trump's closest ally in Europe and their relationship was viewed as increasingly important as trans-Atlantic relations thaw over the Iran war.

But Vance's intervention was ultimately unsuccesful with Magyar's landslide victory giving him significant authority to reset ties with Brussels and Moscow.

Andras Biro-Nagy, of Budapest think-tank Policy Solutions, said Orban 'expected too much from its friendship with the Trump administration' and 'overestimated the likely impact of this visit'.

He said the probable electoral effect was 'close to zero'.

The vice president did not mention the Iran war during his visit. Orban has developed closer ties with Iran during his premiership.

Speaking at an Orban campaign rally, Vance launched a scathing attack on the EU and Ukraine, accusing the EU of attemping to rig the election.

He said the EU had presided over 'one of the worst examples of foreign election interference that I have ever seen or ever even read about... because they hate this guy'.

Orban, a hard-right anti-EU leader, was seen as Trump's closest ally in Europe and their relationship was viewed as increasingly important as trans-Atlantic relations thaw over the Iran war

Supporters of Magyar took the streets to celebrate a new era for the country, with his stunning victory

He also said 'part of the reason' for his visit was because 'interference that's come from the bureaucracy in Brussels has been truly disgraceful.

'We want you to make a decision about your future with no outside forces pressuring you or telling you what to do. I'm not telling you exactly who to vote for but what I am telling you is that the bureaucrats in Brussels, those people should not be listened to.'

Orban conceded defeat on Sunday as his Fidesz party were humbled by Magyar's Tisza.

Jubilant Hungarians partied through the night after it became clear that Orban would lose his grip on power.

Crowds gathered across the country chanting 'Russians go home' as they took to the streets to celebrate a new era for the country.

'We did it,' the new prime minister told a cheering crowd beside the River Danube in Budapest. 'Together we overthrew the Hungarian regime.'

Magyar, a 45-year-old former member of Orban's Fidesz party, stood on a platform of opposing Russia and strengthening ties with European allies.

Orban campaigned against Ukraine and Zelensky and came under fire after a leaked phone call emerged where he told Putin 'I am at your service'.

He consistently blocked EU funding for Kyiv and his defeat is seen as a major victory for Brussels.

During his victory speech Magyar said the 'healing' of the nation will begin today and that Orban's 'puppets' need to go.

He added that Hungary 'will no longer be a country without consequences' and that those who 'stole from the country have to face consequences'.

Crowds gathered across the country chanting 'Russians go home' as Peter Magyar won a landslide victory

Joyful revellers in an underground metro station celebrate the resounding Orban defeat

Conceding the election, Orban told his supporters: 'The result of the election is clear and painful.'

The 62-year-old, who was Europe's longest serving leader, added: 'We don't have the weight of governing the country so we have to rebuild our communities.

'We never give up, this is one thing people know about us, we never give up. The days ahead of us are for us to heal our wounds.'

Hungarians came out in force for the election, the first since 2022. After just five hours of voting the turnout was at a record 66 per cent, according to the National Election Office.

This is far higher than in 2022, an election that saw 900,000 fewer voters casting their ballots by 3pm.

While supporters of Magyar's Tisza party were seen celebrating over the defeat of one of Europe's fiercest critics, many of Orban's supporters were seen weeping upon hearing that he had conceded.

Top European figures posted in celebration of the major political upset.

Sir Keir Starmer celebrated Magyar's victory, writing on X: 'Congratulations [Peter Magyar] on your election victory.

'This is an historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy. I look forward to working with you for the security and prosperity of both our countries.'

Peter Magyar ran on a mandate of building closer ties with the EU and the rest of Europe while Orban wanted closer ties with Russia

Conceding the election, Orban told his supporters: 'The result of the election is clear and painful'

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission said almost immediately after Orban conceded defeat: 'Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger.'

French president Emmanuel Macron also congratulated Magyar on his victory, writing on X: 'I just held a meeting with Peter Magyar to congratulate him on his victory in Hungary! France salutes a victory of democratic participation, of the Hungarian people's attachment to the values of the European Union, and for Hungary in Europe.

'Together, let us advance a more sovereign Europe, for the security of our continent, our competitiveness, and our democracy.'

And German chancellor Friedrich Merz said in post to X: 'The Hungarian people have decided. My heartfelt congratulations on your electoral success, dear [Peter Magyar].

'I am looking forward to working with you. Let's join forces for a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe.'

As Hungarians went to polling stations across the nation from 6am local time, Magyar said the election was a 'referendum' on whether the country continues to drift towards Russia's sphere of influence.

He bluntly said shortly after casting his own vote that the election was 'a choice between East or West, propaganda or honest public discourse, corruption or clean public life'.

He added: 'I urge all Hungarian citizens to exercise their right to vote.'

The nation was also voting on Orban's track record and his political ideology, which have undergone a massive transformation through his years in politics.

Once a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand, he slowly but surely became a Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global hard-right.

Supporters of Magyar filled the streets and partied through the night as he took home a landslide victory

'We did it,' the new prime minister told a cheering crowd beside the River Danube in Budapest. 'Together we overthrew the Hungarian regime'

Supporters of the new prime minister flooded the streets as it became clear he had won a stunning victory

His move towards authoritarianism saw him launch harsh crackdowns on minority rights and media freedoms, and subvert many of Hungary's institutions.

Orban has had tight control of Hungary's public media, which he has transformed into a mouthpiece for his party, and vast swaths of the private media market.

He has also long been accused of siphoning large sums of money into the coffers of his allied business elite  an allegation he denies.

The populist figure put significant strain on his nation's relationship with the EU, seeming to revel in using his veto power to stymie the 27-member bloc's important decisions.

Most recently he blocked a 90billion (78.5billion) EU loan to Ukraine, prompting his partners to accuse him of hijacking the critical aid.

He has also been accused of cozying up to Russia. In the run-up to this year's pivotal elections, media outlets alleged Russian secret services plotted to interfere and tip it in Orban's favour.

The Hungarian election was being closely watched across the world, particularly in Europe. In the US, Orban has long been supported by Trump and his MAGA movement.
Campaigners are rallying against plans to turn a Grade II listed pub into a 32,000-a-year private school's staffroom.

The Fountain Pub - one of only two remaining free houses in Ely, Cambridgeshire - has been pulling pints since it was built as a drinking house in 1830.

But it now faces the threat of closure after a local property consultancy company submitted a planning application on behalf of King's Ely school to make the building a common room for its teachers.

The private school argues that The Fountain - said to be situated in 'one of the most appealing' parts of Ely - is 'no longer viable', operates on a 'very limited basis' with 'substantially reduced hours' and has no staff employed other than the landlord.

Local residents have come together against the proposals which could see yet another British pub fall victim to rising food, energy and labour expenses, critics say.

Joe Moor, 41, who launched a campaign to save the venue, described the plans as 'nothing short of colonisation' as he called on East Cambridgeshire district council to reject the application.

Another local argued that the transformation of the pub would be an 'act of vandalism' and a major blow to Ely, which is home to about 20,000 people.

Mr Moor said: 'We feel the pub could be made viable, while permission for change of use will mean it is permanently lost as a pub.

The Fountain Pub, which has been pulling pints in Ely, Cambridgeshire, for almost 200 years, is facing the threat of closure

King's Ely School, situated nearby, wants to turn the pub into its new staffroom, according to a planning application

'Someone should be allowed to have a go at making it succeed for the sake of its history and the sake of the community.'

The Fountain has been owned by John Borland, a local property developer, since 1996.

He is now ready to sell up, according to a planning application submitted by Bidwell's.

He previously tried to transform the pub's downstairs bar into a flat in 2021, but had his application refused as it would have caused 'the loss of a community facility'.

King's School says it is in need of a staffroom because teachers 'do not have time to walk' to and from the current facility, situated about a three-minute walk from the main teaching block.

Of the pub's current state, the school's statement added: 'Extended hours of operation would not generate trade where none exists'.

So far 19 residents have submitted calls to the council in their bid to save the pub, putting its decline down to 'poor management'.

'A pub being underused or poorly run is not the same thing as a pub being incapable of succeeding', one said.

The pub frequently closes early and is run 'erratically', one resident wrote, while pointing out that the school's classroom could see the building used sparsely out of term time.

A campaigner argued: 'A pub being underused or poorly run is not the same thing as a pub being incapable of succeeding.'

Another wrote that the pub, situated on a green with an outdoor license, 'is in one of the most appealing parts of Ely and has exactly the kind of setting, visibility and historic charm that many pubs would envy'.

Mr Moor has written to Ely council asking for the premises to be considered an asset of community value. The planning application, however, opposes that idea.

'The proposal would not result in the loss of a community facility,' the statement reads.

'Rather, it would facilitate the continued use of the building in support of an established community institution, consistent with the objectives.'

A host of pubs have closed in recent years amid rising business rates.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in January a 300million package to support establishments after a backlash to her Budget announcement included Labour MPs being banned from pubs across the country.

Earlier this month, pubs were handed a 15 per cent discount on business rates as part of the support package.

Yet industry groups such as UKHospitality and business owners have warned that more cafes, restaurants and hotels would be left with no choice but to shut up shop if similar measures are not drawn up for other parts of the sector.

UKHospitality chief executive Allen Simpson told the Daily Mail in January: 'The cost challenges facing hospitality businesses continue to grow and four businesses closing a day in the last quarter of 2025 is the unfortunate reality of a sector shouldering the highest tax burden in the economy.'

The Daily Mail has approached both King's Ely School and The Fountain for comment.
A man has been arrested following a large police operation in a small town in the Hunter Valley.

Officers responded to an emergency call after a man, 34, allegedly threatened to kill a woman with a firearm in Cessnock, about 160km northwest of Sydney, on Monday.

It's alleged the man broke into the woman's unit on North Avenue, assaulted her and threatened her before leaving a short time later.

An investigation led Hunter Valley detectives, with the assistance of Tactical Police and negotiators, to the same unit block on North Avenue.

It's understood the alleged assault and arrest occurred in different units.

A large police presence, including a BearCat, was seen on nearby Cooper Street.

Footage showed dozens of locals watching on in shock as police closed off the streets.

Local MP Dan Repacholi at the time urged locals to 'please avoid the area'.

Tactical police arrested a 34-year-old man in Cessnock on Monday

The man allegedly forced entry into a unit and threatened a woman with an object believed to be a gun

Officers arrested the man at a unit on North Avenue on Monday afternoon

A nearby shopping centre was also closed for the duration of the operation.

The 34-year-old man was taken to Cessnock Police Station and charged with four offences - contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO, use carriage service to menace/harass/offend, specially aggravated enter dwelling with intent whilst armed with a dangerous weapon, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV).

He was refused bail to appear before Bail Division  Court Two on Tuesday.
A passenger jet pilot sparked fury in Iceland after flying a Boeing 757 at an 'alarmingly low' altitude above his hometown to celebrate his retirement.

The pilot had been carrying out his final commercial flight after 40 years in service over Vestmannaeyjar, a volcanic archipelago off southern Iceland, on Saturday.

Residents of the small island and passengers on board the flight from Frankfurt to Iceland were left startled when the pilot descended to just 100m over the community before landing at Keflavik International Airport.

Icelandair has since reported the veteran pilot to the police after he made the unauthorised low-altitude flyover, which was believed to have been carried out as a personal farewell to his childhood home.

Chief Flight Officer Linda Gunnarsdottir said she believes the passengers on board the flight were told about the sightseeing pass during the flight, but Icelandair has yet to confirm this.

Footage taken by residents of Vestmannaeyjar showed the huge jet appearing to cruise at hill level and fly at a terrifyingly low height over house roofs and treetops.

Locals in the area later told reporters that they had experienced noticeable noise and vibration as the aircraft passed overhead.

Some even told of how they felt alarmed, fearing the plane was about to crash when they saw it flying so close to the town.

A passenger jet pilot sparked fury in Iceland after flying a Boeing 757 at an 'alarmingly low' altitude above his hometown to celebrate his retirement

The pilot had been carrying out his final commercial flight after 40 years in service over Vestmannaeyjar, a volcanic archipelago off southern Iceland, on Saturday

The airline had no knowledge of the pilots plan to fly over his childhood home

Gunnarsdottir emphasised to local media that the pilot had carried out the manoeuvre without knowledge or permission of the airline.

'In aviation, everything is very rigid in work processes, checklists, and other things What we do in normal passenger flights  it doesn't fall within that framework,' Gunnarsdottir said.

'This is not standard practice; this is a very serious matter that we will review internally,' she added.

Gunnarsdottir said such actions are not customary when Icelandair pilots fly their final flights, but have been known to occur in the past.

'This has happened from time to time, but it is by no means standard practice and not something we would have authorised,' she confirmed to local outlet Iceland Monitor.

Flyovers are a tradition associated with military aircraft, which typically carry a maximum of five passengers, though they are not necessarily carried out at a low altitude.

Due to the risks involved, they are not usually carried out by passenger jet pilots on commercial flights in Boeing 757s, which can seat around 200 people.

Icelandair went on to express regret over the incident.

'We apologise to the residents of Vestmannaeyjar if they have been disturbed,' Gunnarsdottir told the local outlet Visir.

Icelandair has not indicated whether additional disciplinary actions will be taken internally, but the police investigation remains ongoing.

The 757-200 involved is a long-serving type within Icelandairs fleet, often used on transatlantic and European routes.
READ MORE: Chris Bowen makes candid admission about Strait of Hormuz

The Coalition will launch a sweeping overhaul of Australia's migration system, with Opposition Leader Angus Taylor declaring immigration is 'out of control' under Labor and promising a tough reset to slash arrivals and enforce stronger standards.

Taylor will lay out the Coalition policy in a major speech on Tuesday, accusing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of causing chaos at the border, worsening the housing crisis, straining public services and undermining Australia's way of life.

'Labor has opened the migration floodgates, bringing in a record 1.4 million people in just three-and-a-half years,' Taylor will say.

'That migration has added extreme pressure to the housing market, to infrastructure, and to essential services. Those pressures have shattered Australians' quality of life.'

Central to the new approach is the Australian Values Migration Plan, which for the first time will make compliance with the Australian Values Statement a legally binding condition for all visa holders.

'For some visa applicants, signing the Australian Values Statement has become a tick-box exercise without any intent to comply with those values,' Taylor will say.

'They are taking us for a ride.'

Under the policy, visas could be cancelled or refused if a holder breaches Australian values, with violations formally tied to the migration law's character test.

Angus Taylor (pictured) will announce new character tests for migrants on Tuesday

'In short, if a visa holder undermines our democratic values, doesn't respect the law, or demonstrates they don't respect our core values, they will be booted out of Australia,' Taylor will say.

The plan will also target unlawful migration, pledging to reintroduce Temporary Protection Visas as the main option for people arriving illegally or under false pretences.

The proposal includes a Safe Country List, which will fast-track the rejection of clearly unfounded asylum claims.

'On Labor's watch, we've seen an explosion in the number of unlawful non-citizens on our soil,' Taylor will say.

'Some 65,000 people remain here despite having their visas cancelled and having exhausted all avenues for appeal.'

The Coalition will promise more funding for law enforcement to find and deport overstayers, and will end taxpayer-funded legal aid for non-citizens appealing visa cancellations.

National security forms the third pillar of the policy, with tougher screening designed to block extremists and foreign operatives before they reach Australia.

All visa applicants would be required to declare their social media accounts, overseen by a new Enhanced Screening Coordination Centre linking Home Affairs, ASIO, the AFP and Border Force.

All visa applicants would be subjected to enhanced screening, including their own social media

'Foreign intelligence agencies send operatives into Australia under the false pretence of being visiting students or migrant workers,' Taylor will say.

His comments follow revelations that Iranian spy chief Major General Majid Khademi, former head of counterintelligence for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, travelled to Australia in 2022 on a tourist visa.

It also comes in the wake of two hate preachers entering the country, with their visas subsequently revoked.

Daily Mail revealed that Mizanur Rahman Azhari, a hate preacher who spread antisemitic conspiracy theories, lavished praise on the Holocaust and dehumanised Jewish people, was deported after being allowed in for a national speaking tour.

'Again, all this stems from an immigration system where standards have eroded,' Taylor will say.

While reiterating that Australia's migration program will remain nondiscriminatory, Taylor will argue for a stronger stance on values.

'For an immigration program to work in the national interest it must discriminate based on values,' he will say.

'Not everyone wanting to migrate to Australia has a noble intent. Not everyone will be a net benefit to Australia.'

Taylor will warn that Australia risks being 'Balkanised' if Labor's migration policies continue

The Coalition will frame the changes as a response to growing public concern over rapid population growth, housing shortages and social cohesion, promising to 'restore integrity and confidence' in Australia's migration system.

Taylor will argue that Labor's approach to immigration is driven by what he calls the 'ideology of cultural relativism.'

'For Labor, all immigration is good immigration. But that's simply not true. It's not what Australians are seeing with their own eyes. And Australians are fed-up with politically correct preaching on immigration,' he will say.

Without a change in direction, Taylor will warn Australia risks the 'Balkanisation of communities' seen overseas in places like the UK and Europe as a result of failed immigration policies.

'They want change,' Taylor will say.

'And the Coalition is determined to deliver change for the better.'

It remains unclear whether the policy matches the migration package developed under former Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, which was due to be unveiled in December before being delayed in the wake of the Bondi Beach terror attack.
NEW YORK, April 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ --

Why: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Franklin BSP Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FBRT) between November 5, 2024 and February 11, 2026, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important April 27, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline in the securities class action first filed by the Firm.

So what: If you purchased Franklin BSP Realty securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

What to do next: To join the Franklin BSP Realty class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=53434 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than April 27, 2026. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

Why Rosen Law: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources, or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved at that time, the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

Details of the Case: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) defendants recklessly overstated Franklin BSP Realty's prospects; (2) defendants recklessly overstated Franklin BSP Realty's ability to maintain the $0.355 dividend; and (3) as a result, defendants' statements about Franklin BSP Realty's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Franklin BSP Realty class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=53434 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

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Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

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SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.
The Southport attack 'would not have occurred' if the killer's parents had flagged concerns about his increasingly violent behaviour, a report into the atrocity said today.

In a series of damning conclusions, Sir Adrian Fulford, the High Court judge overseeing the public inquiry into the atrocity, said Axel Rudakubana's mother and father obstructed officials, were 'too ready' to excuse their son's actions and failed to stand up to his behaviour or set any boundaries.

Warning signs about the risk posed by the 17-year-old were repeatedly flagged to authorities in the weeks and years before he murdered three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside seaside town, in July 2024.

But in his report, published today, Sir Adrian said catastrophic failures by police, social services, mental health teams, youth justice services and other agencies left him free to kill with 'chilling brutality'.

The atrocity did not come as a 'bolt out of the blue', rather Rudakubana's risk had been 'signposted' to state agencies for years and they 'could and should have prevented' him from carrying out his murder spree.

Officials also used Rudakubana's diagnosis of autism to excuse his behaviour and failed to recognise that, in truth, the condition heightened, not lessened the risk he posed, Sir Adrian said.

Rudakubana was just 17 when he murdered Bebe King, six, Elsie Stancombe, seven, and Alice Aguiar, nine, at a holiday club at the start of the summer holidays.

He was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum 52 years behind bars after admitting murder in January last year.

Rudakubana was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum term of 52 years for the murders of Bebe King, six, Elsie Stancombe, seven, and Alice Aguiar, nine, who he stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance holiday club

Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford is due to publish his first report from the inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall today

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were all murdered in the atrocity on July 29, 2024

Today Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the Government was 'determined to learn the lessons identified by the inquiry and to take the necessary action to reduce the risk of such an attack happening again.'

'Sir Adrians report is heartbreaking,' Ms Mahmood said. 'It shows a systematic failure of the state to prevent a vile and sickening individual perpetrating this atrocity.

'This Government has already taken action to prevent such an awful tragedy from happening again, and we won't hesitate to do what is needed to protect the public. We owe victims nothing less.'

Downing Street also reiterated that the Southport killings must be a 'line in the sand'.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'This must be a moment of fundamental change for how we protect our citizens and our children.'

In his 700-page report, Sir Adrian, chairman of the public inquiry examining how the attack was allowed to happen, said Rudakubana's parents, Alphonse Rudakubana and Laetitia Muzayire, must bear responsibility.

They knew, at least a week before the attack, that their 'monster' son had amassed a small arsenal of 'deadly weapons' in his bedroom, and that he had planned an attack on his old school a week before, but did nothing.

'I regret not telling police because if I had, what happened on 29th July, wouldn't have happened,' Mr Rudakubana, 50, a taxi driver, admitted when he gave evidence to the inquiry.

Sir Adrian said: 'If AR's parents had done what they morally ought to have done, AR would not have been at liberty to conduct the attack and it would not therefore have occurred.'

Instead of taking responsibility for Rudakubana's case, agencies passed him around on a 'merry-go-round' of referrals, assessments and handovers.

'AR's trajectory towards grave violence was signposted repeatedly and unambiguously,' the judge said.

'Yet the systems and agencies responsible for safeguarding the public did not act with the cohesion, urgency or clarity required.'

He added: 'I have no doubt that if appropriate procedures had been in place and if sensible steps had been taken by the agencies and AR's parents, this dreadful event would not have happened.

Rudakubana pictured in the distinctive green hoodie he wore on the day of the attack. CCTV cameras caught him outside the Hart Space dance studio, in Southport, shortly before he launched the mass stabbing

Police and forensic teams on Hart Street, Southport, following the stabbing

Rudakubana was a former stage school star who featured in a BBC Children In Need advert aged 11

'It could have been and it should have been prevented. History simply would have taken a different course.'

The judge said that 'over a long period of time', Rudakubana had become 'an aggressive, near-total recluse, who bullied and threatened his family and unashamedly lied to officials'.

He managed to order and hoard an arsenal of weapons, including knives, crossbows, bows and arrows, machetes, sledgehammers, as well as the items needed for making multiple Molotov cocktails and ingredients necessary for manufacturing the highly lethal poison, ricin.

But Sir Adrian said that what happened on July 24, 2024, was not a 'bolt of lightning out of a clear blue sky'.

Rather, Rudakubana's dangerousness had 'been clearly, repeatedly and unambiguously signposted over many years'.

On more than one occasion officials who came into contact with him expressed a fear that he would go on to 'harm and kill'.

But, despite this, Sir Adrian said no 'coordinated or effective action' was taken.

He said: 'One of the most striking conclusions is the sheer number of missed opportunities over many years to intervene meaningfully, which directly contributed to the failure to avert this disaster.

'Numerous systems that should have provided oversight, assessment and protection were ineffective or inadequately used. Some failed outright. The consequences were catastrophic.'

Rudakubana was known to the state from October 2019, when the then 13-year-old made several calls to Childline and admitted taking a kitchen knife into school on 10 occasions because he claimed he was being bullied.

Police were called and he was expelled but two months later, he returned, armed with a hockey stick and attacked another pupil, breaking their wrist.

He was sent to a special school, who made three referrals to the Government's de-radicalisation programme, Prevent, over concerns about what he was consuming online - he had viewed web pages about school shootings in America, made comments about the conflict between Israel and Palestine and also asked to see an image of a severed head.

Rudakubana also was repeatedly referred to mental health teams.

But he was reluctant to engage with officials and the most 'striking missed opportunity,' Sir Adrian said, came in March 2022, when he went missing from home and was found with a knife on a bus, telling police he wanted to stab someone. He also admitted to thinking about using poison.

Sir Adrian said that, if police officers had had a remotely adequate understanding of ARs risk history he would likely have been arrested and critical information about the ricin seeds he had already bought and the terrorist material downloaded on his computer would have been discovered during a search of his home.

Instead he was treated as a 'vulnerable' person and allowed home with only a referral to social services and mental health teams.

Sir Adrian's report made 67 recommendations, including for the appointment of a single agency to monitor and co-ordinate interventions for children who present a high risk of serious harm.

Following the publication of the report, parents of 22 girls who survived the attack also called for whole-scale reform of state agencies.

Nicola Ryan-Donnelly, who represents the girls families, said their lives had been permanently altered by these heinous acts of violence and they had shown courage, strength and honour in the darkest of days.

The solicitor said Sir Adrians recommendations must be acted upon now, not tomorrow, and added: It is clear there is a need for whole-scale system reform across health and social care, education and policing.

As Sir Adrian Fulford has said, the findings of this inquiry are disturbing and frankly depressing.

These calls for organisational and individual accountability must be heard. They must be acted upon.

Nicola Brook, who represents the three adult survivors  dance teachers Leanne Lucas and Heidi Liddle and businessman John Hayes  said Sir Adrians report had crystallised their key concern that every organisation tried to shirk responsibility and there was a disturbing lack of leadership.

The lawyer added This is not the first time we have heard this at an inquiry.

It is evident, time and time again, that there is a culture within government agencies to place their own reputations above their fundamental duty to protect society, and a failure to properly reflect on their conduct once presented with clear evidence that they failed on multiple occasions.

Of the 67 recommendations made by the chair, thoughts must now turn to what mechanism needs to be employed to make sure these changes are actioned in their entirety, and if they are not, how those who seek to sidestep their responsibility are held to account.

Sir Adrian's report comes after he heard nine weeks of often harrowing 'phase one' evidence from victims, survivors, first responders and organisations who interacted with Rudakubana in the lead up to the attack.

Hearings for 'phase two', which is expected to consider how agencies address the risk posed by young people fixated on committing acts of extreme violence more generally, are due to begin later this year.
The SNP and Scottish Greens called for more immigration to Scotland in a heated TV debate last night ahead of next month's Holyrood elections.

In fiery exchanges between party leaders, First Minister John Swinney said that Scotland 'does not have a big enough working-age population'.

The SNP leader said the country needed 'to welcome people to come into our workforce', as his party seeks a fifth consecutive term in power at Edinburgh.

Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer echoed those calls by saying: 'The problem is we do not have enough immigration to meet the needs of the country'.

But the Scottish Tories and Reform UK said the numbers coming into Britain in recent years had been too high as they called for greater immigration controls.

Mr Swinney attacked the Scottish Tories and Reform UK for their 'inflammatory' rhetoric on immigration ahead of the Scottish Parliament contests on 7 May.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar admitted Britain's immigration system needs 'fixing' as he acknowledged a 'frustration' among voters at illegal immigration.

It came as Reform claimed a post-Brexit surge in legal immigration under the previous Tory government at Westminster is set to cost every British household 20,000.

In fiery exchanges between party leaders, First Minister John Swinney said that Scotland 'does not have a big enough working-age population'.

Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer echoed those calls by saying: 'The problem is we do not have enough immigration to meet the needs of the country'.

As he lined up against rival party leaders in a BBC Scotland Debate Night special on Sunday, Mr Swinney pushed an economic case for greater immigration.

'We're a country that does not have a big enough working-age population, we need to welcome people to come into our workforce,' he said.

'Unemployment is very, very low in Scotland at the present moment.'

Mr Greer said Scotland needed to face up to a 'demographic reality', saying: 'The problem is we do not have enough immigration to meet the needs of the country.

'If every young person leaving school in Scotland today went to work in social care, there still wouldn't be enough care workers.

'That's the demographic reality of the population that we've got and the fact that our population is ageing.

'I believe on a fundamentally human level that we should be proud of the fact that people want to come and live in Scotland.

'But as a matter of economic necessity, as a necessity for our public services, we need immigration to keep our health service going.

'We need it to keep our social care sector going, we need it to keep our rural communities - in particular - alive.

'The fact the Labour Party, the Tories and Reform all have specific policies to make it harder to come here and be a social care worker is absolutely disgraceful when this country is going through a social care crisis.'

Mr Sarwar said that migration had been good for Scotland as he noted how 'so many' of the doctors and nurses in the NHS come from migrant communities.

But he added: 'Do we have a broken immigration system that has to be fixed? Yes. And do some people feel the system is not fair? Yes. That means fixing the system.

'I think most people would respect the fact that skilled, legal migration is good for our economy.

'But people have a frustration that illegal migration means there is an unfairness in the system.'

Reform UK's Scottish leader Malcolm Offord attacked a post-Brexit surge in immigration under the previous Tory government at Westminster

Rival party leaders lined up in a BBC Scotland Debate Night special on Sunday, ahead of Scottish Parliament contests on 7 May

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: 'We want to attract people to this country where they can contribute to society.

'But if you look at what's happened for many years now, far too many people have been coming here illegally. And the numbers are out of control.'

Reform's Scottish leader Malcolm Offord attacked a post-Brexit 'Boriswave' of immigration.

'The Conservative Party lost control of the borders. What's happened here is that puts a lot of pressure on public services,' he said.

'We also have the issue of the asylum seekers coming in who are coming here illegally, coming to England and then coming to Scotland.'

'I am in favour of controlled immigration, legal immigration - people who want to come here and make a contribution and put in more than they take out.

'What I'm not in favour of is people coming here for the benefit of public services and jumping the queue for the detriment of local people in our own communities.'

A new analysis by Reform UK pointed to how around 1.6million people who moved to the UK under Boris Johnson and his Tory successors as prime minister, between 2021 and 2024, are set to be given indefinite leave to remain.

Reform said the cost of NHS care, benefits and new infrastructure to cope with the increased population would reach 622.5billion in real terms until 2085.

Nigel Farage's party claimed this would 'bankrupt' the British taxpayer and represent a 20,000 liability for every household in the UK.

Zia Yusuf, Reform's home affairs spokesman, said: 'We are standing on the edge of a fiscal disaster.

'The Boriswave is a legacy of Tory incompetence and Labour's open border ideology.

'Reform UK will stop the rot, protect the taxpayer and ensure that British households aren't forced to pick up the 20,000 tab for a decade of failed Westminster policy.'
Donald Trump has continued to pour scorn on Nato and the UK over their refusal to support the US-Israeli war against Iran, calling the defensive alliance 'shameful'.

The President again compared Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to Neville Chamberlain, whose premiership was defined by his 1930s appeasement of Nazi Germany.

'Nato is shameful,' Mr Trump told Fox News. 'I mean, look at the United Kingdom... PM Starmer said 'we'll send the equipment after the war is over'.

'I said "you don't need equipment when the war is over. You need the equipment before the war starts, or during the war"... He made a public statement that "we will send equipment after the war is over", that's a Neville Chamberlain statement.'

Now it's time to have your say  do you agree with Mr Trump's position on Nato?
Israel has accused Spain of antisemitic hatred after a 23ft-tall effigy of Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up during a festival.

The country's foreign ministry has summoned Spains ambassador for a reprimand after the figurine of the Israeli prime minister was destroyed near Malaga on April 5.

It was blown up with 14kg of gunpowder in El Burgo as part of a traditional and decades-old ceremony, according to Maria Dolores Narvaez, the mayor.

Narvaez also told local television that the annual event has previously featured effigies of figures such as US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Following the event, the Israeli foreign ministry took to X to say the 'appalling anti-Semitic hatred on display' was 'a direct result' of 'systemic incitement' by the government of Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister.

A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters that the government was 'committed to fighting anti-Semitism and any form of hate or discrimination. As such, we totally reject any insidious allegation which suggests the contrary'.

The incident further escalates a long-running diplomatic dispute between Spain and Israel, which began following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel.

Spain has been a vocal critic of US and Israeli military campaigns in the region, despite warnings from America over uncooperative NATO allies.

Israel has accused Spain of antisemitic hatred after a 23ft-tall effigy of Benjamin Netanyahu was blown up during a festival

It was blown up with 14kg of gunpowder in El Burgo as part of a traditional and decades-old ceremony

The Israeli foreign ministry said the 'appalling anti-Semitic hatred on display' was 'a direct result' of 'systemic incitement' by the government of Pedro Sanchez

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has previously labelled a Spanish ban on aircraft and ships carrying weapons to Israel as antisemitic.

He said that during the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, the Spanish government acted against the interests of Israel and America.

'Spain's obsessive anti-Israel bias under Sanchez's leadership is so egregious that it has lost all capability to serve a constructive role in implementing [Trump's] peace plan and the centre operating under it,' Sa'ar said.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Netanyahu ordered the removal of Spain's representatives from the Gaza ceasefire co-ordination centre in Kiryat Gat after it accused Israel of 'indiscriminate bombings' in Lebanon.

'The State of Israel will not remain silent in the face of those who attack us,' Netanyahu explained in a recorded video posted on X.

'Spain has slandered our heroes, Israel Defence Forces soldiers, the soldiers of the most moral army in the world,' he said.

'Therefore, I have instructed that Spain's representatives be removed from the coordination centre in Kiryat Gat, after Spain has repeatedly chosen to stand against Israel.

'Whoever attacks the State of Israel instead of the terror regimeswhoever does so  will not be our partner regarding the future of the region.

'I will not tolerate this hypocrisy and this hostility. I do not intend to allow any country to wage a diplomatic war against us without paying an immediate price,' Netanyahu added.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares was also accused Israel of violating international law and a two-week ceasefire following a wave of airstrikes across Lebanon this week.

Pro-Palestinian activists demonstrate with an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a banner reading 'murderers', in Barcelona, on April 12, 2026

Netanyahu countered on Wednesday that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire and that Israel's military would continue to strike Hezbollah.

And on Thursday, Spain came under fire from Israel following its decision to reopen its embassy in Tehran, with Madrid being accused of aligning itself with 'the Iranian terror regime'.

Albares announced the move earlier in the day, saying the country hoped 'to achieve peace in the region.'

The Spanish foreign minister said he had instructed Spain's ambassador to return to Tehran and resume duties 'from every possible quarter, including from the Iranian capital itself.'

Sa'ar later took to X to state that Iran was 'resuming the execution of its citizens, protesters and political dissidents,' calling Madrid's decision 'an eternal disgrace.'

In November 2024, Spain recognised Palestine as a state along with Ireland and Norway.
Keir Starmer put on an awkward show of unity with his leadership rivals today as Labour faces elections disaster.

The PM, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham smiled for the cameras as they visited a school in Greater Manchester less than a month before local polls.

But the friendly scenes disguise raging tensions at the top of the party, with both Ms Rayner and the Manchester mayor seen as 'on manoeuvres' to take Sir Keir's job.

Labour is braced for a hammering on May 7 with a swathe of councils, and the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments up for grabs.

Reform are poised to make sweeping gains, while the Greens could also inflict huge damage.

It could be a moment of extreme danger for the premier, although Donald Trump's war on Iran appears to have eased the pressure somewhat.

Keir Starmer, Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham smiled for the cameras as they visited a school in Greater Manchester less than a month before local polls

The friendly scenes disguise raging tensions at the top of the party, with both Ms Rayner and the Manchester mayor seen as 'on manoeuvres' to take Sir Keir's job

Sir Keir insisted this morning that he will not quit if the elections go as badly as feared.

'We will go in and fight these elections,' he said.

'But I was elected in July of 2024 with a five-year mandate to change this country, and I intend to carry through that mandate.

'I will be judged at the next election on whether I've delivered, and I know that I'll be judged on whether living standards have improved, whether our public services are better, particularly the health service, or whether people feel safe and secure as a country in a more volatile and dangerous world.'

As recently as February Sir Keir came close to being ousted over the Mandelson scandal, with the Cabinet only rallying round at the last moment.

Ms Rayner is the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, where the primary school visit took place.

Sir Keir is digging in for a Labour meltdown by calling the King's Speech for six days after the elections.

The PM has scheduled the State Opening for May 13, meaning that MPs will not gather at Parliament for nearly a week after the polls.

As well as limiting the opportunity for plotting, the Government laying out its plans for the coming session could also give Sir Keir the chance for a 'reset'.

Prorogation is typically a week to a fortnight before the State Opening - likely to be April 29.

The current parliamentary session will have lasted for about 22 months, which is longer than the typical year.

During a session, ministers push through as many changes to the law as they can after laying them out in the King's Speech.

Ms Rayner is the MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, where the primary school visit took place

A poll yesterday suggested a slew of Cabinet ministers would lose their seats if a general election was held now.

The More in Common survey found 16 out of the 22 Labour MPs who form the Prime Minister's top team would be kicked out of the House of Commons.

Twelve of them would lose their seats to Reform UK, three would lose their seats to the Green Party, and one would lose to an independent, the research suggested.

The MRP (Multilevel Regression with Post-stratification) poll was based on voting intention data from more than 15,000 Britons.
A father left without any teeth after travelling abroad for treatment killed himself after his appearance destroyed his self-confidence, his wife told an inquest.

Pawel Bukowski, 48, had been suffering from serious dental issues when he decided to have expensive work done in Turkey.

But after all his teeth had been removed, the clinic informed him they were unable to proceed with the replacements due to an unexpected complication.

His wife, Daria Bukowska, told the inquest he had always taken pride in his appearance but his confidence evaporated after his return to the UK.

He always took care of himself, his appearance and his health, she said.

He was deeply broken emotionally, losing his teeth had destroyed his self-confidence and sense of hope.

Despite our constant support, from me and his daughters, he was slipping away from us.

Forklift truck driver Mr Bukowski, of Watton, in Norfolk, developed serious dental issues connected to periodontal disease, a chronic inflammatory condition that causes tooth and bone loss.

Pawel Bukowski, 48, had been suffering from serious dental issues when he decided to have expensive work done in Turkey

He decided to undergo a procedure in Turkey in January last year which would see him have his teeth removed and temporary dentures fitted before receiving permanent implants a few months later.

Unfortunately, after removing all of his teeth, the clinic told him they could not proceed further, said Mrs Bukowska.

They sent him home without any teeth and told him to return in six months. This was emotionally devastating for him.

Mrs Bukowska claims the clinic announced there wasnt sufficient bone thickness to proceed, despite them saying previously there was a 90 per cent chance they would be able to do the work.

Mr Bukowski, who had a daughter with his wife and was stepfather to her two daughters from a previous relationship, was unable to eat properly and turned to drink as his mental health declined, the inquest in Norwich heard.

His wife added: He lost all hope that things could improve. Despite all our efforts to support him, we were ultimately unable to save him.

Mr Bukowski was taken to Norfolk and Norwich Hospital on April 24 after emergency services were alerted.

He was assessed in the early hours of the following morning and referred to the mental health liaison team.

But after all his teeth had been removed, the clinic informed Mr Bukowski, pictured with his wife Daria, they were unable to proceed with the replacements due to an unexpected complication

Mr Bukowski had always taken pride in his appearance but his confidence evaporated after his return to the UK, his wife told his inquest

A senior practitioner concluded he was hopeless with a strong suicidal ideation and had several risk indicators for suicide.

The decision was taken to not proceed with psychiatric admission despite concerns for his safety and wellbeing due to sufficient protective factors and some evidence of future planning.

A referral was made to the crisis team in case admission was needed at a later date and Mr Bukowski later returned home with his family, who were given safety advice and medication for him.

A nurse was unable to prescribe more medication the following day due to concerns about his heavy drinking.

On April 28, a psychiatrist arrived three hours late at Mr Bukowskis home after being delayed due to staff sickness and found he had hanged himself.

Emergency services were called but he was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterwards.

Recording a conclusion of suicide, area coroner Johanna Thompson said the failed treatment affected Mr Bukowskis wellbeing.

Pawel was in a crisis situation with his mental health after undergoing dental work in Turkey, which had not only led to him losing his teeth but it had been expensive, she said.

Mr Bukowski, who had a daughter with his wife and was stepfather to her two daughters from a previous relationship, was unable to eat properly and turned to drink as his mental health declined, the inquest in Norwich heard

He developed worsening mental health after undergoing the poor dental treatment abroad.

He begun to consume excess amounts of alcohol which in turn impacted further on his wellbeing and family life.

His family became really worried about him as he was expressing intent to take his life.

She added: There is evidence of Pawels intent to end his life in the messages and notes he left.

The coroner said an investigation carried out by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust identified several lessons learnt.

She added: It is clear there were factors which impacted upon the care provided to Pawel.

Hed not been admitted when he presented to hospital with concerning suicidal ideation, and this may have been a missed opportunity for him to receive more intensive intervention than that which occurred.

Mrs Bukowska criticised her husbands care in a statement to the inquest, complaining that his problems had been overlooked at every chance.

Mr Bukowski had finished university in Poland before working in Italy and then settling in the UK, where he had lived for two decades

She added: He was never given anything to help with the withdrawal symptoms [of alcohol]. He was not given the medication he needed to keep him going for a few days.

Workers did not show up, did not call us back, and finally were late.

The accumulation of these things, the lack of communication, ultimately led to where we are today.

We, as a family, were not supported whatsoever with signs to look out for suicide, how to manage his withdrawal, how to support him.

We trusted the expertise of workers to help us and him to get through this.

Pawel may be just another case to people. To us, he was our world. We loved him deeply, and now we have to live through our worst nightmare.

The inquest heard that Mr Bukowskis father had died in an accident when he was 12 and he and his siblings had been raised by their mother.

Despite the personal loss, he was a well-behaved, calm and gifted child who finished university in Poland before working in Italy and then settling in the UK, where he had lived for two decades.

In a tribute to her husband, who met her when she was a widow, Mrs Bukowska said in a statement: Pawel was my beloved husband, the father of our daughter, and a wonderful stepfather to my two daughters from a previous relationship. He was a son, a brother and a valued friend.

Pawel was incredibly skilled and resourceful, what youd call a handy man. He would carry out any renovation by himself.

He was intelligent, well-read and had wide-ranging interests. One of his greatest passions was fishing.

Pawel was a good man, a loving husband and a devote father. We miss him terribly and I deeply regret that we couldnt help him in time. We shared a deep love.

Medical procedures in countries such as Turkey are cheaper than private operations carried out in the UK but experts have warned of health risks of cut-price operations abroad.

In 2024, an inquest heard how a British woman had died after travelling to Turkey for weight-loss surgery where she was left with three potentially life-threatening conditions.

Hayley Butler, 40, flew abroad for the gastric sleeve operation in September that year but died in hospital a month later.

For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
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A pilot has won an unfair dismissal case after complaining that damaging 'vibrations' from a helicopter caused him a degenerative back injury.

Mark Radcliffe - who founded the Princess Anne-backed charity Wings4Warriors - was accused of compromising CHC Scotia's safety standards after taking a video inside the helicopter to show the extent of the vibrations.

A tribunal case in Aberdeen, Scotland, heard that the commercial pilot began working for the company in December 2012 before becoming a Captain in 2019.

But in December 2022 he went on sick leave after experiencing debilitating lower back pain which he claimed was caused by the helicopter.

He returned in May 2023 but within days was 'struggling to walk' and later posted a video on Instagram of his co-pilot operating the helicopter.

Just five days later he was suspended with immediate effect and, then, demoted for using his phone 'in the safety critical stage of flying'. Eventually, in February 2025, he resigned over a breach of his contract.

Now the former North Sea pilot has won a whistleblower case against CHC over unfair dismissal after a tribunal deemed his demotion 'unjustified and unreasonable'.

Mr Radcliffe, whose charity trains wounded veterans as professional pilots, had been flying a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter when he began experiencing discomfort, the tribunal heard.

Commercial pilot Mark Radcliffe (pictured) has won an unfair dismissal case against his former employer CHC

Mr Radcliffe was demoted by the company after taking a video from the inside of a helicopter in an attempt to prove that it had caused his degenerative back disease

He discussed the injury with two doctors and had an MRI scan confirming that he had a degenerative disc disease.

His doctor asked CHC if they would provide vibration reports of the S-92 helicopter and the H175 helicopter, which he believed would have less vibration and cause less pain to his back.

CHC, which provides helicopter services across the globe, did not give this information to the doctor and later only gave a partial report.

The company's HR Director Leslie Sim sent an email to the Director saying: 'Whilst we are just trying to find out costs and availability if we agree to move forward with this I do have some concerns around what, if anything, the OH Physician may recommend once he has reviewed both.

'On speaking to the Aberdeen Pilot yesterday he has alluded that he believes the recommendation may be for him to be moved on to the H175 helicopter as this could very well alleviate his back issues as it's a smoother, more streamlined S-92 seat and door configuration and vibration which is, in his opinion, exacerbating his back issues.

'My concern here is that if this were the recommendation from OH then we are in a precarious situation where we have supported the assessment but not the recommendations or alternatively support the recommendation and could very well have a stream of Pilots at our door complaining about the S-92 and the potential health hazards are causing them?'

Mr Radcliffe was signed off as fit to work in April 2023 but the company would not let him change to the H175 helicopter.

He was told to work just one flight-a-day as part of a phased return, but the pilot argued that not changing the helicopter could affect his long-term recovery.

It was less than a month after returning to work that Mr Radcliffe posted multiple videos from inside the helicopter to his Instagram. He had not been flying the plane at the time.

The first, which showed that his phone was on Airplane Mode, was taken while his co-pilot was flying the helicopter. Mr Radcliffe then also videoed their approach and landing on an offshore platform.

A few days later he was suspended with immediate effect, along with his co-pilot, after CHC had seen the videos he had taken.

In response, Mr Radcliffe sent an email saying that he had always flown with 'vigilance' and said that he felt he had a 'target on my back'.

Alongside his work as a pilot, Mr Radcliffe co-founded the Princess Anne-backed charity Wings4Warriors (The Royal is pictured at the charity's opening day in Gloucestershire in January 2025)

Mr Radcliffe's charity trains wounded veterans as professional pilots

He said: 'Finally, I feel compelled to ask - have I done something to upset the company by having a spinal disease?'

He was invited to a disciplinary hearing in July 2023, where he was found to have used his phone in the 'safety critical stage of flying'.

The following month he was issued a written warning and 'temporarily' demoted from Captain to a Co-pilot, meaning he would also be the subject of a pay decrease.

Mr Radcliffe appealed but lost his case and in February 2025 resigned over a breach to his contract. However, he maintained that his August 2023 demotion was the equivalent of him being fired.

Employment Judge Nicol Hosie ruled that Mr Radcliffe had been dismissed unfairly by demotion.

He said: 'The demotion from Captain to Co-Pilot was in our view the most significant aspect by far.

'It was a material change in responsibilities and status. Mr Radcliffe's role as Captain carried with it significant legal responsibilities and a certain status.

'He was ultimately responsible and had final authority for the safety and operation of the flight, including responsibility for the safety of crew and passengers.

'The pay differential between Captain and Co-Pilot demonstrates there are different responsibilities and requirements of these roles and are clearly set out in a hierarchical structure.

'In Mr Radcliffe's particular circumstances, his demotion also carried with it an element of stigma.

'Mr Radcliffe had been a Captain for 5 years having worked his way up through the ranks. He was well known as such in the small clique of pilots in Aberdeen. Nor were we persuaded that the demotion was "temporary".

'In our view, it was reasonable for Mr Radcliffe to believe that it could take up to 18 months and there was no guarantee that he would 'pass' all the steps required.'

Judge Hosie said that there was a link between Mr Radcliffe being a whistleblower about the safety of the helicopter and his demotion.

He said: 'We were of the unanimous view that Mr Radcliffe was dismissed on August 31, 2023, when he was unjustifiably and unreasonably demoted to the position of Co-Pilot and unreasonable, unjustifiable, conditions were imposed to enable him to regain his position as Captain.

'The decision makers were aware of the protected disclosures which he made; CHC did not advance a reason for his dismissal; there was no valid reason for imposing sanctions beyond a written warning.

'Mr Radcliffe, a whistleblower, was treated differently from other Pilots who were not whistleblowers, in similar situations.'

Judge Hosie said the company was concerned about the allegations and 'they wanted to keep a lid on it.'

He added: 'In all the circumstances, there was some force and indeed logic, in Mr Radcliffe's opinion that the purpose of adding a wholly unjustified and unexplained demotion to the written warning and imposing challenging conditions to enable him to return to the Captaincy was to create a situation which he found to be untenable, he would resign and this would mean that the health and safety and other issues which he had raised in his disclosures, relating to flying the S-92 would not have to be addressed.

'He had sensed for some time that CHC were unhappy with him raising his concerns because of the way he was being treated.'

Mr Radcliffe's LinkedIn description says that he co-founded Wings4Warriors, a charity which trains wounded veterans as professional pilots.

A description on the charity's website reads: 'Wings4Warriors is a unique charity which believes wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women deserve the best opportunities even after military service has ended.'

Last year, Princess Anne attended the opening of the charity's Veterans' Flying School at Gloucestershire Airport.

Wings for Warriors, CHC and Mark Radcliffe were contacted for comment by the Mail.
A notorious London gangster dubbed 'The General' has been jailed again - after repeated Home Office attempts to deport him failed.

Serial offender Joland Giwa, 36, was caught with around 17,000 worth of drugs when police raided his home in Risca, South Wales.

Giwa grew up terrorising the streets of Croydon as part of the 'Don't Say Nothing' gang, or 'DSN' for short, after arriving in the UK aged ten.

He boasted on YouTube about his life of crime including 'shanking' his rivals - slang for stabbing.

Giwa was first jailed in 2009 for a string of offenses, and later moved to Newport in the hope it would sever his crime links with the capital - but failed to stay on the right side of the law.

The UK government has repeatedly tried to deport the criminal, believed to be from either Nigeria or Sierra Leone, but has been blocked for 17 years because neither country would take him.

Giwa and his twin brother landed at Heathrow in 1999, aged ten, without any parent, guardian or documentation.

He was granted indefinite leave to remain in 2005 - but that was withdrawn after his first conviction, and the deportation process began in 2009.

Serial offender Joland Giwa, 36, has been jailed for three years and 11 months after being found with a 17,000 drugs haul

Giwa arrived in the UK as a 10-year-old and grew up terrorising the streets of Croydon as part of a gang

But Sierra Leonne has consistently denied that he has any ties to the country, and Nigeria has also refused to take him.

Giwa's barrister said the defendant had been born in Sierra Leone as a young child and had struggled with 'cultural barriers' since moving to the UK.

His offences continued after he was sent to Newport, with a conviction in 2015 for robbing a branch of the William Hill bookmakers.

Now, he will be returning to jail after being caught with the drugs haul.

Prosecutor Nigel Fryer said police followed Giwa's car to his home in nearby Risca - where they found the haul of class A drugs in his rucksack.

Mr Fryer said officers seized 126g of crack cocaine worth 13,500, 16.45g of heroin valued at 1,645 and 7.85g of cocaine priced at 700 - as well as 2,040 in cash.

Giwa admitted possession with intent to supply crack cocaine, heroin, and cocaine, possession of criminal property, and breaching a suspended sentence.

Cardiff Crown Court heard he has nine previous convictions for 16 offences.

Giwa was moved to Wales after being released from his first prison stint, but has continued to offend

Both Sierra Leone and Nigeria have refused to accept Giwa, meaning the Home Office has been unable to deport him

Hashim Salmman, defending, said Giwa, now a father-of-four, had struggled growing up in the UK.

He said he does not have indefinite leave to remain in the country and so is unable to work or claim state benefits, and had lost an infant son while in custody.

Judge Christopher Felstead jailed Giwa for three years and 11 months.

Giwa was initially moved to a bail hostel Newport after he was jailed for 27 months in February 2009, having committed a string of robberies and thefts.

Despite promising to make a fresh start, he was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in 2015 for a terrifying robbery at a William Hill bookies in Ringland, Newport.

The decision to house Giwa in Wales drew outrage from politicians who claimed he had been 'dumped' without any consultation.

The late former Labour MP Paul Flynn said at the time: 'There was outrage when a man described by a court and the police as so "dangerous" they didn't want him in London was sent to Newport.

'Since coming to this city he has committed violent robbery.

'Newport has a long tradition of proud achievement in assimilating immigrants, but if you start putting excessive numbers in a place you get excessive pressures.

'There ought to be a more even spread across the country.'

After being freed from his robbery term, Giwa was again jailed for four years and one month in April 2020 after he pleaded guilty to trafficking drugs in Newport.

He was caught selling drugs at a children's play park after arriving to carry out the deal on an electric scooter.

The defendant admitted possession with intent to supply heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We are reforming human rights laws and replacing the broken appeals system to scale up deportations and stop foreign criminals and illegal migrants from gaming the system.

'All foreign national offenders who receive a prison sentence in the UK are referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity.'
Ultra-rich expats are fleeing Dubai for the Swiss town of Zug as they look to protect their fortunes and avoid the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Locals have reported seeing queues stretching around the block outside apartment viewings as former Dubai residents descend on the picturesque canton.

Iran pummelled the Emirati city with missiles and drones in response to US-Israeli attacks and thousands of residents have now turned to Switzerland to shield their wealth and dodge tax bills.

Zug, a town of just 135,000 south of Zurich, has proved popular with the wealthy elite, as individuals, family offices and companies look for a new home.

Local bankers and wealth managers say clients from Dubai view the town as a stable base in Europe.

'We are seeing increased enquiries,' Heinz Tannler, Zug's finance director, told the Financial Times.

'Of course, we regret the circumstances, but the reality is Zug is benefiting.'

Switzerland is vastly popular with the world's most wealthy as it allows people to pay a flat tax rate based on their living expenses rather than their income.

Ultra-rich expats fleeing Dubai for the Swiss town of Zug (pictured) as they look to protect their fortunes and avoid the ongoing war in the Middle East

Iran pummelled the Emirati city with missiles and drones in response to US-Israeli attacks. (Pictured: The Burj Al-Arab hotel ablaze)

Zug was already renowned as a global economic hub, hosting hundreds of commodity traders and cryptocurrency firms, and has been boosted by the war in Iran.

Simon Incir, of luxury estate agent Engel & Volkers, said: 'Since the war started, weve noticed demand from foreigners living in Dubai - Italians, French, Swiss, British. Now they are considering moving away [from Dubai].'

One local banker said there was a queue 'around the block' at an open viewing for a rental apartment in the town.

'The person behind me had flown in from Dubai that morning,' they added.

Wealth managers in Switzerland say the more money clients have, the more urgently they are trying to move it out of the Gulf.

Reputation expert Bernhard Bauhofer said anxiety among the world's wealthiest is intensifying.

'The ultra-rich are worried. The more money they have, the more they fear losing it,' he said.

'Whenever there is a crisis, whether during the Cold War or today, we see Switzerland's value reflected in the strength of the franc,' pointing to its political stability and neutrality.

Switzerland, long considered by investors as a safe haven, has faced growing competition from financial hubs in the Middle East, but has been boosted by the latest conflict.

It gained momentum after US-Israeli attacks on Iran in June last year, said Patrik Spiller, head of wealth management at consultancy Deloitte Switzerland.

Patrik Spiller, head of wealth management at consultancy Deloitte Switzerland, said Switzerland was 'expecting more assets from the Middle East'.

Thousands of expats, including Rio and Kate Ferdinand (pictured), are said to have fled Dubai after Iran attacks on the city

Zug, a picturesque town of just 135,000, has proved popular with the wealthy elite, as individuals, family offices and companies look for a new home

He said: 'Due to recent events, we expect that assets from the Middle East will increasingly be booked in Switzerland. We're hearing from banks, family offices, and other high-net-worth individuals that discussions are currently underway.'

The Swiss Bankers Association said it could not comment specifically on asset flows from the Middle East since the recent strikes on Iran, but noted Switzerland had long positioned itself as an attractive place for wealthy investors.

'It's now to our advantage that we can score points with Swissness, namely secure conditions, political stability, and the rule of law. I believe this is particularly valued in times like these,' said SBA chief economist Martin Hess.

After the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, the Swiss franc hit its highest level against the euro in a decade.

Although it would likely take weeks or months for inflows to register, Switzerland could eventually see 'several dozen billion' dollars coming in from the region, Spiller said.

'But that will depend a great deal on how the war develops, and how long it lasts,' he added, noting cash usually came first followed later by assets such as stocks or bonds.
A Brazilian migrant has won an immigration case after arguing he can't be deported because he had a fling with a woman who was married to a member of Latin America's biggest drug cartel.

The Brazilian man said the woman's gangster ex-husband was part of the notorious Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC), which is said to control a drug trade worth a billion dollars.

The migrant said that it would be unsafe for him to return to Brazil in case the gang member found out about his relationship with her because of the violent nature of the gang.

The PCC - which translates to First Capital Command - is Brazil's largest organised crime group and is known worldwide for its class A trade, supplying Europe with a lot of its cocaine.

The cartel's annual revenue has been estimated to be around $900 million (669m), according to Sao Paulo state authorities, and it has over 40,000 lifetime members and 60,000 contractors.

It has a reputation of being violent, with murder and inhumane treatment and torture being commonplace.

Now a judge sitting at the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber has granted an appeal against a lower tribunals decision to refuse the migrants asylum, humanitarian protection, and human rights claim.

It means the migrant, who was granted anonymity, can now have his immigration case heard again after a judge found there had been errors in the First Tier Tribunal judgement.

At the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber (above) a judge ruled there had been errors in law made by a lower tribunal around the migrant's evidence

But, he has now won an appeal after an immigration judge found that there had been errors in the First Tier Tribunal judgement.

The migrant - anonymised as 'DL' - said that he feared the PCC because of a brief relationship with a woman whose former husband is said to have been a PCC member.

The woman, referred to as C, and the ex-husband, referred to as S, remain anonymous for legal reasons.

The Brazilian also said that he owed an outstanding debt to a moneylender, who he feared would use violence on him.

He said that he had been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

He contended that his mental health condition would amount to a very significant obstacle to his reintegration were he to return to Brazil.

The court heard he entered the UK in January 2023 with leave to enter as a visitor and after making two applications to remain, he was arrested as an overstayer in August 2024.

The Brazilian tried to claim asylum, but this was refused.

It was found that he would have no issue of reintegration in Brazil because he had spent most of his life there, spoke the language, and had family support available.

But Deputy Upper Tribunal Judge Harbinder Athwal ruled there had been errors in law made by a previous ruling around the migrant's evidence that the ex-husband of the woman he had a brief relationship with was part of the PCC.

The judge said the First Tier Tribunal judge found that it was not plausible that (DL's) partner C would have risked disclosing their relationship by inviting him to a barbecue if her ex-husband was a leader of the PCC gang.

Judge Athwal said that there had been too much weight placed on an 'inconsistency' in evidence from the migrant when he said that the way he knew the ex-husband was part of the PCC was through his brother being told.

In an asylum letter he said that his family had told him but did not mention his brother.

Judge Athwal said: "In reaching her conclusion, the Judge placed weight on a material factual error, namely her finding that (DL) had given inconsistent accounts of how he knew that S was associated with PCC.

"That finding was itself inconsistent with her earlier conclusion that (DL's) account was consistent with the expert evidence.

"The Judge erred by firstly treating this aspect of the evidence as inconsistent; and secondly in making inconsistent findings about this evidence.

"In consequence, the Judge did not correctly evaluate the actual evidence in the round.

"There is a real risk that the factual error increased the weight attached to the plausibility finding concerning the barbecue.

"Taken together, these matters led to a failure properly to consider all the evidence cumulatively. I therefore find that the Judge made a material error of law.

A new hearing will take place to determine whether DL should be granted asylum or be deported.
The Responsible Influence Certification Program will empower creators and foster accountability across the $37 billion creator economy.

NEW YORK, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Industry Self-Regulation's Institute for Responsible Influence, an initiative dedicated to advancing transparency, accountability, and trust in the U.S. creator economy, today announced the launch of its Responsible Influence Certification Program.

The new program equips creators with tools to meet truth-in-advertising standards and supports brands and agencies in partnering with creators in ways that promote transparency, accountability, and consumer trust.

"Certified creators will signal to brands and consumers their professional commitment to creating content that meets the highest standards of honesty, accountability, and transparency," said Eric D. Reicin, President and CEO of BBB National Programs and the Center for Industry Self-Regulation.

The certification program is supported by a broad coalition of consumer brands, marketing agencies, industry associations, creative firms, and creator-focused platforms, including TikTok, the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), and the Independent Beauty Association (IBA), #paid, Cohley, Brand Networks, and Health Union.

"The launch of the Responsible Influence training and certification program underscores the industry's commitment to responsible, transparent creator marketing," said Francis Stones, Global Head of Brand Safety at TikTok. "Creators are the lifeblood of TikTok, and we're proud to partner with the Center for Industry Self-Regulation and its Institute for Responsible Influence (IRI) on an initiative that raises standards across the marketplace. Creators who complete IRI training give brands confidence that they understand advertising standards, supporting a safer, healthier advertising ecosystem for both brands and consumers."

The Responsible Influence Certification Program was developed to address a growing need to increase trust in influencer marketing. The certification program features a 90-minute interactive curriculum grounded in real-world scenarios. The course covers FTC Endorsement Guides and other government requirements, industry advertising standards, and responsible brand partnerships.

Creators who complete the program's video-based curriculum and pass the assessment receive the Institute for Responsible Influence Certification Seal, a credential signaling training in truthful and transparent digital influence. Certified Creators gain access to ongoing resources and will be included in a forthcoming searchable database, making it easier for brands to discover and connect with trained creators.

Reicin added, "Consistent with our mission, the certification program will unite creators, brands, and platforms to raise industry standards and demonstrate how voluntary, self-regulatory frameworks can strengthen trust."

BBB National Programs is the U.S. home of industry self-regulation, with a mission to enhance consumer trust in business. Its Center for Industry Self-Regulation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that incubates new self-regulation programs to address the marketplace trust challenges businesses face today.

The launch comes as the creator economy continues to grow rapidly. Roughly 86% of U.S. marketers work with paid creators, driving a $37 billion market and supporting more than 27 million people influencing consumer decisions. Yet trust has not kept pace: while 58% of consumers have made a purchase based on a creator's recommendation, only 5% fully trust influencer content. Transparency remains critical, with 71% of consumers saying clear disclosure increases trust, while 70% say hidden sponsorships leave them feeling misled.

"Our Responsible Influence Certification Program raises the bar for the creator economy," said Jennifer Santos, program lead for the Institute for Responsible Influence. "We are fortunate to work with an extraordinary Advisory Council of leading brands, top agencies, and respected industry organizations to shape a framework that empowers creators, helps reduce risk for brands, and will ultimately earn the trust of consumers."

The Responsible Influence Certification Program was developed with guidance from its Advisory Council and Supporters, which includes:

#paid

American Advertising Federation

American Association of Advertising Agencies

Association of National Advertisers

Billion Dollar Boy

Brand Networks

Cohley

Coterie

Creators Guild of America

Harry's

Health Union

Independent Beauty Association

Interactive Advertising Bureau

International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation

Linqia

Mammoth Brands

Moroch

SuperAwesome

TikTok

Uncommon Creative Studio

Leading creator marketing platform #paid collaborated with its creator community to pilot the program, helping ensure it reflects the real-world challenges creators face.

"The creator economy thrives when it's built on trust. Our partnership with the Institute of Responsible Influence reflects what we've always believed at #paid, that the most powerful collaborations happen when creators and brands share that foundation of trust," said Bryan Gold, Chief Executive Officer, #paid. "The Responsible Influence Certification Program brings more education and knowledge to creators, so creators can become professionals and brands can continue to succeed partnering with creators."

The Institute for Responsible Influence delivers:

Education on regulatory requirements, endorsement transparency, and best practices

Certification for creators who complete the training and assessment

A searchable database of certified creators (coming soon)

Ongoing oversight to support accountability

Resources and community for creators committed to responsible promotion

Enrollment is now open. For brands or agencies interested in certifying creators or partnership, please contact [email protected].

To learn more, visit ResponsibleInfluence.org.

About CISR: The Center for Industry Self-Regulation (CISR), a 501(c)(3) non-profit, was created by BBB National Programs to harness the historic power of self-regulation, a form of soft law, to empower business accountability. CISR is dedicated to research that supports the development of new initiatives, education on the conditions necessary for industry self-regulation to succeed, and incubation of new industry self-regulation programs, such as the Institute for Responsible Influence (IRI). Learn more about CISR at industryselfregulation.org. Learn more about IRI at responsibleinfluence.org.

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British travellers are suffering long delays due to new EU border rules that have left families with young children stranded abroad.

The Entry/Exit System (EES) requires travellers from third-party countries, including the UK, to have their fingerprints and photos taken as they enter the Schengen area.

Further checks take place when they leave. As these can take hours, some travellers have found themselves still stuck in line at passport control after their flights have already departed.

Passengers travelling across Europe were hit by delays and cancellations over the weekend, with long queues at destinations including Geneva, Lisbon and Malta.

Disruption continued today, with passengers waiting to have their passports checked at Brussels Airport and Schiphol in Amsterdam taking to social media to report delays of up to two hours.

One passenger in Amsterdam described 'elderly people and parents with toddlers' waiting in line for passport gates, 'hardly any' of which were open. The airport's website confirmed there were 'long delays'.

In heatwave-hit Milan, airline passengers were left vomiting and passing out after waiting for up to three hours last night.

Around 100 easyJet customers were abandoned at Linate airport while waiting to board the flight to Manchester after the crew decided to leave without them.

EasyJet said the situation was 'outside of our control' and issues with the EU's new border scheme had caused the delays, adding that the hold-ups were 'unacceptable'.

Passengers left behind in Milan Linate airport yesterday due to border control chaos

Around 100 easyJet customers were abandoned at Linate airport while waiting to board a flight to Manchester on Sunday

The rollout of the EU's new Entry/Exit System (EES) continued to cause delays today. Pictured are queues for passport control at Brussels Airport

Aviation expert Sally Gethin said the rollout of EES 'wasn't going well'.

'It's proving a bumpy ride and a massive headache for travellers,' she told the Daily Mail.

'This is going to rumble on for a few weeks and even when it's fully bedded down there could be some sporadic issues.

'But you can expect that. There are always teething problems when new technology is rolled out.

'When you bring into the mix all this bureaucracy and people having to implement it you're always going to have issues. It's also incredibly ambitious and across so many countries.'

Ms Gethin said many flyers were 'confused' about the scheme and believes the UK Government could have done more to educate them.

'The UK Government has come in for criticism for not raising enough awareness,' she said.

'To the average person travelling it's quite confusing. You're going on holiday so will be a bit stressed already

'You're also having frequent flyers who thought they would only have to input their personal data once but are now having to do it multiple times.'

The Daily Mail understands that easyJet delayed last night's flight from Milan by 52 minutes to allow customers extra time but, with the crew approaching the end of their safety-regulated working hours, the flight was forced to head off half empty.

The saga left customers scrambling for alternative means of getting home with some discovering they had missed their flight while still in the queue.

One passenger travelling with her boyfriend said only 30 people made it onto the plane, leaving 100 stranded at the airport.

Kiera, 17, told the BBC: 'We got here at 7.30am for our flight at 11am so were super early. We got to Border Control and it was a massive queue of people. I wasn't feeling great anyway because I think I'd got food poisoning.

'At about 10.50am they brought some water over for people, and when we got to the front of the queue someone asked us if we were going to Manchester, and told us our flight had just gone.'

The student added she and her boyfriend were in the middle of a 20-hour wait for another flight, leaving today and costing her mother 520.

And to make matters worse, the rearranged flight is set to land at Gatwick instead of Manchester.

Kiera said easyJet had only offered 12.25 in compensation, roughly the price of a sandwich at the airport.

Meanwhile, Vicky Chapman, 26, from Wirral, was left abandoned in the Italian city along with her son Fredrik, five, her partner Adam Hoijord, mother Lynne Chapman and brother Dan Chapman.

She said: 'We got to the airport with more than enough time, and got to our gate at 9.30am, but we were totally refused entry through passport control.

'We were then told that we are a 'no show' on our flight because we did not get to the gate on time, even though passport control had issues and they would not let us through.

'We were passed from pillar to post for three hours and no-one helped us. It was so hot in the airport, people were vomiting, people were almost passing out. We're being told that Tuesday is the earliest we can get back, and that we have to fly to Gatwick. We've had to pay out of pocket for an Airbnb.'

Join the discussion Would YOU be furious if your flight left without you after hours in a queue?

The Daily Mail understands easyJet delayed the flight by 52 minutes to allow customers extra time but the flight was forced to head off as crew approached their shift-limit time

The new biometric Entry/Exit System machines at Malaga Airport in Spain

Adam Lomas, 33, was holidaying in Milan with his wife Katy, 33, and their baby daughter when they got stranded.

He said he attempted to contact the airline but could not get through to a human operator - only chatbots who 'hung up' on him after 'five or 10 minutes' because there were 'audio issues and they couldn't hear me'.

The father said his family were now trying to a find a hotel and book new flights back to London where they would then have to get the two-and-a-half-hour train to Manchester.

He added that easyJet and the airport had 'spent hours arguing with each other about who is to blame'.

The airline said it informed customers of the new system and advised them to check their travel documents, allow extra time at airports, be ready for biometric checks, and factor in extra waiting time when planning onward travel.

Travellers are also being encouraged to arrive early, clear security as soon as possible and head to the gate when called.

An easyJet spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport.

What is the ESS?

The EU's Entry/Exit System (ESS) involves people from third-party countries such as the UK having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken to enter the Schengen area, which consists of 29 European countries, mainly in the EU. The automated EES system was first launched in October 2025, but airports and ports initially had until April 10 to fully implement the technology as a mandatory requirement. EES will replace the current system of passports being stamped by a border officer. To register for EES for the first time, a photo of your face will be taken and your passport scanned. Adults and children aged 12 and over will also have their fingerprints scanned. British travellers do not have to do anything specific to prepare but are advised to arrive at airports earlier than usual to prepare for longer waits at passport control.

'We have been doing all possible to minimise the impact of the airport queues, holding flights to allow customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight including EJU5420 to Manchester.

'We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers.

'While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.'

It comes after tourists reported chaotic scenes and lengthy delays at airports across Europe earlier this week as the new digital border controls came into effect  with exasperated travellers saying they had been forced to wait 'for hours' at terminals, including in Lisbon, Milan and Paris, to clear immigration.

Two travellers at Lisbon airport were among those facing a long wait at passport control.

Ex-UK and EU diplomat Rupert Joy said the new system was in disarray in the Portuguese capital's major transport hub.

He wrote on social media platform X: 'Complete chaos at Lisbon airport. Loads of people missing flights despite arriving hours in advance because of insanely long queues to passport control.

'No one seems to be in control or to have any idea what to do.'

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary, pictured, described the rollout of the new system as a 's*** show and a shambles'

Another traveller said he had experienced a similar scenario, writing: 'Having the machines at the start of the queue before going through passport control just caused a massive queue leaving Lisbon.'

In Paris, a parent travelling with a child, believed to be at Charles de Gaulle airport wrote: 'Absolutely ridiculous queue for passport control. EU passport with a child under 12, I've been queuing for over two hours and still there's at least a hundred people ahead of me.'

At Milan's Malpensa airport, it was a similar scenario.

'Two hours after landing and I'm still an hour from clearing passport control. Good job. Good try,' another delayed passenger fumed.

Controversial Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary this month accused the EU of punishing British holidaymakers over Brexit by subjecting them to hours-long passport control queues.

The chief executive, who backed Remain in the referendum, claimed the bloc was 'undoubtedly' forcing Britons to endure longer waits at airports as payback for leaving the EU in 2020.

UK holidaymakers jetting off to Europe have been warned of up to four-hour delays at airports as countries ramp up the deployment of a new border system.

Mr O'Leary said there had been 'significant disruption' at passport control since the new system was first introduced in October last year.

The system is being introduced in stages, with full operation expected from April, but has already caused backlogs and increased waiting times for passengers.

'We are beginning to see significant disruption. That's the next big issue. And EES has just been a s*** show and a shambles,' the Ryanair CEO told The Times.
A university lecturer is facing a 10,000 medical bill after she was seriously injured when an e-bike crashed into her on the pavement.

Sandy Peters was left with multiple broken bones and an 'ocean of blood' pouring from her face after a child smashed into her on a Forest bike in south London.

The academic had been walking on the pavement with her son on his birthday when the cyclist collided with her on North Street, just outside Grove Park, in Sutton on October 30, last year.

Sandy remembers nothing about the impact, only waking up moments later lying on the floor and struggling to breath, with blood pouring out of her nose and mouth.

The e-bike rider, who was under 16-years-old, had struck her right side, causing the mother to smash face first into a brick wall.

Police and ambulances were called to the scene and Sandy was rushed to the local hospital where she was treated for four hours before being moved to another hospital where she stayed for seven days.

The crash broke her teeth, both her cheeks and upper jaw, pushing it out of alignment with her lower jaw.

Sandy now suffers from PTSD and may have to pay around 10,000 for dental work, a sum she is unable to afford as there is little chance of getting any financial redress from the e-bike rider.

University lecturer Sandy Peters was left with serious injuries after a child smashed into her on a Forest bike in south London

Sandy Peters in the ambulance on her way to hospital after the crash in October last year

'It was so traumatic, and so fast, and so brutal, and in a place where I should have been safe. I should have been safe on a pedestrian pavement,' Sandy told the BBC.

'Both my cheeks are broken, the whole of my upper jaw is broken. It's out of alignment with my lower jaw. And the key concern now is that there was a lot of damage to the teeth.'

Recalling the first moments after being hit, she added: 'I had this feeling like a heavy metal grate pressing down on my face. I was telling myself to get up, but I couldn't get up.'

Sandy explained that paramedics who arrived on the scene had to place a tube down her throat three times to remove blood before she was considered safe to move.

The lecturer claimed she was later told that had it been a small child who was hit 'they would have been killed.'

Sandy is now 'grappling' with how she might pay for the potentially hefty medical bill and has been angered to find out Forest does not have rider liability insurance.

E-bike hire companies such as Forest are legally required to provide public liability insurance under UK law.

This covers incidents arising from mechanical faults or failures of its bikes - for example if a pedestrian or rider is injured due to faulty breaks.

But, such companies are not legally required to hold rider liability insurance, which would cover incidents where a third party is injured due to the fault of the rider - although this is still subject to certain exclusions and conditions.

Sandy is pictured in hospital shortly after the crash

Sandy has been told there is little hope of her getting financial redress from the rider who was under the age of 16 at the time of the crash.

Forest states that its e-bikes can only be operated by people aged 18 years old and over and requires users to confirm they meet this age requirement when setting up an account.

All new users are also required to complete an in-app safety training before their first journey.

Sandy is also annoyed that local councils are not requiring e-bike hire companies to provide rider liability insurance.

E-bike hire companies, such as Forest, must secure a financial agreement with councils to be able to operate in their boroughs.

The bikes have been subject to controversy, with Forest's main rival Lime having been banned from a number of councils across London.

Sandy is now calling on the government to introduce legislation to make rider liability insurance mandatory for e-bike companies, as is already the case with e-scooters.

She also wants a requirement in the law for councils to only give out licences if e-bike hire companies are insured to cover accidents with irresponsible riders.

The upcoming English Devolution Bill is expected to introduce new powers for councils to license and regulate e-bike and e-scooter hire schemes.

Dockless e-bike hire company Forest operates more than 14,000 bicycles across 18 London boroughs

A Forest spokesperson said: 'We are saddened to hear of any incident that might have involved one of our bikes.

'We take such matters extremely seriously and are in contact with the individual involved to understand the circumstances of the accident and gather further information to enable a full investigation.'

A spokesperson for the London Borough of Sutton said: 'The Council takes all incidents extremely seriously and we have asked Forest to work with the individual to ensure a thorough investigation is completed.

'When letting contracts to providers, the Council upholds the highest standards. Forest does have public liability insurance which covers incidents arising from a mechanical fault or failure of their bikes.

'It is not a legal requirement for e-bike operators, like Forest, to have rider liability insurance that covers injury or property damage arising from the negligence of users.

'The Council considers the latest legislation and national advice regarding e-bikes to help ensure operators in Sutton observe the highest levels of compliance and safety.'
A British-Italian model convicted of hiring prostitutes for Silvio Berlusconi has been given a rare presidential pardon.

Nicole Minetti, who was once entangled in the ex-premier's notorious 'bunga bunga' sex party scandal, was granted clemency in a move that has sparked fury across Italy.

The controversial decision, signed off by President Sergio Mattarella, has ignited a storm of backlash, with ordinary Italians voicing disbelief that a figure so closely linked to Berlusconi's inner circle could escape punishment.

Minetti, now aged 41, was in her twenties and training as a dental hygienist when she first crossed paths with the media-tycoon-turned-politician.

Their meeting, at a motorbike show where she was working as a model, would catapult her into a world of excess and notoriety.

She soon became a regular at Berlusconi's lavish gatherings, where starlets, aspiring actresses, and escorts were invited to extravagant soirees held at his residences, including a palazzo in Rome and a sprawling Sardinian villa.

Under his patronage, Minetti was handed a prestigious role in Lombardy's regional government - a move that raised eyebrows given her lack of political experience but cemented her place within his powerful orbit.

However, she later became embroiled in a sprawling legal saga that engulfed dozens of women tied to the parties.

Nicole Minetti, who was once entangled in the ex-premier's notorious 'bunga bunga' sex party scandal, was granted clemency in a move that has sparked fury across Italy

Prosecutors alleged that several had lied in court to back Berlusconi's claim that the events were not wild orgies but 'elegant dinners'.

Minetti was ultimately convicted of recruiting women for prostitution and embezzling public funds, receiving a combined sentence of three years and 11 months to be carried out via community service.

She was said to have helped Berlusconi gain access to dozens of women at the 'elegant dinners' held at his 145-room villa in Arcore, near Milan, according to judges.

Among them was Karima El Mahroug, a 17-year-old Egyptian-born belly dancer known as 'Ruby the Heartstealer'.

The former prime minister was later convicted of having sex with a minor before being acquitted.

The rulings in Minetti's case, delivered in 2019 and 2021, were followed by years of appeals and legal wrangling, a familiar pattern in Italy's drawn-out justice system.

In a dramatic twist, the president granted her a pardon in February, though the decision was kept under wraps until it surfaced in Italian media on Saturday.

Officials said the clemency was issued due to Minetti's need to care for a close family member - believed to be her son - who suffers from serious health problems requiring specialist treatment.

But the explanation has done little to quell public anger.

Social media erupted with condemnation, with Italians branding the move 'shameful', 'an insult to Italian citizens', 'a slap in the face for anyone who believes that the law should be the same for everyone', and an egregious example of George Orwell's dictum about 'some animals being more equal than others'.

On X, one woman said she was incredulous, describing the pardon as 'an offence to justice, to Italians and to Italy'.

Another wrote sarcastically: 'Thanks, Mattarella, for letting her dodge even community service.'

Much of the outrage has been directed at both the president and Italy's justice minister, Carlo Nordio, a key figure in the conservative government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Minetti, now aged 41, was in her twenties and training as a dental hygienist when she first crossed paths with the former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (pictured in 2016)

Amid the uproar, the presidential palace issued a statement insisting Minetti's circumstances were 'very particular' and stressing that the decision was justified by the 'grave health conditions' of her child, which necessitate 'health care in specialised hospitals'.

Her lawyers echoed that line, describing the pardon as the result of an 'exceptional situation'.

Minetti's story began far from the corridors of power, in the Adriatic resort of Rimini, where her British mother ran a dance academy.

She met Berlusconi around 2009 and later told a court in 2013 she had felt a 'sentiment of true love' towards him.

Yet intercepted phone calls painted a starkly different picture, with Minetti referring to him as 'a piece of s***' and claiming he was 'just trying to save his flabby a**'.

At the age of 25 in 2010, Minetti was elected as a regional councillor in Lombardy for Berlusconis People of Freedom party.

She is now believed to split her time between Italy and Uruguay, where her Italian businessman partner, Giuseppe Cipriani, works in property.

Berlusconi himself, a billionaire media magnate turned politician, resigned in 2011 amid the eurozone crisis rather than the mounting scandals that dogged his tenure.

He died in 2023, aged 86, and was given a state funeral at Milan Cathedral.

The phrase 'bunga bunga', which became shorthand for the lurid saga, achieved global notoriety  though its origins remain unclear, with some suggesting it stemmed from a joke Berlusconi heard from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Dozens of migrants waded into the sea to board UK-bound boats as French police stood and watched on, just days after four died in an attempted crossing.

Images taken on Monday showed the overloaded dinghy floating on the coast at Dunkirk, with another making its way towards the UK further ahead in the distance.

Several of the migrants, who appeared to be mainly men, were seen donning orange life jackets and dangling their legs in the open water as cops stood by idly on the shore.

It comes just days after four migrants tragically drowned while trying to board a water taxi off the coast of Saint Etienne au Mont, near Calais, on Thursday.

Rescue efforts began around 7.30am local time, but Francois-Xavier Lauch, the prefect of Pas-de-Calais, said two men and two women had died, with 42 others rescued.

Lauch said at the time that the four who died were 'already quite far into the sea'.

'The currents, which can be dangerous here, swept them away,' he added.

Two days later, a Sudanese national, who is alleged to have piloted the boat from France to the UK, was charged with endangering life.

Images taken on Monday showed the overloaded dinghy floating on the coast at Dunkirk, with another making its way towards the UK further ahead in the distance

French police appeared to stand idly on the shore as the migrants packed on to the crowded boat

A migrant swimming in the sea after failing to board a boat on the beach at Dunkirk on the French coast on April 13, 2026

Migrants head to a beach to be smuggled to Britain through the English Channel, in Grande-Synthe, near Dunkirk, northern France on April, 13, 2026

Alnour Mohamed Ali, 27, appeared at Folkestone Magistrates Court and, through an interpreter, indicated a not guilty plea.

He was remanded in custody and will appear at Canterbury Crown Court on May 11.

The identities of those who died have not yet been released, and French prosecutors are continuing their investigations into the circumstances that led to the launch of the taxiboat.

The term refers to a vessel used to ferry migrants from beaches to dinghies waiting offshore.

Thirty-eight people were returned to the French shore, but 74 'sailed on to the UK,' the National Crime Agency (NCA) has said.

Investigators are interviewing those who made the journey.

The UK's migration minister Mike Tapp described every death in the Channel as a 'tragedy'.

'Through our Border Security Act, officers now have stronger powers to act earlier and disrupt, intercept, and take down the operations of criminal smuggling gangs who bring illegal migrants to our shores,' he said in a statement.

Two migrants also lost their lives on April 1 during another attempted crossing.

They were the first fatalities of the year, with 36 people dying in 2025.

It comes as Emmanuel Macron's government rejected a proposal from Shabana Mahmood to allow Border Force vessels to intercept boats in French waters.

The plan was put forward as negotiations continue to renew a multimillion-pound migrant patrol deal between the UK and France.

The current agreement was set to expire in March but was extended by two months while both sides haggle over new terms.

There are also fears that a failure to strike a new deal on funding for beach patrols could turbocharge crossings even further over the warm summer months.

Migrants stand in the sea after failing to board a boat on the beach at Dunkirk on the French coast on April 13, 2026

Migrants attempt to board a boat from the beach at Dunkirk on the French coast

Several of the migrants, who appeared to be mainly men, were seen donning orange life jackets and dangling their legs in the open water

Migrants head to a beach to be smuggled to Britain through the English Channel, in Grande-Synthe, near Dunkirk

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During the negotiations, British officials proposed deploying vessels from their fleet of six 42-metre Border Force cutters and five commercial transfer vessels in addition to rigid inflatable boats.

The plan would have seen British vessels intercept small boats before they reached UK waters, take the migrants on board, and return them to northern France.

Currently, Border Force picks up migrants once they have crossed into UK territorial waters to prevent casualties, before taking them ashore at Dover.

However, the proposal was rejected by the French because it would have involved British officers entering their territorial waters, which they described as a 'red line'.

The details were revealed by French satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaine.

It also revealed that British taxpayers have funded 100 new police vehicles for gendarme in the Pas de Calais - equivalent to a quarter of the total they have available.

The UK will pay France 16.5million to cover the cost of nearly 700 police officers patrolling northern France during the two-month extension, which expires in May.

Taxpayers have already given 658million in security payments to France since 2018, a report by the House of Commons Library set out last year.
A young Chicago father was brutally beaten to death outside a bar just weeks before the arrival of his second child, police say.

Four unidentified suspects remain at large after they allegedly ambushed Alexander Kazanowski, 25, in the Illinois city around 3:20am on March 24.

Kazanowski, a professional model, was found unresponsive outside the Tune Up bar in the city's Avondale neighborhood, and he later died after being transported to hospital.

The young father had been asked to leave the bar earlier in the evening, due to 'several comments' he made, employees told WGNTV.

Witnesses told the outlet that Kazanowski was last seen 'exchanging words' with a group of people outside the bar.

Officials released images of four people who allegedly beat Kazanowski to death, and the Cook County Crime Stoppers issued a $10,000 reward for information leading to their arrests.

Security cameras captured the four suspects laughing as they entered the bar on the night of the fatal beating, and police are urgently searching for them in connection with the 25-year-old's death.

Kazanowski was described as a devoted father and a talented actor and model in his obituary, as he leaves behind a young daughter, Thea, and expected son John.

Alexander Kazanowski, 25, was brutally beaten to death outside a Chicago bar just weeks before the arrival of his second child on March 24

Four unidentified suspects remain at large after they allegedly ambushed the young father outside the Tune Up bar

Police described the four people wanted for questioning as three African American men and one Asian woman.

The four suspects were seen laughing and smiling as they entered the Tune Up bar. It is not clear if the footage was from before or after the attack.

Executive Director of Cook County Crime Stoppers Paul Rutherford said in a statement that Kazanowski's death was a 'brutal and senseless act of violence.'

He urged the public to come forward with any information that could lead to the suspects being identified.

'Someone in the community knows what happened, and we are urging them to do the right thing,' Rutherford said.

'You can remain completely anonymous, and your information could help bring justice to Zanders family. We will not stop working until those responsible are held accountable.'

The model's family said he was just weeks away from welcoming the birth of his second child when his life was 'tragically taken away', they wrote in a GoFundMe for his children.

Kazanowski, a professional model, was just weeks away from welcoming the birth of his second child when his life was 'tragically taken away', his family said

Cops released surveillance footage of four people who allegedly set upon Kazanowski

The four suspects were seen laughing and smiling as they entered the Tune Up bar. It is not clear if the footage was from before or after the attack

'Xander lived boldly with ambition and individuality, inspiring everyone around him. He was a devoted son, brother, father, partner and friend,' they wrote in the fundraiser.

Kazanowski's loved ones added in his obituary that he was a talented actor and model, who 'possessed a natural charisma that enlivened every room he entered.'

'Though we grieve the many chapters of his life that will now go unwritten, we are forever grateful for the wonderful gift of having had him as a Son, Father, Partner, Brother, Nephew, Cousin, and Friend,' they said.

'Xander will forever be with us through countless memories and the lasting impact he leaves behind.'
A missing woman who vanished while sailing in the Bahamas with her husband allegedly fell overboard into a busy stretch of water, it has emerged.

Brian Hooker, 59, reportedly drew maps of the route his dinghy took on April 4, the night his wife Lynette Hooker, 55, disappeared.

Screenshots of the maps obtained by CBS News show that the couple's journey back to their anchored sailboat began at the Abaco Inn in Elbow Cay, where the couple had been enjoying drinks.

They were meant to exit the harbor across from the inn and take a short ride between the western coastline of Elbow Cay and the eastern coastline of Lubbers Quarters.

But Hooker's purported maps indicate Lynette fell overboard about halfway through the route around 7.30pm.

He then traveled four miles west on the dinghy and washed up on the shores of Marsh Harbour Boat Yard at 4am the next day.

The small channel Hooker claims to have traveled along is a popular route amongst tourists and locals alike, 15-year Bahamian charter boat captain Mo Monestime told Fox News.

The water in the channel is clear enough to see the bottom and very shallow at low tide, with Monestime claiming sometimes it is only 4 feet deep. At high tide it rises to about 10 feet, he said.

Brian Hooker says his wife Lynette fell overboard during a boat ride in the Bahamas on April 4

Lynette, who is understood to be an experienced boater, has not been missing ever since

Hooker said he and Lynette had dinner at the Abaco Inn on the small island of Elbow Key (pictured) before she went missing

The ride from the harbor near the Abaco Inn and the popular spot where the Hookers anchored their sailboat is only a four-minute journey, according to Fox - which had Monestime recreate the couple's alleged route.

But officials note that wind gusts could have created choppy waters before Lynette fell over.

Hooker claimed disaster struck after the couple left the small marina at Abaco Inn and were hit with high waves and wind gusts of up to 25mph.

The Daily Mail cannot independently verify the weather conditions that night, but data recorded by Time and Date indicates that Elbow Cay saw 13mph winds between 6pm and midnight on April 4.

Hooker was arrested by Royal Bahamas Police on April 8, four days after he claims Lynette fell overboard. He has not been charged with any crime, but is being questioned in relation to the Bahamian crime 'causing harm resulting in death.'

His attorney Terrel Butler said he 'categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing' in his wife's disappearance, adding that Hooker 'has been cooperating with the relevant authorities as part of an ongoing investigation.'

On Friday, Butler reiterated Hooker's innocence and said Lynette has not been found.

She said police had just finished an intensive four-hour interview with him in which she described him as continuously asking about his wife.

'He was a bit puzzled because he was uncertain as to why they were questioning him about causing harm or possible murder when they had not given him any information in terms of where she is, if they had recovered her,' she said.

Under Bahamian law, authorities have four days to decide whether or not to charge Hooker with a crime before they must release him. But on Friday investigators were granted a special 72-hour extension that keeps him in custody through today.

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Hooker claimed disaster struck after the couple left the small marina and were hit with high waves and wind gusts of up to 25mph

Hooker admitted the couple had been drinking at the Abaco Inn (pictured) and told a night security guard that his wife 'was thrown out of the boat'

The Daily Mail can now reveal that Hooker tied his dinghy to a tree on a small sandy cove at an area called Calcutta, about four miles from Parrot Cay

The extension came after Butler revealed that Hooker required medical attention after having slipped into the water from a police transport vessel on April 9.

'He was submerged in the cold water and took in a significant amount of seawater before his life jacket brought him to the surface. He had to be rescued from the water by the police,' Butler told the Daily Mail.

'As a result of this fall, Brian sustained an injury to his knee, which has caused him to limp, as well as a visible abrasion.'

Hooker told police that Lynette fell overboard Saturday night from a small dinghy that was carrying the couple from Hope Town to Elbow Cay, small islands on the eastern end of the Bahamas.

He had been alone in the eight-foot vessel after Lynette plunged over the side around 7.30pm, taking with her the engine's kill-switch key which was attached to her by a cord. That cut the tiny vessel's power.

Hooker staggered ashore hours later and admitted that he and Lynette had been 'drinking' and 'were drunk,' boatyard security guard Edward Smith told the Daily Mail.

Authorities say they are in a recovery operation to find Lynette's body, but there has still been no sign of her.

Smith believes sharks will have pounced within minutes  a belief backed up by a highly experienced high-end boat skipper who also spoke with the Daily Mail.

Hooker said he is 'heartbroken' by his wife's disappearance, describing the incident as a 'boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds'

The Hookers were traveling on Soulmate (pictured), which has since been moored in a marina in Marsh Harbour

Bahamian authorities have released few details about the case, but say the investigation into Lynette's disappearance remains ongoing.

The US Coast Guard has also opened an investigation that is separate from the one by Bahamas authorities.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, Hooker said he is 'heartbroken' by his wife's disappearance, describing the incident as a 'boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds.'

'Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart,' he said. 'We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.'
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated his first 100 days in office by touting his socialist wins, which include plans to raise taxes and shrink the police force.

The democratic socialist boasted about his accomplishments and reiterated campaign promises at a rally on Sunday.

'No longer will city government be afraid of its own shadow. If anyone should be afraid, it is those who take advantage of working people,' Mamdani declared.

It comes after Mamdani allegedly tried to slip diversity, equity and inclusion measures past the Trump administration by removing direct references to DEI from a racial equity plan he released last week.

The 34-year-old mayor justified the Preliminary Citywide Racial Equity Plan (REP) by citing a $180,000 racial wealth gap in the city.

'Now, in this report, what we've seen, it's a report that is both coupled with a true cost of living report, is that the inequities in this city, the racial inequities are stark,' Mamdani said on Tuesday.

'We are talking about findings that have shown that the wealth of a median white household in the city is more than $200,000, while that of a black household is less than $20,000.'

The plan aligns with Mamdani's $127 billion budget for 2027, which includes higher taxes on wealthy residents and a reduction of the NYPD by 5,000 officers.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated his first 100 days in office by touting his socialist wins

Mamdani's $127 billion budget for 2027 includes higher taxes on wealthy residents and reducing the NYPD by 5,000 officers

At his rally, Mamdani vowed to follow through on several campaign promises, including opening the first of five city-run grocery stores next year.

The first is set to open in East Harlem in 2027, and he said there will eventually be one in each of the city's five boroughs by the end of his four-year term.

'At our stores, eggs will be cheaper. Bread will be cheaper. Grocery shopping will no longer be an unsolvable equation,' said Mamdani.

The mayor also promised to make buses free and faster, despite not having a clear plan on how he would achieve that.

'Tonight, we're delivering the fast, and we're excited to keep working with Albany to deliver the free,' he said, referencing the governor and the state Legislature, which controls the taxpayer-funded Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) budget.

Critics have slammed the proposal, arguing it would turn the city's buses into mobile homeless shelters.

Mamdani failed to include the free bus plan in his budget proposal and was unable to get state legislators to include it in their plans.

Last week, Mamdani even admitted to Politico that he would not be able to deliver free buses this year.

Mamdani justified his controversial racial equity plan released last week by citing a $180,000 racial wealth gap in the city

At his rally, Mamdani vowed to follow through on his campaign promises of free buses and city-run grocery stores

'Im absolutely committed to making buses fast and free, and were encouraged by the conversations were having with the governor and legislative leaders to take action on that in 2026 as a first step,' Mamdani said.

Instead, he boasted about a small pilot program for free buses that some lawmakers seemed interested in.

'Both legislative houses included language within their one-house budget proposals in support of bringing back a free-bus pilot program,' Mamdani said.

'That is something that we are encouraged by, and it continues to be part of budget negotiations.'

The Daily Mail contacted Mamdani's office for comment.
A mosque in Maine has suggested it is the victim of a racist campaign after its worshippers' illegally-parked cars were ticketed and towed away.

The Masjidu Salaam Mosque in Lewiston blasted both the town's police department and its neighbor Mid Valley Motors/Leonard Heavy Duty Towing Company over recent incidents during its religious services.

A spokesperson told the Lewiston Sun-Journal: 'The Lewiston Police Department conducted numerous unnecessary and targeted parking enforcement sweeps near the mosque on Friday, ignoring their responsibility to keep the community safe to instead focus on a right-wing grievance.'

But locals and businesses have hit back at the 'right-wing grievance' claim, saying it is unfair for mosque worshippers to clog the parking lots of three local businesses illegally and expect to get away without a ticket.

Mid Valley Motors, a local butcher and a separate Italian bakery have all recently ticketed worshippers' cars for using their lots without buying anything.

Many of the tickets issued were to cars that obstructed or blocked driveways. The mosque is open from before dawn until 11pm every day, with Fridays the busiest day for services.

Matthew Theriault, who is the general manager of Mid Valley Motors and sister business Leonard Heavy Duty Towing, was unrepentant and said: 'If you park illegally, you will be towed.

'We just want to go about running our businesses.

An angry Muslim woman gives the finger after her car was towed in Lewiston, Maine, amid an ongoing battle over parking outside a local mosque

A blue Toyota is seen being towed away. Business owner Matthew Theriault has denied claims his behavior is racist and insists he tows anyone who parks illegally

'Theres no racial or religious thing to this  a red Honda Civic is a red Honda Civic.'

Theriault denied deliberately targeting Muslims, saying he had recently towed a US Census Bureau worker for parking illegally.

He has also come under fire after his business started blaring songs out of speakers during Muslim worship.

Among the songs blasted out at high volume were the Star-Spangled Banner, Who Let The Dogs Out, I'm a Little Teapot and What Does the Fox Say?

Muslim worshippers have suggested the 'dogs' in the song title was a racist reference to them, a claim denied by Theriault.

Mid Valley Motors even played What Does the Fox Say? on a 10 hour loop on April 3, with its Facebook page encouraging locals to stop by for a 'dance party.'

A week later, on April 10, it blasted out the Star-Spangled banner. Theriault has used his business's Facebook page to document the parking crisis and shared a photo of a woman in a hijab giving the finger after her car was towed.

Police did respond to the music-related noise complaints and spoke to the towing company about it, but worshippers allege the music continued after officers left.

The Masjidu Salaam Mosque is open from before dawn until 11pm every day and has recently been granted permission to double the size of its parking lot

Police are seen during one towing incident in Lewiston. They have been accused of kotowing to 'right-wing grievances' by local Muslims

Mid Valley Motors has come under fire for blaring songs out of speakers during Muslim worship. Among the songs blasted out at high volume were the Star-Spangled Banner, Who Let The Dogs Out, I'm a Little Teapot and What Does the Fox Say?

Join the discussion Where do you draw the line between enforcement and harassment?

Last month, the mosque was granted planning permission to double the size of its parking lot.

Responding to complaints about the music on Facebook, Theriault wrote: 'Not sure what kind of world we live in where my daughter dancing in our shop driveway to childrens songs is considered hate. We also played the national anthem at 12 sharp, god bless America and many other songs ours (sic) sons and fathers have died standing for.

'If pride in our country is now considered hate speech id suggest you pack your sh*t and get out cause we arent goin anywhere.'

The Daily Mail has contacted the Masjidu Salaam Mosque, Mid Valley Motors and the Lewiston Police Department for further comment.
Residents of a peaceful Louisiana neighborhood are raging after a noisy go-kart track, which operates through the night, opened in their backyard.

Neighbors living on W.J. Wicker Road in Zachary, around 20 miles north of Baton Rouge, said the 593 Motorsports Kart Club is ruining the tranquility of their rural town.

'They're coming to our backyard, and we're having to put up with the noise,' longtime resident Larry Perkins told ABC affiliate WBRZ2.

Another local, Diane Fletcher, agreed. 'It does not fit the neighborhood, go find somewhere else to do it,' she told the outlet.

The go-kart club opened less than a year ago on land which is classed as residential, meaning the owner needs a conditional use permit from the city.

Zachary City Council approved the permit in November 2025, allowing the track to operate within certain conditions.

The rules include limiting races to three times per month and restricting the hours to between 10am and 10pm.

However, outraged neighbors said they have to put up with zooming noises late into the night as vehicles tear up the dirt track until as late as 11.30pm.

Residents of a peaceful Louisiana neighborhood are raging after a noisy go-kart track which operates through the night opened in their backyard. Pictured: Visitors of 593 Motorsports Kart Club enjoying zooming around the dirt track in Zachary, 20 miles north of Baton Rouge

Zachary residents Larry Perkins and Diane Fletcher have complained about the noisy track

Fletcher said the track appears to be a business, which she said should not be allowed in a zone classed as residential.

Some residents have gone further by launching a lawsuit against the city and the track, arguing that the permit should never have been approved.

'Take the opportunity to correct a mistake,' Perkins said.

The owner of the track, Joshua O'Neal, has denied the claims, saying he has followed all the rules laid out by the city.

'We have never been in any type of violation of any law, any ordinance or anything,' O'Neal told WBRZ2.

'I don't want to call anybody a liar, but to say that someone's doing something that they're not doing is wrong,' he said.

'They're assuming I'm guilty before anything, and I feel like I'm having to prove that I'm innocent.'

Neighbors said they have to put up with zooming noises from the track until as late as 11.30pm

Social media posts sharing links to articles about the local feud were also flooded with support for the karting facility.

'If a rural area isn't where a go-kart track is supposed to be, then where IS it supposed to be?' one person wrote.

'Its not even that loud from across the street the rail road tracks across from Kenilworth are much louder and disruptive if not accustomed,' another local said.

Several more people expressed interest in checking out the track.

Zachary City Council members are holding a public meeting on Tuesday to decide whether the track has violated the terms of its permit.

The Daily Mail has contacted 593 Motorsports Kart Club for comment.
A Minnesota lawmaker who condemned an anti-LGBTQ+ attack on an ice cream parlor has gone silent after the identity of the arsonist was revealed.

Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez denounced the Molotov cocktail attack on Fletcher's Ice Cream & Cafe in October.

'I am sad to hear about Fletcher's Ice Cream & Cafe being targeted in Northeast Minneapolis. The attack happened directly below a prominently displayed LGBTQIA+ flag,' he wrote on social media at the time.

'At a time when marginalized communities are being even more targeted than has always been the case, it is important that we as a city condemn this behavior. We must also reaffirm our commitment to equality and the safety of our LGBTQIA+ neighbors.'

However, Chavez has not addressed the attack in the months after the identity of the arsonist was revealed.

Firomsa Ahmed Umar, 31, was convicted of arson with a hate crime enhancer for the firebombing on Thursday.

According to federal court documents, Umar threw homemade destructive devices at Fletcher's Ice Cream & Cafe on two different occasions, once on October 19 and again on October 20.

Surveillance footage showed a car registered to Umar at the scene during both attacks, and he was arrested on October 20 wearing a traditional Islamic robe, according to court documents.

Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez denounced the Molotov cocktail attack on Fletcher's Ice Cream & Cafe in October

Chavez has not spoken on the matter in the months since after it was revealed the attacker who targeted the ice cream show for displaying a pride flag did so wearing a traditional Islamic robe

In each incident, he threw glass bottles filled with gasoline. One contained a mixture known as 'improvised napalm,' prosecutors said.

On October 19, '[Umar] lobbed his first Molotov Cocktail at Fletchers large front windows, which broke both panes of glass and ignited in a large blast of flame,' the US Attorney's office said.

'[Umar] returned the next day, attempted to open the door, found it locked, and again threw a similar Molotov Cocktail at the facade.

'Because the cloth wick inserted into the mixture fell from the bottle, the device failed to ignite, but did cause further damage to the window.'

Prosecutors said Umar chose Fletchers due to the prominent display of a Pride flag above the storefront, and had painted homophobic graffiti outside a local apartment complex four weeks earlier.

Umar's sentencing hearing has not been scheduled. He faces a minimum of five years behind bars, but it could be extended due to the hate crime enhancer.

The Daily Mail contacted Chavez, who describes himself as the first LGBTQ+ Latinx to serve on city council, for comment.

Elected in 2021, Chavez campaigned on 'equity, disability and LGBTQIA+ justice,' according to his website.

Firomsa Ahmed Umar, 31, was convicted of arson with a hate crime enhancer for the firebombing

Prosecutors say Umar targeted the ice cream parlor twice for displaying a pride flag

Elected in 2021, Chavez, who describes himself as the first LGBTQ+ Latinx to serve on city council, has not spoken on the Fletcher's bombing since the attack

Chavez said his neighborhood is 'United by the pursuit of a better life amidst significant challenges like disinvestment, ICE raids, and scrutiny faced by East African and Muslim residents.'

However, Chavez's silence on the Fletcher's attack since it was revealed the arsonist may be Muslim has not gone unnoticed by critics online.

'Chavez a total ghost- He must be busy updating his "hate crime" bingo card,' one person wrote on X.

'Hes got that melanin and Islamic forcefield. We can only be mad when evil whitey does the "homophobia," a second person wrote.

A third person added, 'While there is, in fact, an LGBT bias in the crime, it's not the one he hoped for.'
Program Culminates in Free May 9th Event Inviting Guests to Share Gratitude and Reconnect Through Kindness

OAKLAND, Calif., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Jack London Square, one of the Bay Area's top dining, recreation and commercial developments (www.jacklondonsquare.com), invites the community to participate in its Art of Kindness Celebration, a multi-week program beginning April 20th and culminating in a free, family-friendly event on Saturday, May 9th.

At a time when social and cultural divisions are becoming more pronounced and many people feel increasingly disconnected from one another, the Art of Kindness Celebration is designed to bring the focus back to empathy, understanding and shared human connection. As part of this initiative, Jack London Square's website will serve as a platform for community members to share stories of kindness and inspirational messages, while also contributing personal expressions of gratitude through the center's online Gratitude Gallery.

The Art of Kindness Celebration will culminate with a free event on Saturday, May 9th, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Palm Plaza, near Dave & Buster's. The event will feature a variety of interactive experiences designed to encourage creativity, connection and community engagement, along with a DJ and giveaways throughout the afternoon, including:

Appreciation Station: Guests can record short videos expressing gratitude and sharing what someone's kindness has meant to them.

Guests can record short videos expressing gratitude and sharing what someone's kindness has meant to them. Kindness Art Activities: Children and adults can create kindness-themed greeting cards, paint inspirational messages on rocks and design Kindness Coupons.

Children and adults can create kindness-themed greeting cards, paint inspirational messages on rocks and design Kindness Coupons. The Hug Spot: A kindness-themed mascot will offer free hugs and pose for photos with attendees.

A kindness-themed mascot will offer free hugs and pose for photos with attendees. Chalk Art: Live chalk artists will create kindness-themed murals, including interactive 3D artwork.

Live chalk artists will create kindness-themed murals, including interactive 3D artwork. Goodwill Library: Guests can take and share inspirational books focused on empathy and kindness.

Guests can take and share inspirational books focused on empathy and kindness. Food & Clothing Donation Zone: Attendees are encouraged to bring canned food and gently used clothing to support local nonprofit organizations. Guests who make a donation will receive a Kindness Ambassador button, which can be worn at the center to receive discounts at participating stores and restaurants.

Jack London Square continues to serve as a vibrant gathering place where community, connection and shared experiences are at the heart of its programming. Through year-round events and initiatives designed to engage and uplift, the waterfront destination remains dedicated to creating opportunities that bring people together, reinforcing the idea that even small moments of kindness can have a lasting impact.

About Jack London Square

Situated along the estuary, Jack London Square is Oakland's only publicly accessible mixed-use waterfront area and has been a well-known landmark since the mid-1880's. With its rich history as the heart of Oakland's port operations, Jack London Square is one of the Bay Area's premier recreational, dining, and commercial districts. Jack London Square offers visitors and local residents an authentic, vibrant hub for dining, outdoor recreation, special events and entertainment options including Ben & Jerry's, Kuidaore Handroll Bar, BevMo, Bike East Bay, California Canoe & Kayak, Hot Spot Yoga, Farmhouse Kitchen, Heinold's: First and Last Chance Saloon, Noka Ramen, Plank, Regal Cinema, Reem's, Rosenblum Cellars, Scott's Seafood, Seabreeze on the Dock, The Bay Trail, Visit Oakland, Yoshi's Oakland, and more. For more information, visit the Jack London Square website at www.jacklondonsquare.com or follow Jack London Square on Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE Jack London Square
American travelers are reportedly going to extreme lengths to distance themselves from the reputation of their homeland while abroad.

Americans in Europe are increasingly claiming they are Canadian when asked about their nationalities abroad, according to Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen, who shared that nearly every American he spoke to during a trip to Ireland attempted to 'flag jack.'

Cullen drew on his own experience of 'flag-jacking,' or the practice of lying about one's nationality while abroad, during a visit to the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland.

Cullen claimed nearly every American traveler he met said they were Canadian during his week-long stay.

The columnist said Ireland has a 'complicated' relationship with the US, with many locals outspokenly critical of Donald Trumps policies.

Cullen suggested this may be why some Americans feel ashamed and try to hide where theyre from.

In the first occurrence of 'flag jacking,' Cullen chatted with an oceanfront pub bartender when he noticed his accent.

'Oh, you're American,' Cullen said.

Village of Ballydavid on the Dingle Peninsula in Co. Kerry. Binn Diarmada Head, where Cullen traveled and discovered various Americans claiming to be Canadian

A close-up of a Canadian flag patch on a military uniform (stock image). Another form of 'flag jacking' is US citizens pinning this flag onto their bags or clothes while traveling

'Canadian,' the bartender nervously responded.

Puzzled, Cullen turned to the pub owner to say the barman didn't sound like he was a Canada native.

The owner replied: 'That's because he's from Springfield [Massachusetts].'

The pub employee wasn't the only person hiding their nationality, according to Cullen.

Cullen wrote that during his week-long trip, 'every American' they met in various shops and restaurants 'from Dublin to Dingle to Doolin' identified themselves as Canadian, but eventually admitted they were from US states.

'When pressed, some laughed it off as an inside joke, acknowledging they were from Minnesota or Michigan or California.'

Cullen said most people in Ireland are not hostile toward Americans, but are instead 'concerned' that voters re-elected Donald Trump despite his policies.

Cullen said during his week-long trip to Dingle, Ireland (pictured) just about every American working in a shop or restaurant claimed to be Canadian

A traveler hiking with a Canadian flag on their backpack. (stock) Flag jacking stretches back to 60s, when the US faced global scrutiny during the Vietnam War

Cullen added that Ireland is also feeling the effects of US actions, pointing to protests over high fuel prices that appear linked to Americas strained relationship with Iran.

But some Irish natives admire the US commander-in-chief, agreeing with his immigration policies, Cullen stated.

Cullen also noted that Irelands economy depends heavily on US technology and pharmaceutical companies, as it contributes to almost half of their corporate taxes.

Flag jacking stretches back to the 60s, when the US faced global scrutiny during the Vietnam War.

Americans partaking in the deceptive practice have added Canadian flags to their backpacks or clothing to mask their nationality, fearing they might face hostility abroad, according to CNN.

Canadians angered by Trump's rhetoric toward their country have criticized the practice, with many online even comparing it to cultural appropriation.
An Indiana sheriff found himself behind bars after his Jail Matron wife collected over $200k from the Indiana State Police Pension Trust in disability checks while posting photos on social media of her various adventures.

Sheriff Richard Kelly and his wife Ashley Kelly were booked into Marion County Jail on Friday night after allegedly cashing in six years of disability checks, despite doctors claiming Ashley was fit to return to work.

In January, two Clinton County Sheriff's Office merit deputies accused Ashley of committing disability fraud, the Indiana Star reported.

Investigators found that Ashley's doctors had said her extremities were fully functional and she was employable, able to lift 30 pounds, drive 30 minutes without a break and sit, stand or walk without limitation.

The Clinton County Jail Matron had been an Indiana State Trooper in 2007, but began receiving full disability in 2015 due to a reported injury from slipping on ice while moving things in her patrol car.

Ashley claimed that the fall caused a neck injury that kept her from performing her duties, the outlet reported.

Court records obtained by the Star showed that she received a series of payments from 2021 to 2026 totaling $205,398.77.

Ashley's social media presence further disproved her claim after investigators discovered numerous photos that show she may not have a disability, including picking up her children, riding horses, changing a tire and parasailing.

Sheriff Richard Kelly and his wife Ashley Kelly were booked into Marion County Jail on Friday night after cashing in six years of disability checks, despite doctors claiming Ashley was fit to return to work

Court records showed that Ashley Kelly received a series of payments from 2021 to 2026 totaling $205,398.77 in disability checks

Investigators found that Ashley's doctors had said her extremities were fully functional and she was employable, able to life 30 pounds, drive 30 minutes without a break and sit, stand or walk without limitation. Ashley is seen pictured with Richard Kelly uploaded on June 4, 2023

Videos of her exercising were also found, police told the outlet.

'Even if Ashley Kelly's original 2014 injury claim was legitimate, the evidence overwhelmingly shows that she continued to accept disability benefits while knowingly misrepresenting her physical condition,' a probable cause affidavit obtained by the Star said.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Kelly's for comment.

'These new charges make it clear that public trust has been broken,' President of the Clinton County Commissioners Jordan Brewer said in a statement to Wish-TV.

'For the good of the sheriff's office and the people of Clinton County, Sheriff Kelly and Matron Kelly should resign immediately.'

Commissioner Kevin Myers added in a statement to the outlet that the incident strained government resources and interfered with the work to serve residents.

'This is not about politics. It is about accountability,' he said. 'The only path forward is for both Richard and Ashley Kelly to step down.'

Ashley's social media further disproved her claim after investigators discovered numerous photos that show she may not have a disability, including picking up her children, riding horses, changing a tire and parasailing. Ashley is pictured in a photo uploaded on May 9, 2021

The couple were released on an $1,000 cash bond and scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday. Ashley is seen pictured holding her child in a photo uploaded on November 8, 2018

The investigation prompted queries into the couple's business, intended to manage the jail commissary, of which Ashley held a 51 percent ownership interest and her husband held 49 percent. Ashley is pictured in a photo uploaded on September 27, 2022

The couple were released on an $1,000 cash bond and scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday, records show.

The pair were previously ordered to pay $329,360.47 for improper use of jail commissary funds and the costs of a state audit in 2022, for which they are scheduled to appear in court in May on accusations of misconduct and conflict of interest, the outlet reported.

Both pleaded not guilty, as Richard had described the charges as 'nothing more than a political farce,' according to Wish-TV.

Ashley is currently running a campaign as candidate to replace her husband as sheriff, with Richard as 'a vital partner,' the announcement said.
A Texas mother, her two teenage children, and a family friend died after their car careened off the highway and struck a tree.

Kara Beagle, 37, her children Markel and Makhia Beagle, and their 19-year-old family friend JayShawn Godfrey died in a high-speed incident Friday night in Chambers County.

Police said the group was driving 'at a high rate of speed' along Farm-to-Market Road 563 when their vehicle veered off the road and crashed, ABC13 reported.

Investigators said the Chrysler 300 first vaulted from a nearby driveway before slamming into a tree.

Debris from the wreck, including a shattered window pane, was discovered lodged in the tree branches at the scene.

Beagle was identified as the driver, and her children were students at Liberty High School. Their ages were not released.

The cause of the fatal crash remains unknown, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Officials are continuing to investigate what caused Beagle to drift from her lane.

The family friend, Godfrey, had just graduated from the high school, 6 KFDM reported.

Kara Beagle (Left), 37, her children Markel and Makhia Beagle, they died in a high speed car crash on Friday

The loss has hit the community hard, with tributes pouring in from friends and loved ones.

'It's hard because they touched a lot of souls,' Luke Porsche, a friend of the victims, told ABC13.

'I've been trying to keep it together. I've had my moments, for sure,' the grieving friend added.

The victims family has had to grapple with the sudden losses as they plan to travel from Kentucky to Texas.

'With that community, everybody's coming together as one and trying to uplift everybody with this tragedy,' Porsche told the outlet.

'You had a lot of talent in that car. You had a lot of love in that car,' Porsche added.

Liberty Independent School District acknowledged the heartbreaking crash in a Facebook post.

'Panther Family, We are heartbroken by the loss our community is experiencing following a fatal car accident involving LHS students,' the district wrote.

Makhia Beagle, teen daughter of Kara, was one of the victims in the fatal car crash

Markel Beagle, teenage son of Kara, died in the tragic car crash in Chambers County

Kara Beagle, 37, was identified as the driver in the high speed car wreck

'When words fall short, all that we can do is come together to support one another while honoring the privacy of the families who are grieving,' they added.

Markel and Makhia are remembered as 'young lives' that were 'full of promise,' according to their GoFundMe.

'Markel and Makhia [brought] joy and light to those around them. They will be deeply missed by their classmates, teachers, family, and friends whose lives were touched by them,' the fundraiser stated.

'This tragedy has left a grieving family, friends, and fellow students trying to process an unimaginable loss,' it read.

As of Monday, the fundraiser has raised over $12,000 toward its $30,000 goal.
Benjamin Netanyahu revealed Monday that JD Vance called him immediately after negotiations with Iran collapsed, as the Israeli prime minister warned that Donald Trump's ceasefire could unravel into all-out war.

The Israeli prime minister held a meeting with his top cabinet officials where he detailed how US negotiations collapsed with the Iranians in Pakistan.

Netanyahu's comments came just hours before Trump's 10am ET naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is set to go into effect.

'I spoke yesterday with Vice President JD Vance. He called me from his plane on his way back from Islamabad,' Netanyahu continued. 'He reported to me in detail, as this administration does every day, about the development of the negotiations. In this case, the explosion in the negotiations.'

'The explosion came from the American side, which could not tolerate Iran's blatant violation of the agreement to enter the negotiations.'

Netanyahu said the collapse in negotiations was triggered after Tehran failed to reopen key access points in the vital oil passageway and refused to commit to ending nuclear enrichment.

The two-week ceasefire brokered by Trump could unravel at any moment, Netanyahu warned, saying: 'The ceasefire is like a coin - it can flip very quickly.'

Trump is reportedly weighing a return to military strikes on Iran if the naval blockade fails to push the regime back to negotiations, according to Axios. The blockade is part of his broader strategy to deny Tehran leverage over the waterway and force concessions.

The two-week ceasefire brokered by Trump could unravel at any moment, Netanyahu warned, saying: 'The ceasefire is like a coin  it can flip very quickly'

Vice President JD Vance led peace negotiations over the weekend that failed to result in an end to the US-Iran war

Netanyahu said the collapse in negotiations was triggered after Tehran failed to reopen key access points in the vital oil passageway and refused to commit to ending nuclear enrichment

The Vance-led peace talks over the weekend saw US officials push the Iranian delegation to freeze all uranium enrichment and hand over their Uranium stockpile.

Another sticking point in the peace talks was how much frozen Iranian money the US would agree to release in exchange for nuclear concessions.

Tehran remained dissatisfied with the proposed terms despite nearly 21 hours of negotiations with Vice President.

Addressing his government, Netanyahu stressed that the US and Israel have remained closely aligned throughout the negotiations.

'The talk as if there is a disconnect between us is the complete opposite. Anyone who was around during this call, and during the daily conversations we hold with the President and his people, his staff, can testify to that,' Netanyahu added.

'This is coordination like never before; there is something here that hasn't happened. It hasn't happened in the history of the State, and it hasn't happened in the history of the Jewish people.'

The collapse comes as the US engages in a showdown with Iran as the regime's naval speedboats try to push back against Trump's blockade.

Although Washington has dealt a severe blow to Iran's conventional navy destroying much of its fleet in a series of strikes, Tehran can still threaten shipping in the strait with small speedboats, mines and suspected underwater drones.

Join the discussion Do YOU think the ceasefire will hold this time?

Tehran can still threaten shipping in the strait with small speedboats, mines and suspected underwater drones

Netanyahu stressed that the US and Israel have remained closely aligned throughout the negotiations

The force Tehran relies on to control the Strait of Hormuz is thought to remain largely intact, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Iran's traditional navy, which operates larger warships and frigates, has long served a more symbolic role, focused on prestige and occasional long-range missions.

However, the paramilitary IRGC maintains a separate fleet built for speed and flexibility to control the passage.

Its arsenal includes nimble boats equipped with missiles, mines and drones, allowing it to threaten and disrupt commercial shipping in ways that are more difficult to counter.
Jeremy Corbyn's new hard-left project has been thrown into fresh disarray and factional infighting after its entire Scottish leadership quit to form a rival party.

Your Party's 12-strong interim Interim Scottish Executive Committee (ISEC) resigned over what it said was an attempt by the Corbyn-controlled UK leadership to take over.

The Scottish branch was only launched two months ago, with Mr Corbyn and fellow former Labour MP Zarah Sultana among those attending a celebratory event in Dundee.

But today it accused the London leadership of the 'dying' YP of trying to 'install an unelected leadership over members' heads', with the power to undo decisions taken about how it runs.

It also accused the party of seeking to 'sideline an entire nation' by refusing to share funding and data about the membership in Scotland.

'No serious attempt to unite the Left can be done through purges of socialists or by disregarding entire nations and their representatives,' the outgoing committee said in a statement.

'It is clear that these are fatal blows to the Your Party project from which it cannot recover.'

The Scottish branch was only launched two months ago, with Mr Corbyn and fellow former Labour MP Zarah Sultana among those attending a celebratory event in Dundee

But today it accused the London leadership of the 'dying' YP of trying to 'install an unelected leadership over members' heads', with the power to undo decisions taken about how it runs

In February Mr Corbyn's faction won 14 of 24 seats on Your Party's national controlling committee after a bitter internal election campaign which pitted them against a group led by Ms Sultana.

Party rules prevent Mr Corbyn being officially named overall leader, but he became 'Parliamentary leader', a job that will make him its most visible and recognised face.

Mr Corbyn and Ms Sultana were both elected to seats on the on the Central Executive Committee (CEC) reserved for elected politicians.

But Mr Corbyn's The Many group secured 14 seats against the seven won by Ms Sultana's Grassroots Left slate, with three independents, giving his supporters overall control.

The same month Mr Corbyn spoke at the founding conference of Your Party Scotland, where it was announced 70 per cent of party members had voted to stand candidates in the 2026 Holyrood election.

A motion saying the party should 'prioritise standing candidates on the regional list in a limited number of regions', while standing 'fewer candidates elsewhere', also passed with 64 per cent of the vote.

The outgoing Scottish leadership today said that they had been unable to field candidate because of 'constant undermining and delays'.

However, a party spokesman pointed to a vote by Scottish members last month in which they decided not to stand candidates, a decision 'these members disagreed with'.

'Every decision about Your Party in Scotland will be taken by members in Scotland,' he said.

'We understand there are differing views during a period of transition. Our responsibility is to put in place clear, fair and workable structures that serve all members in Scotland, and we remain committed to doing so.'
MPs will grill the Government over the Chagos shambles today after Keir Starmer effectively shelved his 'surrender' deal.

Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty will run the gauntlet of the House of Commons as No10 tried to argue the plans are not 'dead'.

The controversial handover to Mauritius - along with around 35billion of UK taxpayer cash to lease back the vital Diego Garcia base site for the next century - had been expected to feature in the King's Speech next month.

But it emerged over the weekend that the legislation has been delayed indefinitely due to Donald Trump's opposition.

The US President has swung wildly between supporting the proposal and condemning it. Keir Starmer has suggested Mr Trump is using the issue as a pressure tactic amid demands for Greenland and military support against Iran.

Downing Street insisted the agreement was still 'the best way to protect a vital base on Diego Garcia'.

The controversial handover to Mauritius - along with around 35billion of UK taxpayer cash to lease back the vital Diego Garcia base site for the next century - had been expected to feature in the King's Speech next month

Keir Starmer has suggested Donald Trump is using the Chagos issue as a pressure tactic amid demands for Greenland and military support against Iran

But the PM's official spokesman would not commit to bringing back the legislation in the next parliamentary session.

Asked repeatedly whether the Government would reintroduce the Bill, he said: 'I'm not going to get ahead of or speculate on what is in the King's speech, and any legislation will be announced in the usual way.'

Parliament has already agreed to 'carry over' five Bills from the current session, meaning debate on them can continue after May 13, but the Chagos Bill is not among them.

The spokesman added that UK officials would 'now discuss next steps with the US and the Mauritians'.

Under the terms of the deal agreed last year, Britain will hand sovereignty over the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius but lease back the Diego Garcia base for 99 years.

The deal will also see the UK pay an average of 101 million a year to Mauritius over that period. Official estimates claim that would make the total cost 3.4billion, but critics say the real sum is 35billion.

The US President has swung wildly between supporting the proposal and condemning it

Although the agreement has been signed by both the UK and Mauritius, it has not yet been ratified and no payments have been made.

Kemi Badenoch has argued the package puts the base at risk and could open the door to China establishing a presence on the archipelago.

The Tory leader said today: 'As far as I'm concerned, that deal is dead, dead, dead...

'We should not be surrendering British sovereign territory, which has a strategic military base in the middle of a war, and then we're paying 35billion of your listeners' money to do so. It's completely crazy.'
The US military has revealed it will enforce a blockade in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz and it will apply to all vessel traffic regardless of flag.

In a note to seafarers on Monday, the US Central Command said the blockade would come into effect at 10am EST on Monday.

'Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture,' the note added.

'The blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations.'

The blockade 'encompasses the entirety of the Iranian coastline to include but not limited to ports and oil terminals,' the note said, adding that humanitarian shipments including food, medical supplies, and other essential goods would be permitted, subject to inspection.

Oil prices spiked back over $100 a barrel as the markets reacted to Donald Trump's blockade preventing access to the Strait of Hormuz for Iranian bound ships.

In a Truth Social post this morning, the US President confirmed the blockade would begin today, following his initial announcement on Sunday after peace talks collapsed.

Trump's chokehold on the Strait will coincide with a blockade already in place by Iran as the war rages on after the failed 21-hour peace negotiation over the weekend.

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A vessel passing through Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran

Oil prices have been rising as shipping through the strait has essentially stalled since late February.

Brent crude oil has gone from roughly $70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times.

The pain is sharpest at the gas pump, where prices have hit $4.20 a gallon - up more than a dollar since the war began - piling pressure on Trump to end the conflict.

Other parts of the world, especially Asia, are even more reliant on the Strait of Hormuz - through which a fifth of the world's crude flows.

Following Trump's post this morning, Iran's navy commander laughed off the threat to blockade ships from 10am EST.

Shahram Irani released a statement through Iranian state media, claiming the navy is 'tracking and monitoring all movements of the aggressor US military in the region'.

'The threats of the US president following the humiliating defeat of his army in the third imposed war, a naval blockade on Iran, are very ridiculous and laughable,' he said.

A spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces added that US restrictions on ships in international waters 'amount to piracy,' adding that Iran would implement a 'permanent mechanism' to control the Strait following Trump's threats.

Meanwhile, both Trump and the Iranian leadership suggested Americans could continue to pay big prices at the pump, even leading into the crucial November midterms.

Trump was far from reassuring when Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo pressed him on whether gas prices would fall before the midterms.

'It could be the same or maybe a little bit higher, but it should be around the same,' Trump told Bartiromo on Sunday.

Trump told Bartiromo he did not think the war would last much longer and that Iran was 'wiped out,' before rounding on US media outlets for highlighting how 'wonderful [Iran is] doing militarily.'

After Trump's blockade announcement Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf - who led negotiations with JD Vance on behalf of Iran - warned Americans that 'soon you'll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas,' The New York Times reported.

In a Truth Social post published Sunday morning, Trump wrote that all three US representatives, Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, 'as all of this time went by, became, not surprisingly, very friendly and respectful of Iran's Representatives, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, Abbas Araghchi, and Ali Bagheri.'

However, Trump also noted that the niceties don't, 'matter because they were very unyielding as to the single most important issue and, as I have always said, right from the beginning, and many years ago, Iran Will Never Have A Nuclear Weapon!'

Neither side indicated what will happen after the 14-day ceasefire expires on April 22. Pakistani mediators urged all parties to maintain it.

Trump announced the US will blockade the Strait of Hormuz earlier on Sunday morning after peace talks with Iran collapsed.

'Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz,' Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday.

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The President said that Iran was 'unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions' as Vice President JD Vance returned from peace talks in Pakistan empty-handed.

'I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran,' Trump added. 'No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas.'

'Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!' Trump said.

'All mariners are advised to... contact U.S. naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches,' CENTCOM said in a statement.

Iran has been effectively controlling the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil shipping.

Around a fifth of the worlds traded oil typically flows through the waterway every day.

Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Iran are all major exporters.

Traffic in the Strait has been limited even in the days since the ceasefire. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire.

The president claimed that the threat posed by the Iranian Navy is 'gone' from the key waterway thanks to the US military assault on the nation since February 28.

However, experts have warned that though much of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' large battleships have been destroyed, the smaller boats that control the Strait are still intact.

This means the US servicemen sent to the narrow waterway - which is only about 35 kilometers wide - will be sitting ducks for attacks by the IRGC.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister revealed Monday that JD Vance called him immediately after negotiations with Iran collapsed, as Netanyahu warned Donald Trumps ceasefire could unravel into all-out war.

The Israeli prime minister held a meeting with his top cabinet officials where he detailed how US negotiations collapsed with the Iranians in Pakistan.

'I spoke yesterday with Vice President JD Vance. He called me from his plane on his way back from Islamabad,' Netanyahu continued. 'He reported to me in detail, as this administration does every day, about the development of the negotiations. In this case, the explosion in the negotiations.'

'The explosion came from the American side, which could not tolerate Iran's blatant violation of the agreement to enter the negotiations.'

Netanyahu said the collapse in negotiations was triggered after Tehran failed to reopen key access points in the vital oil passageway and refused to commit to ending nuclear enrichment.

The two-week ceasefire brokered by Trump could unravel at any moment, Netanyahu warned, saying: 'The ceasefire is like a coin  it can flip very quickly.'

Trump is reportedly weighing a return to military strikes on Iran if the naval blockade fails to push the regime back to negotiations, according to Axios. The blockade is part of his broader strategy to deny Tehran leverage over the waterway and force concessions.

JD Vance (pictured right) announces that the peace talks broke down in a press conference with Jared Kushner (pictured left) and Steve Witkoff (pictured center)

The Vance-led peace talks over the weekend saw US officials push the Iranian delegation to freeze all uranium enrichment and hand over their Uranium stockpile.

Another sticking point in the peace talks was how much frozen Iranian money the US would agree to release in exchange for nuclear concessions.

Tehran remained dissatisfied with the proposed terms despite nearly 21 hours of negotiations with Vice President.

Addressing his government, Netanyahu stressed that the US and Israel have remained closely aligned throughout the negotiations.

'The talk as if there is a disconnect between us is the complete opposite. Anyone who was around during this call, and during the daily conversations we hold with the President and his people, his staff, can testify to that,' Netanyahu added.

'This is coordination like never before; there is something here that hasn't happened. It hasn't happened in the history of the State, and it hasn't happened in the history of the Jewish people.'
A search is underway for the driver of a white sedan that rammed into the back of a tradesman's van on a highway, before they called the phone number on the van to leave an aggressive voicemail.

Matthew Walshaw was forced into the emergency lane on the M1 in Yatala, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, about midday on Saturday.

The carpet cleaner was driving from a job in Redland Bay to another appointment in Pacific Pines when he was targeted by the sedan in an attack that lasted several kilometres.

Footage showed the sedan rammed into the back of the van and pushed it along the emergency lane.

'I felt pretty anxious,' Mr Walshaw told 7News.

'I'm not actually sure why he targeted me. Clearly he was just impatient.'

If that wasn't enough to frighten Mr Walshaw, he later realised the sedan driver had called the number on the back of his van and left an abusive voicemail.

'Tell your driver to use his f***ing blinker because he's an imbecile,' the message said.

Van driver victim Matthew Walshaw (above) said extensive damage was done to his van

A white sedan was filmed ramming into the back of a work van about midday on Saturday

'You f***wit. Learn how to drive and don't look at me like you're tough. F***ing moron.'

The driver then raced back in front of Mr Walshaw's van before slamming on the brakes, causing Mr Walshaw to rear-end him, the Courier Mail reported.

The road rage incident left Mr Walshaw's van with extensive radiator damage meaning he cannot drive his work vehicle for the time being.

'It's going to be quite a hefty fix, and it's affected my income to be able to do the jobs I need to do,' he said.

'I don't really trust the roads at the moment.'

Anyone with information about the incident was urged to contact Queensland Police.
The winner of Hungary's election has vowed to change the constitution so that the Trump-supporting Viktor Orban can never be prime minister again.

Peter Magyar enjoyed a landslide victory, with his centre-Right Tisza party on course for an extraordinary 138 seats, compared to Orban's Fidesz on 55 and the hard-Right Our Homeland on six.

The country's new 45-year-old leader has promised to introduce a two term limit for prime ministers, to prevent Hungary from reverting to authoritarian rule.

Speaking at a press conference, Magyar said the legislation would also apply retrospectively, effectively banning Orban  who served in the top role for 20 years in total  from becoming a prime minister ever again.

During his time in power, Orban has been a close ally of both US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin, and he had become a significant thorn in the side of the EU and Ukraine.

US Vice-President JD Vance even travelled to Budapest to urge Hungarians to vote for Orban last week, but his visit failed to reverse a slide in the polls for the prime minster who fell to a crushing election defeat on Sunday.

Orban went from being a liberal, anti-communist student leader in the 1980s to becoming a center-Right, conservative prime minister for the first time in 1998 at the age of 34.

After losing power in 2002, he returned to the top position in 2010 as a pro-Kremlin nationalist in an effort to eradicate liberal democracy.

Peter Magyar waves the Hungarian flag after his speech during the TISZA party's election night event in Budapest, April 12

Peter Magyar enjoyed a landslide victory, with his centre-Right Tisza party on course for an extraordinary 138 seats, compared to Orban's Fidesz on 55 and the hard-Right Our Homeland on six

JD Vance urged Hungarians to vote for Viktor Orban as he arrived in Budapest to make a last-gasp attempt to bolster his campaign

'We did it,' Magyar announced in his victory speech. 'We brought down the Orban regime - together we liberated Hungary. We took back our homeland! Thank you! Thank you all!'

The landslide victory has handed his party a sweeping mandate that will give it a free hand to enact reforms, bolster the rule of law and potentially unlock billions in EU funding.

Economists and political analysts say the incoming government's expected two-thirds supermajority was the most EU- and market-friendly scenario - and before Sunday, one of the most improbable - and would likely trigger a strong rally in Hungarian assets on Monday.

A number of uncertainties remain, and wary diplomats and analysts say the new government must deliver on its promises before reaping the full benefits, but the markets for now look willing to give Budapest's new masters the benefit of the doubt.

'The result is a game-changer and will allow Magyar to govern with a free hand,' said Mujtaba Rahman, a managing director at Eurasia Group. 'Most importantly, he will be able to unwind Orban's autocracy and deliver on all of the reforms the EU is demanding.

'That means at least 6.4 billion euros (5.6 billion) from the resilience and recovery facility should flow quickly, shoring up the real economy and further consolidating Tisza's win.'

The election had long been anticipated as the most market-sensitive in Europe this year given the eurosceptic Orban's frequent clashes with Brussels during his 16-year rule, over issues ranging from immigration to his closeness to Russia.

Orban had expressed confidence throughout the election campaign despite lagging in opinion polls, saying his goal was to protect Hungary's national identity and traditional Christian values within the EU, while denying any wrongdoing.

But the markets had been signalling for weeks that investors expected change. The share prices of companies linked to Orban fell sharply, while market volatility gauges indicated that big currency moves were likely after the election.

Magyar, addressing jubilant supporters chanting 'Europe, Europe' after Orban conceded defeat, pledged to make Hungary a strong EU and NATO ally and rebuild ties marred by years of conflict.

'With the two-thirds majority allowing us to amend the constitution, we will restore the system of checks and balances,' Magyar said.

'We will join the European Public Prosecutor's Office and guarantee the democratic functioning of our country. We will never again allow anyone to hold free Hungary captive or to abandon it.'

One fundamental plank of Magyar's plan to kick-start Hungary's economy, which has been mired in near-stagnation for the past three years, was to unlock EU funds frozen as democratic standards eroded under Orban.

'A constitutional majority is a different story entirely,' said Ian Bremmer at GZERO Media.

'That would give Magyar the power to rewrite the constitution, clear out Fidesz loyalists from captured institutions, fully access EU funding, and even adopt the euro  a core campaign pledge.'

On Sunday, Magyar called on Hungary's chief prosecutor, the head of the top court, the head of media authority and other officials to resign, saying the country's public institutions had been captured by Orban loyalists over the past 16 years.

Magyar has pledged a sweeping anti-corruption drive as his party seeks to meet EU conditions, including stronger judicial independence and public procurement, to unlock the funds.

However, credit rating agencies such as S&P Global and Fitch Ratings, as well as some EU diplomats, are sceptical about whether any money still available under Hungary's pandemic recovery funding would be released.

Diplomats and analysts say comparisons with Poland's 2023 election, when Prime Minister Donald Tusk's pro-EU cabinet secured a quick release of EU funding on promises to roll back his nationalist predecessor's policies, may be misguided.

'There is no willingness to give out the money only on a promise like the EU did to Tusk in Poland, who was not able to deliver on most promises,' said an EU diplomat.

'Tisza would need to demonstrate that it can deliver. But if something is legally impossible, and that can be demonstrated, then the EU could figure out a way.'

Analysts at Capital Economics say the release of EU funding could help cut Hungary's budget deficit towards 3.5 per cent to 4 per cent of national output by the end of the decade and stabilise public debt - the EU's highest outside the euro zone.

'Overall, the election result marks a major turning point for Hungary's economy,' Liam Peach said.

'The durability of any positive market reaction will now depend on how quickly Tisza moves to rebuild relations with the EU, secure EU fund disbursements and signal a credible medium-term fiscal anchor.'

Orban, a hard-Right anti-EU leader, was seen as Trump's closest ally in Europe and their relationship was viewed as increasingly important as trans-Atlantic relations thaw over the Iran war

Speaking last Tuesday at an Orban campaign rally, Vance told the audience that he would refrain from telling 'the people of Hungary how to vote', before immediately urging people to vote for Orban.

'We've got to get Viktor Orban re-elected as prime minister of Hungary, don't we?' he added.

The vice president claimed Orban was 'a man who has done more than any leader in Europe to bring about a successful resolution to the war between Russia and Ukraine'.

He took a phone call from Trump, who also voiced support for Orban, before begging Hungarians to 'go to the polls this weekend and stand with Viktor Orban'.

'I love Hungary, and I love Viktor. Im telling you hes a fantastic man,' the US President said by phone from Washington, his words blasted around the Budapest concert arena.

'Im a big fan of Viktor. Im with him all the way,' he added.

The prime minister 'has done a fantastic job,' Trump said, by not allowing migrants to 'storm your country and invade your country'.

The event was billed as a 'mass rally on the occasion of Hungarian-American Friendship Day,' a day invented for Vances visit.
A transgender baby killer was released from prison 30 years early after attempting to force authorities to use taxpayer money for gender-affirming surgeries.

Jonathan Richardson, who now uses the name Autumn Cordellione, was convicted in 2002 of murdering his 11-month-old stepdaughter by strangulation in a brutal killing.

The murder shocked the nation over two decades ago, as Richardson heartlessly described his victim as 'the little f***ing b***h' to a corrections officer.

Despite the grisly murder, the heavily tattooed killer served less than half of his 55-year sentence, and was quietly released in late December 2025 without the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) notifying local officials.

The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement that it was unaware of Richardson's release, and said they only discovered the killer was let back out into the community when a citizen recognized him.

The IDOC has not provided an official explanation for why Richardson was granted parole so early into his sentence for the infant's murder.

However, it comes after Richardson tried for years to have the state of Indiana pay for his transgender surgeries, including demanding breast implants and a 'penile inversion' operation.

In September 2024, a court issued a preliminary injunction requiring the IDOC to provide the surgeries to Richardson, finding that denying the inmate constituted cruel and unusual punishment.

While prison officials have not yet commented on Richardson's release, the injunction led to speculation that the IDOC released the prisoner to avoid having to pay out for the expensive surgeries.

Transgender convicted baby killer Jonathan Richardson, who now uses the name Autumn Cordellione, was released from prison 30 years early after attempting to force authorities to use taxpayer money for gender-affirming surgeries

The killer was sentenced to 55 years in prison in 2002 for strangling his 11-month-old stepdaughter to death, but was released in December after serving less than half his sentence. He has since shared a number of images (pictured) gloating about his freedom

The Daily Mail has contacted the IDOC for comment on Richardson's release and allegations that it did not notify local authorities when freeing the child killer.

The inmate's lawsuit backed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) made headlines in 2023 when he claimed he was subjected to unconstitutional 'cruel and unusual punishment' because the IDOC refused to use taxpayer funds to pay for his transgender surgeries.

The lawsuit included a list of demanded operations that Richardson described in a document as 'surgeries to reach my ideal self', including requesting a 'vagina', reports Reduxx.com.

Richardson also demanded breast implants, a brow lift, a brow reduction, a tummy tuck, gluteal implants (BBL), a uterus transplant, hair removal, and wigs.

Court records showed that Richardson later amended his demands to two surgeries - a 'penile inversion' operation and an orchiectomy to remove his testicles.

While in prison, Richardson captured headlines by filing several outlandish lawsuits that were promptly dismissed in court.

In April 2025, he sued President Trump, alleging his 'transphobic and extremist rhetoric' emboldened her fellow prisoners to assault her. The lawsuit was dismissed by a judge.

Richardson also launched a separate lawsuit in February 2024, suing a prison chaplain for banning him from wearing a prison hijab.

Richardson said at the time he identified as a 'Muslim woman', and sought $150,000 claiming the prison violated his right to be an 'Islamic practicing trans woman.' The lawsuit was also later dismissed.

While in prison, Richardson captured headlines by filing several outlandish lawsuits that were promptly dismissed in court

In a TikTok account run by the child killer, Richardson has shared glimpses of his life since being freed, including claiming to be in a polyamorous relationship with two other women

In a TikTok account run by the child killer, Richardson has shared glimpses of his life since being freed

Since his release, Reduxx reported that a source said Richardson had moved into a women's shelter in Vanderburgh County, Indiana.

In a TikTok account run by the child killer, Richardson has shared glimpses of his life since being freed, including claiming to be in a polyamorous relationship with two other women.

In images that appear to be altered with artificial intelligence, Richardson showed himself partying with the two women in nightclubs and in bed together.

In another post last month after the prosecutor's office shared its statement about Richardson being released into the community, the convict said he was being targeted by upset members of the public.

He wrote in the caption that he had been receiving numerous phone calls from people 'who are threatening my life', telling him that 'taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for my surgery.'

When Richardson was arrested in September 2001, prosecutors said he strangled his 11-month-old stepdaughter to death while the victim's mother was at work for the day.

The killer initially told police that he found the victim in a crib and she had vomit coming from her mouth. Richardson later admitted she was fussy and he had tried to calm her down.

It was determined the little girl died from manual strangulation.

While the killer was behind bars, Richardson told a correctional officer, 'well all I know is I killed the little f**king b*tch.'

In 2002, Richardson was sentenced to 55 years in prison.

The Daily Mail has contacted Richardson for comment.
Company advances smart water disinfection for livestock and poultry operations in the U.S.

DES MOINES, Iowa, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kemin Industries, a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services, is debuting the EDIE Generation 2. This applicator is designed to deliver precision, connectivity, and automation in chlorine dioxide disinfection for livestock and poultry operations, and will be introduced at PEAK, the Midwest Poultry Federation's annual convention, April 1416, in Minneapolis.

EDIE Generation 2 Application System

The next evolution in fully integrated water-management systems, EDIE Generation 2 represents a significant advancement in water disinfection application technology, combining intelligent automation, realtime monitoring, and enhanced system connectivity into a single, integrated platform. Engineered for ease of use and reliability, the system provides operators with complete control over water disinfection processes while reducing the need for manual intervention.

"Water quality plays a critical role in animal health and operational productivity," said Dillon Mellick, Business Manager, Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health  North America. "With EDIE Generation 2, we are delivering connected intelligence that helps producers manage water disinfection more precisely, more efficiently, and with greater confidence."

EDIE Generation 2 is designed to monitor and manage critical water quality parameters directly within the water line. The system tracks available chlorine dioxide levels and offers optional measurements of pH and oxidationreduction potential (ORP), giving producers real-time actionable insight into system performance and water quality.

Additional system features include:

Automated data logging of equipment performance, water volume, and dosing history

Mobile app connectivity for remote access and system alerts

Level sensors to notify personnel of low chemical levels

An enhanced, userfriendly controller with an improved LCD interface

Multiple layers of system protection to prevent unauthorized changes

Visual indicators confirming active dosing

Flexible connectivity options, including WiFi and cellular compatibility

Retrofit capability for operations currently using standard EDIE systems

EDIE Generation 2 is designed to pair seamlessly with PROOXINE AH, Kemin's stabilized chlorine dioxide disinfectant. Together, the solution delivers reliable, automated application without manual mixing and supports effective disinfection of drinking water, premises, and equipment. This integrated approach reinforces Kemin's commitment to providing dependable, systembased solutions for biosecurity and water hygiene challenges faced by animal operations today.

Attendees of PEAK are invited to visit Booth 1547 on April 1516 to see EDIE Generation 2 firsthand and learn how connected water management technology can help streamline disinfection programs and support onfarm biosecurity goals.

Click here for more information about EDIE Generation 2 and Kemin's water disinfectant solutions.

About Kemin Industries

Kemin Industries (www.kemin.com) is a global ingredient manufacturer that strives to sustainably transform the quality of life every day for 80 percent of the world with its products and services. The company supplies over 500 specialty ingredients for human and animal health and nutrition, pet food, aquaculture, nutraceutical, food technologies, crop technologies, biofuel, and animal vaccine industries.

For over half a century, Kemin has been dedicated to using applied science to address industry challenges and offer product solutions to customers in more than 120 countries. Kemin provides ingredients to feed a growing population with its commitment to the quality, safety, and efficacy of food, feed, and health-related products.

Established in 1961, Kemin is a privately held, family-owned-and-operated company with more than 3,300 global employees and operations in 90 countries, including manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Italy, Singapore, South Africa, and the United States.

Media Contact:

Emily Claghorn, Senior Marketing Communications Manager, Kemin Animal Nutrition and Health  North America | [email protected]

 Kemin Industries, Inc. and its group of companies 2026. All rights reserved.  TM Trademarks of Kemin Industries, Inc., U.S.A.

Certain statements, product labeling and claims may differ by geography or as required by government requirements.

SOURCE Kemin Industries
As many as four federal lawmakers could be ousted from their seats on Capitol Hill as soon as Wednesday if threats from some of their most vocal colleagues come to fruition.

California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales are being targeted following disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct with past subordinates.

Swalwell dropped his bid for California Governor over the weekend after a woman claimed she had sexual encounters with him while he was her boss.

She alleged that the married Swalwell raped her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent in 2019 and 2024. She is one of the four women who have made allegations against the Democrat.

Swalwell announced he was suspending his campaign and is 'deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past' and slammed the 'false allegations' against him.

Gonzales abandoned his congressional reelection bid last month amid pressure over an alleged affair, which he admitted to, with a subordinate who killed herself.

Both men were pressured into their actions by leaders within their own political parties.

Those two are most likely to be on the chopping block. But they could also be axed alongside Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Republican Cory Mills, both Florida Representatives.

Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty by a House Ethics panel last month of numerous violations of House rules and ethics standards, including the alleged theft of $5 million in taxpayer funds.

Eric Swalwell speaks during the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco on February 21st

Representative Tony Gonzales speaks during a news conference on Friday, February 6th

US Representative Anna Paulina Luna speaks in Glendale, Arizona, on September 21, 2025

Mills is facing a slew of issues, including allegedly using campaign funds for private jets, being evicted from his Washington DC apartment, 'assaulting women, profiting off federal contracts, and inflating [his] military record.'

He has denied the allegations.

Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna has led the charge on the demands to oust the pair, noting on X that she is working to 'expel Eric Swalwell with Rep Tony Gonzalez,' adding that 'Both NEED to go.'

North Carolina Republican Addison McDowell wrote on X that it was 'past time to get rid of predators in Congress who prey on women - especially their own staff.'

Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Congresswoman currently running for governor, wrote on X Sunday that it is time for some House cleaning."'

She called on Gonzalez, Mills, Swalwell, and Cherfilus-McCormick to 'resign immediately.'

New York Republican Mike Lawler called for the ousting of three of the four of his aforementioned colleagues, noting on X that, 'based on the facts and information that have come out, its simple: Eric Swalwell, Tony Gonzalez, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick should all resign from Congress effective immediately. If not, Congress should move to expel all three of them upon our return this week.'

Nancy Mace on X

Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick at a hearing of the House Ethics Committee at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on March 26, 2026

Mike Lawler on X

Representative Cory Mills leaves the US Capitol on Wednesday July 23, 2025

Addison McDowell on X

In a sign of further chaos for Mills, his Chief of Staff and General Counsel, Catherine Treadwell, announced her resignation from his office over the weekend, cryptically writing in her resignation email that 'the horrors persist, but I do not,' which has since been made public.

Only six members of the House of Representatives have been expelled from the body in US history, including former New York Republican George Santos, the last member to be expelled from the chamber.

Independent journalist Juliegrace Brufke shared Treadwell's resignation letter on X

George Santos on X

Santos was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for misleading donors and spending campaign money fraudulently. The 2023 vote to expel Santos was 311-114.

Commenting on the news of Swalwell dropping out, Santos noted on X that, 'innocent people dont drop out of political races. Thats what guilty people do! "F**k you @ericswalwell and F**k you too @RepTonyGonzales,' Santos added on X.

Santos had his sentence commuted by Trump after serving around three months in prison.
A controlling boyfriend who hurled a teenage girl from a 40ft tower block has been jailed for five years.

Jordan Herring, 22, threw his girlfriend from the fourth floor of Merton House in Solihull, Birmingham, shortly after 11.20pm on November 12 2022.

CCTV footage captured Bobbie Goodman plummeting almost 40ft on to a grass verge below. Remarkably, she survived after her head missed the concrete pavement by a matter of inches.

The then-18-year-old suffered a collapsed lung, shattered pelvis, broken ribs and a smashed spine from the fall.

She spent a month in intensive care and became dependent on a wheelchair for several months after she was discharged. She continues to be in constant pain from her back and pelvis.

A court heard Herring attacked his partner and interrogated her during a cannabis-fuelled rage after he found messages from other men on her Snapchat account.

Ms Goodman told police how Howard had warned his victim moments before she was hurled: 'I will throw you out, I will kill you.'

The teenage girl had moved in with Herring in April 2022 at Merton House, Birmingham Crown Court heard, when her family became concerned after she suffered bruises and black eyes.

Jordan Herring, 22, threw his girlfriend from a 40ft tower block in Solihull on November 12, 2022

Bobbie Goodman, then aged 18, suffered a collapsed lung, shattered pelvis, broken ribs and a smashed spine from the fall. Here she is pictured outside Merton House in Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, where the incident happened

Pictured: Ms Goodman recovering in hospital after being thrown from a tower block window by Jordan Herring

Herring became 'repeatedly verbally and physically abusive' and exercised 'increasing control over her and her life' - which left Ms Goodman feeling 'worthless and empty'.

The defendant, of Solihull, was previously convicted of causing grievous bodily harm but cleared of attempted murder at Birmingham Crown Court.

He had been found guilty of controlling and coercive behaviour against the same victim following a previous trial.

Sentencing, Judge Simon Drew KC said Herring was a 'dangerous offender' and also extended his licence period for a year.

He told the defendant: 'You started a relationship with the victim in February 2022. At the time she was 17 and you were 18.

'You had recently been released from a prison sentence and you were living with your grandmother and in April 2022 she moved in to live with you.

'From the evidence I have heard, she was increasingly withdrawn form her family. It is clear you began to exercise increasing control over her and her life.

'She had become dependent on you. In October 2022 you started to check her mobile phone.

Footage shows Bobbie Goodman (in the highlighted box mid left) thudding into a grass verge after her fall

'There were suspicions both ways in relation to contact with others. You were repeatedly verbally and physically abusive towards her.'

The judge added that by early November Ms Goodman's family became 'increasingly concerned about' the teenage girl.

Herring had locked his girlfriend in a bedroom at the flat on the night and smoked cannabis which led to paranoia, the court heard.

Judge Drew continued: 'You were at time arguing about cheating. She had no recollection of you throwing her out of the window.

'I have seen the CCTV footage and it is a pretty shocking piece of footage. She falls something in the order of 40ft from the fourth floor.

'She was fortunate to hit the grass area and not the pavement only a few feet away from where she landed. You can see her bounce.

'You made no attempt to give her first aid and you tried to cover up what had taken place.

'You tried to coerce her into lying about what had happened.'

The victim, then 18, narrowly avoided a concrete path when she hit the floor - but luckily survived

Jamie Scott, prosecuting, said before the fall Herring had assaulted Ms Goodman twice as well as interrogating her over Snapchat messages he found.

He added: 'It appears that this offence was provoked through Herring's cannabis consumption and his violent jealousy.'

The court was told Herring had taken Ms Goodman to Merton House, where his mother Kerrie-Anne Grogan also lived, to avoid the teenager's concerned family who had been looking for her.

She was already 'battered and bruised' with two black eyes and marks to her neck, which Herring made her hide by wearing two hoodies.

The footage showed Herring 'strolling' down the stairs, followed by his mother, picking the teenager up from the grass verge, wrapping her in a blanket and then carrying her back up to the flat.

The mother and son did not call emergency services until more than an hour later, when the teenager had to be airlifted to hospital in a critical condition and required a blood transfusion.

Herring claimed the teenage girl climbed out of the window herself and fell after they fought about cheating allegations.

In a victim statement Ms Goodman, now 21, said: 'What Herring did to me has affected me in many ways.

'I am extremely lucky to be alive. To be honest I have no idea how I survived what happened to me.

'I am lucky to have a loving family around me to help me with my injuries and rehabilitation. I realised I was constantly controlled.

'I am in constant pain with my back and pelvis. He made me feel worthless and empty and had total control of my life.

'I woke up in hospital not knowing what had happened. I have always been afraid of heights.'

Nicholas Berry, defending, said: 'He had a significantly difficult childhood.

'He was exposed to considerable parental trauma, drugs and alcohol.

'He has struggled with anger, paranoid thoughts and drug use and an inability to process his emotions.'
A Qantas plane headed to Perth was diverted back to Brisbane after suffering a 'mechanical issue' during the flight.

Flight QFA943 spent three hours circling Brisbane Airport before finally landing safely about 11.10pm on Monday.

The flight had departed Brisbane about 8.20pm but an issue with the air speed dial was noticed soon after take-off.

A Qantas spokeswoman said the plane had to circle above the airport in order to reduce its fuel load and meet the 'appropriate landing weight'.

Passengers were provided accommodation in Brisbane overnight and were booked on another flight to Perth on Tuesday morning.

Aviation engineers set about inspecting the plane shortly after it landed.

Qantas flight QFA943 spent three hours circling Brisbane Airport on Monday night
An NHS nurse who was branded a 'risk to the public' for referring to a transgender paedophile as 'Mr' has won an out-of-court settlement.

Jennifer Melle, 41, from Croydon, was disciplined after refusing to adopt female pronouns for the six-foot convicted sex offender with a beard in May 2024.

She was subjected to screaming racist abuse and threats of violence from the patient at St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, Surrey.

Ms Melle was then suspended from her position in March 2025 after going public with her experience, with NHS officials concerned the patient could be identified from media reports - even though their identity was not disclosed.

The single mother-of-two was reported to the professional regulator and kept off work for ten months, though still received pay.

But she was finally reinstated in February this year after a public outcry, and the conclusion of a private disciplinary meeting that she had done nothing wrong.

Now, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust has also cleared her of wrongdoing in relation to telling her story, and agreed a settlement with the nurse, ahead of a tribunal that was set to commence on Monday.

Ms Melle said on Monday: 'I cannot discuss the terms of the settlement, but generally I am glad that my employer has finally decided to extend an olive branch to me.

Jennifer Melle, 41, from Croydon, was suspended from her job at St Helier Hospital in Surrey after refusing to use female pronouns for a patient

Ms Melle, pictured here with Women's and Equalities minister, Bridget Phillipson, and Health Minister, Karen Smyth, has since returned to work

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch met with Ms Melle in March to show her support

'I look forward to being able to focus on the job I love instead of defending myself against various bizarre accusations.'

The trust said it was 'sorry' for the nurse's ordeal, and confirmed it had issued a written warning to the patient that racist language will not be tolerated.

Despite the settlement, Ms Melle's battle will continue as she remains the subject of two ongoing NMC investigations.

These are lengthy processes that can take years to conclude, and have the power to restrict or even end her professional career.

Ms Melle added: 'It should never have come to this. No nurse or other medical professionals should ever have to face what I have faced simply for telling the truth, doing their job, and reporting racist abuse and physical threats from a patient.'

The past two years, she said, have been the 'darkest days of my life', but it is 'still far from over'.

Andrea Williams, Chief Executive of the Christian Legal Centre, said: 'Jennifer's case has been one of the most concerning we have ever seen.

'[She was] treated as the offender while the man, who racially abused and physically threatened her, was treated as the victim.'

A spokesperson for Epsom and St Helier Hospitals NHS Trust said: 'Racial abuse of our staff is never acceptable, nor is discussing a patient's private medical information publicly.

'We are sorry that Miss Melle had this experience and we issued a written warning to this patient, but we expect all staff to maintain patient confidentiality at all times.'

Ms Melle refused to adopt female pronouns for a patient, and referred to them as 'Mr'

She was disciplined and ultimately suspended after speaking out about her experience

Ms Melle, who came to the UK from Uganda, has served at St Helier Hospital for 12 years with an unblemished professional record, and worked her way up to the position of senior nurse.

On the night of May 22, 2024, she was told that the patient had been brought in for treatment from a men's prison and was a sex offender.

He entered the hospital chained to two guards and was masculine in appearance, standing over six feet tall and of large build.

At 10pm, a distressed junior colleague told Ms Melle that the patient wanted to self-discharge, and reported that the patient was shouting and upsetting other patients.

A doctor had been called to give guidance on the discharge, but had not yet responded - so Ms Melle attended to the patient.

Looking at the patient's medical records, she saw that the patient was recorded as male, not female or 'transgender'.

On the name board next to the bed, it gave the female name.

When her colleague got through to the doctor on the phone, Ms Melle asked to speak to him. She said to the doctor that: 'Mr X would like to self-discharge.'

Overhearing the call, the patient screamed: 'Do not call me Mr! I am a woman!', before subjecting her to racist abuse.

Ms Melle explained she would not use female pronouns for the patient because it railed against her Christian faith.

More than 18,000 people signed a petition calling for Ms Melle to be cleared of wrongdoing, it was reported earlier this year.

Among her supporters was shadow equalities minister Claire Coutinho, who described Ms Melle as 'one of the bravest women I have ever met'.

'Her case is proof of how the NHS has been captured by a radical gender ideology that puts women at the bottom of the pile,' she said.

'In being punished for "misgendering" a convicted paedophile, she has been repeatedly failed by her employers and trade unions.

'She is a dedicated nurse with 13 years of faultless service. The NHS should not be punishing hard-working nurses who know biological sex is real.'

After being pressed by Ms Coutinho in the House of Commons, Women and Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson agreed to meet Jennifer personally to discuss her treatment, and in March 2026 Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also met with her.

Ms Badenoch underscored the seriousness of the case, while Phillipson confirmed in Parliament that no nurse in the NHS should be compelled to use preferred pronouns, a statement highlighting the national implications of Jennifers experience.
A Democrat running to become Florida's next governor was arrested after he beat up two elderly people and threatened to kill them, police say.

Kevin Cichowski, 46, was charged with multiple counts of aggravated battery, tampering with a witness and robbery on Friday, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.

Cichowski is listed as a Democratic candidate for governor with the Florida Division of Elections and previously ran for Palm Coast mayor in 2021.

His campaign website appeared to be down on Monday. The Daily Mail contacted Cichowski for comment.

Police received a report Friday morning that Cichowski had allegedly battered two elderly victims, believed to be his parents, inside their Palm Coast home.

He allegedly hit one with a cane and threw a cellphone at the other. Police also said he had a gun.

'The 911 caller, who was one of the victims, further reported the suspect, Kevin Cichowski, had threatened to kill them multiple times and stated he would kill law enforcement if they were called,' the Flagler County Sheriff's Office said.

When deputies arrived at the residence, they found the two victims hiding in a bedroom and reported that they could not leave the home because one of the victims was bedridden.

Kevin Cichowski, 46, is listed as a Democratic candidate for governor with the Florida Division of Elections and previously ran for Palm Coast mayor in 2021

Cichowski was charged with multiple counts of aggravated battery, tampering with a witness and robbery on Friday

After the victims were safely evacuated, police confronted Cichowski and arrested him.

In body camera footage, Cichowski claimed his parents were going through a mental health problem and that his father tried to kill him.

'I haven't done anything wrong,' Cichowski said as officers escorted him to a patrol vehicle. 'This is insane.'

While being transported to the detention facility, police said Cichowski made suicidal statements and was placed into protective custody under the Baker Act.

The Baker Act allows for involuntary, emergency mental health examination and temporary detention up to 72 hours for individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others.

Cichowski was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of battery on a person over 65, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, tampering with a witness, and two counts of robbery by sudden snatching.

'When responding to a situation where a suspect has a weapon and has threatened to kill the victims and law enforcement, it's critical that we do everything we can to safely de-escalate the situation and quickly rescue the victims from immediate danger,' said Sheriff Rick Staly.

'I commend our deputies, RTCC analysts, and the 911 dispatchers for working together for a safe resolution and arrest the suspect before the situation escalated to a violent ending.'

He allegedly hit one of his elderly parents with a cane and threw a cellphone at the other

While being transported to the detention facility, police said Cichowski made suicidal statements and was placed into protective custody under the Baker Act

Cichowski was previously arrested in 2024 for domestic battery, domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment.

As of Monday, records indicate that Cichowski is being held at the Flagler County Sheriff's Office Jail without bail. His arraignment hearing is scheduled for May 5.

He is one of dozens of candidates in the running to replace Governor Ron DeSantis. The Democratic primary is scheduled for August 18.
A North Carolina mother lost both of her daughters in a horrific car crash that also left her seriously injured, according to her family.

Carmen Poland, 24, was driving a Chrysler 200 sedan on March 19 in Rocky Mount when she collided with a Ford Transit van around 2pm.

The crash killed Poland and her six-year-old sister, Lillian Davis, the Rocky Mount Police Department said.

Their mother, Melissa Battle, 48, was also in the car at the time and left with critical injuries.

She is currently in the intensive care unit at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, and is expected to be released soon, a GoFundMe page stated.

Battle 'suffered multiple broken bones and significant internal injuries,' and has also been trying to navigate the loss of her children, the fundraiser detailed.

Two men inside the van were injured, but the driver of that vehicle was not, police said.

The cause of the crash remains unknown. The Daily Mail contacted the Rocky Mount Police Department for comment.

Melissa Battle's two daughters, Carmen Poland, 24, and Lillian Davis, six, died in a car crash in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on March 19

Battle, 48, was also in the car at the time and left with critical injuries. She is in the intensive care unit at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville

Poland and Davis have been remembered as sisters who had a very close bond that family members described as 'unbreakable'.

Images included in the fundraiser showed the two of them smiling widely next to each other.

Poland also frequently posted pictures with her younger sister on her Facebook page.

The fundraiser was launched to help Battle financially as she deals with her injuries and grief.

The funds will also go toward Poland and Davis' funeral expenses, the page stated.

'No amount is too smallevery contribution helps ease the financial burden and allows the family to focus on healing,' it read.

An update on March 29 shared that Battle is 'in good spirits' and should be released from the hospital soon.

'She is still in the ICU and has started physical therapy,' the update stated.

Poland and Davis (pictured) have been remembered as sisters who had a very close bond that family members described as 'unbreakable'

Poland was driving a Chrysler 200 sedan when it collided with a Ford Transit van. Two men inside the van were injured, but the driver of that vehicle was not, police said

Poland also frequently posted pictures with her younger sister on her Facebook page

As of Monday afternoon, more than $16,500 had been raised.

Following their deaths, tributes poured in online for the two sisters.

One loved one wrote on Facebook: 'The city feels this one!!! Rest easy sweet girls!!!'

On April 9, Poland's grandmother, Paula Wooten Poland, shared an image of her alongside her later granddaughter.

'Carmen, Kayla & Mema. Today makes 3 weeks you left us Carmen. We love and miss you. Fly high my beautiful angel,' she wrote.

Davis' grandmother stated: 'Grandma misses you so much my little Lilly bug. I love you so much. I dont know why you were taken away from us. Only God knows. Rest in peace sweetheart.'

Services for the two sisters are pending, but will be hosted by Wheeler & Woodlief Funeral Home & Cremation Services, according to their obituaries.
An asylum seeker accused of gang raping a woman on a Brighton beach has told a court he was threatened by two police officers who 'turned up in the middle of the night' to his cell.

Iranian national Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, is on trial accused of repeatedly raping a woman last October.

Ahmadi, speaking through an interpreter, told the court the officers came to his cell at 3am demanding he sign a document.

He said the officers told him he would spend seven years in prison if he did not comply and sign it.

The claim came after Ahmadi was asked whether he had signed a statement he had made earlier to police.

He told the court he believed his words had been changed and that he was intimidated in his cell.

He said: 'They came to me at 3am in the morning and they said if you don't sign this paper you will be imprisoned for seven years.'

Hanna Llewellyn-Water, prosecuting, said Ahmadi was putting an 'evil spin' on claims police threatened him with prison, pointing out his legal team had never mentioned the incident.

Abdulla Ahmadi (pictured) has told a court he was threatened by two police officers who 'turned up in the middle of the night' to his cell

Ahmadi is on trial alongside Egyptian national Ibrahim Alshafe (pictured) accused of repeatedly gang raping a 33-year-old woman last October

Egyptian national Karin Al-Danasurt (pictured) allegedly filmed the attack and egged the two men on

She asked him: 'You're lying aren't you?,' to which Ahmadi replied: 'I'm not lying.'

Ms Llewellyn-Water said: 'Did you tell your solicitor that two police officers turned up in the middle of the night and threatened you to sign a piece of paper.'

He said: 'Yes. I did tell my solicitor and he advised me to leave it for now but I want the jury to know everything.'

Ms Llewellyn-Waters replied: 'No police officers turned up at your cell and threatened you, did they?'

Ahmadi said: 'I'm not making it up myself. I know it happened. Ask Ibrahim, he will say I was afraid, I was scared.'

Responding, Ms Llewellyn-Waters asked him: 'Why are you smiling. You are entirely opportunistic aren't you?

'Lies trip out of your mouth don't they?'

Ms Llewellyn-Waters said police asking Ahmadi to sign a document digitally is standard procedure, allowing officers to download his pin number to give them access to his phone.

She said: 'That is a RIPA notice. If you fail to comply it is a criminal offence and you refused to sign it.'

Ahmadi replied: 'Nobody told me that.'

Ms Llewellyn-Waters said: 'Nonsense.'

Ahmadi and Egyptian national Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, are accused of repeatedly gang raping a 33-year-old woman last October.

Another man, Egyptian national Karin Al-Danasurt, allegedly filmed the attack and egged the two men on.

All three men are charged with raping the woman, while Al-Danasurt faces an additional charge of sharing intimate videos of the assault.

The jury was shown CCTV footage allegedly showing the complainant walking down a ramp to the beach alongside Ahmadi and accomplice Alshafe.

Ms Llewellyn-Waters said: 'Let me suggest to you that the complainant came out of Burger King and she was clearly alone and that you and Mr Alshafe, at the very least, spotted that and you decided to take her to the beach for your sexual gratification.'

Alshafe pictured outside court earlier this month

Al-Danasurt in early April

The clip appears to show the woman falling to the ground while descending the ramp, and being aided by the defendants.

When asked why she fell, Ahmadi replied: 'Maybe she had a problem with her shoes or stepped over my foot or Ibrahim's foot.'

Ms Llewellyn-Waters then asked Ahmadi if he looked at the woman as they went down the ramp and whether he noticed she had one boot up and one boot down.

She said: 'Did you even notice that about her? Were you interested at all in her as a being? Was she just a walking orifice to you?'

She then inquired if Ahmadi asked the woman if she needed help after the fall.

He said: 'She asked for help and I helped her to stand.'

Ms Llewellyn-Waters said: 'So you asked her?'

Ahmadi replied: 'I asked are you okay and she said "I'm okay".'

Turning to the footage, Ms Llewellyn-Waters said it clearly displayed the complainant stumbling as she gets to her feet before walking unsteadily down the ramp.

She asked Ahmadi if he considered that to 'be the walking of someone who is normal and sober?' to which he replied: 'She was walking normally.'

Ms Llewellyn-Waters then said: 'You have been standing on the street when a woman, a complete stranger, comes up to you and puts her hand on your penis under your clothing.

'You then say she pushes you and Mr Alshafe down onto the beach so desperate is she to have sex with you two.

'With all of that mind do you not think it strange that not once does she try to put her hands in your clothing and touch you?'

Ahmadi replied that she did touch him when they went to the beach shack.

She then asked Ahmadi why in the descriptions of how the order of the sexual activity unfolded were there discrepancies between his account to the police and his account on the stand.

She asked: 'Isn't this the reality that you and Mr Alshafe have realised there are discrepancies between your two sets of lies so you have now tried to shift your account to avoid the contradictions between your account and Mr Alshafe's there were differences in what he told police?'

The men are said to have filmed themselves getting ready for a night out before catching a bus into Brighton

Ahmadi gave no answer.

Ms Llewellyn-Waters then told the court the evidence Ahmadi was giving is 'a pack of lies.'

She said: 'The three of you were entirely predatory towards her. You knew the state she was in. You got her onto the beach and did what you wanted to her.'

Ahmadi replied: 'No we didn't do that. I didn't rape her.'

The prosecutor added: 'You degraded her and thought it was funny?'

He said: 'No.'

Hove Crown Court previously heard the alleged rape occurred after Ahmadi and Alshafe met the woman on the seafront after leaving a nightclub.

Ahmadi said the woman walked up to the pair and kissed them both.

After kissing him, Ahmadi claimed the woman grabbed his genitals before doing the same to Alshafe.

Her Honour Judge Christine Henson KC asked him: 'Did you feel comfortable with this woman touching your penis with your friend standing there?'

He said: 'It was very normal, it was very common. She came to us, we did not go to her.'

The court heard the woman then suggested they have sex together, allegedly saying something akin to 'come to sex' before leading the men onto Brighton beach.

Asked if he heard his friend discussing anything else with the woman, Mr Ahmadi said: 'Nothing, probably some small or basic words.'

All three men said they spoke only very limited English.

Ahmadi said the two of them were having 'consensual sex' with the woman behind a beach shack when Al-Danasurt arrived and began filming the incident.

Alshafe and Ahmadi claim Al-Danasurt grabbed the woman's face, forced her mouth open and then spat in it.

He also allegedly called the woman a 'dirty b****' multiple times, leading her to become angry.

Three short videos of the alleged rape were played to the court - one 29 seconds long, one 22 seconds and the other eight seconds - which was apparently recovered from Al-Danasurt's phone.

The jury were told Alshafe and Ahmadi arrived to the UK in June 2025 by small boats, while Al-Danasurt had arrived in September 2024 by the same method.

All three men had been staying at the Cisswood House Hotel, Horsham, West Sussex - a Home Office-approved hotel for those either seeking or appealing their asylum and immigration status.

The court heard the men had got ready at their hotel before catching a bus into Brighton for a night out.

They had gone to Revolution Club first before leaving in the early hours of the morning and going to the nearby Horizon nightclub.

The alleged rape happened after all three defendants and the complainant left the nightclub.

All three men deny all the charges.

The trial continues.
A stretch of the iconic 'tunnel of trees' in Michigan has been reduced to a crater after rain-induced erosion forced a sudden collapse, as a near-overflowing dam threatens the residents who live below it.

The picturesque Highway M-119, between Island View and Division Road, was abruptly closed last week after part of the roadway collapsed 'presumably due to flooding,' according to the Emmet County Sheriff's Office.

The collapsed roadway had been a popular scenic drive in Michigan along a 20-mile stretch of road along Lake Michigan.

Sheriffs advised anyone driving along the route to seek an alternative to avoid the road damage, with the Michigan Department of Transportation's traffic map showing the roadway is closed in both directions.

Showers and snowmelt were seen on Thursday morning through Friday, with around a quarter to a half inch of rainfall predicted as storms developed. Parts of Emmet County saw around an inch of rain as of Sunday, Fox 2 reported.

The heaviest rain was expected to hit the M-72 corridor and southern Lower Michigan, with the potential for rain and snowfall as temperatures dropped, Yahoo reported.

Snowmelt from a March winter storm significantly contributed to flooding conditions as rain fell over the weekend. Officials issued the first warnings of rising waters on April 7, as the water level sat 21.5 inches below the top of the Cheboygan Dam, CBS News reported.

The Cheboygan River reached 13.75 inches at the dam by Monday morning. Officials urged residents to sandbag their homes and secure outdoor items, move valuables to higher levels and prepare to evacuate, according to the outlet.

The M-119 between Island View and Division Road was closed after part of the roadway collapsed 'presumably due to flooding' as Michigan is placed under several flood warnings

Officials issued the first warnings of rising waters on April 7, as the water level sat 21.5 inches below the top of the Cheboygan Dam (pictured)

The Emmet County Sheriff's Office advised anyone driving along the route to seek an alternative to avoid the road damage

On Sunday, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources activated five pumps to divert water around the dam, Fox 17 reported.

'All of the dam gates on the DNR-managed portion of the dam are fully open to handle this flow. The pumps add to the capacity,' Richard Hill, Gaylord District Supervisor for the DNR's Parks and Recreation Division, said.

'We are putting through as much water as we can.'

Hill added that crews are working with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates the dam, as they decide on options to re-open a hydroelectric generation station to move more water.

'Our objectives for this incident are to work closely with FERC and the operators and owners of the hydro building to look at options,' Hill said. 'Some water is going through the bypass valves on that part of the dam.'

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the northern half of Lower Michigan as well as all of the Upper Peninsula.

Severe thunderstorms are expected to hit on Monday evening lasting through the night before a brief relief brings another wave of storms on Tuesday evening, including winds, hail and tornadoes, Fox 17 reported.

Around 1.4 inches of rain is predicted to fall across the state, with some areas seeing as much as 2.5 inches, according to the NWS.

The collapsed roadway has been a popular scenic drive, seen above, in Michigan along a 20-mile stretch of road along Lake Michigan

Severe thunderstorms are expected to hit on Monday evening lasting through the night before a brief relief brings another wave of storms on Tuesday evening, including winds, hail and tornadoes

As of Monday, rivers and dams, including Cheboygan, Tippy and Mio Dam, are under flash flood and flood warnings

By Thursday, Michigan is expected to see around 2.8 inches of rain, winds of up to 60 miles per hour and possibly one-inch hail

'Early morning rain will exit early on, leaving us with a relative lull in rainfall today [Monday]. However, multiple rounds of rain are expected across northern Michigan through this week,' NWS posted on X.

'The next one will be tonight, with rainfall totals over 1 inch likely for some, especially south of M-32.'

As of Monday, rivers and dams, including Cheboygan, Tippy and Mio Dam, are under flash flood and flood warnings, the Detroit Free Press reported.

In the northern Lower Peninsula, the Tippy Dam in Manistee county and the Mio Dam in Alcona and Oscoda counties were opened to release water and are expected to cause flash flooding downstream.

Officials advised those living below the dams to move to higher ground and avoid driving through flooded roadways.

Rains are expected to carry on through Wednesday and Thursday, with West Michigan under a level one risk for severe storms as around one to two inches of rain is expected to fall.

By Thursday, Michigan is expected to see around 2.8 inches of rain, winds of up to 60 miles per hour and possibly one-inch hail, according to the NWS.

Water levels were already rising following rain last week on 'already saturated ground,' further increasing the chances of destructive flooding, the NWS said.
Kemi Badenoch today suggested British drivers should not be getting points on their licence if they break 20mph limits.

The Tory leader called for 'balance' in the enforcement of motoring offences as she said doing 22mph in a 20mph zone is 'very different from driving dangerously'.

'I just think that the law-abiding people in this country are having to deal with more and more,' Mrs Badenoch said during a radio interview on Monday.

'It's more taxes, more rules, more regulations, they can't do this, they can't do that.'

Nearly half a million speeding fines issued in 2024 by police forces in Britain were on roads with 20mph speed limits, research has found.

Meanwhile, separate data has shown just over one sixth of Britain's roads - 39,000 miles out of the country's 246,500-mile road network - are subject to a 20mph speed limit.

More than half of London's roads have 20mph speed limits with Sadiq Khan having introduced more than 150 miles of new restrictions since becoming the capital's mayor.

Mrs Badenoch told LBC that speeding fines 'should be about safety, not about making money', when asked about drivers being penalised for doing 22mph in a 20mph zone.

Kemi Badenoch suggested British drivers should not be getting points on their licence if they break 20mph limits

Nearly half a million speeding fines issued in 2024 by police forces in Britain were on roads with 20mph speed limits, research has found

'I don't think that's what people should be getting points on their licence for,' the Tory leader added.

'They should be getting points on their licence for driving dangerously - 22mph is very different from driving dangerously. Let's bring some balance into it.'

Mrs Badenoch said she had heard of a taxi driver who drove 21mph three times in a 20mph zone and had now lost his licence.

'That's his livelihood, I'm not sure that that's fair,' she said.

'What I want is for the police to be doing the things that everybody else can't do; catching burglars, catching shoplifters, catching those people who are hurting us, who are running around stabbing people

'And children who need to be dealt with so that they don't think that looting is a way for them to spend their Easter holidays, because it isn't.'

She also bemoaned an increasing burden being imposed on Brits as they go about their daily lives.

'I just think that the law-abiding people in this country are having to deal with more and more. it's more taxes, more rules, more regulations, they can't do this, they can't do that,' Mrs Badenoch added.

'And yet the people who are doing the really bad stuff are getting away with it.

'The Conservative Party is the party of law and order, I'm not here to say we were perfect before... we absolutely were not, we made mistakes.

'But we're under new management now and I'm saying this is the sort of person I am; I am a law and order Conservative.

'I want us to catch crooks, put them behind bars and, if they're really bad, keep them there as long as we possibly can.'

Responding to Mrs Badenoch's comments, Rod King - the founder and chair of the 20's Plenty for Us campaign, said: '20mph limits are set to provide safer journeys for some of the most vulnerable users of our streets and roads  the young, the elderly, pedestrians, cyclists, parents pushing pushchairs and those with disabilities which limit their sight and hearing.

'When Wales set 20mph for most urban/village roads they found that casualties on those roads in the year before implementation were 33 per cent higher than in the year after implementation.

'Speeding is illegal and choosing to have a lessor penalty in the very places where motors are most likely to interact with vulnerable road users would send a very dangerous message about how we value people outside of cars less than those inside cars.

'Those may be Mrs Badenoch's values but communities across the UK are far more often asking for greater enforcement and sanctions against speeders rather than less.

'She is out of touch with communities and certainly those who have lost loved ones to people driving illegally.'
American boater Brian Hooker is being grilled again by police in the Bahamas Monday amid a rapidly approaching deadline to charge him over the disappearance of wife Lynette Hooker or set him free.

The 58-year-old has been held in custody since his arrest last Wednesday and spent the weekend at the central police station in Freeport on the island of Grand Bahama.

Police are quizzing him over the events that unfolded on the evening of April 4, when he and Lynette, 55, left dinner on the island of Elbow Cay in a small dinghy and headed to their 50ft yacht, Soulmate, anchored just a mile away off Parrot Cays.

Hooker has told investigators that Lynette was thrown overboard in high winds into shark-infested waters, taking with her the kill-switch key, stopping the boat's engine.

He claims he spent nearly eight hours battling the dark and windy weather with a single paddle before eventually reaching shore in an area known as Calcutta on the neighboring island of Great Abaco, ditching his dinghy near a boat yard and seeking help there.

His attorney Terrel Butler told the Daily Mail Monday: 'The deadline is 7.20pm today, so something has to happen today.

'The time the police have is almost up and they have asked to have another interview.

'I don't know what they want to cover because they have already spoken to him at length  so I'm not sure what they're coming with.'

Brian Hooker is being questioned again by police over the events leading up to wife Lynette being thrown overboard in the Bahamas on April 4

Hooker has claimed that Lynette, 55, was tossed from their 8ft dinghy into shark-infested waters as they headed from dinner on Elbow Cay to their moored 50ft sailboat Soulmate

Butler said she spoke with Hooker over the weekend on the phone 'to reassure him' and 'make sure he was OK.'

'He has gone through a traumatic and dramatic experience,' she said.

'Even in the course of arresting him he had this scare because he fell overboard in police custody while they were taking him away.

'A lot has happened and he needs to deal with that emotionally. And it is very difficult to speak frankly in a police station where you are not at all sure about your privacy. If we speak on the phone, officers are listening.'

The decision to question Hooker again came after Lynette's mother Darlene Hamlett told reporter Ashleigh Banfield of a previous incident when they had been fighting after a drinking session.

Hamlett said Hooker had thrown Lynette on to a bench hurting her neck. The following day, the pair packed up Lynette's belongings and she left the boat and went home to Michigan.

'One of the conversations that they had while they were on the boat the next morning is he told her that he wished he had finished the job and thrown her overboard.'

When Banfield asked her if she thought it was all talk on Hooker's part, Hamlett responded: 'How could somebody think it was all talk when you're being choked?'

Your browser does not support iframes.

Hooker told police that Lynette was steering the small vessel and the engine's killswitch key attached to her by a cord went with her

The couple had dinner at the Abaco Inn on the small island of Elbow Key before she went missing

The Hookers were traveling on their 50ft sailboat Soulmate, which has since been moored in a marina in Marsh Harbour

Under Bahamian law, authorities have four days to decide whether or not to charge him with a crime before they must release him.

But investigators were granted a special 72-hour extension that will keep Hooker jailed until around 7.20pm Monday, his attorney said.

The extension came after the lawyer revealed that Hooker requires medical attention after he fell overboard from a police transit.

'He was submerged in the cold water and took in a significant amount of seawater before his life jacket brought him to the surface. He had to be rescued from the water by the police,' Butler told the Daily Mail.

'As a result of this fall, Brian sustained an injury to his knee, which has caused him to limp, as well as a visible abrasion.'

Hooker  who has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing in Lynette's disappearance  is being questioned in relation to the Bahamian crime 'causing harm resulting in death'.

Butler said police had just finished an intensive four-hour interview with him in which she described him as continuously asking about his wife.

Surveillance footage from Marsh Harbour Boat Yard on the island of Great Abaco is being analyzed by Royal Bahamas Police as part of the investigation and has not been released.

The Daily Mail, however, has seen the video and revealed Hooker  showing little signs of panic  is seen walking up to security fencing and raises his arms to attract attention, before calling out: 'Hello, I need help. Hello. Help me.'

At another point Hooker, wearing a yellow 'dry bag' to keep items free from water damage on his hip, also casually glances down at his watch.

But at no time in the sections of footage seen by the Daily Mail does he cry out to immediately raise the alarm about 55yearold Lynette, who he told authorities was pitched from their 8ft dinghy as they headed from dinner to their moored 50ft sailboat Soulmate in bad weather.

The contents of the footage appears to chime with puzzling inconsistencies we have discovered with the husband's version of events  including possibly mysterious 'missing' hours.

Marsh Harbour, Bahamas where Brian Hooker is understood to have washed ashore

Both Brian and Lynette are experienced boaters and were on a four-year voyage aboard their sailboat

He first appears in a ghostly silhouette walking in front of a line of sailboats on raised blocks at the far side of the yard. The video is timestamped at 3.35am.

He is next picked up near the main security gate where he appears to be strolling almost casually. On at least two occasions he lifts his arms up in a bid to attract attention.

When he calls out, he doesn't appear to be yelling. There is no apparent sign of panic, of desperation, of urgency or of alarm for missing Lynette.

Hooker may have been exhausted.

Night security guard Edward Smith told the Daily Mail he found Hooker in the yard, where he revealed he had used one paddle to battle his way to safety for nearly eight hours in heavy seas and high winds after his wife vanished.

But Hooker's demeanor on the footage has raised eyebrows among several people in Marsh Harbour who have a close connection to the case, who have also seen the video and have talked to us.

'That's a very strange way for someone to behave when they've just seen their wife swept away to their almost certain death,' said one of them, a highly experienced local mariner.

'He seems casual, nothing frantic there at all, not much to suggest what has happened. And what about his wife? He doesn't seem to be raising any kind of alarm.'

'Also, I really don't understand the cowboy hat. He's been through such an ordeal and he has time, or even the thought, to put on that hat?'

'My wife was thrown out of the boat,' Hooker told Smith.

'We were drinking, we were drunk. I should have known better. I shouldn't have done it.'

Smith told us: 'But he then added, "Whatever happened, happened. The wind was blowing so hard when it happened she just went over."'
Dutch McNeal opens the fast-growing chicken finger brand's first Waycross location as part of multi-unit Southeast expansion.

WAYCROSS, Ga., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Layne's Chicken Fingers, the fast-growing, 40+ location chicken finger franchise known for its hand-breaded crispy tenders, crave-worthy sauces and Texas toaststacked sandwiches, is bringing the crunch to Waycross with a Grand Opening celebration on April 11 at 2104 Memorial Drive.

To celebrate, the first 50 dine-in guests will receive free Layne's for a year, giving early visitors a very delicious reason to line up.

The new restaurant marks Layne's Chicken Fingers' first location in Waycross and introduces the community to the chicken finger brand that has built a loyal following and fueled rapid expansion across the U.S. (Fair warning: these tenders may ruin other tenders for you.)

After a successful 12-year run as an independent insurance agency owner and a brief stint in the corporate world, Dutch McNeal transitioned into restaurant ownership with five Huddle House locations. Ready for his next venture, and after one very convincing taste test, McNeal chose Layne's, signing a five-unit deal to bring the brand to Southwest Georgia and Northeast Florida.

"I'm excited to bring Layne's out East," said McNeal. "It's an honor to help expand the brand and introduce this product to chicken finger lovers across Georgia and Florida."

The Waycross location will serve Layne's full menu of chicken finger meals, sandwiches and sides, including its signature chicken finger baskets, Texas toaststacked sandwiches and fan-favorite chicken club topped with brisket bacon and American cheese. Guests can pair their meal with Layne's lineup of dipping sauces, from the brand's signature house sauce to jalapeno ranch, honey mustard, BBQ and gravy.

The Waycross opening is the latest milestone in Layne's continued Southeast growth. The brand recently opened in Roswell, and McNeal is slated to open an additional location in Kingsland in Q2 2026.

"We're thrilled to see Dutch continue expanding Layne's across Georgia and Northeast Florida," said Garrett Reed, Chief Executive Officer of Layne's Chicken Fingers. "He's a fantastic operator, and we know the Waycross community is going to love what he and his team bring to the table."

With plans for 40 additional openings in 2026, Layne's continues to expand strategically nationwide through strong franchise partnerships and disciplined growth.

Let's just say, Waycross is about to get a whole lot crispier.

ABOUT LAYNE'S CHICKEN FINGERS

Founded in 1994 in College Station, Texas, Layne's Chicken Fingers built its reputation on hand-breaded crispy tenders, iconic secret sauce and genuine hospitality. What started as a local favorite near Texas A&M University has grown into one of the fastest-rising chicken finger brands in the country, known for its crave-worthy menu, playful personality and loyal fanbase. With more than 40 locations open and rapid expansion underway, Layne's is bringing its signature chicken finger experience to communities nationwide.

MEDIA CONTACT

Heather Davern

Mainland

773-415-8477

[email protected]

SOURCE Laynes
An animal rights activist stormed into a seafood restaurant and 'freed' a lobster she believed was to be eaten - but it was only kept for educational purposes.

'Misguided' marine biologist Emma Smart, 47, has been handed a three-year restraining order banning her from being within 10 metres of the Catch at the Old Fish Market in Weymouth, Dorset after making the 'impulsive' decision.

Anthony Cooper, the owner of the Michelin Guide venue had kept the lobster for two-and-a-half years before the incident on April 10 last year.

At around 9pm, Smart stormed into the restaurant as guests were leaving and made a beeline for a fish tank.

She grabbed the crustacean, which Mr Cooper had used to educate children visiting the Catch, before barging past two members of staff who tried to stop her leaving with the showpiece.

The activist then released the creature in the harbour a few yards away. It is not known whether it survived the ordeal as it was never seen again.

Smart admitted one count of causing criminal damage to a lobster when she appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court.

The Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence on charges of causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal and assault in relation to allegations of Smart shoving a member of staff.

Animal rights activist Emma Smart, 47, admitted one count of causing criminal damage to a lobster when she appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court

She has been banned from going within 10 metres of the Catch seafood restaurant (pictured) in Weymouth, Dorset for three years

Some species of crayfish are listed as endangered on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 - but lobsters are not.

Ben Thompson, prosecuting, said: 'At 9pm on April 10 last year the defendant was waiting outside the entrance of the restaurant.

'When the guests are leaving she comes in and a member of staff attempts to push her out of the property.

'Eventually Ms Smart makes her way towards the tank that holds the crayfish, which is actually a lobster.

'It had belonged to the restaurant owner Anthony Cooper for two-and-a-half years and was not for sale but instead for education reasons when children visit.

'Ms Smart reached into the fish tank and took the lobster. Multiple members of staff tried to stop her but she left and leaned over a wall before placing it in the harbour, with the lobster not seen again.'

Defending, Kitan Ososami said Ms Smart made an 'impulsive' decision to take the lobster after seeing it in the tank.

She said: 'She acted on impulse. She cares very deeply about animals and marine welfare and this was the driving factor behind her committing this offence.'

Smart grabbed the lobster before barging past two members of staff and releasing the creature in the harbour a few yards away

The activist appeared tearful outside Bournemouth Crown Court on September 2

Smart, previously of Rodwell Street, Weymouth, but now living in West Wales, was given a conditional discharge lasting for eight months.

The judge also imposed a restraining order for three years banning her from going within 10 metres of the restaurant or approaching staff or guests.

Her Honour Judge Susan Evans said: 'The lobster was not there for consumption. It was there for educational purposes.

'You were determined to take it from the tank and you placed it in the harbour. It was a deeply misguided thing to have done.

'It was not a good thing for the lobster at all and whether or not it survived, we don't know.'

Smart had previously appeared in court over an incident at the same restaurant in 2022 when she tried to barge her way in to speak to Sir David Attenborough who had dined there.

She was calling on the veteran broadcaster and naturalist to support climate activists in prison and refused to leave when asked, shouting up the stairs where the broadcaster was eating with his production team.

Smart eventually had to be dragged out by two police officers and the restaurant owner but continued to shout outside.

She was issued with a section 35 dispersal order and then arrested for failing to comply with it.

But she was cleared of the charge when a judge ruled she had not been given enough time to comply with the order.

She had previously been jailed for four months in November 2021 after an Insulate Britain climate protest.
A jockey has admitted killing a man who was injured in a fight outside a pub.

Levi Williams, 26, had been charged with the murder of Richard Wingrove, 71, after the pensioner died ten days after the altercation in Newmarket, Suffolk, the historic home of horse racing.

The case was due to go to trial but the Crown Prosecution accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter at Peterborough Crown Court.

Williams  whose mother told an earlier hearing it had been his dream to be a jockey 'since he was knee high'  was granted bail and will be sentenced on June 4.

Suffolk Police were called to reports of an altercation involving four people on Newmarket High Street at 3.40pm on March 8 last year.

Williams wept in the dock during the earlier hearing at Cambridge Crown Court, where prosecutor Peter Gair said Mr Wingrove and his son Jamie had been drinking at the Waggon and Horses pub in the town.

They were thrown out by the landlord after he decided they had drunk enough and the pair 'tried to return to the pub on a number of occasions' but were ejected again.

Pictured: Levi Williams, 26, who was charged with the murder of Richard Wingrove, 71, after the pensioner died ten days after the altercation in Newmarket

Williams and a jockey friend who had been in the pub watching horse racing left to catch a taxi to go back to work when they became involved in a 'confrontation' with the father and son.

This, Mr Gair said, 'resulted in a physical punching fight in the high street'.

'During the fighting, this defendant was seen to throw one punch to Mr Wingrove senior and a little later one punched him again or hit him in the chest, which caused Mr Wingrove to fall to the pavement,' he told the court.

'It caused an injury which resulted in his death. He never regained consciousness and his life support was turned off on March 18.'

Two other men sustained injuries during the altercation and were taken to the same hospital, Addenbrooke's in Cambridge, before being discharged, the hearing was told.

Williams was initially arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm but was rearrested following Mr Wingrove's death and charged with murder.

The jockey's partner, Lille May, sobbed in the public gallery when he appeared in the Cambridge court.

Williams was initially arrested on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm but was rearrested following Mr Wingrove's death and charged with murder

His mother, Hayley Williams, described how it had been his childhood ambition to enter the racing world and he had left home when he was 16 to go to the British Racing School in Newmarket.

A 24-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm, and a 45-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of affray, have been released under investigation while inquiries continue.

Flat rider Williams had won 12 races in his 156-ride career.

It was almost derailed previously when he was suspended for 18 months after testing positive for the second time for cocaine.

He was given the ban in September 2023 after he took drugs in a pub toilet three days before a race.

A British Horseracing Authority judicial panel heard that he also 'consumed a quantity of alcohol such that he was intoxicated'.

Williams didn't buy the Class A drug but was 'offered it by someone else'.

The positive test was taken at Windsor racecourse before Williams rode the following day, May 2, at Wolverhampton  where he received an 18-day improper riding bam and a seven-day whip suspension.

Williams had previously been banned for six months in 2021 following a positive test for cannabis and cocaine.

He was given his licence again on the condition that he 'practice continued abstinence from all substances'.

Newmarket is the largest training center for thoroughbreds in Britain.

Racing was recorded there in the time of James I and Charles II inaugurated the historic Newmarket Town Plate race in 1665 or 1666. He he became the first and only reigning monarch to win a race in 1671.

Newmarket Racecourse has two premier courses - the Rowley Mile and the July Course - which host two of the country's five Classic Races, the 1000 and 2000 Guineas.
Donald Trump has defended his now-deleted post depicting himself as Jesus Christ, claiming he believed the AI-generated image showed him as a doctor.

Trump deleted the post on Monday morning after it drew accusations of blasphemy from his own right-wing supporters. The Presidents stunning defense came as he stood outside the Oval Office holding two bags of fresh McDonalds fast food.

'It wasn't a depiction. I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor. And had to do with red cross as a red cross worker, which we support and only the fake news could come up with that one,' Trump told reporters. 'It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better and I do make people better.'

The AI-generated image, posted to his Truth Social account, showed Trump draped in white with a red shawl, hands glowing with divine light, as he healed a sick patient in a hospital bed while a soldier, a nurse and others looked on in adoration.

It was posted Sunday evening and by Monday morning had sparked a furious backlash from Trump's own base.

Ex-Trump ally and Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said the image was 'more than blasphemy' and that 'it's an Antichrist spirit.'

Conservative commentator Michael Knowles wrote: 'I assume someone has already told him, but it behooves the President both spiritually and politically to delete the picture, no matter the intent.'

Right-wing influencer Riley Gaines said: 'Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he'd post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this? Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked.'

Trump deleted a viral post comparing himself to Jesus Christ after it drew accusations of blasphemy from some of his right-wing supporters

Trump gave his shocking defense of the post while holding two bags of McDonalds

'It's supposed to be me as a doctor making people better and I do make people better,' Trump said

Pope Leo has traded barbs with the President over Trump's war with Iran

Trump, a Christian, has previously questioned his own salvation, saying: 'I think I'm not maybe heaven-bound' and 'I'm not sure I'm going to be able to make heaven.'

Trump had attacked Pope Leo XIV, 70, hours earlier, posting: 'If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican.'

During his Oval Office press conference on Monday, the President refused to apologize to the Pope.

The President's posts sit awkwardly against the devout Catholic and Christian beliefs of his inner circle, not least Vice President JD Vance.

Bishop Robert Barron, who sits on the Trump administration's own Religious Liberty Commission, said Trump's attacks on the Pope were 'entirely inappropriate and disrespectful' and called on the President to apologize.

'I think the President owes the Pope an apology,' Barron wrote on X, adding that senior Catholics in the administration, including Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, should meet Vatican officials directly rather than trade barbs on social media.

Barron, appointed to the commission by Trump in May alongside Cardinal Timothy Dolan, said he remained 'very grateful' for the administration's outreach to people of faith, but the rebuke from within Trump's own religious apparatus was unambiguous.

The self-published image comparing himself to Christ proved a bridge too far even for supporters who had cheered his attacks on the Pope.

'Trumps first post was fine. The Pope has a long documented political record. The follow-up posts? Would not be tolerated for any other religion,' conservative pundit Mike Cernovich wrote.

OutKick host Jon Root wrote: 'This is blasphemous.'

'Trump portraying himself as Jesus Christ, descending from the clouds, healing the sick, with people praying to him, is reprehensible. If only there was a qualified leader of the White House Faith Office, and not a heretic, so this wouldn't happen or at least would be called out,' he continued.

VP JD Vance is a strong Catholic, and he has written book on his faith that is set to be published later this year

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt is also a devout Christian, often spotted wearing a cross at press briefings and posting about church or scripture on social media

Join the discussion Wheres the line between satire and disrespect?

The White House did not immediately respond for comment.

The feud with the Pope began after Leo criticized the US offensive against Iran, without naming Trump or Washington directly.

Trump responded with a volley of broadsides against the head of the Catholic Church.

'Pope Leo is weak on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,' Trump posted on social media on Sunday, adding, 'I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.'

The Pope responded that he had 'no fear' of the Trump administration and will continue to speak out against the war with Iran.

'I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do,' he told reporters during a flight to Algeria.

'I don't want to get into a debate with [Trump],' he added.

'Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say: there's a better way to do this,' Leo said.
Hungary's new PM has urged Britain to rejoin the EU as Keir Starmer talks up his push to unwind Brexit.

Peter Magyar, who defeated Viktor Orban in a stunning result overnight, said he 'hoped' the UK would become a member state again.

The comment came as Sir Keir again pointed to the Middle East crisis as evidence that he needs to cosy up to Brussels.

Delivering a statement to MPs, the Premier said dealing with the fallout from Donald Trump's war with Iran meant 'a closer economic relationship with our European allies because Brexit did deep damage to the economy'.

'The opportunities we now have to strengthen our security and cut the cost of living are simply too big to ignore,' he added.

It came after he last night said Mr Magyar's election win was a 'historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy'.

Peter Magyar, who defeated Viktor Orban in a stunning result overnight, said he 'hoped' the UK would become a member state again

The comment came as Sir Keir again pointed to the Middle East crisis as evidence that he needs to cosy up to Brussels

Sir Keir has also been asked about proposals for the Government to introduce legislation to align Britain with future single-market regulations without normal parliamentary scrutiny.

Brexiteers have cried foul saying it would amount to Britain becoming a 'rule-taker'.

But speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the PM insisted a stronger relationship with Europe is in the 'UK's best interest'.

He said: 'We're in a world where there's massive conflict, great uncertainty, and I strongly believe that the UK's best interests are in a stronger, closer relationship with Europe, whether that's defence and security energy, inevitably, and also, our economy.'

Sir Keir added that the legislation will make trade easier, reducing 'burdens' on businesses and lowering prices.

'A stronger, closer relationship with Europe is in the UK's best interest, particularly in a world that is as volatile as it is at the moment, and I know that worries a lot of people,' he said.

At a press conference in Hungary today, Mr Magyar referred to his time as a diplomat in Brussels saying how he could influence policy.

'The Brits were also part of the EU; let's hope that they rejoin,' he added.

Sir Keir has vowed a 'reset' with Brussels, and is planning a major summit with commission president Ursula von der Leyen later in the year

Join the discussion Is it time to rethink Brexit?

EU figures have been delighted by Orban's defeat, which came despite the enthusiastic backing of Mr Trump.

Hungary has been the most Russian-friendly member state, holding up efforts to support Ukraine repel Vladimir Putin's invasion.

But Mr Magyar's center-right Tisza party won a landslide victory, ending Orban's 16-year rule and winning the two-thirds majority it needs to enact constitutional reforms.

Last week Volodymyr Zelensky claimed the UK must rejoin the EU if the US leaves NATO.

Trump, a fierce critic of the defence bloc, has been left unimpressed by fellow members and their refusal to get involved in his war with Iran.

The Ukrainian leader said that in order to bolster Europe's defence against Russia, the UK ought to reset relations with the continent.

'If the United States truly thinks about withdrawing from NATO, then European security will be based solely on the European Union,' he said.

'But not in its current form. I think that the EU is in a situation where it needs more countries. The UK, Ukraine, Turkiye and Norway.

'These are four strong countries, which are part of Europe. Together, the UK, Ukraine and Turkiye have armies that are stronger than Russias army. Without Ukraine and Turkiye, Europe cant match Russia.'

He added: 'With the four countries on board you can wrest control of the seas, have secure skies and the largest land forces.

'Security comes first, economy second. Not vice versa.'
Two brothers attacked an armed police officer in an airport brawl using a 'high level of violence', a court heard on Monday.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and his elder brother Muhammad Amaad, 26, rained 'repeated blows' on PC Zachary Marsden as he tried to arrest Amaaz in the parking payment area at Terminal Two in Manchester airport.

Amaaz also acted 'in a cowardly manner' when he struck unarmed officer PC Lydia Ward by punching her in the face, breaking her nose and also hit PC Ellie Cook, an armed officer with 'a flurry of blows'.

The fracas in July 2024 was caught on CCTV and the jury was shown the footage yesterday by prosecutor Paul Greaney KC.

The CCTV sequence showed how violence flared when the officers tried to arrest Amaaz and showed the punch that broke PC Ward's nose.

Jurors also saw Amaaz being wrestled to the floor after aiming punches at PC Cook and a kick aimed by PC Marsden at the head of Amaaz when the defendant was on the floor.

Mr Greaney said that in response to having been assaulted, PC Marsden kicked Amaaz to the face and then brought his foot down towards the top of his head 'in what looks like a stamping motion.'

He told the jury: 'Those actions look rather shocking in the cold light of day, but we suggest they need to be judged in the context of the very serious level of threat posed by the defendants to an officer who was concerned that his firearm might be taken from him at an international airport.

Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 21, and 26-year-old Muhammad Amaad pictured last year

'In any event, those actions all occurred after the violence of the defendants. The position of the prosecution is that they are logically entirely irrelevant to the lawfulness of the conduct of Amaaz and Amaad.'

The court heard on Monday that Amaaz was found guilty at a trial last year of assaulting the two women police officers.

He was also found guilty of an assault on Qatari citizen Abdulkareem Ismaeil in a Starbucks cafe minutes before the incident in the parking payment area.

The jury heard that the brothers had gone to the airport to meet their mother on a flight from Pakistan via Qatar and 'something had happened' between the mother and Mr Ismaeil which had made her unhappy.

It was when the mother pointed out Mr Ismaeil in the cafe that Amaaz had confronted him and headbutted him in the face and struck further blows.

The jury heard that the assaults on PCs Cook and Ward and the alleged assault on PC Marsden happened after they tried to arrest Amaaz for the attack on Mr Ismaeil.

The jury heard that Amaaz still believes the jury in the first trial was wrong to convict him and claims he was acting in lawful self-defence.

The jury in the first trial was unable to reach a verdict on both brothers over the alleged assault on PC Marsden.

At a retrial Monday, Amaaz also claimed that he was acting in self-defence when he struck PC Marsden.

Muhammad Amaad claims he was acting in defence of his brother and both men, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, pleaded not guilty to assaulting PC Marsden, causing him actual bodily harm.

Paul Greaney KC, prosecuting, told the jury: 'This is not a complicated case. The events were captured on CCTV and body-worn cameras of the police officers.

The brothers used a 'high level of violence' during the brawl at Manchester Airport in July 2024, Paul Greaney KC said, prosecuting

'You will be able to see with your own eyes what happened. What occurred is plain to see beyond any sensible argument.

'The defendants say the violence they used against PC Marsden was lawful because they were acting in self-defence or in defence of each other.

'Indeed, Amaaz goes further and claims that he was acting lawfully throughout and that the jury in the first trial was wrong.

'You have to decide whether you are sure that it may be they were acting in self-defence when they delivered repeated blows to PC Marsden.

'Our prediction is that you will readily conclude that the defendants were not acting in lawful self-defence and that their conduct was unlawful.'

Mr Greaney told the jury that the two brothers walked from Starbucks to the pay station, a journey of just two minutes.

The three police officers went to the parking pay station to arrest Amaaz and 'violence erupted quickly', he said.

The jury heard that PC Marsden and PC Cook were armed with semi-automatic Glock 17 pistols and entered the pay station area at 8.28pm.

Mr Greaney said: 'Over the course of the next 30 seconds, Amaaz delivered no fewer than 12 blows (a kick, elbow strikes and punches) to the three officers, breaking PC Ward's nose and causing injuries to the other two.

'Amaad delivered repeated blows with his fists to PC Marsden and, as you will see, used a high level of violence.'

Mr Greaney said the conviction of Amaaz in the first trial proved that he acted offensively and not defensively.

He added: 'In the environment of a courtroom, it is difficult to get a sense of how seriously the officers perceived the threat posed by the two defendants to be.

'From the body-worn camera footage, we get a real sense of how fearful the officers involved in this violence had been.'

The trial continues.
Harry and Meghan faced demands to pay for their own security on a tour of Australia last night, amid confusion over the purpose of their visit.

Australian MP David Limbrick said the Sussexes should reimburse local police 'in full' for any protection provided to them this week, rather than letting the money come out of taxpayers' pockets.

The couple will take part in a series of private engagements across four days, with stop-offs in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

However, they were accused yesterday of cashing in on their visit to Australia and treating it 'like an ATM'.

Representatives for the Sussexes have insisted the tour is privately funded, but police in Victoria and New South Wales have confirmed they will deploy additional resources 'to ensure public safety'.

Neither force has confirmed the exact costs of this or whether any reimbursement has been agreed.

During the couple's royal tour of Australia in 2018 - when they undertook engagements on behalf of the late Queen - security was provided for them. However, Harry and Meghan stepped back as senior working royals in 2020.

'There is a fee structure for police support in Victoria, but if Harry and Meghan want any goodwill, they will pay for it in full,' Mr Limbrick told reporters.

During the couple's royal tour of Australia in 2018 - when they undertook engagements on behalf of the late Queen - security was provided for them

Harry and Meghan speak at an event in Bogota during their 2024 private tour of Colombia, which raised similar questions regarding their security

The backlash follows an online petition titled 'No taxpayer-funding or official support for Harry & Meghan's private visit to Australia!', which has gained more than 46,000 signatures.

Meanwhile, a headline in The Sydney Morning Herald yesterday read: 'Australia was good to Harry and Meghan. Now they want to use us as an ATM.'

Harry has been lined up as a guest speaker at the InterEdge Summit on Thursday, which is set to explore the 'vital space where individual wellbeing and organisational responsibility meet'.

Delegate tickets for the two-day conference, hosted at Melbourne's Centrepiece venue, are available for 525, with platinum tickets costing 1,250 and a 'virtual ticket allowing on-demand access to Harry's speech' costing 260.

And the duchess will be interviewed on stage at a 'girls' weekend' retreat in Sydney, where tickets cost 1,400.

VIP passes for the event, at the five-star InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel, cost 1,675 and include a group photo with Meghan.

The couple are also due to visit a children's hospital, and Harry, who was forced to relinquish his military titles when he stepped back from royal duties, will attend engagements at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

It is not clear how much they will be paid for their appearances on the trip.

A former police minister, David Elliott, told Sky News Australia that many would be 'horrified' at the prospect of taxpayer support, given the couple's treatment of the late Queen and King Charles.

Since the Sussexes stepped down, they have carried out several foreign tours, including to Colombia and Nigeria in 2024, which raised similar questions.

Harry, who now lives in Montecito, California, has fought legal battles to restore taxpayer-funded protection for when he visits Britain.

The Home Office has resisted pressure to reinstate their security.

A spokesman for the couple said: 'The visit will highlight the duke and duchess's continued commitment to supporting mental health, strengthening support for the armed forces community, and championing the power of connection and shared experience to drive positive change.'
Donald Trump is in a high-profile skirmish with Pope Leo XIV, after the American-born Pontiff criticized the President for going to war with Iran.

Lashing out, Trump went as far as to suggest that Pope Leo would never have been selected as head of the worldwide Catholic Church if it weren't for the President.

'Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise,' Trump said Sunday night. 'He wasn't on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump.

'If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican,' he claimed.

We're asking our DC Insider newsletter readers, who are they siding with? The President or the Pope?
When was the last time you asked for a pay rise? If the answer is a long time ago, then its more likely than not that youre a woman.

New statistics from Bank of Ireland have uncovered a shocking discrepancy between the way women and men conduct their financial affairs. The survey found that men report higher confidence than women in a gap that is particularly evident when it comes to asking for a pay rise.

Around 32 per cent of men compared to 17 per cent of women feel confident when asking for a raise. And while 35 per cent of men feel confident when it comes to changing jobs for a better salary, only 26 per cent of women feel the same way.

The new Bank of Ireland research sheds light on confidence levels in various aspects of life, from personal finances and employment to life goals.

The research supports the launch of the Banks new Right With You platform, which is built on the insight that confidence is the spark that sets progress in motion, in an effort to show the banks ambition to help customers build financial confidence.

But women are already at a disadvantage when it comes to aspects of life, financially and otherwise, the survey found.

Men tend to report higher levels of confidence than women, with 80 per cent of men saying they are confident in themselves compared to 64 per cent of women, according to Professor Ian Robertson, emeritus professor of psychology and co-director of the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity College, Dublin, and the author of How Confidence Works.

Confidence is the greatest resource that anyone can have, both individually and collectively, because it acts like a self-fulfilling prophecy because of its effects on the brain and the mind, says Professor Robertson.

Any group which has higher levels of confidence automatically has an advantage which then, because of the way human relationships work, can undermine people who have less of it.

So there are multiple reasons why women are lacking advantages. One of the main ones is that women are much more accurate about their self-perception than men are. Men on average are slightly overconfident and thats one reason why more men become compulsive gamblers and addicts than women do. Men overestimate both their abilities and their chances of success.

That fuels the whole gambling industry, for example, but also makes them more likely to start up a company because if you were basing on pure statistical reality, nobody would ever do a start-up because most of them fail.

Confidence has six main effects on a person.

It lifts your mood, lowers your anxiety, it makes you more motivated, makes you a wee bit smarter, and makes you more persuasive and influential, and it gives you status in other peoples eyes, says Professor Robertson.

That makes you more likely to get success, and when you get a small success, you have a greater chance of getting a subsequent one.

So boys are on this advantageous rollercoaster at an early age and the thing about confidence is that its exponential. Its like compound interest, it multiplies with time.

So because it gives you status as well and because status is a dominant signal, it means that women can often feel dominated in a group, particularly if the majority of that group are men.

The idea that men are capable and confident has now been ingrained in us.

Professor Ian Robertson: 'There are multiple reasons why women are lacking advantages. One main one is that women are much more accurate about their self-perception than men are.'

We tend to judge the competence of a person ad we make a judgment in less than a couple of seconds, and its based on how masculine the face is, he says. There were studies done in Switzerland and in France getting children to predict from photographs who would win an election out of people theyd never heard of in a different country, and they were 70 per cent accurate.

What the neuroscientists discovered was happening was the children were making judgments of competence based on very primitive structures of the face, and masculinity of the face.

Its true that, among women, the more masculine the face, the more competent theyre judged to be, up to a point. In men, it goes up linearly. In women its a U-shaped curve and it starts to go down when they start to look too masculine. So its that terrible two-edged sword that women experience if theyre assertive. If a man says something assertively hes seen as, oh, hes assertive, whereas when a woman does exactly the same, shes seen as aggressive.

Professor Robertson saw another example while judging the Young Scientist Competition, which 14-year-old boys from Ballincollig in Cork had entered with some brilliant research.

They were intrigued why so many fewer girls did Stem subjects  engineering, maths, etc  than boys. So what they did was they took a group of five- and six-year-old girls and they asked them to draw an engineer and a doctor and a nurse and to give the drawing a name so they knew what gender they were allocated.

The girls drew engineers and gave them names and 50 per cent of the time the engineers they drew were men and 50 per cent of the time were women. The boys, when they drew them, 95 per cent were men.

So that built-in bias at a horribly early age in boys, of course, communicates itself to girls.

According to the data from Eurostat, the gender pay gap in Ireland has fallen to eight per cent in 2025 from 9.6 per cent in 2022. However this still means that men are earning 11,000 more on average than women.

According to Professor Robertson, studies show that women are more averse to competition and shy away from it more than men.

Financial matters and asking for a pay rise, thats part of a competitive world and women are less likely to engage in that competition, he says. The upside of that is women are more realistic and more accurate and so are going to be more risk-savvy.

They also assess their own knowledge and abilities more accurately than men.

If you give a group of men and women a general knowledge test and you score them, and then you ask them what score do you think you got, the men on average will have got seven out of 10 but will think they got eight out of 10. Women on average will have got seven out of 10, but will say on average six out of 10. So women slightly underestimate their true abilities but theyre more accurate than men are.

That means when it comes to making financial decisions, possibly because of their greater self-awareness, women are more likely to seek advice, more likely to consider the risks and the downsides, and not make bets on the market that could go the wrong way, he says.

This is all very well but what about getting a pay rise? How do you change how you think so that you can be one of the lucky percentage with the confidence to ask for what you deserve? Well, Professor Robertson says the age-old adage of fake it until you make it is actually true.

Calling out the sabotage that goes on when it comes to gender stereotyping and making yourself aware of it is one way to build your confidence.

The critical thing for women is to start behaving more confidently, even though they dont feel it, he says.

Most confidence is either a habit or its faked. Most apparent confidence is just the security of having done this 1,000 times before or being in a dominant position.

Confidence is really only needed when theres uncertainty  if you are unsure what the response will be to asking for this pay rise, or unsure of the outcome if you change your job. The confidence is what bridges that uncertainty, and the way that you build confidence is by slightly stretching yourself to do things before you feel quite ready, as Marissa Mayer, the first female chief executive of a big tech company, Yahoo, said.

Confidence comes from many successes, particularly successes that you have in spite of feeling uncertain and a little anxious about doing the thing you were successful at. So to build confidence you have to stretch yourself a little bit.

You have to set goals where you say, Okay, I am going to ask for a pay rise even though my stomachs in a twist and Im feeling really nervous about it. If you do these things, youre more likely to get a success.

When you get a success, particularly in the context of anxiety and uncertainty, that will boost your confidence a little more and it will be easier to get a subsequent success. So the critical component of confidence is action, setting goals for yourself that stretch it.

Confidence, or faking it until you make it, helps you cross what Professor Robertson describes as the bridge of uncertainty.

When you see someone who seems confident in uncertain situations, they will be feeling doubt but they will speak confidently, they will stand or sit confidently, he says. They will express themselves slowly and confidently. They will smile. They will not show self-doubt, they wont be anxious, they wont cry. But inside there is the possibility that this could be wrong.

But confidence helps you thrive in uncertainty and learn to live with the anxiety that goes with it, turning your mental state into one of edgy anticipation or edgy excitement rather than knowing anxiety and focusing on the downsides.

Goal-setting, says Professor Robertson, is particularly effective for women.

There is evidence that womens confidence can be lifted when theyre in a mindset of focusing on a goal, as opposed to thinking, what should I do? he says.

So thats called a deliberation or a deliberative mindset, when youre not sure what you want to do, when you havent selected a goal  should I move house, should I change job or invest in this? The deliberative mindset makes you more vulnerable to anxiety and doubt, and that undermines confidence, especially in women.

So when youve selected a goal  for example, I am going to investigate that new job  youre now focused. Rather than your attention being scattered, this narrows your attention to a future potential success. Thats really valuable for women because that boosts your confidence. Your attention is not wandering to potential downsides, youre focused on a goal and thats why its so important.

So the bottom line is, if you want a pay rise you need to ask for it  wear something that makes you feel confident and simply ask, making sure you have legitimate reasons why you deserve one. While asking, you should speak in a clear and confident manner thats open, smiling and friendly because if you hide the fact that your insides feel like jelly, then youre more likely to succeed in increasing your wage packet.

However, watch out for the saboteurs, especially those who might be sitting round your dinner table.

Men are uncomfortable if our partners are more successful than us, says Professor Robertson. Our well-being goes down. While success is the greatest source of confidence, successful women are often sabotaged by their partners. Certainly older men, people of my generation, want to feel dominant and, of course, your salary is a signal of your dominance.

* The new Bank of Ireland research sheds light on national confidence levels across different aspects of life from personal finances and employment to life goals. The research supports the launch of the Banks new Right With You platform, which is built on the insight that confidence is the spark that sets progress in motion, in an effort to show the banks ambition to help customers build financial confidence at every stage of their lives
The families of three girls killed by Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana have condemned the 'profound systemic failures' in the run-up to the attack - after a damning inquiry concluded the tragedy could have been prevented.

Sir Adrian Fulford, the High Court judge overseeing the probe, today found Rudakubana's mother and father failed to stand up to his behaviour or set any boundaries.

They also obstructed investigators and were 'too ready' to excuse their son's actions - allowing him to leave the house when he was likely carrying a weapon.

Warning signs about the risk posed by the 17-year-old were repeatedly flagged to authorities in the weeks and years before he murdered the children at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside seaside town, in July 2024.

But in his report, Sir Adrian said catastrophic failures by police, social services, mental health teams, youth justice services and other agencies left him free to kill with 'chilling brutality'.

The bereaved families of Bebe King, six, Elsie Stancombe, seven, and Alice Aguiar, nine, have now spoken out in the aftermath of the findings.

Chris Walker, the solicitor representing them, said: 'The Southport murders were not only predictable, they were preventable.

'Seeing the extent of the failures in black and white is devastating.

Warning signs about the risk posed by the 17-year-old (pictured) were repeatedly flagged to authorities in the weeks and years before he murdered three girls

Chris Walker, solicitor representing the bereaved families of the three girls, said: 'The Southport murders were not only predictable, they were preventable'

Families of the victims with their legal team arrive at Liverpool Town Hall for the Southport Inquiry

'On behalf of our clients we welcome the report's clear - though deeply distressing - findings on the profound systemic failures and individual failures, that preceded this attack and the responsibility borne by AR's parents.'

Mr Walker described the report's conclusions as 'stark'.

He added: 'The report details how concerns were repeatedly passed between organisations in what it describes as an "inappropriate merry go round" of referrals, case closures and missed opportunities.

'Crucially, the inquiry finds that the attack would have been prevented had agencies acted to a competent level.'

Mr Walker also said Rudakubana's parents failed in their responsibilities - and called for urgent reform.

He said: 'He had not left the house for two years except when armed or seeking to cause harm, yet they allowed him to leave on that day knowing he was likely carrying a weapon.

'This fight does not end today.

'We call for immediate action, clear accountability and real change - not simply reassurances that "lessons have been learned".'

Rudakubana was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum 52 years behind bars after admitting murder in January last year.

Today Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the Government was 'determined to learn the lessons identified by the inquiry and to take the necessary action to reduce the risk of such an attack happening again'.

'Sir Adrian's report is heartbreaking,' Ms Mahmood said. 'It shows a systematic failure of the state to prevent a vile and sickening individual perpetrating this atrocity.

'This Government has already taken action to prevent such an awful tragedy from happening again, and we won't hesitate to do what is needed to protect the public. We owe victims nothing less.'

Rudakubana was a former stage school star who featured in a BBC Children In Need advert aged 11

Rudakubana pictured in the distinctive green hoodie he wore on the day of the attack. CCTV cameras caught him outside the Hart Space dance studio, in Southport, shortly before he launched the mass stabbing

Downing Street also reiterated that the Southport killings must be a 'line in the sand'.

The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'This must be a moment of fundamental change for how we protect our citizens and our children.'

In his 700-page report, Sir Adrian, chairman of the public inquiry examining how the attack was allowed to happen, said Rudakubana's parents, Alphonse Rudakubana and Laetitia Muzayire, must bear responsibility.

They knew, at least a week before the attack, that their 'monster' son had amassed a small arsenal of 'deadly weapons' in his bedroom, and that he had planned an attack on his old school a week before, but did nothing.

'I regret not telling police because if I had, what happened on 29th July, wouldn't have happened,' Mr Rudakubana, 50, a taxi driver, admitted when he gave evidence to the inquiry.

Sir Adrian said: 'If AR's parents had done what they morally ought to have done, AR would not have been at liberty to conduct the attack and it would not therefore have occurred.'

Officials also used Rudakubana's diagnosis of autism to excuse his behaviour and failed to recognise that, in truth, the condition heightened, not lessened the risk he posed, Sir Adrian said.

Instead of taking responsibility for Rudakubana's case, agencies passed him around on a 'merry-go-round' of referrals, assessments and handovers.

'AR's trajectory towards grave violence was signposted repeatedly and unambiguously,' the judge said.

'Yet the systems and agencies responsible for safeguarding the public did not act with the cohesion, urgency or clarity required.'

He added: 'I have no doubt that if appropriate procedures had been in place and if sensible steps had been taken by the agencies and AR's parents, this dreadful event would not have happened.

'It could have been and it should have been prevented. History simply would have taken a different course.'

Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford published his first report from the inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall today

Nicola Brook, who represents the three adult survivors - dance teachers Leanne Lucas and Heidi Liddle and businessman John Hayes - said Sir Adrian's report had crystallised their 'key concern' that 'every organisation tried to shirk responsibility' and there was a 'disturbing lack of leadership'.

The lawyer added: 'This is not the first time we have heard this at an inquiry.

'It is evident, time and time again, that there is a culture within government agencies to place their own reputations above their fundamental duty to protect society, and a failure to properly reflect on their conduct once presented with clear evidence that they failed on multiple occasions.

'Of the 67 recommendations made by the chair, thoughts must now turn to what mechanism needs to be employed to make sure these changes are actioned in their entirety, and if they are not, how those who seek to sidestep their responsibility are held to account.'

He concluded: 'Let us be clear, reforms are required urgently.'

Sir Adrian's report comes after he heard nine weeks of often harrowing 'phase one' evidence from victims, survivors, first responders and organisations who interacted with Rudakubana in the lead up to the attack.

Hearings for 'phase two', which is expected to consider how agencies address the risk posed by young people fixated on committing acts of extreme violence more generally, are due to begin later this year.
Tactical voting may not appeal to everyone, but backing the party you have always supported may not be the best way to block the SNP from winning a majority as many seats sit on a knife edge.

While it is entirely up to the individual voter, the Mail has analysed every constituency in the country to find out which party has the best chance of ousting the Nationalists.

In the second part of our tactical voting guide, we consider North East Scotland and Mid Scotland and Fife.

Labour and the Conservatives are the only credible contenders in many seats, with some facing formidable SNP majorities.

In Dundee City East, for example, the SNPs majority stands at 13,337, with closest rivals Labour needing a significant swing to take the seat.

However, in Banffshire and Buchan, the SNP majority is only 772, meaning even a slight swing towards the Conservatives could keep the Nationalists out.

Scottish party leaders (left to to right) Lord Malcolm Offord (Reform) Alex Cole-Hamilton (Lib Dem), Ross Greer (Greens), John Swinney (SNP), Russell Findlay (Tory) and Anas Sarwar (Labour)

For many readers who have watched the latest UK Government at Westminster wreak havoc with high taxes, a disastrous energy policy and unchecked immigration, voting Labour may seem like complete insanity.

But in many constituencies Labour remain the only viable rivals to the SNP in key battlegrounds.

Tough choices lie ahead as postal voting begins and the tug-of-war between pragmatism and deep-seated party allegiances begins.

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MID SCOTLAND AND FIFE

Clackmannanshire and Dunblane

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 7,551

Second-placed: Conservative

SNP deputy leader Keith Brown is standing again after comfortably winning in 2021 with 47 per cent of the vote.

Slightly more voters backed the Tory and Labour candidates than voted for him, but because the two main pro-Union parties received a similar share of the vote each, it meant Mr Brown won with a majority of more than 7,500. Labours general election victory in Alloa and Grangemouth and recent polling indicates that its candidate Suzanne Graham is best-placed to challenge the SNP.

Tactical vote: Labour

Cowdenbeath

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 6,013

Second-placed: Labour

The constituency which includes the home of the former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown has been represented by the SNPs Annabelle Ewing for a decade but she is standing down at this election.

Labours Fiona Sword will seek to snatch the seat back from the SNP, which is represented by local councillor David Barrett in what looks like a two-horse race.

Tactical vote: Labour

Dunfermline

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 8,664

Second-placed: Labour

A sprawling constituency which takes in most of West Fife as well as Dunfermline, it has been represented by SNP Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville since 2016 after brief Labour control following the domestic violence conviction of former Nationalist MSP Bill Walker. Labour was a comfortable second place in 2021 and its candidate, Joe Long, looks the likeliest pro-Union challenger.

Tactical vote: Labour

Fife North East

Incumbent: Lib Dem

Majority: 7,448

Second-placed: SNP

A constituency which takes in the university town of St Andrews, the East Neuk, Cupar and an area stretching nearly as far as Glenrothes, it has been Liberal Democrat territory for a decade, represented by the partys former leader Willie Rennie.

He is a seasoned campaigner when it comes to uniting pro- Union voters and received 20,000 more votes than the next best-placed Unionist party back in 2021.

Tactical vote: Lib Dem

Kirkcaldy

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 7,831

Second-placed: Labour

Comfortably held by the SNPs David Torrance in 2021 with 52 per cent of the vote, this constituency  which overlaps the Westminster seat held for many years by former Labour prime minister Mr Brown  has been yellow for 15 years.

But a convincing victory in Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy by Melanie Ward at the 2024 general election has given Labour renewed hope of snatching the Holyrood seat back too.

Tactical vote: Labour

Mid Fife and Glenrothes

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 10,234

Second-placed: Labour

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth comfortably held this seat in 2021 with an increased majority. The addition of a Reform UK candidate this time has the potential to further fragment the pro-Union vote.

Labour was comfortably second place last time round and, since then, it had success in the Westminster constituency of Glenrothes and Mid Fife in 2024, which makes it the best options for voters looking to stop the SNP.

Tactical vote: Labour

Perthshire North

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 4,053

Second-placed: Conservative

Murdo Fraser put up a good fight for the Tories in 2021, when he was within 4,000 votes of John Swinney and streets ahead of the next pro-UK candidate.

Mr Fraser will look to unite pro-Union voters again in this high-profile seat, especially since Reform UKs candidate Kenneth Morton has made clear that he supported independence in the 2014 vote and is relaxed about the idea of another referendum.

Tactical vote: Conservative

Perthshire South and Kinross-shire

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 1,948

Second-placed: Conservative

Tory Liz Smith ran the SNPs Jim Fairlie extremely close five years ago in a seat which is a clear two-horse race.

The long-serving Tory frontbencher is standing down, meaning it falls on former Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Roz McCall to take on Mr Fairlie, the Agriculture Minister who famously revealed that a quango had suggested tackling the scourge of seagulls by drawing googly eyes on takeaway boxes.

Tactical vote: Conservative

Stirling

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 6,895

Second-placed: Conservative

This is a seat where the Tories have established themselves as the SNPs closest challenger in recent times, and secured nearly a third of the votes in 2021.

Labour may have won the Westminster seat of Stirling and Strathallan in 2024 but Tory Stephen Kerr  one of the most robust MSPs at scrutinising and challenging the SNP at Holyrood  is former Nationalist MP and MEP Alyn Smiths closest rival this time round.

Tactical vote: Conservative

NORTH EAST SCOTLAND

Aberdeen Central

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 6,594

Second-placed: Conservative

Another constituency where there is a strong pro-Union vote but split support between the Tories and Labour has let in the SNP. In 2021, Kevin Stewart won with 45 per cent of the vote, with the Tories in second on 24 per cent and Labour third on 20 per cent.

The SNP won both Aberdeen North and Aberdeen South in the 2024 general election and that, coupled with current polling trends, indicates that Labours Jenny Laing is narrowly SNP special adviser Jack Middletons closest challenger.

Tactical vote: Labour

Aberdeen Deeside and North Kincardine

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 1,671

Second-placed: Conservative

Could this be the biggest SNP scalp of election day? SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn is standing for the seat and is strongly tipped to fancy his chances of being the next First Minister after John Swinney.

In 2021 the SNPs Audrey Nicoll narrowly clung on to the seat, then named Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, as the Tories saw a surge in support which firmly established them as the closest rival to the Nationalists. Now former North East Scotland MSP Liam Kerr is in the running in the seat and the Scottish Conservative candidate has a real chance to go one step further and defeat Flynn.

Tactical vote: Conservative

Aberdeen Donside

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 9,026

Second-place: Conservative

A seat which takes in most of the area north and west of Aberdeen, Jackie Dunbar convincingly held it for the SNP in 2021 with more than half of the vote.

While the Tories were second five years ago, Scotland in Union is now recommending that Labours Lynn Thomson is the best challenger to Ms Dunbar this time round.

This is because Ms Thomson previously saw a direct 18 per cent swing from the SNP to Labour when she stood in Aberdeen North in the 2024 general election.

Tactical vote: Labour

Aberdeenshire East

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 1,889

Second-place: Conservative

A real oil-and-gas battlefield as the SNPs Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work Minister Gillian Martin faces off against Scottish Tory net zero spokesman Douglas Lumsden, who has switched from Aberdeen Central to fight this seat.

Harriet Cross recorded a considerable jump in her vote share in 2021, before then being elected MP for nearby Gordon and Buchan in 2024, and Mr Lumsden is the pro-UK candidate who could secure a major scalp in this seat.

Tactical vote: Conservative

Aberdeenshire West

Incumbent: Conservative

Majority: 3,390

Second-placed: SNP

Tory MSP Alexander Burnett impressively held this seat in 2021 with an increased share of the vote despite a strong challenge from the SNP and is seeking to retain it again.

His rival this time is SNP staffer and local councillor Fatima Joji. The biggest risk to Mr Burnett retaining the seat is a sizeable vote for Reform UK, which is standing controversial candidate Jo Hart, who previously sparked outrage by branding the Royal Family as benefit scroungers in a message which said f*** the Royals and make Lizzy the last.

Tactical vote: Conservative

Angus North and Mearns

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 3,509

Second-placed: Conservative

Mairi Gougeon was victorious in 2021 in a clear two-horse race, securing 49 per cent of the vote to the Tories 39 per cent. Its all change with candidates this time, with local councillor Dawn Black replacing the departing Ms Gougeon for the SNP and fellow councillor Tracey Smith standing for the Tories, in what still looks like a clear SNP/Tory battle.

Tactical vote: Conservative

Angus South

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 6,117

Second-placed: Conservative

Another SNP/Tory battleground, with Graeme Dey holding the seat in 2021 with 51 per cent of the vote, ahead of the Tories in second place with 35 per cent.

The Tories were again firmly in second place in the overlapping Westminster seat in the 2024 general election and the partys candidate, Angus MacMillan Douglas, who was awarded an OBE for services to healthcare following his work as director of the Scottish Blood Service, is the best placed pro-Union option.

Tactical vote: Conservative

Banffshire and Buchan Coast

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 772

Second-placed: Conservative

A wafer-thin majority for the SNPs Karen Adam in 2021 makes this a top target for the Tories, where Aberdeenshire councillor James Adams is the partys candidate.

If pro-Union voters rally behind the Tory hopeful, they stand a good choice of defeating Ms Adam, although any significant support for Reforms Conrad Ritchie could boost her prospects of retaining the seat.

Tactical vote: Conservative

Dundee City East

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 13,337

Second-placed: Labour

A thumping majority for Shona Robison in 2021 but change is in the air with the long-serving MSP, currently Finance Secretary and formerly Deputy First Minister, standing down.

Stephen Gethins, a former MP and Scottish Government special adviser, is looking to replace her. Labour were narrowly ahead of the Tories in second place in 2021 but now look comfortably the closest challenger, with candidate Cheryl-Ann Cruickshank.

Tactical vote: Labour

Dundee City West

Incumbent: SNP

Majority: 12,919

Second-placed: Labour

One of the SNPs most convincing victories in 2021, with Joe FitzPatrick securing 62 per cent of the vote.

Labour has a stronger candidate this time, with finance spokesman Michael Marra replacing Left-winger Mercedes Villalba, and he should provide a sterner test for the SNP, which is represented this time by Heather Anderson, who famously became an MEP for just four days in 2020 before the UK left the European Union.

Tactical vote: Labour
Initial MDA MIDNIGHT mission is designed to rendezvous with low Earth orbit space assets to track, counter, capture and de-orbit

TORONTO and COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - MDA Space Ltd. (TSX: MDA) (NYSE: MDA), a trusted mission partner to the rapidly expanding global space industry, today at the 41st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs announced MDA MIDNIGHT, a space control platform for defence organizations to defend and protect the space domain.

MDA MIDNIGHT (CNW Group/MDA Space)

MDA MIDNIGHT is a maneuverable spacecraft that employs high-reliability rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) to detect, identify, counter and deter threats to critical space assets and orbits. The spacecraft can also be used to augment existing military missions through on-orbit surveillance, asset relocation and satellite refueling. Equipped with a suite of active and passive payload capabilities and world-leading robotics, MDA MIDNIGHT turns space domain awareness into actionable decision-making, enabling defence organizations to maintain operational continuity in the increasingly contested domain.

"With new and emerging threats from adversaries, the critical space infrastructure that we all depend on requires greater protection," said Mike Greenley, CEO of MDA Space. "Backed by 40 years of on-orbit robotics operations, decades of mission planning and satellite operations, advanced digital technologies and our high-volume commercial production capacity, MDA MIDNIGHT brings together the elements required for this critical mission, helping national and international defence organizations safeguard the space domain on which billions rely."

With nations around the world increasingly relying on satellites for national security and economic prosperity, a report on Global Counterspace Capabilities from the Secure World Foundation indicates that a growing number of countries are identifying the need to develop space control, or 'bodyguard', satellites to mitigate the growing threat landscape. The importance of the space domain was also recently recognized in Canada, with the federal government declaring space as a key sovereign capability. In this context, MDA MIDNIGHT is designed to address emerging customer requirements by providing defence organizations with flight-proven technology in a mission-ready solution that can be rapidly configured, built and deployed to respond to new and emerging threats in space.

The initial MDA MIDNIGHT mission is designed to rendezvous with multiple collaborative assets in low Earth orbit and employ a range of protective and defensive capabilities, including:

On-orbit inspection and reporting of satellite status

Electronic counter measures detection, attribution and mitigation

Rendezvous and proximity operations, cooperative satellite capture and release

De-orbiting of a customer's non-operational asset

On the ground, operational procedures for MDA MIDNIGHT will be supported by an established flight controller team with unparalleled experience conducting over 100 free-flyer captures and decades of robotics operations on-orbit. For select customers, MDA MIDNIGHT can be operated through an established MDA Space Mission Control Centre.

MDA MIDNIGHT also leverages recent advancements and investments in the company's diverse product suite, including MDA SKYMAKER commercial robotics and MDA AURORA satellite bus platform.

"At MDA Space, our technology and our team have millions of hours of experience planning and conducting on-orbit operations," said Holly Johnson, Vice President of Robotics and Space Operations at MDA Space. "As we bring this leadership to serve space defence customers, we are actively seeking military partnerships to collaborate on upcoming mission profiles and timing, as well as commercial payload partners to augment our suite of on-orbit capabilities."

Military partners interested in collaborating on product launch missions for MDA MIDNIGHT. should contact [email protected].

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the company's current expectations regarding future events. Such forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements regarding the expected capabilities, performance, use, mission profiles and deployment of MDA MIDNIGHT, the scope, timing and execution of any future missions, the nature and extent of any potential customer use cases, partnerships or mission authorizations, the potential applications of the platform for defence and space domain operations, and MDA Space's ability to develop, configure, deploy, deliver and support a mission-ready space control platform to meet evolving defence and space domain requirements.

Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by MDA Space in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of MDA Space to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including without limitation the risks and uncertainties detailed under the "Risk Factors" section of MDA Space's annual information form dated March 4, 2026.

Although MDA Space believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect and there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with the forward-looking statements. There are a number of additional risks and uncertainties affecting or that could affect MDA Space, which could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those described in, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or information included within this press release. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, MDA Space is not under any obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

ABOUT MDA SPACE

Building the space between proven and possible, MDA Space (TSX:MDA; NYSE:MDA) is a trusted mission partner to the global defence and space industry. A robotics, satellite systems and geointelligence pioneer with a 55-year+ story of world firsts and more than 450 missions, MDA Space is a global leader in communications satellites, Earth and space observation, and space exploration and infrastructure. The global MDA Space team of more than 4,000 space experts has the knowledge and know-how to turn an audacious customer vision into an achievable missionbringing to bear a one-of-a-kind mix of experience, engineering excellence and wide-eyed wonder that's been in our DNA since day one. For those who dream big and push boundaries on the ground and in the stars to change the world for the better, we'll take you there. For more information, visit mda.space.

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SOURCE MDA Space
French police seemed to have all the gear but no idea as dozens of migrants scrambled on to dinghies bound for Britain.

Despite their specialist uniforms with riot helmets, waterproof body-worn cameras, non-lethal handguns and pistol-grip pepper spray, the gendarmerie stood and watched as the overloaded boats sailed over the horizon.

An onlooker said: 'The officers came well equipped for the job, but then didn't do anything as all these blokes piled on to dodgy-looking inflatables.'

The laughable scene unfolded on Monday on the beaches of Dunkirk after France's human rights watchdog ordered police to stop using aggressive tactics to intercept migrants.

Claire Hedon, the highly influential Defender of Rights, said in January that heavy-handed tactics such as slashing boats with knives or restraining migrants with tear gas or rubber bullets were 'disproportionate' and risked harming the thousands of young men flooding into Britain.

On Monday, around 200 migrants were seen wading out into the sea before being collected by small boats sent from further down the coast - a tactic known as 'taxi boat'.

French police have agreed to tackle 'taxi-boats' after a personal plea from Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January, but will only attempt an interception before they take on migrants.

Police unions have warned it could put the lives of people-smugglers, migrants and French officers at risk and leave officers liable to prosecution if anyone drowned or was injured.

French police watch on as dozens of migrants depart from Dunkirk, heading for Britain

Inflatable dinghies were massively overcrowded with mostly young, male migrants

Many waded out into the sea and waited to be collected by a 'boat taxi' from further down the coast

In recent weeks, there has been an increase in undocumented migrants claiming to be fleeing the war in Iran

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Last year, 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats, the second-highest annual number on record. More than 5,000 have made the journey so far this year.

Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, said: 'It seems the French have long given up on serious effort to stop migrants jumping into small boats to cross the Channel illegally.

'We have given the French around three-quarters of a billion pounds since 2014/15 to stop illegal migrants. We deserve a refund.'

Two weeks ago, the UK agreed a new two-month deal to pay France 16.2million more to police the Channel while the two countries thrash out a long-term agreement.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signed off deal, which extends a previous one, to subsidise French beach patrols.

In recent weeks, more migrants without identification have claimed to be fleeing the war in Iran in order to secure refugee status, according to officials.

Others have falsely claimed to be Bidoons - stateless Arabs from Kuwait, mainly descended from nomadic tribes, who were not granted citizenship after the country's independence in 1961.

Two migrants died after attempting to cross the Channel in an overcrowded boat on April 1.

Last night, the Home Office claimed that no migrants had arrived on small boats over the weekend.
Labour's plan to cosy up to Brussels will leave the UK facing the 'worst of both worlds, Kemi Badenoch has warned.

Downing Street confirmed on Monday that Keir Starmer will press ahead with plans to align Britain with EU rules in a range of areas, despite warnings it will unpick Brexit and make Britain a 'rule-taker'.

The Prime Minister, who once promised to respect the decision to leave the EU, said that closer alignment with Brussels was now 'in the UK's best interest'.

Sir Keir also defended controversial plans that could prevent parliament from having a vote on whether to adopt new EU laws.

He claimed that the fallout from the war would require 'a closer economic relationship with our European allies because Brexit did deep damage to the economy'.

He told MPs that the opportunities available from watering down Brexit were 'simply too big to ignore'.

But Mrs Badenoch warned that Sir Keir's Brexit reset would undermine Britain's right to make its own laws, while doing nothing to boost growth.

The Conservative leader said the PM had run out of ideas to kickstart the economy and had resorted to saying 'we'll do whatever the EU is doing, and hopefully that will work'.

Keir Starmer has vowed to 'reset' relations with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen

Worst of both worlds: Kemi Badenoch has accused Keir Starmer of a Brexit betrayal

'It's the worst of both worlds,' she told LBC. 'So we're not in the EU where we can have a say, but we're still taking the rules and we're not using our sovereignty. That's the worst of both worlds.

'The EU wants to compete with the UK. It's not going to make rules that are going to make our lives easier. It's going to make rules that make life easier for them. We have to do what's right for the British national interest. And what I see is that Keir Starmer doesn't have any ideas.'

Government sources confirmed that new legislation will use controversial 'Henry VII powers' to bring laws into line with EU regulation without the need to get parliamentary approval.

Sir Keir is facing a growing backlash over the 'undemocratic' plan.

Nigel Farage accused the PM of 'literally bypassing parliament' in order to 'put us back into regulatory alignment' with the EU. The Reform UK leader said the move would see Britain lose the 'massive opportunity' of being outside the single market.

Mr Farage has branded Labour's plan a 'backdoor attempt to drag Britain back under EU control'.

Even the Liberal Democrats, who want to rejoin the single market, questioned the PM's approach.

Education spokesman Munira Wilson told the BBC's Westminster Hour show that any attempt to 'cut Parliament out of the loop' would be 'wrong and undemocratic'.

In opposition, Sir Keir opposed the use of such powers, saying they resulted in 'silencing parliament' and handing ministers a 'legislative blank cheque'.

But Downing Street said it was 'entirely normal' to use secondary legislation, which does not usually require a parliamentary vote.

The PM's official spokesman said Brexit had been 'hugely damaging' to the UK and that the benefits of closer alignment with Brussels were now 'indisputable'.

Sir Keir told the BBC: 'We're in a world where there's massive conflict, great uncertainty, and I strongly believe that the UK's best interests are in a stronger, closer relationship with Europe, whether that's defence and security energy, inevitably, and also, our economy.'

'A stronger, closer relationship with Europe is in the UK's best interest, particularly in a world that is as volatile as it is at the moment, and I know that worries a lot of people.'

But former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost said there was 'no evidence of any economic shock from Brexit'.

The former Cabinet minister said Labour was engaged in 'rejoining part of the single market', adding: 'This is about submitting the country to laws made by another institution that we have no say in whatsoever'.

Downing Street insisted that the UK would have a 'say' over future EU laws that would apply in this country, but could not explain how this would work or whether Britain would have the ability to block proposals it did not like.

Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice said the plan was 'outrageous' and promised his party would 'reverse such a betrayal' if it won power.

Meanwhile, Reform claimed that the cost of the millions of migrants who arrived between 2021-4 would amount to 20,000 a household.

In a report, the party said the cost of NHS care, benefits and housing would reach 622bn by 2085  a sum they claimed would 'bankrupt' the taxpayer.

A large number of this influx of migrants  which the party referred to as the 'Boriswave' because it happened under the former PM  are set to be given indefinite leave to remain.

Between 2021 and 2024, annual net immigration averaged more than double the previous decade and hit a record high of 944,000 in the year ending March 2023.

The influx included large numbers of people fleeing Hong Kong and Ukraine as well as a huge increase in workers in shortage occupations.

Reform announced at a press conference on Monday that it would hold an inquiry into the huge rise in non-EU migration during that period.

It raises the prospect that Conservative defectors to the party former immigration minister Robert Jenrick and former home secretary Suella Braverman could be made to give evidence.
President Donald Trump held a bizarre impromptu press conference with a food delivery driver at the White House who was dropping off his favorite food.

Just outside of the Oval Office, the President received two brown bags full of McDonald's from a DoorDash delivery driver, Sharon Simmons from Arkansas.

The spontaneous nature of the event made it appear more spur-of-the-moment than scripted, in a White House first.

Trump seized on the moment to promote his signature 'no tax on tips' policy as Tax Day approaches on Tuesday.

The courier, wearing a red T-shirt with 'DoorDash Grandma' emblazoned on the front, seemed surprised that Trump brought the press to film her delivery.

'Would you like to do a little news conference with me, with these people?' Trump asked her. 'These are not the nicest people.'

'I'll do whatever you ask me to do, sir,' Simmons responded.

Trump shot in: 'So the no tax on tips is something special. It's very special, and that's one that really pertains to you.'

The President told her it is 'such an honor to meet you,' before adding, 'and I think you voted for me.'

The driver did not answer in the affirmative, saying she 'maybe' voted for the Republican.

President Donald Trump holds McDonald's bags outside the Oval Office at the White House

The woman said she 'maybe' voted for Trump when he asked if she backed him in the last election. She also refused to talk about the President's policies on men in women's sports

'I heard you're a great supporter,' Trump responded. 'We appreciate it.'

Later, Trump asked the delivery worker if she supported his policies to bar men in women's sports.

'I really don't have an opinion on that,' she said. 'I'm here about tax on tips.'

The President later handed the woman a wad of cash as a tip.

Reporters in the room spotted at least a $100 bill in the wad that the President handed her.

'We had a man the other day, they got $5,000,' Trump said, noting a story about a worker receiving a large tip. 'Another one got seven [thousand] that they weren't expecting.'

'It's because of the great, big, beautiful bill, and that's why you came. And I really appreciate it,' he added.

The President was referencing his marquee legislative package past last summer, dubbed 'The One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' which cut taxes on tips.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung posted a photo of a cheeseburger from the delivery, which he was personally enjoying for lunch.

The President also denied having posted a now-deleted image depicting himself as Jesus Christ. Trump claimed he thought the image portrayed him as a doctor

Trump also denied that he posted a now-deleted image comparing himself to Jesus Christ that stirred much controversy earlier in the day.

'It was me. I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, and had to do with Red Cross, as a Red Cross worker there, which we support, and only the fake news could come up with that one,' he said, denying that he was comparing himself to Christ.

'So I just heard about it, and I said, How did they come up with that? It's supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better,' he continued.
The FBI raided the Texas home of the baby-faced suspect accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's luxurious mansion, as police say he carried a manifesto targeting other tech CEOs.

The suspect, first identified by the San Francisco Chronicle, was named as 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama.

He allegedly threw the fire bomb at Altman's California home just after 4am PST on Friday before fleeing the scene on foot, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

Less than an hour later, police were called to OpenAI's headquarters on 3rd Street in San Francisco after a man allegedly threatened to burn down the building.

Police recognized the man as the same suspect from the Altman mansion incident and immediately took him into custody. No injuries were reported.

On Monday, Fox News spotted dozens of FBI agents executing a search warrant outside Moreno-Gama's Texas home.

Moreno-Gama is accused of traveling from the Lone Star State to California to try to kill the OpenAI CEO because of his anti-AI views.

Sources told Fox News that Moreno-Gama was carrying a manifesto when he was arrested, described as a 'three-part series' listing other AI executives and their addresses.

Daniel Moreno-Gama, 20, allegedly threw the fire bomb at Altman's home just after 4am PST on Friday, before fleeing the scene on foot

FBI agents executed a search warrant at the Texas home of the suspect accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's luxurious mansion

On Sunday, Altman's mansion was attacked again for the second time in just two days, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

Altman owns the $27 million Lombard Street mansion in the Russian Hill neighborhood that includes a wellness center, infinity pool and a subterranean garage with a car turntable, as reported by The San Francisco Standard.

Amanda Tom, 25, and Muhamad Tarik Hussein, 23, were arrested on suspicion of firing a gun in the affluent neighborhood.

Tom and Hussein fired a single shot from a handgun at Altman's $27 million mansion at around 2.56am, according to an initial police report reviewed by The San Francisco Standard.

The suspects who allegedly opened fire on Altman's property drove past it in Tom's Honda sedan a few minutes before doubling back and opening fire, according to the Standard.

The individual in the passenger seat put their hand out the window and fired at the side of the mansion, according to security personnel who heard a gunshot and surveillance footage cited in the police report.

The car immediately fled, but its license plate was captured on a security camera, leading San Francisco police to a residence where they arrested Tom and Hussein on charges of negligent discharge.

Altman, 40, reflected on Friday's terrifying incident on his personal blog, accompanied by a photo of his husband and child which he shared in a bid to deter future attacks.

Sam Altman's Lombard Street mansion was targeted in an alleged Molotov cocktail attack early Friday, according to San Francisco police

Moreno-Gama was allegedly carrying a manifesto when he was arrested, described as a 'three-part series' listing other AI executives and their addresses

Altman, 40, reflected on Friday's terrifying incident on his personal blog, accompanied by a photo of his husband and child (pictured)

'Images have power, I hope. Normally we try to be pretty private, but in this case I am sharing a photo in the hopes that it might dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house, no matter what they think about me,' he wrote.

Altman said that the Molotov cocktail bounced off the house. The bomb set an exterior gate on fire.

'Words have power too. There was an incendiary article about me a few days ago,' Altman continued.

'Someone said to me yesterday they thought it was coming at a time of great anxiety about AI and that it made things more dangerous for me. I brushed it aside.

'Now I am awake in the middle of the night and pissed, and thinking that I have underestimated the power of words and narratives.'

The Daily Mail has contacted the FBI and the Department of Justice for comment.
A teenager whose body was found after he vanished in a lake close to a popular National Trust castle was named today at an inquest.

Libyan-born student Ashamekh Bortata, 17, died after getting into difficulties in the water near Chirk Castle, near Wrexham, on the England-Wales border, last Tuesday.

The inquest heard the alarm was raised by a friend, who dialled 999.

Police and the North Wales fire service began a search but Ashamekh's body was not found by divers until the following day.

The inquest was opened in Ruthin, North Wales, by coroner John Gittins.

The coroner said Ashamekh had travelled to the area with a number of youngsters from Liverpool - on what was one of the warmest days of the year so far.

The group had walked through woodland before reaching the lake, when Ashamekh went into the water.

Mr Gittins said a pathologist had given a provisional cause of death as drowning.

Funeral notice for Ashamekh Bortata, who was formally named at the opening of an inquest

Chirk Castle, near Wrexham, North Wales, where a group of youngsters from Liverpool were visiting during warm weather when tragedy struck

He added: 'Clearly it's a matter which must now proceed to a (full) inquest.'

The hearing was adjourned for further investigations.

Ashamekh's funeral was held at Liverpool's Al-Rahma Mosque on Saturday, followed by burial.

When the teenager was found, Detective Chief Superintendent Sian Beck, of North Wales Police said: 'My deepest thoughts and condolences are with his loved ones, who are being supported by specialist officers following this tragic incident.'

The small lake is situated next to the grounds of Chirk Castle, off the drive to the main entrance of the castle.

The death came as Britain had the hottest April 7 on record.

The Welsh island of Anglesey saw the highest temperature, with 24.8C (76.6F) recorded in Mona.

The heatwave coincided with the school Easter holidays, and many people flocked to pools and beaches.
Councils risk losing up to a third of their funding if they neglect to fix potholes in local areas.

Under new rules announced on Tuesday, councils across England could lose 525 million from their 1.6 billion budget for the following year if they cannot prove they are filling in potholes.

Councils will also be ordered to publish reports proving they are spending their allotted highway budgets on patching up roads, as well as long-term plans for road maintenance.

This follows the Government bringing in a traffic light grading system for local highway authorities to assess the state of their roads  with red-rated authorities receiving more cash to deliver smoother roads.

Labour will furnish the 13 red-rated areas with 300,000 worth of expert support to help councils fix roads.

With Labour facing a hammering at next month's local elections, roads and buses minister Simon Lightwood said the Government is 'making sure every pound goes straight into fixing roads and tackling potholes, not being spent elsewhere'.

This follows the Government pledging 7.3 billion to repairing Britain's roads, with funding delivered to local councils over a four-year period.

But Richard Holden, shadow transport secretary, said that Labour councils have been 'failing drivers for years'.

Under new rules announced today, councils across England could lose 525 million from their 1.6 billion budget for the following year if they cannot prove they are filling in potholes

The Conservatives have vowed to supply specialist road-repair machines to councils across the country  and set up a single national platform for drivers to report potholes, instead of the current patchwork of local sites

He said: 'Ten of the sixteen worst-performing councils on pothole repairs are Labour-run. In Birmingham, 2.5 per cent of roads needing repair were fixed; in St Helens, Islington, and Milton Keynes, the story is the same.

'Labour have lumped cost after cost onto drivers  the fuel duty rise, pay per mile, or new parking taxes  yet people see no improvement in the roads they rely on every day.'

The Conservatives have vowed to supply specialist road-repair machines to councils across the country  and set up a single national platform for drivers to report potholes, instead of the current patchwork of local sites.

The Daily Mail has been campaigning for an end to the pothole plague, which is costing drivers millions in repair bills.

Last week, this paper revealed that potholes are threatening the delivery of urgent medical supplies such as overnight blood donations.

And the Mail has also found that motorists have been increasingly attacking workmen trying to fix roads as anger mounts over Britain's record 19 billion pothole backlog.

Workers are being sworn at, spat at and even punched amid growing delays in fixing potholes, industry leaders have warned.

Pothole damage costs the average driver around 500 in repairs, with the number of insurance claims to fix vehicles soaring in recent months.

Tesco Insurance, for example, settled 12 per cent more pothole damage claims in January 2026 than in the entire second half of 2025.

And it was estimated last month that the cost of fixing pothole-plagued local roads in England and Wales had risen to a record 18.6 billion.

Edmund King, AA president, said that fixing potholes remains 'the number one motoring issue for drivers' and that it is 'right that councils are being scrutinised over their repair plans'.
Police are hunting for a young monk with a New Zealand accent who vanished from a remote monastery on a Scottish Island.

Justin Evans, 24, was last seen at the Golgotha Monastery on Papa Stronsay shortly before midnight on Saturday.

Described as being around 6ft tall, with short hair and a dark beard, he notably speaks with an accent and was last seen wearing a white robe.

Inspector David Hall said: 'Extensive enquiries are ongoing to trace Justin and as time passes concerns are growing.

'We are working with partner agencies and extensive searches are being carried out in the island area.

'I am now appealing for anyone may have visited the island and have any information on Justin or his whereabouts to contact us.'

Kirkwall Lifeboat and coastguards mounted a search on Sunday.

Golgotha Monastery is a traditional Catholic monastery established in 1999 by the Transalpine Redemptorists (Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer).

Police are hunting for Justin Evans (pictured)

He was last seen at at the Golgotha Monastery on Papa Stronsay (pictured)

The traditional Catholic monastery was established in 1999

The monks live a strict, self-sufficient life, celebrating the Latin Mass and maintaining the island. The community, usually numbering around a dozen, purchased the island, making it a place of retreat and prayer.

It is thought that monks worshipped on the island back in the time of St Columba, in the 6th Century. Vikings settled there in the 8th Century and named it Papa Stronsay - which means Priests' Island of Stronsay.

The original monastery was abandoned in the 16th Century - but for over the last 25 years the island has once again been home to monks who celebrate Holy Mass in the language which would have been used by priests many centuries ago.

The order - the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Transalpine Redemptorists - was founded in the late 1980s to maintain the practise of celebrating the liturgy in Latin.

At the time the Roman Catholic Church was modernising its services, and encouraging priests to use local languages - so insisting on the old ways was seen as an act of rebellion.

But the monks are now back in full communion with the Diocese of Aberdeen and the worldwide church.

They bought Papa Stronsay after the order's founder, Father Michael Mary, and some of the priests and brothers visited Orkney on holiday.

The monks - in their black habits - have become a familiar sight in Orkney.

The community gathers for prayers through the day - from seven in the morning

There are currently about a dozen members of the order living on the island.. It has a similar number at its other base in New Zealand. It is not clear at this stage what Mr Evans' links with the monastery in Orkney are.

For the monks, a typical day starts at 5am with an hour of individual meditation in their cells, followed by two hours of prayer in the chapel.

After breakfast, the morning is spent in study and work before a bell rings at midday to remind the community to quietly recite the Angelus to themselves as an act of private devotion.

That's followed by another service and then lunch, during which the brothers listen to improving readings and sacred texts.

The remainder of the day includes prayers, work and possibly some relaxation, before supper, more prayers and then the 'great silence'. The lights and generator are switched off at 9.30pm.
There havent been many moments of levity in the election campaign  but Stephen Flynn managed to provide one the other day.

The SNPs Commons group leader attacked the UK Governments record on defence, saying an independent Scotland would do a better job.

Well, its true that successive Westminster administrations have made a hash of keeping Britain safe, and now were paying the price.

The Middle East crisis has exposed the woeful state of our Armed Forces after decades of neglect by governments of different political stripes.

But the idea that the SNP would make a better fist of it as the governing party of an independent Scotland is plainly for the birds.

After all, this is the bunch who cant even produce functioning ferries, let alone warships, or even dual the A9.

But Mr Flynn would have us believe that he and his chums would shape an effective fighting force and world-class navy.

How this would happen and where the money would come from is frankly anyones guess  but this is a campaign where it seems you can get away with saying just about anything.

Stephen Flynn attacked the UK Government s record on defence, saying an independent Scotland would do a better job

When Mr Flynn spoke out on the issue on the BBCs Any Questions? radio programme on Friday, no one picked him up on it, including the host Alex Forsyth, who is usually quick to step in with corrections or challenges.

The SNP has always got away with murder on this show and many others. Someone really should have asked: Who do you think youre kidding, Mr Flynn?

Captain Mainwaring would have a lot more credibility than Mr Flynn and his colleagues when it comes to defending the realm. Its a fitting analogy because at the time of the 2014 referendum, experts lined up to warn that independence would be a recipe for disaster  with a militia akin to Dads Army.

John Swinney would probably aspire to be Mainwaring, the reliable if pompous bank manager who runs the Home Guard, with Mr Flynn as the hapless Private Pike.

In reality, its highly likely that neither of them would have passed muster even for the task of defending Walmington-on-Sea from the Nazi menace.

Military matters were always a sore point for the SNP, and its a topic on which the party would prefer not to be challenged.

More than ever, were at the mercy of despots, and a US President who makes up the rules as he goes along.

These are powderkeg conditions. The impact on our economy has been severe and will be for months, if not years, to come.

Yet the SNPs proposition, put forward with a straight face, is that now is the time to wrench Scotland out of the Union.

The demise of that historic partnership would be warmly welcomed in Moscow and make us easier prey for the tyrants.

Who knows what Donald Trump would make of it, given that he already has Greenland in his crosshairs?

Would he see Scotland as another target for acquisition, given his long-standing love affair with the land of his late mothers birth?

Its true that our defences have been worn down, something the Mail is attempting to reverse with our Dont Leave Britain Defenceless campaign, which is calling on ministers to increase funding for the Armed Forces.

But the notion that Scotland would be safer if the country was torn out of the UK is untenable.

Captain Mainwaring would have a lot more credibility than Stephen Flynn and his colleagues when it comes to defending the realm, writes Graham Grant

And the fact that its even deemed worthy of debate at a time of international turmoil is almost beyond belief.

Except we know the SNP would want to discuss independence in the middle of an apocalypse.

At times, it has felt as if this is exactly what were living through, with each day bringing us closer to the terrifying prospect of nuclear warfare.

Yet the useful idiots of the SNP and its Left-wing comrades in the Green Party  its prospective partner in government after May 7  continue to lobby for the end of the Trident nuclear deterrent. Its the worst possible time to be trotting out this student union bilge but it remains the formal position of the SNP.

The argument is that the money would be better spent on any number of other priorities  presumably state handouts and baby boxes.

That would be in line with the old slogan bairns not bombs, peddled by Yessers during the independence referendum and recycled for the 2015 General Election campaign.

In the real world, this kind of nonsense wont wash, of course, but that wont stop the SNP banging on about it.

Its reckless and morally wrong to be pushing for nuclear disarmament when the threat level is rising.

But the SNP hierarchy know their powerbase wont stand for anything else, even if the smart money says the party bosses would ditch their opposition to Trident in a heartbeat if they thought they would get any advantage from it.

Some experts theorised ahead of the referendum in 2014 that the Nationalists would drop their objections if they were allowed to keep sterling during independence talks.

The SNP and Green Party continue to lobby for the end of the Trident nuclear deterrent

Its possible, but in the meantime, with the Middle East in flames, it serves the purposes of the separatists to press on with the CND routine.

Nationalism is a one-way ticket to geopolitical irrelevance, and its adherents must believe we button up the back if they think well fall for it.

Going back to his performance on the BBC last week, its worth taking a look at one of Mr Flynns other claims.

His thesis that an independent Scotland would be stronger on defence is about as credible as his assertion that the UK Government is to blame for the SNP missing its own targets on tackling child poverty, supposedly Mr Swinneys overriding goal.

Finding a scapegoat is in the partys DNA but its grotesque when its used to spin the governments appalling record on helping poor children.

All the stops are coming out to get your vote  and you can expect the half-truths and downright lies to ratchet up a gear or two over the coming weeks.

But no one should be under any illusion about the risk of backing Mr Swinney, who says an SNP majority would pave the way for a second independence referendum.

That means the stakes couldnt be higher  but you can be confident that some of the loudest cheers if the Nationalists do secure a majority in May will come from the dictators who long for the end of the United Kingdom.
A report into the Southport attack on Monday found that it was a 'clearly signposted disaster waiting to happen'.

Sir Adrian Fulford, chairman of the public inquiry investigating the atrocity, said Axel Rudakubana, 17, would not have been free to murder three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, in July 2024, had his parents reported his escalating violence and hoarding of weapons to police.

In a damning report, the retired High Court judge also criticised police, social services, mental health teams, youth justice services and other agencies who failed to take responsibility for his case.

Here Liz Hull and Duncan Gardham assess some of the key failings highlighted by Sir Adrian's report.

Prevent

Sir Adrian said he had 'grave concerns' that individuals, such as Rudakubana, who are 'fixated' on violence, do not currently come under the remit of the Government's de-radicalisation programme, Prevent.

The teenager was referred to the strategy three times but each time his case was dismissed because he didn't have a fixed ideology.

Last month the Home Affairs Select Committee said the Prevent programme was 'outdated' and 'inadequately prepared' to deal with 'the complexity of current extremist threats' and called for it to be 'reset' and overhauled.

Sir Adrian said: 'In my judgement, the events of July 29 2024 have exposed a significant gap in the mechanisms by which the public are provided protection, including by way of adoption by the Prevent programme.'

Axel Rudakubana was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum of 52 years, at Liverpool Crown Court in January

Chairman Sir Adrian Fulford delivered his critical report at Liverpool Town Hall on Monday

Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, were all murdered in the atrocity on July 29, 2024

He pointed to a 'critical error' when Rudakubana's first Prevent referral was made, in December 5 2019.

The inquiry heard that, despite searching for information on American school shootings during a computer lesson and also asking to see a picture of a severed head, Rudakubana's case was not escalated for intervention.

Greater Manchester Police, the force responsible for overseeing Prevent referrals in the North West at the time, failed to ask for Rudakubana's browsing history, which would also have revealed that he had been looking for gory pictures of 'degloving injuries'.

'Any competent analysis of the browsing history would have identified the concerning searches,' Sir Adrian said.

Mental health and autism

Officials repeatedly used Rudakubana's diagnosis of autism to excuse his behaviour, including his violence, Sir Adrian found.

'This was both unacceptable and superficial' and left him 'unmanaged,' he said.

The chairman pointed to the 'insipid response' of the child and youth justice service who did not check his internet use and repeatedly closed Rudakubana's case when he refused to attend appointments.

Rudakubana's diagnosis was also used as an excuse for him accessing inappropriate content about school massacres when his case was dismissed by Prevent, the report found.

Sir Adrian said the condition also led to a 'collectively inadequate response' to reports of violence towards his parents and by police and social services when he was found on a bus with a knife, in March 2022.

The former stage school star who featured in a BBC Children in Need advert at 11

According a police report into that incident, Rudakubana was suffering from a 'bad mh [mental health] episode' as regards 'multiple mental health issues'.

Despite indicating to officers that he wanted to stab someone, Rudakubana was not arrested for having a weapon in public but instead was treated as a 'vulnerable' person and simply taken home with more referrals to mental health teams and social care.

Officials never recognised that his autism 'significantly increased the risk that he posed,' Sir Adrian added, which also meant his obsession with violence and weapons 'escalated' to beyond what was normal.

Weapons

Rudakubana was able to accumulate a small arsenal of weapons, including knives, machetes, a bow and arrow and a sledgehammer, in the years before the attack  despite being under 18.

Sir Adrian was condemnatory in his criticism of online retailer Amazon for its inadequate age verification process. This allowed the then 17-year-old to order the eight-inch kitchen knife he used to murder by entering the name and date of birth of his father instead of his own.

Rudakubana also used a combination of fake identities and false information to buy three machetes, from three different online retailers, including one in Spain that used a delivery firm that wasn't even asked to check the recipient's age.

John Boumphrey, UK boss of Amazon, admitted the firm had 'got the balance wrong' and did not contest that it was 'child's play' for anyone to circumvent their supposed controls, in his evidence to the inquiry.

Although the firm has since made improvements, Sir Adrian said it was of 'profound concern that it took an incident of this magnitude to prompt Amazon into instituting new processes'.

'The consequences of these lax and inadequate safeguards contributed significantly to the profound and tragic consequences in this case,' he added.

Rudakubana pictured in the distinctive green hoodie he wore on the day of the attack. CCTV cameras caught him outside the Hart Space dance studio, in Southport, shortly before he launched the mass stabbing

Police and forensic teams on Hart Street, Southport, following the stabbing

Deanna Romina Khananisho, head of global affairs at X, pictured giving evidence at the Southport inquiry

Harmful online material

Sir Adrian found that 'degrading, violent and misogynistic' material Rudakubana viewed online 'fed' his unhealthy fascination with violence and prompted him to acquire a dangerous arsenal of weapons.

But the lack of exploration of his online activity was a 'significant failing' that 'hampered' agencies from identifying and addressing the risk he posed to others, Sir Adrian said.

Investigations by Lancashire County Council's children and family wellbeing service were 'highly limited and ineffectual' and amounted to little more than asking Rudakubana whether he was aware of the need to remain safe on the internet, the report said.

There was also a 'lack of curiosity' about how Rudakubana, who had not attended school for two years and was a near total recluse in the months prior to the attack, was spending his time.

Significantly, Sir Adrian said, his parents had not set any parental controls on his computer devices and 'more remarkably still' this went 'unnoticed and unchallenged' by all the agencies dealing with him.

Rudakubana set up accounts on X and Instagram, using fake dates of birth, and primarily followed young female influencers, the report revealed.

He had used his laptop, two tablets to view numerous images and articles relating to international conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Korea, Iraq and the Balkans, as well as pictures of dead bodies, the Twin Towers in New York and the victims of torture and beheadings.

Other subjects focused on the enslavement of women, torture, death, weapons and genocide, including ethnic cleansing in Somalia and Rwanda, where his parents were born. He also looked at mass graves with naked bodies in Nazi Germany, killings in Chechnya, and the fight against ISIS in Mosul.

Sir Adrian said the materials were 'seriously and offensively demeaning to women and girls.'

The inquiry heard that, six minutes before he left the house to carry out his murder spree, Rudakubana used Elon Musk's X social media site to view a video showing a knife attack on a conservative Syrian bishop in Australia called Mari Mari Emmanuel by a 15-year-old teenager.

But X only revealed to the inquiry that Rudakubana had lied about his age to set up an account when they received a hard copy request for information from the inquiry at their European headquarters, in Dublin.

Sir Adrian said it was also 'deeply regrettable' that X, formerly Twitter, refused a Home Office request to remove the video and 'failed to express any condolences to the victims'.
The SNPs pothole epidemic has left parts of Scotland looking like a third world country, it was claimed yesterday.

Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay said the dangerous state of many roads was a monument to two decades of neglect and failure by the Nationalists.

But a National Pothole Action Fund would give councils funds to make long-lasting improvements.

He said the Tory scheme would allow kerb-to-kerb resurfacing of scarred roads instead of patch-up repairs.

Visiting a battered street in Scotstounhill, Glasgow, Mr Findlay said: Sometimes this looks like a third-world country were in. Scotlands pothole epidemic is a monument to two decades of neglect and failure by the SNP.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay inspects a pothole in Glasgow

The state of our local roads is appalling and dangerous  and the buck stops with John Swinney, whose government has starved councils of the resources needed to repair them.

The Scottish Conservatives would fix this crisis by introducing a new National Pothole Action Fund that would give councils the money for kerb-to-kerb resurfacing and to buy state-of-the-art equipment to prevent the return of potholes.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also promised a 350million pothole fund to fill 5 million holes when he launched his partys manifesto yesterday.

Mr Findlay said the Tory changes would cut the money councils spent on compensation for motorists whose vehicles were damaged by potholes.

SNP candidate Calum Kerr said: The SNP delivered record funding of 15.7billion for councils in the Scottish Budget to tackle issues such as potholes.
LOS ANGELES, April 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, reminds investors of a class action lawsuit against Picard Medical, Inc. ("Picard" or "the Company") (NYSE American: PMI) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investors who purchased the Company's securities between September 2, 2025 and October 31, 2025, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the firm before April 3, 2026.

If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.

We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected].

The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.

According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. Picard was the subject of a manipulation scheme designed to fraudulently boost its share price. The Company and insiders dumped shared at artificially inflated prices. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about Picard, investors suffered damages.

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The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.

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SOURCE The Schall Law Firm
Soaring public sector wages have seen the number of Scots council staff earning six-figure sums reach almost 370 despite cuts to frontline services and some of the highest council tax hikes on record.

North Lanarkshire Councils former IT boss Katrina Hassell has topped the Taxpayers Alliance Town Hall Rich List 2026 in Scotland after her 2024/25 pay packet totalled 281,680.

It comes after the Labour-run authority increased its council tax by ten per cent last year with a further seven per cent rise agreed this year.

Critics last night warned that a bloated public sector was feathering its nest.

Ms Hassells remuneration package included 152,824 as compensation for loss of office after her role was removed from the councils management structure on top of her 120,780 salary.

She was one of some 369 council employees across the country to earn at least 100,000 in 2024/25  up by 24 on the previous financial year.

North Lanarkshire Councils former IT boss Katrina Hassell topped the Taxpayers Alliance Town Hall Rich List 2026

Gayle Shepherd took home a total salary of 255,953

It comes after North Lanarkshire Council came under fire last year after the Mail revealed that that Ms Hassell and former finance chief Elaine Kemp received combined exit payments totalling almost 1million.

Scottish Conservative finance and local government spokesman Craig Hoy said: When hard-pressed Scots are struggling with the SNPs punitive taxes and cuts to services, they will be appalled at the huge sums being paid out to bureaucrats.

The data also shows that Glasgow City Councils Scottish Events Campus [SEC] former director of people and technology Gayle Shepherd and chief executive officer Peter Duthie took home Scotlands second and third highest pay packets in 2024/25 totalling 255,953 and 240,758 respectively.

Scottish Event Campus Limited chief executive officer Peter Duthie earned 240,758

It also found that four of the top ten bonuses in the UK also went to SECs managing director Deborah McWilliams (32,979), director of conference sales Kathleen Warden (29,466), director of operations Colin Hartley (27,993) and director of exhibition sales Daniel Thurlow (27,256).

According to the Taxpayers Alliance data, Glasgow City Council has 44 staff or staff from its arms-length organisations who earned at least 100,000 in 2024/25.

Edinburgh International Conference Centre chief executive Marshall Dallas also made the highest bonus list after receiving 22,343 on top of his 177,022 salary.

John OConnell, chief executive of the TaxPayers Alliance, said: Taxpayers are caught in a pincer movement with a record-breaking tax burden on one side and a bloated public sector feathering its nest on the other.

A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council said: The Taxpayers Alliance continues to present itself as a champion of taxpayers, despite operating as a political pressure group that does not disclose its financial backers, earnings, or tax contributions.

Unlike the Taxpayers Alliance, our accounts are publicly available online and include full details of senior staff pay.
It was a bloody battle that heralded the end of the Jacobite risings.

And almost three centuries after it was fired at Culloden, archaeologists have discovered an unexploded mortar shell in the battlefield.

It is thought to have been fired from one of six Coehorn mortars used by government Redcoat troops against those fighting for Bonnie Prince Charlie.

It is the first unexploded ordnance found on the moor, near Inverness, and experts think its fuse fizzled out when it landed in the boggy ground.

Found on a dig last year and made safe, the shell has been revealed ahead of the 280th anniversary of the battle which is believed to have lasted under an hour on April 16, 1746.

The Battle of Culloden ended with catastrophic losses to the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart, or Bonnie Prince Charlie as hes known, with around 1,600 men killed.

Archaeologists discovered the unexploded mortar shell at Culloden

The shell has been revealed ahead of the 280th anniversary of the battle

Meanwhile, the government side reported just 50 deaths and fewer than 300 casualties.

Historians have described the conflict as the last pitched battle to be fought on British soil and a large area of the battlefield is now managed by the National Trust for Scotland.

Last years dig also unearthed more than 100 other projectiles, such as lead musket balls and cannon shot, the latter of which included what is believed to be a three-pound cannonball fired by the Jacobite artillery.

Head of archaeology Derek Alexander said of the newly unveiled ordnance: This is a remarkable  dare I say, explosive  find of the kind archaeologists dream of, but never expect to encounter.

Professor Tony Pollard, of the University of Glasgow, which was involved in the dig, told the BBC mortars were among the artillery deployed at Culloden.

The Coehorn mortar, named after its Dutch inventor Menno van Coohorn, was a lightweight, short-barrelled gun generally employed in sieges.
The Scottish leaders of Reform UK and the other main pro-Union parties have been accused of being either pathetically weak or in denial about the threat of another independence referendum.

The Scottish Conservatives condemned other leaders for failing to stand up firmly against John Swinneys renewed push to hold a vote on Scotlands future in the UK if the SNP secures a majority in next months Holyrood elections.

It follows Sunday nights first televised leaders debate of the campaign, when none of the other leaders emphatically opposed another referendum  and Reforms Lord Malcolm Offord even suggested that 60 per cent support for independence in the polls may justify another vote on the issue in the future.

Mr Swinney refused to outline his secret plan to secure another referendum if he wins a majority but claimed Scotland was stuck in a constitutional logjam  even though it is his own party that has relentlessly demanded another vote since Scots decisively voted No in 2014.

Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton said: John Swinney is deadly serious about breaking up the UK, and he put his plans up in neon lights last night. If the SNP win a majority, which he thinks is in the bag, Swinney will push relentlessly for an independence referendum. He even said it could be held in 2028.

The threat is real and obvious, yet Russell Findlay is the only opposition party leader alive to it and prepared to stand up to Swinney on Scotlands place in the Union. The other party leaders showed breathtaking complacency. They are either pathetically weak or in denial about Swinneys intentions.

Reform are fielding pro-independence candidates, and Lord Offord again provided Swinney with a route map to another referendum. Reform cant claim to be a Unionist party when they are so soft on this issue.

Last nights debate was a wake-up call to pro-UK voters. John Swinney will ignore the day job and devote all his attention to his independence obsession if he wins the election outright. Thats why its imperative that they vote Scottish Conservative on their peach ballot  to stop an SNP majority.

Rachael Hamilton, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives

The leaders of the six main parties were all questioned about another referendum during a BBC Debate Night leaders special in Paisley on Sunday night.

Lord Offord said Alex Salmond won a majority which led to the 2014 referendum and there was consensus between Holyrood and Westminster for it to take place, while polling indicated people wanted it.

He said people do not currently want the rancour of another referendum. When pressed on whether he was relaxed about another referendum he said that if there was an appetite at 60 per cent or so for another referendum that would be a different point of view but right now that is not the case.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said it is for those who support independence to set out the route to another vote, and said his party won 37 seats in the general election in 2024 when the SNP won nine after his party stood on a manifesto opposing another referendum.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex-Cole Hamilton said he has not given the issue a moments thought.

Mr Swinney said an emphatic victory for the SNP would lead to another referendum, and claimed Scotland is stuck in a constitutional logjam. When asked whose fault that was, he said it is the fault of Westminster because there has been a majority of MSPs supporting another referendum for a decade.

The SNP leader also insisted it is perfectly conceivable that another referendum could take place by 2028.

Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer said any majority of MSPs from pro-independence parties after the election should be considered another mandate for a referendum.

The leaders are due to go head to head again tonight (TUE) in the second televised debate on Channel 4.

Scottish Liberal Democrat campaign chairman Wendy Chamberlain said: In target constituencies like Inverness & Nairn and on the peach regional ballot, the Scottish Liberal Democrats are on the verge of winning new seats. Meanwhile there is not a single poll or projection which shows the Scottish Conservatives picking up seats.

With their half-hearted campaign continuing to bleed support on all sides, theyre retreating into their comfort zone, complaining about independence and getting nothing done.

Among the general public, the conversation has moved on. People care about access to local healthcare and tackling the cost of living so that is what Scottish Liberal Democrats will focus on. Back us on the peach regional ballot and remove useless Conservatives and nationalists alike.
California Congressman Eric Swalwell is facing a new fight on Capitol Hill after being slapped with a fresh investigation after bombshell 'sexual misconduct' allegations.

The Ethics Committee opened an investigation in the top Democrat and pledged to 'gather additional information regarding the allegations that Representative Eric Swalwell violated the Code of Official Conduct.'

The complaint states the investigation covers 'allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.'

The Committee also added 'that the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred.'

Swalwell dropped his bid for California Governor over the weekend after a woman claimed she had sexual encounters with him while he was her boss.

She alleged that the married Swalwell raped her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent in 2019 and 2024. She is one of the four women who have made allegations against the Democrat.

Swalwell announced he was suspending his campaign and is 'deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past.'

'I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made  but thats my fight, not a campaigns.'

Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales are both being targeted following disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct with past subordinates.

Gonzales abandoned his congressional reelection bid last month amid pressure over an alleged affair with a subordinate who killed herself.

Eric Swalwell speaks during the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco on February 21st

A view of the U.S. Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 13

Both men were pressured into their career-ending actions by leaders within their own political parties.

Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna of Florida noted on X Monday afternoon that she is 'being told there will be more disgusting stuff coming out on Swalwell in the next 24 hours.'

'For the members of Congress who are concerned about optics on expelling Swalwell, I think after the information drops you will be thinking otherwise. Eric, why don't you tell us a little about who was filming the video of the female sex worker,' she added.

A video of Swalwell and a woman in a bed made the rounds on X Monday, and at least two other individuals appeared to be present at the time. Swalwell is married to his wife of nine years, Brittany Watts, and is a father of three young children.

Luna and Democratic Women's Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico are both calling for Swalwell and Gonzales to resign or face an expulsion vote from their colleagues.

But they could also be axed alongside Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Republican Cory Mills, both Florida Representatives.

Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty by a House Ethics panel last month of numerous violations of House rules and ethics standards, including the alleged theft of $5 million in taxpayer funds.
Two restaurateurs who cooked up a VAT fraud of almost 700,000 have been jailed.

Antonio Carbajosa, 41, and Kevin Campbell, 44, who ran a group of venues in Glasgow including Cranside Kitchen and Halloumi, were busted after an HMRC probe.

They pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of VAT totalling 682,882 between November 2011 and October 2016 and were each sentenced to three years in prison.

Meanwhile their accountant Khalid Javid, 67, a prominent pro-independence supporter who was pictured with leading SNP figures including Nicola Sturgeon, admitted recklessly making a statement which was false.

Details of the case could not be reported until his part had been resolved. He had been due to stand trial before also pleading guilty yesterday.

The High Court in Glasgow heard Carbajosa and Campbell acted together in a co-ordinated way in the lucrative scam.

The men suppressed the true value of sales for their limited companies that were registered.

The firms between them included Cyprus Leisure, Rotunda Leisure, Lookoil, Catering 58, Beachfront, Seaside 41, South Promenade and La Reguera.

Antonio Carbajosa (pictured) ran a group of venues in Glasgow including Cranside Kitchen and Halloumi with Kevin Campbell

Accountants KA Javid & Co created their businesss VAT returns and dealt with other matters such as PAYE and corporation tax as well as annual returns to Companies House.

Carbajosa and Campbell meantime were responsible for creating and maintaining business records to calculate the levy.

Advocate depute Wojciech Jajdelski said: Carbajosa and Campbell did not comply with the VAT requirements in order to profit, in the longer term, from their restaurant businesses by not accounting for all of the VAT due to HMRC.

As a result of not all VAT due being paid to HMRC, the companies were more profitable than they would otherwise have been.

The companies were able to finance their commercial activities, including payments of staff wages, out of the sales income part of which ought to have been accounted for HMRC.

Carbajosa and Campbell were also able to take more money out of the companies as their personal income than they otherwise would have been able to do.

The fraud came to light after HMRC spotted initial discrepancies in returns from two of the businesses and a forensic accounting report was ordered.

Kevin Campbell (pictured) and Mr Carbajosa pled guilty to VAT fraud at the High Court in Glasgow

Mr Jajdelski said: The Crown accepts for present purposes that the total sum to which the fraudulent evasion of tax by the two men amounted was 682,882.

The advocate depute added that all of the relevant companies had an annual VAT turnover which was significantly in excess of that years registration limits.

Furthermore, three of the companies were not registered for VAT and did not pay tax on sales.

Mr Jajdelski said: Carbajosa and Campbell knew that the sales information provided in the VAT returns were false.

The advocate depute stated that HMRC made a total loss of 136,576 from Javids actions.

Sentence was deferred on Javid pending background reports until next month. He was granted bail meantime by judge Lord Young.
A woman has been hauled off an international Jetstar flight after her alleged 'erratic' behaviour forced pilots to divert the plane.

Australian Federal Police officers were alerted to an incident onboard flight JQ17, which was travelling from Melbourne to Phuket, Thailand, on Sunday.

Police allege the 37-year-old woman acted in 'an increasingly erratic manner' that escalated to 'verbally abusing passengers and cabin crew'.

The plane was forced to divert to Perth Airport where AFP officers boarded and removed the woman after she refused to exit the aircraft as directed.

The woman was charged with behaving in an offensive and disorderly manner endangering safety on an aircraft.

She will appear in court on May 11.

The maximum penalty for this offence is a $16,500 fine.

'Any kind of aggressive or anti-social behaviour on a flight can pose a direct threat to the safety of the aircraft, and passengers onboard,' AFP Acting Superintendent Peter Brindal said.

A Jetstar flight bound for Thailand was forced to divert to Perth on Sunday due to a passenger's allegedly 'erratic' behaviour

The plane left Melbourne and was bound for Thailand when it was forced to divert (stock image)

'The AFP works closely with the airline industry to intervene if anyone interferes with the safety of workers or the public in, or around, an airport, or on flights.'

A Jetstar spokesman said that the airline had 'zero tolerance' for disruptive behaviour'.

'The safety of our customers and crew is our number one priority,' he said.

'We apologise to customers for the inconvenience and thank them for their understanding and patience.'
An American Airlines flight has been diverted to Tucson, Arizona after a fire broke out on board the plane, according to local news outlets.

The blaze started Monday afternoon inside the galley of the aircraft, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing, according to Tucson Scanner.

It is unclear what sparked the fire, and whether there were any injuries.

The plane has since landed safely on the runway. The flames are believed to have been contained to the galley.

A plane galley is the kitchen area where flight attendants store, prepare and heat food for customers.

The aircraft was traveling from Phoenix Sky Harbor International to Miami International Airport when the inferno forced it to land 75 minutes after take-off.

Flight tracking data shows the flight, American Airlines 1429, landed around 1.30pm local time after departing from Phoenix at 12.15pm.

An American Airlines flight has been diverted to Tucson, Arizona after a fire broke out board a plane, according to local news outlets. (Pictured: An American Airlines plane in flight)

The blaze broke out Monday afternoon inside the galley of the plane prompting the aircraft to make an emergency landing, according to Tucson Scanner

It comes as airlines have been cracking down on passengers packing lithium batteries in checked luggage over fears they could spark a fire.

The Daily Mail has contacted American Airlines for more information.

This is a breaking news story with updates to follow.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have arrived in Australia for a four-day tour of Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were on a Qantas flight which touched down at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport shortly after 6.30am on Tuesday.

Their visit will 'focus on mental health, community resilience, and support for veterans and their families, alongside private meetings and special projects'.

A large crowd gathered at Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne for the first stop of their visit.

Harry and Meghan warmly greeted staff at the hospital entrance before they met children and posed for selfies as they wandered through the foyer.

The couple's children, six-year-old Prince Archie and four-year-old Princess Lilibet, have not joined their parents on the privately funded visit - which will not include any walkabouts to meet the public.

Harry and Meghan will also take part in private commercial engagements separate from a program of public visits.

It's the Sussexes' first visit to Australia since 2018, where the couple announced they were expecting their first child.

Follow Daily Mail's live coverage here.
Donald Trump insisted on Monday that Iran wanted to make a deal 'very badly' as his blockade of the Islamic regime's own oil blockade came into force.

The US President claimed the only sticking point between the warring nations was 'over nuclear', claiming Iran wanted an atomic bomb so it could 'exterminate the world'.

But he suggested once more that a deal was close, even though peace talks in Pakistan broke down in less than 24 hours on Sunday and despite fears that the ceasefire could end at 'any moment'.

Mr Trump ordered the US navy to prevent 'any and all ships' using the Strait of Hormuz from 3pm on Monday in a bid to regain the initiative 45 days into the war.

Iran shut down the shipping lane through which a fifth of global oil passes following joint US-Israeli strikes that caused a worldwide economic meltdown.

Tehran allowed a handful of friendly ships through and charged them in an unofficial toll system. However, Mr Trump has now decided to block all vessels.

He said on Monday that Iran's navy was 'lying at the bottom of the sea' and their last 'fast attack ships' will be 'immediately ELIMINATED' if they target his siege.

At a press conference while receiving a McDonald's order at the Oval Office  and tipping delivery driver Sharon Simmons $100  Mr Trump said: 'We've been called by the other side, they'd like to make a deal very badly, very badly.'

Pictured: Donald Trump takes delivery of a McDonald's order at the White House on Monday, tipping delivery driver Sharon Simmons $100

The US President ordered his navy to prevent 'any and all ships' using the Strait of Hormuz from 3pm on Monday in a bid to regain the initiative 45 days into the war (Cargo ship near the Strait)

He added: 'Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. We agreed to a lot of things, but they didn't agree to that. I think they will agree to it.'

The President said he would not let Iran 'blackmail or extort the world' and bragged that the US had 'more oil and gas than Saudi Arabia' and does not need the strait.

Iran's parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf lampooned his blockade on social media on Monday, posting: 'Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called 'blockade', soon you'll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas.'

Iran also warned that any US ships blockading its ports would be 'sent to the bottom of the sea'.

Despite direct talks ending on Sunday, indirect negotiations are ongoing and the two-week ceasefire in Iran appears to be holding.

One official told the Axios news website: 'We are not in a complete deadlock... both sides are bargaining. It's a bazaar.'

But Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the ceasefire could end 'any moment' because Iran broke the negotiation agreement.

He added: 'The agreement was that they would stop the fire, and the Iranians would immediately open the strait  they did not.'

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (pictured) lampooned Mr Trump's blockade on social media on Monday

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Meanwhile Israel is expanding its ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Beirut has signalled it will help to disarm Hezbollah and will meet counterparts from Israel in Washington on Tuesday.

But Hezbollah's leader Naim Kassem on Monday night urged Lebanon to step down from the talks.

Sir Keir Starmer warned on Monday night the war will cause 'untold economic damage' as ministers braced themselves for the International Monetary Fund to downgrade Britain's growth forecasts.

The Prime Minister said the impact already 'visible on every petrol station forecourt' would rapidly spread to the wider economy the longer the Strait of Hormuz remained closed.

But he rejected Tory calls to ditch Labour's Net Zero energy plans and lift the ban on new drilling for North Sea oil and gas.
It was billed as an awe-inspiring mission that highlighted the astonishing ingenuity and sophistication of the world's most powerful military.

But now the story of how an American air force crewman of an F-15 fighter jet was rescued in Iran is at the centre of an extraordinary online debate over whether it was all an elaborate smokescreen to cover up a disastrous US attempt to snatch Tehran's enriched uranium.

One post by a defence commentator on X, which described the official story as 'nonsense', has attracted 1.5 million views.

Details of the drama  tailor-made for a Hollywood action film  were given by a triumphant Donald Trump two days after the plane was shot down.

The mission to rescue one airman, he said, involved a staggering 'air armada' of more than 155 planes, including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refuelling tankers and 13 rescue aircraft, as well as hundreds of special forces troops.

The actual on-the-ground rescue was carried out under the cover of darkness by a strike force led by Navy SEAL Team 6  the US military's most elite unit  and Delta Force commandos flying in on two Special Operations transport planes also carrying small helicopters for the mission.

But a technical foul-up  the planes got bogged down on a muddy runway  allegedly necessitated a second rescue mission with US bombers creating a ring of fire around their makeshift air base to repel Iranian forces.

The missing aviator is now safe, according to Trump, who says the team that extracted him suffered no casualties.

The site of a downed American transport plane and two helicopters reportedly involved in a rescue operation in Iran earlier this month

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But the events surrounding the 'rescue' are now being hotly disputed, not least by Iran. So who is telling the truth?

Suspicions about the White House version of events have been fuelled by the lack of information about the rescued air force colonel, the plane's weapons systems officer, who has only ever been referred to by his call sign, 'Dude 44 Bravo'.

Meanwhile, his ability to walk more than a mile up a 7,000 ft ridge while  in the words of President Trump  being 'seriously wounded' and having very limited water has only strengthened the sceptics' case.

The pilot of the F-15  who ejected separately and could have landed some distance away from his fellow crew member  swiftly switched on his special beacon (which transmits an encrypted signal) and was rescued within six hours.

The US military was puzzled by why the other airman didn't do likewise but it now appears he was intent on finding a location where his signal transmission would be stronger.

Pentagon officials now say that when he did finally activate his beacon, they feared it might be an Iranian trap, as his initial radio messages were highly unusual.

According to the US TV network CBS, his first message was 'God is great' (Allahu Akbar in Arabic), which he followed with a four-digit number that the US military only belatedly realised was a police code for an officer in distress.

Rescuers were only fully convinced he was genuine when they asked him a question about his father.

It helped that he was almost simultaneously located by a new top-secret CIA device codenamed Ghost Murmur, which uses long-range 'quantum magnetometry' to trace the electromagnetic fingerprint of a human heartbeat.

Join the discussion What do you think the real motive was behind the massive US operation in Iranrescue or something bigger?

Wreckage believed to be from the downed US military aircraft involved in one of the attempted rescues

The cutting-edge technology, developed by defence giant Lockheed Martin, uses AI software to isolate the correct heartbeat from 'background noise'.

The Iranian government  along with myriad online voices questioning the official US narrative  claims that the huge operation to rescue Dude 44 was, in fact, a mission to snatch its estimated 450kg of highly enriched uranium, which ended in 'complete failure'.

They cite the fact that the two Super Hercules MC-130J military transport planes involved were deployed to an airstrip near Isfahan, a city 200 miles away from where the F-15 was shot down.

Isfahan is, however, close to the Natanz nuclear site, and an attempt to seize Iran's uranium would explain the huge number of planes and special forces troops involved.

Far more, they say, than would be required for the relatively minor job of extracting a single downed airman.

US-based defence commentator Tyler Weaver, who calls himself Armchair Warlord on X, where he has 150,000 followers, claimed the downing of the F-15 crew and the search operation were 'both fake', adding: 'Using multiple heavy transports, assault helicopters for 100+ operators is logistically absurd for rescuing one or two isolated airmen in a remote area.

'A standard search operation would have used one-two silent helicopters at night and not of this scale.'

Destroying Iran's deeply buried uranium stockpiles has long been a priority target for Israel and the US, and numerous commentators have argued that removing them would be the strongest justification for putting American 'boots on the ground' in the country.

Prior to the rescue mission, there had been reports that Trump was seriously considering sending special forces troops to do exactly that in a limited land operation.

'What was that F-15 doing up in that area? What was its mission? I think it was preparing for a ground attack on the Natanz nuclear reactor,' said defence consultant and former CIA agent Larry Johnson in a podcast. 'The story we've been given is a lie.'

Retired US special forces officer Anthony Aguilar was among those who said the use of such large transport planes  the MC-130 is a four-engine aircraft with a 132ft wing span  indicated a much bigger objective than rescuing an airman.

He claimed the 'rescue operation expanded' to become the 'desired... high-risk operation to ALSO seize the uranium in Iran'. He added: 'This WAS intended to be that operation. It failed.'

The two airmen ejected from their plane after it is thought to have been struck by an Iranian missile

The story of how an American air force crewman of an F-15 fighter jet was rescued in Iran is at the centre of an extraordinary online debate over whether it was all an elaborate smokescreen

The airman was located by a new top-secret CIA device codenamed Ghost Murmur, which uses long-range 'quantum magnetometry' to trace the electromagnetic fingerprint of a human heartbeat

Despite being adapted to use the roughest of runways, the two Super Hercules that took part in the rescue operation allegedly couldn't take off again after landing on an abandoned airstrip.

'We blew them up to smithereens,' Trump claimed, adding: 'It was sandy, wet sand, so we thought there may be a problem taking off because of the weight of the plane. And then we also had all the men jumping back on to the planes, and they got pretty well bogged down.'

It's standard US military procedure to destroy hardware to prevent it falling into enemy hands.

Iran, however, insists the two $100million (74million) Hercules were actually destroyed  along with two Black Hawk helicopters  by their forces in a ferocious firefight.

Anthony Aguilar disputed the claim the planes got stuck.

'I have seen MC-130Js plough through dirt, mud, snow and gravel. It is more likely that the aircraft took hits upon entry and... while on the ground,' he tweeted.

Whoever destroyed the planes, detractors have scoffed at the Trump administration's boasts about the success of an operation that cost such a vast amount in ruined high-tech kit.
ORLANDO, Fla., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Financial Educators Council (NFEC) is pleased to spotlight its growing presence in the Southeast Coastal Region through active state chapters in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. These chapters collectively form a dynamic regional alliance focused on improving financial literacy, promoting economic empowerment, and supporting sustainable financial wellness efforts.

While operating independently within their respective states, the chapters maintain a shared regional vision. Their coordinated efforts address financial education gaps that affect learners and families, while reinforcing the systems necessary to deliver high-caliber instruction and advocacy.

Expanding Access and Strengthening Academic Rigor

The Southeast Coastal region's state chapters are committed to increasing equitable access to financial education and ensuring that standards reflect the rigor applied to other academic subjects. Their advocacy includes stronger statewide graduation mandates, credentialed instructors, outcome-based assessments, structured K-12 pathways, family engagement, and reliable funding mechanisms. The coalition's goal is to establish financial education as a foundational life skill backed by measurable impact and long-term sustainability.

Representatives from each chapter contribute to advisory boards that guide regional strategy and state-level influence of financial education mandates. Their collective backgrounds span finance, public policy, education, and community leadership.

Regional Advisory Leadership

Laquetta McGill, CFEI, CPFWC, South Carolina  over 20 years' experience across banking, insurance, financial services, and sales; Lender Optimization Consultant with TruStage; Founder/CEO of MyPLAN Consulting Group and its nonprofit financial education arm, MyPLAN Forward.

Michael D. Fluker, CFP, CFEI, Florida  20+ years of experience advancing economic opportunity through education, empowerment, and strategic community partnerships; Manager, Financial Wellbeing Program at Credit Union 1, leading strategic efforts to enhance the financial health of credit union members and partners.

Chicarra Jones, MBA, South Carolina  financial educator, author, and advisor; creator and lead instructor of the BankWork$ program, a transformative initiative that has successfully trained over 200 individuals with knowledge and skills to secure careers in banking and finance.

Dr. Shameka Jones, MD, Georgia  physician, educator, community leader; co-founder of VeraRosa Higher Learning Scholarship, leading initiatives that expand access to STEM education and literacy; helps young learners develop analytical and problem-solving skills that empower sound financial decision-making.

Renee Price, CFEI, CPM, Alabama  financial strategist and entrepreneur; President of Work Smart Solutions, focusing on helping small businesses and founders become financially, operationally, and compliance-ready for sustainable growth.

Erick Sanon, Florida  more than two decades experience as a financial services professional, educator, and community advocate; expands access to practical financial knowledge for the underserved; founder of BrightBridge Insurance and co-partner in UV Financial Solutions, specializing in Medicare planning.

Jannese Torres, MS, CFEI, Florida  author, award-winning podcast host, and entrepreneur; founder of Yo Quiero Dinero, a company that teaches marginalized communities about entrepreneurship, investing, financial independence, and creating passive income streams.

Through their collaborative leadership, these advisors will advance evidence-based solutions and drive improvements in financial wellness outcomes throughout Southeast Coastal communities.

"Each state chapter serves its local communities' distinct needs, yet we are united in our commitment to improving financial well-being," said Vince Shorb, CEO of the National Financial Educators Council. "By working together regionally, we elevate standards and expand access to critical financial tools."

As a state-level initiative of the National Financial Educators Council (NFEC), the Southwest Coastal Financial Educators Council supports financial education professionals through accredited training, credentialing for financial educators, and program development resources. NFEC is an IACET Accredited Provider and Certified B Corporation dedicated to raising instructional standards and improving real-world financial outcomes.

Media Contact:

Claudia Martins

7026203059

[email protected]

SOURCE National Financial Educators Council
Congressman Eric Swalwell has announced he will resign his California seat after being hit with explosive sexual assault and misconduct allegations.

The Democrat - who suspended his run for California governor on Sunday - apologized to his family and staff but insisted the claims against him are false.

Pressure had been mounting since Friday, when the San Francisco Chronicle published a bombshell report in which multiple women accused him of misconduct.

A former staffer also told CNN that Swalwell raped her while she was drunk. He has denied the allegation and vowed to fight it.

But over the weekend, his political career went into freefall.

By Monday afternoon, Swalwell confirmed he would step down from the House of Representatives.

I am deeply sorry to my family, staff and constituents for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility for the mistakes I did make, he said in a statement.

He added that he was aware of efforts to force an immediate expulsion vote, warning that removing a lawmaker without due process within days of an allegation being made would be wrong.

Eric Swalwell appears at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, California on April 7

Ally Sammarco previously worked for Swalwell, and has accused him of improper sexual conduct

Eric Swalwell and his wife Brittany Watts attend a gala in 2022

But its also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties, he said. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.

Swalwell said he would work with his staff in the coming days to ensure his district continues to be served after his departure.

Swalwell dropped his bid for California Governor over the weekend after a woman claimed she had sexual encounters with him while he was her boss.

She alleged that the married Swalwell raped her twice when she was too intoxicated to consent in 2019 and 2024. She is one of the four women who have made allegations against the Democrat.

Swalwell announced he was suspending his campaign and is 'deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I've made in my past.'

'I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made  but that's my fight, not a campaign's.'

Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales are both being targeted following disturbing allegations of sexual misconduct with past subordinates.

Gonzales abandoned his congressional reelection bid last month amid pressure over an alleged affair with a subordinate who killed herself.

Eric Swalwell speaks during the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco on February 21st

A view of the U.S. Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, April 13

Both men were pressured into their career-ending actions by leaders within their own political parties.

Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna of Florida noted on X Monday afternoon that she is 'being told there will be more disgusting stuff coming out on Swalwell in the next 24 hours.'

'For the members of Congress who are concerned about optics on expelling Swalwell, I think after the information drops you will be thinking otherwise. Eric, why don't you tell us a little about who was filming the video of the female sex worker,' she added.

A video of Swalwell and a woman in a bed made the rounds on X Monday, and at least two other individuals appeared to be present at the time. Swalwell is married to his wife of nine years, Brittany Watts, and is a father of three young children.

Luna and Democratic Women's Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico are both calling for Swalwell and Gonzales to resign or face an expulsion vote from their colleagues.

But they could also be axed alongside Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and Republican Cory Mills, both Florida Representatives.

Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty by a House Ethics panel last month of numerous violations of House rules and ethics standards, including the alleged theft of $5 million in taxpayer funds.
The risk Southport killer Axel Rudakubana posed to others was toned down by professionals for fear of being accused of racism, a report into the massacre claims.

Born in Wales to parents who had fled Rwanda, he was enrolled at The Acorns School, a pupil referral unit in Ormskirk, Lancashire, at the age of 13 after being expelled from mainstream education for taking a knife into class.

Headteacher Joanne Hodson told the public inquiry that, from his first day, she realised the teenager was 'very high risk', with a manner 'devoid of any remorse'.

But when she tried to raise the risk he posed to others, Mrs Hodson said she was accused by children's mental health worker Samantha Steed of 'racially stereotyping [Rudakubana] as 'a black boy with a knife''.

Mrs Hodson told the inquiry that the accusation of 'racial profiling' had 'effectively shut me up'.

The warning about the risk Rudakubana posed  which featured in a draft of his education, health and care plan  remained in the document.

But parts were rewritten, such as a reference to his 'sinister' internet use being replaced with the word 'inappropriate'.

Inquiry chairman Sir Adrian Fulford concluded that it was 'unwise' for Ms Steed 'to raise issues of racial stereotyping'.

The risk Southport killer Axel Rudakubana (pictured) posed to others was toned down by professionals for fear of being accused of racism, a report into the massacre claims

Bebe King (left), Elsie Dot Stancombe (centre) and Alice Dasilva Aguiar (right) died after Rudakubana carried out a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class

While there was no suggestion she made a 'direct accusation of racial stereotyping against Mrs Hodson, the fact that such a contentious topic was raised nevertheless served to 'close down' Mrs Hodson,' Sir Adrian wrote.

He added that 'Mrs Hodson was raising a valid point about the need for a risk assessment', and this was 'another example of insufficient emphasis being placed on the risks that child may present to others.'

The inquiry into the 2024 murders concluded yesterday that it was the 'catastrophic' failures of Rudakubana's parents and other agencies which meant that chances to prevent the attack were missed.

Sir Adrian said if his parents had done 'what they morally ought to have' and reported his suspicious behaviour, he would not have been free on the day of the attack.

The inquiry at Liverpool Town Hall heard that the killer's autism had been used as an excuse for his past behaviour while a 'merry-go-round' of referrals and assessments meant no agency understood how dangerous the teenager was.

At the conclusion of his 760-page report into the attack, Sir Adrian called for the end of a 'culture' of agencies passing responsibility between each other.

Those he criticised included Lancashire Police, the government's counter-extremism service Prevent, various NHS mental health services, and the County Council among other services.

Headteacher Joanne Hodson (pictured) told the public inquiry that, from his first day, she realised Rudakubana was 'very high risk', with a manner 'devoid of any remorse'

Rudakubana (pictured) was enrolled a pupil referral unit in at the age of 13 after being expelled from mainstream education for taking a knife into class

He said: 'This failure lies at the heart of why [Rudakubana] was able to mount the attack, despite so many warning signs of his capacity for fatal violence.'

Now, Sir Adrian has called for urgent reforms adding that he hopes this will mark a 'genuine turning point'.

He described Rudakubana as a 'aggressive, near-total recluse, who bullied and threatened his family and unashamedly lied to officials'.

The inquiry revealed a pattern of mental health services and social care treating the teenager's autism spectrum disorder as an 'excuse' for his behaviour rather than seeing that in Rudakubana's case this 'significantly increased the risk that he posed'.

Sir Adrian said different agencies showed a 'scant regard' and a 'lack of curiosity' over Rudakubana's internet usage.

'I have no hesitation in concluding that the degrading, violent and misogynistic material that [Rudakubana] was viewing online contributed to and 'fed' his already unhealthy fascination with violence,' he wrote.

The inquiry heard a number of other concerning instances which involved Rudakubana.

In December 2019, Rudakubana carried out an attack on a boy with a hockey stick at the Range High School in Formby, just months after he had been expelled for admitting carrying a knife.

Sir Adrian Fulford (pictured) said if Rudakubana's parents had done 'what they morally ought to have' and reported his suspicious behaviour, he would not have been free on the day of the attack

Sir Adrian described this instance as a 'watershed moment' and that it proved 'beyond doubt' he 'was motivated by an ensuring desire to inflict severe harm on and possibly kill another pupil'.

In another serious incident in March 2022, Lancashire Police Officers found Rudakubana on a buds with a knife after he was reported missing.

Sir Adrian said this was the 'most marked example of the consequences of poor information sharing'.

If the teenager had been arrested it would have likely led to his home being searched and, in the words of Sir Adrian, 'critical information' such as the ricin seeds and the terrorist manuals he had downloaded might have been uncovered.

But Rudakubana was instead returned to his home in Banks, West Lancashire, with no further criminal action taken.

In response, Lancashire Constabulary's Chief Constable Sacha Hatchett, in words reported by BBC News, said the force accepted there was an 'opportunity' to arrest the killer that day and added: 'I am extremely sorry for this'.

Sir Adrian said had his parents reported their true level of knowledge to the authorities before the attack he would have been 'undoubtedly have been taken into care or held in custody'.

Stark criticism was levelled against his father, Alphonse Rudakubana, who Sir Adrian said had deliberately withheld information about his son's stash of of deadly weapons.

While Sir Adrian did accept that Rudakubana made his parent's life 'a nightmare' had said they failed to act out of a 'misguided and irresponsible' desire to avoid him being taken into care.

The inquiry concluded phase one of the report. The 67 recommendations of the report call for a joined up approach with agencies able to share information more effectively.

Speaking yesterday, the Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government were determined to 'take the necessary action to reduce the risk of such an attack happening again'.

Mahmood said that Phase Two of the inquiry will focus on the 'adequacy of arrangements for identifying and managing the risk posed by individuals who are fixated with extreme violence'.

This will include examining how agencies worked together, laws around knives and weapons, and the influence of the internet and social media.
Congressman Tony Gonzales resigned from office on Monday after the Daily Mail exposed a sex scandal involving his staffer, who eventually set herself on fire.

Gonzales, a Republican who previously dropped his bid for reelection, wrote on X: 'There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all.'

He then announced his intention to resign.

'When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office,' he said. 'It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.'

His resignation follows that of Democrat Eric Swalwell, as both faced ethics investigations.

In late 2025, the Office of Congressional Conduct opened an investigation into the alleged relationship between the Texas Republican, 45, and his former regional district director, Regina Aviles, 35, according to the attorney for Aviles's husband.

The announcement is a month after Gonzales announced he would end his reelection bid after he finished in second place in the jungle primary.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and others had called for Gonzales to drop out.

He had initially promised that for the rest of his term, he would show 'the same commitment I've always had to my district.'

In the weeks following his admission, the Daily Mail reported that Gonzales had been a ghost in his district.

Congressman Tony Gonzales became the second Congressman to resign Monday following a sex scandal involving a staffer who eventually set herself on fire

Gonzales had an affair with his late staffer, Regina Aviles, and initially denied it

However, Politico reported Monday that Gonzales was set to face an expulsion vote before the House alongside Swalwell, who quit minutes earlier.

In addition, it was revealed last week that a second staffer accused Gonzales of sending lewd messages, which were obtained by the San Antonio Express-News.

When reached by the Daily Mail, the unnamed staffer asked people to think about those most affected by Gonzales's actions.

'Just remember to pray for the innocents in all of this! Tony's wife and children did not deserve this. Regina Santos Aviles did not deserve this. Her son and husband did not deserve this. But she's getting justice as I promised her!' she said.

'This is a sad day in America when we have to run someone out of office for being a sexual predator!'

When asked by the Daily Mail if she thought Gonzales would have retired without her coming forward, she said 'maybe' but added that she was 'exhausted' from thinking about him.

She was also dismayed that Gonzales was likely to receive a full Congressional pension since he wasn't expelled.

'Even if he quit today, he'd get his pension. But there should be a rule in Congress that if you're let go for anything nefarious, that you give up your pension.'

The woman, who is also not named in the original report, said she came forward after Aviles's death, telling the San Antonio Express-News: 'This behavior needs to stop.'

For months, speculation has swirled over whether or not the Texan would fess up to the allegation, which was first reported in October 2025.

Gonzales with his wife, Angel, whom he said he has reconciled with

Elon Musk visits the US-Mexico border in Eagle Pass with Gonzales and Aviles (right)

The bombshell correspondence showed the married congressman petitioning his staffer for inappropriate pictures and asking her about sexual preferences.

The Daily Mail was the first to report the affair between Aviles and married father-of-six Gonzales, in October.

Aviles, who began working for Gonzales in November 2021, died in September 2025 after she doused herself with gasoline in her backyard and caught fire.

The husband of the elected official's alleged mistress confirmed the affair to the Daily Mail, granting his first-ever interview.

House Rule 23 in the Code of Official Conduct states that members of Congress may not have sexual relations with a person who works under their supervision.

Additionally, the Daily Mail obtained a text message from Aviles admitting she had slept with her boss.

Federal investigators reached out to her husband, Adrian Aviles, in November, after the Daily Mail reported on the affair, according to San Antonio attorney Bobby Barrera.

The OCC would not comment when asked about the investigation by the Daily Mail, which is in line with the committee's reputation for being tight-lipped.

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The romantic relationship between Gonzales and Aviles allegedly began in 2022, a former staffer for Gonzales told the Daily Mail anonymously for fear of retaliation.

Adrian believes Gonzales made the first move and was rebuffed by his wife initially due to text messages on her phone.

'He had made a pass at her and she'd mentioned, she'd said something about, you know, him being her boss and that that was inappropriate,' Adrian told the Daily Mail on Wednesday.

Adrian has said he will release text messages between his wife and Gonzales at some point, but has yet to do so, telling the Daily Mail he's weighing how to get the truth out while protecting his and Aviles's eight-year-old son.

In May, the Congressman and Aviles allegedly hooked up twice at a Hill Country cabin in Concan, Texas.

In June, Adrian says he discovered his wife's betrayal and texted Gonzales and several members of his staff, letting them know he knew.

After the affair became public knowledge in Gonzales's office, the Congressman allegedly stopped talking to Aviles, but did not fire her.

Instead, she was told to take a paid month off work and was slowly black-listed when she returned, losing more and more responsibility, her husband said.

Gonzales resigned over his affair with Regina Aviles, who took her own life last year. This photo of the couple was provided to the Daily Mail by Aviless husbands attorney, Bobby Barrera

Aviles admitted to having an affair with her married boss, Gonzales, in a text message to a friend shared with the Daily Mail by the pal

Adrian revealed she was 'spiraling' they were unable to reconcile after months of trying and he moved out with their son.

On September 13, Aviles doused herself with gasoline while on the phone with someone, sources told the Daily Mail. She caught fire and was airlifted to San Antonio from her home in Uvalde.

She died the next day at the hospital, with her autopsy revealing she was drunk the night of the incident.

One day after his March primary race, and as calls for his resignation from Republicans and Democrats reached a boiling point, Gonzales admitted to the affair.

He called it a 'mistake' and a 'lapse in judgment.' He added: 'I take full responsibility for those actions. Since then, I have reconciled with my wife, Angel. I've asked God to forgive me, which he has. And my faith is as strong as ever.'

His admission came just after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into the Texan's conduct following a report from the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) indicating 'substantial reason to believe' Gonzales was embroiled in the affair.

It is against congressional rules for a member to have an affair with a subordinate.

When pressed about Gonzales's admission, Johnson did not let much slip but admitted it was 'not against the law.'

The affair was discovered by her spouse, Adrian Aviles, who later moved out of the couple's home with their eight-year-old son

Insiders shared a photo of the Concan, Texas, cabin where two trysts between Gonzales and Aviles allegedly happened in May 2024

'I'm not going to get into private conversations,' Johnson told Punchbowl News. 'But I've told him to be forthright. Apparently now he's doing that.'

When asked whether Gonzales should remain in Congress, given the scandal, the top Republican - and devout Christian - played coy.

'Marital infidelity is not against the law,' Johnson said.

Reminded that it's against House rules for a member to have an affair with a staffer, Johnson admitted it was.

'Well, of course, yeah. That's being addressed. There is an investigation at Ethics. The OCC is on it. All those steps have already been taken and apparently were underway.'

'I've always been consistent, whether you're talking about Republicans or Democrats, we let the processes play out,' the speaker added.

Both Democrats and Republicans called on Gonzales to resign, or at a minimum, drop his bid for reelection.

Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina accused Gonzales of 'harassing his own staffer in the middle of the night' and has called on him to 'resign immediately and be held fully accountable for what he's done.'

Mace filed a resolution to force the House Ethics Committee to release its reports on sexual misconduct by members.

However, the House decisively voted to send the resolution to committee - a move that effectively killed Mace's effort to expose the reports.

'I think it's really disgusting how this institution protects itself,' Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna of Florida fumed.

'We just had a Member of Congress literally sexually harass a woman that then lit herself on fire and you all protected him!' she decried at a committee hearing. 'You guys all protected him! My own side, your side.'

This week, Luna filed a censure resolution - one of the most severe punishments in Congress outside of expulsion - against Gonzales for his misconduct.

Chairman of the Congressional Democratic Women's Caucus, Teresa Leger Fernandez, in addition to scores of other liberal lawmakers, also called for Gonzales's resignation.

'Representative Tony Gonzales's actions would result in a termination and investigation in any other workplace.'

'Representative Gonzales should resign,' she added, noting his 'abuse of power.'

Gonzales's position seemed even more tenuous after he finished second in the Republican Primary to return to his seat to Brandon Herrera, a conservative YouTuber known as 'The AK Guy.'

His competitor finished first with 43.3 percent of the vote to Gonzales's 41.7 percent.

The two of them would have faced a run-off election in late May to determine the Republican nominee in the November midterms.
The 16-year-old stepbrother who was sharing a cabin with Anna Kepner when she was found dead on a Caribbean cruise has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse.

Timothy Hudson will be tried as an adult in federal court, although he cannot face the death penalty because he was a juvenile at the time of the alleged slaying.

He was the only person inside the room with cheerleader Anna, 18, when she was allegedly killed by asphyxiation five months ago aboard the Carnival Horizon.

The baby-faced teen has made several closed-door court appearances in the past month with journalists barred from covering the case because of his age.

All records have remained under seal, with federal officials refusing to confirm or deny that a prosecution was underway.

Timothy  whose mother, Shauntel Hudson, is Anna's stepmother and the wife of her father, Christopher Kepner  has been allowed to live with an uncle while wearing a GPS ankle monitor.

If convicted, he faces decades in prison, although mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles were deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2012.

Anna of Titusville, Florida, was pronounced dead at 11.17am on November 7 while the 133,000-ton Horizon was en route from Mexico to Florida.

The 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner is (seen arriving in federal court in February) has been unmasked as Timothy Hudson after being charged as an adult in her murder

The high school senior, from Titusville, Florida, was on a six-day Carnival cruise to the Caribbean with her family when she was found dead onboard between Mexico and Florida on November 7

The Daily Mail was the first outlet to report that her body was found stuffed under a bed in the cabin she was sharing with her stepbrother and 14-year-old half-brother.

She had been wrapped in a blanket and covered with life preservers, according to our sources.

Anna had gone to bed early the night before, telling her family during dinner that she was feeling unwell.

While her half-brother wandered around the ship taking photos, she was left alone with her stepbrother who takes medication for ADHD and insomnia.

When the younger boy returned, he didn't see Anna but assumed she was staying up late with Christopher, Shauntel or their grandparents Jeffrey and Barbara Kepner.

He climbed into his bunk and went to sleep  unaware, sources say, that his sister's body was hidden just feet away.

It wasn't until the next morning when the two boys headed to breakfast that the family realized Anna was missing.

A medical emergency was announced over the ship's public address system, prompting Christopher, 41, to rush to her Deck 8 cabin, where a cleaning crew had just discovered the body.

Anna posed with her stepbrother, who is now accused of murdering her as he showed off his school diplomas

Anna died by asphyxiation aboard the Carnival Horizon and her stepbrother has been considered the sole suspect

A maid aboard the Carnival cruise was the one to find Anna's body wrapped in a blanket, covered over with life jackets and stuffed under a bed, according to our sources, who spoke under condition of anonymity

A law enforcement source later told ABC that Anna died from asphyxiation caused by a bar hold, suggesting an arm was pressed across her neck.

FBI agents swarmed the ship, interviewed the family and scoured CCTV cameras when the Horizon returned to Miami on November 8.

Timothy insisted he could not remember what took place in the cabin, according to sources.

But the boy's alleged involvement leaked out in court filings in a custody dispute between Shauntel and her ex-husband Thomas Hudson, 37.

They both referred to their son as a 'suspect' in court documents - with one filing describing bubbly Anna's death as a 'suspected murder'.

Thomas had sought emergency custody of their young daughter, claiming Shauntel took the kids on the ill-fated cruise without his permission  and even let the older children drink alcohol, an accusation she denied.

A Brevard County judge ruled that the girl was not in any danger and could remain with Shauntel and Christopher so long as Timothy was living elsewhere.

The couple had already removed him from their blended household in Titusville and placed him with a relative while the FBI investigation played out.

The high school senior was on vacation with her father, stepmother, half brother, and step brother Timothy (pictured) at the time of her death

Anna's father Christopher was in court supporting the boy's mother  Anna's stepmom  Shauntel, at a hearing in Florida on December 5

His location was redacted in court documents but when the Daily Mail traced the skinny, blond-haired teen to a relative's rural Florida home he would only say: 'I'd rather not talk.'

High school senior Anna had chronicled her love of travel on TikTok and been on several cruises.

'Anna was pure energy: bubbly, funny, outgoing, and completely herself,' her family wrote in an obituary.

She planned on joining the US Navy or becoming a K9 handler in the Titusville Police Department.

Christopher and Shauntel are still together despite the extraordinary strain on their marriage.

They released a joint statement to the Daily Mail after we revealed that Timothy had made a secret court appearance in early February.

'The loss of our daughter is a pain that will never fully heal. She was taken from us in a violent and senseless way, and our family has been permanently changed,' the couple said.

'Our grief is overwhelming, and her absence is felt in every part of our lives. No parent should ever have to bury their child, and no words can fully express the depth of our loss.

'We believe in accountability and in the importance of justice being carried out. Our daughter deserves justice, and her life deserves to be honored through a full and fair legal process.'
A FedEx driver who abducted and killed a seven-year-old girl while delivering her Christmas present revealed to his mother that he did not sexually assault the child because he had a low libido.

Tanner Horner, 34, spoke to his mother from the jail where he was being held after the abduction and death of Athena Strand in November 2022. The mother asked him what had happened in the shocking case.

'What did you do? Did she die on her own?' his mother asked in a recording from one of the calls played at his sentencing hearing on Monday, Fox 4 News reports.

'No,' Horner then admitted.

'Oh my God,' the worried mother responded, before asking him whether he sexually abused the seven year old.

'Tanner, I just hope you didn't do nothing weird to that little girl,' she told her son, who replied that he didn't.

'OK. I didn't think you did, I just know how you get,' Horner's mother said.

'Well, actually, with my medication, I barely even have a libido as it is,' the FedEx driver then revealed.

The shocking recording was played for jurors, who must now decide whether Horner should be executed for abducting Strand from outside her home in Paradise, Texas, while she played outside unattended.

Tanner Horner, 34, abducted and killed seven-year-old Athena Strand from outside her house in Paradise, Texas in November 2022

The seven-year-old was kidnapped and strangled by Horner when he was delivering gifts to her family home in November 2022

Horner had been delivering a box of Barbies that were due to be Strand's Christmas present when he abducted and strangled the youngster before dumping her body in a creek.

A now-infamous grab from a video camera inside his delivery van showed a concerned-looking Strand being driven to her death.

In another phone call played in court on Monday, Horner again denied raping Athena to his grandmother.

'Are you remorseful, Tanner?' she asked her grandson.

'How can I not be?' he replied. 'I haven't been on my medication for the last few weeks and I'm getting emotional.'

The FedEx driver then went on to break down on the call, while talking about how he would not be able to spend Christmas with his young son.

By January 2023, Horner decided to send Strand's heartbroken family a remorseful letter saying he does not 'do well with changes or things that are unpredictable' due to his Asperger's Syndrome - an autism spectrum disorder whose sufferers may struggle to cope if their usual daily routine is disrupted.

'When I first started out as a driver at FedEx, I was given a singular route and that route wouldn't change for a while,' he explained.

'After a bit, my employer started making random changes to my route, adding stuff from other routes so they could make more money.

'I don't do well with change, I can have meltdowns when unexpected changes to my daily routine happens.'

Horner (pictured during the abduction) blamed the murder on the delivery company FedEx changing his driving routes in a self-pitying letter to her family

He moaned about the impact his vile crime would have on his own family in the letter to Strand's loved ones

Horner said he was extremely stressed by not being able to drive the exact same route in his FedEx truck every day, which he blamed for committing the murder.

He said that his frustration with driving varying routes led him to have a 'suicidal episode' shortly before killing the seven-year-old, writing that the 'only thing that stopped me was thinking of my son growing up without his father.'

'I got put on medication and a week later I was back at work. I let my employers know I needed to keep a consistent routine and I wouldn't have any issues, and I was ignored,' he wrote.

'When I returned they did the opposite of what was good for someone like me. They put me on a different route every day.'

Horner then claimed his demands to FedEx 'went in one ear and out the other', and says 'in hindsight I think they were trying to get me to quit, which in retrospect was kind of scammy.'

Horner also moaned about the impact his vile crime would have on his own family in the letter to Strand's loved ones.

'So many people were affected by my breakdown. Not just your family but mine as well. You're never going to get to see your baby girl grow up... now my son is going to grow up without his father and protector,' he wrote.

He claimed the girl was in the 'wrong place at the wrong time.'

Horner claimed in the letter that Strand was in the 'wrong place at the wrong time'

At Horner's trial on Monday, prosecutors also revealed the first images of the creek where Horner dumped Strand's body

Horner's letter also included a 'side note' continuing his frustrations with FedEx, disregarding his role in Strand's murder and writing that the delivery company was 'negligent when it comes to safety'

'I'm sorry I allowed my mental state to be unstable. I'm sorry I took your little angel away from you. She didn't deserve it. My son didn't deserve to lose his father,' he wrote.

'My mother didn't deserve to lose her son. My fiance didn't deserve to have her wedding day stripped away from her. I pray my death eases your suffering,' he concluded.

Horner's letter also included a 'side note' continuing his frustrations with FedEx, disregarding his role in Strand's murder and writing that the delivery company was 'negligent when it comes to safety.'

In another letter addressed to detectives, Horner also tried to evade accountability for killing Strand by alluding to another person being responsible.

He said another man was present when he took Strand, alleging that the man pulled a 'rifle' on him and told him to murder Strand.

Prosecutors say there is no evidence of anyone else being responsible for Strand's murder.

Earlier in his trial, it was revealed that Horner also made an audacious request to investigators to be given a month to enjoy Christmas with his son when he was first arrested in November 2022

At Horner's trial on Monday, prosecutors also revealed the first images of the creek where Horner dumped Strand's body, as an agent said he waded in waist-deep water to retrieve her remains.

Medical examiner Jessica Dwyer testified that Strand was found naked in the water with her hands covered by plastic bags, though she noted the young girl's body showed no signs of sexual trauma.

Dwyer said that during the autopsy, it was determined that Strand's body showed evidence of trauma to her head, neck, chest and back.

A forensics expert previously testified last week that when police found Strand's body, she had markings pressed into her face that matched the floor of Horner's FedEx vehicle.

Earlier in his trial, it was revealed that Horner also made an audacious request to investigators to be given a month to enjoy Christmas with his son when he was first arrested in November 2022.

Horner was seen in footage played at his trial on Thursday being questioned after cops arrested him in November 2022, as they pressed him for the location of Strand's body.

The jury was told that Horner requested to have the interview with investigators, and he began the conversation by telling them: 'I imagine that you have, basically, a list and bullet points that you want to know from me.'

'There's only one thing in this world that I want,' Horner said. 'I want a month.'

He continued: 'You can't do that, I understand. Even if y'all have to put an ankle monitor on me, GPS monitor, check-ups with you.

'If you give me a month with my family, so I can have Christmas with my son, I'll tell you everything.'

Police told the suspect that his entitled request was likely impossible, as he was under arrest for the murder of the child.

'Either way, that's basically my price,' Horner responded. The request was not granted.
Queen Elizabeth was 'dismayed' with David Cameron over Brexit, a new royal book has claimed.

The late monarch is said to have made the comment to President Barack Obama during his visit to Windsor Castle after her 90th birthday in April 2016.

It came two months after Cameron, who was prime minister at the time, called the 2016 referendum on Brexit, which would take place in June later that year.

American journalist Susan Page, in her new book 'The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History', claims Obama told her how the Queen had laid bare her disapproval of the referendum to him during their lunch at the castle.

'At their luncheon, she was not only wary of Brexit but also dismayed by how David Cameron [...] was handling it  a very rare royal critique of a prime minister, in public or private,' Page writes.

'In a calculation that turned out to be disastrously wrong, Cameron had called a referendum for June, two months away.

'She [the Queen] said, effectively, "It's hard to understand why a prime minister, who presumably understands politics, would put a public referendum forward that he didn't know what the answer would be of such importance".'

In the new book, longtime journalist Page also claims the Queen was 'baffled' by the rise of Donald Trump.

Queen Elizabeth II with President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama during their visit to Windsor Castle in April 2016

Queen Elizabeth shakes hands with Obama during his visit to the UK in April 2016

Queen Elizabeth greeting David Cameron at Buckingham Palace at an audience to invite him to be the next Prime Minister following a General Election

She put the question to Obama during the same visit in April 2016, a month before Trump wrapped up the Republican nomination.

'Why is this person so close to running your country?' she asked Obama, according to excerpts of the book obtained by the Daily Mail.

Page wrote that she posed the same question to Prince Harry's new American girlfriend, Meghan Markle, several months later.

It took a year and a half into Trump's first term before he came face-to-face with the Queen, and he is now expected to meet King Charles during a US state visit in April.

The visit will reportedly include a glittering State Banquet at the White House thrown by Trump, who has made no secret of his admiration for the British monarch and his desire for the trip to go ahead.

In a post on social media entitled 'historic visit', Trump wrote last month: 'Melania and I are pleased to announced that Their Majesties, the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, will visit the United States for a Historic State Visit from April 27-30th, which will include a beautiful Banquet Dinner at the White House on the evening of April 28.

'This momentous occasion will be even more special this year, as we commemorate the 250th Anniversary of our Great Country.

'I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!'

The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History by Susan Page will be published on April 23.
Meghan Markle put on an 'exaggerated' show of friendship with the wife of Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos at a party in Montecito this weekend, a body language expert has claimed.

Rumours have swirled of a rift with Netflix after the Sussexes multi-million dollar deal with the streamer ended earlier this year, and Mr Sarandos unfollowed Meghan's personal account and her lifestyle company As Ever on Instagram.

However, the Duchess, 44, was all smiles as she held hands with his wife, Nicole Avant, before wrapping her in a tight hug at the Beef Season Two Tastemaker event in California.

It was one of several awkward moments for the Duchess, 44, at the party where she wore an almost identical dress to the star of the event, Carey Mulligan, while the majority of the other guests stuck to a monochrome dress code.

'Meghan's exaggerated, displayed attachment rituals here look aimed at showing there is no "beef" between her and Netflix,' body language expert Judi James said of her 'prolonged' hug with Nicole Avant.

The gesture appeared 'especially penned in underlined, bold italics' as Meghan 'performs to showcase her "bestie" to the camera'.

Highlighting how Meghan's torso is 'facing inward close and her arms are wrapped around Nicole in an entwined and prolonged hug' that 'signals emotional dependency and intensity' between lifelong friends, Ms James added.

She also noted Prince Harry and Meghan appear to be 'photo-bombing' Mr Sarandos and Nicole in group photos.

Meghan Markle put on an 'exaggerated' show of attachment at a recent Netflix party as she 'performed' her friendship with CEO Ted Sarandos's wife

After photos from the event were shared online, some fans questioned whether Meghan had 'disregarded' the event's dress code when they noticed she was wearing the same colour as Beef star Carey Mulligan

'The way the Sarandoses continue their "couples" posing in the lineup makes it look almost as though Meghan is photo-bombing their pose,' she said.

'They adopt a tight, smiling, mirrored pose of couples' unity, leaving Harry and Meghan to their side, but Meghan appears to want to share the affection, still having hold of Nicole's hand here.'

Ms James pointed out Meghan's 'umbilical hand clasp' with Nicole, as she added the 'tight grip' appears to suggest the Duchess is seeking 'further support and encouragement from Nicole'.

'As a gesture, it could give the impression of someone needily seeking extra support with camera-shyness, although that could hardly be the case for Meghan,' Ms James said.

On Saturday night, Meghan and Prince Harry joined several A-listers, including Orlando Bloom, Katy Perry, Riverdale star Charles Melton and British actress Carey Mulligan, at the Montecito launch party for season two of Netflix hit Beef.

Melton and Mulligan both star in the popular drama that returns to screens on April 16.

After photos from the event were shared online, some fans questioned whether Meghan had 'disregarded' the event's dress code when they noticed she was one of two guests wearing green amid a sea of black and white outfits.

Ms James also noted how Prince Harry and Meghan appear to be 'photobombing' Ted and Nicole in group photos

Meghan was all smiles while posing with Netflix boss Ted Sarandos

Ted Sarandos taking a selfie with the stars of Beef and other guests, most of whom appear to have stuck to a monochrome dress code

Join the discussion Do YOU think she fits into this Hollywood circle?

Meghan posed up a storm in a chartreuse silk dress from Heidi Merrick that was very similar to Mulligan's green gown.

The apparent 'faux pas' was criticised online, as X (formerly Twitter) users noted Meghan typically wears neutrals and questioned why she had opted for the olive green ensemble on this occasion.

One person wrote: 'Id believe it was a mistake if it wasnt THAT colour. Thats not a normal colour, and she never wears colour either, but the time she chooses to it just happens to be this really unique colour, the star of the party chooses?'

Another said: 'This could be one of Markle's biggest faux pas to date (and there have been very many).'

A third said Meghan's green dress was the reason she wasn't in any of the group photos from the event.

Meghan and Harry's appearance at the event came after Mr Sarandos quietly unfollowed the Duchess and her lifestyle company As Ever on Instagram  around the same time her brand was purged by the streamer, the Daily Mail revealed last month.

Netflix's boss was one of the first big names to follow Meghan when she returned to social media at the start of 2025.

In March last year, her lifestyle business's Instagram account launched, first as American Riviera Orchard and then as Ever, which Sarandos added to his list of around 450 accounts he follows.

But he unfollowed both Meghan and As Ever around February time  as did his creative chief, Bela Bajaria.

Both have been extremely positive about Meghan previously, with Sarandos calling her 'the rock star' as recently as last spring.

Mr Sarandos' wife Nicole does still follow Meghan on Instagram  but not As Ever. A Netflix source previously told the Daily Mail: 'Nicole and Meghan are still friends.'

Mr Sarandos has been co-CEO of Netflix since 2020, after being promoted from Chief Content Officer. He has been with Netflix since March 2000.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to begin their quasi-royal tour of Australia, which will feature a 'girls' weekend retreat costing as much as 1,700 a ticket.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's office said the four-day visit will 'focus on mental health, community resilience, and support for veterans and their families, alongside private meetings and special projects'.

The couple's children, six-year-old Prince Archie and four-year-old Princess Lilibet, will not be joining their parents on the privately funded visit from Tuesday to Friday - which will not include any walkabouts to meet the public.

Harry and Meghan will also take part in private commercial engagements separate from a programme of public-facing visits.

The Duchess will be interviewed on stage at a 'girls' weekend' retreat in Sydney, costing 1,400 per ticket.

VIP tickets for the event at the five-star InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel cost 1,670 and include a group table photo with Meghan.

Her appearance was announced last month by Gemma O'Neill, host of the Her Best Life podcast, which is organising the 300-person event.

Harry will be a guest speaker on Thursday at the InterEdge Summit, which explores the 'intersection of leadership, psychosocial safety and human connection in the workplace'.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their visit to Sydney, Australia, in 2018

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visiting Bondi beach in Sydney, Australia, in October 2018

Delegate tickets for the summit, hosted at Melbourne's Centrepiece conference venue, are available for 525, with platinum tickets costing 1,250 and a virtual ticket allowing on-demand access to Harry's speech costing 260.

The Office of Harry and Meghan said: 'Across all engagements, the visit will highlight the Duke and duchess's continued commitment to supporting mental health, strengthening support for the armed forces community, and championing the power of connection and shared experience to drive positive change.'

A petition on Change.org demanding 'no taxpayer funding or official support for Harry and Meghan's private visit to Australia', and arguing that 'public funds should not be used for private visits', has attracted more than 45,000 signatures.

The New South Wales Police Force said it would 'conduct an operation to ensure public safety is maintained during the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex'.

A spokesperson for the force, which is responsible for policing Sydney, told the Press Association: 'The operation will require some additional security measures throughout their stay in New South Wales, while minimising any disruption to the community.'

Victoria Police said it 'does not provide comment on specific operational arrangements'.

A spokesperson for the force, which is responsible for policing Melbourne, added: 'Police are aware two high-profile people are visiting Melbourne in a private capacity in April.

'Police routinely assess events and visits and will deploy resources as necessary to ensure community safety.'

Beginning in Melbourne, the Duke and Duchess will engage with organisations delivering services to young people and vulnerable women, alongside a visit to one of Australia's leading children's hospitals.

Meghan Markle at an event in Washington DC in October last year. The Duchess of Sussex will headline a women-only three-day retreat in Sydney next week organised by the Her Best Life podcast

Meghan's appearance was announced last month by Gemma O'Neill, host of the Her Best Life podcast, which is organising the 300-person event

Meghan will also undertake an engagement highlighting community-led support for women at a homeless services centre.

Harry and Meghan's office said the couple will 'place particular emphasis on the veteran community', joining families and artists connected to the Australian National Veterans Art Museum and supporting Invictus Australia.

It added that this will continue in Canberra, where Harry will attend engagements at the Australian War Memorial, including the Last Post Ceremony.

Harry and Meghan also have engagements with Movember and Australian mental health organisation Batyr.

In Sydney, the couple will join members of the Invictus community on the water in Sydney Harbour and meet past competitors.

The visit will conclude at a rugby fixture in Sydney between New South Wales Waratahs and Moana Pasifika at the Allianz Stadium on Friday.

The Sussexes carried out an official royal tour to Australia in 2018, five months after their royal wedding, and Meghan's pregnancy with Prince Archie was announced shortly after their arrival.

Harry said in his autobiography that Meghan 'dazzled' crowds on the 'hugely demanding tour', but warned her she was 'doing too well' and 'making it look too easy' like Diana, Princess of Wales.

In Spare, published in 2023, he wrote: 'Everyone knew that Mummy's situation went from bad to worse when she showed the world, showed the family, that she was better at touring, better at connecting with people, better at being 'royal', than she had any right to be.'

Harry's parents, Charles and Diana, visited Australia with their recently born son William on their first major royal overseas tour in 1983.

The 21-year-old princess proved a big draw with the Australian public, and the royal tour was hailed a success in promoting the monarchy.

After returning home to 'jubilant welcomes and exultant headlines' following their own Australia tour, Harry said in his memoir that he and his wife began to receive negative press, including a 'work of fiction about Meg making her staff miserable'.

The Sussexes carried out an official royal tour of Australia in 2018, five months after their royal wedding. Pictured: The couple in Sydney during the tour

Harry also undertook a portion of his gap year living and working as a 'jackaroo' on a cattle ranch in rural Queensland, saying in his autobiography that 'Tooloombilla was nothing like Eton' and he enjoyed the 'hard, sweaty, non-stop labour' in 'relentless heat'.

Writing in Spare, Harry said of his nine-week stint in Australia in 2003: 'This wasn't merely work. Being a jackaroo required stamina, but it also demanded a certain artistry.

'You had to be a whisperer with the animals. You had to be a reader of the skies, and the land. You also had to possess a superior level of horsemanship.'

The Duke added that he took to wearing a felt cowboy hat and adopted the nickname 'Spike' while in the country after comparisons were made between his haircut and the spines of an echidna from Sydney's Taronga Zoo.

The King is the monarch of Australia, one of the Commonwealth realms, and serves as the country's head of state.

Charles visited Australia as King in 2024, accompanied by Queen Camilla, on a tour that saw the couple take part in a community barbecue and a walkabout at the Sydney Opera House.

A referendum on Australia becoming a republic in 1999 was defeated by 54.4 per cent of voters, despite earlier polls suggesting that a majority supported the change.

Australia's current prime minister, Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese, is a lifelong republican but last year ruled out calling a referendum on the issue during his time in office.

The development of the Australian monarchy began in 1770, when Captain James Cook, on behalf of King George III, claimed the east coast of Australia.

Colonies under British rule were eventually established across the continent, and six of them united to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901.

Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia in 1954, where she was greeted by huge crowds across the nation with millions seeing her in person during the tour.
Princess Anne has been praised by fans as a 'formidable force' after she attended a reception for St John Ambulance in London last week.

The Princess Royal, 75, travelled to Clerkenwell in central London for the reception marking 40 years of the first aid charity's National Cadet of the Year Competition on April 10.

In her role as St John Ambulance's Youth Commandant-in-Chief, Anne was introduced to award winners from across four decades of the competition, including this year's honouree Emily England.

Photos posted on the Royal Family's Instagram showed a smiling Anne, who was dressed in her official uniform, greeting charity officials and cadets and posing for pictures.

Many cadets have since 'progressed to careers in healthcare, medicine and the emergency services', the caption highlighted the impact of the award.

Gushing fans declared Anne 'looked beautiful' in the pictures while praising her commitment to The Firm in the comments section.

One person wrote: 'The Princess Royal is a formidable force. The Royal Family is fortunate to have her.'

'The Princess Royal is amazing,' another added. 'Love how she encourages such an important group.'

A video of Anne arriving for the reception was later posted online as several Facebook users noticed a striking resemblance to her mother, the late Queen.

Princess Anne has been praised by fans as a 'formidable force' after she attended a reception for St John Ambulance in London last week

The Princess Royal, 75, travelled to Clerkenwell in central London for the reception marking 40 years of the first aid charity's National Cadet of the Year Competition on April 10. She is pictured with this year's winner, Emily England

One person wrote 'she looks so much like her late mother' Elizabeth II, while another suggested 'Her mum will be so proud'.

Anne was described as 'fabulous' in every way as one person declared the Princess Royal has 'always been a class act'.

Earlier this month, Anne visited the King's Royal Hussars (KRH) in Salisbury as part of her role as Senior Colonel of the Household Division.

The Princess Royal was appointed the key ceremonial role by her brother King Charles in 2023  and has shown an unwavering commitment to the position ever since.

During her two-hour visit to the Salisbury Plain Training Area, Anne spoke with troops about their extensive four-week training programme while also getting stuck in with exercises related to tanks, infantry and drones.

She also visited specialist stands displaying equipment that the KRH use and received a briefing on the CEMA (Cyber Electro Magnetic Activity) capability being trialled by the rest of the Field Army.

Dressed in a camouflage uniform and sunglasses, Anne appeared in good spirits as she received an update on the KRH's Iron Cyclone exercises since her last visit in 2024.

The Princess Royal has built up a strong association with the KRH for over 50 years, having first become Colonel-in-Chief when the regiment was initially created in 1969.

Lieutenant Colonel Dave Welford MBE, Commanding Officer KRH, described Anne's visit to the British Army site as an 'absolute privilege', and added that 'her continued interest in engaging with the regiment means a huge amount to all our soldiers'.

Anne, who is often regarded as the 'hardest working royal', was given her esteemed role by King Charles after Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth died and the new monarch became Colonel in Chief of the Household Division's regiments.

The position was previously held by her father, Prince Philip, and seeks to bridge the gap between the reigning monarch and the individual regiments of the Household Division.

The Princess Royal, who now plays an integral role in ceremonial duties, is already Colonel of the Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals.

Her new position was confirmed by Buckingham Palace in 2023 after her visit to the barracks to thank the military members who have been working through the night to ensure smooth proceedings on Saturday.

It comes after a busy few weeks for the Princess Royal  with Anne frequenting numerous Six Nations matches in the last few weeks.

Likewise, hard-working Anne is also expected to play a 'pivotal' role in keeping The Firm afloat amid the scandal surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.

As the Royal Family navigate the scandal, they will be looking to their down-to-earth and hardworking 'trump card'  the Princess Royal, 75, who is 'synonymous with dedication to duty', said royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams.

Photos posted on the Royal Family's Instagram showed a smiling Anne, who was dressed in her official uniform, greeting charity officials and cadets and posing for pictures

Gushing fans declared Anne 'looked beautiful' in the pictures while praising her commitment to The Firm in the comments section

Mr Fitzwilliams previously told the Daily Mail: 'She relishes a high workload and usually undertakes the most royal engagements of any royal. However, she prefers to avoid the media circus that follows the most high-profile royals.

'She is absolutely pivotal in keeping public support for the monarchy.'

The royal expert added that a wise and insightful Anne may likely be able to assist her brother, King Charles, with his handling of the crisis.

He explained: 'What Anne can offer King Charles, who reportedly has been under pressure from William over his handling of this crisis, is down to earth advice.'

Mr Fitzwilliams noted that the royal siblings may 'not always agree', but says that in such unprecedented circumstances 'it is pivotal that Charles listens to views which differ or are opposed to his own'.

Over the course of the last few weeks, the stoic Princess Royal has routinely maintained a brave face  while also delighting royal fans with her quick wit and humble nature during her public engagements.

And as calls for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to do 'the decent thing' and remove himself from the royal line of succession mount, one may begin to question where Anne could fall amid a possible royal restructure.

As Mr Fitzwilliams noted, the Princess Royal is currently 18th to the throne, given that the altered rules of succession in 2013 'unfortunately were not applied retroactively'.

'If they had been she would have been 5th behind William and his family and the public would undoubtedly welcome that,' he explained.

The public's insatiable love for Anne has certainly shown little sign of wavering, with royal fans often taking to social media to praise the 'humble' and 'class act' princess.

According to Mr Fitzwilliams, Anne's 'no-nonsense approach' is her essential attribute that has truly captivated royal fans.

He explained: 'She relishes a high workload and usually undertakes the most royal engagements of any royal. However, she prefers to avoid the media circus that follows the most high-profile royals.

'She reportedly does her own make-up and sometimes drives herself to engagements. She is also famed for her unstuffy approach and often recycles outfits.'

Mr Fitzwilliams also noted that while Anne holds the Princess Royal title, the down-to-earth royal is 'almost invariably referred to as Princess Anne' and also chose not to bestow royal titles on her children, Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips.
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Prince William and Prince Harry's distant cousin Daisy Knatchbull has announced her engagement to Italian music executive Giovanni Damiani on Instagram.

On Sunday, Daisy, 33, revealed Giovanni, 40, had popped the question with a 'gift shop ring' during a sun-soaked getaway in the Bahamas, as the Savile Row supremo showed off her turtle-shaped accessory.

It's a sign of what is sure to be one of the quirkiest society weddings in recent times, as the Daily Mail's Diary Editor Richard Eden revealed the couple could both wear 'top hats and tails' when they exchange vows.

Daisy, a great-granddaughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and distant cousin of Princes William and Harry, is a Savile Row tailor known for designing trouser suits for women.

Rarely seen in dresses, the beaming young designer was wearing a floral bikini in her engagement post, which included a clip of Giovanni's proposal.

The music executive used seaweed to spell out the words, Will you marry me in the sand, and surprised his now-fiancee with a 'cheap as chip engagement ring'.

Getting hitched, and making gift shop turtle rings a thing, Daisy captioned the post, as famous friends including Sophie Turner, Nigella Lawson, and Princess Beatrice's husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi congratulated the happy couple.

'Yipeeeeee. Congratulations,' the 42-year-old property developer wrote.

Prince William and Prince Harry's distant cousin Daisy Knatchbull has announced her engagement to Italian music executive Giovanni Damiani on Instagram

On Sunday, Daisy, 33, revealed Giovanni, 40, had popped the question with a 'gift shop ring' during a sun-soaked getaway in the Bahamas, as the Savile Row supremo showed off her turtle-shaped accessory

Meanwhile, Nigella, who will soon be seen on The Great British Bake Off, declared Giovanni is 'the luckiest man in the world' in her congratulatory message.

'And you havent done too badly, either! I feel the spheres are aligned,' the TV chef added.

While little is known about Daisy's relationship with Giovanni, the celebrity designers - who counts the Princess of Wales among her famous customers - told Hello! magazine that they live together in London.

She said the couple enjoy sharing Italian meals together and revealed 'we're always having Sunday lunches, barbecues, and dinner parties' when they're not working.

Daisy also shared her plans for motherhood as she told the publication: 'Im close to being 32, and in three years, Im a geriatric mother, right?'

'Its that age-old problem: Im a woman, and I want a career and kids. How do I balance that?

The jet-setting designer Daisy said she was completely focused on her career, adding: 'Id like to wait three years or so..because I want to be a present mother. But am I pushing the envelope or am I leaving it too late? You never know.'

At the Future Workforce Summit last November, Kate wore a slim-cut Roland Mouret suit in pale-grey wool that she paired with the 'Cascade' blouse from Daisy's Knatchbull

'But my life is not conducive to having kids right now, in terms of needing to hop on a plane and disappear off to America for three weeks for a trunk show.'

She added that Damian is also 'always racing around the world' as Daisy quipped she was focused on 'complete world domination' at the time.

Daisy launched her Savile Row storefront, The Deck, in 2019, before rebranding it as Knatchbull in October 2024.

Her celebrity clients include Bridgerton actress Adjoa Andoh, Sex Education star Gillian Anderson, and the Royal Family's most fashionable member, the Princess of Wales.

Kate has frequently donned Daisy's impeccably tailored creations in a show of support for her husband's family.

When she addressed the Future Workforce Summit in London last November, the Princess turned heads in the label's ivory 'Cascade' blouse, which she paired with a Roland Mouret suit.

The shirt retails for 600 and is among Kate's most cherished wardrobe staples.

Reflecting on her famous clientele, Daisy previously told The Daily Mail: 'Gillian, Suranne (Jones) - those women are amazing, of course, and we want everyone to feel like that: powerful, sexy, understated women.

'But I don't want it to ever feel unachievable. The reality is most women don't look like that. Our clients are just normal people who want to look and feel beautiful, and we can do that for them.'
MAYWOOD, N.J., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the National Institutes of Health, in the United States, it is estimated that over 2 million people are affected by aphasia, a language disorder most often acquired from stroke. The Adler Aphasia Center is proud to announce the establishment of a new Endowment Fund, a permanent endowment fund dedicated to a critical funding stream designed to support scholarships for Center members. This critical initiative strengthens the organization's financial foundation, allowing for sustained impact for future generations, ensuring that no one is ever turned away from Adler services for years to come.

The endowment kicks off with a generous contribution from Lisa and Richard Gelmetti. Lisa Gelmetti, MSPA, CCC-SLP, has worked with patients with aphasia for over 40 years. Currently, she is an Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall University, where she supervises graduate student clinicians working with members from Adler. Lisa and Rick are committed to supporting the Adler Aphasia Centers' mission of enriching the lives of individuals living with aphasia. This endowment will be managed for long-term growth, providing annual support to our members through scholarships. As Joshua (a member) shared "Thank you for giving me a scholarship to come to the Center. When I walked into Adler for the first time, I started to understand getting better is a process. It's not a class, it's a community. If I didn't have a scholarship to the Center, I don't know where I'd be right now."

About Adler Aphasia Center -Since 2003 the Adler Aphasia Center has a vision to reach those affected by aphasia by building awareness about aphasia and our services, working with members, caregivers, and volunteers to create a space for care, support, training, education, and understanding, as well as meeting the emerging needs of the aphasia community with innovation. In 2026, the Center expects to directly impact over 14,000 people from 17 of New Jersey's 21 counties across more than 425 institutions and community platforms while providing focused training for over 550 healthcare students and professionals.

Naomi Gewirtz, MSW, President & CEO shared "With the passing of Mike and Elaine Adler, the Center is faced with a new realitya reality that demands a renewed focus on sustaining and expanding the impactful work they began. It's never been more critical to receive financial support from donors such Lisa and Richard Gelmetti, as Adler works to help our members reclaim communication and connection after aphasia, even if they can't afford it. Establishing this endowment is a transformative step for Adler. It secures our ability to pursue our mission in perpetuity, ensuring we can meet the growing needs of our community regardless of economic fluctuations".

To learn more about the Adler Aphasia Center, visit www.adleraphasiacenter.org. To make a donation to Support Scholarships click here.

SOURCE Adler Aphasia Center
A quaint California town modeled after a traditional Danish village has been left reeling after its mayor was accused of secretly launching a tourism app for personal gain.

Solvang Mayor David Brown's side venture, Solvang Passport, has drawn scrutiny from residents and City Council members, who say they were blindsided by the project.

Critics have raised concerns over whether city funds were used in its development - and whether the app unfairly promotes select local businesses.

The smartphone app invites tourists and locals who download it to make Solvang their own personal 'playground'.

It highlights dozens of local businesses across the city while promoting QR codes - referred to as stamps - at each location for app users to seek out and scan.

The more stamps collected, the more points users rack up towards special rewards that include discounts or deal at some participating businesses.

The catch? Those small businesses that want to be featured must cash in a $250 monthly fee.

Solvang Skate Shop owner Robby Hargreaves took issue with this at a February 23 City Council meeting, asking if it was 'fair and just' for all the businesses in town.

A quaint California town modeled after a traditional Danish village has been left reeling after its mayor was accused of secretly launching a tourism app for personal gain

Solvang Mayor David Brown's side venture, Solvang Passport, has drawn scrutiny from residents and City Council members, who say they were blindsided by the project

The smartphone app invites tourists and locals to make Solvang their own personal 'playground.' The catch? Small businesses must pay a $250 monthly fee to be featured

At a later meeting on March 9 City Councilmember Elizabeth Orona also spoke up, saying: 'The app actually creates incentives to visit these select businesses but leaves other businesses out.

'And for that promotion, the mayor is asking for those businesses to pay him $250 a month - for that treatment over others,' Orona said. 'That necessarily creates an area of confusion, potential confusion, for our businesses.'

At the earlier meeting, Mayor Brown explained that he discussed the apps creation with the City Council's legal team.

When asked by Orona if it was generating revenue, Brown cheekily replies, 'Not yet. I hope it is. Stand by.'

But the app's sudden emergence was enough to land the issue on the March 23 City Council agenda, where members debated how to respond - and what action, if any, should be taken against both the app and the mayor.

Mayor Brown recused himself from that portion of the meeting.

Solvang City Attorney Chelsea O'Sullivan told council members that staff had conducted an audit of the Solvang Passport app to identify any city-owned assets, including video and text, that may have been used without authorization.

She said the mayor had used a snippet from a city marketing video on the site, which has since been removed.

Join the discussion How should towns handle leaders who mix public duty with private business ventures?

The more stamps collected on the app, the more points users rack up towards special rewards that include discounts or deal at some participating businesses

Solvang's famous Danish architecture featured overlooking a picteresque coffee chop

Orona also took issue with Mayor Brown using 'exact copies' of application downloads and 'copy and paste' phrases used on the city's official website - particularly on the 'things to do' page.

Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Orona who owns Solvang Trolley Ice Cream Parlor which is featured on the app said it wasn't costing the city any money

She continued: 'Do we care? I mean, do we take any action when someone - especially one of our own - is copying that and using it for private benefit or commercial purposes?'

Councilmember Louise Smith who owns a business in town also expressed feeling blindsided by the mayor, saying: 'The mayor's not approached me about being part of the app. Not that I want to, but I just feel that we are held to a high standard here, and ethically this doesn't look good.'

She then suggested launching a cease and desist, noting it was okay for the mayor to run this business outside of his term, but 'not appropriate' with the position he held.

Not everyone on the city council was against the app. Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Orona - who is not related to Councilmember Orona and owns Solvang Trolley Ice Cream Parlor which is featured on the app - said it wasn't costing the city any money.

This launched a heated debate between Orona and Claudia, in which she doubled down on the way the mayor was getting a 'private benefit' from how public money gets spent.

'I think we need to send a message to businesses and to the public that we have deep concerns,' Orona said.

'Until he stops using our content or starts sort of considering that there might be so much room for businesses to be confused about which role he's playing when he's speaking to them and what his motivations are and his biases are, that a cease, desist and refrain is important for us.'

The app's sudden emergence was enough to land the issue on the March 23 City Council agenda, where members debated how to respond - and what action, if any, should be taken against both the app and the mayor

Solvang Skate Shop owner Robby Hargreaves took issue with this at a February 23 City Council meeting, asking if it was 'fair and just' for all the businesses in town

One of the biggest critics of the app was Councilmember Elizabeth Orona who requested the city file a cease and desist against it

But Solvang City Attorney O'Sullivan cautioned that the City Council's concerns could infringe on Mayor Brown's rights to engage in commerce and free speech.

'I'm not trying to diminish any of the concerns expressed, but I think that is a reality - that there is a limit to what we can tell him what not to do.'

For now, it appears O'Sullivan's advice is being followed, with the City Council holding off on issuing a cease-and-desist order against the app.

But the issue is far from settled. Officials are expected to explore new measures to protect the city's intellectual property, along with potential updates to its ethics policy.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Brown for comment.
The traditional method of boiling lobsters alive causes extreme pain and should be immediately banned under UK law, according to a study.

Scientists have discovered that Norway lobsters  the main ingredient in scampi  can experience pain in a way similar to humans and other mammals.

The researchers found that common painkillers, lidocaine and aspirin, reduce the crustaceans' reactions to harmful electric shocks.

According to the authors, this suggests that lobsters really are feeling pain when they get hurt, rather than simply following mechanical reflexes.

Boiling the animals alive is already illegal in Norway, New Zealand, Austria and several Australian states.

But the researchers say their evidence shows that a ban on boiling should be introduced under UK law, which already regards crustaceans as sentient animals.

Coauthor Professor Lynne Sneddon, an animal behaviour expert from the University of Gothenburg, told the Daily Mail: 'Based on scientific evidence, it is not humane to boil crustaceans alive and so I support the concept of banning live boiling.

'We should always seek to end the life of animals humanely, and we would never accept boiling a cow or chicken alive, so it is time to rethink the way we treat these animals.'

Scientists are calling for a ban on boiling lobsters alive, after a study shows that they do feel pain

Researchers found painkillers reduce lobsters' response to damage, illustrated above. This suggests the crustaceans feel pain the same way we do

It is well known that lobsters and other crustaceans react to harmful or damaging inputs from the outside world.

As cold-blooded animals that cannot regulate their own body temperature, they also show an aversion to hot water and actively hide from heat where possible.

However, the question remained whether this really counts as experiencing pain.

Scientists distinguish between two types of response to harm: pain, which is the negative emotional experience associated with damage, and nociception, which is simply turning injury into action.

For example, if you touch a hot stove, you might instinctively pull your hand away before you start to feel the pain of the burn.

For years scientists have been divided over whether lobsters' damage-avoiding behaviour proves they feel pain or simply displays nociception.

In their recent study, Professor Sneddon and her co-authors tried to answer this question by examining how Norway lobsters change their behaviour while on painkillers.

When lobsters received electrical shocks that would be painful for a human, they attempted to escape by rapidly flipping their tails.

Scientists found that the responses of Norway lobsters, which are used to make scampi, show that they do feel intense pain while being boiled alive

How to humanely kill and cook a lobster Stun the lobster by cooling it down in the freezer to around 2C (35F). Once the lobster is in a torpor, kill it by driving a spike through the two main parts of its central nervous system. Turning it over, you should find a small hole beneath the tail which sits over the hind nerve centre. There will also be a shallow depression near the head which is above the front nerve centre. Drive a sharp screwdriver through both points until you hit the other side of the shell, twisting the spike to destroy the never centres. Return the lobster to the freezer to ensure it is humanely euthanised. Source: Hatfield Marine Science Centre

However, when they were injected with aspirin or had lidocaine dissolved into the water, this tail flipping behaviour all but vanished.

This suggests that lobsters have systems for feeling pain that are closer to our own than previously thought.

Lead author Eleftherios Kasiouras, a PhD student at the University of Gothenburg, told the Daily Mail: 'Responding to painkillers during potentially painful procedures means that what they experience is more than just simple reflexes.

'All that evidence supports that decapod crustaceans experience pain, and if you consider that they are considered sentient in the UK, boiling alive should be banned.'

Edie Bowles, Executive Director at The Animal Law Foundation, told the Daily Mail: 'The boiling of crustaceans alive causes unnecessary, prolonged and intense suffering to sentient animals.'

In December last year, Labour introduced an animal welfare strategy which suggested a ban on boiling crustaceans alive at home or in professional kitchens.

This follows the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, introduced by the Conservative government in 2022, which officially recognised crustaceans as sentient animals 'capable of experiencing pain and suffering'.

Instead, lobsters and crabs can be killed humanely by driving a knife through the main nervous system in a process known as splitting or spiking.

Meanwhile, scientists suggest that large-scale operations could use powerful electrical shocks to stun or kill crustaceans.

However, not all scientists are convinced that a ban on boiling crustaceans is the right response.

Professor Henrik Lauridsen, of Aarhus University in Denmark, told the Daily Mail: 'In my view it is highly likely that lobsters and other decapods feel pain during live boiling, but it doesn't automatically mean that live boiling should be banned in all situations.'

He compares the situation to that of recreational hunting for birds and mammals, where some level of pain is tolerated to make hunting legal.

For large crustaceans like lobsters and brown crabs, which can easily be killed by spiking or splitting, a ban on boiling is practical and 'makes complete sense'.

However, for smaller crustaceans like prawns Professor Lauridsen argues that a ban on killing by boiling might not be practical or desirable.

He says: 'Mechanical or electrical killing of a hundred or a thousand Baltic prawns fished during recreational fishing is not practically possible in a private setting, and the potential pain during boiling is brief.

'The real question is more of an ethical nature; namely, how much pain can we as a society accept when it comes to the interaction with other species.'
The billionaire space race is entering a tense new stretch, as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos vie to win a coveted moon landing contract.

Musk's SpaceX and Bezos' Blue Origin could go headtohead in a 250milehigh contest to secure their spot in NASA's first lunar landing in 50 years.

Both companies have been contracted to develop lunar landers, and NASA now plans to put the two in direct competition during next year's Artemis III mission.

Whichever lander impresses NASA's bosses the most will secure a spot in history as the first private company to put humans on the moon.

Following a shakeup of the Artemis timeline, Artemis III will not be a moon landing as previously planned, but a lowEarth orbit test of NASA's landing technology.

The mission will practice docking the Orion crew capsule, which will carry astronauts to the moon's orbit, with the lander that will take them down to the lunar surface during the 2028 Artemis IV mission.

SpaceX had originally been contracted to provide its Starship Human Landing System (HLS) for the first landing, but ongoing delays at Musk's space company prompted NASA to invite other bidders in October last year.

The space agency now says that 'one or both' of the landers will be involved in Artemis III, putting Musk and Bezos in a straight race for the moon.

The billionaire space race is entering a tense new stretch, as Elon Musk (pictured) and Jeff Bezos race to win NASA's moon landing contract

SpaceX was contracted to provide its Starship Human Landing System (pictured) for NASA's first moon landing in 50 years

Blue Origin and SpaceX's moon landers compared Blue Origin - Blue Moon SpaceX - Starship Human Landing System Contract value $3.4 billion $2.89 billion Crew capacity 4 100 Cargo capacity 30 tonnes 200 tonnes Height 16 m (52 ft) 52.3 m (172 ft) Diameter 3.08 m (10.1 ft) 9 m (30 ft) Fuel mix Methane and oxugen Hydrogen and oxygen

Although SpaceX and Blue Origin both had contracts from NASA to develop a lander, Bezos' Blue Moon lander was originally meant to serve later Artemis missions.

However, NASA now says it is ready to test whichever landers are ready when Artemis III comes around in 2027.

The spacecraft will be tested for life support functions, propulsion, and communication systems before a trial docking with Orion, which NASA says will 'put the landers through their paces'.

SpaceX won a $2.89 billion contract to develop Starship, an enormous reusable, methane and oxygenpowered lander.

The craft is designed to land vertically, much like SpaceX's reusable booster rockets, before lowering the crew to the ground with a 'space elevator'.

During Artemis IV, if selected, Starship will carry only four astronauts, but it has the potential to carry a crew of 100 and up to 200 tonnes of cargo.

Blue Moon, on the other hand, is more similar to the style of lander used during the Apollo moon missions.

The craft is powered by a mix of liquid hydrogen and oxygen and would be carried into space on Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space company is also racing to build a lunar lander. NASA now says both companies' offerings could be tested during the Artemis III mission in 2027

Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander (pictured) was meant to service later Artemis missions, but it could take astronauts to the moon during Artemis IV if NASA bosses are impressed by the craft's performance

The new Artemis timeline Artemis II : April 2026, lunar flyby (completed)

: April 2026, lunar flyby (completed) Artemis III : 2027, lowEarth orbit test flight

: 2027, lowEarth orbit test flight Artemis IV : 2028, lunar landing

: 2028, lunar landing Artemis V : 2028, lunar landing

Blue Moon is also much smaller than Starship, with a capacity for just four astronauts and a 30tonne payload.

NASA paid a fixed price of $3.4 billion to Blue Origin to develop the craft, but the company also contributed its own funds to the project bringing to total cost to around $7 billion.

While SpaceX had a considerable head start, the race is now becoming much closer than Musk might have hoped.

Starship has been tested 11 times, with most of the trials ending in explosive disaster, and the rocket is yet to achieve a stable orbit.

Successful launches in August and October last year demonstrated booster separation and mock satellite deployment, but Musk recently announced that the next test would be delayed until midMay without further explanation.

Meanwhile, Blue Origin recently posted a video showing the Endurance lander undergoing thermal vacuum chamber testing in preparation for spaceflight.

Blue Origin's chief executive, David Limp, wrote in a post on X that the test brought the lander 'one step closer to the moon!'

Later this year, the company plans a Blue Moon 'Pathfinder Mission' that will land near the moon's south pole.

While SpaceX has faced serious delays, Blue Moon has just completed thermal vacuum chamber testing in preparation for spaceflight

The lander will test its engines, communications, and life support systems, as well as deliver three tonnes of scientific and technological cargo for NASA ahead of the 2028 moon landing.

Amit Kshatriya, NASA's associate administrator, told The Telegraph: 'There's a Blue Origin lander that just came out of the chamber and that's getting shipped to Florida.

'I know the folks in Boca Chica are getting the block three Starship ready to roll. They're going to do static fires here shortly in April and hopefully get off relatively soon. So we're in earnest, and proceeding as quickly as we can.'

NASA says that the lander that is either ready in time or performs best during the Artemis III trials will be selected to carry humans to the lunar surface during Artemis IV in 2028.

However, the space agency says that Artemis V, a second lunar landing later that same year, could be provided by the company that wasn't selected for the first mission.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is also developing its own lander design, dubbed Argonaut, which will likely be ready during the early 2030s.

Argonaut is intended to help NASA with the construction of a moon base in service of the agency's goal of a permanent human presence on the lunar surface.

NASA plans to build an outpost near the moon's south pole, where frozen water and valuable mineral resources can be found.
A hidden figure spotted in an AI image shared by President Donald Trump has sparked end-times speculation online.

Trump posted the AI-generated artwork on Truth Social, showing himself dressed in red and white robes in a Jesus-like pose, appearing to heal a man as American symbols, including the flag, military personnel and fighter jets, fill the background.

But viewers quickly zeroed in on a shadowy figure high above the scene, which some claimed resembled a winged being with three horns, imagery they linked to biblical prophecy.

The figure appears suspended between soldiers, with what looks like large wings and three horn-like shapes rising from its head.

Social media users likened the imagery to the warning in Daniel 7, which describes a rising ruler who overthrows three kings or kingdoms as he gains power, though the biblical text does not identify which nations those kingdoms represent.

'I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn and three of the first horns were uprooted before it,' reads Daniel 7:8.

'Three horns subdued in Revelation. That's what WW3 is about, subduing or destroying three kingdoms, it seems,' one user shared.

Trump shared the AI-generated image after attacking Pope Leo, accusing the Church leader of being 'weak on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy,' and claimed that 'if I [weren't] in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican.'

The figure appears suspended between soldiers, with what looks like large wings and three horn-like shapes rising from its head

The Book of Daniel is often considered the 'prophetic twin' to the Book of Revelation, as both are major apocalyptic books of the Bible that many believers see as outlining end-time events.

Daniel is viewed as the Old Testament foundation, while Revelation is seen as its New Testament counterpart, using similar imagery, symbols and themes.

Daniel 7 describes a vision of powerful kingdoms rising and falling, symbolized by beasts and horns, before God ultimately judges them and establishes his eternal kingdom.

Specifically, Daniel 7:8 introduces a 'little horn' that rises among others and uproots three kings or kingdoms, imagery many prophecy interpreters associate with the rise of a dominant ruler before the end of the age.

That symbolism quickly became a focal point in online discussions surrounding the image.

Many social media users noted that while Trump himself did not post the AI-generated image on his account, suggesting a social media manager likely did, one person wrote: 'The reference to the antichrist was intentional.'

However, some users insisted that Trump was not portraying himself as the Antichrist but rather as a figure meant to draw attention and division.

According to the interpretation shared online, Trump is portrayed as 'bait,' a deliberately controversial leader who sparks outrage, setting the stage for the arrival of a more deceptive figure.

Trump shared the AI-generated image after attacking Pope Leo, accusing the Church leader of being 'weak on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy, ' and claimed that 'if I [weren't] in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican'

Join the discussion Wheres the line between satire and disrespect?

Some posts claimed the true Antichrist will appear as an 'angel of light,' described as charismatic and widely admired, who will seemingly rescue the world from turmoil, a concept the author linked to 2 Corinthians 11:14, which warns that 'Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.'

Regardless, the image has sparked outrage among many Christians, who deemed it 'blasphemy.'

'Equating yourself to Jesus? You'll burn in hell,' one user wrote in response to Trump's post.

'If you call yourself a Christian and you're not outraged by this, you really need to re-evaluate your faith,' another user posted.

Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene also criticized the AI-generated image, saying: 'It's more than blasphemy. It's an Antichrist spirit.'

Moments before sharing the image, Trump accused Pope Leo of 'toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon.'

He lashed out again at the pontiff on Sunday night, writing on Truth Social: 'I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.'

'Three horns subdued in Revelation. That's what WW3 is about, subduing or destroying three kingdoms, it seems,' one user shared. Pictured is the three-horned figure in the AI-generated image

Trump has described himself as a 'non-denominational Christian.' He has stated he is a 'religious person' who believes in God and has praised the Bible

'I don't want a Pope who thinks it's terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country,' Trump said.

The President went deeper into his opposition to Pope Leo and the church's stance on several issues, including COVID lockdowns.

'He talks about 'fear' of the Trump Administration but doesn't mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church and all other Christian Organizations had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers and everybody else for holding Church Services, even when going outside and being ten and even twenty feet apart,' Trump wrote.

The President then claimed that Pope Leo 'criticizes the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.'

The outburst followed recent criticism from the Pope over the weekend about the actions of the US military in Iran.

On Saturday, he told worshippers at St Peter's Basilica: 'Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!'

Last week, he criticized the President over his threats against the country when he warned that 'a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.'

The Pope called it a 'truly unacceptable' statement.
A tipster has revealed what he claims is the dummy model of the iPhone Fold  Apple's first foldable smartphone.

Sonny Dickson, a journalist and leaker from Melbourne, Australia, posted photos of the unit to X.

'Exclusive First Dummies of what the final size of the iPhone Fold, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will look like,' he wrote.

The images suggest the iPhone Fold will have a bookstyle design with a dual rear camera system.

While the foldable is one of Apple's most eagerly anticipated devices, many fans are unimpresed at the alleged dummy units.

Replying to Mr Dickson, one wrote: 'That fold is horrific, it's so tiny and will still cost $2300. Typical Apple.'

Another added: 'Apple has lost its way.'

And one vented: 'Omg the fold is so ugly?'

A tipster has revealed what he claims is the dummy model of the iPhone Fold  Apple's first foldable smartphone

Sonny Dickson, a journalist and leaker from Melbourne , Australia, posted photos of the unit to X. 'Exclusive First Dummies of what the final size of the iPhone Fold, iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will look like,' he wrote

The foldable dummy unit features a wide, rectangular screen, although the exact dimensions remain unclear.

'The Fold is too wide, can't palm that easily in normal phone use, when u flip it out that's fine but ya,' one viewer replied.

Another added: 'The folds size doesn't make sense to me I was hoping it would be more like a galaxy fold z.'

Over on the back of the device, you can see a camera bump with two lenses, while there does not appear to be MagSafe charging  Apple's magnetic charging system.

'if the Fold is missing MagSafe this will be a big NO for me,' one X user replied, while another vented: 'NO MAGSAFE FOR IPHONE FOLD?????????'

While further details remain unclear at this stage, several fans have already created renders of what they think the iPhone Fold will look like, based on the dummy.

'Form. Function. Fold,' one user replied alongside their suggested render.

Although it has been rumoured for years, it now looks almost certain that Apple is planning to unveil the folding iPhone in September 2026.

While further details remain unclear at this stage, several fans have already created renders of what they think the iPhone Fold will look like, based on the dummy

In his latest newsletter, Mark Gurman, Bloomberg's Apple analyst, explained: 'Apple Inc.'s first foldable phone is on track to arrive during the company's normal iPhone launch period later this year, people with knowledge of the matter said, rebutting concerns about major manufacturing snags.

'The company is scheduled to introduce the foldable model in September alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans haven't been announced.

'Apple's phones typically hit store shelves the week after they're unveiled.'

While rivals like Samsung and Google have had their own foldables for years, Apple aims to set itself apart with the 'crease', according to Jon Prosser, a YouTuber known for his Apple leaks.

'One big drawback to foldables, regardless of how cool they may look and feel, is that from too many angles, you can see and feel a crease down the middle of the plastic display where the hinge is,' Mr Prosser explained.

While this issue has plagued Samsung and Google for years, Apple has 'completely subverted' it, according to the leaker.

He explained that the tech giant will do this by using a metal plate to disperse the pressure of bending the display, along with liquid metal in the hinge itself.

The outside of the device will almost look like a standard iPhone measuring around 9mm thick, with a 5.5inch display.

'Form. Function. Fold,' one user replied alongside their suggested render of the iPhone Fold

iPhone Fold: Rumoured specs Style: Bookstyle Size: 5.5inch display when closed, 7.8inch display when opened Thickness: 9mm closed, 4.5mm open Cameras: One on the outside, two rearfacing, and one on the inside Colours: Black and white Price: $2,000$2,500

'That's relatively thin considering when you unfold this thing you'll be greeted with a 7.8inch iPad like display,' Mr Prosser said.

'You're looking at 4.5mm thin  it's kinda crazy.'

Of course, one of the features users will be most interested in is the camera.

According to the YouTuber, there will be a total of four cameras  one on the outside, two rearfacing, and one on the inside.

Meanwhile, one of the most unusual rumoured features is the return of Touch ID, in place of Face ID.

Mr Prosser explained: 'In terms of security, Touch ID will be making a return, right in the power button, which is also returning to the top of the phone.'

While Apple delighted fans this year with orange and blue version of its Pro smartphones, it's expected to opt for more muted tones in the foldable.

'The only colours available will be black and white,' Mr Prosser said.

Finally, the leaker gives an indication of the price  which he calls 'very, very expensive'.

'We're talking something in the ballpark of $2,000$2,500,' he added.

As ever, Apple is remaining tightlipped on all iPhone Fold rumours.

Speaking to the Daily Mail at Apple's London HQ in September following the launch of the iPhone 17 series, John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, politely declined to even discuss the subject.

'You probably know we never talk about anything in the future,' he said.

'We are so excited to talk about what we're going to be shipping to people tomorrow.'
The mystery of how Egypts Great Pyramid was built may finally be solved.

For decades, experts have struggled to explain how ancient workers lifted and positioned millions of huge stone blocks - some weighing up to 15 tons - without modern machinery. No written records reveal how they did it.

Now, a new study suggests the Pyramid of Khufu was built using a hidden spiral ramp running inside the structure.

Computer scientist Vicente Luis Rosell Roig believes workers used an edge ramp - a sloping path along the pyramids outer edges that was gradually covered as each new layer was added.

Instead of relying on massive external ramps, this would have allowed workers to move stones steadily upward, one level at a time.

The scale of the project is staggering. The pyramid stretches around 755 feet along each side of its base and rises to about 481 feet.

Historians estimate it was built from roughly 2.3 million stone blocks - a feat that required extraordinary planning and coordination during Pharaoh Khufus reign.

The new model also sheds light on how long the construction may have taken.

The construction of Egypt's Great Pyramid has long baffled archaeologists, with no surviving ancient texts explaining how its massive stone blocks were lifted and assembled so quickly

Simulations suggest blocks could have been placed every four to six minutes - a fast, consistent pace.

At that rate, the pyramid could have been completed in just 14 to 21 years.

When quarrying, transport, and breaks for workers are factored in, the total timeline rises to around 20 to 27 years, in line with existing estimates.

Crucially, the theory could also explain why mysterious empty spaces have been detected inside the pyramid. It suggests parts of the hidden ramp could still be inside.

'Old Kingdom technology precluded iron tools, wheeled heavy transport, and compound pulleys, but allowed copper chisels, water-lubricated sledges, ropes, levers, earthen works, and Nile barges,' Rosell Roig said in a study in NPJ Heritage Science, published in March 2026.

'Accordingly, we bound ramp slope, lane width/clearance, and friction, and evaluate the dispatch headway (time between placing successive blocks) required to satisfy the 2027-year window, encoding these constraints as model parameters.'

For centuries, experts have debated how ancient builders managed to raise such massive materials with limited technology while maintaining the pyramid's precise geometry.

Many earlier ramp theories struggled to explain how construction could continue efficiently without creating obstacles or requiring vast amounts of additional material.

Now, a new study proposes that the Pyramid of Khufu may have been built using a sophisticated hidden ramp system capable of moving stone blocks every few minutes

Rosell Roig's research aimed to address these challenges by combining multiple forms of analysis into a single system.

According to the study, he built a computer model that simulated how stones were moved and how the structure stayed stable as it rose layer by layer.

At the center of the system is the ramp itself, a gradual path built into the pyramid's outer structure rather than relying on massive external ramps.

Sections of the outer stone layers were temporarily left open to form the upward path, then filled in as work progressed, removing visible evidence of the ramp once construction was complete.

Rosell Roig described this method as 'a helical path formed by omitting and backfilling perimeter courses,' allowing the ramp to rise alongside the structure.

Timing proved to be one of the most important elements of the study. The model calculated that maintaining steady block placement intervals would allow construction to proceed within realistic historical timeframes.

When expanded to include additional logistical steps such as quarrying stone and transporting materials along the Nile, the overall construction window increased but remained consistent with accepted estimates.

Structural stability was another major focus, with staged finite-element analysis used to simulate the pressure created as each new layer of stone was added to the growing monument.

The results showed that 'stresses and settlements remain within plausible limits for Old Kingdom limestone under self-weight,' indicating the structure could support its own immense mass throughout construction.

The model was also tested against physical observations already detected inside the pyramid. Imaging technology has revealed unexplained internal spaces, and the study found that the proposed ramp geometry corresponds with those features.

This design would have allowed workers to move stone blocks steadily upward without constructing massive external ramps that would have required enormous amounts of additional material

That alignment suggests the voids may not be accidental gaps, but structural elements created as part of the building process.

A key strength of the model is its ability to be tested. Rather than offering an unprovable idea, the research outlines measurable physical markers that archaeologists could investigate.

These include 'falsifiable predictions (edge-fill signatures, corner wear),' referring to specific patterns expected where ramps were filled in or where heavy traffic would have caused repeated wear.

According to Rosell Roig, the model helps solve several long-standing questions about how the pyramid was constructed efficiently without leaving visible traces.

He wrote that the system 'helps reconcile throughput, survey access, and zero-footprint closure,' meaning it allows construction to remain efficient while preserving the pyramid's final appearance.

By combining logistics, geometry and structural modeling into a single framework, the study presents what it describes as a workable construction pathway grounded in measurable constraints.

If future archaeological investigations confirm the predicted physical evidence, the findings could reshape modern understanding of how one of the world's most famous monuments was built, not through brute force alone, but through careful planning, engineering precision and a construction method designed to disappear into the finished structure itself.
When I hear people ranting and raving about how terrible Paris is - crowded, busy, dirty, overrated - I find myself caught between comprehension and rage.

Having lived in the French capital for four years, Paris has a special place in my heart; I will always cherish the days I spent there.

But on the other hand, I understand the sentiment. The city is not always all its cracked up to be.

Flaky pastries, strong coffee, excellent wine (even the bottom-shelf supermarket stuff is good there), sure.

But also pouring rain for most of the year, rude residents and a work culture I struggled to fit into.

If youre not a born-and-bred Parisian, life here is not always easy. Even my French friends - who hail from the likes of Lyon and the south of France - would agree, theres a shared language between those whove grown up in the city that no amount of French fluency can teach.

I should know - Ive tried. Living in Paris for three years in the early 2000s - and again in 2021 - gave me the best leg up I could have asked for.

For me, I hoped living in France as a child would have helped me to integrate when I moved back in my early twenties. To an extent, it did - I wasnt met with quite as much attitude as my English-speaking friends.

Travel writer Erin Deborah Waks spent four years of her life in Paris

While the city is, of course, beautiful, it's certainly a flawed place, she says

But in reality, living in the most romantic city on earth isnt always easy.

I had dreamed of leaving my north London suburb behind. Nothing screams hell on earth in my book like a leafy neighbourhood, an hour from the city buzz, where everyone knows everyone and a neighbour can just pop over for a coffee unannounced (sorry, Mum and Dad).

I craved the anonymity of Paris, as well as its glamour.

Above all, I was dying to give dating a try in the 'City of Love' - hoping my experiences would be at least a tad more fun than in my suburban enclave.

And, with the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic behind me, it seemed like the time to go. Armed with a job in marketing and my vintage trench coat, I was off.

People warn you that Paris is expensive - but coming from London, I wasnt too worried.

That was until I realised rent for the flat I had chosen would amount to 1,200 - for comparison, my current London apartment sets me back just 1,000 with bills included. The first pitfall I encountered.

But that wasn't Paris' biggest downfall. I was expecting it.

Join the discussion Is Paris really a paradise for romance, or is its dating scene just a disappointing illusion?

It's marketed as the City of Love - so our writer put the romantic credentials of the city to the test

Paris snapped at sunrise from the top of Montmartre, one of the most romantic places in the city - vs (right), the reality of drinking alone here

What disappointed me the most was that, for a city that markets itself as romantic, its surprisingly difficult to find love here.

I had no such success here - meeting my partner back in comparatively unromantic London years later - while all my friends in Paris seemed devastated by a string of romantic betrayals: everything from prospective dates who wouldn't commit to full-blown adultery.

The prude English woman in me couldnt bear it when one man called me his girlfriend on the second date and asked me to meet his parents - with no prior warning.

Needless to say, there was no third date.

Dont take it from me, though - the list of romantic failures in Paris are ironic given the citys reputation as the zenith of romantic.

One friend told me: My entire dating experience with dating in France can be summed up as - every French guy Ive ever dated has proposed to (or actually taken me on) a romantic trip within the first few weeks. And is also doing the same with five other women. And hes in love with each one.

Romantic, sure. But hardly the seeds of a serious relationship.

In fact, I dont have a single friend who is still dating someone from Paris. Most of us failed to form strong love connections - and those who did were generally left in a state of utter heartbreak.

Paris is beautiful - great for a romantic weekend away. But perhaps not to actually find love...

While the city has many perks, dating here can be a struggle - and Erin left to move back to the UK with no handsome Parisian boyfriend in tow

While I am sure plenty of people find - and keep - love in Paris, for me, the city is far better as a romantic holiday destination with an existing partner than the place to find one in the first place.

The romantic notion of Paris is fast becoming cheapened - with garish proposals under the Eiffel Tower a dime a dozen, roses sold on street corners, accordian players serenading any lovers (read: tourists strolling, unaware, in their vicinity) and cliched restaurants offering deals on a 'menu for two'.

In glossy magazines and in the movies, every female character finds Prince Charming in the high-end restaurants and cafes of Paris.

In reality, you're more likely to be dumped by a Luc, Henri or Thomas who just 'doesn't have the time to focus on dating right now, mon amour.'

In a city of so many people, everyone seems to feel replaceable - you can move on from one girlfriend only to find a new one the next day.

Sure, you could put it all down to me being young, to the decline dating culture the world over, to the presence of online apps in every corner of the globe.

But it seems most paradoxical that the city in which Ive found dating the hardest is the one known as the city of love.
Fans of the BBC's The Capture shared desperate demands to the broadcaster after the final episode left a string of unanswered questions.

The final instalment played out on screen on Sunday (April 12), wrapping up the six-part drama that follows Holliday Grainger as DI Rachel Carey.

The storyline this time saw the detective inspector battling alongside the E Squadron as they looked into the death of Isaac Turner, played by Paapa Essiedu.

First launched in 2019, the series first followed Rachel as she uncovered a conspiracy following a former soldier being implicated in a kidnapping.

Previously entrenched in the UK's corrections unit, Rachel was then seen joining intelligence operations as she tried to expose the conspiracy she'd discovered in the second series - and finding herself in the midst of a new one.

The third series followed on a year after exposing the latest conspiracy plot, now acting as the Commander of Counter Terrorism Command, and overseeing the launch of a new surveillance system as the group investigated deepfake images.

Fans of the BBC's The Capture have been left making desperate demands to the broadcaster for more after the final episode left a string of unanswered questions

A major element of the new storyline saw Rachel spotting DSU Gemma Garland, played by Lia Williams, in the back of a selfie she took, despite the detective being dead

Rachel became the sole witness of a well-coordinated terror strike in London, and soon found herself in the midst of another conspiracy.

A major element of the new storyline saw Rachel spotting DSU Gemma Garland, played by Lia Williams, in the back of a selfie she took, despite the detective being dead - only for her to disappear from the image after looking at it.

Rachel was left questioning whether she had imagined seeing her or if it was a malfunction in technology, and it was all left uncertain as the end of the series followed on a cliffhanger.

Fans quickly flooded social media to beg the BBC for more episodes, as they admitted they 'didn't understand' and 'wanted more'.

One penned on X, formerly Twitter: 'There needs to be a fourth series of The Capture. It is so good. S3E6 was superb and left us wanting another series.'

Another chimed in: 'There'd better be a season 4,' as a third wrote: 'Is Gemma dead... I don't trust these scriptwriters anymore We need answers!!! We need S4!!'

'Need a season 4,' a fourth added, while a fifth concluded: 'What on earth was that ending meant to mean? Are they hacking her brain now?'

The show's creator Ben Chanan previously teased that the third series would be the show's last - but admitted he was uncertain at the time of the show's release.

Fans quickly flooded social media to beg the BBC for more episodes, as they admitted they 'didn't understand' and 'wanted more' from the series

He told the Radio Times: 'I'd think to myself as I was writing it "This is going to be the last series". Now, is that true? I don't know. Never say never, right?

'I think it's really healthy to just write each series as if it's going to be the last that you're not just hanging on to people for the sake of it.

'I think actors don't mind dying in a series particularly if it's probably going to be the last one but also if you give them a really good send off.'

Last month, The Capture fans were left raving over its return to screens.

The show, produced by Heyday Television, explores just how scary the development of deepfake technology is getting.

The likes of Indira Varma, Ben Miles, Lia Williams, Andy Nyman, Nigel Lindsay, Tessa Wong and Daisy Waterstone have all returned for the latest series.

The show left viewers lost for words when Home Secretary Isaac Turner (Paapa Essiedu) was shot dead on stage by an assassin.

The Capture fans have raved 'what a fantastic opener!' as the BBC thriller returned to our screens on Sunday

Four other police offices were killed as they tried to keep DI Rachel safe, and those watched at home were lost for words after Isaac was killed off from the show.

Many flocked to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts, with one writing: 'Sensational first episode #TheCapture.'

Another agreed: 'Wow that was an epic opening episode! #TheCapture,' as someone else said: 'Series 3, ep 1 so good. An explosive start. Riveting.'

'Series 3, ep 1 so good. An explosive start. Riveting,' someone else penned, as another wrote: 'TheCapture is the best show on TV, weekly TV is here. What an incredible, shocking opening episode!'

'Episode 1 of the new season of #TheCapture was so good!. Didnt see that end part coming. Roll on next week,' someone else penned, as another gushed: 'First episode of the new season of #TheCapture and wow. In total shock.'

'I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT! Great start to the series okay I'm hooked! #thecapture,' a seventh viewer concluded.

Daily Mail's TV critic Christopher Stevens gave the show four stars on its return.

Writing in his recent review, he said: 'Some people are easily bored. Paapa Essiedu, it appears, really can't be bothered with sequels. He stars in one series, then gets himself violently written out at the start of the next.

'His character in Gangs Of London chucked himself off a rooftop terrace rather than hang around for the second season.

'Now, in The Capture, he plays ambitious politician Isaac Turner, but even the promise of becoming the 'first black British PM' isn't enough to keep him in the show.

'The manner of his exit was certainly dramatic  shot through the head at a press conference, seconds after directing a flirtatious smile at counter-terrorism heroine Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger). That'll teach him not to indulge in casual workplace sexism.

'Essiedu has been cast as the disdainful Potions master Severus Snape at Hogwarts, in the forthcoming Harry Potter remake for U.S. cable channel HBO. We have to hope he won't Expelliarmus himself after the first year.'

The Capture is available to stream on BBC iPlayer
BBC Breakfast viewers gasped 'it's like pulling teeth' after being left 'reeling' by an 'awkward' travel chaos interview.

Jon Kay and Sally Nugent were on hand to front Monday's (April 13) edition of the morning staple.

During the show, the pair covered a story highlighting how around 100 people were left stranded in Milan - after a flight to Manchester departed without them.

Although they were due to fly out on an Easyjet flight on Sunday, Milan's Linate airport faced up to three hours of queues owing to new border control checks.

Jon explained to viewers: 'It's being blamed on [the] new border control checks at Milan's Linate airport, which are being introduced now right across the European Union.'

The presenters spoke to father and son Adam and Fredrik, who are still in Milan after not being able to board their flight back home.

Jon Kay and Sally Nugent were on hand to front Monday's (April 13) edition of BBC Breakfast - but not all viewers were impressed with one segment

The pair spoke to father and son Adam and Fredrik (pictured), in Milan who are stranded in Milan after not being able to board their flight back home

Addressing the situation, Adam said: 'We got to the airport early, as you do anyway.

'We waited for our gate number and went to border control, and they told us to wait [on] the left-hand side while they get the Easyjet flight for Heathrow and Gatwick through first.

'We all got told to wait by their border control and not to move.'

He added: '[Fredrik's] meant to be getting ready for school as we speak!'

Jon went on to ask Fredrik how he felt about missing school, with the young boy hesitating to think.

Adam could be heard whispering to his son: 'Upset. Tell them you're upset.'

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, many viewers soon shared their frustrations with this interview.

One wrote: 'What in the name of awkward interviews is this?'

Another added: 'That interview on #BBCBreakfast then. Christ. Like pulling teeth.'

A third chimed in: 'Putting words into the wee lad's mouth.'

A fourth remarked: 'Some people missed a plane. This isn't a story.'

A fifth echoed: 'This dad whispering, 'Tell them you're upset,' has me reeling.'

While a sixth shared: 'Awks interview.'

The segment also featured Simon Calder, travel correspondent for The Independent, weighing in on the travel chaos.

He said: 'It's just awful, I'm so so sorry.'

Continuing, Simon explained Easyjet would be hoping to fly out the stranded passengers on Thursday (April 16) - if they pay 110 each.

The airline has said they will offer a free transfer to all passengers, although Simon confirmed that they won't be paying for anyone's accommodation.

It comes as BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty opened up on being left 'curled up on the floor, screaming, vomiting and passing out' by an agonising health condition.

The presenter revealed how she had been battling Adenomyosis, which causes the lining of the womb to grow into the muscular wall, and can 'flare up at any time'.

The BBC presenter lived with painful heavy bleeding, vomiting, fainting and severe aching every two and a half weeks for 32 years before a private doctor finally gave her a diagnosis in 2022.

Elsewhere, BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty has opened up on being left 'curled up on the floor, screaming, vomiting and passing out' by an agonising health condition

Naga, 51, admitted that living with the condition has meant she has had to 'normalise' being in intense pain, that sometimes means she is unable to function at all.

The condition, which is thought to affect around one in ten women and often goes undiagnosed, causes severe pelvic pain, heavy periods and reduced fertility.

Naga told The Times: 'You become conditioned to accept extreme pain... If youre curled up on the floor screaming, sweating, flooding, passing out, vomiting, that is debilitating. But you end up normalising that pain.

'It can come at any time, but you put it in a box and you get on with your job  thats what most women do when theyre in pain.'

Previously, Naga revealed that her husband called an ambulance during one recent flare up when her symptoms become unbearable.

Speaking on her Radio 5 Live programme, she said: 'The pain was so terrible I couldn't move, turn over, sit up. I screamed non-stop for 45 minutes.

'Right now as I sit here talking to you: I am in pain. Constant, nagging pain. In my uterus. Around my pelvis. Sometimes it runs down my thighs. And I'll have some level of pain for the entire show and for the rest of the day until I go to sleep.'

Naga also opened up to The Sunday Times about the struggle of living with the condition, saying: 'Ive never been suicidal but definitely, because there were no answers, I just thought, I cant go through this in another two and a half weeks.'

Before she was diagnosed, in 2019 Naga opted to get sterilised in an attempt to stop her symptoms because she thought it was her 'only option'.
BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty has opened up on being left 'curled up on the floor, screaming, vomiting and passing out' by an agonising health condition.

The presenter revealed how she had been battling Adenomyosis, which causes the lining of the womb to grow into the muscular wall, and can 'flare up at any time'.

The BBC presenter lived with painful heavy bleeding, vomiting, fainting and severe aching every two and a half weeks for 32 years before a private doctor finally gave her a diagnosis in 2022.

Naga, 51, admitted that living with the condition has meant she has had to 'normalise' being in intense pain, that sometimes means she is unable to function at all.

The condition, which is thought to affect around one in ten women and often goes undiagnosed, causes severe pelvic pain, heavy periods and reduced fertility.

Naga told The Times: 'You become conditioned to accept extreme pain... If youre curled up on the floor screaming, sweating, flooding, passing out, vomiting, that is debilitating. But you end up normalising that pain.

BBC Breakfast star Naga Munchetty has opened up on being left 'curled up on the floor, screaming, vomiting and passing out' by an agonising health condition

The presenter revealed how she had been battling Adenomyosis, which causes the lining of the womb to grow into the muscular wall, and can 'flare up at any time'

'It can come at any time, but you put it in a box and you get on with your job  thats what most women do when theyre in pain.'

Previously, Naga revealed that her husband called an ambulance during one recent flare up when her symptoms become unbearable.

Speaking on her Radio 5 Live programme, she said: 'The pain was so terrible I couldn't move, turn over, sit up. I screamed non-stop for 45 minutes.

'Right now as I sit here talking to you: I am in pain. Constant, nagging pain. In my uterus. Around my pelvis. Sometimes it runs down my thighs. And I'll have some level of pain for the entire show and for the rest of the day until I go to sleep.'

Naga also opened up to The Sunday Times about the struggle of living with the condition, saying: 'Ive never been suicidal but definitely, because there were no answers, I just thought, I cant go through this in another two and a half weeks.'

Before she was diagnosed, in 2019 Naga opted to get sterilised in an attempt to stop her symptoms because she thought it was her 'only option'.

Female sterilisation is a permanent type of contraception, which requires keyhole surgery, where the fallopian tubes are blocked or cut to stop sperm meeting an egg.

Naga said the procedure wasn't a tough decision as she and her husband James Haggar, 52, were certain they didn't want children.

Previously, Naga revealed that her husband called an ambulance during one recent flare up when her symptoms become unbearable

She said: 'I knew I didnt want children and I didnt want to be reliant on hormones or the regimen of the pill because it didnt fit with my lifestyle. It felt like it was my only option.'

Naga ruled out a hysterectomy because she didn't believe it would eradicate her pain, and to manager her symptoms, she takes the hormonal contraceptive pill to prevent periods and is on HRT for the perimenopause.

'Two ultrasounds and an MRI later, there is still no solution', Naga explained, but says she remains hopeful more funding is available for research into women's health.

Speaking to the Independent she also discussed a time she nearly passed out on BBC Breakfast due to the sever pain.

She recalled: 'I just said, 'I have to leave'. And I went to the loo and I thought I was going to pass out, but I threw up and then just came back.'

The broadcaster has had a long wait for answers and treatment from doctors and revealed she's in pain even as she works.

She said on the radio: 'Right now as I sit here talking to you: I am in pain. Constant, nagging pain. In my uterus. Around my pelvis. Sometimes it runs down my thighs.

'And I'll have some level of pain for the entire show and for the rest of the day until I go to sleep.'

BBC Breakfast fans were left begging Naga Munchetty'you have to stop!' as they accused her of bulldozing a guest in an 'embarrassing' interview

It comes after BBC Breakfast fans were left begging Naga Munchetty 'you have to stop!' as they accused her of bulldozing a guest in an 'embarrassing' interview.

Naga, 51, made a return to screens on the news programme yesterday alongside regular co-star Charlie Stayt to discuss the top stories across the UK and beyond.

While many of her fans were overjoyed to see her back on screens, one segment that saw the duo sitting down with Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey had some viewers up in arms.

As part of the BBC's election coverage, Ed, 60, was on hand to discuss some of the party's plans for the UK ahead of the vote, which takes place on May 7.

Naga and Charlie, 63, were quick to quiz the party leader on what will be done on the rising costs of living and soaring fuel prices following the US-Iran ceasefire.

Davey explained he is calling for the Chancellor to step in and support the public with a 10p cut to fuel duty, as well as 10% off rail fares and a 1 cap on bus tickets.

But as he explained his point of view, he was soon appearing to clash with host Naga as the BBC Breakfast host kept 'interrupting' the MP as he spoke.

As part of the BBC's election coverage, Ed, 60, was on hand to discuss some of the party's plans for the UK ahead of the vote, which takes place on May 7

Charlie asked: 'Every politician has said that but how do you do it?' to which the MP explained: 'Well, it has happened in the past and we need the competition authorities to be really on this. It can be done and I think people really welcome'

Naga then jumped in: 'Well, the government is meeting with retailers. I mean, it's been reported and there was a rather fractures meeting with petrol retailers and fuel suppliers and the government is kind of putting that pressure on.

'Rachel Reeves has said "no, absolutely no to profiteering, and we will clamp down on this".'

Ed continued: 'You're right. So it can be done but what the government isn't saying is they're not gonna cut people's petrol prices and diesel prices.'

But Naga interjected again: 'Its not in their control, though.'

The MP continued on: 'It really is then under control. Their control over taxes. They could pass a S of what's called a statue institute, a bit of legislation next week and deliver these price cuts.

'So it's really in their control and that's why we are going to push them in Parliament next week, because I think people are really, really finding it hard at the moment and these extra rises in petrol and diesel prices have pushed'

Naga then interjected: 'Not everything, though, is it?' before the pair began speaking over one another as they tried to share their own viewpoint.

Viewers watching at home took to X, formerly Twitter, to complain about the segment, as they hit out at Naga for 'interrupting' people.

Naga, 51, made a return to screens on the news programme yesterday alongside regular co-star Charlie Stayt to discuss the top stories across the UK and beyond

One penned: 'Embarrassing..Naga trying to sound like she knows what shes talking about,' as another chimed in: 'Stop talking over your guests Naga.'

A third person added: 'You have to stop Naga interrupting people. He could barely get a word in - another one,' as a fourth said: 'Shut up, Naga.'

Naga Munchetty has been criticised for a brutal parting dig at Carol Kirkwood during the weather presenter's final appearance on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday.

Carol, 63, fought back tears in January as she revealed that she was leaving the Beeb in April, after more than 25 years with the broadcaster.

The BBC weather legend, who joined the team in 1997, waved goodbye to her co-stars on Wednesday's episode of the show.

During her last day in the studio, Carol chatted to presenters of the day Jon Kay and Sally Nugent, and was also joined by her co-stars Naga, Nina Warhurst, Peter Ruddick and John Watson.

Naga couldn't help but have one final jokey dig at Carol before she headed off, as the pair have been known to exchange humorous blows on our screens over the years.

After playing some of Carol's best bits, Naga jokingly told her: 'I am just waiting for the countdown for you to go!'

Naga Munchetty has been criticised for a brutal parting dig at Carol Kirkwood during the weather presenter's final appearance on BBC Breakfast

Everyone burst into laughter in the studio, but those watching at home weren't so impressed.

Taking to social media, some viewers wrote: 'Maybe Naga and Carol really didn't get on...'; 'Where was Naga Munchettys tribute to Carol Kirkwood amongst all the others on her last day presenting the weather on?'

Another said: 'Naga didnt do a pre recorded solo tribute like the other newsreaders did whove worked with her for years. Instead she tried her usual gotcha tactics to embarrass Carol.'

But one pointed out: 'Naga was there and gave her the Little Miss Sunshine picture.'

Naga continued: 'So here is a rare glimpse into me being lovely to you... So what do we call you? Not off-air! On-air. Little Miss Sunshine maybe?'

She continued: 'We've been seeing these VTs all day, tributes, we all think you're great, secretly. We know when we say to anyone "Carol is off", they go, "Oh my goodness. No!"

'You know the little Mr Men? What would we all be? Sleepy? Little Miss Sleepy? I think as Adam Hargreaves depicted, Little Miss Sunshine.'

The broadcaster then handed her a beautiful painting of the character.

Carol delivered her final BBC Breakfast weather forecasts after three decades on screen with the broadcaster - and left her fans emotional as she struggled to hold back tears.

She struggled to get her words out as she announced the news alongside co-stars Sally Nugent and Jon Kay, admitting she 'loves her job' but was keen to spend more time with her husband, police officer Steve Randall.

But the presenter appeared to hold it together as she delivered her final forecast, even as she was met with loving well-wishes in a VT from her fellow BBC co-stars.

Carol joined Sally and Jon in the studio for the last time, smiling for the cameras as she revealed what Britons could expect from the weather this week.

She also sat with them on the sofa at the end of her broadcast, where they thanked her for providing details for a 'few days ahead' so they could continue to have a 'Carol forecast' even after her departure.

Sally began: 'I don't know if you know Carol, but you have changed the way weather is reported on television in lots of ways, whether you're on the map or out on location, whether you're meeting our viewers...

'You've been broadcasting from massive events over the years.'

Carol went on to list: 'The Chelsea Flower Show, Wimbledon, the poppies at the Tower of London, Royal Ascot, there have been so many.'

The BBC then played an emotional VT from other stars at the BBC sending Carol their well-wishes, including Sue Barker, Vicky McClure, Paul Merton, Zoe Ball, Clare Balding, Chris Evans and Sir Chris Hoy.

A second tribute VT also featured Charlie Stayt, Louise Minchin, Sian Williams, Susanna Reid and Dan Walker gush over 'lovely, kind and caring' Carol.

The messages included telling Carol she was a 'ray of sunshine', 'great friend' and told her how she 'brought smiles to so much of the nation' as they predicted that audiences would 'really miss her'.

Sally and Jon also surprised Carol with a message from Canadian rockstar Bryan Adams, who thanked her for 'all the great weather reports over the years', leaving her in shock.

'That was lovely,' Carol gushed over the series of videos as it came to an end, adding: 'It's lovely to have made such brilliant friends, all genuinely lovely people.'

Jon then read out some of the messages sent in by viewers for Carol, who admitted they were emotional to wave goodbye to the weather presenter.

One wrote in: 'We're gong to miss Carol so much, she rarely misses Shetland in the forecast and we always appreciate that. We wish her all best wishes.'

A second said: 'I hope Carol enjoys her last shift at the BBC, she has been a steady presence for us in a chaotic world.'

And more wrote: 'Carol, thanks you for being a bright star on many a dull morning'; 'Your smile has brightened up every forecast no matter what the weather BBC Breakfast won't be the same without you'; 'Good luck Carol Kirkwood... she's a national treasure and BBC Breakfast won't be the same without her'; 'Best wishes Carol in your retirement'; 'You are an icon and I will miss you very much, sweet lady.'

Carol admitted it hadn't quite hit her that she was leaving the show, adding: 'I'm in denial, and I expect I will rock up on Monday...

'It's going to be weird, it's going to be weird not speaking to all our lovely audience, not seeing the crew both in front and behind the camera not just on BBC Breakfast but at BBC Weather.

'It's going to be different and I'm going to miss everyone horribly.'

The trio also looked back on Carol's career, from being a production assistant on BBC Breakfast before becoming the resident meteorologist for three decades.

Just before Carol waved goodbye to the show, she was joined by her husband Steve with a cake and a large bunch of flowers.

She concluded: 'I'm going to try and get through this. This is a forecast I've known for quite a while was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier to present.

'After 28 years as a BBC weather presenter, tracking storms, chasing sunshine, and occasionally getting it completely wrong, I'm saying goodbye.

'When I first walked into this studio, I could never have imagined what was ahead. Back then the graphics were simpler, the maps were a bit clunkier and I had a lot less grey hair than this.

'But one thing has never changed, and that is the privilege and honour of being welcomed into your homes. Thank you for trusting me, be it telling you about heatwaves or snow, to big national events and the everyday question of: "Do I need to take a brolly?"

'You've been the constant in all of this, and I've never taken that for granted. I'm really going to miss you... I owe you all so much.

'This job has given me so much more than a career, it's given me memories, I'll carry them forever. Friendships I treasure deeply.

'It's time for a new chapter, a bit more time with Steve, and perhaps the luxury of watching the weather instead of presenting it. Thank you for letting me be part of your lives.'

Back in March, Carol explained: 'My last shift on air will be on April 1, and it's not an April Fools! I can't believe it's coming around so quickly...'

Joking about the final eight early starts she would have to endure before exiting the programme, Carol added: 'First thing I'll do is throw my alarm in the bin.'

'Oh it's going to be sad,' she continued. 'It's a really happy thing as well, but I'm going to miss you guys and everyone, the viewers as well.'

Carol broke down as she made the announcement that she was leaving, explaining that she 'loved her husband more than her job'.

The Met Office-trained star choked up as she said: 'So, I'm going to be leaving - and it's really hard, really hard for me to say this because I love my job.

'But it's great - I don't want to be coming in in my Zimmer frame and saying, "I can't reach the Northern Isles anymore!"'

Discussing spending more time with her husband, she added: 'We only got married a couple of years ago and we're like ships that pass in the night, so I'm looking forward to doing that.'

Carol had kept the news of her departure secret from everyone - including her friends and her colleagues at BBC Breakfast.

She added with a smile: 'I love my job, I've loved working at the BBC, but I love my husband more than my job.'

Turning to Sally and Jon, she added: 'I didn't want to get emotional but you two are my friends and I love you dearly.'

As Carol finished delivering the news, Sally held her hand and Jon reached for a box of tissues before both gave her a tight hug.

Sally joked: 'There's one important thing that we haven't mentioned, which is that you are going to get a lie in.'

Carol's BBC career has regularly seen her go above and beyond the use of a clicker.

She has memorably reported on sunshine and showers at Wimbledon, the Chelsea Flower Show and Royal Ascot for BBC Breakfast, where she has been the main weather presenter since 2010.

And her sunny disposition has seen her laugh through the perils of live broadcasting, including being dragged to the ground by dogs on more than one occasion and laughing off a gaffe in which she called dog-walkers in Greenwich Park 'doggers'.

Carol began her BBC career as a production secretary and production assistant on, ironically, BBC Breakfast - and had no plans to become a meteorologist, leaving the Corporation for a time to work in consultancy.

She then auditioned for and underwent training at The Weather Channel in the US to become a presenter on its short-lived UK edition, before she trained with the BBC and the Met Office to join the Corporation full-time.

She joined the BBC Weather Centre in 1998, and quickly became a familiar face to millions on BBC News and BBC Breakfast.

Carol was joined by husband Steve on her final broadcast, surprised by cake and flowers

Her sparkling personality and endless on-screen charm has won her fans across the country, a collection of industry awards and wider recognition, including a place on Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, where she reached week eight with Pasha Kovalev.

Born Carol MacKellaig, she wed property developer Jimmy Kirkwood before announcing that they were separating in 2008 after nearly two decades together.

The split left her crying between delivering forecasts - but, as she later revealed to the Radio Times, encouraged her to come out of her shell.

She told the magazine: 'I found myself when I got divorced. I started to do things and to think, "I'm not going to say no, I'm going to say yes!"

'I'm braver now. I've flown with the Red Arrows, jumped out of planes with the Red Devils. When I was younger I would never have done that because I'd have thought, "Too dangerous!" Now I think, "Oh, you've got to live your life!"'

She wed Steve in December 2023 at Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire and the pair live together in Windsor.

She told House Beautiful magazine in July 2024: 'If he's at home, I'm happy. I don't need anything else. He's tall, handsome, kind, gentle, strong, funny, charming.

'He's a gentleman. He's good at cooking. I could wax lyrical about Steve forever.'

Carol had dropped hints that she might leave Breakfast last year - and in a written statement explained that leaving the broadcaster 'hasn't been an easy decision to make' but added it 'feels like the right moment to step away'.

She said: 'It's been an absolute privilege to bring you the weather every day. My job is something I've never taken for granted and I've loved every minute!

'From early starts and all manner of forecasts, I've shared it with incredible colleagues at BBC Breakfast, BBC Weather and programmes across the BBC. I'd like to thank them for their support and friendship which has meant the world.

'And to those watching and listening at home - thank you for all the kindness you have shown me over the years, being part of your mornings has been a joy.

'This hasn't been an easy decision to make, but it feels like the right moment to step away. I'll carry with me the most wonderful memories.'

Jonathan Munro, interim chief executive at BBC News and Current Affairs, said: 'Carol's contribution to BBC News and BBC Weather has been exceptional.

'From major national moments to the everyday forecasts that are such an important part of our audiences' lives, she has set the gold standard for our accurate, valued journalism - always delivered with an appropriately sunny outlook.

'She will be greatly missed by teams across the BBC. We wish her all the best for the future.'

Breakfast airs weekdays from 6am on BBC One and iPlayer.
China's zero-tariff policy for Africa: a development opportunity that concerns the west

11:11, April 13, 2026 By Dai Kairan ( People's Daily

Photo taken on Nov. 6, 2025 shows the Ugandan Pavilion in the National Exhibition Hall of the 8th China International Import Expo. (Photo/Wang Chu)

At the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference recently held in Cameroon, tariffs and market access once again became focal issues. During the meeting, trade ministers from African countries widely praised China's zero-tariff policy for Africa, noting that it will help advance the continent's industrialization.

In February this year, China announced that it will fully implement zero-tariff treatment on 100 percent of tariff lines for products from 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations. While African nations widely welcomed the move, some in the West reacted with alarm, falsely labeling it as "economic penetration" and claiming it would "disrupt global trade balance."

Why does this tariff-eliminating policy generate such concern?

First, this initiative lays bare the hypocrisy of some Western countries that engage in "fake aid, genuine exploitation".

Whether zero tariffs are beneficial is best judged by Africa itself. As one African scholar aptly observed, this is not merely a change in tariff rates, but a more stable and predictable destination for African exports. Historically, Africa has faced the paradox of possessing quality products while struggling to access global markets. Challenges including volatile export channels, steep market-entry barriers, and infrastructure limitations have prevented many distinctive African goods from sustainable participation in global trade.

China's zero-tariff policy aims precisely to unblock these channels and lower these barriers, enabling Africa's competitive products to gain a foothold in international markets. For Africa, access to China's 1.4 billion consumers -- with their growing purchasing power -- promises not only stable revenue but also industrial upgrading opportunities, increased foreign investment, and modernization pathways.

In short, it represents using the subtraction of tariffs to drive the addition of trade and achieve the multiplication of livelihoods.

A Ghanaian exhibitor promotes handicrafts from Ghana at the China Yiwu International Commodities Fair -- Import Goods Exhibition held in Yiwu, east China's Zhejiang province, Nov. 13, 2025. (Photo/Lyu Bin)

Some African scholars describe the zero-tariff policy as a "structural opportunity," not a short-term dividend, but a long-term pathway.

One can envision a virtuous cycle: as more African coffee, nuts, and fruits enter the Chinese market, foreign exchange earnings will grow, which can then be transformed into agricultural machinery, photovoltaic power stations, and processing lines, precisely the kind of endogenous development capacity Africa needs for industrialization.

Second, the policy reveals fundamentally different trade philosophies. China operates with an "incremental mindset": expanded channels create new opportunities; cooperation grows markets. Conversely, some Western perspectives reflect a "zero-sum mindset": finite opportunities mean one party's gain implies another's loss. Yet trade isn't inherently zero-sum -- collaboration can enlarge the global economic pie rather than redistribute fixed portions.

Recent global trade conditions have proven challenging. Unilateral tariffs imposed by certain developed nations have increased uncertainty for developing economies, with some African exports facing duties exceeding 30%. In this context, African nations naturally seek reliable partners.

Certain Western narratives mistakenly frame "cooperation" as "alignment" and "market access" as "influence expansion," overlooking a crucial reality: African nations are active decision-makers, not passive recipients.

At a time when some countries are raising tariffs and building barriers, China is genuinely lowering them. This, in itself, is a powerful response to the tide of protectionism.

Who is paving the way for Africa's development, and who is obstructing global trade? African people know the answer, and the world can see it clearly.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
WORCESTER, Mass., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG) will hold its annual meeting of shareholders on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. ET at its headquarters, located at 440 Lincoln Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. A live, audio-only webcast will also be available through the company's website under the "Investors" section.

Shareholders are encouraged to vote by submitting valid proxies in advance of the meeting or by attending the annual meeting and voting in person. As described in the proxy materials previously distributed to the company's shareholders and filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 26, 2026, shareholders of record at the close of business on March 19, 2026, are entitled to participate. For additional information about the voting process and the proposals under consideration, please see the company's 2026 proxy statement. The company's proxy materials, including the 2025 Annual Report and the THG 2026 Proxy Statement, are available at www.proxydocs.com/THG or at the company's website under the "Investors" section.

About The Hanover

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. is the holding company for several property and casualty insurance companies, which together constitute one of the largest insurance businesses in the United States. The company provides exceptional insurance solutions through a select group of independent agents and brokers. Together with its agent partners, The Hanover offers standard and specialized insurance protection for small and mid-sized businesses, as well as for homes, automobiles, and other personal items. For more information, please visit hanover.com.

SOURCE The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc.
A woman who is marrying a death row inmate convicted of a double murder has opened up on their upcoming wedding, which will see them say 'I do' with bullet-proof glass between them, two weeks before he could face the death penalty.

Tiana Krasniqi, from London, is now living in Texas waiting to wed James Broadnax, who was put behind bars is 2008 after he was accused of shooting and killing two music producers.

Tiana, 31, has only ever seen her husband-to-be through a glass screen since they met in 2024, when the mother-of-one began researching racial disparities across the US justice system.

Reaching out to Broadnax as part of her research, the pair soon struck up a romance via email, then speaking 'six to seven hours a day' which deepened their connection.

Tiana travelled to Houston, Texas, for the first time last year to meet Broadnax face-to-face, spending 90 days getting to know him before deciding to wed.

Despite criticism from her friends and family, admitting she has 'no support' from those around her, Tiana took to This Morning to defend her decision to marry James, and open up on his latest appeal.

A woman who is marrying a death row inmate convicted of a double murder has opened up on their upcoming wedding, which will see them say 'I do' with bullet-proof glass between them

Tiana, 31, has only ever seen her husband-to-be James Broadnax, convicted of a double murder, through a glass screen since they met in 2024

Broadnax is currently expected to receive the lethal injection on April 30, just two weeks after his wedding to Tiana, which will last no longer than 20 minutes and will take place with glass between them at all times.

Speaking about the start of their relationship to Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley on This Morning, Tiana explained: 'I contacted him, I was looking at cases that fell within that category within the trial court, and James was the person I picked after my research.

'About two of three months later, we kind of realised that it was more than a study, it was never intentional [that we set out for a relationship].

'He pretty much said to me that [his appeal] got denied from the Supreme Court so he wasn't looking for anything, and I was like, "I'm not either because it's not realistic" and it was just purely, let's just be friends is anything.

'He's very intelligent, very well spoken, very respectful, he is your normal person, just the fact that he's on death row makes a difference, but just the way he is as a person...

'I know a lot of people would say, "You haven't spent the day or a night with him" but if you speak to somebody every day for six or seven hours a day, you go through the same ups and downs.

'But it's just his personality and who he is as a person and believe it or not, he does have a moral compass, and integrity, and very quickly it happened.'

Tiana added of his proposal: 'It was a visitation, and I guess it's not the most romantic, he spoke to me about it and he confessed everything [he felt] and then asked.'

Tiana took to This Morning to defend her decision to marry James, and open up on his latest appeal ahead of the date set for him to face the death penalty in two weeks time

Asked by Ben and Cat about the wedding, she continued: 'It's behind glass again, and Texas have a very strict rule about no contact with death row inmates.

'It's a very quick 20-minute ceremony, you have an officiant, you say your vows and that's it and it's time to go...'

Tiana will be heading to the ceremony alone as she said she has 'no support' from those around her, explaining: 'Nobody is happy, it's not your typical, conventional relationship, there's not been any support.

'It's fine, I completely understand and I'm not going to hold any grudges but at the same time, people have been to prison and come out and have become better people... if it happened, God willing, that he got to come out I can imagine the same thing happening and he could change his life as he plans to do.

'Nobody is going to understand it, but it's okay.'

Broadnax was convicted of ambushing and killing Stephen Swan, 26 and Matthew Butler, 28, a married dad of two, as they left a music studio.

The case attracted attention due to claims of racism during the trial, after the prosecution had prevented seven black people from appearing as jurors.

Instead, the jury that sat in on the case featured 11 white jurors and one black juror.

Ahead of the execution, Broadnax's cousin Demarius Cummings has since made a bombshell confession to the crime, taking full responsibility for the deaths.

Broadnax (right) was convicted of ambushing and killing Stephen Swan, 26 and Matthew Butler, 28, a married dad of two, as they left a music studio in 2008

Cummings, who received life without parole, claimed that he acted alone in the killings after Broadnax's DNA failed to be found on the weapons used during the crime.

However, when he was interviewed by police following the crime, as The Sun reported, he had boasted he felt no guilt and would 'laugh in the face' of one of the victims' widow.

Nonetheless, Tiana is battling for appeal to prevent Broadnax, who is reported to have had no previous criminal record apart from a conviction of marijuana possession, from facing the death penalty, which has currently been set for April 30.

She continued on This Morning: 'I'm very realistic, and I understand people will always judge... however, I also understand the case very well and this is not the UK, you do get wrongfully convicted in the US and I'm not going into this blindly.

'With his confession, I have to clear up, he was under the influence of PCP (Phencyclidine) when he was interviewed, he had only been interviewed four hours after the arrest and he had made clear to the police he was high.

'They did put five interviewers in front of him and he took the blame for something that he didn't do, and he acted in a way that showed he was under the influence.

'They had excluded all African American jurors from the case until the last minute... they only added one, and within that time, there was the questioning of the jurors, and it wasn't the most racially neutral.'

During the trial, the prosecution presented the jury with a selection of rap lyrics that alluded to murder, robbery and drugs, to make the case for the death sentence.

Asked by Ben and Cat about the wedding, Tiana explained: 'It's behind glass again, and Texas have a very strict rule about no contact with death row inmates'

'He also had a bout 40 pages of rap lyrics, and when it came to the guilty verdict, the jurors had asked to see the rap lyrics twice before they made a decision to see if he was of future dangerousness,' Tiana added.

'They tried to make him out as a psychopath but nobody ever evaluated him directly.

'The new appeal is that the co-defendant, his cousin, had come out and signed admittance to say that he had done it, and it also matched the DNA... the DNA excluded James from both the weapon and the victim's clothing, it always matched to Demarius [Cummings].

'There are so many different appeals to show that James never committed the crime that he was accused of, and that he falsely confessed.'

Coming to terms that Broadnax might still face the death penalty, Tiana concluded: 'It's been a process, it's been a lot of conversations, a lot of prayer, you still have hope because the evidence is so overwhelming that he didn't commit the crime.

'You'd hope that people do stand up and fight for somebody that didn't do the crime.'

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.
A woman who was forced to marry a man twice her age and suffered years of abuse has opened up on her experience of being threatened into obedience in a horrifying religious polygamy plot.

Naomi Bistline features in shock new Netflix documentary Trust Me: The False Prophet, which looks at the crimes of Sam Bateman, a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who spiritually 'wed' child brides.

Since dropping on the streaming giant last week, the shock documentary has soared up the most-watched charts as viewers tuned in to hear the story of the young women who suffered Bateman's abuse.

The documentary, produced by Rachel Dretzin, follows author and educator Christine Marie and her videographer husband Tolga Katas as they grew close to the community living in Short Creek, Utah, once under the control of Warren Jeffs.

Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and known as a 'prophet' within their religious group, was convicted of sexually assaulting two young girls and is now spending life in prison.

Following his imprisonment, Bateman, 49, tried to take over the community by convincing vulnerable young women and girls that Jeffs was 'speaking through him' and that he had been appointed as the new 'prophet' for their group.

A woman who was forced to marry a man twice her age and suffered years of abuse has opened up on her experience of being threatened into obedience in a horrifying polygamy plot

Naomi Bistline features in shock new Netflix documentary Trust Me: The False Prophet, which looks at the crimes of Sam Bateman (pictured)

He went on to wed a large number of young women and girls, one as young as nine years old, and even gave wives as 'gifts' to his male followers, claiming that he had been instructed to have them sleep with other men 'by the Heavenly Father'.

Former TV star and cult expert Christine Marie moved to the secluded area in Utah in 2021 to help the young women being exploited, after experiencing a similar set of circumstances earlier in her life.

She too had been sucked into a religious organisation and sexually abused by an older man who claimed to be a 'prophet', using forms of humiliation and control to take over Christine's life before she managed to escape.

Entrenching herself within the community and following Bateman and his wives over a two-year period, Christine Marie was able to expose how Bateman had been sexually abusing his wives, as well as sex trafficking them, including the young children.

She began working with the FBI, with the help of a concerned FLDS mother whose five daughters had all been wed to Bateman, to bring down the predator who was later sentenced to 50 years behind bars.

Now, one of the wives, Naomi, has opened up on the reality of being wed to Bateman, admitting she was 'threatened' into obedience that saw her and her sister wife Moretta sent to prison for their part in his crimes.

In the documentary, it is described how Naomi, then 23 and one of Bateman's most loyal adult wives, had been coerced into marrying Bateman by her family's caretaker and cousin, LaDell 'Lud' Jay Bistline Jr - one of Bateman's devoted followers.

The documentary follows author and educator Christine Marie and her videographer husband Tolga Katas as they grew close to a community living in Short Creek, Utah

The shock documentary has soared up the most-watched charts as viewers tuned in to hear the story of the young women who suffered Bateman's abuse (pictured: Naomi)

She tells the cameras during the second episode: '[Lud] was like "I feel impressed that you should come out and listen to Samuel", Father Samuel, he said, "Heavenly Father impressed me that you belong in my family".

'I went like, stone cold, like "No way, there goes my whole life, there goes everything". It was until the November then that I actually got married.

'But once I had committed, like submitted myself to it, was when the Heavenly Father gave me the courage and the strength. I was like, this has to be right.

'I've lived my entire life not knowing what the right thing is and I'd like to know. The only thing I regret is that I didn't go sooner, that's the only thing I regret in life.'

'She had been coerced and manipulated into it,' her aunt added in the documentary. 'We groomed our girls for this, we're not teaching them to question authority.'

Speaking in a later episode of the four-part documentary, Naomi, now 26, who served time in prison and is no longer a member of the FLDS, she explained: 'Obedience was everything... and now here [I was] in prison for my perfect obedience.

'When I look back, I see that girl in third person. I thought I was in love with him but now looking back, I understand it was complete fear.

'The things that were going on inside were completely different to what showed. It's not me, it was an entirely different person. It's very disturbing, beyond what anybody could fathom.'

She added to Netflix's Tudum of how Bateman manipulated her: 'Every one of us really hated him at first, and then he would break us down and make us into what he wanted. It was a lot of abuse and coercion.

Naomi, now 26, who served time in prison for her involvement with Bateman and is no longer a member of the FLDS, explained: 'Obedience was everything'

'There was one time that he sent me off to live in a trailer for three months, I didnt get to see anyone or come into town. I just had to sit out there and repent because I dared question him about something, and that was one of the mild things.

'Toward the end, he got into this blood atonement stuff, and he would tell us if we werent perfectly obedient to him and [didnt do] exactly what he said, then, One day youll be crawling to me begging for me to take your life.

'Then a few months before his arrest and the raid, he had me get a life insurance policy. And if I were to die, he would collect that money. At the time, I felt like the only way to survive was to get close to him.'

Naomi went on to add how she felt 'no one is exempt' from that type of coercion, recognising how it 'starts small and builds up', especially growing up where she 'didn't know any different' than to respect the decisions of the men around her.

She recalled how Bateman got the girls to trust him by 'using a lot of Warren Jeff's writings' who many of the girls had 'raised to believe was some kind of God'.

Naomi has since left the community behind but recognised she is 'very alone' as she grew up not knowing 'anyone outside' the FLDS Church.

Nonetheless, she keeps in contact with some of her former sister wives who are still supporters of Bateman, in the hopes if she 'leads a horse to water, it's up to them to drink' - despite being met with 'passive-aggressive responses'.

Naomi revealed how Bateman 'had her get a life insurance policy' so that if she 'were to die he would collect that money' after threatening her with violence

She hit out at the 'complete myth' she was taught as a child to believe in the teachings of Warren Jeffs, admitting she only found out the extent of his crimes reading about it in prison, which she found 'shocking, disturbing, and overwhelming'.

Last week, Netflix fans were left gripped by a 'deeply disturbing' first look at the true crime documentary exposing the cult leader.

Bateman proclaimed himself the successor to Warren Jeffs, the notorious former head of the FLDS cult, and moved to establish himself as heir of the organisation.

The documentary examines his 'deeply disturbing account of manipulation, control and abuse' that he held over his followers and his countless young wives.

This includes highlighting how Bateman exploited religious conviction to consolidate his power, 'eventually leading to criminal acts that shocked the public' - which included sexual acts with minors and sex trafficking young children.

A Netflix synopsis reveals: 'Their investigation offers rare access to a secretive world, capturing hidden moments and conversations that reveal how such systems of control operate. This approach adds a layer of tension, making the series feel gripping and immediate.'

In December 2022, Bateman pleaded not guilty to kidnapping and tampering with evidence charges stemming from a federal investigation into his community on the Utah-Arizona border.

That August, Bateman had been arrested in Flagstaff, Arizona, after being caught towing three of his underage 'wives' in a box trailer during a traffic stop.

The documentary examines his 'deeply disturbing account of manipulation, control and abuse' that he held over his followers and his countless young wives

Bateman faced a raft of state and federal charges including child abuse, obstructing a federal investigation and aiding in kidnapping girls after they were placed in state foster care, as well as tampering with and destroying evidence.

It was revealed how he used public shaming and sex to punish his polygamous wives, a practice that was prohibited in the Mormon church but continues within the FLDS.

According to the US Department of Justice, Bateman convinced his followers to give him their daughters as 'spiritual wives', totalling around 15 girls, at least ten of who were abused by Bateman and other adults he forced them into sexual acts with.

Court records revealed how Bateman used religious teachings and ceremonies to justify the abuse, and used fear of spiritual punishment to maintain control.

Federal authorities also reported how Bateman had moved the women and girls across multiple States, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Nebraska, to avoid detection for a number of years.

Bateman later conspired with his followers to kidnap his child wives from protective custody, and eight of them were later found in Washington by law enforcement, being hidden by the older, adult wives.

Bateman was imprisoned for 50 years followed by lifetime supervised release.

Trust Me: The False Prophet is available to stream on Netflix now
Geri Halliwell and husband Christian Horner put on a united front as they attended a horse racing event together on Sunday.

The pair were spotted at the point-to-point steeplechase at Edgcote in Banbury following claims in Saturday's Daily Mail that the pop star is mourning her life as an F1 WAG after her spouse's brutal firing as Red Bull team principal last July.

Geri, 53, sported her signature white look to the event - that was a far cry from the infamous Union Jack dress she wore at the 1997 Brit Awards.

The former Spice Girls star wore white boots, white trousers, a white wool overcoat and cream scarf - topped off with a tweed flat cap - as she chatted to racegoers and jockeys.

Her attention-grabbing ensemble was a world away from the other attendees, where farmer's jackets and winter coats in shades of dark green, navy or black were more the order of the day.

An onlooker said: 'They seemed to be just like any other couple, and were very normal and friendly - if you take Geri's all-white outfit out of the equation.

'It started hammering it down at points - so everyone else was in muddy wellies and old Schoffels.

'Although last time they came to point-to point they apparently arrived in a helicopter...which is rather more unusual!'

Geri Halliwell, dressed all in white, arrives at a point-to-point racing event at Edgcote with husband Christian Horner who wore a brown jacket and hat

Geri in conversation with her husband Christian as they attend the steeplechase at Edgcote in Banbury

Geri is reportedly mourning her life as an F1 WAG after Christian, pictured with David Beckham, Max Verstappen, left, and Sergio Perez was sacked as Red Bull team principal last July

The couple were in attendance to watch their horse Cartesien in the 3.45pm Mixed Open at Edgcote.

Point-to-point horse racing is a form of amateur steeplechase racing held on, or in the countryside near, ordinary farm land and is typically run over three miles.

Cartesien has a strong pedigree, having won the Fox Land Rover PPORA Club Members Conditions Race at Guilsborough on March 9, 2025.

On Sunday the gelding finished runner-up - although the achievement is not as impressive as it sounds given the number of starters.

As the onlooker added: 'I think their horse came second... but there were only three in that race.'

The pair own several race horses, many of which have been renamed with the titles of songs from Geri's solo music career.

As well as ten-year-old Lift Me Up, their stable includes Look At Mee, Mi Chico Latino and It's Raining Men.

As for the horse racing company Geri runs with her husband, OMBI Ltd, its latest accounts show it was in profit to the tune of 200,000 at the end of 2024.

Join the discussion Should Geri Halliwell give up her F1 dreams for a quieter life, or fight to stay in the spotlight?

Geri stood out from other attendees in her attention-grabbing all-white ensemble

The couple pose with Brad Pitt during the F1 Movie premiere last June in Times Square

Geri chats to a jockey in front of the hot dog van - a departure from her glitzy life as the self-styled 'First Lady of F1'

Just last week it was reported that the couple have been granted planning permission to build a 30,000 'horse walker'  an automated exercise device  for private use only at their Oxfordshire home, where they have already built stables for 14 animals, a sure sign of their commitment to the 'sport of kings'.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail on Saturday, friends said this week that while Christian is desperately trying to find a way back to the career he loves, Geri is also mourning her old life as an F1 WAG.

The role enabled her to travel the world for Grand Prix races, swanky parties and even, last June, the world premiere of F1: The Movie in New York, where Geri and Christian posed with the film's star, Brad Pitt, in Times Square.

'They are both struggling without F1,' says a source. 'Geri wants to be married to somebody who is in the limelight. She thought of herself as the First Lady of F1.

'She loved that world and likes to think she's centre stage of it. She's made it clear to Christian that she wants him back in F1 as quickly as possible.'

Neighbours of the couple, who live in a sprawling 9.2million Grade II-listed Oxfordshire vicarage, complete with indoor and outdoor pools and a barn full of luxury fast cars, have also become aware of Geri's growing discontent.

'As beautiful and peaceful as the village is, it can be a bit dull,' one villager told the Daily Mail. 'Geri said she missed the excitement of F1, and you can't blame her.

'She's been used to flying around the world on private jets and going to fancy events, so it's understandable that you'd miss that. I don't think it's been easy for either of them to readjust.

'They seem like a nice couple and very down to earth, but it's well known they've faced a lot of challenges.'
Romesh Ranganathan made a staggering 2million last year, latest accounts show.

The comedian, who was a maths teacher before he found fame, made 40,000-a-week thanks to his string of successful television deals and a West End debut.

New filings from the comedian's company Vetty Limited show the reserves grew from 2.5million to 4.5million in just 12 months.

Vetty Limited reached 5.4million, but after paying investors, Romesh was left with 4,574,114 in the bank.

Romesh also has the production company Ranga Bee with director Ben Green, which holds 468,000 in reserves.

The comic has landed numerous TV deals, including starring in Amazon Prime's second series of Last One Laughing.

Romesh Ranganathan made a staggering 2million last year, latest accounts show. The comedian, who was a maths teacher before he found fame, made 40,000-a-week

Romesh is also the presenter of The Weakest Link and has a BBC Radio 2 show and tour dates.

The comedian also presented Cant Knock The Hustle, with the four part travel series acting as a fact-check of his 2024 global stand-up tour.

Last year, Romesh made his West End stage debut as Bill in Alan Ayckbourn's Woman in Mind opposite Sheridan Smith.

Daily Mail has contacted Romesh's representative for comment.

Despite becoming one of Britain's most sought-after TV stars, the comedian shunned celebrity enclaves and instead chosen to build a six-bedroom property in his home town in West Sussex.

The BBC presenter moved into a 3million new home just five miles from the humble terrace house where he grew up back in 2022.

It is a far cry from the small house nearby where he grew up with his Sri Lankan parents, Shanthi and Ranga, and his younger brother Dinesh.

A source previously told The Mail on Sunday: 'Romesh could have moved somewhere flash but he decided to stay where his roots are. It's where his mum and brother are and it's a town he loves.

The comic has landed numerous TV deals, including starring in Amazon Prime's second series of Last One Laughing

Last year Romesh made his West End stage debut as Bill in Alan Ayckbourn's Woman in Mind opposite Sheridan Smith

'He has managed to find a space there to build his dream home, though it is rather bigger than his childhood home in one of the poorer areas. It's a lovely story of rags to riches which Romesh has worked very hard for.'

The comedian, who replaced Anne Robinson as the host of The Weakest Link, has previously spoken about his impoverished upbringing, including the challenges faced by his family when their home was repossessed after his accountant father was jailed for two years for fraud.

Recalling how the family spent a period in bed-and-breakfast accommodation as they waited for the council to rehouse them, he said: 'This all happened very, very quickly. It was a struggle.

'My mum found out my dad had been messing around. He fell into financial difficulty so we ended up getting our house taken away.

'We were supposed to go into a council flat, but they didn't have enough so we were in a bed-and-breakfast for a year and a half. And my dad was in prison. It was insane.'
The Block stars Alisa Fraser and Lysandra Fraser are hoping to pocket millions by selling off their hugely successful skincare and cleaning brand al.ive.

The Adelaide-based interior designers, who are identical twins, shot to fame after winning The Block: Sky High in 2013, before establishing their own design studio a year later.

In 2020, they branched out into beauty by launching al.ive body and al.ive skin, focusing on premium personal care and home essentials.

According to The Australian Financial Review, the sisters have tapped boutique advisory firm Lempriere Wells to run the sale.

Insiders say the business is pulling in about $30 million in revenue, with about half the sales coming from online and the rest through wholesale deals with retailers such as Myer.

The Frasers are reportedly hoping to land at least $25 million from the sale, and ASIC records show they currently split the Adelaide-based business 50-50.

The Block stars Alisa Fraser and Lysandra Fraser are hoping to pocket millions by selling off their hugely successful skincare and cleaning brand al.ive

Insiders say the business is pulling in about $30 million in revenue, with about half the sales coming from online and the rest through wholesale deals with retailers such as Myer

Alisa and Lysandra launched al.ive during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the rise of online shopping during lockdowns playing a key part in the brand's initial growth.

Alisa and Lysandra previously spoke to the Mail about the runaway success of al.ive, revealing the brand had made $70,000 in sales within its first month.

'It has worked well for us because e-commerce in general has picked up and we are finding a lot of demand from boutique online stores,' they said in the 2020 interview.

The pair explained that the idea for al.ive came to them after completing a renovation project.

'We were sitting on the beach just after we'd finished styling our Albert Park renovation project and we were reflecting on how difficult it had been to find unique hand and body products that complement the aesthetic of our home, but also provide a natural, non-toxic formulation,' Alisa said.

'We considered partnering with other brands to have a role in designing a product, but then we realised we could dream bigger... we could build our own brand.'

The pair developed a vision of exactly what they wanted their products to look like and how they were going to bring them to fruition.

'We knew what we wanted and it had to be perfect, which did come at a bit of a cost both emotionally and financially,' Lysandra admitted.

Alisa and Lysandra launched al.ive during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the rise of online shopping during lockdowns playing a key part in the brand's initial growth

Alisa and Lysandra previously spoke to the Mail about the runaway success of al.ive , revealing the brand had made $70,000 in sales within its first month

'But we knew we had to be particular if we wanted a personal care range that marries high-end product design and integrity with the demands of the conscious consumer.'

Alisa and Lysandra were police officers before winning The Block's 2013 season.

They took home $295,000 profit from the auction and $395,000 in total winnings, including the $100,000 prize money.

The twins then returned the following year, but only took out two Room Reveal wins.

In 2022 they made a return to the franchise as guest judges.
It's the kind of painfully awkward TV moment you simply couldn't script.

Fresh off their heartbreaking split on Married At First Sight, exes Rachel Gilmore and Steven Danyluk were seated side-by-side at Daily Mail's MAFS Final Dinner Party on Sunday night  and the tension in the room was unmistakable.

As the cast gathered at Sydney's Ovolo Hotel in Woolloomooloo to watch the explosive finale, all eyes weren't just on the screen  they were on Rachel and Steven, who did everything in their power to act as though the other didnt exist.

Seated next to each other at one point during the episode, the former couple avoided eye contact entirely, staring straight ahead.

During one particularly awkward moment, Rachel was seen shooting Steven a serious side-eye as emotional scenes from their relationship played out on screen.

Meanwhile, Steven became overwhelmed by the situation, eventually getting up and walking out of the room in tears.

Fresh off their heartbreaking split on Married At First Sight, exes Rachel Gilmore and Steven Danyluk were seated side-by-side at Daily Mail's MAFS Final Dinner Party on Sunday night  and the tension in the room was unmistakable

As the cast gathered at Sydney's Ovolo Hotel in Woolloomooloo to watch the explosive finale, all eyes weren't just on the screen  they were on Rachel and Steven, who did everything in their power to act as though the other didnt exist

The 34-year-old groom left briefly to compose himself outside before returning, still emotional but attempting to push through the remainder of the night.

Daily Mail later shared the toe-curling exchange to TikTok with the caption: 'POV: You're stuck next to your ex'  and viewers couldn't get enough, taking to the comments section to share their amusement.

'The eye roll is everything,' one person quipped.

'This is hilarious,' a second added, and a third chimed in: 'Very mature'.

However, the former couple appeared to make up as the night went on and were later seen happily dancing together at the after-party at the swanky Noir nightclub in Darlinghurst.

There was plenty of heartbreak during Sunday's MAFS episode, with Rachel and Steven revealing they had split.

Rachel was reduced to tears at Daily Mail's MAFS Final Dinner Party as she watched some of the heartbreaking scenes of herself revealing the breakup, while Steven sat just metres away.

However, the pair appeared to make up and were later seen happily dancing together at the after-party at the swanky Noir nightclub in Darlinghurst

There was plenty of heartbreak on Sunday's MAFS episode, with fan favourite couple Rachel and Steven revealing they had split

As the cast was glued to the screen, a throwback Commitment Ceremony scene played, which showed Rachel explaining her fears about the relationship to the experts.

'I'm scared that Steven will go back to his life in Sydney, and it's just going to be easier for him to let me go,' she said in the clip.

'Because he is time poor and he has his business, and so it might be a burden to try and maintain our relationship with me. So, he might just let me go. That's my fear.'

Rachel was reduced to tears as she watched the scene unfold while sitting between Stella Mickunaite and Sam Stanton.

It all became too much for Rachel, who leaned her head on Sam's shoulder for support as she wiped tears from her eyes.

Meanwhile, Steven, sitting just metres from his former bride, kept his focus firmly on the screen, so as not to make eye contact with Rachel.
Nicole Kidman has revealed she wants to study to become a death doula after the passing of her mother Janelle in September 2024.

The 58-year-old Hollywood icon shared the news when speaking at the University Of San Francisco on Saturday during the private college's Silk Speaker Series.

The Oscar winner admitted that it 'sounds a little weird' but she has an intense desire to help others during the last few weeks on earth.

'I am looking to expand myself. I am looking to become a death doula,' said the actress at the event attended by The Daily Mail.

A death doula is a non-medical professional who provides holistic, emotional, spiritual, and practical support to terminally ill individuals and their families, according to the International End Of Life Doula Association.

Nicole Kidman has revealed she wants to study to become a death doula after the passing of her mother Janelle in 2024

The 58-year-old Hollywood icon shared the news when speaking at the University Of San Francisco on Saturday during the private college's Silk Speaker Series

'My father was very involved with palliative care. There are birth doulas and recently I learned about death doulas. As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide.'

The Moulin Rouge actress explained that she and her sister have so many children between them and are so busy with their careers that they could not spend enough time with their mother so they hired a death doula.

'That's when I went, "I wish there was these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care,"' said the star.

'I feel its really important to have care on earth for the beginning and the end.'

Kidman also shared what her father Antony Kidman told her before he died at age 75 in 2014.

When she asked him what 'the meaning of it all is,' he said it was 'to take care of the younger generation the children.'

Kidman with her mother Janelle Ann Kidman, as they attend the 2018 AACTA Awards in Sydney in 2018

The star also reflected on the advice that her father gave her when she was younger: 'He said you need to have grit youre not going to be the smartest person in the room so you have to use your wits.'

Elsewhere in the conversation, Kidman said that she has grown from the difficult times she has experienced in her life.

'Sometimes youre going to have to take it on the chin and thats OK. Its your life and you define it. Who cares what someone else thinks? Dont give your power to anybody else. They dont get to define you.'

Finally, Kidman also told the sold-out crowd that she was speaking at USF because she is the daughter of academics: 'Thus I am here at a university promoting education... it means a lot to me.'
Euphoria paid memorial to late contributors Eric Dane, Angus Cloud and Kevin Turen as the third season of the HBO hit began airing Sunday.

Sunday's episode opened with a graphic remembering Dane; and later displayed the names of the three men who died in the four years since the end of the show's second season in early 2022.

Dane's death was the most recent, as he passed away at 53 this past February 19 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (which is also referred to as Lou Gehrigs disease).

The actor - who played the role of Cal Jacobs on 21 episodes of the popular series - publicly spoke about his diagnosis for the first time in April of 2025.

Dane had already completed production on the HBO show's third season at the time he died.

'I'm heartbroken by the loss of our dear friend Eric,' the show's creator Sam Levinson said in a statement following Dane's passing. 'Working with him was an honor. Being his friend was a gift.'

Euphoria paid memorial to late contributors Eric Dane, Angus Cloud and Kevin Turen as the third season of the HBO hit the air Sunday. Dane passed away at 53 this past February 19 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (which is also referred to as Lou Gehrigs disease)

The actor - who played the role of Cal Jacobs on 21 episodes of the popular series - had finished his work on the third season prior to his passingf

He ended by saying, 'Eric's family is in our prayers. May his memory be for a blessing.'

A number of viewers were emotional about the memorials interspersed in the episode.

'Euphoria has always been raw; this moment is no different,' said one user.

Another put emotional emojis with the caption, 'Watching euphoria now and the "in remembrance of Eric Dane" in the beginning.'

Said one user: 'The Eric Dane in memoriam in the first minute of the episode??? I am in tears.'

Another said of Dane's ALS battle: 'Still crazy how fast the disease took him, prayers for his family.'

A user said that 'Danes final role landing in the most talked about season of Euphoria is a bittersweet way to say goodbye to a career.

'Every scene hes in this season is going to carry extra weight knowing its the last time.'

The actor publicly spoke about his diagnosis for the first time in April of 2025

The show paid memorial to Kevin Turen and Angus Cloud on Sunday's episode

Cloud died following an accidental drug overdose at the age of 25 at his family's Oakland, California home on July 31, 2023, a week after his father's funeral.

Cloud, who played drug dealer Fezco 'Fez' ONeill on 16 episodes of the series, had no acting experience ahead of his role on Euphoria, as he was discovered by a casting scout in New York City.

Levinson said 'there was no one quite like Angus' in a somber statement following his passing.

'He was too special, too talented and way too young to leave us so soon,' Levinson said of Cloud. 'He also struggled, like many of us, with addiction and depression.

'I hope he knew how many hearts he touched. I loved him. I always will. Rest in peace and God Bless his family.'

Turen, a producer on the series, died at 45 about three months after Cloud on November 12, 2023, after he suffered a cardiac emergency while behind the wheel.

The producer had worked with Levinson on projects such as 2018's Assassination Nation, 2021's Malcolm & Marie and 2023's The Idol.

Officials said that acute cardiac dysfunction and hypertrophic heart disease led to Turen's death, as he had also lived with coronary artery atherosclerosis.

A number of viewers were emotional about the memorials interspersed in the episode

'Despite his many achievements in Hollywood, Kevins greatest passion was his family and friends,' his friend, Penske Media Corporation CEO Jay Penske, said in a statement following Turen's sudden passing. 'He was so proud of his children.

'He and his wife, Evelina, were resolved that their children grow up with great values and ensured they make a difference in the broader world. Our collective heart breaks for them, and we all feel such a profound sense of loss.

'We will miss Kevin so much, and this town lost one of its brightest rising stars today.'

HBO called Turen 'a talented producer and collaborator and will be immensely missed by all who knew and had the fortune of working with him' in a statement.
Maura Higgins, Vicky Pattison and Molly Smith have led tributes to 'incredible, selfless and talented' celebrity hairstylist Milosz Pawlak following his death.

The beloved stylist's family took to Instagram on Sunday to announce the heartbreaking news that he had passed away unexpectedly on Friday.

Following the announcement about the passing of Milosz, who styled a host of stars and had work showcased in Vogue, a slew of stars paid tribute.

Maura led the tributes, simply writing: 'Love you Milo', while Vicky followed suit with her nod reading: 'Heartbreaking. it was honestly a privilege to know you Milo'.

The post was flooded with messages from fellow stylists and a number of members of the beauty industry, with praise for his 'incredible nature and immense talents'.

Maura Higgins, Vicky Pattison and Molly Smith have led tributes to 'incredible, selfless and talented' celebrity hairstylist Milosz Pawlak following his death

The beloved stylist's family took to Instagram on Sunday to announce the heartbreaking news that he had passed away unexpectedly on Friday.

In the original announcement, Milosz's family member, using just the name Daria, wrote: 'We are absolutely heartbroken to share that our incredible, selfless and talented Milo passed away unexpectedly on Friday 10/04/26...

'We know he was loved and respected by so many of you, and we hold his friends in our thoughts as we all face this heartbreaking loss....

'Our family will be arranging a celebration of his life and we would like to give those we knew him and loved him an opportunity to attend...

'Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the kindness of those who have been involved in the arrangements so far.'

Maura penned: 'love you Milo', alongside a slew of broken heart emojis and a dove.

She also shared an image of the duo on her stories with the message: 'RIP Milo. The world has lost such a gifted artist and the kindest most beautiful person... Your talent, your warmth and your energy will never be forgotten. You will be so, so missed.'

Love Island's Molly Smith added to the messages, writing: 'So so heartbreaking such an incredible person and so insanely talented, sending so much love to all his family'.

Vicky added: So so heartbreaking such an incredible person and so insanely talented, sending so much love to all his family'.

Following the announcement about the passing of Milosz, who styled a host of stars and had work showcased in Vogue, a slew of stars paid tribute

Further Islander tributes came in the form of India Reynolds, who shot to fame with her glamour modelling career and also while starring in 2019's Love Island series five, as she gushed: 'I am so sorry!! Absolutely heartbreaking...

'Sending all the love & strength'

Molly-Mae Hague's representative Francesca Britton wrote: 'Absolutely heartbreaking. Sending so much love to your family and friends...

'You were incredibly talented and will be missed by so many. I will always remember you so fondly from the show dry days'.

Love Island stars Maura, Molly Smith and India Reynolds paid tribute alongside Molly-Mae Hague's representative Francesca Britton and Vicky

Milosz's dazzling career saw him work with a slew of stars, with his LinkedIn profile reading: 'Highly experienced freelance session hairstylist with 18 years experience in the fashion and beauty industry...

'Over the course of my career, Ive had the privilege of working on numerous high-profile photoshoots, runway shows, and celebrity clients.

Ive had the opportunity to work at fashion weeks in London, Milan and Paris on shows for amazing brands like Saint Laurent, Burberry, Versace, David Koma, Christopher Kane, Erdem, JW Anderson and more....

'My work has been featured in fashion publications like Elle, Harpers Bazaar, Cosmopolitan and L'Officiel.'.
Venezuela Fury admitted her mum Paris sounded 'disappointed' in her when discussing her 16-year-old daughter's engagement during a new interview.

Tyson Fury's eldest daughter accepted amateur boxer Noah Price's proposal at her birthday party in October and the proposal is shown in series two of the family's Netflix show At Home With The Furys, which dropped on Sunday.

In an interview on Hits Radio with Sam Thompson on Monday to promote the new series, Paris, 36, was asked about her reaction to the engagement.

'I've always said to Venezuela, you know, go out, find what you want to do in life. I've tried to put every different opportunity in front of her,' Paris replied.

Venezuela interrupted, pointing out: 'This is coming off very much like she's disappointed.'

'No I'm not disappointed! I'm not!' insisted Paris. 'But I didn't expect it to happen. Venezuela came to me at 15 and was like "I've got a boyfriend" and she wasn't really supposed to have a boyfriend until she was 16. So I was like "wait until he [Tyson] comes home"'.

Venezuela Fury has admitted her mum Paris sounded 'disappointed' when discussing her 16-year-old daughter's engagement during a new interview

Tyson Fury's eldest daughter accepted amateur boxer Noah Price's proposal at her birthday party in October and the proposal is shown in series two of the family's Netflix show

Venezuela insisted though that her dad told her 'well, I'm happy for you because none of my nieces can get boyfriends and you're the first one.'

'He was all excited. Tyson's an old romantic, he got more excited than me,' Paris agreed.

'My dad's real lovey dovey... my dad loves all that, he really does,' continued Venezuela gushing that her fiance asked Tyson's permission before popping the question, which was filmed by Netflix.

'Noah told me that he walked in and my dad literally went "here put this microphone on before you ask me anything",' she laughed.

Netflix fans were in for a treat on Sunday as the second season of At Home With The Furys finally dropped.

Nearly three years after the original docuseries debuted, viewers are once again taken behind the scenes of the heavyweight champion's family life in Morecambe.

The new series follows the boxer as he attempts retirement once again while surrounded by wife Paris, their seven children, and outspoken father John Fury.

Paris and Tyson are proud parents of Venezuela, Prince John James, 13, Prince Tyson II, nine, Valencia, seven, Prince Adonis Amaziah, six, Athena, four, and Prince Rico, two.

In an interview on Hits Radio with Sam Thompson on Monday to promote the new show, Paris was asked about her reaction to the engagement

'I've always said to Venezuela, you know, go out, find what you want to do in life. I've tried to put every different opportunity in front of her,' Paris replied. Pictured; Noah, Venezuela, Paris and Tyson at a private screening of At Home With The Furys

Fans were left shocked in October when the Fury family shared a video of Venezuela accepting her boyfriend's proposal at her glamorous 16th birthday party.

Earlier this year, the teen opened up about her wedding plans and her hopes to tie the knot sooner rather than later in an Instagram Q&A.

One follower asked: 'When's the wedding going to be?', to which the bride-to-be replied: 'I'm trying to get everything booked for May/June time, but I'm not sure when it will be'.

When another wondered if she'd be moving out of the Fury family home before the big day, Venezuela said: 'No, I will be in my mam and dads home til Im married'.

In December, her mother, Paris insisted to Daily Mail that her daughter Venezuela was 'still my little girl' despite her engagement.
The acquisition will accelerate growth for the fan-favorite ready-to-drink beverage while expanding the White Claw maker's portfolio

CHICAGO, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mark Anthony Group of Companies, the company behind category-defining beverages including White Claw Hard Seltzer, today announced the acquisition of The Finnish Long Drink to accelerate growth and expand availability of the fast-rising ready-to-drink brand across North America.

The Mark Anthony Group of Companies announced the acquisition of The Finnish Long Drink to accelerate growth and availability for the ready-to-drink brand.

"Our focus has always been on building and scaling brands that stand out in their category and resonate with consumers," said Phil Rosse, CEO, The Mark Anthony Group of Companies. "Long Drink has already established strong momentum and a clear point of difference in the RTD space, and we see a meaningful opportunity to build on that success by expanding its reach and bringing it to more consumers."

Long Drink has quickly emerged as one of the most talked-about brands in the ready-to-drink space, building a passionate following and rapid momentum since its U.S. launch. The brand has gained traction with consumers drawn to the taste and iconic backstory.

Founded by Finnish entrepreneurs, Mikael Taipale, Ere Manner, Sakari Manninen and American Evan Burns, The Finnish Long Drink leverages a rich heritage dating back to the 'long drinks' creation by the government for the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics. Over the past 70 years long drinks became one of the most beloved and popular beverages in Finland, but it wasn't until 2018 when the next generation of Finns brought the drink to America.

"Long drinks have been around in Finland for generations," said Mikael Taipale, Co-Founder and CFO, The Finnish Long Drink. "When we set out to launch The Finnish Long Drink, we wanted to create a brand rich with tradition for generations to come."

"We've got an incredible fanbase and team that has propelled The Finnish Long Drink to be one of the breakout RTD brands, but many consumers are still yet to try it," said Evan Burns, Co-Founder and CEO, The Finnish Long Drink. "Joining The Mark Anthony Group of Companies to leverage their track record of scaling iconic RTD brands gives us a huge opportunity to accelerate growth and introduce Long Drink to a much broader audience."

In a few short years Long Drink has attracted a roster of super fans, including co-owner and actor Miles Teller.

"I first came across Long Drink as a fan  it felt different from anything else out there," said Teller. "With The Mark Anthony Group of Companies, we have the right partner to introduce the brand to even more people without losing what made people enjoy it in the first place."

The Mark Anthony Group of Companies has already supported Long Drink's expansion in Canada as its exclusive distributor, helping establish the brand as one of the fastest-growing ready-to-drink offerings in the market. Now Mark Anthony Group can further build on that success and position the brand for its next phase of growth across North America.

About The Mark Anthony Group of Companies:

Mark Anthony is an entrepreneurial drinks company, built from the ground up by thinking differently, innovating and doing the unexpected. Our Company is built on a foundation of family-values, a bold vision, and relentless determination to continuously raise the bar and make a positive difference in consumers' lives. Founded in 1972, the Company has grown organically from a one-person import wine business to an international drinks company whose hallmarks include a portfolio of luxury wineries, premium spirits, and iconic beverage brands, including White Claw Hard Seltzer, Mike's Hard Lemonade and Cayman Jack Cocktails. For more information visit markanthony.com

About The Finnish Long Drink

Long Drink is a top selling category of alcohol in Finland  a legend that is now available in America. Finland, still recovering from WWII, was preparing to host the 1952 Summer Games. To welcome global visitors, the government commissioned the creation of a refreshing alcoholic beverage, giving birth to the very first "long drinks".

Today, the next generation of Finns has carried the torch, launching their take on Finland's most iconic alcoholic beverage in America. The Finnish Long Drink is a bridge between cultures and generations meant to be shared with friends.

Media Contact

Erin Delahanty

[email protected]

SOURCE The Mark Anthony Group of Companies
Love On The Spectrums Georgie Harris has revealed shes got a new boyfriend called Luke following her split from Connor Tomlinson.

Georgie, 24, shared a series of pictures of her new love on Instagram on Sunday, including pictures from Valentine's Day and Connor, 27, reacted sweetly by 'liking' the post.

Georgie wrote: 'Luke and I have been waiting for a little time after the series came out to tell you guys about him.

'We have been dating for a while. The series takes about a year to film then they have to decide what are the best scenes to have in LOTS.'

She continued: 'Luke has Williams Syndrome, was my friend for 3 years prior and matches my energy. I would like you to say Hello to Luke. These pictures are mostly from Valentine's Day this year and Prom.'

Love On The Spectrum's Georgie Harris has revealed shes got a new boyfriend after splitting from Connor Tomlinson as he reacts to her announcement

Connor gave Georgie's new romance announcement a 'like' as he remains committed to staying friends with her

Williams Syndrome is a rare genetic neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a microdeletion on chromosome 7. It affects roughly 1 in 18,000 to 20,000 people.

It tends to be characterised by distinctive 'elfin' facial features, cardiovascular disease, mild intellectual disability, and a highly sociable, empathetic, yet anxious personality.

Connor and Georgie broke up in the latest series of the show, after enjoying a holiday to the UK together in July 2025, where Georgie met Connor's grandad and enjoyed a trip to Buckingham Palace.

But fans were shocked when Connor showed up to Madison and Tyler's engagement party on his own, telling his friends that they had decided to just be friends.

Connor had previously told his mother that he and Georgie have differing sense of humours and he admitted he didn't always understand her sarcasm.

He told Netflix's Tudum: 'Dating and relationships can be difficult and complicated, and as you spend more time with a person, you may learn they are not the perfect match.'

Georgie was also asked about Luke asking her to be his girlfriend months after her split.

She said: 'I was flattered and obviously said yes. He makes me laugh, and I make him laugh.'

Georgie wrote: 'Luke and I have been waiting for a little time after the series came out to tell you guys about him. We have been dating for a while'

She continued: 'Luke has Williams Syndrome, was my friend for 3 years prior and matches my energy. I would like you to say Hello to Luke. These pictures are mostly from Valentines Day this year and Prom'

Georgie and Luke seem very happy together after she and Connor realised they weren't quite on the same wavelength with certain things, such as their sense of humour

Luke and Georgie went to the prom together as she shared this picture of her new love placing a corsage on her wrist
Jane Fallon revealed she is undergoing another operation amid her cancer battle.

The author, 65, who has been in a relationship with comedian Ricky Gervais for over 40 years, took to Instagram on Monday to share an image of her feet in compression socks - commonly used during and after surgery to prevent blood clots.

She added the simple caption: 'The popsox are on again. Wish me luck', before a slew of followers wished their best including Emma Willis and Roisin Conaty.

In March, Jane revealed she had been diagnosed with the disease following a routine mammogram and she has since been keeping her fans up to date online.

Earlier this month, Jane gave a positive update as she announced that after having surgery to remove the tumour and a margin of healthy tissue, Jane shared the positive news that the surgeons have 'basically got it all'.

Jane Fallon revealed she is undergoing another operation amid her cancer battle, as she took to Instagram on Monday to share an image of her feet in compression socks - commonly used during and after surgery to prevent blood clots

In March, Jane revealed she had been diagnosed with the disease following a routine mammogram and she has since been keeping her fans up to date online

She wrote: 'The surgeon said I can lift some weights so I'm starting with this one [the cat]. Just a little update, all is good, yesterday I had my follow-up and they have basically got it all.

'What they haven't got is a clear margin around the edge of what they have taken so I am going to have to have another op.

'It will be just to make sure they get everything, which is a bit of a pain, but it isn't a worry  they just need to make sure they have a clear margin, so will be the exact same operation as last time.'

The update comes just days after Jane hit out at a 'disgusting' fake obituary in a post shared to X on Saturday after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

However, after undergoing the operation and informing her followers that surgeons 'basically got it all', Jane has made her feelings known about AI-generated images, as fake announcements of her death started circulating online.

Taking to X, referencing a since-deleted post, she wrote: 'I've taken the post about the obituary down, because I don't want people to think I'm upset by it.

'I'm not. p***ed off yes. But more, I just want people to know that any photos you see of me in hospital, looking sad or with tubes sticking out of me are 100% fake  AI generated'.

The update comes just days after Jane hit out at a 'disgusting' fake obituary in a post shared to X on Saturday after she was diagnosed with breast cancer

But after undergoing the operation and informing her followers that surgeons 'basically got it all', Jane has made her feelings known about AI images, as fake announcements of her death started circulating

The best-selling author, 65, who has been in a relationship with comedian Ricky Gervais for over 40 years, revealed she had been diagnosed with the disease in March following a routine mammogram

Jane was flooded with supportive messages with one explaining how the 'obituary' was originally shared by a page set up as a Ricky fan page.

'It's a beyond vile page, reported that post and the page itself. It hides under the guise of a RG 'fan' and animal welfare! The AI stuff posted is frankly libellous and disgusting! Not something anyone should have to deal with'.

Jane's career started out in television  before the publication of her bestselling book, Getting Rid Of Matthew, in 2007.

Since then she has released 14 books  with Worst. Idea. Ever, Faking Friends, Just Got Real and Queen Bee among her most widely acclaimed titles.

Harrow-born Jane began her relationship with comedian Ricky in 1982  after meeting him while they both studied at University College London.

The couple are said to have moved in together in 1984 and they currently reside in Hampstead, west London, with their beloved pets.




Aubrey Plaza has confirmed that she is pregnant with her first child as she is expecting with partner Christopher Abbott whom she was seen with just days ago.

The 41-year-old The White Lotus star - who shocked as her pregnancy was reported last week - has opened up for the first time about becoming a mother.

Plaza and the 40-year-old Girls actor Abbott are expecting their first child together - one year after the shock death of Plaza's estranged husband Jeff Baena by suicide.

'Well, there's a baby inside of me. No, I said there's a baby inside of me right now,' the actress said on an upcoming episode of the Smartless podcast as actor hosts Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes were in disbelief over the reveal.

The trio of actors expressed their excitement over the big news as Plaza revealed that she had gone to the doctor for an ultrasound earlier that day.

Plaza explained: 'Today was a big day. I went to the doctors today, and my dog also went to the doctors. And both of us  my dogs getting a scan right now. I got a scan earlier. Im not kidding.

Aubrey Plaza (seen in Paris last montyh) has confirmed that she is pregnant with her first child as she said 'there's a baby inside of me' on an upcoming episode of the Smartless podcast

Plaza was pictured with her partner Christopher Abbott for the first time since announcing their pregnancy as they attended the afterparty for opening night of the Broadway revival Death of a Salesman

'She had to get an ultrasound on her stomach. And then I got an ultrasound on my stomach, and there is a baby in there.'

The Parks And Recreation actress was then asked if she was 'excited' about becoming a first-time mom.

Plaza replied: 'I am. Yeah. Ive always wanted, Ive always wanted, Ive always wanted to see what thats all about, you know?

'It just seems so interesting, that whole thing.'

On Thursday, Plaza and her partner Abbott were photographed celebrating the Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman at the show's opening night afterparty at Katz's Deli in New York City.

The couple put on a cozy display as they posed inside the dimly-lit hotspot, with Plaza beaming with joy as she cuddled up to her partner.

Plaza's bump was not photographed however she did reveal it during a dog walk in the Big Apple the day prior.

The baby, whose gender has not been revealed, is due in the fall.

People first reported that Plaza was expecting a child with Abbott, with a representative for the actress confirming the news to the outlet; pictured 2023

'It was a beautiful surprise after an emotional year,' a source told People.

The couple, who previously starred on Broadway together before falling in love, are said to be feeling 'very blessed.'

People first reported that Plaza was expecting a child with Abbott, with a representative for the actress confirming the news to the outlet.

Abbott is best known for playing the on-off boyfriend of Allison Williams's character Marnie on Lena Dunham's influential HBO comedy Girls.

The couple first worked together in 2019 on the indie psychological drama Black Bear, in which both actors played dual roles as actors and directors trying to shoot a film in an eerie, isolated lake house.

The low-budget thriller premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020 to critical acclaim, with several reviewers singling it out as one of Plaza's best performances to date.

She worked again with Abbott in 2023 - this time on stage - in the Off Broadway revival of John Patrick Shanleys play Danny And The Deep Blue Sea, which ran until January 2024.

Plaza and her new partner were last seen together on February 14 when they attended Khaite's Fall/Winter 2026 show as part of New York Fashion Week.

Plaza's pregnancy follows a tragic 2025, which saw her estranged husband, Jeff Baena, die by suicide on January 3. Above, the couple in 2017

The two were pictured sitting side-by-side in the front row alongside stars including Elizabeth Debicki and Gemma Chan.

Prior to revealing her pregnancy, Plaza had managed to keep her relationship with Abbott under the radar.

According to DeuxMoi, a source had spotted Plaza and Abbott looking affectionate at Chatham Berry Farm in upstate New York last June, some five months after the death of Plaza's estranged husband.

They claimed that she was spotted speaking to a woman whom they later learned was Abbott's older sister, Christina Abbott, before she posted about a performance at the farm on Instagram.

Abbott is known for a string of acclaimed roles over the past decade and a half, both on television and on the big screen.

Prior to his breakout role on Girls, Abbott had a small supporting role in the well-reviewed psychological drama Martha Marcy May Marlene, which starred Elizabeth Olsen.

He has also appeared in films including A Most Violent Year (2014), James White, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016), also starring Tina Fey, and the psychological horror film It Comes At Night (2017).

The couple first worked together in 2019 on the indie psychological drama Black Bear, in which both actors played dual roles as actors and directors trying to shoot a film in an eerie, isolated lake house; pictured 2020

In 2018, he appeared with Ryan Gosling as the astronaut Dave Scott in the Neil Armstrong biopic First Man, which was directed by La La Land's filmmaker Damien Chazelle.

Abbott has primarily focused on low-budget independent films, but he has made forays into larger films, including comedy Poor Things (2023), also starring Emma Stone, as well as the DC Comics movie Kraven the Hunter and the Wolf Man reboot (both 2025).

He most recently appeared with Amanda Seyfried in the period drama The Testament of Ann Lee and will star alongside Florence Pugh in an upcoming Netflix adaptation of John Steinbeck's East of Eden.

Plaza's pregnancy follows a tragic 2025, which saw her estranged husband Baena die by suicide on January 3.

It was subsequently revealed that the couple had separated four months before his untimely death.

An LA County Medical Examiner's autopsy report obtained by the Daily Mail revealed that the filmmaker and actress had split in September 2024. She had been living in New York at the time his body was discovered.

Plaza and Abbott attended Khaite's Fall/Winter 2026 show as part of New York Fashion Week in February, sitting next to actress Elizabeth Debicki

The report detailed how the Life After Beth director had been 'experiencing marital difficulties' in his final months, and how he had been in therapy.

An investigator noted in the documents that Plaza, whose name was redacted in the final report, said she had spoken with Baena the night before his death.

The report also tragically revealed that the actress had been concerned for her estranged husband's well-being.

'In October 2024, Baena made concerning remarks to [Plaza], which prompted her to call a friend to perform a welfare check on her husband. Baena had been attending therapy since that event,' the documents stated.

The report determined that Baena did not have drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of his death.

It stated that Plaza 'knew her husband to be alive' as of January 3 because he had sent her a text message that morning.

According to the report, it was a dog walker who discovered Baena's body after hearing loud music emanating from his house, which she said was 'unusual.'

They began dating in 2011 and secretly married in 2020. Baena was found dead in their marital home on January 3, 2025, while Plaza had been living in NYC since their September 2024 separation. Above, the former couple in LA in 2016

After she called the writer and director and did not receive an answer, she entered the home and discovered his body.

In a statement to the Daily Mail at the time, a representative for Plaza said: 'This is an unimaginable tragedy. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time.'

Baena, who was known for hosting a popular series of game nights for friends and fellow filmmakers, met Plaza at one of the events in 2011, and the two began dating shortly afterward.

Baena, who got his big break when he co-wrote David O. Russell's 2004 cult comedy I Heart Huckabees, later made his directing debut with the 2014 zombie comedy Life After Beth, which starred Plaza.

They reunited for 2016's Joshy and 2017's The Little Hours, which Plaza also produced, and she had a supporting role in his dark comedy thriller Spin Me Round, which starred Alison Brie, who co-wrote the film with Baena.

In 2018, Plaza told Page Six that their mutual obsession with movies helped them bond and led to their subsequent creative and romantic partnership.

The couple quietly wed in 2020, and Plaza revealed that they were married while promoting Spin Me Round in 2021, when she referred to Baena on Instagram as her 'darling husband'.

Abbott is best known for playing the on-off boyfriend of Allison Williams's character Marnie on Lena Dunham's influential HBO comedy Girls

Following his death, Plaza made her first public appearance when she introduced musical guests Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard on Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special in February 2025.

She made a subtle but moving tribute to her late husband by wearing a tie-dye shirt, as they wore matching tie-dye pajamas at their low-key wedding after he picked up making the pattern as a hobby in the early days of the COVID pandemic.

Plaza began her career working in sketch comedy in the mid-2000s, before she began appearing in short films and online comedy videos later in the decade.

She became a star almost overnight after Parks and Recreation debuted on NBC in 2009. Plaza played April Ludgate, the misanthropic assistant to Amy Poehler's bubbly bureaucrat.

The actress went on to become an in-demand film star with roles in Scott Pilgrim Vs The World (which featured her ex-boyfriend Michael Cera), Safety Not Guaranteed (2012), Ingrid Goes West (2017), Little Hours (which was directed by Baena), Happiest Season (2020), Emily The Criminal (2022) and My Old A** (2024).

She also appeared as a villain in the X-Men spinoff series Legion (20172019) and she was part of the ensemble cast on the hit second season of HBO's The White Lotus in 2022.

In Black Bear the pair played dual roles as actors and directors trying to shoot a film in an eerie, isolated lake house

Last August, Plaza opened up about the grief she had experienced during a conversation with Poehler, her former co-star, on her Good Hang podcast, which marked her first interview since Baena's death.

After Poehler referenced the death of her husband and asked how she was doing, Plaza replied: 'Right in this very, very present moment, I feel happy to be with you. Overall, I'm here, and I'm functioning. I feel really grateful to be moving through the world. I think I'm OK, but it's like a daily struggle.'

She went on: 'This is a really dumb analogy, and it was kind of a joke at a certain point, but I actually mean it. Did you see that movie The Gorge?

'It's like [an] alien movie or something with Miles Teller,' she said, referring to the 2025 Apple TV+ science fiction thriller that also starred Anya Taylor-Joy and Sigourney Weaver.

She continued: 'In the movie, there's like a cliff on one side, and there's a cliff on the other side, then there's a gorge in between, and it's filled with all these, like, monster people that are trying to get them. I swear when I watched it... I was, like, that feels like what my grief is like... or what grief could be like.

'At all times there's, like, a giant ocean of awfulness, that's, like, right there, and I can see it.

'Sometimes I just want to dive into it, and just, like, be in it. Then sometimes I just look at it, and sometimes I try to get away from it. But, it's always there.'
Charlotte Crosby has said she's been struggling through a 'difficult few months' in an emotional and cryptic Instagram post on Saturday.

The Geordie Shore star, 35, took to her Stories and told fans she had 'so much to process' but would only share the details when she was ready.

Last month Charlotte's fiance Jake Ankers, with whom she shares daughters Alba Jean, three, and 14-month-old Pixie, was rushed to hospital with 'severe chest pains'.

It came after the reality star opened up about the couple's relationship crisis following the birth of their second child, admitting they found it hard adjusting to life with two kids. You can read the full story here.

Charlotte also revealed last year that that she was 300k in debt after 'business mistake' launching her own clothing brand.

In her latest post she said: 'Been MIA for the past few days! If I'm totally honestly [sic] I've been going through it! What a few months It's been'.

Charlotte Crosby has said she's been struggling through a 'difficult few months' in an emotional and cryptic Instagram post on Saturday

The Geordie Shore star, 35, took to her Stories and told fans she had 'so much to process' but would only share the details when she was ready

'So many emotions to process! so grateful to everyone who has been such a support through a difficult to navigate time. So many of you on here noticed the lack of anything on my socials! I still feel really lucky to have such an amazing group of ppl on this app! What a community we have built over all these years

Before adding: 'I'm sure I will share more when I'm ready but for now thank you everyone who checked in it didn't go un-noticed'.

Daily Mail have contacted Charlotte's representatives for comment.

Lats month Charlotte revealed Jake was rushed to hospital after suffering 'severe chest pains' during their family break in Scotland.

In a post on Instagram, Charlotte told her followers Jake had suffered a health scare the day before they were due to return home.

She said she'd endured a 'scary' 12 hours after Jake began to suffer with pains in his chest and 'numbness in his arms,' leading to him being taken to hospital in an ambulance.

Last month Charlotte's fiance Jake Ankers, with whom she shares daughters Alba Jean, three, and 14-month-old Pixie, was rushed to hospital with 'severe chest pains.

Jake then posted an update sharing that tests had revealed he'd been diagnosed with blood clots, and he was discharged after being given a blood thinning injection and tablets.

Posting a snap of himself in hospital, Jake said the health scare was a 'major wake-up call' to slow down with his busy schedule.

Charlotte wrote: 'I never ever expected our little Scottish trip to end like this but @jake_ankers was rushed to hospital late last night!

'After having severe chest pains and arm numbness an ambulance came for him and he was kept in all night and all morning after elevated blood results!!!

'We want to say a huge thank you to the @cameronhouselocklomond staff who basically went above and beyond to help is all in a really really really scary moment!

'And carried on with the amazing customer service all today helping me pack up and get out of the hotel as I was on my own with the girls and all of our stuff!

'Also a huge thank you to the amazing nurses, drs and paramedics! That did amazing for Jake the past 12 hours.'
Pete Davidson opened up about his sobriety during his latest comedy show at The Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.

The 32-year-old former Saturday Night Live regular shared an anecdote, revealing how his mom, Amy Waters Davidson, inspired him to stop using drugs and alcohol for good.

'I went to rehab this time. I was like, Im gonna actually do it so I could save some of this money Im making and stop blowing it on rehab,' he said.

While performing on stage on Saturday, he added, 'I did family week, when, with your therapist, you Zoom your family and they tell you how difficult it is for them to watch you do drugs.'

Davidson recalled the 'brutal' video call to his mom, during which he had an epiphany about his risky lifestyle.

'She went, "Enough." She f***ed me up. She was, like, "Peter, its very hard to be your mom because I wake up every morning with the fear that Ill turn on the news and see that my son has died.

'She told me all this on Zoom  from the house that I bought her on drugs. I was like, "Someones getting used to things." That got me sober,' he quipped.

Pete Davidson opened up about his sobriety during his latest comedy show at The Fontainebleau in Las Vegas; pictured in December 2024

The 32-year-old shared an anecdote, revealing how his mom, Amy Davidson, inspired him to stop using drugs and alcohol for good; pictured in November 2024

He reiterated, 'I remember my mom popped on the screen, and she was like, "Peter, its really hard to be your mom. Its not a fun job."'

He joked, 'I was still, like, newly sober, [thinking], "Well, youre not f**king that special. What do you do?"'

The actor was raised by a single mom, after his dad, New York City firefighter Scott Davidson, died in the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Davidson welcomed his first child, daughter Scottie, with girlfriend Elsie Hewitt last December.

Elsewhere in his standup set, he discussed fatherhood.

He got candid about not being able to enjoy porn after becoming a parent to a baby girl.

'[I] got a little girl. It's weird having a little girl,' he said on stage, according to Us Weekly.

He admitted it's 'hard to watch porn...in front of her,' but cracked, 'I still did. I power through.'

Jokes aside, he described being a new dad as 'a lot of fun,' adding that it's been 'great.'

Davidson recalled a 'brutal' video call to his mom from rehab, during which he had an epiphany about his risky lifestyle; pictured in April 2023

The actor was raised by a single mom, after his dad, New York City firefighter Scott Davidson, died in the September 11th terrorist attacks

Davidson welcomed his first child, daughter Scottie, with girlfriend Elsie Hewitt last December

While on This Past Weekend podcast last September, the entertainer said, 'Thank God that Im sober.

'I wish I had more time of sobriety cause its only been like a year and change, but Im very grateful that it happened now and with Elsie.'

Months before his daughter was born, he explained, 'In other relationships or when I was, you know  I was a drug addict and very mentally deranged, but that was my goal: "I need to have a kid. I need to get married." Because that's how I grew up.'

In retrospect, the comedian said he was 'not ready' to have a family when he was still in the thick of substance abuse.

'I stopped dating and I was, like, "I need to f***ing get better and I need to be in a place where I could even have a healthy relationship,"' he remembered.

The star told host Theo Von, 'I wasnt looking for a relationship or looking to have a baby. It all just kind of happened at once, and its been awesome.'
Naga Munchetty has said 'people don't know how to disagree with each other anymore and you're either with me or you're not' amid the BBC's bullying probe.

The BBC Breakfast presenter, 51, faces an uncertain future at the broadcaster after they reportedly instigated a formal investigation following accusations of bullying against her.

In August, TV sources claimed several colleagues had logged concerns over her 'hard' behaviour on the breakfast show, as well as on her Radio 5 Live show. It was then reported in November, the broadcaster launched a formal investigation.

In a new interview, Naga spoke of people now forming their own opinions on her as well as being subject to terrible racist abuse from trolls on social media.

Naga told The Times: 'People are deciding: you're either with me or you're not. It feels like we're unlearning how to disagree agreeably with each other. That's frightening. The way we're interacting with other people feels so tense.'

Naga went on to say how she has been forced to block social media users after being subjected to a barrage of online hate.

Naga Munchetty has said 'people don't know how to disagree with each other anymore and you're either with me or you're not' amid the BBC's bullying probe

She said: 'I block a lot of people. Someone commented on my Instagram post about giving blood saying, "Do they accept Indian blood?" If it looks like a message is going to be abusive, I don't read it. If it's some fool shouting into the ether, let them. It's not my job to change their views.'

The interview comes after the presenter was accused of making a sly dig at BBC Breakfast's weather host Carol Kirkwood on her last day on air.

The newsreader, 51, has been criticised for a seemingly brutal parting shot at Carol, 63, during her final appearance.

After playing some of her on-screen highlights, Naga joked: 'I am just waiting for the countdown for you to go.' Ouch!

The Daily Mail reported it is not the first time she has landed herself in hot water with on-air digs at colleagues. You can read the full story here.

In November, it was reported bosses had decided to escalate the complaints made in August and launch a formal investigation after further complaints were made.

The presenter, who is paid between 355,000 and 359,999 a year, is said to be allowed to stay on at the broadcaster, but that she will only work with certain producers while the probe takes place.

The BBC Breakfast presenter, 51, faces an uncertain future at the BBC after the corporation reportedly instigated a formal investigation following accusations of bullying against her

A source told The Sun: 'Naga has not been taken off air but now has certain members of production monitoring her and her interactions.

'She's only allowed to speak to specific people too. It's far from ideal as a way of working and everyone hopes it comes to a head someway or another soon.'

Daily Mail has contacted Naga's representatives for comment at the time. A BBC spokesperson said: 'We do not comment on individual HR matters.'

Naga's own conduct was thrown into doubt when BBC Breakfast's editor Richard Frediani reportedly took an extended period of leave, after an internal review of bullying and misconduct allegations was opened into the show.

Naga was reportedly spoken to by executives after a junior staffer accused the journalist of bullying them.

She was also reportedly hauled into a meeting after she made a sex jibe during an ad break while hosting her radio show.

The presenter is believed to have used a crude slang term for a sex act and reportedly asked a colleague if they had ever done it.

Naga is no longer represented by agents M&C Saatchi, who also dropped BBC One Show host Jermaine Jenas after his sexting scandal.

Her new agents have reportedly 'held talks with rival station LBC' to explore other opportunities.

The journalist is paid almost double of her co-host Charlie, 63, remained in the 190,000 bracket and tensions between the pair are said to be 'rife'.

Naga hosts BBC Breakfast on Thursdays to Saturdays with Charlie, while Jon Kay and Sally Nugent anchor the programme from the start of the week.
The mug shot of Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham's alleged stalker has been released after her horror assault using an 'unknown substance.'

Michelle Dick, 55, was arrested Saturday night in Fort Wayne, Indiana and is being held at Allen County Jail awaiting extradition to California according to booking records.

Dick is accused of throwing an unidentified substance on Buckingham, 76, on March 25 in Santa Monica, California.

She has a criminal history of stalking the Fleetwood Mac icon and has been charged with multiple felonies by a Los Angeles court in connection with the recent attack on the musician.

Dick faces a total of seven counts, including making criminal threats; assault with a deadly weapon involving a motor vehicle; and felony vandalism, according to legal documents reviewed by the Daily Mail.

Dick was also charged with stalking Buckingham and another person referred to as Stephanie N. in the court documents.

The mug shot of Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham's (pictured in January 2018) alleged stalker has been released after her horror assault using an 'unknown substance'

Michelle Dick, 55, was arrested Saturday night in Fort Wayne, Indiana and is being held at Allen County Jail awaiting extradition to California according to booking records

A warrant has been issued for Dick's arrest with a bail amount of $300,000, according to legal docs, as the court found probable cause to proceed with charging her amid a spate of linked incidents.

The shock assault came a little over a year after Buckingham was granted a permanent restraining order against Dick, as officials said she has harassed Buckingham since 2021.

According to court filings, Buckingham said Dick had begun plaguing his wife with calls in 2021 claiming to be his biological daughter.

Buckingham accused Dick of threatening 'to kill me and my family,' turning up at his house and at one point even making a fake 911 call that resulted in the police descending on his property while he slept and clapping him in handcuffs.

Dick told KTLA5 on April 2 that she dropped by Buckingham's house 'last year' and confronted him as recently as last month. She said she hadn't been arrested at that time, and had been living in her vehicle.

Dick has an extensive history of brushes with the law prior to her incidents involving Buckingham.

In 2016, Dick was arrested and accused of DUI and battering a peace officer in Alameda County, California.

She found herself faced with a raft of misdemeanor counts, including two of excessive blood alcohol/refusal, one of DUI, and one of driving while her blood alcohol level was at 0.08 percent or higher.

The woman with a criminal history of stalking Fleetwood Mac icon Lindsey Buckingham, 76, has been charged with multiple felonies by a Los Angeles court in connection with an attack on the musician

Dick was further charged with one count of battery with injury on a peace officer and one of resisting, obstructing or delaying a peace officer and EMT.

She ultimately pled no contest to driving while having a 0.08 percent or higher blood alcohol level, on top of which she admitted to having excessive blood alcohol.

All the other charges were dropped under the terms of her plea bargain, and although she was originally sentenced to 20 days behind bars, she only spent three days at the Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County, according to court records.

She then served three years' probation ending January 2020 - the year before the start of her entanglement with Buckingham and his family.

Buckingham's current, 'permanent' five-year restraining order against Dick is an extension of a temporary restraining order (TRO) he previously obtained against her. The TRO expired on December 20, 2024, on which day Buckingham and his wife both gave declarations at a hearing at the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Buckingham's declaration - obtained by the Daily Mail - provided a chilling account of the campaign of terror he claimed Dick waged against him and his family.

According to Buckingham, Dick allegedly acquired the business phone number of his wife Kristen, 56, and began plaguing her with phone calls 'dozens of times a day sometimes' over a three-month span in late 2021 and early 2022.

Speaking to the court, he accused Dick of 'leaving long drawn-out messages that included the claim that she was my child and threats to kill me and my family.'

She redoubled her previous claims that she was Buckingham's daughter, insisting: 'He wasnt a father to me but hes my birth father,' to KTLA

She also allegedly left voicemails in 2021 for Buckingham's son William, 27, repeating her contention that she was the rock star's daughter.

Buckingham insisted in his sworn testimony that he was not Dick's father and that she was not in fact known to him personally at all. He made the further allegation that the stalker 'blamed me for facial deformities she apparently suffered as a child and demanded money.'

In his version of events, Dick was instructed by police to cease contacting the Buckingham family in 2022, so he let the matter drop.

However in September 2024 she is said to have returned to the fray and left collages of Buckingham and Kristen's letterboxes with pictures of their faces.

Although they did not see Dick at their respective homes, Buckingham and his wife both 'knew she was the author of the collage because the collage was from her Instagram and had pictures of her on it.'

According to Buckingham's declaration, Kristen, who lives separately from him, had a security team installed at her house as a result of Dick's overtures.

However, shortly thereafter - just one day following the appearance of the collages - one of Kristen's guards caught sight of Dick parked out front.

The guard called the police, who tailed Dick all the way to the Pacific Coast Highway, where they stopped her and heard her 'rambling about me being her father and suffocating her as [a] child,' according to Buckingham. 'The police released her and told her not to come back.'

That November, the police allegedly arrived at Buckingham's house, woke him, handcuffed him and brought him outside on the basis of a 911 call.

The emergency services had reportedly been warned that Buckingham's son William 'was in my house and suicidal and that the caller had heard gunshots,' according to Buckingham's testimony in court.

Buckingham said Dick had begun plaguing his wife with calls in 2021 claiming to be his biological daughter

Police allegedly searched the property for 20 minutes, discovered that they had received a false alarm and uncuffed Buckingham, he testified.

'I now know that the 911 call was traced to Ms. Dick's cell phone,' said Buckingham, citing a declaration by an LAPD detective: 'and was the latest in an unabated pattern of harassment and threatening acts against my family and me.'

He asserted that in the absence of 'restraint,' he was 'afraid her conduct may escalate into something physically dangerous to me and my family.'

His argument persuaded the judge enough that the TRO was extended to grant Buckingham five years of protection from Dick ending December 20, 2029.

The now 'permanent' restraining order stipulated that Dick remain 100 yards away from Buckingham, Kristen and William, and that she refrain from threatening or harassing the musician or contacting him at all.

After the attack on Buckingham this week, Dick broke her silence in a peculiar interview that did little to dissipate the cloud of morbid fascination hanging over her.

She doubled down on her previous claims that she was Buckingham's daughter, insisting: 'He wasnt a father to me but hes my birth father,' to KTLA.

Moreover she confessed that she approached Buckingham in the week before the attack, and admitted that she had paid another visit to his house.

She said that she dropped by his Brentwood home 'one time, that was last year,' while alleging that 'I didn't know I had a restraining order on me.'

Buckingham seen performing at The Brown Theatre in 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky

Legal documents obtained by the Daily Mail show a sheriff's deputy tried and failed to serve Dick with the restraining order in the Bay Area, where she evidently lived.

Interestingly, the unsuccessful attempt to serve Dick took place in December 2025 - about a year after the judge granted Buckingham the order.

Meanwhile Buckingham's friends and family have been flocking to his side in the wake of the shocking attack.

His 26-year-old daughter Leelee Welles Buckingham, whom he had with his current wife, was seen arriving at his house along with her boyfriend Axel Youngdale.

Bundled up in sweats and wearing an expression of concern, Leelee could be seen carrying her dog Billy as she emerged from her father's Brentwood property.

It was Leelee and her mother who in 2021 had first contacted detectives over Michelle Dick's voicemails, resulting in the opening of a file on Dick, according to Kristen's declaration at the hearing on December 20, 2024.

Mingled with the friends and relations visiting Buckingham this week was a silver-haired man from the executive protection firm Lions 4 Security.
David Arquette took to Instagram on Monday to mark his 11th wedding anniversary with wife Christina McLarty Arquette.

The 54-year-old filmmaker shared a single black-and-white photo from their wedding day and added a heartfelt caption dedicated to his wife, 44.

'Happy 11th wedding anniversary 1 day late (I was traveling),' the Scream actor began.

He added, '@christinaarquette to the dragon mother of basset hounds, a silly bull dog, crazy cats, goats, pigs, horses, donkey, cows, chickens, ducks, turkey, chinchillas, fish, stepmother to Coco, and mother of Charlie and Gus I just cant thank you enough for this magical world we have created together.'

The proud husband continued, 'I thank the stars about every day for you. From kissing under a rainbow at Lollapalooza in Chicago to looking down on fireworks in Aspen its been a fairytale adventure. Thanks for being my dream come true. I love you.'

His sister, actress Rosanna Arquette, dropped in the comments to write, 'Love you happy happy anniversary.'

David Arquette took to Instagram on Monday to mark his 11th wedding anniversary with wife Christina McLarty Arquette; pictured in April 2022

The 54-year-old filmmaker shared a single black and white photo from their wedding day and added a heartfelt caption dedicated to his wife, 44

The couple share sons Charlie, 12, and Gus, nine.

And the actor is dad to 21-year-old daughter Coco, whom he shares with ex-wife Courteney Cox, 61.

The exes married in 1999 but divorced in 2013, three years after their separation, and have remained on amicable terms.

Arquette and Christina got engaged in 2014, nearly one year after their first child was born.

It came after the Scream star proposed in Malibu, surrounded by family.

They married in an intimate ceremony in Los Angeles, in front of close friends and family at Italian eatery Cicada.

'It was such a wonderful, memorable night.

'All of our families and friends came together and just had a great time,' Arquette later told People. 'The best part is just saying "I do" and committing and kissing my new bride.'

Arquette said he thanks the stars just 'about every day' for his wife; pictured in February

The actor said his relationship with Christina has 'been a fairytale adventure'; pictured in January 2020

The couple share sons Charlie, 12, and Gus, nine

Arquette and Cox reunited earlier this year at the red carpet premiere of Scream 7, which hit theaters on February 27.

Cox got engaged to Snow Patrol musician Johnny McDaid, 49, in 2014, but the couple later called off the wedding.

Although they eventually managed to get back together romantically in 2016, the actress confirmed in 2019 that they were not actually engaged again.

'He's not my fiance. We were engaged to be married but now we're just together,' she explained during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

'We broke off our engagement and he moved to England, then we got back together and it's actually better than it was before. Everything's better,' she explained.
Kit Harington was seen for the first time on the set of Count My Lies as he joined Shailene Woodley in New York to film scenes of their upcoming release on Monday.

The actor, 39, was seen kneeling on the grass in Central Park wearing a blue polo top and white trousers.

He appeared in happy spirits during the scenes as he completed his look with brown loafers.

Sitting on the grass alongside a young child, his co-star, Shailene, joined him as she wore pink medical scrubs and trainers.

The show follows Shailene's character Sloane Caraway, a compulsive liar who fibs her way into a nanny position for the gorgeous and charismatic Violet and Jay Lockhart - played by Lindsay Lohan and Kit.

It seems she's finally landed her dream job, with the Lockharts appearing to be the perfect New York couple, with a brownstone, a daughter in private school, and summers on Block Island.

Kit Harington, 39, was seen for the first time on the set of Count My Lies as he joined Shailene Woodley in New York to film scenes of their upcoming release on Monday

The actor was seen kneeling on the grass in Central Park wearing a blue polo top and white trousers

But little does Sloane know that she's just entered a household brimming with secrets that are about to explode - with potentially catastrophic consequences for all.

The psychological thriller is based on the recently published novel of the same name by Sophie Stava and is set to air on Hulu.

Production began earlier this month and is expected to wrap up on July 9 in New York, with no confirmed airdate as of yet.

In December, Variety revealed that Game of Thrones star Kit will star opposite Lindsay and Shailene in the upcoming series.

Kit, who shares two children, with Rose Leslie recently discussed the couple's private life as he promoted his part in the latest season of financial drama Industry.

Discussing their nearly eight-year marriage, he said: 'Rose and I are very caring of each other.

'We're very loving, and tactile, and we make sure we tell each other that we love each other.'

Kit, who has openly spoken about undergoing treatment for alcohol issues, also said his wife has supported him through difficult periods in his life.

During the scenes as he completed his look with brown loafers as he was seen walking around with a child's backpack

Sitting on the grass alongside a young child, his co-star, Shailene, joined him as she wore pink medical scrubs and trainers

The show follows Shailene's character Sloane Caraway, a compulsive liar who fibs her way into a nanny position for the gorgeous and charismatic Violet and Jay Lockhart - played by Lindsay Lohan and Kit

In the interview with Mr Porter, he said: 'Rose is just the most genuine soul. I'm very, very lucky. I really am.

'And Rose was there through all of the hard stuff, and she's been through some journeys with me. But it has truly worked out.'

The couple tied the knot in 2018 in a fairytale wedding at a stunning countryside chapel just a stone's throw away from Wardhill Castle, Aberdeenshire, owned by Ms Leslie's family.
Molly-Mae Hague showcased her blossoming baby bump in a series of holiday snaps.

The former Love Island star, 26, is expecting her second child in June with Tommy Fury, also 26.

Molly took to Instagram on Monday and looked glowing in the photos.

In one hotel room snap, Molly-Mae showed off her pregnancy curves in a brown bikini which she wore with undone blue striped pyjamas.

In another, Molly wore a sheer white co-ord which displayed her bump. The television personality flew out with beauty brand LookFantastic, which she has had a long-standing partnership with.

She captioned the post: 'Summer loading'.

Fans wrote: 'You look amazing' while Paris Fury commented: 'You look amazing, actually glowing!'

Molly-Mae Hague showcased her blossoming baby bump in a series of holiday snaps. In one hotel room snap, Molly-Mae showed off her pregnancy curves in a brown bikini

She captioned the post: 'Summer loading'. Fans wrote: 'You look amazing'

Molly recently addressed Tommy's controversial fight date being so close to when she is expected to give birth to their second child.

The Love Island stars, who are already parents to three-year-old daughter Bambi, rekindled their romance last year.

However, Tommy has revealed his plans to fight retired strongman Eddie Hall at the AO Arena in Manchester on June 13.

After reported claims that her family are 'worried by his decision,' Molly-Mae has revealed what she really thinks about it.

Opening up in a Q&A video on her YouTube channel, she said: 'A lot of questions about how do you feel about Tommy's fight and obviously the date of it,' she said in her vlog.

'Obviously I knew that you guys were going to like be concerned about that and have questions about that, but fear not.

'Fear not fair maiden because we're actually feeling really, really good about it and have a really good plan in place.'

She went on: 'There's actually like a good amount of time between my birth, my supposed birth because basically I'm having the baby in London again.

In another, Molly wore a sheer white co-ord which displayed her bump. The television personality flew out with beauty brand LookFantastic

The former Love Island star, 26, is expecting her second child with Tommy Fury, also 26

Molly-Mae spritzed some perfume in another photograph

'So I gave birth with Bambi at The Portland.

'I'm not worried and I'm actually really, really happy that he's got a fight because it's been over a year since his last fight.'

She continued: 'So just having a date for something and and having a focus and us having like I don't know something to look forward to in the fight like it's just I think it's actually a really, really, really positive thing and he will be here when I get home.

'He will be able to support me.'
SAN DIEGO, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Douglas Elliman Realty, the preeminent luxury real estate brokerage in the United States, today announced that the Jackson Arnett Group, one of San Diego, California's most accomplished real estate teams and a former RealTrends #3 Medium Size Team (by sides) in Rancho Santa Fe, has joined the firm following seven-plus successful years at Compass. Led by Delorine Jackson and Ian Arnett, and including licensed real estate salesperson Bayley Bachiero, the Jackson Arnett Group will strengthen the brokerage's presence across the Rancho Santa Fe and North County Coastal San Diego, California markets. The team brings deep market expertise, an exceptional client-centric approach, and a proven track record of success in the region's most prestigious communities and will be based out of Douglas Elliman's Del Mar office, led by Dan Tomasi, the Executive Manager of Sales for San Diego.

"We are thrilled to welcome Delorine, Ian and Bayley to the Douglas Elliman family," said Michael S. Liebowitz, President and Chief Executive Officer of Douglas Elliman Inc. "Their extraordinary track record, deep roots in Rancho Santa Fe and North County San Diego, and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our vision of empowering elite agents to deliver unmatched service in California's premier luxury markets."

Led by Delorine and Ian, the Jackson Arnett Group brings together complementary strengths that have made them one of San Diego's most respected luxury teams.

Delorine Jackson is a highly-regarded luxury real estate advisor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose remarkable journeyfrom being adopted at age eight after growing up in a South Korean orphanage to becoming a leading force in Rancho Santa Fefuels her deep commitment to clients and community. A longtime resident of Rancho Santa Fe, she brings over 20-plus years of experience, strategic expertise, and a passion for revitalizing Rancho Santa Fe's downtown village through her commercial property investments.

"After more than two decades building our business in Rancho Santa Fe and North County Coastal San Diego, this move to Douglas Elliman represents the next meaningful chapter for our team and our clients," said Jackson. "Douglas Elliman's unparalleled service, connectivity, and unwavering commitment to luxury excellence will allow us to deliver even greater value, while we continue our deep community work in revitalizing the village and supporting local philanthropy. It's a partnership that aligns perfectly with our vision of creating lasting impact through real estate and beyond."

Ian Arnett, a native of the Greater San Diego region and licensed real estate agent for over 27 years, complements Delorine with his intimate knowledge of local and Southern California market trends, a true passion for home design, and a results-driven approach to luxury real estate. Highly skilled in the acquisition and sale of residential and distinctive properties, Ian excels at providing thoughtful guidance and insightful market assessments. He helps clients maximize value through strategic upgrades, floor-plan enhancements, and cost-effective modifications that increase equity and elevate properties. Clients trust his integrity, constant communication, prompt responsiveness, and ability to skillfully navigate challenges while protecting and achieving optimal outcomes in every transaction.

"Joining Douglas Elliman is a strategic and exciting step forward for our team. As a lifelong San Diegan passionate about this market, I'm thrilled to partner with a brokerage that offers a service-oriented approach to its agents, attention-to-detail, and a true luxury focus," said Arnett. "This move will enhance our ability to maximize opportunities for buyers and sellers  from strategic property enhancements to publicizing high-end transactions  all while maintaining the personal, integrity-driven service our clients have come to expect."

Bayley, a licensed salesperson and Southern California native, adds dynamic energy and specialized focus to the team. With a sharp eye for luxury listings and off-market opportunities, Bayley delivers proactive, integrity-driven service across Rancho Santa Fe and the coastal communities.

After knowing each other in the business for over 20 years, Arnett formally aligned with Jackson two years ago, establishing a strategic relationship that continues to capture business across San Diego and Southern California.

Together, the Jackson Arnett Group has delivered strong results across San Diego County, including over $160 million in closed sales volume in 2025 alone. The team consistently ranks among the top producers locally, including #4 on the San Diego Business Journal's 2025 Residential Real Estate Agents list. With an average home price exceeding $3 million and a core team of three licensed agents, they specialize in high-end residential transactions.

The Jackson Arnett Group boasts significant experience in the region and is poised for a strong spring season, bringing to market $40 million in luxury residential listings across Rancho Santa Fe and North County San Diego. These include premier properties include 5315 La Crescenta in Rancho Santa Fe, a $16,495,000 six-bedroom, eight-bathroom newly redesigned estate on four acres; 6627 Calle Ponte Bella in Rancho Santa Fe, a $6,395,000 five-bedroom, seven-bathroom masterpiece in the highly coveted guard-gated community of The Bridges; and 611 Stratford Court in Del Mar, a $4,175,000 two-bedroom, four-bathroom Del Mar Village residence that captures the essence of coastal living.

"Delorine, Ian and Bayley's unique blend of market mastery, entrepreneurial spirit, and community impact provide unlimited opportunities for buyers and sellers across San Diego's high-end residential sector," said Bill Begert, Chief Operations Officer of Brokerage, Western Region, Douglas Elliman. The addition of the Jackson Arnett Group underscores Elliman's unwavering commitment to supporting top-producing teams."

"Rancho Santa Fe remains one of California's most coveted luxury markets, and Delorine and Ian and Bayley bring unmatched local intelligence, client relationships, and a proven ability to deliver results," added Peter Hernandez, President of Brokerage, California and Nevada Regions, Douglas Elliman.

Together, the Jackson Arnett Group distinguishes themselves through a rare combination of local roots, personal stories of resilience and reinvention, community leadership, hands-on design expertise, and a sharp focus on off-market and luxury lifestyle properties. They will continue to specialize in the region's most coveted luxury enclaves, including Rancho Santa Fe (The Bridges, Covenant, Fairbanks Ranch, Del Mar Country Club, and surrounding gated communities), Del Mar, La Jolla, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Carmel Valley, and Poway.

The Jackson Arnett Group joins a roster of industry heavy hitters who have joined Douglas Elliman in recent months including Caitlin Chagan, President of Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, New York, Chief Strategy Officer Wendy S. Purvey, Chief Technology Officer Chris Reyes, Chief Marketing Officer Natalie Passerini, growth expert Rich Green, Chief of Staff Areeje Akhtar Oriol, as well as top-ranked agents Heather Domi and Samantha Behringer in New York, Dana Johnson in Houston, Megan Sullivan in Greenwich and Christine Krenos and Joseph Zichelle in California Wine Country.

About Douglas Elliman Inc.

Douglas Elliman Inc. (NYSE: DOUG) owns Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC, which is one of the largest residential brokerage companies in the United States with operations in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Connecticut, New Jersey, the Hamptons, Massachusetts, Florida, California, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. In addition, Douglas Elliman Inc. provides other real estate services, including development marketing, mortgage as well as settlement and escrow services in select markets, and uses as well as invests in early-stage, disruptive property technology solutions and companies. Additional information concerning Douglas Elliman Inc. is available on its website, investors.elliman.com.

Investors and others should note that we may post information about Douglas Elliman Inc. on our website at investors.elliman.com or, if applicable, on our accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube or other social media platforms. It is possible that the postings or releases could include information deemed to be material information. Therefore, we encourage investors, the media and others interested in Douglas Elliman Inc. to review the information we post on our website at investors.elliman.com and on our social media accounts.

Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities law. All statements other than statements of historical or current facts made in this document are forward-looking. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the future plans, strategies and results of Douglas Elliman Inc. We identify forward-looking statements in this press release by using words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may be," "continue," "could," "potential," "objective," "plan," "seek," "predict," "project" and "will be" and similar words or phrases or their negatives. Forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Actual results could differ materially for a variety of reasons.

Risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ significantly from our current expectations are described in Douglas Elliman Inc.'s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed thereafter. We undertake no responsibility to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Douglas Elliman
A star from the original Little House on the Prairie series was spotted during a rare outing - as the beloved Laura Ingalls Wilder series prepares for its reboot debut.

Matthew Labyorteaux, 59, who played Albert Quinn Ingalls, was spotted in Los Angeles on Thursday - and rocking the same hairstyle his character sported on the hit series.

His lush jet black hair resembled the same fluffy 'do he rocked on the small screen, when he played the adopted son of Charles and Caroline Ingalls.

The series was something of a family affair for Labyorteaux, whose older brother Patrick Labyorteaux played Andrew 'Andy' Garvey on the series.

While not much has changed about Labyorteaux's hairstyle, he was wearing much more modern clothing than the Western gear his character once wore.

Labyorteaux wore a long-sleeve white shirt, grey sweats, and his keys around his neck.

Little House on the Prairie star Matthew Labyorteaux was spotted out in Los Angeles on Monday as the reboot for his beloved show prepares for debut

Matthew played Albert Quinn Ingalls, the adopted son of Charles and Caroline Ingalls

The actor was sporting the same hairstyle his character rocked on the show

That same day Netflix dropped a teaser for their upcoming reboot of the show, which now stars Luke Bracey as Charles 'Pa' Ingalls, Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline 'Ma' Ingalls, Alice Halsey as Laura and Skywalker Hughes as Laura's older sister Mary.

The trailer offered fans a hint of the adventures awaiting the Ingalls family.

'Once upon a time, Ma and Pa, and Mary and Laura, left the big woods of Wisconsin and moved to the prairie where a new life was waiting for them,' a young girl narrates.

'Every day and every night was an adventure but even though they were all alone, and very small against the sky and the stars, they were happy because they were a family and they were together.'

Based on the beloved series of children's novels by Laura Ingalls Wilder  portrayed by Melissa Gilbert in the series  the show premiered in September 1974 and ran for nine seasons.

Little House on the Prairie followed the adventures of the Ingalls family as they built a homestead and life in the 19th century Midwest.

It has been more than 40 years since the original, long-running series wrapped its final episode after nine seasons in 1984.

The reboot was announced last year and in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Jinny Howe, VP drama series for Netflix, revealed that series will be a 'fresh take on this iconic story.'

Howe also praised showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine for bringing 'emotional depth that will delight both new and existing fans of this beloved classic.'

The 59-year-old was spotted the day the trailer for the Little House on the Prairie reboot was released

But he was outfitted in much more modern clothing

It's been more than 40 years since the long-running series wrapped

'I fell deeply in love with these books when I was five years old. They inspired me to become a writer and a filmmaker, and I am honored and thrilled to be adapting these stories for a new global audience with Netflix,' Sonnenshine said of the upcoming project.

The new reboot will debut on the streamer on July 9, 2026.

In 2024, the Little House on the Prairie cast reunited at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco.

Karen Grassle, Alison Arngrim, Melissa Sue Anderson, Labyorteaux, and Wendi Lou Lee sat on a panel and reflected on their favorite memories from the show.

They also addressed fans' questions about a reboot or reunion of the series.

Matthew's brother Patrick Labyorteaux also had a part on the show as Andrew 'Andy' Garvey

Labyorteaux, pictured center at top, with the Little House cast

The original Little House on the Prairie cast reunited in Monaco in 2024

The cast previously expressed doubts about rebooting their show

The outing comes amid the release of a new trailer for the Netflix reboot of Little House on the Prairie

'There have been lots of attempts to do a Little House on the Prairie again,' Grassle, who played the show's matriarch Caroline Ingalls, explained to People.

'There have been shows, there have been a musical, and I think we had a unique experience and it can't be repeated.'

'Michael [Landon] was a genius at casting and writing,' she added of her onscreen husband, who played Charles Ingalls.

'He understood things about how to translate that material into television for the public that was beyond what most writers understand.

'And he had his thumb on the pulse of the public and understood what people were longing for, and you don't find that every day,' she gushed about the late actor who was also an executive producer and writer for the show.

The series followed the adventures of the Ingalls family as they built a homestead and life in the 19th century Midwest

The reboot stars Luke Bracey as Charles 'Pa' Ingalls and Crosby Fitzgerald as Caroline 'Ma' Ingalls

'Once upon a time, Ma and Pa, and Mary and Laura, left the big woods of Wisconsin and moved to the prairie where a new life was waiting for them,' the narrator says

'They were happy because they were a family and they were together,' a voice narrates

The show will bring the magic of the original to a whole new audience

The show will debut on the streamer on July 9, 2026

The trailer offered fans a hint of the adventures awaiting the Ingalls family

'And then the fact that we were all so perfectly cast was a kind of genius,' she added, looking at her costars.

Anderson, who played eldest sister Mary Ingalls, had her own reason for thinking a reboot wouldn't work - because Landon wouldn't be part of it.

'Little House works on television because of him,' she said. Landon died in 1991.

Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson in the series, was ready to take on a new role if there was ever a reboot of Little House  her mother.

'I always joke that if they do redo the entire thing, I am ready to play Mrs. Oleson. Absolutely, I'm down for that,' she sassed.
Lena Dunham has made explosive claims about her Girls co-star Adam Driver in her shock new memoir.

The actress, now 39, has alleged the now 42-year-old Academy Award nominee threw a chair at a wall next to her, punched a hole in his trailer wall, and screamed in her face during their days working on the HBO series together.

Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Driver and Dunham and has yet to hear back.

On the show created and starring Dunham, her character Hannah Horvath was in an on-off relationship with Driver's character Adam Sackler throughout all six seasons from 2012-2017 starting when Dunham was 25, and Driver was 28.

Now Dunham has claimed that Driver was 'spectacularly rude' to her according to her soon to be released memoir Famesick.

She addressed the claims about Driver in a new interview with The Guardian as she said: 'At the time, I didnt have the skill to it never entered my mind to say, "I am your boss, you cant speak to me this way."

Lena Dunham, 39, has made some explosive claims about her Girls co-star Adam Driver - she is pictured April 2026

The actress has alleged the Academy Award nominee threw a chair at a wall next to her, punched a hole in his trailer wall, and screamed in her face during their days working on the HBO series together - seen as Hannah Horvath and Adam Sackler on Girls

'And, at that point in my 20s, I still thought thats what great male geniuses do: eviscerate you. Which is weird, because I was raised by a male genius who would never do that.'

Dunham did go on to praise other male talent that she had a better relationship with.

She said: 'I have lots of amazing men in my life. Judd [Apatow] is a great hero of mine; Tim Bevan at Working Title is a huge part of my life and so is cinematographer Sam Levy.

'I just worked with Mark Ruffalo, the most thoughtful, sensitive, politically engaged, beautiful person. Theres plenty of them walking around. But there were years when I thought: Cant I just make things that only have women in them?'

The role famously launched Driver's career as he went on to star as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars franchise.

He has also earned two Oscar nominations including a Best Actor nod for Marriage Story in 2020 and a Supporting Actor nod for BlacKkKlansman in 2019.

Dunham created, wrote, and starred in the HBO television series Girls from 2012 until 2017. The show garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards.

The comedy also featured Allison Williams, Jemima Kirke, Zosia Mamet, Alex Karpovsky, Andrew Rannells, Jake Lacy, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.

Now Dunham has claimed that Driver was 'spectacularly rude' to her according to her soon to be released memoir Famesick

She addressed the claims about Driver in a new interview with The Guardian as she said: 'At the time, I didnt have the skill to  it never entered my mind to say, "I am your boss, you cant speak to me this way"'

Dunham created, wrote, and starred in the HBO television series Girls from 2012 until 2017. The show garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards

Famesick: A Memoir is set for release on Tuesday, April 14

Dunham has since entered a creative partnership with streaming giant Netflix.

The streamer secured the rights to her rom-com Good Sex  which she will wrote and directed  starring Natalie Portman, in a $55 million worldwide deal. The film is set to release sometime this year.

According to IMDB it is set around 'a 40-something couples therapist ventures back into the world of dating in New York. Between two very different romances - a young hipster and a successful fifty-something - she must discover what she really wants in love.'

In 2010 she directed and starred in the film Tiny Furniture.

Famesick: A Memoir is set for release on Tuesday, April 14.
Kate Garraway is 'smiling again' after growing close to fellow broadcaster Liam Halligan, two years after her husband tragically died.

The Good Morning Britain host has formed a close friendship with Mr Halligan, who she has known for 20 years, the Daily Mail can reveal.

He was also a friend of Ms Garraway's late spouse, Derek Draper.

At the weekend, the television presenter joined Mr Halligan in his home town of Saffron Walden in Essex.

She was seen 'getting cosy' with him at The Railway Arms pub  where he was performing with his band, The Hooligans.

It comes after Ms Garraway recently appeared on the BBC's Celebrity Traitors  an experience she described as 'transformative' following her husband's death.

One of her friends told the Daily Mail: 'Kate has formed a close friendship with Liam and they really enjoy one another's company.

'They met through friends. Liam makes her laugh, he is very funny and they've been hanging out with their close circle of mates. Kate doesn't know if it will go anywhere. Maybe it will, maybe it won't, but it's complicated.

Kate Garraway at The Railway Arms with Liam Halligan, circled. The pair were seen 'getting cosy' together

The broadcaster's husband Derek Draper, a former political lobbyist and psychotherapist, died of a cardiac arrest in January 2024

A friend of Kate's told the Daily Mail that she 'has formed a close friendship with Liam and they really enjoy one another's company'

'It has been really tough for Kate since Derek died, and she is a mother to two children and they are all still grieving.

'But they have known one another for 20 years. Liam knew Derek. They have so many friends in common. It's lovely to see Kate smiling again.'

Mr Halligan introduced Ms Garraway, 58, to his friends at the pub where a source said: 'Everyone was having a great time, there was a lot of singing and dancing.'

Ms Garraway was also introduced to Mr Halligan's neighbours.

The source added: 'A lot of the neighbours are talking about it after being introduced to Kate. She and Liam looked really into each other and seemed very happy. She has been spotted quite a few times at Liam's home in recent weeks.'

In January 2024, former political lobbyist and psychotherapist Mr Draper died of a cardiac arrest after becoming seriously ill with Covid in March 2020.

Ms Garraway had cared for him at their north London home, where she still lives with their children Darcey, 20, and Billie, 16.

Award-winning journalist and single father Mr Halligan, 56, was previously economics and business editor at GB News and currently writes a column in The Sunday Telegraph.

He is separated from his partner, journalist Lucy Ward. They have a son and two daughters, Maeve and Ailis, who play with him in his band.

Liam, pictured performing with his band The Hooligans, has known the Good Morning Britain host for 20 years

Kate told Jamie Laing's Good Company podcast that she was ready to have romance in her life again following the tragic loss of her husband

In December last year, Ms Garraway discussed her dating prospects following the tragic loss of her husband  who she married in September 2005.

Speaking to Jamie Laing on his Great Company podcast, Ms Garraway revealed she was ready to have romance in her life again. She also indicated she was looking for 'any single dads'.

Ms Garraway said: 'I wouldn't like to think that I'd never had romantic love in my life again.

'I think that would be rather a sad way to go through life, wouldn't it? But, no, I'm not there yet. I don't know if anybody would want me.'

She then teased: 'Talk to your mates, find out if any of their dads are single. That's your task, Jamie.'

But Ms Garraway revealed that she was not interested in using a dating app, adding: 'I'm of the old school where you lived life, did things you loved and then met people along the way. But maybe that doesn't happen any more.'

Now Ms Garraway's circle are thrilled she seems to be living on the bright side of life again.

A friend of Ms Garraway told the Daily Mail last night: 'Kate has been through so much, she is so loved and we just want her to be happy. We love to see her smile.'
Nicole Kidman has shared the tough-love advice she gave the two teenaged daughters that she shares with ex-husband Keith Urban.

The 58-year-old movie star made the comments when at the University Of San Francisco on Saturday during the college's Silk Speaker Series.

'I told them that the decisions youre making now will affect your life, but also things will change as nothing is set in stone,' said the Oscar winner at the event attended by The Daily Mail.

'And primarily trying to create emotional stability is important for them so that they can feel like the world is your oyster,' noted the actress who finalized her divorce from Urban in January.

She finished with, 'I told them youre going to have an incredible future, but it can be incredibly overwhelming.'

Kidman has Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 15, with Urban.

Nicole Kidman has shared the tough-love advice she gave the two teenaged daughters she shares with ex-husband Keith Urban. Seen in October

(L-R) Keith Urban, Sunday Rose, Faith Margaret, Sybella Hawley, Nicole and Antonia Kidman attend the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award Gala Tribute in April 2024

Sunday Rose is already working as a fashion model. Her first runway show was Diors Paris Fashion Week presentation in November 2025.

The movie icon also has daughter Isabella, 33, and son Connor, 31, with ex-husband Tom Cruise.

The Australia native also reflected on the advice that her father Antony Kidman, who died in 2014, gave her when she was younger.

'He said you need to have grit, youre not going to be the smartest person in the room so you have to use your wits,' said the star who was dressed in a pale pink pantsuit.

Elsewhere in the conversation, Kidman said that she has grown from the difficult times she has experienced in her life.

'Sometimes youre going to have to take it on the chin and thats OK. Its your life and you define it. Who cares what someone else thinks? Dont give your power to anybody else. They dont get to define you.'

Kidman shocked the audience when she revealed she wants to study to become a death doula after the passing of her mother Janelle in September 2024.

The actress admitted that it 'sounds a little weird' but she has an intense desire to help others during their last few weeks of their lives on earth.

Kidman made the comments when at the University Of San Francisco on Saturday during the Silk Speaker Series

'I told them that the decisions youre making now will affect your life, but also things will change as nothing is set in stone,' she said at the event attended by The Daily Mail

Kidman with Urban at the 95th Annual Academy Awards in 2023

'I am looking to expand myself. I am looking to become a death doula,' said the actress at the event.

A death doula is a non-medical professional who provides holistic, emotional, spiritual, and practical support to terminally ill individuals and their families, according to the International End Of Life Doula Association.

'My father was very involved with palliative care. There are birth doulas and recently I learned about death doulas. As my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide.'

The Moulin Rouge actress explained that she and her sister have so many children between them and are busy with their careers that they could not spend enough time with their mother so they hired a death doula.

'That's when I went, "I wish there were these people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care,"' said the star.

'I feel its really important to have care on earth for the beginning and the end.'
President Donald Trump revealed Sunday night that Iran was 'desperate' during peace negotiations and Tehran ended discussions when their demand for nuclear weapons was denied.

Trump exited Air Force One on Sunday night at Joint Base Andrews where he revealed details of the failed negotiations in Pakistan - while insisting he will prevent Iran from obtaining nukes.

'They still want it, and they made that clear the other night,' the commander-in-chief told reporters about their discussions with Vice President JD Vance.

'I think Iran is in very bad shape. I think theyre pretty desperate. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.'

Authorities in Iran have long fought to make nuclear bombs, even including the right to enrich uranium in a 10-point peace plan they submitted ahead of the peace talks that took place in Islamabad this weekend.

Probing the Positions

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later claimed the proposal Iranian officials released differed from the one they sent the president.

She then insisted that the president's 'red lines, namely the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran, have not changed.'

Trump doubled down on that point Sunday, hours after announcing that peace talks with his Iranian counterparts had failed.

A US official familiar with the deliberations previously told The Daily Mail that at the outset of the talks, it was clear that the Iranians did not properly apprehend America's core objective, which was that any potential deal has and always would have at its center the fact that Iran would never obtain a nuclear weapon.

Over the course of the deliberations, Vance corrected this misunderstanding and used his time with his counterparts to probe their own assessments of their positions, per the US official.

Yet Vance believes a deal still remains on the table, the official said, and that it is on the Iranians to accept it.

But when asked Sunday night how long he thinks it would be before Iranian officials returned to the negotiating table, Trump took a cold hard stance against more talks.

'I don't care if they come back or not,' he said. 'If they don't come back, I'm fine.'

$100 Oil Returns

In the meantime, the US will start blockading ships trying to enter the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world's oil passes.

The blockade is scheduled to start at 10am ET on Monday, though vessels using the strait to travel to and from non-Iranian ports will not be impeded.

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has since hit back, claiming that Iran has 'large, untouched levers' to strike back against Trump's blockage, quipping that they cannot be pressured by 'tweets and imaginary plans.'

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf - who led negotiations with JD Vance on behalf of Iran - warned Americans that 'soon you'll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas,' The New York Times reported.

Oil prices were already rising in early market trading Sunday night after the US announced the blockade.

The price of US crude oil rose eight percent to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose seven percent to $102.29.

Brent crude has swung dramatically during the month-plus long Iran war, rising from roughly $70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times.

Underwater vs. Underestimated

On Friday, ahead of the peace talks, Brent for June delivery fell 0.8 percent to $95.20 per barrel.

Rachel Ziemba of the Center for a New American Progress suggested that the period for negotiations to slow this process down may be over.

'The de-escalation window for the global economy, such as it was, is over for now,' she told The Wall Street Journal. 'Iran is betting they can hold out longer than the US and the global economy.'

Traffic in the Strait has been limited even in the days since the ceasefire. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire.

Trump has claimed that the threat posed by the Iranian Navy is 'gone' from the waterway due to the US military assault on the nation since February 28.

'Their military is destroyed,' he told reporters Sunday night. 'Their whole navy is underwater. You know that 158 ships are gone? Their navy is gone. Most of their mine-droppers are gone.'

But experts have warned that the smaller boats that control the Strait remain intact, which David Des Roches, a former director responsible for Persian Gulf policy at the Department of Defense, said are well-versed in controlling the crucial chokepoint by deploying missiles and mines, and by harassing commercial ships.

Strait of Silence

Tehran has also warned of possible antiship mines, urging vessels to follow new coastal routes with Revolutionary Guard guidance - and warning that unauthorized ships trying to cross into the strait would be destroyed.

This means the US servicemen sent to the narrow waterway - which is only about 35 kilometers wide - will be sitting ducks for attacks by the IRGC.

All of the traffic passing through the strait has since ended following Trump's blockade announcement, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence, which noted that two vessels that were set to leave the waterway have turned around.

At the same time, Trump said Sunday morning he instructed the US Navy 'to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.'

'No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,' the president warned on his Truth Social platform.

'Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!' he added.

'I'm very disappointed in NATO'

In a separate interview on Fox News Sunday Morning Futures, the president said NATO would 'begrudgingly' support the US in securing the Strait. He called NATO 'shameful,' claiming that 'they weren't there for us, and they won't be there for us.'

Trump then doubled down on those remarks Sunday night, suggesting to reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland that America's financial commitment to the organization would be under 'very serious' examination.

'I'm very disappointed in NATO,' Trump said. 'They weren't there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO and they weren't there for us.'

Even though NATO countries have expressed their desire to assist the US, the president described the efforts as being too late.

'Now they want to come up, but there's no real threat anymore,' Trump said as he insisted that despite the setbacks, a contentious two-week ceasefire - in which both sides agreed to stop fighting in exchange for opening the strait - was 'holding well.'

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Donald Trump's case against the Wall Street Journal over the Jeffrey Epstein 'birthday card' has been thrown out by a federal judge.

Trump sued the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper for $10 billion in damages after it published the letter last year, allegedly signed by the President and featuring a lewd drawing with the message: 'May every day be another wonderful secret.'

The President denied writing the letter and said the signature was not his.

Florida District Judge Darrin P. Gayles said in his order on Monday that Trump failed to show that the article was published with 'actual malice' - the legal standard for proving defamation.

Judge rules no actual malice in Trump-Epstein case

To prove actual malice Trump and his team would have to show that not only is the report factually incorrect, but the outlet knew so and decided to publish regardless.

'President Trump argues that this allegation shows that Defendants acted with serious doubts about the truth of their reporting and, therefore, with actual malice. The Court disagrees,' he wrote.

The paper published a letter allegedly penned from Trump to Epstein in 2003, for the late [sexual intercourse] offender's 50th birthday.

'We have certain things in common, Jeffrey,' the letter says, adding, 'A pal is a wonderful thing.'

The note was written in what appears to be the outline of a woman's body.

White House doubles down on fake Epstein letter claim

The judge noted that Trump may amended version of his suit by April 27 if the President wishes to press forward against the WSJ.

When the letter was first published the administration pushed back on its legitimacy.

'The latest piece published by the Wall Street Journal proves this entire 'Birthday Card' story is false,' White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on X. 'As I have said all along, it's very clear President Trump did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it.'

'President Trump's legal team will continue to aggressively pursue litigation,' her statement continued, lambasting the reporter for publishing 'fake news' about the 'Democrat Epstein Hoax!'

This is a breaking news story that will continue to be updated.

Trump claims he was blinded by Melania's Epstein speech

Donald Trump has claimed he was blindsided by Melania's surprise White House address blasting 'smears' linking her to Jeffrey Epstein.

The President told MS Now he 'didn't know anything about' the First Lady's statement before she appeared on camera.

Trump added that 'she didn't know [Epstein]' before hanging up on the reporter.

Melania had earlier sent shockwaves through Washington with a surprise statement denying she was a victim of Epstein or that the financier had introduced her to her future husband.

The reason for the announcement was not immediately clear as there have not been any recent revelations or reporting linking Melania to Epstein.

'I am not Epstein's victim,' the First Lady said from the Cross Hall of the White House. 'Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband by chance at a New York City party in 1998.'

Melania said that she had 'never been friends with Epstein' and also denied having any relationship with Ghislaine Maxwell after an email to the British socialite appeared in the files released by the Justice Department.

The First Lady, who was a model when she first met Trump, said she and the President encountered Epstein only within the New York-Palm Beach social set, calling such an overlap 'common'.

Marc Beckman, the First Lady's exclusive senior advisor, told the Daily Mail: 'First Lady Melania Trump spoke out now because enough is enough. The lies must stop.'

'It is time for the public and media to focus on her incredible achievements as First Lady, the lives she has positively impacted, and her commitment to our nation.'

Read the full story here
For many, it was the moment Ed Miliband lost the 2015 General Election. Was he tough enough to stand up to Putin, he was asked by Jeremy Paxman in the pivotal leaders debate. Hell, yes, Im tough enough, Labours youthful leader responded, with all the strength and conviction of a choirboy trying to muster the courage to take his first illicit drag of a cigarette behind the vestry. The audience laughed. And a few days later so did the British people, as they handed David Cameron an upset majority.

Last week Keir Starmer faced his own Putin Test. And failed it just as miserably.

On March 25 the Government announced  to much fanfare  that it would begin to interdict the Shadow Fleet funnelling fuel, arms and other supplies in support of Russias war in Ukraine. Shadow fleet set to be interdicted in UK waters in latest blow to Russia, declared the Downing Street press release. British military will be able to board shadow fleet vessels transiting UK waters as the UK steps up its pressure on Putin.

So on Wednesday Putin decided to call Starmers bluff. The Admiral Grigorovich, a guided missile frigate, and two tankers entered the English Channel at around 9am and proceeded on a leisurely course eastwards past the Isle of Wight and up into the North Sea.

There was no interdiction. No boarding. Instead they were merely ushered on their way by a single vessel of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Starmer and Putin had gone eyeball to eyeball. And Sir Keir blinked first.

Over the past month, Starmers allies have been roaming the Commons, peddling a new line in their latest attempt to reboot his short-circuiting premiership.

Their narrative asserts that we live in uniquely dangerous times, and with war raging in the Middle East, and the Russian bear stalking the West, Labour MPs should not take the risk of unseating their leader. What I described a few weeks ago as the Get Burnham, Get Nuked strategy. But the events of the past seven days have revealed an alternative truth. Which is that we are indeed facing a moment of desperate global peril. And Keir Starmer is temperamentally, and politically, incapable of meeting it.

The Prime Ministers supporters continue to maintain the fiction he is some sort of master of diplomacy. On Wednesday, as Putin was commandeering the Dover Straits and HMS Dragon was stuck in port in the Mediterranean, they were trying to spin the line he was building a global coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Yet the reality is that over the past week Starmers foreign policy has imploded. The start of his premiership was marked by confusion and drift. But one area where he was crystal clear was on his international priorities.

At the top was his desire to forge and cement a relationship with Donald Trump. He would, we were told, become the Trump whisperer. The siren forces on the Left of his party would be ignored. The simplistic binary option of choosing between Europe and the US would be rejected.

And what has this supposedly deft statecraft delivered? The spectacle of Starmer feebly declaring hes fed up with the US President, while frantically announcing a new pivot back towards the EU. Its true the Prime Minister cannot be blamed for Trumps increasingly deranged and megalomaniacal interventions. But it was his decision to place all his eggs in the MAGA basket. And even now he remains in complete denial over the global realpolitik confronting Britain.

On Friday Defence Secretary John Healey was despatched to tell the London Defence Conference that the US remained absolutely locked into Nato. Locked in? A week ago Trump was asked if he was considering Nato withdrawal. Oh yes, I would say its beyond reconsideration, he replied. I was never swayed by Nato. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way.

Starmers strength in foreign policy affairs was meant to be that his time as Director of Public Prosecutions  where he had a key role in liaising with the US on counter-terror policy  had placed him at the heart of the security establishment. But as the pillars of 80 years of transatlantic co-operation collapse around him, that is now proving his undoing.

He is too much a prisoner of that establishment to be able to adapt to the new world disorder.

He is also too much a prisoner of his own instincts. As weve seen over the course of the Middle East conflict, he has come to equate inaction with statesmanship.

Impotence he recasts in his own mind as commendable patience and caution. Polite diplomatic agreement with his moderate rhetoric is mistaken for influence.

All of which is creating a deeply dangerous vacuum. Defence investment is the Prime Ministers highest priority, the hapless Healey was also forced to parrot on Friday. But its simply another fiction.

The Iran war  a war we were not supposed to even have been involved in  has exposed the parlous state of our defences. Yet a year on from Starmer claiming Britain was now on a war footing, the Defence Investment Plan has not seen the light of day, nor even has a date for publication. And here is the other brutal truth. Even if Starmer genuinely wanted to begin to rearm the nation, he wouldnt be able to. He is a Labour leader at a time of austerity. He has neither the authority, nor political capital, to place the defence of the realm at the top of his agenda.

His party wont allow it. The idea Starmer can convince his MPs to vote through cuts to the NHS, welfare, education and investment in Britains hollowed-out public services to pay for tanks and bombs and drones is a pipe dream.

Which leads us to the final truth. No leader can enjoy respect abroad unless they have first earned respect at home. And few prime ministers of the modern era have plunged to such pitifully low esteem, so rapidly, as Sir Keir.

Labour ministers are putting the finishing touches to their leadership campaigns. Labour MPs are preparing their next parliamentary ambush. The voters are planning to deliver their own contemptuous verdict in next months local elections. And Putin, and Trump, and Britains other adversaries know it. In Moscow they can smell Starmers weakness. And they are already planning how next to exploit it.

That is the true danger facing Britain. We now have no foreign policy. We have no defence policy. We have no major strategic alliances. Keep Starmer. Get nuked.
Fully remote work is no longer just a perk - it's fast becoming a gateway to six-figure careers.

Even as companies like JPMorgan Chase, Amazon and Meta tighten in-office rules, arguing it helps employees work better, other employers are looking for remote staff.

Last year, more than 32.6 million Americans worked from home, accounting for around 22 percent of the workforce. Many of the best-paid roles can now be done entirely online.

Companies can cut costs by shrinking office space and hiring from a wider pool of workers - while employees can prioritize flexibility over location. Constant advancements in computers and software make it easier than ever.

A Stanford study found remote workers can be up to 13 percent more productive, largely due to fewer distractions and less time lost to commuting.

Motivation also appeared to be higher. Gallup found nearly a third of fully remote workers feel focused at work - compared to less than a quarter of hybrid staff and fewer than one in five office workers.

Against this backdrop, research from FinanceBuzz highlights a range of roles where you can earn $90,000 or more while working from home - sometimes even at entry level with the right skills.

From analyzing data to designing websites or leading creative campaigns, these jobs show you don't need a daily commute to build a high-paying career - and many of them are actively hiring now. At the end of the day, all you really need for these jobs is a computer.

In 2025, more than 32.6 million Americans are working remotely, accounting for around 22 percent of the workforce

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Financial examiner - Median salary: $90,400

Think of financial examiners as the watchdogs of the banking world. They dig into spreadsheets, audit reports and ensure institutions are playing by the rules - work that translates perfectly to a remote setup.

Most entry-level roles require a degree in accounting or finance, and you'll typically learn the ropes through on-the-job training.

Attention to detail is everything here, as even small errors can have big consequences.

Top employers include JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and the Federal Reserve.

Project manager - Median salary: $100,750

If you're the kind of person who color-codes your calendar and thrives on ticking off to-do lists, project management could be your calling.

These professionals keep teams aligned, deadlines on track and budgets under control - often entirely through digital tools like Slack, Asana and Zoom.

A business-related degree helps, but certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP) can really boost your prospects.

Strong communication skills are essential, especially when managing remote teams across time zones.

Companies hiring include Amazon, Microsoft and Accenture.

If you're the kind of person who color-codes your calendar and thrives on ticking off to-do lists, project management could be your calling

Web developer - Median salary: $95,380

Web developers are the architects behind the internet - building everything from sleek e-commerce sites to complex web apps. The best part? You can do it from virtually anywhere with a laptop and Wi-Fi.

There's no single path into the field. Some developers are self-taught, while others hold computer science degrees.

What really matters is a strong portfolio. Many developers also freelance, allowing them to boost their income by juggling multiple clients.

Major employers include Google, Shopify and Squarespace.

Data scientist - Median salary: $112,590

If you love numbers and problem-solving, data science offers both - and pays handsomely for it.

Data scientists turn raw data into insights that shape business decisions, from predicting customer behavior to improving products.

Most roles require a degree in math, statistics or computer science, often at postgraduate level.

Skills in Python, machine learning and data visualization tools like Tableau are highly sought after. Top employers include Meta, IBM and Netflix.

Medical and health services manager - Median salary: $117,960

Behind every hospital or clinic is a team making sure everything runs smoothly - and that's where health services managers come in. They handle budgets, staffing and compliance, with much of the administrative work now done remotely.

A degree in healthcare administration or a related field is usually required, along with industry experience. As healthcare systems become more digital, remote opportunities are growing quickly.

Employers include UnitedHealth Group, Kaiser Permanente and HCA Healthcare.

As healthcare systems become more digital, remote opportunities are growing quickly

Art director - Median salary: $111,040

Art directors are the creative minds shaping the look and feel of brands, campaigns and media. Whether it's a magazine spread or a digital ad, they guide the visual direction - often collaborating remotely with designers and photographers.

You'll typically need a design degree and several years of creative experience, plus a standout portfolio. It's a competitive field, but one that offers both creative freedom and strong earning potential.

Top names include Adobe, WPP and Publicis Groupe.

Computer network architect - Median salary: $130,390

These are the people who design the digital highways that keep companies connected. From cloud systems to secure networks, their work is critical - and much of it can be managed remotely.

A computer science degree and experience in IT or systems administration are typically required. With cyber threats on the rise, demand for skilled network architects continues to grow.

Leading employers include Cisco, Oracle and Dell Technologies.

Software QA analyst - Median salary: $108,460

Before any app or software goes live, QA analysts make sure it actually works. They test features, hunt down bugs and ensure everything runs smoothly - all tasks that can be done remotely.

A computer science degree helps, but hands-on experience with testing tools can be just as valuable. It's a great entry point into the tech industry with strong long-term prospects.

Employers include Apple, Salesforce and SAP.

Geoscientist - Median salary: $99,240

Geoscientists study the Earth - from natural resources to environmental changes - using a mix of fieldwork and computer-based analysis. Increasingly, the modeling and reporting side of the job can be done remotely.

A degree in geology or a related field is required, and many roles prefer a master's. Some positions also require licensing.

Major employers include ExxonMobil, Chevron and BP.

Psychologist - Median salary: $94,310

If you're naturally empathetic and a good listener, psychology could be a rewarding - and increasingly remote - career.

Many psychologists now offer sessions via telehealth platforms, allowing them to work from home.

However, it's one of the more demanding paths on this list, requiring a master's or doctorate and state licensing.

Employers include platforms like BetterHelp, Talkspace and organizations such as the National Health Service.

If you're naturally empathetic and a good listener, psychology could be a rewarding - and increasingly remote - career

Construction manager - Median salary: $106,980

Construction managers oversee projects from blueprint to build. While site visits are sometimes needed, much of the planning, budgeting and coordination can be done remotely.

A degree in construction management or engineering is typically required, along with hands-on experience. Strong leadership skills are essential to keep projects on time and within budget.

Top employers include Bechtel, Fluor Corporation and Turner Construction.
Brits have long been obsessed with Colin - and now America is about to find out why.

The iconic caterpillar-shaped treat that has ruled UK birthday parties for more than three decades is finally crossing the Atlantic, as Marks & Spencer rolls out its beloved Colin the Caterpillar sweets across the US.

In a major expansion push, the high street giant has launched the cult candy range in all Target stores nationwide - sending fans into a frenzy and cementing the brands growing Stateside presence.

Colin, dubbed the king of celebrations in Britain, will now be sold in three gummy varieties: classic fruit-flavored sweets, tangy sours and soft, foam-style treats - marking the first time the character has appeared in candy form in the US.

The move comes just a year after M&S brought over its equally famous Percy Pig sweets, which proved an instant hit with American shoppers after landing in Target stores in 2025.

Now, bosses are doubling down - expanding the Percy range with new super-sour Phizzy Pigtails and Reversy Percy varieties, as demand for the quirky British treats continues to surge.

First created in 1990 as a chocolate roll cake, Colin the Caterpillar quickly became a cultural phenomenon in the UK - a must-have centerpiece at birthday parties and celebrations.

Over the years, the cheeky character has built a huge following, appearing at an estimated one million celebrations annually and attracting tens of thousands of social media fans. Hes even won over A-listers, with stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Kim Kardashian, Katy Perry, Austin Butler and David Beckham all said to be fans.

First created in 1990 as a chocolate roll cake, Colin the Caterpillar quickly became a cultural phenomenon in the UK - a must-have centerpiece at birthday parties and celebrations

Rodrigo even gave Colin a shout-out during her Glastonbury set last year, declaring her love for the M&S sweet - a moment that sent British audiences wild

In a major expansion push, the high street giant has launched the cult candy range in all Target stores nationwide - sending fans into a frenzy and cementing the brands growing Stateside presence

Rodrigo even gave Colin a shout-out during her Glastonbury set last year, declaring her love for the M&S sweet - a moment that sent British audiences wild.

M&S executives say the US launch is part of a wider strategy to turn their food range into a global powerhouse, with international demand for its products rapidly growing.

The retailer now sells more than half a million bags of Percy Pig sweets every week worldwide - and hopes Colin can match that  as he makes his American debut.

And for curious US shoppers, theres another sweetener: the entire Colin and Percy range is vegan - adding extra appeal for a new generation of candy lovers.

With supermarket shelves stocked and social media already buzzing, one thing is clear - America is about to meet one of Britains most beloved (and cheekiest) food icons.
Cash-strapped Americans are hunting for grocery bargains as prices climb 3.1 percent year-over-year, putting increasing pressure on household budgets.

With wallets stretched, many shoppers are turning to big-name retailers in search of cheaper food - but navigating coupons, discounts and genuine deals can feel overwhelming, especially for those short on time.

To find out where consumers can really save, Business Insider reporter Savannah Born compared prices on 32 everyday items at Costco and Walmart in her home city of Indianapolis.

By calculating unit prices - including cost per pound and ounce - she found both retailers have clear strengths and weaknesses when it comes to staying on budget.

Walmart came out ahead on several staples, with cheaper prices on items like chicken (42 cents less per pound), as well as sugar, flour and eggs - with a dozen costing 15 cents less.

However, Costco ultimately delivered better value overall, with Born's basket of goods coming in nearly 26 percent cheaper in total.

Though Born's test was more microscopic, Consumer Reports released a similar report based on total prices of grocery baskets that included packaged goods, produce and meats, with Walmart used as a baseline of comparison.

The findings ranked grocery chains with the largest market shares across six major metro areas - Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, and Virginia Beach

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Walmart came out ahead on several staples, with cheaper prices on items like chicken (42 cents less per pound), as well as sugar, flour and eggs, with a dozen costing 15 cents less

However, Costco ultimately delivered better value overall, with Business Insider Savannah Born's basket of goods coming in nearly 26 percent cheaper in total in her test to see which brand had better prices per unit in Indianapolis

Because each store carries a different selection, basket sizes varied, making comparisons most precise among traditional supermarkets with the same national brands, while specialty retailers with more private-label items offered fewer directly comparable products.

Using this method, only a handful of retailers undercut Walmart on price - led by Costco, where average prices are 21 percent lower, making it the cheapest major grocery chain in the country.

BJ's, Lidl, Aldi and WinCo also came in below the retail giant, offering shoppers cheaper alternatives to the blue behemoth.

The business model between the two stores is stark as Costco's membership-only model requires customers to pay $65 a year to get through the door, though that comes with perks including discounts on gas, tires and prescription eyeglasses.

Costco leans heavily on bulk buying to keep prices low, with its Kirkland Signature brand playing a key role.

The retailer caps markups at around 15 percent, leverages massive purchasing power to drive down unit costs and cuts out advertising and middlemen to pass savings directly to shoppers.

Walmart, on the other hand, requires no membership and focuses on individual items, small pack sizes and offers flexibility to customers.

The decision for customers to bulk buy comes down to multiple factors, including access to grocery stores.

Join the discussion How do you balance saving money on bulk groceries with the realities of limited budgets or storage space?

Costco's membership-only model requires customers to pay $65 a year to get through the door, though that comes with perks including discounts on gas, tires and prescription eyeglasses

Consumer Reports released a similar report showing Costco had prices 21 percent lower than Walmart when looking at total prices of grocery baskets

Walmart, on the other hand, requires no membership and focuses on individual items, small pack sizes and offers flexibility to customers

Walmart usually addresses these needs in grocery deserts as it captures 50 percent or more of grocery sales in over 200 US communities, often serving as a primary, though sometimes sole, source of food in underserved areas

Many Americans are limited by geography, with around 19 million living in food deserts where accessing a grocery store is difficult. This lack of proximity means adding in rising gas costs to chase a deal.

Walmart usually addresses these needs in grocery deserts as it captures 50 percent or more of grocery sales in over 200 US communities, often serving as a primary, though sometimes sole, source of food in underserved areas.

Costco has far fewer grocery locations than Walmart, with about 643 stores compared to Walmarts 5,200. Its warehouses are typically concentrated in higher-income, high-density suburban areas.

Bulk shopping also requires storage space, and perishable items arent always practical for smaller households.

And for those on fixed incomes, cheaper unit prices may not help if they cant afford the upfront cost of buying in larger quantities.
100% of Proceeds to Benefit Historic HBCU Through Partnership with The 144K Collective and 9th Ward Productions

HOUSTON, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Artist Var Don is using his voice and platform for impact with the release of his new single, "Do Wid It," available April 10, 2026, on all major streaming platforms.

More than just a new track, "Do Wid It" represents a powerful fusion of music and mission. Created by Var Don and Jay Davis, with the 144K Collective, this independently written and produced record channels its energy into a greater cause: supporting Barber-Scotia College, a HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) located in Concord, North Carolina, that is currently facing serious financial distress.

In a bold commitment to giving back, 100% of all proceeds from the song, in perpetuity, will go directly to Barber-Scotia College, helping to fuel ongoing efforts to restore and sustain the historic institution.

"This wasn't about following a trend; it was about creating something real," said Var Don. "Every lyric, every beat came from us. And to be able to take that and turn it into something that supports Barber-Scotia that's bigger than music. That's legacy work."

The track is released in collaboration with the 144K Collective and 9th Ward Productions, aligning culture with community impact at a time when audiences are increasingly seeking authenticity, not only in music but in how artists show up beyond it.

"This is what it looks like when creativity and purpose are fully aligned," said Davis. "This song features raw talent and intention. And now, every stream, every download becomes a way for people to be part of something meaningful and lasting for Barber-Scotia, its faculty and its students."

Founded in 1867, Barber-Scotia College remains one of the nation's earliest historically Black colleges, with a legacy rooted in expanding access to education. Today, renewed efforts to support the institution are gaining traction, with initiatives like this helping to bring new awareness and resources to sustain its future.

"Do Wid It" will be available across all major streaming platforms, with pricing determined by individual digital retailers. Listeners can support the cause simply by streaming, downloading, and sharing the track available here.

Var Don

Ig: https://www.instagram.com/vartheentertainer/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/vartheentertainer/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VardNtertainer

ABOUT THE 144k COLLECTIVE

Initiated in 2024, the 144k Collective is a coalition of philanthropists, entrepreneurs, influencers, community leaders and more that are dedicated to being "In the Business of Helping People." With a universal goal of providing $250 million in philanthropic aid on an annual basis, the organization follows a for-profit business model to utilize capital revenue in a socially responsible medium. The organization aims to reach a membership of 144,000 and thus develop a vast network that creates a virtuous circle of assistance touching communities across the nation. For more information, visit 144kcollective.org.

ABOUT 9th WARD PRODUCTION AND PROMOTIONS COMPANY, LLC

9th Ward Production and Promotions Company partners with forward-thinking ventures and artists to bring community-first, purpose-driven media, music and culture to life. For more information visit 9thwardrecording.com

MEDIA CONTACT

Kelly Maicon

Reputation Management Consultants

[email protected]

919-741-9784

SOURCE The Collective
A straight-talking Southern chef has delivered a blunt verdict on modern American dining - and it has nothing to do with whats on the menu.

Kent Rollins, the self-styled Cast Iron Cowboy, says diners today are not only glued to their phones, but have also abandoned the simple ritual of giving thanks before a meal.

'There are more people sitting at a table now, whether it's a restaurant or at home, holding a cellphone instead of a fork,' Rollins said.

He said these distractions prevent families from really connecting and appreciating their 'blessings.'

'America would be a better place all the way around if we still all gathered around the table, took our hats off, held hands, thanked God for... for the meal and the hands that prepared it,' Rollins told Fox News Digital.

Psychiatrist Dr Carole Lieberman wholeheartedly agreed with the chef, saying the concept of family dinner 'has gone AWOL.'

'Parents need to be parents and make it a rule that everyone has to make family dinner a priority and to leave their phones in another room,' Dr Lieberman told the Daily Mail.

She added that saying 'grace' helps remind people to be grateful, especially for 'food, a roof over their head and a loving family.'

Kent Rollins, also known as the 'Cast Iron Cowboy,' suggests people put their phone away at the dinner table and 'don't forget to bless' their food

Meanwhile, Rabbi Brad Hirschfield told The Daily Mail that the simple act of gathering still matters - even if perfection isnt the goal.

He said: 'Breaking Bread together is good, as is less screen time. Expressing gratitude increases personal happiness, and as a Rabbi, I am a fan of prayer.'

'That said, lets not allow what some of us may see as perfect, be the enemy of what all of us can see as good.'

In other words, the Rabbi is saying families do not need to recreate a picture-perfect, prayer-filled dinner every night - but simply sitting down together, without distractions, still has real value.

When it comes to meals at home, Rollins said his fondest memories were Sunday dinners after church, when his family gathered in the kitchen to share a meal together.

'Whether it be an old pot roast that they pulled out of an oven or a double fried chicken with gravy and mashed potatoes, beans, you know, and bread and cobbler, and you sit down - that's family,' he said.

The warning comes as technology becomes increasingly embedded in the dining experience.

Chains like Burger King have introduced AI-powered systems that monitor how polite employees are.

The Southern comfort food chain Cracker Barrel saw a drop in sales a they announced a 'woke' rebrand

'Food isn't just about nourishing our bodies, it's about gathering together and nourishing our relationships with each other,' Rollins told the Daily Mail.

'Mexican culture has a term called Sobremesa,' he added. 'It refers to the time spent after a meal visiting. In America, we don't even have a comparable term. We need to change that.'

Meanwhile Chipotle has revamped its rewards program to encourage more phone use, offering customers free food for playing games on its app.

According to a 2025 survey by You Gov, a staggering 63 percent of Americans watch TV while they eat dinner.

Less than half, 41 percent, talk to whoever they're eating with, while 28 percent admitted to looking at the phone while eating.

Of those adults looking at their phone, most are under 30 years old - 42 percent as opposed to 24 percent of over 30-year-olds. Some of those people are even listening to music or podcasts while dining.

Even on social media, some users preferred to eat in front of a screen instead of with their families. One Reddit poster said: 'I never really talked with my family like that, that I can remember, nor was I ever interested in doing so. I'm still not, honestly.'
Back-to-Back Land Sales Totaling $18.2 Million Validate VMD's Long-Term Vision for 700,000 SF Master-Planned Development

MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- VMD Companies announced the closing of its $11.6 million land sale to Indus, a Braintree-based roadway rehabilitation and pavement preservation contractor, at The Campus at Canopy Drive in Middleborough, MA. The transaction marks the second major land closing at the park in under a year, following VMD's $6.6 million sale to REXA, Inc., which closed in September 2025.

VMD Companies (PRNewsfoto/VMD Companies) VMD Companies (PRNewsfoto/VMD Companies)

Combined, the two deals represent $18.2 million in land transactions and nearly 185,000 square feet of committed development at a campus VMD is building that can accommodate up to 700,000 square feet.

The closings are the product of a years-long effort by VMD Companies to assemble, entitle, and deliver a shovel-ready industrial campus at a moment when tightening credit markets and rising construction costs have put development deals under significant strain. That two institutional-quality land transactions were executed back-to-back in this environment reflects both the strength of the site and the persistence of VMD's leadership in seeing the project through.

"Canopy Drive reflects our ability to identify and execute on complex but compelling investment opportunities, while working in close partnership with town, local, and state officials to bring a project of this scale to fruition," said Phil Down, VMD Companies. "In a challenging macro environment, the leasing momentum at Canopy Drive validates the strength of the location, the quality of the site, and our team's disciplined execution of the business plan."

A Partnership Built on Shared Vision

Central to VMD's ability to execute both transactions was an active partnership with the Town of Middleborough. Recognizing the economic impact the park could generate, town leadership  including Town Manager James McGrail  extended Tax Increment Financing agreements to both REXA and Indus, providing a structured property tax incentive designed to support each company's financing and establishment in Middleborough. The TIF structure, voted through Middleborough's Town Meeting process, was a deliberate tool to ensure the town competed effectively for tenants that had options across the state.

Between the two deals, Indus and REXA are expected to bring a combined total of more than 145 jobs to Middleborough, with both companies committing to give priority in hiring to qualified local residents. For a town that has actively sought to attract manufacturing and commercial development to its West Grove Street industrial corridor, the back-to-back closings mark a significant inflection point.

Lot 4: Indus Headquarters and Operations Facility

VMD is developing a new 75,000 square foot corporate headquarters and operations facility for Indus, along with seven acres of industrial outdoor storage. Design work is underway. Indus, which currently operates from Braintree, plans to consolidate its headquarters and field operations at the new facility, bringing 20 permanent new jobs to Middleborough and giving priority to local hires across its mechanic, warehouse, and CDL driver roles.

Lot 2: REXA Manufacturing Headquarters

VMD broke ground on REXA's Lot 2 facility in November 2025. The 110,000 square foot manufacturing headquarters will consolidate all of REXA's engineering, design, and manufacturing operations under one roof for the first time. REXA, a manufacturer of industrial process control equipment serving the oil and gas, renewable energy, mining, and water sectors, is relocating from West Bridgewater and retaining 100 full-time positions while adding 25 new permanent jobs over a five-year period.

The facility was designed in close collaboration with Boston Industrial Consulting and REXA's operations team to optimize manufacturing workflow from receiving through shipping. The building incorporates 20,000 square feet of two-floor office space, 74-by-56-foot bay spacing, 28-foot clear heights, and strategically positioned loading docks and overhead doors. Integrated Builders is serving as Construction Manager, with STV acting as Owner's Project Manager. Construction is nearing completion.

What Comes Next

VMD intends to break ground on Lot 1 in summer 2026, advancing plans for approximately 240,000 square feet of shallow-bay industrial space across two speculative buildings designed to accommodate users ranging from 20,000 to 120,000 square feet. Lot 3, a 12.1-acre parcel permitted for up to 107,000 square feet, remains available. CBRE  exclusive leasing agent for The Campus at Canopy Drive  is leading the leasing campaign for the remaining and future phases of the park.

The Campus at Canopy Drive is located less than two minutes from the I-495 interchange, with one-hour access to Greater Boston (5 million population) and Providence (1.7 million population). The site is zoned to accommodate high-tech manufacturing, warehouse and distribution, research and development, and industrial outdoor storage users.

About VMD Companies

VMD Companies is a real estate investment and development firm based in North Andover, MA, focused on value-add and opportunistic commercial properties across the East Coast. The company offers integrated services including acquisitions, development, property management, and construction oversight. VMD is known for its hands-on approach, institutional-grade underwriting, and focus on ESG-compliant projects. Visit www.vmdcompanies.com for more information.

Media Contact

Deborah Blum

Blum Gallery

[email protected]

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2955167/VMD_Companies_1.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2955168/VMD_Companies_2.jpg

SOURCE VMD Companies
WOODBRIDGE, N.J., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A. is pleased to announce a significant victory in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, which affirmed in full a Chancery Division foreclosure judgment exceeding $18 million on behalf of a private lender client.

The Appellate Division rejected challenges to several key components of the trial court's ruling, including the determination of the default date, the application of default interest, and the award of attorneys' fees. The decision reinforces the enforceability of negotiated terms in sophisticated commercial lending transactions.

Wilentz Shareholders David H. Stein, Esq. and Samantha Stillo, Esq. successfully defended the trial court's ruling through a complex appellate record involving loan agreements, multiple forbearance provisions, and lien priority issues.

"This decision underscores the strength of well-structured commercial loan documents and affirms lenders' ability to rely on negotiated remedies," said Stein.

"The outcome represents a strong result for our client," said Stillo. "It also serves as an important appellate affirmation for commercial lenders navigating complex enforcement proceedings."

Results achieved in prior matters are not meant to be a guarantee of success as the facts and legal circumstances vary from matter to matter.

Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A. is one of the largest and most enduring law firms in New Jersey, offering legal services to corporate, individual, and governmental clients across a broad range of practice areas. Since its founding in 1919, the firm has been involved in landmark cases, significant regulatory matters, and high-profile transactions. Wilentz is headquartered in Woodbridge, New Jersey, with offices in Perth Amboy, Red Bank, New York City, and Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.wilentz.com.

Media Contact:

Lisa McDonald

Marketing Manager

[email protected]

732-855-6183

SOURCE Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A.
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China-aided road upgrade project handed over to Malawi

Xinhua) 13:04, April 13, 2026

Chinese Ambassador to Malawi Lu Xu (front, L) and Malawi's Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango (front, C) attend the handover ceremony of the China-aided M1 road upgrade project in Lilongwe, Malawi, April 10, 2026. (Xinhua)

LILONGWE, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday handed over a road upgrade project to the Malawian government, a move expected to boost the southeastern African country's socio-economic development.

The 25-million-U.S.-dollar M1 road upgrade project, constructed by China's Shandong Luqiao Group Company Limited in Lilongwe, the country's capital, is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion and improve passenger mobility.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Malawi's Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango commended the Chinese government for the project, saying that it was built to a high standard and would help reduce travel time and road maintenance costs, among other benefits.

Mhango also praised the Chinese contractor for transferring skills and knowledge to local workers employed during the project.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Malawi Lu Xu said the project is not only a key route linking parts of Lilongwe but also a vital piece of infrastructure that reflects Malawi's national image and supports its socio-economic development.

"We firmly believe that this upgraded road is more than just a route. It is a pathway to development, prosperity and a brighter future. It is a road of cooperation and a powerful symbol of the deepening friendship between China and Malawi in this new era," she added.

The project, which began construction in late 2021, spans about 9.455 kilometers and has become a key transport artery in Lilongwe following its completion. 

This photo taken on April 10, 2026 shows a part of the China-aided M1 road upgrade project in Lilongwe, Malawi. (Xinhua)

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
The 2026 annual meeting of Kiwi Property shareholders will be held on Tuesday, 23 June 2026. Further details will be provided with the notice of annual meeting.

Pursuant to NZX Listing Rule 2.3.2, the closing date for Kiwi Property shareholders to nominate a person to be considered at the meeting for election as a director of Kiwi Property is Friday, 1 May 2026.

Nominations must be addressed to the GM Corporate Services and be received by Kiwi Property on or before Friday, 1 May 2026 at the following e-mail address: louise.hill@kp.co.nz, or the following physical address:

Kiwi Property Group Limited

Level 7, Vero Centre

48 Shortland Street

PO Box 2071, Shortland Street

Auckland 1140

Attention: GM Corporate Services

Nominations may only be made by a Kiwi Property shareholder entitled to attend and vote at the meeting and must be accompanied by the written consent of the person nominated.

ENDS

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The Derry Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) organisation will host a public meeting with Palestinian author, journalist and campaigner Yousef Aljamal in the city.

The event will take place in St Columb's Hall, on Tuesday, April 21, at 7.00pm.

Dr Aljamal is the co-editor of a new book 'Displaced in Gaza' which allows us to hear direct testimony from Gaza and those living through the genocide perpetutated by the Israeli state.

These insights are particularly important as Netanyahu continues to block information from Gaza, despite what is supposed to be a ceasefire and has murdered hundreds of journalists with impunity since Oct 2023.

Yousef is the Gaza coordinator at the Palestine Activism Program at the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). He is a refugee from Al-Nusierat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and has received his PhD from Sakarya University in Turkey

Yousef will take part in a panel discussion on the situation in the middle east, Trump and Netanyahu's illegal war, the genocide and displacement now being perpetrated in Lebanon and the West Bank and the effect on the escalating effect on the world economy.

DIPSC Spokesperson Janine Mc Laughlin said: "The meeting will provide the opportunity for people to talk through why we need to continue to campaign against Israels determination to 'eliminate' Palestinians both in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as the ongoing BDS campaign and the anti war movement.

"A question and answer session will help people have their say in shaping the future activities of the IPSC locally.
An evening of discussion focusing on rights of migrant workers is to take place in Derry.

The event will take place in Holywell Trust, 10-14, Bishop Street, at 6.30pm, on Friday, April 17, organised by Derry - Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), alongside the Pan African Workers Association.

"Migrant workers are often in some of the most precarious positions in the labour market," said a spokesperson for IWW.

"While economies depend upon their labour, they are routinely subjected to poverty wages, labour rights abuses and health and safety violations. The recent immigration law changes proposed by the UK government will only push migrant workers deeper into uncertainty make their lives more difficult while demanding more of their labour," they added.



"The event is open to everyone with an interest in the rights of migrant workers.

We know that governments, businesses and the law will not protect the dignity of migrant workers. History has consistently shown that only the power of organised workers can generate lasting improvements in labour conditions.

"Across the UK, the Pan African Workers Association (PAWA) and the IWW have been mobilising with many workers in care, logistics and hospitality to build the power of the working class.

At this event, key organisers from PAWA/IWW along with activists from the Black and Migrant Workers Trade Union will discuss the organising challenges, strategies and successes they have experienced in the last few years. They will also discuss what the new immigration proposals mean, and how we can collectively organise to improve our lives as migrants.

Among the speakers will be Tapiwa Guruuswa, a founding member of the Pan African Workers Association and an equal rights campaigner.

Kefilwe Selotlego is secretary of PAWA and responsible for communications and the smooth running of the union.

Idnan is a PAWA delegate and organiser.

Marley Davies is a casework coordinator for the Industrial Workers of the World in London.

Panos Theodoropoulos is an IWW member and academic whose recent book The Precarious Migrant Worker explores the ways in which precarity is internalised, experienced and resisted.

Beverly Simpson and Susan Magutakuona are part of the Black and Migrant Workers Trade Union.

The event will conclude with Q&A and open discussion, with light food and refreshments. The event is for everyone interested in finding out more about how workers can organise as a union to fight exploitative working conditions and how to build resilience through mutual aid and solidarity.



For queries or further information contact: derry@iww.org.uk
1,279 new applications have been made for social housing in Derry and Strabane in the last five years due to tenants being given a Notice to Quit, often because property owners are selling up.

Over the past five years, Loss of Private Rented Accommodation has been the third most common reason for households presenting as homeless in the North, according to a Housing Executive (HE) spokesperson.

This is after people presenting as homeless due to Accomodation not Reasonable and Sharing Breakdown / Family Disputes.

The figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the HE by Aontus Ballyarnett representative, Emmet Doyle, also revealed in 2024 / 25, the Derry and Strabane local election area had the second highest number of people in the North presenting as homeless due to loss of private rented accommodation. Belfast was highest with 591 applications.

As recently as March, The Derry News reported tenants living in rental accommodation in 10 apartments in numbers 5 and 6 Crawford Square in the city had been served with Notices to Quit. The notices were received in January and the tenants were told they had to leave their homes by St Patricks Day past.

The key to dealing with demand for permanent housing is Stormont support for the commitments made under the Programme for Government (PfG) and the Housing Supply Strategy, according to the HE spokesperson.

The PFG and Housing Supply Strategy aimed to tackle the housing crisis by targeting the commencement of at least 5,850 new-build social homes by 2027.

This initiative addresses a waiting list of almost 48,000 households, with a focus on increasing supply across all tenures to meet demand.

Speaking to the Derry News Mr Doyle said a huge number of people in the city had lost their rented accommodation in recent years due to the booming property market and the number of landlords selling their properties.

1,279 applicants have been added to the social housing list in the last five years, he added.

There has not been a week in the last two years in particular where I have not been contacted by someone who has been a long-term renter and now finds themselves registering for a social home with the HE.

It is clear that those people who are in this situation and registering with the HE is only the tip of the iceberg, and many other families are trying instead to find other rented accommodation.

In the last five years, approximately 300 new applicants have joined the housing list in the Derry and Strabane District Council area every year as a result of receiving a notice to quit. It is important to recognise many of these are families, so they actually reflect a much larger number of people.

This situation is totally unsustainable and is being exacerbated by the lack of social housing being built by the HE which is nowhere near enough to meet the current demand in Derry and across the North, said the former councillor.

People with their young families are being put into temporary accommodation in hotel rooms, at an astronomical cost of 46 million, for want of a forever home, and there seems to be little political movement on delivering even the number of homes promised, which in itself is a fraction of what is needed, added Mr Doyle.

What we are looking at throughout the region is more than 11,000 people being added to the housing waiting list because they have lost their rented home. This needs, urgently, to be taken into consideration by Stormont with MLAs appearing to be all talk when it comes to the issue of housing.

In a statement to The Derry News, a HE spokesperson said: We have consistently and transparently documented and highlighted the increased numbers of individuals and families who are homeless and the increasing number of people on the waiting list for social homes in Northern Ireland.

Over the past number of years, Loss of Private Rented Accommodation has generally been the third most common reason in NI for households presenting as homeless (after those presenting as homeless due to: Accommodation not Reasonable and Sharing Breakdown/Family disputes).

In 2024/2025, 2,348 households in Northern Ireland presented as homeless due to loss of private rented accommodation. Whilst this is a significant increase from 2020 / 2021 when 1,486 households presented as homeless due to the same reason, it does reflect a downward trend from a high of 2,726 households presenting as homeless due to loss of private rented accommodation in 2022 / 2023.

New housing supply across all sectors is undoubtedly the key to dealing with demand for permanent housing and support the commitments made under the Programme for Government and the Housing Supply Strategy.

We are here to provide help and support to anyone at risk of homelessness with our housing solutions and support approach. You can contact us if you become aware that your rented accommodation may be coming to an end and we will look in detail at your housing options and choices and support you to try and achieve the best housing solution for you based on your preferences and circumstances.
Derry has laid to rest Kay McGinty (nee Lyons) one of the pioneering Irish nurses who helped to build Aneurin Bevans visionary National Health Service (NHS).

She will be remembered as a wonderful wife, a devoted mother, a cherished grandmother, and a loyal friend to so many.

It was with deep sadness we learned of Kays death on Monday, March 30.

Formerly of Whitehouse Park, She was the beloved wife of the late Eddie; loving mother of Marie, Eamonn, Katrina and Norah; mother-in-law of Paul and David; devoted grandmother of Claire (Ronan); and dear sister of Denis and the late John, Jimmy, Mai, Michael and Nora.

Kays funeral service and Requiem Mass were celebrated by Fr Joe Gormley PP, Holy Family Church, Ballymagroarty, on Holy Thursday and Easter Monday respectively and she was interred in Derry City Cemetery.

Fr Gormley told mourners Kays life was defined by love, compassion, and an extraordinary generosity of spirit.

To know her was to experience warmth, kindness, and genuine empathy, he added.

Kay was born and raised in Taughmaconnell near Ballinasloe, a place she always held close to her heart.

Shortly after the NHS was created in 1948, it led an active recruitment campaign to attract Irish students to train and work as nurses.

At the age of nineteen, Kay and her beloved sister May made a brave and ambitious journey to London to train as nurses.

Kay and her sister Mai on their on their graduation day in Ealing London.

It was a selfless choice - one rooted in a desire to care for others - and it became the foundation of a lifetime of service and compassion.

Kay gave her gifts to the NHS at a time when they were dearly needed, helping to care for countless patients with her trademark gentleness and grace.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Magazine of September 16, 2025, celebrated young Irish nurses like Kay and Mai.

An article titled: 'The nurses who left Ireland to work for the NHS - A leap into the unknown led to lifelong careers in the NHS for thousands of Irish nurses revealed: By 1971, more than 30,000 Irish-born nurses were employed by the NHS. Making up around 12% of all nursing staff in the NHS, this made Irish people the largest migrant group working in the health service at that time.

However, their contributions have rarely been publicly celebrated. In the words of one Irish nurse, they have slipped under the radar.

But, Ireland was always home in Kays heart, and soon her path turned toward a new chapter.

When she saw an advertisement for a new psychiatric hospital - Gransha Hospital in Derry - she sensed her next calling. She and Mai came to Derry in 1963.

It was here in the city destiny introduced her to her Derry man, Eddie McGinty. Their love story began in those hospital corridors, and in 1967, they began their married life together.

Kay and Eddie built a home filled with warmth, laughter, and boundless love, said Fr Gormley, and they raised four wonderful children, each of whom carries with them the values and kindness their mother instilled.

Later, with great joy, Kay welcomed her cherished granddaughter, whom she and Eddie helped to care for and nurture. Being a grandmother brought Kay profound happiness; she embraced the role with the same devotion she gave to every part of her life, he added.

Kays compassion extended far beyond her family. Alongside Eddie, she spent 14 years nursing the sick in Lourdes as part of the Derry Diocesan Pilgrimage. Those pilgrimages were a true testament to her faith and her unwavering belief in caring for the vulnerable. Her presence brought comfort to manyher kindness was a light in difficult moments.

A woman of great warmth and sociability, Kay made friends wherever she went. She loved good company, good conversation, and above all, she loved staying connected to the people who mattered most. And no matter where she was in the world, she always looked forward to getting back home to Ballinasloe whenever she could. Her roots were part of her soul.

Kay also had a flair for glamour - she loved getting her hair and nails done, always taking pride in looking her best. But her beauty was far more than outward. It was in her generosity, her empathy, and her open heart. She lived the true meaning of love your neighbour, greeting strangers with warmth and making everyone feel seen and valued.

Her faith in God was a guiding force in her life. Quiet but steadfast, her devotion shaped her daily actions, her service to others, and the strength she showed in every circumstance, said Fr Gormley.

Kay helped countless patients over the years.

Kays loss leaves a deep emptiness in the hearts of all who knew and loved her. Yet her spirit remains - woven into every memory, every lesson, every act of kindness she inspired.

She was a remarkable woman who gave so much of herself, and the world is gentler, kinder, and brighter for her having been in it.

May we honour her by living as she did - with generosity, with empathy, with faith, and with love.

Kay will be forever missed, and forever remembered.

Kay McGinty - Ar dheis De go raibh a hanam.
There is at present a widely varied and ever-increasing number of books available about the conflict in the north of Ireland which escalated from 1968, reflecting how significant and complicated the events of this period  up to the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 and beyond  have been.

This body of literature has been produced by historians, journalists, politicians, conspiracy theorists and writers of fiction, and provides factual analysis, investigation of specific events and dimensions, memoirs, poignant human experiences from all sides of the conflict, and reflections on lessons learned.

Laurence McKeowns most recent book, And Flowers Grew UP Through The Concrete, is an indispensable addition to this body of work, and is worthy of a prominent place on the bookshelves of anyone with an interest in this period, because it is a powerful analysis, of great literary merit, and is informative, insightful and inspirational.

The books title  inspired by a sight McKeown observed during a visit with his children in later years to the now derelict site of the prison - provides an apt metaphor for McKeowns account of how the prisoners in the H Blocks transcended and prevailed over the harsh and oppressive prison environment to create a community of confident, unbowed, educated and highly motivated political activists.

Laurence McKeown was sentenced to imprisonment in Long Kesh in 1976, when he was 17 years old, and was a prisoner in the H Blocks for 16 years.

He joined the hunger strike protest in 1981, and was saved from death after 70 days when he fell into a coma and his mother intervened, which resulted in his survival.

His account of being on hunger strike is compelling and unsparingly presented, conveying his courage and idealism, the severe physical damage he sustained alongside the profound emotional cost to his family.

One of the books most poignant episodes  there are many such occasions, as McKeown sensitively and skilfully weaves personal, emotional memories with events of national and international significance  occurs when his mother tells him as he is near death: You know what you have to do, and I know what I have to do.

The book narrates how the loss of ten comrades did not bring about a collapse in the prisoners morale or feelings of despair. Instead, the leadership in the camp began to organise a new phase in the struggle against the prison regime and government repression.

There was a total re-assessment of the Republican resistance which entailed advancing the struggle in a different way: this initially involved a silent campaign for segregation and a decision  arrived at after much soul-searching and discussion among the prisoners  to end the refusal to engage in prison work.

As McKeown records, it was a new form of struggle, and it didnt come without its own share of pain and great mental reservations.

The leadership, under Seana Walsh at this period, justified this new direction by quoting the Irish proverb: An duine nach bhfuil laidir caithfidh se bheith glic  if youre not strong you need to be smart; and he persuaded the majority of prisoners to go into the system with the aim of destroying it.

The success of this tactic to achieve segregation created the conditions which facilitated the spectacular mass escape from Long Kesh in 1983, serving as a massive boost to Republican morale both inside and outside the prison system and attracting worldwide attention and admiration.

McKeown gives an account of this audacious achievement which reads like a thriller and demonstrates the ingenuity, courage and discipline of the prisoners.

Following the escape, and despite the savage repression which was inflicted in its aftermath, the prisoners embarked upon a remarkable programme of education, focussing on a wide range of left-wing thinkers, and developing a culture of discussion and debate within the camp designed to create a critical, and self-critical, revolutionary mindset. The outcome of this programme was the emergence of a community based on the values of social justice and democracy, which was well prepared to resume the struggle upon release, and which influenced the development of political strategy with Sinn Fein.

Laurence McKeown provides a highly significant and valuable historical record of an important aspect of our recent history which is sometimes overlooked; the book blends astute insight and analysis, honesty , frank personal perspectives and is always inspirational.

And Flowers Grew Up Through The Concrete by Laurence McKeown is published by Beyond The Pale Books and costs 15.95.
A woman has been given a suspended sentence at Derry Magistrate's Court today for assaulting her father.

Courtney Temple (21) of Jefferson Court in Derry admitted assaulting her father om November 20 last year.

The court was told that police received a 999 call from Temple's father.

They responded and spoke to the father and he said his daughter had come to his house and was 'causing a nuisance'.

He said he believed she was intoxicated and then she slapped him on the side of the face before he asked her to leave.

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Defence counsel Sinead Rogan said that Temple deserved credit for her guilty plea.

She said that there had been no injury as such in what she described as 'an unfortunate incident' and said the parties had reconciled.

District Judge Oonagh Mullan said that the defendant had 'quite a record for common assaults' and imposed a sentence of two months suspended for 12 months.
It is likely that Noah Donohoe was alive when he entered a storm drain in north Belfast where he was later found dead, an expert witness has told an inquest.

The schoolboy was 14 when his naked body was found in the storm drain tunnel on June 27 2020.

He had been missing for six days after leaving his home in south Belfast on his bike to meet two friends in the Cavehill area of the city.

A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was likely to be drowning.

The inquest into his death, which is being heard with a jury, resumed following the Easter break on Monday.

The proceedings at Belfast Coroners Court heard a report by Professor Carolyn Roberts, who had been commissioned by the Coroners Service, and had visited the site as well as considering extensive material.

In her report, which was read to the inquest, she found that Noah was likely to have climbed through the bars into the storm drain before drowning.

The bars of the grille are sufficiently widely spaced that a large child or even a small man could deliberately climb through without undue effort, her report found.

In my opinion it is hence likely that the boy climbed into (the) culvert entrance alive, slipping between the vertical metal bars of the metal grille.

The storm drain tunnel led under the M2 motorway, train tracks and Seaview stadium to Belfast Lough.

Prof Roberts found Noah was likely to have walked while crouched in the tunnel, and with rising water levels and low light may have become disorientated.

The layout is relatively complex and for an unfamiliar person moving in semi darkness, in my opinion, it would appear possible to become disorientated, this is the section from which Noahs body was recovered, her report went on.

Her report also found that high tide was likely to have happened between 11.30pm and midnight on June 21 2020.

This is some five or six hours after his (Noahs) last sighting which would allow ample time for him to have made his way several hundred metres along the culvert, her report found.

At this point, water is likely to have risen almost completely to fill the culvert around and immediately above the point at which the boys body was discovered, creating conditions for drowning.

The quadrant would fill with water relatively quickly and in darkness with a complex network of pipes and cold conditions, the boy would be likely to have become confused in my opinion.

It is possible that the boy survived in the culvert for several tidal cycles prior to succumbing, however the ground and air temperatures would not be conducive to this with a naked body in my opinion.

The report went on: Noah Donohoe is likely to have entered the Premier Drive stream culvert behind Northwood Road in the late afternoon of June 21, 2020, by climbing through the metal grille at the entrance, and crawling or walking in a stooped manner along the culvert some 600 metres.

This would have been in almost complete darkness and would have required some persistence including climbing under hanging obstacles.

I think it is very likely that the boy drowned at or about this time and location, it is possible but unlikely that the body was moved a short distance upstream or downstream from the point at which it was recovered by floating.

Prof Roberts also found that it is probable that Noah drowned in sea water mixed with fresh water during the incoming tide while confused.

The inquest also heard expert evidence which was critical of public safety with regards to the culvert at Premier Drive.

In his report, which was read to the inquest, Dr Mark Cooper said a risk assessment carried out by the Department for Infrastructure, which owns the amenity, was very rudimentary and focused on risks to Rivers Agency staff, rather than members of the public, noting a childrens playground nearby.

It is clear to me there was knowledge in the body corporate of the Rivers Agency that the grille was in an area that could attract members of the public and children, his report observed.

This does not look like it has had the full care and attention that it ought, I am critical in that the assessment does not consider who may be harmed.

He also claimed that the departments position seems to me to be head in the sand'.

In total the inquest heard from four experts on Monday, including Jeremy Benn and engineer Brian Pope.

There was disagreement among the four, who had responded to 57 questions, including over whether there should have been a security screen and fencing at the culvert which was refurbished in 2017.

Mr Cooper said in his report that the decision not to have a security screen is crucial to this case, arguing the assessment was inadequate.

However, Mr Benn in his report said that screens do not completely remove the risk of flooding or injury, and pointed to examples where screen themselves had caused deaths through people falling or becoming trapped.

His report quotes data over ten years that indicates screens had been a contributory cause of more deaths of members of the public than culverts.

He said the culvert is typical of many hundreds of similar assets in Northern Ireland, and thousands in the rest of Ireland and the UK, and predates current policy which steer away from such long courses.

Mr Pope said he disagreed with Mr Benns assessment.

In his report, he said if the department had carried out an assessment based on 2009 Environment Agency (EA) guidance during the 2017 refurb, it would have found that a security screen should have been fitted.

He assessed the hazards as just above the threshold for a security screen, and suggested Mr Benn had underestimated conditions in the culvert such as steepness.

The inquest will continue on Tuesday morning.
Synlait Milk Limited (Synlait) notes the announcement from The a2 Milk Company today updating its trading, supply chain and outlook position in relation to its infant milk formula (IMF) business in China.

In response to the announcement, which refers to Synlait, the company notes that:

 as per its half year results in March 2026, enhanced testing was implemented earlier this year for all infant formula products, which has resulted in extended release times and impacted working capital requirements.

 it has continued to work through associated supply chain impacts, with the support The a2 Milk Company.

 it continues to rebuild customer inventory following the previously reported manufacturing challenges, and as noted by The a2 Milk Company, production has recently returned to targeted levels.

The infant formula industry in China, and globally, continues to be dynamic. As noted in Synlait's full-year results in September 2025, the company will not provide FY26 financial guidance. Todays update from The a2 Milk Company reinforces the range of risks being experienced in the infant formula industry, which have also impacted Synlait. These include, but are not limited to, product release and clearance times (which effects phasing of product sales and cash flow), ongoing management of the supply chain and the movement of product globally, regulatory changes, and a challenging geopolitical and trading environment.

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Farmers in Northern Ireland need direct support to protect them from the very real crunch of rising energy and fertiliser costs, the president of the Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) has said.

However, William Irvine said he believed blocking roads is not the way forward ahead of expected protests in Northern Ireland over the rising cost of fuel.

Mr Irvine met political parties at Stormont on Monday, and will be meeting Government officials in Westminster on Tuesday.

He called on political leaders from Northern Ireland to co-sign a letter to the Prime Minister to send a very strong and clear message about the challenges facing the agriculture sector.

Mr Irvine said: At farm level there is a very real crisis around energy costs, fuel costs and fertiliser costs.

It is a very real crunch for farmers.

Prior to the Iranian war, I was having a lot of conversations around the cost of doing business and this energy hike has just risen that higher than anybody thought it would ever go.

He added: We currently have a letter drafted that we would be very keen that all party leaders would co-sign with us, thats a letter to the Prime Minister.

That would be a very strong and clear message right to Downing Street of the current situation here in Northern Ireland.

The UFU president said there was a lack of clarity around what is driving price hikes and also over reserves of fuel and fertiliser.

He said: We want much greater market transparency so that our members have more clarity when they are making their decisions.

Currently, there is quite a bit of just in time in the supply chain and in this current state of volatility right around the world, we think that just in time supply chain is not fit for purpose.

Northern Ireland should have greater clarity and greater reserves of fuel and fertiliser.

In recent days posts have appeared on social media calling for people to support energy fuel protests. A number of the protests are planned for Tuesday.

Similar protests in the Republic of Ireland have led to days of significant disruption.

Mr Irvine said he did not know who was behind the protests.

He added: It remains to be seen what plays out. We have no input into that and we are not calling for our members to support it.

If roads are blocked, our members are as likely to be impacted as anyone else in society.

For all, this is a very real issue, very current, but blocking roads is not the way forward at this moment in time.

He said a number of European governments had produced plans to support their agriculture sectors.

He added: There are various options there, reducing the tax rate on fuel and giving financial support to fertiliser costs.

The supply chain right down the line, if costs rise they pass it on to the next guy, we are at the end of that chain, it is hard for us to pass it on to anyone.

All that is playing out here eventually will land at the consumer and they will pick up the ultimate price here.

And it is a matter of trying to avoid that as much as we can.

Mr Irvine also warned of the impact of the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), which will apply a carbon tax on fertilisers imported from the beginning of next year.

He said: The timing of that is disastrous.

It was going to be a challenge to agriculture, but in the current situation it is a challenge too far.

We think they need to step back from the carbon tax on fertiliser and on farm we need direct support just at this moment.
The UK Government will have to act to support people affected by rising fuel costs as a result of the war in Iran, Emma Little-Pengelly has said.

The Deputy First Minister, speaking during Assembly Questions, responded to criticisms the Executive had not taken enough practical steps to support individuals and businesses in Northern Ireland struggling with increasing prices.

Fuel costs have risen sharply around the world since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran.

Ms Little-Pengelly said she recognised that many people are facing pressure at the moment and said there had been a significant amount of work, right across all of the departments, led by the Executive Office, through our civil contingencies groups.

The Executive had raised the issue directly with the Prime Minister when he visited Northern Ireland a month ago and written to him recently, she said.

On Friday, Ms Little-Pengelly and First Minister Michelle ONeill wrote to Sir Keir urging him to bring forward a package of support measures.

They asked Westminster to look at reducing fuel duty, targeted support for hauliers, farmers and small and medium enterprises, and a comprehensive cost-of-living support package.

Addressing the chamber on Monday, Ms Little-Pengelly said: The UK Government has the ability to do something about these things.

When it comes to tax, for example, or duty on fuel, then that is a matter for the UK Government, that is why we have asked them.

I do believe that this is a UK Government that will have to act to support people who are really, genuinely feeling that squeeze.

She said she had also attended a very high-level ministerial meeting with officials right across the UK.

She said the Economy Minister had set up the supply chain group to monitor the supply, particularly of fuel into Northern Ireland, and that group is co-ordinating across the UK.

In response to her answer, SDLP MLA Matthew OToole said: I didnt hear a single specific action there that the Executive itself had led on.

The opposition agreed that the UK Government had responsibility relating to fuel duty and things of that nature, Mr OToole said.

But he listed a number of measures, including engaging with farmers and small businesses, reducing transport fares, and supporting domiciliary care workers to get around the country, that he said could be taken.

The Executive has done none of that, he said.

Your party and Sinn Fein have sought to theatrically blame one another and then shift responsibilities to London.

Ms Little-Pengelly said there had been a significant amount of action.

She added that she had specifically raised the point to the Health Minister at the last Executive in relation to those costs for domiciliary care workers.

She said: There is a wide range of actions. Unfortunately, two minutes does not allow me to go through that, but I can assure the public who are listening to this that we are following the process that is set down in terms of our civil contingency mechanisms.

She said various teams were working with colleagues across the UK to make sure they had hourly monitoring of the situation, adding that the Executive was pressing the UK Government to take action.

Mr OToole also took aim at Ms Little-Pengelly for flying to the US to meet President Donald Trump and plamas and flatter the man who caused this crisis in the first place with his reckless war.

Ms Little-Pengelly said that she had engaged with the US president as he was a person with huge influence in the globe.

I did my job and stepped forward, because I will always stand up for the interests of Northern Ireland and make sure that I seize every opportunity to promote Northern Ireland, she said.
Ireland will take centre stage in global agriculture on Friday, May 22 2026, when it hosts the 2026 Nuffield Agri-Summit at Killashee House Hotel, Naas, Co. Kildare. It will be the highlight of the 14th Nuffield Triennial, a nine-day study tour hosted by Nuffield Ireland for Nuffield Irish and International alumni around the island of Ireland.

The Derry-based Hugh Harbison Dairy Farm will be holding a talk and tour as part of the Triennial.

Led by Nuffield Ireland, as part of the global Nuffield International network, encompassing over 1,700 scholars from sixteen countries, this unique event will bring together a global cohort of Nuffield leaders alongside a substantial gathering of senior figures from agribusiness, policy, and economics.

The summit will be one of the most significant global agriculture forums of 2026, attended by more than 300 delegates and featuring top level speakers from Ireland and overseas.

Internationally renowned economist David McWilliams has been confirmed as the headline speaker. An Adjunct Professor of Global Economics at Trinity College Dublin, author and podcaster, Mr. McWilliams is widely respected for his incisive analysis of global economic trends and their effects on societies and industries. His address will offer a macroeconomic perspective on food security, trade dynamics, and global responsibility.

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The summit programme will also feature a distinguished line up of Irish and International speakers and panelists, including: Simon Coveney, former Tanaiste and former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Ksenija Simovic, Senior Policy Advisor, Copa-Cogeca, Brussels; Marie Donnelly, Chairperson, Climate Change Advisory Council; and Professor Rogier Schulte, Chair of Future Farming & Food Systems, Wageningen University, The Netherlands.

Speaking ahead of the event, newly appointed Chair of Nuffield Ireland and Irelands first ever female Nuffield Scholar, Grainne Dwyer said: Hosting the Agri-Summit is a defining moment for Ireland. As a small nation with a global agricultural footprint, we sit at the intersection of innovation, responsibility and opportunity. The challenges facing global food security are immense, but so is our capacity to shape real solutions.

"This Summit will confront the toughest questions facing modern agriculture with voices that challenge convention and demand serious reflection. Expect rigorous debate, uncomfortable truths, and a speaker line-up that goes beyond the usual agri circuit. Our Agri-Summit is designed to test assumptions and sharpen leadership thinking, to forge together a sustainable path for global agriculture in an uncertain world

Chair of the FBD Trust, Michael Berkery, added: As founder Investor of Nuffield Ireland we are delighted and proud to sponsor the 2026 Nuffield Agri-Summit, a groundbreaking event in Irelands agricultural calendar. We have long taken the view that Nuffield Ireland, and the Nuffield global agricultural leadership development programme it brings to Irish farmers and other agri-professionals, are perfectly aligned with the values and mission of the FBD Trust.

"We look forward to welcoming international alumni and Irish agricultural stakeholders to this exceptional event

Under the theme Feed the World  Our Responsibility?, the summit will address the urgent and complex pressures facing global food systems including:
Latest News & Articles

Millicom International Cellular, a leading telecommunications company in Latin America, has announced a long-term commercial agreement with digital infrastructure provider Trans Americas Fibre System (TAFS).

Through the agreement Millicom says it will be able to expand and strengthen its international network infrastructure and resilience across Central America.

As part of this partnership, Millicom will enhance its international capacity through TAFS' open-access, carrier-neutral platform, thus, it says, reinforcing its ability to meet the region's rapidly growing demand for reliable, high-capacity digital services.

The TAM-1 system is a next-generation subsea fibre optic network spanning approximately 7,000 kilometres, designed to establish direct links between the United States, the Eastern Caribbean, Central America and Colombia in South America, with each fibre pair supporting a minimum of 18Tbps of capacity.

The system comprises two complementary segments: a northern system connecting Hollywood, Florida with Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, and a southern system anchored by main trunk from Vero Beach, Florida to St Croix in the US Virgin Islands, with connections to Puerto Rico and branches extending to Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia.

Through this infrastructure, Millicom says it will benefit from increased route diversity, enhanced redundancy, improved network resilience and greater scalability, which it describes as key elements to ensure consistent, low-latency service for operators, enterprises, governments and end users across multiple markets.

Alejandro Guerrero, VP of Strategic Operations & Wholesale Solutions, explains: "This platform will link North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean in one unified, high-capacity platform that replaces aging infrastructure and meets the growing demand for bandwidth."
Thailands National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) will reportedly start regulating over-the-top (OTT) platforms and content as part of a coming revamp of broadcasting regulations.

According to a report from the Bangkok Post on Friday, the NBTCs upcoming Broadcasting and Television Master Plan (20262030) will include a provision giving it the power to regulate OTT platforms after its board reached a consensus that it has the authority to do so.

The NBTC's move to govern OTT services is an effort to level the playing field between traditional digital TV operators, who are subject to stringent licensing conditions and compliance costs, and OTT platforms, which have so far operated under a lighter regulatory framework.

Existing legal interpretations and previous board resolutions dating back as far as 2017 have classified OTT content as a form of broadcasting, and thus under the NBTCs purview. However, some board members have resisted the idea, citing the challenges involved in not only defining what counts as an OTT service, but also regulating OTT services that dont originate in Thailand, the report said.

NBTC board members overcame those differences to agree that at the very least, the NBTC does have the authority to regulate OTT platforms. They also agreed there is a need to level the playing field for OTT platforms and digital TV broadcasters, who operate under a much stricter regulatory framework, the report added.

That said, the NBTC would need to coordinate with other relevant agencies like the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), which enforces the Royal Decree on Digital Platform Services (2022) that requires platform operators to notify authorities of their business activities, the report also said.

Meanwhile, NBTC commissioner Pirongrong Ramasoota told the Post that OTT regulations would focus more on platforms rather than directly targeting content creators or influencers, adding that the details on criteria will be hammered out after the Broadcasting and Television Master Plan is finalised.



Further discussions on the draft plan are scheduled for next week.
AI infrastructure specialist Nexus Core Systems says it has signed an MoU with Moroccan government agencies to invest MAD12 billion (US$1.29 billion) to build an AI factory in the country next year.

The MoU  signed at last weeks GITEX Africa 2026 event in Marrakesh with Moroccos Ministry of Digital Transition and Administrative Reform, the Ministry of Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies (MICEPP) and the Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE)  calls for development of a high-performance computing (HPC) data centre, a centre of excellence focused on high-value services and skills development, and an innovation hub to foster emerging solutions and boost the AI digital ecosystem.

With the Nexus AI Factory, we're not just deploying a high-performance infrastructure  we're creating an integrated ecosystem, said Nexus Core Systems CEO Jaap Zuiderveld in a statement.

The Nexus AI Factory will be constructed in two phases in 2027. The first phase in Nouaceur will sport an IT load capacity of 16MW, while the second phase in Northern Morocco will add another 20MW. Nexus will invest MAD5 billion and MAD7 billion in each phase, respectively.

Nexus said both phases will be 100% powered by renewable energy through a strategic partnership with TAQA Morocco.

Nexus also said that key players such as Nvidia and global investment firm Lloyds Capital will be involved in the project.

The announcement comes almost a year after Nexus, Nvidia, Lloyds Capital and Korean AI firm Naver formed a consortium to build a 500MW data centre in Morocco to deliver sovereign AI computing services across the EMEA region.
Despite regular news stories in these pages highlighting the use of renewable energy in telecoms, reliance on diesel still appears to be widespread  which may explain why pan-African operator Vodacom Group has just released a new white paper entitled Decarbonising Africas ICT Sector.

The report, says Vodacom, contributes insights into one of Africas fastestgrowing sectors, where expanding digital and network infrastructure brings growing energy demands and is navigating the complexities of decarbonisation while continuing to support economic and social development.

As Vodacom says, many sectors  from telecommunications and healthcare to mining, logistics and manufacturing  still depend on carbon-intensive, costly diesel generators due to weak grid infrastructure and unreliable electricity supply.

The research highlights that while Africa remains highly vulnerable to climate change, it faces critical energy challenges that hamper decarbonisation efforts. Weak grid infrastructure, financial constraints within utilities, complex regulatory environments, and unreliable electricity supply continue to slow the adoption of renewable energy across the continent. This has led many sectors, including telecommunications, to rely heavily on carbon-intensive diesel generators to power operations.

To address these barriers, the white paper outlines several practical solutions that could help accelerate decarbonisation across the ICT sector. These include energy sector reforms that enable greater private sector participation, renewable energy procurement mechanisms such as power purchase agreements (PPAs), and the expansion of decentralised energy solutions, including mini-grids, to power remote mobile network base stations.

Since FY2020, Vodacom says it has reduced scope 1 and 2 marketbased greenhouse gas emissions by 77%, an achievement driven primarily by energy efficiency improvements and renewable electricity procurement.

While mobile network operators are major energy consumers, the report emphasises that they are also critical enablers of Africas digital and economic development  making their role in the low-carbon transition both complex and essential.

Developed with technical support from climate consultancy the Carbon Trust, the research draws on sector analysis, case studies and interviews with stakeholders across the ICT and energy value chains, including utilities, technology providers, financial institutions and regulators.

The report can be accessed via the Vodacom website.
Green Cross Health Limited (NZX: GXH ) has become aware of an article in the Australian media published last night reporting that Green Cross Health is in discussions with third parties regarding a potential sale of its Medical division.

Green Cross Health confirms that it is engaging with parties regarding a potential transaction involving the Medical division. There is no certainty that this engagement will lead to any transaction.

Green Cross Health will continue to keep shareholders informed in accordance with its continuous disclosure obligations.

- ENDS -

Contact:

Rachael Newfield

rachael.newfield@gxh.co.nz

Kalpana Goundar

kalpana.goundar@gxh.co.nz

About Green Cross Health:

Green Cross Health (NZX: GXH ) is a trusted New Zealand primary healthcare provider with multidisciplinary healthcare teams working together to support healthier communities. Green Cross Health is focused on creating sustainable healthcare solutions with positive outcomes and experiences.

Green Cross Health operates under branded groups Unichem, Life Pharmacy and The Doctors, to provide support, care and advice to diverse New Zealand communities.

Green Cross Health provides convenient access to professional healthcare with over 300 Unichem and Life Pharmacies covering almost every New Zealand community, as well as 65 medical centres caring for over 400,000 enrolled patients.

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April 12, 2026: the U.S. Navy is increasing its production of the Hammerhead anti-submarine mine system. This mine is designed to detect, classify, and engage submarines and can be deployed by unmanned underwater drones to deal with increasingly capable Russian and Chinese submarines. The Hammerhead system uses underwater sensors to monitor large areas for submarine activity. Each Hammerhead module consists of a tube with a mooring device at the bottom and a battery pack, above that is a signal processing and decision system followed by the torpedo with a sensor and communication system at the top of the module.

Once a target is detected and confirmed as a hostile submarine, the mine releases the torpedo capable of finding, following and sinking the submarine, or surface ship.

Hammerheads can be placed on shallow sea bottoms and left to monitor the surrounding area for threats. Ideal locations for Hammerheads are sea lanes enemy forces might use, or to guard friendly naval bases. The navy plans to use underwater drones to recharge batteries and update software. Larger underwater drones can be used to retrieve Hammerheads and bring them to a nearby naval base or ship for repairs, upgrades or replacement if a Hammerhead is too far gone for further use.

At the same time American naval strategists are seeking a solution to the problems presented by the potential widespread use of drones by and against naval forces. This is not a theoretical problem but a reality. In the Black Sea, Ukrainian drones forced the Russian Black Sea Fleet to withdraw to the eastern shore of the Black Sea. Sevastopol was no longer a safe place to be, and Russian ships could no longer launch their Kalibr cruise missiles without risking attack by Ukrainian drones. The presence and aggressive use of the drones means that Ukraines grain corridor has been kept open despite Russias threats to interfere. Beyond symbolic significance, the corridor holds critical economic importance for Ukraine and contributed over 5 percent of GDP growth in 2024 because of the grain shipments.

The aggressive and successful use of Ukrainian drones against the Russian Black Sea fleet was unprecedented in the history of naval warfare. Not only were these drones tactically successful but financially as well. For example, new frigates cost about $1.5 billion each. That much money can also pay for 5,000 drones. Destroyers cost twice as much as frigates. The frigates and destroyers are high seas ships that can travel all over the world. The drones operate in coastal waters although some of the larger drones can operate up to a thousand kilometers from where they were launched. These drones carry video cameras and satellite-based communications systems to collect information and, in peacetime, do so without fear of attack. Severe storms are another matter, but any storm damage will be broadcast as it is happening, at least until the video cameras or communications equipment is disabled.

Commercial cargo ships can carry hundreds of armed flying, surface water and underwater drones equipped with satellite communications so operators anywhere in the world can control them. These drones can be covertly launched at sea to carry out attacks on targets in the, area or move to a nearby harbor and remain tied to a dock until needed. The only maintenance is keeping the drone batteries charged. These drones are a radical new weapon for naval warfare and the war at sea will never be the same because of the success of Ukrainian drones in their victorious campaign against the Russian Black Sea Fleet, and launched from secretly parked cargo containers to attack any target.

Initially the Ukrainian water-going drones were Sea Baby, Mother, and MAGURA. At the end of 2023 Cossack Mother, top speed of 100 kilometers an hour, entered service. Manufacture of these drones is done in underground facilities to avoid Russian missile and guided bomb attacks.

Sea Baby carrying 850 kg of explosives was used in the mid-2023 Kerch Bridge attack. MAGURA carries 320 kg of explosives while Mamai carries 450 kg. These drones are no longer used just for delivering explosives against a target, they can also be used for reconnaissance when equipped with video cameras that broadcast what they see back to the drone operator. Some drones have been armed with small rocket launchers or surface-to-air missiles. Malyuk has a range of over 700 kilometers, which means they are suitable for operations on the high seas. Endurance is about 60 hours, and top speed is over 70 kilometers an hour. MAGURA has similar characteristics. Mamai was used in the long range attack at the distant naval base at Novorossiysk on Russias Black Sea eastern, which is a thousand kilometers from Crimea.

Ukraine has been developing subsurface drones since 2022 and in early 2023 the first one, the Toloka2 TK-150 entered service. This drone was 2.5 meters long and equipped with a sensor mast that remained above the surface for navigation and to identify targets. Toloka2 can also carry a small explosive warhead. More recently, Ukraine developed the larger Marichka drone that is 6 meters long and one meter in diameter.

Ukrainian naval drones and land based missiles destroyed over a third of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and forced the survivors to take shelter at Russian ports over a thousand kilometers from Crimea. While Russia still occupies Crimea, the area is under siege by Ukrainian naval drones and land based missiles. Soon Russia will no longer be able to supply Crimea because of this. The Kerch Strait bridge from Russia to Crimea is in bad shape and can only allow limited truck traffic. By the end of 2024 Russia had withdrawn all of its ships from Crimea and shut down its ship repair facilities. Ukraine has the means to demolish what is left of the bridge whenever they want to. This will happen when Ukraine decides to blockade Crimea and force the Russians to abandon the peninsula because they cannot supply it.
A reconvened public inquiry into a gold mine application in Co Tyrone is facing very similar issues to when it was suspended a year ago, its lead official has said.

Commissioner Jacqueline McParland heard arguments in relation to the mine at the Strule Arts Centre in Omagh as those in opposition warned the process risked becoming farcical.

The investigation by the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) opened in January 2025 but hearings were suspended when it was contended that the Irish government had not been notified about the inquiry, and that Donegal County Council had not been given adequate time to respond after a cross-border issue was identified.

The mining firm Dalradian has been working on the Curraghinalt site near Greencastle in the Sperrin Mountains since 2009 and has applied to develop an underground gold mine.

There has been opposition to the proposal, which concerns an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in terms of its impact on health and the environment.

In a letter sent to the commission on the April 9 last year, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) stated that a significant volume of new information was submitted as part of the transboundary consultation undertaken by the Stormont Department for Infrastructure (DfI).

The agency said it was assessing, but given the volume of new information, NIEA would not now prepare a draft Habitats Regulations Appropriate Assessment in advance of the inquiry.

Conor Fegan, a barrister representing Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, said the new information meant people had not been given the reasonable time to respond that they should be allowed under law.

Daniel Elvin, representing DfI, said the Irish transboundary authority would have had access to any additional information as it was published on the departments website and it would be able to make further representations before planning permission was granted.

Ms McParland asked Mr Elvin if the department had arranged for the Republic of Ireland to access this information, which he said was a different question than if it was available.

Asked again if he had arranged for any other information to be referred to transboundary authorities, he said in the manner Ive already submitted, yes, which he then confirmed was in relation to it being on the website.

Ms McParland reminded the public that they were not permitted to heckle, in response to laughter during this exchange.

Mr Fegan later argued that when a public inquiry was part of a decision-making process, then it needed to be on a timescale to allow relevant parties to participate in a way that would facilitate them to impact the outcome rather than being bolted on to the end.

He said that members of the public in Ireland may have wanted to make comment on that further information but were not being afforded opportunity.

Ms McParland said the inquiry found itself very similar to the position we were in last January.

Emmett McAleer, a former independent councillor, argued that the process was becoming farcical and raised issues around public participation as a result of the late additional documentation.

In the afternoon, Ms McParland said DfI were responsible for transboundary consultation submissions, and that a decision in relation to the issues raised would be outlined at the inquiry on Tuesday morning.

Despite the opposition, some local people are in support of investment in the area, with Dalradian claiming the project could bring 1,000 jobs and deliver 5 billion to the local economy in Northern Ireland.

Those opposing the mine gathered outside the venue in Omagh, with yellow umbrellas saying no toxic mining, and chanted Dalradian out.

Heading into the session, Marella Fyffe, chairwoman of Save Our Sperrins, which has been campaigning against the move, said they were hoping it would be third time lucky.

Fidelma OKane from the group said: Were concerned about the water, the air, the land and the health  things that are basic to our survival, and thats whats important.

Its not about money for people in America or Canada or profits for businesses.

The Curraghinalt Project is set to be a major economic driveradding 9bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy. A key measure of growth, GVA reflects the real value created through jobs, production and services. A once-in-a-generation boost. #USinvestment  Dalradian (@DalradianNI) April 12, 2026

This is part of us. We live in the Sperrins. We love the Sperrins and we want it to be safe for our grandchildren and future generations to live there.

Prior to proceedings, a spokesperson for Dalradian welcomed the start of the inquiry into its application for what it described as an environmentally responsible, economically transformative underground mine in Tyrone.

The deposit includes gold, silver, copper plus other critical and strategic minerals, they said.

Dalradian has submitted extensive proposals for the project which will deliver economic and social benefits for not only our local community but the wider UK and all-island economies.

The public inquiry is the appropriate forum to consider all aspects of the project.
Louth ranks as one of Ireland's worst counties for business survival with nearly one-third facing dissolution.

New analysis of Companies Registration Office (CRO) data revealed that Louth ranked 20th in Ireland for business survival.

The figures show that 666 companies were registered in the county in 2025, while 212 were dissolved. It means Louth has a survival rate of 68%.

According to Nathan Trust, which provide professional services for company registration, there are several reasons why companies may be dissolved or struck off.

This incudes failure to file annual returns with the CRO, poor cash flow management, tax compliance issues, director disputes or resignation, business model viability challenges, voluntary closure after completing a project.

It said: "In some cases, companies are dissolved not because they failed, but because they were established for a single purpose or short-term venture. However, avoidable administrative oversights, particularly around annual returns and tax filings, remain one of the most common causes of involuntary strike-offs."

Nationally, Cavan ranked first for business survival with 84%, while Dublin were bottom with 54%.
Almost 25 employers from across the Engineering sector recently attended the annual School of Engineering Careers Fair, organised by the School of Engineering in collaboration with the Careers and Employability Team at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).

Employers were welcomed to the college by staff and students before hearing from Dr. Breda Brennan, Head of School of Engineering and heads of departments within the school about the range of engineering courses available in DkIT and the variety of experiences and work ready attributes which students and future graduates can offer to employers.

Special guest Trevor Johnston, Head of Careers, Employability and Skills at Queens University was also in attendance. A lunch-time information session was provided collaboratively by IBEC and DkITs Engineering department with the focus on the Manufacturing Engineering apprenticeship.

Students had the opportunity to meet with a variety of companies in sectors such as biopharmaceuticals, construction, industrial equipment, design and engineering, IT solutions, healthcare and renewable energy.

Read Next: Plans to remove apartment block in Louth to make way for houses

The visiting companies included; Abbott Ireland, AtkinRealis, Boliden Tara Mines, Cluid Housing, Combilift, Controlsoft Automation, Cunningham Contracts Group, Digital Design & Consultancy Ltd, EliteForm Manufacturing, Flynn Management & Contractors, Ganson Building & Civil Engineering, lJM Timber, Mc Aree Engineering, MTM Engineering, Multihog, Premium Power, SCSI, Suretank, Terex, Timoney Dynamic Solutions Ltd, Tuath Housing, Tusker Construction Group, Walls Construction Limited and WuXi Biologics Ireland Ltd.

Dr. Breda Brennan, Head of School of Engineering said: We are delighted to see local and regional employers back in DkIT again this year for our annual Engineering Careers Fair. The fair provides a fantastic chance for employers and students to interact in person and is also a valuable opportunity to update employers on recent developments in our School and find out more ways in which we can support industry in the region.

Mr. Anthony Murray, Head of Careers and Employability added: This years Engineering event was a wonderful showcase of the breadth of career pathways open to our students across all Engineering disciplines. It was fantastic to welcome such a diverse range of organisations to campus, each offering valuable insights, guidance, and encouragement to our emerging talent. The energy in DkIT was incredible, with highly engaged employers and a fantastic array of opportunities on display. I want to sincerely thank all participating companies for their commitment, their interactive and informative exhibits, and their continued partnership.
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April 13, 2026: The Ukraine war has alarmed NATO nations and forced them to rely on Ukrainian experience in defeating Russian air and missile attacks. Russian air attacks involve nearly a thousand Iranian Shahed drones sent after Ukrainian targets night after night. In Europe airports have been shut down repeatedly because of the presence of drones. These usually turn out to be civilian drones, but no one wants to take a chance that some are Russian. European NATO nations are urged to identify some drones as outright attacks that can spread panic because such drone operations could damage local military facilities and civilian infrastructure.

The solution could be found in determining what can be done by local and national military authorities to augment essential hardening infrastructure against air attacks.

Consultation with Ukraine led some European NATO countries to include their local manufacturers and civilian volunteers in private sector-led air-defense employment to benefit from the Ukrainian experience in air defense. Then there is the insurance angle. If civilian and commercial facilities are under threat, their insurance rates can rapidly escalate. This can disrupt or halt economic activity. A solution can be found with international financial institutions who can incorporate physical security into pricing models, just as insurance coverage is part of project finance.

The Ukraine War has f0rced NATO countries to confront the possibility of dealing with Russian aggression in the near future. NATO nations have long depended on air power as their first line of defense. These aircraft use various missiles and smart bombs for Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses/SEAD and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses/DEAD. The Russian threat is not immediate because Russian leader Vladimir Putin recently admitted that Russia was having serious economic problems that had to be addressed immediately. That means, according to the Russians, even if the Ukraine Wars, it will be three years or more before the Russians are ready to resume their operations against Ukraine and eventually NATO nations.

Since early 2022 Russia has used thousands of ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, unguided rockets and bombs, and one-way attack drones on Ukraine. European NATO members noticed and sought to prepare their existing air defense systems to meet an attack from Russia. Currently each NATO nation has its own air defense systems, but most have none at all because, until Russia turned violent, there seemed no need for air defenses. With the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, the resulting Russian Federation seemed peaceful. Russia had no enemies. That was not true because Russian governments tend to be paranoid and aggressive and, when Vladimir Putin gained power in 1999 and proceeded to change laws to make himself president for life, he contended that some of Russias neighbors were plotting against it. Then Putin increased the size of the military and sought to take, by force, neighboring territories he believed should be part of Russia.

In 2022 Russia decided to grab more territory it believed it was part of Russia. In this case it was Ukraine, another new country created when the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991 and was divided into fourteen new countries. Among them was the Russian Federation and Ukraine. After Ukraine lost Crimea and portions of Luhansk and Donetsk provinces in 2014, they sought to get back these territories via negotiations with Russia. That dragged on until 2022 when Russia decided to settle the matter by invading Ukraine. If Russia could conquer Ukraine, the disputes over Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk would disappear.

Russia did not expect the intensity of the Ukrainian resistance and their invasion failed. Then in August 2024 Ukraine invaded Russia, sending troops into Kursk province. Russian resistance was virtually non-existent. The Ukrainian invasion force was accompanied by over a thousand drones which provided surveillance as well as the ability to attack any Russian defenders. The drone-based air war in Ukraine developed naturally between Ukraine and the Russian but NATO nations that provided military aid to Ukraine were mystified and sought to find out more about this new form of warfare. All the Ukrainian drones were designed and built in Ukraine. This new form of air warfare was born and evolved in Ukraine, with the Russians playing catch up to maintain their war effort. Many Ukrainians built drones at home or in small workshops and sent them to soldiers they knew. Ukrainian soldiers often tinkered with drones they received, making improvements before launching them at the enemy.

Ukraine shared its knowledge with their NATO supporters and that led to some NATO nations establishing factories to produce drones for Ukraine. One thing NATO nations were concerned about was how they could defend themselves against hostile drones as well as the many ballistic and cruise missiles Russia had used against Ukraine. NATO nations had no defense against such weapons and, given continued Russian aggression, these weapons might one day be used against a NATO nation bordering Russia.

Some NATO nations, like France, Britain, Germany, Italy and the United States, developed and built weapons for export. These nations had no enemies, until Russia attacked Ukraine. As part of NATO support for Ukraine, member nations sent weapons they built for their own use and export. This included a lot of air defense weapons that were getting their first use in a near-peer war between two nations with equal technical capabilities. Contributors noted the performance of their weapons and modified them to make them more effective. The manufacturers could now tout their air defense weapons as combat proven in Ukraine to prospective export customers. Thats a very effective sales technique. One item that is missing is equipment to integrate the air defense systems for multiple countries. This would also provide each country with an electronic display of their entire air combined defense networks as well as the location of any intruders.

NATO nations now have numerous air defense systems that have been used successfully in combat. Currently this helps with exports but in the future, it could prove essential if Russia decided to attack more neighboring countries. According to Russian announcements and NATO predictions the first clash could come before the end of the decade. The side that is better prepared will prevail.
Towards an efficient and integrated digital capital market in Europe: the role of tokenisation and the Eurosystems policy response

Prepared by Elena Banu, Alexandra Born, Johanne Evrard, Claudia Lambert and Alessandro Spolaore

Published as part of the Macroprudential Bulletin 33, April 2026.

This article describes the current landscape of tokenised assets, illustrating the potential benefits across the entire asset value chain  from issuance to distribution and sales. As the Eurosystem is working towards enabling the settlement of distributed ledger technology (DLT) transactions using central bank money by the end of the third quarter of 2026,[1] and outlined its vision for the evolution of Europes payments amid rapid technological change,[2] we examine key enablers and barriers to unlocking the benefits of tokenisation for a digital capital market in Europe while safeguarding financial stability. These include the need for on-chain secondary market liquidity to enable scaling, as well as adaptations and harmonisation of the regulatory framework.

Based on these findings, this article highlights how tokenisation, if it scales more widely, could contribute to the savings and investments union (SIU) agenda in two major ways. First, it offers an opportunity to create a European digital asset ecosystem from the early stages, in contrast to the fragmented market for traditional financial instruments, which developed from national markets. Second, it has the potential to improve market liquidity and efficiency, which can ultimately increase the scalability and development of capital markets in Europe. In turn, this could facilitate a more efficient allocation of capital within the economy. Lastly, developing a DLT ecosystem relying on European governance and based on assets denominated in euro is essential to maintaining monetary sovereignty and strategic autonomy. Finally, this article discusses the role of public authorities  including central banks, in providing the conditions for innovation to develop in a safe and resilient manner.[3]

1 Exploring the landscape and use cases for tokenised assets

Tokenisation is the process of representing claims digitally in the form of tokens that carry asset information and rules on a programmable platform, using new technologies such as distributed ledger technologies (DLT). A key difference between a traditional and a tokenised asset resides in the fact that the token can include information about the asset itself (e.g. ownership details, characteristics) as well as its governing rules (e.g. transfer conditions, compliance requirements). This digital representation makes the asset programmable and allows automated enforcement of rules via smart contracts. The process can be applied to any type of asset, from physical assets like real estate and commodities to financial assets such as equity and bonds. There are two types of token: (i) native tokens, which are digital assets issued directly on DLT (i.e. on chain) and (ii) non-native tokens, which are digital representations of existing assets (i.e. the reference assets that exist off chain).[4] One example of a native token is a bond issued directly on DLT, without being previously recorded on paper or in electronic book-entry form. Conversely, when a traditional bond is tokenised, the underlying claims are recorded on a DLT. This allows the tokenised bond to be transacted on the DLT enabling use of the new features of this technology.

1.1 Market developments

Limited publicly available data on tokenisation suggest that this small-scale market is growing rapidly. Although the market for tokenised assets is still small, it developed at a fast pace in 2025.[5] Tokenised assets on public blockchains, which are a subset of DLT (Box 1), reached an estimated global market capitalisation of 38 billion in February 2026, up from 7.4 billion at the start of 2024 (Chart 1).[6] This still only represents a fraction of the traditional financial markets, as global assets were estimated to have reached 241 trillion at the end of 2025.[7] However, industry analysts see high future market potential for tokenised assets, predicting strong growth over the next couple of years, though their projections vary widely.[8]

The market is heterogeneous, and the range of asset classes being tokenised has expanded over the past few years. Chart 1 shows the evolution of tokenised assets in terms of their market capitalisation. Tokenised money market funds (TMMFs) have experienced significant growth, doubling their market capitalisation in 2025 to around 6.3 billion. During this time, several traditional financial institutions have started to issue these innovative products. Issuances of tokenised bonds have also increased markedly since 2022, including issuances by public entities such as the European Investment Bank and the World Bank (for more details, see Born et al., 2026a).[9] Some of the recent issuances and settlements of tokenised bonds have been conducted as part of the Eurosystems exploratory work on new technologies for wholesale central bank money settlement in 2024.[10] Tokenisation is being used to test use cases for other asset classes, such as public and private equity and real estate.[11] There is currently limited evidence of secondary market trading taking place.

Chart 1 Global market capitalisation of tokenised assets (EUR billions) Sources: RWA.xyz and ECB staff calculations.

Notes: The chart has been constructed using distributed and represented assets, excluding repos. Government debt also includes TMMFs and is largely composed of TMMFs holding US treasuries (approximately 90%). Other includes institutional alternative funds, public equity, private equity, actively managed strategies and structured credit.

Box 1

The ASAP model and an overview of European DLT initiatives While the bitcoin blockchain laid the foundations for distributed ledger technology (DLT), a wide range of DLT has been developed since then, with a recent focus on developing platforms to facilitate the issuance, trading and settlement of tokenised assets. DLT manages and maintains a decentralised database, or distributed ledger, allowing information to be shared and kept synchronised across a network.[12] The best known type of distributed ledger is the blockchain. The financial sectors interest in DLT lies in its potential to develop a digital ecosystem, not only to issue tokens as a part of the tokenisation process, but also to enable financial activities (e.g. issuance, trading and settlement) involving the token. The International Monetary Funds ASAP (Access, Service, Asset, Platform) model can be used as a conceptual framework to structure the different components and layers of digital asset platforms from a technical and functional angle. Using the ASAP model (Budau and Tourpe, 2024), the essential components of digital asset platforms can be organised into four distinct layers: asset, service, access and platform. Intuitively, this chain of layers mimics how the network interacts with the assets on chain and how it integrates different use cases (or services), such as transactions. The platform layer is the core component, composed of functional capabilities on which everything else rests. It consists of the underlying protocol, network and shared ledger. The protocol represents the rulebook through which core capabilities are defined, for example how transactions are validated or how consensus around the different nodes in a distributed ledger is achieved. One protocol can run on various networks where financial agents connect. A ledger is considered immutable, meaning that, while theoretically possible, any attempt to alter historical operations is perceived as economically or strategically extremely difficult or costly. [13] Authorisations are also often defined within this layer. This includes who can access and read the ledger (public versus private DLT) and who can validate transactions and participate in the consensus mechanism (permissionless versus permissioned DLT) (Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, 2024). Prominent examples of public permissionless DLT include Ethereum, Solana and BNB Chain, while Canton is public permissioned.

It consists of the underlying protocol, network and shared ledger. The protocol represents the rulebook through which core capabilities are defined, for example how transactions are validated or how consensus around the different nodes in a distributed ledger is achieved. One protocol can run on various networks where financial agents connect. A ledger is considered immutable, meaning that, while theoretically possible, any attempt to alter historical operations is perceived as economically or strategically extremely difficult or costly. Authorisations are also often defined within this layer. This includes who can access and read the ledger (public versus private DLT) and who can validate transactions and participate in the consensus mechanism (permissionless versus permissioned DLT) (Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, 2024). Prominent examples of public permissionless DLT include Ethereum, Solana and BNB Chain, while Canton is public permissioned. The asset layer defines what is represented on the ledger  it is composed of the functions that define the assets. In the asset layer, the various functions of the respective assets are covered, including issuance, minting and redemption/burning. Legal rights can also feature, given that the asset on chain could be either native or non-native, in which case the existing legal rights would need to be attached to the asset directly. Examples of this are tokenised bonds or money market funds.

In the asset layer, the various functions of the respective assets are covered, including issuance, minting and redemption/burning. Legal rights can also feature, given that the asset on chain could be either native or non-native, in which case the existing legal rights would need to be attached to the asset directly. Examples of this are tokenised bonds or money market funds. The services component implements the business logic through specific applications that define the different use cases in smart contracts. This component allows financial actors to interact and exchange assets and services. Permissions can also be added as part of the assets or services layer, for example by whitelisting wallets that can receive a tokenised asset. [14]

This component allows financial actors to interact and exchange assets and services. Permissions can also be added as part of the assets or services layer, for example by whitelisting wallets that can receive a tokenised asset. The access layer can be considered the face or distribution layer of the platform, as it defines which participants can interact on the platform. It allows access to the digital asset infrastructure by providing different functions, including the representation of the data or software offering a single entry point (such as web or mobile applications) to access multiple backend services. In Europe, several platforms have been involved in the tokenisation of financial products. Euroclear D-FMI focuses on digital-native issuance and primary-market settlement on DLT, and is linked to Euroclear Banks traditional settlement platform for secondary market operations.[15] Clearstream D7 includes a DLT component, which will be a tokenised issuance and securities-management platform operated by Clearstream together with its participants.[16] Regulated Layer 1 is a cooperative, pan-European initiative intended to provide a shared, permissioned ledger for regulated participants, jointly owned, operated and governed by a founding group of European financial institutions.[17]

1.2 The life cycle of a tokenised security

The key stages in the life cycle of an asset within the current system often involve inefficiencies and costs, some of which could be mitigated through tokenisation. The life cycle of an asset refers to the series of interconnected processes and activities involved in its creation, management, distribution and use in the markets. While there are variations between the life cycle activities of different types of asset, the following stages can be distinguished: i) asset structuring and issuance, ii) trading, iii) clearing and settlement, and iv) asset servicing. Under the current system, when an asset is transferred between entities, each party separately updates their own ledger or database, and messages are sent back and forth to reconcile the changes (Figure 1). Although the current system already operates efficiently, reconciliation processes still take time, sometimes involve manual intervention, and require coordination among multiple intermediaries, leading to friction, costs and delays. The promise of tokenisation and DLT lies in the creation of a shared transparent ledger, which would make it possible to perform these functions on the same platform, reducing reliance on fragmented infrastructure. The extent to which these benefits would materialise depends on whether platforms would develop in an integrated manner since the creation and maintenance of interfaces and communication links among separate platforms is costly.

Figure 1 Buying a bond under the current system and with tokenisation  an illustration a) Current system for buying a bond

b) Tokenisation transfer and payment for a bond Authors elaboration based on stylised examples

The specific features of tokenisation can in principle address some of the friction in the current system. Tokenisation is often portrayed as a potential means of addressing specific inefficiencies in financial markets (see, for example, Agur et al., 2025). Table 1 sets the stage for a discussion of these potential benefits by offering a definition of the terms generally used in the public debate on tokenisation (such as fractionalisation, programmability, composability and atomicity) and describing how these features can increase accessibility, reduce friction and create new economic arrangements.

Table 1 Features of tokenisation and their potential benefits Feature Definition Potential benefit Programmability Tokens can embed automated rules, logic and conditions directly into tokenised assets or smart contracts. Tokenised assets can be programmed to perform specific actions automatically, such as executing payments, enforcing compliance rules or triggering transactions based on predefined conditions. This could reduce the number of intermediaries and operations. Composability The possibility for different tokenised assets, applications and protocols to interact seamlessly within a shared digital ecosystem (often based on DLT). Allows for the creation of interconnected financial products and services. Such collaborative ecosystems can also increase asset mobility and re-use of collateral. Fractionalisation Traditionally indivisible or high-value assets can be broken down into smaller, more accessible units represented as digital tokens. Enables smaller investors to access assets that were previously out of reach owing to high costs or exclusivity. Boosts the liquidity of these markets by increasing the investor base and allowing these smaller portions of assets to be traded more easily and efficiently. Atomicity The principle that a transaction either fully completes or fully fails: all components of a transaction, such as the transfer of assets, execution of smart contracts and payment settlement occur simultaneously and are inseparable. If any part of the process fails, the entire transaction is rolled back. Could reduce counterparty risk. This would however come at the cost of having to pre-position liquidity (i.e. ensuring that cash or securities exist in the right accounts before they are actually needed, enabling trades/payments to settle instantly without waiting for incoming funds).Faster distribution could reduce search friction. Practically immutable and transparent records DLT allows transparent recording of ownership, transaction history and asset details, which would be economically or strategically extremely difficult or costly to alter. Single source of truth (reducing the need for reconciliation). Can reduce information asymmetry between buyers, sellers and intermediaries.

Tokenisation could bring benefits to the different steps of the asset value chain and, as a result, the broader financial system (Figure 2).[18] For example, asset structuring and issuance could become more accessible to smaller entities owing to the lower transaction costs that come from improved standardisation and reducing or eliminating intermediaries. Similarly, the ability to execute transactions automatically through smart contracts has the potential to boost efficiency. The technical possibility of splitting larger assets into smaller ones through fractionalisation would be likely to enable smaller investors to access the market, increasing liquidity. Using DLT could reduce information asymmetry, as all transactions are transparently and immutably recorded on the ledger, leading to more efficient price discovery. Table 2 provides an overview of potential improvements at each step of the value chain.

Figure 2 How tokenisation can improve the asset value chain Source: Authors elaborations.

Note: The figure shows the steps in the life cycle of a traditional asset.

Exploring the steps in the life cycle of a standard asset can help identify the benefits most likely to materialise. Table 2 provides an overview of the improvements to an assets life cycle that tokenisation can be expected to bring. In addition, the impact at the different steps of the value chain depends on the current level of efficiency. For example, Aldasoro et al. (2023) highlight the fact that potential efficiency gains can be expected to be more limited where tokenisation is easiest and current markets are already highly efficient (e.g. bonds which already exist in digital form with mostly automated systems and streamlined processes). The most valuable  albeit more challenging  gains would stem from the tokenisation of less standardised assets or less harmonised regulatory frameworks, such as those governing syndicated loans or commercial real estate.

Table 2 Benefits of tokenisation along the value chain of a tokenised security Value chain stage Definition Potential benefit Asset structuring and issuance Design of the instruments terms and creation of a record of it. Short term: Asset preparation can be standardised through customisable tokenised asset templates. Intermediary fees can be reduced if the issuance is done directly on the DLT platform instead of requiring a bank to arrange the issuance and trading venue to organise the listing. Smart contracts could help programme regulatory compliance operations. Medium term: Bespoke instruments and fractionalisation can make more products available. Legal/advisory services fees may still be required for the structuring of the product and regulatory compliance. Long term: Central recording of positions of investors in registries would no longer be strictly needed from a technological perspective, but may still be necessary to comply with regulatory requirements. Trading Execution of (primary) transactions on a trading venue Short term: Smart contracts can embed reporting logic and automate regulatory compliance and know your customer and anti-money laundering investor checks. Whitelisted wallets also enable a rules-based, programmable compliance layer, replacing many of the traditional manual processes related to identity checks, onboarding and trade eligibility. In the case of primary issuance, the subscription and allocation of securities can be done using digital smart contracts. These efficiencies should bring lower issuance costs. Fractionalisation could broaden liquidity. Medium term: Most bonds are transacted over the counter, involving operations handled by custodians, brokers, reconcilers and settlement agents. DLT trading platforms can compress many of these roles, but the benefit will depend on whether all these services can sit on one platform or not (or if full interoperability can be ensured). Market-makers would still be needed to ensure liquidity. Long term: Centralised execution protocols would no longer be needed from a technical perspective, but may still be required by regulation. Trading on a platform for MiFID instruments would still require an authorised venue/operator to implement rule-based execution. Clearing Confirm and net obligations Short term: Margin calls could be managed more efficiently and in an automated manner given the real-time positions available on a DLT platform. Medium term: Clearing operations involving multilateral netting of outstanding contracts with the central counterparty (CCP) could be embedded in smart contracts over the medium term. In some markets  such as equity and bond cash markets  atomic settlement (the synchronous exchange of assets) could eliminate the need for CCPs to collect margins to cover exposures between trade execution and settlement, making clearing redundant and effectively reducing counterparty credit risk. The next subsection (Settlement) contains more details on atomic settlement and its implications, Long term: In the case of financial transactions that involve contractual obligations extending over a defined period of time, such as derivatives or repos, central clearing would continue to exist  determining initial margins at portfolio level for each participant is likely to remain an off-chain risk management procedure. Settlement Finalise exchange of securities and cash Medium term: DLT allows for atomic instant (T+0) settlement, but only if the cash leg and operations are pre-positioned, funding is ensured and custodian windows are aligned. This may be a great advantage for some operations, but less useful for others where the cost of having cash and securities fully available for instant settlement may be too high. A crucial pre-requisite for DLT to make a difference to settlement is the possibility to enable it to take place in central bank money, which should be provided in the EU through the Pontes and Appia solutions (Box 3). Long term: In a fully digital world with a unified shared ecosystem, finality, reconciliation and asset servicing could all be recorded on chain, thereby saving several intermediary steps and enabling full atomic settlement. However, such a market would require additional effort to pre-position assets and cash, with liquidity implications. Asset servicing and custody All life-cycle operations after issuance: income payments, corporate actions, voting, tax/withholding, etc. Custody refers to record keeping and account-management activities for investors. Short term: Records of securities, transaction and client information are managed on a DLT platform, while security safekeeping is still done by traditional central securities depositaries (CSDs). This can reduce discrepancies in data shared among custodians on a DLT platform. Medium term: Digital custody of securities on a DLT platform could be managed though wallets  in parallel with the existing account-based model using CSDs. Corporate events could be embedded in smart contracts. However, the contracts would need to be sufficiently sophisticated to capture the richness and complexity of certain assets traded on capital markets. Long term: Corporate actions may only need to take place at one step if the issuer and investor were to sit on the same DLT platform and intermediaries were no longer needed. Full transition to a wallet-based model, displacing the account-based model at a CSD, is unlikely to happen any time soon, as certain CSD functions are still needed owing to regulatory requirements. CSDs may shift towards a governance role, enforcing data standards or determining validation mechanism on DLTs.

The benefits of DLT may play out differently over time; some might be realised in the short term, whereas others will only come to fruition in the long term. An ecosystem that gradually transitions to DLT, supported by closer integration and regulatory adaptation, will progressively unlock efficiencies over time, with varying impacts across the asset value chain (Figure 3). For example, more standardisation of asset structuring via smart contracts will likely have benefits relatively early on. Benefits in trading will likely only materialise in full over a longer period, when more automation of trades  for example through whitelisted wallets, which could replace many of the traditional manual processes related to identity checks, onboarding and trade eligibility  are paired with increased liquidity on chain (see Section 2.2).

Figure 3 Examples of potential improvements across the value chain over time Notes: The benefits of tokenisation along the asset value chain are conditional on progress made with DLT integration and regulatory adaptation. Therefore, deterrents are elements which stem from the traditional securities transaction setting, which could only be removed over the medium or long term, and which may reduce the benefits. OTC = over the counter, CeBM = central bank money, KYC = know your customer, AML = anti-money laundering, eWpG = The German Electronic Securities Act (Gesetz uber elektronische Wertpapiere  eWpG) and MiFID = Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (2014/65/EU).

The extent to which tokenisation delivers benefits will depend on enabling factors; it may also introduce additional risks owing to increased complexities.[19] Potential enablers, such as the availability of central bank money on chain, integration and interoperability, liquid secondary markets for tokenised assets and an adapted regulatory framework (as discussed below), will make the benefits of tokenisation more likely to arise. Ultimately, the extent to which the expected benefits will be realised depends on integration in the ecosystem, enabling transactions to be automatically registered on the platform where the trading and post-trading will happen, or on a platform which would be interoperable with all the other service providers. At the same time, tokenisation also introduces complexities and risks into the financial system, particularly during the transition period, when on-chain and off-chain assets coexist. Risks and financial stability vulnerabilities may materialise in different forms owing to specific tokenisation features (see Box 5 for an overview and Box 2 regarding the specific case of tokenised deposits).[20]

2 Leveraging the potential of tokenisation for the savings and investments union: enablers and barriers to scale

This section explores potential enablers for tokenised markets to scale and deliver their expected benefits, and barriers that need to be overcome. These include: (i) the availability of central bank money on chain; (ii) integration/interoperability; (iii) the existence of secondary markets; and (iv) the regulatory framework (Figure 4).

Figure 4 Overview of enablers for tokenisation

2.1 The role of central bank money on chain

Tokenised central bank money is critical to the success of an integrated European market for digital assets. The innovative potential of tokenisation should be seized in a way that keeps central bank money as the risk-free anchor for settlement of a two-tiered monetary system where multiple public and private settlement assets, for example tokenised deposits (Box 2), coexist. At-par convertibility in transactions can only be ensured if central bank money is also made available on chain, as it functions as the ultimate unit of account (Garratt and Shin, 2023).

The results of the Eurosystems exploratory work confirmed that there is increased demand in Europe for enabling settlement of DLT-based asset transactions in central bank money (Box 3).[21] Being essentially risk-free, elastic and scalable, central bank money can enable digital asset market expansion and connect siloed private asset networks.[22] In turn, this will allow tokenised markets to function in an integrated manner without the fragmentation and liquidity issues that stem from the fact that assets currently circulate within siloed networks, requiring users to hold the settlement asset native to the same DLT network to purchase tokens. Different DLTs inherently lack interoperability, requiring users to typically rely on off-ramps and bridges to acquire assets on a different network or move them across networks, which introduces costs and disruptions. With wholesale central bank money as a common settlement asset native to DLT, off-ramps can be eliminated, enabling more seamless and efficient transactions. Central bank money offers inherent scalability, capable of meeting the demands of tokenised markets efficiently.

While central bank money on chain is key to the development of tokenised capital markets, it will need to go hand in hand with private sector innovation. To leverage the benefits of DLT, multiple instruments, such as cash and assets, should be presented and accessible on chain to the different existing entities and actors in a similar way. Providing convertibility with central bank money on chain in the tokenised ecosystem will underpin trust in private settlement assets. Broader engagement by the private sector is needed to deliver the scale and depth of tokenised markets and to explore tokenisations potential for innovation. For example, cooperation between the financial sector and industry can give rise to innovative use cases, such as using DLT to link the delivery of a product to its payment, ensuring that suppliers are paid automatically upon the delivery of goods, improving cash flow for businesses and reducing uncertainty for customers.

Box 2

Key insights into different types of tokenised deposits Prepared by Alexandra Born and Anton Van der Kraaij A tokenised deposit is a digital representation of commercial bank money, mirroring a traditional deposit on DLT. The tokens are redeemable at par at the issuing bank and transacted on a programmable platform known as a distributed ledger. Conceptually, we can distinguish between two different forms of tokenised deposits  bearer and non-bearer versions.[23] Bearer tokenised deposits can be transferred to holders outside of the issuing bank and may therefore have a market price that deviates from par. Bearer tokenised deposits represent a transferrable claim on the issuing bank. A transaction transfers the banks liability from one holder to another, similar to the way in which certificates of deposit or bank issued commercial paper can be transferred from one holder to another, for example. The issuing banks liability and its balance sheet does not change if tokenised deposits are transferred from one holder to the next (Figure A). In such a case, only the holder of the claim changes. When the holder wants to redeem the tokenised deposit for cash or convert it into a non-tokenised deposit, the banks liability changes and the banks balance sheet therefore needs to be updated. As the tokenised deposits are transferable, they become financial assets and have a market price. This market price can deviate from par for various reasons, including the perceived creditworthiness of the issuer or differences in liquidity. Normally, these deviations are expected to be rather miniscule, given that banks are subject to strict prudential requirements and supervision. But even in a situation where there is full trust in the issuer, the market price of a bearer tokenised deposit may deviate from par. This is also exemplified by stablecoins, which are also bearer instruments redeemable at par. Their prices often show some small deviations from par, even though they purport to represent exactly USD 1 or 1. By contrast, non-bearer tokenised deposits cannot be transferred to holders outside the issuing bank, and therefore do not have a market price which can deviate from par. Instead, transactions are documented at individual bank level and are typically settled using central bank money. More specifically, a payment from a customer of one bank to a customer of another bank is made by reducing the balance of tokens of the sender of payment while increasing the receivers balance of tokens by the same amount (Figure B). In parallel, a transfer of (typically) central bank money is conducted, settling the transaction. Because non-bearer tokenised deposits cannot be transferred outside of the issuing bank, they do not have a market price and hence cannot deviate from par. Therefore, non-bearer tokenised deposits are similar to deposits in the current system, under which individuals or businesses are assured that payments received from any banks customers will be credited to their account at par value. Figure A Bearer model Figure B Non-bearer model Source: Illustration based on Garratt and Shin (2023).

Notes: S1 and S2 are two different bearer tokenised deposits or deposit tokens, where S1 is originally owned by Alice and S2 is originally owned by Bob. D1 and D2 refer to two non-bearer tokenised deposits, where D1 is originally owned by Alice and D2 is originally owned by Bob. In Figure B, the positions in the lower section are shown for illustrative purposes. While at the moment of transfer, Bank 1 sends Bank 2 a volume of reserves equal to the size of the deposit transferred, banks generally hold a fraction of their deposits as reserves at the central bank. Crucially, the non-bearer version preserves the singleness of money and is compatible with the current two-tiered monetary system, which benefits both effective monetary policy and financial stability. Non-bearer tokenised deposits are conceptually akin to the current operating framework for deposits, whereby payments always go through at par. However, moving non-bearer funds across banks requires a settlement platform and rules. Non-bearer tokenised deposits may therefore suffer from a coordination problem, as such settlement platforms and rules are not easy to establish.

2.2 Integration and interoperability

Developing a European digital asset ecosystem will support a single and fully integrated European market. Unlocking the benefits of tokenisation rests on ensuring the portability and usability of assets beyond the network on which they have been issued, so that the benefits can materialise along the full asset life cycle. Fostering the development of DLT networks based on European governance and using common standards would provide the infrastructure for a future innovative ecosystem. To ensure this rapidly evolving technology does not develop in silos, with limited interoperability between networks and a lack of market-wide utilities, as in the current traditional markets, policymakers must play a proactive role in fostering integration and interconnectedness from the start. This is central to the work being carried out by the Eurosystem project, Appia (Box 3).[24]For example, one focus point of Appia will be to analyse ways to interconnect DLT networks to enable seamless asset transfers, requiring standardised mechanisms, compatible tokenised assets, and aligned smart contract data formats across Europe. This would modernise financial market infrastructure, fostering competition, enhancing integration and driving innovation for European financial markets.[25] The new digital ecosystem would also require a harmonised regulatory framework to be developed from the outset to ensure access and compatibility across all participants (see section 2.4).[26]

Box 3

Fostering the development of a European digital asset ecosystem Prepared by Mirjam Plooij While the digitalisation of finance has been evolving for decades, distributed ledger technology (DLT) represents a paradigm shift that could expand the technological frontier significantly further. DLT introduces substantial efficiency gains by allowing transactions to be programmed and seamlessly executed across an assets entire life cycle on the same platform. Furthermore, DLT enables multiple parties to share a foundational infrastructure, fostering competition in services while overcoming the fragmentation of Europes current market infrastructures and lowering barriers to entry. By design, DLT infrastructures can accommodate diverse asset classes, further boosting market integration and efficiency. In 2025 the ECBs Governing Council approved a strategy to support the development of a safe, integrated digital asset ecosystem for wholesale markets.[27] The Eurosystems work programme comprises two key initiatives: Pontes: bridging the present and the future. Pontes will connect DLT-based market platforms with the Eurosystems TARGET Services, building on the results of the successful exploratory work on new technologies for wholesale central bank money settlement. With the Pontes initial launch scheduled for implementation in the third quarter of 2026, the initiative will enable the settlement of tokenised transactions in central bank money. The initial launch will provide market participants using DLT for wholesale transactions the safety and certainty they need, while fostering operational experience to inform future developments.

Appia: paving the way to an integrated digital financial ecosystem in Europe. Appia focuses on developing a blueprint for an integrated digital financial ecosystem by 2028, in collaboration with market participants, legislators and regulators. This initiative adopts a holistic approach, examining the architecture of settlement infrastructure alongside the assets and services supported by it. Based on preliminary analysis, the Eurosystem foresees that achieving its objectives will require the underlying infrastructure (the network layer, which may consist of one or multiple networks) to function as a shared utility: an open, neutral and transparent infrastructure accessible to all users and stakeholders. Such an arrangement would promote market synergies, mutualise infrastructure costs and lower barriers to entry by enabling new entrants to leverage a shared network without the need for independent infrastructure development. A key consideration is whether central bank money settlement should occur on a single shared network or across multiple interconnected networks. A single network may avoid fragmentation and improve efficiency across the value chain, but could lead to dependency and potential lock-in. Conversely, multiple networks might promote resilience, competition and innovation, although they would need to ensure sufficient connectivity to avoid market fragmentation. In this context, analytical and practical work will be carried out to investigate several architecture models to determine optimal design. In addition, mechanisms to ensure compatibility between assets and services  such as common standards and business rules  will be explored. Further details on Appia are outlined in the recently published roadmap for the project.[28]

2.3 The role of secondary markets for tokenisation

The potential of tokenisation to support capital markets hinges not only on the efficiency of the asset life cycle, but also on boosting secondary market liquidity. To leverage the benefits of DLT, it is crucial for secondary markets to develop deep and liquid trading, progressing to a more mature development stage. Liquid secondary markets are necessary to ensure price discovery, facilitate trading activity and develop a deep investor base that enables the potential benefits of tokenisation to fully materialise (Table 1). Creating the conditions for enabling liquidity include supporting market initiatives where liquidity providers and market-makers participate, fostering investor confidence, standardising practices and ensuring interoperability across DLT platforms. Without sufficient secondary market depth, tokenised assets risk remaining illiquid, limiting their utility.

Despite an increase in primary issuances on chain (Chart 1), the secondary market liquidity of DLT-based digital securities is still limited. Recent research indicates that while tokenisation already brings improvements in terms of efficiency and liquidity for tokenised bonds (Born et al., 2026a; Leung et al., 2023; and Bank for International Settlements, 2025), these benefits remain limited and could be significantly enhanced by scaling up these markets. Greater issuance  facilitated, for instance, by the extension of the DLT Pilot Regime and the integration of central bank money on chain  will drive scalability on both the issuer and investor sides.

Successfully advancing tokenisations adoption and scalability will require the active participation of various stakeholders, a process that is already under way. A successful transition to a new ecosystem will require the active engagement of market infrastructures, such as central securities depositories (CSDs) and central counterparties (CCPs), but also of custodians, issuers  including non-financial corporates - and investors. CSDs have been actively contributing, both globally and within the EU, to advancing the integration of tokenised assets into DLT. Similarly, some CCPs have been early adopters of DLT, and have experimented or partnered with CSDs and technology firms to explore innovative uses in their collateral management.[29] These initiatives represent a major step forward in integrating traditional financial market participants with DLT, thereby enabling the on-chain representation of highly relevant and widely traded securities. In addition, non-financial corporates  which can benefit from tokenisation through improved access to finance, a wider investor base and increased transparency  have already started to use DLT for their bond issuances, but a wider representation will be needed to create a sufficiently liquid market on chain.[30] Collaborations between the industry and banks have also emerged to investigate the potential use of tokenised deposits for corporates treasury and liquidity management, trade finance and payment processing.[31]

Transitioning to tokenised secondary markets will involve electronification and the co-existence of off-chain and on-chain trading, benefiting liquidity in DLT markets. Bonds and certain categories of derivatives are often traded over the counter (OTC), where trade execution typically occurs through traditional channels such as voice communication or electronic messaging platforms.[32] These markets would likely need to undergo substantial electronification to effectively integrate into the DLT ecosystem and fully leverage its efficiencies (GFMA, 2025). In the transition phase, two options would likely coexist: securities could be listed and traded in traditional venues, while their digital representation could be listed on a distributed ledger, in a framework similar to dual listings, where companies list fungible shares on multiple exchanges to boost liquidity and facilitate investor access.[33] In addition, market-makers will play a key role in preventing fragmentation, bridging traditional and DLT-based venues during the transition,[34] and supporting liquidity by providing quotes and spreads.[35]

The integration of repos and derivatives on chain could serve as a crucial complementary service to trading, significantly contributing to liquidity development. The interplay between secondary markets and related derivatives markets has long been studied by academics and researchers and would likely also apply to tokenised markets.[36] For example, a broader adoption of on-chain repos and an expanded pool of collateral assets would boost secondary market liquidity by facilitating the sourcing of funding and securities. In particular, intraday repo could serve as a significant advantage enabled by DLT, as it has the potential to alleviate funding liquidity challenges which may arise as a consequence of reduced settlement windows (see next section for more details). Intraday repo can enable faster on-chain provision of funding and securities, and could be particularly useful during the transition to shorter settlement cycles, as the EU prepares to move to T+1 in 2027.[37] It would all the more be important in a DLT network which enables instantaneous settlement. The extent to which these benefits could materialise would depend on the behaviour and strategies of market participants, and, particularly in the transition phase, on the interplay between coexisting liquidity pools on traditional and tokenised platforms.

Liquidity challenges in DLT ecosystems are also linked to settlement flexibility and pre-funding requirements. While atomic settlement enables instantaneous trading and eliminates settlement fails, its applicability may be limited across certain markets or asset classes owing to the need to prefund cash and securities prior to trading. Moreover, instant settlement could pose challenges for active participants, such as market-makers, by reducing netting opportunities and increasing transactional volumes, which may necessitate adjustments to treasury management and inventory strategies (OECD, 2025; Eurex, 2025; and Chiu and Koeppl, 2019). Additionally, pre-funding may also represent a significant opportunity cost, discouraging intermediaries from consistently providing liquidity (GMFA, 2025). To support liquidity in DLT-based ecosystems, a more adaptable settlement framework allowing participants to choose between instantaneous settlement or programmable settlement on a trade-by-trade basis could offer greater flexibility and efficiency (GMFA, 2025 and OECD, 2025). Specifically, programmable settlement could be introduced to settle transactions in multiple intraday windows, and may be advantageous in settings where instantaneous settlement would entail large liquidity needs.

The inclusion of DLT-based assets as eligible collateral has the potential to enhance market confidence and drive wider adoption. The Eurosystem collateral framework is a cornerstone of effective monetary policy implementation in the euro area, enabling funding liquidity to be provided to banks in a secure and transparent way. Integrating DLT-based securities into this framework could increase demand for eligible assets in both secondary and securities financing markets, thereby increasing asset liquidity. This could incentivise corporates to embrace tokenised securities, fostering market confidence and promoting broader adoption. This mechanism generally applies to traditional off-chain financial ecosystems (Pelizzon et al., 2024) and is likely to be even more significant for tokenised assets, given their novelty. Starting in March 2026, the Eurosystem will accept DLT-based collateral issued with CSDs in Eurosystem credit operations that are mobilised through Target2-Securities and the Eurosystem Collateral Management System.[38] The Eurosystem will further explore if, how and under what criteria assets issued using DLT and not represented in eligible securities settlement systems could become eligible and be mobilised as Eurosystem collateral in the future. This will take into account market, legal and regulatory developments.

2.4 A supportive, adapted and harmonised regulatory framework

The regulatory framework can play a role in enabling the adoption of tokenisation, fostering market integration and ensuring the system is resilient  all of which are key from an SIU perspective. There are three broad approaches to taking account of tokenisation in the regulatory framework (OECD, 2021): applying existing financial regulations to tokenised assets; introducing new bespoke regulatory frameworks; and modifying existing rules to accommodate the use of DLT in the financial markets. In the EU, a mix of approaches has been used so far, with a few Member States developing dedicated frameworks covering DLT activity in the markets (e.g. Germany, France and Luxembourg),[39] and the EU DLT Pilot Regime proposing a temporary regime under which the existing rules for tokenised assets are applied in a more flexible manner. These approaches are explored in this section.

Some national authorities have developed national frameworks to explicitly allow tokenisation (Lavayssiere, 2025). To promote innovation and align with the growing digitisation of financial instruments, several jurisdictions have taken the step of introducing legislation that explicitly recognises tokenised forms of financial assets. The French executive ordinance of 2017 is an example of a piece of legislation that allows the representation of unlisted company shares on DLT.[40] The German Electronic Securities Act of 2021 is another example of tailor-made regulation for tokenised assets. The law establishes a legal framework for the issuance of electronic securities, eliminating the requirement for physical certificates. It also enables the use of blockchain technology for registering securities, particularly electronic bonds, and introduces a central electronic securities register.[41]

The lack of clarity regarding the legal treatment of tokenised assets and remaining fragmentation stemming from national regulatory frameworks still creates challenges for the potential use of tokenisation, however. The EU has generally taken a technology-neutral approach to financial regulation. However, transferable securities traded on a trading venue must be recorded by a CSD. In such cases, certain definitions and requirements under the regulatory framework (the EU Regulation on Central Securities Depositories (CSDR))[42], and the Settlement Finality Directive[43] can pose challenges to the use of DLT. The lack of a common definition of a deposit (and as a corollary a tokenised deposit) could also pose challenges as a similar instrument could be recognised as a deposit by national authorities in one Member State but not another  preventing their use across borders.[44] In addition, instruments that clearly fall under the scope of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR)[45] - which is an EU Regulation directly applicable across the EU, might have greater regulatory clarity in the EU than commercial bank deposits using similar technologies. A harmonised definition of deposits in the EU is therefore essential to preventing regulatory fragmentation, maintaining a level playing field and ensuring coordinated responses to risks in the EU.

The EU has taken the step of introducing a pilot regime for DLT market infrastructure to facilitate the trading and settlement of tokenised financial instruments, while ensuring compliance with EU-wide standards. The DLT Pilot Regime provides a regulatory space for market participants to experiment with DLT-based infrastructures under temporary exemptions from certain EU financial regulations (Box 4). Beyond the derogations of the pilot, existing EU and national frameworks for securities transactions are largely technology-neutral, meaning that tokenised securities must meet the same requirements as traditional instruments across the full value chain. The Commissions market integration and supervision package[46] includes further proposals that aim to facilitate the use of DLT outside the pilot regime. Under these proposals, the proposed Settlement Finality Regulation would enable the designation of DLT-based systems, which could then also benefit from settlement finality protections. Additionally, the CSDR would be amended to better enable the use of DLT by CSDs, and to broaden options for settling the cash leg, referring to tokenised forms of central bank and commercial bank money and opening the possibility of using e-money tokens as a settlement asset.[47]

Box 4

Lessons from the DLT Pilot Regime Prepared by David Alvarez Vicente and Clement Rouveyrol Adopted in 2022, the DLT Pilot Regime (the pilot)[48] provides a framework for exploring solutions for the trading and settlement of tokenised financial instruments using distributed ledger technology (DLT). The pilot allows applicants to provide trading and settlement services using DLT under temporary licences[49], either separately  as with traditional infrastructures  or in combination, allowing simultaneous trade execution and settlement, an innovation enabled by DLT.[50] Activities are restricted to low amounts[51] and vanilla financial instruments (e.g. shares, bonds and fund units), limiting their systemic relevance and investor protection concerns, while still enabling live operations. The pilot relies on a set of exemptions that relax core elements of the relevant regulatory framework, notably the EU Regulation on Central Securities Depositories[52]. These exemptions are intended to accommodate the specific features of DLT-based models, such as ledger-based record keeping, by removing obstacles to the use of DLT (e.g. regarding the concept of book-entry form, outsourcing, direct access for a wider range of direct participants including private individuals, settlement finality and cash settlement). Experience with the implementation of the pilot and policy implications The process for granting licences under the pilot has revealed several policy issues of relevance for the future architecture of tokenised capital markets. While early experience suggests that tokenisation can streamline and accelerate trade and post trade processes, the pilot also highlights the fact that DLT does not eliminate friction by default. Cash settlement currently relies largely on commercial bank money represented within the infrastructures ledger, or on e-money tokens (EMTs), while interoperability across platforms is still limited. Additionally, the pilot has shed light on trade-offs between flexibility for innovation and operational and cyber-resilience expectations. For instance, DLT-specific considerations such as protocol governance and reliance on permissionless networks are not always fully captured by existing regulatory requirements. The pilot has also presented prospective operators of DLT market infrastructures with material challenges. These firms face a mismatch between the stringency of authorisation requirements  often comparable to those applied to market infrastructures with fully-fledged authorisations  and the limited scale, scope and temporary nature of activities permitted under the pilot. This weakens the economic rationale for participation in the pilot and may help explain the cautious uptake observed so far. The approach taken in the pilot, where regulatory proportionality only targets specific obstacles to the use of DLT, differs from the approach taken in other jurisdictions where proportionality is applied more broadly  one example being the Digital Securities Sandbox[53] in the United Kingdom. Applicants have also struggled to set up viable cash settlement solutions using (tokenised) commercial bank money and EMTs, and to manage the related credit and liquidity risks. This has highlighted the markets expectations for tokenised central bank money solutions like Pontes (Box 3), which would overcome this challenge. The European Commissions proposal to review the pilot Based on the experience gained so far, the Commission has proposed a review of the DLT Pilot Regime with a view to enhancing its flexibility, proportionality and scalability, as part of its wider market integration and supervision package.[54] Key changes would include expanding the scope of eligible financial instruments and increasing the market value cap for DLT financial instruments to 100 billion. A simplified regulatory regime would be introduced for smaller operators, capped at 10 billion, with more proportionate rules tailored to their activities. DLT market infrastructures would also be allowed to request additional exemptions not foreseen in the current pilot. The range of entities eligible to operate DLT market infrastructures would be broadened to include crypto-asset service providers. The proposals also include licences for novel setups, expanding the scope of activities carried out under the pilot. The Commission proposes introducing new licences for firms providing only DLT-based notary or central maintenance services, and the introduction of a new model for settlement that relies on providers of DLT account keepers with access to central bank money (i.e. settlement schemes). These new licences could allow financial institutions, notably banks, that are currently operating DLT platforms for securities under national law licences to move to an EU regulatory framework with full passporting. This would in turn allow them to handle financial instruments admitted to trading. To address the fragmentation concerns raised by a potential multiplication of participants involved in DLT-based trading and settlement, the proposal also foresees measures to promote interoperability between DLT market infrastructures. Overall, the changes proposed by the Commission aim to reduce compliance burdens, foster innovation while safeguarding market integrity and financial stability, and address barriers to financial market integration.

National silos in the existing trading and post-trading infrastructure, in addition to regulatory limitations, are currently a cause of fragmentation and may make a wider adoption of DLT challenging if non-interoperable solutions are implemented. The prevalence of different national practices with regard to the set-up of trading and post-trading functions have resulted in national silos, which makes integration more difficult.[55] This includes stock exchanges, CCPs and CSDs focusing solely on their domestic markets without interoperability or access by other infrastructures to the local market (Murphy, 2024). Achieving a simpler and more integrated post-trading infrastructure in a DLT world will depend on the commitment of Member States to developing a unified ecosystem at European level. This includes managing the risk that the current national silos develop standalone solutions that lead to a new fragmentation which, in addition to the multiplicity of unharmonised legal frameworks in Europe, would prevent interoperability across DLT-based infrastructure and would foster inefficiencies. At the same time, vertically integrated group structures may facilitate the introduction of DLT-based changes across all layers of the value chain, as exemplified by Eurex Clearings launch of a solution enabling the delivery of margin collateral utilising DLT infrastructure.[56]

As tokenisation does not eliminate the underlying fragmentation in national laws, more effort is needed to improve the regulatory framework for the Single Market in capital. A key source of fragmentation along national borders is differences and conflicts in the cross-border application of fundamental law (national corporate laws, securities laws for custody and asset servicing and tax-related processes). A coordinated approach to removing such barriers would be the best solution to ensure a level playing field and unlock the potential for scaling DLT across Europe. Further harmonisation of corporate and securities law would facilitate the cross-border issuance, holding and settlement of the securities that corporates issue across the EU and would also aid the development of tokenised markets in Europe.

Ultimately, the regulatory framework will play a crucial role in mitigating the potential negative effects of tokenisation and may need to be adapted to effectively serve this purpose. Although a comprehensive assessment of potential changes to the regulatory framework for a fully tokenised ecosystem falls outside the scope of this article, it is essential to consider these aspects as well as closely monitoring the evolution of markets to ensure that a supportive regulatory framework also safeguards overall resilience and addresses potential vulnerabilities arising from a tokenised financial system (Box 5).

Box 5

Potential financial stability implications of tokenisation The Financial Stability Board (2024) highlighted that key vulnerabilities arising from DLT-based tokenisation mirror those found in traditional finance, though specific features of tokenisation may amplify these vulnerabilities. The vulnerabilities also found in traditional finance include (i) liquidity and maturity mismatch; (ii) leverage; (iii) asset price and quality; (iv) interconnectedness; and (v) operational fragilities. They are driven by three factors: The first factor is the reference asset that has been tokenised and the choice of the tokenised settlement asset.[57] The second factor relates to the participants in DLT-based tokenisation, and the third factor relates to tokenisation using a new technology and how it interacts with existing systems. The impact of these factors on financial stability vulnerabilities will depend on how strong the use of tokenisation in financial markets will grow as well as on design choices, in relation to the different tokenisation features, and whether the regulatory and supervisory frameworks can address the vulnerabilities related to tokenisation. For example, if the settlement of tokenised assets involves private settlement assets vulnerabilities may be higher, as discussed in section 2.1. Tokenisation may lead to liquidity and maturity mismatches between tokens and their underlying assets, posing risks akin to those that exist in traditional financial systems. If the tokenised assets and the underlying reference asset differ in relation to their liquidity or settlement timelines, this could lead to liquidity mismatches.[58] Specific features of DLT allowing programmability and automation may lead to accelerated liquidity pressures.[59] For non-native tokenised assets, this could also have an impact on the underlying reference assets and potential runs on these markets. Rehypothecation of tokenised assets could increase leverage in the financial system. Certain features in DLT such as composability allows transactions involving the rehypothecation of tokens used as collateral. Without regulatory limits, this can facilitate leverage buildup, as investors might borrow tokens and use their claims to increase leverage. Because DLT could make it easier to create complex products with limited transparency on their interlinkages, investors may not be able to assess the quality and pricing of tokenised assets. Not all tokenised assets would be complex or lack transparency, but through composability DLT could lead to opaque combinations of smart contracts. This may lead to issuers introducing undisclosed or improperly priced risks for investors, as has been seen with originators of securitised assets. Assessments of asset prices and quality may also be hindered by the involvement of oracles, which may not be accurate or properly governed and regulated.[60] Large integrated platforms offering token issuance, trading, and custody services can create new interconnections and dependencies in the financial system. Previously unconnected financial institutions can be linked through these platforms, potentially causing spillover effects if a major platform fails. Reliance on a few third-party service providers poses concentration risks. Features like programmability and automatic executions may increase the possibility of events spreading across platforms and increasing systemic risk. In addition, programmability adds complexity by complicating the identification and assessment of financial system interconnections. Operational risks associated with tokenisation stem from vulnerabilities both related to how specific tokenisation projects are designed and those inherent in DLT infrastructure. For example, a lot of tokenisation projects rely on third-party intermediaries. In the case of permissionless DLTs, governance risks and the lack of an entity responsible for managing operational risks of the DLT may cause challenges and place a higher burden on risk management of the issuer or investor in tokenised assets. Operational risks may be compounded as the 24/7 operations of DLTs may place higher operational demands on the infrastructure. Smart contracts, integral to tokenisation, have evolving security practices, making them vulnerable to exploitation by malicious actors and prone to errors that are difficult to resolve.

3 Conclusion  a long-term vision for European capital markets and the savings and investments union

Tokenisation, enabled by DLT, is posited to improve the efficiency of capital markets, which could support the goals of the SIU. Unlike traditional finance, where the different steps of a transaction take place on siloed infrastructures, tokenisation could allow for an integrated system where tokenised assets, tokenised central bank money as the risk-free anchor, and private settlement assets such as tokenised deposits exist alongside each other. DLT networks could then host the entire life cycle of an asset on a single platform. In addition to improving and integrating existing processes, this could also enable innovation and new economic arrangements (Bank for International Settlements, 2023), ultimately improving the role of the EU financial markets in fostering productive investment, growth and integration in line with the objective of the SIU.

Tokenisation also has the potential to address the longstanding fragmentation of European capital markets and increase their scale. In a fully integrated financial market, the issuance, trading, clearing and settlement of a financial instrument should not be affected by the location of the instrument itself or of the counterparties involved in the transaction. However, Europes financial market remains fragmented, with complex practices and procedures divided by national borders and distribution channels. This fragmentation is particularly visible in the post-trading area.[61] Its manifestation can lead to home bias, despite the links that have been established between CSDs in EU Member States (Born et al., 2022). Tokenisation provides an opportunity to modernise and upgrade the existing financial infrastructure and to encourage broader integration across national financial systems. Beyond the improvements brought by technological innovations such as DLT and tokenisation, this will require the harmonisation of underlying regulatory frameworks and national practices (for example in securities laws and tax-related processes).

A new ecosystem could be designed in a more integrated and harmonised manner based on common rails  leading to a unified digital capital market.[62] To achieve this, it is key to prevent an uncoordinated proliferation of DLT networks, promote interconnectedness between them, and uphold the role of central bank money as the safest and most liquid settlement asset. The Eurosystem is playing a catalysing role in pursuit of these goals with Pontes and Appia. Ultimately, tokenisation can be an opportunity to enhance the European financial market infrastructure to create a deeper financing ecosystem that benefits investment as part of the EUs strategic objectives.[63] At the same time, key governance questions will need to be resolved in the near future, including by developing strategies to ensure interoperability with initiatives in countries outside the EU, with the aim of making the European markets more attractive and promoting the international role of the euro.[64]

The journey towards tokenised markets will require time, continuous evolution and strategic adaptation. Modernising infrastructure entails upfront costs, particularly when it comes to modernising legacy systems, and hybrid systems are likely to coexist for the medium term, limiting potential short-term gains. For instance, the contemporaneous presence of traditional and DLT-based systems implies managing parallel environments with different operational windows and potentially other specificities. In this regard, supporting interconnectedness  both between traditional and tokenised networks and across DLT networks  will be a key enabler of scaling. These costs are expected to decrease as the market scales and matures. Reaping the benefits of tokenisation will require careful management of the transition while fostering an environment that is conducive to long-term efficiency gains.

The key conditions for mobilising tokenisation for advancing the SIU agenda are developing an EU infrastructure, underpinned by EU-wide regulation and euro-denominated settlement assets. A European governance framework is key to avoiding dependence on foreign providers for critical infrastructure and fostering strategic autonomy. Common standards and a harmonised regulatory framework are necessary to avoid fragmented implementation across the Single Market. The EU has already made significant progress in this regard, with the adoption of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) and the DLT Pilot Regime, which lay the groundwork for harmonised rules in the digital finance space and support innovation in a resilient framework. Furthermore, the Eurosystem is advancing toward enabling the use of central bank money for settlement on DLT, ensuring that central bank money remains the risk-free settlement anchor for the financial sector and reducing risk, enabling scale, and avoiding fragmentation. This, together with the further development of euro-denominated private settlement assets would safeguard monetary sovereignty and ensure the resilience, integration and competitiveness of the European financial system in the digital era.

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Chefs, fishmongers, writers and content creators are making Irish seafood something to be excited about. From viral fish tacos to sell-out pop-up events to oyster shucking and beautiful plates of food, fish is officially sexy!

I chatted with four of Irelands leading fish-fluencers behind this wave of growing interest to find out why we should all start putting little fishes on dishes.

Kate Lawlor - Chef, K OConnell Fishmonger

@katelawlorchef

At K OConnell Fishmonger in the food emporium at Dunnes Stores on Pana, Kate Lawlor has created a stir with her cooked to order quick serve dishes.

The casual eatery is right beside the fresh fish counter. In real time, fish becomes Crab Samosa, Fish Taco, Chowder, Beer Battered Fish and Chips, all of which took off on social media.

Business has increased 80% over the year, which shows just how much the appetite for fish has changed, says Kate.

For Kate, the counter provides an opportunity to engage with customers, learning from them, and seeing how people in Cork all enjoy Irish seafood differently.

We have a melting pot of cultures in the city, and with that comes demand for different fish prepared differently. Middle Eastern, African and Indian cultures ask for whole fish prepared in a particular way. Fish for curries is cut on the bone like steak, so it cooks better. Whole fish is bought for frying, especially deep frying. Our Sri Lankan and Thai customers do that.

Kate Lawlor, head chef at K O'Connell fish restaurant downstairs in Dunnes Stores on St Patricks Street. Business has increased 80% over the year which shows just how much the appetite for fish has changed, says Kate. Picture: Larry Cummins

Its great for me because I get to ask them how theyre cooking the fish, says Kate. It means Im learning from them.

With fish getting more profile on TV, newspapers, books and online, people are becoming more curious and confident about choosing something different from the typical salmon or cod.

What we have is unique down there. Weve got live cooking on the go, the fresh fish, and Im open to giving my recipes away, showing people how to cook  which is half the battle. If they see a dish Im making, theyll come back and buy the fish next time to try the recipe at home.

At a time when cooking is often seen as too time-consuming, fish is the ultimate fast food. Asking your fishmonger to prepare it for you makes it even speedier.

Its a fast food, confirms Kate. Mussels take four minutes; thats a meal in no time at all. We do a pan-fried salmon dish thats ready in eight minutes. People dont realise how quick it can be done. Home kitchens are better these days too. Induction hobs and good extraction make cooking fish well at home easier.

Although there is evidence of changing attitudes to eating fish generally, does that mean more of us are cooking it at home or just when eating out?

Aishling Moore, Chef-Proprietor at Goldie, author and food columnist

@goldierestaurant

Aishling knew the future looked fishy  in a very good way. At the cusp of a movement all about sustainable seafood, her mission was to showcase the variety of fish and shellfish by working with small day boats fishing close to shore and taking whatever was landed.

This whole catch approach is challenging, layered with a low-waste approach called Gill to Fin. Making use of every fishy bit  bones, shells, skins, collars and cheeks - recognises the rarity of one of our last true sources of wild food.

Weve come so far with our food culture generally in Ireland, and thats allowed for a growing interest in seafood, says Aishling.

When we opened in 2019, we felt it was the right time for a restaurant like Goldie. But even so, my friends and family told me they wouldnt eat in the restaurant because they thought they didnt like fish!

Fast forward, and they all come to eat now in the citys most lauded restaurant.

Outside of her kitchen, Aishling writes about seafood with recipes that show there is nothing to fear when cooking fish at home.

Whether in the restaurant or at home, its important to make seafood accessible. What weve always done in Goldie is draw on the familiar and serve it with the unfamiliar. You might never have eaten Gurnard before, but maybe its served with a sauce you love, and it reminds you of a holiday or something nostalgic. Were always drawing on classic fish dishes, but it needed a drag into the 21st century. Thats how weve tried to do it.

When Im writing a recipe, people cooking the dish in real life are always in the back of my mind. Theyll be using it as their shopping list, so I want to make sure its right. With some recipes, I think about how achievable it is cooking for a family of five, whereas others are for special occasions. I think its important to have both in your repertoire, Aishling says.

I write recipes knowing fish is a wild product that might be there one minute but gone again the next. When its available and abundant, lets take advantage of that, and Ill show you what to do with it. But Ill always give options for all other species of fish that work with the dish. If youre going to make a nice sauce, pretty much any fish will go well with it  just trust your fishmonger.

Sebastian Skillings - Fishmonger, Chef and Content Creator

@the.hungry.fishmonger

Originally from London with experience of running a busy restaurant in Notting Hill, Sebastian moved to Dublin in early 2021. Needing a job, he got work at family-run Georges fishmongers, a few doors down from his home, learning the craft of fishmongery on the job.

I enjoyed working on the fish counter, but every shift Id get asked multiple times how do you cook that, for how long, what do with this, what sauce. Those questions led me to create the @the.hungry.fishmonger Instagram page.

Im not a trained chef, but I started taking fish home from work for dinner, doing a recipe and posting it online so I could point customers to a recipe for fish we had up on the counter.

Sebastians audience grew, leading him to publish his first cookbook in May, 2025. Now, he is busy creating content, working the fish counter at weekends, and cooking creative dishes at his fish supper clubs around Dublin.

Guests find the events through Sebastians social media, and, he says, are a different age profile from customers he meets at the counter.

Sebastian Skillings: Butchers had their moment with dry aging, leather aprons, red lights and cool shops. Fishmongers need to have their moment now. We need to make it sexy!

At supper clubs, everyones in their twenties, he says. Theyre young and willing to try anything, like deep-fried prawn heads or trout roe on chocolate tarts. If I said that over the counter, customers would look at me like I have ten heads, but with supper clubs, you can really push things and people will embrace it.

Back at the counter, Sebastian finds tastes are stuck, estimating 60% of fish sales are for farmed salmon.

Nothing has changed much that way, he says. Social media, restaurants, etc, the last couple of years have seen a real push on Irish seafood with some really cool things and creative dishes coming out. But if you switch to retail, its still a little bit stuck in the past.

Butchers had their moment with dry aging, leather aprons, red lights, and cool shops. Fishmongers need to have their moment now. We need to make it sexy!

From a sustainability point of view, Sebastian says communication is key to helping customers make better choices.

Consumers choosing to eat more varieties of fish creates sustainability on the counter, he says. If theres constant demand for hake on the counter, fishmongers feel they must always order it. But that might mean hake being flown in from South Africa or northern Europe. If youre constantly meeting demand for the same group of fish, thats not great for sustainability.

The other factor Sebastian advocates for is seasonality of Irish seafood, because, he says, people dont really know that seasonality exists in seafood. Thats something I wanted to put across in my book with chapters split into spring, summer, autumn, winter.

Seasons are changing a little bit with climate change, so its more of a guidance than an authority, but it was important to me to press home that there is seasonality in seafood.

Sarah Brown  Founder of Oysome and Oyster Expert

@heyoysome

Remember the saying about only eating oysters when theres an R in the month? The answer to this  and many more facts about oysters - is why Sarah began Oysome with oyster workshops delivered all around the country.

Originally from Listowel in Co. Kerry, Sarah grew up on a dairy farm and only tasted an oyster for the first time five years ago when she joined BIMs Taste the Atlantic programme and became fascinated with these shellfish.

The first time I visited an oyster farm, I was blown away by how humble the oyster farmers were, how willing and excited they were to share their knowledge, says Sarah.

The first time I visited an oyster farm, I was blown away by how humble the oyster farmers were, how willing and excited they were to share their knowledge, says Sarah. Picture: Anita Murphy

At the time, oysters were so misunderstood in Ireland. I wanted to raise the profile of our oyster farmers here at home because, internationally, they are so sought after. Irish oysters are the top selling oyster in restaurants in Hong Kong. Its like we need to export something to realise it has a value.

Coming from a rural farming community, Brown recognised an affinity with oyster farms. Many are in areas not easily accessible, and sometimes the only viable industry able to provide employment and income for those living near an oyster farm.

Irish oysters are particularly sought after because the growing conditions here are ideal here. Water temperatures are low year-round, which means oysters grow slowly, which concentrates their flavour. Salinity of Irish waters is stable, so how close or far away the oyster farm is to a fresh water source, the oyster will either be sweeter or saltier with a concentrated umami flavour, explains Sarah. You cant replicate that. Each oyster is a little pocket of flavour from the very specific place its from.

Ireland has 180 oyster farms around its coast, but only seven sell into the Irish market. The rest is exported, making Ireland the second largest exporter of oysters in the world.

Brown showcases the wonderfully diverse flavours of Irish oysters in workshops where participants learn how to shuck and taste oysters and learn all about these incredible shellfish.

The workshops are really impactful, says Sarah. I like to emphasise that theres no such thing as the best Irish oyster. Theyre all very good in their own way, so you can have such an interesting tasting experience.

Sarah will be running her Oysome workshops during the Waterford Festival of Food on Saturday, April 25, aboard the Klevia moored at Dungarvan Harbour.
The preferred route of the 1bn-plus Cork Luas light rail system is due to be published at 11am on Friday, a publication likely to be of great interest to people in Bishopstown and Ballincollig.

The draft route  the emerging preferred route (EPR)  was published last April, with the Luas running 18km from Ballincollig to Mahon Point, through the city centre.

The projected journey time from Ballincollig to Mahon Point will be 55 minutes, with services running every six minutes, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) expects more than 2,300 passengers per hour at peak times.

In the EPR, the western section starts with a loop around Ballincollig town centre, running from Carriganarra to take in the main street and the link road, before heading east through Clash, where a park-and-ride site is proposed, and on to MTUs Bishopstown campus.

The EPR had the Luas running along Melbourn Rd, east onto Curraheen Rd before passing CUH and then down Wilton Road, through Dennehys Cross and Victoria Cross and on into the city centre.

The preferred route  which supersedes the EPR  looks set to include a 2km extension west of Ballincollig, significant changes in Bishopstown, and what are understood to be minor adjustments at the eastern end.

Revised

According to information received by The Echo, the revised, preferred route will see the light rail turning left before it reaches the western boundary of CUH, heading north and then east behind the hospital, cutting through several housing estates and likely impacting Bishopstown GAA Club and Highfield RFC.

From the limited details available, the revised route will run parallel to the rear boundary of CUH, before rejoining the Wilton Rd at some point towards Dennehys Cross and heading toward Victoria Cross and on for the city.

TII has refused to provide information beyond saying the route will be unveiled on Friday, kicking off a fresh round of non-statutory public consultation.

Disappointed

Terry Coleman, Fianna Fail councillor for the south-west ward, said he was disappointed local people had learned of the route changes in the media rather than from TII.

However, I have been engaging directly with Bishopstown GAA and Highfield and other stakeholders since the story broke, and I am very happy to confirm that TII have now engaged directly with both clubs, and they have set up meetings with the clubs in advance of the official launch."

Sinn Fein councillor Joe Lynch said he was awaiting the publication of the revised proposals on Friday to examine the impact any changes might have.

From a Ballincollig point of view, I strongly believe that the use of Station Rd for Luas traffic is absolutely unacceptable and that an alternative route must be found, which I made clear in my submission to TII, he said.
I dont give a f*** about your charge, a man with 101 previous convictions told a member of An Garda Siochana who served him with a new theft count.

Mikalai Fitzmaurice, aged 30, of Graigue, Adare, Co Limerick, was appearing before Cork District Court.

Sergeant John Kelleher said the man was charged with carrying out a theft shortly before Christmas. He is accused of stealing a 170 Projek Raw jacket from TK Maxx on Cornmarket St, Cork city, on December 22, 2025.

Judge Mary Dorgan noted the evidence of the reply made by the man when charged.

He pleaded guilty to the offence. Sgt. Kelleher said the accused had 33 convictions for theft among his total number of previous offences.

The judge was told that the man had been clean of drugs for some time but returned to Cork, met an old friend, and ended up getting into difficulties.

Taking the previous convictions into consideration, Judge Dorgan imposed a four-month prison sentence on the defendant.
Cork will once again become a city of song this May bank holiday weekend, as Cork International Choral Festival returns for its 71st year.

The festival will welcome more than 5,000 performers from 13 countries, and Corks streets, libraries, and cultural spaces will come alive with a series of free pop-up performances that bring visiting choirs into everyday settings.

Outdoor and open-air performances will play a central role in this years programme, with the Marina Market and Elizabeth Fort among the venues to feature concerts.

A wide-ranging series of free lunchtime and afternoon concerts will also take place in venues such as St Fin Barres Cathedral, St Annes Shandon, Freemasons Hall, and Griffith College.

Beyond the city centre, the festival extends to Cobh and other locations across the county, reinforcing the festivals long-standing connection to communities throughout Cork.

With more than 60 venues hosting performances, the festival offers countless ways to experience music this May bank holiday, many of them completely free.

The Cork International Choral Festival returns from Wednesday, April 29, to Sunday, May 3.

Full programme details are available at www.corkchoral.ie.
A misunderstanding about the uniquely Irish phrase I will, yeah has led a Sudanese doctor working in Cork to call for more cultural supports for newly arrived migrant doctors.

Dr Mohemed Elbadri was advising a patient about quitting smoking when some confusion arose.

I had asked as a first question, Are you willing to quit smoking, and he said, I will, yeah, recalled Dr Elbadri.

I was happy, I thought he was determined to quit smoking so I didnt offer him anything (in support). When he came back three months later and I asked how was his journey with smoking cessation, he said, I told you I will never stop.'

The patient then explained the nuances of this phrase, I will, yeah.

Dr Elbadri acknowledged the humour in the situation, but pointed out it could have been more serious.

Now in his fourth year working at My Cork GP, he said the more serious challenges stemmed from how different the Irish health system is compared with Sudan or with his previous experience in Ukraine.

I would tell a patient that you are going to be referred and you will be seen soon, he said.

I didnt realise they might not be seen by secondary care for two or three years, and I should be supporting them for all of that duration (of time).

His visa allows him to bring his family with him. He travelled initially alone, arriving in March 2023.

I moved myself firstly, I thought I would settle in first but two weeks after I moved in, a devastating war started in my country, he said.

Instead of being separated for a few months, it was 18 months before he saw his family again.

Luckily I had support from Irish society, Irish people, the doctors here, the nurses, and the staff, which was a good thing, he said.

Speaking at the Irish Medical Organisations annual conference in Killarney, Dr Elbadri called on the IMO and other doctors groups, as well as the HSE, to better support newly arrived migrant doctors.

About 40% of HSE doctors trained abroad as did a growing number of GPs.
Employers across Cork are being encouraged to sign up for Job Shadow Day, an initiative that provides a oneday work experience opportunity for jobseekers with disabilities.

The programme is run by Horizons Ability@Work and provides participants with an opportunity to experience a real workplace environment, while at the same time helping employers better understand the skills and potential of people with disabilities.

Last year 70 people took part in the initiative, resulting in 12 paid job offers.

Ability@Work manager Marian Hennessy said the initiative raises awareness of the barriers that people with disabilities face trying to find employment.

You may not realise it, but the small decisions you make as a company can have such enormous, life changing, positive outcomes for a persons life chances and future prosperity.

Job Shadow Day is a wonderful opportunity to see the abilities and skills our young job seekers can offer.

Horizons chief executive Lorraine Egan said: "Employers comment on the positivity, joy and culture enhancement experienced, which in turn, supports team building and morale.

"We are so grateful to the businesses that take part in the initiative and I encourage employers across Cork to consider getting involved in 2026."

To get involved or to pledge your business as an inclusive employer, contact Ms Hennessy at hennessym@horizonscork.ie
April 13, 2026: Ukraine has developed the Delta digital battle management system. With Delta, Ukrainian soldiers can detect a target and pass that data to an attack drone operator, who then destroys the target. The Delta system software dramatically reduces the time between detection and attack. Delta does this by capturing video from surveillance drones to provide overall battlefield data with all Ukrainian troops using the system. Russian troop positions are detected and included in the battle map in real time. This made possible automated warfare in which enemy targets were assigned to specific Ukrainian units who then carried out the attacks. This has caused many Russian troops to spend most of their time hiding from the Delta system, because detection usually means death.

Using an AI/Artificial Intelligence system the Ukrainians can track over 10,000 Russian weapons systems, troop positions and drone operators each week. The map of these contacts is continually updated as the Russians move or are destroyed. At the same time Ukrainian commanders can also see the positions and movements of their own troops. This has dramatically reduced the incidents of friendly fire when Ukrainian soldiers are hit by Ukrainian drones or artillery fire.

Recently, Ukrainian drone operators joined in a NATO military exercise in Estonia. As the wargame proceeded, the NATO officers were shocked to see two of their battalions hit repeatedly and rendered ineffective. Ukrainians urged NATO to adopt Delta or develop something similar. After the demonstration, the NATO commanders were clamoring for more information and assistance in setting up their own Delta systems.

One of last years innovations in drone warfare was the Ukrainian use of AI for drone targeting systems. The AI drone contains a targeting system that finds targets. The AI drone operator confirms which targets are real and, once a target is confirmed, the AI targeting system needs no further communication with anyone. It is resistant to all forms of jamming.

Modern warfare has been radically changed by the introduction of First Person View/FPV drones. These drones are an omnipresent aerial threat to armored vehicles and infantry on foot. Each FPV drone costs less than a thousand dollars. Operators use the video camera on the drone to see what is below and find targets. Armed FPV operators are several kilometers away to decide when their FPV drones will drop explosives on an armored vehicle, which has thinner armor on top, or infantry in the open or in trenches. To do so, the drone operators often operate in pairs, with one flying behind the other and concentrating on the big picture while seeking a likely target. When such a target is found by the reconnaissance drone, the armed drone is directed to the target. The two FPV drone operators are usually in the same room or tent and can take control of new drones, which are lined up and brought outside for launch when needed. The reconnaissance drones are often unarmed so they can spend more time in the air to seek a target.

The Ukrainians developed the FPV drone in 2022, when only a few FPV drone attacks were recorded. The Ukrainian Army was the first to appreciate the potential of FPV drones. By the summer of 2023, the Russian Army also began to use FPV drones in greater numbers. Since then, the number of FPV drone attacks has grown exponentially on both sides. Only twelve percent of those attacks led to the destruction of the target, which could be a vehicle or group of infantry or even a sniper who was firing through a window from inside a building. In this case, the armed FPV drone would fly through the window and explode in the room the sniper was in. The only defense from this was having a nearby open door the sniper could run to or dive through as the FPV drone approached. Sometimes that isnt possible because the armed FPV drone is coming down from above the window and then in. You dont see those coming until its too late.

Five million drones were built last year. The total for 2024 was 1.5 million drones. There have been problems. Chinese component producers are having a hard time keeping up, and, last year, to assist the Russians, China halted sending drone components to Ukraine. Suppliers in Europe, the United States, and elsewhere were quickly found. Over 70 percent of Ukrainian drones are built entirely in Ukraine, and the rest from imported parts or whole assemblies. Some Ukrainian firms have improvised by using plywood and similar materials for their drones. For the FPV First Person View drones, cheaper is better if the drone can hit its first and only target. Most Ukrainian drones are FPV models, which are considered a form of ammunition.

Both sides now use the FPV drones, but there are substantial differences in how the FPV drones are put to work in combat. The Ukrainians seek out high-value targets like armored vehicles, electronic warfare equipment, anti-aircraft systems, and storage sites for munitions or other supplies. Russian trucks carrying supplies are another prime target.
Cork City Council has deferred nine people from the social housing list since 2020 for refusing an offer of housing.

The social housing assessment regulations provide for the removal of an applicant for consideration for another offer through the choice-based letting system for a period of 12 months following the refusal of an offer.

The legislation states that if a household refuses a reasonable offer of a dwelling from a housing authority, it will be barred for one year from making any further choice-based letting applications to any housing authority.

Data provided to The Echo on foot of a Freedom of Information request shows that deferrals from the list have become more common.

One person was deferred from the list in both 2020 and 2022, with no deferrals in 2021 or 2023. There were four deferrals in 2024 and three in 2025.

Higher

In 2024, Cork city saw 121 total refusals, higher than every other local authority, according to data provided in the Dail by housing minister James Browne.

He said: The refusal of offers can have an impact on administrative processes and ultimately, can prolong the period for tenanting properties. This can mean that properties can remain vacant which is not satisfactory.

Last year, 118 people refused an offer of housing, including two applicants who refused more than one offer, a spokesperson for Cork City Council told The Echo.

They said: As Cork City Council utilise a choice-based letting system for the allocation of most available properties, it is uncommon for an applicant to receive more than one offer of housing within a 12-month period.

The decision to defer an applicant following the refusal of an offer is made by the allocations officer who considers the household circumstances and the nature of the offer.

It may be determined that even though an offer was refused, a deferral may not be appropriate.
Fuel protests are expected to continue in several locations across Cork on Monday evening as more than 120 filling stations remain without petrol or diesel as of this afternoon.

A series of slow-moving convoys are scheduled to reconvene between 4pm and 7pm across the city and county as part of the ongoing national fuel protest.

Delays are expected in areas of the N20 roundabout in Mallow, the N22 roundabout in Macroom, Junction 18 and the Shanbally roundabout in Glanmire, Lakeview roundabout in Midleton, and the Kevin OLeary roundabout and Halfway roundabout via Brinny in Bandon.

It is also understood that a rolling protest is scheduled for Cork city centre at 6pm. Details of this protest are yet to be confirmed.

Protesters are also expected to be present on the N28 at Shannonpark Roundabout in Ringaskiddy.

Fuel Status Ireland reports that up to 126 filling stations across Cork are now without fuel, with only 35% holding stock at 4pm.

Stations that reportedly have full stock at this time include Texaco on the Carrigrohane Rd, Circle K Midleton, Circle K Express on the Monahan Rd, Inver Filling Station at the Macroom Junction, Top Oil Hennesseys Filling Station at Whites Cross, Texaco Bandon, and Circle K Douglas.

Morning protests

Fuel protests continued across Cork on Monday morning as protesters said the Government supports announced on Sunday evening bring no relief to those impacted.

The nationwide fuel protest has entered its seventh day, with several slow-moving convoys observed across the county in the areas of Carrigaline, Ringaskiddy, Ballincollig, Glanmire, Bandon, Midleton, Mallow, Youghal, and Macroom.

Todays protests come following the convention of an emergency Cabinet meeting on Sunday, which resulted in further reductions to mineral oil tax rates, seeing petrol and diesel reduced by 10c per litre and green diesel reduced by 2.4c per litre, the increase in carbon tax postponed until October, the announcement of an enhanced transport support scheme for haulage operators, local links and school transport providers, and the introduction of a fuel subsidy support scheme for farming and fisheries.

Speaking to The Echo, contractor Finbarr OMahony, who was among protesters at Shannonpark Roundabout in Ringaskiddy on Monday morning said there is no point in introducing these measures.

We had a hard week last week, everybody protesting all over the country had a hard week last week, standing out day and night, said Mr OMahony.

I dont know who's fighting for who anymore. Its worse its getting.

There isnt much point in giving the hauliers 10c, including Vat and giving us 2.4c, including Vat, because the price of diesel has gone up about 25c a litre since we started this protest last week.

A protester, who wished to remain anonymous, who was among those blockading the Irving Oil Refinery in Whitegate last week, said the newly announced supports are not next to near enough.

I dont think anybody is happy with the Governments announcement yesterday, the protester said.

I depend on trawlers for catching fish, they were offered the 2.4c per litre reduction, but thats not a drop in the ocean for whats needed.

I dont think its next to near enough  I dont think anybody is happy.

Other European countries have capped their fuel, so I dont see why we dont have something like that too.

I dont know if protests are going to continue, I dont know what its going to achieve.

While the blockade at the Whitegate refinery has since been stood down, the protester said that despite things becoming a bit heavy over the weekend, with gardai arresting and pepper-spraying protesters, members of the public continue to show their support.

Fuel protesters block the M7 motorway in Rathcoole near Dublin on Sunday.

Weve gone from such a high from protesting to such a lull now, he said.

It did get a bit heavy down there on Saturday afternoon, but we could do no more.

Whether its all going to kick off again, I have no idea  nobody wanted to be down there protesting but something had to be done.

We did see such a great show of humanity when we were down there, people could see that it was short-term pain for long-term gain.

'Exceptional event'

Last night, Garda commissioner Justin Kelly announced a 24-hour extension of the forces exceptional event status, meaning all gardai who were due to have rest days are expected to continue working until Tuesday night due to the ongoing protests.

The exceptional event is still in effect at this time, a garda spokesperson confirmed.

For operational reasons, we are unable to provide specific details regarding these matters.

The extension comes as gardai arrested five people at a protest on Grand Parade yesterday evening, including four males aged between their 30s and 50s, and one female in her 40s, under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994.

The protesters were taken to a Garda station in Cork City and were later released, having been charged to appear before Cork District Court in the coming weeks.
The manslaughter of a mother of two in a flat in Mallow in January last year was admitted on Monday by a 43-year-old man who wrote a letter of apology to the victims family.

Joseph Butler of the Belfry, Bridewell Lane, Mallow, pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of 31-year-old Paula Canty at the Belfry, Bridewell Lane, Mallow, County Cork, on January 3, 2025.

He was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork today and replied guilty when the manslaughter charge was read to him.

Mr Butler, who is originally from Midleton, County Cork, had been charged initially with the murder of Ms Canty. However, prosecution senior counsel Donal OSullivan said if the accused was arraigned on the manslaughter charge, his plea of guilty would be acceptable to the State.

Once that was done, Mr OSullivan said: In light of that plea my application would be to put it back to the June sessions for sentence.

Defence senior counsel, Ray Boland, said: My application is for a probation report. He is a 43-year-old man with a history of substance abuse.

"He is very remorseful about events of that night He has written a letter of apology to the family of Ms Canty which is in court to be forwarded to the State."

Joseph Butler was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork today and replied guilty when the manslaughter charge was read to him. Picture: Larry Cummins

Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford adjourned the case until June 3 but this will only be for the purpose of setting a date later that month for the sentencing hearing.

It is anticipated that the family of the late Ms Canty will have an opportunity to present their victim impact statement at the time of the hearing.

In initial reports of the investigation it was reported that the body of the late Ms Canty was found at a flat in Mallow with stab wounds.

Joseph Butlers next appearance in court will be by video link from prison when the matter will only be for mention to set the sentencing date.

Fr Robert Young told mourners at the requiem mass for the deceased in January 2025, in St John the Baptist Church in Kinsale, that that no parent should have to suffer the loss of a child.

To lose a son or daughter is a particular kind of grief. It is not the natural scheme of things that a son or daughter would die before their parent. It is certainly not the natural scheme of things that a parent would have to experience the [killing] of a son or daughter.

"It is heartbreaking to think about it and to see you carrying your pain. We want to acknowledge your grief, your sadness, your heartbreak. Fr Young went on describe the late Ms Canty, who was a native of Kinsale, as having a kind heart and good nature and being gentle, likeable, courteous and artistic.
Concerns have been raised that membership of the Cork City Futures group, established by the government earlier this month, is too centralised and Dublin-based to understand Cork.

The group, formerly described as the Cork city taskforce, will be chaired by former Secretary General Mr Brendan Tuohy and comprised of members representing academia, business, An Garda Siochana, the arts and culture sector, tourism, transport and the community and voluntary sector.

City council chief executive Valerie OSullivan said at Monday nights council meeting that membership will include a number of state agencies and the city council will be represented by assistant chief executive Brian Geaney.

Former Lord Mayor and Independent councillor Kieran McCarthy expressed concern about the group at Monday nights council meeting, saying that while he welcomed the potential for government investment in Cork Citys future, the strong government centralisation of this group, I have a huge issue with".

Read More Preferred Cork Luas route due to be published this week

I am very disappointed that local government members have no representative seat on the futures group. The Lord Mayor of the day should at least be a member of this group. As councillors, we legally make or pass the citys development plan, so to see this centralised plan is very frustrating. Labours John Maher said it was actually offensive not to allow elected members any place on the committee, and councillors agreed that the Lord Mayor should be on the group, to represent all elected members.

Fine Gaels Shane OCallaghan expressed concern that no funding had been committed yet to bring about the recommendations, but Fianna Fails Terry Shannon accused councillors of cribbing about the plans, saying that there will be funding provided by the government.

Ms OSullivan explained that the council have had no hand act or part in the membership of the group, and had already expressed interest in meeting and working with the taskforces chair.

She explained that the original idea was a repeat of the Dublin city taskforce, and the council worked with the Taoiseachs department to ensure that a new type of group was put together.

While she acknowledged comments about centralisation, she said: When was the last time the NTA, TII and Enterprise Ireland had to sit in a room and talk only about Cork city  this is our chance.
James Cox

Here, we have a look at the issues likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.

Support package

The only topic this week will be the fuel protests.

The cost of a litre of petrol or diesel will fall by 10 cent from midnight on Tuesday after the Cabinet agreed a 505 million support scheme.

The Carbon Tax increase planned for the May 1st has also been deferred until the budget in October.

Separate packages have been confirmed with the agriculture and haulage sectors - with hauliers to receive graduated payments for three months depending on the size of the business.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the measures will be paid for from the national surplus - but it may mean less can be done in the budget.

Criticism

This will be far from the end of the controversy for the Coalition.

Sinn Fein is due to table a motion of no confidence in the Dail, although it will be largely symbolic as it would need the support of government-supporting Independents, which is unlikely.

Independent Ireland said the measures "are too little too late".

Cork TD Ken O'Flynn said the Government has failed to listen, and failed to address the concerns of people across Ireland.

He said the discontent around the country is not solely about fuel prices but reflects broader concerns - with a growing sense that taxpayers money is not being used effectively.

The Labour Party said the Government has abandoned PAYE workers with the package of supports announced tonight.

The party's finance spokesperson Ged Nash said the chaos of the last few days has seen the Governments authority drain away.

The Green Party has reacted by calling on the Government to urgently clarify the impact of the delay in carbon tax increases.

Party leader Roderic OGorman said while they welcome the targeted measures to assist farmers, fishing and the haulage sector - the delay in the carbon tax increase announced today means there's going to be a gap between what the Government has promised to spend, and what it's expected to take in.

Abroad

President Donald Trump on Sunday said the US Navy would immediately start blockading the Strait of Hormuz and would also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.

Trump made his remarks in a Truth Social post hours after US - Iran peace talks ended without a deal. Trump said the meeting "went well, most points were agreed," but added the two sides had not agreed on Iran's nuclear programme.

Hungary's veteran nationalist leader Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday after a landslide election victory by the upstart opposition Tisza party, in a setback for his allies in Russia and US president Donald Trump's White House.

Results based on 46 per cent of votes counted showed the centre-right, pro-EU Tisza party of Peter Magyar winning 135 seats - or a crucial two-thirds majority - in the 199-member parliament, ahead of Orban's Fidesz party.
By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

Government leaders have hit out at fuel-cost protesters who staged blockades of critical infrastructure across the country, as it tripled the size of its package of supports.

The 505 million in additional measures comes on top of and extends some of last months 250 million package in response to fuel costs.

Excise cuts on fuel, a delay in a planned increase of a carbon tax, and payments to affected industries  in which most of the protesters worked  were all announced as part of the response to the fuel crisis that emerged as a result of the war in Iran.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the Government would undertake a fundamental security review after protests which nearly calamitously endangered oil supply in the country by blockading critical infrastructure, including Irelands only oil refinery.

He told reporters on Sunday that the measures will be paid for by the existing surplus, but added that every item of spending would have consequences on Budget 2027.

He said: That is of concern as we announce these packages, but it has to be balanced with the fact there is undoubted pressure on people.

Pressed on whether this would mean running a smaller surplus, Martin said it would depend on revenue and expenditure trends but conceded it would be larger without the announced measures.

Tanaiste Simon Harris, Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Minister of State Sean Canney speaking at the Government Press Centre (Cillian Sherlock/PA)

He added: But we are facing an unprecedented crisis globally. If this war continues, volatility continues, that is something of concern to us in terms of the broader range of public services and expenditure we have to provide for.

Simon Harris, the Tanaiste and Finance Minister, said the developments are why the Government runs an economy that gives us fiscal buffers and a surplus.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin (Brian Lawless/PA)

Martin denied that the bumper payments to the agricultural and transport sectors showed that the protest worked.

The Taoiseach said the Government had worked with representative bodies, describing the blockaders as not working in the best interests of the Irish people.

Harris said what worked is the engagement with representative bodies.

On the protesters, he said there were extraordinarily frightening scenes when one spokesman suggested that wardens would access the medical needs of people attempting to pass blockades.

Martin said the whole world had been coping with a dramatic and unexpected increase in oil prices  as well as oil shortages  as a result of the war in the Middle East.

He added that recent developments  which have included US president Donald Trump calling for a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and a breakdown of a ceasefire  were very volatile and not reassuring.

The Government defended its choice to exclude protesters from talks with established representative organisations.

Vehicles take part on the fourth day of a National Fuel Protest against rising fuel prices on OConnell Street (Liam McBurney/PA)

The protesters began action on Tuesday and the last blockades were not cleared until Sunday.

Martin said Government would review the latitude given to protesters in the early stages in terms of the overall security situation of the State.

The Taoiseach said nobody had a right to blockade the country, prevent the normal operation of emergency services, delay people going for cancer treatment, or to threaten the jobs and livelihoods of others.

He said the targeting of ports and depots represented a direct threat to basic supplies and would have impacted on every business and job in the country if not addressed.

Protesters take part in a blockade at the docks in Galway (Claudia Savage/PA)

He said: No-one should deny the fundamental right of freedom of mobility, of people, goods or services.

He added: The right to protest is important and critical, but it cannot operate with no limits and without any consideration of its impact on wider society and economy.

Harris agreed, stating that Government could not be expected to reasonably or rationally engage with self-appointed spokespeople of unelected bodies and those who would instigate an illegal blockade of some of this countrys most critical infrastructure at a time of a global energy crisis.

He said the recent protests had been extremely concerning and profoundly damaging.

Garda watch protesters on OConnell Street in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA)

Asked about the response to clearing blockades which saw the use of pepper spray and some physical confrontations with protesters, Martin said An Garda Siochana gave plenty of warning and added that there would be no toleration of any attempts to restrict freedom of movement of people and goods.

He said there was an illogicality of the protest as it had endangered jobs and businesses.

The Government is also seeking flexibility from the European Union on the measures as it has gone below rules on minimum rates for diesel.

Fuel protesters block the N7 in Rathcoole (Niall Carson/PA)

The reductions of excise duty will need approval of the Dail  which is also due to vote on a motion of no confidence in the Government that will be brought by the largest opposition party in the country Sinn Fein in criticism of the coalitions handling of the crisis.

Martin claimed that some TDs supporting a no-confidence vote were in agreement with the people blockading critical infrastructure and therefore not fit for Government.

Minister of State Sean Canney, who represents non-party TDs who supported Martins Fianna Fail and Harris Fine Gael in forming a coalition, said he could confirm that his fellow Government-aligned independents would express confidence in the vote.

He said: Were not in Government just for the fun of it. Were here to make a difference and to make sure that this Government, which is working well coherently, continues to do that.

Sinn Feins Pearse Doherty (Brian Lawless/PA)

Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said the measures fall far short, stating that it should have gone further on petrol and diesel cuts and scrapped excise on home heating oil.

He said: They only moved because of public pressure  and even then, they fell short.

The pressure must now intensify. We will bring forward our motion of no confidence in the government this week.

The Social Democrats said it would support the Sinn Fein motion, stating that the Government measures do not address wider cost of living challenges.

Deputy leader Cian OCallaghan said the Government failed to do anything to address skyrocketing costs of home heating oil which 700,000 households use.

It sought a targeted 400 energy credit and a mileage scheme for essential workers.

Labour finance spokesman Ged Nash said the Government was providing little comfort to workers while buying off what he described as narrow sectoral interests.

He said the Government had real explaining to do for 320,000 households in arrears on energy bills.

He added: The chaos of the last few days has seen this Governments authority drain away. The basic competence of individual ministers and this administration is now very much in question.

This is reason enough for Labour to support a planned motion of no confidence in this government.

Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said Government was in damage-limitation mode, describing the handling of protests as a fiasco factory.
Michael Bolton, Sarah Slater, and PA

Transport Infrastructure Ireland says motorways across the country are now clear

Go-slow fuel protest by trucks on the N4 main dual carriageway south of Sligo town

Public transport is back up and running as normal

Government to face no-confidence motion over fuel costs

Spokesperson for protestors said they have "achieved something small"

Garda Commissioner has directed that all rest days be cancelled until 7 pm tomorrow

MEP calls for the Government to introduce free public transport

8.30pm

Trafficwatch NI has advised road users in Northern Ireland to allow extra travel time for their journeys on Tuesday, ahead of planned fuel protests at various locations across the region.

It said public transport and school services are expected to operate as normal.

Multi-agency partners have met to discuss plans to minimise disruption as a series of planned fuel protests is due to take place tomorrow.

The situation will continue to be closely monitored ... The PSNI is leading the operational response and will be on hand to support the emergency services in responding to those with urgent medical needs should disruption occur, the service said on its website.

7.55pm

The driver of a tractor and slurry tank who was arrested at Whitegate, Co Cork, has been charged with a number of serious road traffic offences, gardai have said.

The Whitegate oil refinery was the site of a blockade during fuel protests over the last week, which was cleared by gardai on Saturday.

An Garda Siochana said a truck with a slurry tank approached a cordon checkpoint shortly after 2pm on Saturday.

They said the vehicle was directed to stop by Garda members, but continued on.

7.45pm

The European Commission is asking national governments for their views on an EU plan to give states extra leeway to temporarily subsidise some of the increased cost of fuel and fertiliser for industries most exposed to recent price increases, according to The Irish Times.

The draft proposal by the EUs executive arm has been described as an effort by Brussels officials to keep governments broadly on the same page in their responses to the energy crisis.

The commission is proposing to ease state-aid restrictions to let governments subsidise the electricity costs of energy-intensive industries.

The commission has asked national capitals to suggest further measures they think should be considered at EU-level to help navigate the crisis.

The EU package is expected to be published next Wednesday. The commission hopes to agree on the scope of the temporary relief by the end of this month, the paper said.

6:20pm

The National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) met on Monday to review and coordinate the remaining impacts of the disruption caused by the blockades on the transport network and critical infrastructure.

They said blockades at all Irish ports have now ended, and significant work is underway to process the accumulated cargo. It will take several days before the affected ports are fully back to normal operations.

Fuel supply

They said fuel is now moving well from the key sites formerly under blockade, but it will take several days for distribution to return to normal

The Government/Industry Group established on the restoration of fuel industry distribution/logistics met again to discuss any remaining challenges to fuel distribution.

Public transport

Public transport is now fully operational, with Dublin Bus services and Luas services running as normal.

The National Transport Authority has a dedicated web page for information on service disruptions. The public can also check here for general traffic alerts.

Emergency services

Arrangements are in place to ensure that principal response agencies such as the National Ambulance Service, the Fire Service and the Irish Coast Guard can access fuel as required.

Health services

The HSE is assuring patients that all services are continuing and operational. Unless patients hear from the HSE they can assume their appointment is going ahead.

People are encouraged to allow more travel time to get to appointments, and services will do their best to be flexible with appointment times but are under pressure.

The HSE is advising people who missed appointments due to the disruption to contact the relevant service that they had their appointment for, and they will be facilitated with getting another appointment quickly.

Education

Practical examinations for Leaving Certificate Music and Junior Cycle Home Economics scheduled for Tuesday, April 14th, and subsequent days will go ahead as planned.

Schools have been updated. Where local or individual issues arise because of disruptions, these will be managed at the local level, and the Department of Education and Youth would like to reassure any students impacted that they will have the opportunity to complete their practical examinations.

Agriculture

The agriculture, food, fisheries, and forestry sectors experienced significant difficulties during the blockades. However, it is expected that agri-food supply chains will return to operating normally in the coming days.

5pm

Minister for Transport Darragh OBrien has extended the easing of rules on driving hours and rest period requirements for road hauliers transporting liquid fuels "to support the full recovery of the national energy and food supply chain". It widens the derogation approved on April 11th.

4:45pm

Tipperary Independent TD Mattie McGrath believes the Government has clearly lost the confidence of the people.

McGrath said that across the country, families, workers, and communities feel  ignored, unheard, and left behind.

The people who stood in protest this week were ordinary hardworking citizens of this country who deserved respect and engagement," he said. "The Governments heavy-handed and dismissive handling of the fuel protests is just one clear example of how out of touch they have become with ordinary people struggling to make ends meet.

For that reason, I intend to vote no confidence in this government.

McGrath said that while he stood with the protestors in Cahir and Cashel last week, he became unwell and was admitted to hospital on Friday, and at present remains in hospital where he will undergo a procedure on Tuesday morning.

We have received no information on the time of the vote, which is expected tomorrow. I am still hoping to travel to Dublin to represent the people who have lost confidence in the government, but this will only be possible with the permission of my medical team, he added.

4:15pm

The number of fuel stations still without petrol or diesel stands at around 650 across the country, as the industry works to restore supply, reports Hugh Dooley.

Kevin McPartlan, the chief executive of Fuels For Ireland, told The Irish Times that the number of stations without fuel has reduced today, from 700 to 650, but that progress in restoring normal operations should hasten.

He said the fuel supply network is still operating at reduced efficiency on Monday: Today, we have been operating at only about 60 per cent of normal efficiency across nationwide distribution because of broad traffic issues and enhanced security protocols slowing drivers entry to fuel infrastructure sites.

A petrol station on the Crumlin Road, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos

Limitations on the number of hours drivers are permitted to conduct are understood to be clogging up the recovery efforts. Many of the drivers workable hours were used during delays, diversions, and long waiting times due to the fuel protests over the weekend.

A derogation on drivers hours is expected to be granted later in the afternoon, which would be exceptionally helpful in speeding up recovery, the industry group chief said.

Supply chain blockages, which hit the national fuel distribution network during the blockades of ports and fuel depots, are being ironed out now.

4pm

Danny OGorman, general manager at Freenow by Lyft, has called for additional financial supports for the taxi industry.

"While the Governments fuel support package and excise duty cuts are welcome, targeted support for the taxi industry is essential.

Rising fuel costs directly threaten driver livelihoods and deter prospective drivers. To provide sustainable support, the Government must increase funding for the eSPSV Grant Scheme. This supports drivers switching to EVs, reducing reliance on fuel.

It is disappointing that eSPSV Grant funding was slashed from 12.5 million to 7 million for 2026. With 37 per cent of drivers citing high vehicle costs as the primary barrier to going electric, further investment is vital."

3:15pm

Ireland South MEP Michael McNamara is calling for the Government to introduce free public transport across Ireland, following the IMFs warning that all roads lead to higher prices and slower growth worldwide should the conflict in the Middle East continue.

The Governments call on households to cut fuel use is meaningless unless it concentrates on encouraging the public to use alternatives,

Public transport needs to be made free for users for the next six months. This would cost up to 275 million, based on a 2023 report commissioned by the National Transport Authority (NTA) from Ernst and Young.

Fuel Cost protest by Hauliers and farmers forces Dublin buses to stack from Dawson St to OConnell Bridge, in Dublin. Photo: Sam Boal/ Collins

It must be acknowledged that this is a significant sum of money, but it is less than the amount the Government is expecting to spend on the upcoming six-month EU Presidency and is small compared to the billions of euros thrown around by the Government during the Covid era.

Making buses, trams and trains free is a relatively easy measure for the Government to implement and one that will make a difference to ordinary people, as it will result in a new focus on public transport alternatives, McNamara said.

2:30pm

The vote of no confidence to be tabled against the government is a big test for independents who are part of the coalition, a TD has said.

Sinn Fein, the country's largest opposition party, are tabling the motion of no confidence in the Government on Tuesday.

It criticises the government for not reconvening the Dail last week and not engaging directly with the protesters, while also calling on the government to take the maximum action necessary to cut fuel prices.

The Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, and Independent Ireland have said they would back the motion.

It is unclear how several independents who have supported the Fianna Fail-Fine Gael coalition government will vote.

People Before Profit TDs Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy said government-supporting independents will need to decide which side they are on.

2:18pm

Transport Infrastructure Ireland said that all motorways across the country are now clear of protests.

The Irish Examiner reports that several rolling protests slowed traffic during rush hour this morning, particularly around Dublin, all of these have cleared.

Protest activity caused significant disruption on key Cork routes on Friday morning, with traffic delays reported on the N28, particularly around the Shannon Park roundabout.

The junction is a critical access point for the Port of Cork and a number of major pharmaceutical companies, leading to knock-on delays for commuters and commercial traffic.

However, by 10am, protesters had lifted blockades around Cork city, allowing traffic to resume somewhat normally.

A strong garda presence remained in place at several key locations, including the Lakeview roundabout on the N25, as authorities continued to manage the situation.

Separately, the N25 was temporarily closed around lunchtime to allow the movement of seven oil tankers under garda escort.

The convoy was facilitating the transportation of fuel from the Whitegate refinery, as efforts continue to maintain supply chains amid ongoing disruption.

In Meath, the M3/N3 between Junction 11 Kells and Junction 9 Navan, going southbound has been reopened as well.

ROAD CLOSURE UPDATE! M3 : ROAD REOPENED M3/N3 between J11 - KELLS and J09 - NAVAN Direction Southbound Enjoy your journey.#TIITraffic @GardaTraffic pic.twitter.com/ULKrrHW4dT  TII Traffic (@TIITraffic) April 13, 2026

1:30pm

There is another go-slow fuel protest by trucks on the N4 main dual carriageway south of Sligo town, which started at 7.30am this morning.

Trucks held up traffic in both directions, causing traffic disruption at rush hour. Gardai are on scene and directing traffic along alternative routes.

1:25pm

The chief executive of business group Dublin Town said OConnell Street must never again be closed off in the same fashion.

Large-scale, future lengthy protests in the capital should take place at a designated site away from OConnell Street, Richard Guiney said.

Dublin Town represents over 2,500 businesses in the City centre and works to improve the city's commercial environment, promote it as a shopping and leisure destination, and runs initiatives to attract visitors.

Mr Guiney said while the organisation wholeheartedly accepts the right to peaceful protest, particularly in the capital city, what had transpired during the fuel protests on OConnell Street, its premier artery, had been utterly unacceptable

Dublin Town chief executive Richard Guiney said protests in Dublin City should take place at a designated site away from OConnell Street. Photo: Photocall Ireland.

While totally accepting the need and right to protest in the capital city, disrupting public transport and bringing its major thoroughfare to a halt for a protracted period of time is simply wrong.

Business was impacted, public transport was disrupted, and hospital appointments were missed. In other parts of the country, protesters minimised such disruption, but not in Dublin.

Recent changes to traffic routes ensured that the closure of OConnell Street effectively paralysed College Green, Henry Street, Middle Abbey Street and a huge area of Dublin.

Three quarters of its customer base uses public transport to access the City centre, and OConnell Street feeds people to all kinds of businesses and public facilities.

The protest led to a decline in footfall in the city centre during the Easter school holidays as well as disrupting medical schedules in nearby hospitals and severely discommoding many commuters, shoppers and tourists," he said.

1pm

The Garda Commissioner sent a message to all Garda personnel during the protests saying: "Since the start of the fuel protests, you have been working hard to deal with many challenging policing situations all across the country. You have done this with great professionalism and dedication, and I wish to thank you all sincerely for this. I completely understand the really difficult situations many of you have faced with.

"Thanks to your efforts we have broken the illegal blockades which were interfering with access to our critical national infrastructure. This has meant that our emergency services, hospital and fuel supply network were able to continue to operate.

"I also want to thank you for responding to our calls for additional personnel needed to deal with this situation. Again, I appreciate many of you made personal sacrifices to answer this call to duty. Your Representative Associations are to be complimented for the level of co-operation that they have provided during this unprecedented period.

"I am concerned to hear about attempts in person and online to threaten and intimidate Gardai who are engaged in their lawful work. I have viewed some of this online material myself and have been absolutely appalled by it. This will not be tolerated and will be fully investigated to bring those involved to justice."

Today, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly had this message for Garda personnel. pic.twitter.com/fskmylYCds  An Garda Siochana (@GardaTraffic) April 13, 2026

12:20pm

Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, acknowledged there was frustration out there and that people had been driven to protest due to a really significant shock to their energy bills.

As the Irish Examiner reports, Mr Heydon said that a narrative had formed on social media that the government dont understand and was not listening, but he said they were reacting in real-time to the war in the Middle East.

I would very much counter that, we are reacting in real-time, but as a government, we absolutely listen and have to respond when an awful lot of people protest  protests and blockades are two different things, he told RTE Radio.

I absolutely, fundamentally respect and will passionately fight for peoples right to protest and tell me they disagree with me, but when people block critical infrastructure, that is different.

Minister Heydon said that a narrative had formed on social media that the government dont understand and was not listening. Photo: PA Archive/PA Images

Mr Heydon said that, along with the 7.2c cut on excise on green diesel, he had secured a new 100 million subsidy scheme for high fuel users, which would see a further cut of 20c a litre.

Government has put 100 million behind us, the same way they put 140 million behind the package for the hauliers, at the same time as helping every citizen of the state who drives a car or who relies on the cost of white diesel, he said.

We now see further reductions, cumulatively now: 32c per litre is the reduction on diesel; 27c per litre is the reduction on petrol, as well as the clearing of the remaining excise on green diesel and the subsidy on top of that.

11:18am

A convoy of slow-moving vehicles is now moving into the Tallaght area and will soon be reaching the M50 interchange.

10.17am

A Facebook page where information about the protests had been shared posted information on Sunday night, both suggesting the protests should continue on Monday and that all protestors and gardai go home.

Although blockades at fuel depots and Irelands only oil refinery have been lifted, smaller protests continued on motorways around Dublin.

Social Protection Minister Dara Calleary said the protesters had not won as engagement had been ongoing with farming and transport representative groups on further support before the protests began on Tuesday.

He told Raidio na Gaeltachta that the two packages announced by the Irish government were among the largest in Europe, and that the measures would have an influence on the governments budget in October.

10.10am

There are a number of tailbacks in towns across Mayo this morning as the national fuel protests continue.

Traffic delays are being reported in Castlebar and Ballina with a large presence of trucks, tractors and commercial vehicles in both towns.

Traffic is at a standstill in Ballina town centre this morning as the protest continues.

10.08am

Sean ONeill of Transport Infrastructure Ireland has urged motorway protestors to keep hard shoulders clear for emergency vehicles and highlighted how the rolling protests across the Irish road network are fluid and evolving.

Speaking on RTE Radio before 9am, he said that on the M1 southbound, there is congestion between junction 12 and junction 9, so thats earlier at Drogheda, and thats a go slow, there are people protesting there.

And then on the M3 we have a full closure now, which wasnt fully closed earlier today, and that is between Kells junction 11 southbound and junction N9 in Navan is fully closed in both directions. He said there was a go-slow movement on the M7 leading onto the Long Mile Road this morning, but it was cleared, although not before it caused significant congestion.

He added that there was also a go-slow on the N28 Cork to Ringaskiddy, Anyone listening and people out on the network, we do ask that they keep the hard shoulder open. Its for emergency vehicles and emergency trips. Whatever your actions are on the motorway network, please keep those open, because its just unacceptable. People need those its for emergency needs.

9.40am

Volunteers of a soup kitchen say they were intimidated in Dublin at the weekends fuel protest.

The Muslim Sisters of Eire host a weekly soup run on O'Connell Street, to provide food and hot meals to people experiencing homelessness.

The charity says last week's run 'took a deeply upsetting turn' when they experienced verbal abuse from a group of people protesting outside the GPO.

Chairperson Lorraine OConnor says the situation turned hostile, and thanked the homeless community for stepping up to protect them.

9.08am

The chief executive of Fuels For Ireland Kevin McPartlan, has said fuel trucks are moving around the country following the lifting of blockades over the weekend but he warned that it could take 10 days before supplies return to normal levels and he called for secure access to supplies for his members following days of what he said ere intimidation and threats and insults to drivers.

He said drivers had been identified and intimidated by protesters, and family members had been contacted when theyre sitting waiting to load. Its really poor. Im not suggesting that everybody involved in protests is involved in that stuff but there are [some] still doing that.

He told Morning Ireland that the next key thing is to make sure that the road network across the country is unhindered so we can actually get fuel to the people who need it.

He said that in the long term what has happened over the last few days has kind of created a precedent that people could see these as targets for the future so I think theyre going to need to be conversations around the security of those sites and the way the State manages that that security.

8.25pm

A spokesman for the Dublin fuel protest has said that they achieved something small in 505 million worth of government measures, but said he has no control over further protests.

Blockades at fuel depots and Irelands only oil refinery have been lifted, but traffic disruption continued in parts of the country on Monday due to some protests.

Nobody knows what the plan is, thats being straight out there, said John Dallon, a Kildare farmer and agriculture contractor who was at the Dublin protest.

He said that he welcomed the reduction in green diesel, but the government should have done something on kerosene.

This protest is out of my hands, it escalated to somewhat so big, and I dont know where its going to end, but its the governments fault, he told Newstalk radio on Monday.

We achieved something small, but this is something way bigger now, and I have no control over it, and thats exactly where Im coming from.

Its gone to the stage that it seems like, looking out there, that the people of the island of Ireland have no confidence in this government anymore.

8.10am

The following Bus Eireann routes have been cancelled.

Route 101

09:00 Dublin to Drogheda - Cancelled

09:40 Dublin to Drogheda - Cancelled

Route 105

09:45 Navan Rd Stn to Drogheda - Cancelled

Route 109

08:15 Dublin to Dunshaughlin - Cancelled

10:25 Dunshaughlin to Dublin - Cancelled

Route 160

Delayed departures may be expected

Route 167

Delayed departures may be expected

Route 168

07:59 Annagassan to Dundalk - Cancelled

Route 354

09:30 The Clock Tower to Dunmore East - Cancelled

10:20 Dunmore East to The Clock Tower - Cancelled

Route NX

08:00 Navan to Dublin - Cancelled

08:40 Navan to Dublin - Cancelled

Route B1

7.53am

Slow-moving convoys and road blockages by fuel protestors are continuing this morning.

In Meath, there is a full road closure on the M3/N3 between Junction 11 Kells and Junction 9 Navan going southbound.

Significant delays are likely, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland is advising drivers to use a different route.

In Cavan, the N3 southbound is solid behind a convoy on the Kells side of Virginia.

In Kildare, the M9 northbound is busy at Jctn 3, Athy, where protestors have gathered.

In Louth, there are convoys on the M1 southbound before Jctn 14 Ardee and Jctn 12 Dunleer.

In Cork, the N28 Ringaskiddy Rd westbound is busy between Shanbally Cross and a protest near Rafeen bridge.

The opposition is slamming the decision to call off two practical exams on Monday

The State Examinations Commission is deferring Leaving Cert Music and Junior Cycle Home Economics' practical examinations.

Social Democrats Education spokesperson Jen Cummins says it's come to late to call off today's practical exams.

"My understanding is that they were nervous that not only students but examiners would not be able to make it to the schools.

"If they had those concerns over the weekend, they should have made that decision sooner. Why leave it to the last minute, where stidents are coming to school and only finding out in the last minute they have cancelled an exam.

The M9 is currently blocked off northbound at Junction 3 Athy, and traffic is being diverted off to the old N9 up to Kilcullen in Kildare.

There are long queues heading into Kilcullen as a result.

The N81 in Wicklow is operating with a slow go protest heading north from Hollywood in the Blessington direction, with a large amount of tractors involved.

The Garda Commissioner has extended the declaration of an 'exceptional event' until Tuesday.

Justin Kelly has directed that all rest days are cancelled until 7 pm on Tuesday and extended to 8 pm tonight.

'Exceptional Events' are declared when the Commissioner decides there is a security threat against the state.

It is understood Gardai were informed by their representative bodies last night of the extension.

Dublin Bus is back operating as normal on Monday morning.

The Luas Red and Green Line is also operating as normal.
Alison O'Riordan

A native Irish speaker who bludgeoned his grandfather to death outside his home in the Donegal Gaeltacht continues to suffer from a mental disorder and has been committed to the Central Mental Hospital for treatment.

A Central Criminal Court judge made the order on Monday afternoon, over two weeks after a jury returned the special verdict of not guilty of murder by reason of insanity following the trial of Derek Mulligan.

On March 27th at the Central Criminal Court, the jury accepted the evidence of two psychiatrists by a majority verdict that 39-year-old Derek Mulligan was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia when he killed his grandfather.

Lawyers for Mulligan had submitted in their closing address that a "just and humane society" seeks not to punish those who are unwell, but to treat them with specialist care, while the State told the jury that there was "convergence of psychiatric opinion" in the case.

Evidence had been given that Mulligan, who as a child suffered serious sexual abuse at the hands of school caretaker Michael Ferry, told professionals that the paedophile's release from prison had caused him to "spiral".

The trial heard that Ferry was sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was convicted of sexual offending against several boys, including the defendant.

Mulligan (39), with an address at Carrickcoyle, Derrybeg, Gweedore in Co Donegal had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of his grandfather Derek Burns (78) at Carrickcoyle on December 19th, 2023.

Consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Dearbha Duffy, who on Monday gave evidence to the court via audio-link, agreed with prosecutor Patricia McLaughlin that Mulligan had been put under her care on March 27th last.

Dr Duffy was tasked with preparing a report on the defendant pursuant to section 5(3) of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 as to whether Mulligan is suffering from a mental disorder and is in need of inpatient care at the Central Mental Hospital (CMH).

The expert witness said she had access to Mulligan's inpatient file at the CMH and had carried out a mental state examination on him on April 9th.

She said Mulligan told her he had no current delusional thinking but continued to report auditory hallucinations, which were not causing him distress.

Dr Duffy said Mulligan had demonstrated partial insight into his illness but that he continues to suffer from long-standing paranoid schizophrenia. She said the defendant had only partially responded to treatment and had not yet achieved illness remission.

The witness said she was satisfied Mulligan continues to suffer from a mental disorder and is in need of inpatient care and treatment at a designated centre, namely the CMH.

Justice Eileen Creedon said she had heard the doctor's evidence and that the court was satisfied with her opinion. The judge committed Mulligan to the CMH under the provisions of the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006 to continue his inpatient care and treatment.

Dr Ronan Mullaney, for the defence, had told the jury that Mulligan was suffering from the mental disorder of paranoid schizophrenia at the time. He said the defendant would have been unable to know the wrongfulness of his actions and was unable to refrain from committing the act.

Dr Stephen Monks, called by the prosecution, told the jury that the accused was suffering from the severe mental disorder paranoid schizophrenia when he killed his grandfather.

He said by reason of this mental disorder, the defendant did not know the nature and quality of what he was doing, did not know what he was doing was wrong and was unable to refrain from committing the act.

The jury of seven men and five women spent two hours and 22 minutes deliberating before bringing in majority verdicts on all five counts of not guilty by reason of insanity.

The trial had heard evidence that Mulligan has a history of substance abuse and at one point was smoking up to 50 worth of cannabis daily.

Mulligan was also found not guilty by reason of insanity that on December 17th, 2023, at Carrickcoyle, he did without lawful excuse damage property, to wit the windscreen of a Nissan Quashqui belonging to Catherine McDermott, intending to damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be damaged.

The defendant was further found not guilty by reason of insanity that on the same occasion he did without lawful excuse make threats to McDermott to kill or cause her serious harm, intending her to believe that these threats be carried out.

In addition, Mulligan was found not guilty by reason of insanity to two counts of assaulting Breege McFadden and Derek McFadden at Carrickmacafferty, Derrybeg in Co Donegal on the same date.
American Airlines is planning to restart flights to Venezuela beginning April 30.

However, this is still depending regulatory approval by both the United States and Venezuela.

American Airlines Plans Restarting Flights to Venezuela

According to a report by TravelPulse, should regulatory approval be given by both countries, American Airlines is planning to offer one daily nonstop flight between Miami and Caracas.

The airline will be using the regional Embraer E175 aircraft for the flight, per Travel Weekly.

The report notes that American Airlines first launched flights to Venezuela. However, operations were put to stop in 2019 when the US suspended all passenger flights to the country.

The US government cited the unrest in Venezuela as the reason behind the suspension.

"American's Miami hub is the preeminent U.S. gateway to Latin America, and our service to Venezuela is a key part of our history and our future," American Airlines' Chief Commercial Officer Nat Pieper said in a statement.

"Our commitment to connecting Venezuela with the U.S. spans more than 30 years, and we look forward to the new opportunities for commerce and strengthened ties with family and friends that our service will provide," Pieper added.

Related Article: American Airlines Joins Spirit Bankruptcy Case to Receive All Filings

Venezuela Now at Level 3

It can be recalled that the flight ban applicable to Venezuela was rescinded last month by the Department of Transportation.

The travel advisory for the country was also downgraded from Level 4 (Do Not Travel) to Level 3 (Reconsider Travel).

"American was the first airline to announce plans to restart service to Venezuela, and we are encouraged by the progress we've made with both governments," American's executive vice president of its American Eagle regional brand, corporate real estate and government affairs, Nate Gatten, said in a statement.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's house may have been the target of a second attack after San Francisco Police Department arrested two suspects for a reported shooting in the Russian Hill neighborhood. The SFPD said in a press release that police officers responded to a "suspicious occurrence of possible shots fired" at around 5:56 AM ET / 2:56 AM PT on Sunday, April 12.

SFPD's Special Investigation Division took over the case and have since detained both 25-year-old Amanda Tom and 23-year-old Muhamad Tarik Hussein, seizing three firearms in the process with the help of a warrant. The two suspects were charged with negligent discharge.

According to the initial police report, as reported by The San Francisco Standard, two people inside a Honda sedan stopped in front of Altman's property that spans from Chestnut Street to Lombard Street. The police report also noted that the passenger appeared to fire a round at the Lombard Street side of Altman's property. The property's security personnel reported hearing a gunshot and there was surveillance footage that recorded the incident, according to the report.

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This could be the second instance of violence targeting Altman and his residence in a matter of days. On Friday, a 20-year-old man allegedly hurled a Molotov cocktail at Altman's home, which caused a fire on one of the property's exterior gates, according to SFPD. The San Francisco Standard reported that there were no injuries in either incident. Daniel Moreno-Gama, the 20-year-old suspect from Texas, was charged on April 13 with murder and attempted arson. According to The New York Times, he wrote a document that discussed the purported risk AI poses to humanity. The document also reportedly included the names and addresses of other executives, investors and board members of AI companies.

Update, April 14, 2026, 2:06 AM ET: Updated with the latest information on the suspect who allegedly hurled a Molotov cocktail at Altmans home.
Many countries are pursuing social media bans for anyone under 16, but a recent poll is putting the effectiveness of such laws into question. The Molly Rose Foundation, a charity organization that focuses on preventing online harm, recently published a study that polled 1,050 Australian children between ages 12 and 15 in March. The study's results showed that 61 percent of those between 12 and 15 who previously had access to affected social media platforms still have one or more active accounts.

Australia made a first-in-the-world decision to ban social media for those under 16 years old, beginning on December 10. While it's only been a few months since the ban went into effect, the foundation's poll concluded that the ban doesn't have a "clear positive or negative impact on childrens wellbeing." The study also noted that 70 percent of children trying to get on restricted platforms said that it was easy to get around the ban.

"These results raise major questions about the effectiveness of Australias social media ban and show it would be a high stakes gamble for the UK to follow suit now," Andy Burrows, the CEO of the Molly Rose Foundation, said in a statement.

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The Australian government has also published its own findings in March that examined how social media platforms are complying with the ban. According to the government's report, Snap, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are currently being investigated for potential non-compliance. The report added that Australia's eSafety agency is finalizing these investigations and will make a decision about enforcement by the middle of 2026. According to the eSafety report, the agency's enforcement powers include issuing infringement notices, seeking court-ordered injunctions and "civil penalties up to A$49.5 million," or around $35 million USD.
by Tim Sommers

When is it acceptable to break the law to protest an injustice? Thats an easy one. Anytime the injustice is sufficiently unjust. But thats not the whole story. Among the rights everyone should be afforded in a reasonably just liberal democracy, I believe, is the right to break the law sometimes in certain ways. Many have defended, in particular, one kind of civil resistance that involves lawbreaking, namely, civil disobedience.*

John Rawls, in A Theory of Justice, defines civil disobedience as a politically (or socially) motivated, public, non-violent and conscientious breach of law (or order) undertaken with the aim of bringing about a change in laws or policies against a general background of fidelity to law by actors willing to accept the consequences of their actions. He argued that civil disobedience is justifiable even in a reasonably just society.

Some have objected to Rawls focus on an idealized account of what civil disobedience would be like in a society presumably more just than ours. They worry that this distorts, rather than clarifies, the role of civil disobedience in actual, existing societies.

Others have argued that Rawls account has too little to do with the paradigm cases of civil disobedience. For example, Gandhi and King did not operate against the backdrop of legitimate, reasonably just societies  unless you consider Colonial India or the Jim Crow South reasonably just.

Philosophers have also objected to various features of the view wondering whether justifiable political actions must be public or whether the actors must always accept the consequences or even whether political action must be non-violent.

I believe that Rawls had good reasons for offering an account idealized in these ways.

Rawls theory of civil disobedience is not a general theory of justifiable political action. His focus on civil disobedience is motivated simply by the need to take one thing at a time and an awareness of the special place in our thinking about justice and our public life that civil disobedience holds. Ideally, civil disobedience as conscientious political action for social or political change models the change it seeks by being public, non-violent, and appealing to the sense of justice of others. Appealing especially to those who disagree with a particular act or campaign. And it is done with a willingness to accept consequences in a way that reinforces the rule of law even in its breach. It is part of the change it seeks. In fact, again, I think that in a liberal democracy there is a right to civil disobedience, rather than it being sometimes justifiable.

One problem with focusing on justifiability is that it can get mired in the issue of whether or not there is a generalized obligation to obey the law. Surprisingly, most philosophers are Philosophical Anarchists. They say that you have no obligation to obey the law over and above your moral or pragmatic reasons for doing so. I assume, nonetheless, that at least sometimes, especially in a reasonably just society, it is wrong to break the law.

Another way justifiability can lead us astray is that, behind every act of civil disobedience there is a claim of injustice or wrong. A focus on justifiability leads to a focus on these claims. However, I dont want to know if political action is ever justified by injustice, of course it is. I want to know if, even in a reasonably just society, there is at least this form of political action, civil disobedience, that is justified even when the claim that the actor has been wronged is mistaken.

As Joseph Raz puts the point, the question of whether or not civil disobedience is a right is whether actors are entitled civilly to disobey even though [or when] one should not do so.

Like free speech  indeed, it is free speech  the test case is always what to do with what it is that you disagree. Of course, you dont want to suppress your own side in an argument. But what about the other side? Even John Stuart Mill in his seminal On Liberty failed to extend free speech to youth, barbarians, and Catholics (under the sway of a foreign sovereign).

Admittedly, there is something paradoxical about suggesting that there even could be a legal right to break the law. Since the law has been broken and, by hypothesis, civil disobedients are willing to accept the consequences of such an act and since we are assuming it is wrong to break the law  what can it even mean to say there is such a right?

I assume that civil disobedients face and accept legal consequences for their actions, but that we would recognize such a right by treating them differently than ordinary law breakers. This might mean leniency in treatment, sentencing, or even, in some cases, simply not subjecting them to the full legal consequences their actions. I leave aside the practical side of this question.

As for the conceptual side, again, rights, by definition, can be used wrongly. That may put the point too strongly. But there is nothing logically wrong with the claim that a reasonably just society includes a right (potentially enshrined in law in some way) to disobey the laws of that society. A reasonably just society, arguably, would have a special place for civil disobedience.

Civil disobedience proceeds out of a desire to communicate an injustice, to appeal to the better angels of our nature, even at some risk to yourself and without rejecting the whole of the social order tout court. It invokes a lawful social order, even where it does not yet exist, an order based on a shared commitment to justice while recommending fidelity to law even in the breach of it.

Civil disobedience also and enacts the liberal political order by demonstrating that it is strong enough to tolerate, within limits, even dissent that breaks with the liberal order and/or the law on some particular point. Just as Rawls argues that a liberal political state must tolerate a certain level of intolerance by its illiberal members, so too must tolerate its own excesses. It is consistent with the proper understanding of liberalism that there is, paradoxically, a (limited) right to break the law even in the best  but, most importantly, in the worst of times. Civil disobedience is not our problem, Howard Zinn argued, Our problem is civil obedience.

_____________________________________

*See also noncooperation, conscientious resistance, conscientious objection, direct action, symbolic protest, mass noncompliance, etc.

I didnt use any examples of civil disobedience above. The left/right valence tends to sidetrack discussion onto matters of fact rather than principle. Here are some examples to mix in as needed. These are all 21st century and they are in roughly chronological order. Add your own in the comments. Or feel free to dispute one or more.

Anti-War Protests, Iraq War (2003) Massive global demonstrations included acts of deliberate civil disobedience  sit-ins, blockades of military facilities  opposed by people across the political spectrum, from the left to libertarians and traditional conservatives.

Whistleblowing (Snowden, Manning, 20102013) Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning broke laws to expose government surveillance and military conduct  celebrated by civil libertarians on both left and right, condemned by others on both sides as well.

Occupy Wall Street (2011) Protesters occupied Zuccotti Park in New York City and dozens of cities worldwide to protest economic inequality and corporate influence in politics. Thousands were arrested for refusing to leave public spaces.

Kim Davis / Marriage License Refusals (2015) Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses following the Obergefell ruling, citing religious conscience. She was jailed briefly for contempt of court

Standing Rock Pipeline Protests (20162017) Indigenous-led demonstrators blocked construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline on sacred lands. Hundreds were arrested for trespassing and unlawful assembly.

Extinction Rebellion (2018present) Climate activists blockaded roads, bridges, and government buildings across Europe and North America, deliberately inviting arrest to pressure governments on climate policy.

Black Lives Matter Street Actions (2020) Following George Floyds death, protesters defied curfews in dozens of cities. Some activists also engaged in deliberate acts of non-compliance with dispersal orders as a form of protest against policing.

Anti-Lockdown Protests (20202021) Business owners in multiple U.S. states openly defied COVID-19 closure orders, continuing to operate gyms, restaurants, and salons in deliberate violation of government mandates  several were fined or arrested.

Trucker Convoy / Freedom Convoy, Canada (2022) Truckers and supporters blockaded the Ambassador Bridge (a key U.S.-Canada trade route) and occupied Ottawas downtown for weeks to protest vaccine mandates. The Canadian government invoked the Emergencies Act in response.

Sanctuary for the Unborn Ordinances (2019present) Several small Texas cities passed local ordinances banning abortion in defiance of then-federal Roe v. Wade precedent, a deliberate act of nullification by local governments.

ICE Watch/Defend the 612 (2026) Grassroots activists utilized rapid response teams to record agents, create noise disruptions, and provide accompaniment to protests, particularly following the death of activist Renee Good.
Jeffrey Epstein has been placed back into the limelight with the discovery of new documents that say that he employed surveillance devices that were kept secret in everyday objects and even talked about employing foreign help in his emails for his kompromat scandal.

As per the report in Radar Online, Jeffrey Epstein reportedly had secret cameras put in common household items like Kleenex boxes in several properties.

Email excerpts in the documents show that one message mentioned covert installation techniques and potential outside help. A contact allegedly wrote, "Remember what we spoke about if you want to put cameras in the house. It will have to be very discreetly done. The Russians may come in handy."

A source familiar with the documents described the alleged surveillance setup in broader terms, suggesting it went beyond casual monitoring. In a commentary cited in the report, the source said, "The use of something as mundane as a Kleenex box to conceal surveillance equipment points to a level of planning that goes beyond casual monitoring. It suggests a deliberate attempt to gather information discreetly, in a way that would never raise suspicion among guests or staff moving through these properties."

The same source also addressed references to foreign involvement in the communications. In further remarks, the source said, "Mention of the Russians shows Epstein clearly had plans to make key figures his puppets in the global honeytrap spy ring he was clearly running."

Read more: 5 Most Shocking Allegations in Epstein Files

The documents also allege Epstein maintained a broader system for storing and moving electronic material through a network of storage units across the United States. Reports indicate that Epstein used multiple leased facilities over many years to store computers, photographs, and other equipment.

An unnamed insider raised concerns about the scale of the alleged operation. "What's particularly striking is the extent to which there appears to have been a coordinated effort to get material out of reach before investigators could lay their hands on it. This wasn't just about moving a few items  there are clear indications that data was being systematically duplicated and relocated as a precaution."

Further details in the documents suggest that electronic data may have been copied and distributed across multiple locations. In another statement cited in the report, a source said, "The references to hard drives being cloned suggest a deliberate strategy to create backups in multiple locations, which would mean that even if authorities seized one set of devices, identical copies could still exist elsewhere, and that kind of approach points to a level of foresight and control over the material."

Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, has long been the subject of conspiracy theories and allegations involving powerful associates. The newly surfaced claims add to ongoing public interest in the scope of his private operations and the extent of his surveillance activities.

The report also references communications involving private investigators and the removal of electronic equipment prior to official searches, though the authenticity and full context of the documents have not been independently verified.

Meanwhile, NPR reported that Melania Trump issued a rare public statement denying any close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. She said she never had knowledge of his abuse, was not involved in any wrongdoing, and first met him in 2000 at an event with Donald Trump.

She also rejected claims linking her to Epstein travel or his private island and said social media rumors and images about her are false.

Additionally, she urged Congress to hold public hearings so Epstein's victims can testify under oath.
There are fresh speculations concerning possible connections between Melania Trump and Jeffrey Epstein, following the public response of a person known for introducing Melania to Donald Trump, dismissing allegations regarding Melania's connections to the infamous financier.

This is Paolo Zampolli, a modeling agent who once introduced the First Lady to Donald Trump in 1998. The allegations concerning Melania's association with Jeffrey Epstein arise due to connections between the financier and several important people in their social circle. Zampolli has confirmed his professional connection to Epstein in the past while denying that they were close friends.

According to The Daily Beast, Zampolli described his connection to Epstein as limited and business-related, stemming from the latter's ties to the fashion industry. In comments addressing that association, he explained his position.

In remarks given during an interview, Zampolli said, "For me, Jeffrey Epstein was a financial partner of Victoria's Secret. I had to deal with him."

He further clarified the nature of their interactions, emphasizing the distance between the two. In additional comments, he said, "We never get along, thank God. But I had to have a very cordial relationship."

Zampolli also reiterated that he, not Epstein, introduced Melania to Donald Trump during a New York Fashion Week event. In recounting that moment, he described the introduction in simple terms. "I said: 'Melania meet Donald, Donald meet Melania,' and then I left the table because I had 300 guests."

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the renewed attention comes as Melania Trump recently denied any meaningful ties to Epstein, pushing back against speculation fueled by newly released documents. Zampolli echoed that stance, offering to testify publicly if necessary.

He made a statement indicating his intention to deal with the issue, saying, "Even without an attorney, I'm volunteering to go to Congress to testify about this, because we have seen enough nonsense."

The issue further escalated when the social media posts by Amanda Ungaro, Zampolli's ex-partner, came into light, implying that she was planning on disclosing something secret in this regard. Although there is no clarity regarding the authenticity and intentions behind these posts, the posts have generated further controversy.

Zampolli responded forcefully to those claims, sharply criticizing his ex-partner. In comments addressing the dispute, he said, "My ex is a criminal and a psychopath. She was arrested. She was illegal."

He continued by dismissing any suggestion that Ungaro had meaningful ties to Melania Trump. In further remarks, he said, "But for her to now try to get the fame and go after our marvelous first lady of the United States of America? I don't even think the first lady ever spoke to her in maybe 10 years, maximum 13 years. It's mind-boggling."

When asked whether the situation influenced Melania Trump's recent public denial, Zampolli rejected the idea outright. In his response, he said, "She is the first lady of the United States. Do you think she cares about my ex?"

The episode highlights the continuing fallout from Epstein-related disclosures, with new claims and denials surfacing as public figures respond to renewed scrutiny.
The video of JD Vance and his pregnant wife, Usha Vance, disembarking from Air Force Two has been widely shared on social media platforms, and there has been intense criticism directed at the Vice President over the allegation that he did not help his wife descend from the plane stairs.

In the video, Usha Vance can be seen slowly coming down the steps from the plane while clutching her protruding stomach, while her husband follows her close behind. The moment quickly drew commentary and speculation about the couple's body language and interaction.

A video of JD Vance and his wife getting off the plane is going viral as more people start to see it! pic.twitter.com/qw8OaDjOr6  Matt Wallace (@MattWallace888) April 9, 2026

As reported by Bored Panda, the video led to a flood of discussions on various social media sites, where people questioned whether the vice president needed to help physically.

In one widely shared reaction, a viewer criticized Vance's behavior toward his wife. "If your wife's pregnant, why wouldn't you hold her getting off the stairs? Such a gentleman! That's the vice president of America!" the user said.

Read more: JD Vance Responds to Online Buzz After Wife Usha Seen Without Wedding Ring

Another commenter echoed similar concerns about safety and etiquette during the descent. In response to the video, a social media user said, "In my world daddy should be going down, more to the front of her, in case she stumbled?" according to Newsner.

As the clip continued to circulate, some users shifted from criticism to speculation about Usha Vance's appearance during the walk down the stairs. The video sparked unfounded claims questioning whether she was pregnant.

One viewer made a conspiratorial claim about her appearance. "Look closely at her stomach as she walks. There's no way she's really pregnant. Those sharp angles are definitely not a pregnancy stomach!" the user wrote.

Others mocked the speculation while pointing to clothing as a possible explanation for the visual distortion. In a rebuttal to the theory, one commenter said, "It's a top and skirt ffs," dismissing the claims as misinterpretations of her outfit.

Some users offered alternative explanations for how clothing or support garments may have affected her appearance in the footage. In one response, a viewer said, "When I wore a maternity support belt it did weird things under my clothes," noting how maternity wear can alter silhouettes.

The couple's visit to Hungary was part of a diplomatic trip ahead of national elections, during which JD Vance met with Hungarian leadership. The Second Lady has also been involved in various public campaigns, such as those targeting literacy issues, as well as attending events at the White House.

Though there has been a significant public response to the viral video, JD Vance and his office have not responded. This video remains very popular, prompting many questions about public perception of politicians' private lives.

READ MORE: VP JD Vance's Creepy Comment About Pregnant Wife Usha Has Social Media Reeling
WOOSTER, Ohio  Nearly a third of Ohios 88 counties are short on veterinarians, according to Rustin Moore, dean of Ohio State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine.

Some of those counties have no vets, he said, leaving farmers to drive long distances, or wait for vets to drive long distances, when their animals are sick or need preventative care. Veterinarians sometimes cover multiple counties, Moore said.

In those cases, the veterinarian cant sustainably service all of those areas, he said.

Moore underscored the need for OSUs new Protect One Health in Ohio (Protect OHIO) plan at a town hall-style meeting held April 7 at the universitys Wooster campus. Using money provided by the state legislature, OSU plans to admit more veterinary students, offer more hands-on learning and encourage vet graduates from small towns to practice in their communities.

It was the first of several gatherings planned across the state in which college officials will outline the details of Protect OHIO and receive input from producers, veterinarians, extension educators, commodity groups and other rural community partners.

Future Protect OHIO Town Halls April 22, 6-8 p.m. Winebrenner Auditorium, University of Findlay, 950 N. Main St. , Findlay OH 45840 April 29, 6-8 p.m., Kelly Center  McCoy Room, Wilmington College, College St. , Wilmington OH 45177 May 5, 6-8 p.m., The Lodge at Hocking College, 15770 OH-691 , Nelsonville OH 45764 For more information, click here.

Attendees at the Wooster town hall were largely supportive, although some pointed out perceived shortcomings in the plan.

The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine will add more faculty to increase class sizes from 165 students to 200 students over the next three years.

We have to hire more people to do that, therefore we got more money from the state, Moore said. The increase is gradual because we dont want to overload the system, he said.

The curriculum will also include more trips off campus to work directly with animals and the school aims to include a greater share of Ohio natives in each class.

Even so, the expansion has limits, Moore acknowledged.

When a town hall attendee asked if the college would offer Spanish courses  many farm workers are native Spanish speakers  Moore said that the school doesnt currently have enough faculty to make that change.

Although the good news is we have bilingual students, he said.

Veterinary perspective

Brad Garrison, who runs a veterinary clinic in New Pittsburg and attended the April 7 meeting, said he has to serve multiple counties in north central and northeast Ohio.

We travel much further than we ever used to, he said. Most of my work used to be centered in Wayne County. Now we work in Wayne, Holmes, Knox, Stark, Lorain, Ashland and Richland counties.

If a farmer is outside of those areas, the practice asks that farmer to come to them, he said.

Some of the problems contributing to the vet shortage arent easily solved, Garrison said.

Veterinarians, for example, must be able to make a living, he said.

In the areas that are underserved, part of the issue is the livestock and number of farms in those areas is insufficient to support a practice, Garrison said. There has to be a volume of work to generate the income a vet needs.

Farm perspective

Because of the vet shortage, There are people who have a very hard time finding doctors, said Jeff Bielek, who raises sheep on a farm five miles south of Wooster and sells some of his animals to other farmers.

A shortage isnt the only problem, his wife and fellow farmer Kathy Bielek said. In many cases, vets arent sticking around long enough to develop a rapport with their clients.

The couple, who also attended the April 7 meeting, said theyve worked with the same veterinary practice for decades, and the main vet has stayed the same.

He knows me, he knows my flock, he knows how I practice, Kathy Bielek said. I work with him well over the phone.

But the people working under that vet who travel to the couples farm are constantly changing, they said.

The Bieleks said they would prefer to work with vets who know their animals, and turnover makes it hard to find one.

We dont want to have to say no, you need to look at the foot, Kathy Bielek said.

Young veterinarians seem reluctant to work in rural areas, and frequently leave jobs in small towns and sparsely populated counties, Garrison said.

Retention is the hardest nut to crack, he said.

Its a problem OSU officials say they are working on. Protect Ohio includes collaborations with agencies such as the Ohio Department of Agriculture and nonprofits like the Farm Journal Foundation to attract and retain more students from rural Ohio communities.

And the college is exploring ways to provide scholarships and other funding to students who pledge to work outside of large cities, said Alecia Naugle, chair of the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at Ohio State.

We are exploring a state and federal program available to veterinarians willing to work in underserved areas, she said. We in Ohio have been leaving that money on the table.

Related reading

Ohio invests $30 million to address large animal vet shortage
A Defra-commissioned review has laid bare deep-rooted challenges facing Englands upland farmers, warning that top-down policies are failing to deliver meaningful change.

The report, led by Dr Hilary Cottam, sets out a blueprint for reshaping how land is managed, how food is produced and how rural communities are supported across upland areas.

Drawing on visits to regions including Dartmoor, the Lake District and the Pennines, it highlights growing pressures on farmers and rural communities, from access to land and housing to declining infrastructure and strained local economies.

The findings suggest that current approaches are struggling to balance competing demands between farming, environmental policy, tourism and community life.

Farmers told the review they feel constrained by a system that is too centralised and difficult to navigate, with one describing official bodies as the judge, the jury and the paymaster.

There were repeated calls for greater local control, with another group saying they want to become system makers, not system takers.

The report also points to widening tensions between farming and environmental priorities, with relations in some areas described as a civil war.

Despite this, many participants said they believe food production and nature recovery can work together, provided policies are redesigned to better reflect conditions on the ground.

Barriers facing the next generation were a key concern, with new entrants struggling to access land and finance, while younger farmers face challenges around housing, knowledge and long-term security.

The review also highlights the erosion of rural infrastructure, warning that the loss of local abattoirs, vets and routes to market is undermining farm profitability and local food systems.

In one example, a farmer said they had opted out of a supermarket contract rather than send livestock long distances for slaughter, reflecting concerns over both welfare and cost.

Housing pressures were another major issue, with the report stating there can be no flourishing uplands without places to live and work, and pointing to the impact of second homes and planning constraints on rural communities.

Concerns were also raised about declining public services, including transport, healthcare, schools and digital connectivity, all of which are affecting the long-term viability of upland areas.

The review is critical of what it describes as industrialised environmentalism, warning that large-scale nature schemes and carbon-driven land use changes are already contributing to the loss of farm tenancies.

At the same time, it highlights examples of farmer-led innovation, often driven through trusted peer networks rather than formal support systems.

It argues that future policy should focus more on backing these local relationships and moving away from short-term, centrally driven schemes.

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds has signalled support for a different approach, saying the government aims to develop a place-based approach by co-designing solutions to specific problems.

She added: Thats the most important thing here, that communities lead change from the ground up.

Practical work is due to begin in Dartmoor from July 2026, with Cumbria set to join the programme in its second year as part of a seven-year collaboration between government and upland communities.

The project will test whether a new model can deliver for farming, rural economies and nature  and whether ministers can turn long-standing tensions in the uplands into workable solutions on the ground.
If youve ever played Monopoly, youd know that Central London is where everyone really wants to be. AMBIKA MUTTOO tells you how to do the tourist thing the right way in the poshest, but coolest part of town

see London. These are the bits that elicited sighs of envy if you managed buying them out when you played Monopoly. Do you remember which neighbourhood prompted the most noise? The darling of the board  Marylebone.





Why are we Marylebone fans? Elegant Georgian townhouses line the streets, with their white stucco and black railings. The palette here is refined, with soft cream facades and hints of pastels via trim. Its a taste of Londons quieter grandeur, while being right in the thick of things (read: also extremely well connected, in terms of transport with the Marble Arch, Baker Street and Bond Street tube stations being handy). A hood that we highly recommend here is a chic, leafy enclave called Portman Square. Occupying one of its most handsome addresses is the Nobu Hotel. You heard that correctly. Nobu, aka, the iconic offering from world-class Japanese chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa, also has hotels across the globe.





There are many reasons to choose to stay here. The location is elite. Go South and youre within minutes of Oxford Street and walking distance to Bond Street and Mayfair. Head West to get to Hyde Park, or East for Fitzrovia and Baker Street. North gets you to Regents Park, and, more importantly, to our most loved haunts, aka Marylebone High Street and the narrower but equally cool Chiltern Street. Here is where you must stop for a coffee at the hipster Monocle Cafe (hey, everything in this slice of London is a posto del cuore, so feel free to explore), while you make your way to staunch favourites such as Daunt Books (above) or fashions IYKYK spot, Shreeji Newsagents. On the way, you can and must stop off at the Wallace Collection (below). It is the former townhouse (read: massive mansion) of the Marquesses of Hertford. It is named after Sir Richard Wallace, who built the extensive, exquisite art collection it houses, along with the Marquesses of Hertford, in the 18th and 19th centuries. Last we were there, we got to see Caravaggios Cupid.



Listen. No, really listen. We understand that thereve too many voices (both human and digital) giving you all sorts of advice about where to live in London. Perhaps asking you to explore graffitied, hyper-cool outposts in the East. Or leafier neighbourhoods in the North (Hampstead Heath, hello?) Maybe the affluent West, from Kensington to Notting Hill? Scrap them all and head straight to Central London. Why on earth would you visit London if not to properlyLondon. These are the bits that elicited sighs of envy if you managed buying them out when you played Monopoly. Do you remember which neighbourhood prompted the most noise? The darling of the board  Marylebone.Whywe Marylebone fans? Elegant Georgian townhouses line the streets, with their white stucco and black railings. The palette here is refined, with soft cream facades and hints of pastels via trim. Its a taste of Londons quieter grandeur, while being right in the thick of things (read: also extremely well connected, in terms of transport with the Marble Arch, Baker Street and Bond Street tube stations being handy). A hood that we highly recommend here is a chic, leafy enclave called Portman Square. Occupying one of its most handsome addresses is the Nobu Hotel. You heard that correctly. Nobu, aka, the iconic offering from world-class Japanese chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa, also has hotels across the globe.There are many reasons to choose to stay here. The location is elite. Go South and youre within minutes of Oxford Street and walking distance to Bond Street and Mayfair. Head West to get to Hyde Park, or East for Fitzrovia and Baker Street. North gets you to Regents Park, and, more importantly, to our most loved haunts, aka Marylebone High Street and the narrower but equally cool Chiltern Street. Here is where you must stop for a coffee at the hipster Monocle Cafe (hey, everything in this slice of London is a, so feel free to explore), while you make your way to staunch favourites such as Daunt Books (above) or fashions IYKYK spot, Shreeji Newsagents. On the way, you can and must stop off at the Wallace Collection (below). It is the former townhouse (read: massive mansion) of the Marquesses of Hertford. It is named after Sir Richard Wallace, who built the extensive, exquisite art collection it houses, along with the Marquesses of Hertford, in the 18th and 19th centuries. Last we were there, we got to see Caravaggios



A mere minute away from the hotel is also Home House, which is basically the VIP of private members clubs in London, and was designed by Robert Adams in the 1770s. Heres another fact, in case youre a history buff: up until the mid 50s, the site of the Nobu Hotel and Portman Towers  at the north-west corner of the Square  was occupied by Montagu House. It was a townhouse set in one of Londons largest private gardens and, for a century or so, housed the descendants of Elizabeth Montagu, the celebrated 18th century critic, social reformer, writer, and hostess. It is now, as it was then, the epicentre of all things, with the luxury of being shut away from all the noise.





From the vantage point of the Nobu, the city recedes and that is largely due to the design of London stalwarts Make Architects, who have fashioned the ground and first floors in a dark reconstituted stone, aligning with the areas Georgian neighbours. Step inside to be greeted by a double-height entrance lobby (above). At its centre hangs a five-metre kinetic sculpture by British artist Ivan Black: a slowly rotating helix of slim rectangular rods. Its the perfect meeting point of Japanese monozukuri and refined English design. This light-filled area flows naturally into a contemporary lounge where a Deco-style mirrored bar showcases sake and Japanese whisky. Open two heavy doors beyond and you enter a darker, moodier dimension  the main bar where the music turns naughty and the crowd glamorous, sipping Sakura cocktails. David Collins Studio designed the public areas and the resulting pieces of art housed here are astounding, from the carved wood chandelier by South African artist David Cramer taking over the bar ceiling, to the Jeremy Maxwell hand-blown glass sculpture that hangs above reception. A mere minute away from the hotel is also Home House, which is basically the VIP of private members clubs in London, and was designed by Robert Adams in the 1770s. Heres another fact, in case youre a history buff: up until the mid 50s, the site of the Nobu Hotel and Portman Towers  at the north-west corner of the Square  was occupied by Montagu House. It was a townhouse set in one of Londons largest private gardens and, for a century or so, housed the descendants of Elizabeth Montagu, the celebrated 18th century critic, social reformer, writer, and hostess. It is now, as it was then, the epicentre of all things, with the luxury of being shut away from all the noise.From the vantage point of the Nobu, the city recedes and that is largely due to the design of London stalwarts Make Architects, who have fashioned the ground and first floors in a dark reconstituted stone, aligning with the areas Georgian neighbours. Step inside to be greeted by a double-height entrance lobby (above). At its centre hangs a five-metre kinetic sculpture by British artist Ivan Black: a slowly rotating helix of slim rectangular rods. Its the perfect meeting point of Japaneseand refined English design. This light-filled area flows naturally into a contemporary lounge where a Deco-style mirrored bar showcasesand Japanese whisky. Open two heavy doors beyond and you enter a darker, moodier dimension  the main bar where the music turns naughty and the crowd glamorous, sipping Sakura cocktails. David Collins Studio designed the public areas and the resulting pieces of art housed here are astounding, from the carved wood chandelier by South African artist David Cramer taking over the bar ceiling, to the Jeremy Maxwell hand-blown glass sculpture that hangs above reception.







Upstairs, its all very serene and zen, with rooms with pale English oak panelling, fitted following the laws of seamless Japanese joinery. Curtains sweeping the floor in buttery neutrals, beds enormous and dressed in silky white linen, and bathrooms marble clad with deep soaking tubs from Bette, walk-in rain showers, and Grown Alchemist products. Oh, to luxuriate in cocoon-like bedding while sipping tea from vintage-looking Japanese tea sets. Update: theres nothing sexier than drinking cold champers from a porcelain cup.







While these are all ample reasons for you to plan your trip, weve left the best for last. This slice of Central is a gastronomical delight. Dont forget that youre 20 minutes away from Soho and all its many, many culinary delights from cuisines across the globe, from Jamaican to Korean. However, youre at a Nobu. Fine dining is part of its DNA, so youre truly at the top of the pyramid. The main restaurant sprawls across an open-plan first floor with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the square, finished in dark teak with geometric wall panelling, stone-topped tables, and canary yellow banquettes by Edelman Leather. Along one wall, the sushi counter operates with the focused efficiency of a Tokyo kitchen transplanted wholesale to W1H. Morning breakfast also occurs in the same room, with sunlight filtering in through the canopy of the surrounding trees. Theres a smartly-edited buffet and menu  our favourites are the Shiro Tamago (egg white omelette), alongside cured meats and smoked fish and the freshly-baked pastries. Far too many pain aux raisins were consumed, but washed down with the jetlag-banishing ginger shots. Work them off at the Pilates studio, which is a true local gem. Classes are a hot commodity and get filled very fast.



While these are all ample reasons for you to plan your trip, weve left the best for last. This slice of Central is a gastronomical delight. Dont forget that youre 20 minutes away from Soho and all its many, many culinary delights from cuisines across the globe, from Jamaican to Korean. However, youre at a Nobu. Fine dining is part of its DNA, so youre truly at the top of the pyramid. The main restaurant sprawls across an open-plan first floor with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the square, finished in dark teak with geometric wall panelling, stone-topped tables, and canary yellow banquettes by Edelman Leather. Along one wall, the sushi counter operates with the focused efficiency of a Tokyo kitchen transplanted wholesale to W1H. Morning breakfast also occurs in the same room, with sunlight filtering in through the canopy of the surrounding trees. Theres a smartly-edited buffet and menu  our favourites are the(egg white omelette), alongside cured meats and smoked fish and the freshly-baked pastries. Far too manywere consumed, but washed down with the jetlag-banishing ginger shots. Work them off at the Pilates studio, which is a true local gem. Classes are a hot commodity and get filled very fast.



Evening, though, is when things get sexy. Custom lighting by Dernier & Hamlyn sets the glow, and the buzz in the air is electrifying. The Seasonal Omakase is where the kitchen reveals its full range, and the vegetarian menu option is where it also revels with imagination. This was approached with honest trepidation  Nobus identity is so thoroughly bound to its fish, after all. What arrived across 12 courses was a correction of that assumption. Miso-glazed aubergine, for instance, appears with the same gravitas as the famous black cod it echoes. That black cod miso  marinated for days until it caramelises to something between lacquer and velvet  is akin to the brands heartbeat. Its a dish that has been ordered a million times across Nobus global estate. And, yet, the vegetarian menu held its own in an unquestionable manner. Each plant-based course arrives with the discipline of haiku, and the kitchens seasonal produce choices shift the menu continuously, so returning guests rarely find the same meal twice.



The question of why Nobu is always top tier is one worth answering for yourself. Here, at its Central London post, it reveals a rare, almost contradictory quality. Youre simultaneously at the heart of the city and in a refuge from it. This is not the London of tourist checklists, even with its enviable postcode. It is the London of people who understand that the best version of a city reveals itself slowly, over a long breakfast, in the turret of a bookstore, in a meticulously-crafted cocktail, or in the hush of a museum all in one day. Come for the legend. Stay for everything else.



Also Read: Catch Up With Culture For Free In London




The upcoming mythological epic Ramayana: Part 1 is making waves on the international stage. After the recent launch of the Rama glimpse in Los Angeles and New York, producer Namit Malhotra and Yash have now taken the project to CinemaCon 2026 in Las Vegas.

The event, which runs from April 13 to 16, serves as the world's largest gathering for the movie theatre industry. Ramayana has secured a prominent presence at the venue, with posters and a large banner-style reveal positioned at the centre. These assets provide delegates with detailed close-up looks and high-resolution artworks of Ranbir Kapoor as Rama and Yash as Ravana.

A featured poster titled "Enter the World of Ramayana" invites CinemaCon attendees to experience the production. The write-up describes the film as one of the most ambitious theatrical productions currently in post-production and slated for worldwide theatrical release this year. It further describes the project as a "sweeping mythological epic filmed for IMAX and designed as a global tentpole event."

The makers shared that the film is being crafted as a cinematic spectacle for modern audiences, rooted in a 5,000-year-old myth that continues to shape culture across continents. The film boasts high-end technical credentials, including visual effects by the 8-time Academy Award-winning studio DNEG and a musical collaboration between Hans Zimmer and A.R. Rahman.

Throughout the week, the Ramayana team is hosting private previews and open house conversations in the Milano III Ballroom. These sessions, led by Namit Malhotra, Yash, and executives from Prime Focus Studios, aim to showcase the films scale and global release strategy to potential partners.

Ramayana is sharing the spotlight with major Hollywood titles such as Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Dune: Part Three. Ramayana is currently scheduled for a Diwali 2026 release and stars Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, Yash and Ravie Dubey among others.



Also Read: Ramayana: Part One Locks Edit As Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavis Film Enters VFX Stage


Writer and director Lee Cronin is currently focusing on the release of his audacious and twisted retelling, Lee Cronin's The Mummy. The movie is about the young daughter of a journalist, who disappears into the desert without a trace. Eight years later, the broken family is shocked when she is returned to them, as what should be a joyful reunion turns into a living nightmare.





The film stars Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace and Veronica Falcon. The film is written and directed by Cronin and produced by James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville. The executive producers are Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Macdara Kelleher and Lee Cronin.



Talking about working with Jack Reynor, who plays Katie's father in the film, Cronin says, "I was really excited to work with Jack Reynor. As a fellow Irishman, I've known him and admired his work from afar for a number of years. And when Jack read the script, I think I was in Spain doing some scouting for the movie, and I woke up to a text. 'When can we talk?' He was really motivated from the start and that's a huge, huge thing. He really got it."



Cronin further added, "Jack also understands genre really intimately, so it was great to have someone in a leading role that you could riff on what you love about genre work and where, how and why things work. Jack brought great leadership to the set. He played the role with a real honesty, and that was something, across the board with the cast for me in this movie - I wanted everybody to be really naturalistic performers, as in if there was no horror at play, we would still go on this emotional journey with them. Jack led the way."







The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is slated to be released in India on April 17, 2026 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.



Also Read: Exclusive: Sunny Hinduja talks about Malayalam debut, The Family Man & more
Kayadus Unique Character

Diverse Filmography

Kayadu Lohars upcoming film, The Paradise, starring Nani, marks her most consequential Telugu release to date. She portrays a character named Subbalakshmi in the fantasy action-drama. The makers have described this role as a star that never shined. According to sources close to the unit, she might be playing a glamor queen in the film.The makers unveiled the first look of the film, which features Kayadu dressed like a doll while riding a bicycle through a slum setting. The contrast couldn't have been more striking. Director Srikanth Odela designed this unique character, and Kayadu believes the role is entirely unexpected for her fans. She mentioned in a recent interview that everything about it is different; the look and the character depth are unlike her previous work. She remains tight-lipped about further details, but her excitement for Subbalakshmi is evident. This project seems poised to redefine her presence in the Telugu film industry.Kayadu is becoming known for her deliberate and diverse film choices. She consistently picks roles that challenge her range as a performer, and her filmography demonstrates a clear desire to avoid being pigeonholed. This versatility is visible in projects like Pathonpatham Noottandu and now Pallichattambi, wherein she dives into a gritty historical narrative. She plays a character that requires both physical grace and emotional strength. Her performance in such period dramas proves she can handle intense, high-stakes storytelling. Each role feels like a new experiment for her. By moving between glamorous avatars and raw characters, she keeps the audience guessing.Kayadu is proving that she has the range to lead various genres. The actress has appeared in movies across Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam, including Idhayam Murali, Immortal, Alluri, and Thaaram. In the film Pallichattambi, Kayadu Lohar plays a character named Rebecca. Her role is described as a rooted, intellectual, and sensitive woman who serves as the emotional soul of the story.
Mrunal Thakur received a peculiar blessing at a recent event hosted by the team behind her latest movie, Dacoit (the Telugu-Hindi bilingual). Producer Allu Aravind (father of Allu Arjun) was among the guests who attended the film event. He playfully quipped that he sincerely hopes Mrunal marries a Hyderabad-based man. That way, we can tie you down to this place, he shared in a lighter vein. By this, he intended to imply that the actress is a precious talent in the Telugu film industry who needs to be readily available to Tollywood filmmakers.



Allu Aravinds Manifested Wishes



For those unaware, a few years ago, Aravind famously made a similar wish for Lavanya Tripathi (who later married actor Varun Tej). He made it a point to reference that comment, suggesting that his previously uttered words had indeed manifested a marital union.







Mrunal Couldnt Stop Blushing



As the producer spoke, Mrunal couldn't help but blush. She was clearly amused by his remarks, and everyone around her, including co-star Adivi Sesh and producer Supriya Yarlagadda, burst into laughter. Following the veteran producers comments, social media has been flooded with 'investigative' theories and memes. A viral meme format compares the 2023 video of Aravind blessing Lavanya to the current video of Mrunal, with captions like, Allu Aravind doesn't give blessings; he gives official confirmations.



There are reports that Mrunal Thakur was cast in Allu Arjuns upcoming film, Raaka. Fans believe Aravinds desire to tie her down to Hyderabad is a sign that she is being positioned as a long-term leading lady for major projects of his home production. Some netizens are still debating older rumours linking her to actor Dhanush (which gained traction in late 2025). Some fans jokingly wondered if Aravinds comment was a playful attempt to recruit her back to the Tollywood camp instead of Kollywood. Mrunal Thakur is known for Sita Ramam, Hi Nanna, and later The Family Star.



Also Read: Mrunal Thakur Talks About Her Battle With Body-Shaming And The Advice She Received From Akshay Kumar




Hong Kong, SAR--(Newsfile Corp. - April 12, 2026) - AilsynBio, an AI-driven drug discovery company, held an Innovative Project Cooperation Agreement Signing Ceremony today at the Hong Kong Science Park, announcing a project cooperation agreement with Dong-E-E-Jiao Co., Ltd. (SZSE: 000423). This partnership marks a profound cross-sector integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and traditional medicine, aiming to empower biopharmaceutical innovation through technological means.



The ceremony brought together influential leaders and experts from industry, academia, and research sectors, including senior representatives from China Resources Pharmaceutical Group, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), and The University of Hong Kong (HKU), to witness this significant milestone.



Dr. Bo Chen, Chief Scientific Officer of China Resources Pharmaceutical, noted:



"This collaboration with Dong-E-E-Jiao and AilsynBio is a key initiative for China Resources Pharmaceutical in advancing the modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It represents a deep integration of industry, academia, and research in the field of 'AI + TCM' between Mainland China and Hong Kong. We look forward to leveraging scientific research and industrial resources from both regions to overcome the challenges of TCM's mechanisms of action and to pave an innovative path for TCM to evolve from empirical medicine to evidence-based medicine."



Mr. Liang Zheng, Vice President of Dong-E-E-Jiao, stated:



"As a core strategic product for Dong-E-E-Jiao, deepening the scientific value of Compound E-Jiao Syrup is crucial for our brand upgrade. This cooperation will strengthen the scientific foundation of our products in the field of women's health, helping Dong-E-E-Jiao accelerate into a new stage of 'reshaping TCM wisdom through technological innovation.'"



Mr. Pierre Wang, Managing Director of HKU Versitech Limited, stated:



"HKU Versitech is honored to witness this project cooperation between HKU spin-off AilsynBio Ltd. and China Resources Pharmaceutical subsidiary Dong-E E-Jiao, a partnership that exemplifies the successful translation of Hong Kong's top-tier academic research into high-impact industrial applications. This cooperation will continue to serve as a vital catalyst for the company's rapid international growth and its mission to scale cutting-edge biotechnology globally."



Looking ahead, the two parties will focus on three key collaborative directions:

Advancing AI-driven innovation: Leveraging AilsynBio's AI drug discovery platform to accelerate biopharmaceutical R&D processes. Launching specialized research: Engaging in in-depth cooperation on the "Premature Ovarian Insufficiency (POI)" research project. Promoting cross-border fusion: Exploring the integration of biotechnology, AI, and traditional medicine to jointly create a new paradigm for the health industry.

During the ceremony, AilsynBio and Dong-E-E-Jiao signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organizations. The signing was witnessed by Dr. Bo Chen, Chief Scientist of China Resources Pharmaceutical; Mr. Eric Or, Chief Ecosystem Development Officer of HKSTP; and Mr. Pierre Wang, Managing Director of HKU Versitech.



AilsynBio stated that this cooperation is not only a combination of cutting-edge technology and traditional medicine, but also a strategic layout for future healthcare innovation. By leveraging AI technology, the partnership aims to inject technological vitality into traditional medicine for the benefit of more patients.

About China Resources Pharmaceutical

China Resources Pharmaceutical Group Limited (HKE: 03320) stands as a premier, integrated pharmaceutical enterprise in China. Our comprehensive operations span the entire value chain, from R&D and manufacturing to distribution and retail. We host a robust portfolio of listed subsidiaries and maintain advanced innovation platforms dedicated to both chemical and biological pharmaceuticals. Our diverse products including chemical drugs, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), biologics, health supplements, and medical devices, addressing a vast spectrum of therapeutic areas. We are the proud custodian of iconic brands such as "999", "Dong-E-E-Jiao", and "Jiangzhong". Guided by our mission to "Safeguard Human Health and Enhance Quality of Life," we are dedicated to evolving into a trusted, innovation-driven leader in pharmaceutical and healthcare sector.

About Dong-E E-Jiao

Dong-E E-Jiao Co., Ltd. (SZSE: 000423) is an enterprise engaged in the production and operation of E-Jiao and related products. As a subsidiary of state-owned China Resources Group, it is primarily involved in the R&D, production, and sales of E-Jiao and related Chinese patent medicines, health foods, and food products. The company, formerly known as Shandong Dong-E E-Jiao Factory, was established in 1952, listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 1996, and joined China Resources Group in 2005. The company houses the National Gelatin Traditional Chinese Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center and a postdoctoral research workstation. It is recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise, a National Innovative Enterprise, a National Intangible Cultural Heritage Heritage Enterprise, and a National Traditional Chinese Medicine Culture Publicity and Education Base. Its products are sold not only in the domestic market but also in over 10 countries and regions, including Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

About AilsynBio

AilsynBio is an AI-native biotechnology company dedicated to the rational design of differentiated therapeutics. By combining artificial intelligence, physics-based modeling, and deep medicinal chemistry expertise, the company delivers end-to-end drug discovery solutions spanning novel target identification, mechanism-of-action elucidation, and lead design and optimization. Validated through collaborations with multiple top-tier pharmaceutical companies, AilsynBio's technology offers industry-leading predictive accuracy and enables the delivery of IND-ready candidate molecules with greater efficiency, higher success rates, and a fraction of the time and cost required by conventional approaches.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/292111

Source: Media OutReach
Connecting global investors with Abu Dhabi's thriving capital market and opportunities

ABU DHABI, UAE, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) Group and its listed companies are heading to Hong Kong for its annual Global Investor Outreach on 14 to 16 April, presenting Abu Dhabi's resilient growth story and the breadth of investment opportunities available through the ADX. This roadshow will be held on the sidelines of the HSBC Global Investment Summit 2026.

Hong Kong will be the ADX's first international stop for 2026, connecting international capital with the high-growth opportunities emerging from the UAE's capital. This mission reinforces the long-standing, mutually respectful relationship between Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong-two of the world's most sophisticated financial hubs. Both markets have shared a commitment to foster closer cross-border business and investment collaboration.

In direct response to international asset managers and institutional investors, this outreach focuses on the specific growth trajectories of ADX-listed entities and highlights the ADX's market infrastructure offering as one of the top 20 global exchanges and the second-largest in the region by market capitalization (over USD 850 billion). The visit to Hong Kong reflects the positive synergy between Middle Eastern capital and Asian institutional expertise. The roadshow allows the ADX to present its diversified investment offerings across dividend-yielding sectors and high-growth industries.

Abdulla Salem Alnuaimi, Group Chief Executive Officer of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) Group, said: "Hong Kong is an important gateway for global capital, and our annual roadshow reflects the strong, ongoing relationship we have built with the investor community there. Investors are increasingly looking toward Abu Dhabi not just as a safe haven, but also as a primary engine of alpha in sectors ranging from renewable energy, AI, utilities, healthcare, and fintech. Our presence in Hong Kong is a proactive response to the global investment community's appetite for diversified, high-yield opportunities.

We are here to provide a direct gateway to Abu Dhabi's economic transformation, offering a transparent platform for investors to engage with our blue-chip companies and understand the compelling investment opportunities available across our market."

Amid global market volatility, the ADX continues to be a resilient yet vibrant investment gateway, supported by Abu Dhabi's AA/Aa2 credit ratings and a stable regulatory environment. Investors' confidence in the ADX is validated by the heightened trading activity and volume.

The ADX Group achieved significant growth in 2025, with market capitalization surpassing AED 3.13 trillion (a 4.6% increase from 2024) and total trading value rising 12.6% to exceed AED 385 billion. The average trading value in 2025 increased by 12.1% to AED 1.52 billion. Foreign investors' trading value rose by 13.8%, and institutional investors accounted for 78% of the total trading value.

The ADX's attractive dividend culture continues to underpin long-term wealth creation. All in all, ADX-listed companies distributed close to AED 74 billion in dividend payouts in 2025. Investors and issuers benefit from Abu Dhabi and the UAE's stable macroeconomic environment, rising foreign direct investment, and expanding non-oil economy.

About Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) was established on 15 November 2000 pursuant to Local Law No. (3) of 2000, which granted the exchange legal rights with independent financial and administrative status, as well as the necessary supervisory and executive powers necessary to carry out its functions. On 17 March 2020, the ADX was converted from a public entity into a Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) in accordance with Law No. (8) of 2020.

The ADX Group, a market infrastructure group comprising the exchange (ADX) and its post-trade ecosystem, including its wholly owned subsidiaries AD Depository and AD Clear, was established. Through its integrated and globally aligned business structure, the ADX Group supports efficient, transparent, and resilient capital markets across trading, clearing, settlement, and custody.

The Group provides an efficient and regulated marketplace for the trading of securities, including equities issued by public joint-stock companies, bonds issued by governments and corporations, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and other financial instruments approved by the UAE Capital Market Authority.

The ADX is the second-largest exchange in the Arab region by market capitalization. Its strategy of delivering stable financial performance through diversified revenue streams is aligned with the UAE's national development agenda, "Towards the Next 50", which aims to build a sustainable, diversified, and high-value-added economy.

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Die Eskalation im Iran-Konflikt hat die Energiepreise mit voller Wucht nach oben getrieben. Was zunachst nach einer kurzfristigen Reaktion aussah, entwickelt sich zunehmend zu einem strukturellen Problem: Die Strae von Hormus ist blockiert, wichtige LNG- und Olanlagen stehen still oder werden gezielt angegriffen. Eine schnelle Entspannung ist nicht in Sicht  im Gegenteil, die Lage spitzt sich weiter zu.



Fur die Weltwirtschaft bedeutet dies wachsende Risiken. Steigende Energiepreise erhohen den Inflationsdruck, gefahrden Zinssenkungen und bringen die ohnehin hoch bewerteten Aktienmarkte ins Wanken. Doch wo Risiken entstehen, ergeben sich auch Chancen.



Denn von einem dauerhaft hoheren Energiepreisniveau profitieren nicht nur Ol- und Gasunternehmen. Auch Versorger, erneuerbare Energien sowie ausgewahlte Rohstoff- und Agrarwerte rucken in den Fokus. In diesem Umfeld konnten gezielt ausgewahlte Unternehmen uberdurchschnittlich profitieren  unabhangig davon, ob die Krise anhalt oder nicht.



In unserem aktuellen Spezialreport stellen wir drei Aktien vor, die genau dieses Profil erfullen: Krisenprofiteure mit solidem Geschaftsmodell, attraktiver Bewertung und langfristigem Potenzial.



Jetzt den kostenlosen Report sichern  und Ihr Depot auf den Energiepreisschock vorbereiten!
Boston, Massachusetts--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - UberDoc Health Technologies Corp. (CSE: APPT) (FSE: 4KL0) ("UberDoc" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Sean Kearney, Chief Executive Officer, and Dr. Paula Muto, Founder and Chief Medical Advisor, will present an introduction to UberDoc in a live investor webinar taking place on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at 11:00 AM PT / 2:00 PM ET.

The webinar will be hosted by Cory Fleck of the Korelin Report and provide an overview of UberDoc's direct-pay healthcare marketplace, which connects patients directly with thousands of board-certified physicians across more than 55 specialties, offering upfront pricing and expedited access to care without insurance intermediaries.

Webinar Details

Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026 Time: 11:00 AM PDT / 2:00 PM EDT/ 8:00 PM CEST

Wednesday, April 15, 2026 Time: 11:00 AM PDT / 2:00 PM EDT/ 8:00 PM CEST Presenters: Sean Kearney, CEO; Dr. Paula Muto, Founder & Chief Medical Advisor

Sean Kearney, CEO; Dr. Paula Muto, Founder & Chief Medical Advisor Registration: https://event.webinarjam.com/gykm4/register/4634yfo

Key Topics

Market Opportunity: UberDoc targets a $1 trillion total addressable market in U.S. healthcare, serving more than 1 million physicians.

Immediate Access: The platform eliminates long wait times, which average up to 90 days for specialist appointments, as well as significant referral delays, by providing on-demand specialist access.

AI-Powered Matching: Proprietary AI connects patients to the right specialist instantly, solving the discovery problem at the top of the healthcare funnel.

High-Margin Revenue Model: UberDoc generates revenue through per-visit fees, SaaS subscriptions, and enterprise partnerships, with no insurance intermediaries.

Scalable Platform: UberDoc operates an asset-light, technology-first model designed for rapid geographic and vertical expansion.

Marketing agreement with ITG

The company is pleased to announce that it has appointed Independent Trading Group Inc., as of March 18, 2026 (address: Suite 420, 33 Yonge St., Toronto, Ont., Canada, M5E 1G4; contact: Jeff Gamble; e-mail: jeffgamble@itg84.com), as a market maker for its common shares traded on the Canadian Securities Exchange.

ITG, as UberDoc's market-maker, aims to ensure a fair and efficient market for UberDoc's common shares and adhere to CSE policies. This involves buying and selling UberDoc's shares on the CSE and other alternative Canadian trading venues. In exchange for these services, ITG will receive a monthly fee of $5,500 from the company for a period of one month, automatically renewing each subsequent month unless terminated by either party with 30 days of notice. There are no performance factors contained in the agreement and ITG will not receive shares or options as compensation. ITG and the company are unrelated and unaffiliated entities, and, at the time of the agreement, neither ITG nor its principals have an interest, directly or indirectly, in the securities of the company.

About UberDoc

UberDoc (CSE: APPT) (FSE: 4KL0) is an innovative healthcare marketplace connecting patients with top physicians with no referral, no insurance barriers, and no hidden costs. Founded by a physician, UberDoc empowers patients to access care quickly and affordably from more than 55 specialties while giving doctors greater control over their time, revenue, and practice growth. UberDoc is not owned by, affiliated with, or sponsored by Uber Technologies, Inc. The company is registered in Vancouver, B.C., with its U.S. operations in Boston, MA.

For more information, visit www.uber-docs.com or invest.uber-docs.com

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The forward-looking statements herein are made as of the date of this press release only, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new information, estimates or opinions, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "projects", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements relating to the Company's business plan, growth strategy, ability to leverage public market access to expand service offerings and enhance technology infrastructure, proposed expansion into new markets, proposed listing, and timing of listing, on the OTCQB, and expected benefits of its listing on the CSE.

Forward-looking information is based on management's current expectations and assumptions and is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Investor Relations and Media Inquiries:

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/292073

Source: UberDoc
Sandoz Group AG / Key word(s): Statement

Twenty years of biosimilar medicines: a milestone that continues to transform patient access worldwide



13.04.2026 / 07:00 CET/CEST





MEDIA RELEASE Twentieth anniversary of European regulatory approval for Omnitrope (somatropin) as world's first-ever biosimilar medicine; Sandoz pioneered new industry More than USD 1.9 billion in savings generated for European healthcare systems through Omnitrope, with over 118 million patient treatment days provided Biosimilars overall generated EUR 56 billion in cumulative healthcare savings and provided nearly seven billion patient treatment days across Europe in last 20 years Coming 'golden decade' of ~USD 320 billion patent expiries offers huge potential to further transform healthcare Basel, 13 April 2026 - Sandoz (SIX:SDZ/OTCQX:SDZNY), the global leader in affordable medicines, today celebrates the 20th anniversary of European regulatory approval for Omnitrope (somatropin) as the world's first-ever biosimilar medicine.



Omnitrope was approved by the European Medicines Agency on April 12 2006, and was subsequently launched in markets across Europe. It was approved later in 2006 in the US under a different regulatory pathway, before being approved as the first biosimilar in Canada and Japan in 2009.



Since launch, Omnitrope has led to more than USD 1.9 billion in savings for European healthcare systems and has provided over 118 million patient treatment days1. Sandoz today remains the global leader in the multi-player somatropin market, having overtaken the reference medicine and with sales continuing to grow year on year2.



Sandoz CEO Richard Saynor says: "The approval of Omnitrope 20 years ago marked a turning point in modern healthcare, ushering in a new era of competition, sustainability and expanded patient access. The European Commission established the first regulatory pathway for biosimilars, validating the core scientific principles that shaped a new global industry."



Mr. Saynor added: "And this was only the beginning. We now stand on the cusp of a 'golden decade' for patient care, with biologic medicines worth more than USD 320 billion due to lose patent protection over the next decade. At Sandoz, we are fully committed to playing a leading role as that opportunity unfolds."



Since this first approval, biosimilar medicines have generated cumulative healthcare savings of EUR 56 billion and have provided seven billion patient treatment days across Europe3. With approximately 120 biosimilars approved worldwide across a range of therapeutic areas4, they have grown to become a cornerstone of healthcare systems, transforming patient access to cutting-edge biologic therapies.



Today, Sandoz remains committed to helping millions of patients access critical and potentially life-changing biologic medicines sustainably and affordably, with a global portfolio comprising 13 biosimilars and a leading pipeline.



In 2026, Sandoz is celebrating three key milestones. In addition to the 20th anniversary of the Omnitrope approval in 2006, 140 years ago, Alfred Kern and Edouard Sandoz founded a company that would later evolve into a global leader in affordable medicines, while 80 years ago, in Kundl, Austria, a former brewery was converted into a factory that remains Europe's last major end-to-end penicillin facility.



ABOUT OMNITROPE (SOMATROPIN)

Omnitrope (somatropin) is a recombinant human growth hormone indicated for the treatment of growth disturbances in infants, children and adolescents, including those associated with growth hormone deficiency, Turner syndrome, chronic renal insufficiency, small for gestational age status, and Prader-Willi syndrome5. In adults, Omnitrope is indicated for replacement therapy in pronounced growth hormone deficiency, whether of adult onset or childhood onset origin5.



DISCLAIMER

This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside of the control of Sandoz. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sandoz undertakes no obligation to publicly revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.



REFERENCES

1 IQVIA. 15+ years of Biosimilar Experience in Europe: Omnitrope Case Study. Available at: 15+ Years of Biosimilar Experience in Europe | IQVIA . November 2022. [Last accessed: April 2026]. Patient days figure converted by Sandoz from original patient years.

2 Based on IQVIA MIDAS and Sandoz internal data. Data on file

3 IQVIA. The Impact of Biosimilar Competition in Europe 2024. January 2025. Available at: https://www.iqvia.com/library/white-papers/the-impact-of-biosimilar-competition-in europe-2024 [Last accessed: April 2026]

4 Market Growth Reports. Biosimilar Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type, By Application Regional Insights and Forecast to 2035. March 2026. Available at: Biosimilar Market Size | Research Report, 2025 To 2035 [Last accessed: April 2026]

5 European Medicines Agency (EMA). Omnitrope (Somatropin) Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: Omnitrope, INN-somatropin [Last accessed, April 2026]



ABOUT SANDOZ

Sandoz (SIX: SDZ; OTCQX: SDZNY) is the global leader in affordable medicines, with a growth strategy driven by its Purpose: pioneering access for patients. More than 20,000 colleagues of 100 nationalities work together to ensure over one billion patients are reached by Sandoz, generating substantial global healthcare savings and an even larger social impact. Its leading portfolio of approximately 1,300 medicines addresses diseases from the common cold to cancer. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Sandoz traces its heritage back to 1886. In 2026, Sandoz celebrates 20 years of pioneering biosimilars, 80 years of antibiotics manufacturing and 140 years of heritage. In 2025, Sandoz recorded net sales of USD 11.1 billion.



CONTACTS Global Media Relations contacts Investor Relations contacts Global.MediaRelations@sandoz.com Investor.Relations@sandoz.com Alexis Kalomparis +41 792 790285 Craig Marks +44 7818 942 383 Chris Lewis +49 174 244 9501 Tamara Hackl +41 79 790 5217 Gregor Rodehueser +49 170 574 3200 Silvia Siegfried +41 79 795 9061



End of Media Release

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DORCO's flagship razor SLEEK earns Product Design award as retail footprint expands across key global markets

SEOUL, South Korea, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DORCO, the world's #1 best-selling South Korean razor manufacturing company - based on Euromonitor's database - today announced that its flagship razor, DORCO SLEEK, has won the iF Design Award 2026 in the Product Design category (Beauty/Wellness), following its 2025 GOOD DESIGN Award from The Chicago Athenaeum. Organized by iF International Forum Design in Germany, the award is widely regarded as one of the world's most prestigious design awards. The recognition comes as SLEEK continues to expand its global retail presence, with growing distribution across North America and the Middle East.

This year's iF Design Award was evaluated by 129 international experts, who assessed more than 10,000 entries from 68 countries. The jury recognized SLEEK for its precision engineering and functional design.

Developed based on consumer insights from North America, Europe, and Asia, SLEEK incorporates DORCO's Super Thin Blade, complemented by a bent-blade structure for improved precision and a fully open-flow cartridge for easy rinsing. DORCO's patented blade coating enhances blade durability, while the Multi-Flex Head adapts to facial contours for consistent contact. Together, these features are designed to deliver a smooth and more controlled shaving experience.

This momentum is reflected in SLEEK's expansion across key growth markets. In the United States, SLEEK launched on Amazon in March 2025, with brand collaborations with Evan Mock and Mac Jones driving early awareness. In the UAE, the product launched in both online and offline retail channels in June 2025 and quickly gained traction within the system razor category, supported by a brand campaign with DJ Bliss.

About DORCO

Founded in 1955, DORCO has been a global leader in developing and manufacturing innovative razor products worldwide. We continue to push the boundaries of shaving technology. DORCO's diverse range of razors combines cutting-edge blade innovation with ergonomic designs, delivering the smoothest, most comfortable shave on the market. With a commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and sustainability, DORCO enriches the shaving experience for millions of customers across 100+ countries.

For inquiries

Hoffman Agency Korea Dorco Team / DorcoPRKR@hoffman.com

Heesun Kim / hskim@hoffman.com

Lina Lee / llee@hoffman.com

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STPI Incubation Center, Mohali recognises EduBlock Pro - powered by Antier - for its pioneering contribution to secure, tamper-proof examination infrastructure in India. The award was received by Vikram Raj Singh, CEO & Founder, Antier.

CHANDIGARH, India, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- EduBlock Pro, the blockchain-powered examination management platform developed by Antier Solutions, has been awarded by the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) Incubation Center, Mohali at TiECON Chandigarh 2026. The award was graciously conferred by the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Nayab Singh Saini, and received by Vikram Raj Singh, CEO & Founder, Antier, in a distinguished ceremony attended by industry leaders, investors, and policymakers at Hyatt Regency, Chandigarh.

The Problem: A Crisis of Exam Integrity

India has recorded 41 exam paper leak incidents across 15 states in the last five years, impacting nearly 1.4 crore job applicants. From NEET-UG to state board recruitments, rampant malpractice, driven by excessive human touchpoints and opaque question paper handling, has deeply eroded public trust. EduBlock Pro was built to solve this at scale.

The Solution: EduBlock Pro

EduBlock Pro is the world's first end-to-end blockchain-powered examination system. It minimises human intervention across the entire exam lifecycle, from question paper creation to result publication, using cryptography, smart contracts, and AI.

Tamper-proof paper handling: Questions are encrypted and locked via public-private key infrastructure; only authorised invigilators can decrypt them on exam day.

Questions are encrypted and locked via public-private key infrastructure; only authorised invigilators can decrypt them on exam day. On-chain randomisation & validation: Smart contracts assign paper sets dynamically, eliminating predictability and pre-distribution.

Smart contracts assign paper sets dynamically, eliminating predictability and pre-distribution. AI-driven assessments & on-chain certifications: Results are evaluated and recorded immutably on the blockchain, a single, verifiable source of truth.

Results are evaluated and recorded immutably on the blockchain, a single, verifiable source of truth. Biometric identity verification: Multi-factor authentication and biometrics eliminate impersonation at every stage.

Multi-factor authentication and biometrics eliminate impersonation at every stage. Real-time audit logs: Every action is documented on-chain, providing complete, unalterable accountability.

The platform has already been deployed in live government examinations, including recruitment drives by the Punjab State Aids Control Society (PSACS), with zero paper leak incidents recorded.

"EduBlock Pro represents a paradigm shift in exam security - harnessing blockchain's transparency and immutability to create an assessment environment that India's students and aspirants can fully trust. This recognition from STPI affirms that the technology community and the government share that vision."

- Vikram Raj Singh, CEO & Founder, Antier Solutions

About EduBlock Pro

EduBlock Pro is India's first end-to-end blockchain exam management system, serving school boards, universities, competitive exam bodies, and public sector recruitment organisations. The platform is a product of Antier Solutions and is actively expanding across education boards and government institutions nationwide.

About Antier

Antier is India's leading blockchain consulting and development company, headquartered in Mohali, Punjab. With 15+ years of engineering excellence, a 700+ member team, and 1,000+ projects delivered globally, Antier serves enterprises, startups, and government institutions across North America, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Media Contact:

For more information visit www.antiersolutions.com

Telegram: https://t.me/AntierTeam

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/antiersolutions

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/antiersolutions/

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Anzeige / Werbung



You can find more information on Youtube and axinocapital.de Luke Reinehr, Chairman of Kalamazoo Resources discusses its transition from exploration to development, outlining a 1.44Moz gold project in Australia, recent study results, ongoing drilling, and team expansion. The conversation focuses on project progress, operational plans, and industry context. gold production mining finance goldprice No investment advice! Always trade at your own risk! More insights at ? axino.com For 35 years, we have known how to earn money sustainably with shares in the commodities sector and build up a fortune in the process. The axinocapital channel offers insights into our actions, our many years of experience and access to high-growth stocks in the precious metals, commodities and technology sectors from Australia and Canada. As Seybold Investment GmbH & AXINO invests its own money in the companies we feature, there is a potential conflict of interest as defined by MiFID II. We would like to point out that axinocapital is a playback channel of AXINO Capital GmbH and therefore a purely commercial provider. The videos broadcast does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell. We recommend that you seek advice from your bank or an independent asset manager before making any decision. The content shown may be subject to conflicts of interest in accordance with MiFID, which we are happy to disclose. Please therefore note our disclaimer! www.axinocapital.de/disclaimer This is the English version of youtube.com/@axinocapital Enthaltene Werte: XD0002747026,AU000000KZR3

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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company"), a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging restaurant brands, is pleased to announce that its boutique breakfast brand, Yolks Breakfast ("Yolks"), has signed a second franchise agreement in the province of Quebec, with a new location planned for the city of Laval. Yolks Breakfast ("Yolks") is a boutique restaurant brand serving delicious breakfast, brunch and lunch.

Happy Belly 1

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"This second franchise agreement in Quebec, and our expansion into Laval, reflects the strong early momentum we are seeing for Yolks in the province," said Sean Black, Chief Executive Officer of Happy Belly Food Group. "Following the successful opening of our first Quebec location in Montreal's Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, we are excited to continue building our presence in one of Canada's most important and dynamic markets. Laval is a natural next step for the brand given its strong demographics, growing population, and demand for premium breakfast offerings."

"As we continue to expand in Quebec, we are focused on partnering with experienced operators and securing high-quality real estate that supports long-term success. This agreement is another example of our asset-light franchising model in action-driving efficient growth while maintaining disciplined site selection and strong unit economics. We are incredibly proud of our Quebec partners on both the operational and area development ("AD") side as Yolks expands its footprint with a contractually committed twenty-five locations remaining across the province. The Laval restaurant will further strengthen brand awareness and regional density as Yolks continues to scale its presence in key suburban and urban markets."

Happy Belly 2

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Yolks continues to gain traction on a national scale, with franchise agreements in place across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. The brand is supported by a growing pipeline of experienced multi-unit operators and landlords seeking proven, high-performing breakfast concepts.

Happy Belly 3

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"With 59 units under area development across key Canadian provinces, Yolks is positioned to scale rapidly in the years ahead. These openings contribute to Happy Belly's broader portfolio of 666 contractually committed retail franchise locations across multiple emerging brands in various stages of development, construction, and operation. Our dual expansion strategy of combining franchised growth with targeted corporate store openings, reinforces our commitment to accelerating our brands development as we advance our mission to become a predictable and disciplined growth company, Canada's #1 restaurant consolidator."

"We are just getting started," added Sean Black.

About Yolks Breakfast

Chef Steve Ewing is a strong proponent of breakfast - it's his favourite meal of the day - which is why its so important to him and why he takes so much care and puts so much effort into its menu. Not only are the eggs free-range, but the bacon is local and the hollandaise isn't some quickie version, but the real deal, just one fast whisking away from le Cordon Bleu. Even the Dijon is made in-house!



Franchising

For franchising inquiries please see www.happybellyfg.com/franchise-with-us/ or contact us at hello@happybellyfg.com.



About Happy Belly Food Group

Happy Belly Food Group Inc. (CSE: HBFG) (OTCQB: HBFGF) ("Happy Belly" or the "Company") is a leader in acquiring and scaling emerging food brands. The Company's portfolio includes Heal Wellness, Rosie's Burgers, Yolks Breakfast, Via Cibo Italian Street Food, and others.

Happy Belly Food Group

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Sean Black

Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer

Shawn Moniz

Co-founder, President

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-Looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur and include the future performance of Happy Belly and her subsidiaries. Forward-Looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans for Happy Belly described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedarplus.ca.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/292150

Source: Happy Belly Food Group Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - Rokmaster Resources Corp. (TSXV: RKR) (OTCQB: RKMSF) (FSE: 1RR1) ("Rokmaster" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the start of drilling to test several porphyry Cu-(MoAu) targets on the Hanson Property.

The Hanson Property is a part of the Company's Nechako Project, which is comprised of three properties totalling 26,932 hectares (269 km2) in west-central British Columbia. The Nechako Project features multiple exploration targets for significant porphyry Cu-(MoAu) mineralization and high-grade Au-Ag vein systems in the southern portion of the productive Stikine Terrane (Figure 1). Rokmaster has been active in developing the Nechako Project for several years, efficiently vectoring towards robust drill targets and getting necessary exploration drill permits approved for all the properties.

For more technical details related to the focus of the drill program, please refer to Rokmaster's recent press release dated March 11th, 2026.

Alongside the commencement of drilling at its Hanson Property, the Company has outlined an ambitious 2026 exploration program across all three properties of the Nechako Project. Planned activities include additional fieldwork, an IP survey, and drill testing at the Mystery Property with fieldwork set to commence in early June. The entire Nechako Project is fully permitted for exploration drilling, and the Company is funded to execute the 2026 program as currently planned.

Rokmaster thanks the professional team at Hy-Tech Drilling, from nearby Smithers, BC, in working with our field crew to efficiently & expertly execute the drill program.

John Mirko, President and CEO, comments:

"I was recently on site at the Hanson Property, and the drill program is progressing very well. We are all excited by the fantastic targets at the Wilson Zone which have not been thoroughly tested, and there are many more targets remaining at the Buckley and Cyr Zones on the Hanson Property. This is a great time of year to be working on the fully road-accessible Nechako Project with improving weather conditions, crew & equipment availability. Core sample analytical results should be received sooner than during the busy months of the summer season."

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed and approved by Eric Titley, P.Geo., who is independent of Rokmaster and acts as Rokmaster's Qualified Person.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term in defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," 'projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: receipt of regulatory approval with respect to the Hanson Property transaction; risks related to fluctuations in metal prices; uncertainties related to raising sufficient financing to fund the planned work in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; changes in planned work resulting from weather, logistical, technical or other factors; the possibility that results of work will not fulfill expectations and realize the perceived potential of the Company's properties; risk of accidents, equipment breakdowns and labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated expenses in the work program; the risk of environmental contamination or damage resulting from Rokmaster's operations and other risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/292148

Source: Rokmaster Resources Corp.
In pics: Tulou, unique residential architecture in China's Fujian

Xinhua) 13:22, April 13, 2026

This photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows Tianluokeng Tulou cluster in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 10, 2026 shows Eryilou in Zhangzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows Heguilou in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows tourists visiting Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows Huaiyuanlou in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows Huaiyuanlou in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Tourists pose for a photo at Yunshuiyao ancient town in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 9, 2026. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Tourists visit Yunshuiyao ancient town in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 9, 2026. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
Co-founder of more than 40 biotechnology companies, including 16 IPOs and 19 successful acquisitions

Scientific and medical titan focused on driving innovation for human health

Will assist with listeria oncology pipeline prioritization, combinations with other oncology-focused biotechnologies and tADC candidate selection for further development

New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - OS Therapies, Inc. (NYSE American: OSTX) ("OS Therapies" or "the Company"), the world leader in gene-edited, listeria-based cancer immunotherapies, announced today that Dr. Robert "Bob" S. Langer, co-founder of Moderna, was appointed to the Company's strategic advisory board. Dr. Langer will assist management with listeria oncology pipeline prioritization, combinations of listeria product candidates with other oncology-focused biotechnologies, as well as tunable Antibody Drug Conjugate (tADC) candidate selection for further development. Dr. Langer is a luminary in the field of biotechnology, having developed core technologies used ubiquitously throughout the field for drug discovery and development, improving the health of millions worldwide.

"The use of listeria monocytogenes as a vehicle to activate the immune system to kill cancer has been studied for decades but may soon become a medical reality thanks to OS Therapies," said Dr. Langer, newly-appointed member of the Company's strategic advisory board. "Listeria's unique properties as an intracellular bacterium create major opportunities both to treat cancers which have not responded to existing immunotherapies and to enhance outcomes for patients already receiving other anti-cancer agents, given the strong safety profile exhibited in the Phase 2b study of OST-HER2 and the more than one thousand patients treated with the platform. I will be working with the OS Therapies team implement a robust pipeline development strategy for both standalone and combination product development. Moreover, the unique proprieties of silicone dioxide that underlie the tADC linker/cap technology present tremendous opportunities to design more comprehensive and efficacious candidates which can deliver combinations of cytotoxic and immune stimulatory compounds in a targeted way: this means we can more effectively treat solid tumors and ultimately aim to improve patient outcomes."

Dr. Bob Langer is one of nine Institute Professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), MIT's highest faculty honor. His pioneering work includes isolating the first angiogenesis inhibitors (with Dr. Judah Folkman) leading to new treatments for cancer and blindness. He also created the first nanoparticles and microparticles for delivering large molecules, including nucleic acids, and helped establish the field of tissue engineering which enabled artificial skin for burn victims and organ-on-a-chip technology. Dr. Langer has authored more than 1,600 papers, cited more than 473,000 times. With an h-index of 336, Langer is the most cited engineer in history. His patents have been licensed or sublicensed to over 400 companies, and he has co-founded more than 40 ventures, including Moderna. Dr. Langer chaired the FDA's Science Board, the agency's highest advisory board, from 1999-2002 and has received over 220 awards, including the U.S. National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (one of only three living individuals to receive both). His accolades include the Draper Prize (considered engineering's Nobel Prize), Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering, Albany Medical Center Prize, Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, Kyoto Prize, Wolf Prize in Chemistry, Millennium Technology Prize, and the Kavli Prize in Nanoscience. He holds 44 honorary doctorates from institutions such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Oxford, and has been elected to the National Academies of Medicine, Engineering, and Sciences, as well as the National Academy of Inventors.

"It is a tremendous honor to have a biotechnologist of Dr. Langer's distinction join our fight against cancer," said Paul Romness, MPH, Chair & CEO of OS Therapies. "Taken together with Dr. Craig Eagle's appointment last week, these recent additions to our strategic advisory board elevate the Company's standing in the biotechnology community, sending a powerful vote of confidence in our core technologies and the Company's future. We now have a tremendous opportunity to leverage Dr. Langer's unique expertise and vast network to help drive our mission forward as we engage with international regulators and potential industry partners regarding OST-HER2's potential in osteosarcoma and beyond. In the near-term, we are continuing to focus on regulatory execution surrounding gaining market access for OST-HER2 in the prevention or delay of recurrent, fully resected, pulmonary metastatic osteosarcoma in the U.S., U.K. and Europe, as well as countries with regulatory reciprocity with these jurisdictions. We will now begin working more closely with our strategic advisory board to fully build out our strategy for the diligent development of our pipeline as resources become available from product revenues, partnership agreements and/or the sale of a potential priority review voucher following approval in the U.S."

OST-HER2 has received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD), Fast Track Designation (FTD) and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) from the FDA, and ODD, FTD and ATMP from the EMA. Under the RPDD program, if the Company receives a Biologics License Application (BLA) in the United States, it will become eligible to receive a Priority Review Voucher (PRV) that it intends to sell. The most recent publicly disclosed PRV transaction occurred in February 2026 at a reported value of $205 million. The Company is seeking to obtain a BLA under the Accelerated Approval Program for OST-HER2 in osteosarcoma in the second half of 2026.

About OS Therapies

OS Therapies is a clinical stage oncology company focused on the identification, development, and commercialization of treatments for Osteosarcoma (OS) and other solid tumors. The Company is the world leader in listeria-based cancer immunotherapies. OST-HER2, the Company's lead asset, is an immunotherapy leveraging the immune-stimulatory effects of Listeria bacteria to initiate a strong immune response targeting the HER2 protein. OST-HER2 has received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD), Fast Track Designation (FTD) and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and has received ODD, FTD and ATMP from the European Medicines Agency. The Company reported positive data in its Phase 2b clinical trial of OST-HER2 in recurrent, fully resected, lung metastatic osteosarcoma, demonstrating statistically significant benefit in the 12-month event free survival (EFS) primary endpoint of the study and the overall survival (OS) secondary endpoint. The Company anticipates receiving a Biologics License Application (BLA) from the U.S. FDA for OST-HER2 in osteosarcoma in 2026 and, if approved, would become eligible to receive a Priority Review Voucher that it could then sell. The Company also anticipates receiving Conditional Marketing Authorisations from the U.K.'s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and the EMA for OST-HER2 in 2026. OST-HER2 has completed a Phase 1 clinical study primarily in breast cancer patients, in addition to showing preclinical efficacy data in various models of breast cancer. OST-HER2 has been conditionally approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the treatment of canines with osteosarcoma. The Company also anticipates reading out data from a Phase 1b study of OST-504 in castration resistant prostate cancer in the first half of 2026.

In addition, OS Therapies is advancing its next-generation Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) and Drug Conjugates (DC), known as tunable ADC (tADC), which features tunable, tailored antibody-linker-payload candidates. This platform leverages the Company's proprietary silicone Si-Linker and Conditionally Active Payload (CAP) technology, enabling the delivery of multiple payloads per linker. For more information, please visit www.ostherapies.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about future expectations, plans and prospects, as well as any other statements regarding matters that are not historical facts, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements and terms such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "may," "will," "should" or other comparable terms involve risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of OS Therapies and members of its management, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. OS Therapies cautions readers that forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to our expected to provide cash runway into 2027, the intended use of net proceeds from the offering, the potential approval of OST-HER2 by the U.S. FDA and other risks and uncertainties described in "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other subsequent documents the Company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and, except as required by the federal securities laws, OS Therapies specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

https://x.com/OSTherapies

https://www.instagram.com/ostherapies/

https://www.facebook.com/OSTherapies/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/os-therapies/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/292132

Source: OS Therapies
Val-d'Or, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - Bonterra Resources Inc. (TSXV: BTR) (OTCQX: BONXF) (FSE: 9BR2) ("Bonterra" or the "Company") is pleased to present its 2026 exploration plans at its 100% owned Desmaraisville South Project (the "Project"). Bonterra is planning a 10,000 to 12,000 meters ("m") diamond drill program starting mid-April and followed by other exploration programs to be completed by year-end (See Figure 1, which highlights the targeted areas).

Marc-Andre Pelletier, President and CEO commented: "At our 100% owned Desmaraisville South Project, the 2026 exploration program is designed, among other objectives, to test deep targets on the eastern side of the O'Brien intrusive, which hosts the Bachelor and Moroy deposits. Additional targets will also be evaluated near the Bachelor Mill, the only fully permitted processing facility in the region. The recent update to the Mineral Resource Estimates for the Bachelor and Moroy deposits, together with the 2026 exploration campaign, underscores the Company's commitment to advancing the Desmaraisville project toward a mining restart while maximizing the use of its existing permitted infrastructure."

2026 Exploration Plans

Drill 10,000 to 12,000 m near the Bachelor Mill Complex, including the Mistik 13 Zone, the Hewfran Zone, the Deep Drilling Targets adjacent to the O'Brien Intrusive on the East, the Cere and, Murgor Showings to the South and other targets.

Carry out field work, focusing on mapping and rock geochemical sampling.

Conduct a resampling program on the historic Hewfran, Bachelor and Moroy drill core.

Complete a 3D inversion model with geological constraints of the 2023 gravimetric geophysical survey.

Further advance the permitting process at the Comex to increase throughput at the Bachelor Mill and expand the capacity of the tailings management area.

Figure 1: Desmaraisville South Project - Prospective Drill Targets, 2026 diamond drill campaign

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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O'Brien Intrusive Deep Drilling Target

The Company is planning a deep drilling program to test potential gold targets around the O'Brien intrusive, which hosts the Bachelor and Moroy deposits on the Western side (see Figure 2). The program aims to evaluate potential of new gold mineralization on the eastern side of the intrusive, with drilling targeting an approximate vertical depth of 900 m.

Figure 2: Desmaraisville South Project - O'Brien Deep Target - Plan and Section Views

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/1528/292074_36905c9e442be8f7_002full.jpg

Highlights of the field work and resampling program

Field work at Desmaraisville South will begin this summer to better evaluate high-grade gold showings located within the Opawica-Guercheville and Wedding-Lamarck corridor of deformation. This program will also complete the evaluation of 1) near-surface gold-bearing structures, 2) low-gravity anomalies which may be related to felsic intrusions, and 3) the re-sampled historical trenches.

A relogging and sampling program is planned for all historical drill core from the Hewfran, Bachelor, and Moroy deposits. This program will include an adequate sampling of intervals with economic grades that have not been sampled previously.

Laurentia Exploration based in Jonquiere, Quebec, has been contracted to carry out a metallogenic and structural study on the Desmaraisville South Property. The objective of this study is to better define the structural controls of gold mineralization on known deposits and ultimately to improve the quality of our future drill targets.

Sander Geophysics based in Ottawa, Ontario, was commissioned to generate a 3D inversion model of 2023 gravimetric data to model three-dimensional volumes that could correspond to late intrusions such as the O'Brien intrusion which hosts the Bachelor and Moroy deposits.

LithologIQ based in Montreal, Quebec, has been mandated to process 20,000 m of drill core using their hyperspectral core scanning technology. Historic and recent drill core from all gold mineralized environments at the Project will be scanned directly at the mine site. The recognition of minerals associated with gold-bearing environments will allow for the rapid identification of new areas with high potential during a drilling campaign.

Qualified Person

M. Donald Trudel, P.Geo. (OGQ # 813), Director Geology for the Company, oversees all exploration activities on the Desmaraisville Property and has compiled and approved the information contained in this press release. Mr. Trudel is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 on standards of disclosure for mineral projects.

About Bonterra Resources Inc.

Bonterra is a Canadian gold exploration company with a portfolio of advanced exploration assets anchored by a central milling facility in Quebec, Canada. The Company's assets include the Gladiator, Barry(1), Moroy, and Bachelor(2) gold deposits, which collectively hold 16.8 million tonnes ("Mt") at an average grade of 3.02 g/t Au for 1.63 million ounces ("Moz") of Measured & Indicated Mineral Resources, plus 15.6 Mt at 4.32 g/t Au for 2.17 Moz of Inferred Mineral Resources.

In November 2023, the Company entered into an earn-in and joint venture agreement with Osisko Mining Inc. ("Osisko Mining") for the Urban-Barry properties (the "JV Agreement"), which include the Gladiator and Barry deposits. In October 2024, Gold Fields Ltd, through a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary, completed the acquisition of Osisko Mining for C$2.16 billion. Gold Fields is now the counterparty to the JV Agreement and can continue to earn a 70% interest in the joint venture by incurring C$30 million in work expenditures on or before November 2026 (including expenditures incurred by Osisko Mining prior to October 2024). This strategic transaction highlights Bonterra's dedication to advancing its exploration assets, marking a significant step towards development.

(1) See news release of the Company dated February 23, 2026, and titled "Bonterra Reports Significant Mineral Resources Growth at Barry and Gladiator Deposits" for further details.

(2) See news release of the Company dated April 1st, 2026, and titled "Bonterra Reports Significant Mineral Resource Growth at Bachelor and Moroy, 100% owned Deposits and Provides Corporate Updates" for further details.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Caution regarding forward-looking statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking and are often identified by words such as "may", "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", and "intend". Forward-looking statements in this release include, without limitation, statements regarding, the 2026 exploration program at the Desmaraisville South and at Phoenix JV, including planned drilling activities, deep-drilling objectives at the Barry deposit, proposed camp upgrades, and Gold Fields' ability to complete the remaining earn-in expenditures under the JV Agreement.

These statements are based on assumptions considered reasonable by management, including assumptions regarding exploration plans, budgets, schedules, regulatory approvals, and the continued advancement of work by Gold Fields. However, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially. Such risks include, but are not limited to, changes to exploration plans, results that differ from expectations, operational or permitting challenges, the ability of the parties to complete the Joint Venture, the timing and completion of earn-in expenditures, the speculative nature of mineral exploration, commodity price fluctuations, and the availability of financing. Additional information regarding risks can be found in the Company's filings at www.sedarplus.ca.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement except as required by applicable securities laws. All forward-looking statements in this release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/292074

Source: Bonterra Resources Inc.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - AbraSilver Resource Corp. (TSX: ABRA) (OTCQX: ABBRF) ("AbraSilver" or the "Company") is pleased to report new assay results from four diamond drill holes from the ongoing Phase VI drill program at its wholly-owned Diablillos project in Argentina (the "Project").

The latest results from the Oculto East target area continue to demonstrate strong potential to expand mineralization beyond the current open pit constrained Mineral Resource estimate.

Highlight Drill Results:

Widths are reported as drilled; true widths are not yet known.

Hole DDH 26-008 encountered a broad, continuous zone of gold-dominant mineralization, returning 171.0 metres ("m) grading 0.83 g/t gold and 10.3 g/t silver from 230 m downhole, including: 9.0 m at 3.46 g/t gold and 16.0 g/t silver The hole also encountered a shallow 20.0 m zone grading 0.35 g/t gold and 57.0 g/t silver from only 79 m downhole

Hole DDH 26-006 intersected multiple mineralized intervals, including a broad zone of 56.0 m grading 0.29 g/t gold and 8.0 g/t silver from 109 m downhole

John Miniotis, President and CEO, commented, "The ongoing results from Oculto East continue to demonstrate the strong potential to expand mineralization beyond the current Mineral Resource and conceptual open pit limits. The consistency of broad gold-dominant intercepts, along with higher-grade intervals, reinforces our confidence in the scale of the system and highlights the significant opportunity for continued Mineral Resource growth."

Table 1 - Summary of Key Drill Intercepts

Intercepts greater than 25 gram-metres gold shown in bolded text:

Drill Hole Area From

(m) To

(m) Type Interval

(m) Au

g/t Au

g/t DDH-26-005 Oculto East 110.0 112.0 Oxides 2.0 0.63 -



120.0 121.0 Oxides 1.0 1.25 -



140.0 144.0 Oxides 4.0 0.66 5.1 DDH-26-006 Oculto East 65.0 69.0 Oxides 4.0 0.76 -



109.0 165.0 Oxides 56.0 0.29 8.0



231.0 240.0 Oxides 9.0 0.26 14.0 DDH-26-007 Oculto East 97.0 110.0 Oxides 13.0 1.02 - DDH-26-008 Oculto East 9.0 11.0 Oxides 2.0 0.80 -



79.0 99.0 Oxides 20.0 0.35 57.0



100.0 125.0 Oxides 25.0 0.37 7.3



185.0 198.0 Oxides 13.0 0.35 11.4



230.0 401.0 Oxides 171.0 0.83 10.3

including 321.0 330.0 Oxides 9.0 3.46 16.0

Note: All results in this news release are rounded. Assays are uncut & undiluted. Widths are drilled widths, not true widths. True widths are unknown

Dave O'Connor, Chief Geologist, commented, "Drilling at Oculto East continues to intersect broad zones of oxide gold and silver mineralization beyond the current Mineral Resource boundary. The presence of higher-grade intervals within these broader zones supports our geological interpretation and highlights the potential to increase Mineral Resources in this area."

Details on Drill Results - Oculto East

Oculto East remains the primary focus of the ongoing Phase VI drill program, with results to date highlighting the potential for meaningful Mineral Resource expansion.

The latest drill results continue to confirm that mineralization extends several hundred metres east of the currently defined open pit margin, with the system remaining open along strike and at depth.

Hole DDH 26-008 returned the strongest intercept, demonstrating a thick, continuous zone of gold-dominant mineralization with localized higher-grade intervals, highlighting both scale and grade continuity. Hole DDH 26-006 intersected multiple mineralized zones closer to surface, supporting lateral continuity of mineralization across the target area.

Additional drill holes completed in this area also intersected broad zones of gold and silver mineralization, consistent with the Company's geological model and reinforcing the potential for continued expansion at Oculto East.





Figure 1 -Plan View of Drill Results

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Figure 2 - Section Through Latest Drill Holes

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Collar Data

Hole Number UTM Coordinates Elevation Azimuth Dip Depth (m) Area DDH 26-005 721022 7199835 4352 180 -60 250 Oculto East DDH 26-006 721143 7199871 4365 180 -60 320 Oculto East DDH 26-007 720989 7199176 4431 0 -60 299 Oculto East DDH 26-008 720941 7199633 4388 175 -60 401 Oculto East

About Diablillos

The Diablillos property is located within the Puna region of Argentina, in the southern part of Salta Province along the border with Catamarca Province, approximately 160 km southwest of the city of Salta and 375 km northwest of the city of Catamarca. AbraSilver acquired the property in 2016, which comprises 15 contiguous and overlapping mineral concessions with excellent year-round road access.

Exploration to date has outlined multiple occurrences of silver-gold oxide mineralization at Oculto, JAC, Laderas, and Fantasma, located within a 500 m to 1.5 km distance surrounding the Oculto/JAC epicentre. To date, over 150,000 metres have been drilled on the property, which continues to demonstrate the strong growth potential of shallow, oxide-hosted silver and gold resources. In addition, a large porphyry complex is centered approximately 4 km northeast of Oculto which includes outcropping porphyry intrusions within a major zone of alteration and associated gold rich epithermal mineralization.

Comparatively nearby examples of high sulphidation epithermal deposits include: La Coipa (Chile); Yanacocha (Peru); El Indio (Chile); Lagunas Nortes/Alto Chicama (Peru) Veladero (Argentina); and Filo del Sol (Argentina). The most recent Mineral Resource estimate for Diablillos is shown in Table 2:

Table 2 - Diablillos Mineral Resource Estimate - As of July 21, 2025



Zone Category Tonnes

(000 t) Ag

(g/t) Au

(g/t) AgEq

(g/t) Contained

Ag

(000 Oz Ag) Contained

Au

(000 Oz Ag) Contained AgEq

(000 Oz Ag)

Tank Leach Oxides Measured 26,545 119 0.71 183 101,564 604 156,487 Indicated 46,584 56 0.63 114 84,430 948 170,592 Measured & 73,129 79 0.66 139 185,994 1,553 327,078 Indicated Inferred 9,693 34 0.57 86 10,616 176 26,647 Heap Leach Oxides Measured 6,673 16 0.14 25 3,486 30 5,342 Indicated 24,102 12 0.17 23 9,163 133 17,506 Measured & 30,774 13 0.16 23 12,649 162 22,848 Indicated













Inferred 10,024 9 0.20 21 2,811 64 6,850 Total Oxides Measured 33,218 98 0.59 152 105,050 634 161,829 Indicated 70,686 41 0.48 83 93,593 1,081 188,098 Measured & 103,904 59 0.51 105 198,643 1,715 349,927 Indicated













Inferred 19,628 21 0.38 53 13,427 241 33,496

Footnotes for Tank Leach Resource:

Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. The formula for calculating AgEq is as follows: Silver Eq Oz = Silver Oz + Gold Oz x (Gold Price/Silver Price) x (Gold Recovery/Silver Recovery). The Mineral Resource model was populated using Ordinary Kriging grade estimation within a three-dimensional block model and mineralized zones defined by wireframed solids, which are a combination of lithology and alteration domains. The 1m composite grades were capped where appropriate. The Mineral Resource is reported inside a conceptual Whittle open pit shell derived using US$ 27.50/oz Ag price, US $2,400/oz Au price, 83% process recovery for Ag, and 87% process recovery for Au. The constraining open pit optimization parameters used were US $1.94/t mining cost, US $22.96/t processing cost, US $3.32/t G&A cost, and average 51-degree open pit slopes. The MRE has been categorized in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards (CIM, 2014). A Net Value per block [NVB] calculation was used to constrain the Mineral Resource, determine the "Benefits = Income-Cost", where, Income = [(Au Selling Price (US$/oz) - Au Selling Cost (USD/Oz)) x (Au grade (g/t)/31.1035)) x Au Recovery (%)] + [(Ag Selling Price (US$/oz) - Ag Selling Cost (USD/Oz)) x (Ag grade (g/t)/31.1035)) x Ag Recovery (%)] and Cost = Mining Cost (US$/t) + Process Cost (US$/t) + Transport Cost (US$/t) + G&A Cost (US$/t) + [Royalty Cost (%) x Income] The Mineral Resource is sub-horizontal with sub-vertical feeders and a reasonable prospect for eventual economic extraction by open pit and tank leach processing methods. In-situ bulk density were assigned to each model domain, according to samples averages for each lithology domain, separated by alteration zones and subset by oxidation. All tonnages reported are dry metric tonnes and ounces of contained gold are troy ounces. Mining recovery and dilution factors have not been applied to the Mineral Resource estimates. The Mineral Resource was estimated by Luis Rodrigo Peralta, B.Sc., FAusIMM CP (Geo), Independent Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Peralta is not aware of any environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues that could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Resource. All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimates. Minor discrepancies may occur due to rounding to appropriate significant figures.

Footnotes for Heap Leach Resource:

Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. The formula for calculating AgEq is as follows: Silver Eq Oz = Silver Oz + Gold Oz x (Gold Price/Silver Price) x (Gold Recovery/Silver Recovery). The Mineral Resource model was populated using Ordinary Kriging grade estimation within a three-dimensional block model and mineralized zones defined by wireframed solids, which are a combination of lithology and alteration domains. The 1m composite grades were capped where appropriate. The Mineral Resource is reported inside a conceptual Whittle open pit shell derived using US$ 27.50/oz Ag price, US $2,400/oz Au price, 80% process recovery for Ag, and 58% process recovery for Au. The constraining open pit optimization parameters used and overall operational cost of US $11.31/t. The MRE has been categorized in accordance with the CIM Definition Standards (CIM, 2014). A Net Value per block [NVB] calculation was used to constrain the Mineral Resource, determine the "Benefits = Income-Cost", where, Income = [(Au Selling Price (US$/oz) - Au Selling Cost (USD/Oz)) x (Au grade (g/t)/31.1035)) x Au Recovery (%)] + [(Ag Selling Price (US$/oz) - Ag Selling Cost (USD/Oz)) x (Ag grade (g/t)/31.1035)) x Ag Recovery (%)] and Cost = Mining Cost (US$/t) + Process Cost (US$/t) + Transport Cost (US$/t) + G&A Cost (US$/t) + [Royalty Cost (%) x Income] In-situ bulk density were assigned to each model domain, according to samples averages for each lithology domain, separated by alteration zones and subset by oxidation. All tonnages reported are dry metric tonnes and ounces of contained gold are troy ounces. Mining recovery and dilution factors have not been applied to the Mineral Resource estimates. The Mineral Resource was estimated by Mr. Peralta, B.Sc., FAusIMM CP (Geo), Independent Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Peralta is not aware of any environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing, or other relevant issues that could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Resource. All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimates. Minor discrepancies may occur due to rounding to appropriate significant figures.

QA/QC and Core Sampling Protocols

AbraSilver applies industry standard exploration methodologies and techniques, and all drill core samples are collected under the supervision of the Company's geologists in accordance with industry best practices. Drill core is transported from the drill platform to the logging facility where drill data is compared and verified with the core in the trays. Thereafter, it is logged, photographed, and split by diamond saw prior to being sampled. Samples are then bagged, and quality control materials are inserted at regular intervals at site; these include blanks and certified reference materials as well as duplicate core samples which are collected in order to assess sampling precision and reproducibility. Groups of samples are then placed in large bags which are sealed with numbered tags in order to maintain a chain-of-custody during the transport of the samples from the project site to the laboratory.

All samples are received by the ASA (Alex Stewart Argentina) preparation laboratory in Salta, where they are prepared, then the pulp sachet is directly dispatched to its facility in Mendoza, Argentina, where they are analyzed. All samples are analyzed using a multi-element technique consisting of a four-acid digestion followed by ICP/AES detection, and gold is analyzed by 50g Fire Assay with an AAS finish. Silver results greater than 100g/t are re-analyzed using four acid digestion with an ore grade AAS finish.

Qualified Persons

David O'Connor P.Geo., Chief Geologist for AbraSilver, is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and he has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release.

About AbraSilver

AbraSilver is an advanced-stage exploration company focused on rapidly advancing its 100%-owned Diablillos silver-gold project in the mining-friendly Salta province of Argentina. The current Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource estimate for Diablillos (tank leach-only) consists of 73.1 Mt grading 79 g/t Ag and 0.66 g/t Au, containing approximately 186Moz of silver and 1.6Moz of gold, with significant further upside potential based on recent exploration drilling. The Company is led by an experienced management team and has long-term supportive shareholders. In addition, the Company has an earn-in option and joint venture agreement with Teck on the La Coipita project, located in the San Juan province of Argentina. AbraSilver is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "ABRA" and in the U.S. on the OTCQX under the symbol "ABBRF."

For further information please visit the AbraSilver Resource website at www.abrasilver.com, our LinkedIn page at AbraSilver Resource Corp., and follow us on X at www.x.com/abrasilver

Cautionary Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements that address future plans, activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur are forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. When considering this forward-looking information, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in the Company's disclosure documents filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. The risk factors and other factors noted in the disclosure documents could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/291988

Source: AbraSilver Resource Corp.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - Hi-Performance Construction, a leading provider of Toronto commercial contractors, today announced the release of its new report, "A Guide to Office Renovations in Toronto's Shifting Commercial Landscape." The guide provides insights for business owners and property managers navigating return-to-office mandates, rising construction costs, and changing tenant expectations across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).





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Toronto's Changing Office Market in 2026

The report highlights a significant transformation in Toronto's office sector as organizations continue enforcing in-office work policies. Major employers across finance, telecommunications, and government sectors are requiring employees to return to offices multiple days per week, increasing demand for modern and adaptable workspaces.

At the same time, the market shows a widening gap between premium Class A buildings and older Class B and C properties. While high-end office spaces are experiencing improved occupancy, aging buildings are facing increased pressure to upgrade in order to remain competitive.

Rising construction costs also remain a key factor influencing renovation decisions, creating urgency for property owners to plan strategically.

Renovation Strategies for Office Spaces

According to Hi-Performance Construction, the guide outlines two primary approaches:

Cosmetic Refresh

Minor upgrades such as painting and fixture improvements

Timeline: 1-3 weeks

Outcome: Enhances tenant satisfaction with lower investment

Full-Scale Redesign

Structural upgrades, layout changes, and system improvements

Timeline: 3-6 months

Outcome: Supports higher lease rates and long-term asset value

"As Toronto commercial contractors, we are seeing increased demand for renovations that align with evolving workplace strategies," said a Jordan Blake spokesperson for Hi-Performance Construction. "This guide provides a framework for informed decision-making in a changing market."

Key Trends Driving Office Renovations

The report identifies several trends shaping renovation priorities in 2026:

Flexible Layouts: Open and hybrid-friendly office designs

Open and hybrid-friendly office designs Sustainability: Energy-efficient upgrades aligned with modern standards

Energy-efficient upgrades aligned with modern standards Tenant-Focused Amenities: Collaborative spaces, improved HVAC systems, and enhanced workplace comfort

These trends are becoming essential for attracting and retaining tenants.

Addressing Renovation Challenges in the GTA

Renovation projects across the Greater Toronto Area involve complex considerations, including permitting, compliance, and project coordination. High demand in the construction sector can also impact timelines.

Hi-Performance Construction notes that integrated design-build approaches can help streamline execution and reduce project risks.

Supporting Long-Term Property Value

The report emphasizes that upgrading office spaces is increasingly important for maintaining competitiveness in Toronto's evolving commercial real estate market. Strategic renovations can improve occupancy, enhance tenant experience, and support long-term asset performance.

The full guide Collection is available at:

https://hi-performanceconstruction.com/blog

About Hi-Performance Construction

Hi-Performance Construction provides commercial renovation and design-build services across the Greater Toronto Area, supporting businesses with workspace upgrades and project management solutions.

Media Contact

Informational purposes only; consult professionals for advice.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/292086

Source: BrandingBuzz.Agency
Austin, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - Mini Split AC Texas, an online retailer specializing in ductless heating and cooling systems, today announced the expansion of its product offerings and logistics capabilities across Texas, aiming to meet rising demand for energy-efficient HVAC alternatives in both residential and light commercial markets.





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With energy costs continuing to be a concern for homeowners across the state, ductless mini split systems have emerged as a viable alternative to traditional central air conditioning. Mini Split AC Texas is positioning its solutions as a modern approach to climate control, offering systems that can reduce electricity consumption compared to conventional HVAC setups.

"Efficiency is no longer optional; it's a priority for Texas homeowners," said Travis Sterling, a company spokesperson. "We're seeing a clear shift toward ductless systems that provide targeted cooling and heating while reducing wasted energy. Our goal is to make that transition simple, affordable, and reliable."

The company's current lineup includes two primary product categories designed to serve different customer segments:

Elite Series (up to 20 SEER2): Built for affordability and dependable performance, these systems are suited for smaller spaces such as bedrooms, apartments, garages, and home offices. The series is positioned as an entry point for customers seeking efficiency without a premium price tag.

Built for affordability and dependable performance, these systems are suited for smaller spaces such as bedrooms, apartments, garages, and home offices. The series is positioned as an entry point for customers seeking efficiency without a premium price tag. Pro Series (up to 24 SEER2): Designed for maximum performance, these systems deliver higher efficiency ratings and are optimized for larger residential areas and commercial applications. The Pro Series emphasizes long-term energy savings and enhanced climate control precision.

Both series utilize advanced inverter technology, allowing the systems to adjust output dynamically based on room conditions. This results in more stable temperatures, quieter operation, and improved overall efficiency compared to fixed-speed systems.

Mini Split AC Texas also emphasizes its streamlined purchasing and fulfillment experience. Customers can select a system based on room size, BTU requirements, or location-specific recommendations, then complete their purchase through a secure online checkout. Orders are typically shipped within 1-3 business days, with coverage across major metropolitan areas including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and surrounding regions.

To further support adoption, the company provides a range of educational resources aimed at simplifying the buying process. These include guides on system sizing, SEER2 efficiency ratings, installation considerations, and comparisons between ductless and traditional HVAC systems.

In addition, many of the systems offered by Mini Split AC Texas qualify for federal energy incentives under the 25C tax credit program. Eligible customers may receive up to 30% of the system cost (capped at $2,000), making high-efficiency upgrades more financially accessible.

Customer experience remains a central focus for the company. Mini Split AC Texas offers 24/7 support through multiple channels, including phone, email, and live chat, assisting customers with product selection, installation guidance, and post-purchase support. All systems are backed by a 5-year warranty on parts and compressors, reinforcing long-term reliability.

Recent customer feedback highlights both the efficiency and usability of the systems. Users have reported noticeable reductions in electricity bills, particularly when replacing older central HVAC units, as well as improved control over individual room temperatures.

Industry trends indicate continued growth in the adoption of ductless systems, particularly in regions with extreme weather conditions like Texas. As homeowners and businesses seek more flexible and cost-efficient solutions, Mini Split AC Texas aims to expand its footprint and maintain its position as a specialized provider in the segment.

"Our focus is on delivering practical solutions that align with how people actually use their spaces," added Travis Sterling. "Ductless systems offer that flexibility, and we're committed to making them accessible across Texas with fast delivery and dependable support."

About Mini Split AC Texas

Mini Split AC Texas is a Texas-focused online retailer of ductless mini split air conditioning and heat pump systems. The company provides energy-efficient HVAC solutions designed for modern residential and commercial environments. With a focus on fast shipping, customer support, and competitive pricing, Mini Split AC Texas serves customers across all major regions in Texas.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/292010

Source: GYT
LONDON, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Strider Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of strategic intelligence, today announced that Caroline Bellamy, former Chief Data and AI Officer at the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), has joined the company as Executive Director.

Caroline brings more than 35 years of digital and data experience spanning government, industry, and most recently defence, combining deep expertise in digital, data and AI with an extensive international background including working across Five Eyes, allied partners and agencies.

In this new role, Caroline will help expand Strider's AI capabilities to deliver an agentic data refinery that global organizations rely on to understand and navigate global competition.

"Caroline is one of the foremost leaders in applying data and AI to complex economic and national security challenges," saidEric Levesque, President and Co-Founder of Strider Technologies. "Her experience building and operationalising advanced data capabilities across allied ecosystems aligns directly with how Strider is evolving its AI-powered strategic intelligence platform. As we continue developing our agentic AI capabilities to transform open-source data into strategic intelligence, her experience will strengthen our ability to provide clients with clearer, faster insight into nation-state risk and support more confident decision making."

As Western nations confront growing economic security threats from strategic competitors, organisations, industry and governments face persistent hostile activity from adversarial nations seeking to access sensitive data, critical infrastructure, technology, and talent. At the same time, organisations must navigate increasing operational complexity and resource constraints while making high-stakes decisions about technology, personnel, investment, and global partnerships.

Strider's AI-powered strategic intelligence platform analyses billions of publicly available data points to identify patterns of state-linked activity and emerging risks, enabling organisations to uncover hidden connections, assess exposure, and make quicker, more confident decisions.

"Throughout my career, I have seen first-hand how increasingly sophisticated competitors and indeed state actors exploit the openness of advanced digital and data capabilities and economies to access technology, talent, and sensitive intellectual property," said Caroline Bellamy, Executive Director at Strider Technologies. "Economic security is one of the defining challenges of our time, and it requires the best combination of technology, data, AI, and the right people with the skills to meet it. What drew me to Strider is exactly that, a diverse team that is genuinely mission-driven and ethically motivated, working globally for the security of what we want to defend. I'm proud to join an organisation where purpose and capability go hand in hand."

Caroline has spent the past six years serving as the UK Ministry of Defence's first ever Chief Data Officer, and most recently as its Chief Data and Artificial Intelligence Officer. Caroline led the transformation of data capabilities and AI enablement across the organisation, spearheading the first Defence Data Strategy and driving a fundamental shift in how data is governed, shared, and exploited. Her work established new policies, governance frameworks, talent and capabilities to accelerate the use of advanced technologies and analytics, delivering data-enabled insight and decision advantage across Defence. Caroline has worked extensively across the global defence data ecosystem, forging collaboration with NATO, Five Eyes partners, allied governments, and industry to strengthen collective capability and accelerate the responsible use of data and AI in Defence and national security.

Prior to the Ministry of Defence, Caroline held senior leadership roles within FTSE 100 organisations working internationally including nine years at Vodafone and eight at Centrica, where she led major data and digital capability developments and required transformation programs. She has been recognised among the Top 50 Most Influential People in UK Technology (2024) and has been named one of DataIQ's 100 Most Influential People in Data since 2018. Caroline is a committed leader the promotion of diversity and talent and was named in top 20 Women in Data and Technology in 2019.

About Strider

Strider is the leading strategic intelligence company empowering organizations to secure and advance their technology and innovation. Leveraging cutting-edge AI technology alongside proprietary methodologies, Strider transforms publicly available data into critical insights. This increased intelligence enables organizations to proactively address and respond to risks associated with state-sponsored intellectual property theft, targeted talent acquisition, and third-party partners. Strider has operations in 16 countries around the globe with offices in Salt Lake City, UT; Washington, DC; London; Tokyo; and Sydney.

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Fernandez brings more than a decade of national broadcast experience to FINTECH.TV, anchoring new morning programming connecting U.S. and Middle East markets and co-anchoring Pulso del Mercado, the new daily Spanish-language show produced from the New York Stock Exchange

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / April 13, 2026 / FINTECH.TV, the global broadcasting platform for entrepreneurs and investors headquartered at the New York Stock Exchange, today announced the addition of Johny Fernandez as a new anchor. A veteran broadcast journalist with more than a decade of national news experience, Fernandez joins FINTECH.TV to anchor its soon-to-be-announced morning programming connecting U.S. and Middle East markets, and to co-anchor Pulso del Mercado, the new daily Spanish-language financial show produced live from the NYSE in partnership with Comercio TV.

A Broadcaster Built for This Role

Most recently, Fernandez served as a freelance anchor and correspondent for ABC News, where he worked as an overnight standby anchor delivering national breaking news and special reports. He reported across multiple ABC News platforms, including ABC News Live, the network's streaming service, and ABC NewsOne, the affiliate news service that distributes content to more than 200 ABC stations and international partners. His on-air experience includes appearances on flagship broadcasts including World News Now and Good Morning America: First Look.

Fernandez built the foundation of his broadcast career working in markets across the country, including Huntsville, Orlando, and New York City. He holds a degree in Broadcasting from Southeastern University, and his reporting has aired on national and international networks, including ABC News, CBS Newspath, Voice of America, BBC, Business Reporter, and Debanked News. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Fernandez brings national network credibility, live breaking news expertise, and multicultural fluency to FINTECH.TV.

Two Roles, One Vision

In his first role, Fernandez will anchor FINTECH.TV's soon-to-be-announced morning programming serves as the connective voice between U.S. capital markets and the Middle East. Broadcasting from the NYSE studio, he will anchor live coverage that bridges Wall Street's opening bell with closing market activity across the Gulf region, bringing institutional credibility to FINTECH.TV's expanding international presence.

In his second role, Fernandez co-anchors Pulso del Mercado, the daily Spanish-language financial show produced in partnership with Comercio TV and set to debut in late May 2026. The show delivers live market coverage, digital asset and blockchain news, and expert analysis to Spanish-speaking investors and entrepreneurs in the United States, Latin America, and beyond. Fernandez's bilingual fluency and broadcast experience make him a natural anchor for a show built to serve a community long underrepresented in financial media.

"Johny is exactly the kind of anchor FINTECH.TV is built around," said Troy McGuire, Co-Founder and Head of Global Content and Operations at FINTECH.TV. "He has spent more than a decade earning credibility at the highest levels of broadcast journalism. The fact that he can do that in English and in Spanish, and that he understands both the U.S. market and the communities we are trying to reach internationally, makes him an extraordinary fit for what we are building here. These are not easy roles to fill, and we are fortunate to have him."

"FINTECH.TV is doing something I have not seen before in financial media," said Johny Fernandez. "They are building a platform that actually reflects the world as it is, not just Wall Street as it has always been. To anchor programming that connects the U.S. market to the Middle East, and to anchor a daily Spanish-language show from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, is the kind of work that matters. Growing up as the son of Peruvian immigrants, the connection between U.S. and Latin American markets was always part of the conversation at home. Being able to bridge continents on this platform is work I am excited to be a part of."

About FINTECH Media Group

FINTECH Media Group is a global media company that owns and operates FINTECH.TV and Breakout. FINTECH.TV is the global broadcasting platform for entrepreneurs and investors, and the first truly global, cross-exchange financial media network. Broadcasting from studios at the New York Stock Exchange, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi with several more in development, FINTECH.TV covers the latest news and perspectives in finance, blockchain, AI, and sustainability investing through live broadcasts, exclusive interviews, and thought leadership content. Breakout is a real-time social audio and messaging platform with users in over 24 countries, empowering people to access information, share insights, and engage in live conversations. Together, FINTECH Media Group connects global audiences with the people shaping the future of finance and innovation.

Follow FINTECH.TV: @FINTECHTVGLOBAL

Media Contact: Troy McGuire | troy@fintech.tv |

###

SOURCE: FINTECH.TV

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/fintech.tv-names-johny-fernandez-as-new-anchor-tapping-veteran-j-1156691
QKS Group designates Saviynt as the Most Valuable Pioneer (MVP) for its AI-first architecture and leadership in embedding AI across governance, entitlements, and risk.

PUNE, India, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- QKS Group, a global research and advisory firm, has announced the release of its latest whitepaper, "QKS AI Maturity Matrix: Mapping AI Across Governance, Entitlements, and Risk for Autonomous Identity Administration". The report introduces a first-of-its-kind AI maturity model tailored specifically at the core of AI Maturity Matrix: Identity Governance and Administration (IGA), 2025 spotlighting Saviynt as the Most Valuable Pioneer (MVP) for 2025.

As identity ecosystems expand across SaaS applications, hybrid infrastructure, non-human identities, and emerging AI agents, traditional governance models based on static roles and periodic certifications are no longer sufficient. The QKS AI Maturity Matrix evaluates how effectively vendors embed AI across governance workflows, entitlement intelligence, risk decisioning, and operational execution to transition from compliance-centric oversight to continuous, intelligence-driven identity security.

"Identity governance is undergoing a structural transformation," said Sanket Kadam, Analyst at QKS Group. "AI maturity is no longer defined by isolated analytics or recommendation engines. It is defined by how deeply intelligence is embedded into entitlement management, continuous risk scoring, and autonomous remediation. Saviynt distinguishes itself by operationalizing AI across governance, entitlements, and risk as a unified system rather than as an overlay feature."

AI Maturity: The Strategic Imperative for Modern IGA

The QKS AI Maturity Matrix assesses vendors across core dimensions including AI vision and roadmap, AI-first productization, governance execution maturity, intelligence depth across identity types, and measurable business outcomes.

Key AI capabilities evaluated in the report include:

Entitlement intelligence and peer-based access analysis.

Continuous risk scoring and anomaly detection.

Certifications based on exposure rather than static cycles.

Closed-loop remediation and policy-aware automation.

Govern human, machine, and emerging AI identities within a unified framework.

The research identifies Saviynt as the Most Valuable Pioneer due to its ability to "embed intelligence at the core of identity governance, using entitlement intelligence, continuous risk scoring, and natural-language driven workflows to move IGA from periodic compliance to autonomous, context-aware access governance," said Sanket Kadam, Analyst at QKS Group." The report further notes that Saviynt's roadmap toward agentic identity security reflects a deliberate progression toward autonomous identity administration, where AI assists, recommends, and in defined scenarios executes governance actions within policy boundaries, while maintaining auditability and human accountability.

"Identity governance has always been a data problem - too many identities, too many entitlements, and too little visibility to act with confidence," said Dan Deganutti, SVP Field Sales, Saviynt. "Being recognized by QKS Group as the Most Valuable Pioneer reflects that we've built AI that doesn't sit on top of governance workflows, but runs through them. From entitlement intelligence to continuous risk scoring to agentic remediation, Saviynt is moving IGA from periodic compliance to something that actually keeps pace with how enterprises operate today."

The whitepaper is designed to guide CIOs, COOs, transformation leaders, and IT architects through vendor selection by aligning enterprise AI ambition with market capabilities.

Access the Report: To download the full whitepaper and explore the QKS AI Maturity Matrix, visit: Here

About Saviynt

Saviynt's AI-powered identity platform manages and governs access to an organization's applications, data, and business processes. Customers trust Saviynt to safeguard their digital assets, drive operational efficiency, and reduce compliance costs. Built for the AI age, Saviynt is helping organizations safely accelerate their deployment and usage of AI today. Saviynt is recognized as the leader in identity security, with solutions that protect and empower the world's leading brands, Fortune 500 companies, and government institutions.

Media Contact:

PR@saviynt.com

About QKS Group

QKS Group is a global analyst and advisory firm helping enterprises, technology vendors, and investors make trusted, data-driven decisions. Our portfolio spans the flagship SPARK Matrix evaluation framework, SPARK Plus analyst advisory platform, QKS Intelligence for market and competitive tracking, and QKS Community for CXO leaders and practitioners. All offerings are powered by a Human-Intelligence-driven framework and QKS's closed-loop research methodology - integrating expert-led insights, quantitative modeling, and continuous validation to deliver credible, outcome-focused intelligence.

For more available research, please visit Research

Media Contacts:

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PR & Media Relations

QKS Group

5th Floor, Wing 2, Cluster C,

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Email: shraddha.r@qksgroup.com

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NEWARK, Del., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest market analysis by Future Market Insights, the global central venous catheter market is witnessing sustained growth driven by the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, increasing demand for long-term intravenous therapies, and expanding critical care procedures worldwide. The market is projected to grow from USD 3.09 billion in 2025 to USD 5.86 billion by 2035, registering a CAGR of 6.6% during the forecast period.

Central venous catheters play a vital role in modern healthcare by enabling safe and efficient delivery of medications, fluids, and nutrients, as well as supporting blood sampling and hemodynamic monitoring in critical care environments.

Detailed market forecasts, competitive benchmarking, and pricing trends: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-949

Quick Stats: Central Venous Catheter Market

Market Size (2025): USD 3.09 Billion

USD 3.09 Billion Market Size (2035): USD 5.86 Billion

USD 5.86 Billion Growth Rate: 6.6% CAGR (2025-2035)

6.6% CAGR (2025-2035) Leading Product Segment: PICC Lines (40% share)

PICC Lines (40% share) Top Design Segment: Double Lumen Catheters (45% share)

Double Lumen Catheters (45% share) Leading End-Use: Hospitals (70% share)

Technology Advancements and Innovation Trends

Technological advancements are transforming the central venous catheter market, focusing on patient safety and clinical efficiency. Manufacturers are introducing antimicrobial-coated catheters and biocompatible materials to reduce infection risks and improve outcomes.

A notable development includes Teleflex Incorporated launching its Pressure Injectable Arrowg+ard Blue Plus MSB Procedure Kit, designed to enhance clinician efficiency while maintaining sterile barrier standards.

These innovations are strengthening product reliability and expanding applications across intensive care, oncology, and long-term treatment environments.

Digital Integration and Smart Monitoring Systems

The integration of digital health technologies is reshaping catheter-based care. Smart CVC systems now incorporate embedded sensors that monitor flow, pressure, and temperature, enabling early detection of complications such as infections or thrombosis.

Healthcare providers are increasingly adopting:

Real-time monitoring through connected dashboards

RFID and barcode-based inventory tracking

Cloud-based catheter lifecycle management

Remote patient monitoring and telehealth integration

These advancements support faster clinical decision-making and reduce hospital readmissions by enabling outpatient and home-based care.

Rising Demand from Chronic Disease and Critical Care

The growing prevalence of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and renal disorders is a major growth driver. According to World Health Organization, millions of patients require long-term intravenous therapies annually, increasing reliance on central venous catheters.

Key demand drivers include:

Rising cancer cases requiring chemotherapy

Increasing dialysis procedures for renal diseases

Growing incidence of sepsis and critical infections

Expansion of intensive care and surgical procedures

CVCs play a vital role in administering medications, fluids, and nutrition in these high-risk clinical scenarios.

Pricing Trends and Cost Optimization

Healthcare institutions are shifting from upfront cost considerations to long-term value-based procurement. Buyers are evaluating:

Total lifecycle cost of devices

Infection prevention capabilities

Maintenance and replacement needs

Compatibility with hospital systems

Although antimicrobial-coated catheters improve safety, their higher cost may limit adoption in price-sensitive markets.

Speak to Analyst: Customize insights for your business strategy: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-949

Key Segments Driving Market Growth

PICC Lines: Dominating with 40% share, widely used for long-term therapies such as chemotherapy and parenteral nutrition

Dominating with 40% share, widely used for long-term therapies such as chemotherapy and parenteral nutrition Double Lumen Catheters: Leading with 45% share, enabling simultaneous administration of multiple drugs

Leading with 45% share, enabling simultaneous administration of multiple drugs Polyurethane Material: Holding 60% share due to durability and biocompatibility

Holding 60% share due to durability and biocompatibility Hospitals: Accounting for 70% share, driven by high patient volume and complex procedures

Regional Outlook and Expansion Trends

North America: Led by the United States with strong adoption of advanced medical technologies

Led by the United States with strong adoption of advanced medical technologies Asia Pacific: Rapid growth driven by healthcare expansion in China and South Korea

Rapid growth driven by healthcare expansion in China and South Korea Europe: Increasing demand supported by outpatient care trends and technological innovation

Strategic collaborations and distribution agreements, particularly in China, are enhancing market penetration and product accessibility.

Patient-Centric Care and Remote Support

The shift toward patient-centered healthcare is driving adoption of remote monitoring and home-based care solutions. Key trends include:

Patient education and self-care training

Remote telenursing support

Use of PROMs and PREMs for outcome measurement

Shared decision-making in vascular access selection

These approaches improve patient satisfaction while reducing complications and hospital stays.

Competitive Landscape

Leading companies are focusing on innovation, partnerships, and global expansion to strengthen their market position. Key players include:

Medtronic Plc.

Becton, Dickinson and Company

Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA

B. Braun Melsungen AG

AngioDynamics, Inc.

The market is moderately consolidated, with Tier 1 players accounting for a significant share through strong product portfolios and global reach.

Future Outlook

The central venous catheter market is poised for sustained growth, supported by technological advancements, increasing chronic disease burden, and the shift toward digital and home-based healthcare.

As healthcare systems prioritize patient safety, efficiency, and long-term cost optimization, central venous catheters will remain essential in modern medical practice, creating new opportunities for innovation and strategic expansion.

Unlock 360 insights for strategic decision making and investment planning: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/949

Related Reports:

Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Market:https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/peripheral-intravenous-catheter-market

Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Market:https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/peripherally-inserted-central-catheters-market

Venous Thromboembolism Treatment Market:https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/venous-thromboembolism-treatment-market

Central Dialysis Fluid Delivery System (CDDS) Market:https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/central-dialysis-fluid-delivery-system-cdds-market

Venous Stents Market:https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/venous-stents-market

About Future Market Insights (FMI)

Future Market Insights (FMI) stands out by delivering?actionable, decision-maker-focused research, not just data. Unlike traditional reports that focus only on market size and forecasts, FMI provides:

Deep pricing analysis and cost benchmarking ?across equipment and technologies

?across equipment and technologies Installed base and replacement cycle insights ?to predict real demand

?to predict real demand Procurement and buyer behavior analysis ?from OEMs, EPC firms, and plant operators

?from OEMs, EPC firms, and plant operators Supply chain and trade flow intelligence ?including import/export dynamics

?including import/export dynamics Technology adoption insights?across automation, IIoT, robotics, and smart manufacturing

FMI follows a?bottom-up research approach, combining real industry inputs from procurement heads, technical experts, and supply chain leaders. This ensures that every insight is?practical, validated, and business-ready.

With a strong legacy in market intelligence, FMI is known for:

High-quality, data-driven analysis ?trusted by global companies

?trusted by global companies Forward-looking insights ?aligned with Industry 4.0 trends

?aligned with Industry 4.0 trends Custom research capabilities ?tailored to strategic business needs

?tailored to strategic business needs Continuous data validation and updates?based on real market changes

FMI does what others don't-it connects data with real business decisions, helping companies plan investments, optimize costs, and stay ahead in competitive markets.

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Rahul Singh

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Future Market Insights, Inc.

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Fredericksburg, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - AR15Elite.com, a Texas-based e-commerce company founded by experienced AR-platform builder Aaron Ketchum of Ketchum Industries Inc., officially announces the launch of its online store specializing in precision-built AR-15 and AR-10 upper assemblies. Built on years of hands-on experience in the firearms industry, the company is focused on delivering high-quality components with an emphasis on accuracy, reliability, and disciplined assembly standards.





AR-9, AR-15 and AR-10 Upper Receiver Assemblies from AR15Elite.com website

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The launch comes at a time of increasing demand among firearm enthusiasts for higher-quality, configurable AR-platform components that go beyond mass-produced options. AR15Elite.com was created to meet that demand by offering carefully assembled upper receivers tailored to individual customer preferences, while maintaining strict quality control standards.

Aaron Ketchum brings over 15 years of hands-on experience working with AR-platform rifles and has personally built more than 10,000 upper assemblies. This depth of experience forms the foundation of AR15Elite.com's commitment to consistency, performance, and attention to detail in every product offered.

Unlike mass-produced alternatives, AR15Elite.com offers custom-configured upper assemblies that are individually assembled and inspected prior to shipment. Each unit is carefully checked for proper headspace using industry-standard Manson Go and No-Go gauges, ensuring dependable performance and adherence to critical assembly benchmarks.





Aaron Ketchum Vice President of Ketchum Industries Inc and founder of AR15Elite.com

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"We built AR15Elite.com around the idea that shooters deserve components they can trust right out of the box," said Aaron Ketchum, founder of AR15Elite.com and Ketchum Industries Inc. "Our goal is to combine real-world experience with disciplined assembly practices to deliver consistent performance for every customer."

Ketchum added, "Quality is not just about the parts we select-it's about the process behind every build. From component sourcing to final inspection, we focus on doing things the right way so customers can have confidence in what they're running."

The company's product lineup includes a wide selection of AR-15 and AR-10 parts and accessories, including upper assemblies, barrels, bolt carrier groups, handguards, upper receivers, adjustable gas blocks, and drop-in triggers. Inventory is curated based on extensive industry knowledge and includes components from established manufacturers such as Shaw Barrels, Ballistic Advantage, Aero Precision, and other respected OEM suppliers.

A key area of focus for AR15Elite.com is its complete upper assemblies, available in a wide range of calibers and configurations to meet the needs of recreational shooters, hunters, and long-range enthusiasts. Barrel options span multiple lengths and profiles, with an emphasis on precision manufacturing and performance consistency.

The website is designed to streamline the buying process, allowing customers to configure and purchase complete upper assemblies along with compatible accessories in a single, user-friendly interface. This integrated approach simplifies the purchasing experience and reduces unnecessary friction for customers.

AR15Elite.com stands behind its products with a one-year warranty from the date of purchase, reinforcing its commitment to quality and customer confidence. The company also emphasizes responsive, U.S.-based customer support, with direct phone assistance available during business hours. Orders are processed efficiently, with straightforward shipping options and careful packaging to help ensure products arrive in excellent condition.

About AR15Elite.com

AR15Elite.com is an e-commerce company based in Fredericksburg, Texas, specializing in AR-15 and AR-10 platform components, custom upper assemblies, and precision barrels. Founded by Aaron Ketchum of Ketchum Industries Inc., the company is built on over 15 years of hands-on experience and more than 10,000 personally assembled upper builds. AR15Elite.com is dedicated to providing high-quality parts, careful assembly, and dependable customer service for firearm enthusiasts across the United States.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/292011

Source: AR15 Elite
Digital platform offers interactive and educational content to showcase marine biodiversity and promote ocean conservation

Costa Rica is home to approximately 3.5% of the world's reported marine species

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the National Geographic Institute, Costa Rica's marine territory is ten times larger than its land area, yet this reality is not always part of the country's collective awareness. In response, and with the goal of promoting conservation and education, the essential COSTA RICA country brand launched Costa Rica Blue, a digital platform designed to bring Costa Ricans closer to the knowledge and importance of their oceans.

The initiative aims to strengthen ocean literacy through an interactive and educational platform that encourages the protection of marine ecosystems. Costa Rica Blue is freely available to students, educators, and the general public at the following link: https://www.esencialcostarica.com/costaricablue/

"Costa Rica Blue was created out of the need to better understand our oceans and recognize their value. We believe that knowledge is the first step toward protection, and this platform seeks precisely that: to bring this knowledge to more people-especially younger generations-through an accessible and interactive experience," said Adriana Acosta, Director of the essential COSTA RICA country brand.

According to the Schmidt Ocean Institute, more than 7,000 marine species have been recorded in Costa Rica's waters, many of them unique or endemic. Costa Rica Blue immerses users in the depths of Costa Rican waters and invites them to discover these species, providing information on each one, as well as the environments, temperatures, and pressure levels in which they live.

In addition, the platform includes key information about coral reefs and seamounts, as well as alerts regarding the risks of overfishing for vulnerable species and marine biodiversity.

"Costa Rica is a deeply blue country, yet we are not always fully aware of what that means. This platform is an invitation to rediscover that richness, to reconnect with our oceans, and to understand that their protection is part of who we are as a country. This initiative reflects the values of sustainability and innovation promoted by the essential COSTA RICA country brand," Acosta added.

Costa Rica Blue is a project developed in coordination with the Ministry of Public Education (MEP), as a key partner in implementing the initiative within the national education system.

"These educational resources have been designed in alignment with the Science and Biology curricula for students in lower and upper secondary education across different academic tracks. They serve as a complementary tool to strengthen classroom teaching and learning processes," said Alfredo Ortega Cordero, Head of the Lower and Upper Secondary Education Department at the Curriculum Development Directorate of the MEP.

Why are oceans important?

92% of Costa Rica's territory is ocean

The country's marine territory is approximately 10 times larger than its land area

Costa Rica is home to around 3.5% of the world's reported marine species

Oceans generate more than 50% of the oxygen we breathe and absorb nearly 30% of the CO2 produced by humanity, highlighting their importance for planetary balance.

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Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 13, 2026) - AIM5 Ventures Inc. (TSXV: AIME.P) ("AIM5" or the "Corporation"), a capital pool company ("CPC") pursuant to Policy 2.4 - Capital Pool Companies of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV"), announces its intention to adopt the policies outlined in the semi-annual financial reporting pilot program ("SAR Pilot Program") utilizing the exemptions provided under Coordinated Blanket Order 51-933 Exemptions to Permit Semi-Annual Reporting for Certain Venture Issuers (the "Blanket Order").

The SAR Pilot Program is implemented under the Blanket Order, which allows eligible venture issuers to voluntarily move from quarterly to semi-annual financial reporting. By adopting the SAR Pilot Program, AIM5 aims to reduce the administrative and financial burden associated with quarterly reporting.

The Corporation will not file interim financial statements and related management discussion and analysis ("MD&A") for the nine-month period ending March 31, 2026, and three-month period ending September 30, 2026. AIM5 will continue to file audited annual financial statements and MD&A (due within 120 days of June 30, 2026) and six-month interim financial statements and MD&A (due within 60 days of December 31).

AIM5 confirms it meets the SAR Pilot Program's eligibility criteria, which include being a venture issuer with annual revenues of less than $10 million and maintaining a clean 12-month continuous disclosure record. The Corporation remains committed to timely disclosure and will continue to report all material changes and significant developments as required under National Instrument 51-102 - Continuous Disclosure Obligations.

This news release is being filed pursuant to the Blanket Order.

About AIM5

AIM5 was incorporated under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) on August 11, 2020 and is a CPC (as defined in the policies of the TSXV) listed on the TSXV. AIM5 has no commercial operations and no assets other than cash.

The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward-looking statements. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, the Corporation disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/292266

Source: AIM5 Ventures Inc.
American-Founded K-Beauty Brand Projects $100M in Revenue by 2026

MIAMI, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- JiYu, a Korean skincare brand formulated and manufactured in South Korea, today announced its expansion into the emerging category of longevity-focused skincare, combining advanced Korean formulation with innovations in cellular skin health. As the global skincare market shifts toward preventative, science-backed approaches, JiYu is positioning itself at the intersection of Korean beauty and longevity.

"The rest of the world is starting to catch up to what Korean skincare has always understood. Longevity is the next frontier - and we've been building toward it from the start." - Jen Chierotti, Co-Founder, JiYu

JiYu is a K-beauty brand formulated and manufactured in Korea, built for a global audience, with offices in Miami, Austin, and Seoul's Gangnam district. Founded by American female entrepreneurs, JiYu has become one of the fastest-growing K-beauty brands in the United States, tracking toward $100 million in revenue in 2026 on the back of triple-digit year-over-year growth.

WHERE KOREAN BEAUTY MEETS LONGEVITY

JiYu is built on the same principles that define the best Korean skincare: ingredient precision, skin health over time, and formulations that go deeper than the surface. But the brand has taken that philosophy somewhere most K-beauty brands haven't gone yet. Longevity.

The idea is that skin can be supported at the cellular level, not just the surface. JiYu brings Korean ingredient science and formulation precision to actives and delivery systems increasingly studied in cellular health research, working at the level of how skin actually repairs and regenerates over time. The brand integrates Korean ingredient innovation with emerging research in skin regeneration, barrier repair, and long-term skin health, extending the conversation from anti-aging skincare to skin longevity.

NAD+ is one example of that thinking in action, a coenzyme tied to cellular energy and repair processes, incorporated into formulations using advanced Korean delivery systems designed to improve bioavailability. Alongside this, JiYu's proprietary K8-Rejuvenate complex combines clinically studied ingredients including Snail Mucin, Centella Asiatica, Niacinamide, Alpha-Arbutin, and a multi-peptide complex to target multiple aspects of skin health simultaneously, from tone and texture to barrier strength. Rather than positioning individual hero ingredients, JiYu formulates its products as systems designed to work cohesively over time.

"The best anti-aging products in the world come out of Korea. JiYu exists to bring them to everyone everywhere." - Jen Chierotti, Co-Founder, JiYu

MADE IN KOREA, BUILT FOR WHAT'S NEXT

Every JiYu product is formulated and manufactured in South Korea by one of South Korea's leading cosmetics ODMs, whose clients include several of the world's most recognized luxury beauty brands. JiYu's Korea-based product development team maintains deep relationships within the Korean beauty supply chain, giving the brand access to active ingredients and delivery systems that require direct relationships within the Korean manufacturing ecosystem. The brand is actively growing its Seoul-based team, with ongoing hiring across product development, formulation, and market operations as part of its expanding Korean presence.

JiYu products are imported directly from South Korean manufacturing facilities to U.S. consumers, with no domestic reformulation, co-packing, or third-party repackaging at any stage. The formulas consumers receive are identical to what is developed and produced in Seoul.

JiYu products are manufactured to the highest international standards, holding certifications including CGMP, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 22716. The brand has committed a portion of its recent $6.5 million capital raise to independent clinical research, building the evidence base that the longevity skincare category will increasingly require.

"Korean formulation science has always been built around long-term skin health - that philosophy is in the DNA of how we develop every product. What JiYu is doing is bringing that depth of formulation to the longevity conversation happening in the West. No one else has really connected those two worlds yet at scale." - Jen Chierotti, Co-Founder, JiYu

GROWTH DRIVEN BY PRODUCT

JiYu's rise has been driven almost entirely by product performance and creator-led content rather than traditional marketing. With a strong presence across TikTok Shop, Amazon, and its own Shopify storefront at jiyuskin.com, with meaningful revenue contribution across all three platforms, the brand has built a loyal customer base through repeat purchase and word of mouth, a signal of both product efficacy and growing consumer alignment with its approach to skincare.

With five new products expected in 2026 - each building on the brand's longevity-driven formulation approach - JiYu is preparing for its next phase of growth, including retail distribution and direct entry into the South Korean market.

A NEW DIRECTION FOR SKINCARE

As consumers increasingly move toward preventative health, biohacking, and longevity-focused wellness, skincare is evolving alongside it. JiYu represents a shift in how beauty brands are built, combining global supply chain access, Korean formulation expertise, and a long-term view of skin health.

For a brand that launched with a clear thesis of K-beauty science meets longevity thinking, JiYu has found an audience that responds to both.

JiYu products are available at jiyuskin.com, Amazon, and TikTok Shop.

U.S. Offices: Miami, FL  Austin, TX

Seoul Office: ??? ???? 354, 11F, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea

MEDIA CONTACT

JiYu Skincare

press@jiyuskin.com  jiyuskin.com

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Odessa Cognac Factory to Hold Shareholders Meeting on April 29

PJSC Odessa Cognac Factory will hold its annual general meeting of shareholders on April 29, 2026, via remote participation. The agenda includes approval of the 2025 operating results, financial statements, and other management matters.

The Odessa Cognac Factory is one of the oldest producers of alcoholic beverages in Ukraine, founded in the 19th century. The company is known for its cognac and wine brands. According to disclosure information, the controlling stake is held by the international group Global Spirits, associated with Ukrainian businessman Yevhen Chernyak. The key beneficiarys stake is estimated to be controlling (over 50%).
Advisory Committee Approves Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman as the Next Director of the Mossad

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Type: Media Statements

Government: The 37th Government

Publish Date: 12.04.2026

The advisory committee on senior appointments chaired by retired Supreme Court President Asher Grunis has, this evening , approved Maj.-Gen. Roman Gofman as Director of the Mossad.

Upon receiving the committee's approval, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed the document appointing Maj.-Gen. Gofman as the next Director of the Mossad, effective 2 July 2026, for five years.

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The bulk carrier is allowed to leave Sweden

Swedish Cost Guard

12 April 2026 10:18

The master of the bulk carrier Hui Yuan has admitted violating the Swedish Environmental Code and has deposited money for future fines.

The ship is therefore allowed to leave Sweden.

Earlier news about the operation, published on April 12, 2026.

The Swedish Coast Guard has boarded:a bulk carrier suspected of violating the Environmental Code

Monitoring the Baltic Sea, the Swedish Coast Guard's aircraft discovered yesterday that the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Hui Yuan was flushing coal residues into the sea. This is a violation of the Environmental Code.

On behalf of the Swedish Prosecution Authority, the ship was boarded outside Ystad, south of Sweden, at 8 o'clock on Sunday morning by the Swedish Coast Guard's crew on KBV 003.

"The shipping industry should know that Swedish authorities are working close together to maintain order at sea. We are acting to increase maritime safety and protect the environment. If there is a suspicious vessel, we do intervene, based on the prevailing conditions," says Daniel Stenling, Deputy Head of the Swedish Coast Guard's Operations Department.

A preliminary investigation has been initiated and the prosecutor has decided that a hearing will be held. The suspicion is violation of the Environmental Code.

The bulk carrier Hui Yuan is registered in Panama. The ship is on its ways from Russia heading for Las Palmas in Spain.

The Swedish Coast Guard has no further information about the operation or the investigation.

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PM Netanyahu Visits Southern Lebanon

Israel - Prime Minister's Office

Type: Events and Speeches

Government: The 37th Government

Publish Date: 12.04.2026

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Visits Southern Lebanon: "The war continues. Our enemies are now fighting for survival."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today, visited southern Lebanon, together with Defense Minister Israel Katz, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir and Head of Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Rafi Milo.

Following the visit, the Prime Minister went to an IDF outpost near the border, where Galilee Division Commander Brig.-Gen. Yuval Gez briefed him on the division's operations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

"I am here with the Defense Minister, the Chief-of-Staff, the Head of Northern Command, the Division Commander, and our reserve soldiers. There is a magnificent spirit here and a readiness to fight, and they are fighting well. The war continues, including inside the security zone in Lebanon, where I was just a short while ago.

What we are seeing is that we have thwarted the threat of an invasion from Lebanon thanks to this security zone. We are pushing away the danger of anti-tank fire and addressing the high-trajectory rockets, but there is still work to be done. We have done enormous work, achieved tremendous accomplishments, and there is more to do, and we are doing it.

One of the things we see here is that we have essentially changed the face of the Middle East. Our enemies - Iran and the Axis of Evil - came to destroy us, and now they are fighting simply for their own survival. We see this in every single arena. This is a massive achievement for the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces, our regular troops and our wonderful reservists. The people of Israel salute you."

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Statement on the approval by the Occupying Authorities of the establishment of 34 settlements in the Occupied West Bank

League of Arab States

Date: 12/04/2026

The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector) expresses its strong condemnation and profound denunciation of the Israeli occupation authorities' approval of the establishment of 34 new settlements in the West Bank, in a dangerous escalatory step that constitutes a grave and flagrant violation of international law, including the relevant Geneva Conventions, as well as resolutions of international legitimacy issued by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly, all of which affirm the illegality of settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The General Secretariat considers that such unilateral measures serve only to deepen tensions and instability in the region, and affirms that systematic settlement expansion directly undermines the prospects for achieving a just and comprehensive peace. It further obstructs international efforts aimed at resuming a serious and credible political process based on the two-State solution, leading to the end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (Palestine and Occupied Arab Territories Sector) also stresses that the continuation of these policies constitutes a serious infringement on the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, and results in the imposition of faits accomplis on the ground that alter the demographic and geographic character of the occupied territories, in violation of peremptory norms of international law.

In this context, the General Secretariat calls upon the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to assume its legal and moral responsibilities and to take practical and effective measures, including the activation of international accountability mechanisms, in order to bring an immediate end to these escalating settlement violations.

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OIC Secretary-General Condemns and Warns of the Gravity of Israel's Continued Violations of Islamic and Christian holy Sites in Occupied Al-Quds

Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

12-04-2026

The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Hissein Brahim Taha, condemned in the strongest terms the incursion of the extremist Israeli minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, into the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Haram Al-Sharif, accompanied by groups of extremist settlers and under the protection of the Israeli occupation police, considering it a blatant assault on the sanctity of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and a deliberate and dangerous provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world.

The Secretary-General emphasized that Israel, the occupying power, does not have any sovereignty over the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including the city of East Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and its Islamic and Christian holy sites, and that any measures and actions taken by the occupying power in this regard are null and void, warning of the gravity of the continued Israeli violations, which come within the framework of its plans to impose new facts on the ground through attempts to change the geographical and demographic situation in occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem), compromise the existing historical and legal status of the holy sites in Al-Quds (Jerusalem), and attempts to divide the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque temporally and spatially, in violation of the right to worship at the holy sites in the city.

The OIC Secretary-General held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for all the dangerous repercussions of the continuation of these provocative incursions, which would fuel violence, tension and instability in the region and the entire world, reiterating his call on all parties of the international community to assume their responsibilities and take deterrent diplomatic, legal and economic measures to pressure the Israeli occupation to respect its obligations under international law and stop these repeated violations, and to ensure respect for the sanctity of Islamic and Christian holy sites in occupied Al-Quds (Jerusalem), and the need to preserve the historical and legal status of the holy sites in Al-Quds (Jerusalem).

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Statement on Proposed Amendments to the Philippine Coast Guard-China Coast Guard Memorandum of Understanding

Republic of the Philippines - Department of Foreign Affairs

MANILA 12 April 2026 - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reaffirms its 23 March 2026 Statement on the ongoing discussions to amend the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the China Coast Guard (CCG). The DFA categorically rejects characterizations of these discussions as opaque, unilateral, or conducted without the PCG's knowledge and participation.

The PCG and CCG first entered into an MOU on the Establishment of a Joint Coast Guard Committee on Maritime Cooperation in 2016. Since 2024, both parties have been engaged in talks to amend and update that agreement.

Prior to the latest Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting with China last month, the PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil L. Gavan formally informed the DFA, by letter dated 27 January 2026, of the status of negotiations with the CCG and shared the latest draft of the proposed MOU. Admiral Gavan also requested DFA's assistance in seeking an update from the CCG on the proposed amendments.

It bears emphasis that while these negotiations have been conducted through proper diplomatic channels, they are not limited to BCM meetings. All developments have been duly reported to, and are known by, all relevant principals, including the National Security Adviser in his capacity as NTF-WPS Chair, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and PCG Commandant Gavan. References to the draft MOU have likewise appeared in numerous public statements.

The proposed amendments are limited in scope. They aim to re-establish the Joint Coast Guard Committee as a formalized communication channel between the two coast guards. The MOU does not contemplate cooperation in sensitive operational areas, joint patrols in particular.

These discussions are consistent with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s standing directive to maintain open lines of communication with China, even as the Philippines firmly upholds its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction under international law  particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award  across all its maritime zones, including the West Philippine Sea. END

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ASEAN unity critical in addressing maritime security challenges

Philippine News Agency

April 12, 2026, 2:38 pm

MANILA -- Unity among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members is crucial in addressing evolving maritime security challenges in the region.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said united ASEAN member states will preserve regional stability.

"ASEAN has always drawn its strength from unity of purpose. That unity must continue to guide us not only in preserving what we have built -- but in shaping what comes next," he said in a media release Sunday.

Brawner issued the comment during the Philippine Navy Maritime Security Symposium 2026, which has the theme "Maritime Security in Southeast Asia: Navigating Continuity and Change Through ASEAN" and where he was the keynote speaker on Friday.

He highlighted the symposium's role as a platform for meaningful collaboration and collective action among regional partners.

"Let this symposium serve not only as a venue for dialogue, but as a shared commitment to act with clarity, to cooperate with purpose, and to uphold a maritime domain that remains a source of stability and connection for all," Brawner said.

The security symposium, launched by the Navy in 2015 as part of its anniversary activities, serves as a vital platform for stakeholders to exchange insights on emerging issues, and strengthen cooperation toward a safe and secure maritime environment. (Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)

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Hamas calls for global action on repeated Israeli intrusions into Al-Aqsa Mosque

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 12 April 2026 6:26 PM

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has called on the international community to assume its responsibility and take effective steps to stop repeated intrusions by Israeli settlers into the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

In a statement released on Sunday, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said that repeated attacks by the hawkish Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Al-Aqsa "reflect the real intention of the occupying regime to impose a temporal and spatial division of this holy site."

He urged the international community to "assume its responsibilities" regarding the blatant violations against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East al-Quds.

Qassem further called on world states and international organizations "to exert pressure to force the occupying regime to stop the desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque and its Judaization plans" across occupied al-Quds.

Elsewhere in the statement, the Hamas spokesman described the repeated attacks as "a clear violation of Islamic sanctities, incitement to the feelings of the Islamic nations, and an unprecedented disregard for the official and popular positions of Arab countries."

In the latest incident, Ben-Gvir stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East al-Quds' Old City on Sunday  his third incursion into Islam's third holiest site this year.

Accompanied by Israeli settlers and under heavy protection from Israeli forces, he offered Jewish prayers at the site, which is not permitted for non-Muslims under the longstanding status quo arrangement in place since 1967.

Ben-Gvir, who has stormed the mosque compound at least 16 times since taking office in 2022, is part of a growing settler movement that seeks to take over Al-Aqsa.

The far-right minister has openly expressed his intention to build a Jewish synagogue in place of the holy Muslim site.

"Today, I feel like the owner here," Ben-Gvir said in a video filmed at the site and distributed by his office. "There is still more to do, more to improve. I keep pushing the prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] to do more and more."

The Palestinian Authority's presidency also condemned the storming of the mosque compound, which has become increasingly frequent in recent years.

In a statement, the presidency described the move as a blatant violation of the historical and legal status quo at the holy site.

Jordan's Foreign Ministry said it considered Ben-Gvir's visit a violation of the status quo agreement, calling it "a desecration of its sanctity, a condemnable escalation and an unacceptable provocation."

Israel had closed Al-Aqsa Mosque to Palestinians for 40 days following the regime's unprovoked and illegitimate aggression against Iran on February 28, launched alongside the United States.

Israel routinely imposes restrictions on the mosque, particularly targeting Palestinian worshippers. This year, Israeli authorities prevented Eid al-Fitr prayers at Al-Aqsa  the first such ban since Israel's illegal occupation of East al-Quds in 1967.

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Israeli forces attack Christian worshipers during Holy Saturday in occupied al-Quds

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 12 April 2026 10:53 AM

Israeli police forces have attacked Christian worshipers in occupied al-Quds during Holy Saturday, one of the most important Christian holidays marking the final day before Easter.

During the assault, the occupation forces pushed people, beat several individuals, and detained a number of participants.

Israeli police had already set up checkpoints and inspected IDs of those attending the religious ceremony.

They had also deployed barriers and iron barricades across key routes leading to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of al-Quds.

The restrictions came one day after the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in al-Quds called on Christians to attend Holy Saturday rituals following a 40-day closure of the church amid the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the assault on Christian worshipers as a direct attack on freedom of worship, saying it reflects a systematic policy targeting the Palestinian Christian presence in occupied al-Quds.

It also noted that blocking access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre violates international law and the long-standing status quo.

Meanwhile, Ramzi Khoury, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee and head of the Higher Presidential Committee for Church Affairs, strongly denounced the Israeli attack.

Israeli forces, he added, deliberately intimidated the crowds to impose a coercive reality and prevent native Palestinians from practicing their religious rituals in violation of international law.

Similarly, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the Israeli police actions and rejected the illegal and restrictive measures against Palestinian Christians.

In a statement, the ministry further called for an immediate halt to all measures that hinder Muslims and Christians from practicing their religious rituals.

Additionally, it urged respect for the historical and legal status quo in al-Quds' holy sites and called on the international community to pressure the Israeli regime to stop violations against Islamic and Christian sacred places.

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This American Was Abducted In Kabul In 2022. His Family Is Desperate For News.

By Malali Bashir and Freshta Negah April 12, 2026

Mahmood Shah Habibi's parents don't get much sleep, and his daughter hasn't seen her father since she was 11 months old.

That was in 2022, when Habibi was abducted in Kabul and detained by the ruling Taliban's intelligence agency, US officials say.

"We have had no news of his fate for four years," his mother, Ruqayya Habibi, 70, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi in a telephone interview. "We only know that he is with these people (the Taliban), but they deny it."

"Believe me, his father and I have been awake every night from worry until morning," she said.

Like her missing son, his wife, and their daughter, Ruqqaya Habibi is a US citizen. Her search for her son -- or for any scrap of information about his whereabouts or condition -- included a five-month trip from her home in the United States to Afghanistan in 2025.

Three of those months were spent in the southern city of Kandahar, where Habibi's older brother Ahmad Shah Habibi had been told he was being held in a guesthouse belonging to Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada.

"I went to Kandahar with Habibi's wife and daughter and my eldest son, who had come from London," she said. But she did not see Habibi and was unable to meet with Taliban officials.

Habibi, 37, led the Afghan Aviation Authority under the US-backed government before US forces completed their withdrawal in 2021 and the Taliban returned to power 20 years after their ouster following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Habibi and his driver were abducted from their vehicle in Kabul on August 10, 2022, and detained by the Taliban's General Directorate of Intelligence, according tothe US State Department.

At the time, Habibi was working as a consultant for a Kabul-based telecommunications firm. His mother told RFE/RL he was detained four days after returning to Afghanistan following a three-month trip outside the country.

The Taliban has arrested dozens of foreign nationals since its return to power, and human rights groups have accused the group of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and torture in custody.

US citizen Dennis Coyle was released in late March after being held for over a year. His mother had pleaded for a pardon on the occasion of the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Coyle's release came two weeks after the United States designated Afghanistana "state sponsor of wrongful detention," accusing the unrecognized Taliban government of holding Americans as bargaining chips.

US President Donald Trump introduced the designation in September and Afghanistan was the second country to be listed, following Iran. "The Taliban continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on March 9.

The following day, the Taliban denied it was holding US citizens for ransom and called the comments "regrettable."

In addition to Coyle, the Taliban has released at least five other US citizens in the past four years. Two of them, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were released in January 2025 in exchange for Khan Mohammad, a Taliban member who was sentenced to two life terms in prison by a US court on a drug and narco-terrorism conviction.

Habibi's family has previously said the Taliban accused him of cooperating with US intelligence in determining the whereabouts of Ayman al-Zawahiri, the al-Qaeda leader who was killed in a US strikeon Kabul on July 31, 2022, less than two weeks before Habibi was seized.

RFE/RL has been unable to verify that the Taliban made such an accusation, and the Taliban denies holding Habibi. A Taliban official, speaking on condition of anonymity, repeated the claim to RFE/RL this week, saying the group has no information about his fate. Taliban officials did not respond to RFE/RL's requests for further comment.

"We just want our brother to be released," Ahmad Shah Habibi told RFE/RL after Afghanistan was designated a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" in March. "We have some hope in the US government because it has tried from the start to free American detainees. We hope these efforts will lead to my brother's release."

Ruqayya Habibi said her granddaughter, now 4 years old, asks about her father constantly.

If Taliban officials suspect he committed a crime, she said, they should put him on trial. "He should be tried; if he is found guilty, he can be jailed. But now he is in prison without being proven guilty."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-american- detained-family-search-taliban/33729615.html

Copyright (c) 2026. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Hungarian Opposition Leader Magyar Scores Landslide Win To Oust Orban

By RFE/RL April 12, 2026

Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar has scored a landmark election victory over Prime Minister Viktor Orban, ousting US President Donald Trump's closest ally in Europe on promises of rebuilding the country's European Union ties while curbing them with Moscow.

"The election results are not final yet, but the situation is understandable and clear," Orban said late on April 12 as results showing Magyar's center-right Tisza party with a sizeable lead over Orban's right-wing Fidesz.

"The election result is painful for us, but clear. The responsibility and possibility of governing was not given to us. I have congratulated the winner."

With nearly all ballots counted, Tisza led with 53.6 percent of the vote, compared with 37.8 percent for Fidesz, according to the Hungarian election committee.

Preliminary calculations give Tisza 138 seats in the 199-member parliament -- enough, if confirmed, to give it the two-thirds majority needed to push through constitutional changes.

"My fellow Hungarians -- we have done it!" Magyar told supporters in Budapest. He said his first trip abroad will be to Warsaw, where he has received strong backing from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

"Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!" Tusk wrote on X, adding in Hungarian: "Russians, go home!"

Magyar said he would then "go to Vienna and Brussels to have EU funding released."

The outcome of the elections was closely watched in Brussels, Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington.

Trump did not answer questions shouted by reporters about Orban as he walked away following his return to Washington on April 12.

Pushback Against Authoritarian Trends

Veteran American diplomat Daniel Fried described Hungary's stunning election result as "a very big deal," saying it signals a broader pushback against authoritarian trends in Europe and beyond.

Speaking to RFE/RL on April 12, Fried -- who has served in senior national-security roles under seven US administrations and is now a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council -- said he was surprised by both the speed and scale of the outcome.

"I am a bit surprised that we know the results this quickly," he said, noting that many observers had expected a prolonged count.

"So the fact that Viktor Orban has conceded shows that this is the kind of landslide victory that [the opposition] wanted and that Hungarian pro-democracy people prayed for, but that no one expected until it came."

Hungary's troubled relationship with many countries in the EU means the bloc's 27 members were keenly interested in the outcome of the vote, as were Washington and Moscow, both of whom have strong ties with Orban, who has held power for the past 16 years.

"Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said soon after Orban conceded.'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Magyar on his "convincing victory" and wrote on Telegram: "It is important when the constructive approach wins."



As an EU member, Orban's government has managed to block or water down many of the bloc's decisions on sanctions against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It has also prevented some EU support for Ukraine.

Recently, he stopped a 90 billion euro ($105 billion) loan for Kyiv for 2026 and 2027, initially agreed by EU leaders in December 2025.

Last month, Hungarian police seized two vans carrying more than $80 million in cash and 9 kilograms of gold bars, along with seven Ukrainian citizens, who were en route from Austria to their home country in what was considered the regular transportation of monetary instruments.

These steps came after Orban accused Ukraine of stopping deliveries of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline. Ukraine says the pipeline was damaged by Russian strikes and repairs would take time.

Leaked Calls To Russia

All of these issues fed into the election campaign, as have leaked telephone calls in which Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto appeared to be briefing his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on high-level EU meetings.

After first denying it, Hungary's foreign minister then confirmed that he not only speaks to Russian colleagues before and after EU meetings, but also to counterparts from Israel, Serbia, Turkey, and the United States.

"France salutes a victory of democratic participation, of the Hungarian people's attachment to the values of the European Union, and for Hungary in Europe," French President Emmanuel Macron said after calling to congratulate Magyar on his victory.



"Together, let us advance a more sovereign Europe, for the security of our continent, our competitiveness, and our democracy."

Meanwhile, Magyar's primary focus in the election campaign was on domestic issues, particularly an anti-corruption campaign.

In an interview with RFE/RL in October 2025, he indicated that his foreign policy instincts would be cautious.

In particular, he said that there would be no quick end to Russian fossil fuel imports, despite EU pressure for Hungary -- and neighboring Slovakia -- to fall into line with steps taken by other member states to fully cut energy ties with Moscow by 2027.

Hungary currently imports around 95 percent of its natural gas supplies from Russia, while during the first half of 2025 some 92 percent of its oil imports came from Russia.

With reporting by Alex Raufoglu in Washington

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-american- detained-family-search-taliban/33729615.html

Copyright (c) 2026. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Australia, Philippine, U.S. forces conduct multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity

Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet

NEWS | April 12, 2026

By U.S. 7th Fleet Public Affairs

SULU SEA -- The combined forces of Australia, the Philippines and the United States conducted a multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, April 9-12, 2026. This activity demonstrated a collective commitment to strengthening regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

As the fifth MCA of 2026, these regular at-sea events strengthen the interoperability of our respective military doctrines, tactics, techniques, and procedures. This multilateral MCA focused on critical maritime skills, including communication drills, maritime domain awareness activities and supporting equipment offload from Manila to Puerto Princesa, Philippines.

"We embrace any chance to conduct at-sea operations with our allies, Australia and the Philippines, and reinforce our commitment to security in the region," said Cmdr. Adam Peeples, commanding officer of U.S. Navy Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48). "These exercises provide an opportunity to strengthen our bonds, hone our skills and interoperability, and demonstrate the resilience of our crews. Our Sailors are dedicated to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific and deterring aggression."

MCAs are conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety, navigational rights, and freedoms of all nations.

Participating units included Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Toowoomba (FFH 156) with an embarked MH-60R helicopter; Philippine Navy Rajah Sulayman-class offshore patrol vessel BRP Rajah Sulayman (PS 20) with an embarked AW109 helicopter; Philippine Air Force FA-50 fighter jets, A-29B Super Tucano, C-208B Grand Caravan EX aircraft, a Sokol search and rescue helicopter; Philippine Coast Guard Teresa Magbanua-class patrol vessel BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV 9702); and U.S. Navy's Ashland.

The U.S., along with our allies and partners, upholds the right to freedom of navigation and overflight and other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law.

U.S. 7th Fleet, the U.S. Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific.

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Hungary's Tisza party wins parliamentary elections, defeating Orban's ruling coalition

Global Times

By Xinhua Published: Apr 13, 2026 10:09 AM

Hungary's opposition party Tisza, led by Peter Magyar, defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition by securing a majority in Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results released by the National Election Office (NEO).

With 98.89 percent of the votes counted by the NEO, Tisza won 53.21 percent and was projected to win 138 of the 199 parliament seats, exceeding the two-thirds threshold. Orban's ruling Fidesz-KDNP alliance received 38.26 percent and was projected to win 55 seats.

The far-right Our Homeland Movement won 5.85 percent and is projected to take 6 seats. Other parties failed to clear the 5-percent threshold required to enter parliament.

Preliminary statistics showed that turnout reached about 77.8 percent among roughly 8.1 million eligible voters, marking a record high.

On social media, Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok expressed his congratulations to "the winning party of the elections and to all the candidates of the parliament."

Addressing supporters in Budapest, 45-year-old Magyar hailed his party's "decisive victory," saying it was a win seen "from every Hungarian window." He added that Hungary will once again be a strong ally in the European Union (EU) and NATO.

Orban, 62, conceded defeat. "The election results, though not yet final, are clear and understandable; for us, they are painful but unambiguous," he told reporters. "We have not been entrusted with the responsibility and opportunity to govern. I congratulated the winning party."

The victory of the center-right Tisza party signals the imminent end of Orban's 16 consecutive years in power. Orban served as Hungary's prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and has remained in office since returning to power in 2010.

During the campaign, Tisza focused on anti-corruption and institutional reform, calling for the restoration of the rule of law and transparent governance. It also advocated repairing relations with EU and urged Hungarians to unite in building a sovereign, civic, modern and European Hungary.

Under Hungary's electoral law, parliamentary elections are held every four years. Hungary's parliament has 199 seats, including 106 elected directly in single-member constituencies and 93 allocated among parties that enter parliament.

A number of European leaders congratulated Magyar on his election victory, expressing expectations for closer cooperation and Hungary's renewed engagement with Europe.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola congratulated Magyar, saying Hungary has "chosen Europe" and lies "at the heart of Europe."

European Council President Antonio Costa said Hungary's "record turnout" reflected a democratic spirit and expressed readiness to work closely with the new leadership to make Europe stronger and more prosperous.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has also extended congratulations, according to Magyar.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the result "a historic moment" for both Hungary and European democracy, voicing hope for working with Hungary for shared security and prosperity.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that France welcomed the Hungarian people's commitment to EU values and Hungary's commitment to Europe, saying, "Let us build a more sovereign Europe, for the security of our continent, our competitiveness, and our democracy."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he had spoken with Magyar by phone and was ready to work together for "a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe."

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store described the result as of great importance to Europe, expressing hope for close and constructive cooperation with Magyar in advancing peace and stability, democracy and the rule of law.

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Hezbollah says hit 43 Israeli targets as part of anti-aggression ops on Sunday

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 April 2026 12:49 AM

Hezbollah's Islamic Resistance announced on Sunday that it carried out 43 military operations against Israeli enemy positions and troop concentrations along the border and deep inside occupied Palestine, in response to repeated ceasefire violations and the regime's relentless aggression on Lebanese villages.

The operations included drone strikes on a key communications hub in the occupied Golan Heights, a direct hit on a Merkava tank, multiple rocket barrages on Kiryat Shmona and Nahariya, and guided missile strikes on command sites and military infrastructure.

The most significant operations included:

A precision drone strike on the communications station at the Al-Alika barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights, causing a direct hit.

A loitering drone strike on a Merkava tank near the hospital of Mays al-Jabal.

Swarms of explosive drones targeting Israeli troop gatherings in Al-Bayyada, Yaroun, and Kfar Yuval.

Rocket barrages on the Kiryat Shmona barracks, the Nahariya settlement, and the 146th Division headquarters in Gaaton.

Shelling of newly established Israeli positions in southern Lebanon, including the Balat site and the Al-Asi heights near Mays al-Jabal.

Hezbollah fighters also struck the Meron air surveillance and operations management base, the Filon base south of Rosh Pina, and underground infrastructure in the Karmiel and Katzrin settlements.

The operations spanned from Sunday morning until late night, with multiple barrages launched at troop and vehicle gatherings in the border towns of Khiam, Bint Jbeil, Taybeh, and Aita al-Shaab.

Hezbollah said the operations were a "duty to defend Lebanon and its people" after Israel repeatedly violated the ceasefire agreement that was supposed to include Lebanon.

"This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression on our country and our people stops," the Resistance said in a statement.

"The Islamic Resistance is committed to defending its land and people, especially as the Israeli enemy has crossed all borders with its criminality. This is the minimum duty to stop it from advancing its dangerous goals against Lebanon, state, people, and Resistance."

The announcement came as Lebanese families buried more victims of ongoing Israeli strikes.

In the southern village of Srifa, an Israeli air strike killed a two-year-old girl, Taleen Saeed, and four other relatives as they were burying her father.

The family had returned to the village on Wednesday, the first day of a US-Iran ceasefire that many hoped would apply to Lebanon. Instead, Israeli strikes killed more than 350 people across Lebanon in the following days.

More than 160 children have been killed in Lebanon since the escalation began, according to local health authorities.

Pope Leo on Sunday called for a ceasefire, saying there was a "moral obligation to protect the civilian population."

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Netanyahu Visits Southern Lebanon, Says 'The War Continues'

05:18 13.4.2026

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited southern Lebanon on April 12 and said military operations against the Iran-allied Hezbollah militia would go on despite international calls for a cease-fire.

"The war continues, even within the security zone in Lebanon," Netanyahu said in a video released by his office.

He was in southern Lebanon with Defense Minister Israel Katz and Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir. The exact location wasn't specified.

"What we are seeing is that we have thwarted the threat of an invasion from Lebanon through this security zone," he said.

"There is still more to do, and we are doing it," he said.

The visit came two days before US, Lebanese, and Israeli officials are scheduled to hold direct talks in Washington on April 14.

Lebanon was dragged unwillingly into the Middle East war when Iran-allied Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel after US-Israeli air strikes killed Iran's supreme leader on the first day of the conflict on February 28.

Hezbollah has been deemed a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States.

Separately, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he was working to stop the Israel-Hezbollah conflict amid the ongoing battles.

"We will continue to work to stop this war, to ensure the Israeli withdrawal from all our lands," Salam said in a televised address.

Lebanon's Health Ministry has said the war's overall toll has risen to more than 2,050 dead, including 165 children and more than 80 health workers.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-live-blog- trump-khamenei/33640284.html?lbis=449236

Copyright (c) 2026. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Benin - Romuald Wadagni

On April 12, 2026, Benin made history as Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni emerged victorious in the presidential election, securing a decisive mandate as the endorsed successor of outgoing President Patrice Talon. This comprehensive overview details Wadagnis biodata, the landmark election results, his remarkable career, and the prospects for his administration as the West African nation enters a new era of technocratic continuity and economic ambition.

In a vote that underscores Benins commitment to democratic transition, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni has been elected President of the Republic of Benin. With polling stations closing across the country, early projections and exit polls indicate a commanding victory for the ruling coalitions candidate, who was overwhelmingly endorsed by outgoing President Patrice Talon. Nearly eight million eligible voters turned out in significant numbers despite a relatively calm campaign period, reflecting widespread support for continuity after a decade of strong economic performance under Talons leadership. Wadagni, running as the candidate of the Progressive Union for Renewal and the Republican Bloc, faced only one credible challenger, Paul Hounkp of the Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin, whose campaign remained low-profile. President Talon, constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, had personally backed Wadagni as his successor, describing him as the ideal figure to sustain and deepen the transformative reforms that have positioned Benin among the regions fastest-growing economies. Wadagnis victory speech, delivered from Cotonou, emphasized unity, security, and accelerated development, declaring that Benin has chosen progress, stability, and a brighter future for every citizen. The election marks a rare smooth handover in West Africa, where term limits are often contested. International observers praised the peaceful process and high organizational standards, noting that Wadagnis landslide win reflects public appreciation for the economic gains achieved over the past ten years, including improved business climate, infrastructure expansion, and successful international bond issuances.

Biodata: Early Life and Education

Romuald Wadagni was born on June 20, 1976, in Lokossa, a town in southern Benin, as the eldest of five children. His father, Nestor Wadagni, was a respected statistician and economist who served in the Beninese civil service and later as chief of staff to prominent political figures, instilling in his son a deep appreciation for public service, fiscal discipline, and intellectual rigor. Growing up in a modest but education-focused household, young Romuald balanced academic pursuits with practical responsibilities, including manual work such as bricklaying and mechanics, experiences that later shaped his pragmatic and hands-on leadership style. After completing his scientific baccalaureate in Benin, Wadagni moved to France for higher studies. From 1995 to 1999, he attended the prestigious cole Suprieure des Affaires de Grenoble (now part of Grenoble Alpes University), where he earned a Masters degree in Finance and graduated at the very top of his class. His academic excellence caught the attention of Deloitte recruiters, who offered him a position even before graduation. Wadagni further enhanced his credentials with an MBA from Harvard Business School, solidifying his reputation as one of Africas most accomplished finance professionals. He is also a Chartered Accountant in France and a Certified Public Accountant in the United States, qualifications that would prove instrumental in both his private-sector success and later governmental roles.

Early Career at Deloitte and Private-Sector Excellence

Following his recruitment by Deloitte in 1998, Romuald Wadagni embarked on a stellar 17-year career with the global consulting and auditing giant. He worked across multiple continents, gaining invaluable international experience in Paris, Lyon, Boston, New York, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rising rapidly through the ranks, he became a partner and eventually served as CEO of Deloitte France and Deloitte DRC. From 2007 to 2016, he held the critical position of Director of Quality and Risk for all Deloitte subsidiaries in French-speaking Africa, overseeing operations across more than a dozen countries. Colleagues and clients described him as meticulous, visionary, and exceptionally skilled at navigating complex financial environments. His tenure at Deloitte coincided with major advisory roles for African governments and multinational corporations, where he honed expertise in public finance management, risk assessment, debt restructuring, and corporate governance. This period not only built his professional network but also gave him firsthand insight into the challenges facing developing economies. Wadagnis private-sector achievements earned him widespread recognition as a top-tier technocrat, making him a natural choice when President Patrice Talon sought fresh talent to overhaul Benins economy upon taking office in 2016.

Appointment as Finance Minister and Decade of Service Under Talon

In April 2016, at the age of 39, Romuald Wadagni was appointed Minister of Economy and Finance by President Patrice Talon, quickly rising to the rank of Senior Minister. Over the next decade, he became the architect of Benins economic renaissance. Under his stewardship, the country achieved sustained GDP growth averaging around 7 percent annually, one of the highest rates in West Africa. Key accomplishments include successful Eurobond issuances that diversified funding sources, aggressive debt management that improved Benins credit rating, and comprehensive reforms that dramatically enhanced the business climate. Benin climbed dozens of places in the World Banks Doing Business rankings, attracting record foreign direct investment in infrastructure, agriculture, and digital economy sectors. Wadagni also played a central role in flagship projects such as the modernization of the Port of Cotonou, expansion of special economic zones, and initiatives to formalize the economy while supporting small and medium enterprises. Internationally, he served as Benins Governor at the World Bank and maintained strong relationships with multilateral partners. His pragmatic, results-oriented approach earned him multiple Best Finance Minister in Africa accolades. Throughout his ministerial tenure, Wadagni remained fiercely loyal to President Talon, often described as the head of states man of confidence, while maintaining political independence as a technocrat rather than a career politician.

Personal Life and the Decision to Enter Presidential Politics

Despite his high-profile public role, Romuald Wadagni has maintained a relatively private personal life. He is known to be a family-oriented man with strong ties to his hometown of Lokossa and owns agricultural farms in Savalou and Com, reflecting a personal interest in rural development and food security. Wadagni has spoken publicly about the values of discipline and humility instilled by his father, often crediting his upbringing for his ability to balance high-stakes governmental responsibilities with grounded perspectives. When President Talon confirmed he would not seek a third term, the ruling coalition turned to Wadagni as the natural successor. Initially hesitant, as he had never before run for elected office, Wadagni accepted the challenge with characteristic humility. In interviews, he emphasized that the decision was driven by a sense of duty rather than personal ambition. President Talon is a man of his word, Wadagni stated. If I am elected, he will step aside completely, and I will continue the work we started together. His selection was formally endorsed by the Progressive Union for Renewal and the Republican Bloc in September 2025, unifying the presidential majority behind his candidacy.

The 2026 Election Campaign and Decisive Victory

The 2026 presidential campaign was notable for its focus on continuity rather than confrontation. Romuald Wadagni crisscrossed the country, launching his campaign in the strategically important northern town of Kandi near the borders with Niger and Nigeria. He addressed security concerns head-on, promising to intensify efforts against jihadist threats in the north while maintaining economic momentum. His campaign emphasized four pillars: economic transformation, security and stability, social inclusion, and regional integration. With the full backing of President Talon and the ruling coalitions formidable organizational machine, Wadagnis rallies drew large crowds in Cotonou, Porto-Novo, and rural areas alike. In contrast, his opponent Paul Hounkp conducted a low-key campaign. Early voting patterns and pre-election polls consistently showed Wadagni leading by a wide margin. As results began to flow in on election night, it became clear that the Finance Minister had secured a landslide victory, projected to exceed 60 percent of the vote in the first round. Wadagnis success reflects voter confidence in the tangible improvements delivered under the Talon-Wadagni economic model and a desire for stable, competent leadership amid regional uncertainties.

Political Vision and Key Policy Positions

Romuald Wadagni identifies as a pragmatic technocrat committed to market-friendly policies, good governance, and inclusive growth. His vision builds directly on the foundations laid since 2016: accelerating infrastructure development, digital transformation, agricultural modernization, and human capital investment. He has pledged to maintain fiscal discipline while expanding social programs to reduce inequality and youth unemployment. On security, Wadagni has vowed to strengthen military and intelligence cooperation with neighbors to combat the growing jihadist presence in northern Benin. Regionally, he supports deeper integration within ECOWAS and closer ties with international partners. Wadagnis pro-business stance is expected to continue attracting foreign investment, while his emphasis on transparency and anti-corruption aligns with international financial institutions expectations. He has also signaled openness to dialogue with opposition figures to broaden national consensus on key reforms.

Prospects as President: Opportunities and Challenges

As Benins incoming President, Romuald Wadagni enters office with a strong mandate and a rare combination of technocratic expertise and political capital. His supermajority support in the National Assembly will enable swift implementation of an ambitious agenda. Opportunities abound: unlocking further international financing, completing major infrastructure projects, and positioning Benin as a middle-income economy within the next decade. Wadagnis deep relationships with the World Bank, IMF, and private investors will be crucial in sustaining the economic momentum that has already transformed the countrys fiscal health and global standing. Challenges, however, are significant. The escalating jihadist threat in the north requires immediate and sustained attention, demanding both military and socio-economic responses. Managing expectations after a decade of rapid change while addressing persistent issues such as youth employment and rural poverty will test his leadership. Additionally, Wadagni must navigate the delicate post-Talon transition, ensuring that the outgoing presidents influence remains advisory rather than dominant. On the international stage, his administration is likely to pursue balanced diplomacy, strengthening ties with traditional Western partners while expanding cooperation with emerging economies. Analysts predict that a successful Wadagni presidency could serve as a model of competent, reform-driven governance for the region. With his proven track record, broad public support, and clear vision, Romuald Wadagni is well-positioned to lead Benin into a new chapter of prosperity, security, and democratic maturity. The coming years will reveal whether his technocratic approach can deliver not only continued growth but also greater social cohesion and resilience against emerging threats.

Romuald Wadagnis election represents more than a simple leadership change; it symbolizes the maturation of Benins democratic institutions and the triumph of competence over charisma in West African politics. His journey from Lokossa to the presidency embodies the power of education, professional excellence, and public service. For Benins youth, Wadagni offers proof that merit and expertise can reach the highest levels of government. Economically, his leadership is expected to consolidate gains in debt sustainability, investment attraction, and regional trade leadership. Socially, continued focus on education, health, and rural development promises to narrow persistent gaps. Regionally, a stable and prosperous Benin under Wadagni could bolster ECOWAS cohesion and counterbalance instability elsewhere in the Sahel. As Africa watches closely, his success may encourage other nations to prioritize technocratic governance and respect for term limits. The true measure of his legacy will depend on his ability to deliver inclusive growth while safeguarding democratic norms. In the words of the president-elect, Benin has chosen a path of progress without rupture, ensuring that the hard-won achievements of the past decade become the foundation for an even brighter future.

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Israeli Borders

No international question has been so much discussed and so little solved as the matter of Israel's borders. The State of Israel has never officially declared its establishment according to set borders. One of the basic responsibilities of a nationis its ability to defend and secure its borders. Border Security is an issue more complex than simply fencing.

Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, Israeli military forces have systematically established or expanded buffer zones along borders with neighboring territories. These zonesspanning southern Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, the Syrian frontier beyond the Golan Heights, and parts of the West Bankaim to create cleared perimeters, enhance security depth, and prevent future incursions. As of April 2026, the strategy has reshaped territorial control, displaced populations, and drawn international scrutiny.

Southern Lebanon: The Push to the Litani River

In southern Lebanon, Israeli forces have dramatically expanded operations to establish a security buffer zone extending up to the Litani River, roughly 2030 kilometers north of the border. Since October 2023, cross-border exchanges with Hezbollah escalated into full-scale ground incursions by late 2024. By March 2026, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly ordered further expansion of the existing buffer, while Defense Minister Israel Katz announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would maintain control over the entire area up to the Litani River once major combat ends. This includes destroying bridges, razing border villages, and ordering civilian evacuations south of the river. The policy mirrors tactics used in Gaza: homes near the frontier are demolished to eliminate concealment for anti-tank missiles and infiltration routes. Over one million Lebanese have been displaced in waves since the escalation, with Israeli officials stating that residents will not return until northern Israeli communities are secure. At least five permanent IDF positions have been fortified inside Lebanese territory, and satellite imagery shows widespread destruction of infrastructure. Israeli leaders describe the zone as essential to neutralize Hezbollahs Radwan forces and enforce a de facto security belt, effectively placing nearly a tenth of Lebanon under temporary military oversight.

The Gaza Strip: The Expanding Yellow Line Perimeter

Within the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have significantly enlarged a cleared buffer zone along the eastern and northern borders, now encompassing more than half the territory according to multiple assessments. Initially a narrow security strip along the 1949 armistice line, the zoneoften referred to as the yellow linehas expanded inward through systematic depopulation and razing of buildings. Since October 2023, over 6,200 structures within one kilometer of the border have been demolished to create unobstructed lines of sight and prevent tunnel activity. Military corridors such as the Netzarim and Philadelphi routes further divide the enclave, turning large swathes into no-go areas under direct IDF control. Humanitarian reports indicate that the expanding buffer has compressed civilian space, restricting movement for nearly two million displaced Palestinians and hindering returns to homes. By early 2026, the Israeli military chief of staff described the yellow line as a new border line. The strategy has transformed former agricultural and residential areas into wasteland, with officials citing the need to replicate a defensive model that keeps threats at a safe distance from Israeli communities. Despite cease-fire periods, the buffer continues to grow, effectively placing substantial portions of Gaza under permanent military administration.

Northeastern Border with Syria: Advances Beyond the Golan Heights

Following the collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024, Israeli forces moved swiftly to occupy and expand control over the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) buffer zone and adjacent Syrian territory. Starting from the Golan Heightscaptured in 1967 and later annexedtroops crossed into the demilitarized zone and advanced deeper, reaching areas including Mount Hermons Syrian slopes, Quneitra, Khan Arnabah, and positions near the Yarmouk River. New military bases have been constructed, and checkpoints established to secure strategic high ground. Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Katz, have stated that forces will remain for an unlimited time to prevent hostile groups from embedding near the border amid Syrian instability. The expansion covers hundreds of square kilometers, with Netanyahu declaring the 1974 disengagement agreement obsolete. Satellite analysis confirms six new bases in the former buffer zone, alongside home demolitions and land clearing. The move is framed as defensive, creating a forward line against potential jihadist or Iranian-backed threats, yet it has extended Israeli territorial control well beyond pre-2024 lines, reshaping the northeastern frontier.

The West Bank: Security Zones and Accelerated Settlement Expansion

In the occupied West Bank, buffer-like security zones have proliferated through a surge in settlement activity and closed military areas. Since October 2023, the Israeli government has approved over 30 new settler outposts and farms in a secret cabinet decision, alongside thousands of housing units in existing settlements. These outposts often function as de facto buffers, restricting Palestinian access to land via fences, patrols, and security perimeters. Reports document the displacement of more than 36,000 Palestinians in the first quarter of 2026 alone, driven by settler violence and military enforcement in Areas A, B, and C. The security cabinet has eased land-purchase rules for Israelis and expanded enforcement jurisdiction, effectively annexing open spaces around communities. In the Jordan Valley and near the Green Line, new barriers and restricted zones mirror border buffers elsewhere. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has described these measures as part of a broader strategy to deepen Israeli control. While not traditional cleared perimeters like those in Gaza or Lebanon, the combined effect of outposts, roads, and military zones creates layered security belts that fragment Palestinian territory and prevent contiguous development.

Strategic Shift and Broader Implications

Collectively, these four buffer zones represent a post-October 7 doctrinal evolution: prioritizing territorial depth and permanent forward defense over negotiated withdrawals. Netanyahu has publicly linked the zones in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria as interconnected security belts, with West Bank measures completing the encirclement. The approach has degraded adversary capabilitiesHezbollahs southern presence, Hamas infrastructure, Syrian threats, and West Bank militancyyet at significant humanitarian cost. Over one million Lebanese and tens of thousands of Palestinians face prolonged displacement, while reconstruction in affected areas remains stalled. International observers, including the UN, have raised concerns over potential violations of international law, forced demographic changes, and risks of renewed escalation. As of April 2026, the zones remain dynamic, with Israeli officials signaling no immediate plans for full withdrawal. The strategy has enhanced short-term security for border communities but raises long-term questions about regional stability, governance in controlled areas, and prospects for political resolution. Whether these expanded perimeters become de facto borders or temporary measures will shape the Middle Easts security landscape for years to come.

In spite of the fact that international boundaries are a very important tool, maybe the most essential one for the stabilization of the relations between nations, an up-to-date, internationally agreed model of boundary making does not exist. Delimitation represents the preparatory work and the definition of the boundary in the treaty either by words or on maps, while demarcation represents the laying down of the boundary on ground after the treaty has been signed.

The border between Eretz Israel and Egypt was determined in 1906. The British then imposed the border marking on the Turks, after which it was meticulously demarcated by British and Turkish military delegations. This is the line running from Rafiah in the north to Taba in the south. But the border was shifted northward seven years later. When the British again marked the border in 1913, they arbitrarily made border alterations that benefited Egypt which was then in British hands at the expense of Turkish Palestine. The Turks paid no attention to the border in that area, and the British did as they pleased. Israel's borders at first were demarcated by the armistice lines established at the end of Israel's war of independence. These lines left Israel a mere 9 miles wide at its most populous area. Israelis faced mountains to the east and the sea to their backs and, in West Jerusalem, were virtually surrounded by hostile forces. The Green Line was actually the ceasefire line established between the Israeli army and the armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The line was drawn in 1949 following the War of Independence and it held until the outbreak of the Six Day War in 1967. . It got its name from being drawn with a green pencil on the map used in the negotiations.

The process of Palestinian "infiltration" began in the period immediately following the conclusion of the Armistice Agreements. It was at first a sporadic trickle of illegal crossings actuated in part by motives of family reunion. Efforts made by Israel to regulate this movement by agreement with the Arab states failed owing to the Arab refusal to legalise any transit of persons between their respective territories and Israel. As a result, these illegal crossings became a regular practice, which after a time degenerated into wholesale infiltration accompanied by theft and smuggling.

The Government of Israel first took no steps to suppress this movement, regarding it as a temporary phase. It also put into operation an official scheme of its own for the reunion of Arab families separated by the war, and as a result several thousand Arabs have rejoined their kinsfolk in Israel. Contrary to expectations, however, the movement showed no sign of abating. Thefts, robbery, hold-ups and eventually murder and sabotage became of frequent occurrence. As the border region became more tense with constant violence, the Israeli villagers in the area were authorised to organise their own defence against invaders.

It was asserted that this infiltration was conducted primarily by refugees. The nightly incursions into Israel territory, which in most cases showed careful planning, were not the work of destitute refugees but of highly trained gunmen acting on paramilitary lines. They openly sold their booty in the markets of the Arab border towns, not infrequently sharing their gains with the appointed organs of security. In a number of cases, where the Israel authorities supplied to the Arab Governments data on the identity and the crimes of the infiltrators, these were not brought to trial, and only rarely have the stolen goods been returned.

There can be little doubt that much of this guerrilla war is of a military character. The targets chosen, the form of attack, the types of arms used and the methods employed indicate that many of these raids are planned on military lines. The setting of mines, the ambushing of watchmen and firing at guards are clearly not the work of hapless refugees. In more than one case the raids were well synchronised and carefully planned military operations executed with a high degree of precision. This campaign affords first class opportunities for instructing men in guerrilla tactics, gathering military information and making the raiders familiar with the territory in which the "second round" may one day be fought.

The dimensions which the guerrilla war against Israel hads assumed may be gathered from the following data. From 1949 to the middle of 1954 there have been an average of 1,000 cases of infiltration per month along the several frontiers, the majority of them on the Israel-Jordan border.

In 1967 the Six-Day War furnished Israel with the territory and permanence necessary for achieving peace with Egypt and Jordan. In six days, Israel repelled these incursions and established secure boundaries. It drove the Egyptians from the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula, and the Syrians, who had also opened fire, from the Golan Heights. Most significantly, Israel replaced the indefensible armistice lines by reuniting Jerusalem and capturing the West Bank from Jordan. It transformed Jerusalem from a divided backwater into a thriving capital, free for the first time to adherents of all faiths.

Resolution 242 is a resolution based on a British-American initiative following the Six Day War. Its clauses called, among other things, for Withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied during the Six Day War. The resolution specifies withdrawal from territories without defining border lines on June 4, 1967. The UN Security Council decided that since there was no reference in the resolution itself to a full withdrawal, any future peace agreement would require that Israel withdraw from territories and not all the territories conquered during the war. Therefore, the State of Israel deemed it quite proper to conduct negotiations that suit a new reality of safe, recognized borders that are not where they used to be.

As early as the summer of 1967, Israel proposed autonomy for the Palestinians in the West Bank and later, in 2000 and 2008, full statehood. Unfortunately, Palestinian leaders rejected these offers. In 2005, Israel uprooted all 8,000 of its citizens living in Gaza, giving the Palestinians the opportunity for self-determination. Israel wants defensible borders to ensure that Israel will never again pose an attractive target for attack.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said on 22 march 2010 that "... our main security problem with Lebanon is... not Israels border with Lebanon  its Lebanons forced border with Syria through which Iran and Syria smuggle thousands and thousands of rockets and missiles to Hezbollah. And our main security problem with Gaza is not Israels border with Gaza  its Gazas border with Egypt under which theres about a thousand tunnels dug through which Hamas smuggles weapons to fire at us. My friends, experience has shown that only an Israeli presence on the ground can prevent or limit weapons smuggling. And this is why a peace agreement with the Palestinians must include an Israeli presence in the eastern border of a future Palestinian state."

The West Bank fence was built in such a way that, if necessary, the relevant parts can be moved to different locations. When Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon, in fulfillment of UN Security Council Resolution 425, the UN delineated the border between Israel and Lebanon. Israel moved its anti-terrorist fence, sometimes only a meter or less, to comply with the new border. Similarly, Israel's experience with Egypt and Jordan has shown that fences have never blocked political agreements and peace treaties; where necessary, the fences were moved.

Now Israel faces a new type of border infiltrator. When there are serious crises in a particular country, inhabitants of that country who flee and are afraid to return may apply for protection in other countries, in the spirit of the UN Refugee Convention. The UN High Commission for Refugees in Geneva periodically appeals to the signatory countries to give protection to such refugees. Many countries respond to the request by providing temporary protection to such refugees for humanitarian reasons. The Population, Immigration and Borders Authority (PIBA) reported in December 2011 there were a grand total of 51,125 infiltrators in Israel as of November 25, 2011. Of these, 28,205 are from Eritrea, 13,066 from Sudan and 9,855 from elsewhere in Africa. According to PIBA, 2,931 migrants illegally entered Israel in the final month of 2011, part of a total of 16,816 who entered Israel over the course of the year.





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Operation Eternal Darkness: Airstrikes in Lebanon

Operation Eternal Darkness was Israel's major April 8, 2026, airstrike campaign against Hezbollah targets across Lebanon, one of the most concentrated aerial attacks of the war. Its significance now lies not only in the damage inflicted on Hezbollah command and missile infrastructure, but also in the fact that it immediately preceded the United States-brokered 10-day Israel-Lebanon ceasefire that took effect on April 17, temporarily freezing a front that had been moving toward deeper escalation.

The name "Eternal Darkness" was chosen as the operational codename for the mission. Israeli officials described it as a focused effort to degrade Hezbollah's command and control capabilities. Within approximately ten minutes, the Israeli Air Force struck over 100 targets using dozens of fighter jets. These included headquarters, intelligence centers, missile infrastructure, sites linked to Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, and other military assets located in Beirut, the Beqaa Valley, and southern Lebanon.

According to the IDF, the operation was planned well in advance and executed when intelligence conditions were optimal. A senior Israeli official noted that new intelligence capabilities allowed forces to locate alternative Hezbollah command centers that had been moved outside traditional strongholds.

Ceasefire Up Front

As of April 17, 2026, the biggest new fact on the Lebanon front is the start of a United States-brokered 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. That pause does not diminish Operation Eternal Darkness; rather, it changes the frame through which the operation should be understood, as a major Israeli strike that landed immediately before a fragile diplomatic opening.

The truce is limited and unstable. Israel has indicated that its forces will keep forward positions in southern Lebanon during the ceasefire, while Hezbollah has said it will observe the arrangement cautiously but rejects any reading that grants Israel unrestricted military freedom of action inside Lebanese territory. The result is a quieter front, not a settled one.

The ceasefire also has a wider strategic dimension beyond Lebanon. On April 17, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the Strait of Hormuz was open to commercial shipping for the duration of the ceasefire, directly linking maritime access to the temporary pause on the Lebanon front. That matters because an open Hormuz preserves export flows and relieves immediate pressure on Iran's state system, including IRGC-linked interests, while also supporting continued oil movement toward major customers such as China.

For that reason, the lead issue is no longer only what Eternal Darkness destroyed on April 8. The larger question is whether the operation helped compel a pause that stabilizes the border, enabled a temporary arrangement that preserves key Iranian interests while buying time for all parties, or merely set the stage for another round of war once the 10 days expire.

Immediate Scenarios

In the most stabilizing scenario, the ceasefire mostly holds and is extended, allowing humanitarian relief, civilian returns, and more serious diplomacy on force posture in southern Lebanon. In that case, Eternal Darkness will be remembered as a coercive strike that generated bargaining leverage before negotiations.

In the middle scenario, the truce survives politically but is repeatedly strained by alleged violations, local clashes, or disputes over Israeli troop positions. That would produce a frozen but dangerous front in which both sides preserve room for escalation while avoiding immediate full-scale war.

In the worst case, the ceasefire collapses after a contested incident and the war resumes at higher intensity. Under that outcome, Eternal Darkness will look less like a prelude to diplomacy and more like the opening phase of a broader Israeli campaign aimed at a longer-term buffer zone and deeper destruction of Hezbollah infrastructure.

Background and Timing of the Operation

The strikes occurred against the backdrop of the broader 2026 Lebanon war, which began intensifying in March 2026 as part of escalating regional tensions. That phase of combat has now been interrupted, but not resolved, by the April 17 ceasefire on the Lebanon front. Hezbollah had been engaged in exchanges of fire with Israel for weeks, firing rockets into northern Israel while Israel conducted ground and air operations in southern Lebanon. The working assumption in Israel was that fighting with Iran could resume at any time, prompting a decision to act decisively against Hezbollah independently of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran on April 7-8, 2026, brokered in part through Pakistani mediation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz clarified that the truce applied specifically to the Iranian theater and did not extend to the separate conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. This distinction allowed Israel to proceed with its planned operation without violating the terms of the broader agreement.

Hezbollah had signaled a pause in attacks in line with the earlier regional ceasefire announcement, but Israel maintained that the group continued to pose an immediate threat. By April 17 Hezbollah indicated it would observe the new Lebanon ceasefire cautiously, while warning that continued Israeli freedom of movement inside Lebanon would remain unacceptable. The operation was presented as a continuation of earlier efforts under "Operation Roaring Lion," aimed at pushing Hezbollah forces back from the border and destroying its military infrastructure.

Details of the Strikes

The assault was remarkable for its speed and coordination. Reports indicate that around 50 fighter jets dropped approximately 160 bombs on 100 separate targets in just ten minutes. Strikes hit areas in central Beirut, the southern suburbs (including the Dahieh stronghold), the Beqaa Valley, and multiple locations in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border.

Israeli sources emphasized that the targets were carefully selected military sites, including underground facilities, command posts, and rocket launch infrastructure. The IDF claimed that hundreds of Hezbollah fighters were killed, contributing to a total of over 1,400 Hezbollah operatives eliminated since the start of the current campaign  more than twice the number killed during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Lebanese authorities and international observers reported significant collateral damage. Hospitals in Beirut and other cities were overwhelmed with casualties. Even after the later ceasefire took effect, Lebanese authorities and aid workers continued to confront the humanitarian consequences of the April 8 strikes and subsequent fighting. Rescue teams worked through the night searching rubble for survivors. Images from the scene showed smoke rising over residential neighborhoods, damaged apartment buildings, and emergency vehicles rushing to affected areas.

Casualties and Humanitarian Impact

According to Lebanon's Ministry of Public Health and the Lebanese Red Cross, the strikes resulted in at least 300 to 357 deaths and over 1,100 to 1,223 injuries. While Israel maintained that the vast majority of those killed were Hezbollah fighters, Lebanese officials and some international reports stated that many civilians were among the victims, including in densely populated urban areas.

Prior to April 8, the conflict had already caused more than 1,500 deaths and displaced over 1.3 million people in Lebanon. The "Eternal Darkness" operation marked one of the deadliest single days in the recent phase of fighting. Hospitals issued urgent calls for blood donations as medical facilities struggled to cope with the influx of wounded.

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations called for an immediate investigation into civilian casualties and urged all parties to protect non-combatants. Lebanon declared a national day of mourning following the attacks.

Israeli Perspective and Objectives

From Israel's viewpoint, the operation was a major success. Defense Minister Israel Katz described it as "the heaviest blow Hezbollah has suffered since the pager operation" in 2024. The goal was to severely disrupt Hezbollah's ability to plan and execute attacks, particularly by targeting its mid-level and senior command structure.

The IDF expanded its ground presence in southern Lebanon during the operation, establishing positions approximately eight kilometers inside Lebanese territory. Israeli forces continued to dismantle rocket launch sites and tunnel networks near the border. Officials stressed that the campaign was necessary to ensure the safety of northern Israeli communities, many of which had been under rocket fire for weeks. Israeli leaders have since argued that the new ceasefire should help translate those battlefield gains into a more durable security arrangement, though they have also made clear that Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon during the truce.

Israeli media highlighted the use of advanced intelligence to locate hidden Hezbollah assets. Some reports suggested that Hezbollah had attempted to relocate its operations into civilian areas, complicating efforts to avoid collateral damage.

Reactions from Lebanon, Hezbollah, and the International Community

Lebanese leaders condemned the strikes as a "massacre" and accused Israel of undermining the fragile regional ceasefire. Hezbollah vowed to respond and launched retaliatory rocket fire into northern Israel in the hours and days following the operation. No major casualties were reported from these initial responses, but the exchanges raised fears of further escalation.

European countries, including Britain and France, expressed concern that the attacks could jeopardize the U.S.-Iran truce. The subsequent 10-day ceasefire on the Lebanon front was therefore widely treated by outside powers as an effort to contain the damage and preserve room for broader diplomacy. Some diplomats described Israel's actions as "particularly damaging" to ongoing diplomatic efforts. The United Nations and various NGOs called for restraint and a return to negotiations.

In the United States, the Trump administration maintained that the ceasefire with Iran remained intact while acknowledging Israel's right to defend itself against Hezbollah. However, some voices in Washington worried about the risk of a wider regional conflict.

Strategic Implications and the Road Ahead

Operation Eternal Darkness has reshaped the dynamics on the Lebanese front. By striking deep into Beirut and other areas, Israel demonstrated its willingness to act forcefully even during periods of supposed de-escalation elsewhere. The operation may have weakened Hezbollah's immediate capabilities, but it also risks galvanizing support for the group among parts of the Lebanese population and Shiite communities.

Analysts suggest that Israel aims to establish a new security reality along its northern border, potentially including a buffer zone and long-term control over certain areas up to the Litani River. Hezbollah, for its part, has shown resilience in the past and may attempt to rebuild its command structure while continuing low-level attacks.

The coming days of the April 17 ceasefire will be critical. With the U.S.-Iran ceasefire still shaping the regional environment, there is a narrow window for diplomacy. However, renewed fighting in Lebanon could still spill over and reignite broader tensions. Both sides appear prepared either to use the pause tactically or to return to prolonged conflict if necessary.

As of April 17, 2026, rescue operations and damage assessment continued in Lebanon even as a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect. Israeli forces remained on high alert and kept forward positions in southern Lebanon, while Lebanese civilians cautiously began returning toward damaged towns. The situation remains fluid, with the new truce creating an opening for diplomacy but also carrying a serious risk of rapid breakdown.

Operation Eternal Darkness: Name?

The codename Operation Eternal Darkness used by the Israel Defense Forces for the major April 8, 2026, airstrikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, has sparked intense discussion and controversy. Many observers, particularly in Christian and pro-Lebanese circles, have asked whether the name contains a deliberate biblical allusion. The short answer is that there is no confirmed official biblical source from the IDF, yet the phrase strongly echoes language found in the New Testament and has been widely interpreted through a scriptural lens.

While Israeli military spokespersons described the name as an internal operational codename meant to symbolize the permanent disruption of Hezbollahs command structure  effectively casting the enemy into eternal darkness by blinding its leadership and capabilities  critics quickly connected it to biblical imagery of final judgment.

The English phrase eternal darkness (or outer darkness) appears several times in the New Testament, most notably in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus uses the term to describe a place of punishment and separation from Gods presence. In Matthew 8:12, 22:13, and 25:30, it is linked to weeping and gnashing of teeth  a vivid picture of regret, isolation, and divine judgment reserved for those who reject Gods invitation or fail to live according to His will.

Similar imagery appears in the Epistle of Jude (verse 13), which speaks of false teachers as wandering stars, for whom the blackest darkness has been reserved forever. In these contexts, eternal darkness or outer darkness represents complete and irreversible separation from the light of God, truth, and salvation. It is not merely physical darkness but a spiritual state of condemnation.

Some commentators have also drawn parallels to Old Testament themes, such as the plague of darkness in Exodus or prophetic descriptions of the day of the Lord as a time of gloom and thick darkness (Joel 2:2, Zephaniah 1:15). However, the exact combination eternal darkness is far more characteristic of New Testament eschatological (end-times) judgment language than of Hebrew Bible texts.

Why the Name Sparked Controversy

Almost immediately after the operation was announced, social media, Christian forums, and Lebanese voices labeled the codename as demonic or deliberately provocative. Some Christian observers noted the sequence from the previous operation Roaring Lion (echoing 1 Peter 5:8, where the devil prowls like a roaring lion) to Eternal Darkness, interpreting it as moving from spiritual warfare imagery straight into language of final judgment.

Critics argued that naming a military campaign after a biblical concept of irreversible divine punishment carried heavy symbolic weight  suggesting that Israel was casting Hezbollah (and by extension parts of Lebanon) into a state of permanent spiritual or existential darkness. Others saw it as tone-deaf at best and theologically inflammatory at worst, especially given the civilian casualties reported in Beirut and other areas.

Israeli sources, by contrast, have not publicly confirmed any biblical inspiration. The IDF presented the name as a straightforward operational descriptor: the strikes were intended to impose lasting darkness on Hezbollahs ability to see, plan, communicate, and operate. In military tradition, codenames are often chosen for their dramatic or motivational effect rather than literal theological meaning. Many past IDF operations have used poetic Hebrew phrases without explicit religious intent.

Within Israel, reactions to the name have been mixed. Some commentators viewed it as a powerful statement of resolve  a declaration that the threat from Hezbollah would be pushed into permanent irrelevance. Others, including some religious voices, expressed discomfort with the dramatic and potentially inflammatory tone, preferring more neutral operational names.

There is no evidence in official statements that the IDF deliberately referenced New Testament passages. Jewish tradition generally emphasizes themes of light overcoming darkness (for example, in Hanukkah songs like Banenu Choshech Legareish  We came to banish the darkness  drawing from Isaiah 60). The concept of eternal darkness as final damnation is not a central motif in mainstream Jewish eschatology, which tends to focus more on redemption, resurrection, and the world to come.

The debate over the name highlights how deeply biblical language still resonates in discussions of the Israeli-Arab conflict. For some Christians, especially those with dispensationalist or prophetic viewpoints, the operations codename fit into larger end-times narratives involving Israel, its enemies, and divine judgment. For others, particularly in Lebanon and the broader Arab world, it was seen as further evidence of dehumanization or religious extremism.

Regardless of intent, the choice of Eternal Darkness added a layer of symbolic intensity to an already charged military action. It transformed a tactical operation into something that many interpreted as carrying spiritual or moral weight far beyond the battlefield.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 12 April 2026 - Day 1509

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in total, since the beginning of this day, there have been 91 combat encounters.

The Russian enemy launched 4767 kamikaze drones to impress and carried out 840 shells of settlements and positions of Ukrainian troops.

In the Northern Slobozhansky and Kursk directions, the Russian enemy carried out 15 shellings of the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements today. One fight has been recorded.

In the south-Slobozhans komu direction, the Russian opponent attacked the positions of Ukrainian units ten times in the areas of Sinelnikovoye, Starica, Izbytsky, Vovchansky and Lyman. One assault action in progress.

In the kupans komu direction, the Russian enemy three times attacked in the area of petropavlivki, podoliv and towards zagrizovogo. One Russian attack is underway.

In the Lyman direction Ukrainian soldiers repelled five Russian assaults in the direction of Lyman.

In the Slovenian direction, the Russian opponent tried five times to advance towards Rai-Oleksandrivka, Lake, Kaleniky and Riznikivka.

In the Kramators komu direction, the Russian occupiers once attacked in the direction of Markovoye.

In the Konstantinivka direction, Russian forces today stormed the positions of Ukrainian defenders 14 times in the areas of the settlements of Konstantinovka, Pleshiyivka, Illinivka, Novopavlivka, Kucheriv Yar and Sofiyivka.

Russian troops committed 22 attacks in the Pokrovsky direction. The Russian occupiers tried to advance in the areas of settlements Bilitske, Rodinske, Mirnograd, Comfort, Grishine, Pokrovsk, Udacne, Molodetske, Muravka, Novopavlivka.

According to preliminary calculations, today 55 Russian occupants were eliminated and 15 injured in this direction; eight units of vehicles destroyed; 15 shelters, a cannon and five units of vehicles damaged. Destroyed or suppressed 214 BPLA of different types.

In the Oleksandrivsky direction, the Russian occupiers attacked five times in the areas of settlements of Oleksandrograd and in the direction of Andriyivka-Klevtsovy, Green Grove, Sichnevy, Kalinovsky, Verbovy.

In the Gulyaipil direction, 12 Russian attacks were recorded in the areas of Zaliznychnny, Varvarivka, Gulyaipilsky, Staroukrainka and Mirny. One assault action in progress.

The Russian enemy did not carry out assault actions in the Orihiv direction.

In the pridniprovsky direction, the Russian opponent's attempts to improve their positions did not fix.

In other directions, there have been no significant changes in the environment.

Since the beginning of the truce of missile, aviation strikes, strikes with kamikaze drones (type "Shahed / Gerbera") was not celebrated, but besides that, the Russian enemy carried out 1,355 artillery shelling positions of Ukrainian troops; carried out 115 assault actions; made 6,226 strikes with kamikadze drones (of them: type "Italmas", " Lancet", " Lightning " - 1,677; fpv-drones - 4,549).

Since the beginning of the announcement of the ceasefire regime, 7,696 violations were recorded by the Russian opponent.

Russia, as a whole, adheres to the ceasefire regime announced by it, but continues to carry out combat in specific directions, in particular with the use of fpv drones and kamikaze drones such as "Italmas", "Lancet", Molnia".

The Defense Forces of Ukraine continue to perform specified tasks, adhere to the ceasefire regime, but at the same time responding to the Russian enemy's actions with fire in return.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that In accordance with the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, all the Groups of Forces deployed in the special military operation zone have been strictly observing the state of ceasefire since 16:00 of 11 April remaining in previously taken positions.

At night, despite the announcement of the regime of the Easter ceasefire, Formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine three times attacked positions of the Russian troops from the area of Pokrovskoye in the direction of Gay (twice) and Otradnoye in Dnepropetrovsk region. All attacks have been repelled.

In addition, four enemy attempts to advance to the positions of Russian troops near Kondratovka, Novaya Sech (twice) in Sumy region, and Kaleniki in the Donetsk People's Republic have been thwarted.

In total, 1,971 violations of the AFU ceasefire regime were recorded between 16:00 of 11 April and 8:00 of 12 April.

Ukrainian units launched two fixed-wing UAVs on the territory of Kursk and Belgorod regions. As a result, civilians, including one child, were wounded.

Moreover, the AFU units launched 258 strikes from the MLRS, artillery guns, tanks and mortars against the border territory of the Russian Federation and the positions of Russian troops, carried out 1,329 strikes by FPV drones, and carried out 375 drops of various ammunition, including 67 octocopter-type UAVs and 15 fixed-wing UAVs.

***

Before the ceasefire began, units of the Sever Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the three territorial defence brigades close to Machulishcha, Bachevsk, and Sukodol (Sumy region).

In Kharkov region, units of two mechanised brigades and one motorised infantry brigade of the AFU have been hit near Svetlichnoye, Ternovaya, and Grafskoye (Kharkov region).

The enemy lost up to 125 troops, one armoured fighting vehicle, seven motor vehicles, one artillery gun, and one electronic warfare station.

The Zapad Group's units inflicted losses on the AFU mechanised brigade and a territorial defence brigade near Novonikolayevka, Senkovo, and Velikaya Shapkovka (Kharkov region).

The AFU losses amounted to over 200 troops, one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carrier, three armoured fighting vehicles, 18 motor vehicles, three artillery guns, and one electronic warfare station. Four field ammunition depots were eliminated.

The Yuzhnaya Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of four mechanised brigades of the AFU and a territorial defence brigade near Konstantinovka, Kondratovka, Novoselovka, and Kramatorsk (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy lost more than 145 troops, one U.S.-made Stryker armoured personnel carrier, four armoured fighting vehicles, 20 motor vehicles, and two field artillery guns. Three electronic warfare stations, one material depot, and one fuel depot were neutralised.

The Tsentr Group's units inflicted losses on formations of two mechanised brigades, one airmobile brigade, one jaeger brigade of the AFU, Azov Special Orerations Brigade, and two national guard brigades near Fedorovskoye (Dnepropetrovsk region), Novonikolayevka, Grishino, Belitskoye, Dobropolye, Lenina and Sergeyevka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The AFU losses amounted to more than 325 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, and one artillery gun.

The Vostok Group of Forces continued advancing to the depth of the enemy's defences. Russian troops inflicted losses on the formations of three mechanised brigades, one assault brigade, thee assault regiments of the AFU, and one marine brigade close to Dibrova, Podgavrilovka, Malomikhaylovka (Dnepropetrovsk region), Dolinka, Vozdvizhevka Zelenoye, and Rovnoye (Zaporozhye region).

The enemy lost more than 300 troops, three armoured fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles, and one field artillery gun.

Units of the Dnepr Group of Forces inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of one marine brigade near Kherson.

More than 50 troops, 28 motor vehicles, two artillery guns, one German-made Ground Observer radar station, and one ammunition depot were neutralised.

Operational-Tactical Aviation, attack UAVs, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces have inflicted losses on temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 38 areas.

Air defence systems shot down six guided aerial bombs and 134 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles.

In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 671 aircraft, 284 helicopters, 133,521 unmanned aerial vehicles, 656 anti-aircraft missile systems, 28,838 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,699 MLRS combat vehicles, 34,408 field artillery guns and mortars, and 59,217 units of support military vehicles have been neutralised.

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'Days of our military sending 70 cents of every dollar to US are over': Canada PM

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 12 April 2026 10:01 AM

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney says his country will reduce its longstanding dependence on the US in military spending and procurement, pledging to strengthen domestic industry and expand global partnerships.

Speaking at the Liberal Party's national convention in Montreal on Saturday, Carney told delegates that "the days of our military sending 70 cents of every dollar to the United States are over," drawing a standing ovation from the audience, according to CTV.

Carney emphasized economic sovereignty and national unity, while outlining his government's plans to prioritize Canadian-made materials and labor in future projects.

"We are going to build Canada strong with Canadian steel, Canadian aluminum, Canadian lumber, Canadian workers," he said.

Carney also pointed to growing trade tensions with Washington, including tariffs introduced under US President Donald Trump.

Carney said Trump's tariffs are widely viewed as the main immediate threat, but stressed that the greater, enduring challenge is maintaining unity and a shared sense of the common good.

Highlighting the government's "Buy Canadian" policy, Carney said the initiative would help strengthen communities nationwide and reduce reliance on external markets. He added that Canada aims to double its non-US exports over the next decade.

The remarks came after the Office of the US Trade Representative criticized Canada's procurement approach, calling the policy a trade irritant.

Canada's newly outlined Defense Industrial Strategy seeks to diversify defense partnerships beyond the US, including closer cooperation with the EU and the UK.

According to the strategy, nearly half of Canadian defense-related production is exported, with about 69% of those exports currently going to the US and other Five Eyes partners.

The plan also aims to increase the share of defense contracts awarded to domestic firms to 70%, reflecting Ottawa's push to bolster national capacity in the sector.

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China's aircraft carrier Fujian to achieve full combat capability in 2026, set for far-sea drills: official media

Global Times

By Liang Rui and Liu Xuanzun Published: Apr 12, 2026 08:36 PM

China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, will undergo a full transition from initial to full operational capability in 2026, with far-sea training expected, official media reported on Sunday. Chinese military affairs experts said that the Fujian has moved from construction to launch to commissioning at a fast pace, achieving operational capability in a very short time.

In April 2023, the Shandong, China's first domestically built carrier, conducted its first far-sea training mission in the Western Pacific, marking the entry of a Chinese-built carrier into the far-sea training sequence. Now, the Fujian is expected to follow suit, the military channel of CCTV News reported on Sunday.

The Fujian is China's first carrier with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system, designed and built entirely independently. On May 8, 2024, the Fujian completed its maiden eight-day sea trial, during which its propulsion and power systems underwent a series of tests that met expected targets. The carrier was officially commissioned on November 5, 2025, ushering in a three-carrier era for the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, the report said.

Shortly after commissioning, the Fujian conducted its first live combat training mission at sea. During that mission, multiple types of carrier-based aircraft, including the J-35, J-15T, J-15DT, and KJ-600, conducted multiple rounds of catapult launches and landing drills. The Fujian carrier strike group also carried out formation navigation and coordinated search-and-rescue exercises, among other training modules.

According to the report, 2026 is a critical year for the Fujian as it moves from basic to full combat capability.

"When we see the Fujian achieving full aircraft loadouts and demonstrating the ability to launch and recover aircraft across its entire deck, we can consider its combat capability to be fully developed," Wei Dongxu, a Chinese military affairs commentator, was quoted by the CCTV as saying.

He noted that the aircraft carrier's far-sea training will proceed in two steps. First, it should achieve the ability to deploy as a strike group. Once the group's combat system reaches a high level of seamless coordination, the next step will naturally be to operate in distant waters.

Far-sea conditions are far more complex, Wei said. Once it enters the Western Pacific for extended exercises or training, external interference could come into play, such as surveillance aircraft or vessels from other countries. At that point, the strike group must respond quickly, flexibly, and precisely. Therefore, entering far-sea training requires not only a high level of combat readiness but also comprehensive preparation for emergency situations, so that all far-sea training missions can be completed without a hitch.

Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Sunday that the Fujian has moved from construction to launch to commissioning and capability development at a very fast pace.

Since its commissioning in November last year, basic training has largely been completed, and initial combat capability has been achieved, Wang said. For instance, carrier-based aircraft have completed training in four types of weather conditions: simple and complex in both daytime and nighttime. This foundational training is now done. As various reports indicate, mission-oriented training has also begun, meaning the carrier can now carry out general tasks. Compared with carriers in other countries, this pace is rapid.

Wang discussed the significance of conducting far-sea training for the Fujian to achieve full combat capability.

First, Wang said that only through far-sea validation can the aircraft carrier's maturity and reliability be proven. In coastal waters, wave conditions are mild, and there is access to land-based radar, communications, navigation, and early warning aircraft.

Second, from the perspective of mission requirements, the combat value of a carrier is fully realized in far seas. Within the first island chain, land-based aviation leaves only a limited role for a carrier. The carrier's mission is to project power in distant waters and carry out non-combat military operations such as disaster relief, counterterrorism, medical support, and far-sea logistics. These functions may not be fully exercised in coastal waters, Wang said.

Third, from the standpoint of defending national sovereignty and achieving reunification, national sovereignty today should be understood beyond the land, encompassing exclusive economic zones, maritime rights and interests, sea lanes, and oil routes. Protecting these interests, which extend far beyond land territory, requires air power, Wang said.

The expert emphasized that far-sea training should build systematic operational capability before it can be considered genuine far-sea combat capability. The carrier strike group should operate collectively, demonstrating integrated far-sea combat capability.

Regarding aircraft loadouts, having a few fewer aircraft is acceptable, but the types should be complete, and the technical support for a complete operational cycle should be sufficient. More importantly, as many pilots as possible in the strike group should participate in far-sea training to gain real-world experience, Wang added.

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INDIAN ARMY CONTINGENT DEPARTS FOR INDIA- UZBEKISTAN JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE DUSTLIK

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 12 APR 2026 5:07PM by PIB Delhi

The Indian Army contingent departed today for the 7th edition of India-Uzbekistan joint military Exercise DUSTLIK. The Exercise is scheduled to be conducted at Gurumsaray Field Training Area, Namangam, Uzbekistan from 12 to 25 April 2026. Exercise DUSTLIK is a yearly event conducted alternatively in India and Uzbekistan. Last edition was conducted at Foreign Training Node, Aundh (Pune) in April 2025.

The Indian Armed Forces contingent comprising 60 personnel is being represented by 45 personnel from the Indian Army, majorly from a Battalion of the MAHAR Regiment and 15 personnel from the Indian Air Force. The Uzbekistan contingent also comprises of approximately 60 personnel, from Uzbekistan Army and Air Force.

Aim of Exercise DUSTLIK is to foster military cooperation and enhance combined capabilities to execute joint operations in semi-mountainous terrain. It would focus on high degree of physical fitness, joint planning, joint tactical drills and basics of special arms skills. The Exercise will also establish a unified operational algorithm between the command-and-control structures of both the contingents for planning and execution of joint operations.

Key operational aspects to be practiced include land navigation, strike missions on enemy bases and seizure of enemy-held areas. The Indian contingent will take the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the operational procedures and drills of the Uzbekistan Armed Forces and share own operational experiences with the Uzbekistan contingent. The joint training will culminate in a 48-hour validation exercise aimed at validating the tactical drills for joint operations, emphasising on Preparation & Execution of Joint Special Operations, aimed at Neutralisation of Unlawful Armed Groups.

Exercise DUSTLIK will enable the two sides to share their best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures of conducting joint operations and will further strengthen interoperability, operational synergy and joint command and control coordination between the contingents. The Exercise will facilitate developing bonhomie and camaraderie between soldiers of both the countries. This will also enhance the level of defence cooperation, further fostering bilateral relations between the two friendly nations.

_____________________________

NA/PK

(Release ID: 2251300)

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Iranian president conveys assessment of talks with US in phone call with Putin

Azerbaijan State News Agency - (AZERTAC)

12.04.2026 [21:39]

Baku, April 12, AZERTAC

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday conveyed an assessment of US-Iran talks held in Pakistan's capital Islamabad a day prior, during a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, Anadolu Agency reports citing a Kremlin statement.

The two presidents discussed the latest developments in the Middle East, the statement noted.

"The Iranian president assessed the US-Iran talks held in Islamabad on April 11 and expressed gratitude for Russia's principled position, including on international platforms, aimed at de-escalating the situation," it added.

Pezeshkian also thanked Russia for the humanitarian aid it has provided, the statement said, noting that Putin, for his part, emphasized his readiness to continue to facilitate the search for a diplomatic settlement and to mediate "in the interests of establishing a just and lasting peace in the Middle East."

"To this end, Russia will continue active contacts with all partners in the region," it said, adding that the phone call also included a discussion on bilateral cooperation, during which both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties.

The phone call comes as high-stakes negotiations between Iranian and US delegations in Islamabad on Saturday failed to produce an agreement.

The talks were part of broader efforts to end the US-Israeli offensive on Iran that killed more than 3,300 people since Feb. 28, before a fragile two-week ceasefire was brokered earlier this week.

Since the start of the offensive, Iran has also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit for oil and gas shipments.

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Trump announces naval blockade on Iran after Islamabad talks yield no deal

Azerbaijan State News Agency - (AZERTAC)

12.04.2026 [20:19]

Baku, April 12, AZERTAC

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said the US will blockade "any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," after Saturday's talks with Iran in the Pakistani capital Islamabad failed to produce a deal to end weeks of war in the Middle East, according to Anadolu Agency.

"The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of extortion," Trump said on his Truth Social media platform. Since the outbreak of the war, Iran has restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit for oil and gas shipments.

The US president also said he ordered the US Navy to "seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran."

During the talks that took place in Islamabad, Trump claimed Iran refused to give up its "nuclear ambitions," adding that he had been "fully debriefed" on negotiations by US Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner.

"In many ways, the points that were agreed to are better than us continuing our Military Operations to conclusion, but all of those points don't matter compared to allowing Nuclear Power to be in the hands of such volatile, difficult, unpredictable people," he said.

Trump also said efforts to clear mines in the Strait of Hormuz would begin, warning that "Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be Blown to hell!"

"Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft and Radar are useless, Khomeini, and most of their 'Leaders,' are dead, all because of their Nuclear ambition," he said.

"They want money and, more importantly, they want Nuclear. Additionally and, at an appropriate moment, we are fully 'locked and loaded,' and our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!"

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Iran says no deal with US in single meeting 'natural' amid deep mistrust

Azerbaijan State News Agency - (AZERTAC)

12.04.2026 [11:53]

Baku, April 12, AZERTAC

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Sunday it was "natural" that no agreement was reached with the US in a single day of talks in Islamabad, citing a deep atmosphere of mistrust following a recent conflict, Anadolu Agency reports.

Speaking to Iranian state television, Baqaei evaluated the indirect negotiations held between US and Iranian delegations in Pakistan's capital, describing the talks as taking place in a climate marked not only by distrust but also suspicion after a 40-day war.

"These talks were held in an atmosphere dominated not only by distrust but also by doubt and suspicion, following a 40-day war initiated for the second time within nine months by the US and Israel," he said. "Therefore, it is natural that no agreement was reached in a single meeting. In any case, no one had such an expectation."

Baqaei also pointed to the complexity of the agenda, noting that issues related to the Strait of Hormuz and broader regional dynamics had made the discussions more difficult.

While some progress was achieved on several issues, disagreements "on two or three key points" prevented a deal with Washington, the official noted.

He did not clarify whether further rounds of talks would be held.

Separately, he said on US social media platform X: "In the past 24 hours, discussions were held on various dimensions of the main negotiation topics, including the Strait of Hormuz, the nuclear issue, war reparations, lifting of sanctions, and the complete end to the war against Iran and in the region."

"The success of this diplomatic process depends on the seriousness and good faith of the opposing side, refraining from excessive demands and unlawful requests, and the acceptance of Iran's legitimate rights and interests," he added.

Baqaei also expressed appreciation to the "government and the warm-hearted and noble people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for hosting the negotiations and their benevolent efforts in advancing this process."

Separately, Iran's Mehr News Agency reported that the Iranian delegation had departed Pakistan.

Both direct and indirect talks between the US and Iran, mediated by Pakistan in Islamabad, lasted around 21 hours but concluded without an agreement.

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Statement by Prime Minister Netanyahu

Israel Prime Minister's Office

Type: Events and Speeches

Government: The 37th Government

Publish Date: 12.04.2026

Prime Minister Netanyahu, this evening :

"Dear citizens of Israel, my brothers and sisters, the campaign is not yet over, but even now it can be clearly stated - we have achieved historic accomplishments.

I want you to remember where we were: Iran tried to squeeze us in a stranglehold; Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Assad regime in Syria, the militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, Iran itself. That is to say, they wanted to choke us, and we are choking them. They threatened us with destruction, and now they are fighting to survive. We struck them. We still have more to do, and I will detail that shortly, but I want to start specifically with Iran itself, specifically with the head of the octopus, because I have dedicated a significant portion of my life to preventing one thing, that this regime of terror achieves nuclear weapons, through which it seeks to annihilate the Jewish state and bring an end to Jewish history.

I spoke about this in Congress, at the UN, and in various parliaments. I authorized all sorts of operations, most of them covert, to delay them, and indeed we delayed them, but the world, the world did not listen. Many said - 'It's not that bad', 'It's not even that bad for Iran to have nuclear weapons.' I heard these voices not only from the outside, I heard them even among us. And I, as the Prime Minister of Israel, the head of the one and only Jewish state, could not accept that. And the great change occurred on that evening of Operation Rising Lion when I announced to you that our daring pilots were flying in the skies of Iran, flying in the skies of Iran and striking targets across all of Iran, we were the first to break the barrier of fear, the fear of acting within Iran itself. I remember my feeling, what excitement, what pride. Chills. And I know that you all experienced it too.

We were the first to act because we knew what was at stake. But if I had told you a year ago that our pilots, men and women, would fly in Iran, who would have believed it? If I had told you a year ago that the United States of America, the strongest power in the world, would fight by our side shoulder to shoulder, wing to wing, for nearly 40 days against the common enemy, who would have believed it? But all of this happened because we initiated, we acted, we attacked.

And why did we embark on this campaign? Because Iran was very close to achieving nuclear weapons and achieving the capability to produce missiles, thousands upon thousands of missiles. Not a handful of missiles a day that would fall on us, but many hundreds every single day, two existential threats that we were forced to remove from over our heads.

If we had not launched Operation Rising Lion and later Operation Roaring Lion, Iran would already have atomic bombs, and we prevented that. And I will tell you how we prevented it, because before Rising Lion, I received precise intelligence, in time, and it told us that Iran was starting to act to turn enriched uranium into nuclear weapons. And the moment we received this intelligence, we went into action. We eliminated 12 of their senior nuclear scientists, we attacked their nuclear facilities together with our American friendsyou remember the attack on Fordow with the B-2s. What excellent work they did. And we also attacked missile stockpiles and hundreds of launchers. And all of this removed a dual, immediate existential threat from us.

But after Rising Lion, several months later, precise intelligence reached me again, and again in time, and this intelligence showed that Khamenei had ordered the resumption and even the expansion of both the nuclear industry and the missile industry. I use the word 'industry' and mean something much more extensive deep underground.

He wanted to hide both the missile production and the nuclear production deep, deep under a high mountain, in such a way that even B-2 planes could not reach them. And again, we could not sit idly by. We went into action. In Roaring Lion, we eliminated another eight nuclear scientists who were dealing this time with weaponization, that is the production of the weapon. Not just the enriched uranium, but the weapon; without it, you cannot produce atomic bombs.

We destroyed the heavy water plant in Arak, we destroyed their entire centrifuge array, and also a uranium production plant. Essentially, we reached a situation where Iran does not have a single active enrichment plant and most of their capability to produce missiles has vanished. They still have missiles; they have a magazine of missiles that is running dry.

In other words, we succeeded here in crushing the nuclear program, crushing the missile program, and we also had an additional goal: To crush the regime in Iran. To weaken it to its lowest, weakest level since the establishment of the regime 47 years ago.

And I want to tell you what we did:

We eliminated the Supreme Leader Khamenei, his de facto successor Larijani, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Intelligence, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian army, the commander of the Quds Force operations unit, the commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, the commanders of the Basij, the top brass of the security establishment, the intelligence leadership, the senior Air Force officers, the person responsible for UAVs, the person responsible for the transfer of funds to terrorist organizations, the commander of the Iranian Navy, the Iranian fleet in the Caspian Sea, dozens of Revolutionary Guard and internal security headquarters, dozens of helicopters and transport planes, the money machine of the Revolutionary Guards, which is the steel industry in Iran and three-quarters of the petrochemical plants in Iran, that is what the Revolutionary Guards live off of. We struck the largest gas production plant in Iran, a fuel depot, bridges, and railways that were used to transport forces and weapons. Dozens of weapon industry factories, and there are many, many more details. I am sparing you, but we did not spare them.

We made a giant change here. There are people who say 'We have no achievements.' There are giant achievements, and it is reflected in this weakened regime that is begging for a ceasefire. It is reflected in internal conflicts at the top. We know about this; we see their increasing difficulty in meeting the needs of the citizens. It is reflected in the deep weakening of the regime of terror. Iran is no longer the same Iran, and Israel is no longer the same Israel.

Those who threatened to destroy us are now fighting for their own survival. And regarding the arms of the octopus, here too, we did great things. First of all, we established a rule: Israel will not tolerate a situation where terrorist organizations sit on its border. Therefore, we created security zones deep in enemy territory; in Gaza, we control over 50% of the territory of the Strip. We are squeezing Hamas from every side, and we will deal with it. In Syria, we are at the summit of Mount Hermon and we reach as far as the Yarmouk, and there we also take care of our Druze brothers, as I promised our allies.

In Lebanon, a polar change has occurred. You remember Nasrallah, he used to boast that 'the Jews are a spider's web', so he was eliminated, and what we eliminated along with him was his massive missile arsenal. An arsenal of 150,000 missiles and rockets, the vast majority of which we destroyed in 6 hours. They have some rockets left; we are dealing with that. But they planned another thing: they planned for thousands of Radwan Force terrorists to reach the border line, invade, and conquer the Galilee. We eliminated that.

First of all, we killed many of them, we crushed all the underground infrastructure they prepared, the tunnels, the terrorist villages above ground, and we created a security zone of between 8-10 km to remove the anti-tank missile threat from our communities. We are still fighting them; it is not over yet. You saw just a few days ago; we carried out the most powerful operation since the pagers. We eliminated hundreds of terrorists all at once, in ten minutesand we are still active. It continues all the time. We are fighting Hezbollah and we are determined, I am determined, to return security to the residents of the North. They deserve it just like all the citizens of Israel.

I want to tell you what happened here: As a result of this power we demonstrated, Lebanon turned to us in the last month, turned several times, to start direct peace talks. This has never happened in history; well, it happened once decades ago, but now they turned to us and I approved it subject to two things: We want to reach the disarming of Hezbollah and we want a real peace agreement, a peace agreement that will last for generations.

And I want to tell you one more thing: It's not only Lebanon turning to us. Many other countries, both in the Middle East and outside of it, are turning to us for cooperation, for alliances. They see our power; power attracts, just as weakness repels. Power attracts, and Israel today is stronger than ever. This small Israel, small perhaps in territory but giant in spirit and determination, and we have become the strongest regional power. Everyone understands this. And in some senses, a global power too. So they tell us 'There are no achievements', there are massive achievements here! This is a historic change. We crushed the nuclear program. We crushed the missiles. We crushed the regime. We have an unprecedented alliance with our great friend the President of the US, between the IDF and of course the US military, relationships that never existed before.

Now, these achievements are not yet finished. There is still enriched material in Iran. And as President Trump said, it needs to be removed. Either it will be removed by agreement, or it will come out in other ways. But we are working in cooperation between myself and President Trump, and between Israel and the US, that is unprecedented. These are achievements that change the entire balance of power. And Israel is a different Israel, stronger than ever.

There are those who dismiss these achievements, who diminish them, first and foremost Iran, and Iran's propaganda echoes in our media channels. There is a mighty, huge change here, and it came thanks to our daring pilots, men and women, and our ground crews who work around the clock, and our heroic commanders and soldiers, and the fallen who fell for us, and those wounded in body and soul, for whose recovery we pray.

And it came thanks to you, citizens of Israel. You have stood firm all the time; I salute you. And it came thanks to the brave, determined, and informed decisions of the government under my leadership, and I want to tell you, we are still active. 'Behold, a people that rises up as a lioness, and as a lion lifts himself up [Numbers 23:24]'; and with G-d's help, we will continue to act together, and we will continue to win."

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'We will teach you a greater lesson': Qalibaf warns Trump not to test Iran's resolve again

Sunday, 12 April 2026 7:16 PM

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said on Sunday that the Iranian nation has proved it does not bend to US threats, warning that the country was prepared to "teach a greater lesson" if confronted again.

Speaking to reporters upon returning from Islamabad, where he led a high-ranking Iranian delegation for talks with the United States, Qalibaf thanked members of the Iranian negotiating team and reporters, whose coverage of the talks he said helped counter "psychological operations" by the other side.

Responding to recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, Qalibaf said the language of threats does not work with Iran. He added that Iran had demonstrated since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that it would not yield under military, economic or political pressure.

Addressing Trump directly, Qalibaf said Iran would respond in kind to either confrontation or dialogue.

"If you go to war, we will fight you, and if you come forward with logic, we will treat you logically. We will not bow to any threat. Test our resolve once again, so that we will teach (you) a greater lesson," he said.

He reiterated that the United States could only find a "way out" by deciding to rebuild trust with Iran, saying Washington "owes a debt" to the Iranian people and must attempt to make up for its past wrong actions.

The top parliamentarian noted that nationwide public rallies in support of the Islamic Republic since the start of the US-Israeli aggression in late February strengthened the country's position during the Pakistan-mediated talks in Islamabad.

He thanked the Iranian people for their "stronger-than-before presence in the streets," saying it had reinforced the negotiating team's ability to defend Iran's national interests.

The Iranian delegation returned to Tehran after conducting 21 hours of intense negotiations with US negotiators headed by Vice President JD Vance. Iran had agreed to participate in the talks after American officials signaled they had accepted Iran's general conditions to end the war under a 10-point proposal Tehran had presented earlier through intermediaries.

The talks began in Islamabad on Saturday, days after Pakistan proposed a two-week ceasefire to allow for diplomacy aimed at permanently ending the war. The discussions ended early on Sunday without an agreement, with Iranian officials blaming "excessive demands" by the American side.

The talks were "intense, serious and challenging," Qalibaf told reporters in Tehran, adding that Iranian negotiators presented several initiatives as a gesture of goodwill.

However, he acknowledged that building trust with the Americans would be a "difficult and time-consuming task" given Washington's long history of reneging on its commitments. As the most recent examples, he said the US had attacked Iran twice over the past year amid diplomatic talks over Tehran's nuclear program.

It was up to Washington, Qalibaf said, to take steps to rebuild confidence and break a "77-year wall of mistrust" with Iran, adding that the Iranian negotiators saw little sign of such efforts in the latest round of talks in Islamabad.

The Parliament speaker stressed that Iran would continue on its "path toward success" independently and by relying on domestic capabilities.

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Iranian delegation leaves Pakistan after ending negotiations with US

Sunday, 12 April 2026 5:30 PM

A high-ranking Iranian delegation that attended an intense day of negotiations with American negotiators in Pakistan to permanently end a US-Israeli aggression against the country has left the capital, Islamabad.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said in a Sunday report from its office in Islamabad that the Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, left the city around afternoon local time.

Senior Pakistani government and military officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Army Chief General Asim Munir, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, attended a ceremony at Islamabad airport to send off the Iranian delegation.

The departure came after both Iran and the US confirmed they could not agree on the general guidelines of a deal that could meet their objectives and decided to end the talks in Islamabad without reaching an agreement after more than 20 hours of intensive negotiations.

The US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, had left Pakistan in the early hours of Sunday.

The main sticking point in the talks seemed to be the US reluctance to agree to Iran's rights to have a peaceful nuclear program, an issue which the Iranian side has insisted on for years and just before entering the talks.

The talks came days after Pakistan mediated a two-week ceasefire that allowed a halt to 40 days of US-Israeli aggression on Iran, an unprovoked war which triggered a massive Iranian response to the Israeli regime and the US bases and interests in the region.

Iran agreed to participate in the negotiations after US authorities indicated they had accepted Iran's general conditions as a baseline for peace deal discussions.

Iran's conditions included guarantees for a permanent end to the aggression on Iran and its allies in the region, the recognition of Iran's nuclear rights and its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, which is currently being controlled by the Iranian armed forces, the lifting of US and international sanctions on Iran, and paying compensation for the US-Israeli aggression on the country.

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Iran begins rebuilding oil facilities hit by US-Israeli strikes; targets 80% capacity in 2 months

Sunday, 12 April 2026 2:35 PM

Iran has launched reconstruction efforts at oil infrastructure sites immediately following strikes by the US and Israel, says a senior energy official.

Mohammad Sadeq Azimifar, CEO of the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC), stated in an interview with SNN news on Sunday that the company deployed technical teams to nearly all damaged facilities the day after the attacks.

"Contractors have been mobilized, and restoration work is already in progress," Azimifar said.

One of the facilities struck by the US and Israel was an oil refinery located on the Persian Gulf island of Lavan, following the announcement of a two-week ceasefire between Tehran and Washington last week.

"A multi-phase restoration plan was immediately drafted to bring the refinery back online as quickly as possible, despite the extent of the damage," Azimifar said.

He added that several teams are currently on-site for debris removal and the replacement of damaged equipment.

According to the official, a portion of the Lavan refinery is expected to be restored within the next 10 days, with other units returning to production in phases.

Among other damaged facilities was the Rey oil depot, which Azimifar confirmed is also undergoing restoration.

The United States and Israel launched a joint military aggression against Iran on February 28 by assassinating the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders.

During the 40-day war, the enemies launched a wave of attacks against Iran, which also targeted critical energy infrastructure, including oil depots, gas refineries, and power plants.

The facilities constitute critical civilian infrastructure essential to the provision of energy, economic stability, and the welfare of millions of people across the nation.

Among the most critical infrastructure targeted by the enemies was the country's South Pars Gas Field. Iranian officials condemned the airstrike as a "heinous crime" and a "flagrant violation" of international law."

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Pezeshkian, Putin discuss ways to restore regional peace after US talks fail

Sunday, 12 April 2026 1:56 PM

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have held a phone call hours after Pakistan-mediated negotiations between Iran and the United States ended without an agreement to permanently end the US-Israeli aggression on Iran.

The Iranian Presidency Office said in a statement that Pezeshkian and Putin had discussed their viewpoints about how to boost security and stability in the West Asia region.

The statement said the two also reviewed the latest developments regarding a two-week ceasefire announced last week between Iran and the US.

The president reiterated that Iran is fully prepared to reach a balanced and fair agreement that would guarantee lasting peace and security in the region.

"If America is committed to the frameworks of international law, a deal not unreachable," he said.

Putin, in turn, strongly criticized the West's double standard approach and stressed the need to respect Iran's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Russian president said he supported Iran's demand for guarantees that no act of aggression is launched against the country in the future and also for reparations for damage sustained during the war.

The Kremlin also issued its readout of the phone call, saying Putin and Pezeshkian discussed efforts to bring about peace in the region.

It said Putin had declared his readiness to help facilitate such efforts.

"Vladimir Putin emphasized his readiness to further facilitate the search for a political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict, and to mediate efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East," the statement said.

The Kremlin said that both Pezeshkian and Putin reaffirmed their commitment to developing and strengthening bilateral relations.

The phone call came hours after Iran and the US said they had ended their intensive talks in Islamabad without reaching any agreement.

The Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said that US excessive demands had prevented the talks from achieving the desired results.

The US delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, said Iran had not accepted US demands for totally abandoning its nuclear program, which Tehran insists is peaceful and has no military dimension.

The negotiations came days after Pakistan announced that Iran and the US had responded positively to its call for a stop in the fighting that began in late February after the US-Israeli aggression on Iran.

Iran accepted to enter talks with the US after Washington indicated it had agreed to negotiate based on Iran's general conditions to end the war.

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Iran will stand firm on defending rights from Hormuz to compensation: VP

Sunday, 12 April 2026 1:07 PM

Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref says Tehran will stand firm on defending national rights from the Strait of Hormuz to pursuing compensation for the damage caused by the US-Israeli war against the country.

Aref made the remark in a post on his X account on Sunday after negotiations between high-ranking Iranian and American delegations came to an end without an agreement after 21 hours of discussions in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

As stated by Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, national unity and cohesion is growing within the Iranian society, Aref emphasized.

"From [having] authority in the Strait of Hormuz to pursuing compensation, we stand firm on the rights of the people; this is our commitment to a strong Iran," he said.

The vice president added that the Iranian government, named as the government of defense and construction, views national unity as an asset for progress and restoration of the people's rights.

The Saturday negotiations, mediated by Pakistan, followed multiple rounds of discussions and exchanges of proposals but failed to produce a breakthrough.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who led the Iranian negotiating team, said on Sunday that the US failed to gain Tehran's trust during the talks.

"My colleagues raised forward-looking initiatives, but the opposite side ultimately failed to win the trust of the Iranian delegation in this round of negotiations," he added.

The top legislator also noted that Iran pursues powerful diplomacy, alongside military force, for upholding the rights of the Iranian people.

The talks followed the announcement of a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday, and were meant to find a permanent resolution to the war, which the US and Israel launched against Iran on February 28 amid ongoing nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.

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Press TV Exclusive: US destroyers' Strait of Hormuz transit stunt failed, came close to destruction

Sunday, 12 April 2026 12:00 PM

The US military's attempt to sail two destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday ended as a failed propaganda stunt timed to coincide with talks in Islamabad, a Press TV investigation has found.

The investigation, based on information provided by highly placed military-security sources, reveals that the US Navy destroyers came within minutes of complete destruction after attempting a high-risk passage through the Strait of Hormuz in a failed propaganda operation aimed at influencing Iran-US talks in the Pakistani capital.

The USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) and USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG 121), both Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, attempted to transit the strategic waterway but were intercepted and forced to retreat by Iranian naval forces.

According to the investigation, the American destroyers and their accompanying frigates did not succeed in passing through the strategic waterway that remains closed for US vessels.

Press TV's investigation found the American attempt to be an extremely high-risk move that could have easily turned into a disaster for the United States and its military.

The destroyers were only a few minutes away from complete destruction after Iranian cruise missiles locked onto the vessel and attack drones were deployed.

When the two destroyers and the accompanying fleet reached the mouth of the Persian Gulf, Iran's cruise missiles locked onto them, and the destroyers were given only 30-minutes to turn back. The vessels immediately retreated.

They had attempted to use electronic warfare tactics, including turning off its position reporting system, in a bid to deceive the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) naval forces.

By spoofing their identity, they sought to present themselves as commercial vessels belonging to Oman, purportedly engaged in coastal transit in the southern part of the Sea of Oman, the investigation revealed.

The destroyers also chose a route very close to the coast and through shallow waters, taking a high risk to pass through this route and enter the Persian Gulf through concealment, deception, expecting that Iranian forces might be negligent during the ceasefire

However, the IRGC naval forces, while patrolling around Fujairah, had already detected the deception and taken swift action.

The USS Frank Peterson first tried to continue on its course but immediately realized that cruise missile radars had locked onto it, and it was stopped by IRGC vessels.

Simultaneously, IRGC drones flew over the two destroyers. The USS Peterson then received a notification on international channel 16 that it must either turn back and leave the area within thirty minutes or it would become a target of the Iranian Armed Forces.

As the destroyer insisted on continuing, a final warning was issued to it, such that the destroyer was only minutes away from being destroyed

According to the investigation, the conversation between the IRGC naval forces operator and the American destroyers indicates their full compliance with the IRGC's warning

The investigation further revealed that the failed operation was specifically designed to exploit the ceasefire in order to test the readiness of Iran's naval forces.

It also sought to have an impact on the negotiators in Islamabad, where high-stakes Iran-US talks were underway under Pakistani mediation.

The talks, which ended early on Sunday after 21 hours, failed to produce any breakthrough.

According to the findings of the investigation, the operation of the two US destroyers failed and was defeated in achieving both goals.

Support helicopters were also flying above the destroyers. Simultaneously with the warning to these two destroyers, all vessels in the area were warned to stay at least 10 miles away from them so that if they were targeted by the IRGC, the surrounding vessels would not be harmed.

The investigation also noted that the high-risk and botched US operation was the result of the expulsion of top military generals from the army on the orders of War Secretary Pete Hegseth in recent days.

The investigation found that the attempt to pass the destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz, which is firmly under Iranian control, turned into a failed propaganda operation, with the US placing a military operation at the service of propaganda.

Earlier on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters categorically rejected claims by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) regarding the passage of American military vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

"The authorization for any vessel's transit through this strategic waterway rests solely with the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari said.

In a separate announcement, the IRGC Navy warned that any attempt by US military vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz will be met with a harsh confrontation.

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US-Israeli aggression killed 258 women, 221 minors in Iran: Health official

Sunday, 12 April 2026 9:12 AM

The head of Iran's Emergency Organization says at least 258 women and 221 individuals under the age of 18 have been martyred in US-Israeli assaults during their war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.

Majid Miadfar said in a statement on Sunday that a total of 18 children under the age of five have also been killed in the bloody onslaught.

Among the under-18 victims martyred in the American-Israeli bombings are 168 schoolgirls from Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school in the southern Iranian city of Minab, he said.

Miadfar noted that the number of female Iranians injured in the strikes has reached 4,993, while 2,115 people under the age of 18 have been wounded as well.

At least 124 children under the age of five have also sustained injuries, and 70 infants under the age of two have been wounded as well, he said.

According to the official, the bulk of injuries were recorded in the capital province of Tehran, southwestern and western provinces of Khuzestan, Lorestan, Kermanshah, and Ilam, besides the central province of Isfahan.

He also highlighted the damage inflicted upon the health sector infrastructure, explaining that 400 medical facilities, 57 emergency bases, and 47 ambulances have been struck and damaged in the course of the US-Israeli assaults.

Two air ambulances and a sea ambulance have also suffered substantial damage.

Among health workers, 26 have been martyred and 118 injured. Of those wounded, 78 were on the field treating injured civilians.

The United States and Israel initiated an unprovoked military campaign against Iran on February 28, assassinating Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking military commanders despite indirect Tehran-Washington negotiations on Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

The aggression has comprised a series of intensive strikes on both military installations and civilian facilities throughout Iran, causing significant casualties and widespread damage to infrastructure.

In response, Iranian Armed Forces carried out waves of retaliatory missile and drone operations against US interests across West Asia and Israeli positions in the occupied territories.

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Iranian Forensics Body Identifies More Than 3,300 War Victims In The Country

14:12 12.4.2026

Iranian authorities said they had identified nearly 3,400 people it said had been killed during US-Israeli strikes on the country that began on February 28.

The Forensic Medicine Organization, which is a part of Iran's judiciary, announced on April 12 that it has "identified and determined the identities of 3,375 people through scientific and specialized methods" of the citizens who died in the US and Israeli strikes.

According to the head of the Forensic Medicine Organization, this total includes 2,875 men and 496 women.

This is the latest official count of civilian deaths in the US-Israeli war with Iran. However, this is the only "identified" death toll from the war.

Previously, several official sources, including the Iranian Red Crescent Organization, have provided sporadic statistics on war deaths in the country, but these statistics did not include a breakdown by gender.

The US-based human rights group HRANA had previously reported the death toll at 3,636, saying of 1,701 -- including 254 children -- were civilians.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-live-blog- trump-khamenei/33640284.html?lbis=449202

Copyright (c) 2026. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Iran 'In No Hurry' To Negotiate With US

09:48 12.4.2026

Tehran has no plans for the next round of peace talks to end the war, Iran's Fars news agency reported, after Islamabad peace talks collapsed and US officials departed for Washington.

The agency, which is closely linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said "Iran did not accept America's ambitious conditions on the Strait of Hormuz, peaceful nuclear energy and several other issues."

The agency cited "a source close to the Iranian negotiating team" in Islamabad.

"The Americans demanded through negotiations everything they could not obtain through war," the person said, adding that he believed "the American team was looking for an excuse to leave the negotiating table."

Another Iranian news agency, Tasnim, also quoted an "informed source" as saying that "a time and place for the next possible round of negotiations has not yet been determined."

"Iran is in no hurry" the agency, which is also affiliated with the IRGC, quoted the person.

Until the United States "agrees to a reasonable agreement... there will be no change in the situation in the Strait of Hormuz," Tasnim said.

"The ball is in America's court and Iran is in no hurry to negotiate," Tasmin quoted the unnamed person as saying.

US Vice President JD Vance, who led the US negotiating team, departed the Pakistani capital on the morning of April 12.

The Iranian delegation was led by Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-protests-live-blog- trump-khamenei/33640284.html?lbis=449182

Copyright (c) 2026. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Iran's Parliament Speaker Expresses Gratitude to Pakistan for Facilitating Negotiations

Sputnik News

20260412

The speaker of the Islamic Republic of Iran's Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has expressed deep gratitude to Pakistan for its role in facilitating negotiations, calling it a friendly and brotherly country. He extended his regards to the people of Pakistan for their support.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf emphasized Iran's commitment to negotiations, stressing that the country entered talks with good faith and determination. However, based on past experiences from previous conflicts, Iran has no trust in the opposing side.

Ghalibaf pointed out that while the Iranian delegation, Minaab168, presented forward-looking initiatives, the opposing side ultimately failed to earn the trust of the Iranian team during this round of talks. He further stated that while the United States has understood Iran's logic and principles, it now rests on America to prove whether it can truly earn Iran's trust.

"We view every diplomatic effort, alongside military struggle, as an essential method of authority diplomacy to uphold the rights of the Iranian nation. We will never cease our efforts to consolidate the achievements of the past 40 days of Iran's national defense," Ghalibaf said.

 Sputnik

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Pakistan Urges Iran and US to Continue Adhering to Ceasefire - Foreign Minister

Sputnik News

20260412

Pakistan has urged both Iran and the US to continue respecting the ceasefire, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said.

"It is extremely important that both sides remain committed to the ceasefire," Dar said, according to the media.

Iran and the US held talks in Islamabad on Saturday after US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Iran on a two-week ceasefire on Wednesday night. On Sunday morning, the head of the American delegation, Vice President J.D. Vance, announced that Iran and the United States had failed to reach an agreement during lengthy negotiations and that the US delegation would return home without a deal.

 Sputnik

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Iran, US Failed to Reach Agreement Due to Differences on 2-3 Important Issues - Report

Sputnik News

20260412

Iran and the United States reached an understanding on a number of issues, but disagreed on two or three important issues, which is why a deal following the talks in Islamabad failed, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said.

"We reached an understanding on a number of issues, but our views diverged on two or three important issues, and ultimately the talks failed to produce an agreement," Baghaei said, as quoted by the Mehr news agency.

Iran and the US had talks in Islamabad on Saturday after US President Donald Trump had announced an agreement with Tehran on a two-week ceasefire on the night of April 8. On Sunday morning, the head of the US delegation, Vice President J.D. Vance, announced that Iran and the United States had failed to reach an agreement during lengthy negotiations and that the US delegation would return home without a deal.

 Sputnik

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US Delegation Returns After Iran Rejects US-Proposed Agreement - Vance

Sputnik News

20260412

Iran decided not to accept the terms of the US-proposed agreement, US Vice President J.D. Vance, who led the US delegation at the talks in Islamabad, said.

"They [the Iranian side] have chosen not to accept our terms," Vance told reporters following the talks.

The United States very clearly outlined its red lines and the areas where compromise was possible during negotiations with Iran, he noted.

"We've made it very clear what our red lines are, what things we are willing to accommodate them on and what things we are not willing to accommodate them on, and we made it as clear as we possibly could, and they have chosen not to accept our terms," Vance told reporters following the talks in Islamabad.

According to the US Vice President, the US offer in the recent talks with Iran was final and best.

"We leave here with a very simple proposal - a method of understanding that is our final and best offer," Vance told reporters in Islamabad following the talks.

 Sputnik

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'We Have Won, Whether We Make a Deal or Not'  Trump

Sputnik News

20260412

The president declared victory as the US-Iran talks entered third round in Islamabad.

"We've defeated them militarily. Their Navy is sunk. Their Air Force is defeated. Their anti-aircraft is defeated. Their radar is defeated. Their leaders are all dead," he declared.

US President Donald Trump announced on the night of April 8 that an agreement had been reached with Iran on a two-week ceasefire. It was later reported that talks on sustainable peace in the region would be held on Saturday in Pakistan.

US Vice President JD Vance will lead a delegation to Pakistan, which also includes Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the US leader's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. US negotiators will be accompanied by experts from the US National Security Council, the State Department, and the Pentagon.

 Sputnik

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April 12: Fragile ceasefire in effect as Iran-US talks in Islamabad end without breakthrough

Iran Press TV

Monday, 13 April 2026 5:49 AM

By Press TV Website Staff

The failure of Iran-US talks in Islamabad on Sunday due to maximalist American demands set the tone for a tense and uncertain day.

Iranian officials described the discussions as "intensive" and conducted in good faith. Still, they said the negotiations stalled when Washington shifted its demands at the last moment, including a proposal requiring Iran to permanently dismantle its peaceful nuclear program, a condition Tehran rejected as exceeding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The deadlock, as reported by US media, has left the Trump administration facing a stark choice: enter a prolonged and complex diplomatic process, or resume a war that has already shaken global energy markets and raised the risk of confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz.

As the diplomatic impasse deepened, military tensions escalated. US President Donald Trump announced plans to blockade maritime traffic at Iranian ports beginning April 13, a move Iran's Armed Forces warned would violate the existing ceasefire.

Iran said the US attempt to send destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz had already failed, as reported first by Press TV. At the same time, senior Iranian officials reiterated that the country would defend its rights, from Hormuz to wartime reparations.

Regional anxieties rose further as Yemeni authorities warned of global economic consequences from any new US escalation, and European leaders stressed that any meaningful ceasefire must extend to Lebanon.

Amid the widening standoff, Iran signaled that its position remains unchanged: negotiations can continue, but only within a framework that respects sovereignty, regional security, and the commitments already outlined by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Key developments on day 44 of the war, fourth day of the ceasefire:

As the Islamabad talks between Iran and the US failed, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said Washington failed to win Tehran's trust during negotiations in Pakistan seeking a conclusive end to the US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic.

Qalibaf said the Iranian nation has proved it does not bend to US threats, warning that the country was prepared to "teach a greater lesson" if confronted again.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said the United States' "maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade" derailed what was just inches away from becoming the "Islamabad MoU," as high-level talks between the two countries failed to produce a breakthrough after 21 hours of intensive negotiations.

Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said no one had expected the talks to reach an agreement in one session after the negotiations in Islamabad failed on Sunday. "Naturally, from the beginning, we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation," Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.

US Vice President JD Vance said he spoke with President Donald Trump "a half dozen times, a dozen times," during 21 hours of talks with Iran.

The New York Times reported that the deadlock in negotiations has cornered the administration of Donald Trump, leaving it with only two costly paths: either commit to a long, complex bargaining process with Tehran over Iran's nuclear program, or return to a war that has already triggered one of the most severe energy disruptions of the modern era and heightened the risk of a direct clash over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Vance said Washington had put forward a proposal requiring Iran to permanently and completely shut down its nuclear program, a demand Tehran rejected as an infringement on rights guaranteed under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Reports stated that one of Washington's biggest fears, according to US officials, is becoming entangled in another long, grinding negotiation with Iran.

President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed how to boost security and stability in the West Asia region.

The US military's attempt to sail two destroyers through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday ended as a failed propaganda stunt timed to coincide with talks in Islamabad, a Press TV investigation found.

Trump said the United States Navy will begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz "immediately" after peace talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan failed.

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that it will begin implementing a blockade "of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports" on April 13, starting at 10 am EST (15:00 GMT), "in accordance with the President's proclamation".

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warned that any attempt by military vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz will be deemed a violation of the two-week ceasefire with the United States.

Qalibaf, responding to Trump's threat to "blockade" the Strait of Hormuz, addressed Americans, "Enjoy the current price of gasoline. With the so-called 'blockade' you threaten, you will soon be longing for the days of four- and five-dollar fuel."

Yemeni officials warned that any renewed American escalation, on land or at sea, would further destabilise global supply chains, energy markets, and the world economy.

IRGC Quds Force Commander General Esmail Qaani vowed that the US and Israel will be expelled from the region "without any achievements" like they had been driven from the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait by Yemen.

Iran's First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said Tehran will stand firm on defending national rights from the Strait of Hormuz to pursuing compensation for the damage caused by the US-Israeli war against the country.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron said that any ceasefire in West Asia must include Lebanon.

The Handala hacking group carried out a significant and successful cyber operation targeting the United Arab Emirates' critical infrastructure.

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Iraqi parliament elects former environment minister Nizar Amedi as country's new president

Azerbaijan State News Agency - (AZERTAC)

12.04.2026 [12:20]

Baku, April 12, AZERTAC

The Iraqi Parliament on Saturday elected former environment minister Nizar Amedi as the country's new president, following a decisive voting session held in the capital Baghdad, Xinhua reports.

Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi officially announced Amedi as the winner after he secured 227 votes in the runoff vote. Following the announcement, the president-elect took the constitutional oath.

The pivotal session was attended by approximately 250 lawmakers from the 329-seat parliament, exceeding the constitutional quorum of 220 members required for the presidential election.

According to the televised session, Amedi, the candidate of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led the first round with 208 votes, while his primary competitors, Muthanna Amin from the Kurdistan Islamic Union and current Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, received 17 and 16 votes respectively.

The election moved to a second round between Amedi and Amin, as no candidate secured a two-thirds majority in the initial ballot.

Amedi, head of the Political Bureau of the PUK in Baghdad, previously held the post of Iraqi environment minister from 2022 to 2024 and has acted as an adviser to former Iraqi presidents.

Under the Iraqi constitution, the newly elected president has 15 days to nominate the leader of the largest parliamentary bloc as the prime minister-designate. The nominee will then have 30 days to form a new cabinet and seek a confidence vote.

Iraq held parliamentary elections in November last year. The vote concludes a long period of political deadlock. The election of the new president had been stalled due to a lack of consensus between the major Kurdish parties and the failure to achieve the required two-thirds parliamentary quorum in previous attempts.

Under Iraq's post-2003 power-sharing system, the presidency is reserved for a Kurd, while the parliamentary speaker is a Sunni, and the prime minister is a Shiite.

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FM Sa'ar speaks with FM Francisco Perez Mackenna of Chile

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs

"I thanked him for Chile's moral decision to withdraw from the anti-Israeli and hostile 'Hague Group.'"

Type: Press Releases

Topic: Foreign Policy

Publish Date: 11.04.2026

Minister of Foreign Affairs Gideon Sa'ar spoke today (Saturday, 11 April 2026) with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile, Francisco Perez Mackenna, and congratulated him upon assuming his important role in the new administration under President Jose Antonio Kast.

FM Sa'ar: "Spoke with Chile's FM Francisco Perez Mackenna and congratulated him upon assuming his important role in the new administration under President Jose Antonio Kast.

I expressed my admiration for the Chilean people and their economic success.

I thanked him for Chile's moral decision to withdraw from the anti-Israeli and hostile 'Hague Group.'

I look forward to a new chapter of close bilateral relations. I invited him to soon visit Israel."

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League Secretary-General welcomes signing by representatives of Libyan House of Representatives and High Council of State of Annex No. (1) to Unified Development Agreement

League of Arab States

Date: 12/04/2026

Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, welcomed the signing by representatives of the Libyan House of Representatives and the High Council of State of Annex No. (1) to the Unified Development Agreement, which includes the adoption of the state's general expenditure tables for the first time in more than 13 years. He described this as an important positive development towards achieving stability and development in the country for the benefit of the Libyan people.

Gamal Roshdy, the official spokesperson for the Secretary-General, conveyed Mr. Aboul Gheit's commendation of this step, considering it a reflection of the continuity of institutional action following the agreement between the House of Representatives and the High Council of State on the unified development programme in November 2025. He noted that it highlights the ability of Libyans to overcome differences when the higher national interest prevails, and contributes to strengthening confidence among the Libyan parties, thereby paving the way for broader agreements towards ending the transitional phases.

The Secretary-General also renewed the readiness of the League of Arab States, through its specialised organisations, to support national efforts aimed at implementing the unified development programme, within the framework of the League's longstanding commitment to its responsibilities towards Libya and its continued engagement alongside the Libyan people to help identify appropriate solutions and reach a comprehensive political settlement.

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Kremlin Spokesman Says Too Early to Speak About NATO Collapse

Sputnik News

20260412

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview out on Sunday that he does not believe that a NATO collapse was likely despite differences between the United States and its European allies.

"I do not think one can speak of the alliance's collapse. Because, one way or another, the European component will grow," Peskov told Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin.

Peskov said that it would be "reckless and short-sighted" to underestimate NATO's might and suggested that the changing world would force the military alliance to transform accordingly.

He did not rule out that Europe would eventually create a military alliance of its own.

"This foundation will continue to strengthen and grow. They will take steps to create a defense alliance of sorts," the presidential spokesperson predicted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's Easter ceasefire was a humanitarian gesture on his part, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"This is a humanitarian gesture on the part of the supreme commander-in-chief, the Russian president. It is a sacred holiday for both the Russians and the Ukrainians. For the Ukrainian people, too, it is a holiday imbued with special significance. The Ukrainian side has followed the Russian example," Peskov.

An Easter ceasefire was declared last year only to be repeatedly broken by the Ukrainian military, Peskov said.

"Putin specifically emphasized that our military must remain on high alert in case of possible provocations," he added.

Russia and Ukraine are locked in a dispute over a few square kilometers, Peskov said.

He spoke after US Vice President JD Vance said this week that the two countries were haggling over "a few square kilometers of territory in one direction or another."

"These are indeed just a few kilometers... Roughly speaking, there is 17-18% of the Donetsk People's Republic left to liberate before we reach the administrative borders," Peskov said.

Negotiations on the Ukrainian peace have been put on hold by the United States for now, and Moscow understands the US' current engagement, Peskov said.

"For now, this track is on pause. We understand the workload of our US counterparts," Peskov told Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin.

The presidential spokesperson said that the negotiating process was expected to be "very complicated, meticulous and slow," with a lot of back-and-forth with the Ukrainian side.

Russia will continue the special military operation after the Easter ceasefire ends, until Volodymyr Zelensky finds the courage to reach a peace deal, Peskov said.

"Until Zelensky can muster the courage to take on this responsibility, the special military operation will continue after the ceasefire expires," Peskov said.

Russia wants lasting peace, which could be achieved as early as today if Volodymyr Zelensky makes the necessary and well-known decisions, Peskov added.

"We want a lasting peace. A lasting peace can be achieved once we secure our interests and achieve the goals we set from the very beginning. This can be done literally 'today.' But Zelensky must make those well-known decisions," he said.

As soon as those decisions are made, everything will "return to a peaceful course," the spokesman said.

The instructions given to Russian warships for escorting tankers cannot be made public, Dmitry Peskov said.

"This is a sensitive issue. Naturally, these instructions cannot be made public," Peskov said.

In recent months, Russia has repeatedly faced incidents of international piracy targeting various commercial vessels linked in some way to Russian property or goods, Peskov said, adding that every country has the right to defend itself and act to protect its interests against piracy.

"The president [of Russia, Vladimir Putin] is paying close attention to this," he said.

Russia is ready to send to Europe whatever is left once the needs of alternative markets are met, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Of course, why not? If gas is left once alternative markets [are saturated]. For now, there is plenty of it, it remains," Peskov said.

He said that Russian gas exports have recently increased but added that the alternative markets the country has been supplying are "gluttonous."

The spokesman called Europe "short-sighted" for abandoning Russian energy imports, although he conceded that European countries will find a way to import gas even if Russia does not supply it directly to the European market.

"That cannot be ruled out, of course. There are so many gas liquefaction facilities on the European continent and in the Middle East that this process, this spot market, lives like a living organism," Peskov said.

He added that there are not many energy sources in the world, and they can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

 Sputnik

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Saudi Arabia summons Iraqi envoy over attacks from Iraqi territory

Azerbaijan State News Agency - (AZERTAC)

12.04.2026 [23:47]

Baku, April 12, AZERTAC

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that it had summoned Iraqi envoy to Riyadh Safia Taleb Al Suhail over drone attacks targeting the kingdom and other Gulf states launched from Iraqi territory, Xinhua reports.

According to a statement by the Foreign Ministry on social media platform X, the Iraqi ambassador was handed a protest note condemning these attacks.

During the handover of the note, Saudi Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud bin Mohammed Al-Sati stressed the importance of Iraq dealing responsibly with those "threats and attacks."

He also renewed the kingdom's firm rejection of violations of state sovereignty and attempts to threaten the region's security and stability.

He affirmed that Saudi Arabia would take all necessary measures to defend its security and protect its territory.

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Saudi energy facilities, East-West pipeline recover after attacks, restore operational capacity

Azerbaijan State News Agency - (AZERTAC)

12.04.2026 [15:19]

Baku, April 12, AZERTAC

Saudi energy facilities, including the East-West pipeline that were impacted by recent attacks, have recovered and their operational capacity has been restored, Anadolu Agency reports citing the Energy Ministry.

The ministry said its announcement followed a Thursday statement on the impact of attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure, which included a loss of about 700,000 barrels per day in East-West pipeline capacity, and the decline in production at the Manifa field, as well as the impact on production in the Khurais field by about 300,000 barrels per day.

About the Khurais field, the ministry said efforts to fully restore production capacity are continuing, and an update will be announced once the work is completed.

Saudi Arabia earlier said operations were halted at several energy facilities in the kingdom after a recent wave of attacks.

The US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 3,000 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Tehran retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, and restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a two-week Pakistan-mediated ceasefire with Iran. The parties also held talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad on Saturday to permanently end the war, but an agreement was not reached immediately.

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Foreign Ministry Summons Iraqi Ambassador Over Drone Attacks

Saudi Press Agency

Sunday 24/10/1447

Riyadh, April 12, 2026, SPA -- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Iraqi Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Safia Taleb Al-Suhail in response to continued blatant drone attacks and threats launched from Iraqi territory targeting Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.

Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Ambassador Dr. Saud Al-Sati delivered an official protest note, emphasizing the Kingdom's strong condemnation and denunciation of such attacks.

He stressed that Iraq must act responsibly to address these threats and reiterated the Kingdom's categorical rejection of any violations of its sovereignty or attempts to destabilize regional security. Furthermore, he affirmed that the Kingdom will take all necessary measures to defend its security and protect its territory.

-- SPA

18:56 Local Time 15:56 GMT

0043

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2026 Han Kuang drills test key U.S. military rehearsals: Source

ROC Central News Agency

04/12/2026 03:55 PM

Taipei, April 12 (CNA) Taiwan's largest annual military drills are introducing several key U.S.-style rehearsal methods aimed at improving coordination and combat readiness, an unnamed senior defense official said Sunday.

The Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan's largest-scale war games, are held annually in two stages: computerized simulations and live-fire drills. This year's 42nd edition began with tabletop war games on Saturday, which will run through April 24, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

A major focus of the 2026 drills is testing troops in four types of U.S. military rehearsals, the official said on condition of anonymity.

These include Combined Arms Rehearsal (CAR), confirmation briefs (backbriefs), support rehearsals, and battle drill or standard operating procedure (SOP) rehearsals.

A backbrief involves subordinates explaining to commanders how they intend to carry out assigned missions, allowing leaders to confirm understanding, identify gaps, and align execution before operations begin.

CAR integrates maneuver and firepower to ensure units operate in sync on the battlefield. Support rehearsals focus on coordination within Battlefield Operating Systems (BOS), such as fire support and combat service support.

Battle drill and SOP rehearsals ensure troops are familiar with specific procedures and can execute them quickly.

While Taiwan's military has similar concepts, increased exchanges with the United States in recent years have led American counterparts to push for more rigorous implementation of these methods, the official said.

The shift is intended to make frontline troops more active decision-makers rather than passive recipients of orders, improving effectiveness in modern combat.

Su Tzu-yun (), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said past exercises were often treated as formalities aimed at satisfying superiors.

Recent drills, however, have become more practical, allowing different branches to test and align their defensive plans through both simulations and live-fire exercises, he said.

Echoing remarks by the unnamed official that the 2026 exercises will mark the first time Taiwan's military intelligence units have been included in tabletop war games, Su said the move reflects U.S. practices and will enhance battlefield awareness by complementing data from radar and reconnaissance aircraft, enabling more precise support for frontline units.

First held in 1984, the Han Kuang exercises are designed to test Taiwan's combat readiness in the event of a possible Chinese invasion.

The MND has not yet announced the dates or duration of this year's live-fire drills.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo () has said the live-fire segment, typically held in summer, is expected to last 10 days and nine nights, as it did last year.

(By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/kb

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Taiwan Navy's goodwill fleet heads to St. Lucia following St. Kitts stop

ROC Central News Agency

04/12/2026 01:39 PM

Taipei, April 12 (CNA) Taiwan's naval goodwill fleet is heading to Saint Lucia after concluding a three-day port call in Saint Kitts and Nevis on Saturday, where it was welcomed by Prime Minister Terrance Drew, according to Taiwanese embassies in the two Caribbean allies.

The fleet, officially designated the 2026 Midshipmen and Cruising Training Squadron (MCTS) of the Republic of China (ROC) Navy and led by Rear Admiral Chen Ming-feng (), made the MCTS's first return to Saint Kitts and Nevis in 23 years from Thursday to Saturday, Taiwan's embassy said on its Facebook on Sunday.

During its port call at Port Zante in Basseterre, the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the fleet -- consisting of the ROC Navy's fast combat support ship Panshi (AOE-532), Cheng Kung-class guided-missile frigate Yueh Fei (PFG-1106), and Kang Ding-class guided-missile frigate Di Hua (PFG-1206) -- was opened to the public on Friday, drawing approximately 1,500 enthusiastic visitors, the embassy said.

The Friday event was attended by Governor-General of Saint Kitts and Nevis Marcella Liburd, Prime Minister Drew, Deputy Governor-General Hyleta Liburd, and Nevis Premier Mark Brantley.

In his remarks, Drew welcomed the long-awaited visit, saying that it highlights the deep diplomatic bond between Taiwan and Saint Kitts and Nevis.

He encouraged the crew to visit local landmarks and experience the federation's beautiful scenery and vibrant culture, saying "true partnership is rooted in the interaction and exchange between our peoples," according to the post.

After leaving the Caribbean ally, the fleet is set to visit another of Taiwan's allies in the region, Saint Lucia, for the first time, according to the ROC (Taiwan) Embassy in Saint Lucia.

A welcome ceremony for the Taiwanese naval fleet will be held on Monday at noon, featuring performances by a marching band and an honor guard parade, the embassy announced last week.

The fleet departed Taiwan in late February for its annual training voyage. The mission typically includes visits to Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the Caribbean, Latin America, and in the South Pacific.

For security reasons, Taiwan's military does not publicize the fleet's scheduled stops.

Its first stop was in the Marshall Islands for a three-day port call from March 10 to 12 before passing through the Panama Canal in early April as it headed to another of Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the region.

According to the Ministry of National Defense's budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, the goodwill fleet mission is scheduled to last 112 days and includes 840 naval cadets.

The annual mission aims to promote Taiwan's diplomacy, demonstrate military capability, and engage with overseas Taiwanese communities, the proposal said.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/cs

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KMT chair welcomes China's Taiwan measures as party members urge pragmatic response

ROC Central News Agency

04/12/2026 08:33 PM

Taipei, April 12 (CNA) Kuomintang (KMT) Chairperson Cheng Li-wun () returned from a six-day visit to China on Sunday, welcoming Beijing's newly announced Taiwan incentive measures, as party figures and tourism representatives called on the government to respond pragmatically.

Upon arriving at Taoyuan International Airport from Beijing on Sunday afternoon, Cheng told reporters she was "very thankful" to the Taiwan Work Office of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee for announcing the 10 preferential measures for Taiwan.

"As I said during the Cheng-Xi meeting, things must be done one by one," Cheng said, referring to her meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping () on Friday, the most important engagement of her visit.

The leader of Taiwan's main opposition party said she had instructed party vice chairpersons to form a task force to follow up on implementing the measures and establish points of contact with the Chinese side.

The 10 measures, announced earlier Sunday, include resuming individual travel by residents of Shanghai and Fujian Province to Taiwan, restoring more direct cross-strait passenger flights, and easier access for Taiwanese agricultural, fishery and food products to the Chinese market.

Fu Kun-chi (), convener of the KMT legislative caucus, called on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government to respond pragmatically in line with public opinion.

He said that with Beijing rolling out concrete policies, the government should actively plan supporting measures, including tourism reception capacity and regulatory easing.

KMT Vice Chairperson Chang Jung-kung () said many in Taiwan hoped to see more people from China travel to Taiwan and that the tourism industry would welcome such a development.

Li Chi-yueh (), chairman of the High Quality of Travel Association, said the measures sent a stronger signal of opening up, noting that Beijing had typically resumed group tours before later allowing individual travel.

Li added that he hoped Taiwan would take the opportunity to lift the current restriction allowing Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan only via third locations.

Shortly before Cheng's return, Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo () said in a statement that "any exchanges should not be subject to political preconditions, nor should they be used as tools for political maneuvering or deals by specific parties."

She added that if China is sincere about advancing the measures, it should engage Taiwan's government agencies through existing channels.

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), which supervises cross-strait affairs in Taiwan, also urged caution over the long-term implications of Beijing's latest announcement.

MAC said that similar measures - including those related to imports, flights and tourism - have been repeatedly opened and suspended by China in the past, warning that the latest package should be viewed with caution in the absence of institutional safeguards.

"The same pattern is now being repeated, without any institutional safeguards for Taiwan's industries, farmers, fishers or the rights and interests of the public, making the measures highly risky," it added.

(By Liu Kuan-ting, Lu Chia-jung, Yu Hsiao-han and Sunny Lai)

Enditem/kb

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Taiwan criticizes overtures from Beijing; opposition reaction mixed

ROC Central News Agency

04/12/2026 07:53 PM

Taipei, April 12 (CNA) Taiwan's Cabinet dismissed the Taiwan-related policy proposals unveiled by Beijing on Sunday as a "tool of coercion," while responses from outside government ranged from caution to support.

The package of 10 policies and measures "to boost ties with Taiwan" was announced on Sunday at the conclusion of Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun's () visit to Beijing, which featured a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping ().

According to China's official Xinhua news agency, the measures by the CCP's Taiwan Work Office include plans to resume individual travel to Taiwan by residents of Shanghai and Fujian Province.

A mechanism will also be established to facilitate the entry of Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products, as long as this is on the political foundation of "opposing Taiwanese independence," the Xinhua report said.

The package also included proposed incentives for residents of Kinmen and Matsu, and plans to support broader access on Chinese platforms for Taiwanese TV dramas, documentaries and animated works deemed to have "correct orientation" and "healthy content."

Taiwan government response

In a statement, Cabinet spokesperson Michelle Lee () noted that "most" of the 10 measures involved policies that Beijing had previously suspended for unfounded reasons, causing severe harm to Taiwan's farmers, fishermen and industries.

"Past experience has repeatedly shown us that this highly uncertain and selective approach...is merely a tool for coercion and political maneuvering, which uses exchanges as a tool and trade as a weapon," Lee said.

Lee said Taiwan's government is in favor of "healthy, orderly" cross-strait exchanges that are in line with the principles of equality and dignity.

The government will conduct risk assessments of all cross-strait exchanges to ensure they don't impact Taiwan's economy or industries, she added.

The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-strait affairs, said Beijing was trying to sideline Taiwan's democratically-elected government with the policies, placing cross-strait relations under a KMT-to-CCP and "one China" framework.

Opposition responses

Among figures outside the government, KMT Vice Chairperson Chang Jung-kung () said he welcomed the 10 measures, both as an expression of goodwill by China and for the benefits they would bring Taiwan.

Legislator Ko Chih-en (), the KMT's nominee in the Kaohsiung mayor's race, sounded a more cautious note in her response.

In a statement, Ko noted that several of the proposals, particularly those related to fisheries, agricultural products and tourism, would benefit Kaohsiung.

"I think we're all optimistic about this," Ko said, citing the potential for deeper exchanges with the Chinese market.

"However, we hope these policies can be implemented over the long term without being affected by cross-strait political factors," Ko said, adding "only in this way would it truly benefit people on both sides of the strait."

In Kinmen, meanwhile, which is more integrated with China due to its proximity with Xiamen, independent deputy county magistrate Lee Wen-liang () urged the central government to "carefully assess" and "consider" the proposals.

Referring to a Chinese proposal to "support" Kinmen residents in using the new airport in Xiamen, Lee noted that flights in and out of Kinmen are frequently disrupted due to dense fog.

Although aviation is under the control of the central government, Lee said he hoped the government's approach would still reflect "local needs."

(By Tsai Meng-yu, Kao Chien-hua, Sunny Lai and Matthew Mazzetta)

Enditem/kb

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China's Taiwan measures aim to deepen dependence: Scholar

ROC Central News Agency

04/12/2026 06:28 PM

Taipei, April 12 (CNA) China's newly announced incentive measures targeting Taiwan are aimed at reshaping cross-strait relations by fostering deeper economic and structural dependence, a Taiwanese scholar said Sunday.

Hung Yao-nan (), deputy director of Tamkang University's Institute of China Studies, told CNA that the policies, while framed as economic incentives, are part of a broader strategy to sidestep formal dialogue and build alternative channels of influence.

He described the approach as a form of "soft integration" and "political bypass," operating outside government-to-government mechanisms after official communication was suspended.

Rather than isolated concessions, the measures represent a systematic effort to use economic incentives to drive political outcomes and local engagement to erode central authority, Hung said.

He added that Beijing is seeking to establish a "quasi-governance channel" through exchanges with Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT), creating a structure beyond Taiwan's constitutional framework.

This shifts cross-strait engagement toward an alternative form of political legitimacy, where those able to engage with Beijing are seen as more capable of governance, he said.

On the economic front, Hung said the strategy marks a shift from market-based interaction to structural integration, citing policies such as infrastructure links in outlying islands, expanded market access and deeper industrial cooperation.

The issue is not the scale of benefits, but the "restructuring of dependency," he said.

"On the surface, it offers convenience, opportunities and economic gains; at a deeper level, it serves as a form of political containment, reshaping the pathways of governance and the structure of dependence."

Beijing announced 10 measures targeting Taiwan earlier Sunday, some aimed at sectors such as tourism and fisheries, following a meeting between KMT Chairperson Cheng Li-wun () and Chinese President Xi Jinping () on Friday.

(By Liao Wen-chi and Lee Hsin-Yin)

Enditem/kb

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China unveils 10 measures to promote Taiwan ties during KMT chair's visit

ROC Central News Agency

04/12/2026 03:03 PM

Taipei, April 12 (CNA) Chinese authorities on Sunday announced 10 policy measures targeting Taiwan, some of which appeared aimed at benefiting specific sectors such as tourism and fisheries, on the final day of Kuomintang Chairperson Cheng Li-wun's () trip to China.

The 10 measures were reported earlier in the day by Xinhua News Agency, which said China's Taiwan Work Office had been authorized to announce them following Cheng's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping () on Friday.

The measures included plans to resume individual travel by residents of Shanghai and Fujian Province to Taiwan, and to push for the "full normalization" of direct cross-strait passenger flights to facilitate travel and exchanges between people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Xinhua, the Chinese government's mouthpiece, said China would support the resumption of flights between Taiwan and Chinese cities, such as Urumqi, Xi'an, Harbin, Kunming and Lanzhou, and Kinmen County's shared use of Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, which is still under construction.

Kinmen is a Taiwan-held outlying county located just off the coast of Fujian, with some of its islands as close as 2 kilometers from Xiamen. Matsu is another Taiwan-controlled island group off Fujian's coast.

Other proposals in the report included closer infrastructure links between Fujian and Kinmen and Matsu; easier access for Taiwanese agricultural, fishery and food products to the Chinese market; and studies on building docks and berths in certain areas to serve Taiwan's distant-water fishing vessels and facilitate the landing of their catches.

The report also said Chinese authorities would support Taiwanese small and medium-sized enterprises in China, and allow broader access on Chinese platforms for Taiwanese television dramas, documentaries and animated works deemed to have the "correct orientation" and "healthy content."

In terms of exchanges between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the KMT, the report also outlined plans to establish "regular communication mechanisms" between the two parties, as well as a platform for bilateral youth exchanges.

The Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-strait affairs, did not have an immediate response to the measures as of 2 p.m. Sunday.

The KMT, Taiwan's main opposition party, said in a news release that the 10 measures would help promote cross-strait exchanges and cooperation, align with expectations across Taiwanese society, and serve as an important boost to the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

Quoting party Vice Chairperson Chang Jung-kung (), the release added that the measures could be seen as "a gift" from the Chinese side to the people of Taiwan through Cheng, reflecting goodwill and sincerity and positively responding to her efforts to promote cross-strait peace and common development.

While some of the measures could potentially benefit certain sectors in Taiwan, such as tourism and fisheries, questions remain over how they could be implemented, particularly under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government.

For example, Taiwanese authorities currently only allow Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan proper via third locations.

Any further easing of travel restrictions or expansion of flight routes would require coordination between the governments on both sides of the Strait.

Cheng is on a rare visit to China from Tuesday to Sunday at the invitation of the CCP Central Committee and Xi, who also serves as the party's general secretary.

She is expected to return to Taiwan on Sunday afternoon.

(By Sunny Lai)

Enditem/cs

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Mainland unveils package of 10 measures to boost cross-Straits exchanges, cooperation as KMT's Cheng wraps up visit

Global Times

By Zhang Wanshi Published: Apr 12, 2026 11:29 PM

Authorities on the Chinese mainland unveiled a package of 10 policies and measures to boost exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits, including pushing for resuming regular direct flights and facilitating the entry of Taiwan's agricultural and fishery products. The announcement came as Kuomintang Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun concluded a six-day visit to mainland and returned to the island of Taiwan on Sunday.

The package, unveiled by the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Sunday, aims to advance the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations and enhance the kinship and well-being of compatriots across the Straits, the office said, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Mainland experts described the measures as among the most substantive in recent years for advancing cross-Straits engagement, saying they build on the momentum of Cheng's visit and are designed to deliver tangible benefits through expanded exchanges and closer cooperation on both sides.

Shared Gains

Among the 10 measures, the mainland will fast-track the full resumption of regular direct flights across the Taiwan Straits, including flights to and from mainland cities of Urumqi, Xi'an, Harbin, Kunming and Lanzhou.

Kinmen will be supported to use the new airport built in its adjacent city of Xiamen, Fujian Province.

Zhang Wensheng, deputy dean and a professor at the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University in Fujian Province, noted that the particular measure regarding direct flights would resonate strongly with the Taiwan public. Previously, the Chinese mainland announced in February the resumption of tourism by Shanghai residents to Kinmen and Matsu islands to normalize cross-Straits exchanges and to respond to the strong expectations of Taiwan residents and the tourism industry.

Regarding the policies that were unveiled on Sunday, Taiwan's United Daily News (UDN) quoted a travel industry insider in the region as saying it is hoped that Taiwan authorities will respond positively to the mainland's signals and goodwill, and take concrete actions that benefit the Taiwan people rather than engaging in constant political struggles.

"The Taiwan authorities should seize the moment this time to build on this positive momentum, so that people in Taiwan and the local tourism industry can benefit from the policies," Zhang said.

According to the office cited by Xinhua, efforts will also be made to explore the establishment of a regular communication mechanism between the CPC and the KMT, and an institutionalized platform will be set up to promote two-way exchanges between young people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits.

Such institutionalized and regularized exchanges between the two sides can resolve many long-standing issues and potential risks in cross-Straits relations, serving as a crucial measure to stabilize the Taiwan Straits and uphold peace across it, said Li Zhenguang, director at the Institute of Taiwan Studies at Beijing Union University.

"Heartfelt communication between young people from both sides could also mark a key step in unlocking vital links of cross-Straits exchanges in the future," he added.

In addition, a communication mechanism will be set up on the common political foundation of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing "Taiwan independence" to facilitate the entry of Taiwan's agricultural and fishery products that meet the quarantine standards into the mainland, per Xinhua.

If the mainland allows Taiwan's deep-sea fishing vessels to dock, provides wharves and berths for landing catches and facilitates their sales, it will significantly cut operating costs and generate strong demand for high-value fish such as tuna, squid and saury, Taiwan legislator and KMT Kaohsiung mayoral candidate Ko Chih-en said in response to the new measures, Taiwan-based media outlet Economic Daily News reported on Sunday.

Ko said that if the market for agricultural products reopens, it would create a stable export channel for Kaohsiung's high-quality produce such as pineapples and wax apples, helping farmers increase their income, the report said.

Yet a certain DPP member deliberately hyped up criticism against these favorable measures. Legislator Lin Chun-hsien issued a strong warning, per media outlet SETN, urging the public not to mistake the incentives for genuine goodwill. He said any economic benefits would ultimately be contingent on conditions set by the mainland.

"The mainland's stance is aboveboard and unambiguous, grounded in the one-China principle and committed to China's complete reunification," Zhang said. Maliciously distorting the mainland's policies that benefit Taiwan and its people will only undermine cross-Straits relations and harm the vital interests of the Taiwan public, Zhang added.

Li noted that precisely because these measures boost cross-Straits exchanges and benefit people on both sides, the DPP authorities feel threatened. "They worry their misleading narrative toward the Taiwan public will collapse amid real cross-Straits interactions, so they have resorted to wantonly smearing and attacking the policies," the expert said.

Tangible results

On Sunday, KMT Chairwoman Cheng and her delegation returned to Taipei after concluding the mainland visit. At the airport, Cheng delivered a speech, where she appreciated the mainland's 10 measures for Taiwan, saying they would benefit multiple sectors including aquaculture and tourism, and allow Taiwan people to enjoy the dividend of cross-Straits peace and development.

Before departing from Beijing, Cheng on Sunday morning made a more-than-an-hour tour to Xiaomi Auto's facilities, where she listened to introduction to the Xiaomi YU7 Max SUV and tried it in the driver's seat. When reporters on the scene asked whether she would consider bringing one vehicle back to the Taiwan region, she replied, "Of course I'd love to take one home," Taiwan's TVBS reported.

Cheng added that there are many Xiaomi smart home appliances and products in her home, it reported.

During the mainland visit, Cheng was also gifted a robot hand at the Zhongguancun Science Park. Being advised to bring it back as a present for her husband, Cheng smiled and said he is left-handed, per video clips released by Zhi News affiliated with Shenzhen Satellite TV.

Cheng has mentioned multiple times the potential for cross-Straits technological cooperation, learning from mainland innovation experience and creating opportunities for Taiwan youth, per the outlet.

From showing strong interest in an "intelligent bionic hand" and viewing student-developed innovations including robotic dogs and robotic arm in Beijing, to experiencing drone-delivered milk tea from Meituan in Shanghai, the delegation has witnessed firsthand the remarkable progress the mainland has made, Li Zhenguang said.

"Beyond the political foundation of upholding the 1992 Consensus and opposing 'Taiwan independence,' the two sides have reached a clear agreement on pursuing peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and promoting cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation, and are working jointly toward this goal," Li added.

"The mainland extends goodwill to the Taiwan region and safeguards peace across the Taiwan Straits, laying clear an option for the Taiwan people. Only by adhering to the 1992 Consensus and recognizing their Chinese identity can there be a way forward," Zhang added.

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KMT chairwoman leaves mainland after 6-day visit

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 10:03, April 13, 2026

BEIJING, April 12 (Xinhua) -- A delegation led by Cheng Li-wun, chairwoman of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, wrapped up its six-day visit to the Chinese mainland and departed Beijing for Taiwan on Sunday afternoon.

Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, saw the delegation off at the Beijing Capital International Airport.

On Sunday morning, Cheng and her delegation visited a Xiaomi auto factory, where they were briefed on the latest developments in the production and R&D of new energy vehicles on the mainland.

Cheng also sat in the driver's seat of a vehicle, praising its intelligent and user-friendly design.

From Tuesday to Sunday, the delegation toured Jiangsu Province, Shanghai and Beijing. This marks the first visit in a decade of a KMT delegation led by its chairperson to the mainland.

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PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

ROC Ministry of National Defense

2026.04.13

Issuing AuthorityPolitical Warfare Bureau

PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

1.Date:

6 a.m. Apr. 12 (Sun.) to 6 a.m. Apr. 13 (Mon.) (UTC+8)

2.PLA activities:

7 PLAN ships and 3 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected as of 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and employed CAP aircraft, Navy ships, and coastal missile systems in response to detected activities.

3.Illustration of flight path is not provided due to no PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan were detected during this timeframe.

1150413_PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan

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PM call with the Sultan of Oman: 12 April 2026

Press release

The Prime Minister spoke to the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said, this morning.

From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP

Published 12 April 2026

The Prime Minister spoke to the Sultan of Oman, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said, this morning.

They discussed the peace talks held in Pakistan over the weekend and urged both sides to find a way through. It was vital there was a continuation of the ceasefire, and that all parties avoided any further escalation, the leaders agreed.

His Majesty updated on the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, and the Prime Minister thanked him for Oman's efforts to rescue sailors from vessels in distress in the region.

Reflecting on international efforts to coordinate safe passage for shipping in the region, the Prime Minister said that following meetings convened by the Foreign Secretary and British military planners, partners continued to work towards restoring freedom of navigation for the long term.

The Prime Minister also reiterated the UK's commitment to ensuring Oman's security and updated on the UK's work with Ukraine on drone technology.

It was clear Ukraine's expertise had been vital to the region in recent weeks, while Russia appeared to continue to support Iran's aggression, the Prime Minister added.

The leaders agreed to speak again soon.

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PM call with President Macron of France: 12 April 2026

Press release

The Prime Minister spoke with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, earlier this afternoon.

From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP

Published 12 April 2026

The Prime Minister spoke with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, earlier this afternoon.

The leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and the importance of de-escalation across the region. The Prime Minister stressed the need for a lasting ceasefire, with both leaders agreeing that any ceasefire must include Lebanon to support wider regional stability.

They agreed on the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz for global trade and energy supplies, and on the need to work with a wide coalition of partners to protect freedom of navigation.

Turning to Europe, they underlined the importance of close cooperation between the UK, France and the EU in tackling shared challenges.

On migration, the leaders discussed the importance of continuing efforts to reduce dangerous small boat crossings and tackle irregular migration, including through bilateral cooperation and work with European partners.

They agreed to stay in close touch.

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Ukrainian Forces Violated Easter Ceasefire 1,971 Times - MoD

Sputnik News

20260412

The Ukrainian Armed Forces violated the ceasefire 1,971 times between the beginning of the truce on Saturday and 08:00 on Sunday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"From 4:00 p.m. on April 11 to 08:00 a.m. on April 12, a total of 1,971 violations of the ceasefire were recorded by Ukrainian forces," the ministry reported.

Russian forces in the special military operation zone have strictly adhered to the Easter ceasefire since its start at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"In accordance with the order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, all military groups in the special military operation zone have strictly adhered to the ceasefire from 16:00 on April 11 and remained on previously occupied lines and positions," the ministry's report stated.

Despite the announcement of an Easter ceasefire, Ukrainian forces launched three attacks on Russian positions during the night in the Pokrovskoe area. All attacks were repelled, the ministry noted.

"Ukrainian forces units fired 258 rounds from multiple-launch rocket systems, artillery, tanks, and mortars at border areas of Russia and the positions of our troops, carried out 1,329 strikes with FPV drones, and dropped 375 various munitions, including 67 using octocopter-type UAVs and 15 using aircraft-type UAVs," the statement read.

Earlier, the Kremlin announced that due to Easter, Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared a ceasefire from 16:00 on Saturday until the end of April 12.

Ukraine lost over 325 soldiers in combat against Russia's Battlegroup Tsentr over a day before the Easter ceasefire took hold, in addition to losses in manpower and equipment on other fronts, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to over 325 military personnel, three armored fighting vehicles, eight motor vehicles and an artillery gun," the ministry said in a statement.

Up to 125 Ukrainian soldiers were eliminated over a day by Russia's Battlegroup Sever, up to 300 by Battlegroup Vostok, over 200 by Battlegroup Zapad, over 145 by Battlegroup Yug, and over 50 by Battlegroup Dnepr battlegroup, the ministry said.

The Russian forces also shot down six guided aerial bomb and 134 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles and attacked temporary deployment areas of Ukrainian armed formations and foreign mercenaries in 58 areas.

 Sputnik

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China supports UN as main channel for global AI governance: Chinese envoy

Xinhua) 13:27, April 13, 2026

VIENNA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- China firmly supports the United Nations as the main channel for global artificial intelligence (AI) governance, a Chinese envoy said during the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum.

Li Song, China's permanent representative to the UN and other international organizations in Vienna, made the remarks on Thursday at a side event focusing on AI-enabled low-carbon energy transition and reducing AI energy consumption.

In his address, Li said the China-proposed Global AI Governance Initiative emphasizes a systemic approach that prioritizes both development and security, advocates a broad consensus on a people-centered, AI-for-good approach, and promotes the values of equality, mutual benefit, and respect for the interests of humanity, contributing Chinese wisdom to global AI governance.

China is willing to work with all parties to firmly support the United Nations as the main channel for global AI governance, fully leverage China's advantages in ideas and practices, and deepen pragmatic cooperation and capacity-building with the Global South, Li said.

Zou Ciyong, deputy director general of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, expressed his hope that all parties would jointly explore feasible pathways for applying AI to promote sustainable industrial development and establish pragmatic partnerships.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization, and relevant enterprises also shared their cutting-edge practices at the side event, covering areas such as low-carbon nuclear energy options, AI-powered digital energy, advanced cooling technologies, and the synergy between AI and energy.

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
Marko admits Lambiase exit known as Verstappen doubts grow

Dr Helmut Marko has admitted he already knew about Gianpiero Lambiase's planned departure - as speculation intensifies about Max Verstappen's own future.

Max Verstappen, Australian GP 2026

 Red Bull

I've known for some time that 'GP' would be moving to McLaren, Marko, the former team advisor, told Krone newspaper in Vienna.

He's an important employee, and of course, he's subject to a non-compete clause - he could take secrets or detailed knowledge with him.

The Austrian also acknowledged the potential knock-on effect for Verstappen, whose long-term commitment to Red Bull is now under increasing scrutiny.

The situation is becoming increasingly critical for Max - the most important thing for his continued presence is that he can win again soon, Marko said.

That echoes mounting paddock talk that Verstappen could activate an exit clause in his contract if Red Bull is not competitive by mid-season.

Former driver Ralf Schumacher believes the Lambiase move could accelerate that process. I think there will be some negotiations between the two parties. I can't imagine him finishing 2027 at Red Bull, he said.

It will now be about a transfer fee, because when a decision is made this early, it's usually the engineer who leaves.

Schumacher also noted that Red Bull is unlikely to fight too hard to keep Verstappen on board.

You shouldn't stop someone who wants to leave. Gianpiero Lambiase always said 'I'm staying with Max and Max with him.' That position no longer seems to be the case. In my view, Max will reorient himself next year.

Indeed, he outlined multiple scenarios - including a move to McLaren.

On the one hand, this could mean he leaves Red Bull because he no longer believes in the team and quits altogether, he said. Or, he goes to McLaren with his engineer, which would equally mean that there are negotiations underway at McLaren for Oscar Piastri to go to Red Bull.

Dutch journalist Erik van Haren, who is close to the Verstappen camp, agrees the situation is fluid.

A lot is happening behind the scenes, and even more will happen in the coming months around Verstappen, he told De Telegraaf.

"McLaren's Zak Brown is very fascinated by Max, and there's great respect between the two. With Lambiase, they'll have an extra ace up their sleeve.

But that's not all. Ferrari and Mercedes will certainly be keeping an eye on the situation, too.

(GMM)
Featured

Nigeria Air Force orders investigation after dozens killed in airstrike

BBC International News Apr - 13 - 2026 , 11:22 3 minutes read

The Nigerian Air Force says it has launched an investigation after dozens of civilians were reportedly killed in an airstrike on a market on Saturday.

The strike happened at Jilli market, along the border between Borno and Yobe states, as military aircraft were hunting Islamist militants. Local residents and Amnesty International say more than 100 people lost their lives.

Authorities have yet to confirm the death toll, but some hospitals in Yobe state say they are treating those injured.

In a statement, the Nigerian Air Force said it had sent a team "to immediately proceed to the location on a fact-finding mission on the allegation".

One of those receiving treatment at hospital said he had gone to the market to buy animals when he was hit.

"I was with about 30 people and we all fell down after being struck," he told Reuters news agency.

Nigeria's military on Sunday confirmed the strike in a statement, saying it had targeted a location in Jilli "long identified as a major terrorist movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists and their collaborators".

Describing it as "a carefully, well-coordinated planned and intelligence-driven operation", the military said it had "successfully conducted a precision air strike on a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub located near the abandoned village of Jilli".

It said "scores of terrorists" were killed in the strike, but did not mention any civilian casualties.

Citing a councillor in Yobe's Geidam district, Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, as well as three residents and an official from an international humanitarian agency, Reuters said up to 200 people might have been killed.

"It's a very devastating incident," said Zanna Nur Geidam, who said the injured had been taken to hospitals in Yobe and Borno.

Ahmed Ali, a 43-year-old market trader, told Reuters he was injured in the blast.

"I became so scared and attempted to run away, but a friend dragged me and we all lay on the ground," he said.

Amnesty International said on X that there were "more than 100 dead" and 35 people seriously wounded.

"We have their pictures and they include children," Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International's Nigeria director, told the Associated Press.

"We are in touch with people that are there, we spoke with the hospital," he said. "We spoke with the person in charge of casualties, and we spoke with the victims," he said.

Local councillor Zanna Nur Geidam, however, said "the total casualties, dead and injured, is around 200".

Many were taken to hospitals in nearby Geidam and Maiduguri, he added, where at least eight more of the wounded had died on Sunday.

"We are talking of dozens dead but it is difficult to give a specific toll," he said.

Nigeria's northeast has seen several incidents in recent years in which military air operations against Islamist insurgents have mistakenly hit civilians, including in villages, camps for displaced people and markets.
Featured

Pope Leo arrives in Algeria to begin historic Africa tour

Aljazeera International News Apr - 13 - 2026 , 17:18 2 minutes read

Pope Leo XIV has begun a landmark visit to Algeria in the first trip to the Muslim-majority country by a pontiff.

The United States-born pope arrived in the capital Algiers at around 09:00 GMT on Monday, an AFP news agency journalist travelling aboard the papal plane said.

He is expected to pay tribute to victims of Algerias war of independence from France (1954-1962) later in the day.

The 70-year-old pontiff is on an ambitious 11-day tour of four countries in Africa, urging global leaders to address the needs of the continent where more than a fifth of the worlds Catholics live, according to Vatican statistics.

Algeria, however, is an overwhelmingly Muslim country with fewer than 10,000 Catholics among its population of some 48 million people. This is the first time it will host a Catholic pope.

The trip is aimed at continuing to build bridges between the Christian and Muslim worlds, the archbishop of Algiers, Jean-Paul Vesco, told AFP.

After two days in Algeria, Leo will go to Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea in a whirlwind tour of 11 cities and towns, traversing nearly 18,000km (11,185 miles) over 18 flights.

The three sub-Saharan nations the pope is visiting have populations where more than half identify as Catholic.

The pope, who has emerged as an outspoken critic of the US-Israeli war on Iran, has made only one major overseas trip since being elected last May, visiting Turkiye and Lebanon in November and December. He visited Monaco in March.

Pope Leos tour is the 24th by a pope to Africa since the late 1960s.

He is expected to touch on many topics in 25 planned speeches over 11 days, Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni told journalists on Friday, given that the four nations face diverse issues.

Likely topics include exploitation of natural resources, Catholic-Muslim dialogue, and dangers of political corruption, said Bruni.

Mondays itinerary includes a visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers  with the worlds highest minaret  and the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, overlooking the Bay of Algiers.
Featured

Pope says he has 'no fear' of Trump after scathing criticism

BBC International News Apr - 13 - 2026 , 10:57 3 minutes read

Pope Leo has said he has "no fear" of the Trump administration and will continue to speak out against war after the US president launched an unusual and scathing attack over his stance on the Iran conflict.

Donald Trump accused the pontiff of being "WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy" in a Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was "not a big fan".

The Pope told reporters en route to Algeria that he did not want to get into a debate with Trump but would continue to promote peace.

He has been a staunch critic of the Iran war, calling Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilisation "unacceptable" and calling for him to find an "off-ramp" to end the conflict.

In general, it is rare for a pope to directly address statements by world leaders.

There are more than 70 million Catholics in the US, about 20% of the population. They include Trump's Vice-President JD Vance.

Trump's remarks came as the pontiff embarked on an 11-day trip to Africa, his second major foreign trip since being elected last year.

The US president wrote in Sunday's post that the Pope "should get his act together" and said he was "weak on nuclear weapons", apparently referring to Tehran's attempts to become a nuclear power, cited as one of the reasons for the US and Israel going to war with Iran.

He also suggested that the pontiff was elected "because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump".

"If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."

Asked by reporters to explain the post, he later said: "I don't think he's doing a very good job, he likes crime, I guess."

Trump added: "He's a very liberal person, and he's a man who doesn't believe in stopping crime, he's a man who doesn't believe we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world."

In response, the Pope told reporters on board his plane to Algiers that he did not see his role as that of a politician but as one of spreading the message of peace.

"I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do," he told reporters.

"I don't want to get into a debate with [Trump]," he added.

"Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say: there's a better way to do this."

Trump's remarks also drew criticism from Catholics around the world, with one expert comparing the comments to the Pope's relationship with fascist dictators in World War Two.

"Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly," said Massimo Faggioli, quoted by Reuters.

The Pope has used numerous public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation in the Middle East.

When Trump threatened Iran, saying that "a whole civilisation will die tonight", he responded by saying the statement was "truly unacceptable".

The Pope has also criticised Trump's hard-line immigration policy, questioning whether it was possible for someone to be "pro-life" - a term normally associated with opponents of abortion - if they agreed with what he described as the "inhuman treatment of immigrants".

Pope Leo is seen as continuing the humanitarian tradition of his predecessor Pope Francis, who said Trump was "not Christian" during the 2016 election campaign because of his anti-immigrant language. Trump described the late Pope as "disgraceful".
US and Iran fail to reach agreement after historic peace talks in Pakistan

Next article: US and Iran fail to reach agreement after historic peace talks in Pakistan

Pope says he has 'no fear' of Trump after scathing criticism

Previous article: Pope says he has 'no fear' of Trump after scathing criticism

Featured

US President Donald Trump attacks Pope Leo over criticism of Iran war

bbc.com International News Apr - 13 - 2026 , 09:32 3 minutes read

Donald Trump has launched an unusual and scathing attack on Pope Leo over his opposition to US immigration policy and the war in Iran.

The US president accused the pontiff of being "WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy" in a Truth Social post, later telling reporters he was "not a big fan".

The Pope has been a staunch critic of the war, calling Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilisation "unacceptable" and calling for him to find an "off-ramp" to end the conflict. But in general it is rare for a pope to directly criticise statements by world leaders.

There are more than 70 million Catholics in the US, about 20% of the population. They include Trump's Vice-President JD Vance.

Trump's remarks came as the pontiff embarked on an 11-day trip to Africa, his second major foreign trip since being elected last year.

The US president wrote in Sunday's post that the Pope "should get his act together" and said he was "weak on nuclear weapons", apparently referring to Tehran's attempts to become a nuclear power, cited as one of the reasons for the US and Israel going to war with Iran.

He also suggested that the pontiff was elected "because he was American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump".

"If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican."

Asked by reporters later to explain the post, he said: "I don't think he's doing a very good job, he likes crime, I guess."

Trump added: "He's a very liberal person, and he's a man who doesn't believe in stopping crime, he's a man who doesn't believe we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world."

The remarks drew immediate criticism from Catholics, with one expert comparing the comments to the Pope's relationship with fascist dictators in World War Two.

"Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the Pope so directly and publicly," said Massimo Faggioli, quoted by Reuters.

The Pope has used numerous public addresses to denounce global conflicts and urge de-escalation in the Middle East.

When Trump threatened Iran, saying that "a whole civilisation will die tonight", he responded by saying the statement was "truly unacceptable".

In his Easter address, the pontiff said without mentioning any countries directly that people were growing accustomed to violence and indifferent to thousands of deaths.

"Let those who have weapons lay them down. Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace," he said.

He has also criticised Trump's hard-line immigration policy, questioning whether it was possible for someone to be "pro-life" - a term normally associated with opponents of abortion - if they agreed with what he described as the "inhuman treatment of immigrants".

Pope Leo is seen as continuing the humanitarian tradition of his predecessor Pope Francis, who said Trump was "not Christian" during the 2016 election campaign because of his anti-immigrant language. Trump described the late Pope as "disgraceful".
Ghana to launch first Marine Protected Area at Cape Three Points

Next article: Ghana to launch first Marine Protected Area at Cape Three Points

Featured

Free primary healthcare to cost GH1.2bn yearly; NHIS coverage hits 66%  Health Minister

Mohammed Ali Apr - 13 - 2026 , 15:51 2 minutes read

The Minister of Health, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has said Ghana will require about GH1.2 billion annually to run the governments free primary healthcare programme, ahead of its official launch.

Mr Akandoh gave the figure on April 13, 2026, at the Government Accountability Series press briefing in Accra, when he responded to questions on the cost of the programme.

We need not less than 1.2 billion Ghana cedis a year to be able to run this, he said. It is not an ad hoc programme or project. We have thought through it, engaged widely and done our projections.

He also said enrolment under the National Health Insurance Scheme had increased from about 57 per cent to 66 per cent within a year.

The 2026 national budget allocated GH1.5 billion to support the rollout of the programme across the country.

The health sector received GH34 billion in total, including GH11 billion for the National Health Insurance Scheme.

An additional GH2.3 billion was earmarked for the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as MahamaCare, while GH600 million was set aside for the construction of three new regional hospitals in the Savannah, Oti and Western North regions.

President John Dramani Mahama is scheduled to launch the programme on April 15, 2026.

The initiative will cover treatment for conditions such as malaria, diarrhoea and respiratory infections. It will also include preventive and promotive services delivered by community health volunteers in homes and communities.

Mr Akandoh said the programme is separate from the National Health Insurance Scheme. He explained that patients referred from primary healthcare facilities to regional or teaching hospitals would not receive free treatment at those higher-level facilities under the new arrangement.

It is about time we get to know these boundaries clearly, he said. Nobody is ready to give any false hope.

He urged the public to maintain active membership of the National Health Insurance Scheme to access care beyond the primary level.

Mr Akandoh also said he had inspected a warehouse containing about 24,000 pieces of essential medical equipment to be distributed to health facilities ahead of the rollout. He added that underserved areas would be given priority.
Featured

Govt ponders Parkinsons on NHIS - Stakeholders advocate stronger policies for disease care

Joyce Timbillah Awuni Apr - 13 - 2026 , 12:17 4 minutes read

The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has said the government is prioritising the rollout of the Free Primary Health Care initiative to improve access, with a focus on prevention, early detection and continuity of care.

Mr Akandoh explained that this approach would ensure that conditions such as Parkinsons disease were identified early and managed appropriately at the primary care level, with timely referrals where necessary.

For instance, Mr Akandoh said, while the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) currently covered some medications used in managing Parkinsons disease, there were ongoing considerations to expand coverage to include other essential treatments.

He, however, indicated that such decisions would be guided by sustainability considerations to ensure the long-term viability of the scheme.

At the commemoration of World Parkinsons Day 2026 in Accra last Saturday, the minister said that although Ghana had made progress in the health sector, gaps remained in the delivery of care, particularly for chronic conditions such as Parkinsons disease.

The event was a meeting of health experts, policymakers and advocates who highlighted the growing burden of the condition and the need for coordinated action to improve care, dignity and quality of life for patients and caregivers.

Held on the theme, Parkinsons Without Borders  Access, Dignity, Empowering Lives and Policy Action, the event highlighted the need for stronger policy interventions, improved healthcare access and sustained public education to address the challenges associated with the disease.

The commemoration formed part of activities marking World Parkinsons Day, which seeks to raise awareness of the disease and advocate improved care and support systems for people living with the condition.

Advocacy

Mr Akandoh commended the Parkinsons Support Group Ghana for its role in advocacy, awareness creation and support for patients and caregivers.

The minister said the government recognised the need to strengthen specialist care through the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (MahamaCares), which supported the management of chronic and non-communicable diseases, including the training of specialists.

He added that efforts were underway to equip primary healthcare facilities and district hospitals with the necessary infrastructure, including physiotherapy units, to improve access to rehabilitation services.

He stressed that Parkinsons care must go beyond medication to include rehabilitation, supportive care and attention to caregivers, whose role he described as critical but often overlooked.

We must build a health system that responds not only to the disease but also to its social and emotional impact, he said.

Other speakers

Other stakeholders in Ghanas health sector called for stronger policies, improved access to treatment and rehabilitation, and greater public awareness to support persons living with Parkinsons disease.

This, they said, was necessary to improve early diagnosis, ensure the availability of medicines and rehabilitation services, and protect the dignity and quality of life of patients and their caregivers.

Speakers at the event emphasised that improving care for people living with Parkinsons disease required collaboration among the government, healthcare professionals, civil society organisations, patients and caregivers.

One such speaker, a Fellow at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr Kwame Sarpong Asiedu, said Parkinsons disease should not only be seen as a clinical condition but as a measure of how well the health system protected patients dignity and supported families managing long-term illness.

He said Parkinsons disease was the second most common neurodegenerative disorder globally, affecting more than 10 million people, with age being the strongest risk factor.

In West Africa, studies estimate prevalence at between 15 and 572 cases per 100,000 people. In Ghana, hospital data suggests Parkinsons accounts for up to 12 per cent of neurological cases seen in clinics, with an average diagnosis age of about 62 years, he said.

Diagnosis, treatment challenges

A Consultant Neurologist at the 37 Military Hospital, Dr (Med) Augustina Charway-Felli, said one of the biggest challenges facing patients was obtaining the correct diagnosis.

She explained that while neurologists played an important role, frontline health workers such as general practitioners could also recognise the symptoms and initiate treatment.

You do not necessarily need to see a neurologist before Parkinsons disease can be identified. General doctors should be able to recognise the symptoms and begin management, she said.

The World Health Organisation recommends up to five neurologists per 100,000 population. Ghana currently has about 0.02 neurologists per 100,000 people, which is far below the recommended level, she said.

Rehabilitation

A lecturer and neuro-physiotherapist at the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dr Mary Wetani Agoriwo, said rehabilitation was essential in helping people living with Parkinsons disease to maintain independence and perform daily activities.

She explained that rehabilitation interventions aimed to improve functional capacity, enabling patients to carry out routine activities such as bathing, dressing, cooking and walking.

Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy all play important roles in managing Parkinsons disease and improving quality of life, he said.
See the full list of communities affected by ECG's planned and emergency works on April 14, 2026

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Osei Assibey Antwi trial: Prosecution files documents in GH431m NSA scandal case

Justice Agbenorsi & Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi Apr - 13 - 2026 , 16:24 3 minutes read

The Attorney-General has filed documents in court as part of the prosecution of a former Executive Director of the National Service Authority over an alleged GH431.7 million financial loss to the state.

The accused, Osei Assibey Antwi, is standing trial on 21 counts, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing and money laundering. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

At a hearing on Monday, April 13, 2026, the prosecution informed the court that it had submitted part of the documents it intends to rely on, but requested additional time to file the remaining materials.

The court subsequently adjourned proceedings to May 13, 2026, and varied the bail conditions of the accused, ordering him to report to the Bureau of National Intelligence as part of the revised terms.

According to the prosecution, investigations by the Bureau of National Intelligence uncovered that 63,672 unverified registrants were submitted into the payment system between 2018 and 2024 for service allowances and vendor-related payments.

Between August 2021 and February 2025, the Authority is alleged to have disbursed GH431,761,556.76 to individuals who either did not undertake national service or whose identities could not be verified.

The prosecution contends that Mr Assibey Antwi, who served as Executive Director from September 2021 to January 2025, authorised personnel lists submitted to the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited for the processing of monthly allowances.

As principal spending officer, he was responsible for overseeing the Authoritys operations and was a signatory to its accounts.

Several counts on the charge sheet allege that funds meant for service personnel allowances were transferred to an e-zwich card registered in the name of the accused.

Investigators say the card received GH8,256,000 between 2022 and 2024. The prosecution further claims that the accused failed to disclose the existence of the card during the handover process and denied knowledge of it during interrogation.

The card was later recovered during a search at his residence in Dome on March 25, 2025, with further checks reportedly indicating that he personally withdrew funds from it.

The prosecution also alleges that payments were made to vendors under the Authoritys marketplace system without services being rendered, with some vendors reportedly refunding monies directly to the accused in cash instead of returning them to the Authority.

One such instance cited involves GH7,704,880.92 paid to Direct Savings and Loans despite no services being provided.

Additional charges relate to the Sekyere-Kumawu Economic Enclave project, where GH106 million was transferred from the Authoritys control account to a project account between August 2022 and June 2024.

Prosecutors argue that contracts awarded for land clearing and irrigation development did not deliver value for money, resulting in an estimated loss of GH61,289,843.30.

The accused is facing charges of improper payment of public funds under the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), alongside counts of causing financial loss to the Republic and money laundering.

The case continues next month as the prosecution prepares to complete the filing of its evidence.
Plans are underway to build an estimated $9.5 million Guam park-and-ride in Dededo, with groundbreaking set for July and completion by 2027.

Its part of the Guam Regional Transit Authoritys $16 million Guam Transportation Improvement Plan, GTIP, to improve public transportation.

A park-and-ride facility is a parking lot that allows commuters to park their private vehicles and transfer to public transportation such as a bus to major work and education centers.

It aims to reduce traffic congestion and environmental pollution while providing convenient, often free or low-cost, parking for commuters.

Roque Aguon, GRTA federal programs administrator, said the groundbreaking for the Dededo station will occur in July.

GRTA chief planner Rally Pilipina, during a public meeting on Wednesday, shared details about the agencys GTIP, starting with breaking ground on the Dededo park-and-ride station and acquiring new vehicles.

The park-and-ride was originally intended to be built in the jungle area behind the Dededo Farmers Market, but land surveys showed there was not enough room due to water and soil easements and powerlines.

Aguon and Pilipina said the Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority is instead allowing GRTA to use 3.4 acres of its 12-acre property in Dededo across the marketplace.

An exact date for the groundbreaking has not been set, but additional public hearings and meetings on the project will occur throughout the summer.

Whats been holding up this project is the acquisition of the property. We nailed that down with GHURA, got a partnership and letter commitment, and their team already signed off on it. Next step is for us to get our executive director, whos off island, coming back next week, to schedule that signing with a notary, Aguon said.

Pilipina said the parking lot for vehicles at the Dededo station will be fenced off and have video surveillance cameras for safety and security, similar to how stations are monitored in the mainland.

GRTA program coordinator Yvonne Flores told the Pacific Daily News that she and Pilipina traveled to the mainland for training and to study and learn from active mass transit systems to develop Guams new system.

Road to Education

Aguon dubbed the main route from the future park-and-ride as the Road to Education.

He said it will primarily transport passengers to the University of Guam, Guam Community College, George Washington High School, Department of Youth Affairs, and the Barrigada and Mangilao mayors offices.

According to Flores, the cost to ride public transit on Guam is $1.50 for regular passengers and 50 cents for passengers with disabilities.

She said it is unlikely that fees will increase as the GTIP is 100% federally funded.

Flores added that GRTA transported 85,904 fixed-route passengers and 53,715 paratransit passengers in 2024.

New vehicles pending

Pilipina said GRTA is currently procuring 26 14-passenger buses, 10 40-foot buses, and 10 eight-passenger vans.

GRTA has two invitations for bid at the General Services Agency for 13 buses each.

The first one has been there for quite a while, but were crossing our fingers that its going to be moving forward pretty soon, Pilipina told the PDN.

These 14 passenger-buses are intended for GRTAs presently running seven fixed routes and seven paratransit routes, and the 40-foot buses and eight-passenger vans are for the Dededo park-and-ride station once it is completed.

Except for the vans, all new vehicles will be diesel fueled.

When we were initially awarded a competitive grant, they were excited in using e-vehicles to run the system, but President Trump rescinded the requirement for e-vehicles...so we requested diesel fuel vehicles, which allowed us save money to add into construction and buying more vehicles, Pilipina said.

Guam really needs mass transit

There were only two members of the public present at the Wednesday public meeting, David Titzel and Elizabeth Marzan.

Titzel, 62, from Tamuning, had only been on Guam for 10 months, working as a consultant with the Department of Public Works.

He attended the meeting hoping to learn more about transit improvements, saying Guam is not walkable or bikeable and is too car dependent.

Guam really needs mass transit, so anything to have more modes better. This is so important, especially because you only have so many roads that you can build. If theyre going to be doing the buildup like theyre talking, your roads are just going to get more and more congested, Titzel said.

The only way to fix the problem is to get people out their cars into mass transit, Titzel added.

But from what hed seen on the island, he said it is so difficult to get around with mass transit that you kind of need a car.

$16.7M budget

Pilipina said GRTA received over $16.77 million in federal grants in 2023 for the Dededo project but couldnt immediately start construction due to lack of land area and vehicles.

We allocated $3,912,426 for the operating expenditure of GRTA, which includes salary, employee benefits, overtime, fuel, oil and other things. We allocated $100,000 for the park and ride project National Environmental Protection Agency assessment. We need to fulfill that requirement for us to proceed with the project...based upon our assessment, its most likely going to be a categorical exclusion, Pilipina said.

Further allocations for the project include $1,236,260 for bus preventative maintenance and major and minor repair via a third-party contract; $1,502,000 for vehicle acquisition and enhancements.

The park-and-ride project itself will cost $9,558,120, setting aside $100,000 for design, $2.5 million for construction, and $6,020,000 for vehicle acquisition.

The project was also assisted by increased funding from the Federal Transit Authority.

Pilipina and Aguon said they anticipated $4.4 million for fiscal year 2026, but FTA announced GRTA would receive $4.8 million.

Software development

The GTIP budget also allocates $469,000 for software development, including computer-aided dispatch and automatic vehicle location, or CAD/AVL.

Were working on [workforce development] to test our whole dispatch system, our drivers, and our capacity, so we can prepare for this [when] it goes online next year. Were looking into something to address phone calls coming in, something thats got some AI capabilities...were exploring the potential for a riders app, just so you know basic routes, bus stops, and pickup times, Aguon said.

While it is still in the planning stage, Aguon expects there to be two separate systems for displaying information to drivers or passengers, as well as tracking specific routes.

There will be one for demand response, where you can call in and ask for ride, and there will be ADA requirements for that, and one for our fixed routes. The current software can see vehicles while theyre running, but down south is where there is a blind spot, Aguon told the PDN.
My generation has yet to feel that we are being represented by our local leaders. From fighting for a new hospital to ending double sessions in our schools and addressing the rising costs, our island is plagued by numerous issues that have yet to be fixed.

Our leaders have consistently shown that they are willing to use these issues as campaign talking points for them to get reelected and offer solutions but do not take the proper actions necessary to actually resolve these issues.

What our leaders tend to forget is that these issues directly affect the people of Guam, but most especially will affect Guams next generation of people.

One politician (who I will not name), has said that they will make Guam a place where my generation can actually stay, and not leave the island to have better opportunities. The irony is that he has done nothing for my generation, and has only talked about it as hes running for this upcoming election.

These issues have been long overdue for fixing. In terms of double sessions, they have said multiple times that they will build a new Simon Sanchez High School campus, and double sessions will end.

Instead, we got an absurd and angering proposal of merging two distinct school communities together as a last-ditch effort to show that the issue is being addressed. While I am not affected by the campus problems, Im just so frustrated about the response to it from our leaders.

To our leaders, let me ask you this: Do you think that youre doing enough for the next generation of Guam? My generation will make up most of the voter base in the next few years, and they will see that you have done little for us. The lack of concern baffles me.

How will students and the youth think that you are fighting for them if nothing is done? Do you not care for the students who have no campus to call home? Do you not care for the recent graduates forced to leave Guam in search of better jobs and education, but still want to stay in the very place that they grew up in?

Many student leaders are fervent advocates for not only their schools, but for the entire youth of Guam. However, they are being ignored, or being given false promises that have shown a lack of care for my generation.

Only a few leaders have shown that they are willing to fight for Guams next generation, and I am glad that there are still fighters for people who are voicing out the issues, but are being ignored out of political interests, or a lack of caring.

I know that our leaders have been trying, but they need to try harder.

We, especially the youth, have not felt that anything has been done to make us at least feel represented.

To the voters in this coming election, think of how these candidates will actually address the real issues, and how they have constantly failed to show that they will be actual leaders, and represent the next generation of people in our island.

If little is done, then people will continue to be unrepresented. Will they actually act, or will they give the same statements that promise change but fail to deliver?
Almost exactly 50 years ago, the "Commission for the Expansion of the Technical Communication System" (KtK) found clear words: the "public telex and data network" should be expanded "without delay" due to increasing demand. At the end of 1974, 24,500 "data stations" were identified in a count that was likely highly accurate under the supervision of the Federal Post Office. Without delay: that didn't really work out  and the slowness was often influenced by political decisions.

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1976 was a year of impending upheavals. Standard Elektronik Lorenz (SEL) launched the LO2000, the first electronic telex machine approved by the Federal Post Office for telex, without a rotary dial but with a ten-key keypad. While at the other end of the world Seymour Cray's first supercomputer went into operation in Los Alamos and remained the fastest in the world for six years, the fee collection center of the broadcasting institutions in the Federal Republic began its work. In the GDR, the Fernmeldewerk Nordhausen was working on the development of push-button dialing devices for the Deutsche Post there. All of this is long gone, and yet back then it was also clearly announced in politics what later became a certainty: telecommunications are gaining importance  and alongside telephony, data traffic is increasingly becoming the focus.

This week, former Federal Post Minister Christian Schwarz-Schilling died  a man whose work is still felt today. Because Schwarz-Schilling, for ten years from 1982 to 1992 under Helmut Kohl, was the second-to-last Post Minister of the Federal Republic and the key architect of the gradual privatization of the Federal Post Office. He was also a man of cable issues in the early days of computer networking.

"Missing Link" What's missing: In the fast-paced world of technology, we often don't have time to sort through all the news and background information. At the weekend, we want to take this time to follow the side paths away from the current affairs, try out other perspectives and make nuances audible. All our the "Missing Links"

The early 1980s were characterized by what magazines at the time called "coaxial copper euphoria": the Federal Post Office, as a monopolist, largely relied on available copper lines. The Post Minister, ahead of some contemporaries, reportedly did not want to neglect fiber optic technology under any circumstances, but saw no application for it. With the addition of the first private television channels, with which Helmut Kohl also wanted to break the power of the public broadcasters, the emerging cable connections were well usable  but here too: acceptance was low at the beginning. What were German citizens supposed to do with this newfangled stuff?

The era of the expiring telecommunications monopoly was a time of fundamental questions: Is it right for a state authority to have telecommunications operationally and organizationally under its wing? That the answer to this was already "no" in the 1980s was hard to overlook given the many difficulties that arose  both in slow expansion, cost management, and with misguided products like Bildschirmtext (BTX), which were unsuccessful in the market. The KtK report was something like a prelude to what was to come: communication media were denationalized, and the state cashed in what belonged to it.

GDR Post: No Connection

But this is, of course, only the West German part of the story: in the GDR, not even one in five households had a telephone connection, in East Berlin almost one in three, and in the Rostock district only 7.8 percent. The switching technology of the GDR Post was partly still from before the war  which in turn triggered gold rush fever for some in the West with reunification.

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Not least because this also provided a reason to actually introduce ISDN. Grand plans were forged within the framework of the Post Union, often discarded again, but partly also realized, such as the "Telekom 2000" plan, which was also intended to bring fiber optics experimentally to the East. But the OPAL technology partly laid there was not easy to reconcile with the next intermediate step: the again copper-based ADSL.

Freedom Begins at the Main Connection

The question was always: Will there be a technology that is even better, even faster, even more attractive? When Schwarz-Schilling explained in 1988 how the "restructuring of the postal and telecommunications system" was to proceed, the next round in the fight was already underway. Because the "liberalization," the denationalization, began with the division of the Federal Post Office into Post, Postbank, and Telekom  and with a very wild idea: that the sovereignty over the state-operated network ends at the main connection.

There was only one minor restriction: freedom of terminal equipment ended with the necessary seal of the Telecommunications Engineering Central Office (FTZ), and from 1992 with that of the Federal Office for Telecommunications Approvals (Bundesamt fur Zulassungen in der Telekommunikation, BZT). Without a seal, operating a telephone, fax, or modem on Federal Post Office or Telekom networks was prohibited. And yet, this was a liberalization: before, only renting from the Federal Post Office was allowed.

For citizens, however, the possibilities changed  but the actual use of data networks remained low for now. Because dialing into telephone networks for data transmission remained a costly affair  unless it was available in the same local network. The benefit seemed manageable to many. And the basic requirement of a digital terminal device was also missing in most private households until the late 1990s. In addition, most companies in the early, partially liberalized telecommunications market had no idea what would be accepted in the private sector and what wouldn't  call-by-call prefixes for phone calls. Other ideas came and largely disappeared again as a result.

A Debacle Reveals the Need

In fact, it was primarily a historical accident in the telecommunications market that revealed the long-existing demand for flat rates for data usage in a telecommunications market still oriented towards voice shortly before the turn of the millennium: the 77-Mark Mobilcom flat rate disaster of 1998  from 7 p.m. users were supposed to be able to dial into the internet via underutilized telephone lines until 7 a.m. The effect: all dial-in ports were occupied in no time, customers were angry  and financially, it was a disaster for Mobilcom and other providers who had also jumped on the bandwagon.

And yet it was a starting signal: the demand for affordable data network access massively exceeded the market-available supply  so much so that even the first Telekom CEO Ron Sommer became a late flat rate friend before he resigned. The always-on idea was also the main reason why DSL and broadband cable suddenly became interesting: classic analog lines were too slow and occupied with modem connections, ISDN was too little widespread and not fast even with two channels.

And yet a new problem arose: both new technologies were relatively inexpensive for operators  because they favored owners of existing infrastructure. For over a decade, Telekom CEOs focused on squeezing the last Mbit out of the copper line  in exchange for good money. But this also involved a partial reversal of provider choice: with the step from ADSL to VDSL, competing providers were thrown out of the house connection again.

While demand continued to rise, driven first by file sharing, then by video platforms, and most recently by streaming services, the market continued to exert pressure: While 100 or 200 megabits are still sufficient for many customers. But only if they actually arrive. The result was that fiber optic infrastructure, which had to be expanded in the background by network operators, moved closer and closer to homes. That it is now also arriving in them seems only logical.

Future Uncertain

The history of data networks in Germany shows some recurring patterns: it is not always the most advanced technology that immediately finds acceptance with providers and customers. But the market of supply and demand also regulates telecommunications  with some delay and if the state is willing to intervene. But as long as there are no clear application scenarios, all parties involved wonder: Do I need this?

This plays a crucial role in the current debates surrounding the expansion of fast data network infrastructure: What usage behavior can be expected at all? How much data at what speed will be needed where and when? How sensible is it at all to lay in-house structures as fiber optics in parallel to fast  naturally connected via fiber optics  mobile data? The answers to these questions are always also a bet on the future. The current bet is: everyone will need fiber optics; neither satellite internet nor mobile communications can match its capacity. Which is why the Telekom copper network is now supposed to disappear, and perhaps also the copper networks of cable operators; in any case, fiber optics are finally supposed to reach homes and consumers.

A Forgotten Idea

But it is not yet clear what the result will be for the very last meters: Will landlords now have fiber optic house networks laid and rent them out to access providers? Will Deutsche Telekom make offers to landlords for fiber optic house cabling that they cannot refuse? Or will the "windhund principle" ensure that someone expands some house because they have found the first customer there? All of these are currently still open questions that the Federal Network Agency as the regulatory authority and Federal Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger as the legal framework provider must now consider  within the framework of the stakes already driven in Brussels.

One thing, Christian Schwarz-Schilling frankly admitted in Wirtschaftswoche eight years ago, surprised him: In 1981, the previous government under Helmut Schmidt (SPD) had made a cabinet decision that empty conduits should be systematically laid. As Post Minister, that was not an issue at all, no one worked on it  and he had never heard of it until 2018. Such reserve infrastructure for future times would have saved a lot of work 40 years later. The recommendation for this comes from the report of the Commission for the Expansion of the Technical Communication System, which is now 50 years old.

(vbr)

Don't miss any news  follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Mastodon. This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.
She also called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and stressed the need to secure freedom of navigation in the area.

Valtonen said after the meeting that the priority in the Middle East is to maintain the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and move towards a peace agreement.

Finlands Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Monday, with talks focused on the war against Iran, Ukraine and transatlantic security.

Valtonen said no country should impose fees on vessels passing through the route, referring to Iranian proposals to charge transit payments.

Hormuz must be opened and maritime traffic must function freely, she said during a media briefing in Washington, according to Ilta-Sanomat.

The meeting took place amid heightened tensions following failed negotiations between Washington and Tehran over the weekend. The United States has begun operations to clear mines from the strait, while Iran has signalled it intends to keep the route closed without a broader agreement.

Valtonen said Finland supports efforts led by European partners to ensure safe passage through the strait, including diplomatic and possible security measures. She added that each country would decide independently on any concrete participation.

The talks between Valtonen and Rubio also covered Ukraine. Valtonen said continued Western support remains essential and described Nato as stronger than before.

A strong Nato also makes the United States stronger, she said, according to Ilta-Sanomat.

She said the discussion with Rubio was open and good and confirmed that Washington had not made specific requests to Finland related to the Iran conflict.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb is also in Washington and attended the Bilderberg meeting over the weekend alongside Valtonen.

Stubb is scheduled to speak at the Brookings Institution on global order and later travel to Canada, where he will meet Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa.

Valtonen said Finland supports a diplomatic solution in the Middle East and is prepared to contribute to efforts that secure maritime routes once conditions allow.

HT
Democrats' new Morning Momentum series features School Board candidates

The Henderson County Democratic Party is hosting its first Morning Momentum, a new series of informal gatherings, 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 25, at the VFW Hall, 900 N. Main St.

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Featured this month are Democratic Henderson County School Board candidates Reid Barwick and Mary Ellen Kustin.

The Morning Momentum series will feature engaging guest speakers who can address key local issues, statewide priorities and highlight both local and North Carolina Democratic candidates.

These morning gatherings are designed to inform and energize attendees, and also to inspire meaningful dialogue and civic engagement, said party Vice Chair Lori Axelrod. Attendees will be able to meet new people, exchange ideas, and build stronger connections with others who share an interest in the issues that matter most in our community."

All are invited to attend. A light continental breakfast will be provided. This month, the meeting is free. The HCDP Morning Momentum Series will continue on the fourth Saturday of each month. Location information will be listed at myHCDP.com.
Commentary: China-Spain partnership models predictability in uncertain world

Xinhua) 13:31, April 13, 2026

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attends a press conference in Madrid, Spain, on March 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- As Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is in China on his fourth trip to the country in four years, the visit is set to further consolidate bilateral ties.

The frequency itself speaks to a relationship built on consistency and mutual trust, and points to a broader pathway for steady engagement between China and Europe at a time of growing global uncertainty.

As noted by Spanish scholar Jordi Bacaria, bilateral ties are "not improvised," but the result of sustained and high-level effort over time. In an increasingly volatile international environment, such continuity has become a rare asset.

That consistency is underpinned by a clear logic: reliability matters. While geopolitical tensions and policy unpredictability have unsettled international ties, countries, including Spain, are seeking partners capable of long-term thinking and steady cooperation. China's policy continuity and commitment to multilateralism have made it an increasingly attractive counterpart.

At its core, China-Spain cooperation reflects a broader logic: countries with different historical, cultural backgrounds and social systems can work together effectively when they prioritize long-term common interests. When Chinese President Xi Jinping met King Felipe VI of Spain last year, he emphasized this point -- highlighting mutual respect, practical cooperation and a shared commitment to fairness in global governance. That framework continues to define the relationship today.

The bilateral relationship also rests on strong economic complementarity. China is Spain's largest trading partner outside the EU, and Spain is an important partner for China within the bloc. According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, bilateral goods trade exceeded 55 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, growing 9.8 percent year-on-year.

This photo taken on March 3, 2026 shows a humanoid robot manufactured by China's Magiclab Robotics Technology Co., Ltd. during the 2026 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

Trade figures alone do not tell the full picture. With Spain advancing a technology agenda focused on semiconductors and renewable energy, the two sides could become vital partners in each other's modernization efforts. By aligning Spain's own modernization goals with China's drive for high-quality development, they can unlock new opportunities for industrial and technological cooperation.

The green transition has emerged as a key area of convergence. Chinese investment in Spain's new energy sectors, from electric vehicles to wind power, is contributing to its industrial upgrading, while Spain brings valuable experience in renewable energy deployment. This two-way flow of investment and expertise demonstrates a partnership that delivers tangible industrial and technological gains for both sides.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez addresses the launch ceremony of Instituto Cervantes in Shanghai, east China, Sept. 10, 2024. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

Spain's emphasis on cooperation with China is not an isolated case. In recent months, leaders from the United Kingdom, Finland, Ireland and Germany have all traveled to Beijing, seeking to strengthen economic ties and diplomatic channels.

This reflects a recognition that engagement with China is not a departure from European interests, but a way to advance them, particularly as Europe seeks greater strategic autonomy and economic resilience.

In this context, Sanchez's visit carries a message that resonates beyond Madrid and Beijing: even amid fragmentation and uncertainty, sustained dialogue and practical cooperation remain viable and necessary.

At a time marked by division and instability, China-Spain cooperation can help provide a sense of stability and guide China-Europe relations onto a steadier and more constructive path.

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
A California man fatally shot a Tulare County sheriff's detective and was subsequently killed when police intentionally drove a BearCat armored vehicle over him following an hours-long standoff in Porterville on Thursday, Apr. 9, 2026.

David Eric Morales, 59, opened fire on deputies around 10:40 a.m. as they arrived at his residence near Newcomb Street and Grand Avenue to serve him a final eviction notice, authorities said.

Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said Morales had not paid rent for 35 days and knew law enforcement was coming, having allegedly "laid in wait" with a high-powered rifle before the officers reached the door, according to People.

Detective Randy Hoppert, 35, a six-year veteran of the Tulare County Sheriff's Office, was among the deputies who responded to a radio call for help after the initial shooting. He was struck by gunfire and transported to Sierra View District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:57 a.m. Hoppert, a former U.S. Navy corpsman who served from 2010 to 2015, is survived by his wife, two sons, and an unborn child.

After the shooting, Morales barricaded himself inside his home while deputies from multiple agencies surrounded the neighborhood. He fired repeatedly at law enforcement during the standoff, shooting down a surveillance drone and striking at least one tactical vehicle.

Nearby residents were ordered to shelter in place, and three local schools  including Fairfield Elementary, Sequoia Middle School, and Monache High School  were placed on lockdown, Baker's Field Now reported.

Morales eventually exited the home through a window, dressed in camouflage, and lay in nearby brush while continuing to fire at officers. A Kern County SWAT team maneuvered a BearCat armored vehicle into the yard and drove over him, killing him. Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood confirmed Morales was firing .30-06 military-grade ammunition, which had penetrated the BearCat's windshield.

When asked at a press conference whether officers had intentionally run over Morales, Boudreaux confirmed they had. "Don't shoot at cops. You shoot at cops, we're going to run you over," Boudreaux told reporters. The Visalia Police Department was assigned to lead the investigation into the use of force to ensure transparency.

Morales had lived in the home since 2005, but property records show the house went into foreclosure the previous year and changed ownership in December. He had 18 firearms registered in his name, though the high-powered rifle he used during the standoff was not among them, Boudreaux said, as per ABC30.

Originally published on Lawyer Herald
One person was shot and killed, and six others were wounded after multiple masked gunmen stormed a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Union, New Jersey, on Saturday night, Apr. 11, 2026, and opened fire from behind the food counter.

No arrests had been made as of Sunday, though the Union County Prosecutor's Office stated there is "no immediate ongoing threat to the general public." The office confirmed the attack does not appear to be a random act of violence, indicating that the shooting was targeted.

Police responded to reports of gunfire at the restaurant on Route 22 near Gelb Avenue in Union Township at approximately 8:45 p.m. Officers arrived to find seven victims, one of whom was subsequently pronounced dead. The six remaining victims were transported to area hospitals with injuries not considered life-threatening, according to ABC News.

According to the New York Post, dashcam footage circulating on social media shows a masked individual brandishing a firearm while fleeing through the restaurant's parking lot, followed by several others running past a vehicle. A man who said his girlfriend works at the restaurant told CBS News New York that the masked suspects entered the establishment and immediately forced their way behind the counter before opening fire.

The father of one employee told ABC 7 that his son called him in a panic after several masked men entered with firearms. He drove to the scene and described it as a "warzone." Employees were kept inside the locked-down restaurant while police conducted their inquiry.

A 911 dispatcher's audio obtained by CBS News captured the immediate chaos at the scene: "I got an unconscious witness. I've got one shot in the face ... and I have at least two in the leg." A Lyft driver named Martin, who was finishing a trip nearby, said he heard more than seven gunshots from close range, the New York Post reported.

The Union County Prosecutor's Homicide Task Force is leading the investigation. Lauren Farinas, a spokesperson for the Union County Prosecutor's Office, said the investigation is "active and ongoing" and that more information will be released as it becomes available. The identity of the deceased victim has not been publicly released, and no motive has been established.

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill issued a statement Sunday saying she had been briefed on the shooting and that state officials were in close contact with local law enforcement.

"My thoughts are with those who were injured in the shooting, and with their families," Sherrill wrote. State Attorney General Jennifer Davenport also noted that Union County prosecutors were overseeing the investigation.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to contact Detective Edward Mack at 908-347-2212, Sergeant Jennifer Smith at 908-759-8254, or Detective Teon Freeman at 908-851-5033. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling 908-654-TIPS (8477) or online at uctip.org. Union County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an indictment and conviction, as per Fox News.

Originally published on Lawyer Herald
The Pentagon spent months preparing to strike Iran. Nobody, it appears, spent much time working out how to get American civilians out of the blast radius.

A group of nearly 250 foreign service officers fired during last year's federal workforce reduction has now put that failure in writing. In a letter obtained by The Intercept, the officers accused the Trump administration of gutting the very expertise needed to protect up to one million Americans living across the Middle East.

'The expertise required to manage the current crisis has been systematically removed,' they wrote.

The officers lost their jobs on 11 July 2025, when the State Department terminated more than 1,300 employees in a reduction-in-force directed by the Department of Government Efficiency. In total, the department has shed over 3,800 staff since Trump took office, the Associated Press reported.

The Bureau of Consular Affairs, the arm of the department tasked with protecting citizens overseas, lost more than 150 positions. Its entire rapid-response consular officer team was eliminated. Among those terminated were 13 Arabic speakers and four Farsi speakers whose language training alone cost taxpayers roughly $200,000 (151,000) each.

Volunteers With Top Secret Clearances Turned Away

Many of these officers still technically work for the government. Their separation paperwork has not been processed. They retain active security clearances. When war broke out, they offered to come back. The State Department said no.

On 5 March, a former member of the rapid-response team volunteered for the Middle East consular task force and was told there were 'no opportunities' for officers affected by the July layoffs, according to the letter. Foreign Policy reported separately that officers who tried to help were redirected to a rarely monitored email inbox that went unanswered for days.

The sidelined group includes officers who ran evacuations from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and the 2006 Lebanon crisis. One officer alone processed more than 34,000 Afghan evacuees.

'The U.S. Government is not trimming fat. It amputated capability, and Americans are now paying the price,' the officers wrote.

No Evacuation Plan Despite Months of Military Planning

Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine described Operation Epic Fury as 'the culmination of months, and in some cases, years, of deliberate planning.' President Trump, when asked days later why there was no plan for American civilians, said, 'it all happened very quickly.'

The US and Israel struck Iran on 28 February. The State Department did not tell Americans to leave until 2 March. When US Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed citizens to a government hotline the following day, callers got a recording telling them not to rely on the US government for evacuation.

The entire Massachusetts congressional delegation, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren, wrote to Rubio on 5 March demanding answers. More than five weeks on, the State Department has not replied. Warren told The Intercept that Rubio's decision to purge experienced staff 'has threatened our national security and put US citizens in danger.'

The leadership vacuum runs deep. As of March, the US had no confirmed ambassadors in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Kuwait, Algeria, Libya, or Iraq. The assistant secretary overseeing Near Eastern Affairs remains unfilled, four of the bureau's five supervisors hold temporary titles, and the dedicated Iran office was merged with the Iraq desk, the AP reported.

The State Department has pushed back, saying the layoffs had 'no negative impact' on its crisis response. It has since organised more than 60 charter and military flights and says over 70,000 Americans have returned from the region.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was not reassured. The loss of experienced personnel, she said, 'has clearly undermined the Bureau of Consular Affairs' ability to fulfil its most important mission - to protect Americans abroad.'

Originally published on IBTimes UK
In Brief: The hospitality industry has seen a significant influx of $1 billion in funding, primarily driven by investments in property management systems and artificial intelligence solutions, underscoring the sector's growing reliance on technology.

Property Management Systems, AI Solutions Drive $1 Billion in Hospitality Tech Funding - Image Credit HNR News

Over the twelve months from April 2025 to March 2026, 40 hospitality technology companies raised a combined $1 billion, with investment focused on property management systems, AI-powered guest experience platforms, and tech-enabled operators, reflecting a broader shift toward integrated, data-driven solutions across the global hospitality sector.

Published April 13, 2026 | By HNR News Staff Reporter

Overview of Hospitality Tech Investment 2025-2026

The hospitality technology sector experienced substantial investment activity between April 2025 and March 2026, according to the Abode Worldwide Hospitality Tech Investment Index 2026. During this period, 40 companies collectively raised $1 billion, indicating strong investor confidence in the future of technology-driven hospitality operations. The report highlights that the largest funding rounds were concentrated in a short three-month window, suggesting a surge of interest and momentum in the sector.

Major Funding Rounds and Market Trends

The three largest capital raises were by Mews ($300 million), Kindred ($125 million across two rounds), and Limehome (75 million), all announced between December 2025 and February 2026. These companies represent different segments: property management systems, home-swapping platforms, and tech-enabled apartment operations. The clustering of these significant investments points to broad investor confidence in the overall hospitality technology market, rather than in isolated categories.

A key trend identified is the increasing importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in hospitality. A 2026 study by Canary Technologies found that 71% of hospitality professionals believe AI is having a significant or transformative impact on the industry, and 85% expect to allocate at least 5% of their IT budgets to AI tools within the year. This shift is reflected in the types of companies attracting investment, with many focusing on AI-powered solutions.

Investment by Category

Property Management Systems (PMS): PMS companies attracted the most capital, raising a combined $408.1 million across seven companies. Mews led with $300 million, followed by Amenitiz ($45 million), Arbio ($36 million), and Boom ($12.7 million). The central role of PMS in hospitality operationsmanaging teams, revenue, data, and guest experiencesmakes these platforms particularly valuable. Well-funded PMS providers are increasingly building integrated capabilities and acquiring specialist platforms to become comprehensive solutions for property operators.

Vacation Rental Marketplaces: Six niche vacation rental marketplaces secured funding, targeting specific traveler segments. Examples include Lake.com (lakeside stays), Wander (luxury homes), Gathern (Saudi Arabia), ELIVAAS and StayVista (India), and Holidu (price-focused metasearch). Investors see value in platforms that cater to defined audiences, as these can deliver higher conversion rates and better matches between guests and property operators.

Guest Experience Platforms: Four AI-driven guest experience platformsDuve, Chatlyn, Conduit, and Canary Technologiesraised a total of $152.6 million. These platforms address the challenge of delivering personalized service with reduced staffing by automating guest messaging, digital check-in, upselling, and feedback processes. Canary Technologies $80 million round and acquisition of OpenKey highlight the growing emphasis on mobile and automated guest services.

Tech-Enabled Operators: Companies like Limehome, Kasa, and HolaCamp raised a combined $151.9 million. These operators use technology to streamline property management and guest services, positioning themselves as a distinct and growing segment within hospitality tech.

Stage and Age of Funded Companies

Of the 40 companies that raised funds, 19 rounds were at early stages (pre-seed, seed, or Series A), while only four were at Series C or D. This indicates that much of the market is still developing, with opportunities for new entrants and leadership positions yet to be fully established.

The age profile of funded companies is notable. Over half were founded after 2020, with 2023 being the most common founding year. This surge aligns with the mainstream adoption of AI in commercial applications. However, 15 companies were founded between 2014 and 2019, demonstrating that both new AI-native startups and established scale-ups are attracting capital.

Geographic Distribution of Investment

The United States remains the most active country, with 17 of the 40 funded companies based there. However, significant funding rounds also occurred in Europe, particularly in Germany (Limehome, Holidu, Arbio, Happyhotel) and Spain (Amenitiz, HolaCamp). The Netherlands-based Mews received the largest individual round. The report also notes major investments in Saudi Arabia (Gathern), Israel (Duve), and Singapore (ZUZU Hospitality), reflecting the global nature of hospitality tech investment.

Founder and Investor Perspectives

Interviews with eight founders revealed several recurring themes:

AI is now operational, not just theoretical, in hospitality technology.

Investors are moving away from fragmented software solutions toward unified platforms that reduce complexity and improve scalability.

The adoption of AI requires educating customers on how to leverage new tools for business improvement.

Distribution and booking channels are beginning to shift toward AI-driven interfaces, such as conversational agents.

Investors are primarily backing platform businesses with demonstrated product-market fit. Unified systems that generate and leverage data over time are seen as more defensible and valuable than standalone tools. The most significant investments are going to companies whose technology forms the backbone of hospitality operations.

Complete List of Funded Companies

The Index provides a detailed table of all 40 companies, including their category, country, founding year, funding type, amount raised, lead investors, and funding date. The list covers a range of business models, from property management and guest experience platforms to niche marketplaces and operational tools.

Company Category Country Founded Funding Type Amount Lead Investors Date Breezeway Operations platform US 2015 Private equity N/A Resurgens Technology Partners Mar 2026 Wheel the World Accessible travel platform US 2017 Series A $11M Enable Ventures, Kayyak Ventures Feb 2026 RobosizeME Workflow automation platform Czech Republic 2022 Seed $2M SeedTwo Capital Feb 2026 Otamiser Ranking management platform Belgium 2021 Seed $2M Pitchdrive Feb 2026 Happyhotel Revenue management software Germany 2019 Series A 6.5M Reimann Investors Feb 2026 Daypass.com Online travel agency Mexico 2023 Seed $2M N/A Feb 2026 Kindred Home swapping platform US 2021 Series C $85M Index Ventures Feb 2026 Mews Property management software Netherlands 2012 Series D $300M EQT Growth Jan 2026 Limehome Tech-enabled operator Germany 2018 Venture round 75M Cheyne Capital Dec 2025 Duve Guest experience platform Israel 2016 Series B $60M Susquehanna Growth Equity Dec 2025 MAIC Operations platform Luxembourg 2023 Seed 1M Expon Capital Nov 2025 Amenitiz Property management software Spain 2018 Series B $45M Chalfen Ventures, Eight Roads, K Fund Nov 2025 HotelPORT Content verification platform US 2019 Debt financing $1.5M Hum Capital Oct 2025 Boom Property management software US 2023 Series A $12.7M Avenue Growth Partners Oct 2025 OnSeason Direct booking tool Bulgaria 2023 Pre-seed 700K Eleven Ventures Oct 2025 Hospitable Property management software US 2016 Community-led round $1.5M N/A Sep 2025 Lake.com Vacation rental marketplace Canada 2023 Pre-seed $2.6M BDC Sep 2025 Alltheway Baggage logistics system France 2022 Seed 3.5M Undisclosed Sep 2025 UnderTheDoormat Group Property management system UK 2014 Venture round $7M Omran Group Sep 2025 ZUZU Hospitality Property management software Singapore 2016 Series B $5.9M Undisclosed Aug 2025 Gathern Vacation rental platform Saudi Arabia 2017 Series B $72M Sanabil Aug 2025 Kasa Tech-enabled operator US 2016 Venture round $40M SLW Aug 2025 ELIVAAS Luxury vacation rental platform India 2022 Series B $10.4M Vertex Ventures SEA & India Aug 2025 Journey Loyalty platform US 2024 Seed $7.7M Lerer Hippeau, Slow Ventures Aug 2025 TakeUp Revenue management software US 2021 Series A $11M 1848 Ventures Jul 2025 Folio Financial operations platform US 2023 Series A $14M Construct Capital, Thrive Capital Jul 2025 StayVista Luxury vacation rental platform India 2015 Series B $4.6M JSW Ventures Jun 2025 Chatlyn AI guest communication platform Austria 2022 Series A 8M Smedvig Ventures Jun 2025 Canary Technologies Guest experience platform US 2017 Series D $80M Brighton Park Capital Jun 2025 Holidu Vacation rental management platform Germany 2014 Venture round 46M Key 1 Capital Jun 2025 HolaCamp Tech-enabled operator Spain 2023 Debt financing 21M Banco Santander Smart Fund Jun 2025 Arbio Property management software Germany 2022 Series A $36M Eurazeo Jun 2025 Wander Luxury vacation rental platform US 2021 Series B $50M Alumni Ventures, Fifth Wall, QED May 2025 S4labour Workforce management platform UK 2010 Private equity 4.7M YFM Equity Partners May 2025 Hotiday Decentralized hotel platform Italy 2022 Seed 5.5M P101 May 2025 Steadily Property and liability insurance US 2020 Series C $30M Two Sigma Ventures Apr 2025 ROH Payments management platform US 2023 Venture round $9.2M Highgate Ventures Apr 2025 Conduit Conversational AI agent platform US 2023 Seed $3.1M Pi Labs, Y Combinator Apr 2025 DIAMO Revenue management software US 2024 Seed $4M Thayer Ventures, Inovia Capital Apr 2025 SuiteOp Guest operations platform US 2023 Seed $3M ScOp Venture Capital Apr 2025

Key Insights and Outlook

The $1 billion raised by hospitality tech companies from April 2025 to March 2026 underscores the sectors ongoing transformation. Investment is concentrated in platforms that integrate operations, data, and guest services, with AI playing a central role in new product development. The market remains dynamic, with both new startups and established companies attracting significant capital and activity spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

As the industry continues to evolve, investors and operators are focusing on solutions that promise operational efficiency, scalability, and improved guest experiences through technology.
Hungary's Tisza party wins parliamentary elections, defeating Orban's ruling coalition

Xinhua) 13:33, April 13, 2026

Peter Magyar (C), leader of Hungary's Tisza Party, speaks at a victory rally in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. (Photo by David Balogh/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's opposition party Tisza, led by Peter Magyar, defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition by securing a majority in Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results released by the National Election Office (NEO).

With 98.89 percent of the votes counted by the NEO, Tisza won 53.21 percent and was projected to win 138 of the 199 parliament seats, exceeding the two-thirds threshold. Orban's ruling Fidesz-KDNP alliance received 38.26 percent and was projected to win 55 seats.

The far-right Our Homeland Movement won 5.85 percent and is projected to take 6 seats. Other parties failed to clear the 5-percent threshold required to enter parliament.

Preliminary statistics showed that turnout reached about 77.8 percent among roughly 8.1 million eligible voters, marking a record high.

On social media, Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok expressed his congratulations to "the winning party of the elections and to all the candidates of the parliament."

Addressing supporters in Budapest, 45-year-old Magyar hailed his party's "decisive victory," saying it was a win seen "from every Hungarian window." He added that Hungary will once again be a strong ally in the European Union (EU) and NATO.

This photo released by the Hungarian Prime Minister's Office shows Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (front) at an election results announcement event in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. (Akos Kaiser/MTI via Xinhua)

Orban, 62, conceded defeat. "The election results, though not yet final, are clear and understandable; for us, they are painful but unambiguous," he told reporters. "We have not been entrusted with the responsibility and opportunity to govern. I congratulated the winning party."

The victory of the center-right Tisza party signals the imminent end of Orban's 16 consecutive years in power. Orban served as Hungary's prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and has remained in office since returning to power in 2010.

During the campaign, Tisza focused on anti-corruption and institutional reform, calling for the restoration of the rule of law and transparent governance. It also advocated repairing relations with EU and urged Hungarians to unite in building a sovereign, civic, modern and European Hungary.

Under Hungary's electoral law, parliamentary elections are held every four years. Hungary's parliament has 199 seats, including 106 elected directly in single-member constituencies and 93 allocated among parties that enter parliament.

A number of European leaders congratulated Magyar on his election victory, expressing expectations for closer cooperation and Hungary's renewed engagement with Europe.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola congratulated Magyar, saying Hungary has "chosen Europe" and lies "at the heart of Europe."

Peter Magyar, leader of Hungary's Tisza Party, attends a victory rally in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. (Photo by David Balogh/Xinhua)

European Council President Antonio Costa said Hungary's "record turnout" reflected a democratic spirit and expressed readiness to work closely with the new leadership to make Europe stronger and more prosperous.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has also extended congratulations, according to Magyar.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the result "a historic moment" for both Hungary and European democracy, voicing hope for working with Hungary for shared security and prosperity.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that France welcomed the Hungarian people's commitment to EU values and Hungary's commitment to Europe, saying, "Let us build a more sovereign Europe, for the security of our continent, our competitiveness, and our democracy."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he had spoken with Magyar by phone and was ready to work together for "a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe."

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store described the result as of great importance to Europe, expressing hope for close and constructive cooperation with Magyar in advancing peace and stability, democracy and the rule of law.

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
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The Adams Theater Presents Omar Roman de Jesus & Boca Tuya

ADAMS, Mass.  The Adams Theater will host an artistic residency for Omar Roman de Jesus and his dance company Boca Tuya from April 20May 2, 2026, with a special preview on May 2.

The show starts at 7:30pm at The Adams Theater, 27 Park Street, Adams, MA, 01220. Tickets start at $20 and are available here; a free student option is available.

According to a press release:

Centered around the events at the Kennedy Center that continue to challenge both the memory and the future of arts in America, this project features an interweaving of narrative collage, archival work, sound engineering, and movement guided by the central question: What does it take to care about one's neighbor, one's environment, and one's past beyond an individual sense of gain?

Boca Tuya comes to Adams through a Works & Process residency. Works & Process supports artists and their creative process from studio to stage, collaborating with over a dozen residency partners in six states, to develop work and give audiences an intimate look into the artistic process. This residency is a key developmental part of YAHAIRA YAHAIRA, an interdisciplinary project led by de Jesus that preserves institutional memory and chronicles political change through audiovisual recordings, a live dance performance, and a Docu-Dance film.

"Our residency program at the Adams Incubator in partnership with Works & Process was designed to be a sanctuary for theatre and movement artists with boundary-pushing ideas, such as Omar's," said Yina Moore, founder and artistic director of The Adams Theater. "It is a space for those looking to step away from the noise and find the focus required for the rigorous, messy, and beautiful process of development, allowing the choreography and the environment to evolve in tandem."

Boca Tuya will also host a master class, Move & Groove, date and time to be announced. No experience required. This accessible, high-energy class is designed for all bodies and all levels, focusing on cardio, coordination, and rhythm. Think follow-along fun that will get your heart pumping and your body moving.

Omar Roman de Jesus is a choreographer and the director of the NYC-based Cultural Movement Collaborative BOCA TUYA. He is the inaugural Baryshnikov Arts Center Fellow at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, a 2025 Works & Process residency recipient, and a former Artist in Residence with 92NY. Omar is also a 2023 Dance Magazine Harkness Promise Awardee and was recently awarded the Alan M. Kriegsman Residency at Dance Place and the Kennedy Center. His accolades include the 2022 Princess Grace Award in Choreography, the 2022 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Choreography, the 2022 Palm Desert Choreography Festival Grand Prize, and the 2020 Ann & Weston Hicks Choreography Fellowship at Jacob's Pillow.

He has created works for over 20 companies and pre-professional programs, including the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Charlotte Ballet, The Juilliard School, Ballet Hispanico, BalletCollective, St. Louis Dance Theater, Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, Whim W'Him, Parsons Dance, The Ailey School, and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. His Papagayos, commissioned by Ballet Hispanico, premiered at New York City Center and later appeared at the American Dance Festival in North Carolina. Most recently, Like Those Playground Kids at Midnight was presented in celebration of the 92NY 150th anniversary.

Omar's stage and screen works have been presented internationally, earning recognition through the Joffrey Academy's Winning Works, Whim W'Him's Choreographic Shindig, The Dance Gallery Festival, Reverb Dance Festival, and the International Dance Festival of Puerto Rico, where he received the Ambassador of Dance Medal. His film Los Perros del Barrio Colosal has reached audiences in over 20 countries and won Best of Screen Dance International, as well as Best Choreography and Best Narrative at the ReThink Dance Film Festival. Over the past five years, he has toured internationally to Colombia, Panama, and the Canary Islands, and presented work across the U.S. in New York, Georgia, Washington, Pennsylvania, and California.




MCLA Commencement Features Arts Executive, Honorary Degrees

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The former head of the Massachusetts Cultural Council is this year's commencement speaker at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Michael J. Bobbitt took the lead of Opera America in January after five years as the state's chief cultural officer.

In addition, MCLA will confer an honorary doctor of fine arts on Bobbitt, and doctors of public service to Mary K. Grant, president of Massachusetts College of Art and Design and former president of MCLA, and Mohan Boodram, MCLA Foundation Board member and former Board of Trustees chair.

The college's 127th commencement will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, in the Amsler Campus Center gymnasium.

Bobbitt is a nationally recognized arts executive, producer, playwright, choreographer, director and artist whose career bridges public policy, organizational transformation, and creative practice.

He is president of Opera America, a national service organization founded in 1970 to support and advocate for opera companies and artists across the nation and in Canada.

As executive director of the Mass Cultural Council, he led strategy and operations for a $29.7 billion creative economy, secured more than $60 million in COVID-19 relief funding for Massachusetts arts organizations, and successfully advocated for the arts to be embedded in statewide health, education, and economic policy.

His career also includes leading two producing theaters in Massachusetts and in Maryland, where he commissioned more than 50 new works and pioneered sensory-friendly and autism-inclusive performances that became a national model.

Bobbitt's work has been produced at the Kennedy Center, Ford's Theatre, Washington National Opera, La Jolla Playhouse, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company, among others. He is the recipient of the Kennedy Center Gold Medallion and has been invested in the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. He holds an master of business administration in arts innovation and a bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, in interdisciplinary studies, with executive education at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School.

MCLA's conferral of a doctor of fine arts continues an honor previously bestowed upon him by Dean College.



Mary K. Grant Grant, a 1983 graduate of MCLA, is a nationally recognized leader in public higher education who was president of the college for 13 years. Her consistent advocacy for the college resulted in the investment $54.5 million for the Center for Science and Innovation, a new facilities building numerous updates to the physical campus during her tenure. , a 1983 graduate of MCLA, is a nationally recognized leader in public higher education who was president of the college for 13 years. Her consistent advocacy for the college resulted in the investment $54.5 million for the Center for Science and Innovation, a new facilities building numerous updates to the physical campus during her tenure.

As president of MassArt, the nation's only independent public college of art and design, she champions the essential role of creativity in education and civic life.

Grant was also chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Asheville and president and CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. A first-generation college graduate, she has spent her career expanding access and opportunity and is a passionate advocate for equity, inclusion, and the transformative power of public higher education.

She holds a doctorate in social welfare policy from Brandeis University and has received honorary degrees from Williams College and Eastern Connecticut State University.



Mohan Boodram Boodram has dedicated more than three decades to expanding access and equity in higher education, and his ties to MCLA run deep. He served as a Trustee of the College for 13 years, including three years as chair, and continues his engagement with the institution as a member of the MCLA Foundation Board of Directors. Throughout his tenure, he was a steadfast advocate for affordability, inclusion, and the enduring value of a public liberal arts education. has dedicated more than three decades to expanding access and equity in higher education, and his ties to MCLA run deep. He served as a Trustee of the College for 13 years, including three years as chair, and continues his engagement with the institution as a member of the MCLA Foundation Board of Directors. Throughout his tenure, he was a steadfast advocate for affordability, inclusion, and the enduring value of a public liberal arts education.

Boodram's professional career spans senior leadership positions at some of the nation's most distinguished academic institutions. He was dean for admissions and financial aid at the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, associate dean for enrollment and student services at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and director of admissions and financial aid at Harvard Medical School.

He holds a bachelor of science in applied mathematics from Yale University and a master of arts in statistics from Harvard University.

"This year's Commencement is a particularly meaningful one," said MCLA President James F. Birge. "We are proud to honor Michael Bobbitt, whose life's work demonstrates the transformative power of the arts, alongside two individuals who have given so much to this institution: Dr. Mary Grant, a beloved alumna and MCLA's 11th president, and Mohan Boodram, whose years of service on our Board helped shape MCLA into the college it is today.

"I know Mr. Bobbitt's address will resonate deeply with our graduates as they prepare to make their own mark on the world."
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A YouTuber who was arrested for allegedly using abusive language against Nepal's newly elected prime minister has been released following protests by Gen Z activists.

Roshan Pokharel was arrested on 9 April on charges of publishing abusive and defamatory content on his YouTube channel Hades which targeted prime minister Balendra Shah and other political leaders.

He was arrested by police in Panchthar following a Cyber Bureau investigation and sent in custody for 10 days by a local court.

Mr Pokharel's arrest triggered severe backlash against the prime minister over his new government's bid to suppress free speech under the guise of legal action.

Tanuja Pandey, a prominent Gen Z activist who was part of the street agitation that ousted the KP Sharma Oli government last year, was among several public figures who criticised the arrest of Mr Pokharel.

Bijay Shah, a spokesperson of the Gen Z movement, said that arresting an individual solely on the basis of expression was objectionable.

open image in gallery Youtuber Roshan Pokharel was arrested and later released ( Good Job Nepal/YouTube )

Protect freedom of expression; do not move towards authoritarianism, he said in a statement.

Mr Shah argued that the prime minister, a celebrated rapper, should appreciate the value of free speech, adding that past controversial remarks attributed to him must also face scrutiny if equal standards were to apply.

If equal standards are adopted, there should be fair and impartial investigation against everyone, he said, questioning why similar actions were not taken in other instances.

Following the outcry, Mr Pokharel was released on Sunday and handed over to the custody of his grandmother.

Roshan was sent to the custody of a relative, with the condition that he come when the police want him," district police superintendent Anish Karki told Lokantar.

According to local reports, authorities claimed the decision to release him was made after his health condition worsened during detention.

Balendra Shah, the 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor, was elected prime minister about six months after street protests felled the previous government, which had allegedly sought to muzzle traditional newspapers and broadcasters and, at times, extended the clampdown to online news and social media platforms.
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Indonesian police arrested two women on charges of blasphemy after a video purportedly showing one of them stepping on a Quran went viral online.

Police in the province of Banten confirmed the arrests on 12 April, saying the incident occurred earlier in the week in Lebak district, around 140km from the capital Jakarta.

The identities and ages of the women were not disclosed but authorities said they could face up to five years in prison if convicted under Indonesian blasphemy law.

The law forbids statements offending one of the Southeast Asian countrys six officially recognised religions or attempting to dissuade anyone from following their faith.

According to police, the incident occurred on 8 April in a salon after the owner accused a guest of theft. When the accused woman denied the allegation, the situation escalated.

Authorities said the salon owner demanded the guest swear her innocence while stepping on the Quran, and recorded the act on video. That footage quickly spread across social media platforms, triggering widespread outrage in the majority Muslim country.

The person who stepped on the Quran and the person who asked her to swear an oath have both admitted what they did. Police have summoned them, and they have now been named as suspects, Banten police spokesperson, Maruli Ahiles Hutapea, told the news agency AFP.

Indonesia, home to nearly 240 million Muslims, has long grappled with tensions between religious sensitivity and freedom of expression. Rights groups have repeatedly criticised the blasphemy law.

One of the most prominent cases that led to scrutiny of the law was that of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, widely known as Ahok, the former governor of Jakarta, who was jailed for almost two years in 2017 after being convicted of blasphemy.

At the time, Human Rights Watch said the guilty verdict against Purnama was a huge setback for Indonesias record of tolerance and for minorities.

In 2022, a former minister, Roy Suryo, was arrested after sharing a doctored image of a Borobudur Temple stupa resembling Joko Widodo, sparking complaints from Buddhist groups.

Indonesias toxic blasphemy law has claimed another victim, this time a former government minister over a social media post deemed insulting to Buddhists, Human Rights Watch said at the time.

More recently, in 2024, a comedian was sentenced to seven months in prison for making a joke involving the name Muhammad.
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For car companies, the lure of having a premium brand in the line-up brings not only a huge amount of kudos, but also the prospect of bigger margins  these are cars aimed at well-heeled customers willing to pay more for a posh badge.

So its no surprise that many of the worlds biggest car makers have tried  and often failed  to take a slice of this lucrative premium pie.

The worlds largest car company, Toyota, has had its Lexus brand for 36 years, yet it still isnt quite regarded in the same way as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Nissans Infiniti continues in some markets, but it withdrew from the UK and Europe at the end of the last decade. Jaguar, meanwhile, has stopped trying to rival the German heavyweights altogether, and is now hell-bent on reinventing itself as a luxury rather than premium brand.

Volvo has done a better job than most and is now firmly considered a premium marque, while Hyundais Genesis remains  like Lexus  very much a work in progress.

Last week in Paris, amid plenty of expensive fanfare and a marketing campaign fronted by Daniel Craig (proof that some people will do anything if the cheque is large enough), Chinese giant BYD launched its Denza brand. Its USP is the fastest-charging electric cars in the world, but  as Stellantis struggles with DS show  it will be a long road to challenge the established German players.

BYD has shown in short order that it can compete with mainstream car makers in the UK, but Denza will be an altogether tougher proposition. Its first car, the Denza Z9 GT, certainly looks the part, but brand building, premium positioning and upmarket retail networks will all be crucial.

Other Chinese car giants  including Chery, SAIC and Nio  will be watching closely, each with premium ambitions of their own. But rather than looking east for the next big premium brand, perhaps we should be looking west.

Just over a week ago, I was at the New York Auto Show handing out World Car of the Year awards to a fortunate few manufacturers, with BMW taking the overall 2026 title for the iX3.

There was, however, a surprise in the World Luxury Car category. Volvos excellent ES90 was up against a resurgent Cadillac, which is preparing another push into the UK and Europe.

But it wasnt Cadillac that took the trophy  it was Lucid, the high-tech start-up headquartered in Silicon Valley (within sight of Teslas Fremont factory), with production based in Casa Grande, Arizona.

Lucids first car, the all-electric Air, won the same award in 2023. This year, it was the turn of the seven-seat Gravity.

I drove a Lucid Air around London a few years ago and came away hugely impressed, but the Gravity takes things up a notch in terms of style, quality, technology and comfort  a tremendous achievement.

A key part of Lucids success is its relentless focus on efficiency, particularly in its electric motors. Its technology is likely to appear in future electric Aston Martins  and probably elsewhere. But the cars the company is building under its own name are already something special.

The Gravity is just going on sale across Europe, but not yet in the UK. Its a big car  at over five metres in length  but Lucid has confirmed it will arrive here, most likely alongside its next, smaller model, the Lucid Cosmos. This will be the first of a range of mid-sized EVs and is set to rival the BMW iX3.

Leading Lucid in Europe is Brit Lawrence Hamilton, who brings plenty of industry experience, including a stint heading up Genesis. The company is backed by Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund, so its no surprise that the Cosmos could be built in the Kingdom at Lucids plant there.

I had a brief drive in the Gravity in the US last year and came away hugely impressed by the quality, comfort, technology and, yes, the efficiency. Of all the potential newcomers targeting the premium car market, this is the one I find most interesting  and the one I suspect has the establishment sitting up and taking notice.

It wont be easy, but whether its Lucid, Denza or another new brand, the market feels ripe for a genuine challenger to the established premium players. It should be fascinating to watch  and, as ever, let me know what you think.

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Iain Packer, the man convicted of Emma Caldwells murder nearly two decades after her death, likely committed further killings, a former detective involved in the initial investigation has suggested.

Retired detective constable Stuart Hall believes "theres going to be more found out in the future" regarding Packers offending.

Ms Caldwell, 27, was killed in 2005, but it was not until 2024 that Packer was finally brought to justice, convicted of her murder and a series of sexual offences against other women.

Police had questioned Packer in the weeks following Ms Caldwells death, yet a group of Turkish men were wrongly charged in 2007, with the case against them later collapsing.

Mr Hall shared his insights on The Beware Book podcast, which delves into the deaths of several women involved in prostitution around Glasgow during the 1990s and early 2000s.

The series highlights eight such deaths, four of which remain unsolved. The podcast takes its evocative name from a journal once used by women in prostitution to alert each other to potentially dangerous or suspicious clients.

Mr Hall was asked about the fact that Packers offending continued for years after Ms Caldwells murder, and whether the full extent of his crimes has come to light.

open image in gallery Iain Packer was eventually convicted in 2024 ( Police Scotland )

He said: No  short answer. I think theres a lot more to be found out about Iain Packer.

Personally, I dont think it was his first murder.

I think theres going to be more found out in the future. Id love to be involved in something to do with that, but I think theres far more to it.

Theres a pattern of behaviour here. As they discovered during the trial, which is now common knowledge, he did the same thing to several girls.

Although Emma was the only one we know of at this time who was murdered. I see no reason for there not to be more.

Mr Hall said Packers history of violence against women had emerged in court.

He continued: That just seems to be who he is, how he deals with life and women.

open image in gallery Emma Caldwell, who was killed by prolific sex offender Iain Packer ( Family handout )

Packer was jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years after he was found guilty of Ms Caldwells murder.

Her body was found as a remote location in Limefield Woods in South Lanarkshire.

Other former detectives have previously told the podcast about their certainty of Packers guilt.

However they said their suspicions were dismissed by superiors, with one being told Packer will never be accused.

A public inquiry, chaired by Lord Scott KC, is due to examine the police investigation into the murder.

Police Scotland Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs said: Emma Caldwells family have shown incredible courage and determination following her murder in 2005 and we are absolutely committed to supporting the inquiry and getting her loved ones the answers they deserve.
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Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was jailed for a minimum of 52 years after murdering three young girls in a frenzied knife attack.

Rudakubana, 18, stabbed and killed the girls aged between six and nine with a 20cm-long kitchen knife as he ambushed a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, Merseyside, in July 2024.

The Southport Inquiry published its findings on Monday after hearing evidence on the attack of unparalleled cruelty, with chair Sir Adrian Fulford concluding this terrible event could have been  and should have been  prevented.

Wearing a green hoodie, a surgical face mask and armed with the blade, the then 17-year-old travelled five miles from his family home to the studio where he unleashed his murderous rampage.

Sir Keir Starmer previously vowed the attack would be a line in the sand for Britain after the killer admitted to 16 offences.

However, despite the lengthy sentence, Rudakubana was not given a whole-life order. The Independent takes a look at what one is below, and why the killer avoided one.

open image in gallery Left to right: Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar were all slain by Axel Rudakubana in a brutal knife attack last year ( PA Media )

What is a whole-life order?

An offender can be sentenced to a whole-life order  or whole-life tariff  for the most serious cases of murder, meaning their crime was so serious they will never be released from prison.

There were 65 prisoners serving whole-life orders in the UK as of 30 June 2023, according to the Ministry of Justice.

Killers Rosemary West, Levi Bellfield, Michael Adebolajo, Wayne Couzens and Lucy Letby were among those serving this type of sentence.

open image in gallery Killer nurse Lucy Letby is serving 15 whole life orders for murdering newborn babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital ( PA Media )

How is it different to a life sentence?

Any offender found guilty of murder must be given a life sentence. However, a judge must decide whether to set a minimum term which must be served in full before release on licence, or impose a whole-life order.

A murderer will serve a life sentence with a minimum term for the rest of their life, but does not necessarily spend this entire time in prison.

They would usually serve a term in prison, and then be released on licence subject to certain conditions. For example, the minimum term for murder with a knife is 25 years, then the offender would be released on licence. If they broke the conditions of this licence at any point, they could be sent back to prison.

open image in gallery Former Met Police officer Wayne Couzens is serving a whole-life order for abducting, raping and murdering Sarah Everard ( PA Media )

Why has Rudakubana avoided a whole-life order?

A judge cannot impose a whole-life order on anyone who was under the age of 18 at the time of the offence, irrespective of the seriousness of that offence.

Despite being aged 18 at the time of his conviction, Rudakubana was 17 when he murdered Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine.
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Tens of thousands of unpaid carers are set to have their debts cancelled or significantly reduced following a sweeping government review into historic overpayments.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced it would re-examine some 200,000 cases where individuals owed money due to "confusing" earnings guidance.

Of these, the government estimates approximately 25,000 carers will see their debts wiped, reduced, or receive refunds for amounts already repaid.

This widespread issue, where individuals were penalised for exceeding their carer's allowance earnings limit by even a few pence, has been condemned as a "scandal" by campaigners.

An independent review, led by former charity boss Liz Sayce and published last November, concluded that many carers felt they were "treated as criminals, with resulting feelings of fear and shame".

Ministers have since accepted 38 of the report's 40 recommendations, which identified "ill-defined" guidance and "systemic flaws" in the carer's allowance system between 2015 and summer 2025, preventing accurate earnings reporting.

The government confirms that approximately half of the promised changes have already been implemented, with further reforms underway to modernise the benefit and avert similar problems in the future.

open image in gallery Carers Trust chief executive Kirsty McHugh said the reassessment would have a huge impact on carers who were penalised for no fault of their own ( Alamy/PA )

Historic overpayments led to many carers  who had to earn 151 a week or less to qualify for the allowance  unwittingly racking up unmanageable levels of debt, and some quit their jobs as a result.

The earnings threshold rose to 196 a week last April, and again to 204 net per week for 2026/27.

Carers allowance, which is 86.45 a week, is paid to someone who spends at least 35 hours a week regularly caring for someone with an illness or disability.

The review said the so-called cliff edge, which meant someone earning just a penny over the limit led to them losing the entire allowance, had a severe impact on carers and acted as a disincentive to take on paid work.

Officials say that DWP has all the information it needs to carry out the reassessment in most cases, and that carers do not need to contact the department themselves.

The department will contact people if any further details are needed, they said.

open image in gallery Carers allowance, which is 86.45 a week, is paid to someone who spends at least 35 hours a week regularly caring for someone with an illness or disability. ( Alamy/PA )

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: We inherited a system that left unpaid carers building up debt through no fault of their own, something were determined to put right.

Carers are vital to our communities and we are committed to taking action to rebuild their trust.

Carers UK chief executive Helen Walker said hundreds of carers had suffered severe financial strain and emotional distress as a result of the overpayments and that further reform was sorely needed.

We are pleased to see this Government taking decisive action to start putting right the failings of the past and provide carers with the redress they deserve.

The reassessment process marks an important step in tackling these systemic failures, she said.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of carers allowance this week, it is encouraging to hear that the Government is also exploring further options for reform.

This is sorely needed to ensure that it properly supports and recognises the contribution of unpaid carers, while protecting them from financial hardship.

Carers Trust chief executive Kirsty McHugh said the reassessment would have a huge impact on carers who were penalised for no fault of their own.

It has been reassuring to see the Government accept the vast majority of the recommendations of the Sayce Review, whilst the 75 million allocated by last years budget is further evidence the Government is serious about righting these wrongs, she said.
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are embarking on a four-day visit to Australia, combining both charitable endeavours and commercial engagements across Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney.

The couples office said that the trip, which is privately funded and will not include their children, will concentrate on mental health, community resilience, and support for veterans and their families, alongside private meetings and special projects.

The visit, running from Tuesday to Friday, will notably feature no public walkabouts.

Among the private commercial activities, Meghan is scheduled to be interviewed on stage at a girls weekend retreat in Sydney.

Tickets for the event, organised by Gemma ONeill of the Her Best Life podcast, are priced at 1,400.

VIP access at the five-star InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel costs 1,670, which includes a group table photograph with the duchess.

open image in gallery Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex at South Melbourne Beach in October 2018 ( Getty )

Meanwhile, Prince Harry will appear as a guest speaker on Thursday at Melbournes InterEdge Summit.

The event, held at the Centrepiece conference venue, explores the intersection of leadership, psychosocial safety and human connection in the workplace.

Delegate tickets are available for 525, platinum tickets for 1,250, and a virtual ticket offering on-demand access to Harrys speech costs 260.

The Office of Harry and Meghan said: Across all engagements, the visit will highlight the duke and duchesss continued commitment to supporting mental health, strengthening support for the armed forces community, and championing the power of connection and shared experience to drive positive change.

A petition on Change.org demanding no taxpayer funding or official support for Harry and Meghans private visit to Australia arguing that public funds should not be used for private visits, has attracted more than 45,000 signatures.

The New South Wales Police Force said it would conduct an operation to ensure public safety is maintained during the visit by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

A spokesperson for the force, which is responsible for policing Sydney, said: The operation will require some additional security measures throughout their stay in New South Wales, while minimising any disruption to the community.

open image in gallery Meghan and Harry talk to members of OneWave, an awareness group for mental health and wellbeing at South Bondi Beach on 19 October 2018 ( Getty )

Victoria Police said it does not provide comment on specific operational arrangements.

A spokesperson for the force, which is responsible for policing Melbourne, added: Police are aware two high-profile people are visiting Melbourne in a private capacity in April.

Police routinely assess events and visits and will deploy resources as necessary to ensure community safety.

The Australian Federal Police has been approached for comment.

Beginning in Melbourne, the duke and duchess will engage with organisations delivering services to young people and vulnerable women, alongside a visit to one of Australias leading childrens hospitals.

Meghan will also undertake an engagement highlighting community-led support for women at a homeless services centre.

Harry and Meghans office said the couple will place particular emphasis on the veteran community, joining families and artists connected to the Australian National Veterans Art Museum and supporting Invictus Australia.

It added that this will continue in Canberra, where Harry will attend engagements at the Australian War Memorial, including the Last Post Ceremony.

Harry and Meghan also have engagements with Movember and the Australian mental health organisation Batyr.

In Sydney, the couple will join members of the Invictus community on the water in Sydney Harbour and meet past competitors.

The visit will conclude at a rugby fixture in Sydney between New South Wales Waratahs and Moana Pasifika at the Allianz Stadium on Friday.

The Sussexes carried out an official royal tour to Australia in 2018, five months after their royal wedding, and Meghans pregnancy with Prince Archie was announced shortly after their arrival.

Harry said in his autobiography that Meghan dazzled crowds on the hugely demanding tour, but warned her she was doing too well and making it look too easy like Diana, Princess of Wales.

In Spare, published in 2023, he wrote: Everyone knew that Mummys situation went from bad to worse when she showed the world, showed the family, that she was better at touring, better at connecting with people, better at being royal, than she had any right to be.

Harrys parents, Charles and Diana, visited Australia with their newly born son William on their first major royal overseas tour in 1983.

open image in gallery Harry and Meghan meet a koala named Ruby on a visit to Sydneys Taronga Zoo in 2018 ( Getty )

The 21-year-old princess proved a big draw with the Australian public, and the royal tour was hailed as a success in promoting the monarchy.

After returning home to jubilant welcomes and exultant headlines following their own Australia tour, Harry said in his memoir that he and his wife began to receive negative press, including a work of fiction about Meg making her staff miserable.

Harry also undertook a portion of his gap year living and working as a jackaroo on a cattle ranch in rural Queensland, saying in his autobiography that Tooloombilla was nothing like Eton and he enjoyed the hard, sweaty, non-stop labour in relentless heat.

Writing in Spare, Harry said of his nine-week stint in Australia in 2003: This wasnt merely work. Being a jackaroo required stamina, but it also demanded a certain artistry.

You had to be a whisperer with the animals. You had to be a reader of the skies, and the land. You also had to possess a superior level of horsemanship.

The duke added that he took to wearing a felt cowboy hat and adopted the nickname Spike while in the country, after comparisons were made between his haircut and the spines of an echidna from Sydneys Taronga Zoo.

The King is the monarch of Australia, one of the Commonwealth realms, and serves as the countrys head of state.

Queen Elizabeth II became the first reigning monarch to visit Australia in 1954, where she was greeted by huge crowds across the nation with millions seeing her in person during the tour.

Charles visited Australia as King in 2024, accompanied by Queen Camilla, on a tour that saw the couple take part in a community barbecue and a walkabout at the Sydney Opera House.

A referendum on Australia becoming a republic in 1999 was defeated by 54.4 per cent of voters, despite earlier polls suggesting that a majority supported the change.

Australias current prime minister, Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese, is a lifelong republican but in 2025 ruled out calling a referendum on the issue during his time in office.
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Thousands of NHS staff at health trusts across England are to lose their jobs as employers struggle to balance their books, according to research.

Unison said its study estimates at least 21,000 roles are due to be cut by 2028 in hospitals and other health facilities.

Efforts to meet the Governments demand for trust budgets to break even from this year are driving workforce reductions across hospital, community and mental health services, the union said.

The cuts were revealed by trusts in response to freedom of information requests by Unison and are in addition to job losses at NHS England and integrated care boards announced last year, it warned.

The union said its research reveals trusts are planning cuts to roles including nurses and other clinical staff, as well as support post reductions through vacancy freezes, restructuring and reduced use of agency workers.

The union said its research reveals trusts are planning cuts to roles including nurses and other clinical staff, as well as support post reductions through vacancy freezes, restructuring and reduced use of agency workers ( Alamy/PA )

Unisons head of health Helga Pile said: Cutting thousands of NHS jobs is the wrong answer when staff are already stretched to breaking point.

The public are all too aware how understaffing is a major problem, so theyll be rightly alarmed when the situations getting worse.

Years of underfunding have left many trusts out of pocket and ministers financial reset is creating deep uncertainty about services and staff.

Morale is through the floor as workers worry whether their jobs are at risk, amid soaring levels of stress and violence.

The NHS is being asked to transform how care is delivered, with more community services and technology, but none of this is possible without the staff to make it happen.
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Peter Magyar has been elected prime minister of Hungary in a dramatic landslide victory to unsettle Viktor Orban after 16 years in charge.

With 98 per cent of the votes counted, Mr Magyars Tisza party was on course for a massive 138 of 199 seats in parliament, with Orbans Fidesz party on 55 and the far-right Our Homeland party on six.

"We have done it. Tisza and Hungary have won this election," Magyar told tens of thousands of supporters who danced and cheered alongside the Danube River embankment in central Budapest.

The two-thirds majority will be crucial as Mr Magyar looks to wind back years of authoritarian drift under Fidesz, a commitment he promises will help unlock billions of euros in frozen EU funding.

A Tisza government is also expected to be more cooperative with Europe on Ukraine, avoiding brazen vetoes of support for Kyiv while keeping alive pragmatic relations with Russia.

Who is Peter Magyar?

Peter Magyar, 45, is the star of Hungarys Respect and Freedom Party (Tisza). The party was founded in 2020, but only came to prominence when Magyar defected from Mr Orbans Fidesz party in the middle of 2024, after calling out rife corruption in the country.

Analysts say that only an insider could have risen to overcome Mr Orbans regime in the way Mr Magyar did. Indeed, as a child he taped a photo of Mr Orban - then an anti-communist firebrand - on his bedroom wall.

open image in gallery Peter Magyar pictured on Monday, following his election win ( AP )

In a sign of the times, Mr Orban - then a young lawyer - had become a hero of the countrys pro-democracy movement when he publicly called for Soviet troops to leave Hungary in 1989.

Mr Magyar, whose family name literally means "Hungarian", was only nine years old when communism collapsed, and watched eagerly as the country held its first democratic elections in 1990.

There was a surge of energy around the regime change that swept me up as a child, Magyar told the Fokuszcsoport podcast last year.

Mr Magyar followed in the footsteps of Mr Orban, studying law before moving into politics. It was while studying at university that he joined the Fidesz party, before marrying one of its rising talents, Judit Varga, in 2006. The couple divorced in March 2023.

His rise to prominence

Mr Maygar first joined the Fidesz party while he was still in college. He also eventually became closely tied to the partys chief of staff Gergely Gulyas.

Mr Magyar, whose family name literally means "Hungarian", rose to prominence after his ex-wife, Ms Varga, resigned from all political roles after a sex-abuse case pardon that caused public uproar.

open image in gallery Christopher Pincher, the last UK minister to attend an EU council, talks to former minister Judit Varga ( EPA )

The Fidesz insider quickly distanced himself from the governing party and accused it of corruption and spreading propaganda, saying he had become disillusioned with the party. He shared a voice recording of his ex-wife allegedly revealing corruption in the government.

Mr Magyar successfully tapped into widespread discontent with corruption and a stagnant economy. In 2024, he broke with Fidesz and joined the little-known Tisza party to contest the European Parliament elections and won 29 per cent of the vote last June.

The party was considered the best shot at unsettling Mr Orbans long grip on power, running on the slogan Now or never. Supporters came to shorten that to just Now, stressing the urgency with around a fifth of Hungarian voters falling in an undecided grey zone until the day of the election.

Magyars political stances

Mr Magyar is widely seen as an insider turned dissident of the Fidesz party and has leant into this narrative, telling the BBC in 2024, "After a while, I became more and more critical, openly and just among friends. I can tell you that the Fidesz we see today is very, very different from the one I joined in 2002."

"I was always told by the politicians it's necessary to keep power - I accepted it for a time. But of course, the turning point was in 2024."

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

He has promised to tackle corruption, improve the economy, and sought to gain support from Hungary's disadvantaged Roma community.

The Tizsa leader has also pledged to unlock billions of euros in EU funds to fund massive investment into healthcare, housebuilding and modernisation - part of something he calls a Hungarian New Deal.

Magyar said today that anti-corruption measures will be among the first steps his government will take. He plans to amend the constitution to limit prime ministers to just two terms.

Landlocked Hungary is largely dependent on Russian oil and gas, making it a valuable access point for the Kremlin to try to influence support for Ukraine in Europe. Magyar said on Monday he would maintain pragmatic relations with Russia - in line with previous comments - but also support a major loan for Ukraine.

Dr Jonathan Eyal, associate director at the Royal United Services Institute, told The Independent that Magyar is likely to remain suspicious of Ukraine, citing pre-war disagreements. But he will aim to be unobstructive in Europe, crucially allowing a 90bn loan for Ukraine to pass.
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The centenary of Queen Elizabeth IIs birth will be honoured with a new collection of 12 Royal Mail stamps, celebrating her life and passions.

Eight stamps feature milestone photographs from the late monarchs life, from her 1953 coronation balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace to her first radio broadcast in 1940, aged 14.

Her well-known love of horses and dogs is reflected through a miniature sheet of four stamps, showing her with pets or thoroughbreds throughout her life.

A presentation pack containing all 12 stamps is priced at 22.50.

With these special stamps, we pay tribute to the late Queen, whose commitment to duty was unparalleled in history, David Gold, the Royal Mails director of external affairs and policy, said.

The stamps tell the remarkable story of a very public life of dedicated service, and a more private passion for dogs and horses, about which Her Majesty was a renowned expert.

open image in gallery Four stamps reflect the late Queen's lifelong love of horses and dogs ( Royal Mail )

The late Queen was an ever-present feature on British stamps during her 70-year reign.

Her image was well-known to the public and her likeness was also used on stamps marking royal events and anniversaries.

Elizabeth II died peacefully at her Balmoral home aged 96 on 8 September 2022, after serving as sovereign for 70 years.

She was the nations longest-reigning monarch.

open image in gallery The images span the late Queen's life ( Royal Mail )

For the woman who was never meant to be sovereign, the Queen fulfilled her pledge to serve the nation and Commonwealth and came to earn the respect of many  from world leaders to the public.

The late Queens life will be remembered during a series of royal events held around her birthday  21 April, the date she would have turned 100.

Her son Charles II has reportedly written a speech that will commemorate the 70-year reign of his mother and highlight her legacy and service.

The stamps, and a range of collectable products, are available to pre-order from 14 April from the Royal Mail website before going on general sale from 21 April.
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Britain is expected to have sufficient gas supplies to meet the demands of households and businesses this summer despite a significant surge in prices driven by ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The country's gas system operator, National Gas, confirmed that Great Britain's gas stocks are projected to be sufficient, even allowing for some exports to mainland Europe.

The announcement comes as National Gas unveiled its outlook for summer 2026 against a volatile backdrop for global energy markets.

Oil and gas prices have climbed sharply since late February following clashes between US-Israeli and Iranian forces.

UK natural gas futures, for instance, rose to approximately 120.7 pence per therm on Monday, a notable increase from around 78 pence per therm before the conflict escalated.

The instability has seen several liquefied natural gas (LNG) production facilities in Qatar and other parts of the Middle East targeted by missiles.

Furthermore, exports from the region have faced severe disruption due to issues in the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping corridor.

National Gas emphasised that Britain's gas requirements will primarily be fulfilled by supplies extracted from the UK Continental Shelf and imports from Norway.

The announcement comes as National Gas unveiled its outlook for summer 2026, against a volatile backdrop for global energy markets ( Getty/iStock )

Around 86% of total gas supply (25.3 bcm) is expected to come from these sources.

National Gas said it expects this volume will be enough to exceed forecast demand from Great Britain and gas exported to Ireland.

Nevertheless, it added that around 5% of total supply will also come from flexible gas storage and around 9% of supply will come from LNG imports.

Forecasts were prepared ahead of the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East but National Gas said it has reviewed its analysis since and concluded that the market is expected to still have sufficient capacity and capability to meet forecasts.

Glenn Bryn-Jacobsen, director of energy systems and resilience at National Gas, said: While the situation in the Middle East has understandably raised questions about Britains gas supplies, our forecasts indicate the market has the capacity to deliver sufficient supply to meet demand this summer.

The diversity of supply sources, including domestic production, Norway, LNG and storage, provides resilience and flexibility as supply flows and demand patterns change.

Demand for gas is forecast to be similar to summer 2025, according to the projections.

National Gas expects a roughly 6% reduction in gas demand used for electricity generation but said this will be largely offset by an expected 2% rise in non-daily metered demand from residential and commercial consumers.

Ian Radley, chief commercial officer at National Gas, said: Gas continues to play a critical role in supporting the electricity system, even during the summer months.

As renewable output fluctuates, gasfired power stations are increasingly required to respond quickly, and the network must be able to support that safely and reliably.

It is important that ongoing, co-ordinated action between Government, industry and regulators continues to address future risks arising from declining domestic production and an increasing reliance on imports.
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The government is expected to close down 11 more so-called asylum hotels next week as it tries to move faster on tackling illegal immigration.

The closure of the controversial hotels is part of the governments plan to end hotel accommodation for irregular migrants altogether and linked to a meeting this week on the new contract for asylum accommodation.

The hotels have become a magnet for rightwing anti-migrant protesters and centred around claims of attacks by asylum seekers on women and girls.

Notably, the Bell in Epping became a focus of far right demonstrations with the local Tory-led council unsuccessfully blocking its use as a holding place for asylum seekers waiting for their applications to be administered.

Police presence outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex (Lucy North/PA) ( PA Archive )

Latest government statistics show there are around 200 hotels in use, accommodating about 30,000 asylum seekers. More than 70,000 other asylum seekers live in other types of accommodation such as shared housing or military barracks.

According to The Guardian, the Home Office is due to hold a private event this week, described as an industry day for potential future providers of asylum accommodation.

The department has not disclosed details of the time and venue and it is reported that those attending have to sign a non disclosure agreement (NDA).

The meeting is understood to relate to the re-tendering of asylum contracts from 1 September 2029 until 31 August 2036, with a possible option to extend to 31 August 2039. The new contract, known as Future Asylum Contracts Accommodation, has been valued at approximately 10bn and will enact the government aim of moving away from reliance on hotel accommodation.

Controversially, the Home Office uses part of the already reduced overseas aid budget to fund asylum accommodation in a practice known as in donor refugee costs.

These costs amounted to around 2.8bn in 2024 to 2.4bn in 2025.

The Home Office has been asked to comment on the claims but not responded.

A Home Office spokesperson told The Guardian: This government is removing the incentives drawing illegal migrants to Britain and ramping up removals of those with no right to be here. That is why we are closing every asylum hotel and moving asylum seekers into basic accommodation including ex-military sites.

The population in asylum hotels has fallen by nearly 20 per cent in the last year and by 45 per cent since the peak under the previous government, cutting costs by nearly 1bn.
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A major cryptocurrency company has announced that Nigel Farage has made a 2m purchase of bitcoin in a strengthening of ties with the sector.

The Reform UK leader was filmed in a promotional video for Stack BTC, a crypto reserve business chaired by Liz Trusss former chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng.

The company said the purchase was a landmark moment in British politics. It claimed Mr Farage was the first sitting MP and first UK political party leader to publicly buy bitcoin. He had already invested 215,000 in Stack in March.

Mr Farage and Reform have pledged to liberalise the bitcoin market and have taken millions of pounds in donations from crypto billionaires, including Thailand-based Christopher Harborne and Hong Kong-based Ben Delo.

The government has moved to ban crypto donations to political parties and asked the Electoral Commission to investigate potential crypto donations that Mr Farage claims Reform has received but has not yet declared.

open image in gallery Nigel Farage and Reform have pledged to liberalise the bitcoin market and have taken millions of pounds in donations from crypto billionaires ( Getty )

Stack, a London-based firm listed on the UK challenger stock exchange Aquis, operates by building a portfolio of companies and channelling their surplus cash into bitcoin. Its core objective is to establish a substantial bitcoin treasury through continuous accumulation of the digital currency.

Labour questioned why Mr Farage was investing his money with Mr Kwarteng, who became executive chair of Stack last October.

The party chair, Anna Turley, said: Nigel Farage is hyping up a former Tory chancellor who crashed the economy in a bid to line his own pockets. From Farages crypto-boosting to his deputy Richard Tices admission that his business didnt pay the taxes it owed, Reform are more interested in themselves than in standing up for working people. While Labour is working to clear up the mess the Tories left, Nigel Farage is cosying up to the architect of Liz Trusss catastrophic mini-budget. It tells you everything you need to know about whose side hes on.

Mr Farage also defended his deputy, Richard Tice, for the first time over allegations he had failed to properly pay tax on dividends.

open image in gallery Richard Tice is facing questions over his tax affairs ( PA )

Mr Tice, who is the partys business spokesperson and jointly owns it with Mr Farage, has been accused of failing to pay tens of thousands of pounds in tax on dividends that were paid to him and his offshore trust. Allegations in The Sunday Times suggested he received at least 91,000 in excess payments as a result of the failure.

Among the critics was the tax expert Dan Neidle, who claimed that Mr Tices company broke the law. But Mr Farage dismissed Mr Neidle as a Labour activist and suggested that Mr Tice had in fact most likely paid more tax than had his company paid corporation tax.

He insisted the area of taxation was extremely complicated, but said there was no suggestion Mr Tice had avoided tax. He said: If our biggest critic says that Richard Tice has not evaded or avoided tax, has paid the full amount, and actually maybe even a little bit more, think about it, then Im satisfied with that.

At a press conference, Mr Farage and his home affairs spokesperson announced plans for an inquiry into the so-called Boriswave of immigration between 2020 and 2024, even though two of the prime movers of that period  the former home secretary Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister  have since defected to Reform.

He claimed that the costs of a generation of non-EU migrants who came to Britain in the years after 2021 would be an economic millstone for the country.

Mr Farage said: There is still time. There is still something we can do about this Boriswave. But if over a couple of million people get indefinite leave to remain over the course of the next 18 months, we will be putting around our necks an economic millstone that, frankly, will be catastrophic.

He later defended former Conservatives who served in Mr Johnsons government and have since defected to Reform UK.

Mr Farage said: Of course, there are some that will say, Ah, but youve got Suella Braverman, youve got Robert Jenrick in your party. Yes, absolutely. And if you read what Suella has written on this, and you read what Robert has written on this, they tried from within to stop the disaster that really started properly in 2021, and thats why they resigned or were fired.

The Independent has asked Reform for comment on the cryptocurrency announcement.
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Wes Streeting has challenged Nigel Farage to outline his health policies before Mays local elections and warned a Reform UK government could mean there will be no NHS.

The health secretary urged the Reform leader to come clean on the partys plans for the future of the NHS amid concerns it could be considering an insurance-based system.

Mr Streetings attack comes just a few weeks before crunch local elections in May, as Reform UK continues to soar in polls across the country.

Speaking at an Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) event in London, the health secretary said that the very question of whether this country should have a National Health Service is a fight that is brewing.

Pointing to previous comments made by Mr Farage on NHS funding, he said: When Nigel Farage announced his shadow cabinet, he forgot to appoint a shadow health secretary.

Now that might be because if Farage becomes prime minister, there will be no NHS.

open image in gallery The Reform UK leader has previously said the UK should re-examine the NHSs funding model ( PA )

Farage has said, and I quote: We are going to have to move to an insurance-based system of healthcare. Just last year e said: I do not want it funded through general taxation. It doesnt work.

The Reform UK leader has previously said the UK should re-examine the NHSs funding model, and said at Reform's Welsh manifesto launch last month that he is prepared to consider any alternative to the failure we have now.

In 2014, he said the UK would have to move to an insurance-based system of healthcare, but has since insisted he supports healthcare remaining free at the point of use.

Criticising Reform UK for not being clearer on their health policies before polling day in May, Mr Streeting added: Nigel Farage should stop hiding from his guilty little secret, be straight with the British people about what he actually believes and tell us what hell actually do.

What kind of insurance system would he introduce? Social or private? On what terms? How much will patients pay in insurance premiums? What protections would be in place for the uninsured?

open image in gallery The health secretary, Wes Streeting ( PA )

He added: If Reform want to form the next government, they need to come clean with the British public and answer those questions.

Turning to the election in Wales, where Reform UK is expected to make major gains, Mr Streeting said the thought of a victory for Farage sends shivers down my spine.

Reform UK has topped opinion polls in Wales, alongside Plaid Cymru, where the Labour Party has been in power since the Senedd was established in 1999.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is expected to face a devastating blow at the polls as Labour continues to trail, under threat of losing voters both on the left to the Green Party and on the right to Reform UK.

The fact that Farage thinks he can do so without coming clean on what he really believes on the NHS would be the biggest con since Brexit  arguably bigger because at least he told us he believes in Brexit, Mr Streeting said.

You cannot trust this con artist with the NHS. The best way for people in Wales to stop Reform and vote for the NHS is to back Welsh Labour.

Reform UK has been contacted for comment.
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The trial of a man accused of murdering four children has begun in a tent not far from the crime scene.

It is the first test of Ugandas controversial mobile court sessions, intended so that locals can attend cases that draw widespread public interest.

Christopher Okello Onyum is accused of killing the nursery students in a machete attack at the Gaba Early Childhood Development Program in a suburb of Kampala on 2 April.

The incident shocked the East African country. The motive remains unclear.

On Monday, Onyum pleaded not guilty to four counts of murder.

Witnesses said the attacker disguised himself as a parent and briefly spoke to staff at the nursery, before locking the gate and attacking the children.

An angry crowd later tried to lynch Onyum, who was rescued and taken into custody by police.

open image in gallery The case shocked locals and led to an attempted lynching ( Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved )

He could face the death penalty if he is convicted.

President Yoweri Musevenis order to have the case tried quickly and in the very public setting of a mobile court has proved controversial.

Some critics have said that it threatens to sensationalise a matter of obvious pain for the bereaved while also interfering with justice.

In a statement, the Uganda Law Society said that the presidents directive amounted to executive interference and undermined the suspects right to a fair trial.

This is not justice, the society said in a statement.

Its a judicial lynching rally.

Hundreds of people gathered for the trial, which is being held in a large tent erected in the grounds of a church.

This is the first time that mobile courts are being put into practice after a legal notice with formal directives for their operations were published in March this year.

The judiciary defended the decision, saying that it highlighted its commitment to taking justice closer to the people through innovative approaches.
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Insiders have revealed that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and the networks president, Tom Cibrowski, have been butting heads over how to boost ratings, with staffers branding them the odd couple, according to a report.

The pair has different visions for the direction of the news network, with Cibrowski taking a softer coverage approach to appeal to Middle America, while Weiss came in with an aggressive digital strategy to implement hard news and enterprise reporting, according to The New York Post.

They are an odd couple to me, a CBS staffer told the outlet. There doesnt seem to be a lot of synergies between them.

Ratings dipped below 4 million in mid-March for the CBS Evening News, anchored by Tony Dokoupil. By the end of the month, the shows ratings had picked up to 4.1 million, but the figures are down 7 percent from last year.

Weiss was named as the networks top editor in October, to much criticism after CBS parent company, Paramount, acquired her anti-woke digital media outlet, The Free Press.

open image in gallery Insiders have revealed that CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and the networks president, Tom Cibrowski, have been butting heads over how to boost ratings, with staffers branding them the odd couple, according to a report ( Getty )

Under Weiss and Paramount boss David Ellisons leadership, the network has already seen significant staffing changes. CBS News cut about 6 percent of its staff and shut down CBS Radio last month. This comes after Weiss told employees in January they should leave if they dont believe shes the right leader for the network.

And while Cibrowski, a TV veteran, is reportedly trying to be loyal to Weiss, he has been left feeling more of an outsider, according to the Post, which noted that his office is on a different floor to hers.

Usually the No. 2s office is right near their bosss office, a source told the newspaper. Tom is profoundly frustrated, another source said. He has no power.

CBS News pushed back on the claims in a statement. Bari makes editorial decisions, is standing up new projects, and oversees the organizations transformation, a spokesperson said. Tom leads business operations and is working closely with the Morning Show. Thats not odd. Thats how successful leaders work together.

open image in gallery The pair has different visions for the direction of the news network, with Cibrowski taking a softer coverage approach to appeal to Middle America, while Weiss came in with an aggressive digital strategy to implement hard news ( Getty )

Weiss installed Dokoupil in January but a former CBS executive told the Post that the anchor cant compete with David Muir on ABCS World News Tonight, or NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas. Both shows are supported by teams of seasoned, heavy-hitting correspondents, the newspaper noted.

You cant do David Muir lite, the source told the outlet. When s*** hits the fan, CBS doesnt have heavyweights like [ABCs] Martha Raddatz, Pierre Thomas or Jonathan Karl.

The report is the latest that paints a portrait of an unhappy ship since Weiss took over last year.

Weiss shocked employees and drew backlash after she introduced herself to President Donald Trump and exchanged kisses on the cheek with him after his 60 Minutes interview in November.

A month later, Weiss canned a 60 Minutes segment about El Salvadors notorious CECOT prison just before it was about to air, a decision that sparked a revolt at the network.

Weiss defended the move at the time, telling The New York Times: My job is to make sure that all stories we publish are the best they can be. Holding stories that arent ready for whatever reason  that they lack sufficient context, say, or that they are missing critical voices  happens every day in every newsroom.
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Police say one person was shot and killed and six others were injured in what they call a mass shooting at a Chick-fil-A in Union, New Jersey.

Investigators do not believe the attack at about 9 p.m. Saturday was random, according to a press release issued Sunday from the Union County Prosecutors Office. No arrests have been made, but the office said there is no immediate ongoing threat to the general public.

The injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, the release said.

A ride share driver told WABC that he heard more than seven shots from close range as he approached the restaurant.

The Homicide Task Force at the county prosecutors office is investigating.
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At least six gray whales have died in San Francisco Bay from mid-March to early April 2026. These deaths follow a pattern over the past few years, and they are raising concerns among marine biologists like us that 2026 is becoming another dangerous year for a struggling population.

The majority of eastern North Pacific gray whales migrate closely along the California coastline from their winter breeding grounds in Baja California, Mexico, to their summer foraging grounds in the Arctic.

These whales, which can grow to 90,000 pounds and over 40 feet in length, havent stopped over in San Francisco Bay consistently throughout history. When they have, it has coincided with years when their food supply in the Arctic was low.

Over the past few years, however, we have documented large numbers of gray whales in the waters of San Francisco Bay  and an alarmingly high mortality rate.

Whats killing the whales

San Francisco Bay is a busy urban waterway, with high-speed ferries, cargo ships, commercial fishing vessels and recreational watercraft. That makes it a dangerous place for slow-moving whales.

To monitor the gray whales, we conducted research surveys and collected photographs from whale-watching naturalists and community members who spotted whales in the bay. Gray whales have unique mottling patterns and markings on their sides and tails, some of which theyre born with and others they have accumulated over time.

We found that from 2018 to 2025, 114 individual gray whales visited San Francisco Bay for varying lengths of time, but very few of these whales were repeat visitors from year to year. This may be due, in part, to the high mortality rate in the bay.

open image in gallery ( Getty Images )

At least 18% of the whales that we documented alive in San Francisco Bay from 2018 to 2025 later died in the area, and evidence suggests the mortality rate is actually higher.

Of the 70 dead whales included in this study, 30 of them had evidence of trauma associated with being hit by ships, but many other whales that died there couldnt be reached to be examined. We also documented several living whales with injuries caused by vessels. Those injuries have the potential to affect a whales ability to thrive.

The whales arent recovering this time

Since 2016, the overall eastern North Pacific gray whale population has fallen by more than half, likely driven by the decline in the food the whales rely upon. Rising ocean temperatures and diminishing levels of sea ice are affecting both the quality and availability of the gray whales prey, which include crustaceans they scoop up as they dive along the seafloor.

When the eastern North Pacific gray whales suffered major die-offs in the past, including in the 1990s and early 2020s, the population rebounded. But the extremely low numbers of calves in recent years suggest the gray whales arent recovering as quickly this time, and that worries scientists.

EG: A Google search suggests the name of the lighthouse mentioned in the chart is the Piedras Blancas Light Station.

Some subgroups of eastern North Pacific gray whales, including the Pacific coast feeding group and North Puget Sound whales, known as the Sounders, feed in alternative areas south of the Arctic. The Sounders capitalize on very specific prey  ghost shrimp  in Puget Sound. When food is more scarce in the Arctic, they stay longer there and are often joined by other whales from the general population. While some researchers initially believed the whales entering the bay were from these groups, we found that wasnt the case.

open image in gallery Gray whale ( Getty Images/iStock )

Vessel strikes also arent unique to San Francisco Bay. Two gray whales were found dead on the Oregon coast in April 2026, both malnourished and one with evidence of a ship strike. A malnourished young gray whale also died after swimming about 20 miles up the Willapa River in Washington state, reflecting the struggle as this population of gray whales searches for food across their migratory range.

What can be done to help the whales?

Other large whale species facing similar threats have been helped by management strategies, such as seasonal slow-speed zones during migration periods that go into effect when whales are present.

About the authors Josie Slaathaug is a Graduate Student in Marine Biology at Sonoma State University. Daniel Crocker is a Professor of Marine Biology at Sonoma State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

When vessels slow down to speeds of 10 knots or lower, studies show that can reduce the risk of vessel strikes by allowing more time for whales to get out of the way, or for captains to detect them and alter their course.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has in recent years issued requests for ships to voluntarily reduce their speed to 10 knots in the Pacific Ocean off Monterey and San Francisco, but the limits havent been mandatory and typically havent started until May 1. The Port of Oakland also encourages shipping companies to keep their speed under 10 knots, but its also a recommendation, not a requirement.

More education to help boat operators learn how to avoid hitting whales, along with tools such as thermal cameras, could help reduce vessel strikes in San Francisco Bay.

As the population struggles to adapt to environmental changes, San Francisco Bay may look like an attractive feeding ground to nutritionally stressed or hungry whales. We hope our research and data from across the region will help marine resource managers and policymakers find ways to protect the whales that share this busy urban waterway.
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The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah will not abide by any agreements that may result from the direct Lebanon-Israel talks in the United States, negotiations it firmly opposes, a senior Hezbollah official said Monday.

Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah's political council, spoke on the eve of the talks expected in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the U.S. It will be the first time in decades that envoys from Lebanon and Israel, which do not have diplomatic relations, meet face-to-face in direct talks.

As for the outcomes of this negotiation between Lebanon and the Israeli enemy, we are not interested in or concerned with them at all," Safa told The Associated Press.

"We are not bound by what they agree to, he added in a rare interview with international media. He spoke next to a cemetery as an Israeli drone buzzing overhead.

Historic negotiations at a sensitive time

Lebanese officials are looking to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war in the U.S. talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, has said the goal is Hezbollah's disarmament and a potential peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Netanyahu said Monday that there will be no ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Separately, in U.S.-Iran peace talks held last weekend in Pakistan, Iran has sought to include Lebanon in any ceasefire deal of its own with the U.S. Israel and the U.S. have insisted Lebanon would not be a part of it.

Hours after Tehran and Washington announced a truce last Wednesday, Israel launched more than 100 strikes across Lebanon, including in densely packed residential and commercial areas of central Beirut.

And though the U.S.-Iran talks broke up without an agreement, Safa said Hezbollah has been informed that Iran was able to obtain a cessation of attacks" in the entire administrative region of Beirut, Lebanon's caital, including Beirut's southern suburbs  a Hezbollah-strong area known as Dahiyeh.

Israeli strikes on Beirut and its southern suburbs have halted since Wednesday but intense fighting has continued in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah's entry into the war

Israel and Hezbollah have fought multiple wars since the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group was formed in the 1980s as a guerrilla force fighting against Israels occupation of southern Lebanon at the time.

The latest round began on March 2, two days after Israel and the U.S. launched a war on Iran. Hezbollah entered the fray, firing missiles across the border into Israel. Israel responded with aerial bombardment and a ground invasion.

Since then, the war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon and killed more than 2,000, including more than 500 women, children and medical workers. Many Lebanese have blamed Hezbollah for pulling Lebanon into the war, accusing it of acting on behalf of its patron, Iran.

Safa said Hezbollah's actions were preemptive because its leaders believed Israel was preparing for a second battle with Lebanon with the aim of destroying Hezbollah.

It was an appropriate moment for Hezbollah ... to rebuild a new equation and restore deterrence against Israel, he said, denying any prior deals with Tehran that Hezbollah would enter the war if Iran was attacked.

After a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted the last Israel-Hezbollah war in November 2024, Israel continued to carry out near-daily strike in Lebanon that it said aimed to stop the group from rebuilding. Hezbollah wants to avoid a return to that status quo, Safa said.

Black Wednesday

Israel has claimed that its strikes on Lebanon last Wednesday killed more than 250 Hezbollah militants. More than 100 women and children were among the over 350 people killed, according to Lebanons health ministry.

That would mean that, according to Israels assertion, every adult male killed that day was a Hezbollah member.

None of our officials or cadres was killed in Beirut," Safa said. Those who died in Beirut are 100% civilians." He did not deny that members of the group were killed outside of the Lebanese capital.

Israel claimed to have killed Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem's secretary who was also his nephew, Ali Yusuf Harshi, as well as some high-level commanders.

Safa said Kassems secretary was not killed, although maybe a relative of his was.

He also confirmed for the first time that he was wounded during the earlier, 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war, after being targeted by two Israeli strikes in Beirut, "but God granted me survival.

Souring relations with the government

Relations between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah  which is not just a militant group but also a political party with a parliamentary bloc  have grown increasingly tense.

The government last year approved a plan to remove all weapons that are not property of the state  its security forces or military  and later said it had largely completed the task south of the Litani River, where Hezbollah militants are now fighting with Israeli forces.

After March 2, the government went further, declaring Hezbollah's armed wing illegal.

Safa said Hezbollah is currently not directly speaking with President Joseph Aoun or Prime Minister Nawaf Salam but that all its communications are going through Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the head of the Hezbollah-allied Amal party.

Safa said that if there is a ceasefire and a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, Hezbollah  which calls itself a resistance movement against archenemy Israel  is ready to negotiate with the Lebanese government about the fate of its weapons.

The issue of resistance weapons is a Lebanese matter that has nothing to do with Israel or the United States, he said.
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A pro-life activist accused of shoving a 72-year-old volunteer escort to the ground has been awarded a seven-figure settlement in a wrongful arrest lawsuit. 

Mark Houck, a Pennsylvania man known for sidewalk counselling, was alleged to have assaulted the volunteer on two occasions near the Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center in Philadelphia, federal prosecutors say. Both incidents were alleged to have taken place on October 13, 2021. 

Almost a year later, in September 2022, Houck was indicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

The FACE Act prohibits the use of force to injure, intimidate or interfere with anyone seeking or providing reproductive health services.

open image in gallery Mark Houck, a pro-life activist has won a seven-figure settlement in a wrongful arrest lawsuit with the DOJ ( 40 Days for Life/Youtube )

However, last week Shawn Carney, the president of the pro-life campaign known as 40 Days for Life, confirmed that Houck had won a wrongful arrest lawsuit against the Justice Department. The pro-life groups Institute of Law and Justice had represented Houck in the lawsuit.

Marks family has been awarded over a million dollars for what they went through in the ridiculous 2021 raid of his home, Carney said in an official statement, referring to Houcks arrest.

In the video, he went on to describe the outcome as a huge legal victory for free speech.

Carney also claimed that Houcks son, who was praying with his father outside of the Planned Parenthood center on October 13, 2021, had faced harassing behavior from the volunteer.

Federal prosecutors allege that the volunteer, whom they only refer to as B.L. was shoved to the ground by Houck in the first incident outside the center. At the time, B.L. had been escorting two patients as they exited the facility.

open image in gallery Houck was accused of shoving a 72-year-old man outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic and violating the FACE Act ( AFP via Getty Images )

In the second incident, federal prosecutors say Houck verbally confronted B.L. before shoving him again in front of the Planned Parenthood center. After falling, B.L. sustained injuries that need medical attention.

Ryan-Marie, Houcks wife, claimed to LifeSiteNews that her husband was arrested by an FBI SWAT team at 7.05 a.m. on September 23, 2022. According to her, around 25 to 30 agents arrived at the home to take her husband into custody.

When Houck opened the door, Ryan-Marie says that the agents had had big, huge rifles pointed at Mark and pointed at me and kind of pointed throughout the house.

If found guilty, Houck faced a maximum possible sentence of 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $350,000, according to federal prosecutors. 

However, Houck was eventually acquitted of his charges under the FACE Act in January 2023, according to the Diocese of Scranton.

FBI Philadelphia previously said in a statement given to EWTN News that no SWAT teams or SWAT operators were dispatched to Houcks house. Instead, FBI Philadelphia said that Houck was asked to exit the residence and was arrested without incident.

In his lawsuit, which was obtained by Fox News, Houck accused the DOJ of carrying out a faulty investigation and of using excessive force.

The Independent has contacted Planned Parenthood and FBI Philadelphia for comment.
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Residents near the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex should be prepared to evacuate at any time as rising water levels threaten the structure, authorities in northern Michigan said Monday.

The Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office issued a warning noting that the dams water levels had reached the READY mark of the states emergency safety protocol. The National Weather Service placed the area under a flood watch until 8 a.m. Wednesday, April 15, with more rain expected to hit the region.

Under the "READY, SET, GO" system used by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the "READY" status indicates that water has risen to within 12 inches of the top of the dam, with levels increasing by at least 3 inches per day.

As reported by The Detroit News, this stage requires residents to begin packing essentials and finalizing evacuation plans.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for the area Friday as officials monitored the rising water. By Sunday afternoon, Department of Natural Resources officials said levels were within 15 inches of the top of the dam, leading crews to install more pumps to help move water around the complex and prepare for further rain and snowmelt.

open image in gallery The hydroelectric dam, which was built in 1922 and is currently in fair condition, is classified as a high-hazard structure because a failure could lead to significant destruction and loss of life ( Michigan State Police Management and Homeland Security Division/Facebook )

The protocol moves to the SET stage when water reaches 6 inches from the top of the dam or is predicted to overflow within 48 hours, at which point residents should be ready to leave immediately.

A mandatory GO order is issued if the water reaches within 1 inch of the top, signaling a high probability that the dam will fail or be overtopped.

Law enforcement urged people in the area to pack go-bags with medications and important documents. Residents are also being told to secure anything left outdoors, move their valuables to higher floors, and stay away from riverbanks and low-lying areas.

Built in 1922, the Cheboygan Dam is classified as a high-hazard structure, meaning a failure could lead to significant destruction and loss of life, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commissions National Dam Inventory.

open image in gallery Water levels rose to within 15 inches of the dams crest by Sunday afternoon, leading crews to install more pumps to help move water around the complex and prepare for further rain and snowmelt ( Michigan State Police Management and Homeland Security Division/Facebook )

While it was rated in fair condition during a September 2022 inspection, the dam is not currently producing power, according to The Detroit News.

The facility is privately owned by Hom Paper and remains part of a lock system managed by the Department of Natural Resources to allow boat traffic on the river.

In addition to the pumps installed Sunday, crews placed 1,500 sandbags along the lock Thursday and added more Saturday to serve as a buffer against the rising water.

The forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms Monday night, with a 30 percent to 60 percent chance of showers continuing into Tuesday. Rain is expected to last through Thursday, which could put more pressure on the dam.

Officials warned that roadblocks may be set up to handle traffic if a full evacuation becomes necessary.
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Oysters could be in short supply this year after a harsh winter decimated farming efforts along Long Island.

Icy conditions caused severe damage to farmers boats and equipment in recent months, and the industry is now facing an estimated total loss of $2.4 million, according to New York Governor Kathy Hochuls office.

Chris Quartuccio, an oyster distributor and founder of Blue Island Oyster Company, told NBC New York this was the most intense winter weve ever had. Now, he predicts customers will feel the impacts.

We didnt have any breaks in the cold weather, the ice was so thick. No other winter in the past 20 years could compare to this, Quartuccio said.

"There will be New York oysters on the menu, but maybe not the variety they are looking for," he added.

open image in gallery Oysters could be in short supply this year after a harsh winter decimated farms along Long Island ( AFP via Getty Images )

Peter Stein, owner of Peeko Oysters farm, lost a major chunk of his inventory, according to The Suffolk Times.

Every line we had out in the bay was either dislodged or damaged, he told the newspaper.

I know that a large percentage of the farm has been wiped out, but Im not ready to lay anybody off. I have many people who make their living through the business that I own. I dont take that lightly, he added.

Governor Kathy Hochul requested a Secretarial Disaster Designation for Suffolk County through the Department of Agriculture this week. This designation would allow affected farmers to apply for low-interest emergency loans through the USDA, her office said Monday.

open image in gallery The brutal conditions across much of the northeast this winter has had a huge impact on the oyster farming business. ( Getty Images )

With freezing temperatures that lasted for several weeks, the Long Island coast saw ice conditions like they havent experienced in years, leading to a halt in operations and damage to equipment that will cost the aquaculture industry millions of dollars, Hochul said in a statement.

I urge the USDA to take swift action to declare Suffolk County a disaster area and help our growers get the assistance they need to recover and move forward, she added.

The USDA is working to expedite resources to our Farm Service Agency county offices to assist farmers impacted by the February 2026 ice storm, an agency spokesperson told The Independent.

The harsh winter impacted oyster production in other East Coast states too, including Maryland, where Representative Andy Harris asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to declare an economic fishery disaster so the states oystermen could receive assistance.

Severe weather this year, combined with shrinking market access and increased competition, left many crews effectively tied to the dock, with watermen able to fish for just one or two days all season, he said in a statement.
Youd be forgiven for thinking that holding the rank of head of the Catholic Church, Vicar of Jesus Christ, and the Successor of the Prince of the Apostles would disqualify Robert Prevost, better known as Pope Leo XIV, from being the subject of one of Donald Trumps online diatribes. But youd be wrong. On Sunday night, the president turned his ire (and fondness for randomly using caps lock) towards the first American Pope.

In Trumps estimation, Leo XIV is WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy, the Potus wrote on his social platform Truth Social, before inevitably claiming that he was, in some roundabout way, responsible for his appointment. He wasnt on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump, he added, before sharing a bizarre AI-generated image of himself as Jesus.

The presidents papal rant has perhaps been in the post for Vatican City for a while. Since his election last year, Pope Leo has voiced his disapproval of the Trump administrations immigration policies and his raid on Venezuela, and has recently issued a rebuke over the war in Iran. The Donald, meanwhile, famously doesnt take too well to criticism.

open image in gallery Pope Leo with his brother Louis, who was namedropped by the president in his recent social media post ( Vatican Media )

And in his Truth Social post, he opted for an unexpected line of attack on His Holiness: comparing him to his older brother. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA, Trump wrote. He gets it, and Leo doesnt!

Its a statement that will probably have given pause to more casual political and/or papal observers. So does the Pope really have a Maga brother? It is somehow strange to think of such a sacred figure having to deal with the fallout of his siblings incautious and avowedly political Facebook posts  but that is exactly what has happened to Leo XIV.

The Prevost brothers, Louis, John and Robert, were born in Chicago in the Fifties; Louis, the eldest and Trumps future favourite, arrived in 1951, with John following in 1953 and Robert completing the family in 1955. Both their parents, Louis Sr and Mildred, were devoutly Catholic, and sent all three of their boys to the parish school; before their day started, they would attend morning Mass at 6.30am.

open image in gallery Leo meets with JD Vance shortly after the formers papal appointment ( Vatican Media )

Politically, though, their father and mother held different beliefs, Louis would later recall, claiming that the former was conservative, but the latter not so much, so the three of us brothers had to find a balance between the two, he told the Spanish newspaper ABC.

Although the age gap between this trio was not a particularly significant one, Louis has said that his younger siblings enjoyed a closer bond with each other than they did with him, perhaps because he wasnt around for their teenage years, as he was drafted into the Navy while he was in college. I missed a lot of stuff with them growing up, the thing they probably remember most is me beating up on them all the time, he would later tell Piers Morgan Uncensored. That drilled them to be closer together.

If Louis was more boisterous  It was like just yesterday I was throwing him down the stairs, and now hes Pope! he told The New York Times shortly after the papal conclave concluded  Robert seemed like a preternaturally peaceful child. His brothers both remember him preferring to play at being a priest rather than the more common childhood pursuits of pretending to be a robber or a cowboy; middle sibling John has recalled the youngest Prevost repurposing the familys ironing board to use as an altar. With a strange prescience, a neighbour once suggested he would be pope one day  which his brothers then used as material for good-natured teasing.

By the time he had reached the eighth grade, the newly teenage Robert had already chosen to pursue the priesthood. He joined an Augustinian seminary school in Michigan, a decision that would take him a few hundred miles away from his family, then studied at the Catholic university Villanova near Philadelphia before becoming a novice. Louis, meanwhile, studied computer science, going on to work in that industry, while John went on to serve as a teacher and principal at various Catholic high schools.

open image in gallery Leo, born Robert Prevost, was drawn to the priesthood from an early age ( AFP/Getty )

When Robert was announced as Pope last spring, he was framed as someone likely to continue in the footsteps of his predecessor Francis, widely considered to be a more progressive and politically liberal pontiff.

Much was made, too, of the fact that he appeared to have previously thrown his support behind critiques of the Trump administration. Posts on a Twitter/X account that seemed to belong to a Robert Prevost reposted criticism of Trumps border policy, and also shared a link to an article calling out vice-president JD Vances use of religious doctrine to defend his approach to immigration (Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019, and often uses his faith as a justification for his governments policies).

He knows who I am. Hes well aware of my positions Louis Prevost on his brothers attitude to his politics

Since his appointment to the papacy, he has only used his platform to further this criticism, denouncing the USs inhuman treatment of immigrants in October. He has also urged for a ceasefire in Gaza, and more recently described Trumps threat to wipe out a whole civilisation in Iran as truly unacceptable.

His older brother, meanwhile, has a very different political perspective. Louis, who now lives with his wife Deborah in the majority Republican county of Port Charlotte in Florida, has described himself as a MAGA type; the press, meanwhile, has characterised him as the red sheep of the family.

His political leanings first made headlines last May, thanks to posts shared publicly on his Facebook account, which included an anti-LGBT+ meme and a video of Democratic congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, describing her in extremely derogatory terms.

The septuagenarian, who is reportedly a regular at his local line dancing club, also berated former president Barack Obama and the Democratic party for longing for the total destruction of our way of life, and slammed anyone who voted for Joe Biden as brain-dead morons.

When asked about his posts in an interview with Piers Morgan, Louis seemed unapologetic. I wouldnt have posted it if I didnt kind of believe it, he said, before noting that he had been biting [his] tongue about some of the stuff that is out there on social media since.

His posting spree seemed, inevitably, to put Louis in the good graces of the president, who is Presbyterian and prefers to seek the advice of his spiritual adviser Paula White-Cain when it comes to religious matters; the fact that White-Cain recently drew parallels between Trumps life and that of Jesus Christ during an Easter lunch can only have endeared her further to him. A few weeks after the debacle, Louis and his wife, Deborah headed to the White House for a photo opportunity, where they were pictured grinning alongside Trump and Vance in the Oval Office.

So what does the Pope think about his brothers Maga leanings? According to Louis, he seems to have accepted their dissimilarity on this count. He knows who I am, Louis told the NYT. Hes well aware of my positions. He knows Im probably not going to change and I dont think I will, other than to, just as you say, tone it down.

open image in gallery The tw brothers still appear to be on good terms, while the third (not pictured) is content to keep a low profile ( EPA )

True to his word, he hasnt mouthed off on social media since, although you have to wonder whether his interviews with figures like Morgan might prove to be a ticking time bomb. Pope Leo, meanwhile, has conceded in an interview that although the brothers are all very close, one is far on one end politically, and they are in different places.

Indeed, their political differences dont seem to have prompted any estrangement in their relationship. One viral video from his inaugural mass  which Louis also attended, sitting next to VP Vance and his wife Usha  showed the Pope temporarily breaking protocol to greet his older brother with a big hug.

And as for John? He seems content keeping a lower profile  the most attention-grabbing statement he has made so far has been his reveal that he and his brother still play Wordle together daily to stay connected.

A figure like the pope can sometimes seem far removed from everyday worries and family dilemmas  but in navigating a political fault line in his family during a time of widespread division, he is just like legions of ordinary Americans.
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The small town of Enderlin, North Dakota, experienced Americas first EF5 tornado in more than a decade last June, a twister strong enough to rip bark from trees and blow a train off its tracks. Three people were killed and 10 homes destroyed by the tornado that was 12 miles wide and packed 200 mph winds.

The U.S. experienced 1,559 tornadoes last year, the fifth highest number on record. This year isnt shaping up to be quite so severe partially due to a super El Nino, a climate pattern that forms near the equator and leads to stormier weather globally.

Between 1,050-1,250 tornadoes are expected in 2026, according to Accuweather, with the majority of twisters expected to strike in May. The most at-risk areas are along the Gulf Coast and across the Plains.

However, the climate crisis is potentially causing a change in tornado behavior and location, scientists say. Tornado Alley, which refers to the area long plagued by twisters, has been shifting east due to drought and warming in the Gulf of Mexico, Accuweather says.

Ahead of this spring and summers outbreak, emergency managers around the country are racing to prepare residents.

open image in gallery This tornado season is expected to start slow and then quickly ramp up, meteorologists warn. Between 1,050-1,250 tornadoes are expected in 2026 ( Getty Images )

They know how destructive these tornadoes can be if they dont.

There were whole swaths of trees that were cut out, maybe 300 yards wide, Cole Baker, the new emergency manager for Enderlins Cass County after Brady Scribner handled the EF5, said.

Bakers number one piece of advice? Residents in tornado-prone areas should stay aware of impending threats and any changes in the forecast, he told The Independent.

Even when outdoor tornado warning sirens go off, residents might not be able to hear them over the winds, he said. With that, its incredibly hard to hear if youre inside and the wind sounds like a freight train outside. Youre not going to be able to hear those sirens.

Text message alerts are also sent to cellphones in affected areas from local, state and federal agencies, including the National Weather Service.

But in remote or rural areas, cell service may not always be reliable or go out - during the disaster in Enderlin, the radio tower was knocked down and cell service was disrupted.

There also remains a small percentage of the population who do not have a cellphone. In these instances, residents are asked to rely on TV, radio and checking the internet that runs on satellites and fiber optic cables buried deep underground.

That advice is echoed by emergency managers in rural areas across the country.

If the outdoor warning sirens go off, go inside. If your NOAA Weather Radio goes off, turn on the TV, pay attention to your local meteorologist. And if your phone goes off, head to your safe space, Brian Burgess, Williamson County Emergency Management director, told The Independent.

A dangerous change

The global El Nino phenomenon creates warmer and drier weather in northern U.S. states, and wetter conditions in the south, as well as heightened hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean.

It creates ripe conditions for tornadoes to emerge in the south from spring into late summer, Paul Pastelok, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, told The Independent.

So, definitely look for a pickup in tornadoes as we get into June and July, he said.

open image in gallery A graphic from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows conditions caused by the El Nino climate pattern. The Pacific jet stream currents shift south and farther east, leading to wetter conditions in the South ( NOAA )

In April, Illinois, Missouri and Southern Iowa are expected to be tornado hot spots, before the action ramps up in the Tennessee Valley and Tornado Alley - which runs through Texas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Ohio - by June.

Itll be fighting some dry air, but I do think we start seeing more action in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas during the months of May and June, Pastelok said.

El Nino will also likely lead to more storms that cause tornadoes along the Gulf Coast. The takeaway? People should be prepared for the unexpected.

I think people are going to see a change in what theyve seen in the last couple of years, he said.

Costly mistakes

Burgess was in charge of responding to an EF4 tornado in Illinois last May which threw debris into the middle of the tornado at 30,000 feet.

There were no fatalities but seven people were injured and homes flattened. The total damage from that tornado outbreak, which also impacted Missouri and Kentucky, was between $9 billion and $11 billion.

Another key preparation ahead of tornado season is home insurance: making sure that your policy is updated to account for the current value of your property.

open image in gallery Crews clean up debris in the neighborhood of Sunshine Hills, Kentucky, last May. A deadly tornado outbreak there also passed through Missouri and Illinois ( Getty Images )

Insurance companies delayed giving victims of the Illinois tornado money to rebuild for months because the residents had not updated their policies to reflect the current value of their homes, NPRs local affiliate reported, which had appreciated over time.

Revisit your homeowners insurance frequently, Burgess urged.

Still, if a tornado is barreling towards you, home insurance will not be the first thought.

If you hear a tornado warning siren or receive an alert, immediately seek shelter in a sturdy structure, the National Weather Service says.

open image in gallery Tony McFall wears his father's cowboy hat, while looking over the debris of his father's and stepmother's house, who lost their lives during a tornado in Sunshine Hills, Kentucky, last May. Experts say people who hear tornado warnings should immediately seek shelter ( Getty Images )

If you are at home, go to your basement, a safe room or an interior room that is away from windows. In a public building, follow any tornado drills and make sure to avoid large, open rooms.

If you are outside or in your vehicle and cannot get to a building, seek out a ditch or ravine and cover your head with your arms . Being in a vehicle during a tornado is not safe because tornadoes can easily toss or pick up vehicles, leading to fatal injuries.

And while plumbing makes bathrooms sturdy, getting into your tub wont always protect you, according to the American Red Cross.

Thats because many bathrooms are positioned along outside walls, have windows and are located on the upper floors of a home.

If there is no time to descend, go to a closet, a small room with strong walls, or an inside hallway. Wrap yourself in overcoats or blankets to protect yourself from flying debris, the National Weather Services Wichita, Kansas, office advises.
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The U.S. military said it blew up two boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five people and leaving one survivor.

The attacks on Saturday bring the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 168 since the Trump administration began its campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America in early September, targeting those it calls narcoterrorists.

As with most of the militarys statements on the dozens of strikes in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes.

The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. Videos posted on X showed small boats moving across the water before they each were engulfed in a bright explosion.

U.S. Southern Command said on X that it had notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate the search-and-rescue system for the survivor. The Coast Guard confirmed it was coordinating the search and said updates would be provided when available.

The Pentagon ( AP )

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in armed conflict with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing narcoterrorists.

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

The boat strikes have continued in Latin America even as the U.S. military has focused on operations in the Middle East, where the U.S. was engaged in a war with Iran for several weeks.

Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement.

Trump wants to weaken Irans key leverage in the war after demanding that it reopen the crucial waterway through which 20 percent of global oil normally passes. U.S. Central Command said the blockade would involve Iranian ports.
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The Republican Party of California voted on Sunday not to issue an endorsement in the upcoming governors race as two GOP candidates duke it out for the top spot and seek to potentially claim a slot in the November election.

Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host and populist conservative, had won Donald Trumps endorsement one week ago Sunday. Trump wrote in a Truth Social post that Hilton would receive federal help in making the state of California better than ever before, a signal that he was promising the state a close alliance with the administration if Hilton won.

But even with Hilton outpacing his closest Republican rival in polling and securing the presidents support, he was unable to gather enough delegates to the state party convention on his side before Sundays vote. As a result, both Hilton and Sheriff Chad Bianco failed to win the partys endorsement.

Its a blow that will hinder Hilton as he argues that Republicans should consolidate behind his campaign. Hes leading every other challenger in most polling, but Bianco remains highly competitive and neither candidate is running away with the vote ahead of the June nonpartisan primary. Two candidates, regardless of party affiliation, will advance to the general election.

Though Trumps endorsement was only issued a week ago, if Hilton fails to pull ahead in the weeks to come, it could well be a sign that Donald Trumps ability to decide Republican Party primary races with his endorsement has been lessened, or lost entirely.

open image in gallery Steve Hilton and his opponent Chad Bianco both walked out of this weekends GOP convention in California without the partys endorsement for governor ( John Phillips/Getty Images for TechCrunch )

He and Bianco are bost being boosted by the collapse of the Democratic field, which has stunned political observers nationwide.

Rep. Katie Porter was widely viewed as having torpedoed her campaign after getting angry and lashing out at a reporter over questions about her campaign strategy, an incident that occurred amid other reports of her allegedly abusive behavior towards staff.

Meanwhile, Rep. Eric Swalwell is facing calls to drop out from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats who withdrew their endorsements this weekend after a former staffer came forward and alleged to CNN that she was raped by the congressman. The House is likely to debate his expulsion this coming week.

Swalwell firmly denied the accusation in a statement put out on X.

open image in gallery Eric Swalwells campaign and congressional career are on the ropes after a former staffer accused him of rape ( AP )

In years past, Republicans have harbored no illusions about the power of Trumps support. Candidates for various races often make pilgrimages to the presidents Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where they make their respective cases for his endorsement. One famous Apprentice-like scene played out in 2022 as candidates for the Republican nomination for Senate in Ohio met with Trump and pitched him one by one on their respective credentials. That race famously ended in J.D. Vance winning the endorsement and later the seat itself after the president boosted him to victory in the Republican primary.

With Trump back in the White House and his approval rating hitting record lows over issues including the war in Iran and persistently high consumer prices, the strength of Trumps endorsement could well be afflicted by a level of voter fatigue not seen in past cycles.

open image in gallery The strength of Donald Trumps endorsement is being tested in 2026 in multiple Republican Party primaries ( AP )

In Louisiana, Trumps endorsement is being put to the test, which will illuminate whether that is true. The president has endorsed against sitting Republican senator Bill Cassidy, in favor of Julia Letlow, a Republican member of the House. Polling does not yet show a clear picture of the race, with surveys commissioned by the two candidates showing significantly different results.

In Texas, both Sen. John Cornyn and Republican state attorney general Ken Paxton have publicly sought the presidents endorsement, while Senate GOP leadership has repeatedly begged him to stay out of it. As a result, the president has indicated his favor towards both men, who are now competing in a May runoff.
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The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into Democrat Eric Swalwell after the California congressman faced numerous allegations of sexual abuse, which ended his campaign for governor.

The committee made the announcement Monday as many on both sides of the aisle in Washington called for Swalwell to be expelled.

The Committee notes that the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, it said in a statement.

No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules.

On Friday, CNN and The San Francisco Chronicle published stories detailing allegations of sexual misconduct against Swalwell. The CNN story included four women who accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior, including a staffer who said he sexually assaulted her in 2019 and 2024.

open image in gallery The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell ( Reuters )

Swalwell had previously been a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for governor of California. But many Democrats, including people who had previously endorsed him, called on Swalwell to exit the race, which he did Sunday.

The House is currently debating whether to conduct a joint expulsion of Swalwell and a number of other members of Congress who face investigations.

Republican Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas announced he would not seek re-election after he admitted to an affair with a former staffer who later took her own life.

In addition, Republican Representative Cory Mills of Florida faces an investigation from the House Ethics Committee over allegations of campaign finance violations and domestic violence. Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, also from Florida, was found to have committed 25 ethics violations after an investigation last month.

Historically, members of Congress are only expelled when they are convicted of crimes or commit treason, as was the case when members of Congress were expelled for joining the Confederacy in the aftermath of the Civil War.

open image in gallery Republican Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas announced he would not seek re-election after he admitted to an affair with a former staffer who later took her own life ( Getty )

Many Democrats and even some Republicans are suggesting that since an equal number of members from both parties face serious ethics investigations, that the House should do a clean sweep where all four members are expelled.

Time to clean House, Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina said. They should resign IMMEDIATELY. If they dont, we should expel all of them.

House Ethics is the only committee in Congress comprised of an equal number of members from both parties. Historically, the committee halts investigations when the Department of Justice begins a probe into a member.

Even if Swalwell were to resign, there is a chance that the investigation would continue. In 2024, shortly after he resigned from Congress and withdrew his name to become attorney general, the Ethics Committee released its report on Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, which detailed the congressman allegedly engaging sex with an underage girl.
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Democratic members of Congress are joining calls for Rep. Eric Swalwells resignation from office as he battles allegations of sexual misconduct that forced him out of the running for California's next governor.

But hes far from the only lawmaker on the potential chopping block. Democrats and Republicans are aligning behind efforts to boot House members from both parties accused of sexual harassment and abuse, which could trigger a series of expulsion votes against other members who have recently been accused of misconduct in office.

The House has only expelled six members within its history. Another four could face removal efforts in this year alone.

Several GOP members have agreed to expel Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas, who is also facing allegations of abuse involving a staff member, if he does not resign.

House members could also come for Republican Rep. Cory Mills, who is under House Ethics Committee investigation for allegations of domestic violence and campaign finance violations, and Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, who was found last month to have committed 25 ethics violations to support her campaign.

open image in gallery Several Democrats and Republicans are aligning behind proposals to vote to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell from office after he was accused of sexually assaulting a former aide and other misconduct ( REUTERS )

Republican Rep. Mike Lawler is calling for a vote to expel Swalwell, Gonzales and Cherfilus-McCormick, and GOP Rep. Nancy Mace wants Mills in that number.

Time to clean House, he wrote on Sunday. These members have proven through their own actions they are unfit to serve.

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday that he would support the expulsion of both Swalwell and Gonzales.

I will be voting yes on both measures, he said. These allegations are despicable and they demean the integrity of Congress. These things are just completely unacceptable  As far as Im concerned, both gentlemen need to go home.

In his call for Swalwell to resign, Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman told CNN on Sunday that we should not tolerate this behavior.

Weve grown far too accustomed to having our elected officials fall far below what we expect their behavior to be, he added.

open image in gallery Democrats and Republicans are also calling for the resignation or expulsion of GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales, who is accused of sending explicit texts to a now-dead former aide and coercing her into a sexual relationship ( Getty )

Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal said she also would support their expulsion. She told Meet the Press that it was important for staffers across the Capitol to see that their bosses dont get to do this to them.

Rep. Jared Huffman, who like Swalwell is a Democrat representing California, said he would support a vote to expel both Swalwell and Gonzales if they dont resign first.

Rep. Sam Liccardo, another California Democrat, said Swalwell must halt his campaign, resign from office, and face the consequences of a full investigation.

Democrats must not equivocate in the face of uncomfortable allegations about one of our own, he added.

When, and how quickly, theyre removed from office, if at all, could upend House Speaker Mike Johnsons control of the floor while lawmakers are grappling with Donald Trumps legislative agenda, the Iran war, and how to end a long-running Homeland Security shutdown  all in a critical period before midterm elections that could see Republicans lose control of the chamber.

open image in gallery House Speaker Mike Johnson risks having to juggle an unstable House amid a critical period before midterm elections that could see Republicans lose control of the balance of power in Congress ( Getty Images )

The House Ethics Committee is among the last vestiges of bipartisanship in a fractured Capitol.

While the body is made up of an equal number from both parties, an unspoken rule stipulates that one party should be willing to sacrifice a beleaguered member in exchange for the other party giving up one of their own.

But the bar is high. The Senate expelled 15 members who joined the Confederacy in the aftermath of the Civil War, and only six House members have been removed from office by a vote of their peers in the chambers 236-year history. Expulsion requires two-thirds of the House to vote in the affirmative.

Historically, members of Congress have resigned in shame instead or were only expelled once they were convicted of a crime, as was the case of Democratic Rep. Michael Meyers in 1980 after he was convicted of bribery, and Democratic Rep. James Traficant, who was kicked out of office in 2022 after he was convicted of bribery, racketeering and tax evasion.

But former Rep. George Santos, the scandal-ridden serial fabulist from New York, changed this dynamic.

The Ethics Committee found that he had used campaign dollars for personal expenses, misled the Federal Election Commission and committed fraud. The House voted to expel him before he was convicted on federal charges  for which Trump later pardoned him.

Santos has suggested his former colleagues should drop out before theyre on the receiving end of a vote to remove them.

There is NO dignity in being expelled if I could go back in time Id do it differently, Id do it in my own term, he wrote on Sunday.
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Vice President JD Vance is being roundly mocked after a disastrous weekend in which he presided over unsuccessful peace talks with Iran and saw his candidate in Hungarys election, Viktor Orban, driven from office after 16 years in power.

Vance was in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday for 21 hours of talks between U.S. and Iranian negotiators on ending the devastating conflict in the Middle East, which finally concluded without agreement.

In a press conference afterwards, the VP said the U.S. was not satisfied that Iran would abandon its long-held ambition to develop a nuclear weapon.

open image in gallery Vice President JD Vance announces the failure of peace talks with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday ( Reuters )

The simple question is, do we see a fundamental commitment of will for the Iranians not to develop a nuclear weapon, not just now, not just two years from now, but for the long term, Vance said. We havent seen that yet.

He insisted the stalemate was bad news for Iran, much more than its bad news for the United States of America.

Tehran said two important issues went unresolved: its nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the worlds oil passes.

President Donald Trump reacted with frustration to the failure of the talks and has since announced the U.S. Navy will blockade the strait.

Then, on Sunday, Hungarys authoritarian president lost his re-election bid to challenger Peter Magyar, just days after Vance had flown into Budapest to personally endorse the former.

open image in gallery Vance and the now-outgoing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban at an election rally in Budapest last Tuesday ( Getty )

JD Vance is on a historic roll, sneered anti-MAGA pundit Ron Filipkowski, running through some of the VPs recent foreign policy misadventures.

He campaigns for AfD in Germany  they lose. Invited the Pope to come to U.S. for Trumps big event  Pope refuses. Leads peace negotiations with Iran  fails miserably. Campaigns in Hungary for Orban  who gets smoked.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom joined in the gloating by saying: JD Vance proves hes a lightweight twice in 48 hours. Congratulations to the people of Hungary  democracy, free press and human rights win today. There is hope.

Sarah Longwell, The Bulwarks founder, said the weekend had been pretty embarrassing all around for JD Vance.

The Republicans Against Trump account on X (Twitter) pointed out that Secretary of State Marco Rubio spent his Saturday night watching a UFC bout in Miami with Trump, leaving it to Vance to take the fall for the outcome in Islamabad, commenting: An absolute clown show running the country.

open image in gallery President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attending a UFC fight with Dana White at the Kaseya Center in Miami Saturday, leaving Vance to handle the Iran talks in Pakistan ( Getty )

The New York Times reported last week that Vance was one of the cabinet members who had spoken out against Operation Epic Fury before its commencement on February 28 but had pledged his support to Trump, even as he reiterated his opinion that the war was a bad idea that would lead to mass casualties and regional chaos.

Despite not believing in the conflict, Vance was sent out by Trump to speak for him, with the president joking at the White House last week: If [a deal] doesnt happen, Im blaming JD Vance. And if it does happen. Im taking full credit.

Before arriving in Pakistan, Vance had been in Hungary attempting to bolster Orbans flagging campaign, championing the strongman leader  who is also backed by Vladimir Putins Russia  and attacking bureaucrats in Brussels for opposing his rule.

But Hungarians have evidently grown tired of Orbans experiment in illiberal democracy, which has seen him hailed as a hero of Christian nationalism in the U.S. while restricting the judiciary, muzzling the free press, and curtailing LGBTQ+ rights at home.

Vances intervention clearly did not help Orbans cause  and may even have helped to seal his fate.
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Officials in Minnesota are investigating the arrest of a U.S. citizen by federal immigration officers who broke into his home at gunpoint and dragged him outside into freezing conditions while he was wearing only boxer shorts and Crocs sandals.

The Jan. 18 arrest of 56-year-old ChongLy Scott Thao is being reviewed as a potential case of kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment, officials in Ramsey County said Monday.

Video footage captured Immigration and Customs Enforcement breaking down Thaos home in St. Paul during Donald Trumps surge of immigration agents into the state. There was no legitimate reason for federal agents to forcibly enter his home, and his arrest was not supported by any probable cause, according to Ramsey County Attorney John Choi.

Thao was taken out in freezing weather in his Crocs and a pair of shorts and detained for more than an hour, Choi told reporters Monday.

There are many facts we dont know yet, but theres one that we do know, and that is that Mr. Thao is and has been an American citizen, said Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher. Is that good law enforcement, to take an American citizen out of their home and drive them around aimlessly, trying to determine what they can tell them?

open image in gallery Minnesota prosecutors are investigating ICEs arrest of ChongLy Scott Thao during Operation Metro Surge as potential kidnapping and false imprisonment ( AP )

Officials have requested information from the Department of Homeland Security, including the names of the agents who arrested Thao.

A spokesperson for DHS told The Independent that ICE does not kidnap people and called the investigation a political stunt.

ICE agents were seen banging on his door on a Sunday afternoon before forcing their way inside and yelling at Thao, who is Hmong-American, and his family, he told the Associated Press.

I was shaking, he said. They didnt show any warrant; they just broke down the door.

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, who is also Hmong-American, said in the wake of his arrest that ICE is not doing what they say theyre doing.

Theyre not going after hardened criminals, she said in a statement at the time. Theyre going after anyone and everyone in their path. It is unacceptable and un-American.

Agents were seeking two convicted sex offenders, Homeland Security said at the time. The agency accused Thao of living with them.

DHS law enforcement officers were executing a warrant, a spokesperson said Monday. Through surveillance and intelligence information, law enforcement concluded sexual predator targets had ties to the property. The U.S. citizen was at [sic] house when the warrant was served. The individual refused to be fingerprinted or facially IDd. As with any law enforcement agency, it is standard protocol to hold all individuals in a house of an operation for safety of the public and law enforcement.

A statement from Thaos family categorically disputes the agencys account and strongly objects to DHSs attempt to publicly justify this conduct with false and misleading claims.

Thao, his son, daughter-in-law and grandson are the only people living at the rental property, and neither they nor the propertys owner are listed in the Minnesota sex offender registry, according to the family. The nearest sex offender listed as living in the ZIP code is more than two blocks away.

One of the targets was Lue Moua, who was already in prison, according to the Minnesota Department of Corrections.

Moua had been imprisoned on a kidnapping charge since 2024 and was scheduled for release in January 2027. He was being held on an ICE detainer, and ICE would have known where he was being held, according to state prison officials.

But officers never gave Thao a chance to prove his identity and was instead led out of his home in handcuffs wearing only sandals and underwear with a blanket draped around his shoulders.

He was then driven to the middle of nowhere and forced out of the car in the frigid weather so agents could photograph him, according to Thao.

Officers brought him home roughly two hours later, where he then showed them his ID, Thao told the Associated Press. They never apologized for detaining him or breaking his door, he said.

open image in gallery Minnesota officials argue DHS is stonewalling their attempts to investigate Trumps immigration enforcement dragnet and the shooting deaths of at least three people by federal agents ( Getty Images )

Mondays announcement marks the latest attempt from local prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to investigate Trumps Operation Metro Surge, derided as a weeks-long occupation and federal siege that swept up thousands of people in an immigration enforcement dragnet.

ICE and Border Patrol agents killed three people in Minneapolis  Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti  within the month of January alone. But more than two months later, the status of those investigations remains unclear.

A lawsuit filed by Minnesota officials last month calls on a federal judge to force the Trump administration to share evidence it collected after the shootings, alleging that Homeland Security and federal law enforcement agencies have stonewalled attempts for information about incidents that triggered national demonstrations against the presidents mass deportation efforts.

In the cases of Good and Pretti, both 37-year-old U.S. citizens, Homeland Security officials insisted that both protesters posed a direct threat to law enforcement officers when they were fatally shot.

A separate lawsuit from Minnesota officials urged a court to prevent DHS from destroying or altering any evidence from the scene of Prettis killing.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has also demanded evidence in the killings of Pretti and Good, and the state has launched a website to collect evidence from the public.
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As the Iran war drags on and energy prices remain elevated, some Republicans fear their party looks disconnected from ordinary voters and beholden to fringe voices, according to a new report.

The GOPs upcoming legislative agenda may do little to improve optics as it remains centered on voting and immigration  and not everyday economic concerns.

I dont think they have to worry about being seen as out of touch because theyre acting out of touch. Theyre doing it to themselves, a national Republican operative told NOTUS.

After a weeks-long recess, lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill this week to face a precarious landscape at home and abroad. After President Donald Trump threatened to wipe out Irans entire civilization, his negotiators reached a ceasefire with Iran last Tuesday but peace talks have since stalled and theres deep concerns that hostilities could resume.

As a result of the conflict, oil prices have skyrocketed to $100 a barrel, pushing average gas prices above $4 a gallon  largely due to Irans de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. After talks broke down this weekend, Trump announced that the U.S. will impose its own blockade on the crucial waterway, prompting taunts from the Iranian regime.

open image in gallery Some Republicans are warning that their party risks appearing disconnected from voters as the Iran war drags on and gas prices remain elevated, according to a new report ( Getty Images )

Enjoy the current pump figures, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, wrote on X Sunday. With the so-called 'blockade', Soon you'll be nostalgic for $4$5 gas.

The developments are putting Republicans in a difficult position as the midterm elections loom with some complaining theyre being given scant information about the war.

Were getting into the short game, and we need details if they have any prayer of getting funding, an unnamed Senate Republican told NOTUS, referring to a $98 billion funding request the administration is expected to send Congress.

Unless this is one of the most sophisticated strategies that plan all of these fits and starts as part of some sort of deception campaign, it looks like theres not a coherent one coming out of the White House  and there needs to be, the lawmaker added.

The lawmaker also highlighted how Trump's social media posts have sparked unease among GOP lawmakers. Theres definitely a lot of what the f***? moments, the senator said.

The White House pushed back against GOP criticism.

What matters most to the American people is having a Commander-in-Chief who takes decisive action to eliminate threats and keep them safe, which is exactly what President Trump did with the successful Operation Epic Fury, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told The Independent. President Trump campaigned proudly on his promise to deny the Iranian regime the ability to develop a nuclear weapon, which is what this noble operation accomplishes. The President does not make these incredibly important national security decisions based on fluid opinion polls, but on the best interest of the American people.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has also expressed concern about gas prices, though he said the current spike differs from those during former President Joe Bidens term, which Republicans used to attack Democrats.

I think it is a very different thing, Thune told NOTUS, contending that the current increases stem from Americas vital national security interests. But, he said, the impact or the effect is the same. People are feeling it.  That is an issue on which I think people do vote.

open image in gallery Gas prices have risen to over $4 per gallon in early April 2026 on average as the war in Iran has affected global oil supplies ( Getty Images )

The vast majority of Americans, 69 percent, are concerned about elevated gas and fuel prices as a result of the Iran war, according to a Pew Research Center survey April 7. And multiple polls show that a majority of Americans oppose the conflict.

Despite concerns about the war and its knock-on effects, the GOPs near-term legislative focus lies elsewhere.

Amid the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown, Senate Republicans are focused on a reconciliation bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Theyre simultaneously pushing to advance the SAVE America Act, a GOP-led bill aimed at tightening federal voter registration rules to ensure only U.S. citizens can vote.

Such an approach leaves the party vulnerable to perceptions of misplaced priorities. The Republican operative told NOTUS that the GOP should easily win on pocketbook issues.

But if all were doing is doing things to appeal to our loony folks and [Speaker Mike] Johnson keeps caving over and over again to the small, ineffective Freedom Caucus folks instead of just doing the things that have to be done for the majority  like this is how we get here, right? they said.

open image in gallery The war, which began in late February, has engulfed large swaths of the Middle East in violence, leading to thousands of deaths. Pictured here is an explosion near Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran March 7 ( AFP/Getty )

In a late March CNN poll, 67 percent of respondents said that Trump hasnt paid enough attention to Americas most pressing problems. Some 40 percent said the economy, jobs and the cost of living constitute the biggest issue. A much smaller share named foreign policy, while just five percent pointed to voting and elections.

Yet some Republican lawmakers remain steadfastly aligned with Trump, insisting his actions safeguard national security and brushing off concerns about a midterm backlash.

Do you think this war that were in, and this fight over ICE, is hurting reelection chances for Republicans in the fall? Fox News Bret Baier asked Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, over the weekend.

I think President Trump is stopping a homicidal maniac regime from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and if you dont treat them that way, youve missed a lot in the last 47 years, Graham replied.

Congress may still intervene directly on the Iran conflict this week  but only as a result of Democrats, who aim to force a vote on a war powers resolution that would limit Trump's authority in the Middle East.

This war has made us worse off today than when it started, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who announced plans to bring a vote on the resolution, said. Its just incredible. This is one of the very worst military and foreign policy actions that the United States has ever taken.

Editor's Note: This article was updated April 13 to include a White House response
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A federal judge has dismissed Donald Trumps defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch, and the journalists and publishers who reported on an alleged birthday letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which the president claims does not exist.

The letter  allegedly signed by Trump and featuring a sexually suggestive drawing and a birthday wish that says may every day be another wonderful secret  was first published by the newspaper and then shared with members of Congress by the Epstein estate last year.

Trump has repeatedly denied writing the letter and denied that a signature on the document is his. He filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit last summer, claiming that no authentic letter or drawing exists and blasted the story as a false, malicious, defamatory, FAKE NEWS article in the useless rag that is.

In his order on Monday, Florida District Judge Darrin P. Gayles argued that Trump failed to show that the article was published with actual malice, the legal standard for proving defamation, and opened the door for the president to file an amended complaint.

Trump came nowhere close to this standard, Judge Gayles wrote. Quite the opposite, he said.

open image in gallery The judge has dismissed Donald Trumps $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for publishing the presidents alleged letter to Jeffrey Epstein, but Trump can re-filed the case ( AP )

The presidents lawsuit alleges that he told the defendants that the letter was a fake before they ran the article, the judge noted in his ruling.

President Trump argues that this allegation shows that Defendants acted with serious doubts about the truth of their reporting and, therefore, with actual malice. The Court disagrees, he wrote.

Trumps conclusory allegation that the newspaper had contradictory evidence and failed to investigate his claims is rebutted by the article itself and is insufficient to establish actual malice, the judge wrote.

In a footnote, the judge also noted that the very existence of the birthday letter bears on whether the article is true and, even if it is false, whether defendants acted with actual malice.

President Trump will follow Judge Gayless ruling and guidance to refile this powerhouse lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and all of the other Defendants, a spokesperson for the presidents legal team told The Independent. The president will continue to hold accountable those who traffic in Fake News to mislead the American People.

The newspaper published a 50th birthday greeting to Epstein from 2003, which included a message that said We have certain things in common, Jeffrey and A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret, all written inside the outline of a womans body.

The publication of the letter joined a wave of reporting into the governments handling of investigations into Epstein as Trumps Department of Justice sought to draw federal probes to a close, drawing more scrutiny into the presidents relationship with the wealthy sex offender and his alleged connections to a wider network of powerful figures.

The presidents lawsuit does not include a single plausible allegation that The Wall Street Journal knowingly published false statements about him, lawyers for the defendants wrote in response last year.

The article is true, they wrote, and the evidence is publicly available for anyone to see.

open image in gallery The presidents name appears thousands of times within the millions of Jeffrey Epstein documents released by the Justice Department as part of legislation that Trump had signed into law ( AFP via Getty Images )

This case calls out for dismissal, they wrote, calling Trumps lawsuit an affront to the First Amendment and an attempt to silence a newspaper for publishing speech that was subsequently proven true by documents released by Congress to the American public.

By its very nature, this meritless lawsuit threatens to chill the speech of those who dare to publish content that the president does not like, they added.

The Independent has requested comment from Trumps legal team and spokespeople for The Wall Street Journal. The White House referred The Independents inquiry to the presidents counsel.

The presidents name appears thousands of times within the millions of documents released by the Justice Department as part of legislation that Trump had signed into law. Trump socialized with Epstein throughout the 1990s and 2000s, and Epstein once described himself as the presidents closest friend.

Trump has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing, and ones appearance in the Epstein files does not suggest otherwise. The president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and insists he cut ties with Epstein years before the wealthy pedophile  who died by suicide in a New York City jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges  was under investigation.

The president, meanwhile, continues to threaten media outlets, publishers, and journalists with legal action over critical coverage, and he routinely suggests he can revoke broadcast licenses for networks over their antagonistic reporting of his administration. He is embroiled in another defamation lawsuit against the BBC, which he has accused of editing his speech to a crowd on January 6, 2021.

Last year, a federal judge lambasted the presidents legal team in a scathing order dismissing the presidents $15 billion lawsuit against The New York Times, which the judge called decidedly improper and impermissible.
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Donald Trump has said he "doesn't care" whether Iran returns to the negotiating table after peace talks in Pakistan broke down without an agreement, threatening to collapse a fragile ceasefire.

On Sunday evening, the US president told reporters it is "fine" if Iran doesn't return to negotiations despite concerns that a two-week ceasefire was at risk of falling apart.

"I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine", he said, adding that the ceasefire is "holding well".

The US has threatened a blockade on Iranian ports in an attempt to break the impasse in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been controlled by Tehran since the war began in February and caused widespread economic chaos.

It was a climbdown on Trumps earlier threat to entirely blockade the Strait  a move which immediately saw oil prices rise and sent markets into turmoil.

open image in gallery Trump has not said which countries will be supporting the US Navys blockade of Iranian ports ( AFP/Getty )

Iran is believed to have exported hundreds of millions of barrels of oil since the war began with so-called "dark transit" vessels  which have turned off their location transponders  taking shipments out of the country, largely to China, according to industry publication OilPrice.com.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said "other countries will be involved with this blockade", without providing details. The UK will not be involved, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The U.S. military said it would commence the blockade of all of Iran's ports and coastal areas starting at 10am local time, but would now allow ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz if travelling between non-Iranian ports.

Trump had earlier claimed the US navy would halt all traffic through the key sea passage in response to the failure of talks in Islamabad, which lasted 21 hours. The ceasefire will expire on 21 April, but it is unclear whether Washington will decide whether to continue the war.

Mediators from Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey will reportedly push for fresh negotiations in the coming days to bridge the gaps between the two sides, according to Axios.

open image in gallery Cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz (File picture) ( Reuters )

Speaking in Manchester on Monday morning, Sir Keir told BBC Radio 5 Live the UK would not be supporting the threatened blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

He said: "The strait is shut, or not free for navigation in the way it should be. That means that oil and gas is not getting to market. That means the price is going up. That means everybody listening to this is facing higher energy bills. And I dont want that to happen."

On Monday, China said it hopes there will not be a resumption of hostilities between the US and Iran, despite the failure of the negotiations.

China hopes that the relevant parties will abide by the temporary ceasefire arrangement, remain committed to resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means, avoid a resumption of hostilities, and create conditions for the early restoration of peace and stability, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

The earlier launch of peace talks between the two countries was a positive step towards achieving peace, he added.
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President Donald Trump took in-person delivery of his McDonalds lunch order at the White House Monday  and that odd moment marked the most normal thing in Trumpworld the last 72 hours.

While holding his bags of cheeseburgers, fries and whatever else, Trump kept the delivery driver at his side while she weighed in on his no tax on tips measure and he addressed reporters on a wide range of issues, including the Iran war.

The truly bizarre stunt played out as the U.S. began a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the president was embroiled in a simmering controversy over his posting an AI image of himself as Jesus Christ on Truth Social.

The publicly unscheduled but clearly staged press event played out just after noon as the press pool was ushered to the front door of the Oval Office to watch the president of the United States grin and receive two large bags of McDonalds from a delivery driver, Sharon Simmons, who then turned to reporters and praised the GOPs move to end taxes on tipped wages in 2025.

McDonalds! the red-clad woman said in a tone clearly only audible to reporters outside the Oval as she rapped quickly on the door. Trump, a second later, opens the door: Oh, nice to see you!

Nice to meet you, the woman replied. The two began a banter about how the no tax on tips policy Trump championed during the 2024 election was now helping her as part of the One Big, Beautiful Bill passed into law last year.

open image in gallery The American president receiving his McDonalds while the press watch on ( Reuters )

In a moment of self-awareness, Trump quipped to Simmons sarcastically: This doesnt look staged.

Trump then addressed reporters and began a full press conference, the president standing side-by-side with the delivery woman in her red DoorDash polo shirt, and issued his newest threats against Iran and even spoke about his conflict with the Pope.

His first question came from a reporter who asked about an AI-generated image the president posted and then deleted, which depicted him as Jesus Christ.

I thought it was me as a doctor, Trump claimed of the image that portrayed him robed, holding his hand to a mans forehead and healing him with a glowing white light. It's supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. The president did not explain why he deleted the image, which drew criticism from some conservatives and Christians.

He also responded to a question about the current state of U.S.-Iran negotiations, and confirmed once again that the sticking point in the talks centered around Irans future nuclear ambitions.

open image in gallery Simmons standing awkwardly by Trump's side as he speaks to reporters ( Reuters )

Trump had previously insisted that Iran had agreed to give up plans of developing nuclear weapons in the future as he insisted that his war with the country was already won, but over the weekend changed his story to admit that Tehrans refusal to agree to U.S. demands regarding its nuclear program was the reason for the conflict continuing.

"[The sticking point] was over nuclear, yeah [...] Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, Trump told reporters. And we agreed to a lot of things but they didn't agree to that. And I think they will agree to it, I'm almost sure of it. In fact I am sure of it, if they don't agree there's no deal, there will never be a deal. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. And we'll get the dust back. We'll get it back either way; we'll get it back from them, or we'll take it."

Trumps reference to the dust refers to Irans remaining supply of enriched uranium, much or all of which is believed to be buried under rock and earth as a result of damaging U.S. strikes at Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow, three sites tied to the Iranian nuclear program hit by U.S. strikes last summer. Among the U.S.s demands include the transfer of any remaining material to American hands.

open image in gallery The truly bizarre stunt played out as the U.S. began a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz ( Getty )

In one more embarrassing moment, as the woman identified as Sharon stood beside him, Trump turned from attacking Democrats to the camera and posed a question to the DoorDash driver who was still awkwardly standing there regarding her views on men in womens sports, the president and Republicans shorthand for the right of transgender girls and women to participate in sporting leagues corresponding to their preferred gender.

She sheepishly replied: I really dont have an opinion on that. No, no, Im here on no tax on tips, as the president pressed her.

The Independent reached out to the White House for more details about the event and the presidents order.

White House spokesperson Steven Cheung later posted a photo of a half-eaten burger he declared hed had to dig in to.

Simmons, who the president invited into the Oval Office, is no stranger to Washington and previously testified before the House Ways and Means Committee for a hearing aimed at touting the no tax on tips legislation included as part of the GOPs budget reconciliation package last year.

The populist provision was part of a reconciliation package that included a massive surge of funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and also extended the 2017 Republican tax cuts passed under the presidents first term.

This moment represents something bigger than a single delivery. Its about the millions of Dashers across the country who are now able to keep more of what they earn when filing their taxes this year. With No Tax on Tips, Dashers across the U.S. saved hundreds of millions of dollars last year.

DoorDash is proud to advocate on behalf of Dashers like Sharon and push for policies like No Tax on Tips because they deliver real impact to so many hardworking people and their families, DoorDash said in a statement regarding Mondays stunt.

According to information provided to USA Today by DoorDash, Simmons has completed nearly 12,000 deliveries on the DoorDash platform, according to her congressional testimony in July of last year.

In early 2025, my husband was diagnosed with cancer and the toll that radiation and chemotherapy took on him forced him to reduce his hours at his job. Because DoorDash provides me with a truly flexible work schedule, I was able to drive him to and from his treatments. During that time, every extra dollar I earned mattered more than ever, she told Congress last year.
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President Trump has characterised Pope Leo XIV as WEAK on crime and terrible on foreign policy, marking just the latest in a string of clashes between the president and the pontiffs.

Last week, Pope Leo described Trumps warning that an entire civilization will die tonight, referring to Iran, as truly unacceptable. The pope also suggested there is a delusion of omnipotence driving war between the United States and Iran.

In his Truth Social tirade Sunday night, the president claimed the pope thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon and was elected to the position because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

Leo addressed the comments onboard a Monday morning flight to Algiers, saying I dont want to get into a debate with him and that he has no fear of the Trump Administration.

Though Trump initially welcomed Leos election to the papacy as a great honour for the U.S., this exchange is just the latest in a series of disputes between the American president and leader of the Catholic Church.

Following the U.S.s capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January, the bishop of Rome also decried a diplomacy based on force and warned of a new Orwellian-style language fuelling hyper-partisanship.

While not specifically criticising Trump, Leo has previously shared a series of critical views on policies pursued by the presidents administration.

open image in gallery President Trump has attracted the ire of Catholics after criticising the Pope and posting an AI image of him as Jesus ( @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social )

Last year, he questioned whether hardline immigration policies were in line with the Churchs pro-life teachings, and called for a deep reflection about the way migrants are being treated in the United States.

Someone who says, I am against abortion, but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I dont know if thats pro-life, the pontiff said in September.

Trumps latest exchanges with the papacy mark a pattern extending beyond Leo to his predecessor, Pope Francis. From the beginning to the end of their relationship, their disputes centred around the rights of migrants.

Referring to the then-candidate Trump in 2016, Francis said anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants was not Christian  a comment Trump called disgraceful.

Trump, who had declared his desire to deport nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants from the U.S., blamed Mexico for the popes disgraceful remarks in a Facebook post in February 2016.

open image in gallery Pope Leo has hit back at Trumps attacks, saying he does not fear his administration ( Reuters )

If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which, as everyone knows, is ISISs ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President because this would not have happened, he wrote.

ISIS would have been eradicated, unlike what is happening now with our all-talk, no-action politicians.

For a religious leader to question a persons faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened, unlike what is happening now, with our current President.

No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another mans religion or faith. They are using the Pope as a pawn and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing so, especially when so many lives are involved and when illegal immigration is so rampant.

open image in gallery President Trumps turbulent relationship with the Vatican extends back to Pope Francis, who urged Catholics to reject anti-immigration narratives ( AFP/Getty )

In February 2025, shortly before his death, Francis wrote in an open letter to American bishops that deporting people trying to escape difficult situations violates the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families and urged Catholics to reject anti-immigrant narratives.

Unlike Trumps stormy relationships with other world leaders like those of Britain or Spain  constituencies with little baring on his base  a total break with the pontiff could pose consequences at the polls.

As with most Republican POTUSs, Trumps base is considerably reliant on conservative, religious voters, including Catholics.

According to a Fox News national poll conducted 20-23 March, Trumps approval rating among Catholic voters is now underwater, with 48 percent of respondents saying they approved of the job Trump is doing as president, and 52 percent disapproving.

Effects of a fallout might even reverberate among his executive branch, of whom Catholics include Vice President JD Vance, the majority of the Supreme Court, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is known to regularly pray with her staff before briefings.
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President Trump has branded Pope Leo XIV as WEAK on crime and terrible on foreign policy, in a late-night Truth Social blitz which also saw him uploading an AI-generated image of himself dressed as Jesus.

Last week, Pope Leo said Trumps warning that an entire civilization will die tonight, in reference to Iran, was unacceptable. The pope has also suggested that a delusion of omnipotence is fueling the war between the United States and Iran.

Leo responded to Trumps outburst later on Monday.

In his lengthy Truth Social post, the president claimed that the Catholic Churchs leadership had been arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else in the midst of the Covid pandemic and suggested that he preferred the popes brother.

I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA, the president blasted. He gets it, and Leo doesnt!

open image in gallery The US president posted an image of himself dressed as Jesus during the same Truth Social blast that saw him tearing into Pope Leo XIV ( @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social )

I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.

Pope Leo responded to Donald Trump on Monday and said he would always speak out in favour of peace. I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do, he told reporters. I dont want to get into a debate with Trump.

I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems, Leo continued aboard a papal flight to Algiers, where he is embarking on a 10-day tour to four African countries.

Too many people are suffering in the world today, he said. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say theres a better way.

The US president went on to suggest that his own election played a role in the Catholic Churchs choice of pope in May 2025.

Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise, the president wrote. He wasnt on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican.

Trump added: Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.

open image in gallery The Pope says a delusion of omnipotence is fuelling the war between the US and Iran ( Reuters )

Around 40 minutes after his tirade was posted, Trump uploaded an AI-generated image of himself dressed as Jesus.

In the picture, the president is bathed in golden light as he places a shining hand on a sleeping mans forehead.

A nurse and a praying woman are both kneeling around the patient in the image, while a man in a camouflage uniform looks on. A fourth individual, dressed in a green uniform, is also by the patients bedside.

In the background, a huge U.S. flag, a pair of bald eagles and a trio of military planes can be seen flying through the air.

The post sparked a backlash from Christian groups and has since been taken down from the presidents profile. Trump denied it depicted him as Jesus, telling reporters: I thought it was me as a doctor.

Former Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene shredded the presidents post, stating that she was praying against it.

On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trumps war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus, Greene wrote on X. This comes after last weeks post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization.

open image in gallery Trump suggested that Leo XIV was chosen because they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump ( AFP/Getty )

I completely denounce this and Im praying against it!!!

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also issued a statement in response to Trumps post.

I am disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father, he wrote. Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician.

He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.
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Utah Valley University is facing mounting backlash over its 2026 commencement speakers past comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed on the schools campus last year.

Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while speaking at an outdoor event on the Orem campus September 10, 2025. Utah resident Tyler Robinson has been charged with Kirks murder.

Now, some conservative student organizations and political figures are slamming UVUs decision to invite Sharon McMahon, an author and social media personality, to be the 2026 commencement speaker on April 29 after she reportedly posted on social media criticizing Kirks rhetoric shortly after he was killed. Her posts on Kirk appear to have been deleted.

In one post, McMahon shared some of Kirks quotes and explained why she took issue with his rhetoric, according to KUTV.

She reportedly wrote: To many Americans, especially if you are Black, LGBTQ or Muslim, Charlie Kirk was not a person who simply engaged in good-faith debates on college campuses.

open image in gallery Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking on Utah Valley Universitys campus on September 10, 2025 ( AP )

Its important to remember that the incredible tragedy of a public assassination does not erase the harm many experienced from his words and the ensuing actions his followers took, her post concluded.

According to ABC 4, McMahon also posted: These arent sound bites taken out of context. Millions of people feel they were harmed, and the murder that was horrific and should never have happened does not magically erase what was said or done.

Caleb Chilcutt, president of UVUs Turning Point USA chapter, said McMahon posted a now-deleted series of out-of-context quotes from Charlie in an effort to tarnish his name and minimize the tragedy, rather than offering condolences or condemning political violence.

Chilcutt wrote in a statement: While universities should welcome diverse viewpoints, platforming someone who treated a historic and tragic political assassination not as a moment to grieve but as an opportunity to create content is tone-deaf and disrespectful to those still affected, especially on this campus.

open image in gallery Sharon McMahon is Utah Valley Universitys upcoming commencement speaker ( Utah Valley University )

Sage Lloyd, president of UVUs College Republicans, said the organization opposes the universitys decision to have McMahon deliver this years address.

It is an insult to deliberately select a speaker who mocked the loss of a political figure assassinated on our beloved campus, Lloyd wrote in a statement.

Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah also re-shared a post criticizing McMahon, adding: Why would you do this, @UVU?

A spokesperson for McMahon told The Independent she unequivocally condemned the murder of Charlie Kirk, repeatedly and publicly calling his death a tragedy and stressing that public debate must never be met with violence.

Sharons goal is to unpack what is happening in society and help people understand how government works, the spokesperson said. That spirit is reflected in her workbringing together voices from across the aisle in closed-door conversations with her book club community, from Amy Coney Barrett to Kamala Harris, and in interviews with Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Nikki Haley, to foster the kind of dialogue and perspective democracy depends on.

She believes what we need most is more bridge-building and more people willing to show up for one another, the spokesperson added.

The university described McMahon as a New York Times-bestselling author, award-winning educator, and Americas Government Teacher, in a press release last month. McMahon also runs popular social media accounts  including an Instagram page with 1.4 million followers  where she posts about politics and government.

"Sharon McMahon is an original. She is a force of nature and a force for good. As a former history teacher, she understands that education can inform, inspire, and instigate courageous action," Utah Valley University President Astrid Tuminez said in a statement.

The Independent has contacted Utah Valley University for comment.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on April 13 to include a statement from Sharon McMahon.
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Eight Australians will be honoured for acting bravely during the Bondi Junction stabbing in Sydney in April 2024.

Joel Cauchi, 40, went on a six-minute stabbing spree at the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre, killing six people and injuring 10. Cauchi, who lived with schizophrenia and was in a floridly psychotic state, was shot dead when he rushed at police officers with a knife.

Dawn Singleton, 25, Ashlee Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Yixuan Cheng, 27, and Faraz Tahir, 30, were killed.

On the second anniversary of the tragedy on 13 April, governor general Sam Mostyn announced special Australian Bravery Decorations to recognise eight people for their actions that fateful day.

These bravery honourees are characterised by their selfless, courageous, and determined response in unspeakable and horrific circumstances. Every one of them showed strength, and profound courage, as they placed the safety of others above their own, demonstrating ultimate care for others, Ms Mostyn said. Their acts of bravery reflect the best of us, and remind us of the valour, compassion, and service that are enduring and present across our communities.

Police inspector Amy Scott, who shot and stopped the attacker, was one of the people chosen for the honour. French citizens Silas Despreaux and Damien Jean Guerot were honoured for warning people and facing Cauchi using metal bollards on an escalator. They also helped by alerting inspector Scott and guiding her to him.

Security officers Muhammad Taha and Faraz Tahir were honoured for moving towards Cauchi even though they knew he was armed. Tahir was fatally stabbed during the attack.

Ashlee Good, one of the victims, was honoured for protecting her baby. She was attacked from behind but managed to get her child to safety before she died.

Noel McLaughlin was recognised for rushing to the scene when he was told his wife, Jade Young, had been stabbed. When he came face to face with Cauchi, he warned others nearby. He then went to his wife and tried to give her first aid, but she later died from her injuries.

Nurse Catherine Molihan was sitting in a cafe when she heard screams and realised something was wrong. She ran into a nearby shop with other people and the door was locked. But when she saw the injured security guards, she urged the manager to open it so she could help them.

She checked on Taha and told him to hold on tight to the shirt she used to stop the bleeding.

And then I went down to Faraz, she told Australian Associated Press. I just gave him first aid and held his head and patted his beard and just talked to him, saying, 'hang in there, Faraz'.

Even two years later, she finds it hard to talk about that day. It still does affect me. It was just an awful experience, she said. A nurse is just born to help and give and be kind to others. It was good that I was on the scene, because it saved someone else from seeing what I saw.
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Australia on Monday announced that a woman will command its army for the first time in its 125-year history.

Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, the current chief of joint capabilities, will take over as chief of army in July, and replace Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, the government said in a statement.

Lt Gen Coyle's appointment comes as Australia's military seeks to boost the number of female officers in its ranks after a plethora of allegations of systematic sexual harassment and discrimination tainted the military.

The army is also in the throes of a major transformation, including equipping itself with long-range firepower, drones, and other modern combat tools.

"From July, we will have the first ever female chief of army in the Australian army's 125-year history," prime minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.

Defence minister Richard Marles called Ms Coyle's appointment a "deeply historic moment", adding: "As Susan said to me, you cannot be what you cannot see."

open image in gallery File: : Australian Defence Force Chief of Joint Capabilities Lt. Gen. Susan Coyle attends the Avalon Australian International Airshow ( Getty )

"Susan's achievement will be deeply significant to women who are serving in the Australian Defence Force today and women who are thinking about serving in the Australian Defence Force in the future," Mr Marles added.

Lt Gen Coyle, 55, during her three-decade-long career in the Australian army, served in the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

She enlisted in the military in 1987 and has held a number of senior command roles. She will be the first woman to lead any service branch of the military, Mr Marles said.

Lt Gen Coyle graduated as an officer from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Academy in 1992 and went on to become the head of information warfare, commander of Joint Task Force 633 and the commander of Task Group Afghanistan.

She was appointed the chief of joint capabilities in July 2024, where she leads space and cyber domains and National Support for Defence.

Lt Gen Coyle is also a mother of three children that she shares with her husband, who also serves in the military.

Jennifer Parker, an expert associate at the Australian National University, said Lt Gen Coyles appointment had been a long time coming and is well overdue.

She told the Sydney Morning Herald that Lt Gen Coyle had experience in space and cyber capabilities, as well as traditional army platforms, which made her well-placed to learn lessons from modern conflicts.

Women currently make up around 21 per cent of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and 18.5 per cent of senior leadership roles. The ADF has set a target of 25 per cent of overall participation for women by 2030.

Last October, a class action lawsuit was filed against the ADF alleging it failed to protect thousands of female officers from systematic sexual assault, harassment and discrimination.

The government on Monday also appointed Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, the current chief of the navy, as the head of the ADF, succeeding Admiral David Johnston.

Vice Admiral Hammond reportedly played a key role in the 2021 Aukus defence pact signed by US, UK and Australia to counter China's growing aggression in the Pacific.

Mr Marles said Vice Admiral Hammond had been right at the heart of the plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines under the defence pact and had done an incredible job as navy chief since 2022.

The current deputy chief of navy, Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley, will replace Vice Admiral Hammond as head of the branch.
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Fatou, the world's oldest gorilla living in captivity, has marked her 69th birthday with a special, sugar-free feast at Berlin Zoo.

The primate enjoyed a spread of cherry tomatoes, beets, leeks, and lettuce, eschewing traditional cake for a healthier, age-appropriate meal.

A western lowland gorilla, Fatou arrived in what was then West Berlin in 1959, believed to be around two years old at the time.

While her exact birthdate remains unknown, April 13 is celebrated as her designated birthday. Gorillas typically live for 35-40 years in the wild, but can achieve significantly longer lifespans under human care.

Fatou became the zoos most senior resident in 2024 following the passing of Ingo the flamingo, who was thought to be at least 75 and had resided at the zoo since 1955.

open image in gallery Fatou enjoys her own enclosure, preferring a quiet life away from the zoos younger gorillas ( AP )

open image in gallery She had a spread of cherry tomatoes, beets, leeks and lettuce for her birthday ( AP )

Fatous remarkable journey began in the wild of western Africa, with Guinness World Records noting a tale that a French sailor bartered her to settle a bar tab in Marseille, before she was reportedly sold to the zoo by a French animal trader.

Today, Fatou enjoys her own enclosure, preferring a quiet life away from the zoos younger gorillas.

She has lost her teeth and experiences some arthritis and hearing loss. Despite these age-related challenges, Christian Aust, the Berlin Zoo's primate supervisor, describes her as friendly with her keepers, albeit still a little stubborn.

At 69, it seems she has certainly earned the right.
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Hungarian election winner Peter Magyar has vowed to change the constitution in a drive to restore democratic standards following a landslide victory.

He said the election results showed the country wanted to be anchored in Europe after 16 years of nationalist rule.

Hungary's veteran Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his nationalist Fidesz party lost power to the upstart centre-right Tisza party in Sunday's election, marking a setback for Orban's allies in Russia and U.S. President Donald Trump's White House.

Following is a rundown of some key quotes from Magyar's news conference in Budapest.

TAKING OVER POWER

"According to the rules, the result of the election becomes final by May 4 the latest, but this could happen earlier and the President... must convene the first session of the new parliament 30 days after the election at the latest."

A Tisza government is expected to be more cooperative with Europe on Ukraine ( AP )

"I call on President Tamas Sulyok to convene the inaugural session as soon as possible, and not wait until May 12."

EUROPEAN UNION

"The Hungarian people yesterday, exactly 23 years after the referendum on our EU membership, confirmed Hungary's place in Europe."

"I would like to see a strong Central Europe within a strong EU."

REFORMS

"We will have a lot of tasks... the first, to adopt the functional measures, to start Hungary's accession to the European Public Prosecutor's Office... to amend the fundamental law (constitution), and to write into it that in the future in Hungary anyone can only serve as prime minister for two terms, which is eight years."

RULE OF LAW

"We will fundamentally restore, we will do everything to restore the rule of law, plural democracy, and the system of checks and balances."

"I would like to underline that we will not use anti-democratic measures to restore the rule of law, but luckily our two-thirds mandate allows us to do a lot."

"A government's job is to ensure the independence of the judiciary, the independence of the investigative authorities, to provide all possible financial and other resources to carry out their tasks."

PRESIDENT

"We don't need this president," Magyar said, referring to Sulyok, saying he was only signing off on all papers that were proposed to him.

"I call on him to leave, if he doesn't, we will find a solution."

Sulyok became Hungary's ceremonial head of state with the backing of Orban's Fidesz party.

CENTRAL BANK

"Hungary is in a difficult financial and economic situation. The National Bank is primarily responsible for ensuring exchange rate stability. I myself believe... Governor Mihaly Varga is doing his job in line with the central bank law and I think that in a country which is in a difficult economic situation, cooperation with the national bank is important... of course while respecting the independence of the central bank.

"So I will try to work this way, and if we see that the central bank governor and the bank itself work in line with their legal mandate and are not, for example, trying to obstruct the financial policy of the new government... then we will be able to work together. We do not need yet more chaos... to harm investors' confidence in Hungary."

PRIDE, LGBTQ+ RIGHTS

"I have clearly stated several times already last year that everyone has the right to assemble in Hungary.

"We have clearly stated that, according to Tisza and the many millions of Hungarians who support Tisza, everyone can live with, and love, whomever they want, as long as they do not violate the laws and do not harm others."
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It took Viktor Orban 16 years to reshape Hungary in his image. It took one evening to undo it.

Peter Magyars landslide victory followed months of campaigning, positioning himself as the antidote to years of autocratic drift, while Hungarys veteran nationalist leader doubled down on his ties to Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

In the days leading up to the election, Trump had offered the prime minister his Complete and Total Endorsement, telling Hungarians to GET OUT AND VOTE FOR VIKTOR ORBAN. He went so far as to send his vice-president, JD Vance, to campaign for Orban in Budapest  as the polls showed Magyar pressing ahead.

Trump was silent on Monday after the election defeat, still dealing with the fallout of failed negotiations to end the war in Iran. As the conflict continues to harm his domestic and global popularity, experts have questioned whether his endorsement is a blessing or a curse.

open image in gallery The US vice-president JD Vance and the now-outgoing Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban at an election rally in Budapest last Tuesday ( Getty )

Trumps glowing endorsement of Orban

As Magyar was outlining his vision for reintegration with Europe on the campaign trail late last year, Orban met with Trump at the White House to shore up ties. The president gave the prime minister a glowing endorsement for his hardline stance on immigration, and Trump showed sympathy for Hungarys reliance on Russian energy.

Orban left with an exemption from US sanctions on Russia  and no protests against his cosying up to Moscow.

Trump ramped up support as the election closed in and Orban signalled his alignment with the slogan Make Europe Great Again.

JD Vance stood before Orbans supporters in Budapest last week and praised him as a defender of Western civilisation, vowing to help him in this campaign cycle. But this was not enough to convince the 20 per cent of undecided voters that he was worth re-electing.

open image in gallery Peter Magyar addresses supporters after claiming victory, in Budapest on Sunday ( AP )

In fact, betting markets showed that support for Orban dipped slightly after Vances address to fans in the Hungarian capital, according to analysis by Newsweek. But experts cautioned that this does not necessarily mean that Vances speech caused the change.

Diana Sosoaca, a far-right member of the European parliament from Romania, on Sunday called Vances Hungarian visit a big mistake, given widespread revulsion at the Iran war on the continent.

In a similar vein, Germanys far-right AfD party is said to be pulling itself away from public appearances with the Trump administration, with the unpopular conflict in the Middle East dragging on, according to a report.

The partys co-leader, Alice Weidel, told lawmakers last month to reduce high-profile trips to the US to cosy up to Maga Republicans, according to people present at the meeting.

Hungary rejected Orbans Trumpian policies

Orban had led Hungary through four years of recession and recovery when he chose to unveil his grand plan for an illiberal democracy at a cultural event in Romania in 2014. In his most consequential speech as leader, he argued that the financial crisis of 2008 had exposed holes in the liberal project and that a strong state, no longer bound to obsess over personal freedoms, was Hungarys future.

Just because something is not liberal, it still can be a democracy, he said, prophetically. The EU called it electoral autocracy.

open image in gallery Donald Trump met Orban at the White House in November, before granting an exemption from Russian energy sanctions ( Getty )

In the 12 years that followed, he consolidated power around himself, justifying his alternative system as a necessity to preserve the countrys Christian heritage and ward off dangerous outsiders. His Fidesz party would crack down on migration, stifle LGBT rights and attack the freedom of the press. It also restructured the judiciary to funnel appointments to the bench through party loyalists, redrew legislative districts to make it much harder for Fidesz members to lose elections and helped push Hungarys media companies to be sold to tycoons allied with Orban.

Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, told AP: He was essentially doing what Donald Trump is trying to do here in the United States. My read of the election is that the people of Hungary rejected that, just like people in the United States are rejecting that here at home.

Eva Fodor, a professor at the Central European University, told The Independent ahead of the election: Before every election, they had a different kind of enemy: immigrants, George Soros, Brussels, and the gender lobby. But now they dont seem to have a new enemy that they can construct. So theyre just trying to sort of double down on some of these topics.

What happens next?

Orbans landslide defeat handed Magyar a comfortable majority in Hungarys 199-seat legislature, opening the door for meaningful reforms.

Dr Jonathan Eyal, associate director at the Royal United Services Institute, told The Independent ahead of the election that the two-thirds majority was needed to overcome landmines placed by Fidesz to trip him up after assuming power.

Warning against expecting too much from Magyar at first, he said the main task now will be to topple the existing structure in the face of fierce resistance. The government has spent years developing quasi-government bodies deliberately created to interfere with the functioning of a new government, he explained.

Tisza will likely face guerrilla warfare in the form of disobedience campaigns in the countryside and blockages in parliament. Orban will have already committed spending to communities, constraining the next leader or forcing him to abandon Fideszs promises.

Orban has waged two campaigns, he explained. One was a very direct frontal assault to stop him getting elected. The second one was to plant landmines everywhere to ensure that if he does get elected, he cannot succeed.

To ensure he succeeds, Europe will have to release some money before Magyar can start enacting policies to show quick achievements before Orban can unsettle him, Dr Eyal said.

open image in gallery Orban maintained a good relationship with Vladimir Putin, at odds with most of Europe ( AP )

Change of leader is bad news for Russia

Landlocked Hungary is largely dependent on Russian oil and gas, making it a valuable access point for the Kremlin to try to influence support for Ukraine in Europe.

Frustrations with Hungary blocking aid have ballooned into accusations of outright collaboration with Russia, after leaked conversations appeared to show Orban and his foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto, pandering to Moscow and undermining efforts to help Ukraine.

One conversation apparently heard Orban talking about his friendship with Putin. He reportedly said: In any matter where I can be of assistance, I am at your service.

Dr Eyal said Magyar is likely to remain suspicious of Ukraine, citing pre-war disagreements. But he will aim to be unobstructive in Europe, crucially allowing a 90bn loan for Ukraine to pass.

Ahead of the election, Magyar advocated for pragmatism in the conflict, which he says means that we have no say in Russias internal affairs, and they dont have any say in our affairs. We are both sovereign countries, and we respect each other, but we dont have to like each other.

He will now have to be careful to balance the EUs demands with the publics views on Ukraine. Nationwide, just 34 per cent of voters want a new approach to Ukraine, while 32 per cent want a continuation of Fideszs reluctance to get involved. Tisza overwhelmingly supports change while Fideszs base supports the status quo.
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People poring over the crushing defeat of Viktor Orbans government in Hungary  the most right wing in Europe  will draw the conclusions that his antipathy to the EU, closeness to Vladimir Putin, failure to address younger voters and a sense of political corruption were at the heart of his downfall.

Yet while this may be the case, all these factors were also true about Orban when he won an equally crushing victory in the 2022 election, a result which seemed to leave him untouchable.

In fact, he was arguably in a politically stronger position this time than he was in 2022, with his friend Donald Trump in the White House rather than a political enemy in Joe Biden.

He even had the US vice president JD Vance doing a last-minute cheerleading act at a rally on the eve of the poll, although polls suggest this may have hurt rather than helped.

What changed in the four years since that win, which left the opposition to his Fidesz party almost wiped out?

The truth is that the unravelling began with a visit by Pope Francis, and a scandal which followed that exposed the political corruption within Fidesz and Orbans government, ended the careers of two of his political allies and put rocket boosters on Peter Magyars push to replace him as prime minister.

An unlikely Papal visit

In April 2023, Pope Francis made an official visit to Hungary in a visit which was to be a crowning moment in the Orban era and a stamp of approval of his right-wing Catholic, pro-family, anti-LGBTQ+ policies.

It was an unlikely trip, though, politically. Francis and Orban were diametrically opposed, particularly on Orbans hardline attitude to migrants.

open image in gallery Pope Francis and Orban did not see eye to eye on much ( AFP/Getty )

But at the same time, Pope Francis had a soft spot for Hungary. When he was head of the Jesuits in Argentina, he got to know Hungarian nuns who had fled the country as a result of the Communists putting down the 1956 uprising, and learnt their language.

Added to that, in Eduard Habsburg, Orban had a skilled ambassador to the Holy See in Rome, who also happened to be a descendant of the Austro-Hungarian Empires royal family. He developed a warm relationship with the Pope.

He had already established a surprising alliance with the late Pope in finding a peaceful solution with Putin to end the war in Ukraine, rather than support military operations  another reason, perhaps, for the papal visit.

The fallout from the visit

The visit itself was a success, but the aftermath blew open Orbans government and permanently loosened his grip on power.

In an attempt to reflect Franciss theme of mercy, the Hungarian government decided to show clemency to 25 criminals and pardon them of their crimes. It proved to be politically disastrous.

open image in gallery Peter Magyar led anti-corruption demonstrations in Hungary after the scandal broke ( AFP/Getty )

It emerged that one of those pardoned was Endre Konya, the former deputy director of the Kossuth Zsuzsa Childrens Home in Bicske, who had intimidated children into withholding evidence of sexual abuse and paedophilia to protect his boss.

When this emerged, there was outrage. It was reported that it happened under pressure from Zoltan Balog, a former archbishop turned politician and ally of Orbans.

The scandal led to the forced resignation of two key female allies. Katalin Novak, the president of Hungary and, to some, Orbans potential heir, had been the architect of his pro-family policy.

She had granted the clemency, and Balog was her mentor.

The other was another rising star in Fidesz, Judit Varga, who had been the justice minister who put forward the list to be pardoned.

Both women were ordered by Orban to resign in early 2024, ending their political careers. But the damage was done, and from that moment his political star began to rapidly fall.

The ex-husband takes his chance

Apart from losing two of the next generation of leaders for Fidesz, there were immediate consequences, most notably around Varga.

At the time of her resignation, she was the driving force behind putting together a right-wing anti-EU coalition for the European parliament elections.

She was trying to work with parties such as Giorgia Melonis Fratelli dItalia to change the shape of European politics. Those efforts largely ran aground when Varga was taken out of the picture. Hopes for a new European right-wing hegemony were lost with her.

open image in gallery Eduard Habsburg was Hungarys ambassador to the Vatican ( Hungary Embassy )

But far more significant was Vargas failing marriage to an ambitious lawyer and politician, Peter Magyar, a former member of Orbans party.

The couple's marriage ended just before her career was left in ruins, and he started a social media campaign revealing many of the secrets of Fidesz, exposing its alleged corruption.

As the new head of the centre-right Tisza Party, he became the leader of massive anti-corruption demonstrations and then took charge of the coalition which would destroy Orban and make him the new Hungarian PM.

Crucially, unlike previous coalitions to unseat Orban, Magyar is of the conservative centre right, not the political left, and proved to be a much tougher opponent than his predecessors.

Like Donald Tusk in Poland, in removing another anti-EU right-wing government, Magyar had the blessing of the European Commission to an extent that Orban and Vance accused them of electoral interference.

Now Magyar will lead a much more moderate, pro-EU centre-right government, removing the last anti-Brussels government in the bloc.

A huge loss for the global right

The departure of Orban was largely the result of scandal and political hubris, but it has removed the intellectual network which has sustained many on the right across the globe with close links to Likud in Israel, Trump and the Maga movement in the US and those circulating around Nigel Farage and Reform in the UK.

Orban had supported a series of right-wing think tanks like the Danube Institute and Mathias Corvinus Collegium to come up with a right-wing agenda for the 21st century, while bringing American right-wing ideas to Europe. This included hosting the American Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary annually.

Magyars victory potentially unravels all of this, and also crucially frees up the EU to take much tougher action against Putin over Ukraine and removes the last politician in the bloc who had the ear of Trump. Hungary should now receive funds that Brussels was withholding over Orbans more extreme policies.

The papal visit was supposed to be a crowning achievement for Orban, but ended up being his downfall.
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Viktor Orban's crushing electoral defeat in Hungary is resonating globally.

During his 16-year tenure, Mr Orban's playbook of reshaping institutions, squeezing minority rights, and curbing media freedoms was emulated by admirers who saw him as a defender of national sovereignty against globalisation and migration.

To his detractors, he represented a threat to European democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

Ultimately, Hungarian voters opted for change, decisively backing challenger Peter Magyar in Sunday's election.

Mr Orban's administration was the Kremlin's staunchest EU ally, frequently obstructing aid crucial for Ukraine's defence against Russia's invasion.

After Mr Magyar's election win, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quickly reached out in hopes of support.

open image in gallery People celebrate in the streets following the victory ( AFP/Getty )

"It is important when constructive approach prevails. Ukraine has always sought good-neighbourly relations with everyone in Europe and we are ready to advance our cooperation with Hungary," he posted on social media.

"We are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as peace, security, and stability in Europe," Mr Zelensky said.

Orban was especially and constantly critical of the EU, even though his country enjoys billions in funding from the bloc.

Within minutes of his concession speech, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a frequent target of Orban's pronouncements, posted on X: Europes heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight.

Europe's biggest powers also jumped in.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy.

I look forward to working with you for the security and prosperity of both our countries, he said.

open image in gallery Peter Magyar following the election ( AP )

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz messaged Mr Magyar: "Lets join forces for a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe. Gratulalok, kedves Magyar Peter!

French President Emmanuel Macron said that "France welcomes the victory of democratic participation, the Hungarian peoples commitment to the values of the European Union, and Hungarys commitment to Europe.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who is visiting Seoul, South Korea, posted on X Monday the flags of Hungary, his country and the European Union and said Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!

He later posted a short video clip apparently showing him speaking to Mr Magyar by phone while overlooking the Korean capital.

Oh, I am so happy. I think I am happier than you, you know, Mr Tusk said in English.

In his victory speech, Mr Magyar said that his first foreign stop would be to Poland, which has historically had longstanding, friendly ties to Hungary.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, an ally of Mr Orban who is visiting Vietnam, posted a statement offering his congratulations and saying he is ready for intensive cooperation with Mr Magyar.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni thanked her "friend Viktor Orban for their collaboration. "I know that even from the opposition he will continue to serve his Nation."

France's far-right National Rally, which is jockeying to replace Mr Macron in the French presidency next year, supported Mr Orban and tread cautiously after his defeat.

"This result, respectfully welcomed by Viktor Orban, shows that the incessant accusations by European institutions in recent years against Hungarian democracy were unfounded," posted the party's president Jordan Bardella.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for his part, offered his heartiest congratulations to Mr Magyar on X.

I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation and to advance the vital India-EU Strategic Partnership for the shared prosperity and well-being of our peoples, he wrote.
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Pope Leo XIV has begun his 11-day tour of four African nations  Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea  that will bring historys first U.S.-born pope deep into the growing heart of the Catholic Church.

The tour will begin with the first-ever papal trip to Algeria, aiming to promote Christian-Muslim coexistence at a time of global conflict and honour the locally born inspiration of his religious spirituality, St. Augustine.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune is set to greet Leo upon his arrival at Algiers' international airport before they meet formally at the El Mouradia presidential palace.

Later Monday, Leo was to address Algerian authorities and visit the citys Great Mosque. He was finishing the day with a gathering at the Our Lady of Africa basilica, and then prayers at a nearby monument for migrants killed in shipwrecks trying to reach Europe.

The gathering at the basilica, a Roman-Byzantine structure built in the late 1800s during Frances colonial rule, will feature testimony from a Catholic nun, a Pentecostal believer and Muslim, as well as remarks by the pope.

open image in gallery Pope Leo XIV begins his apostolic journey to Algeria, Angola, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea ( Reuters )

The official motto of the Algeria trip is Leos opening line wherever he goes  Peace be with you  and the Vatican says a general message of peace and Christian-Muslim coexistence will be the major theme.

In Algeria, a tiny Catholic community of around 9,000 people made up mostly of foreigners exists alongside the Sunni Muslim majority of about 47 million, according to Vatican statistics.

The archbishop of Algiers, French Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, said on any given day, nine out of 10 people who visit the basilica are Muslim.

Its wonderful to be able to show that we can be brothers and sisters together, building a society despite our different religions, Vesco told The Associated Press on the eve of Leos arrival. And that is what our church has been doing since this country gained independence.

open image in gallery A view of the church of Notre Dame d'Afrique, ahead of a Pope Leo XIV visit, in Algiers, Algeria ( AP )

The United States, though, has placed Algeria on its special watch list for having engaged in or tolerated severe violations of religious freedom. The Algerian constitution recognises religions other than Islam and allows individuals to practice their faith if they respect public order and rules.

But proselytising to Muslims by non-Muslims is a crime, and some other Christian denominations have faced persecution from Algerian authorities, who have closed their churches.

I imagine its a good thing that a pope is visiting Algeria, said Selma Denane, a student who lives in Annaba down the coast from Algiers. But what will it change afterwards? Will Christians be able to say, I am a Christian without fear or stigmatisation?

A violent past of martyrs

Three decades after declaring independence from France, Algeria fought a brutal civil war in the 1990s that is known locally as the black decade, when some 250,000 people were killed as the army fought an Islamist insurgency.

Among those killed were 19 Catholics, including seven Trappist monks from the Tibhirine monastery south of Algiers, who were kidnapped and killed in 1996 by Islamic fighters. Also among the 19 were two nuns from Leos Augustinian religious family.

On his first day in Algeria, Leo will pay homage to the 19 martyrs and visit the remaining Augustinian nuns who run a social services project out of the Algiers basilica that helps people of all faiths.

open image in gallery A man sits inside the Basilica of Saint Augustine in Annaba, eastern Algeria ( AP )

They gave their lives for God, for Jesus, for the church, for the Algerian people because they didnt want to leave the country, even in the difficult moments, said Sister Lourdes Miguelez.

All 19 were beatified in 2018 as martyrs for the faith in what was then the first such beatification ceremony in the Muslim world.

Vesco, the Algiers archbishop, likes to remind audiences that Leo was elected on May 8, the Catholic feast day of the 19 martyrs. Immediately after Leos election, Vesco invited him to visit.

Leo has another connection to the Trappist monks: He has made a mantra out of one of the sayings of the martyred prior of the Tibherine monastery, Christian de Cherge, who spoke of an unarmed and disarming peace. Leo has cited the line starting from the night of his election.

Obviously, he will speak a lot about peace, its urgent and current, Vesco said.

A personal and pastoral visit

For Leo, the visit to Algeria is pastoral but also deeply personal. His Augustinian religious order was inspired by the teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo, the 5th-century theological and philosophical titan of the early Christian church who was born in what is today Algeria and spent all but five years of his life there.

On Tuesday, Leo will visit Annaba, the modern-day Hippo where St. Augustine was bishop for three decades, and will literally walk in the footsteps of the saint.

From his first public words as pope, Leo proclaimed himself a son of St. Augustine, and he has made that clear in his first year, repeatedly citing the church father in his speeches and homilies.

I dont know if I have seen a statement, a homily, an apostolic letter or exhortation that doesnt reference Augustine, said Paul Camacho, associate director of the Augustinian Institute at Villanova University, Leos Augustinian-run alma mater outside Philadelphia.

The shadow that he casts on Western thought, not just the Roman Catholic Church but on Western thought more broadly, is very, very long indeed, he said.
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Donald Trump has drawn sharp condemnation from Catholics and supporters alike after slating the Pope in a late-night outburst on Sunday and comparing himself to Jesus Christ.

The president branded Pope Leo weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy in a lengthy rant on social media, following weeks of cautious disagreement with the church over the war in the Middle East.

Catholics on social media quickly hit back at Trump for attacking the leader of their church, who they believe is the successor of St Peter, one of the 12 disciples.

As the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, and the first pope born in the U.S., Leo has become an influential critic of Trumps conflict with Iran, and on Monday vowed to continue to speak out loudly against war, suggesting the Christian message was being abused.

Trumps fiery rhetoric, as well as the AI image depicting himself as Jesus, attracted condemnation from Irans president, who pounced on the insult on social media.

open image in gallery Pope Leo has said he wont be deterred from speaking out ( Reuters )

Your Excellency Pope Leo XIV, on behalf of the great nation of Iran, I condemn the insult to Your Excellency and declare that the desecration of Jesus (peace be upon him), the Prophet of peace and brotherhood, is unacceptable to any free person. I wish glory for you from Allah, wrote Masoud Pezeshkian on X.

Donald Trump was meanwhile facing backlash from his own MAGA base for comments against the pope.

Massimo Faggioli, an Italian historian and expert on the Vatican, told Reuters that Trumps latest outburst washed away any ambiguity around where things stand between the Trump administration and the Catholic church.

He compared Trumps comments to the efforts of the leaders of Germany and Italy during World War II to draw the late Pope Pius XII to back their causes.

Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the pope so directly and publicly, said Faggioli.

open image in gallery Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus after bashing Pope Leo ( Truth Social / Donald Trump )

Trump is now facing a MAGA firestorm among his own supporters as backlash over the late night post grows.

Former ally Marjorie Taylor Green described the presidents depiction as Christ as more than blasphemy. Its an Antichrist spirit.

On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trumps war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus ... I completely denounce this and Im praying against it!!!

She noted it came just a week after the president threatened to kill an entire civilisation in Iran unless it agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Riley Gaines, a Christian conservative known for campaigning against the participation of trans women in womens sports, shared the post of Trump portraying himself as Christ and said: Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he'd post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?

Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked

Robert Barron, bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, said the comments were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful.

It is the Popes prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life, he said, urging that serious Catholics within the Trump administration meet with Vatican officials so that a real dialogue can take place.

He name-checked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance and US Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was disheartened by Trump's latest comments.

Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls, he said in a statement.

Trump had suggested in his post that Leo only became pope because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. Leo was elected pope in May 2025, following the death of Pope Francis.

Speaking to reporters on the way back to Washington on Sunday, he added that he was not a big fan of Leos views, calling him very liberal.

open image in gallery The president said Pope Leo was "weak" and "terrible" in a lengthy post on social media ( @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social )

We dont like a pope thats going to say its okay to have a nuclear weapon, he said, adding that he does not support any position that appears to be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.

Leo had taken issue with the atrocious conflict in Iran, calling on Trump to find an off-ramp to end the war. He told faithful in an address on Palm Sunday that God rejected the prayers of leaders who start wars and have their hands full of blood.

He had previously called for deep reflections about the way migrants are being treated in the US.

Trump also had a rocky relationship with Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, who criticised Trump's immigration policy proposals when he first ran for president and suggested Trump was not a Christian. Trump had called Francis disgraceful in early 2016.
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Donald Trumps threats to blockade the Strait of Hormuz have sparked fears Iran could counterattack by urging its Houthi allies in Yemen to halt sea traffic through another major shipping corridor in the Middle East.

The entry of the Houthi rebels into the Iran war at the end of March sparked concerns that the group, known for its attacks on shipping, could block the vital Bab al-Mandab strait to oil tankers, causing further economic chaos.

Like the Strait of Hormuz, the strait, also known as the Gate of Tears, is a chokepoint in the region through which large volumes of petroleum and liquefied natural gas pass. Crucially, its a vital strategic link in the maritime trade route between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

open image in gallery Hundreds of commercial vessels have been unable to leave the Strait of Hormuz ( Getty )

The Strait of Hormuz usually accounts for the transit of around a fifth of the worlds oil and gas. But most Western commercial shipping has been effectively halted by Iran since the outbreak of war. Meanwhile, Iran has still been able to sell oil to its allies  particularly China  through the use of so-called dark transit vessels, which have turned off their location transponders.

Meanwhile. Bab al-Mandab sees around 12 per cent of global oil shipments pass through it, as well as other goods, meaning an escalation that results in its closure would deliver yet another blow to the economies relying on imports from the Middle East.

If the US proceeds with its plan to blockade the strait [of Hormuz], Irans escalation strategy could dictate that it ensures Gulf countries cant export, either, Mona Yacoubian, an expert at the US's Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox News.

This could translate to further attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure or even deploying the Houthis to blockade the Bab al-Mandeb, she added.

Irans control of the Strait of Hormuz has meant that around 20 per cent of the worlds oil supply has been constrained since the beginning of the war  a far larger figure than the 1973 oil crisis, during which around just 7 per cent of the worlds oil supplies were brought to a halt in the Middle East.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, soared back past $100 a barrel on Monday, rising by more than 7 per cent to $102 (76) in morning trading and sparking fears of a worsening global energy crisis.

Oil had fallen back below the psychological $100 barrier last week after the US and Iran had agreed on a two-week ceasefire deal, which included reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war in Iran, it cost $78 (58) per barrel.

open image in gallery Bab al-Mandab separates Yemen and Djibouti ( Reuters )

Where is the strait?

The Bab al-Mandab strait, also known as the Gate of Tears, resides between Djibouti and Yemen. The route, around 50km long and 16km wide, is where vessels travel between the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.

The strait provides access to a number of vital ports, such as Saudi Arabias Yanbu, Djiboutis Doraleh, Eritreas Assab, as well as Somalias Kismayu and Somalilands Berbera.

How important is it economically?

Between 2020 and 2023, Bab al-Mandab saw a growing number of barrels transit the strait daily, peaking at 9.3 million a day, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

This dropped drastically to 4.1 million in 2024 after the Houthis launched systematic attacks on commercial ships associated with Israel using the strait.

The International Monetary Fund said that trade through the Suez Canal fell by 50 per cent in the first two months of 2024 compared to the year before, while trade through the Panama Canal fell by 32 per cent.

As traffic fell, insurance costs surged. Major shipping firms rerouted vessels to go past the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa instead, adding an additional 10-14 days to journeys.

What impact would closing it have?

open image in gallery Yanbu, a key port for Saudi Arabia, relies on Bab al-Mandab ( Getty Images )

Closure or disruption to two of the worlds main strategic waterways could be catastrophic for global trade, with energy supplies from the region potentially cut off.

Bab al-Mandab has allowed a trickle of oil to leave the Middle East through circumvention. Saudi Arabia has used the strait strategically to export crude through its vital Yanbu port.

Yanbu is on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, receiving oil through the countrys east-to-west pipeline.

Matthew Wright, a freight analyst for Kpler, told The Independent earlier this month that the pipeline was being pushed to the maximum.

While all the attention is rightly on whats happening in the strait, Yanbu is significant in that its the most active port out of the Middle East gulf at the moment, and if anything were to happen there, it would be a massive blow to continued crude exports from the Middle East, he said.

According to analysts, as of April 2026, Saudi Arabia was exporting around 4.6 to 5 million barrels per day of crude oil from Yanbu, with 80 per cent of exports bound for Asian markets.

Mr Wright warned that potentially losing this, on top of the loss of shipments through Hormuz, would be a major problem.
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The US has begun a blockade of all ships entering and exiting Iranian ports after warning all vessels were at risk of diversion and capture.

Shortly after the blockade began at 2pm UTC, President Trump said on Truth Social: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED.

US Central Command (Centcom) said earlier on Monday that it would enforce a blockade in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz that would apply to all vessels, regardless of flag.

In a note to seafarers, it said any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorisation would be subject to interception, diversion and capture. The blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations.

Centcom added that the blockade would encompass the entirety of the Iranian coastline to include but not limited to ports and oil terminals. However, it said humanitarian shipments including food, medical supplies, and other essential goods would be permitted, subject to inspection.

Nato and other US allies, including the UK, have refused to join the blockade.

An Iranian military spokesperson warned that Tehran would implement a permanent mechanism to control the strait in response, describing Washingtons move as illegal and amounting to piracy.

open image in gallery Iran has maintained control of the vital Strair of Hormuz shipping route ( Reuters )

The spokesperson added that no port in the Gulf or Gulf of Oman would remain secure if Iranian ports were threatened.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency announced: From 14:00 UTC on Monday, access restrictions are being enforced affecting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including locations along the Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Strait of Hormuz. Access restrictions apply without distinction to vessels of any flag engaging with Iranian ports, oil terminals, or coastal facilities.

After reports that Tehran had been charging vessels up to $2m to pass through the strait, President Trump warned on Sunday that the US navy would interdict any ship that had paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas, he said.

The US blockade is expected to lead to a return of the higher oil prices of recent weeks, after they fell upon last weeks ceasefire announcement.

Addressing the House of Commons shortly after the blockade began, Sir Kier Starmer referred to it as a lesson to learn from, specifically regarding energy.

The Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint for oil and gas getting to the international market, said Sir Kier. Thats pushed the price up, thats being reflected in every household. Thats why the only way to take control of our energy bills is to go faster on energy independence

open image in gallery Reports suggest that Tehran has been charging vessels up to $2m to pass through the Strait ( Getty/iStock )

On Monday, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced in a post on X that, alongside Britain, it would host talks this week aimed at creating a peaceful multinational mission to restore freedom of navigation in the strait.

Similar comments were later made by the Qatari foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in a call to his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. According to a statement released by his ministry, Mr Al Thani emphasised the need to open maritime routes, guarantee freedom of navigation and refrain from using them as a tool for pressure or bargaining.

The latest moves came after weekend talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad failed to reach a breakthrough. Vice-president JD Vance, the leader of Washingtons delegation to Pakistan, said on Sunday, We just could not get to a situation where the Iranians were willing to accept our terms. Tehran described the negotiations as being full of mistrust and suspicion.

The talks marked the highest-level negotiations between the US and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Neither side mentioned the possibility of future dialogue. Key points of divergence include the US demand that Iran immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and forfeit its ability to enrich uranium  both demands Tehran ardently rejects.

Deputy prime minister David Lammy met with US vice president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio in Washington DC on Monday, where they discussed the current crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.

Amid the fragile ceasefire, Mr Lammy is understood to have highlighted the role the UK is playing in the international effort to ensure shipping can pass freely through the critical waterway.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump insisted Iran wanted to reach a deal.

Speaking at an impromptu news conference at the White House later on Monday, the president said: "We've been called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work a deal."

On Tehran's control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Mr Trump said: "We can't let a country blackmail or extort the world because that's what they're doing."
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President Donald Trump threatened to blockade the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after negotiations with Iran collapsed over the weekend and oil prices surged.

Were sweeping the strait, he added in reference to the shipping route, and called negotiations very deep.

While the United States later backtracked and said it would not impede vessels sailing through the vital waterway, it said a blockade of Irans ports would continue to go ahead on Monday.

open image in gallery The Strait of Hormuz is one of the worlds major shipping routes ( AP )

Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that approaching military vessels to the Strait of Hormuz is considered a violation of the ceasefire.

Peace talks in Islamabad are said to have failed due to disagreements over the future of Hormuz and the development of Irans nuclear programme. But Trump told reporters he doesnt care whether or not Tehran returns to negotiations.

Tehran insists it is entitled to control the waterway and will seek to impose tolls on vessels passing through.

Irans parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehrans negotiators at the weekend talks with Washington, taunted Trump over rising gas prices, saying: Enjoy the current pump figures.

Why is the Strait of Hormuz so important?

The Strait of Hormuz lies between the Persian Gulf to the north and the Gulf of Oman to the south, opening up to the Arabian Sea and beyond to the rest of the world.

It is roughly 100 miles long, but only 24 miles across at its narrowest point.

open image in gallery The Strait of Hormuz runs to the south of Iran and is just 24 miles across at its narrowest point ( Getty/iStock )

The land-flanked passage lies in Irans territorial waters, but is viewed as an international waterway and is normally open to all ships. It consists of two shipping lanes allowing traffic to pass in opposite directions, each two miles wide, with another two-mile lane separating them.

International law permits countries to exercise control up to 13.8 miles (12 nautical miles) from their coastline. At its narrowest point, the passage comes under both Iranian and Omani control.

Iran lies on one side of the strait, and some of the worlds biggest oil suppliers, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman, lie across the water.

It is one of the worlds most important maritime chokepoints, with 20 million barrels of oil passing through it each day  one-fifth of global oil consumption  and a similar percentage of the worlds supply of liquefied natural gas.

This amounts to over 500 million barrels of oil and 6 million tonnes of gas every month, according to Lloyds List. Much of this is exported to Asian markets, including China, India and Japan. It is the route used by supertankers carrying oil and gas from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Iran.

Around 3,000 shipping vessels pass through the strait every month, including oil tankers, liquefied natural gas containers, and cargo vessels, according to Lloyds List.

On 18 February, Iran closed the Middle Eastern waterway for the first time since the 1980s as Iranian troops took part in live-fire military exercises.

Iran had not previously threatened to close the passage even during its 12-day war with Israel last June, when US-Israeli strikes took out some of the countrys key nuclear and military sites.

Are ships passing through the Strait now?

Before the outbreak of hostilities, around 138 ships were passing through the Strait of Hormuz every day, according to the Joint Maritime Information Centre.

Maritime trackers report that around 40 vessels have passed through since the truce between the US and Iran was agreed.

Despite the ceasefire agreement, shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain constrained, senior crude analyst at Kpler, Johannes Rauball, told The Independent.

open image in gallery Data analysed by Kpler shows a dramatic drop in the passage of dry, liquids, LPG and LNG through the Strait of Hormuz since war broke out on 28 February ( Johannes Rauball/Kpler )

There is still considerable uncertainty regarding a potential resumption of normal flows, as tensions between the US and Iran remain elevated. Both sides are reportedly still far from reaching a comprehensive agreement, and vessel owners are likely to remain hesitant to transit the strait as long as the risk of attacks persists. Many vessel owners will likely wait until a final agreement is reached before transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

At least 17 vessels have been hit during hostilities, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations.

What has the US threatened to do?

Trump backtracked over threats to blockade the Strait despite hinting that several countries had agreed to be involved.

A blockade on Iranian ports will begin Monday at 10am EDT, or 3pm in the UK and 5.30pm in Iran, according to US Central Command.

It said the US would still allow ships travelling from non-Iranian ports to transit through the waterway.

On Saturday, US warships entered the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the outbreak of the conflict, in an effort to clear Iranian mines. Irans state media denied the action had taken place and said that the vessels had been chased out of the area after being threatened with attack.

Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Central Command, said that the US was working on a new passage out of the shipping route.

Will economic chaos continue despite a ceasefire?

The International Energy Agency has warned that the world is facing the worst energy crisis in history. Executive director Fatih Birol told Le Figaro on Tuesday that the oil and gas crisis triggered by the blockade is more serious than the ones in 1973, 1979 and 2022 together.

The world has never experienced a disruption to energy supply of such magnitude, he said.

open image in gallery Millions of barrels of oil are being held up as prices of crude surge ( Nasa Earth Observatory )

He previously told The Wall Street Journal that the world lost 5 million barrels per day during the 1970s but is losing 11 million barrels per day this time, more than two major oil shocks put together.

But even if the Strait of Hormuz were to open tomorrow, experts have warned that the world economy could take months to recover.

The impact will deepen and be long-lasting, warns Neil Quilliam, an energy policy, geopolitics and foreign affairs specialist at Chatham House.

The real shock has yet to be fully felt and will materialise when stocks run down. Even if the war were to end tomorrow and the Strait of Hormuz were reopened, world markets would still feel the shock in the months, as it will take at least six months before the Gulf states can begin to produce and export at capacity once again.
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Locked in a war that has provoked threats of genocide from the US and retaliation from Iran, Washington and Tehran are forming an accidental alliance to strangle global trade and cripple the world economy.

Donald Trumps threat to close the Strait of Hormuz to all Iranian shipping and to all vessels that have paid Tehran an illegally imposed toll for using the international sea passage, combined with Irans illegal blocking of the oil artery, drove the price of a physical barrel of crude oil up to $148.

Already the cause of a global economic slowdown and surge in the price of oil, gas, fertiliser, helium and dozens of other petrochemicals, the Israel-US war on Iran and Tehrans retaliation put all three nations squarely in the dock for violations of international law.

These now include Americas threat to violate the Law of the Sea by making threats against international shipping, which moves about a fifth of the worlds fuel through the Strait.

open image in gallery Donald Trumps threat to close the Strait of Hormuz to all Iranian shipping, combined with Irans illegal blocking of the oil artery, pushed oil to $148 a barrel ( Reuters )

China imports about 31 per cent of the oil shipped, India about 14 per cent. In total, about 86 per cent of all the oil shipped from the Gulf region by this route goes to Asia. So China has called for restraint in the latest desperate efforts of both the US and Iran to take their conflict to a place where each can declare some kind of victory.

It is unclear how a US blockade would be managed. China buys about 80 per cent of Irans oil exports  up to 1.5 million barrels a day. So a threat against ships taking Iranian oil through the only route out of the Gulf is a strategic threat against China.

Sinking a vessel taking oil to China would be an environmental catastrophe. It could, in theory, be seen by Beijing as an act of war. Boarding tankers from Iran by US forces in international waters could be interpreted as enforcing sanctions. But China and Tehran would also argue that such moves would be violations of international laws governing the seascape.

open image in gallery Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz ( Reuters )

Beijing is unlikely to take a belligerent stand. But Xi Jinping would pocket the precedent of a pirate superpower, again ripping up regulations designed to ensure free passage of goods around the world.

China has been building artificial islands in the South China Sea for years in an effort to lay wider claims to sovereignty over a narrow sea passage, which the US and United Nations have ruled are illegal efforts to cheat the international Law of the Sea. The US and the UK, among other allies, frequently sail warships through the South China Sea and close to the new archipelago of fake islands to prevent China from asserting sovereignty.

Trumps latest bizarre threat against Iran included the claim that other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION, he wrote in a social media post. So far, no American allies have agreed to participate in his illegal blockade.

The new tactic emerged after intensive face-to-face talks between Iran and the US, headed by Vice-president JD Vance in Pakistan, yielded no concessions from Iran on its nuclear programme, which the US (and its allies) have said must be shut down for ever.

open image in gallery Chinas ports as global trade turmoil continues ( Getty )

But Trump is running out of options for how to extract America from a war that may have suited Israels far-right agenda of trying to smash the military capabilities of nations that threaten its existence in the region, but delivered nothing that can look like success to anyone in Washington.

The forcing of the issue around the Strait of Hormuz is part of a continued effort to draw Americas traditional allies into the Middle Eastern conflict. This has failed.

Later this week, the UK and France will jointly host an international summit to put together a defensive mission to protect the straits. But they are leaving the US, Israel and Iran to figure out how to end their war.

[It will] advance work on a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends, Sir Keir Starmer posted on X.

The key phrase here is when the conflict ends, which has been a consistent principle of European and other allies who see no strategic benefit nor imperative behind the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Tehran, meanwhile, continues to internationalise the war with demands that any ceasefire with the US and Israel also include an end to attacks in Lebanon, where Israel has unleashed a widespread campaign across the country against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia.

open image in gallery Stockbrokers react during trading hours at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi, 13 April ( AFP/Getty )

Israel and the US have boxed that demand out of ceasefire options. But Washington is now boxed into a puzzle of its own making: how to get out of the war with Iran when none of the aims have been achieved?

The regime remains in charge in Tehran and continues to back militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. It is refusing to give up its nuclear ambitions. Its missile programme threatens Americas friends in the Gulf, and theres no sign that Tehrans leaders will back away from their desire to put an end to the existence of Israel.

Trump, meanwhile, has threatened to put an end to Persian civilisation, in language as directly threatening as anything that Irans ayatollahs have made about Israel.

And this week he is adding threats of piracy and outright war against China, a nuclear power with a gigantic army, navy and air force. Chinas dignified response to Trumps irrational threats and tantrums makes Washington look more like the base of unhinged fanatics and Beijing, a fast-expanding commercial imperial power, a refuge for the rational.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer defended the King's upcoming US state visit as Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey launched a sharp attack on Donald Trump during a parliamentary statement on the Iran crisis.

Davey branded the US president "a dangerous and corrupt gangster" and demanded the visit be cancelled. "We cannot put his majesty in that position," he warned on Monday (13 April).

Starmer held firm, arguing the visit marks the 250th anniversary of the relationship between the two countries. He also reiterated his focus on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The visit, planned for late April, will be the first UK state visit to the US since Queen Elizabeth II in 2007.
In more uncharitable times, if someone declared himself to be Jesus Christ, there was a good chance that room would be found for him in an asylum. These days, he is more likely to end up as president of the United States.

This isnt normal. Even at the height of the Second Great Awakening, when prophets roamed pre-Civil War America preaching their own versions of Christianity, only one  the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith  ever announced a run at the presidency. In January 1844, Smith signalled his candidacy for that Novembers election, but was unfortunately murdered by a mob in Illinois.

Perhaps Smiths mistake was to get the order mixed up. Like Donald Trump, he should have gained the presidency first and proclaimed his divinity some time afterwards.

This weekends posting by Trump of an AI depiction of himself as Jesus healing the sick  blinding light emanating from his hand  is not an image that one would have associated with him in his Apprentice days.

An atheist myself, Id much prefer to disown him, but back in the day I recognised one of my own: unlike Trump, even bad Christians know how to don a cloak of piety. No one could easily imagine the man of Mar-a-Lago listening to a long sermon on charity (or anything else), Trump nodding along to the meek shall inherit the earth, or restraining himself from gratifying an impulse on the grounds of avoiding sin. As someone else pointed out, Trump always appeared to see the Ten Commandments as a to-do list, to which he added a few of his own, such as mocking the afflicted.

When in the run-up to the 2016 election, he was asked by an interviewer what was his favourite book, he replied the Bible. And what was his favourite verse? I wouldnt want to get into it, he said, channelling his inner Bart Simpson, because to me thats very personal.

open image in gallery Pope Leo XIV has said he has no fear of Donald Trumps administration after the president launched a personal attack on the pontiff, calling him weak ( Reuters )

Whatever it was, and despite his obvious moral shortcomings  Leviticus ought to prescribe stoning to death as a punishment for pussy-grabbing  evangelicals endorsed Trump in all his three runs at the presidency. He was an imperfect vessel for the Lords work, but a vessel nonetheless. His Supreme Court justices would strike blows against abortion and in favour of religious privileges. Turn a blind eye to the P-talk.

Becalmed in early 2024, the vessel helped pay his legal fees by issuing a $59.99 Bible ($1,000 for a signed copy). Then that July, when the Lord spared him from the assassins bullet, the event was treated like a compressed Easter: from crucifixion to resurrection, all inside 10 seconds. His ascension was confirmed by the miracle of his re-election.

This Easter, Trumps senior faith advisor, Paula White-Cain, told him that his story paralleled that of you-know-who. Because He rose... you rose up, she said, and you will be victorious in all you put your hands to. And he is already on his way to sainthood: one of his past miracles came to light when White-Cain told a friendly interviewer that, as a child, Trump had attended Sunday school up to three times a week.

Finally, and inevitably, Trump has now decided to condemn the only spiritual leader of comparative stature: the Pope. Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy, Trump truth-socialled; his Holiness clearly having no idea how much devoted work Trump had put in on behalf of stock markets.

open image in gallery Hes not the MessiahDonald Trump appears to see the Ten Commandments as a to-do list ( @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social )

And anyway, as everybody knows, far from being chosen by God, Leo wasnt on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. Leo needs to get his papal act together.

The largest single religious denomination in the US is Catholics, comprising around a fifth of the population. Some 60 per cent of white Catholics voted for Trump in 2024; after he attacked the head of their church, what Catholic who wasnt already totally committed to Trump would now be more likely to support him or his nominees?

Trump himself may have seen the error of his ways, deciding to delete his post after an outcry over the AI Jesus image.

Suetonius relates how, when Caligula ordered the fabled statue of Zeus at Olympia to be moved to Rome, the immense gilded figure burst into a fit of violent laughter and all the workmen fled. There is a point at which hubris becomes a death wish, and the men in white coats finally close in. Now then, Mr Messiah, they say, just slip this on, will you?
On April 13, 1742, German-born composer George Frideric Handel conducted the first ever public performance of Messiah in Dublin.

Choir wows Dublin crowd with rendition of Handels Messiah on the spot it was first performed 284 years ago

Crowds in Dublin city centre were treated to a rendition of Handels Messiah on the 284th anniversary of its first ever performance this week, which took place in the capital.

Packing the pavements and roadway along Fishamble Street in the shadow of Dublin City Council (DCC) headquarters were attendees of all ages, eager to witness the free outdoor performance of one of the greatest pieces of music ever written.

On April 13, 1742, German-born composer George Frideric Handel conducted the first ever public performance of the oratorio in Dublin, the city that councillor Emma Blain, representing the lord mayor, said he trusted with it first.

To walk this street on an ordinary day, you might not give it a second glance. But there is nothing ordinary about this ground, she told the hundreds gathered before the makeshift stage.

284 years ago today on this very spot, one of the greatest pieces of music ever written was heard by human ears for the very first time.

Handel was invited to perform in Dublin by the Duke of Devonshire  then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland  to debut his masterpiece before 700 people. By the early 1740s, Handel's fortunes in London were in steep decline, and Dublin gave him the stage London could not.

Stating that London had begun to take for granted the composer labelled by Beethoven as the greatest composer that ever lived, Ms Blain praised his talent and the significance of his decision to reveal its evolution this side of the Irish Sea.

He had written it in 24 days. 24 days. The kind of creative torrent that makes the rest of us feel we have no excuses whatsoever, and Dublin was the city he trusted with it first.

Once the pleasantries were done, a cacophony of three-century-old chorus from the 120-strong choir of men and women Our Lady's Choral Society, backed by The Dublin Handelian Orchestra, dumbfounded the mass of spectators as it exploded from the erected speakers.

Joining the choir and orchestra was acclaimed mezzo-soprano Sharon Carty who began with the song But who may abide the day of His coming as the dark clouds above made way for warm sunshine to cover proceedings.

Claiming Messiah changed Western music forever, a statement by DCC described the original event in 1742 as one of the most remarkable evenings in musical history.
A former teacher who overpowered a vulnerable teenage girl and sexually assaulted her after he "beckoned" her down a dark alley in Sligo has been jailed for six years.
I could have done cartwheels on the corridor  Health Minister questions why hospital was so quiet at weekend despite patient demand

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill told the Irish Medical Organisations conference it is essential for all hospitals to end the old Monday-to-Friday model

Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill wants to have a six-day system in all hospitals

Eilish O'Regan Mon 13 Apr 2026 at 06:30

Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she could have done cartwheels in the corridor of a major hospital as it was so empty on a Saturday, sparking questions about why clinics, machines and theatres are not used more.
Jonathan Gill delivered bags of presents to Temple Street Hospital weeks before Robbie Lawlor hit arrest

Gill, who describes himself as a professional mediator, dropped off the gifts while being investigated for killing of mobster Robbie Lawlor

Alan Sherry Mon 13 Apr 2026 at 06:30

Gang murder suspect Jonathan Gill wasnt showing any signs of being under pressure when he visited Temple Street Childrens Hospital in Dublin to deliver Christmas presents to kids in December.
Walking will slash your cancer and dementia risk  but only at the right pace. Heres what you need to know
Breaking | Scarlett Faulkner (29) dies in hospital weeks after roadside attack

Ms Faulkner (29) had remained on life support for three weeks after a roadside attack near Birdhill, Co Tipperary

Scarlett Faulkner

Niall Donald and Eoghan Moloney Mon 13 Apr 2026 at 19:49

Scarlett Faulkner, a woman who spent weeks in hospital after suffering a serious assault during a roadside attack in Co Tipperary, has died after her life support machine was switched off.
An atmosphere of suspicion in locked room in Pakistan  how US-Iran talks fell apart

No compromise on enriching uranium by Iranians as an exhausted JD Vance leaves negotiations

US vice-president JD Vance arriving for the meeting with Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday. Photo: AP

Connor Stringer Telegraph Media Group Holdings Ltd Mon 13 Apr 2026 at 06:30

After 21 hours of negotiations and a dozen calls to Donald Trump, it took JD Vance less than four minutes to announce that no deal had been struck between the US and Iran.
Brendan OConnor: Stuff the Gulf oil crisis. Were making one of our own

But listen, we all want this over before the kids go back to school tomorrow

The M50 northbound was nowherebound for large parts of last week. Photo: PA

Brendan O'Connor Sun 12 Apr 2026 at 06:30

News of a ceasefire on Thursday night led to widespread relief. But then it emerged the ceasefire was about as watertight as one negotiated by Donald Trump.
Gardai on OConnell Street in Dublin yesterday on the sixth day of the fuel protest. Photo: Niall Carson/PA

As a nation founded out of revolution, we have a distinct respect for protests. Over a hundred years on from the Easter Rising, a rising of a different sort took place outside the GPO on OConnell Street this past week.

The fuel protests sparked by the rising cost of oil, worsened by the war in the Middle East, started out quietly enough after the Easter bank holiday weekend, but quickly escalated into a full-blown national crisis.

A blockade of fuel depots and the countrys only oil refinery resulted in petrol stations not being resupplied for days on end.

The combination of rolling roadblocks and a shortage of petrol and diesel at the pumps caused massive disruption nationwide, affecting everything from businesses to patients attending medical appointments.

Hospitals, ambulances and fire services were warning of curtailed services, with knock-on impacts on public safety. The effects of the blockades were obvious to all concerned and there was no sign of a resolution due to the gap between the demands of the protesters and the government supports. Something had to give.

The fuel protests placed the gardai in an invidious position as arbitrators on when peaceful protest turned into breaking the law. On the fifth day of the protests, gardai undertook action to disperse protesters blocking access to Corks Whitegate Oil Refinery.

We gave the blockaders fair warning that we were moving to enforcement

Several arrests were made and pepper spray had to be used at one point, with the public order unit deployed. Gardai had operated on the basis of the 4Es  engage, explain, encourage and enforce. After multiple appeals to drop the blockade on a vital national facility, it was clear the demonstration was going to continue.

The garda response was patient, prepared and proportionate. Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said the blockade on critical infrastructure was not a legitimate form of protest, but actually an illegal act endangering the State.

The protesters at Whitegate were given plenty of warning as gardai followed procedures.

We never want to do this, but the blockaders have left us with no choice. We gave the blockaders fair warning that we were moving to enforcement and they choose to ignore it and continue to hold the country to ransom, Commissioner Kelly said.

The premature threats of utilising the Defence Forces to physically break up the protests and remove the heavy vehicles did not materialise. The Defence Forces did assist the gardai by having their heavy machinery on standby. However, common sense seemed to prevail once it emerged the gardais intentions were on keeping the access to the refinery clear. Gardai followed up with an operation on OConnell Street in Dublin and this prompted the protests at fuel depots in Foynes in Limerick, and Galway to be stood down.

The operational independence of An Garda Siochana is a core tenet of the forces policing model. In this case, the approach of garda management was appropriate in responding to the developing situation. The protests ended as quickly as they had begun.
A Tricolour on a truck on O'Connell Street in Dublin as the fuel protests continue to bring the country to a standstill. Photo: Getty

Ignore the misery merchants. Ireland is not on the brink of civil war. There is every reason to trust that pragmatism will win out in the coming hours and bring an end to the fuel protests crippling the country.

Nevertheless, the crisis and chaos that have ensued cannot be downplayed.

That the Government was clearly caught unawares by the depth of anger felt by farmers, hauliers and their supporters is far from reassuring, given that it has gathered an army of advisers, all handsomely paid, to keep their ears to the ground.

If, as the Taoiseach declared last week, the shutdown of fuel depots by protesters constituted national sabotage, then the failure to see it coming suggests too many of the countrys governing class remain alarmingly out of touch.

The Governments initial instinct to stand firm probably stems from lessons learned after similar grassroots movements erupted in other countries, not least the Gilets Jaunes in France.

That challenge to the establishment ultimately fizzled out due to a lack of political coordination.

Last weeks groundswell of discontent at the price of diesel has also felt at times like a projection screen on which the grievances of numerous other disparate groups could be cast, from immigration and climate policy to whatever youre having yourself. The inchoate nature of the movement gives it breadth, but not depth.

That makes it harder for the Government to know which sting to take from which tail.

People feel crucial decisions are made by an aloof elite who do not understand the challenges their families face

The dilemma for protesters is that continuing to blockade vital infrastructure hurts the people on whose support any popular movement ultimately relies, and more so the longer it lasts. Todays Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll shows a majority support the protests, but that is unlikely to last if people do not get paid because they cannot get to work, if patients are unable to access vital medical care and if parents do not have enough fuel in the tank for the school run.

After initially giving the impression of being paralysed by indecision and fear, ministers have come up with an as-yet undetermined package of measures while insisting, not unreasonably, that protesters disperse before it is introduced.

When passions cool, it would be wise to recognise in turn that the global crisis sending fuel prices soaring in the short term is not of the Governments making. Ireland has reaped the benefits of the globalised economy, but that inevitably means we will be exposed when it is shaken.

In a way, the Government can be said to have fallen foul of its own growing fondness for presenting itself as the answer to every problem. As energy credits and other one-off measures come to seem less like exceptions than expectations, it has created a presumption that it will intervene to correct every economic glitch if under pressure to do so.

Yet the shape of political debate should not be dictated by those with the greatest ability to gridlock roads. The bigger problem for the Government is not tractors on OConnell Street, but a wider loss of trust. Too many people feel that crucial decisions about their lives are made by an aloof elite who do not understand the challenges their families face.

Winning the consent of the discontented may yet become more difficult if the global economy goes into freefall, but continuing to turn a deaf ear would set back any reconciliation with the grudgingly governed further still.
The star of Bridgerton surprised staff as she attended random screening of The Magic Faraway Tree

Nicola Coughlan poses with staff at The Eye Cinema in Galway. Photo: The Eye Cinema/Facebook

Acclaimed Irish actress Nicola Coughlan has been spotted at a local cinema in her hometown of Galway after she posed with starstruck staff.

The Galway native visited the Eye Cinema in Wellpark, Galway city, over the weekend following the release of her latest film The Magic Faraway Tree on March 27.

Nothing to see here, just the lovely Nicola Coughlan popping in to The Eye Cinema to make sure we are all set with our screenings of The Magic Faraway Tree, the cinema said on social media.

What an honour to meet Nicola in person, we are still pinching ourselves in disbelief, totally star struck, they added.

The Eye Cinema reopened for business in February, having been forced to close for six months after suffering significant flood damage last August during a Status Yellow rain warning.

Significant repairs were required as part of the outside structure collapsed, while the building was flooded and parts of the inner ceiling collapsed.

Having been a local favourite for many movie-goers, the cinemas absence was keenly felt during its closure, but has since returned to its previous popularity over the past two months.

38-year-old actress Nicola Coughlan has a storied history in Galway, having grown up in Oranmore and attending Calasanctius College before graduating from University of Galway (then National University of Ireland Galway) with a degree in English and Classical Civilisation.

Since her breakthrough role in Channel 4's hit comedy Derry Girls, Nicola has starred in popular Netflix drama Bridgerton, blockbuster film Barbie and comedy-drama, Big Mood.

The Irish star now splits her time between her hometown and London and is regularly spotted visiting businesses across Galway.
A windsurfer who got into difficulty north of Scarggane Bay  near Castlegregory  on Friday morning was successfully rescued by the crew of a local fishing boat that was in the area.

Fenit RNLI volunteers were tasked to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 11.28am following a report from the Irish Coast Guard that the windsurfer was in difficulty, after a member of the public raised the alarm.

The lifeboat launched promptly under the command of Coxswain John Moriarty, with a crew of four on board. The Irish Coast Guard also deployed Rescue 115 helicopter from Shannon to assist.

Weather conditions at the time were described as moderate with a force 6-7 south westerly wind and a 5m swell as the lifeboat proceeded to the scene eight nautical miles from the station.

As the lifeboat was arriving on scene, the Coxswain received an update from the Coast Guard that a local fishing crew in the area at the time had made their way to the scene and had recovered the casualty into their boat and were bringing them safely back to Scarggane Pier.

The lifeboat crew was requested to stand by until the windsurfer was safely ashore. The casualty was cold but otherwise safe and well.

The Coast Guard followed up with the fishing crew to check if the casualty required medical assistance. When it was deemed the casualty was safe and in no need of further casualty care, both the lifeboat and helicopter were stood down.

Speaking following the call out, Fergus Kelliher, Fenit RNLI Lifeboat Operations Manager said: "We would like to commend the member of the public for their vigilance this morning in raising the alarm when they spotted someone in difficulty, that is always the right thing to do. We would also like to wish the windsurfer well. Our crew responded quickly this morning and launched into deteriorating weather conditions. We would like to commend them and our colleagues from the Coast Guard for their efforts.

We would like to remind anyone planning a trip to sea to go prepared. Always check the weather and tides in advance, and always let someone on the shore know where you are going and when you are due back. Should you get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard.
Gillian Lane, Audrey Lane and Alison Lane at the Rose Hotel 10 year anniversary celebration dinner on Friday evening. Photo by Mark O'Sullivan.

The Rose Hotel in Tralee has all this past week been celebrating 10 years in business, the highlight of which came on Friday night when the popular four-star hotel held a celebratory anniversary dinner to mark the occasion.

There were around 140 guests in attendance on the night, all of whom enjoyed a champagne reception followed by a delicious meal in the Lee Suite.

Guests on the night included members of the Henggeler family and friends as well as representatives from local community groups and business organisations in Tralee.

The hotel opened back in 2016 following a refurbishment programme and has since become a major part of the local tourism and business sector.

Last weeks anniversary coincided with further investment in the property, including the refurbishment of 70 bedrooms, that was completed just last month.

To mark the occasion, the hotels owners, the Henggeler family, hosted a number of events including a Radio Kerry outside broadcast featuring interviews with family members, management and long-serving staff, reflecting on the hotels development over the past decade.

As part of the celebrations, the winners of the hotels 10,000 National Schools Competition across Kerry have been announced. Ten schools each received 1,000 technology vouchers intended to support digital learning.

The anniversary has also been used to recognise staff, with ten employees acknowledged for more than 10 years of service.

The hotel also noted its involvement with two US television programmes, Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right, through which prize winners will stay at the property as part of travel packages.

In a statement, the Henggeler family thanked guests, staff and the local community for their support over the past decade.

See photos from the anniversary dinner below:

Sherbi O'Brien, Brendan O'Brien and Gillian Wharton enjoying themselves at The Rose Hotel's 10 year anniversary celebration dinner on Friday evening. Photo by Mark O'Sullivan.

Phill Cremins with Orla and Michael Hickey at the Rose Hotel's anniversary dinner on Friday evening to mark 10 years in business. Photo by Mark O'Sullivan.

Don ONeill, Donal O'Neill, Eibhlin Henggeler (The Rose Hotel Owner) and Pascal Guillermie at the Rose Hotel's 10 year anniversary celebration dinner on Friday evening. Photo by Mark O'Sullivan.

Denis Griffin, Laura Costello, Judy Costello and Maureen Curtain at the Rose Hotel 10 year anniversary dinner on Friday evening. Photo by Mark O'Sullivan.

Kate O'Donoghue, Pat O'Leary and Eileen O'Leary were all smiles as they enjoyed The Rose Hotel 10 year anniversary celebration dinner on Friday evening. Photo by Mark O'Sullivan.

Minister Norma Foley, Stephen Stack and Tadhg Moriarty pictured at The Rose Hotel's 10 year anniversary celebration dinner on Friday evening. Photo by Mark O'Sullivan.

Franz Henggeler, Mary Distino, Eileen Henggeler and Nancy Greer at The Rose Hotel's 10 year anniversary celebration on Friday evening. Photo by Mark O'Sullivan.
May bank holiday in Kilkenny: Top five things to do from kayaking to exploring the medieval streets of the city
Firefighters at the rear of the building.

The function room of the Glenside Hotel was destroyed by fire on Monday.

The function room of the Glenside Hotel was destroyed by fire on Monday.

Thankfully in was only the function room of the hotel that was effected by Mondays fire.

The function room of the Glenside Hotel was destroyed by fire on Monday.

The function room of the Glenside Hotel was destroyed by fire on Monday.

The function room at the Glenside Hotel in Drogheda has been extensively damaged following a fire, with the area described as absolutely gutted.

Firefighters attended the scene of the blaze, which broke out shortly after 12 noon.

It is understood that while the function room suffered significant damage, the bar, restaurant and guest accommodation remain unaffected.

A spokesperson for Meath Fire Services said crews were alerted to the incident shortly after 12pm on Monday.

Meath Fire Services were alerted to a fire shortly after 12pm today (Monday, 13 April 2026) at a premises in Drogheda, Co. Meath, the spokesperson said.

The function room of the Glenside Hotel was destroyed by fire on Monday.

A Drogheda fire crew responded initially, supported by crews from Balbriggan and Navan.

While the fire caused significant damage to a large room in the east side of the building, crews successfully contained the fire and brought it under control quickly, preventing it from spreading to the remainder of the premises.

Some areas of the building have sustained smoke and water damage.

One fire crew remains on site carrying out dampening-down operations and ensuring the safe handover of the building.

In a statement shared on social media, management confirmed that the hotel is now closed until further notice, while reassuring the public that no injuries were reported.

We are sorry to say that we are closed until further notice. Thankfully everybody is safe and well, the statement read.

The function room of the Glenside Hotel was destroyed by fire on Monday.

The hotel added that efforts are now underway to contact customers affected by the closure.

We are working towards contacting all of our bookings as soon as possible. Please bear with us, the message continued.

The function room of the Glenside Hotel was destroyed by fire on Monday.

Local councillor Debbie McCole expressed her concern following the incident.

Very sad to hear about the fire at the Glenside Hotel. My thoughts are with all guests, staff, management, and emergency services dealing with the situation, she said.

I sincerely hope that everyone is safe and that no one has been injured. Incidents like this are distressing for all involved, especially the hardworking staff and management who will be facing a very difficult time.

Thank you to our emergency services, especially Louth County Fire Service, for their swift action.

Fireservices from Louth, Meath and Dublin responded.

Joanna Byrne TD also shared her support for the team at the hotel.

This is a devastating blow to Karen, Aogan and all the team who have been flying in their successes in recent years, and Ive no doubt they are in the thoughts of everyone in Drogheda and the surrounding area right now.

Its times like this that the strength of our community really shines.

A well-known, family-run establishment, The Glenside Hotel is recognised locally for its warm atmosphere and hospitality, hosting weddings, celebrations and events throughout the year.

Located just outside Drogheda, near Julkianstown, the venue has long been a popular destination for both locals and visitors.
A 45-year-old man found with a hammer and then a knife on successive days in the same Dundalk shopping centre has been jailed for four months.

Edmunds Vipolzovs, no fixed abode, who had the assistance of an interpreter, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the incidents earlier this year since when he has been in custody.

Court presenter Sgt Richie Browne said that on February 18 last gardai saw the defendant with a hammer in a plastic bag at Marshes Shopping Centre.

He said it was for breaking windows because he had nowhere to stay.

The next day, Mr Vipolzovs was highly intoxicated and verbally abusive to staff. When he fell over a knife fell out of his pocket.

Gardai arrived and seized the knife. In the presence of officers he continued to verbally abuse staff, telling them to f**k off in front of members of the public.

He has 17 previous convictions, including for burglary, public order and theft.

Solicitor Steven Bellew said that his client was stuck in Ireland with no support network.

He has an addiction and is homeless. Gardai are holding his passport. He cant get a bed without identification.

Mr Bellew sought the release of Mr Vipolzovs passport.

Judge Nicola Andrews directed that the passport be given to the solicitor.

Concurrent four-month sentences were imposed on the hammer and knife charges, backdated to February 19, 2026.

Other charges were taken into consideration.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
A 49-year-old man has been sentenced to two months in prison at Sligo District Court after stealing approximately 1,560 worth of goods from a pharmacy.

Elvis Dulea (49) formerly of Mivea Miora, Luiea Nsra, Bucresti, Romania was charged with stealing various perfumes and cosmetics to the valued at 614 from Boots, Attifinlay, Carrick on Shannon, Co. Leitrim on September 22, 2025. He was also charged from stealing various perfumes and cosmetics valued at 946.24 from the same pharmacy on November 25, 2025.

Sergeant David McDonagh told court that the defendant was subsequently identified on CCTV after both incidents and no goods were recovered.

The court heard that Dulea has no previous convictions.

Ms Laura Spellman, solicitor (defending), told Judge Eiteain Cunningham that her client is a married man with two children. She added that Dulea arrived in Ireland last year and unfortunately took the foolish decision to engage in theft.

Ms Spellman explained that her client had the idea of taking the goods and selling them on to make money for himself and his family.

Ms Spellman said that Dulea pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and that he is hopeful that he will get employment.

Judge Cunningham said that these are serious matters and noted that Dulea has no previous convictions. She added that Dulea stole significant amounts of goods whilst businesses are struggling in the current economic climate.

Judge Cunningham noted that Dulea did plead guilty at the earliest opportunity. She asked the probation officer to see if Dulea would be suitable for community service.

However, the defendant was not deemed suitable for community service.

Judge Cunningham sentenced Dulea to two months in prison.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.
A Wexford married couple have been given a send off by the local community as they step back from their successful pub and restaurant to enter retirement.

The Slaney Inn Bar and Restaurant in Oylegate, running for over 30 years, has been serving traditional Irish pub food, including daily specials like roast beef, bacon and cabbage, and homemade desserts, with breakfast served all day.

Helmed by couple Willie Kavanagh, a former councillor, and his wife Catherine, they recently made the decision to retire fully from the business after receiving an offer they could not refuse.

His son Mark, who has been involved in the business since 1999, and who stepped away during the recession before leading the restaurant for the last eight years, is also leaving the business for another career path.

Much respected members of the community, Oylegate United expressed their gratitude to Willie, Catherine, and Mark for their continued sponsorship of the club since 2007 with a presentation.

We wish them good health and happiness for the future, the club said.

The business is being taken over by businessman Michael Stamp and will be closed for a period of time in April to allow the new owner to make changes before its grand reopening.

The couple, on the other hand, are looking forward to rest and relaxation.
After almost two decades serving the community with gourmet food, the Greystones branch of Donnybrook Fair will close its doors for the final time at 3pm, on Saturday, April 18.

The announcement comes via its manager Ian Meechan, who expressed gratitude for the loyalty and support of the local customer base over the years.

"We want to sincerely thank you for your loyalty and support over the years, Mr Meechan said. We value each and every one of our customers, and it has been our pleasure to serve the community at this location.

Donnybrook Fair has undergone several closures as part of an extensive review of store viability by its owner, the Musgrave Group, which bought the chain from its founders Joe and Mary Doyle, in 2018.

The County Wicklow outlet was the brand's fourth location, following the opening of the flagship store in Donnybrook village (2001). The closure follows the brands exit from Dundrum  the first to open following Musgraves acquisition of the brand  where the outlet closed in January this year. The Baggot Street branch ceased trading in November 2024.

Following the closure of the Greystones outlet, the brand is expected to continue operating at the following locations: Donnybrook (Morehampton Road), Stillorgan Village Shopping Centre and Malahide.

The Greystones store will be missed. It had become a staple for many residents, particularly through its deli services, with a huge range of food offered including stir-fry meals cooked to order in store, quality take-home meals and fresh sandwiches.

It boasted a well-stocked wine cellar and its cafe was a popular meeting place for the community, given its location further away from the main street and in a busy residential area. In the past, it also hosted a craft butcher and fishmonger.

The closure has been noted as part of a challenging period for local businesses, coinciding with the recent unannounced closure of Elysian Brows & Beauty at the beginning of April, after its owner said the business had become unsustainable amid challenges in recent years, including rising costs, staffing shortages and a difficult operating environment.

For loyal customers, Donnybrook Fair meals and bakery will remain available in the Centra Kilcoole store and in SuperValu Greystones.

Locals took to social media to express their sadness at the loss, with many praising the long-serving staff, true professionals who will be so missed by this community.

"It was a choice that provided a special treat for birthdays and family celebrations, another resident said. A quiet corner to read, write or have a chat. Thank you and best wishes.
A detached manufacturing and warehouse facility in a north Wicklow business park has come to market with an asking price of 1,210,000.

Unit 4 at Killarney Road Business Park in Bray extends to approximately 1,103 sqm and is being offered for sale by Agar Commercial Property Consultants.

The property comprises a two-bay manufacturing warehouse extending to around 911 sqm, along with two-storey office accommodation to the front of approximately 121 sqm. The building also includes on-site car parking.

Located on Killarney Road, close to its junction with Boghall Road, the unit sits within an established commercial area with adjoining occupiers including Industrial Packaging, Key Plastics and Lidl. The surrounding area comprises a mix of light industrial, office and residential uses.

The facility was originally constructed in 1992 using a concrete portal frame, with an additional warehouse section added in 2002 of steel portal frame construction.

It has an internal eaves height of approximately six metres, along with a roller shutter gate and level gate access. The structure includes a reinforced concrete floor, part concrete block walls and part metal cladding.

The unit is fitted with three-phase power, gas central heating and is alarmed throughout.

The property has a BER rating of D1 and is available immediately, with the agent noting it may suit an owner-occupier.

The business park is located close to Bray town centre, with the N11/M50 motorway approximately 1.5km away.

Commercial rates for 2026 are 13,610, while VAT is not expected to apply to the sale. Title is held under a 999-year lease from January 1992.
Former State pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy with Hayley Murphy from the ANU Wicklow Domestic Violence Supports and Bray Womens Refuge, and Elaine Byrne, court support and court accompaniment social worker.

Support services in Wicklow are raising concerns that coercive control laws are not working as intended, with many victims facing significant barriers when seeking justice.

Despite growing awareness of this hidden form of abuse, those on the frontline say proving it in court remains one of the biggest obstacles.

Coercive control is a form of domestic abuse that often leaves no visible marks, yet its impact can be deeply damaging.

Unlike physical violence, it is characterised by patterns of behaviour designed to dominate, isolate and instil fear.

This abuse can take many forms. It may involve a partner constantly monitoring someones whereabouts, questioning who they speak to, or demanding access to their phone, passwords and social media accounts.

It can also include controlling finances, restricting contact with friends and family, or making it difficult for a person to work, study or make independent decisions. Victims are often subjected to repeated criticism, belittlement and manipulation.

They may be made to feel as though they are overreacting or imagining problems. Some are threatened with losing their children or damaging their reputation.

If someone makes you question your reality, feel afraid to express your needs, or feel guilty for having emotions, that is emotional abuse, said a spokesperson for ANU Wicklow Domestic Violence Supports.

The organisation said recognising these behaviours is an important first step and that support is available to anyone who may be experiencing them.

Hayley Murphy, the outreach coordinator for ANU, described coercive control as an abuse that is often hidden in plain sight.

It does not always leave bruises. It does not always come with witnesses. Yet for those living through it, it is constant, suffocating and deeply damaging, said Ms Murphy.

She said many victims find themselves changing who they are to keep the peace and walking on eggshells in their own homes.

This is what coercive control looks like. It is the look that silences. The tone that intimidates. The silent treatment. It is checking the mileage on your car, wanting to know where you are at all times, controlling money and limiting your independence, said Ms Murphy.

She added that over time, this behaviour erodes a persons sense of self, confidence and autonomy.

Although coercive control is recognised in Irish law, there are concerns about how effectively it is enforced.

How do you prove a look? How do you prove fear built day by day? said Ms Murphy.

She said the nature of coercive control, which often happens in private without witnesses, makes it difficult to prove in court.

As a result, cases rarely proceed and, when they do, the charge can be overshadowed by other offences.

In some cases, perpetrators plead guilty to lesser charges, such as assault, in exchange for coercive control charges being dropped.

For victims, this can feel like a failure of justice.

Many are faced with giving evidence and being cross-examined about deeply personal experiences, often without dedicated legal support.

Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore said more must be done to address domestic and gender-based violence.

I see more and more really tragic situations of domestic violence and gender-based violence, and it feels like we are getting further and further away from actually being able to deal with this as a country, said Ms Whitmore.

I know centres like Bray Womens Refuge do incredible work, but we need the government to properly invest to ensure this issue is tackled and that supports are there for women.

She added that women need to feel safe, both in their homes and in their communities.

Women have dealt with this for far too long. They need support and they need to feel safe, whether that is in their home or in their community. Women need, deserve and should feel safe wherever they are, said Ms Whitmore.

Campaigners have also raised concerns about how domestic violence laws are working in practice. Ms Murphy pointed to proposed measures such as Jennys Law, which would create a register of domestic violence offenders.

Jennys Law is named after Jennifer Poole, who was murdered by her ex-partner.

While such measures have been welcomed, she said delays in implementation mean victims are still left without adequate protection.

Legislation can be introduced with urgency, but it can take years to make a real impact. Every delay leaves people living in fear, said Ms Murphy.

Coercive control is not a single incident, but an ongoing pattern that strips away identity, independence and self-worth.

While awareness has grown, questions remain about whether enough is being done to protect victims.

"The question must be asked, why is it taking so long, and how many more must suffer while we wait? said Ms Murphy.

Support is available from ANU Wicklow Domestic Violence Supports on 086 059 7560, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, while Bray Womens Refuge operates a 24-hour helpline on 01 286 6163.

If you need support outside Wicklow, contact Women's Aid on 1800 34 19 00, email helpline@womensaid.ie or see womensaid.ie

Womens Aid also have a text service for deaf and hard of hearing women available 8am  8pm, seven days a week on 087 959 7980.

You can also get help via Men's Aid Ireland on 01 554 3811, hello@mensaid.ie or mensaid.ie

Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme
Donald Trump deletes AI image of himself as Jesus-like figure after drawing global outrage

Trump's post depicted him in white robe with hand on man's headSome supporters criticise image, which was later deletedPope Leo says he has no fear of Trump administration

AI image posted by Donald Trump online.

Helen Coster and Joseph Ax Reuters Mon 13 Apr 2026 at 18:18

US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure on Sunday, drawing widespread criticism even from some religious conservatives who typically support him, before deleting the post on Monday.
Your job here is not to fight one another, it is to fight this climate crisis, UN climate chief tells Cop30 in Brazil
Donald Trump reviews proposal to end war as Vladimir Putin hosts Iran minister



US president Donald Trump discussed a new Iranian proposal on resolving the war with Tehran with his top national security aides on Monday, with the conflict currently in a standoff and energy supplies from the region reduced.



Iranian sources disclosed Tehrans latest proposal earlier on Monday, which would set aside discussion of Irans nuclear programme until the war is ended and disputes over shipping from the Gulf are resolved. That is unlikely to satisfy Washington, which says nuclear issues must be dealt with from the outset.



Work has not halted to bridge gaps between the US and Iran, sources from mediator Pakistan said, despite the absence of face-to-face diplomacy after Mr Trump called off a trip by his envoys over the weekend.



Hopes of reviving peace efforts have receded since Mr Trump scrapped a visit on Saturday by his envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner to Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, where Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi shuttled in and out twice over the weekend.



Mr Araghchi also visited Oman over the weekend and went to Russia day, where he met president Vladimir Putin and received words of support from a long-standing ally.



With the warring sides still seemingly far apart on issues including Irans nuclear ambitions and access through the crucial Strait of Hormuz, oil prices resumed their upward march yesterday, hitting a two-week high.



Mr Trump met his national security team on Monday morning.



I dont want to get ahead of the president or his national security team, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said.



What I will reiterate is that the presidents red lines with respect to Iran have been made very, very clear, not just to the American public, but also to them as well.



Mr Araghchi told reporters in Russia that Mr Trump had requested negotiations because the US has not achieved any of its objectives.



Senior Iranian sources told Reuters the proposal carried by Mr Araghchi to Islamabad over the weekend envisioned talks in stages, with the nuclear issue to be set aside at the start.



A first step would require ending the US-Israeli war on Iran and providing guarantees that Washington cannot start it up again. Then negotiators would resolve the US blockade and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran aims to reopen under its control.



Only then would talks look at other issues, including the long-standing dispute over Irans nuclear programme, with Iran still seeking some kind of US acknowledgment of its right to enrich uranium for what it says are peaceful purposes.



In a sign that no face-to-face meetings are planned any time soon, streets reopened in Pakistans capital Islamabad, which had been locked down for a week in anticipation of talks that never took place. Pakistani officials said negotiations were still taking place remotely, but there were no plans to convene a meeting in person until the sides were close enough to sign a memorandum.



Although a ceasefire has paused the US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28, no agreement has been reached on terms to end a war that has killed thousands, driven up oil prices, fuelled inflation and darkened the outlook for global growth.



Iran has largely blocked all shipping apart from its own from the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began.



This month, the US began blockading Iranian ships. Six tankers loaded with Iranian oil have been forced back to Iran by the US blockade in recent days, ship-tracking data shows, underscoring the impact the war is having on traffic.



Between 125 and 140 ships usually crossed in and out of the strait daily before the war, but only seven have done so in the past day, according to Kpler ship-tracking data and satellite analysis from SynMax and none of them were carrying oil bound for the global market.



Fighting has intensified in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes killed 14 people and wounded 37 in the south on Sunday, according to the health ministry, making it the deadliest day since a US-brokered ceasefire was agreed in mid-April.



Iran says it will not hold talks on the wider conflict unless a ceasefire also holds in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March in pursuit of the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, which fired across the border in support of Tehran.



German chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday, Irans leadership was humiliating the US and getting US officials to travel to Pakistan and then leave without results, in an unusually abrupt rebuke over the conflict.



The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating



Mr Merz also said he not see what exit strategy the US was pursuing in the Iran war  comments that underlined deep divisions between Washington and its Nato allies, which had already been festering over Ukraine and other issues.



The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skilful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result, he said during a talk to students in the town of Marsberg.



An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible, Mr Merz said.



Steve Holland, Ariba Shahid and Parisa Hafezi

Reuters




Artemis crew Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen and Victor Glover stand in front of their Orion spacecraft after landing safely in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday. Photo: AP

Elon Musk and Jeff Bezoss moon landers could be pitted against each other in a 400km-high job interview to see which one performs best.

Both Musks SpaceX and Bezoss Blue Origin companies are working on systems that can take astronauts to and from the lunar surface and after Nasa changed its schedule for the upcoming Artemis missions, the two will be in direct competition.
Indias Food Processing Industry in 2026: Growth Trends, PLI Impact, and Export Performance

Indias food processing industry in 2026 continues to demonstrate steady expansion, supported by strong domestic demand, export orientation, and sustained policy intervention. As one of the largest segments of the Indian economy, the sector plays a critical role in linking agriculture with industry while contributing to value addition, employment generation, and trade growth.

Food processing sectoral overview and structure

Indias food processing sector is broad-based and diversified, covering multiple value chains across categories such as the following:

Fruits and vegetables Spices Meat and poultry Dairy and milk products Fisheries Grain processing Plantation products Alcoholic beverages Value-added consumer segments such as confectionery, cocoa products, soya-based foods, mineral water, and high-protein foods

For two decades, Indias food processing industry has expanded steadily, driven by increased private participation, improved supply chains, and evolving consumer preferences.

Policy framework and industrial promotion

Central government policies, such as the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, have played a central role in shaping the sectors growth trajectory. Investment has been encouraged through:

Joint ventures and foreign collaborations Industrial licensing reforms Establishment of 100 percent export-oriented units (EOUs)

In addition, other initiatives such as Make in India have positioned food processing as a priority manufacturing sector by promoting infrastructure development, innovation, and investment facilitation.

ALSO READ: Top Manufacturing Clusters in India: A Sector-wise Breakdown

PLI Scheme: Structure and objectives

A key policy driver in recent years has been the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for the Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI). Implemented over a six-year period (FY 2021-22 to FY 2026-27) with a total outlay of INR 109 billion, the scheme aims to strengthen the sectors competitiveness and scale.

The scheme is structured around three primary pillars:

Promotion of key food segments: Incentives target categories such as ready-to-cook (RTC) and ready-to-eat (RTE) products, processed fruits and vegetables, marine products, and specialty items such as mozzarella cheese. Support for innovation and MSMEs: Dedicated provisions encourage small and medium enterprises engaged in innovative and organic product development. Global branding and market access: Financial assistance is provided for international branding, including in-store promotion, shelf placement, and overseas marketing initiatives.

Industry participation and capacity expansion

As per the central government estimates, the PLISFPI has seen broad-based participation across the industry:

128 companies approved across 274 units nationwide

Strong MSME representation, with 68 MSME beneficiaries

Inclusion of 40 contract manufacturing units

This inclusive participation model has contributed to strengthening the overall value chain while enabling both large enterprises and smaller firms to scale operations. The scheme has also facilitated modernization, technological upgrades, and capacity creation across multiple states.

Investment trends and economic impact

The sector has recorded strong investment momentum under the PLI framework:

Total investments realized: INR 92.07 billion Initial committed investment: INR 77.22 billion Geographical spread: Investments across 22 states

In terms of outcomes:

Additional processing capacity: Approximately 3.4 million metric tonnes per annum Employment generation: Around 329,000 jobs (direct and indirect)

Growth indicators remain stable, with:

Sales growth (PLI-supported products): CAGR of 10.58 percent

Export growth: CAGR of 7.41 percent

These trends reflect sustained industry confidence despite global economic uncertainties.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) trends

Indias food processing sector continues to attract foreign investment. Total FDI inflows into food processing, from April 2000 till December 2025, are valued at US$15.856 billion.

The steady increase in FDI reflects improving ease of doing business, rising consumption demand, and expanding export opportunities.

Food processing industry economic contribution

The sector remains a key contributor to Indias economic landscape:

Accounts for approximately 32 percent of the total food market Ranked among the top five sectors in production, consumption, and exports Significant contributor to GDP, industrial output, and employment

Its role as an employment-intensive industry is particularly relevant in supporting rural and semi-urban economies.

Export performance and product composition

Indias processed food exports reached US$7,886.62 million in FY 2024-25, reflecting a diversified export basket.

Product category Exports (US$ million) Miscellaneous preparations 1,476.71 Cereal preparations 933.78 Processed vegetables 897.07 Pulses 854.96 Groundnuts 794.99 Processed fruits, juices & nuts 721.86 Guargum 568.97 Jaggery & confectionery 406.92 Alcoholic beverages 353.17 Cucumber & gherkins (prepared/preserved) 306.72 Cocoa products 295.55 Milled products 192.20 Mango pulp 80.40 Other oil cake/solid residues 3.32

Source: Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA)

This diversified portfolio reduces export concentration risk and enhances resilience.

Indias processed food export orientation

Indias geographic positioning provides a natural advantage in global trade. The country maintains strong connectivity with:

Europe

The Middle East (particularly the Gulf region)

East and Southeast Asia, including Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and South Korea

This strategic location supports efficient supply chains and facilitates growing trade in agricultural and processed food products.

CLICK HERE TO KNOW: What is Indias FDI Outlook for 2026? Key Policy Changes, Sectors, and Trade Deals

Outlook for 2026 and beyond

Indias food processing industry in 2026 reflects a combination of policy-driven growth, increasing private investment, and expanding global integration. The PLI scheme, in particular, has emerged as a key catalyst by driving investment, enhancing capacity, and promoting exports.

Overall, the sector is well-positioned to advance agricultural value addition, reduce post-harvest losses, and strengthen Indias role as a global hub for processed food. Continued focus on infrastructure, supply chain efficiency, and market diversification will remain critical to sustaining long-term growth.
A chocolate world, not just a museum

Image credit : ChatGPT AI Image | Switzerlands Chocolate Experience Says Thats the Point

What you can actually do there

Image credit : ChatGPT AI Image | Its Not Willy Wonka, But Switzerlands Chocolate Park Comes Pretty Close

Why this is a big deal

This is the " experience economy " in action

Learn how its made.

Engage with the process.

Share the experience online.

Attach a memory to it.

Image credit : Pexels | Switzerland Is Turning Chocolate Into an Experience

Not your typical "theme park"

More than chocolate: A new way to experience, not just consume

Remember the iconic Cadbury chocolate ki duniya ad? Well, something just as magical might soon become a reality. Switzerland is already the main character when it comes to chocolate. But now, it's about to take things to an entirely different level, with something that feels straight out of a Willy Wonka fantasy, but make it real.At the centre of it all is Maison Cailler, one of the country's most iconic chocolate makers, which is building a massive new destination, the 'Parc du Chocolat Cailler'.And no, this isn't just another factory tour.Located in Broc, this project is being built around the existing Maison Cailler factory, widely known as the oldest working chocolate factory in Switzerland.But instead of just preserving history, the idea is to turn it into a full-on immersive experience. We are talking about a 30,000 sq. metre chocolate universe, a journey from cocoa bean to chocolate bar and real production areas and interactive exhibits.Basically, it's not just about seeing chocolate; it's stopping to step inside its entire story.Unlike a typical theme park, this one is built around experience over adrenaline.Here's what's planned: hands-on chocolate-making workshops, a cacao greenhouse with real cocoa plants, behind-the-scenes factory access, "chocolate theatres" with immersive storytelling, a massive tasting hall (yes, unlimited vibes), retail spaces and possible hotels and restaurants.So instead of rollercoasters, you get something better: a sensory overload of chocolate.This isn't just about sweets; it's a serious tourism play.Switzerland is doubling down on what it already does best, turning chocolate into a full-scale travel experience. With hundreds of thousands of expected visitors every year, this could easily become one of Europe's most talked-about destinations by 2030.And honestly? It makes sense. Gen Z doesn't just want to visit places; we want to experience them.What's happening here goes way beyond chocolate.This project taps into a bigger shift; people care more about experiences than products. Instead of just buying a chocolate bar, you:It's the same reason pop-ups, immersive museums and themed cafes are blowing up. For Gen Z, value isn't just in what you buy; it's in the following:"What did it feel like?" "Would I post this?" and "Did it give me a story?" And this chocolate park? It's basically built for that.Despite the hype, this isn't Disneyland with chocolate rides, and there are no rollercoasters here. Instead, it focuses on craft, culture, storytelling and sensory immersion, making it feel less like a thrill park and more like stepping inside a living chocolate world.The Parc du Chocolat Cailler isn't revolutionary because it's huge. It's revolutionary because it changes how we experience something familiar.In a world where everything is available instantly, this trend slows things down, turning chocolate into something you feel, not just eat. And for a generation chasing meaning, memories and moments?That's way more satisfying than just another snack.
Chinese scientists discover new way to strengthen rice resistance against devastating disease

Xinhua) 16:16, April 13, 2026

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- A new study led by Chinese scientists, published in the journal Nature, has identified a key gene that helps rice fight off bacterial blight and shown how this defense can be rebuilt from the ground up.

For the past 15 years, rice farmers across Asia have faced a growing threat as bacterial blight has spread more rapidly and caused increasing damage. Warmer temperatures have intensified typhoons that help drive the spread of the disease, while modern rice varieties have become less diverse, making them more vulnerable to bacterial infection.

A team led by researchers from the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences (CEMPS) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences discovered a new resistance gene, which they named Xa48, in an indica rice variety called "Shuangkezao."

This gene works like a security system. When harmful bacteria attack, the Xa48 gene helps the rice plant recognize the invader and quickly mount a strong defense. The scientists also identified the specific bacterial protein that triggers this reaction, which they named XopG. Once Xa48 detects XopG, it breaks down certain proteins that normally keep its immune system in check, allowing the plant to fight off the infection.

The study also showed that combining two different types of immune defenses works best. The team used two resistance genes -- one called Xa21 and the newly discovered Xa48 -- to create a powerful, two-layered defense system. This approach gave rice plants broad and lasting protection against the disease without hurting their growth.

This new technology has already been used in real rice breeding programs in China, according to He Zuhua, a researcher at the CEMPS. "The research has moved quickly from the lab to the field, helping farmers grow healthier rice with less need for chemical pesticides."

This discovery not only helps solve a long-standing puzzle about how rice domestication shaped disease resistance but also provides a practical tool for securing rice production in a warming world, He added.

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
We do not take instructions says Greece, as Ankara criticizes regional alliances amid rising instability

Keywords

 
UK Prime Minister Sir Keirhas refused to support a U.S.-led naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, marking a significant transatlantic divergence as tensions escalate over Washingtons hardline strategy toward Iran
An employee at a kiosk in Exarchia was taken to Red Cross Hospital with a wound caused by a sharp object.
Police activity outside Excelcare rehab facility in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. on Monday morning. Read more

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An employee of a South Jersey nursing home was killed and another person was injured in a shooting at the facility on Monday morning, authorities said.

The gunfire broke out at Excelcare Rehabilitation Facility in Egg Harbor Township during a domestic confrontation, an administrator of the nursing home said.

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The death of one of Exelcares beloved employees was heartbreaking, Lior Benesti said in a statement.

This was an isolated incident, and our residents were not endangered, he said.

Officials did not release the names of those involved, and the investigation is ongoing.

A spokesperson for the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office, which is leading the investigation along with Egg Harbor police, did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

The prosecutors office said in a statement that one person had died and the injured person was in critical condition.

Authorities described the incident as isolated and said the people involved knew each other.

There is no ongoing threat to the community, they said.

Excelcare, on Delilah Road, is advertised as a premium, 120-bed medical facility near the beaches of Atlantic City.

The facilitys social media accounts showcase a lively roster of events and celebrations for seniors and their families, including a recent Easter egg hunt.

Staff writer Amy S. Rosenberg contributed to this article.
Kaiheem Williams, seen here after his preliminary hearing in 2025, was convicted of third-degree murder. Read more

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On the day that friends and family had planned to celebrate Taniyah Bell with a baby shower, they gathered instead for her funeral.

Bell, 19, was eight months pregnant when her boyfriend killed her in the Lansdowne apartment they shared.

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In November 2024, Kaiheem Williams shot Bell once in the head with a .45-caliber Glock handgun that he said he had bought illegally for self-defense.

Williams, 20, told a jury in Media last week that the shooting was an accident. Thinking the gun was unloaded, he said, he pulled the trigger to dry-fire the weapon and render it inoperable.

When he saw that he had struck Bell, he said, he immediately dropped the gun on the bed and started crying.

I didnt think this was real, aint no way this was happening, he said. I still dont know how happened.

He said he never intended to hurt the mother of his unborn daughter.

But jurors were not swayed, and on Friday convicted him of third-degree murder and aggravated assault of an unborn child.

They heard testimony from Bells mother, Tylicia, who said the couple had a troubled relationship. Months before the shooting, Williams beat Bell, she said, and had encouraged her to abort their child.

And the jury watched body-camera footage in which Williams lied to police and said Bell shot herself.

He initially told the officers he did not know where the gun was. But during the trial, Williams admitted that his uncle, who lived with the couple, took the gun from the apartment as Williams dialed 911.

Assistant District Danielle Gallaher told jurors Williams was still lying. She said he took deliberate steps to kill Bell and purposefully aimed for her head.

The defendant murdered Taniyah while pregnant with their daughter and wants you to look in the opposite direction of where the evidence leads, she said. And after a year and a half of deception, he expects you to believe him that he is telling the truth this time.

Gallaher said Williams clearly did not care about Bell  during his testimony at trial he showed little emotion and freely admitted he had cheated on Bell multiple times during their three-year relationship because he likes having sex.

Williams attorney, Eugene Gibbons, said the prosecutor was wrong about Williams.

What happened inside that apartment was the result of an unintentional, negligent discharge of a firearm, Gibbons said, adding that prosecutors brought up Bell and Williams relationship problems to muddy him up.

On the evening Bell died, he said, Williams was caring for her and had brought her food from his job at a Chipotle restaurant.

If he wanted to kill her, and went to lengths to hide the gun, why would he call 911? Gibbons asked.

Investigators said Williams called police in a panic after the shooting, saying Bell had been shot inside their apartment on North Wycombe Avenue. Inside, police found Bell dead, shot once in the head, and rushed her to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and later Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, where her daughter was delivered via emergency C-section.

Williams initially told the officers he could not account for everything that happened before the shooting, saying he had been smoking marijuana and had blacked out, a statement he contradicted during the trial.

Detectives found an unfired .45-caliber bullet in Williams pocket, and a photo found on his cell phone  taken an hour before Williams called 911  showed him in the apartments kitchen with a handgun nearby.

Williams hands later tested positive for gunshot residue.

Tylicia Bell testified that her daughters baby survived but suffered from permanent brain damage due to a lack of oxygen. She said her granddaughter requires constant care and cannot breathe, eat, or walk on her own.

She named the girl Taniyah Miracle Marie Bell in honor of the babys mother and the fact that she survived the difficult circumstances of her birth.

Bell said that when her daughter was killed, she felt she had nothing else to live for.

But now that my grandbabys here, she said through her tears, she needs me, so I have no choice but to go on.

Williams is scheduled to be sentenced May 21.
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Chef Ange Branca is turning Mod Spuds from a holiday pop-up into a permanent South Street restaurant, betting that Philadelphia is ready for a fast-casual spot built around loaded baked potatoes.

Mod Spuds, from Branca and the team behind the fire-shuttered Kampar, is aiming to open by the end of April at 1424 South St., the former home of Sweet Freedom Bakery.

The concept grew out of a short residency at Comfort & Floyd that began in December 2025 and extended into January after drawing repeat customers. Branca said the response prompted her to look for a permanent space.

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Mod Spuds starts with the familiar baked potato and layers on toppings inspired by both British comfort food and Brancas Malaysian cooking. Branca said the pop-ups top sellers were the Malaysian spud (topped with beef rendang, sambal, and ulam) and a classic version (with Heinz baked beans, chili con carne, and scallions). The opening menu is expected to include toppings such as chili con carne, chorizo, chicken tikka masala, barbecue jackfruit, and Philly cheesesteak.

The idea dates to Brancas time studying in Scotland in the 1990s, when jacket-potato (what the Brits call baked potato) bars were common. She has said it was one of her favorite meals there and that she had long wanted to bring the concept to Philadelphia.

Drinks will include sodas and root beer floats inspired by A&W, the first American fast-food company to set up in her hometown of Kuala Lupur.

I recently went back to Malaysia and brought my team with me, Branca said. One of the fun stops was an old A&W near where I went to high school. I grew up with root beer floats and absolutely loved them. It was this American drink-and-ice-cream combination that I always loved, and its still one of my favorite things.

Branca said the return of Kampar, her Malaysian restaurant at Seventh and Kater Streets in Bella Vista, is still at least a couple of months away. Kampar has been closed since a fire in February 2025, and she said permits, city approvals, construction reviews, and insurance issues have slowed the rebuild.

When Kampar reopens, the main addition will be a daytime kopitiam, or Malaysian-style cafe, downstairs, in what had been a home for guest chefs. The kopitiam will serve breakfast and lunch items such as coffee buns, curry puffs, and the coffee and tea drinks customers had missed before dinner service. The kongsi  the Malaysian bar and restaurant  will continue upstairs.
People enjoying drinks at the bar at Meetinghouse, which won praise from both the Times and Post. Read more

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Philadelphia will be at the center of the nations 250th-anniversary celebrations this summer, and as the visitor buildup begins, national outlets are already pointing diners toward the citys restaurants.

Last week brought two notable examples. The New York Times updated its 25 Best Restaurants in Philadelphia Right Now feature, while Washington Post critic Elazar Sontag published a weekend eating itinerary under the headline, Philadelphias dining scene is better than ever. Heres where to eat.

Taken together, the pieces amount to a welcome verdict from out-of-towners. Philadelphia is not being framed as an offshoot of somewhere else. It is being recognized as a dining destination with a point of view.

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The Times list  first published in 2023  leans heavily on the familiar names that recur on both local and national roundups: Friday Saturday Sunday, Her Place Supper Club, Kalaya, Angelos Pizzeria, and River Twice, along with standbys such as Middle Child Clubhouse, Zahav, Vernick Fish, and Vedge. There was one change since the Times June 2025 update: Picnic in Kensington dropped off the list, replaced by Meetinghouse, a Kensington taproom.

 READ MORE: The 76: The Inquirer's guide to Philadelphia's most vital restaurants

Meetinghouse, which Inquirer critic Craig LaBan praised in his 2023 review, has become one of the clearest examples of the kind of restaurant that national writers now seem to want from Philadelphia: confident but unfussy and neighborhood-rooted.

In the Post, Sontag praised it as undeniably old-timey, but never in a kitschy, built-for-Instagram way.

Sontags broader point seemed to be that Philadelphia works because diners will go anywhere for good food, and because even with all the recent acclaim, the city still values a scrappy, DIY spirit. His route made that case through a small but telling set of stops in addition to Meetinghouse: Griddle & Rice, Kalaya, Johns Roast Pork, La Jefa, and Sao.

That mix says a lot about how Philadelphia is being seen right now. The national picture is no longer limited to polished destinations.

But the national picture seems to consist of the same restaurants. That is because recognition tends to build on itself. Once a place breaks through locally, national outlets start paying attention.

Lets take Kalaya, chef Chutatip Nok Suntaranons Southern Thai destination, as a prime example.

After opening in 2019 as a BYOB in South Philadelphia, Kalaya quickly drew local acclaim from The Inquirer and Philadelphia Magazine. That attention helped propel it onto the national stage.

In 2020, Kalaya became a James Beard semifinalist and nominee for Best New Restaurant and landed on best-new-restaurant lists from Food & Wine and Esquire. Suntaranon remained a Beard contender until winning Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2023, the year after its move to larger quarters in Fishtown.

The recognition continued to build. In 2023, Kalaya made the New York Times list of Philadelphias top 25 restaurants. In 2025, it was a Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant and ranked No. 7 on North Americas 50 Best Restaurants list. Suntaranon earned both a place on the TIME100 and the title of North Americas Best Female Chef. Kalaya also was one of Inquirer critic Craig LaBans selections for best restaurants and made the Michelin Guide as a recommended restaurant. In 2026, Kalaya returned as a Beard nominee for Outstanding Restaurant.

Nowadays, youd be hard-pressed to find a Philadelphia dining list without Kalaya.

What these national snapshots still miss, though, is one of the biggest forces shaping how Philadelphians eat now: the bakery and cafe boom.

Philadelphians who may not splurge on full meals still spring for a croissant, a bagel, a slice of cake, or a pastry and coffee.

This rise of little treat culture is a major force behind a wave of openings defining Philadelphias scene, among them the Bread Room in Center City and Erbys in South Philadelphia. Todays bakery boom is not just about baguettes and cupcakes.

It is also being driven by more personal and culturally specific baking styles, such as the Jewish/Cajun hybrid at Paige and Zach Wernicks Rougarou Baking in Queen Village; Kenan Rabahs Majdal Bakery in Queen Village, influenced by his upbringing in Golan Heights; Zahra Saaeds French pastry shop La Maison Jaune in Fitler Square; and Saif Mannas Levantine-inspired Manna Bakery opening in May in Kensington. Add to that a wave of Asian cafes, such as Omi Kitchen, Babys Kusina, and Seaforest Bakeshop.

A fuller picture of Philadelphias food scene would include not just hard-to-book dinner spots, but also the places drawing lines for highly personal styles of baking.

That is not a small omission. Right now, some of the most active energy in Philadelphia food is not only in dining rooms, but at the pastry case.
A portion of the more than 14,000 bags of fentanyl recovered in the woods in Claymont on Sunday. Read more

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Two people on an evening walk in the woods in Claymont, Del., made a surprising discovery Sunday when they stumbled upon 14,088 bags of fentanyl, according to a news release from the New Castle County Police Department, whod like a word with the owner of the now-confiscated stash.

If you happen to be missing a significant quantity of fentanyl or have any information about who it may belong to, please contact the New Castle County Division of Police at 302-573-2800 or dial 911 in an emergency, the release said.

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As of Monday afternoon, nobody had come forward yet, said Master Cpl. Richard Chambers, New Castle County police spokesperson.

Im hoping somebody says, Hey that was mine! but nobody has claimed it, Chambers said. I cant imagine why.

A young adult and juvenile were walking in a wooded area off Miles Road in Claymonts Radnor Green development  which is about a 30 minute drive from Philadelphia  when they discovered two grocery bags they believed to be filled with drugs.

It was literally in the woods behind a neighborhood, said Chambers. Theres even a dog park, its a populated area by any means.

The two young people immediately returned home and told a family member about their discovery. That individual went to check out the find, also believed it to be narcotics, and called police, Chambers said. He credited the civilians for not touching the contents of the bags and for leaving the stash where it was found.

Responding officers confiscated the bags, which contained two large packages known as bricks. Analysis and testing of the contents at police headquarters revealed a total of 14,088 individual bags of fentanyl within the two bricks, according to police.

Chambers said its not clear yet if the drugs were dropped in the woods for someone else to pick up.

Were still exploring how they got there, he said. At this time we dont have an answer as to why they were placed there.

In a Facebook post from the department about the discovery, commenters commended the civilians who found and reported the drugs.

Kudos to that young adult and child for doing the right thing, one person wrote.

Happy to see that off the street! Great job to the kid and parents! another said.

Chambers said the actions of the three civilians prevented untold harm.

One pinhead of fentanyl can kill a person and if you think about how many of those pebbles are in one bag and times that by 14,000, when you start thinking about it, you could knock down a whole city, he said. Its truly terrible to think that was sitting in the woods for somebody to touch.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban (center), makes an address after the parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. The far-right ally of President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin conceded defeat. Read more

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BUDAPEST, Hungary  Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power, rejecting the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement that he embodied in favor of a pro-European challenger in a bombshell election result with global repercussions.

Election victor Peter Magyar, a former Orban loyalist who campaigned against corruption and on everyday issues like healthcare and public transport, has pledged to rebuild Hungarys relationships with the European Union and NATO  ties that frayed under Orban. European leaders quickly congratulated Magyar.

His victory was expected to transform political dynamics within the EU, where Orban had upended the bloc by frequently vetoing key decisions, prompting concerns he sought to break it up from the inside.

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It will also reverberate among far-right movements around the world, which have viewed Orban as a beacon for how nationalist populism can be used to wage culture wars and leverage state power to undermine opponents.

Its not yet clear whether Magyars Tisza party will have the two-thirds majority in parliament, which would give it the numbers needed for major changes in legislation. With 93% of the vote counted, it had more than 53% support to 37% for Orbans governing Fidesz party and looked set to win 94 of Hungarys 106 voting districts.

It was a stunning blow for Orban  a close ally of both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin  who conceded defeat after what he called a painful election result.

I congratulated the victorious party, Orban told followers. We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition.

In a speech to tends of thousands of jubilant supporters at a victory party along the Danube River, Magyar said his voters had rewritten Hungarian history.

Tonight, truth prevailed over lies. Today, we won because Hungarians didnt ask what their homeland could do for them  they asked what they could do for their homeland. You found the answer. And you followed through, he said.

Turnout in the election was nearly 80%, according to the National Election Office, a record number in any election in Hungarys post-Communist history.

Choice between East or West

Orban, the EUs longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists, traveled a long road from his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global far right.

The EU will be waiting to see how Magyar changes Hungarys approach to Ukraine. Orban repeatedly frustrated EU efforts to support the neighboring country in its war against Russias full-scale invasion, while cultivating close ties to Putin and refusing to end Hungarys dependence on Russian energy imports.

Recent revelations have shown a top member of Orbans government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, raising accusations that Hungary was acting on Russias behalf within the bloc.

Members of Trumps Make America Great Again movement are among those who see Orbans government and his Fidesz political party as shining examples of conservative, anti-globalist politics in action, while he is reviled by advocates of liberal democracy and the rule of law.

In Budapest, Marcell Mehringer, 21, said he was voting primarily so that Hungary will finally be a so-called European country, and so that young people, and really everyone, will do their fundamental civic duty to unite this nation a bit and to break down these boundaries borne of hatred.

Strained relationship with the EU

During his 16 years as prime minister, Orban launched harsh crackdowns on minority rights and media freedoms, subverted many of Hungarys institutions, and had been accused of siphoning large sums of money into the coffers of his allied business elite, an allegation he denies.

He also heavily strained Hungarys relationship with the EU. Although Hungary is one of the smaller EU countries, with a population of 9.5 million, Orban has repeatedly used his veto to block decisions that require unanimity.

Most recently, he blocked a 90-billion euro ($104 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, prompting his partners to accuse him of hijacking the critical aid.

His challenger came from the inside

Magyar, 45, rapidly rose to become Orbans most serious challenger.

A former insider within Orbans Fidesz, Magyar broke with the party in 2024 and quickly formed Tisza. Since then, he has toured Hungary relentlessly, holding rallies in settlements big and small in a campaign blitz that recently had him visiting up to six towns daily.

In an interview with the Associated Press earlier this month, Magyar said the election will be a referendum on whether Hungary continues on its drift toward Russia under Orban, or can retake its place among the democratic societies of Europe.

Tisza is a member of the European Peoples Party, the mainstream, center-right political family with leaders governing 12 of the EUs 27 nations.

Uphill election battle

Magyar faced a tough fight. Orbans control of Hungarys public media, which he has transformed into a mouthpiece for his party, and vast swaths of the private media market give him an advantage in spreading his message.

The unilateral transformation of Hungarys electoral system and gerrymandering of its 106 voting districts by Fidesz also will require Tisza to gain an estimated 5% more votes than Orbans party to achieve a simple majority.

Additionally, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries had the right to vote in Hungarian elections and traditionally have voted overwhelmingly for Orbans party.

Russian secret services have plotted to interfere and tip the election in Orbans favor, according to numerous media reports including by the Washington Post. The prime minister, however, has accused neighboring Ukraine, as well as Hungarys allies in the EU, of seeking to interfere in the vote to install a pro-Ukraine government.

Such accusations are part of why many in the EU see Orban as a danger to the blocs future.

But across the Atlantic, Trump and his MAGA movement were all-in for another Orban term. Trump repeatedly endorsed the Hungarian leader, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a two-day visit to Hungary last week meant to help push Orban over the finish line.

Associated Press journalists Bela Szandelszky, Marko Drobnjakovic, Ivan L. Nagy and Florent Bajrami in Budapest, Hungary, contributed to this article.
A man wrapped in the European Union flag waves a Hungarian flag, with the parliament building as a backdrop, early Monday as people celebrate Peter Magyar ousting Prime Minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power. Read more

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BUDAPEST, Hungary  Hungarian election winner Peter Magyar said on Monday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin were to initiate a call with him, he would speak with him and tell him to end the war in Ukraine.

If Vladimir Putin calls, Ill pick up the phone, he said at his first news conference after his landslide win against Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a Putin ally. If we did talk, I could tell him that it would be nice to end the killing after four years and end the war.

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It would probably be a short phone conversation and I dont think he would end the war on my advice, he said.

Magyars statement was likely greeted with pleasure by many across the European Union who had grown accustomed to Orbans conciliatory tone when discussing the war or Putin.

From the jubilant crowds along the Danube in Budapest to executive offices in Brussels, praise and even glee abounded for Hungarys next leader after he won Sundays election in a landslide. But the outpouring after his victory focused mainly on the prospect of no longer having to deal with Orban, who many saw as a threat to Europes peace and prosperity.

From Madrid to Helsinki, many hope that Magyars win will help unshackle the 27-nation European Union as it faces hybrid warfare attacks from Moscow, an antagonistic Washington, and Beijings economic pressure. EU leaders had been increasingly frustrated with Orban over his takeover of democratic institutions and vetoing of strategic action like a 90-billion-euro ($105 billion) loan for Ukraine.

It remains to be seen whether those hopes will be fulfilled. Magyar avoided talking about Ukraine or divisive issues like LGTBQ rights on the campaign trail, and was previously a longtime conservative insider in Orbans party. He told the Associated Press that he would work more closely with the EU and the 32-nation NATO military alliance that was forged to thwart aggression from Moscow.

All Hungarians know that this is a shared victory. Our homeland made up its mind. It wants to live again. It wants to be a European country, Magyar said during his victory speech on Sunday.

Olga Oliker, the director of European Security at the International Crisis Group, said that where Orban slowed actions and blocked consensus, Magyar, as he defines Hungarys relationships with its European allies, to say nothing of those with Ukraine, Russia and the United States, can help shape the future of Europe.

Unlocking EU funds for Ukraine

After Magyar takes his oath of office in May, the new prime minister could potentially lift Hungarys veto and enable the European Commission to provide Ukraine with the 90-billion-euro ($105 billion) loan that Orban had agreed to in December and then backtracked on, enraging his fellow leaders.

EU diplomats will discuss Wednesday how best to fast-track the funds to Kyiv, a Cypriot official said on condition of anonymity because the person wasnt authorized to be named. Cyprus currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

Hungary borders Ukraine, and the pro-Russia Orban had long demonized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. While congratulating Magyar on X, Zelensky said that we are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as for the sake of Europes peace, security, and stability.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia respects the outcome of the Hungarian vote and expects to maintain contacts with the countrys new leadership.

He said that as for what action Hungarys new leadership will take, we probably need to be patient and see what happens.

European institutions hope Orban problem is over

The prospect of a nimbler, faster-acting Europe drove widespread praise for Magyar from several European leaders. EU negotiators had to increasingly find workarounds when Orban blocked policy decisions. He also held up Swedens accession to NATO.

Magyar said that he received calls on Sunday night  before he even took the stage to announce his victory  from French President Emmanuel Macron, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was frequently vilified by Orban during his campaign.

Today, Europe is Hungarian, von der Leyen said at a news conference in Brussels on Monday. The people of Hungary have spoken and they have reclaimed their European path.

Today Europe wins and European values win, said Spains left-wing Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a post on X on Sunday night. Polands center-right Prime Minister Donald Tusk exclaimed on social media: Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!

Setback for Europes populist right

Orbans defeat has reverberated across the world, including across the Atlantic where President Donald Trump supported Orbans reelection bid and even dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Budapest last week to campaign for the incumbent.

Magyars victory might signal a shift in European politics that has been dominated by a far-right shift over the past decade. Magyar comes from a right-wing background but distanced himself from Orbans leadership.

With nationalist parties making headways in Germany and France, the electoral earthquake in Hungary shows that Hungarians are sending a signal to the world, German lawmaker Daniel Freund said.

The icon of illiberal anti-European forces has now failed  brought down by a disastrous economy, corruption and his own unfair electoral system, he said.

Orbans populist allies in the EU, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, congratulated Magyar, while praising the ousted strongman. But Fico also brought up the Druzhba pipeline, shuttered since an attack in Ukraine  an issue Orban campaigned on and one exacerbated by rising energy prices over the Iran war.

Magyar has criticized Orbans government for failing to diversify its energy mix, and advocated for reaching new agreements and constructing new infrastructure to bring oil and gas from other sources into landlocked Hungary.

Both Babis and Fico pledged to work with Hungarys next leader.
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WASHINGTON  Fellow Democrats are abandoning Eric Swalwells campaign for California governor in droves after allegations surfaced that he sexually assaulted a former staffer, with a growing number urging the congressman both to quit the race and resign his seat in Congress.

Swalwell has denied the allegations, which he has said are absolutely false. They surfaced after he became a leading contender in the race for California governor to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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Over the weekend, with Swalwells gubernatorial campaign already teetering, Democrats in Congress began to call for his resignation from the House. Some even said they would support the rare step of expelling him should he refuse to step aside.

Fellow California Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna, and Sam Liccardo said Swalwell should resign, as did Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.

This is not a partisan issue, Jayapal said Sunday. This cuts across party lines. And it is depravity of the way that women have been treated.

Swalwells gubernatorial campaign did not immediately respond to an email from the Associated Press seeking comment

It all added to the mounting political pressure on Swalwell, who has already seen his most prominent supporters, including Sen. Adam Schiff and powerful labor unions, pull their endorsements and call for his exit from the race. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D., Calif.), who helped run Swalwells campaign, said he was immediately ending his role.

With the House returning to session Tuesday, the question of whether to expel Swalwell could come to a head quickly. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R., Fla.) said Saturday that she would be filing a motion to start the process.

Expulsion votes in the House are rare and require a two-thirds majority, but there is recent precedent for taking the step. Republican George Santos of New York in 2023 became just the sixth member in House history to be ousted by colleagues for his conduct.

Huffman, Jayapal, and Leger Fernandez said they would vote to expel Swalwell from the House, though they said they also support expelling Rep. Tony Gonzales (R., Texas), who admitted to an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide.

Republican Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, who is running his own campaign for governor, said both Swalwell and Gonzales need to go home and that he would vote to expel them both.

Khanna also indicated support for congressional action against both lawmakers.

So, it depends on if its worded in a fair way, Khanna said. But this shouldnt be about politics. Anyone who abuses young girls and staffers should not be in the United States Congress.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday about allegations that Swalwell sexually assaulted a woman in 2019 and 2024. The woman said she did not go to police at the time of the assaults because she was afraid she would not be believed.

The woman worked for Swalwell when the first alleged assault occurred in 2019, while the 2024 assault allegedly occurred at a charity gala, the Chronicle reported. In both cases the woman said she was too intoxicated to consent to sex.

The paper didnt name the woman, and the Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment.

The alleged 2024 incident occurred in New York, and the Manhattan District Attorneys Office said Saturday that it was investigating. That office urged anyone with knowledge to contact its special victims division.

After the allegations surfaced, Swalwell said Friday in a video on social media that he would spend the weekend with family and friends and share an update very soon. He is not running for reelection for his House seat.

These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. Theyre absolutely false. They did not happen, they have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have, the congressman said.

Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker who remains a dominant force in California politics, said the serious allegations must be investigated. She said she spoke to Swalwell and suggested that be done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and his leadership team also called for an investigation and for Swalwell to end his campaign for governor.

Jayapal and Donalds appeared on NBCs Meet the Press, and Khanna was interviewed on Fox News Sunday.
His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Gov. Josh Shapiro (right) as they leave Liberty Bell Center during tour of Independence National Historic Park along with Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and first lady Lori Shapiro (background right) on Monday. Read more

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While Gov. Josh Shapiro was showing the Dutch royal couple around Independence Mall, his general counsel was taking steps to quell a dispute that hit Pennsylvanias first couple close to home.

Shapiro asked a U.S. district judge to dismiss a federal lawsuit filed by his Abington neighbors over a parcel of land between their residences.

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Jeremy and Simone Mock accused the governor and his wife, Lori Shapiro, of illegally occupying part of their yard to build an eight-foot security fence last summer in what the Mocks claim in the lawsuit was an outrageous abuse of power.

On the same February day the Mocks filed their lawsuit, the Shapiros sued their neighbors in Montgomery County Court, asking a judge to declare the disputed 2,900-square-foot strip of lawn as part of their property.

 READ MORE: A security fence has sparked dueling lawsuits between Gov. Josh Shapiro and his Abington neighbors

The Mocks lawsuit has no place in federal court, Mondays filing contends, as a controversy over a property boundary is a common matter for state courts.

Plus, the Mocks cannot bring a lawsuit against Shapiro as governor or against the Pennsylvania State Police because the couples claims are against Shapiro as a property owner, not action he took in his official capacity as governor, according to the filing.

That the Shapiros allowed [state police] to access the disputed parcel in a manner similar to that which the Shapiros access that parcel does not magically convert this private dispute to state action, the motion says.

The motion also argues the state police are immune from litigation in federal court as a state agency.

The Shapiros have lived in the sleepy Montco neighborhood for more than 23 years, with the Mocks as their neighbors for less than a decade.

The feud began when security updates were proposed to Shapiros home after a man firebombed the state-owned governors residence in Harrisburg in April 2025 while Shapiro and his family slept inside, according to court filings.

In response, state police proposed security upgrades to the governors personal residence in Abington, which included the installation of an eight-foot fence along the propertys perimeter.

A land surveyor discovered in summer 2025 that the Mocks actually owned about 2,900 square feet of land that the Shapiros had believed was a part of their property since they bought the home in 2003.

The Mocks, whose property is adjacent to the Shapiros, say in their suit that the planned location of the fence is on their property unlawfully and would violate their rights.

The Shapiros began planting arborvitae-type trees and other plants on the Mocks property, flying drones over it, threatening to remove healthy trees, and chasing away contractors who came to work in the Mocks yard, the Mocks suit says.

The complaint also accuses Shapiro of directing state police to patrol the property. Troopers instructed the Mocks to leave the area of the yard multiple times, calling it a disputed area or security zone, the suit says.

The Shapiros say they are the rightful owners of the land through adverse possession, a legal mechanism that extends a person ownership of a property they have actively used for at least 21 years.

The governor and his wife are asking a Montgomery County Court judge to find them the legal and equitable owners of the area in dispute. Until the state judge makes a determination, the federal court should abstain from considering the Mocks federal lawsuit, the new filing says.

 READ MORE: How a land dispute between Gov. Josh Shapiro and his neighbor is shaking up a sleepy Abington neighborhood  and why he says its a political stunt

Outside of court filings, Shapiro attacked the lawsuit as politically motivated.

The Mocks are represented by Wally Zimolong, a Delaware County attorney who describes himself on his website as the go-to lawyer in Pennsylvania for conservative causes and candidates." Zimolong previously represented the political campaigns of President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.).

The Governor looks forward to a swift resolution and will not be bullied by anyone trying to score cheap political points, especially at the expense of his familys safety and well-being, Will Simons, a spokesperson for Shapiro, a Democrat running for reelection, said in a statement in February.

Zimolong did not comment on the new filing, but previously said the Mocks are open to resolving the dispute outside of court.

At base, this is a straightforward defense of the property rights of two innocent owners, who were living peacefully next to the Shapiros for over nine years, the attorney said in a February statement.

Staff writer Gillian McGoldrick contributed to this article.
West Chester University Library is shown on Monday, Nov 3, 2025. A student was struck and killed by a driver on April 12, 2026. Read more

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A West Chester University student was hit and killed by a driver in the early morning hours Sunday, authorities said this week.

The student, Garrett Nicholas, was struck in the 300 block of South High Street around 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning, West Chester police said in a statement Sunday evening.

Nicholas, a pedestrian, was taken to Paoli Hospital, and died there several hours later.

We are deeply saddened about this tragedy and know that this news will be hard for a number of those in our Golden Ram family, Jasmine H. Buxton, vice president for the universitys student affairs, said in a message to the campus. We grieve over the loss of our student with their family, friends, and everyone who knew them.

The driver of the car was identified, and police are continuing to investigate, authorities said.
Firefighters and Pennsylvania Urban Search and Rescue look through the site of the partial parking garage collapse in Grays Ferry on Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Philadelphia. Read more

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The effort at the site of the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia garage collapse shifted late Sunday toward recovering the two ironworkers buried and presumed dead in the rubble.

Recovery efforts had been paused while the surrounding structure was demolished on Saturday and Sunday. But with the walls down, the crane with a wrecking ball was stilled and excavators removed chunks of concrete.

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Ironworkers Matthew Kane and Mark Scott Jr. are believed to have been in the portion of the garage that collapsed on Wednesday. Stepan Shevchuk also died at the site.

City Fire Commissioner Jeffrey W. Thompson said the demolition made recovery efforts safer. Workers made significant progress on Sunday and the demolition phase was complete, he said.

A lot of work. A lot of hard work. And I want to thank everyone whos been working very hard to achieve this, Thompson told reporters at the garage site Sunday night.

 READ MORE: Grays Ferry neighbors are grappling with the garage collapse, as demolition and the search for the missing workers continues

Thompson said there is still a lot work to do, starting with removing larger pieces of concrete. After that is done, specialists will methodically remove each layer of the remaining debris, he said.

We will work 24 hours a day, starting Sunday night, Thompson said. We are going to work continuously until we can bring those lost souls home to their loved ones.

City deputy managing director Dominick Mireles, the director of the Office of Emergency Management, said the city is monitoring the impact of the collapse on the neighboring community and have not found significant hazards. PGW has conducted a survey of gas in the area, and the city department of health has monitored the air. There has been dust in the area since the collapse.

We are at the point that we have really been waiting for, Mireles said, referring to the safer conditions to pursue the recovery of the workers. Firefighters and others assessed the remaining hazards in the recovery effort, he said.

Mireles noted that the effort will generate nighttime noise that will affect the community.

Were sorry for that: Were working as clear-eyed as we possibly can, and as dedicated as we can, to return those ironworkers, Mireles said.

He said he expects the Grays Ferry Shopping Center to remain closed on Monday, but that along with recovering the workers, getting the community back to normal is a priority.

Brian Forstater, a cousin of Matthew Kane, spoke to reporters after the officials spoke.

He described Kane a loving, fun, happy-go-lucky, you know. Good guy, Forstater said.

He said Kane had been an ironworker for more than 20 years and loved what he did.

I mean, thats rare, he said. Im going to miss him. Its still  Im shocked.

Forstater said the experience has been rough for Kanes mother.

Shes a strong lady, he said.
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Happy Monday, Philly. Were in for a cloudy day, and then warmer temps later in the week.

Philadelphia police have expanded their use of drones, without the transparency and oversight thats seen in other major cities.

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Intricate details of the Pennsylvania governors mansion have been restored a year after it was firebombed. Millions of dollars in security upgrades can be seen, too.

Plus, the North vs. South fight over casinos in New Jersey is back, and more news of the day.

 Alyssa Passeggio (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

Dozens of times a day, drones fly across Philadelphia skies at the direction of the police department. Boston and Illinois have strict accountability policies governing their use, but two years into the program, City Council hasnt enacted similar restrictions here.

The drones are a tactical tool and are not intended to patrol neighborhoods, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said. However, the technology could be used during protests or major events this summer to gauge crowd sizes or identify potential risks.

The technology has improved, and the use cases have expanded, said Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, a professor of law at George Washington University Law School. And yet the laws and the regulations havent really kept up.

Reporters David Gambacorta, Dylan Purcell, and Ellie Rushing have the full story.

State employees and contractors worked tirelessly to restore the governors mansion to how it looked before the 2025 firebomb attack.

In many ways, they were successful. Crystal chandeliers were restored and crown molding was replicated before this years Passover Seder.

But then theres the towering brick wall that surrounds the property. Motion detectors and updated cameras pepper the picture-perfect landscaping.

Overall $33 million was spent to address critical weaknesses to both the Harrisburg residence and Gov. Josh Shapiros family home in Abington Township.

Reporter Gillian McGoldrick and photographer Tom Gralish take us inside.

What you should know today

Quote of the day

In order to get a home near their aging parents, a Manayunk couple moved back in with mom and got a financial assist. They saw 25 homes before securing one in West Chester.

 Trivia time

Move over mozzarella: A distinctly Philadelphian cheese is spreading beyond cheesesteaks and exploding as a pizza topping across the nation.

A) Cheez Whiz

B) Cooper Sharp

C) Provolone

D) Yellow American

Think you know? Check your answer.

What were...

 Craving dill pickle labneh dip and duck shawarma from the widely popular Philly Hummus Girl.

 Inspired by the passion and lessons shared by Today host Sheinelle Jones.

 Admiring some of the latest buildings that received historic protections.

 Unscramble the anagram

Hint: This burgeoning corridor now hosts luxury apartments where Lord & Taylor once stood.

ACUITY EVEN

Email us if you know the answer. Well select a reader at random to shout out here.

Cheers to Brenda Belton, who solved Sundays anagram: Saks Fifth Avenue. Its massive Philly-area storefront is set to close for good on Wednesday. Some Main Line shoppers see the loss as a sign of the times.

Photo of the day

There is a two-man team behind the most iconic restaurant signs in the city. The work requires a precise hand and usually takes a couple of days, but the impact grows over time.

 Your only in Philly story

Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if youre not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again  or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

This only in Philly story comes from reader Deb Olsen, who describes the Ben Franklin Bridge as a reassuring backdrop to so many family memories:

I have always admired the Ben Franklin Bridge. Its our prettiest bridge that crosses the Delaware River with its two elegant towers and sturdy piers below. My favorite view was driving down Race Street towards Columbus Boulevard and seeing the bridge rise to my left.

My family has a lot of connections to this bridge. My maternal great grandfather, Teodoro, lived in South Philly and worked at the RCA building in Camden, making radios and Victrolas. He walked over the bridge twice a day for work instead of spending a nickel on the trolley.

My paternal great grandfather, Olsen, helped build the bridge. He drove the tugboats that brought supplies to the workers during the construction. A number of men died in the process of making the piers.

My sister had a house in Camden that was almost underneath the Ben Franklin Bridge for a number of years. We could hear the PATCO Line passing by during family get-togethers.

For many years, my friends and I attended New Years Eve celebrations at Penns Landing to watch the fireworks. Once I took my kid down to the river to watch a lunar eclipse.

In 2001, when the 75th Anniversary of the building of the bridge celebration was announced, my father insisted we go. That day in July was hot as blazes. The sun beat down on the black tarmac as hundreds of people walked over the bridge that was closed to traffic. We could see the river sparkling below and the two cities laid out before us. My dad walked all the way over the bridge and back with his grandkid, so proud talking about our family history. And then we went for water ice.

Thanks for starting your week with The Inquirer. Tommy Rowan will have you covered tomorrow morning.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Across Pennsylvania, more than half of hospitals operate below sustainable margins, writes Jefferson CEO Joseph G. Cacchione. Read more

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Philadelphias health has always been Jeffersons purpose. For more than 200 years, we have been here for this region  not only to treat illness, but to stand with communities, expand opportunity, and strengthen the neighborhoods that make Greater Philadelphia home.

That mission comes to life every day in patients like Denise.

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Denise is a middle-aged woman from South Jersey who began experiencing subtle but persistent symptoms of a heart attack  dizziness, shortness of breath, and discomfort in her shoulder. Like many women, she ignored the warning signs, putting her family, her work, and her community before herself.

Nearly a week passed before her husband insisted on calling 911. Denise was rushed to Jefferson Washington Township Hospital, where clinicians quickly recognized she was having an active heart attack.

She was stabilized and transferred to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where she underwent lifesaving triple bypass surgery.

Her story did not end when she left the hospital.

Today, Denise is a proud supporter of Cherry Hills Mayors Wellness Walk  an initiative Jefferson sponsors  because she now understands how critical something as simple as walking can be to heart health, recovery, and longterm well-being.

Her journey is a powerful reminder that healthcare does not stop at hospital doors. It lives in communities  on sidewalks, in neighborhood parks, and in the shared moments that bring people together to take control of their health.

Today, that commitment to wholeperson, communitycentered care is more vital than ever  and more difficult to sustain.

Across Pennsylvania, more than half of hospitals operate below sustainable margins. Missiondriven health systems face rising labor, supply, and pharmaceutical costs, growing demand for mental health and substance use treatment, and aging clinical infrastructure. All of this is happening as reimbursement continues to lag behind the true cost of care.

Hospitals in Pennsylvania are among the most underreimbursed in the country. Reimbursement from government payers  including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Childrens Health Insurance Program  consistently falls short of the true cost of delivering care. Overall, commercial reimbursement in Pennsylvania is approximately 30% lower than the national median.

That math does not work  not for hospitals, not for clinicians, and not for patients.

Adequate, stable reimbursement matters. Private insurers must recognize the essential role mission-driven and safety-net providers play in maintaining access to care, public health readiness, and community stability.

Underfunding hospitals does not save those with insurance coverage any money. It shifts costs, limits access, strains the workforce, and weakens the institutions that communities depend on most  the very institutions that were there for Denise when every minute mattered.

Jefferson feels these pressures more acutely because of the populations we serve. As the largest safetynet health system in Eastern Pennsylvania, we care for patients others cannot  and often will not.

And yet, every year, Jefferson invests approximately $1.8 billion in programs and services designed to improve community health and expand access to care at low or no cost. This community benefit investment is among the largest of any health system in Pennsylvania.

These commitments extend far beyond hospital walls. They include free and reducedcost care for patients with nowhere else to turn, trauma and emergency services that support the entire city, behavioral health and addiction treatment, communitybased clinics, and sustained funding for hundreds of nonprofit partners working to improve food access, housing stability, workforce development, and other critical social supports.

This work is not peripheral to our mission. It is our mission.

Jefferson also trains the next generation of clinicians, researchers, and healthcare leaders committed to serving this region. In moments of crisis  from public health emergencies to neighborhoodlevel trauma  our teams respond without hesitation. We do this because Philadelphia deserves nothing less.

But sustaining this level of service for more than two million patients each year requires confronting the financial realities facing missiondriven hospitals.

Every year, Jefferson invests approximately $1.8 billion in programs and services designed to improve community health and expand access to care at low or no cost.

Our patients deserve access to the best clinicians, advanced treatments, and lifesaving research. Our colleagues deserve the resources and stability that allow them to focus on what they do best: caring, teaching, healing, and lifting up communities.

Jefferson has been here for more than two centuries because we put Philadelphia first. Our future will be no different.

That future depends on shared responsibility and collaboration  among health systems, commercial insurers, employers, and policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels.

Public payers must ensure reimbursement reflects the true cost of care.

Commercial insurers must meet their obligation to fairly support the providers that anchor access in our communities.

And community leaders and residents can play a role by making their voices heard about the importance of sustaining missiondriven healthcare.

Its crucial that missiondriven health systems continue to strengthen neighborhoods, support caregivers, and safeguard the health of this region  today and for generations to come.

Joseph G. Cacchione has been the CEO of Jefferson  which includes Jefferson Health, Thomas Jefferson University, and Jefferson Health Plans  since 2022.
President Donald Trump arrives to speak about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on April 1. Read more

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The Iranian conflict spotlights five principles a U.S. commander in chief should always consider before deciding to use his military:

Militaries can stop a problem; they cant fix a problem. Know how it will end before you begin. Heed the words of the traveling salesman in The Music Man: You gotta know the territory.

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Take the eight-year Iraq War, with similar goals of regime change and removal of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) as in todays Iran conflict. Finding no WMD, the elimination of Saddam Hussein stopped him, but also created Iraqs Islamic State that soon metastasized throughout the Middle East and into Africa.

Regrettably, it also freed up Saddams ardent foe  Iran  to spur terrorism throughout the region without having fixed Iraq.

The fourth principle is: The enemy always gets a vote.

 READ MORE: Iran looks likely to win strategically despite U.S. tactical military gains | Opinion

Since this war is a home game for Iran, its proved adroit at using the regions territory for asymmetrical advantage. It kept the U.S. Navy outside  and Middle East oil and gas inside  the Persian Gulf. Initially, this was effected by 25 undetectable minisubmarines inside of  and more than 1,000 anti-ship cruise missiles alongside  the Gulfs coast.

In addition, there was Irans devastating economic weapon: the threat to lay mines easily using fishing boats. Our minesweeping capability is hampered  we have only four outdated surface minesweepers, a squadron of 40-year-old helicopters in the process of being decommissioned, and a few unmanned vehicles.

Other asymmetric weaponry includes drones  low, slow, and immensely plentiful  causing damage to U.S. bases, weapon systems, and troops, as well as to the infrastructure of regional partners that included oil and gas facilities.

Irans territory  four times the size of Iraqs  permits a wide dispersion of its sophisticated weapon systems, creating a mandate for more U.S. air sorties and munitions.

The efficiency and effectiveness of strikes are further complicated by regional nations not allowing the use of U.S. bases in their territories, nor of their airspace to fly through for strikes (a few recently shifted to a minimal level of support).

However, porous air defense systems resulted in U.S. troops and their dependents being sheltered off base for safety, while the failure to provide our regional partners a fully integrated and shared picture of the aerial battle space resulted in their misidentifying and shooting down American aircraft.

All this forced an unanticipated redeployment of the U.S. militarys already depleted inventories of critical munitions and defensive air systems from Europe and East Asia to the Middle East.

There are reportedly only 425 JASSM-ER air-to-surface extended range missiles remaining worldwide. If JASSM-ER production is ramped up by another 700 missiles per year, its inventories may be replenished by 2028.

However, for Patriot air defense missiles  after repeated 600-missile single salvos by Iran, each consuming up to four years of missile production in a single day  even tripling production to 2,000 missiles annually means inventories will be replenished only sometime in 2032-2035.

For THAAD air defense interceptors, it will take three to eight years just to replace the stocks fired in the last few months.

And after firing over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles, total replenishment will take at least five years.

Unfortunately, all require whats known as heavy rare-earth elements (HREE) that are 99.9% controlled by China, which also manufactures 95% of HREE magnets  the sale of all of which it now forbids to the U.S. military, even via other nations.

 READ MORE: Dont let the battlefield optics fool you: Americas overall national security has been harmed | Opinion

Americas production of the HREE magnets will begin only after 2030. Meanwhile, for these and numerous other munitions, aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles, the U.S. military breaks the most basic of military axioms: Dont bring an unloaded gun to the fight.

Since the enemy gets a vote, the commander in chief must best assess the challenges presented by the territory of the battle, which mandates setting the specific end state for the war. Otherwise, piss-poor planning will mean piss-poor execution.

Unfortunately, the end has consistently shifted from a new and better deal to global peace and threatened elimination  then total military destruction  a popular uprising and regime change  finally, a regional stability and negotiation for a new real agreement. Each is a different end, and each requires a different plan and resources.

 READ MORE: Trumps war on Iran is already a muddled mess | Editorial

Lacking a definitive end for the war prior to beginning the conflict, the unanticipated voting by Iran apparently led to U.S. threats that, if executed, would break a fifth principle of war: the rule of law.

The commander in chief threatened intentional targeting of civilian infrastructure and the obliteration of all Iranian electric generating plants, oil wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!). Later threats to bomb Iran back to the Stone Age, and a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again, were promised to end the war.

The law of war that the United States helped craft after World War II  available in the Defense Departments Law of War Manual  makes clear that civilian infrastructure can lose its protection only if it is used by the enemy for military purposes, and its destruction offers a definite military advantage. But even then, it can still only be attacked if, after analysis, the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated outweighs the civilian suffering that will result.

The most valued asset in international relations is trust.

An instruction from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff sets down the process of determining the collateral damage when striking various civilian targets  its why the State Department determined in 2022 that Russia had committed war crimes in attacking Ukrainian critical infrastructure. As would we, if the commander in chiefs threats were followed through.

As for our valued allies who chose not to support the Iranian conflict?

The most valued asset in international relations is trust. Because of that, America and its allies successfully removed nuclear weapons or ended nuclear weapon programs by signing agreements with Libya, South Africa, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Taiwan, South Korea, Argentina, Brazil  and Iran.

The entire European Union was our cosignatory of the nuclear accord that removed 98% of Irans enriched uranium  with 24/7 visual, sound, and heat surveillance of its facilities so it could not cheat.

Diplomacy worked in the long term for each of the aforementioned nuclear wannabes because of trust, except for the Iranian nuclear accord  but only because America broke its word during President Donald Trumps first administration by pulling out of it. The EU did not.

Moreover, as America makes clear that we are headed home, telling bruised allies left behind that its a wrap for our alliances with them, China is unchecked as it exploits its freedom to impose its illiberal values of might makes right through its expanding Sino-centric institutions.

And we now mirror  in Irans and Venezuelas interventions  the stated rationale of China for its readiness to forcefully take Taiwan by 2027: regime change.

Joe Sestak is a former Navy vice admiral, a former U.S. representative for Pennsylvanias 7th Congressional District, who served on the House Armed Services Committee, and was director for defense policy on the National Security Council staff.
Workers onsite at the parking garage in Grays Ferry on Sunday. The garage was demolished after a partial collapse resulted in the death of three ironworkers. Read more

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Three ironworkers helping to build a multistory parking garage in Grays Ferry died last week after the structure partially collapsed. Much as Philadelphians are taking the time to mourn the loss of Stepan Shevchuk, Matthew Kane, and Mark Scott Jr., Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia should reconsider the necessity of the project.

Inquirer reporting both before and after the incident made clear that the garage was seen as an imposition on the neighborhood.

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We have been protesting this from the beginning, and it was rushed through; there was no chance to give them feedback, said Fritz Blaw, who works at a nearby shopping center that is temporarily shuttered following the collapse.

Dan Garofolo, the vice chair of the citys Civic Design Review committee, is known as a pragmatic and measured voice on the panel. Yet, when CHOPs garage proposal came before the body, his criticism was sharp. Its just hard to cotton that this extremely wealthy, extremely well-positioned institution has decided that 1,000 cars should go off campus  and contribute to all the negative impacts of traffic to that neighborhood, he said.

 READ MORE: Ceasefire leaves America with little to show for Trumps war of choice | Editorial

Garage opponents held a vigil Friday for the ironworkers who lost their lives, and urged CHOP to reassess the project. The garage would bring hundreds of cars to a predominantly residential area  along with the concomitant traffic and pollution. Because workers would then be shuttled to CHOP campuses in other neighborhoods, there would be little of the kind of economic spillover effects that can help balance some of the negative consequences. During discussions last year, the organization No CHOP Garage advocated against construction, to no avail.

For CHOP, this project was about relieving parking pressure for its workforce. Hospital leadership cited the lack of direct public transit access for some employees and wait lists for currently available CHOP-owned parking locations. The project was also approved at a time when the region was looking at substantial reductions in transit service because of a SEPTA budget shortfall, which would have pushed many current train and bus riders to become motorists.

 READ MORE: With plans for a new train line, Gov. Sherrill caters to a part of N.J. that often feels overlooked | Editorial

Still, the case for the garage was never that strong to begin with. The location at 3000 Grays Ferry Ave. is more than a mile away from the Roberts Center for Pediatric Research and the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care, leaving workers to rely on shuttle bus service to finish their commutes. Additionally, a 2023 University City Parking Inventory study found 11,576 parking spaces, with an average occupancy of 73.6%. That means roughly 2,000 spots are still available in garages and lots that are closer to campus.

The state of public transit may also be less dire after this year. While Harrisburg has failed to pass a sustainable funding solution for three years in a row, Gov. Josh Shapiro has repeatedly taken unilateral action to prevent the collapse of SEPTA. If Democrats manage to capture a majority in the state Senate in November, transit funding is bound to be a top priority. This would represent another strong reason to reconsider the garage. Delaying any further attempts to build until after the election would be prudent.

Thats not to say CHOPs needs should be dismissed. Anchor institutions are part of what makes the city thrive, and hosting one of the best pediatric hospitals in the nation has long been a point of pride for Philadelphians. When it comes to the garage, however, moving on may be best.
Vice President JD Vance (right) speaks during a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Sunday after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran. Jared Kushner (left) and Steve Witkoff listen. Read more

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It should not have come as any great surprise that Vice President JD Vance and Americas Rosencrantz and Guildenstern  real estate developers Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff  flew home from talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, early Sunday with no permanent U.S.-Iran peace deal.

In fact, you could have bet on it.

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No, I mean seriously, you could have wagered on it over at Polymarket, the popular and controversial prediction market, where as of Sunday morning more than $1.9 million had been bet on the timing of a permanent deal between the two warring nations, with odds of an agreement by May 31 plunging overnight from 46% to as low as 28%.

Presumably, whoever scores big here on the worlds failure to give peace a chance will plow those profits right back into betting on when and where the next Tomahawk missiles will fall, and which Iranian leaders  or schoolgirls, or whoever  will be slaughtered.

A recent expose in the Guardian about the growing insanity of prediction markets like Polymarket or Kalshi that increasingly handle wagers on life-and-death geopolitical events, like war in Iran or Ukraine, found that $280 million was bet on last weeks ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, amid mounting suspicion that some players might have inside governmental information.

An Associated Press investigation found that last Tuesday, as Donald Trump was threatening a genocide that would wipe out Iranian civilization, 50 new Polymarket accounts placed substantial bets instead on a ceasefire, just minutes before it was announced. It was just the latest example of perfectly timed bets on American war and peace that have netted some lucky ducks millions of dollars of free money.

The Polymarket odds for a U.S.-Iran permanent deal fell overnight pic.twitter.com/4DNVfwZSUu  Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social (@Will_Bunch) April 12, 2026

At least we can feel completely confident that no one in the Trump White House was cashing in on the bosss death threats. Thats because last week the presidents staff was officially warned in a sternly worded memo not to do this, telling them that the misuse of nonpublic information by government employees for financial benefit is a very serious offense and will not be tolerated.

LOL, the memo writers should have added. I was, of course, being sarcastic in the prior paragraph; we actually have no way of knowing whether any Trump aides are placing bets or leaking advance news to close friends, and in a more serious nation, a full-scale criminal investigation into these dubious bets would be well underway.

I dont gamble, but if Polymarket were taking wagers on Has there been insider trading on the Iran war? Id bet my meager lifes savings. Trumps military misadventures in Venezuela and Iran are the first completely kleptocratic wars in Americas 250-year history, where literally everyone is cashing in one way or another, and there are no honest brokers working for the public interest, let alone world peace.

The deeper you dig, the more scandalous, and arguably treasonous, it all becomes.

Why, for example, has Pakistan warmed so much to Trump World, to the point where the South Asian nation has become an unlikely mediator in the U.S.-Iran talks? Is it the peace-loving nature of Pakistans military regime? Or is it because of the January deal between Pakistans finance minister and World Liberty Financial (WLF), the crypto venture headed by Zach Witkoff, the son of Americas inexperienced top negotiator, and heavily owned by the Trump family? Under the unusual arrangement, Pakistan is using WLFs stablecoin for cross-border transactions.

Yet, Witkoffs co-negotiator  Kushner, the presidential son-in-law  is arguably even more financially compromised. After forging close ties with Middle Eastern dictators during his father-in-laws first term, Kushner struck gold when a Saudi Arabian government fund directed by his friend, de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), invested $2 billion in his start-up equity fund. Now, MBS is a leading advocate of waging war until the complete destruction of Iran, the opposite of what Kushner was supposed to be negotiating in Islamabad.

At least Vance is morally and economically uncompromised, right? Well  yes and no. The vice presidents unlikely political rise has been backed from Day One by the billionaire founder of the leading defense-tech contractor Palantir, Peter Thiel. It was Thiel who met Vance at Yale Law School and gave him his first job, invested in Vances venture-capital fund, and pumped as much as $15 million into his Ohio Senate win.

Today, Palantir is critical to the Pentagons war plans, with its Maven Smart System powered by artificial intelligence making the decisions about who lives or dies when American bombs fall on Iran. During his 21-hour talks with Iran this weekend, was Vance working for the American people, who have overwhelmingly wanted an end to the war, or his patrons whove gotten filthy rich off of it?

 READ MORE: The fate of the Earth depends on removing Trump from the White House ASAP | Will Bunch

The answer to that alarming question may have come last week from the president himself, who took the extremely unusual step of boosting Vances favorite tech giant  whose stock has fallen because of broader Wall Street fears about software profits in the AI era  with a Truth Social post: Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has proven to have great war fighting capabilities and equipment. Just ask our enemies!!!

Trump seemed to erase any doubts about Americas transition from flawed democracy to naked kleptocracy by including the firms PLTR ticker symbol, and indeed, shares in Palantir spiked 3% before resuming their recent slide.

Does Palantir want the now-fractured negotiations between the United States and Iran to resume? Does the Trump family? We learned recently that a Florida-based drone manufacturer called Powerus, backed by Eric and Donald Trump Jr., is trying to sell its defensive drone interceptors to Persian Gulf countries to defend themselves from Iranian attacks that came with the war the Trumps dad started.

Powerus, a drone company backed by President Donald Trumps eldest sons, has met with officials in Abu Dhabi to discuss selling weapons to the United Arab Emirates as the country looks to shore up its defense systems against attacks from Iran https://t.co/Gh68fOxyQJ  Bloomberg (@business) April 2, 2026

Hey, nice oil dictatorship you got there. Be a shame if anything happened to it. Apparently, the business finesse Trump Sr. learned from his mentor, the mob lawyer Roy Cohn, is getting passed down.

It takes more effort to find someone in Trumps orbit whos not profiting off of death and destruction than the many who are, or hope to. What about War Secretary Pete Hegseth, whose stockbroker  according to a report in the Financial Times  inquired about a large purchase in a defense industry stock fund right before the U.S. started bombing Iran?

Its no secret that pretty much anything and everything in Trumps orbit is, in the infamous words of Steve Martin in The Jerk, a profit deal. But its one thing when Trumps blatant corruption is about stuff like meme coins or sneakers or making a dirty deal to get free foreign steel for his hideous White House ballroom.

Making money off of death and devastation is an entirely lower rung of hell. The concerns that top Homeland Security officials may have profited from plans for the squalid warehousing of detained immigrants are unconscionable. Making money off a war thats already killed a couple of thousand civilians in Iran and Lebanon ought to be beyond unthinkable.

New reporting reveals Pete Hegseth's broker at Morgan Stanley attempted to make a multi-million-dollar investment in defense companies in February.



The inquiry occurred shortly before the US launched attacks on Iran. pic.twitter.com/e8FZQLG0xp  Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) April 6, 2026

Look, we truly dont know whats happening inside Trumps rapidly deteriorating brain. His real reasons for this ill-advised war that America appears to have lost might not be about the money, but his fantasies of a military victory to etch onto his obscene Washington, D.C., arch, or changing the political conversation away from his late perverted pal Jeffrey Epstein.

But theres a reason  OK, there used to be a reason  why government officials were instructed to avoid even the seeming appearance of a conflict of interest. We dont know what was on the mind of the American delegation during those 21 hours in Islamabad. Were they only thinking about ending the bloodshed and the economic disruption, or were they also checking in with their broker and texting updates to their Kalshi buddies back home? Did 13 American troops die, so far, fighting in our name, or for the enrichment of Palantir and World Liberty Financial?

We do know this. Iran showed up in Pakistan this weekend with a team of 30 people, many of them with doctoral degrees and some expertise in diplomacy. Americas delegation was five real estate developers and venture-capital dudes who were shocked when the Iranians didnt succumb to their Glengarry Glen Ross high-pressure sales pitch. An American kleptocracy all about the Benjamins is becoming a joke on the world stage.

One other thing seems certain. When Democrats retake the House and possibly the Senate in January, and perhaps reclaim the U.S. Department of Justice in 2029, there will be many subpoenas for U.S. war profiteers, and a lot of explaining to do. Will some folks go to prison for a long time? You could bet on it, but please dont.
Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard his flight bound for Algiers Houari Boumediene International Airport on Monday, at the start of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. Read more

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It is the best of times, it is the worst of times to be a Catholic in the U.S.

Evidence of the best? The enthusiasm Pope Leo XIV has generated since his election to lead the worlds 1.4 billion Catholics in May. That fervor has manifested in everything from a surge in the number of people joining the Roman Catholic Church to the pride evinced in the U.S.-born pontiffs Creole and Chicago roots. The internet has even resurfaced a 1982 photo of a young Pope Leo dressed as one of the Blues Brothers, usually paired with one of the movies iconic lines: Hes on a mission from God. Catholicism hasnt been this popular for a long time.

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But then there is the worst: Sunday night, President Donald Trump issued an extraordinary post attacking the pope on Truth Social.

Leo should get his act together as Pope, Trump wrote, after enumerating all the ways the pope is saying things the president doesnt like. Namely, that Pope Leo has repeatedly spoken out strongly against war. Our thin-skinned but always bellicose commander in chiefs screed was seemingly prompted by Pope Leos words closing out a global Holy Rosary for Peace event held on Saturday, in which the pontiff decried the delusion of omnipotence that is fueling conflict across the world.

 READ MORE: Pope Leos pointed message to Catholics the day after the U.S. bombed Iran | Sabrina Vourvoulias

Though Pope Leo, from his very first address from the balcony of St. Peters Basilica after being elected pope May 8, has been saying that peace in the world is the mission of the church, in his Truth Social post, Trump characterized that focus as catering to the Radical Left and took it personally: I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.

For his part, Pope Leo responded to Trumps attack by saying, Im not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the church works for.

It shouldnt really surprise us that someone like Trump, who governs in the dark  relying heavily on instilling fear, telling lies, and issuing threats  is actually a snowflake that melts at first light. Weve seen it before (albeit too sparingly) from the universities, media organizations, law firms, and legislators that have stood up to his increasingly unhinged demands.

But why does Trump, someone who didnt take his oath of office on a Bible (or any other sacred text for that matter), who has been divorced twice, and who a jury found liable for sexual abuse and defamation, even care what the head of the Roman Catholic Church says? Is it because first lady Melania Trump is Catholic? Or because a significant number of the people in his administration are? Or is it because 60% of U.S. Catholics disapprove of how he has handled the conflict with Iran, according to the right-leaning National Catholic Register?

Even the most conservative Catholics  a demographic that has, overall, been solidly pro-Trump  have balked at the presidents attack on the pope. Bishop Robert Barron, for example, has said he believes Trump owes the pontiff an apology.

 READ MORE: Sorry, MAGA Christians, you arent the only ones praying | Sabrina Vourvoulias

And staunch conservatives were recoiling from the AI-generated image Trump posted Sunday, immediately after his attack on the pope, of himself as Jesus healing the sick. Some evangelicals  another demographic, overall, that has also been solidly pro-Trump  including leaders of conservative churches, labeled it blasphemous. On Monday, the president told reporters that the image wasnt of him as Jesus, but just as a doctor, and that it depicted the work of the Red Cross.

Right.

The pushback was significant enough that CNN is reporting that the image has been taken down  something that last happened after the president reposted a repugnantly racist video depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as primates.

These are hopeful signs that those whose moral compasses allowed them to vote for a man who once believed he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldnt lose any voters may have finally reached their limit with this president.

I hope so.

Then again, I was one of those people who joined Pope Leo in praying a rosary for peace on Saturday.

Because no matter how many times a wolf huffs and puffs and blows down houses of straw and sticks, the edifice of peace is built with bricks  and we can all fit in it together.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) is seen during a news conference on Capitol Hill on March, 6 2024 in Washington, DC. Read more

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U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, the Bucks County Republican who sometimes breaks with his party but often refrains from harshly condemning President Donald Trump, on Monday strongly rebuked the presidents tirade against Pope Leo XIV.

The Catholic lawmaker said Trumps missive was disgraceful, beneath the dignity of the presidency, and offensive to Catholics in every corner of the world.

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He called on the president to apologize for claiming, in a social media post Sunday night, that Leo was selected last year only to deal with him in the White House.

To suggest that a Pope somehow owes his place to a politician is absurd. As a lifelong Catholic, these comments [are] an insult to the Church, an affront to the faithful, and to many Catholics, plainly sacrilegious, Fitzpatrick said in a statement. Demeaning the Holy Father while elevating oneself is not strength. It is arrogance.

Trump criticized Leo after the pope became more vocal in calling out violence in Iran. In a prayer service in St. Peters Basilica on Saturday, he said a delusion of omnipotence was fueling the American and Israeli attacks in Iran.

Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! Leo said.

In a lengthy response on his social media website, Trump said Leo was WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.

Trump also posted an image of himself dressed as Jesus healing the sick, which he deleted Monday, following a widespread backlash.

U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Philadelphia), who is Catholic, said the president and his comments about the pope were an abomination.

He constantly finds new ways to sink to new lows  even by his standards, Boyle said on social media. But I will greatly enjoy his future irate and unhinged tweet when Pope Leo wins the Nobel Peace Prize.

Fitzpatrick, a moderate facing a competitive reelection bid this year, has often supported Trumps agenda while breaking with the party in some high-profile moments  like in the debate last year around extending the Affordable Care Act credits and in the ongoing negotiations to include reforms to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in a new funding agreement.

After Trumps threat last week to destroy the whole civilization of Iran  leading to calls from impeachment from many Democrats  Fitzpatrick issued a statement that did not call out Trump by name but referred to the comments as blatantly irresponsible.

His reaction to the attack on Leo was more direct, condemning Trump by name and in the strongest possible terms. The pope is not a partisan figure, and the papacy is not an institution to be mocked, politicized, or diminished, Fitzpatrick said.

Pope Leo has every right  and indeed the solemn responsibility  to speak clearly on matters of faith, conscience, war and peace, and human dignity, Fitzpatrick said. That is his role. And no one  president, politician, or public figure  can intimidate, demean, or bully the Church for carrying out its mission.

About 29% of members of the U.S. House and 24% of the U.S. Senate were Catholic at the beginning of the current session of Congress, according to the Pew Research Center.

This article contains information from the Associated Press.
Charlie Ellison, left, director of the city's Office of Immigrant Affairs; City Solicitor Renee Garcia, center; and Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Healy, right, testify at a City Council hearing on the "ICE Out" legislative package. Read more

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City Council members on Monday afternoon gave preliminary approval to a sweeping legislative package aimed at curtailing ICE operations in Philadelphia, following a daylong hearing in which immigrant advocates urged lawmakers to vote yes and aides to Mayor Cherelle L. Parker signaled the administration would not stand in the way.

The outcome of Mondays vote in the Committee of the Whole was never in doubt, as 15 of the 17 Council members had already cosponsored the half-dozen bills and resolutions. If passed, the legislation would ban immigration enforcement from setting up staging or processing areas on city property, prohibit agents from wearing masks, and codify Philadelphias status as a sanctuary city into law.

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The committee approved all of the bills and resolutions in a series of unanimous voice votes. Councilmembers Mike Driscoll, Mark Squilla, Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Curtis Jones Jr., and Brian ONeill  Councils lone Republican  were not present for the votes. The only two members who have not cosponsored the package are Driscoll and ONeill.

It had been unclear for months where Parker would land. She is a centrist Democrat who has carefully avoided directly criticizing President Donald Trumps administration, and she has generally not weighed in on the presidents mass deportation campaign.

 READ MORE: Philly City Council members will soon consider seven ICE Out bills. Heres what the proposals would do.

During Mondays committee hearing, Director of the Office of Immigrant Affairs Charlie Ellison said Parker and her administration understand and appreciate the intent behind this legislation, and noted that the city already has some longstanding protections in place for immigrants.

Ellison also said some provisions of the legislation could be legally problematic, but it did not appear Monday that those concerns were significant enough for the administration to oppose the package.

Since she took office in 2024, Parker has repeatedly said that an executive order signed by her predecessor related to immigration enforcement remains in place. That order prohibits police and jail officials from complying with requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants, unless the agency has a warrant signed by a judge.

Ellison said the police department this month issued a new policy memo to all employees that formalizes the city policy prohibiting officers from assisting ICE with immigration enforcement.

Mondays hearing was held before Councils Committee of the Whole, which is made up of all 17 members. Council members heard six hours of testimony from administration officials, legal experts, and immigration advocates. No one testified against the bills.

Dozens of activists packed Councils chambers in City Hall, waving signs and chanting: ICE out.

Merelyn Mejia-Shephard, 14, said in emotional testimony that her parents are both immigrants and that she fears losing them to deportation.

The scariest thing to me is losing my family, she said. The safety and stability of my family and many other families depends on this package passing. Please, do this for us, the children of immigrants who have everything to lose.

The package will now head to the Council floor for a final vote. But Mondays approval from the Committee of the Whole all but guarantees the legislation will be approved.

 READ MORE: Philly lawmakers want to restrict cooperation with ICE and ban agents from wearing masks

If Council grants final passage to the legislative package in the coming weeks, the bills would then head to Parkers desk. Parker can sign the bills, veto them, or let them lapse into law without her signature. She has never vetoed a bill.

If the legislation becomes law, Philadelphia would have some of the nations most stringent local restrictions on federal immigration enforcement operations. The city is home to an estimated 76,000 undocumented immigrants.

Councilmember Rue Landau, a Democrat and coauthor of the legislation, said she was glad the Parker administration now appears to be on board with the proposal.

Right now, we can say the administration is moving and is starting to implement the blueprint that we put on the table, Landau told reporters after the hearing. They are starting to come up with policies and procedures and trainings for their staff, and thats what we want and need.

Supporters of Parker have credited her strategy of rarely discussing immigration during Trumps tenure with keeping Philadelphia from being subject to the surges of federal agents that cities like Minneapolis and Los Angeles have seen.

 READ MORE: ICE tactics in Minneapolis set off political firestorm from Philadelphia City Hall to Washington

Landau and coauthor Councilwoman Kendra Brooks, of the Working Families Party, said that they plan to call the measures up for final passage votes on April 23 and that they were not worried that the legislation could put Philly in Trumps crosshairs.

Hes unpredictable, and we cant predict what hell do, Brooks told reporters Monday. I think the most important thing was for us to get this legislation on the books. So if he does, were prepared. This is all about being prepared, not a threat.

ICE legislation may have technical issues, administration says

The legislation that Council advanced Monday would do the following:

Prohibit data-sharing agreements between the city and ICE. Codify sanctuary status into law by prohibiting the city from complying with a detainer request from ICE unless the agency has a warrant signed by a judge. Ban all law enforcement officers, including Philadelphia police, from concealing their identities, except under specific circumstances outlined in the legislation, such as medical or tactical reasons. Prohibit ICE from using city-owned property to set up staging and processing areas, and bar city employees from granting ICE access to nonpublic areas of city facilities. Ban city officials and government contractors from conditioning city benefits on immigration status. Create a new protected class, effectively banning discrimination based on immigration status.

Three top administration officials who testified to Council on Monday signaled that they support the legislation, but said they have raised a series of technical concerns about language in some of the bills.

Ellison said those were outlined in a confidential and privileged analysis drafted by the citys law department.

 READ MORE: Council President Kenyatta Johnson says Philadelphia cant sit out Trumps immigration fight anymore

Landau and Brooks introduced a series of amendments Monday that made changes to the bills.

The most significant of those adjustments clarifies that individual city employees would not be subject to civil liability for failing to comply with the legislation. But anyone who believes they have been affected by such a violation would be able to bring a lawsuit against the city and the agency in question.

Council attorneys said in a memo, which was obtained by The Inquirer, that there is sound legal foundation for each piece of legislation.

The memo included a lengthy defense of the bill that prohibits officers from concealing their identities. Similar measures have faced legal challenges in other jurisdictions  Trump administration officials say state- and city-level bans violate the constitutional provision that says federal law reigns supreme.

 READ MORE: Unmasking ICE in Philly could test the limits of local power over federal agents

Councils position, the attorneys wrote, is that the federal government cannot credibly argue that wearing masks and concealing identification is necessary for its operations as it is a new practice.

It also appears that the Parker administration has questioned whether Council has the legal authority to ban city employees from taking certain actions related to ICE. The city operates under a strong mayor system, meaning lawmakers set funding levels and policy but the mayor oversees policy implementation and operations.

Council attorneys wrote in the memo that certain citywide policy decisions are within legislators powers, and that states and cities across the country have codified similar policies.

Vanessa Stine, a senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Unions Pennsylvania chapter, testified Monday that the city would be on sound legal footing if Council adopted the package due to the anti-commandeering doctrine, a legal principle based in the Constitutions 10th Amendment guarantee of states rights.

The federal government may not compel states to implement federal programs through legislation or executive action, Stine told the committee, adding that the city can make a choice to minimize their entanglement with abusive and discriminatory federal immigration enforcement programs.

Philadelphia Police Department formalizes ICE non-cooperation policy

For the better part of a decade, Philadelphia police have operated under an executive order that bars them from complying with requests from ICE to detain people without a warrant signed by a judge.

Administration officials have also long said that officers do not assist in immigration enforcement. But that policy has not been written down until now.

In what appears to have been an effort to preempt the Council hearing on the ICE-related legislation, Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel sent a memo to officers on April 2 outlining a policy that explicitly states that officers may not assist ICE with pursuing noncriminal immigration violations.

The memo also states that Philadelphia police officers may not serve immigration warrants, transport people for immigration enforcement, or share nonpublic information for the purpose of immigration enforcement.

Deputy Police Commissioner Francis Healy said that, under the policy, the only time that police will participate in an ICE operation is if an agent is in an emergency situation, such as being assaulted.

This is our community, so were here to make sure that the community is safe, that they feel safe. Thats why we actually put the policy in place, Healy said. Theres not a collaboration on civil enforcement between us and ICE. Period.

And, under questioning by Landau, Healy confirmed that officers would intervene if an ICE agent uses force in a way that creates a public safety risk.

If someone is going clearly above and beyond the line, we have a duty to protect all people, Healy said.

Landau said that in several meetings with the police department, she had never heard that loud and clear.

I appreciate that, she said, and I think everybody here today appreciates it that the police are saying they will intervene.
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The Environmental Protection Agency is sitting on dozens of approvals for uses of forever chemicals at the direction of Administrator Lee Zeldin, over fears that it could anger Make America Healthy Again activists, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media.

The MAHA movement, championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has pushed to limit chemicals in the U.S. food supply. Trump administration officials have had ongoing conversations with MAHA supporters, who are allied with the Republican Party but have also taken aim at some of the administrations policies.

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The move to delay approvals stands in contrast with the administrations all-out effort to eliminate environmental regulations. Zeldin is rolling back dozens of regulations in what the EPA calls the largest deregulatory action in U.S. history, including relaxing controls on and speeding approvals of many other chemicals. Before taking office, Zeldin had previously vowed to clear the backlog left over by the Biden administration on approvals of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

PFAS, which have a range of uses, including in nonstick pans, firefighting foam and semiconductors, are called forever chemicals because they take years to break down naturally once released into the environment. Studies have linked PFAS to cancer, immune system problems, infertility, and a long list of negative health effects.

The uses up for review include about a dozen new per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, one of the people said. Some were first proposed during the Biden administration.

The EPA is also reviewing rules that govern additional uses of several dozen PFAS chemicals that are already on the market, which similarly were first proposed before President Donald Trump took office, the person said. If finalized, the rules determine the limits on their use and what precautions need to be taken.

Some relate to reviewing and increasing safeguards for PFAS in commerce prior to the 2016 overhaul of U.S. chemical law.

The second person said the approvals involve both pesticides and non-pesticide chemicals, which are regulated by separate laws. A third person familiar with the matter corroborated details of some of the delayed approvals.

Kimberly Wise White, vice president of regulatory and scientific affairs for lobbying group American Chemistry Council, expressed concern about the significant delays in reviewing new uses for the chemicals.

Prolonged delays in the approval process slows innovation, disrupts supply chains, and hinders the development of new products that are critical to a wide range of industries, including those supporting health, energy, and advanced manufacturing, White said.

EPA spokesman Mike Bastasch said the agency is committed to protecting the nations health and the environment, but he did not respond to questions about the potential backlog and whether a consideration of MAHA activism played a role in delays.

All regulatory decisions, from rules to chemical reviews, are guided by the best available science, the law, and President Trumps agenda, he said in a statement. We take the feedback we receive seriously and want to ensure the fullest universe of science and data informs our decisions.

Bastasch pointed to a February EPA statement that included 17 agency actions on PFAS taken as part of this Administrations unwavering commitment to Make America Healthy Again, including additional funding and research related to addressing forever chemicals in drinking water.

In a separate statement, Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon said tat Secretary Kennedy and Administrator Zeldin have a strong working relationship and a commitment to gold standard science, protecting public health and delivering results for the American people.

Kelly Ryerson, a prominent activist against pesticides known online as Glyphosate Girl, said that while she did not know particulars about the PFAS holdup, she was hoping the EPA would deliver on a promised MAHA agenda soon.

Many in the administration already knew, but now I think even more are wrapping their heads around how much of an issue the environmental contaminants are to the voting population on both sides, she said.

The delayed PFAS approvals are typically handled by lower-level career staffers as a routine matter, but the decisions on PFAS are instead being elevated to Zeldins office, above the political appointees in the chemicals program, according to the two people familiar with the matter.

Some environmental activists, meanwhile, are calling for increased scrutiny of PFAS.

Most Americans want the same thing: more oversight and transparency around toxic chemicals, said Joanna Slaney, vice president for political and government affairs at the Environmental Defense Fund. PFAS are toxic, even at very low levels, and theyre linked to cancers, liver damage and health problems for children.

The EPA had a long existing backlog of chemical approvals before Trump took office for a second term that Zeldin aimed to tackle.

We inherited so many backlogs. The pesticides review was something like 14,000. New chemical review  several hundred, Zeldin told the House Energy and Commerce Committee in May. We dont mind getting a big mess to fix. Were happy to do it.

The Trump administration appointed industry insiders in January 2025 to run the EPAs chemical program and speed up approvals.

Since then, the EPA has reduced the backlog of pesticide submissions to about 8,300 from 14,695, although it also has received about 6,800 new submissions in that time, Bastasch said. The agency has also signed off on 492 new chemicals, separate from pesticides, he said.

In November, the agency approved two new pesticides that contained PFAS chemicals as active ingredients.

Later that month, MAHA proponents circulated a petition directed at Trump that demanded Zeldin stop weakening chemical protections, calling out PFAS in particular.

Zeldin subsequently has sought to court the movement and Kennedy.

He met with MAHA activists in December, telling reporters the next day that the agency was working on its own MAHA agenda and that his relationship with the movement dates back to the start of the administration.

All year long, Ive had a fantastic working relationship, personal relationship, with Secretary Kennedy and his team, Zeldin said at the time. Myself, our team are often heavily engaged with the secretary and his team on issues that are of concern for how to Make America Healthy Again coalition.

Earlier this month, Zeldin and Kennedy appeared together at the EPA to announce plans for the government to research the effects of microplastics.

The Trump administration recently moved to assuage some of the MAHA base, after the presidents executive order boosting domestic production of a widely used weed killer drew harsh rebukes.

Top MAHA advocates attended a White House listening session Thursday on pesticides and other issues important to the movement, featuring top White House policy advisers and a brief meeting with Trump.

Even as these activists have gotten access to top Trump officials, they have kept up the pressure. A March 31 public letter signed by dozens of MAHA-linked groups and activists, including United We Eat and Ryerson, called on Zeldin to reverse policies that the letter says put Americans health at risk.

Over the past year, the agency has appointed chemical industry lobbyists to key posts, approved dangerous new pesticides, and rolled back protections from lead and PFAS in drinking water, the letter said.

We strongly urge the EPA to be a force to make America healthy again, instead of sick, it added, listing a variety of actions EPA should take to strengthen protections while also applauding EPAs efforts to launch its own MAHA agenda.
Farmers Insurance said in a lawsuit that a former agent in Oklahoma allegedly conspired to move Farmers insureds to other insurance companies, including an agency where his wife works.

Farmers said Bradley McKinney broke his agent appointment agreement with Farmers when he allegedly sold insurance policies for other carriers out of his Farmers agency office.

Before McKinney parted ways with Farmers in 2025, he downloaded his entire book of business and shared the confidential information with producers at another agency, according to Farmers.

The lawsuit was filed on March 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

From 2010 to 2025, McKinney operated a Tulsa-based Farmers agency under the name McKinney Insurance & Financial Services. His wife, Tory McKinney, and producer Christopher Spicer worked for the agency until 2023, when they left to join existing Hometown Insurance Agency in Tulsa, according to the suit.

Late in 2023, Bradley McKinney began to divert Farmers insureds and insurance policies to Tory McKinney and Spicer at Hometown, the suit alleges. Policies in force at Bradley McKinneys Farmers agency began decreasing in 2023, continued to decrease in 2024, and decreased at an even more significant rate in the first four-and-a-half months of 2025, Farmers said.

The suit alleges that on Feb. 18, 2025, Bradley McKinney downloaded the entire book of business of his Farmers agency in Excel, and two days later he submitted a letter to Farmers that he was terminating his agent appointment agreement.

Farmers proprietary customer data is protected through a secured sign-in process requiring multi-factor authentication, the carrier said in the suit. Farmers specifically designates the information in the secured platforms as trade secrets.

Farmers terminated its agent appointment agreement with Bradley McKinney on May 15, 2025, two weeks before his planned departure. He later joined Hometown, according to the suit.

Farmers is seeking actual and punitive damages at a jury trial.

Topics Lawsuits Data Driven Carriers Agencies Agribusiness
When passengers step onto an airplane, theyre accustomed to turbulence, seat kicking, and lengthy tarmac delays. Those are the predictable annoyances of air travel.

But a far more serious risk to the safety of flyers has received heightened attention in recent months: toxic fume events. These incidents, where passengers and crew breathe in toxic chemicals from jet engine lubricants, can lead to short-term symptoms like headaches and dizziness as well as long-lasting injuries including chronic impairment, respiratory illnesses, and mood disorders.

A toxic fume event is caused when engine oil or hydraulic fluid enters a planes air supply, often because of faulty seals or maintenance issues. On most commercial jets, about half of the air that passengers and crew breathe is pulled directly from the engine through a process known as bleed air.

Fume events are a long known and rare occurrence, but the number of reported incidents has risen substantially over the past decade, according to data compiled by the Wall Street Journal.

Rising awareness of the severity of fume events has caught the attention of plaintiffs attorneys, who are actively advertising to people who may have been exposed to toxic fumes on flights.

I think when society starts looking closely at health issues, there can be a cascading effect where more and more people become aware of it, and that results in more litigation, said Noel Paul, an insurance recovery partner at Honigman.

While lawsuits alleging injuries from fume events have long been limited to airline employees and settled through workers compensation, that may be changing.

In late 2025 a law professor sued Boeing for $40 million after allegedly developing a long-term illness from exposure to toxic fumes on a 2024 flight operated by Delta Airlines.

The plaintiff, Temple professor Jonathan Harris, alleged the cabin of the 737 plane was filled with a dirty sock-like odor during a 45-minute delay on the LAX tarmac. Harris experienced trouble breathing as toxic fumes seeped into the cabin, the lawsuit alleges.

Harris claims he suffers from balance and motor skill issues, tremors and memory loss, and cognitive defects. The case is awaiting a hearing.

Airplane manufacturers are likely to be the primary target of lawsuits brought by passengers, while airlines may face litigation that falls outside of traditional workers comp claims, according to Paul.

I think its very likely that [insurers] are going to have a lot of interest in what the manufacturers and the airlines are aware of in terms of claims and what steps theyre taking to address the issue, Paul said.

The Causation Factor

Plaintiffs who believe theyve been the victim of a toxic fume event would face a high bar in proving their symptoms were caused by a specific incident or multiple fume events, as opposed to some other underlying health issue or incident, according to Paul.

Causation I think is really the key issue with these incidents, Paul said. Certainly it would be argued by defendants in these suits, and I think is argued now, that theres no proof that these fume events are causing the symptoms that many of these people are alleging.

Establishing causation for toxic fume injuries isnt without precedent.

In 2020 the Oregon Workers Compensation Board ruled in favor of a JetBlue pilot who was denied disability for a career-ending exposure to vaporized engine oil.

During a January 2017 maintenance check in Portland, Captain Andrew Myers was exposed to a choking, burning odor while performing routine maintenance on an Airbus 320. The incident left him with toxic encephalopathya neurological disorder that manifested as tremors so severe he couldnt hold a glass of water, alongside memory loss and vision problems.

JetBlue and its insurer AIG repeatedly denied compensability for Myers toxic encephalopathy on the grounds that the condition did not exist and, if it did, the industrial injury was not a material contributing cause of that condition.

Administrative law Judge Darren Otto ruled there was a causal link between the toxic fumes and Myers brain damage and ordered JetBlue to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees. JetBlue was hit with a 25% penalty for unreasonably denying Myers claim.

Otto critiqued JetBlues safety culture, writing that airlines appear to be more concerned about keeping planes in the air than worker safety.

Whats on the Horizon?

Litigation involving toxic fume events has so far mostly been driven by individual plaintiffs. As lawmakers and the public grow more interested in the issue, there is a likelihood of class-action lawsuits.

Attorneys at Moran and Lewis, a law firm with a specialized aviation practice, wrote in January that the plaintiffs bar may be looking toward larger class and mass filings, potentially based on failure-to-warn theories that do not depend on individualized proof of personal injury.

Last month, Lowey Dannenberg launched an investigation into whether JetBlue officers and directors breached their fiduciary duties by failing to disclose the systemic risks of toxic fumes to shareholders.

The investigation follows a February lawsuit brought forth in North Carolina by a JetBlue flight attendant who claims the airline concealed and downplayed the risks associated with exposure to the toxic fumes. JetBlue didnt respond to a request for comment.

I think if theres regulatory pronouncements or court pronouncements that are in favor of plaintiffs and claimants trying to establish liability, then that could certainly lead to a surge in these types of claims and lawsuits by both crew members and passengers, Paul said.

A lawsuit brought by individuals alleging they suffered injuries from a fume event could potentially trigger years if not decades of insurance coverage, Paul said, comparing it with asbestos litigation.

I see that as one key distinction that really could make insurance quite important if people start saying, Oh, I was on a flight back in the 80s and I was part of a fume event. I didnt realize it at the time, but I was and it caused me serious injury thats affected my whole life,' Paul said.

Topics Aviation
Opportunities to grow, identifying challenges and having the ability to solve them, finding the right people and building strong relationships, and the satisfaction that comes with helping othersthose are a few reasons that young industry professionals cite as why they enjoy the opportunities that a career in insurance provides.

Insurance Journal spoke to a handful of young professionals making their mark in the insurance world. We asked them to share why they chose a career in insurance, what they love about their job, and what theyd tell other young job seekers looking for guidance in the sector.

Culture Matters

While some people value compensation and benefits, 23-year-old Grant Harper, insurance commercial consultant at Higginbotham, said nothing beats his agencys culture. Sure, pay is importantbut thats not always consistent day-in and day-out.

For independent agents, there are weeks when the pay is great, and then there are weeks when the pay is terrible, Harper said. But even when pay is up and down, the culture is always going to be good, he said. 100%. I value the culture here the most.

His office in Springfield, Missouri, is awesome, he said. All the guys Im working with, my coworkers, were friends, Harper said. I talk to these guys every single day. Were on the phone, even weekends. It doesnt even feel like a job at times. Its very enjoyable.

Thats not to say that being an independent agent is easy. It can be very difficult at times, Harper explained. There are days that who knows what fire Ill get thrown into, but I still feel very fortunate to be with Higginbotham. Very, very lucky. Joyless is far from what my job is. I have lots of fun days. Sure, its a sales job. You need to sell, and if youre not selling, you work more, he said. But if you are selling, you can play hard, too.

Harper never expected to land a career in insurance, but its where he plans to stay after meeting a rep from Higginbotham at a college career fair.

It was actually the first booth I stopped at, he said. After an informal lunch with two Higginbotham managing directors, he decided to apply for a summer internship. I ended up getting into the summer internship program and wasnt ready to leave; the three months went by too fast, Harper said.

I was like, Man, I wish I could stay out here full-time, and they actually allowed me to stay on through my senior year of college, he said. Then after graduation, he joined the agency full-time. I havent looked back since, he said. I really dont want to ever work for any other company. Its been great.

Find a Niche

For Alex Dantzig, senior vice president at Heffernan Insurance Brokers, a career in insurance wasnt always top of mind even though he heard plenty about the industry at the dinner table growing up. Dantzigs grandfather was one of the first employees at Heffernan. His father and aunt also worked for the agency. So, landing an internship at Heffernan during college seemed apropos.

From there things began to fall into place, he said. The office was only 20 minutes from my college, so I began working there about 20 hours a week doing inside projects, he said. He started to enjoy the agencys culture and people. And then my dad was like, Hey, you seem to like it here. Do you want to give sales a shot?'

His initial two years of sales were spent calling on small religious businesses around the country. My family had built a church business, church programs by denomination; thats what my grandfather, dad, and my aunt did, he said. We insured thousands of churches across the entire U.S., so when I first started, I just called on small churches. Then Dantzig began to explore other areas, targeting larger accounts in transportation, when he landed on an underserved market for ambulance and non-emergency medical transport companies.

It was a niche that Heffernan had never really focused on prior to when I started, he said. No one else was going after them, so I started going to all the conferences. He joined the California Ambulance Association and now sits on a few committees. With the help of those relationships, Dantzig has been able to build a significant book of business in the space.

Its a very niche-focused and very difficult market, so theres not a lot of insurance carriers that play in that space, he explained. That specialty expertise has attracted clients and carriers alike. Just based on the volume, were able to get market access for a lot of the carriers, so thats been helpful.

For 27-year-old Chase Del Biaggio, an employee benefits consultant at Heffernan Insurance Brokers, that niche was healthcare. It doesnt take rocket science to figure out that healthcare in America is challenging and troubling, he said. Thats why I chose the health insurance side of the industryI saw an opportunity to hopefully make a difference.

The healthcare industrys challenging landscape is a motivator for him. I like the problem-solving aspect of healthcare, said Del Biaggio. Its great knowing that when you work with these groups, there are 100, 200, 300, maybe a 1,000 people that you get to actively help or guide through the medical system, he said. At the end of the day, were just trying to help people that dont understand the system.

Dantzigs advice to younger producers: Pick a couple niches and then just drive them really aggressively rather than being more of like a generalist, he said. And get involved at the association levelthat is really important. But he also admits theres no real secret to sales success other than relentlessness. For me, it was really just finding niches, becoming an expert in that niche, trying to drive the relationships, and then just opening as many doors as possible.

Del Biaggio, agrees, adding that being hungry for knowledge those first few years in the career is just as important as being hungry for sales. Dont treat it as a job. Its fun to learn stuff.

Growth Opportunities

For Cash McMillen, partner, executive vice president, operations, at The Cashion Company in Little Rock, Arkansas, and current chair of the Big Is Young Agent Committee, a career in insurance came after a completely different first career.

McMillen entered the natural gas industry right after college. He spent more than eight years in the sector until the industry crashed throughout the state. A lot of us were laid off at the time, he said. Then a good friend from college helped him get into the insurance industry.

He started at a national insurance company from the ground floor. I took a 75% pay cut when I got into the industry, but I just knew there was opportunity. But at the time I knew nothing, he said. I needed to learn from the bottom up, he added. I started out training on how to rate and process endorsements, rate new business, rate renewals, how to process things. I learned coverage forms. I took every class I could get my hands on, and I asked for every opportunity to train and grow my knowledge, he said. Within 18 months, he was promoted to an underwriting assistant.

Soon after he was offered an opportunity to interview for an underwriting role at a different carrier. I didnt know anything about underwriting other than the rating piece, so I told them, I dont have underwriting experience, but I promise you I can learn it faster and better than any other candidates that you have. The regional vice president at the timeI still consider him a friendhe took a chance and hired me. That is when he began working with independent agencies, which eventually led to his transition to the agency side.

For 34-year-old Austin Gallo, commercial lines agent at Garrison Insurance Group in Lilburn, Georgia, insurance came as a second career as well. She was a stay-at-home mom with two young children but working small jobs on the side. One day in 2019 she found herself cleaning the Garrison Insurance Group office. I was actually cleaning the office and filing paperwork when the owner offered me a job, she said. A few months later she began working full-time. I love what I do and the flexibility and opportunity to still be involved with my kids, she said

Gallo began writing personal lines but now focuses only on commercial lines business. With just six people in the agency, she relies on the agencys network, Renaissance, for help with market access and educational opportunities. Learning is never done in insurance. I learn something new every single day, especially in commercial lines, she said.

Starting out on the ground floor in whatever role can help build skill and insight into the entire process of insurance, McMillen said. Starting off at the bottom of an insurance carrier, learning each role and perspective in the insurance value chain helped build his skills and industry knowledge, he said.

But theres lots of different paths to success throughout the industry, he said. No matter what role youre hired into, be eager and get involved, he suggested. Always ask for more training, so that you can learn and grow. And get involved with industry groups like the Big Is Young Agents Group, he recommended. That really changed my path through the insurance world.

Innovation Matters

Tori Sarmiento grew up in the insurance world. Her mom led the underwriting department for a large insurer.

My first internship in high school was working for that insurer, literally working in filing cabinets, printing and working off an Excel spreadsheet, she said. It wasnt the most exciting work. I was like, Oh my goodness, Im never getting into insurance,' she laughed.

After graduating with a degree in marketing, Sarmiento joined a global technology firm. I really liked the person-to-person interactions in marketing because I knew I wanted to do something that wasnt just behind a desk, she said. Like an insurance broker and agent, I wanted to be in front of people.

After a few years, Sarmiento took a job with a large insurtech firm and was surprised by what she discovered. When I first came into insurance, I expected the industry to be a lot slower moving than what it actually was, she said. By comparison to other industries, she thinks insurance gets a bad rep when it comes to modernization and tech innovation.

The pace of innovation in the insurance world, especially the past two years, has really surprised me, she said. All these big insurers, even small startups, have technology on their mind, all have technology road maps, all are implementing AI in a number of different ways, she said.

Sarmiento, now senior sales executive at Instanda, encourages young professionals, especially recent college graduates, to explore the insurance world. Theres a whole realm of different opportunities within the industry to explore; whatever youre interested in, theres something.

Mentors Matters

Insurance is all about relationships, no matter the sector.

Ive been in the industry for a relatively short time, about seven years, but its all about networking and relationships, Sarmiento said. And everybody wants to help. One mentor often leads to another, she added. When you find someone, theyll introduce you to someone else  Its not hard to find a mentor. Just get out there in front of people and ask for that mentorship, she said. Its a lot about relationship building, so tap into your network, ask questions, ask to talk to people. Then remember to pay it forward, Sarmiento said. Be a mentor to others that are coming through the door.

McMillen agrees and likes to remind the young professionals he has mentored to be open and learn from their mistakes. I had a great mentor, a seasoned underwriter, he said. When I made a mistake, she poured into me, he said. But my attitude has always been when faced with something like that to accept responsibility and learn how to avoid it next time. Being able to take constructive criticism is a very important skill to have, he said.

Topics Leadership Training Development
I recently had the opportunity to attend the CLM annual conference, hosted by the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, and one of the sessions that I was interested in was about the hiring gap that the insurance world is deep in the middle of right now. Anyone who is still talking about Millennials is way behind because that generation is firmly in place. We need to be talking about how we get the next two generations into the insurance world beginning yesterday.

From what I gathered talking to people and paying attention to the younger attendees, I came away encouragedespecially if we continue on the culture path the insurance world seems to be embracing. If you read this and think to yourself that your current experience is way different from what Im going to write about, you have to realize that your experience may not be whats going on outside of your part of the world.

That might be something to consider.

The Rise of the Insurance and Risk Degree

Many of the people I know say that insurance found them. They were in the right place at the right time, looking for meaningful workor just workand an opportunity came up in the insurance world, and they never left. They found the work interesting and rewarding, but nothing in their lives really prepared them for what they would find as they began that phase of their careers.

Today, there are more opportunities to learn about the insurance world than ever before. Kids in high school can take insurance courses to learn about what the industry does. Community colleges provide pre-licensing education (in those states that still require it), and students are getting their undergraduate and graduate degrees in risk and insurance. Where I went to college, that wasnt an option, but thats another story.

All of this is signaling that even though the general population of the latest generations arent looking at insurance as a career, there is a set of people who see the value, understand the opportunities, and are actively looking for a career in our space. Welcome. Enjoy the ride.

For those who havent started their path looking for a career in the insurance world, let me offer you two specific traits of a career in insurance that I have experienced and that the people I spoke with and heard from at the conference mentioned to me.

Theres More Going On Than You Think

When I tell people that I work in insurance, they always, without fail, think that I sell insurance. I am not, nor have I ever been, a licensed insurance agent. I came up as an underwriter. I havent sold insurance. I have taken in applications and wondered what agents were thinking, but Ive never been the agent wondering what the underwriter was thinking.

Thats the thing: Whatever people think they know about the insurance world, they only know part of it. Yes, there are still insurance agents. That should be obvious because youve seen their offices and billboards all over your town.

There are jobs in every profession that touch the insurance world. If youre interested in tech, we have a ton of tech people in insurance. If you are a detail-oriented person, we have space for you in claims and underwriting. The point is that there are more insurance jobs than growing up to be Ned the Head.

Your Career Does Not Have to Be a Straight Line

Some people look at a career in insurance as a life sentence behind a desk in an office somewhere under fluorescent lights that sap your energy until you finally retire. Thats totally not true. Well, it could be if thats what you want it to be, but it doesnt have to be. Work in the insurance world is as varied as you want it to be.

A person can come into insurance in underwriting and spend their entire career working in different kinds of underwriting. You could start in commercial property and spend a few years there. Maybe you will get into business income from there. Its easy to think that you could end up in different casualty (liability) lines from there. Its also possible to get into a niche where youre writing multiple lines for a specific class of business, like contractors or fireworks distributors. (Yeah, they need insurance.)

If you get into underwriting and find that it isnt for you, you can change. Ive known people who have spent a few years in underwriting and found jobs as an outside claims adjuster. That means they went from a desk job to a job where they were outside all the time, climbing up on roofs or taking pictures of vehicles that have been in accidents. If youre a math expert, there are insurance jobs for you.

The point is that there are jobs for every different personality and for all kinds of interests.

In my insurance life, I started in underwriting and spent years working as an underwriter. I loved that work. I met agents from around the country and got to see risks of all sorts, even in the niche markets where I was working. My next job was working as an underwriting trainer at an insurance company. While I was doing that, I also got the chance to train adjusters, agents, and more. From there, I moved to my current role, where I get to teach insurance topics and write for Insurance Journal.

This career can take you wherever you want to go.

You Can See New Things All the Time

Ive heard people say the insurance world is boring. Thats just because they think that we spend every day reading and writing emails, answering the phone, and selling insurance policies that no one understands, and no one has ever read.

That might be true for someone in the insurance world, but I dont know that person. If you know someone who has a boring insurance job, have them email me. I have questions.

The insurance world is anything but boring because insurance touches everything. You wouldnt have ChatGPT unless some insurance company decided that OpenAI was a worthy risk to write insurance on just in case something bad happens with the chatbot. You cant drive cars without insurance. You dont have professions without insurance. SpaceX doesnt provide Starlink internet without insurance.

The thing that people dont think about in the insurance world is that any day, an insurance professional doesnt necessarily know exactly what phone calls, emails, or applications are going to come in. It doesnt matter if the insurance professional is an agent, an underwriter, or an adjuster.

All of these positions will deal with something that they didnt see coming every week of their insurance life.

In my career, Ive seen accidents where an ambulance came around the corner and crashed into a herd of cattle. Ive seen property losses where insureds refused to repair the flooded property until the mold took over the building and it had to be demolished. Ive heard about calls asking if a driver was covered if they drove without a seatbelt because it got in the way of their morphine pump. And theres more.

Last Thoughts

The insurance world is vast and touches all of life. It also is a great place to begin to discover who we want to be when we grow up. Never allow anyone to tell you that insurance is all about selling, or sitting at a desk, doing mind-numbing work. It can be as exciting as you want it to be. This work can take you anywhere and show you things you never thought you would see.
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has concluded that an individual who is the sole owner and employee of a business is not required to provide his insurance carrier with notice of his work-related injury within 120 days to qualify for workers compensation benefits.

The states high court found that in cases involving an injured person who is a sole proprietor both the owner and the employee the 120-day notice requirement applies to notifying the employer, not the insurer. The court reversed a Commonwealth Court opinion that favored Erie Insurance and remanded the injury claim against Erie back to the Workers Compensation Bureau.

In its unanimous opinion, the high court said that if the plain language of the statute creates a problem, that is for the legislature to remedy, not the courts.

Competing Claims

The case involved David Heater, a sole proprietor and the sole employee of a one-man general contracting business. He says he was injured in 2015 while performing roof repairs when he allegedly fell from a ladder and fractured his neck, requiring immediate surgery. But his workers compensation insurer, Erie Insurance, did not receive notice of the injury until 2017, leading to a denied claim.

Erie claimed Heater did not injure himself while in the course of his employment but was instead injured when he attempted to perform a backflip while he was on a break. In its denial, Erie also claimed that Section 311 of the Workers Compensation Act requires that a claimant who is injured while working as an employee for his own solely-owned proprietorship provide notice of his injury to his insurer within 120 days of injury. Its not uncommon for insurers to cite the 120-day notice requirement as a defense when sole proprietors delay reporting injuries.

Heater maintained that the plain language of Section 311 does not require him to provide notice of his injury to his insurer because the term employer, as contained in Section 311, does not include an insurer. He argued that a sole proprietor need only provide notice to his employer.

Reaching the High Court

It has taken 11 years since the alleged injury for the case to climb the judicial ladder and be decided by the Supreme Court. After this work incident in 2015, Heater filed a claim with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers Compensation in 2018. He sought total disability benefits as of the date he was injured, as well as payment of medical bills and counsel fees.

Erie opposed the claim, arguing that Heater was not injured within the scope of his employment; that the policy did not cover him as a sole proprietor; and that his claim was barred by the notice provision.

A workers compensation judge sided with Erie and found Heater was not eligible for compensation because he failed to provide notice to Erie within 120 days of his injury, which the judge said was required by Section 311. The judge cited the testimony of Heaters insurance agent who had no recollection of Heater notifying him of the injury from his hospital bed as Heater claimed.

Heater appealed to the Workers Compensation Appeal Board, challenging the findings on the issue of notice, and asserting that because he was his own employer, employers notice of his injury was instantaneous. In January 2023, the appeals board reversed the workers compensation judges decision on the notice issue. It remanded the matter back to the workers compensation judge for a determination of whether Heater was injured during the course and scope of his employment. This time, the workers compensation judge granted Heaters claim for disability benefits, finding he was injured during the course and scope of his employment.

Two Definitions

In analyzing Eries appeal, the Commonwealth Court acknowledged that the term employer is defined differently in two separate sections of the Workers Compensation Act. In one section the term includes insurer but in Section 311, the Commonwealth Court found the language to be ambiguous as to whom notice must be provided when the injured employee and the employer are the same. In a May 2024 ruling, the Commonwealth Court determined that the legislature intended that the term employer in Section 311 to include insurers.

In reversing that opinion on March 26, 2026, Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd wrote that the Commonwealth Court incorrectly interpreted employer in Section 311 to include insurance companies. The Supreme Court found the statute is not ambiguous in defining employer as the business entity, not the insurance carrier.

Section 311 of the Act provides, in relevant part:

Unless the employer shall have knowledge of the occurrence of the injury, or unless the employe or someone in his behalf, or some of the dependents or someone in their behalf, shall give notice thereof to the employer within twenty-one days after the injury, no compensation shall be due until such notice be given, and, unless such notice be given within one hundred and twenty days after the occurrence of the injury, no compensation shall be allowed.

Lawmakers Job

The Supreme Court closed it opinion with a note on the concern expressed by the Commonwealth Court that applying the definition of employer that excludes insurers from the notice requirements, creates a potential class of claimants, those who are sole proprietors and injured, who are not subject to forfeiture/loss of benefits provision of Section 311 for failing to give notice within 120 days of the injury, thus allowing sole proprietors to control the investigation of their own injury by delaying notice on the insurer until the last possible moment, . . . thereby defeating the purpose of this provision.

The high court said the concern is not unfounded. However, such concerns cannot override the plain language of a statutory provision, or contravene the plain meaning of a term. Thus, the task of rectifying perceived deficiencies in the statutory scheme must be left to the legislature, the Supreme Court concluded.

Topics Carriers
Vineyard Wind has filed a lawsuit seeking to block a wind turbine-supplying unit of GE Vernova rom terminating agreements and abandoning work on a $4.5 billion offshore wind farm in Massachusetts on the eve of completion.

Vineyard Wind, a joint venture between Spains Iberdrola and Denmarks Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, filed a lawsuit this week in a state court in Boston accusing the GE Vernova subsidiary of wrongly trying to terminate their contract at the wind projects most vulnerable stage.

It is one of five major East Coast offshore wind projects that President Donald Trumps administration halted construction near the end of 2025, citing national security.

Federal judges following lawsuits allowed construction to resume on all five.

After resuming construction, Vineyard Winds 806-megawatt project off the coast of Marthas Vineyard in February became the first large-scale offshore wind farm in the United States to begin initial operations.

But days later, GE Renewables US LLC, which designed, manufactured and installed Vineyard Winds wind turbine generators, sent it a notice threatening to end their turbine supply agreement, the lawsuit said.

Vineyard Wind, in a complaint dated Wednesday, said GE did so citing a failure to pay amounts it was contractually due under their $1.3 billion contract.

Vineyard Wind said it had exercised its right to withhold about $308 million as a result of GEs admittedly poor performance, after one of its offshore blades in 2024 collapsed and fell into the waters off Nantucket, causing delays.

Vineyard Wind called GEs termination of the agreements improper and has asked a judge to block GE from ceasing work on the wind project, which threatens to deprive hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts ratepayers of clean energy.

A judge has scheduled an April 16 hearing to consider whether to issue a preliminary injunction.

GE Vernova in a statement said it had elected to terminate its agreements due to Vineyard Wind withholding the money. The company said it did so after completing the installation of all 62 wind turbines at the wind farm.

The company remains committed to the safety of the wind farm and stands by our performance and our contractual obligations, GE Vernova said. We will vigorously defend our position through the appropriate legal process.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; editing by Edward Tobin)

Topics Lawsuits Agribusiness
Social media giant Meta Platforms must face a lawsuit by the state of Massachusetts alleging that it knowingly designed its Instagram platform to be harmful to children and has misled the public that it is safe.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court last Friday ruled that a federal law (Section 230) that shields Internet firms from liability for content posted on their sites does not shield Meta from a lawsuit relating to the features in the design of Instagram that the state alleges harm childrens mental health.

Meta had moved to have the Bay States lawsuit dismissed, as it has tried to defeat others with similar allegations. Meta has argued that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act grants social media firms immunity and bars the claims. The company maintains that its design features are the same as content.

A state Superior Court judge denied Metas motion. Meta appealed but the states high court has now upheld the lower court.

The claims do not seek to impose liability on Meta for information provided by third parties. Instead, the claims allege harm stemming from Metas own conduct either by designing a social media platform that capitalizes on the developmental vulnerabilities of children or by affirmatively misleading consumers about the safety of the Instagram platform, Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt wrote for the high court.

Thus, at least at this preliminary stage of the litigation, Meta has not shown it is entitled to the protection provided by Section 230, the court concluded.

The ruling is the third recent loss for the technology industry. A California jury awarded $6 million in damages a few weeks ago to a woman who claimed she became addicted to Metas Instagram and YouTube as a child. Also, on March 24, a New Mexico jury hit Meta with $375 million in civil penalties after finding that Meta violated the states consumer protection law by misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and of enabling child sexual exploitation on those platforms.

Meta, Google, Snapchat and TikTok are facing thousands of lawsuits in state and federal courts tying their designs to a mental health crisis for teens and young people.

The Massachusetts lawsuit seeks to apply the states consumer protection statute that prohibits unfair and deceptive business practices. It alleges that in its pursuit of maximizing advertising profit, Meta designed the Instagram platform to induce compulsive use by children and deliberately misled the public about the safety of the platform by deceptively claiming that it excludes users under the age of 13 who are acutely harmed by Instagrams addictive features. The state also alleges the tech firm has created a public nuisance by engaging in these unfair and deceptive practices.

The complaint is critical of multiple design features. They include a barrage of notifications that alert users to activity on Instagram even when they are not using the platform and an infinite scroll that delivers a never-ending stream of posts and advertisements to a user.

There is no escaping the fact that social media platforms have contributed to the mental health crisis amongst our young people, commented Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell on the states high court opinion in support of her offices lawsuit.

According to court documents, Instagram is used by more than 33 million young people, including more than 300,000 daily active users in the Massachusetts from the age of 13 to 17. Instagram enables users to post images and videos and interact with other users.

Topics Lawsuits Massachusetts
A shooting at a Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Union Township, New Jersey last evening took one life and injured six others.

According to the Union County Prosecutors Office (UCPO), the shooting happened at approximately 9 pm on the Chick-Fil-A on Route 22 in Union. Police said they found one deceased victim and six victims who were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The prosecutors office headed by William A. Daniel said there is an active and ongoing investigation. While no arrests have been made at this time, the preliminary investigation reveals this does not appear to be a random act of violence and that there is no immediate ongoing threat to the general public, the prosecutor reported.

Union Township where the shooting occurred is a suburban community about 17 miles west of New York City and near Newark airport. There is another Union Township in western New Jersey in Hunterdon County near the Pennsylvania border.

Prosecutors encouraged the community to report any information to the UCPO or Union Police Department. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477) or online at www.uctip.org; and may be eligible for a reward of up to $10,000.

Topics New Jersey
The U.S. military said it will begin a blockade of ships leaving Irans ports on Monday, and Tehran threatened to retaliate against ports of its Gulf neighbors, after weekend talks failed to reach a deal to end the war, leaving a ceasefire in jeopardy.

Oil prices surged when trade reopened on Monday, with no sign of a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to ease the worst ever disruption in supplies.

Since the war started, Iran has effectively shut the strait to all vessels except its own, saying ships would only be allowed through under Iranian control and subject to a fee. U.S. President Donald Trump said he would now block Irans ships too, and any vessels that paid Iran a toll.

The ceasefire that halted six weeks of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes is under threat, with only a week left to run, after Washington said Tehran had rejected its demands at talks in Islamabad, the highest-level discussions since Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The U.S. militarys regional Central Command said the blockade would start at 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) on Monday, enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

Two Iranian-linked tankers, the Aurora and New Future, laden with oil products and diesel, left the strait on Monday shortly before the U.S. blockade was due to take effect, according to data from provider LSEG.

An Iranian military spokesperson, quoted by state media, said any U.S. restrictions on vessels in international waters would be illegal and amount to piracy. If Iranian ports were threatened, no port in the Gulf or Gulf of Oman would remain secure, the spokesperson said.

Earlier, Irans Revolutionary Guards said any military vessels approaching the strait would be considered to have violated the ceasefire.

On Sunday, Trump had posted on social media: No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas, adding, Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!

Trump wants a quick fix, said Dana Stroul, a former senior Pentagon official during the Biden administration now at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The reality is, this mission is difficult to execute alone and likely unsustainable over the medium to long term.

Zero Lessons Learned, Says Tehran

With the war unpopular at home and rising energy prices causing political blowback, Trump paused the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign last week after threatening to destroy Irans whole civilisation unless it reopened the strait.

Iran has effectively ignored that demand, while bringing new demands of its own to the talks, including recognition of its control of the strait, the lifting of all sanctions and the withdrawal of forces from the huge U.S. military bases across the Middle East.

Trump has declared victory, despite failing so far to achieve the objectives he set out at the start of the war: to eliminate Irans ability to strike its neighbors, end its nuclear program and make it easier for Iranians to topple their government.

Iran retains missiles and drones that can hit Gulf neighbors, and a stockpile of uranium enriched to near bomb-making levels that the U.N. nuclear agency estimated last year at more than 400 kg (900 pounds). Tehrans leadership, which faced a popular uprising at the start of the year, has withstood the U.S. onslaught with no sign of organized opposition.

U.S. officials said Iran had rejected demands at the talks to give up the uranium stockpile, end future enrichment and halt funding for its regional allies, positions carried over from negotiations Trump abandoned two days before the war.

Washington still hopes that Iran will seek peace and a chance to begin rebuilding from damage that has deepened an economic crisis that provoked pre-war domestic unrest.

But emboldened Iranian officials say they are in a stronger position than before, and will make a deal only if the U.S. makes further concessions. Iran had encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade from the United States at the talks, said Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

Zero lessons learned, he added. Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity.

Oil Benchmarks Understate Disruption

Benchmark oil prices, which had eased last week after the ceasefire was announced, surged more than 7% on Monday, back above $100 a barrel as traders digested the news that the weekend talks had failed to produce a breakthrough.

Traders say the main benchmarks  used to set prices for trillions of dollars worth of commodities across industries worldwide  actually understate the severity of a disruption with no precedent in modern times.

The benchmarks are based on contracts to deliver oil one to two months ahead. Physical supplies, however, are already tight, with some refineries paying record premiums of up to $50 above the benchmarks to get their hands on oil now.

If the benchmarks catch up to physical prices, industries would face massive cost rises and some traders could be forced to realize huge paper losses. A reckoning could be approaching as the last Gulf oil shipped before the war runs out.

Reopening the Strait has become the markets most time-sensitive priority, JP Morgan analysts said in a note. The last tanker to clear Hormuz on February 28 is expected to reach its destination around April 20, marking the point at which pre-closure barrels are fully exhausted from the global supply chain.

Trump has long said a bump in U.S. gasoline prices would be short-lived. But he told Fox News Sunday Briefing that they could stay high through Novembers midterm elections.

Irans chief negotiator, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, posted a map of Washington-area gasoline prices on social media with the comment: Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called blockade. Soon youll be nostalgic for $4$5 gas.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; writing by Peter Graff; editing by Ros Russell) Photograph: Aerial view of a port in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; photo credit: Depositphotos

Topics USA
Chinas biggest insurer Ping An Insurance Group is seeking to reduce software-focused private equity exposure by selling its stakes in some funds, according to people familiar with the matter.

The insurer has tapped Campbell Lutyens to offload stakes worth about $1 billion, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The sale process started in March, they added.

The majority of the portfolio consists of two software-focused funds managed by Vista Equity Partners from the late 2010s that invested primarily in North America, the people said. Theres also another North America-focused fund managed by KKR & Co., the people added.

Recently other private credit funds have turned away software borrowers as they seek to shrink their exposure to the sector, and a number of software company sales planned by private equity have stalled.

Private market managers allocated hundreds of billions of dollars to software over the last 15 years, betting that software-as-a-service business models would generate high growth and reliable cashflows. That focus became increasingly concentrated during the period, with software and technology services accounting for about half of all private equity deals in recent years, far surpassing any other industry.

Ping An earlier tapped the secondaries market in 2024 via its overseas arm. In this transaction, the insurer offloaded some of the fund stakes from the balance sheet but continued to manage the assets for the new investors. Through such a transaction, it helped Ping An obtain liquidity and grow its asset management businesses, the people familiar said. The current deal is being structured in a similar way, they added.

Representatives from Vista, KKR, Campbell Lutyens and Ping An Insurance Overseas (Holdings), which holds the PE assets on behalf of its parent, declined to comment.

China insurers offshore private investments are bound by quota limits, including those in programs such as Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor. Ping An, which holds the largest such quota among China insurers, recently received an additional $80 million limit in March, according to calculations by Bloomberg based on State Administration of Foreign Exchange disclosures.

Ping Ans total investment assets stood at 6.5 trillion yuan ($952 billion) as of end 2025. Its investment income for the year fell 4% to 154.5 billion yuan. The overseas arm manages around $60 billion.

Photograph: The Ping An Insurance Group Co. logo is displayed atop the Ping An International Financial Center (IFC) in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, Aug. 9 2017. Photo credit: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.

Topics China
Old Republic International Corporation announced the launch of Lodestar Claims & Risk Services, Inc. as an independent brand and standalone operating company within Old Republic, marking the first time in more than 30 years that the organizations third-party administrator (TPA) business will operate with its own distinct identity in the marketplace.

Previously part of PMA Companies, the business operated as the insurance carriers TPA division.

Lodestar is a national TPA providing claims administration and risk services to middle-market and large employers, national carriers, and distribution partners across all 50 states.

The transition reflects a strategic decision by Old Republic to position its TPA business for continued growth and expanded market visibility, while enabling Lodestar to further strengthen its role as a national provider of claims and risk services and deepen relationships with clients.

Lodestars operations, leadership team, and service model remain unchanged. Clients and partners will continue working with the same claims professionals and teams they rely on today.
As Harmon Maher walked along the Keystone Trail in central Omaha one morning in February, he spotted something odd: The creek next to the path, normally a gray-green color, ran bright orange.

It was full of sediment, probably from some construction upstream, the retired geology professor reasoned. Maher didnt think much of it until hours later when his son alerted him to a mishap that was quickly becoming the talk of the town.

A patch of Pacific Street the size of a sand volleyball court had collapsed into the earth, swallowing a silver Ram pickup truck and a maroon Jeep Cherokee. The sediment Maher noticed in the creek had washed out from under the road, creating a massive void that the cars fell into.

I was sorry I wasnt still teaching, Maher said. I wouldve probably spent (time) in class saying, Look, heres the relevance. Heres geology in action. Heres a sinkhole.'

Videos of the moment the road gave way quickly racked up millions of views from all over the world. But most Omaha sinkholes dont go viral.

Over the last five years, city work crews reported more than 2,100 cave-ins, ranging from small dips in the pavement to gaping chasms like the Pacific Street sinkhole. Though most are minor, Omaha sees more cave-ins than several other Midwestern cities, according to a Flatwater Free Press analysis.

The citys susceptibility to sinkholes comes from its soil, geologists say. Much of Omaha sits atop a fine-grained sediment called loess (pronounced luss) that can be easily carried away by water, leaving behind gaps underground.

Its great for growing corn, but terrible for building roads, said City Engineer Austin Rowser.

More or less

The sinkholes that typically attract online virality and dominate the pages of geology textbooks dont happen in Nebraska.

Thats because the state is one of only a few that doesnt appear to have much karst topography. Dissolvable bedrock makes places such as the Missouri Ozarks and Floridas Sinkhole Alley more susceptible to massive sinkholes, said Matt Joeckel, Nebraskas state geologist and a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

By contrast, Omahas sinkholes are generally shallower and often result from human-made infrastructure interacting with the fine-grained sediment that blankets eastern Nebraska, geologists said.

Were not going to have a situation in which a giant sinkhole suddenly appears  and continues to grow and eat up a neighborhood, Joeckel said.

When a pipe breaks or a sewer leaks, water can carry away loess or fill dirt underground. Omahas hilly topography aids that movement, said Maher, who taught at University of Nebraska at Omaha for four decades.

Rowser, the city engineer, theorized that the Pacific Street sinkhole started months before as a small leak in a Metropolitan Utilities District water main that found its way into the storm sewer, creating a small void that went undetected. Eventually, the water pushed enough dirt into the sewer to create the huge cavity that collapsed under the weight of two vehicles on Feb. 24, Rowser said.

MUD has challenged the citys explanation, contending that the citys damaged storm sewer was responsible for the sinkhole and that the water main broke after the road collapse.

Locked in a chicken-and-egg dispute, the city and MUD have filed claims against each other for the cost of repairs.

Omaha has averaged more than 400 cave-ins annually since 2021, according to a Flatwater analysis of Public Works data.

Many appeared only as slight dips in a road or sidewalk. The city ordered barricades for about 40% of cave-ins indicating some kind of hazard at the surface, Rowser said.

Omaha sees far more sinkholes in warmer months than colder ones  frozen soil doesnt erode as easily, Rowser noted. That differentiates them from potholes, which typically form as moisture seeps into cracks in pavement during freeze-thaw cycles in late winter and early spring.

UNO geology professor Ashlee Dere isnt surprised that Omaha sees so many cave-ins given its soil type, human-altered topography and aging infrastructure.

Its surprising in that it doesnt cause more problems, Dere said.

The city has seen memorable sinkholes over the years, including a collapse on St. Marys Avenue that swallowed a car and injured its driver in 2014. Another downtown sinkhole that sucked half of a garbage truck into 16th Street last year is still being repaired following a yearlong dispute between the city and a property owner.

But Omaha drivers shouldnt worry about their car falling into a sinkhole since the chance of it happening is so low, Rowser said.

The two unlucky drivers who were suddenly plunged into Pacific Street emerged unharmed.

Even though the risk of injury is minimal, local engineers need to keep in mind that theyre building on soil that can erode rapidly, Joeckel said.

Beneath the surface

Every cave-in must be checked out to prevent sinkholes from forming, and in Omaha, that duty falls to Public Works crews.

When the city gets a cave-in report, an employee investigates the scene to find the root cause, Rowser said.

Injecting colored dye into a hole or crack in the pavement is usually the first step, he said.

If workers can see the dye in the sewer water downstream, it means water and sediment are likely leaking into the sewer. Sending a camera down next allows them to trace the waters path and find where its entering. Then, they can repair the sewer and stop the leak.

When the dye doesnt show up in the sewer, an animal burrow or dead tree root might be the cause of the cave-in. Workers then use a special concrete to fill in the gap.

Reported cave-ins have decreased in recent years from more than 500 in 2021 to about 340 last year, but as Omahas underground infrastructure ages, it could put the city at greater risk of sinkholes, geologists said.

In recent weeks, the city has explored new ways to diagnose problems underground, Rowser said. Fiber optic cables may be able to detect leaks in water lines and alert the city, he said.

Joeckel, the state geologist, said conducting certain geological surveys could illuminate where water is concentrated and identify potential trouble spots.

It would be great if you could see what was going on below the surface before something happened, Joeckel said.

Rowser said hes not sure what would have raised red flags on Pacific Street before the sinkhole appeared. City workers did a dye test late last year while investigating some settlement at the surface, but it didnt show the sewer had been breached.

After the collapse, construction crews worked rapidly to repair pipes and fill in the square of missing road.

The street reopened to drivers just nine days after it closed, but by then, the sinkhole had become world famous. The New York Times, USA Today and Fox News wrote articles on it, and international outlets from Belgium to Vietnam published video footage of the incident.

The sinkhole owes its internet popularity to the UNO security camera that recorded the dramatic moment, Rowser said.

If a pictures worth a thousand words, I dont know what a video is worth, Rowser said. Its got to be a lot more.

But the clips virality speaks to something about how humans are wired, too, Maher said.I suspect it has to do with the psychology of how we are intrigued by the unexpected, Maher said. Its unexpected that the ground that is so solid and firm beneath your feet just gives way.

___

This story was originally published by Flatwater Free Press and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

Photo: FILE  Authorities assess two vehicles that fell into a sinkhole in Omaha on Feb. 24, 2026. (Chris Machian/Omaha World-Herald via AP, File)

Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Wall Street banks are starting to test Anthropic PBCs Mythos model internally as Trump administration officials encourage them to use it to detect vulnerabilities.

While JPMorgan Chase & Co. was the only bank named as part of an initiative to test the Mythos model, other major financial institutions have also gained access or expect to in the coming days, according to people familiar with the matter.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp. and Morgan Stanley are among the banks testing the technology internally, the people said. Those firms either declined to comment or had no immediate response.

During a meeting this week with Wall Street leaders, summoned by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, executives were warned that they should take the Mythos model seriously and deploy its capabilities to detect vulnerabilities, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information isnt public.

Government officials didnt raise any specific threat to financial institutions and more generally encouraged the banks to run the model against their own systems to improve their own defenses, they said.

Bloomberg reported earlier that Bessent and Powell had assembled the group of banking executives on April 7 at Treasurys headquarters in Washington on short notice to ensure that banks were aware of possible risks raised by Anthropics Mythos and similar models. The executives were in town already for a meeting of the Financial Services Forum, an advocacy group made up of the biggest lenders.

A representative from the Treasury Department didnt respond to a request for comment. A Federal Reserve spokesperson declined to comment.

The urging by Trump officials underscores the concern growing among regulators that a new breed of cyberattacks is one of the biggest risks facing the financial industry. All the banks summoned to the meeting are classified as systemically important by top regulators, meaning their stability is a priority for the global financial system.

Anthropic has said that it has been in discussions prior to its recent release with US officials about Mythos and its offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.

The company has limited the release of Mythos to a few dozen firms initially. Those companies, which include JPMorgan, Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc., are part of whats being called Project Glasswing, which will work to secure the most important systems before other similar AI models become available.

In releasing Mythos to a very limited set of companies, Anthropic pointed to several vulnerabilities that the AI system was capable of both identifying and potentially exploiting during testing. None of the examples related specifically to financial institutions, but in one instance, the firms security team said it was able to compromise a web browser so that a website set up by a hacker could read data from another website e.g., the victims bank.

Mythos Preview fully autonomously discovered a way of reading information stored in multiple different web browsers and then used that ability to find ways to exploit them, according to a post from Anthropics security team.

In one case, Anthropic said, Mythos found a means of exploiting web browsers that utilized multiple vulnerabilities. That tactic often represents a challenge for human hackers who struggle to find and exploit multiple flaws at once. So-called vulnerability chains can serve as pathways into otherwise highly secure systems, such as in the Stuxnet hack that damaged centrifuges at an Iranian nuclear facility.

Anthropic has separately been battling the Trump administration in court. The Pentagon had labeled the company as a supply-chain risk, a designation that Anthropic has opposed. Earlier this week, a federal appeals court declined, at least for now, Anthropics request that it put a pause to the Pentagons designation.

National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said during an interview with Fox News that theres a sense of urgency as US officials push banks to improve their digital defenses with AI technology.

It was appropriate that Secretary Bessent do what he did, he said of the meeting with Wall Street leaders.

Were taking every step we can to make sure that everybody is safe from these potential risks, including Anthropic agreeing to hold back the public release of the model until our officials have figured everything out, he said.

In recent years, regulators have required banks to hold some capital tied to the potential for cyberattacks, as well as other so-called operational risks such as lawsuits and rogue employees. Banks have sometimes chafed at those requirements, given that operational risk is more difficult to measure than the market and credit risks that also factor into banks capital levels.

Photo: The Anthropic logo. Photographer: Gabby Jones/Bloomberg

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
In the first outcome of the U.S. Department of Justices Civil Rights Fraud Initiative, IMB has agreed to about $17 million to settle charges related to the companys diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices.

Racial discrimination is illegal, and government contractors cannot evade the law by repackaging it as DEI, said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche in a statement. He said the initiative, launched about a year ago, is meant to root out this misconduct, hold offenders accountable, and end this practice for good.

The Trump administration has repeatedly sought to rid DEI practices from public and private companies, government, and educational institutions since taking office. The Justice Department has launched numerous investigations of companies under the False Claims Act, which allows to recover funds from fraud. About $8.2 million of the total will be paid in restitution, the DOJ said.

IBMs settlement with the DOJ, announced April 10, focuses on its federal contracts. The DOJ said these contracts require contractors to comply with anti-discrimination rules. DOJ said IBM allegedly failed to comply and knowingly maintain practices that the United States contends were discriminatory employment practices, when it allegedly made employment decisions with race, color, national origin, or sex in mind  including the use of a diversity modifier that affected how bonuses were achieved.

When a company accepts federal funding while engaging in practices that sort, prefer, or disadvantage employees on the basis of race or sex, the company is stepping outside the conditions under which the government agreed to contract with them, and we will hold them accountable, added Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brenna E. Jenny.

IBM could not immediately be reached for comment. The settlement is not an admission of liability by IBM, and the company denies the conduct, according to the agreement.
The more than $1 billion that a special master has recommended that jailed insurance mogul Greg Lindberg pay in restitution may seem like a huge amount of money. But it falls well short of covering the wreckage left behind by Lindbergs illegal actions, North Carolinas insurance commissioner believes.

I am pleased to see the special master in Mr. Lindbergs criminal case has done the work to show the scope of financial harm caused by his crimes, Commissioner Mike Causey said in a statement to Insurance Journal.

Causey noted that in a recent court hearing, a North Carolina state judge pointed out that Lindbergs companies owe the guaranty associations, which covered thousands of claims left by Lindbergs less-than-solvent life insurance carriers, in excess of $1 billion. But Special Master Joseph Grier III, appointed by a judge in Lindbergs federal criminal cases, determined that the convicted entrepreneurs North Carolina-based insurance firms are owed about $973 million by Lindberg and his affiliated other businesses.

So, the $973 million dollars the special master has recommended be paid in criminal restitution still wont be enough to cover the bill, Causey said. At the same time, I am very disappointed to see Mr. Lindbergs comments suggesting that he is repaying policyholders in full. This is simply not true and he knows it.

The $157 million paid to policyholders from the recent sale of one of Lindbergs companies is less than 8% of the total amount that Lindbergs policyholder victims were owed, Causey noted. The remaining 92% has been covered by the state guaranty associations.

Causey is in a position to know the details of the massive fraud, regulatory investigations, and years of litigation that resulted from Lindbergs illicit diversion of insurance company funding to his other enterprises. Causey wore a wire in 2018 and recorded Lindberg attempting to bribe the commissioner in return for relaxed regulation on his insurance companies reserve funding levels.

That conversation led to Lindbergs bribery conviction in federal court. A separate conviction on money laundering and other financial crimes prompted the federal judge to appoint the special master to determine restitution in advance of Lindbergs upcoming sentencing. Read more here about the recent restitution recommendations.

Causey also pointed out that many policyholders were victims of Lindbergs diversion schemes, and some of those will never be repaid.

We also cannot forget the large number of elderly policyholder victims who will never be adequately compensated for their losses, including those who died, were unable to seek needed medical care, or were forced to keep working because their retirement funds had been placed in jeopardy, Causey said.

U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn, in North Carolina, must now review the special masters restitution plan and hear from parties who may disagree with it. The judge is expected hold prison-time sentencing hearings in coming months.

I look forward to Judge Cogburn holding Mr. Lindberg responsible for the tremendous harm he has caused, Causey added.

Lindberg, who has been held in a North Carolina county jail since late 2024, faces up to 15 years in prison under U.S. sentencing guidelines, according to news reports.

Causeys deputy director of communications, Barry Smith, said the office does not have a tally on the amount of resources and man-hours that the Department of Insurance and other agencies have spent investigating, rehabilitating, liquidating and litigating over Lindbergs former insurance companies.

Photo: Causey in 2019 talking about Lindbergs schemes. (Alan Campbell/Rocky Mount Telegram via AP, File)

Related: Convicted Insurance Mogul Lindberg Should Pay $1.6B Restitution to Companies, But Assets May Not Cover it All
In a young city like Miami, a quarter century can seem like a long time. For the Mandarin Oriental hotel, it was long enough to generate nostalgic laments and a farewell bash.

The waterfront hotel, which opened in 2000, was imploded early Sunday to make way for a new luxury development that will include a bigger Mandarin Oriental and a 66-story residential tower. The existing 23-story structure folded in on itself just after 8:30 a.m. after the explosives were detonated, as onlookers took video from boats in Biscayne Bay and along nearby streets and bridges.

Miami Wealth Boom Drives New $1 Billion Mandarin Hotel Project Miamis Mandarin Oriental ended a 25-year run with a planned implosion over the weekend that took less than a minute. From the rubble will rise a $1 billion luxury project fueled by the citys wealth boom. The development will consist of a new 34-story Mandarin Oriental, plus a 66-floor residential tower with two-bedroom condos starting at $6.6 million. The buildings two penthouses recently sold for $50 million apiece before the implosion even occurred, and years before construction is slated for completion in 2030. The developer, Swire Properties Inc., says its already generated $1.3 billion in sales from about half the units on offer. The new hotel will serve as the North American flagship for the Mandarin Oriental chain, with fewer and bigger  and pricier  rooms. The combination of us, Mandarin, the location and the design is driving extraordinary sales success, David Martin, president of Swire Properties, said in an interview before the implosion. And it doesnt seem to be slowing down. Swire is part of the corporate family tree of a 200-year-old company that owns Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. and mostly operates in Asia. Its been in the Miami market for more than 40 years. In the late 1970s, Swire began buying up the man-made key next to Brickell, paying some $17 million from a financially struggling developer, Martin said. It proceeded to develop the area now known as Brickell Key over the ensuing decades, adding condo and office buildings along with the Mandarin Oriental, which opened in 2000. During the financial crisis in 2008, Swire started to buy lots in central Brickell and eventually developed what is now Brickell City Centre. The popular mixed-use complex includes a high-end mall, hotel, office towers and condos, all connected to public transport in a neighborhood thats a favorite with social media influencers. In the past few years, Swire exited those properties in a series of transactions that netted nearly $1 billion in proceeds. That cash is now being deployed into the Mandarin Oriental hotel and branded residences project.  Bloomberg News

The implosion, the largest in Miami in more than a decade, underscores the changes sweeping local real estate as a wealth boom brings in domestic and international buyers to South Florida. Land values have surged in Miami, with scarce available lots between the Atlantic Ocean and Everglades. Meanwhile, zoning changes are enabling developers to build taller and more expensive buildings, with several so-called supertalls planned for downtown.

Swire Properties will lead development of the new Mandarin Oriental project. Swire owns the property in Brickell Key and has operated in the area since the late 1970s.

The new complex will include a new 34-floor Mandarin Oriental that includes 121 guest rooms, 70 private homes and 28 turnkey Hotel Collection residences, Swire said in a statement.

Just south of the hotel will be the residential tower, with 228 units, which is expected to be completed in 2030. The residences in the tower start at $6.6 million for two bedrooms while the two penthouses recently sold for $50 million apiece.

Hundreds of people came out to watch the implosion, lining a waterfront promenade opposite the old hotel, their phones out, ready to film. People gasped and dogs barked as an array of red, white and blue fireworks atop the building went off, followed by the roar of explosives that brought the hotel down in a matter of seconds.

A cloud of thick white dust covered the implosion site for several minutes and drifted across Biscayne Bay before clearing to show a pile of twisted steel and concrete rubble where the building once stood.

Photo: Onlookers along the waterfront before an implosion of the former hotel, center, on Sunday morning. (Bloomberg)

Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
(www.investorideas.com Newswire)

On February 27, an Australian federal court handed down the largest native title compensation award in the country's history.

The mine at the centre of the case produces silver. The precedent it sets affects every future mining expansion on the continent, and beyond.

The silver supply story is usually told in terms of geology, grades, and mine development timelines. It is less often told in terms of courtrooms. That is beginning to change.

On February 27, 2026, Australia's Federal Court handed down a ruling in the case of Davey v Northern Territory that Norton Rose Fulbright's legal analysis immediately identified as a landmark: AU$54.7 million in compensation awarded to Traditional Owners of lands encompassing the McArthur River Mine in the Northern Territory. It is the largest native title compensation award in Australian history, and only the second time a superior court in Australia has actually quantified such a claim.

The McArthur River Mine is not a peripheral silver operation. It is a major zinc, lead, and silver producer operated by Glencore (one of the world's largest commodity companies). Australia, as a whole, produced 38.8 Moz of silver in 2024 per the World Silver Survey 2025, a 19% year-over-year increase. That supply is now operating under a fundamentally altered legal environment.

There are six Deep Dives that I'm discussing in this week's premium Silver Catalyst issue, and in this article, I'll focus on one of them.

What the Davey Decision Actually Changes

The core of the ruling is not the AU$54.7 million figure itself. It is the legal methodology behind it.

For the first time at this level of the Australian court system, the judgment explicitly quantifies cultural loss (not just economic harm) as a compensable category in native title claims. Previous rulings had established the principle; this one established the price. Mining companies now have a precedent that tells them, in dollar terms, what cultural and spiritual disruption to Traditional Owners can cost when a court is asked to quantify it.

Norton Rose Fulbright's analysis states the implication plainly: every future mining lease expansion in Australia on or near Indigenous lands is likely to become more expensive and legally complex, particularly in cases involving comparable Indigenous land claims. A company budgeting a $500 million expansion in a region with Indigenous land overlaps must now carry a materially higher legal and compensation risk than was true twelve months ago. That risk feeds directly into feasibility economics, financing terms, and board-level approval decisions.

The ruling does not shut mines down. It raises the cost and extends the timeline of expanding them, two of the most consequential variables in the silver supply outlook.

Why Silver Investors Should Be Paying Attention

The World Silver Survey 2025 confirms that Australia's silver output grew 19% in 2024, making it one of the faster-growing supply contributors globally. The primary sources of that growth, Cannington (a dedicated silver-lead-zinc mine operated by South32) and Dugald River, are both in regions where Indigenous land rights are legally active considerations for any future expansion.

This connects directly to Catalyst #91: Indigenous Land Rights Movements Constraining Silver Mine Development from "Silver Rising." The thesis is that the global trend toward stronger Indigenous land rights recognition (through legislation, treaty, and judicial precedent) structurally raises the cost and complexity of mining development in multiple major silver-producing jurisdictions simultaneously. The Davey decision is the most precise judicial activation of this catalyst yet recorded.

It is worth understanding why this matters structurally rather than just as a one-off legal event. Silver is predominantly mined as a by-product of base metal operations: zinc, lead, and copper mines that produce silver alongside their primary metal. These mines are frequently located in remote regions with significant Indigenous land overlap. The legal cost of developing or expanding such operations has now been re-priced upward in Australia, and the methodology the court used to calculate cultural loss may influence future compensation assessments in similar cases.

For investors who follow the silver price analysis and the structural supply arguments, the Davey ruling is not noise. It is one of several legal and regulatory developments, including Mexico's 2023 Mining Law Reform, which introduced mandatory indigenous consultation requirements and has left companies navigating unresolved legal uncertainty as implementing regulations remain unissued three years later, British Columbia's enforcement of DRIPA/UNDRIP obligations, which has already pushed mining investment in that province down 19%, and Peru's ongoing election-driven uncertainty around mining concession lengths, that are quietly and cumulatively raising the real cost of bringing new silver supply to market.

The Compounding Effect

None of these legal developments, taken individually, represents a catastrophic supply shock. Australia is not about to stop mining silver, and Glencore has not indicated it will curtail McArthur River operations as a result of the ruling. The significance is structural, not immediate.

What matters is the direction of travel. Across four major silver-producing jurisdictions, independent legal and regulatory developments are simultaneously raising the cost and complexity of silver mine development:

Sources: Norton Rose Fulbright  Davey decision analysis (March 23, 2026) | Norton Rose Fulbright  Mexico Mining Law Reform | Chambers and Partners  Mining 2026 Mexico | World Silver Survey 2025  Silver Institute/Metals Focus

What the table above shows is not a single anomalous event in one country; it is a pattern. Four of the world's most significant silver-producing jurisdictions are each, independently, raising the legal and regulatory cost of expanding mines near Indigenous or communal lands. The mechanisms differ: a court ruling in Australia, a legislative reform in Mexico, a judicial interpretation of a treaty framework in Canada, an election risk in Peru. But the directional effect is the same in every case: slower permitting, higher compensation requirements, greater legal uncertainty at the point in the project cycle where capital commitments need to be made.

A decade ago, a mining company planning an expansion in a region with Indigenous land claims could model a narrow range of legal risk. Today that range is wider, the floor is higher, and the timeline from approval to first production has another variable inserted into it. Each additional variable adds months or years. And as the previous article in this series showed, the silver supply pipeline already operates on development timelines averaging 15.7 years from discovery to production. Inserting additional legal complexity into that pipeline does not add a rounding error. It adds to a structural lag that is already one of the most consequential features of the silver market.

The silver price outlook depends, in part, on whether supply can eventually catch up to demand. The Davey decision is one more data point suggesting it will be harder and slower to do so than standard mine-development timelines already implied.

Catalyst #91: Indigenous Land Rights Movements Constraining Silver Mine Development is now active in a way it was not before February 27. It joins Catalyst #15: Environmental Regulations Increasing Costs and Catalyst #8: 15.7-Year Mine Development Timeline Preventing Supply Response in a converging set of supply-side constraints that are independently verifiable and cumulatively significant.

The Outlook

Silver corrected sharply from its January peak, and the fundamental picture has not changed during that correction. The sixth consecutive structural deficit is projected to reach approximately 67 Moz in 2026. The cumulative shortfall since 2021 is approaching 800 Moz. And the supply side of the ledger keeps acquiring new constraints: development timelines extending, legal costs rising, and now a judicial precedent that raises the price of expansion decisions across one of the world's significant silver-producing jurisdictions.

The correction is a price event. The Davey decision is a structural event. They are not in conflict; they are operating on different timescales.

The full Silver Catalyst Issue #12 covers five more Deep Dives beyond this one: China's elimination of its 9% solar VAT rebate and the two-phase demand dynamic it creates, the Pan American Silver La Colorada PEA and why its 2034 production start is the clearest possible activation of the mine development timeline thesis, the US EV (Electric Vehicle) sales collapse (28% in Q1) against a 57% hybrid surge, India's SEBI reform and the new institutional demand channel it opens across a $950 billion mutual fund industry, and the Iran war's Phase 2 stagflation dynamic and what the April 10 CPI print will signal. If you want the full structural picture and what it means from here, you can access it below:

 Get Silver Rising with complimentary 2-week Silver Catalyst access

Thank you.

The Silver Engineer
A farmer, haulier and agricultural contractor has lost a 1.55m tax battle with the Revenue Commissioners in a dispute over green diesel.

This follows the Tax Appeals Commission (TAC) upholding an assessment served on the agri-contractor and farmer by the Revenue Commissioners in 2018 concerning excise duty, income tax and VAT.

The bulk of the assessment concerned a 1.29m excise duty bill for green diesel, while the income tax bill of 214,663 and VAT bill of 54,072 also related to the green diesel

The lower-tax green diesel is used mainly for agricultural work and is strictly restricted to off-road purposes.

The sharp rise in the price of green diesel, which has nearly doubled from 0.97 per litre in February to 1.80 in recent weeks, was one of the driving factors in protesters mounting blockades at major ports and oil depots in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, and Galway and locations across the motorway system.

In the case before the TAC, appeals commissioner Conor OHiggins said the excise duty assessment arose from the appellants alleged receipt of 3.44m litres of ultra-low sulphur marked gas oil (MGO), often referred to as green or agricultural diesel.

Mr OHiggins found as a material fact in the case that the farmer, haulier and agricultural contractor had paid out 2.47m for the purchase of 3.44m litres of green diesel in 2014 and 2015 from a firm.

Mr OHiggins also found as a material fact the farmer was engaged in 2014 and 2015 in the supply of green diesel to other persons presumably for profit and this explained the level of purchases the farmer made in a way that his carrying on of farming and agricultural contracting did not.

In his appeal against the Revenue assessment, the farmer said he was in no position to pay the 1.29m excise duty bill and were the Revenue to seek to enforce such a debt, it would result in the inevitable collapse of his business.

In his oral evidence at the TAC hearing, the farmer denied he had received 3.44m litres of green diesel.

He said: I would burn in my business a year would be 300,000350,000 and that any fuel acquired over the period in issue was used for harvesters and tractors and drying grain.

The farmer challenged the 1.2m excise duty assessment, claiming the sum assessed represented an absurd amount of green diesel for use on a maize farm or for agricultural contracting.

He also denied that he had made supplies of fuel to other farmers in the area.

At the hearing, counsel for Revenue put it to the farmer a suppliers statement from the firm selling the green diesel to him confirmed that between April 2014 and July 2015, the farmer received green diesel at a cost of 2.47m and this statement formed the basis for the Revenue excise duty assessment of 1.2m.

Counsel for the Revenue pointed out the suppliers statement was provided by the farmers own agent to Revenue in 2016.

Counsel for the Revenue put it to the farmer that his agent in correspondence with Revenue in 2016 said the farmer had an arrangement with farmers for the purchase and supply of agri-diesel by payment of cash as he was able to purchase at a favourable rate in large quantities.

In response, the farmer said his agents response did not in fact reflect reality and was lunacy.

In his findings, Mr OHiggins found the absence of any corroboration of the farmers bare assertions regarding the level of green diesel he received in 2014 and 2015 causes the commissioner to doubt his oral evidence on this matter and to find that it lacks credibility.

Mr OHiggins said as such, there was no basis upon which to conclude the excise duty assessment was in error on the grounds it overestimated the level of MGO received by the appellant in the relevant years.

At hearing, Mr OHiggins said the farmers revised account that all of the green diesel he acquired was used in the course of his farming and agricultural contracting activities was unconvincing.

Mr OHiggins also found the farmer, both in investigation correspondence and at hearing, was asked to provide the names of the farmers he had supplied the green diesel and despite this request, he did not provide any.

The report says the Tax Appeals Commission has been requested to state and sign a case for the opinion of the High Court.

The hearing into the appeal was heard at the fourth attempt. For the first two hearing dates, the farmer provided a note from his GP he was not in a position to deal with the hearing due to his poor mental health.

On the third scheduled hearing date, it was adjourned after the commission was told the farmer was involved in a road traffic accident en route to Dublin and had been taken to hospital by ambulance.
A fuel support package was announced by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon in an effort to support farmers, contractors and fishers.

Following the announcement that white diesel and petrol will be cut by 10c, and green diesel will be cut by 2.4c, with Carbon Tax not being applied now till the end of October, minister Heydon announced the departments support package.

The 100m Fuel Subsidy Support Scheme aims to assist farmers, agricultural contractors, and fishers facing an increase in fuel costs. The payments will cover the months of March up to the end of July, which coincides with peak fuel usage on farms.

Key points are as follows:

The support package comes to a total of 100m, and 20m will be issued to eligible support participants each month.

Farmers, contractors, and fishers will be able to apply for support through a single application process.

To be eligible, an applicant must have: active farming/ contracting status, tax compliance, and verifiable fuel usage.

5m a month will be issued to the fishing, forestry and specialist horticulture sector.

Approximately 120,000 farmers and 1,500 full-time agricultural contractors will be eligible to apply for support. Payments will be made through a single application process, with funding allocated based on fuel usage last year.

Prices have risen from 0.97 per litre in late February to 1.80 per litre in recent weeks, placing severe financial pressure on key sectors of Irelands food production economy, resulting in almost week-long protests around the country.

Announcing the package, Minister Heydon said: This Government recognises the exceptional pressure that rising fuel costs are placing on our farmers, contractors and fishers. This targeted and practical support package ensures that those most exposed to these increases will receive meaningful assistance at the most critical time of year."

The scheme will provide 20m per month to those who qualify for the support. Farmers and agricultural contractors will benefit from a support rate equivalent to approximately 20cpl of green diesel used based on verified fuel consumption in 2025.

The department said funding will be distributed proportionally, a point that was strongly emphasised in ongoing engagements with the representative farm and farm contractor groups.

Eligibility will require applicants to demonstrate active farming or contracting status, tax compliance, and verifiable fuel usage. A system of checks and inspections will be implemented to ensure accountability. EU state aid cover will also be necessary.

"We have worked intensively with representative stakeholder groups in recent times, and I believe that this represents a fair and effective scheme based on actual fuel usage, taking account also of the vital work played by farm contractors in our farming systems. This approach ensures that funding is directed where it is needed most, helping to sustain essential food production and rural economic activity, Minister Heydon said.

Up to 5m per month of the fund will be used to support fishers and other sectors affected, such as forestry and specialist horticulture. The department has said a tailored fuel support scheme for fishers will be developed, subject to EU State Aid requirements.

Ministers of State at the Department Noel Grealish, Michael Healy-Rae and Timmy Dooley, also welcomed the support announced on Sunday following an intensive period of engagement with the stakeholder groups in the sectors affected.

The department has stated that it has commenced intensive preparations to implement the scheme as quickly as possible. Given the scale and complexity, timelines will be carefully managed to ensure efficient delivery. Stakeholders will be kept informed as the scheme is finalised and rolled out.
In the summer of 2023, Patrick Radden Keefe was working on the set of Say Nothing, the TV adaptation of his magisterial saga about the Jean McConville murder.

He fell into conversation with a friend of the director, a lawyer visiting the set who told him a story about this family he knew. They had a 19-year-old son who had recently died in mysterious circumstances. After his death, his parents found out he'd been posing as the son of a Russian oligarch. Radden Keefe was hooked.

Before happening on the story of Zac Brettler, who fell to his death from the fifth floor of a wealthy apartment building by the Thames River in December 2019, Radden Keefe was already intrigued by how London had embraced dirty money from Russian exiles, including a ravenous passports-for-sale programme.

Then suddenly the invasion of Ukraine happens, and the British establishment was a bit, I'm shocked there's gambling in this casino, says Radden Keefe. The human story of Zacs demise, which he recounts in London Falling, is fascinating.

Both his Jewish grandfathers survived the Holocaust. His maternal grandfather, Hugo Gwyn, a rabbi and a well-known BBC broadcaster, led a double life, denying to his family he had a secret love child. Something from his furtive genes passed down through the generations.

Radden Keefe was working on the set of Say Nothing when he first heard the story of Zac Brettler

I've always liked stories about families, says Radden Keefe. I found out in my research that Zac had been telling lies from an early age. They were mostly harmless lies. He shows up at this new school, Mill Hill, at 13, telling people his mother has died and she hadn't.

As he got older, he was very taken by the money culture of London  that aspirational, glitzy culture you experience when you walk around some parts of London today  and certain Hollywood movies. Some might describe The Wolf of Wall Street as a cautionary tale, but he watched it as an aspirational fantasy.

He was very active on Instagram. Social media is part of this story. Your kid can be sitting there on the sofa. You think they're in the room with you and you've got your eye on them, but theyre 1000 miles away interacting with people who you don't see, and you don't know. He got sucked into his phone the way a lot of kids do.

Being surrounded by the children of oligarchs at school was very seductive, especially if you're a teenager who is not quite sure who he's going to be yet, how he's going to fit into the world.

Unmoored, he fell into the orbit of two sinister characters  Verinder Sharma, a sadistic London gangster with a murderous past known as 'Indian Dave', likely a police informer; and Akbar Shamji, a charlatan  like his father before him  who is constantly trying to outrun his debts.

When the two men realise their share of Zacs imaginary fortune isnt going to materialise, things go awry.

Radden Keefe writes gripping non-fiction books, including Empire of Pain about the odious Sackler dynasty and Americas opioid crisis. He has penned another classic in London Falling.

It shines a light on lacklustre policing, Russian espionage and its satisfying conclusion brings the truths of a complicated tale into focus. The story is full of bizarre coincidences, which havent stopped even though the book is finished.

The publishers were very controlled about the manuscript, says Radden Keefe. They wouldn't show proofs widely. Initially, there were only about eight or nine copies of my book in all of London, sent to certain writers.

So, Joe Brettler, Zacs brother, went to get his haircut in Notting Hill. At this point, he knows there's only a handful of copies in the whole city. Joe has very curly hair. Sometimes he'll go to a black hairdresser because they know how to handle his hair.

"He sits down to this hairdresser he's never been to before. He looks over and there's this very elegant woman sitting waiting. She's reading the book.

Only a handful of proof copies of London Falling, by Patrick Radden Keefe were printed  but Zacs brother found him sitting beside an early reader in a hair salon.

Joe's thinking, how does this woman even have a copy? He knows there's very few copies. He looks more closely. Each page of the book has been watermarked. The watermark says Zadie Smith. What are the chances?

"Then Joe says to her, Excuse me, I noticed you're reading that book. It's about my family. It's very strange  the bigness of London and the smallness of London all at the same time.

Radden Keefe grew up in Dorchester, south of Boston. As a mortified 16-year-old in the early 1990s, he followed his father around Clonmany, Co Donegal, banging on doors and finding graves, the classic Irish American routine trying to trace their familys routes.

Hes been back to Ireland a lot since, including research trips for Say Nothing. Among a couple of Irish publicity engagements this year, hes on the bill at his favourite festival in the world  Co Carlows Borris House: Festival of Writing & Ideas.

I stayed in a family home in the village, he says about his last visit. They didn't have room for me in the Big House, and there's no hotel. A lovely family had me come and stay.

"There are these remarkable figures, some Irish, some from elsewhere, who you end up chatting with in a very casual way, often in the local pub because there's no real infrastructure there. There's an unpretentiousness about it.

I remember I was there doing an event  maybe with Fintan O'Toole  under this lovely tent. I was in the middle of talking about the Troubles. I look out in the audience and I'm like, bloody hell, is that Jeremy Irons? Jeremy Irons was sitting there in the audience. I suddenly lost my train of thought.

Patrick Radden Keefes London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Familys Search for Truth is published by Picador.

Patrick Radden Keefes five favourite books

Truman Capote's In Cold Blood: A book I go back to because it's a story about crime. It's also about a community and how they deal with a terrible, violent incident. It's beautifully written. The genre that I work in was born with that book.

Robert Caros The Power Broker: A brilliant book about this super-empowered bureaucrat who built New York City as we know it today, named Robert Moses.

Helen DeWitts The Last Samurai: It's about a boy genius. He has this intense relationship with his mother. They live in London. He's searching for his father. He's obsessed with The Seven Samurai, the Kurosawa film. It's about how tragic it can be to be brilliant.

Scott Turows Presumed Innocent: A book I read when I was in law school. It was made into a film with Harrison Ford, and more recently into a not very good television series with Jake Gyllenhaal. The book is astonishingly good, a hell of a read. It's a legal thriller but written with literary flair.

Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These: Her theme in that book, collective denial, runs through a lot of my work. As somebody speaking to you in Trump's America, whats required of us as citizens? Everything in your home is fine, but you know around the corner, something terrible is happening to somebody. Do you stay in the comfort of your home, knowing if you keep your head down, you're going to be okay? Or do you do something? That's the dilemma. I think about those issues all the time, which she perfectly distilled into this beautiful book.
At a glance

All major routes clear following earlier road closures on motorways

Fuel price protesters have called for a 'national day of strike and protest';

Carbon tax increase postponed; a 10c cut on petrol and diesel kick in from midnight on Tuesday;

Government to face a motion of no confidence  tabled by Sinn Fein  on Tuesday;

A number of Leaving and Junior Cert practical exams have been deferred.

No need to panic buy fuel

9pm: Irelands supply chains will take a number of days to return to normal, the National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) has said.

Protests over the rising cost of fuel started last Tuesday, resulting in blockaded ports, slow-moving convoys on motorways and Dublin city centre being brought to a standstill.

Fuel costs have soared globally since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran.

Blockades of ports and the Whitegate oil refinery ended over the weekend but protest convoys on motorways caused further disruption on Monday.

The NECG, which brings together Government departments and state agencies to respond to emergencies in Ireland, met on Monday.

The NECG said significant work is underway to process the accumulated cargo at ports and fuel was moving well from sites that had been blocked.

But they said it would take several days for operations and distribution to return to normal.

It remains important for members of the public to only buy the fuel they need as local stocks are replenished, they added.

Similarly, they said agri-food supply chains will return to normal operation in the coming days after the agriculture, food, fisheries, and forestry sectors experienced significant difficulties during the protests.

According to the statement, the Minister for Transport, Darragh OBrien, has extended temporary changes to driving hours and rest periods to aid deliveries.

Read More Cork tractor driver arrested at Whitegate fuel protest charged

Minister for Justice 'thrown under the bus'

6.55pm: Tensions are growing in Government amid suggestions that Fine Gael, and defence minister Helen McEntee in particular, threw justice minister Jim OCallaghan under the bus.

A Fianna Fail parliamentary party meeting was held in Leinster House today to discuss public outcry over rising fuel costs and the response to protests around the country.

However, some in Fianna Fail believe Fine Gael is trying to blame Mr OCallaghan for stoking public anger by involving the defence forces, following media reports that Ms McEntee was unhappy that Mr OCallaghan had failed to consult her beforehand.

Mr OCallaghan told the Fianna Fail meeting that there were discussions at a "senior level" on Wednesday about using the defence forces, referring to a meeting he held with Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris.

It is also understood that Mr OCallaghan called Ms McEntee on Thursday morning in advance of Gardai officially seeking assistance from the Defence Forces.

Speaking on RTE, Ms McEntee appeared to confirm that she was only told once the official request was submitted.

Heneghan unsure how to vote

4.10pm: Independent TD Barry Heneghan has told the Irish Examiner that he has not decided to vote in tomorrow's confidence vote.

He said: "I am carefully considering my position with my team ahead of tomorrows vote. My focus is and always has been delivering real outcomes for my constituents and making changes to our energy system.

"A key priority for me right now is progressing my legislation on private wires, which would reduce wasted renewable energy and strengthen Irelands energy system. That work depends on a functioning government.

"Ill make my final decision based on what best supports stability and delivery for the people of Ireland."

Elsewhere, there is an almighty row brewing in Leinster House amid suggestions that Leaders' Questions will be scrapped on Tuesday to facilitate the Government's confidence motion.

It was expected that it would be held around 4pm, but sources suggested that it will take place at 2pm instead.

One opposition TD said that this would be "brazen" and lead to an "almighty row".

Healy-Rae and Toole decline to say if they will back Government

3.20pm: Two Government supporting Independent TDs have declined to set out whether they will vote confidence in the Government on Tuesday.

Danny Healy-Rae and Gillian Toole have not said if they will back the Government in the confidence vote, which has arisen due to the fuel protests which sprung up around the country last week.

Speaking on Radio Kerry earlier today, Mr Healy-Rae repeatedly criticised Taoiseach Micheal Martin as being arrogant, while calling for a change of leadership at the top of both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.

Asked if he would back the Government on Tuesday, Mr Healy-Rae said he would first engage with his supporters before coming to a decision.

His brother, Michael Healy-Rae, is a junior minister in the Coalition, after pledging the support of the two Kerry TDs when the Government was formed last year.

One minister said Mr Healy-Rae was throwing the rattle out of the pram with his comments.

Meanwhile, Ms Toole said she is weighing up everything before she makes a decision on her vote, and will be considering matters locally, nationally and internationally.

Confidence vote in government big test for independents  People Before Profit

2.30pm: The vote of no confidence to be tabled against the government is a big test for independents who are part of the coalition, a TD has said.

Sinn Fein are tabling the motion of no confidence in the Government on Tuesday.

It criticises the government for not reconvening the Dail last week and not engaging directly with the protesters, while also calling on the government to take the maximum action necessary to cut fuel prices.

The Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, and Independent Ireland have said they would back the motion.

It is unclear how several independents who have supported the Fianna Fail-Fine Gael coalition government will vote.

The Green Party said it would also vote no confidence, but because the government had failed to protect Irish peoples ability to go about their lives for five days and for the delay to carbon tax increases.

Media minister wants examination of fuel protests coverage

2.20pm: The Government could ask the media regulator to examine coverage of fuel protests, the media minister has suggested.

Customers return to the pumps at the daybreak service station on the Ballyhooly Rd after it received a small interim amount of fuel. Picture: Noel Sweeney

Speaking to both Limerick Live 95 and WLRFM, Patrick O'Donovan suggested that coverage of the protests had not been balanced and that Coimisiun na Mean could be asked to weigh in.

We didnt hear the views of a lot of people last week, he said.

There were people who supported protest but were totally opposed to blockades, and their voices werent heard.

"I think there is a legitimate reason now for Coimisiun na Mean to have an examination of that as well. I will be meeting them and I will be asking them to see what it is that they can do and report back," he said on Damien Tiernan's show on WLR FM.

Mr O'Donovan said that he did not believe that panel shows were adequately balanced and this needed to be examined as well as how often "certain people" were platformed.

I think everybody should take a look at how this was covered, he said.

From the public sector to the private sector, its no harm to ask if things could have been done better or more fairly.

Mr O'Donovan denied, however, that he was interfering in a free media.

"Democracy is very fragile and I am as strong a proponent of the concept of organised protest as anybody, as a Constitutional Irish republican," he said.

"Malign actors though using protests for other reasons to plant sinister seeds and to whip people up into frenzy is something all of us should be very of, particularly given the politics of the world we live in at the moment."

Motorways now clear of protests

1.45pm: Transport Infrastructure Ireland has said that all motorways across country are now clear of protests.

A number of rolling protests slowed traffic during rush hour this morning, particularly around Dublin, however all of these have no cleared.

Protest activity caused significant disruption on key Cork routes on Monday morning, with traffic delays reported on the N28, particularly around the Shannon Park roundabout.

The junction is a critical access point for the Port of Cork and a number of major pharmaceutical companies, leading to knock-on delays for commuters and commercial traffic.

Fuel protesters block the N7 motorway in Rathcoole near Dublin on the sixth day of a National Fuel Protest against rising fuel prices. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

However, by 10am, protesters had lifted blockades around Cork city, allowing traffic to resume somewhat normally.

A strong garda presence remained in place at several key locations, including the Lakeview roundabout on the N25, as authorities continued to manage the situation.

Separately, the N25 was temporarily closed around lunchtime to allow the movement of seven oil tankers under garda escort.

The convoy was facilitating the transportation of fuel from the Whitegate refinery, as efforts continue to maintain supply chains amid ongoing disruption.

Measures to ensure the flow of fuel remain ongoing, although some restrictions have been reported by Fuels for Ireland.

The temporary blockade on the N25 formed part of wider efforts to manage fuel distribution across the region during the protests.

Kelly appalled by intimidation of gardai

12.50pm: The garda commissioner has expressed concerns about attempts made in person and online to threaten and intimidate Gardai who are engaged in their lawful work.

In an email sent on Monday, Justin Kelly said he was absolutely appalled by the attempts amid policing operations carried out by gardai over the fuel protests.

"This will not be tolerated and will be fully investigated with the aim of bringing those involved to justice," he said.

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly speaking to the media at Garda Headquarters, Dublin. Picture: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire

The garda commissioner also thanked garda personnel for the personal sacrifices they have made while policing the fuel protests last week.

He also thanked members for their great professionalism and dedication.

"I completely understand the really difficult situations many of you have been faced with," he said.

"Thanks to your efforts we have broken the illegal blockades which were interfering with access to our critical national infrastructure.

"This has meant that our emergency services, hospital and fuel supply network were able to continue to operate.," Commissioner Kelly added.

"I also want to thank you for responding to our calls for additional personnel needed to deal with this situation. Again, I appreciate many of you made personal sacrifices to answer this call to duty," he added.

Soup kitchen volunteers intimidated during protest

12.20pm: Volunteers of a soup kitchen say they were intimidated in Dublin at the weekends fuel protest.

The Muslim Sisters of Eire host a weekly soup run on O'Connell Street, to provide food and hot meals to people experiencing homelessness.

The charity says last week's run "took a deeply upsetting turn" when they experienced verbal abuse from a group of people protesting outside the GPO.

Chairperson Lorraine OConnor says the situation turned hostile when she asked the man to leave because there were vulnerable people around and he told her to "get the hell out of this country".

Ms O'Connor, from Coolock in Dublin, was told "you don't belong in the country with this rag on your head".

She thanked the homeless community for stepping up to protect them.

'We are reacting in real time'  Heydon

11.45am: Agriculture minister Martin Heydon acknowledged there was frustration out there and that people had been driven to protest due to a really significant shock to their energy bills.

Mr Heydon said that a narrative had formed on social media that the government dont understand and were not listening, but he said they were reacting in real-time to the war in the Middle East.

I would very much counter that, we are reacting in real-time, but as a government, we absolutely listen and have to respond when an awful lot of people protest  protests and blockades are two different things, he told RTE Radio.

I absolutely, fundamentally respect and will passionately fight for peoples right to protest and tell me they disagree with me, but when people block critical infrastructure, that is different.

Agriculture minister Martin Heydon. Picture: PA

Mr Heydon said that along with the 7.2c cut on excise on green diesel, he had secured a new 100m subsidy scheme for high fuel users which would see a further cut of 20c a litre.

Government has put 100m behind us, the same way they put 140m behind the package for the hauliers, at the same time as helping every citizen of the state who drives a car or who relies on the cost of white diesel, he said.

We now see further reductions, cumulatively now: 32c per litre is the reduction on diesel; 27c a litre is the reduction on petrol, as well as the clearing of the remaining excise on green diesel and the subsidy on top of that.

Mr Heydon agreed, saying: We have to be very honest with people, that an intervention of three-quarters-of-a-billion euro is not without its consequences in terms of future decisions.

But the implications of not making interventions now, in terms of that impact on the cost of living for everybody, the impact on inflation for the general country, would also have implications.

Protesters have not won  Calleary

11.35am: Dara Calleary, the social protection minister, said the protesters had not won as engagement had been ongoing with farming and transport representative groups on further support before the protests began on Tuesday.

He told Raidio na Gaeltachta that the two packages announced by the Irish government were among the largest in Europe, and that the measures would have an influence on the governments budget in October.

10 days before supplies return to normal

11.30am: Kevin McPartlan, chief executive of Fuels For Ireland, said fuel trucks are moving around the country following the lifting of blockades over the weekend but he warned that it could take 10 days before supplies return to normal levels.

He called for secure access to supplies for his members following days of what he said ere intimidation and threats and insults to drivers.

Mr McPartlan said drivers had been identified and intimidated by protesters, and family members had been contacted when theyre sitting waiting to load. Its really poor. Im not suggesting that everybody involved in protests is involved in that stuff but there are [some] still doing that.

A tanker making a fuel delivery to the Applegreen service station on the North Ring rd in Ballyvolane, Cork City. Picture: Noel Sweeney

He told Morning Ireland that the next key thing is to make sure that the road network across the country is unhindered so we can actually get fuel to the people who need it.

He said that in the long term what has happened over the last few days has kind of created a precedent that people could see these as targets for the future so I think theyre going to need to be conversations around the security of those sites and the way the State manages that that security.

Read More Oil prices likely to rise after failed peace talks

Keep hard shoulders clear for emergencies

Fuel protesters block the N7 motorway in Rathcoole near Dublin on the sixth day of a National Fuel Protest against rising fuel prices. Picture date: Sunday April 12, 2026. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire

11am: Sean ONeill of Transport Infrastructure Ireland has urged motorway protestors to keep hard shoulders clear for emergency vehicles and highlighted how the rolling protests across the Irish road network are fluid and evolving.

Speaking on RTE Radio he said that on the M1 southbound, there is congestion between junction 12 and junction 9, so thats earlier at Drogheda, and thats a go slow, there are people protesting there".

And then on the M3 we have a full closure now, which wasnt fully closed earlier today, and that is between Kells junction 11 southbound and junction N9 in Navan is fully closed in both directions."

He said there was a go-slow movement on the M7 leading onto the Long Mile Road this morning, but it was cleared, although not before it caused significant congestion.

He added that there was also a go-slow on the N28 Cork to Ringaskiddy, Anyone listening and people out on the network, we do ask that they keep the hard shoulder open. Its for emergency vehicles and emergency trips.

"Whatever your actions are on the motorway network, please keep those open, because its just unacceptable. People need those its for emergency needs.

Protesters told to keep driving or have tractors seized

10.30am: Fuel protesters in the Carrigaline-Ringaskiddy convoy were informed that tractors would be seized if they stopped or blocked roads.

Before protests began this morning, the Carrigaline-Ringaskiddy convoy was approached by Gardai who informed them that they were under orders to seize any tractors or vehicles that stop or block the Shannonpark roundabout or the N28 (Ringaskiddy road).

The slow-moving convoy as part of the Carrigaline-Ringaskiddy protest regarding the rising fuel prices.

I thought I was dreaming, but actually it was a nightmare I had, Finbarr OMahony, a contractor who has been protesting for the last seven days, told the Irish Examiner.

There isnt much point in giving the hauliers 10 cents, including Vat and giving us 2.4 cents, including Vat, because the price of diesel has gone up about 25 cents a litre since we started this protest last week. Diesel was up to 170 last week. So what is the point?

He went on to say that the price of diesel needs a cap for a period of time, like the three-month caps applied in other European countries.

Gardai remain present around O'Connell Street on Monday morning as the road reopens for cars and public transport.

It comes after fuel protests saw over a hundred vehicles block one of Dublin's busiest streets for almost six days.

The tractors, lorries and trucks were removed in the early hours of Sunday morning by the Garda Public Order Unit.

Read More Fuel protesters in Cork told to keep driving or have tractors seized

Government to face a motion of no confidence on Tuesday

10.10am: The seventh day of disruption on Monday comes as the Government faces a motion of no confidence in the Dail on Tuesday.

Sinn Fein is to table the motion criticising the government for not reconvening the Dail last week and not engaging directly with the protesters, while also calling on the Government to take the maximum action necessary to cut fuel prices.

Finance spokesman Pearse Doherty criticised the government for laughable measures announced on Sunday, the governments second response to fuel price rises caused by the US and Israeli war in Iran.

Again, they come up short, and thats why so many people are annoyed this morning, Mr Doherty said on Monday.

Nobody wanted to be out there. The Government forced people to take the street.

Indeed, the government made matters worse. They went from insulting people, to demeaning them, to threaten them with the army, to refuse to talk to people and try and resolve this.

He added: For many people, yes, it was about fuel.

Yes, it was about petrol, diesel, home heating oil, but it was also about all of the other pressures that people are feeling  whether its energy costs, whether its groceries, whether its rents that continue to go up, and basically a tipping point that the government arent listening, that we needed something to happen in terms of (a) cost (of) living package.

Protests 'achieve something small'

9.30am: A spokesman for the Dublin fuel protest has said that they achieved something small in 505m worth of government measures, but said he has no control over further protests.

Blockades at fuel depots and Irelands only oil refinery have been lifted, but traffic disruption continued in parts of the country on Monday due to some protests.

Nobody knows what the plan is, thats being straight out there, said John Dallon, a Kildare farmer and agriculture contractor who was at the Dublin protest.

He said that he welcomed the reduction in green diesel, but the government should have done something on kerosene.

Garda on O'Connell Street in Dublin following an overnight police operation to remove fuel protesters who have been blockading the street since Tuesday. Picture: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire

This protest is out of my hands, it escalated to somewhat so big, and I dont know where its going to end, but its the governments fault, he told Newstalk radio on Monday.

We achieved something small, but this is something way bigger now, and I have no control over it, and thats exactly where Im coming from.

Its gone to the stage that it seems like, looking out there, that the people of the island of Ireland have no confidence in this government anymore.

Read More Department of Agriculture announces 100m fuel support

Road blockages continue on Monday morning

7.55am: Protesters  largely led by hauliers, farmers, and agricultural workers  began distinct but co-ordinated action on Tuesday with slow-moving convoys and outright stoppages on major motorways, as well as blockades of critical infrastructure which had largely wound down or been disbanded by police by midday on Sunday.

In Cork, the N28 Ringaskiddy Road westbound is busy between Shanbally Cross and a protest near Rafeen Bridge.

The slow moving protest as it passing the South Mall. Picture by Noel Sweeney

In Meath, there is a full road closure on the M3/N3 between Junction 11, Kells, and Junction 9, Navan, southbound.

Significant delays are likely, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is advising drivers to use alternative routes.

In Cavan, the N3 southbound is heavily congested behind a convoy on the Kells side of Virginia.

In Kildare, the M9 northbound is busy at Junction 3, Athy, where protesters have gathered.

In Louth, convoys are reported on the M1 southbound before Junction 14 Ardee and Junction 12 Dunleer.

The Justin Kelly has extended the declaration of an exceptional event until Tuesday.

Mr Kelly has directed that all rest days are cancelled until 7pm on Tuesday, extending the previous deadline of 8pm on Monday.

Exceptional events are declared when the Commissioner determines there is a security threat against the State.

It is understood gardai were informed by their representative bodies of the extension last night.

505m package pledged by Government

6am: An increase to the carbon tax will be delayed and petrol and diesel excise will be cut by 10c a litre as the Government has announced a 505m package aimed at addressing unrest over fuel costs.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin, along with Tanaiste Simon Harris and junior minister Sean Canney, announced the plan after blockades at Whitegate Oil Refinery, ports at Foynes Port and Shannon Port, and OConnell Street were lifted, while protests continued in other locations including Cork, Kerry, Offaly and Louth.

The package will include:

An extension of the excise duty cut to June;

A 10c reduction on petrol and diesel and 2.4c on green diesel from midnight tomorrow;

A fuel subsidy for farming and fisheries.

The scheme is additional to the 250m package announced last month.

Mr Martin said the measures would reduce the Governments projected budget surplus this year but were a response to real pressures being felt by people due to rising fuel costs.

Tanaiste Simon Harris, Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Minister of State Sean Canney speaking at the Government Press Centre in Dublin. Picture: Cillian Sherlock/PA Wire

A new transport support scheme to help hauliers and those in the food and agri industries will be backdated to March 1.

Mr Canney said the scheme will be modelled on the licensed haulage support scheme and will help and support those who are vital in our economy.

Both Mr Harris and Mr Martin were critical of those who blockaded ports in recent days, with Mr Martin warning that if blockades recur, particularly at Whitegate, the full rigours of the law will be applied.

Mr Harris said that while the Government will always engage with representative bodies, it cannot be reasonably or rationally be expected to engage with self-appointed spokespeople.

He also said that while the Government will work to protect people from the effects of rising prices, no government can completely shield people from the fallout of war in Iran.

Read More Paul Hosford: The blame game and outlandish demands will not resolve our fuel issues

The cut to diesel will require European Commission approval, as Ireland has gone below the minimum tax allowed under EU rules.

Mr Harris said that many countries have engaged with the EU on the issue due to price shocks caused by the US-Israel war in Iran and the disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, adding that much will depend on how long the conflict continues.

Mr Martin criticised the Opposition for preparing to table and support a motion of no confidence in his Government this week, saying many Opposition TDs had acted as wardens for illegal blockades or had spoken in support of protesters who had stopped oil from leaving the countrys only refinery at Whitegate in East Cork.

He said that those TDs were not fit for government.

Mr Martin said there would be a review of the latitude shown to protesters and a comprehensive security review of how the countrys oil supplies were curtailed.

Fuel trucks departing the oil refinery under garda escort at Whitegate village on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Larry Cummins

Throughout Sunday, blockades at the entrances to the Shannon Foynes Port Company and fuel terminals at Foynes in Co Limerick and Galway dispersed, while organisers of the blockade of OConnell Street said they had been ambushed by a 3.30am Garda operation to remove their six-day blockade.

The National Emergency Co-ordination Group warned it will take several days for fuel distribution to return to normal and that a risk to key supply chains remains.

The group also said concern remains that workers, including essential workers, may not have sufficient access to fuel to travel to and from work, which jeopardises the provision of critical services, including healthcare and business operations.

The NECG added that supplies of fertiliser and animal feed remain a challenge and will take a number of days to replenish stock, while exports of fresh fish, a time-sensitive product, are especially compromised due to the blockades.

Leaving Cert and Junior Cert exams affected

The NECG also announced that, due to ongoing disruptions, the State Examinations Commission (SEC) has deferred practical examinations scheduled for today, Monday, for Leaving Certificate Music and Junior Cycle Home Economics.

This decision was made because the SEC "cannot be sure that all examiners and students will be able to travel to their schools".

The deferral applies only to practical examinations scheduled for Monday. The SEC will put alternative arrangements in place and contact affected schools directly with further details.

additional reporting from PA
Mental health services for children with an intellectual disability in Ireland are being funded at less than half the HSEs own requirements for a fully-functioning service, new figures reveal.

The HSE has admitted within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) there is no [intellectual disability] team nationally staffed at the level recommended.

In response to a series of parliamentary questions from Cork East TD Liam Quaide, regarding the level of resourcing for Camhs intellectual disability services, the HSE said there were currently just 10 such teams operating nationally at a baseline level, that is with staffing levels significantly below optimum levels.

According to the HSEs own service requirements, there should be at least 16 such Camhs for those with intellectual disabilities, one for ever 300,000 people.

The HSEs replies to Mr Quaide indicate the staff that are in place are covering far greater population sizes than would be considered best practice.

Mr Quaide said the figures represented a tragic lack of ambition in terms of staff resources for some of the most vulnerable people in Irish society.

He said the replies to his inquiries are deeply troubling, adding it was very difficult to understand why a full multidisciplinary team was not seen as essential to those presenting with an intellectual disability, as is the case the broader Camhs services.

He asked, given a fully resourced team is seen as integral for Camhs, why such a service is not even remotely delivered in practice for children with even greater needs.

The HSE said an additional 160 clinical posts and 16 associated administrative roles would be required to bring the intellectual disability service up to code.

At present, however, only 71.5 clinical posts and 6.7 administrative jobs have been funded by the Government, a rate of just 43% of the roles required.

Mr Quaide said those underfunding levels were stark, adding the actual resourcing of the required roles was even lower, closer to 38%, given many of the jobs that are actually funded have yet to be filled among ongoing recruitment and retention difficulties for the HSE generally.

He pointed to the current levels of staffing for the Camhs Intellectual Disability team in HSE South-West, across Cork and Kerry, which already serves a population of 660,000, more than double recommended levels.

In that region, at least five positions  covering consultant psychiatrists, psychologists, specialist trainees and speech and language therapists  are either unfilled or on hold, while no occupational therapist is even listed.

Even on the HSEs own figures, this falls well short of the multidisciplinary standard it says these children require, Mr Quaide said.

What these replies reveal is a tragic lack of ambition by the Government even to deliver the minimum staffing baseline for a cohort of young people whose needs are particularly complex, affecting all aspects of their lives, he said.

These are among the most vulnerable young people in our mental health system, yet the specialist service meant to support them remains far too patchy, far too limited in its multidisciplinary depth, and, in some parts of the country, non-existent, he added.

A HSE spokesperson said Minister Mary Butler has invested in services and is driving forward the phased rollout of new teams in the "context of labour force constraints and a challenging international labour market". The HSE said an additional 22 posts had been funded since 2024, including 11 funded under Budget 2026, for which recruitment will commence this year.
The driver of a tractor and slurry tank who was arrested at Whitegate, Co Cork, has been charged with a number of serious road traffic offences, gardai have said.

The Whitegate oil refinery was the site of a blockade during fuel protests over the last week, which was cleared by gardai on Saturday.
The manslaughter of a mother of two in a flat in Mallow in January last year was admitted on Monday by a 43-year-old man who wrote a letter of apology to the victims family.

Joseph Butler of the Belfry, Bridewell Lane, Mallow, pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of 31-year-old Paula Canty at the Belfry, Bridewell Lane, Mallow, County Cork, on January 3, 2025.

He was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork on Monday and replied guilty when the manslaughter charge was read to him.

Mr Butler, who is originally from Midleton, County Cork, had been charged initially with the murder of Ms Canty. However, prosecution senior counsel Donal OSullivan said if the accused was arraigned on the manslaughter charge, his plea of guilty would be acceptable to the State.

Once that was done, Mr OSullivan said: In light of that plea my application would be to put it back to the June sessions for sentence.

Defence senior counsel, Ray Boland, said: My application is for a probation report. He is a 43-year-old man with a history of substance abuse.

He is very remorseful about events of that night He has written a letter of apology to the family of Ms Canty which is in court to be forwarded to the State.

Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford adjourned the case until June 3 but this will only be for the purpose of setting a date later that month for the sentencing hearing. It is anticipated that the family of the late Ms Canty will have an opportunity to present their victim impact statement at the time of the hearing.

In initial reports of the investigation it was reported that the body of the late Ms Canty was found at a flat in Mallow with stab wounds.

Joseph Butlers next appearance in court will be by video link from prison when the matter will only be for mention to set the sentencing date.

Joseph Butler 'is very remorseful about events of that night', the court was told today. Picture: Larry Cummins

Fr Robert Young told mourners at the requiem mass for the deceased in January 2025, in St John the Baptist Church in Kinsale, that that no parent should have to suffer the loss of a child.

To lose a son or daughter is a particular kind of grief. It is not the natural scheme of things that a son or daughter would die before their parent. It is certainly not the natural scheme of things that a parent would have to experience the [killing] of a son or daughter.

"It is heartbreaking to think about it and to see you carrying your pain. We want to acknowledge your grief, your sadness, your heartbreak. Fr Young went on describe the late Ms Canty, who was a native of Kinsale, as having a kind heart and good nature and being gentle, likeable, courteous and artistic.
Days after being released at the end of nine years in jail for rape, a 32-year-old man breached a court order and approached the victim on the street, it was alleged on Monday as a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Detective Sergeant Katrine Tansley testified at the Central Criminal Court in Cork on Monday that Keith Ahern was released from prison on January 29 with the 10th year of a 10-year sentence suspended on conditions that required him to have no contact with the victim.
Extensive damage was caused to front windows of three premises in Cork by a man who allegedly broke in to them  variously using a fire extinguisher, a table and a screwdriver to carry out the breakages.

Sergeant Aisling Murphy made these allegations against Daniel Mulroy as she objected to bail being granted to him at Cork District Court.

At Fida Barbers, Oliver Plunket Street, Cork, on April 8, it was is alleged Mr Mulroy entered the premises by breaking the front window of the premises. Mr Mulroy took a sum of cash from the till and exited out the same widow that he entered.

The sergeant alleged the following day, at Goldie restaurant on Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork, Mr Mulroy took a table from outside the premises and used it to smash the glass door.

Also on April 9, it is alleged he broke three windows at Maxol service station, West Village, Ballincollig, Cork, using a fire extinguisher.

Mr Mulroy was observed at scene by gardai and was arrested having attempted to flee on foot. CCTV footage clearly shows Mr Mulroy committing this offence. The value of this damage is approximately 900, Sgt Murphy said.

The approximate value of damage in the two other premises was about 500 for each.

It is alleged while committing the criminal damage at Maxol, he had possession of a screwdriver for the purpose of gaining entry through the window.

Finally, it is alleged that following a search conducted on Mr Mulroy at the Bridwell Garda Station, a two-prong carving fork was recovered from his waistband. Questioned about this, he claimed he had it for self-defence.

26-year-old Daniel Mulroy, of no fixed address but who gave an address at Castlepark, Ballicollig, Co Cork, was refused bail by Judge Mary Dorgan and remanded in custody until April 16 at Cork District Court.
A development company which sued the justice minister over the shelving of a plan to convert an industrial unit in Dublin into refugee accommodation has settled the action, the Commercial Court has heard.

On Monday, Stephen Byrne, for the Palmerstown Temporary Accommodation (PTA) Ltd company, said that following mediation, a settlement had been reached between his client and the minister and the matter could be struck out with a form of order for costs on an enhanced basis.
A preliminary business case for Cork's long-awaited event centre has been approved, the Cabinet will be told tomorrow, Tuesday.

The sod for the centre was turned at the former Beamish and Crawford site by then taoiseach Enda Kenny in February 2016. However, the project has been stalled since then.

The venue is set to have 6,000 seats, and it could cost up to 150m.

Last December, the preliminary business case for the project was submitted to the Department of Housing, Heritage, and Local Government.

Now, the approval has been given for the business case in line with infrastructure guidelines from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

According to a memo seen by the Irish Examiner, the Cork City Council Project Development Board for the centre has proposed a delivery model, which means the council will partner with a project delivery partner responsible for the provision of land, partial funding, and all activities related to design, construction and operation.

The next step is for the Department of Housing, Heritage, and Local Government to write to Cork City Council to notify the local authority that approval has been granted.

This will pave the way for the project to enter into the tendering process and the finalisation of a detailed project briefing.

The memo said that the engagement process with the previous preferred bidder for the project remains ongoing.

It is now anticipated that a submission from Cork City Council to move to the next stage will be in May.

The final site for the centre is yet to be decided, with rival options, including at a site on the South Docklands, to South Main St having been proposed.

A procurement process was announced in 2024 for the project, which had the aim of ensuring that the project stayed in compliance with EU procurement laws.

Over a year ago, a project management delivery team for the project was set up.

It includes members of the business community in Cork, government department representatives, and other agencies.

A preliminary market consultation was published last September, with a call out for expressions of interest in relation to developing the centre. The consultation sought engagement with suitably experienced developers, as well as operators and promoters within the live entertainment and events industry, to seek advice in relation to the councils procurement plans and requirements.

The procurement process is being overseen by Aecom, a global project management firm with an office in Cork.
The heartbroken family of Scarlett Faulkner has taken to social media to say she has passed away.

The Limerick mother, 29, has been on life support at Cork University Hospital since she was critically injured in an assault at the side of the R494 road in Birdhill, Co Tipperary, on Saturday, March 21.

The family said her life support was switched off at 4pm on Sunday but that she had stayed breathing overnight on her own as they kept a vigil by her bedside and had continued to ask for prayers.

In an update on social media on Monday evening, her brother posted RIP my lovely sister Scarlett.

Her cousin Melissa McCarthy, who had kept the public updated via videos online, posted a montage of images of Scarlett, captioned: Fly high our girl love you forever my beautiful cousin oh your poor family and little girl 13.04.2026.

Goodbye our girl fly high your with the angels now, oh god mind aunt Mary and banny all your brothers and sisters especially your little girl nieces, nephews in-laws fly high your fought until the last.

A woman aged in her 40s and a teenage girl have been charged in connection with the assault.

Ms Faulkner suffered critical head injuries in the attack. She is the mother of a six-year-old daughter.

Video footage of the attack was widely shared on social media, and An Garda Siochana has continued to appeal to people not to share it.
The Government is yet to allocate any funds towards a new Tusla training college, despite it being formally established in March.

The Childrens Residential Services Training College aims to increase the level of workers in the sector and develop a sustainable workforce capable of delivering current and future service needs.

Read More Tusla announces training college to increase staff availability

However it has been confirmed to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly there is no direct budget for the facility.

The first intake will be of 10 trainees, with Tusla saying there will be capacity for 25 trainees in the future. The overall capacity will increase in line with demand.

While the initial focus is on strengthening special care staffing, the training college will also support workforce development across mainstream residential services, delivering a sustainable channel of skilled social care professionals, Tusla wrote.

The six-month learning programme combines classroom-based learning, e-learning, and supervised work-based practice.

The programme includes targeted specialist training, peer support, reflective practice, supervision, and wellbeing resources, underpinned by continuous assessment and a robust evaluation framework to ensure high standards of learning and practice.

However, it also confirms there is no defined or ring-fenced budget for the college and there was no specific budget allocation for this initiative in 2026.

A review of the pilot will inform future development and resourcing needs, Tusla said.

Mr Farrelly, his party's spokesperson for children, said the response shows there is nothing new in the initiative.

The response says since its establishment, the college has drawn on existing Tusla staff for teaching inputs, coordination and administration.

Mr Farrelly said the college appears to just be the renaming of an existing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) process for staff in Tusla.

He said it is borderline disingenuous to describe it as a college.

The idea of the announcement is to maybe appease people who have concerns about the qualifications of social care workers as they enter into residential placements or they enter into special emergency arrangements, Mr Farrelly said.

We dont know, because theyre not regulated, the extent to which people have social care qualifications or not.

Calling something a college allows people to infer that you will be going through a similar process as a student, but if youve allocated no further resources to it this year, that tells me nothing is going to change.

Mr Farrelly said he wanted to see the Tusla college be partnered with an existing university that would professionally endorse its courses.

He said this would give people professional qualifications at the end of their course.

The Kildare North TD said children in Tusla care need social workers with professional qualifications.

That takes time and that takes money. Its time for the Government to step up with both, he said.
As the spring sun beats down, young people queue at a hatch for coffee.

With drinks priced between 75c and 1.10, the small operation is doing a roaring trade. Across the street, breakfast business at an outlet of the French bakery chain Paul is picking up and people on their way to work mill around. A bus advertising an aquarium as a family day out rounds the corner.

Had it not been for the low drone of an air-raid siren just hours earlier, this could be any Eastern European city.

But this is Kyiv, four years into war with Russia.

While the city can appear normal, the signs that this is anything but business as usual are everywhere.

The biggest clue is in getting here. While Ryanair had a flight to the Ukrainian capital before the war and is among a cohort of European airlines planning to quickly re-enter when skies reopen, there are no official departures or arrivals at Boryspil International Airport.

Parts of downed Shahed drones which had been launched by Russia are piled in a storage room of a research laboratory in Kyiv, Ukraine. Picture: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP

For last weeks informal European Foreign Affairs Council meeting, the continents foreign ministers travelled by train from across the border in Poland, either from Przemysl or Chelm.

It is in the queue for the train, some 10 miles from the border, that the reality becomes apparent.

At Przseml station, in a snaking queue that makes a mockery of the 7.40am departure time, families tearfully say goodbye, split in all sorts of combinations: Men returning to Ukraine; men who are staying behind; children being left with grandparents. Children wrapped in blankets wait for passport control, loved-ones embrace, but the air that hangs over the place is enough for even the untrained eye to know that these are not just the goodbyes of the briefly apart.

On the train, there are warnings about what to do in an emergency, with that word emergency taking on a much heavier meaning given that trains may stop in the event of an air attack and passengers have to be evacuated.

A bombed apartment building: Ukrainian cities go dark at night to elude Russian airstrikes. It doesnt always work. Picture: Michael Shtekel/AP

A video, like a pre-flight briefing, explains: If the threat is critical, the train is stopped and passengers are led out of the cars. This would only happen if, for example, a drone is moving directly toward the train or along the route.

If the situation is not critical, there will be no evacuation, but the train may be rerouted, slowed down, or stopped for a while. The video is played to prevent unnecessary passenger stress, but as a first-timer on the train, its mention has the opposite effect.

Once across the border, beyond the town of Medyka  where, at the wars outbreak, 20,000 to 30,000 people flooded across the tracks  border guards with a a bomb dog check the train. The dog races along the carriage and is scolded for searching for scraps in a bakery bag, while a young woman examines passports and her colleague does bags.

They are looking for medicines, but the problem with drugs is growing on both sides of the wars frontlines. According to a recent survey by the NGO 100% Life Rivne Network, 38% of Ukrainian troops had taken amphetamines in the past three months, while 66% had smoked cannabis.

As the train trundles through the Ukrainian countryside, in Pidbirtsi, outside Lviv, graffiti reads, Fuck Ruzzia, as a television in the carriage of the surprisingly modern and comfortable train plays ads for DIY drone kits and the Ukranian armed forces, in between clips of Korean animated show Robocar Poli.

Life seems remarkably normal

Arriving into Kyiv-Pasazhyrskyi station is remarkably normal, aside from the weariness of passengers who spent the guts of half a day getting here. Exiting requires no checks and the military presence is neglible.

Outside the imposing Soviet-era station, a McDonalds restaurant is doing busy trade. The fast-food chain has become something of a totem for the normalcy of much of Ukranian life four years in to a full-scale invasion by Russia.

Last week, footage went viral of teens joyously reacting to the reopening of an outlet in Mykolaiv, a city just 70km from the front lines that has withstood a devastating water crisis in recent years.

It feels trite from an Irish perspective, but the restaurants reopenings across the country are a strong indicator of the deprivations of the invasion. In front-line cities like Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv, McDonalds remain closed.

As night falls, Kyiv is noticeably dark. The city doesnt light up the way you might expect a modern capital would, with streetlights turned down to save electricity and to make it harder for Russian airstrikes. However, there are pockets of mundane life.

A restaurant is showing an old Uefa Youth League game between Dynamo Kyiv and Barcelona and serving food.

The bar across the road, at the foot of the citys funicular  which links the old city with the commercial neighbourhood of Podil, through the steep Volodymyrska Hill  is playing loud music and full of young people. With conscription for those over the age of 25, the age profile is very young.

Night-time threat

But more than the darkness, nightfall brings the threat of air raids.

As our taxi snakes back towards the hotel, the mobile phones of everyone in the car buzz. The air-raid app is warning of drones spotted around Kyiv. Within seconds, the haunting wail of the sirens begins. Nobody who is used to this bats an eye. A group walking up the street doesnt break stride or speed up, hotel staff go about their business, and the taximan drops us off and goes in search of another fare.

Locals, and foreigners who have been here a while, tell those of us whose stomachs dropped at the first buzz of the phone that because of Ukrainian air defences, they have adopted a rule of thumb: If its drones (the app helpully distinguishes), you move away from the window; for missiles, you go to a shelter.

Eternal vigilance

In the days before our arrival, Russia had launched a massive daytime drone attack on the city, catching locals unawares and killing several and wounding more. Russia repeated the tactic on Friday, having been largely inactive throughout the EU meeting, killing one and wounding eight, including a child.

But, routine or not, those strikes do require vigilance and being woken several times a night is draining, even for a foreigner in a hotel, let alone for parents bringing children up and down to bunkers. Kyivs residents live with that every day.

Lack of sleep

Locals say that lack of sleep is among the hardest parts of the war. It makes bringing children back to the country a difficult thing to rationalise. At a neonatal clinic  financed by Ireland through the UN Population Fund  doctors and midwives tell of rising rates of premature births and caesarean sections.

Some who give birth have not had a doctors check-up in 10 years. The war, like all wars, weighs heavily on women and children, with the Some who give birth have not had a doctors check-up in 10 years. The war, like all wars, weighs heavily on women and children, with the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, the agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide, warning of gender and sexual violence both at the front and across the country.

UNFPA

Some who give birth have not had a doctors check-up in 10 years. The war, like all wars, weighs heavily on women and children, with the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, the agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide, warning of gender and sexual violence both at the front and across the country.

While the focus has been on the last four years, a wall of remembrance that Helen McEntee, the foreign affairs minister, visited names the dead from 2014, when Russia invaded Crimea.

A kilometre away is the centre of what many Ukrainians thought would be the defining crisis of their lives: The Maidan Revolution.

The revolution was largely played out over five days in February 2014, because of then president Viktor Yanukovychs sudden decision not to sign a political association and free-trade agreement with the European Union and instead grow closer to Russia. Approximately 120 people were killed and a new wave of reforms introduced, but a pro-Russian backlash also emerged.

Memorial to foreign troops

Where once the protesters had built a camp around the Independence Monument now stands a memorial made up of 18,000 flags from across the globe.

In the plot of grass tended by Oleg and his wife are Tricolours bearing the names of Alex Ryzhuk, Robert Deegan, Graham Dale, and Rory Mason, four Irishmen killed in the fighting.

Olegs colleague, Volodomyr, makes a point of handing journalists Irish/Ukranian patches as he sells t-shirts emblazoned with Russian president Vladimir Putin cast as the devil. They say there are similar memorials in nearly every town across the country.

The fog of war makes it hard to know just how many have died in the conflict, but figures suggest somewhere around 500,000, and with nearly 11m displaced, both within the country and fled abroad.

That has effects in the city, which at morning rush hour feels quieter than you would expect. There are just fewer people around.

Near a military arsenal converted in to a food market, Ireland and Ukraine mark 34 years to the day of diplomatic relations as a new permanent embassy opens with a reminder of air-raid protocol and a moments silence for the fallen. Amid the wine and canapes, its another jarring reminder of life in the city.

As with the way in, the way out is another train, this time an overnighter with a sleeper car of strangers to keep you company and a near two-hour wait at the border as men in fatigues check passports and ask if you are a military volunteer.

Once you reach Przseml, the queues for border checks are telling, the EU side marginal compared to the Ukrainians, who continue to seek refuge with their neighbour and beyond.

Its not that Kyiv is not somewhat normal, but the risk is in thinking nothing is amiss, especially on days with minimal air-raid warnings.

But there is a weight to it all.

The people are pleasant and kind and resilient, but they have little option. Capitulation is not in their make-up, they argue, so forward they move.

Four years in, though, there is a weariness around the capital, one that comes without having the ability to process it all because it is still happening. Its like knowing that you have PTSD before you can be post-anything.

But, for now, while the sun shines and there is coffee to be had, what else can you do?
Would the Trump administration be so bold and reckless as to threaten the Vatican over Pope Leo XIVs criticisms of the White Houses military policies?

At first glance, that may seem a far-fetched scenario, but after US president Donald Trumps extraordinary broadside against Pope Leo on Sunday night  saying he didnt think the US-born leader of the Catholic Church was doing a very good job and that Im not a fan of Pope Leo  maybe not that unlikely.

The president even went to far as to suggest if he wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican, suggesting Leo only got elected because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump.

Trumps sharply-worded comments came just days after various stories have surfaced about a strange meeting in the Pentagon in January between some top Department of Defence officials and the papal nuncio in Washington.

The nuncio  the popes ambassador to the US  at the time was Archbishop Christophe Pierre, and he was summoned to a meeting in the Pentagon by Elbridge Colby, the US under-secretary of defence for policy.

Colbys grandfather was William Colby, a former director of the CIA, and according to initial reports in The Free Press (based in New York) the nuncio was given a dressing down because of the popes opposition to Trumps foreign policy.

According to that report, the Pentagon officials insisted the Catholic Church should take the US governments side in military matters.

There was also a claim that a military official referenced the 'Avignon Papacy' during the Pentagon meeting. This was an unhappy period in church history when the powerful King of France, Philip IV, challenged the power of the papacy, obtaining the elevation of Clement V as a pro-French pope in 1305, residing at Avignon  where popes would remain for the next 70 years in what became known as the 'Babylonian Captivity' of the papacy.

It was a time when the papacy suffered a grave loss of prestige and a weakening of papal authority because it was too closely identified with French interests.

If the 'Avignon Papacy' was invoked during the meeting, it would be open to several interpretations, one of which would be an implied threat.

The unease in the White House had initially been caused by remarks made by Pope Leo, the first US-born leader of the Catholic Church, during a new year address to diplomats assigned to the Vatican.

Pope Leo has drawn the ire of the Trump administration with his comments about the war in Iran. Picture: AP/Gregorio Borgia

Pentagon officials objected to what they perceived as implied criticisms of the Trump administrations foreign policy in the January speech where Pope Leo said: A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force.

This was at a time when Trump had been threatening to seize Greenland from Denmark  a Nato ally  launched missile attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats and abducted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The pope made clear his concern over the growing use of military force to resolve international disputes. War is back in vogue, he told the diplomats, and the zeal for war is spreading.

The summons to the nuncio from Colby  who is a Catholic and close to vice-president JD Vance  to a meeting in the Pentagon was regarded as highly unusual.

It was like inviting a vegetarian to a barbecue, said Massimo Faggioli, professor of ecclesiology at Trinity College Dublin. The Pentagon, he told the Religious News Service, is the building where the orders to wage war come from, and that by itself is not a natural place to have a meeting with a representative of a global organisation like the Catholic Church, which is known for its efforts to stop wars.

According to the National Catholic Reporter, based in Kansas City, the controversy surrounding the meeting is likely to further inflame religious pushback to an unusual wave of spiritual sabre-rattling by President Donald Trumps administration  particularly surrounding the US governments military actions in Iran, which the president himself has suggested are the will of God.

Combined with his other incendiary remarks about the war, the increase in faith-filled militaristic rhetoric is pitting Trump and his administration against a growing list of faith leaders, ranging from local clergy to the pope.

Particular criticism has been directed at Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, who has consistently sought to justify the war in Iran in religious terms. He has invoked his Christian faith to cast the US as a Christian nation righteously seeking to vanquish its foes, describing the attack on Iran as a holy war.

Our troops, our American warriors deserve the credit for this day, but God deserves all the glory, Hegseth said. Tens of thousands of sorties, refuellings and strikes carried out under the protection of divine providence. A massive effort with miraculous protection.

On his arm, Hegseth, who is a member of a small Protestant sect, carries a tattoo with the words Deus Vult (God Wills It), used as a rallying cry by Christian warriors during the bloody Crusades proclaimed by a pope in the 11th century.

Trump, a nondenominational Christian, has also made references to faith when discussing the war in Iran. When asked by a Washington Post reporter during a press briefing earlier this month whether he believed God was on the side of the US in the war, the president responded, I do, because God is good.

The National Catholic Reporter reported Trumps certainty contrasted with remarks offered the next day by Vance, whose new book is about his conversion to Catholicism, who was more cautious when asked the same question by the Post reporter: I think my attitude towards military conflict has always been to pray that we are on Gods side.

What is seen in some quarters as the Trump administrations war theology drew especially sharp criticism from faith leaders  including Pope Leo  when the president took to social media and threatened to eradicate Irans entire civilisation if his demands werent met. He concluded the social media post with the phrase God Bless the Great People of Iran.

Pope Leo called Trumps civilisational threat truly unacceptable before calling on citizens of all the countries involved to contact their representatives and call for peace. The pope would later stress that God does not bless any conflict.

Last Saturday, at a prayer vigil in St Peters Basilica, the pope went further: Even the holy name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death.

Trumps threats to erase Irans civilisation prompted a strongly-worded editorial in the National Catholic Reporter, which said they force Catholics to decide if they will be complicit. In the 2024 presidential election, a majority of Catholics (56%) voted for Trump as against 43% for Kamala Harris.

The editorial said the religious vulgarity of Hegseth is so undisguised and noxious that it cant be ignored.

And it went on: If US Catholics were in need of clarity amid the chaos and religious jingoism, it is provided at the highest levels by a pope who speaks with a midwest accent and thus cant be dismissed, as others have been in the past, as someone who just doesnt understand the United States.
Hungary's veteran nationalist leader Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday after a landslide election victory by the upstart opposition Tisza party, in a setback for his allies in Russia and US President Donald Trump.

Results based on 46% of votes counted showed the centre-right, pro-EU Tisza party of Peter Magyar, opens new tab winning 135 seats - or a crucial two-thirds majority - in the 199-member parliament, ahead of Orban's Fidesz party.

"The election results are not final yet, but the situation is understandable and clear," Orban said at the Fidesz campaign offices. "The election result is painful for us, but clear."

Pollsters predicted a record voter turnout, with Hungarian television showing long queues outside some voting stations in Budapest. Data at 1630 GMT, half an hour before polls were due to close, showed 77.8% of voters casting their ballots, up from 67.8% four years earlier.

If the final results confirm the early readings, an end to Orban's period in government after 16 years in power would have significant implications not only for Hungary, but for the European Union, Ukraine and beyond.

Opposition leader Peter Magyar, center, addresses his supporters during a march in Budapest, Sunday, March 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

It would likely spell an end to Hungary's adversarial role inside the EU, possibly opening the way for a 90 billion euro loan to war-battered Ukraine blocked by Orban.

Defeat for Orban could also mean the eventual release of EU funds to Hungary that the bloc had suspended due to what Brussels said was Orban's erosion of democratic standards.

Orban's exit would also deprive Russian President Vladimir Putin of his main ally in the EU and send shockwaves through Western right-wing circles, including the White House.

In Hungary, a Tisza victory could open the way for reforms that the party says would aim to combat corruption and restore the independence of the judiciary and other institutions.

However, the extent of such reforms will depend on whether Tisza can secure the two-thirds constitutional majority it would need to reverse much of Orban's legacy.

Economic stagnation

Orban, a eurosceptic, carved out a model of an "illiberal democracy" seen as a blueprint by Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and its admirers in Europe.

But many Hungarians have grown increasingly weary of Orban, 62, after three years of economic stagnation and soaring living costs as well as reports of oligarchs close to the government amassing more wealth.

Tisza's leader Magyar appears to have successfully tapped into this frustration.

Casting his vote for Tisza in the Hungarian capital, Mihaly Bacsi, 27, said the country needed change.

"We need an improvement in public mood, there is too much tension in many areas and the current government only fuels these sentiments," he said.

Another voter, who gave her name as Zsuzsa, said she wanted continuity.

"I would really like if all the results that have been achieved in recent years remain - and I am terribly afraid of the war," she said, referring to the conflict raging in Ukraine, Hungary's eastern neighbour.

Orban sought to cast Sunday's election as a choice between "war and peace". During campaigning, the government blanketed the country with signs warning that Magyar would drag Hungary into Russia's war with Ukraine, something he strongly denies.

- Reuters
Britney Spears has entered a substance abuse treatment facility just over a month after she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

A representative for Spears told The Associated Press that the 44-year-old pop superstar had voluntarily checked herself into the facility.

On March 5, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers received a report that a BMW was driving fast and erratically on US 101 in Ventura County near the Los Angeles County line, the CHP said.

Britney Spears in 2016 (PA)

Spears, who lives in the area, took a series of field sobriety tests and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs, authorities said.

She was taken to a county jail and released several hours later.

Investigators turned over the case on March 23 to the Ventura County District Attorneys Office, which plans to make a decision on charges against Spears before a scheduled May 4 court date.

A representative at the time called Spears actions completely inexcusable and said it would ideally be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britneys life.

Spears has mostly set aside her music career.

She has not toured in nearly eight years and has not put out an album in nearly a decade.

In 2021, she regained control of her life decisions and finances when a court-ordered conservatorship was dissolved after nearly 14 years.

Two years later, she released a bestselling memoir, The Woman In Me.
Donald Trump has said the US will begin a blockade of the strait of Hormuz, after ceasefire talks with Iran ended without an agreement over the weekend.

The strait has emerged as Irans most effective weapon in its asymmetric war with the US. Since 28 February, the US and Israel have pounded Iran, striking thousands of targets and killing dozens of the countrys most senior leaders.

Iran has responded by effectively closing the strait  a vital waterway through which in normal times about 20% of global oil moves  driving up oil prices and fuelling fears of a rise in inflation.

The threat from the president has now left global markets in another period of uncertainty, after last week they ended optimistic that negotiations between Washington and Tehran might result in an end to the chaos that has hit the world economy for more than six weeks.

1. What has Trump announced about the strait of Hormuz blockade?

On Sunday, the president posted to social media: The United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.

Accusing Iran of WORLD EXTORTION, Trump threatened that any person who attacked the US vessels would be BLOWN TO HELL!

Trumps sweeping threat to blockade any and all ships appeared to have been scaled down hours after his announcement, after US Central Command (Centcom) said the blockade would be confined to vessels transiting through Iranian ports  and that it would permit passage of ships headed to ports belonging to the USs Gulf allies.

Centcom said the blockade would come into effect at 10am ET (3pm Irish time).

Trump told Fox News that allies, many of whom he has criticised for failing to back the war, wanted to help with the operation in the strait. The Guardian understands the UK will not be involved in any blockade of the strait and the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said the country was not asked to participate.

Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks during a news conference after meeting with representatives from Pakistan and Iran as Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Witkoff, Special Envoy for Peace Missions listen, on Sunday, April 12, 2026, in Islamabad, Pakistan. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)

2. Why would Trump threaten to block the strait of Hormuz if his goal is to reopen it?

Reports indicate that the reopening of the strait was one of the big sticking points in the weekend negotiations between the US and Iran. Tehran has indicated that it would like to retain control of the waterway after the war has ended, and has floated a plan to charge a fee of up to $2m for each ship that passes through the waterway. Trump and other world leaders have rejected such a plan as an attack on freedom of navigation.

Despite Trumps claims that reopening the waterway is not his responsibility, the president is under pressure to resolve the issue before the continued closure of the strait unleashes an even greater crisis for the global economy.

If Trumps strategy succeeds, he will eliminate Irans greatest point of leverage in negotiations and clear the strait again for global trade, potentially lowering oil prices.

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters during the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

3. How would the blockade work?

The US military has not offered many details yet, including how many warships will enforce it, whether warplanes will be used and whether any Gulf allies will assist in the effort.

Experts say it is unlikely the US military would fire missiles or other weapons at tankers, given the risk of an environmental disaster. The most likely option is the US navy will try to force vessels to change course through threats, and if that doesnt work, they will launch armed boarding parties to take physical control of the ships, experts say.

Trump wants a quick fix. The reality is, this mission is difficult to execute alone and likely unsustainable over the medium to long term, said Dana Stroul, a former senior Pentagon official during the Biden administration now at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

4. What will the blockade do to the oil price?

Experts say the blockade could lead to higher oil prices but much depends on its scope and implementation.

Kevin Book, the managing director of research at the research firm ClearView Energy Partners, said that leaner volumes generally mean tighter markets and higher prices. How Tehran responds matters, too. Iranian and/or Houthi reprisals against Gulf producers alternative routes could drive prices still higher, Book said.

By closing the strait to vessels carrying Iranian oil, Trump could cut off one of the regimes major sources of funding  but it could also have a short-term negative effect on global prices.

About 100 tankers have transited the strait since the US and Israel started bombing Iran, most of them carrying Iranian oil products bound for China and India. The US has allowed Iran to continue these exports  and even lifted sanctions on Iranian oil at sea  in a move to ease supply pressures. The hope was that continued supplies of Iranian oil could help keep prices in check, despite those profits going directly to the Iranian regime. Throttling those supplies could send prices higher still.

After Trumps announcement, the price of US crude increased 8% to $104.24 a barrel and Brent crude oil rose 7% to $102.29. Brent crude, the international standard, has gone from roughly $70 a barrel before the war in late February to as high as $119 over the course of the conflict.

5. What now for the US-Iran war ceasefire?

Irans Revolutionary Guards has said any warships that approach the strait to enforce a blockade would be considered in breach of the current ceasefire and would be dealt with strongly. They insisted the strait remained under Iranian control.

Trump floated the possibility on Sunday of a resumption of US strikes inside Iran, citing missile factories as one possible target. The Wall Street Journal reported that his administration was considering resuming strikes as a way to break the stalemate in peace talks.

- The Guardian
Hungarian election winner Peter Magyar said on that if Russian president Vladimir Putin were to initiate a call with him, he would speak with him and tell him to end the war in Ukraine.

If Vladimir Putin calls, Ill pick up the phone, he said at his first news conference after his landslide win against prime minister Viktor Orban, a Putin ally.

If we did talk, I could tell him that it would be nice to end the killing after four years and end the war.

It would probably be a short phone conversation and I dont think he would end the war on my advice, he said.

Mr Magyars statement was likely greeted with pleasure by many across the European Union, who had grown accustomed to Mr Orbans conciliatory tone when discussing the war or Mr Putin.

From the jubilant crowds along the Danube in Budapest to executive offices in Brussels, praise and even glee abounded for Hungarys next leader after he won Sundays election in a landslide.

But the outpouring after his victory focused mainly on the prospect of no longer having to deal with Mr Orban, who many saw as a threat to Europes peace and prosperity.

From Madrid to Helsinki, many hope that Mr Magyars win will help unshackle the 27-nation European Union as it faces hybrid warfare attacks from Moscow, an antagonistic Washington and Beijings economic pressure.

EU leaders had been increasingly frustrated with Mr Orban over his takeover of democratic institutions and vetoing of strategic action like a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine.

It remains to be seen whether those hopes will be fulfilled. Mr Magyar avoided talking about Ukraine or divisive issues like LGTBQ rights on the campaign trail, and was previously a longtime conservative insider in Mr Orbans party.

He told The Associated Press that he would work more closely with the EU and the 32-nation Nato military alliance that was forged to thwart aggression from Moscow.

All Hungarians know that this is a shared victory. Our homeland made up its mind. It wants to live again. It wants to be a European country, Mr Magyar said during his victory speech on Sunday.

Youngsters celebrate in Budapest (Denes Erdos/AP)

Olga Oliker, the director of European Security at the International Crisis Group, said that where Orban slowed actions and blocked consensus, Magyar, as he defines Hungarys relationships with its European allies, to say nothing of those with Ukraine, Russia and the United States, can help shape the future of Europe.

After Mr Magyar takes his oath of office in May, the new prime minister could potentially lift Hungarys veto and enable the European Commission to provide Ukraine with the loan that Mr Orban had agreed to in December and then backtracked on, enraging his fellow leaders.

EU diplomats will discuss on Wednesday how best to fast-track the funds to Kyiv, a Cypriot official said on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised to be named.

Cyprus currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

Hungary borders Ukraine, and the pro-Russia Mr Orban had long demonised Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

While congratulating Mr Magyar on X, Mr Zelensky said that we are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as for the sake of Europes peace, security, and stability.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia respects the outcome of the Hungarian vote and expects to maintain contacts with the countrys new leadership.

He said that as for what action Hungarys new leadership will take, we probably need to be patient and see what happens.

The prospect of a nimbler, faster-acting Europe drove widespread praise for Mr Magyar from several European leaders. EU negotiators had to increasingly find workarounds when Mr Orban blocked policy decisions.

He also held up Swedens accession to Nato.

Peter Magyar waves the Hungarian flag (Denes Erdos/AP)

Mr Magyar said that he received calls on Sunday night  before he even took the stage to announce his victory  from French president Emmanuel Macron, Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who was frequently vilified by Mr Orban during his campaign.

Today, Europe is Hungarian, Ms von der Leyen said at a news conference in Brussels on Monday.

The people of Hungary have spoken and they have reclaimed their European path.

Today Europe wins and European values win, said Spains left-wing prime minister Pedro Sanchez in a post on X on Sunday night.

Polands centre-right prime minister Donald Tusk exclaimed on social media: Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!

Mr Orbans defeat has reverberated across the world, including across the Atlantic where US president Donald Trump supported Mr Orbans re-lection bid and even dispatched vice-president JD Vance to Budapest last week to stump for the incumbent.

Mr Magyars victory might signal a shift in European politics that has been dominated by a far-right shift over the past decade.

Mr Magyar comes from a right-wing background but distanced himself from Mr Orbans leadership.

With nationalist parties making headways in Germany and France, the electoral earthquake in Hungary shows that Hungarians are sending a signal to the world, German lawmaker Daniel Freund said.

The icon of illiberal anti-European forces has now failed  brought down by a disastrous economy, corruption and his own unfair electoral system, he said.
Commentary: U.S. military coercion will only deepen crisis in Mideast

Xinhua) 16:26, April 13, 2026

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The unsuccessful peace talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad were followed not by restraint, but by escalation: Washington's swift announcement of a naval blockade on all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports.

Coming on the heels of a failed diplomatic effort, the move risks undermining what little momentum for dialogue remained and signals a troubling readiness by Washington to revert to coercion and military means over meaningful negotiation.

The breakdown of the talks was hardly unexpected. The divide between Washington and Tehran is vast, rooted in decades of antagonism, longstanding differences, and deep-seated mistrust. No single meeting was ever likely to resolve such fundamental differences or yield a meaningful consensus. But a lack of immediate progress should not be taken as justification for coercion. Attempts to force concessions are far more likely to harden positions than to bridge gaps.

Threats of military action, particularly during a ceasefire, risk deepening distrust, reinforcing hardline position, and reducing the space for meaningful dialogue. Reports that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering resuming limited strikes on Iran, if carried out, would only further escalate the crisis.

Given the depth of mistrust, coercive measures are unlikely to achieve meaningful results. Instead, they reinforce the very skepticism that has long defined the relationship, further dimming already fragile prospects for negotiation.

In addition to the rising human toll across the region, the global community also continues to face the fallout of the war. Weeks of military confrontations have already disrupted global energy markets. At the same time, opportunities for diplomatic breakthroughs, achieved through patient mediation by several countries, risk being squandered.

Diplomacy, not intimidation, remains the only viable path forward. As Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who led the Iranian delegation in the talks, emphasized, the only way for the United States to find an exit from the current situation is to earn the Iranian nation's trust.

To move from a fragile ceasefire toward a more durable peace, Washington will need to abandon the contradictory approach of negotiating while simultaneously escalating pressure. What is required instead is consistency, restraint and a genuine commitment to rebuilding trust, without which the prospects for lasting stability will be dim.

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
04/13/2026

Longleaf Studios project highlights hands-on learning and regional impact

Students at Jacksonville State University are taking their work from the classroom to a statewide audience.

The latest documentary produced through Jax States Longleaf Studios will premiere on April 23 on Alabama Public Television (APT), providing students with hands-on experience while showcasing key outdoor destinations across Calhoun County and the rest of the state.

The project highlights locations including the Chief Ladiga Trail, Coldwater Mountain Bike Trail, and the Pinhoti Trailbringing regional visibility while serving as a professional production experience for the students involved.

This project represents exactly what we want for our studentsreal experience, real responsibility, and work that reaches a broad audience, said Dr. Seth Johnson, associate dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences and director of Longleaf Studios. It is an incredible experiential learning opportunity that allows students to apply what they learn in the classroom to a professional production that will be seen across the state.

Four Jax State students played significant roles in the production: Ashley Hunt, Lex Phillips, Khaled Mahmud, and Akira Crouch-Scott. Their involvement reflects the universitys emphasis on preparing students for careers through applied learning opportunities that extend beyond the classroom.

The partnership with Alabama Public Television expands the reach of that work, connecting student-produced content with audiences across the state while highlighting the universitys role in supporting regional storytelling and economic visibility.

View the official trailer. Additional information is available at aptv.org.
Orono, Maine (Special to Informed Comment; Feature)  Two millennia ago a man who gained a fortune in real estate speculation had a major role to play in the Roman Republic. Marcus Lucinius Crassus, who began his public career as a military commander under Sulla and after Sulla became Roman dictator and property was confiscated Crassus became wealthy. He was appointed a governor of Syria. and became convinced that, like Caesar, he too could gain military glory. He decided on the conquest of Parthia and with the assistance of his son, Publius Crassus, who joined him in Syria with 1000 Gallic cavalry, he crossed the Mesopotamian desert with seven legions and 4,000 cavalry, comprising 43,000 soldiers.

Unfortunately the guide he trusted, Ariamnes, was secretly a supporter of the Parthians (an Iranian speaking people), and lured him into a fatal march across the Desert, far from water, resulting in his Roman legions becoming weakened by tiredness and thirst when they finally had to confront the Parthians. The Parthians were led by King Orodes general, Surena, whose 10,000 man cavalry defeated the Romans at the Battle of Carrhae in 53 BC. Crassus ignominious defeat resulted in the death of his son, and later himself. This defeat had a major impact on Roman politics since the Triumvirate, including Crassus, Caesar and Pompey were no longer viable. The Roman statesman and philosopher, Cicero called Crassus expedition a Nulla Causa War (i.e. lacking just cause) .

Five centuries previous to Crassus failed invasion, Cyrus the Great, the Persian leader of Iran, conquered Babylon and allowed the Jewish captives to return to Jerusalem. This generous gesture seems to have been largely forgotten by the present leaders of Israel.

Israel, in addition to its role of assisting the U.S. in bombing Iran, is also at war with Lebanon. Although Lebanon is considered part of the temporary ceasefire with Iran, Israel ignores the agreement and continues to devastate urban areas, resulting in hundreds being injured or killed. The stated intent is to defeat Hezbollah, but the underlying intent seems to be to turn Southern Lebanon into another Gaza,

Gideon Levy, writing for Haaretz in Israel, states that [due to these endless conflicts] the unconditional link between the U.S. and Israel has become strained and that the war in Iran may become a watershed of the relations between the United States and Israel. Severing the unconditional link between the two means Israel will have to decide between creating a different Israel  or having no Israel at all.

One of the justifications for the Israeli obsession with Iran is that Hezbollah and Hamas are regarded as proxies of Iran. Craig Mokihiber, ex-UN Human Rights Director states that Hezbollah and Hamas are often accused of being Iranian proxies, but they have a right, by international Law, to defend themselves. The fact that they are in an alliance with Iran does not mean they are proxies. They are home-grown organizations which did not exist before 1948 when their land was expropriated by Israelis

Mokihiber continued: pretending that those resisting occupation and displacement from their property are proxies is utterly false. They are NOT fighting for Iran. They are fighting apartheid, colonization, genocide and destruction of their homes. These two organizations are resistance groups who are indigenous, since the land of Palestine has been an essential part of their heritage for many generations.

In terms of proxies, it is more likely that Israel is, in fact, a proxy of the U.S. It serves as a reliable partner to the U.S. in the Middle East, helping to advance shared security and military plans. In addition, Israel is a major recipient of US military aid amounting to several billion dollars annually,as well as being a major user of freely supplied weapons by the U.S.

In Israel, Zvi Barel noted at Haaretz that bombastic threats on Iran risk a Mideast catastrophe. The U.S. president has been escalating his rhetoric as his rosy predictions [of success] fall short although his threat to strike Irans energy infrastructure has been paused during this current ceasefire

Journalist Hanieh Qasemian of Zeteo interviewed Iranians in Tehran after US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire. The underlying mood in Tehran was far from relief as some saw the ceasefire as a victory for Iran, while others thought their country had agreed too soon. Many remained deeply distrustful of the Americans, although there was a unifying feeling of raw defiance. A bookseller thought that securing the Strait of Hormuz might cause Gulf states to reconsider supporting America. A young barista argued that the ceasefire came too soon and referred to the deaths of 170 young schoolchildren, killed by American bombs in Minab. After so much innocent blood, there should not have been a ceasefire this quickly [She continued] I have no doubt the war will resume, [since] the US and Israel cannot be trusted.

Theodore Postol, a Jewish-American professor at MIT, and expert on International Security, in a recent on-line interview, noted that in the latest polls 70% of Americans are opposed to the Iran War. This high percentage indicates that major changes will need to take place. Because of the genocide in Gaza, a large percentage of Americans are turning away from Israel. All military aid to Israel should stop since Israel is being run by a murderous regime. They must be stopped before they end up destroying Israel. With new leaders, the first step will be to enact changes so that Israel can become a non-apartheid state.

As for the Parthians, they were never conquered by Rome and, were never subservient to Rome. Crassus failed invasion bears some similarities to the current debacle in the Middle East, with modern Iran also being portrayed as weak and disorganized and should easily be defeated.
Jonathan Granoff, Steven E. Hendrix |

( Foreign Policy in Focus )  Whether or not the ceasefire with Iran holds, and whether or not Iran keeps its uranium stockpile and enrichment program, one thing is clear: nuclear dangers are growing.

The Trump administrations last round of threats against Iran was widely received as nuclear saber-rattling. U.S.-Israeli air strikes near Irans Bushehr nuclear power plant drew a Russian warning about escalation with irreparable consequences. Nuclear norms and guardrails are eroding, and actual nuclear threats are re-emerging.

The war in Iran has made nuclear proliferation more likely, not less. Clearly, if Iran had nuclear weapons, it would not have been attacked. Thats a powerful object lesson for other countries in why they might want to pursue nuclear weapons themselves.

The United States claims that its purpose in Iran was preventing nuclear proliferation. Meanwhile, pundits writing in prestigious publications are advocating what they call selective proliferation, where more U.S. allies go nuclear. If Germany and Japan developed their own independent nuclear deterrents, their argument goes, they could shoulder more of their own defense burdens, strengthen regional stability, and reduce their reliance on an increasingly unpredictable United States.

This is beyond farcical and dangerously misguided. It is strategic amnesia at best, sleepwalking into Armageddon at worst.

European leaders are discussing new forms of nuclear cooperation using their existing nuclear arsenals. France and Germany have already taken concrete steps toward structured nuclear deterrence coordination, reflecting uncertainty about long-term reliance on U.S. guarantees.

But encouraging even responsible allies like Germany to acquire their own nuclear weapons would not stabilize the system or make Europe or other regions more secure. It would increase the risk that conventional conflicts could spiral into nuclear ones. Recent hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan demonstrate how quickly regional tensions can escalate in proximity to nuclear-armed states.

Selective proliferation would loosen foundational legal and political frameworks that constrain nuclear risks. It would complicate alliance dynamics and make miscalculations, system failures, crisis escalation, and using nuclear weapons more likely.

The problem is not just who possesses them; its the inherent complexity and fragility of nuclear systems themselves. The greatest danger may not be irrational leaders or unstable regimes, but compressed decision timelines, imperfect information, technological vulnerabilities, and the ever-present risk of human error in all nuclear systems.

Selective proliferation advocates cite the Cold War as evidence that nuclear deterrence can be safely managed and sustained over time. But that ignores how close the world faced disaster on multiple occasions. From the Cuban Missile Crisis to false alarms in early warning systems, history is replete with warnings. Near misses occurred not because leaders sought nuclear war but because complex nuclear systems failed under pressure.

Adding more nuclear-armed stateseven highly capable, stable oneswould multiply those risks and fundamentally alter alliances in ways that would undermine, not strengthen, nuclear deterrence. Alliances function not only through capabilities but through coordination, communication, credibility, and clarity of command. Selective proliferation would complicate those functions.

Effective deterrence hinges not on the number of nuclear warheads or nuclear-armed states, but on allies ability to manage conditions of extreme uncertainty. Each additional nuclear actor introduces new command-and-control systems, new decision-making, new potential points of failure. Greater complexity means greater potential for misunderstanding and escalation in a crisis.

Hoping that all this can be managed safely is not a strategy. Would newly nuclear-armed allies act independently in a regional conflict? How would escalation be managed across multiple nuclear decision centers? Could adversaries exploit ambiguity within alliances to sow division or miscalculation? Uncertainty surrounding these questions would weaken deterrence.

Selective proliferation would violate the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), whose foundational bargain is that non-nuclear states agree not to pursue nuclear weapons while nuclear-armed states commit to negotiating in good faith toward nuclear disarmament. That bargain has always been imperfect and contested, but nonetheless it remains one of the most important international security guardrails.

Today, it is under growing strain. Confidence in the long-term commitment of nuclear-armed states to their treaty obligations is eroding. Progress toward disarmament has slowed. The modernization of nuclear arsenals continues. These stresses will be front and center at the 2026 NPT Review Conference. Calls for selective proliferation will only aggravate them.



Redwing Apache nuclear test. The 1.85 Mt device was detonated from a barge on Enewetak Atoll on 8 July 1956. Public Domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Proponents of selective proliferation are confident it wouldnt trigger broader proliferation, but that confidence is misplaced. Nuclear decisions arent made in a vacuum. Rather, they are formulated amid regional security dynamics, historical rivalries, and differing perceptions of threat. Germany or Japan acquiring nuclear weapons would prompt South Korea, Poland, and other states to reconsider their non-nuclear status. Proliferation pressures in the Middle East, already acute, would escalate.

Selective proliferation is presented as a pragmatic response to a changing world. In reality, its the opposite: an indication of failure to reckon with the reality of nuclear threats.

The international community has preserved stability in the nuclear age despite extraordinary risks, often by luck as much as design. Adding more nuclear-armed states increases the probability that those risks will one day materialize. The goal of international security policy should not be to manage a world with more nuclear weapons but to prevent such a world from emerging.
I went home and stood under the shower with my clothes on, completely broken. I did not want to cry because I did not want my family to hear. During the second day of hearings on April 9, the Hague juge read the anonymous testimony of a victim, a woman protected under the code letter R. in the case of a Syrian man, accused of torture, sexual violence, and rape as crimes against humanity.

The now 57-year-old man trial opened on April 8. According to the prosecution, between 2013 and 2014, the accused, identified as Rafiq al Q. due to Dutch privacy regulations, is suspected by the public prosecutor of having been the head of the interrogation department of a militia called National Defence Force (NDF) in the city of Salamiyah, Centre-West Syria.

Nine victims, including two women, are civil parties in the case. They were allegedly beaten, hanged, sexually abused and subjected to electric shocks. 10 to 20 more witnesses also testified before the Dutch investigators, in several European countries.

First case for sexual violence as a crime against humanity

The Netherlands has prosecuted several Syrians for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Two persons were convicted, in 2021 and 2024. Rafiq al Q. is the highest-level alleged affiliate of the former President Bashar al-Assad regime brought to trial in the Netherlands, and it is the countrys first case for sexual violence as a crime against humanity. This is also one of the first cases in Europe to focus on what happened in Salamiyah. Its really a precedent setting. It also sets the tone for hopefully future cases, and it sends a very good signal towards the Syrian community, who waited since 2011, that there is no impunity for these crimes, says Hope Rikkelman Director of The Nuhanovic Foundation, which supported victims and witnesses in the investigation.

The accused arrived in the Netherlands in 2021 and have been granted temporary asylum. In 2022, he settled down in Druten with his family. The Dutch authorities tracked him down after his arrival following a tip. In December 2023, he was arrested.

All of them are conspiring against me

At the start of the trial before the District Court of The Hague, the defendant entered the courtroom with his shoulders straight and the beaded face frowning. He wore glasses and a striped sweater. Around 30 journalists, lawyers and monitors filled the public.

Rafiq al Q. started by denying his involvement in the crimes and accused the nine victims in the case, the witnesses and the Dutch police of lying. All of them are conspiring against me, he said, speaking through an interpreter from Arabic. He said that he used to work as a court clerk in Salamiyah, and that his job was to go to murder scenes and write reports of interrogations.

I waited 28 months for this day, and if you ask me if I want to talk, then I say yes. Youre making my wish come true, he declared. He said he wanted to submit evidence, keeping in both hands raised above his head a bundle of papers with the Ismaili flag, a green square crossed diagonally by a red line, on the cover. The Ismaili branch of Islam is predominant in Salamiyah, and Rafiq al Q. said religion was his whole life. His lawyer, Andre Seebregts, admitted it wasnt clear to him what the evidence was. I dont discuss everything with my lawyer, the defendant replied.

The accused assured he was not loyal to the Assad regime and didnt take part in the repression of the protests, which were met with a harsh crackdown in 2011. Presiding judge Wim Van Hattum said that since August that year the protests stopped. I have seen al Q. while he oppressed peaceful demonstrations, he read from an anonymous witness statement. According to other testimonies, the defendant was seen hitting people, giving orders to detain protesters and working as an informant for the government.

In the Dutch system, all witnesses testify before an investigative judge and the parties can submit questions. When the trial opens, only crucial parts of the file are discussed in Court.

The man is accused of being part of the NDF. Witnesses said that after his court shift finished at 3pm, he would work as one of the militias interrogators in the detention centres, where they would hold perceived opponents. They testified that he was the second in command there, said the judge. One told investigators that they saw him in a camouflage uniform, wearing a Kalashnikov and other military equipment. Another said that Rafik is the person we were most afraid of, he had torturers at his disposal.

Rafiq al Q. raised his voice. This trial is for the media but also for justice. In Salamiyah nothing happened, nobody hit anybody, he added. This entire file is full of false accusations, to set him up.

All these people arranged to lie together? asked the judge.

These names are means in the hands of someone who is backing them up, they are being used, replied the defendant.

Syria after the regime fell

The investigation initially relied on a couple of victims, but after the fall of the Assad regime in 2024, people did not fear for their relatives in Syria and more came forward. Some were also able to travel back to Salamiyah and go to the locations where they once were held. The judge said that one witness went to an NDF location and collected the documents he found lying on the ground.

Van Hattum showed various documents, which the defendant contested as falsified. One of them was a 2013 NDF call for Rafiq al Q. to come to a meeting. The judge said that the document had the logo of the militia and was signed by the regional commander, and that according to experts it was considered authentic. One witness also presented a USB stick with a list of all NDF members and former members. This was copied and translated. Rafiq al Q. was listed there.

There is also a letter, said the judge, written by the defendant in September 2013, apparently on behalf of the Syrian Arab Republics National Detention Centre to the airborne division. You write: I have carried out my duties in the information and interrogation department regarding the terrorist, read the judge, then you say, in conclusion: I must excuse myself from working on behalf of the National Defence.

The defendant disputed the translation, arguing that in Arabic it is not possible to say working on behalf, and that the meaning of the letter was that he wanted to protect himself and his family from the NDF.

Pictures found in the phone of the defendants wife were also shown in court. Rafiq al Q. is wearing a camouflage uniform and standing with a firearm. They were taken outdoors, in front of some rocks forming a short wall. Rafiks name was also listed in a document containing all weapons handed out to NDF members, said the judge.

The defendant confirmed it was him but said that he had never had weapons. They belonged to other military people who would come to their house, he explained, and he took pictures with them on the day they celebrated the army.

One witness who could return to Syria filmed a video of where he was detained by the NDF near Salamiyah, said the judge. On the Courtroom monitors, an overgrown grass field fenced by a wall appeared. Small, dilapidated houses were seen close to the fence, at the centre a ruined villa with broken windows. Rubbles and rusted metal cots were still in the buildings. One had a string hanging from the ceiling, in another one a paper with the NDF symbol was seen on the floor. The witness explained which areas were used as cells or interrogation rooms and where torture took place, said the judge.

Van Hattum said the police tracked some of the defendants pictures in uniform to the same location where the video was shot. They matched aerial pictures with what was seen in the video, and with geolocations elements such as the constructions visible in the photos background. The defendant maintained that he had never been to this detention centre.

The defendant detained

Contrasting stories were also presented when it came to the reasons why the defendant left Syria. According to the accused, in February 2014 he was kidnapped and tortured for 140 days because of the information he had on the murders committed by the NDF. Everyone who had burdensome information was a target, commented the man. After returning to work for a period, he allegedly left the country as the NDF wanted to get rid of him.

However, according to official documents and witness statements in the case file, the defendant was rather arrested by the NDF because of the sexual violence he committed against a detainee who had connections in the government. He was then sent to Damascus for a period  a witness testified sharing the cell with him there  and was later released. According to the investigations, he returned to work but was never fully accepted back by his colleagues and fled the country.

Torture and sexual violence

On April 9, the judges read the testimonies of the victims in the case, identified with the initials of their surnames for protection. M. was brought to an NDF location, in a former carpet factory, in January 2013 under accusation of helping the opposition. I was once interrogated by Rafik but heard his voice many times during the detention, Van Hattum read from his testimony. During his three interrogations he was tortured. I was hit on my toes with the barrel of a rifle, he said to the investigators. His blindfold got loose when he was hit on the face and he saw the three NDF members and recognised Rafik. He saw I was crying and he said I had to man up. They pressed the barrel of a gun in his anus.

R., the woman victim, also said that on the first day of Ramadan 2013, she was taken to a villa outside of the city, despite not having participated in the protests, read the judge. I was brought inside the cell and blindfolded. She was then brought to the interrogation room. I entered and heard the door opening and closing. She said the defendant hit her on her vagina and her breasts, forced her to sexual acts and raped her. I was young and afraid, I was crying, read the judge from her testimony. She was liberated after some time.

At a point, her blindfold came down and R. could see a birthmark on the side of his genitals, the same found on the genitals of the defendant, said Van Hattum. According to the police, this supports the statement of R. that you were the person that forced her to sexual acts, he added.

Seven more days of hearings will take place from April 13 to May 26. The verdict is expected on June 9.
Two Peruvian right-wing candidates looked set on Monday to advance to a presidential runoff, after an election marred by logistical foul-ups and deep voter anger.

With voting still ongoing in parts of the capital, Lima, a day after the election began, Keiko Fujimori, the 50-year-old daughter of a disgraced ex-president, led the field with 17 percent of the vote.

She was followed by Rafael Lopez Aliaga, a wealthy former Lima mayor who has vowed to hunt down migrants, drawing comparisons to US President Donald Trump. Lopez Aliaga commanded 15 percent of the vote.

Voting is still underway at around a dozen polling places in Lima, where ballot materials failed to arrive on time for Sunday's election.

The police said they had detained an election official over the delays, which prevented tens of thousands of people from casting their vote.

Several of the 35 presidential candidates could yet make a late surge to snatch a runoff spot.

But Fujimori already claimed the partial results on Sunday night as a victory for the right, which, she said, had vanquished the leftist "enemy."

Peruvians had hoped Sunday's election would end the political chaos that has brought eight presidents in a decade and a surge in violent crime.

But the election saw more tumult, with missing election materials preventing many polling centers from opening on time.

"The authorities are so incompetent," said 56-year-old domestic worker Nancy Gomez, who was among voters queued around the block in Lima for a second day.

Police and prosecutors raided the headquarters of the National Office of Electoral Processes in an effort to find out who was to blame.

They also raided a private subcontractor blamed for failing to deliver ballots, boxes and other materials on time.

Lopez Aliaga had initially claimed "grave electoral fraud" and called on supporters to take to the streets in protest.

But as he emerged in second place, his supporters' cries of fraud were more muted.

Piero Corvetto, head of the election commission, admitted to a "logistical problem," but said there was "no possibility" of election fraud.

"There is full assurance that the results will faithfully reflect the popular will," he said.

- Crime and punishment -

Violent crime and corruption dominated the run-up to the vote.

Peru's homicide rate has more than doubled in a decade, while reported extortion cases jumped from 3,200 to 26,500 over the same period.

On the eve of the election, frontrunner Fujimori, daughter of scandal-tainted ex-president Alberto Fujimori, told AFP that she would "restore order" in her first 100 days by sending the army into prisons, deporting undocumented migrants and strengthening borders.

In an exclusive interview, Fujimori said she would seek a united front with conservative leaders in the United States, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia.

"We will ask for special powers," she said, including to modernize the police force. "We will expel undocumented citizens," she added.

This is Fujimori's fourth bid for the presidency. Her father died in 2024 after serving 16 years in prison for crimes against humanity, including directing death squads, as well as bribery and embezzlement.

During the campaign, she has leaned on newfound nostalgia for his strongman rule.

"I believe that time and history are giving my father the place he deserves," she told AFP.

Incumbent President Jose Maria Balcazar, in office for less than two months, was barred from running.

More than 90 percent of Peruvians say they have little or no confidence in their government and parliament, according to Latinobarometro, a polling organization.

Despite the turmoil, Peru remains one of the region's most stable economies.






Sunday, April 12, 2026 - Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives have arrested four suspects linked to the murder of a British national and multiple robbery with violence incidents following an intelligence-led, multi-agency operation in Ukunda.

The operation was conducted by DCI officers drawn from the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau (CR&IB) Headquarters, working jointly with their counterparts drawn from SCCIO Nyali and SCCIO Msambweni (Ukunda).

The suspects, Bernard Mbusu, Isaac Kinoti Kobia, Evans Muthengi Mutaki and Kelvin Mwangi Njoroge were apprehended at Ideal Apartments, Ukunda.

The arrests follow investigations into a robbery with violence incident involving an American national in Nyali and the earlier reported abduction and subsequent murder of British national Campbell Scott Alistair in February 2025, whose body was discovered in Mukuyuni along the MachakosWote road.

The suspects have also been forensically linked to another robbery with violence incident in Watamu, Malindi Sub-County.

A search at the residence led to the recovery of stolen items, including an HP laptop, mobile phones, assorted foreign currencies, multiple credit cards, cheque books from various banks and PDQ machines.

The scene was processed by CSI personnel, and the suspects, together with the recovered exhibits, are in custody at Nyali Police Station pending further investigations.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, April 12, 2026 - A photo of renowned Kenyan billionaires taken during the lavish wedding of content creator and MassHouse owner, Ronnie Kip, to his partner Terry Mwendwa at the iconic Karen Blixen Museum on Saturday, April 11th, has set tongues wagging online.

The glamorous ceremony saw the whos who of the political class hobnobbing in style, with President William Ruto and First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto among the distinguished guests.

Also spotted were billionaire businessman, David Langat, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihikas husband, Sam Mburu, Abubakar Joho - brother to CS Hassan Joho - and Joho himself.

The presence of such highprofile figures from both political and business circles has made the wedding a trending topic, with netizens scrutinizing the couples connections and speculating about the influence and networks surrounding the starstudded guest list.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, April 12, 2026 - Police have launched investigations into the mysterious death of a lady at a luxurious hotel in Tanzania, in a case that has sparked widespread attention online.

The deceased, identified as Ashlee Jenae on Instagram, had reportedly travelled to Tanzania for vacation with her mzungu fiance, Joe McCann.

According to reports, the two were staying together at the hotel when the incident occurred.

Upon interrogation, Joe claimed that Ashlee took her own life, an assertion that authorities are now investigating as they piece together the circumstances surrounding her death.

Ashlee was known for her lavish lifestyle on social media, where she had amassed over 71,000 followers on Instagram.

Her friends have since taken to social media demanding justice, urging investigators to thoroughly probe the boyfriend and establish the truth behind her untimely death.

The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, April 12, 2026 - The long arm of the law has finally caught up with a notorious vandal whose appetite for electrical infrastructure has left many villages in Shianda, Kakamega County in the dark.

For Alfred Hassan Bushuru, the chickens have finally come home to roost, ending a game of hide-and-seek that has lasted nearly two years.

Bushurus woes began on August 2, 2024, when a well-coordinated operation by detectives attached to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) descended on his abode in Shianda village.

While the suspect managed to slip through the dragnet like an eel, he left behind a treasure trove of incriminating items.

During that raid, sleuths recovered: assorted electrical equipment, a dismantled transformer, bundles of copper windings and several containers of transformer oil.

After months of living on the edge, the law finally closed in on Bushuru.

Upon his arrest, the suspect led officers back to his homestead for a forensic sweep.

The search yielded a trove of incriminating evidence that suggests the suspect wasn't just a petty thief, but a "pro" in the illicit trade.

Recovered items included assorted KPLC meter cards, multiple SIM cards, a filled electricity application form, and various job cards from different institutions, all bearing the suspects name.

Preliminary investigations have linked Bushuru to a wave of rampant transformer vandalism that has plagued Malava and its environs.

To the local residents, his arrest is a breath of fresh air; to the DCI, he is a key piece of the puzzle in dismantling the syndicates that treat our national grid like a personal hardware store.

The suspect is currently cooling his heels at Kabras Police Station, undergoing processing as detective.

Via DCI






Sunday, April 12, 2026 - Officers from South B Police Station on Saturday conducted a successful operation targeting a notorious criminal group known as the Tokyo Mafias.

The intelligence-led crackdown, carried out with support from members of the public, focused on criminal hideouts in the Fuata Nyayo and Shimo La Tewa areas.

During the raid, a total of ten suspects were arrested.

Police recovered an imitation firearm and several dangerous weapons, including pangas and swords, believed to have been used in criminal activities.

Authorities also seized two television sets suspected to be stolen, along with house-breaking tools allegedly used to facilitate burglaries in the area.

All ten suspects are currently in custody at South B Police Station as they await processing and arraignment in court.





The Kenyan DAILY POST






Sunday, April 12, 2026 - President William Ruto and First Lady Mama Rachel Ruto were among the highprofile guests who attended the lavish wedding of renowned content creator and MassHouse owner, Ronnie Kipiprono, and Terry Mwendwa on Saturday, April 11th, at the Karen Blixen Museum.

The glamorous ceremony was graced by the whos who of Kenyas political class, but it is Rutos unique gift to the couple that has left netizens talking.

After his speech, the President and Mama Rachel presented the newlyweds with a custom painting of a countryside home.

The gesture sparked wild reactions online, with some joking that while the wealthy receive art pieces at weddings, ordinary couples are gifted household essentials like beds and electronics.

Meanwhile, Ronnie, known for drag racing in his customized Nissan GTR and ties to Nairobis nightlife scene at MassHouse, has drawn attention for his family background, with reports alleging that his parents are among tenderpreneurs who benefitted from the KEMSA heist and other lucrative Government contracts.

The Kenyan DAILY POST
SINN Fein's leader Mary Lou McDonald delivered the keynote address as Sinn Fein Chill Dara held a Easter Commemoration in Kildare to honour the Grey Abbey Martyrs, remembering those who gave their lives for Irish freedom.

Ms McDonald paid tribute to all those who died in pursuit of Irish freedom, including her great uncle, James OConnor. She reflected on his execution at just 24 years of age in the Curragh Camp, and spoke powerfully about the enduring cause of Irish unity.

Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald

The event was chaired by Kildare South TD Shonagh Ni Raghallaigh, and attended by local representatives, members, and the wider community.

Members of Ogra Sinn Fein Kildare also played a central role in the commemoration, each reading letters from the martyrs. Reading one of those letters and helping to bring their voices and stories to life once more.

Local TD Shonagh Ni Raghallaigh

Speaking after the event, local party member James Stokes said: This weekend, we came together not just to remember names, but to remember people, sons, brothers, friends, and patriots. Their lives were cut short, but their courage and their belief in the Republic continues to inspire us today.

This commemoration is a reminder of the human cost of our history, and of the responsibility we carry to honour that sacrifice in our work today and into the future.

Prior to the commemoration, Ms McDonald also addressed the media, calling for the Dail to be reconvened immediately to address the ongoing cost of living crisis, with a particular focus on rising fuel costs impacting workers, families and communities across the country.
IMPROVEMENTS to mental health services and a greater awareness of existing services in Kildare are being sought by local councillors.

At the most recent meeting of Kildare County Council, cllrs Peggy ODwyer and Chris Pender motioned that the council invited the Kildare Mental Health Association to give the council a briefing on mental health services available throughout the county.

The council agreed that they would extend an invite to the Kildare Mental Health Association to come in.

Cllr Behan noted that the interagency group Trauma Informed Kildare are holding a Compassion in Action event in Killashee hotel on 21 April, which is aimed at improving understanding of trauma.

Speaking to the Kildare Nationalist, cllr Pender gave some context to the motion that he and cllr ODwyer brought forward.

We have to want better and do better (with regards to mental health) but we need to find that starting point. So its why we asked the Kildare Mental Health Association to come in because theyre under Mental Health Ireland. Theyre kind of like a community service in that theyre a non-governmental organisation, but they would interact with multiple different (organisations and bodies)  so theyll interact with community services, theyll interact with the HSE, I would hope they would interact with drug services and stuff like that. So its about trying to get a grip on as much of it as possible.

Cllr Pender, who has been involved in mental health organisations for many years, spoke on the issues in Kildare with regards to mental heath:

We are higher on so many ratios, in terms of were higher than the national average for suicide. Were higher than the national average for self-harm. Were higher than the national average for suicidal ideation. So like, across the board, when it comes to mental health issues, we are higher than the rest of the country.

According to the most recent CSO figures, 14 people died by suicide in Kildare in 2023.

The Newbridge councillor went on to say that he doesnt have a full picture of the services available across the county outside of his locality which is why he, along with cllr ODwyer, brought the motion forward. He pointed out that there are community and voluntary groups providing mental health supports, but this is not generally recorded.

Cllr Pender detailed that as director of the regional drugs alcohol task force of Substance Use Regional Forum (SURF) he has encountered the issue of lack of support for individuals with dual diagnosis. He noted situations where mental health services will not support an individual with mental health issues due to their drug addictions, and vice versa.

Another issue the councillor noted is the difficulty many face in accessing a GP, which is often an important step for those seeking mental health care.

Asked about Kildare County Councils role with regards to mental health, cllr Pender said that the council needs to step up but is not sure where their role fits in.

He noted that the Local Community Development Committee comes under the council, with there being HSE representation on that committee.

He said that the county needs to have a mental health plan to plan infrastructure around mental health, and there is a need to get people back engaging in their communities, interacting with their communities.

Cllr Pender said that he intends to engage with the councils Healthy Ireland coordinator with regards to rolling out mental health-based measures.

If you have been affected by this article, please contact The Samaritans on freephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.ie

This article was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
On a March day at the Agency building of Skullyville, modern-day Oklahoma in 1847, a meeting occurred which would shape an enduring bond between two peoples separated by thousands of miles of ocean.

Choctaw settlers gathered to hear about the plight of the Irish people who were being ravaged by the worst year of the Famine that would go on to cause the deaths of over one million and force a million more to emigrate.

The Choctaw themselves were barely a decade on from the height of their removal from ancestral lands in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana to the Indian Territory, a forced displacement and ethnic cleansing campaign which saw between two and four thousand of the tribe die on the 500 mile journey, also known as the Trail of Tears.

Despite having lost so much, the Skullyville Choctaw donated $170 (around $5,000 today), to Irish famine relief and this act of incredible generosity lends inspiration to multi-Oscar nominated studio Cartoon Saloons latest project.

The feature film, Kindred Spirits, is set in 1847 and tells the story of Mara, a lone child in New York, and Tushka, a Choctaw Nation son far from his tribe.

READ NEXT: Never before public - letters home to Kilkenny from 1916 prisoner to feature in KAS lecture - Kilkenny Live

The pair journey across America in search of people to call family and a place to call home with the trailer steeped in the lush spiritual and magical visuals that have become synonymous with the Kilkenny studio.

Tomm Moore, director of The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers is at the helm of Kindred Spirits and although the adaptation of Native American folklore is a departure from previous work, engagement and enthusiasm for the project from the American side has been all positive so far.

I went out to Oklahoma a couple of times, Moore outlines. I went to a powwow with the Chief there, I met with the Chief in Mississippi and the Chief in Louisiana; so thats the three federally recognised Choctaw tribes.

They all seemed happy to be part of it, they wanted the project to do well and represent well, he adds.

Cartoon Saloon has reached the pinnacle of global 2D animation as fans have fallen in love with its unique and rich artstyle, something which will lend itself to the realm of Choctaw mysticism, but given the sensitivity of portraying spiritual motifs, much engagement and care is being undertaken.

The Irish-Choctaw theme of the film is reflected in its production team with writer Shelley Dennis and artist Gary Waylon White Deer on board to help guide development while feedback is being received to ensure that beliefs are treated appropriately.

Thats something were working closely with the Choctaw Nation on because theres a certain amount that isnt really cool to show, so we have to figure that out, Moore describes.

People are giving us feedback on the script and as I said even some of the things that we would call folklore, were talking about what we can and cant show to be respectful of what they believe.

Image: Tomm Moore, director of The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea and Wolfwalkers is returning to helm Kindred Spirits

Though the Choctaw were the first tribe to be forcibly removed from their native lands in 1831 with the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek, several more followed the Trail of Tears with Cherokee, Muscogee, Seminole and Chickasaw peoples coming after.

Around 60,000 in total were displaced with up to 16,000 of these dying on the route due to causes including exposure to winter blizzards and cholera outbreaks.

Just as the Choctaw werent the sole tribe to suffer removal, they werent the only ones to donate to Irish famine relief with the Cherokee Nation giving $200 and the diversity of the Irish and Native American connection is also found in the production of Kindred Spirits.

Weve widened our scope; we have an Ojibwe artist working with us and a Cherokee artist working with us, trying to incorporate Native American visual language into the look of it, Moore outlines.

The premise of a poor immigrant and a member of a persecuted native minority navigating the struggles of a hostile society have obvious parallels with modern discourse and even though the story is set in the mid-nineteenth century, Moore hopes that audiences of today will connect with the film.

You have to hope that it would be something that would give people pause and make them think about if our ancestors were able to see the common humanity between themselves and Native Americans, or Native Americans were able to see common humanity in the Irish across the ocean, we should be able to, in todays climate, see the humanity in the people that are trying to make their way now, he says.

After his loose trilogy of Irish-centred films concluded with Wolfwalkers in 2021, Moore has been open about his desire to focus on stories about the diaspora around the world.

There are myriad directions this could be taken, but given Cartoon Saloons strengthening relationships with Japanese animators through initiatives like the Global Anime Challenge, it seems likely that the Far East might provide inspiration in the future.

Its wide open, according to Moore. Theres fascinating connections with Mexico, theres fascinating connections with Australia and New Zealand, theres fascinating connections with Japan, so theres a lot of places to explore.

Im not quite sure what I'll do after this one but Id say Japan is probably the next most likely. I know Nora [Twomey] has a project that explores the connection between Ireland and Japan and we have so many connections with Japanese studios, he continues.

For now however, all focus is on crafting Kindred Spirits alongside co-producers, Folivari, with work commencing on storyboards in July to aim for a late 2028 release.

Historian Anelise Hanson Shrout wrote of the Choctaw donation in the Journal of the New Republic that many would have been destitute or ill. Most would have experienced enormous financial, emotional and demographic damage as a result of removal. It is difficult to imagine a people less well-positioned to act philanthropically."

With a near 180-year-old act of kindness still echoing through time to lend to the theme of the film, Moore hopes that Kindred Spirits will live up to the connection between the Irish and Native American people and also provide some all too rare representation.

I hope we do right by them, Moore concludes. Thats why were involved with the Choctaw people now, to make sure that we do right by them, so I hope theyll be proud of the final result.

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Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Missouri... Missouri River at Waverly affecting Saline, Carroll and Lafayette Counties. Missouri River At Miami affecting Chariton, Saline and Carroll Counties. Missouri River at Boonville affecting Cooper, Howard, Boone and Moniteau Counties. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. This product along with additional weather and stream information is available at www.weather.gov/kc/. && ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING TO LATE FRIDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Missouri River at Boonville. * WHEN...From this evening to late Friday morning. * IMPACTS...At 21.0 feet, Low-lying rural areas along the river flood. At 23.8 feet, Easley River Road and Smith Hatchery Road begin to flood. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 9:04 AM CDT Tuesday the stage was 16.7 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage just after midnight tonight to a crest of 22.9 feet tomorrow evening. It will then fall below flood stage Thursday evening. - Flood stage is 21.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood && Fld Obs Forecasts Location Stg Stg Day/Time Tue Wed Thu 1pm 1pm 1pm Missouri River Boonville 21.0 16.7 Tue 9am 17.8 22.7 21.6 &&
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Irelands largest opposition party will call a motion of no confidence in the Government after a week of major protests over the fuel crisis.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party had met on Sunday morning and had decided to move the motion.

Several of those engaged in protests  which involved blockades of critical infrastructure and severe disruption to the motorway network that strangled fuel distribution in the country  had sought such a move.

The Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, and Independent Ireland have said they would back the motion, while the Greens  while heavily criticising the Government  said they would consider the text before making a decision.

Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said his party had asked other leaders to join together for a no-confidence motion on Saturday.

Minister of State Timmy Dooley said the Government would set out how its response best met the needs and expectations of society.

He told RTE Radio Ones This Week: Theres no government anywhere in the world thats going to be able to respond to all of the negative impacts as a result of the war in Iran, and the impact that that has had on the supply of goods, the supply of oil and the spiraling cost.

What we have to try to do is manage our way through that.

The protesters wanted Government to take urgent action to reduce fuel and other operating costs for businesses in the transport and agricultural sectors.

Ministers in the coalition held an emergency Cabinet meeting on Sunday to sign off on a substantial package following talks with established representative bodies  which excluded the protesters.

Over Saturday and Sunday, An Garda Siochana escalated its enforcement of the protests and deployed Public Order Units to clear blockades at an oil refinery, a depot in Galway, and a main road in Dublin city centre.

Fianna Fail and Fine Gael formed a coalition with the support of several independent TDs which represent rural constituencies.

Christopher Duffy, a spokesman for the Dublin blockade, called for a no confidence motion and said the power lies with rural TDs and independents propping up the Government.

Ms McDonald criticised the coalition Government and said: The actions of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and independents have been disastrous.

They have lost the confidence of the public. It is clear that they still are not listening and do not accept the scale of this fuel and cost-of-living crisis.

Ahead of a Cabinet meeting which is expected to sign off on supports relating to the cost of fuel, Ms McDonald added: All reports indicate it will be more of the same half-measures from them this evening.

This is unacceptable. We need the maximum reductions now, as proposed by Sinn Fein weeks ago.

The party had called for the maximum action necessary to cut fuel prices so they are affordable for the workers, families and sectors that rely on them.

Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns said the party had repeatedly demanded that the Government introduce a targeted 400-euro energy credit, as well as other support measures to give people who are really struggling some relief.

She added: The Social Democrats have no confidence in this Governments ability to manage this crisis, and  for that reason  we will support the no confidence motion in them.

Independent Ireland said: The handling of the protests has been tone-deaf, condescending and, at times, inflammatory rather than conciliatory.

For these reasons and many others, we believe this Government has failed and we have no confidence in its ability to continue.

Labour said it did not believe the Government had handled the crisis well.

A spokesperson said: We believe Government acted far too slowly and should have engaged much more swiftly to address the genuine concerns and frustrations being experienced by so many in this cost of living crisis.

The Green Party also said it would examine the full text of the motion before deciding on a position, but said the Government had handled the crisis appallingly.
The Government's 505 million package is fair, balanced and the best possible outcome for to address the worst effects of the rising fuel prices on the haulage industry, according to the Laois man who is President of the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA).

A statment to the Leinster Express / Laois Live said the association's members were informed on Sunday that its negotiating team has delivered a "substantial" support package for the haulage and transport sector in talks that began last week and culminated in Dublin late Saturday night.

Mr Hyland, who runs a haulage company from the Laois Slive Blooms village, welcomed the support, which was signed off by the Government on Sunday afternoon, April 12.

The IRHA said the deal means support will be in place for an initial three-month period, provided that diesel prices remain over 1.90 per litre at the pumps.

The IRHA said Mr Hyland thanked his team for their hard work and commitment over what has been a challenging time for the industry.

READ NEXT: 505 million in fuel costs measures announced after protests

Myself, and our management committee, are unpaid volunteers who have negotiated in good faith with the Government over the past week. We feel we have delivered the best outcome that was possible for our members and the wider transport community.

READ ALSO: Government to undertake fundamental security review after fuel protests

"We feel that this package of supports is fair and balanced and will help to mitigate the worst effects of the rising fuel prices on what is a very hard working industry, he said.

The deal was negotiated as thousands of farmers and haulage workers protested around Ireland, mounting blockades in Laois and other counties over the cost of fuel driven up by the warn in Iran that has halted oil supplies from the Gulf.
A Laois TD has said that the Government needs to investigate price gauging when it comes to the price of fuel at the pump.

The Government signed off on a fuel package worth over 500 million at the weekend, which included a 10c cut in excise on petrol and diesel until the end of July, a reduction of 2.4c on green diesel, and increases to the carbon tax being delayed until the Budget in October.

Speaking to the Leinster Express / Laois Live, Brian Stanley TD has said that the measures announced by the Government will bring some relief, although families are "not much better off this morning."

In addition to the measures, Deputy Stanley said the Government must investigate the possibility of price gouging with fuel. Even with the reduction in excise, the cost of fuel at the pump will remain high.

"Someone is price gouging. Fuels For Ireland will say they're not. But someone is taking a bigger slice," he argued.

READ NEXT: 'Best outcome possible' - Laois head of Ireland's haulier group comments after fuel protests end

The Independent TD urged that the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission investigate this immediately.

As the Government faces a motion of no confidence on Tuesday, April 14 over its handling of the fuel protests, the Laois TD has confirmed he will support the motion.

"The Government need to learn lessons, as they refused to recognise the scale of the problem of hauliers, and contract farmers, etc operating at a loss," he said.

Deputy Stanley argued that throughout the protests last week "the Government continued to make things worse."

He commended the protesters and especially those in Laois, applauding their organisation and cooperation with local gardai.

Deputy Stanley noted that the issue with the cost of fuel had been raised prior to the protests.

"Others and I have been raising the fuel cost issue for months. Two weeks before the protests, I wrote to the Minister for Finance Simon Harris and asked him to meet with the sectors and put a package together as many of them were running at a loss."

Deputy Stanley emphasised that although the package announced by the Government will alleviate some pressure, "it is not going far enough."

"There is still a cost-of-living crisis for workers and families, and this must be addressed."

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
Laois Senator Maria McCormack has expressed her disappointment with the Governments response to the fuel protests.

The six-day fuel price protests in Laois came to an end on Sunday evening following the Governments announcement of a 505 million package.

Senator McCormack, who attended the protests in Portlaoise last week, has criticised the fuel package as inadequate.

This Government clearly isn't listening to the people. What they announced fell far short of what is needed. Working people have been left behind once again, she said.

The solutions are there. They could have cut diesel by the maximum amount to stop increases being wiped out within days. They could have reduced petrol further. They could have scrapped excise on home heating oil.

Instead, we got half measures  and people are expected to just accept it.

READ NEXT: 'Someone is price gouging' - Laois TD calls for investigation into fuel prices

The Sinn Fein Senator said that the Government has allowed this crisis to spiral and now refuse to take responsibility for fixing it.

Families, carers, and workers are already stretched to breaking point. The cost of living is spiralling, and fuel is at the heart of it  getting to work, running a business, heating your home, Senator McCormack said.

The Laois senator praised the local community for their commitment to the protests last week, saying: These are hardworking men and women  hauliers, farmers, contractors, families  who have been pushed to the brink.

They didnt take to the roads lightly. They did so because they felt they had no other choice.

What we saw in Laois was community, respect, and resilience. Despite the disruption, every effort was made to ensure emergency access was maintained, and I want to thank both the protesters and An Garda Siochana for how this was managed.

Senator McCormack confirmed that Sinn Fein will be escalating the issue in the Dail, with a motion of no confidence in the Government being brought forward this week.

They only moved because of public pressure  and even then, they fell short. That pressure must now intensify, Senator McCormack said.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
A stunning photograph by a Laois camera club member has won a prestigious gold award.

Pat 'Gilly' Guilfoyle is a member of Portlaoise Camera Club and he took the winning shot while working for Laois County Council at the Timahoe Heritage Festival in 2025.

It was awarded Gold in the People category of the Irish Photography Association's National Photography Competition in Clane this month.

Portlaoise Camera Club has congratulated their member on his "massive achievement".

The Portlaoise man told the Leinster Express / Laois Live more.

"The photo is of Anna Gavin Cullen, who was part of the Viking battle reenactment at the festival," Gilly said.

The image of her piercing gaze stands out for its contrasting high focus monochrome textures of fur, hair and skin.

"It's easy take photos of Anna in fairness, I get great engagement from her," Gilly said.

"I took about 40 photos, and that one stood out. It was taken in colour but I decided to process it in black and white.

"It went through regional awards first. It's hard to win the Gold, you are competing with people in clubs from all over Ireland.

Read next: Laois to host first ever Irish para inclusive games

"I'm delighted to win, it sort of gives you the feeling you're not doing it all for nothing, you have achieved something," he said.

The winners were announced on Saturday, April 11 and Gilly will shortly be presented with the winning gold medal by his club.

"It's great for our club too to get this recognition, we have had winners in the past who are still members, Sharon O'Brien, Kerry Conroy and Emannuelle Gallison," Gilly said.

Portlaoise Camera Club welcomes new members, regardless of photography expertise. They hold weekly meetings in Portlaoise Parish Centre at 8pm. They also hold regular training and field trips. Email them on portlaoisecameraclub@gmail.com
An event which will see more than 70 supercars travel around parts of Ireland to raise funds for charity, will pass through Laois next month.

Bear Run 74, which will visit Portlaoise, typically features a lineup of 74 high-performance vehicles, including exotic supercars like Lamborghinis and Ferraris, as well as American muscle cars.

The event, run by Donegal man, Keith 'Bear' Gamble, has raised over 250,000 in five years.

Taking place over the May Bank Holiday weekend, Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3, this year's run will raise money for the BUMBLEance Children's Ambulance Service.

It will start on the Friday in Moneymore, County Derry and they will leave at 2pm. The cars will drive to Lifford in Co Donegal and arrive at 5pm. Saturday would then kick off again at 9am from Ballybofey, with the show expected to pass through Donegal Town around 11am and do a lap around the Diamond.

Afterwards, the entourage will proceed to Ballinalack, Co Westmeath; Tullamore, Co Offaly; Portlaoise, Co Laois, before stopping up for the night on Kilkennys Main Street. On Sunday, the procession will start in Kilkenny before going through Wicklow at Kilmartin and Ashford and will finish off at Lawlors Hotel in Naas, Co Kildare at 5pm.

READ NEXT: PICTURES: All smiles as Laois students honoured at certification ceremony

The Bear Run 74 is in memory of Bears late father, Josie, who passed away in 2021 at the age of 74 from cancer. Josie used to do a lot of charity work, and Keith wanted to follow in his fathers footsteps.

This is to keep his name alive, Keith said. He raised 40 grand for charity over the years, and I told him that Id beat his figure! This is what its about: keeping his name alive and helping people.

The fundraiser, which began in 2021, has raised over 267,996 altogether for many different charities and toy appeals for children in hospitals, including Foyle Down Syndrome Trust, Donegal Hospice, The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, Toy Appeals & Local Hospitals, which have delivered over 7,000 toys to childrens wards at locations such as Letterkenny University Hospital, Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry and Knockavoe School in Strabane.
A Labour councillor has called on the local authority to write to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage to express councillors' dismay at the decision not to proceed with delivery of a social housing development in Celbridge, Co Kildare.

Cllr Rupert Heather will table his motion at the upcoming Celbridge Leixlip Municipal District meeting, to be held on April 17 2026, with respect to the proposed development at Oldtown Mill, Celbridge.

In his motion, Cllr Heather highlights the urgent housing need within the Celbridge area, and further calls for a detailed update on the alternative delivery model now proposed for the development.

Meanwhile, Cllr Declan Ryan (FG) calls on the council to write to Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) requesting the provision of a transport link connecting Ardclough Village with Hazelhatch Railway Station and surrounding towns.

A second motion by Cllr Ryan calls on the council to collaborate with South Dublin County Council to develop a safe and continuous pedestrian and cycle route along the Dublin Road R403, linking the L2010 Celbridge Link Road with Sinkeen Road.

Cllr David Trost (FF) asks the council to provide a time specific plan for the full reinstatement of the road surfaces impacted by the works for the Crodaun Wastewater Project in Celbridge, to ensure the works will follow the completion of the road openings in a timely manner.

READ NEXT: Extra bus information signs sought for this Kildare region

Similarly, Cllr Claire O'Rourke (SD) asks for a detailed report on discussions with Uisce Eireann regarding the application for a road-opening licence for Phase 2 of the Crodaun Infrastructure Works on Maynooth Road (R405) in Celbridge.

Finally, under the Parks section of the meeting, Cllr Paul Brooks (FG) calls on the council to undertake a feasibility study in relation to development of a nature/biodiversity trail with associated walkways, signage and benches in the woodlands in Riverforest Estate in Leixlip.
Kildare County Council (KCC) is now 'in the final stages' of acquiring Moore Abbey, according to a Senator based in Kildare South.

Fianna Fail Senator Fiona OLoughlin described the confirmation that KCC is in the final stages of acquiring Moore Abbey in Monasterevin as a 'breakthrough for the local community'.

READ NEXT: Extra bus information signs sought for this Kildare region

Previously, in February, it was reported that KCC reached an agreement in principle to convert one area located within the grounds of Moore Abbey into a new fire station (An allocation of 3 million in funding was also announced for the station last week).

And now, according to Senator O'Loughlin, KCC has confirmed that it is now 'in the final stages' of progressing the acquisition of the site (including its lands and buildings) from the trustees of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, with the intention of bringing it into use for the benefit of the community.

It is understood the process is being carried out with the aid of the autism support organisation, the Muiriosa Foundation, with the group set to remain on site for a period following the transfer.

Welcoming the latest development, Senator O'Loughlin said: "This is something I have been pushing for a long time so it is very encouraging to see real progress now being made.

"Moore Abbey is a major asset for our community in the heart of Monasterevin and people have always recognised its potential. We now have the chance to make the most of that.

"The key priority now is to keep momentum and once the deal is complete we need to move quickly to bring the grounds back into use for the community."

Senator OLoughlin also claimed that the scale of the site presents 'a major opportunity' for the region: "Theres enormous potential here, from walking routes and green spaces to recreational facilities; it could become a really important amenity not just for Monasterevin, but for the wider area.

"At the same time, its important to say that the Muiriosa Foundation does incredibly valuable work, and that must continue to be supported.

"There is more than enough space to allow both to happen; this is about using the site in a way that works for everyone."

She further said: "Projects like this dont come along very often; this is a chance to do something genuinely transformative for the town."

"People want to see Moore Abbey opened up, used and enjoyed, and now were closer than ever to making that happen," Senator O'Loughlin concluded.

Fianna Fail Senator Fiona O'Loughlin. File photograph

READ NEXT: Kildare County Council to arrange speed survey for this road in the coming weeks

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
A womans former husband could get a year in prison if he is in breach of a family court order granted at Naas District Court.

This is what presiding judge Desmond Zaidan told her at a family law hearing.

The woman said they have two children.

Im not in the house because he is trying to get us out of the home, the woman told the court.

Judge Zaidan told the woman that an interim order, which was already granted, is due for a further hearing in the future and it remains in place.

READ NEXT Government to undertake fundamental security review after fuel protests

He told her to go to the gardai and get them to enforce this order.

He added: If the gardai are not enforcing these orders Im wasting my time.

He told her to go to a garda station if you believe there is a breach adding he could impose a year in prison on the man, who was not present or represented.
A Leitrim farmer has spoken out after the government signed off on more than 500 million in measures to support those struggling with rising energy costs.

The measures include a further 10c cut in excise on both petrol and diesel to the end of July as well as a new reduction of 2.4c on green diesel and carbon tax increases have been delayed until the Budget in October.

READ MORE: Leitrim venue hosts screening of film investigating local forestry practices

Cllr Paddy O'Rourke said that: "I don't think they did enough for green diesel and it's disappointing. I know they're hamstrung because they have nearly on the excise duty gone of it now but the reality is that it would have taken upwards of 50cent to make a significant impact and there are businesses that will cease as a result of this, whether we like it or not."

He continued that he believed that the fuel crisis was going to effect the agricultural sector in a number of different ways. "Fodder won't be made in preparation for next winter which in turn, could result in welfare issues in some farms. To some, that may sound exaggerated but believe you me, with the knowledge I have of the agricultural industry up and down the country, I can see a lot of people going out of business; I can see nobody replacing them and there will be work left undone."

READ MORE: RIP: Leitrim community pays tribute to man who will be sorely missed by many

He added that the poor Spring that Ireland has been experiencing this year has not helped the situation. "I know the government can't help the weather but because of the rascal of a Spring that we've had, all work is behind time. A lot of farmers don't even have their fertiliser sewn yet in preparation for next Winter's fodder. All that work has to be undertaken so the whole thing is just a perfect storm coming together."

He said that he would have welcomed a cap on green diesel: "A straight forward capping of the price of green diesel would have gone some way; the same for the road diesel. They chose not to do that and do something that is another burden on people to have to get everything in order to get a paltry benefit. There are a lot of sole traders who aren't registered hauliers and there's nothing in it for them."
As the mallet strikes the chisel and the chisel strikes the stone  April 4 marks the first anniversary of one of Irelands greatest stone-carvers, Brendan Benny McGloin.

Although one year has passed for Brendans beloved family and friends in the Kinlough and Bundoran communities, words are still hard to mine, and sentences are still tough to quarry.

However, Brendans mighty Celtic spirit still inspires his family and friends to bravely shape the right words and to courageously sculpt the best sentences during this time of commemorating his life.

The son of Frankie and Claire McGloin, Brendan is the brother of Francis, Geraldine, Sandra, and Ciaran, the husband to Allie and father to Caelagh, Ruben, Jamie and Kyle. Named after Brendan the Navigator, the sixth-century Irish patron saint of sailors, Brendan still guides his family and friends to navigate the swell of emotions that naturally rise like the surf waves at The Peak in Bundoran.

His brother Ciaran shared that Brendan had a great love of nature, the sea, music, surfing, having the craic, he adored his kids and family, always had time for the chats, always missed. Ciaran also said that Brendan was a proud native son of Bundoran and a descendant of the historic Gaelic McGloin clan, who were the boat keepers for MacClancy who had the castle on Lough Melvin in County Leitrim.

READ MORE: Superb Leitrim shock Sligo for first Connacht SFC win over Yeatsmen since 2011

Similar to Brendans legendary McGloin ancestors, his steady hand still keeps the boats of his family and friends safe and sound as they sail through life along the shores of Bundoran and Lough Melvin.

Behind one of Irelands greatest visionary artists is Brendans wife, Allie, who kindly shared some personal insight into Brendans bravery in the last years of his life. Allie said that Brendan was very brave, the more I think about it, the more I realise it to be true. He had an inner strength.

She said that He was brave through his illness, having to face his own mortality. He was so resilient in his life, regardless of the condition and the ongoing chemo, regular hospital visits and stays. All the pain he endured.

Even through that pain, Allie said he always brought a smile and a joke to the day ward when he got his chemo. The nurses loved to see him coming. He brightened up their day. In Brendans last few weeks in the Oncology Ward, Allie said: I know he was a huge comfort to other cancer patients, making them laugh even though they too were dying.

Brendan was never afraid to speak his Celtic truth through his art and life, Allie said: he always said what he thought, even if it made people uncomfortable; he was direct and spoke his truth. Actually, its something I admired and loved about him. You knew where you stood and knew what he thought.

Allie shared a memory from one of Brendans Bundoran friends, Charlie McQuillan. After Brendan passed, Charlie said on Facebook: Brendan was the bravest boy he knew in Bundoran when they were growing up and he turned into the bravest man he knew.

While Brendans sculptures were greatly appreciated in Bundoran over the years, Allie said he always felt he needed more recognition for his work. His brother Ciaran added that most of the great artists dont get recognition until they pass, unfortunately.

Brendans family and friends hope that his first-year anniversary will mark the beginning of his beloved Bundoran community honouring his life by encouraging people to respectfully visit his Bundoran sculptures on April 4 and throughout his anniversary month.

Located in the historic heart of Bundoran, Brendan artistically told the ancient to modern seaside story of Bundorans history through what he and Allie call his Sculpture Trail. Carriage na nEan (Rock of the Birds, 2000) symbolises Bundorans Celtic history, while Olchloch Punta (The Limestone Punt, 2002) is a Gaelic emblem for Bundorans rich fishing heritage.

His commemorative seat for the victims of The Central Hotel fire, featuring a Charlie Gracie poem carved into it, highlights the importance of remembering one of the town's modern tragedies, which occurred in 1980 when Brendan was a young lad.

Two of Brendans sculptures, An Triur Ceann (The Triskele Heads, 2002) and the statue of Micheal O Cleirigh have also recently taken on new historical significance. The rediscovery of the Franciscan Louvain Papers record of Bundrowes establishes that Micheal O Cleirighs Annals of the Four Masters, the greatest history book of Gaelic scholarship, was created in Magheracar, Bundoran.

Brendans visionary sculptures of O Cleirigh and his scribes are now a vital part of showing the Four Masters history in Bundoran.

One of the best ways to honour Brendans life on his anniversary is to explore his sculpture trail in his beloved Bundoran. Brendans sculptures will inspire your spirit to be shaped by the Celtic art of one of Irelands greatest stone-carvers and will also encourage your soul to be sculpted by the Celtic heart of one of Bundorans bravest men.
The vote of no confidence to be tabled against the government is a big test for independents who are part of the coalition, a TD has said.

Irelands main opposition party Sinn Fein are tabling the motion of no confidence in the Government on Tuesday.

It criticises the government for not reconvening the Dail last week and not engaging directly with the protesters, while also calling on the government to take the maximum action necessary to cut fuel prices.

The Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, and Independent Ireland have said they would back the motion.

The Green Party said it would also vote no confidence, but because the government had failed to protect Irish peoples ability to go about their lives for five days and for the delay to carbon tax increases.

It is unclear how several independents who have supported the Fianna Fail-Fine Gael coalition government will vote.

People Before Profit TDs Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy said government-supporting independents will need to decide which side they are on.

Its a big test now, isnt it? Mr Boyd Barrett said at a press conference held in Dublin about energy costs.

Are the so-called independents just Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in disguise or are they actually representing the interests of ordinary people? So its a big test for them.

We certainly believe that people out there who want action on the housing crisis, who feel Fianna Fail and Fine Gael failed to deliver that should put maximum pressure on these so called independents to decide which side they are on.

Mr Murphy said Independent TD for Kerry Danny Healy-Ray needed to decide if he was on the side of protesters or is he on the side of his brother, who is a government minister.

I think there is a real question for the independents.

I think the independents have to recognise that if they vote confidence in this government, they are likely to pay a very, very serious price at the next general election.

Mr Murphy added: Well see how the numbers pan out in the next day, the next 24 hours as to whether its possible to get a general election.

If it isnt possible, well, we do know that theres going to be by-elections very, very shortly, the end of May, very early June, at the very, very latest.

That poses a particular opportunity to voters in Dublin Central and Galway West to revolt at the ballot box, to send the strongest possible message to the government that we want you gone, we want meaningful action on cost of living.

Mr Murphy and Mr Boyd Barrett were speaking at a press conference proposing a five billion euro emergency plan on energy.

The measures include a cap on the price of fuel: a cap of a euro per litre of home heating oil, of 1.75 euro per litre of petrol and diesel, and of a euro per litre of green diesel.

They said the governments package of 505 million euro was insufficient to grapple with rising energy costs caused by the US and Israeli war in Iran.

Mr Boyd Barrett, Mr Murphy, and the partys Dublin Central candidate Eoghan O Ceannabhain said the protests could mark a new phase of protests against the government.

The Affordable Ireland Coalition are due to meet this week to discuss its next phase of protest in the wake of the fuel protests.

Mr Boyd Barrett said: What the protests over fuel prices and by the hauliers and farmers really underline, in a fairly dramatic way, (is) the abysmal failure of the government to address the cost of living crisis that is absolutely crushing ordinary people, householders, workers and small businesses and small farmers across the country.

The government have absolutely failed to heed the warnings of the opposition and the crushing impact that its having on working people.

Most people, most working people, most householders, have got little or nothing from the package that the government are proposing, 10 cents on petrol and diesel against the background where diesel prices are off the charts, petrol prices are still dramatically higher than they were before the outbreak of Trumps war.

Asked whether the new phase of protests should include blockades, he said it was a discussion that has to be had democratically among trade union groups and workers.

Certainly we are in favour of robust tactics that really force the cost of living crisis into the face of this government, he said.

The ideal sorts of action would be industrial action by workers, which would involve hundreds of thousands of workers who have been given nothing by this government but are being hammered with cost of living crisis.

The exact tactics have to be discussed by workers and by that wider movement, but we need protest because the government is not listening to ordinary people.

Councillor Kay Keane said: I fully support the right to protest, and there is justifiably anger out there because of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, which is actually the second one that were trying to deal with now.

However, throughout this crisis, the governments mantra of everything is under review is just insulting to the ordinary workforce and households.

When I go shopping, when I go to pay my bills, the same as many of my constituencies, we cant put that under review.
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DROMCOLLOGHERS Hazelwood College was one of four schools nationwide selected to host an interactive Weather Watch assembly.

ESB Networks hosted the event, an innovative educational initiative for Junior Cycle and Transition Year Geography students linking weather patterns to renewable energy generation in an engaging and educational way.

The roadshow was facilitated by broadcaster Aine Kerr, alongside STEM influencer Caoimhe Ni Mhuircheartaigh, who guided students through a lively and informative session connecting classroom learning to real-world applications.

The west Limerick students participated in the interactive roadshow, which is designed to bring Irelands electricity networks to life through real data, practical demonstrations and open discussion.

READ MORE: Applications open for Limerick schools to enter project to raise awareness of pollinators

The session featured a live myth-busting exercise, where students challenged common assumptions about climate and electricity, followed by a fireside chat exploring questions such as how renewable energy works in practice, and how Irish weather systems directly influence electricity generation.

Aisling Walsh, customer and strategy manager at ESB Networks said: We are delighted to bring the ESB Networks Weather Watch School Roadshow to Hazelwood College and to see the enthusiasm of students in Limerick in understanding how Irelands weather shapes our renewable electricity system.

By combining expert insight with an engaging and interactive format, we are helping to build the everyday awareness needed to support Irelands transition to a more sustainable electric future.

The Weather Watch School Roadshow builds on the success of the broader ESB Networks Weather Watch Schools Programme, which equips schools with educational materials and practical tools to explore the link between weather and electricity generation and saw 180 schools participate this year.

The initiative supports ESB Networks Is This a Good Time? campaign, encouraging more mindful electricity use and greater awareness of how daily choices impact the national electricity network.

By combining scientific expertise with focused engagement, the roadshow aims to foster informed, energy-conscious behaviours among students and extend those conversations into homes and communities.

The Weather Watch Roadshow also highlights the important work ESB Networks is undertaking to upgrade the electricity network across Ireland.

These ongoing upgrades are essential to support growing levels of renewable generation, increased electrification, and rising demand.
LIMERICK City and County Council has spent more than 3m tackling illegal dumping over the last five years, as 3,695 people lodged complaints.

Its sparked a call from a local councillor to name and shame offenders who are charged before the courts.

Aontu northside councillor Sarah Beasley sought information from local authority bosses of the costs incurred in trying to stop what she described as a blight on the city.

READ MORE: Amazing couple: Two Limerick All-Ireland winners tie the knot in style

I find some areas of Limerick filthy. Some of the Regeneration areas are big offenders, but Regeneration does not have the funding to collect litter anymore, she said.

People are still dumping mattresses, tricyles, nappies. You name it. Its not fair on communities and the people who are paying for bins or going to Mungret to recycle things legally, said Cllr Beasley.

Following a detailed question, the northside councillor was told between 2021 and 2025, 3.2m had been spent.

This includes payroll of councils littering team, but excludes money spent by roads, cleaning, and Regeneration teams on removing illegally dumped rubbish.

So, the figure is potentially a lot higher. The highest single year of spend was last year - 709,847.

Cllr Beasley said the money spent could build a row of houses in a housing crisis.

Its massive money going out. We have to talk to the local authority and see how we can tackle this. We need to name and shame and people. Those who are in court should be highlighted, she said.

Data presented by councils senior environmental engineer Aidan Finn revealed that 765 domestic fines and prosecutions had been given out since 2021.

That is among householders.

Regarding businesses, some 63 commercial fines and prosecutions had taken place since 2021.

The value of fines issued stood at 85,770, with the collection rate running between 23% in 2024 and 41% in 2022.

There were a total 3,695 dumping complaints, Mr Finn disclosed.

But the ratio of complaints to fines and prosecutions was at three-to-one last year.

For three of the previous four years, the rate stood at five-to-one.

Mr Finn outlined how five environmental control officers inspectors were in place at council, supported by an administrative team of five people.

He added hotspots for dumping across the city include St Marys Park, Ballinacurra Weston, Galvone, Moyross, Johnsgate, Donnellans Field near Thomondgate, alongside Garryowen, Toppins Field near Southill, Lenihan Avenue plus Hyde Road.

CCTV surveillance is being used at litter blackspots, bring banks and regeneration areas to identify alleged illegal dumping offenders, Mr Finn explained.

On top of this, environmental officers carry out routing weekly patrols in identified blackspot areas, he said, adding that they enforce legislation under the Litter Pollution Acts and Waste Management Acts, issue fines and initiate legal action where needed.
ASSAULT victim Scarlett Faulkner has been taken off her life support machine in Cork University Hospital, her family have announced this Monday.

Mum-of-one Scarlett, aged 29, from the northside of Limerick city, was allegedly struck with an iron bar at the side of the R494 road in Birdhill on Saturday, March 21 - three weeks ago.

Josephine (Joanne) Duffy, the partner of Scarlett's brother Thomas, gave an update on Scarletts condition on social media.

They took her off the machine yesterday at 4pm. Five of us were left stay here in the hospital so we stayed here overnight. Her heart is still going, God help us, said Jospehine.

READ NEXT: Limerick family reveals key update in Scarlett Faulkner's critical care

She said her sister-in-law is holding up very well on her own.

They say it could take days, it could take hours, they dont know, they cant tell when she will stop breathing for herself. As for now she is holding up well on her own, said Josephine.

She said Faulkner family have asked people to keep praying for Scarlett.

With the help of God she will go in peace God love her. Thank ye all so much for your prayers, said Josephine, who also wished to clarify that some people are saying she has passed but she didnt.

A woman and a 16-year-old girl have appeared in court - on separate dates in Limerick and in Thurles - in connection with the serious assault of Scarlett.
Political decisions to bring relief to people in Northern Ireland struggling with fuel costs have to be made at Westminster, not Stormont, Michelle ONeill has said.

The First Minister was responding to criticism that the powersharing Executive had not taken action to respond to rising costs.

Meanwhile, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said he does not think those dealing with the rising cost-of-living crisis will benefit from being stuck in traffic jams caused by fuel protests.

Fuel costs have soared globally as a result of the US-Israel war with Iran.

Ms ONeill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly last week wrote to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urging him to bring forward a package of support measures for people in the region.

Speaking at Stormont as MLAs returned from recess, Ms ONeill said the Executive was carrying the can for policy decisions made in London.

She said: The Executive is in a really, really difficult financial position because of decisions that have been taken in London and we are trying to protect people from those decisions.

People understand that the Assembly has a limited number of fiscal powers, the levers that you reach for to help people actually sit in Westminster, whether that is cutting tax on fuel, then it has to be done at a Westminster level.

I am not apologetic of banging on the door of Westminster on behalf of the people that I represent.

It is only there that those decisions can be taken.

Fuel protests along motorways in the Republic of Ireland are continuing to cause traffic disruption.

Although blockades at fuel depots and Irelands only oil refinery have been lifted, smaller protests continued on motorways around Dublin.

Social media posts have called for similar protests at several locations in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.

Asked if she supported the protests, Ms ONeill said people are angry.

She added: They are watching the global volatility, they are watching what the US are doing, what Israel is doing or what the British Government are doing.

They are watching that people are choosing war over people, they are watching that governments are choosing a militarisation agenda over helping people to get through every day of the week.

That to me is not a good political choice.

I know that if you are sitting at home and you are angry and you want to have your voice heard then some people will choose to protest and I accept that is going to be the case in any democratic society.

Mr Robinson said he did not want to see any disruption to emergency services or medical appointments.

He added: We all know the pressures people are facing, we can see how much this crisis is hurting and we understand the need for a response.

In Dublin the protests were targeted at a government who have levers at their disposal.

It is the Westminster government that will be able to bring forward the significant changes that people wish to see.

Whilst I understand and support peoples right to protest, I think it is important to reflect at this stage that I dont think we would benefit from widespread disruption.

I dont think anyone who is struggling with fuel costs would benefit from sitting in an idling queue with their engines turning over and their fuel being wasted.

The DUP leader added: I think it is important that the First and deputy First Minister wrote to the Prime Minister on Thursday.

We know the concerns of people out there, not just domestically, but commercially.

Anyone who is having to fill up a vehicle, they are suffering at the moment with the increased costs.

These are issues which can only be dealt with by Westminster.

The deputy First Minister was right to issue her call for the Prime Minister to offer a support package for families, particularly here in Northern Ireland and also to look at those issues around VAT and duty on fuel.

Mr Robinson said Communities Minister Gordon Lyons would bring a proposal to the Executive this week about distributing 17 million in support for home heating oil customers.

Alliance Party deputy leader Eoin Tennyson accused the DUP and Sinn Fein of bickering, petty point-scoring and blame-shifting at a time when people are struggling.

He added: The Executive alone cannot bear down the pressures that people are facing, we need to see action from the UK Government to cut fuel duty.

SDLP leader Claire Hanna said: It is important to remind people, the Executive arent without power and agency here.

The default reaction to every crisis cant just be a letter to London.

We have written today to the First Ministers and the Secretary of State asking them to work together to put in place a package of measures.

We dont have the firepower to do absolutely everything but there are numerous actions within their power which are not being taken.
MANDY McNamara was one of the beaming tenants to be handed the keys to their new homes in De Vere Court, John Carew Park this Monday.

A spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council said they were delighted that local authority tenants got to unlock the front doors of 14 new properties.

The development comprises of a total of 16 properties - eight two-bed and eight three-bed - with two properties offered under the Incremental Purchase Scheme. This allows a property to be purchased at a discounted rate for those eligible under the scheme.

A number of the new tenants have moved from the uncertainty of emergency homeless accommodation into the security of long-term housing.

This project has been delivered by Limerick City and County Councils Regeneration Directorate and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage., said the council spokesperson.

READ NEXT: Limerick Council staff raise over 4,500 in memory of much-loved colleague

Michael Fitzgibbon Contractors Limited delivered these homes using Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF), with all units achieving an A rating under the Building Energy Rating (BER).

Finished to an exceptionally high standard, these homes offer spacious accommodation for modern day living.

Mayor of Limerick, John Moran visited the new development to meet with some of the new tenants and said: Todays handover of keys to 14 different tenants at De Vere Court is the latest modest but significant step, certainly for the new residents, in our efforts to continue to unlock housing delivery here in Limerick. When it comes to housing, delivery is what matters.

These 14 tenants have been afforded stability and an opportunity to build roots through our action and delivery. Ultimately, we want to continue to turn this momentum into more keys into doors, building more communities and delivering more homes across Limerick.

Priomh Chomhairleoir, Cllr Catherine Slattery commented: This is a very welcome development for Carew Park and the wider area. It is great to see high-quality homes being delivered for local families and the inclusion of two homes under the Incremental Purchase Scheme is very welcome.

These homes will bring new energy to the community and support the continued growth and regeneration of the area.

Director General at Limerick City and County Council, Dr. Pat Daly added: We are delighted to deliver these energy efficient homes that will make a real difference in peoples lives. This development reflects our ongoing commitment to providing sustainable housing solutions and supporting the regeneration of communities across Limerick.

Construction of the De Vere Court development by Michael Fitzgibbon Contractors Limited commenced in September 2024 at a cost of around 4m. This is the latest development in the area, with 26 units welcomed to Churchfield, in nearby OMalley Park, over the winter months.
There are writers whose names adorn the spines of forgotten paperbacks, and then there are those who somehow slip past the boundaries of time, remaining stubbornly alive in the air of their native places. In Limerick, that person is Kate OBrien  novelist, playwright, exile, and proud daughter of a city she both escaped and immortalised.

Even now, over half a century after her death, OBriens spirit lingers in the elegant, defiant intelligence of her words. She remains Limericks great literary paradox  the insider-outsider who turned her city into both muse and battleground.

Born in 1897, Kate OBrien came into a Limerick where respectability was prized above imagination. The city was still a bastion of empire and faith, a place where young women were expected to be quiet, diligent, and grateful. OBrien was none of those things.

She was educated at Laurel Hill Convent and later at University College Dublin. Her early years as a governess in Spain  then an unconventional choice for a young Irish woman  would become the crucible of her artistic awakening. Spain, with its sensuality, sunlight and fierce Catholic contradictions, would echo through her novels forever.

READ MORE: Limerick columnist reveals how artists are rethinking Aosdana through Limericks creative pulse

By the time she published Mary Lavelle (1936), the story of a young Irish woman working as a governess in Spain who falls in love with her employer, she had become something quietly revolutionary.

Her characters questioned the limits placed upon them  by family, by Church, by Ireland itself. Her novels, from The Ante-Room to The Land of Spices, glowed with yearning: for love, for art, for an intellectual honesty that Irish society at the time often considered dangerous.

And dangerous she was  not for anything scandalous in her conduct, but for the ideas she set loose on the page. The censors certainly thought so. Two of her novels were banned in Ireland for their frankness about sexuality and faith. But OBriens response was cool, almost amused. She knew the bans said more about the smallness of official minds than about the strength of her own imagination.

Like many Irish artists of her generation, Kate OBrien spent most of her adult life abroad  in England, in Spain, and elsewhere. Yet her emotional and imaginative compass always pointed homewards. Limerick, thinly disguised as Mellick in her novels, was her recurring stage. It was both loved and interrogated, tenderly described and gently exposed.

What made her unique was her refusal to romanticise Ireland. While others pined for an idealised homeland, OBrien saw her native country clearly  with affection, yes, but also with an almost surgical insight into its hypocrisies and its beauty. She understood, perhaps better than anyone, that small places can contain immense passions.

Reading her now feels startlingly modern. Her women are intelligent, introspective, capable of desire and moral complexity. They are not heroines waiting for rescue; they are people negotiating the fragile architecture of selfhood. In this, OBrien was a pioneer  a feminist before feminism had a flag.

Every February people assemble in her native city to celebrate its most cosmopolitan daughter. The Limerick Literary Festival in honour of Kate OBrien, once called simply The Kate OBrien Weekend, has become one of the fixtures of Irelands literary calendar.

It is, in many ways, exactly what one would expect from a festival dedicated to such a refined mind: a little tweedy, a little high-brow, and proudly intellectual. The discussions tend to unfold in elegant rooms rather than noisy pubs. The audience is often made up of academics, long-time readers, and those who cherish the civility of well-mannered literary debate.

Theres a quiet glamour to it  the soft rustle of scarves, the scent of coffee between sessions, the knowing laughter that ripples through the audience when a speaker makes a pointed reference to some obscure OBrien line. It is, undeniably, a celebration of culture in its most cultivated form.

And yet, its also true that the festival sometimes feels like an island apart. While Limerick has a thriving grassroots literary scene  from spoken-word nights and venues with guest readers (followed by open mic) to community publishing and regular book launches  the two worlds rarely meet.

.

The Kate OBrien Festival remains, for better or worse, a self-contained universe: impeccably organised, but perhaps too exclusive to fully embody the wild, inclusive energy that OBrien herself might have admired.

Diplomatically put, it is a festival that guards its traditions  much as Limerick itself guards its stories. Theres room for evolution, certainly, and many in the city quietly wish for more conversation between the mahogany-panelled and the makeshift, between the lecture hall and the late-night open mic.

But even as it stands, the festival performs a vital act: it insists that literature matters, that intellect and art still deserve reverence in an age of scrolling and skimming. In that sense, its very tweediness is a kind of resistance  a refusal to cheapen the experience of reading.

Its easy to sentimentalise OBrien now, to turn her into a bronze saint of letters. But that does her a disservice. She was not the type to be canonised; she was the type to be argued with, admired, and occasionally shocked by. Her feminism was not doctrinaire but instinctive  a matter of conscience rather than fashion.

Her courage lay in her quietness: she didnt storm the barricades, she simply wrote novels that refused to lie. In an era when Irish women were supposed to be self-effacing, she was luminously self-possessed.

OBrien believed that art could liberate the spirit, that literature could widen the world. That belief remains her gift to us  not only to Limerick, but to anyone who has ever felt the tug between belonging and freedom.

If the festival in her name sometimes feels like a salon frozen in amber, it is nonetheless sustained by genuine admiration. The organisers, many of them scholars and lifelong devotees have done the slow, essential work of keeping her flame alive when the wider world had forgotten it. Their devotion is not exclusionary by intent  its simply steeped in a certain reverence.

Perhaps the next evolution will be a widening of the circle. Imagine, for instance, an OBrien weekend that spills into the streets  poetry readings at the Milk Market, young writers performing in the Peoples Park, Spanish music in tribute to her beloved Castile. Imagine conversations that bridge academia and anarchy, criticism and creativity.

It would not betray OBriens spirit  it would fulfil it. She was, after all, a woman who crossed boundaries: between Ireland and Spain, faith and doubt, propriety and passion. Her festival might yet follow her lead.

When asked once whether she felt she belonged more to Ireland or to the wider world, OBrien said that she belonged to literature. It was a perfect answer  modest, sharp, and entirely hers.

Today, as readers rediscover her novels and Limerick celebrates her each spring, its worth remembering that belonging was never really her goal. She wanted to see, to understand, to write the world as it is and as it might be.

And so she did. In every thoughtful sentence, every quiet rebellion, every woman on a page who refuses to shrink  Kate OBrien still walks the quays of her city, head held high, notebook in hand, her imagination alight.

Perhaps that is the truest measure of her legacy  not the plaques or festivals, but the ripple of courage she left behind. Each time a Limerick writer lifts their head and says something that might once have been deemed impolite or too personal, a trace of OBriens fire flickers in the act. Her art was never about rebellion for its own sake; it was about honesty, about saying this is how it feels to live.

As the Limerick Literary Festival continues each year, it carries a certain quiet dignity. It may remain a little formal, a little polished, but beneath that surface beats a pulse of sincerity  an unspoken gratitude for the woman who showed that intellect and passion could coexist.

Perhaps the next chapter will see that fire reach new corners of the city, where writers with different accents and experiences join the conversation she began. Kate OBrien once wrote that art is the nearest thing we have to a moral life. If thats true, then her moral life is still unfolding  not only in her books, but in every mind she continues to awaken.
Agnidev Bhattacharya

Agnidev is a business journalist with over two years of reporting experience tracking the intersection of capital, policy, and corporate strategy in India.<br><br>He joined Mint in December 2025, after a stint at NDTV Profit (erstwhile BQ Prime). At Mint, Agnidev focuses on the high-stakes world of the Indian capital market, specialising in mergers and acquisitions, burgeoning IPOs, and the investment banking industry.<br><br>Backed by a rigorous, data-driven approach, Agnidev frequently breaks news on the valuation cycles, deal pipelines and listing strategies of Indias most prominent companies. His reportage offers deep dives into the operational health of market leaders across the corporate landscape, providing readers with a clear-eyed view of institutional growth.<br><br>He has reported on major issues like India's derivatives frenzy, IPO froth, the competitive quick commerce industry, the real-money gaming ban, and has broken investigative stories related to scandals such as IndusInd Bank's accounting manipulation and the Gensol-BluSmart fiasco.<br><br>As a reporter, he brings stories that ultimately affect your stock market investments, and tries to bring clarity and brevity in a field that is often filled with jargon and noise.
SpiceJet told the Delhi high court it could collapse if forced to immediately deposit 144.5 crore in its long-running dispute with Kalanithi Maran and KAL Airways Pvt. Ltd., citing disruptions caused by the West Asia conflict and rising aviation turbine fuel prices.

Appearing for the airline, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi told the bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad on Monday that SpiceJets operations and cash flows have been severely impacted, particularly due to restrictions on flights to the Gulf.

The entire business is held up I am the smallest of the big three airlines. If my accounts are attached for non-deposit, the entire system will collapseat least I will collapse, Rohatgi told the court, seeking time to arrange funds.

After hearing the submissions, the court adjourned the matter to 15 April.

SpiceJet moved a review petition on 7 April seeking relief from the high courts earlier direction requiring it to deposit 144.5 crore by 14 April. The airline also proposed to furnish a one-acre commercial property in Gurugram as security instead of making an immediate cash payment.

Rohatgi submitted that the property is unencumbered and owned by the company and that SpiceJet is willing to deposit the title deeds before the court. He said the airline has already taken steps to monetize the asset by appointing real estate advisory firm CBRE but argued that such transactions could take several months and should not be forced into a distress sale.

We should not have a crash sale which will give me 50%, he said, urging the court to grant additional time so that the asset can be sold at a fair value.

Government package Rohatgi further submitted that the broader aviation sector is under stress and indicated that the government may step in with relief measures.

I am told that the government is bringing out a package which will grant me a chance to get loans from PSU banks on governmental sovereign security. The government will stand security for the airlines, he said.

In this backdrop, the airline urged the court to defer the deposit deadline and grant interim protection, arguing that immediate enforcement could disrupt operations, affect employees and passengers and worsen its financial position.

The prolonged legal battle between SpiceJet and Maran has been through multiple rounds of litigation across forums. In January, the Delhi high court directed SpiceJet and its promoter Ajay Singh to deposit 144.5 crore, after recording that a total of 194.51 crore remained due under earlier directions. After adjusting 50 crore already deposited, the outstanding amount stood at 144.51 crore.

Also Read | SpiceJet moves review plea in Delhi HC over 144.5 cr deposit in Maran dispute

SpiceJet challenged this order in the Supreme Court, which on February 27 refused to interfere and imposed costs on the airline for prolonging the litigation. This effectively required the airline to comply with the high courts order.

Subsequently, SpiceJet moved the high court in early March seeking modification of the deposit condition. It proposed to furnish immovable property worth around 148 crore as security instead of depositing cash. However, on 18 March, the high court rejected this plea, reiterating its direction that the amount must be deposited within four weeks.

Faced with the looming deadline, the airline filed a review petition, arguing that there were errors in the earlier order and pointing to supervening circumstances, including the impact of the West Asia conflict on its business.

Dispute origins The dispute dates back to January 2015, when Maran and KAL Airways transferred their 58.46% stake in SpiceJet to Ajay Singh during acute financial distress for the airline. As part of the transaction, Maran and KAL Airways had infused about 679 crore into the airline through convertible warrants and preference shares.

Maran later alleged that these instruments were not issued by the new management and sought a refund, leading to arbitration proceedings before a three-member tribunal comprising retired Supreme Court judges. In July 2018, the tribunal rejected Marans claim for over 1,300 crore in damages but directed SpiceJet to refund 579 crore along with interest in relation to the warrants and preference shares.

Also Read | UK court orders SpiceJet to pay $8 mn to engine lessor over unpaid rent

Both parties challenged aspects of the award in the Delhi high court, triggering a series of enforcement proceedings, appeals and interim orders. SpiceJet maintained it has already paid about 730 crore to Maran and KAL Airways, including the principal amount and interest.
* Net profit expected to jump 50% in first-quarter

* TSMC benefiting more than other chip foundries from AI boom

* First-quarter revenue rose 35%

* Earnings call on Thursday at 0600 GMT

By Wen-Yee Lee and Ben Blanchard

TAIPEI, April 13 (Reuters) - TSMC, the world's largest manufacturer of advanced artificial intelligence chips, will likely notch up a fourth consecutive quarter of record earnings with a 50% surge in net profit for January-March thanks to booming demand for AI infrastructure.

Analysts say that demand for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's 3-nanometre technology to produce AI chips and its advanced packaging technology continues to outstrip the firm's current production capacity.

That's driven Asia's most valuable company, a key supplier to Nvidia and Apple, to new heights. Its market capitalisation is now nearly double that of South Korean rival Samsung Electronics at around $1.6 trillion.

On Thursday, TSMC is expected to report a net profit of T$542.6 billion ($17.1 billion) for the quarter, according to an LSEG SmartEstimate compiled from 19 analysts. SmartEstimates place greater weight on forecasts from analysts who are more consistently accurate.

An earnings call at which it will provide second-quarter and updated full-year guidance is scheduled for 0600 GMT.

Any profit result above T$505.7 billion would mark the company's highest-ever quarterly net income and its ninth consecutive quarter of profit growth.

Last week, it posted a 35% year-on-year rise in first-quarter revenue, ahead of market forecasts.

Looking ahead, "we expect higher quarter-on-quarter revenue growth guidance for the second quarter of 2026, driven by sustained AI demand and advanced-node leadership," Arthur Lai, head of technology research for Asia at Macquarie Capital, said in a note to clients.

The war in the Middle East threatens to disrupt the supply of production materials for semiconductors such as helium and neon, but TSMC is seen as well-placed to weather the crisis.

"TSMC's diversified sourcing and safety stock should be sufficient to manage short-term disruptions," said Galen Zeng, senior research manager at IDC.

One area of focus will be whether TSMC maintains or raises its 2026 capital spending plans as that will reflect management's confidence in long-term AI demand, Zeng said.

TSMC is investing $165 billion to build chip factories in the U.S. state of Arizona.

The company has also revised its plans in Japan and is now set to manufacture 3-nanometre chips there, instead of focusing on more mature nodes.
The oil shock of Iran paralyzing the strait is already rippling through Asia, where factories are curbing production to save energy and some gas stations are rationing fuel. Some airports across Asia and Europe are beginning to run out of jet fuel, and it could take months for inventories to recover. For countries in the Gulf, the economic damage is shaping up to be the worst in decades, eclipsing the pandemic. Researchers at Capital Economics forecast Qatars gross domestic product to shrink by 13% this year, the United Arab Emiratess by 8% and Saudi Arabias by 6.6%.
Mumbai - The Reserve Bank of India, on Monday, returned Ujjivan Small Finance Banks application to convert to a universal bank, citing a concentrated loan book. The central bank has advised the bank to reapply for the licence after diversifying its loan portfolio, the bank notified the exchanges late on Monday.

The small finance bank had, in February 2025, applied to the central bank for voluntary transition to a universal bank.

In a letter dated 13 April 2026, RBI took note of the banks recent efforts towards diversification of its loan portfolio but said that there is scope for progress in this area, as per the bank notification. Therefore, RBI has returned the above-mentioned application and advised the bank to consider applying again after demonstrating a diversified loan portfolio.

In a separate statement, Ujjivan Bank said that the application was submitted as part of the banks long-term growth plans. Ujjivan will continue to embark on the path of diversification and will resubmit the application in due course, keeping RBIs guidance in view, it said.

As of the end of December, Bengaluru-based Ujjivan Bank reported a 22% on-year growth in gross loans to 37,057 crore, of which 48% were secured loans. Group microfinance loans at 13,685 crore accounted for the highest share at 37%, followed by housing loans worth 8,231 crore at 22%. The bank had earlier guided that it is aiming to increase the share of secured loans to 65-70% by March 2030.

One of three The small finance bank had commenced operations in February 2017 and had 777 branches as of December 2025. The gross non-performing assets (NPA) ratio was 2.4%, and the net NPA ratio was 0.6%.

Currently, 11 small finance banks are operational in the country. Only listed small finance banks with a minimum net worth of 1,000 crore are eligible to apply for a universal bank licence, as per RBI norms, which also require the applicant to demonstrate a satisfactory operational track record of at least five years. The applicants also need to be consistently profitable, with a gross NPA ratio below 3% and a net NPA ratio below 1% for the past two financial years.

Also Read | AU Small Finance Bank gets RBI nod for universal bank licence, first in a decade

RBI had issued norms for small finance banks transition into full-fledged banks in 2014, which were later updated in April 2024. The objective of the guidelines was to allow small finance banks to expand their offerings beyond serving underserved segments and provide a broader suite of financial services that come with a universal bank licence.

Ujjivan was among three small finance banksthe other two being AU Small Finance Bank and Jana Small Finance Bankthat had applied to RBI for such a conversion. The central bank granted AU Small Finance Bank an 'in-principle' approval to transition into a universal bank in August 2025, marking the first universal bank licence issued in nearly a decade. However, it returned Jana Small Finance Banks application in October 2025.

Before AU Small Finance, the last universal bank licences were issued to Bandhan Bank and IDFC First Bank in 2015.

Also Read | AU Small Finance Bank has to fulfil one precondition to become universal lender
Ayaan Kartik

Ayaan Kartik is a Delhi-based journalist tracking the ever-growing world of automobiles and their components. With an experience of five years ranging from short-form news at Inshorts to longform journalism at Outlook Business magazine, he has dabbled into different storytelling formats. At Mint, he tries to regularly mix story styles, from longforms to crisp news stories. He has completed his graduation from Delhi University where he developed a liking for reading and writing about the world we live in today. Apart from automobiles, Ayaan likes to read up on geopolitics which has increasingly affected various sectors of the economy. Of all the promises journalism holds, he likes the fact that it allows a person to simply explain to readers about what is happening in the world. And what better sector than automobiles, which everyone since growing up has seen and felt connected to. Whether it is China's increasing grip on automobiles to growing affection for EVs in the country, Ayaan likes to connect his love for geopolitics and data to his stories as readers become more demanding on the types of stories they want.
Silver rate today declined sharply on Monday, April 13, weighed down by a stronger dollar and a surge in oil prices after U.S.-Iran peace talks failed. This led to concerns regarding persistent inflation, which could delay Federal Reserve rate cuts this year.

On MCX, Silver price fell 2.5% to 2,37,190 per kg while Gold price lost 0.8% to 1,51,457 per 10 grams.

Spot silver fell 2.2% to $74.23 per ounce, reflecting broad weakness across precious metals. The decline came as spot gold dropped 0.6% to $4,718.98 per ounce as of 0222 GMT, after hitting its lowest level since April 7 earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures for June delivery also slipped 1% to $4,742, indicating continued pressure across the complex.

Also Read | How to rebalance portfolios beyond the traditional 60/40? Goldman Sachs answers

Among other metals, platinum fell 0.5% to $2,034.95, while palladium rose 1% to $1,535.77.

Silver, Gold: What led to today's fall? The primary trigger behind the decline is the dollar strengthening 0.4%, adding pressure to precious metals. A stronger dollar makes dollar-denominated metals more expensive for other currency holders, dampening demand. Silver is also facing additional pressure due to its industrial nature, as rising energy costs and prolonged geopolitical tensions raise concerns about slower global growth.

At the same time, a sharp jump in oil prices, which climbed to around $104 per barrel after the U.S. Navy prepared a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following failed U.S.-Iran talks. The move raised concerns over disruptions to Iranian oil shipments, while Irans Revolutionary Guards warned that any military vessels approaching the Strait would be treated as a ceasefire breach and dealt with decisively, escalating geopolitical tensions.

This surge in oil prices fuelled inflation worries, which in turn is reshaping interest rate expectations. Traders now see little chance of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut this year, a sharp shift from earlier expectations of two rate cuts before the Middle East conflict began. Higher-for-longer interest rates reduce the appeal of non-yielding assets like silver. While inflation typically supports safe-haven demand for precious metals, the current environment of elevated interest rates is offsetting that benefit.

What should investors do? According to a recent report by Tata Mutual Fund, Silver prices witnessed selling along with a decline in industrial metals over demand concerns.

It noted that the deteriorated global economic outlook may limit the demand for silver over the medium term. The decline in solar installations and large liquidation of the long positions have eased the supply tightness in the global market.

Silver is a developing growth story, and the long-term trend is highly dependent on a broad recovery in industrial demand. One can look for a staggered approach to invest in the medium-term to long-term investment, considering the volatile nature of the commodity, suggested the brokerage.
T. Surendar

T. Surendar is a senior journalist at Mint with nearly three decades of experience covering business, markets, and corporate India. Since beginning his career in 1996, he has built a reputation for insight-driven reporting on corporate strategy, with a particular focus on Indias large, family-owned businesses and their evolution.<br><br>At Mint, he writes on corporate strategy, market trends, and regulatory developments, bringing depth and clarity to complex business stories. Over the years, he has worked with leading publications including India Today and Businessworld, and was part of the founding editorial teams of Forbes India and Fortune India. Most recently, he served as managing editor at The Morning Context, where he led long-form and investigative journalism.<br><br>Earlier in his career, Surendar served as national business features editor at The Times of India, Indias largest-circulated English daily, where he broke several important stories, including the one on the Apollo Hospitals chain losing out on their Sri Lankan venture and the guar gum trading scam.<br><br>Prior to his journalism career, Surendar worked across the pharmaceutical, industrial automation, and diamond jewellery sectors, and also as an equity analystexperience that informs his nuanced understanding of corporate strategy and markets.<br><br>Surendar is known for breaking trend-defining stories and producing authoritative explainers on key corporate developments, including succession planning at Reliance Industries. He has interviewed some of Indias most influential business leaders, including Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Anand Mahindra, and Dilip Shanghvi.<br><br>A Chevening Scholar in Journalism, he completed a specialised programme at the University of Westminster, and has also undergone a Newsroom Leadership Program conducted by Columbia University. He holds a bachelors degree in mathematics and has taught journalism courses at the University of Mumbai.<br><br>He has moderated and conducted high-profile discussions at forums such as Fortune Indias Most Powerful Women event. His work is defined by rigour, independence, and a commitment to helping readers understand the strategic forces shaping corporate India.
Ram Sahgal

Ram Sahgal is a deputy editor at Mint. He has over 20 years of experience in journalism, with previous roles at The Intelligent Investor, Bombay Times, The Economic Times, and The New Indian Express. Between his media roles, he briefly worked at a commodities exchange before returning to his true passion, business journalism. Ram graduated in liberal arts from St Xaviers College, Mumbai, where he studied films, which explains his move to Bombay Times, where he covered the film industry during the rise of Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt. He took a leap of faith to transfer to The Economic Times, and thanks to his restless mind, later moved to cover the commodities beat. Over the past three years, Ram has been tracking the stock markets at Mint. His focus areas include writing about market infrastructure institutions, brokerages, derivatives, and related regulations. His hobbies include spotting trains and understanding the locomotives that power them. In his free time, he takes his octogenarian mother out for drives and goes to the cinema with her on weekends. If he has a dream, it is to write a screenplay for a movie. For now, he enjoys viewing market data on NSE and BSE, observing the shifting mood of Mr Market, and conversing with market experts.
The oil marketing companies (OMCs) are in focus lately amid the surging crude oil prices following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing US-Iran war. Shares of three PSU oil refiners have plunged 18-32% in the March quarter as investors assessed the impact of higher crude oil on their earnings, especially as the government focuses on cushioning the general public.

The US-Iran war, which began in the last quarter of the March fiscal, has clouded the earnings outlook for the companies in the oil and gas sector, with downstream players like Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) the worst hit.

OMCs Q4 earnings preview The earnings of OMCs in Q4 FY26 could be weaker on the back of higher retail fuel losses and a sharp rise in LPG under-recoveries, but partially offset by strong gross refining margins (GRMs).

According to estimates by ICICI Securities, the profit after tax (PAT) and EBITDA for the OMCs likely declined 56% and 82% YoY, as retail margins shrunk in the quarter under review to 2.9 per litre for petrol and a loss of 6 for diesel due to a spike in global crude oil prices and rupee depreciation.

Also, the ~10.2% and ~12.7% sequential increase in Saudi CP prices for propane and butane amid the conflict in the region has pushed the under-recovery for LPG to 11,000-12,000 crore in Q4, even though the Singapore GRMs rose by $3.5/barrel.

Higher Brent crude prices, coupled with the government's mandate to prioritise LPG, petrol, and diesel supply without a corresponding increase in retail selling prices, led to margin pressure for OMCs, said Prabhudas Lilladher.

Excise duty cut of 10/litre on domestic sales of petrol and diesel towards the end of Mar26 provided partial relief. However, the imposition of excise duty of 21.5 and 29.5 per litre on diesel and ATF exports, respectively limits OMCs ability to fully benefit from stronger crack spreads, it added.

BPCL, HPCL, IOC Q4 Previews Analysts are sharply divided in their estimates of BPCL's Q4 performance. While ICICI Securities sees a 64% YoY decline in profit and 51% moderation in the operating profit, Nuvama Institutional Equities expects the bottomline to grow 18.5% 3807.1 crore. However, it sees EBITDA falling 14.6% on a yearly basis.

"We expect BPCL's EBITDA to fall by 15% YoY as weak marketing margins due to tension in West Asia are offset by improvement in refining margins (+1x YoY) and lower under-recoveries on LPG sales due to rise in cylinder prices (+8% YoY) and lower propane prices (-17% YoY)," said the brokerage.

At the same time, Prabhudas Lilladher expects BPCL's adjusted PAT for Q4 FY26 to decline 2.5% YoY. All three brokerages see an improvement in sales of 10-40% YoY.

While for HPCL, even as brokerages estimate a sharp hit to the bottomline, ICICI Securities predicts the oil PSU company to post a loss of 310 crore. Nuvama, meanwhile, expects HPCL's EBITDA to fall by 43% YoY and profit by 64% YoY, impacted by similar reasons.

In the case of Indian Oil Corporation, Prabhudas Lilladher expects 19% rise in adjusted PAT in Q4 FY26 and 12.8% rise in sales. However, ICICI Securities and Nuvama see a 41-81% YoY fall in profit during the said quarter.

Which oil PSU stock to buy ahead of Q4? Commenting on stock-specific opportunities, Harshal Dasani, Business Head at INVasset PMS, said that among the three, BPCL stands out from a risk-reward perspective.

"It has relatively stronger refining margins, better operational efficiency, and a cleaner balance sheet post asset monetisation. HPCL, while offering a higher beta, tends to be more volatile due to its relatively weaker refining profile and higher sensitivity to crude swings. IOC, being the largest player, offers stability and dividend visibility but may lag in terms of sharp upside," he said.

For investors positioning ahead of Q4, BPCL appears best placed tactically, while IOC suits conservative investors seeking yield.

Prabhudas Lilladher also recently upgraded HPCL to 'buy' from 'accumulate' in its Q4 preview report, saying that HPCLs improving operational efficiency and completion of major projects remain positive. Recent price correction also offers a better entry opportunity, it added.
In our issues through the last two months we have been actually heading lower there is a clear sign of a turnaround that is visible. The divergence that triggered the move is seen pushing the Nifty towards a key resistance zone around 24300 and then further to 24500 which could be the levels to watch out for in the coming week. Though a curtailed week ahead, we note that on the higher time frame charts are clearly suggesting that the momentum could trigger some further upside. With the immediate resistances being surpassed we should now look at some fresh momentum coming into play.
In 2015, I got a ring-side view to an ambitious regional infrastructure project as India and Bangladesh revived centuries-old inland waterways. This route once moved goods and people not only through both countries but to Bhutan and Nepal as well. The climate benefits and long history made this project relevant. I could feel the pull of the argument as I worked on a feasibility study of reviving the old riverine channels at Tribeni in West Bengal, including a trading port at Balagarh. It reminded me that I was tracing the shipping route of Chand Saudagar from poet Bipradas Pipilais Manasamangal Kabya (or Manasa Vijay) dating back to the 15th century. This is the most famous among saudagar (Bengali for merchant) characters from Bengals Mangal Kabyasor narrative religious poems written between 13th-18th centuryand bratakathas, sacred devotional stories recited by women during ritualistic fasts.

Chand Saudagars merchant ship used to sail towards the Bay of Bengal from ancient Champak Nagar, or present-day Champaknagari of Purba Bardhawan district of West Bengal, after passing through Tribeni, situated at the confluence of the Ganga, Saraswati and Jamuna. Located a little further down the river, today Balagarhs 600-year-old wooden boat-making industry is seeking Geographical Indication tag based on its mention in the Mangal Kabyas as a boat making cluster.

Waterways have long been conduits to evolution of civilisations, bringing in not just goods but also cultural influences. The 54 trans-boundary rivers flowing through the east of the subcontinent, including the Ganga/Padma, Brahmaputra/Jamuna, Barak/Meghna, have long shaped trade and culture. It is hardly surprising, then, that post-medieval literature continues to offer insights into Bengals waterways. The Manasamangal Kabya mentions that Chand Saudagar loads 14 of his ships with precious stones, pomelos, coconut, betelnuts, fine cotton, bundles of jute, red and black lentils, ginger and turmeric to set sail for a place mentioned simply as the southern port. Many of the items listed by Bipradas Pipilai in the 15th century are major items that Bengal still exports.

Another significant text is the Chandimangal from the 16th century. Written by Kabikankan Mukandaram Chakrabarti, the story is set around a merchant, Dhanapati, who is ordered by the king to sail to Singhala (Sri Lanka) to build trade relations. The former bids farewell to his pregnant wife to sail down the river Ajay to the Hooghly. He eventually sails past Tribeni, where people from all over the country come for a dip in the river Bhagirathi, and sails down the Bay of Bengal to turn when Dhanapati is imprisoned by the king. Years later, his son, Sripati, sails to Singhala to save his father. His ship is loaded with brassware, jute, Ayurvedic herbs, ginger, vermillion, cloves, carom seeds, blankets, cotton, edible foil and sugar to be bartered with sapphires, ironware, elephants, precious metals, corals, cumin, camphor and nutmeg, among other things. Again, the products are mentioned in great detail, and match the items being traded even today.

The trading posts mentioned along the rivers are those that have been marked as inland water ports in recent projects as well. The poets were not imagining a trading past, but were diligently documenting the riverine economy of 15th 16th century Bengal. 200 years later, in Annada Mangal Kabya, poet Bharatchandra Rays focus shifts towards the riverine ports of Nadia and Burdhawan, but he doesnt make his protagonists travel across the Bay of Bengal. He describes a European colony of sailors and traders in the third book, Mansingh, or Annapurna Mangal. The Mughal general, Raja Man Singh, during his voyage down the Bhagirathi to inspect Bengal, comes across quarters of Ingrej (English), Olondaj (Dutch), Firingi (Portuguese), Farash (French), Dinemar (Danish) and Eleman (from Germany/Alemania), who fire their cannons at his fleet. This was the first mention of the Dutch in Bengali texts, and also the European trading companies present in the region.

The bratakathas, much like the Mangal Kabyas, feature married women with rather dismissive merchant husbands, who attract the wrath of the mother goddess because of their disparaging attitudes, and are finally saved by the penance of their wives. The most recurrent of the bratakathas is the Lokkhir Panchali, a metered narrative in veneration of Goddess Lakshmi that is recited by women on Thursday evenings. In the story, the most prosperous merchant in the city loses all his wealth when seven of his ships sink owing to his contempt of the deity.

Also Read | A Kolkata exhibition celebrates writer Bibhutibhushan, creator of Apu

Besides trade, the other common thread that runs across all Mangal Kabyas and the majority of bratakathas is the punishment faced by the protagonist merchants. These are usually in the form of sinking of loaded merchant ships and imprisonment or death of sons. The resolution finally happens when the trader, goaded by his pious wife, prostrates himself in front of the goddess and accepts her power. The ultimate form of forgiveness is that of ships rising from the bottom of the oceans with all the cargo intact. One can argue that the mother goddesses in these texts are embodiments of the indigenous culture, while the saudagar community, owing to their exposure to distant lands, represent a shift in perspective. Therefore, the conflict in the texts is that of cultural shifts. The poets havent just penned stories of veneration but also captured social tensions owing to trade, which exposed traditional communities to different ideas.
The Assam government on Sunday, April 12, moved the Supreme Court against anticipatory bail to senior Congress leader Pawan Khera in a case against him. The transit anticipatory bail was granted by Telangana High Court in a case for levelling allegations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife Riniki.

The petition was filed on Sunday through advocate Shuvodeep Roy and is likely to be taken up for hearing this week. Pawan Khera was granted bail on April 10 and given a week's time to file an application.

The high court had said, Without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, this court is of the view that the petitioner has made out a case for grant of limited transit anticipatory bail, as his apprehension of arrest appears to be reasonable and supported by material on record.

What were the conditions? The conditions were that the petitioner shall be released on bail in the event of arrest on his executing a personal bond for 1 lakh with two sureties for the like sum each, cooperate with the investigation and make himself available for interrogation as and when required by the Investigating Officer and that he shall not leave the country without prior permission of the competent Court.

The conditions further include that the petitioner shall, within the stipulated period, approach the competent jurisdictional court in Assam and seek appropriate relief and he, being a public figure, shall exercise restraint in making any further public statements in relation to the subject matter of the present case, which may prejudice the investigation, the order said.

What did Pawan Khera allege? On April 5, Pawan Khera claimed that Himanta's wife Riniki is linked to a United States-based firm in Wyoming . He said the company was valued at $34.67 billion and lists Himanta Biswa Sarma, Riniki and their son as members.

Pawan Khera further alleged that funds worth 52,000 crore are meant to be distributed among the three. He also alleged that he holds three passports.

Himanta's wife Rinki Bhuyan Sharma has a company in Wyoming, USA. The member list of this company includes Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and their son. This company's budget is 3,467 crore US dollars ($34.67 billion), with plans to open a hotel in America. Meanwhile, the money from the company that is to be distributed among just these three family members is 52,000 crore, he said at a press conference.
The Delhi Assembly received two bomb threat emails on Monday, 13 April, warning Brahmins to stay away from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the ruling regional party in Tamil Nadu, ahead of polls.

One threat email was received on the official ID of Vidhan Sabha Secretariat, and the other was sent to Speaker Vijender Gupta's email.

In the threat mail, the sender wrote in Hindi: No Brahmin should join the DMK. If he does, he must strip naked and chant Periyar Ambedkar Zindabad (long live Periyar Ambedkar). Only then will he be allowed to join us.

Mr S. V. Shekhar is a Brahmin who has joined DMK, the email threat said. Now your assembly will be blown up because you have sent him as a BJP Brahmin agent to South India and DMK.

Tamil Nadu will head to the polls in a single phase on 23 April, with counting scheduled for 4 May. The 2026 Assembly election is expected to see a contest between the ruling DMK, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and a new entrantTamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)led by actor Vijay.

In March this year, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta received a bomb threat mail which threatened to blow up the Assembly building as well as the Vidhan Sabha Metro Station in the national capital, hours before Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's Budget presentation.

Previous bomb threats to Delhi Assembly The bomb threat in March prompted a thorough inspection of the Delhi Assembly premises. News wire ANI also reported that a sniffer dog squad was deployed to carry out inspections.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday, April 13, arrested Vinesh Chandel in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged West Bengal coal scam, officials said. Vinesh Chandel is a director and co-founder of political consultancy firm I-PAC.

Vinesh Chandel was taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Delhi, they said. He was taken into custody after his properties in Delhi were raided by the law enforcement agency, PTI reported.

Apart from his premises, properties linked to another I-PAC co-founder and director Rishi Raj Singh in Bengaluru and of former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) communications in-charge Vijay Nair in Mumbai were also searched by the ED on April 2.

Earlier in January 2026, the agency had conducted raids at the I-PAC office and the Kolkata residence of its founder and one of the directors, Pratik Jain. This raids ended in a controversy after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the location during the raids along with state government officials.

When the ED moved the Supreme Court for allegedly obstruction in the probe incident, the top court termed the allegations as very serious and agreed to examine whether a state's law-enforcing agencies can interfere with any central agency's investigation into any serious offence.

ED had also filed a petition seeking a CBI probe against Mamata Banerjee, the West Bengal government, DGP Rajeev Kumar and top cops for allegedly obstructing the raids. The Supreme Court issued notices to the chief minister, Bengal government, the DGP and others over the petition.

The bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi said, According to us, adherence to the rule of law in the country and to allow each organ to function independently, it is necessary to examine the issue so that the offenders are not allowed to be protected under the shield of law-enforcing agencies of a particular state.

Larger questions are involved and have been raised, which, if allowed to remain undecided, would further worsen the situation, and there will be a situation of lawlessness prevailing in one or the other state, considering that different outfits are governing different places, the bench said.

The case The ED case stems from a November 2020 FIR of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that has alleged a multi-crore-rupee coal-pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in West Bengal's Kunustoria and Kajora areas, in and around Asansol.

The ED had said in a statement that a "hawala" operator linked to this alleged coal-smuggling ring had facilitated transactions of tens of crores of rupees to Indian PAC Consulting Private Limited, the registered company of I-PAC.
IT sector employees' body NITES on Monday approached the Ministry of Labour and Employment, calling for a detailed audit of POSH compliance at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), according to a report by news wire PTI. It also urged authorities to carry out a wider state-level audit across tech and ITES companies, especially large multinational organisations in Maharashtra.

NITES urged the ministry to take "immediate and decisive action" by directing a comprehensive and time-bound audit and inspection.

The letter to the labour ministry comes amid the charges of sexual harassment and allegations on forced religious conversion by eight female employees at TCS' office in Nashik.

On Sunday, India's largest IT services company said the firm has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form for a long time, confirming the suspension of employees allegedly involved in sexual harassment at its Nashik office.

What NITES said in its letter? Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate (NITES), in its letter to Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya  urged for a detailed audit of POSH  Prevention of Sexual Harassment at the workplace  compliance in TCS across all its establishments, including constitution, independence, and functioning of internal committees.

The IT employees' body has also demanded examination of all complaints of sexual harassment received, pending, or disposed of within the organisation (TCS) over the past several years, along with action taken, while calling for assessment of the role and accountability of Human Resources personnel and senior management in handling complaints and ensuring a safe workplace.

It also demanded "verification of whether employees were discouraged from reporting complaints or subjected to retaliation".

NITES has also highlighted the need for "a wider state level audit of POSH compliance across IT and ITES companies operating in Maharashtra, especially large multinational organisations."

It also called for issuance of strict directions fixing accountability on employers and management for failure to ensure a safe, lawful, and dignified workplace.

"The employees of this country contribute immensely to the growth of the IT sector and to the economy at large. They deserve workplaces that are safe, respectful, and compliant with the law," NITES said.

It added, "We, therefore, request the ministry to treat this matter with utmost urgency and seriousness, not only to address the present case but also to ensure that such incidents do not recur anywhere in the country".

Last week, the police formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the complaints lodged by eight employees, who claimed that senior colleagues mentally and sexually harassed them, and the human resources department turned a deaf ear to their complaints. The police have since arrested seven people, including the company's female HR manager.

The company, in a statement, said, "TCS has a long-standing zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form. We have always ensured the highest standards of safety and well-being of our employees at the workplace. As soon as we were made aware of the matter in Nashik, we took swift action."

The employees being investigated have been suspended pending enquiry, the company's spokesperson said, adding that the firm is cooperating with local law enforcement authorities and any further action will be based on the conclusion of this investigation.
The Bureau of Immigration had hiked the service fees for the Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), increasing it to 275 US dollars (approximately 25,700). The hiked service fee for OCI cardholders has come into effect from April 1, 2026. But that's not all. The revised fee depends on where the application is being submitted.

Under the revised framework, the application fee must be deposited in Indian currency or the corresponding equivalent in the local currency.

If you are filing the application within India, the application fee is set at 15,000. The official notification reads: In case of OCI application is submitted in India, a fee of Rs.15,000/- by way of Demand Draft drawn in favour of Pay and Accounts Officer (Secretariat), Ministry of Home Affairs payable at New Delhi.

If the OCI application is filed outside of India, 275 US dollars will be charged from the applicants. In case of OCI application to be submitted outside India, by way of Demand Draft for US $ 275 for each applicant or equivalent in local currency. For the amount of fee to be paid in local currency, please visit the web site of the respective Indian Mission/Post.

For the OCI cardholders who wish to update their documents will also need to deposit a certain fee. After turning 20 years of age, the cardholders who obtain a new passport will need to have their OCI card reissued once. The fee for which is USD 25 (approximately 1,400 in India). Same amount will be required if anyone needs to change some personal details.

Also Read | The surprising Indian link of Europes top powerbroker Antonio Costa

If you have lost your OCI card, you will be charged USD 100 (approximately 9,386) for reissuance. The Bureau of Immigration said in a post that the updates of passport details need to be done within three months of issuance of the new passport. If the passport details are updated after three months, a fee of of USD 25 ( 2,348 approximately) will be charged.

Renunciation of the OCI card is also charged at USD 25.

How to register for OCI cards? Application for the registration as an OCI can be made online. Before filling the application, instructions maybe perused so that there is no mistake in submission of application.

To apply for OCI registration, go to ociservices.gov.in/onlineOCI

Click on Click here to proceed

Enter your details and the captcha code, and hit register
(Bloomberg) -- Three tankers  the first to attempt a transit of the Strait of Hormuz since the US announced a blockade  have successfully cleared the waterway. After sailing near the Iranian coast, the trio have now emerged into open waters.

Meanwhile, the blockade appears to be deterring others, with at least two ships abandoning their planned journeys.

Among the successful transits, the New Future, which has no clear links to Iran, and the US-sanctioned Auroura began moving northeast early Monday from waters off the United Arab Emirates, ship-tracking data show. The medium-range tankers appeared to have taken a route just south of Irans Larak island, a passage that Tehran has in recent days said vessels attempting an eastward transit should follow.

New Future has navigated the bend in the strait and is now off the coast of Sohar port in Oman. Auroura is near the exit of the waterway in the Gulf of Oman.

At the same time, a Vietnam-flagged and owned liquefied petroleum gas carrier approached the strait in the opposite direction to enter the Persian Gulf. The NV Sunshine began sailing northward from waters off Sohar in the Gulf of Oman late Sunday and is now inside the gulf signaling its headed to Sharjah in the UAE.

The transits come just hours before the US implemented a blockade of the areas around the Strait of Hormuz, after talks between Tehran and Washington fell apart over the weekend. The restrictions  which apply to all vessels entering or departing Iranian ports or coastal areas and kicked in at 10 a.m. New York time on Monday  follow the Islamic Republics tightening grip on the vital waterway since the start of the war, which has caused maritime traffic to plunge.

Pressure from the impending US naval blockade appeared to disrupt commercial shipping later on Monday. The US-sanctioned oil products tanker Rich Starry appeared to turn back during its outbound transit near Irans Qeshm Island, while the China-linked bulk carrier Guan Yuan Fu Xing made a sudden U-turn on its inbound passage on the opposite side of the waterway.

Ship transits are being closely watched as the US and Iran vie for control over the chokepoint, through which around a fifth of the worlds oil used to flow. Vessels have been targeted or attacked by Tehran in recent weeks for their links to Western countries or ownership. Trumps latest move is aimed at challenging the Islamic Republics control of the strait and depriving it of energy revenue.

The New Future is carrying more than 330,000 barrels of gasoil that was loaded at Hamriyah, a port in the UAE, in early April. The vessel entered the gulf shortly before the start of the war in late February.

The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel is owned and managed by Hong Kong Chuanglang Shipping, according to maritime database Equasis. A call made to Chuanglangs listed phone number did not get through, with the operator saying it had not paid its phone bills. The company did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

The Panama-flagged Auroura is signaling that it has Indian crew on board, in what has become a commonly seen tactic that vessels use as they transit Hormuz to show their affiliations. The ship was sanctioned by the US in December for its links to the Iranian oil trade. Bloomberg News couldnt immediately verify where the tanker had loaded its cargo from. The ship has been in the gulf since December.

Its owner is listed as Aurora Shipowners Ltd., which is based in Mumbai and shares the same address as its manager, Golden Gate Ship Management. There were no contact details listed for either company.

Vietnam has recently said that its working with Iranian authorities to ensure safe passage of its vessels through Hormuz. NV Sunshine is owned and managed by Nhat Viet Transportation Corp., Equasis shows. The Ho Chi Minh City-based company did not immediately answer a call and an emailed request for comment.

--With assistance from Dan Murtaugh.

(Updates throughout with latest on Hormuz transits.)

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iran as a US naval blockade at the Strait of Hormuz is now in effect, saying any Iranian vessels approaching it would face immediate elimination.

Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump also claimed that Irans naval forces have suffered extensive losses.

Irans Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated - 158 ships, he said.

Fast attack ships not yet targeted The US President noted that a small number of Iranian vessels remain, but suggested they were not previously seen as a major threat.

What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, fast attack ships, because we did not consider them much of a threat, Trump wrote.

Quick and brutal military response Trump described the nature of potential US action in strong terms, comparing it to operations against maritime drug trafficking.

They will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal, he said.

Claims major drop in drug trafficking In the same post, Trump also highlighted what he described as a sharp decline in drug inflows via sea routes.

P.S. 98.2% of Drugs coming into the U.S. by Ocean or Sea have STOPPED! he added.

US moves to blockade Iranian ports The United States has vowed to enforce a sweeping naval blockade on Iran, targeting all its ports in a bid to pressure Tehran into reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz and accepting a peace deal.

The move has triggered sharp warnings from Iran, raising fears of a wider conflict and disruption to global trade.

All Iranian ports targeted in blockade plan US Central Command said the blockade would apply broadly across Irans coastline.

The enforcement would extend against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, covering ports along both the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

A maritime advisory also warned of heightened military activity in the region, noting that ships may encounter military presence while transiting nearby waters.

Iran issues warning: No port will be safe Iran responded with strong rhetoric, warning that escalation could impact the entire region.

Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for NO ONE NO PORT in the region will be safe, Iranian state media reported, citing military and Revolutionary Guard statements.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf delivered a direct message to Donald Trump: If you fight, we will fight.

Ceasefire holds but talks collapse The blockade comes after recent US-Iran talks failed to produce a lasting agreement.

Negotiations stalled over key issues, including Irans nuclear programme, sanctions relief and regional security demands.

US Vice President JD Vance said talks broke down after Iran refused to accept American conditions on halting nuclear development.
The House Ethics Committee has begun an investigation into whether Rep. Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, engaged in sexual misconduct involving an employee under his supervision, the panel announced on Monday (April 13).

The move comes just one day after Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor following the emergence of allegations he denies.

The committee stressed that the investigation itself does not indicate wrongdoing.

The mere fact that it is investigating these allegations does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, the panel said.

Campaign collapse after allegations surface Swalwell stepped back from the governors race amid allegations, including claims of sexual assault.

I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made  but thats my fight, not a campaigns, Swalwell said in a social media post.

Mounting bipartisan calls for resignation Pressure is building from lawmakers in both parties, with several calling for Swalwell to resign from Congress.

Discussions have also begun around a possible House vote to expel him, though no formal action has been scheduled.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Democrat of Washington, said both Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales should step down.

I think that this is very important that we believe women, she said on NBCs Meet The Press. And that we show people across the Capitol and across the country that we will not accept this kind of behavior.

Expulsion push enters congressional debate Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Republican of Florida, said she plans to file a motion to expel Swalwell, a move that could trigger counter-efforts from Democrats.

Rep. Byron Donalds, Republican of Florida, said he would support expulsion if such a vote reaches the House floor.

These things are just completely unacceptable, Donalds said. Both gentlemen need to go home.

Allegations detailed in media reports The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a woman accused Swalwell of sexual assault in 2019 and again in 2024, including incidents when she worked for him.

The report said she described being intoxicated and unable to consent in both cases and did not report the allegations to police due to fear of not being believed.

The newspaper also said it reviewed text messages and spoke with individuals she confided in.
President Donald Trump said the US Navy would begin the process of blockading vessels attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement came in a Truth Social post after Iran-US peace talks held this weekend in Islamabad failed.

The US Central Command said that the US would enforce the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 AM Eastern Time, which 7.30 PM Indian Standard Time on 13 April, Monday.

Also Read | Iran blockade: Trump pitches US oil exports as global energy crisis deepens

A US naval blockade of Iran will be a major, open-ended military endeavour that could trigger fresh retaliation from Tehran and put tremendous strain on an already fragile ceasefire, experts told news agencies.

Intelligence firm Lloyds List Intelligence says all vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has stopped following the latest escalation, according to news agency AP.

It reported that movement ceased after US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the US would impose a blockade on the waterway.

Is a blockade an act of war? Mint answers a few pertinent questions.

What would the US blockade mean? The blockade marks a shift from diplomacy toward a more coercive approach, warning that it could escalate tensions in West Asia.

According to the US Navy Commander's handbook on naval operations, a blockade is a belligerent operation to prevent vessels and/or aircraft of all States, enemy and neutral, from entering or exiting specified ports, airfields, or coastal areas belonging to, occupied by, or under the control of an enemy State.

President Trump said in his Truth Social post that the US Navy would begin the process of blockading the strait, "effective immediately". Later, he told Fox News the blockade "will take a little while, but will be effective pretty soon", and described it as an all or none policy.

Also Read | Iran War News LIVE Updates: Ship traffic appears to halt in Strait of Hormuz

Setting out the time for the act, the US Central Command said that the US would enforce the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 AM Eastern Time, which 7.30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST) on 13 April, Monday.

What did CENTCOM say? According to a CENTCOM statement on X, the blockade would be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman."

CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports, it said.

Additional information will be provided to commercial mariners through a formal notice prior to the start of the blockade. All mariners are advised to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and contact US naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches," CENTCOM said.

Is a blockade an act of war? Under international law, a blockade is widely regarded as an act of war. When a country-state uses force to prevent ingress or egress of vessels to another states ports, it is viewed as engaging in belligerent activity.

During the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, for example, the Kennedy Administration was careful to label its naval action to stop further deliveries by Soviet ships a "quarantine." The reason for this was that a "blockade" is an act of war under international law.

But this time, the Trump administration has directly called it a blockade.

A blockade is an act of war as per the Declaration Respecting Maritime Law adopted in Paris on 16 April 1856 and by articles 1-21 of the Declaration Concerning the Laws of Naval War adopted on 26 February 1909 in London.

The San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea (SRM) adopted on 12 June 1994 also provides some legal interpretation in paragraphs 67(a), 93-104, 146(f) and 153(f).

A blockade must comply with international humanitarian law (IHL) applicable in both international and non-international armed conflicts. This means respecting the principles of military necessity, distinction and proportionality, while protecting civilians and civilian objects.

What is a naval quarantine? A naval quarantine is a targeted maritime strategy in which a nation deploys naval vessels and aircraft off a foreign coast to prevent specific goodsparticularly military equipmentfrom entering or leaving.

Unlike a full blockade, a quarantine is a limited, coercive measure that restricts activity without formally declaring war.

So while a blockade is recognised as an act of war, a quarantine was used, as in 1962 by John F Kennedy, to justify a more limited blockade of offensive weapons.

Is blockade an Act of aggression?

This blockade marks a shift from diplomacy toward a more coercive approach.

View full Image View full Image The blockade of the ports or coasts of a State by the armed forces of another State qualifies as an act of aggression and is illegal under international law, according to UN General Assembly Resolution 3314.

The blockade of the ports or coasts of a State by the armed forces of another State qualifies as an act of aggression and is illegal under international law, according to UN General Assembly Resolution 3314.
US-Iran War Ceasefire: The US Central Command has said that the United States forces would enforce the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 am ET (7.30 PM IST) on 13 April.

The CENTCOM announcement came hours after President Donald Trump announced the naval blockade in a way escalating tensions with Iran after talks in failed to resolve disputes over Tehrans nuclear ambitions.

Also Read | Iran was inches away from a US deal in Islamabad, says Araghchi

The negotiators from the US and Iran failed to reach a deal to end the war in West Asia, which began on 28 February. A ceasefire of two weeks was announced last Tuesday.

President Trump said that Iran did not agree to the most crucial part of negotiations, which was to give up its nuclear ambitions, Trump said that Iran has laid out mines in the Strait of Hormuz and is extorting countries through it.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tehran was just inches away from an agreement with the United states during the weekend talks in Islamabad, Pakistan when it was faced with maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.

What Donald Trump said on the blockade? In a post on Truth Social, President Trump on Sunday announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Effective immediately, the United States Navy will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz. He added that the move aims to counter what he described as world extortion by Iran.

"I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," President Trump said adding that the US will also begin destroying the mines he said Iran has laid in the strait.

"Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!" he continued.

'Agreement on free passage at some point' President Trump also said that at some point an agreement on free passage will be reached, but "Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, 'There may be a mine out there somewhere,' that nobody knows about but them".

He added in another post that "Iran promised to open the Strait of Hormuz, and they knowingly failed to do so."

"As they promised, they better begin the process of getting this INTERNATIONAL WATERWAY OPEN AND FAST!" he said.

What would the US blockade mean?

A blockade as a belligerent operation to prevent vessels and/or aircraft of all States, enemy and neutral, from entering or exiting specified ports, airfields, or coastal areas belonging to, occupied by, or under the control of an enemy State, according to the US Navy Commander's handbook on naval operations.

President Trump had initially said the US Navy would begin the process of blockading the strait, "effective immediately". Later, he told US broadcaster Fox News the blockade "will take a little while, but will be effective pretty soon", and described it as an "all or none" policy.

The US Central Command said that the US would enforce the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 am Eastern Time which 7.30 PM Indian Standard Time on 13 April, Monday.

What CENTCOM said about the naval blockade? According to a CENTCOM statement on X, the blockade would be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports. it said.

Additional information will be provided to commercial mariners through a formal notice prior to the start of the blockade. All mariners are advised to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and contact US naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches," CENTCOM said.

The significance of Strait of Hormuz Last week, the US and Iran reached a ceasefire agreement, hours before Donald Trump's 'a whole civilization will die tonight' ultimatum, in case Iran failed to make a deal that included reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz.

The ceasefire came six weeks after the West Asia war began with joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Tensions escalated following the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the military strikes on 28 February.

In retaliation, Iran targeted Israeli and US assets across several Gulf countries, causing further disruptions to the waterway and impacting international energy markets as well as global economic stability, disrupting trade routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the worlds most critical oil transit chokepoints, has been at the center of rising tensions. The Straits geography has allowed Iran to use it as leverage throughout this war by selectively preventing vessels from passing through it and as a result spiking oil prices in the process.

Tehran has also been charging huge sums of money for some vessels to pass through, a report in BBC said.

What would be the impact? By closing off the strait, President Trump could cut off a source of revenue for the Iranian government. However, it could send oil and gas prices even higher.

Analysts quoted by international media said US president's statement is aimed at building pressure on Iran to make a deal on US terms.

Republican congressman Mike Turner of Ohio said on CBS' Face the Nation programme that the blockade was a means to force a resolution to the situation in Hormuz.

"The president, by saying we're not just going to let them decide who gets through, is certainly calling all of our allies and everyone to the table," he said. "This needs to be addressed."

Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN on Sunday that he "doesn't understand how blockading the strait is going to somehow push the Iranians into opening it."

As for the impact, President Trump's threat to blockade the strait will only affect a small handful of vessels that are still navigating the waterway, shipping expert Lars Jensen told the BBC.

"If this is actually done by the Americans, it will halt a very tiny trickle of vessels. In the greater scheme of things, it doesn't really change anything," he said.

Jensen, who is chief executive of Vespucci Maritime, told the BBC that Trump's threat of preventing safe passage for any ships paying tolls to Iran would also have little impact, as any company doing so would already face sanctions for paying the regime.

"First of all, there's very few ships that pass. There's even fewer of those that pay, and those that pay will already be subject to American sanctions," he says.

Present situation in Strait of Hormuz? As per the two-week long ceasefire in the US-Iran-Israel war agreed on 7 April, safe passage through the Strait to be guaranteed was one of conditions.

According to Intelligence firm Lloyds List Intelligence says all vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has stopped following the latest escalation, news agency AP reported. The movement ceased after US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that the US would impose a blockade on the waterway, the report said.

But ships in the region received messages that they would be "targeted and destroyed" if they attempted to cross the strait without permission, and only a few ships made the journey in the first three days after the ceasefire was announced, BBC reported

By 9.30 PM on 10 April, only 19 ships had been tracked passing through the strait since the ceasefire on 7 April, according to BBC Verify analysis of ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic.

Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!

On an average of 138 ships passed through the strait each day before the West Asia war began on 28 April.
US President Donald Trump said on Monday (April 13) that Iranian representatives had contacted Washington and expressed interest in reaching a deal amid escalating tensions in the Gulf.

The President remarked during a briefing to reporters at the Oval Office in the White House , they'd like to make a deal very badly.

Speaking outside the Oval Office, he added: Weve been called by the other side by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work a deal.

Trump did not identify who made the call or provide details of the discussions.

US insists Iran will not get nuclear weapon Reiterating his hardline stance, Trump said Iran would not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, he said. If they dont agree, theres no deal, therell never be a deal.

He added: We cant let a country blackmail or extort the world because thats what theyre doing.

Strait of Hormuz blockade in effect Trump confirmed that a US blockade of Iranian maritime routes began at 10 a.m. on Monday, including restrictions affecting access to the Strait of Hormuz.

The move comes as at least two tankers reportedly turned back after approaching the strategic waterway.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the blockade would be enforced broadly against vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports.

The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, CENTCOM said.

However, it added that neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to non-Iranian destinations would not be blocked.

Trump claims US is unaffected by strait closure Defending the operation, Trump said the United States is not dependent on the waterway.

We dont use this strait, he said. We have our own oil and gas, much more than we need.

He added that global reliance on the route made the issue far broader than US interests alone.

Tankers turn back as tensions escalate Early maritime tracking reports indicated that vessels approaching the Strait of Hormuz reversed course shortly after the blockade was announced.

MarineTraffic data suggested at least one tanker bound for China departed from the UAEs Sharjah anchorage before changing course.

Military warnings and escalation risk Trump warned that Iranian fast-attack ships approaching the blockade could be destroyed.

If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, he said.

He also claimed Irans navy had been completely obliterated, leaving only a small number of remaining vessels.

Iran and global reactions Iranian officials have dismissed the blockade as economic coercion. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called it a revenge of choice against the global economy.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned against escalation, stressing that freedom of navigation in the strait is protected under international law.

There is no military solution, his spokesperson said, calling for continued diplomatic engagement.

Ceasefire talks remain fragile The latest US-Iran talks in Pakistan ended without agreement, raising doubts over the future of a fragile ceasefire.

US officials said discussions remain ongoing, but major differences persist over nuclear restrictions and regional security guarantees.

The ceasefire, now in its final days, has left global markets on edge amid rising oil prices.

Also Read | Did Iran charge India toll for Hormuz ships? Envoy responds
The day after United States President Donald Trump announced his plan for a full naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid Irans threat to retaliate against ports of its Gulf neighbours, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer once again reiterated the country's position in the West Asia war.

Keir Starmer on Monday said that his country will not be part of a US blockade of Iranian ports. Speaking on BBC Radio, Keir Starmer said that we are not supporting the blockade and that the UK wouldn't be getting dragged into the war.

Meanwhile, a German spokesperson appeared confused about what the United States would block, as negotiations between the American and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, Pakistan, failed.

What the UK and Germany said Apart from reiterating the UK's position on the Iran war, Starmer also maintained that the efforts remain focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping route, whose closure has sent oil and other commodity prices soaring.

He also spoke with Donald Trump and said Britain would send minesweepers to the strait. It had earlier said that Britain would help with the Strait of Hormuz only after the fighting stops.

Starmer said all Britain's military capability is focused on getting the Strait "fully open". The UK is working with dozens of other countries on plans to restore security to shipping through the key oil route after the conflict.

Germany, on the other hand, seemed confused. A German spokesperson said the government is assuming the US will launch a blockade of Iranian ports and not Hormuz.

Turkey's foreign minister raised concerns on Monday about Iran or the United States proposing new regulations for transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and said he saw difficulties with proposals to reopen the waterway with an international force.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, There are many difficulties in intervening here with an international armed force. Especially as the war continues, how much will it narrow or expand? We see that many countries are not keen on this. The problem is whether there will be proposals on new regulations from now on, particularly from Iran, he said.

What Trump said On Truth Social on Sunday, 12 April, Donald Trump announced that the US Navy will begin blockading all ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.

He said, Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.

At some point, we will reach an ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, There may be a mine out there somewhere, that nobody knows about but them. THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted. I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits, he mentioned further.
Marking his first 100 days in office, New York City (NYC) Mayor Zohran Mamdani, on 12 April, at a campaign-style rally, highlighted his administration's early achievements and unveiled three new priorities, Detroit News reported.

Mamdani used the event to highlight a shift in focus, from ambitious campaign promises to what he calls "pothole politics", emphasising practical, everyday improvements for New Yorkers.

What are Mamdani's three new priorities? According to the report, the NYC mayor listed three new priorities for the city as his administration completed 100 days in office. The priorities include:

1. Opening the city's first city-run grocery store by 2027. According to The New York Times, the mayor plans to spend about $30 million to build the store at La Marqueta, a city-owned marketplace beneath elevated train tracks in a predominantly Latino neighbourhood.

2. The Department of Sanitation will containerise all residential trash across the five boroughs by the end of 2031.

3. The Department of Transportation will launch an initiative to reduce bus commute times by 20% along dozens of key corridors.

Speaking at the event, Mamdani said, "We will containerise all trash at all residential properties," adding that "there will be at least one fully containerised community district in each borough by the end of next year. We will begin aggressively rolling out new containers to store that trash, and new trucks to pick it up. And we will accomplish fully citywide containerisation by the end of 2031," a media report quoted him as saying.

Also Read | Traitor: Republicans fume as Sliwa reunites with Mamdani for comedy skit

Commenting on the development of a city-run grocery store, the 34-year-old democratic socialist noted, "During our campaign, we promised New Yorkers that we would create a network of five city-owned grocery stores, one in each borough. Today, we make good on that promise." He added that his administration would install all five by the end of his first term.

The mayor said the bus project aims to cut wait times by 20% across 45 busy corridors. He also noted that moving trash from bags into containers, an initiative launched by former mayor Eric Adams, has yet to receive funding for a citywide rollout.

Some other victories of the Mamdani administration According to an Al Jazeera report, Mamdani's first 100 days in the office were marked by some major victories, including delivering on one of his signature promises- universal childcare. And now, he is unveiling a plan to add at least 2,000 seats in daycare centres, starting in lower-income neighbourhoods, with the promise of taking the burden of expensive childcare off New Yorkers' shoulders.

Reports suggest that childcare wins benefited both Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul, as it advanced a shared priority without requiring any tax increases. Together, they secured $1.2 billion for the initiative from existing state revenue streams in the 2026 fiscal-year budget.

He recently gained public support after his administration proposed an initiative to repair the citys potholes. By early April, the city had filled 100,000 potholes, a milestone reached on Monday. He said, "One of the reasons we focus so much on filling 100,000 potholes across the city is that its symptomatic of a city government that can actually take care of even the smallest tasks in New Yorkers lives, to prove that we can be trusted to take on the biggest problems in their lives as well."

Recently, he also released a preliminary citywide Racial Equity Plan (REP) and a True Cost of Living (TCOL) measure. REP is his administration's first government-wide racial equity framework in the citys history. It outlines data-driven agency goals, strategies, and indicators to address long-standing disparities across public policy.
Dhirendra Kumar

Dhirendra Kumar is a seasoned policy reporter with about 20 years of experience in deep, on-ground reporting across key economic and governance sectors. His work spans finance, public expenditure, disinvestment, public sector enterprises, textiles, trade, consumer affairs, and agriculture, with a strong focus on uncovering structural policy shifts and their real-world impact.<br><br>Kumar has been awarded the Chaudhary Charan Singh Award for Excellence in Journalism in Agricultural Research and Development, recognising his contribution to reporting on critical issues in the farm sector. He has also been a recipient of a fellowship in international trade from the National Press Foundation, which has further strengthened his coverage of global trade dynamics and their implications for India.<br><br>Kumar is known for breaking complex policy developments into clear, accessible stories. His reporting focuses on uncovering under-reported trends, explaining policy shifts, and helping readers stay informed about developments that shape Indias economic landscape.
Australia on Monday, announced Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, as the chief of army  marking the first time in the nation's history, that a woman will lead from such a position.

Announcing her appointment  Australian defence minister  Richard Marles, described Coyle as a standout candidate to lead the army, mentioned a report by The Guardian.

When does Susan Coyle's tenure start? Lieutenant General Susan Coyle is currently the chief of joint capabilities.

She will become the chief of Australian army in July 2026  the government said in a statement.

"From July, we will have the first ever female chief of army in the Australian Army's 125-year history," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.

Lieutenant General Coyle replaces Lieutenant General Simon Stuart.

Meanwhile, the current chief of navy, V Adm Mark Hammond, has been promoted to chief of defence force, replacing the retiring Adm David Johnston.

Susan Coyle education Lieutenant General Coyle holds three post-graduate masters degrees and is a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Army War College and an alumnus of the Harvard Advanced Management Program, mentions the Australian government's website.

Lieutenant General Coyle has worked in tactical, operational and strategic levels and is fortunate to have had multiple opportunities to command.

Her previous key appointments include: Head Information Warfare, Commander Forces Command, Commander Joint Task Force 633, Commander 6th Brigade, Commander Task Group Afghanistan and Commanding Officer 17th Signal Regiment.

Coyle has also commanded troops on deployment to Timor Leste, Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and the Middle East  the Australian government's website mentioned.

How many women are part of Australian Defence Force? According to a report by Reuters, Coyle's appointment comes as Australia's military seeks to boost the number of female officers in its ranks. It faces a wave of allegations of systematic sexual harassment and discrimination.
Days after high-stakes negotiations between the US and Iran in Pakistan failed, Axios on Monday (local time) reported that Pakistani, Egyptian, and Turkish mediators will continue talks with the two sides.

The mediators will try to bridge the remaining gaps and reach an agreement to end the war before the two-week ceasefire ends, the report noted, citing sources.

The development comes three days after the US and Iranian delegations met in Islamabad, after a two-week ceasefire was announced by US President Donald Trump. The negotiations, which lasted for over 21 hours, reportedly concluded on the morning of 12 April, without an agreement. Both sides blamed each other for failing to complete negotiations. While Vice President JD Vance-led US delegation stated that Tehran refused to accept Washington's terms regarding the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear programme, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused Washington of being unable to garner the complete trust of the Islamic Republic's delegation.

Parties believe a deal is possible As per the report, all parties still believe a deal is possible. The mediators are now hoping that narrowing the gaps could help ensure another round of negotiations before the ceasefire ends on 21 April.

According to state broadcaster IRIB, on 12 April, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said that nobody expected to reach an agreement in just a single session. He noted, Naturally, from the beginning, we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation.

He, however, did express confidence that the contacts between the Islamic Republic and Pakistan and other allies in the region would continue.

Trump considers striking Iran again Citing sources, Axios reported that a deal before the ceasefire ends could prove beneficial since Trump is considering resuming strikes if a naval blockade doesn't compel Tehran to change course.

Hours after the deal failed, Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran, threatening to blockade the Strait of Hormuz. In a post on Truth Social on 12 April, he wrote, "The United States to Blockade Ships Entering or Exiting Iranian Ports on April 13 at 10:00 AM ET." [sic] This would mean the blockade would start at 5:30 pm in Iran and around 7:30 pm (IST).

The fresh targets, if Iran doesn't change course, could reportedly include infrastructure that Trump threatened to attack before the ceasefire was announced.

A US official said the blockade, like Washingtons decision to step away from the Pakistan talks, should be seen as part of the broader negotiation process. The official added that Trumps objective is to stop Iran from using the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining tool in those discussions.

Both sides are bargaining Citing a regional source, the report said, "We are not in a complete deadlock. The door is not closed yet. Both sides are bargaining. It's a bazaar."

The US official told Axios that a deal could be reached if Tehran decides to show some flexibility and recognises that the Islamabad proposal is the "best it will get."

Main gaps between US and Iran The main gaps during the 21-hour negotiations between the two sides in Pakistan focused mainly on the nuclear issue, the report said. While one gap was regarding the US demands that Tehran freeze uranium enrichment and give up on its stockpile of highly enriched Uranium, another was regarding the amount of frozen money the Islamic Republic wants Washington to release in return for its nuclear concession.

Islamabad talks didn't fail: Iran's ambassador to Pakistan Iran's ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, who participated in the negotiations, in a post on X wrote that the Islamabad talks didn't fail, but laid the foundation for a diplomatic process. He added, "If trust and will are strengthened, [we] can create a sustainable framework for the interests of all parties."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the parties were inches away from reaching a deal before the US shifted the goalposts. While sources did not confirm this claim, they acknowledged that some progress had been made.

After the negotiations concluded in Islamabad on 12 April, the Turkish and Egyptian foreign ministers reportedly held separate phone calls with their counterparts in Pakistan, following which they spoke to White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Tehran's foreign minister Araghchi.
US President Donald Trump launched a sweeping and deeply personal assault on Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, targeting the first American pope over his criticism of US military action in Iran and Venezuela, an extraordinary public feud between the leader of the free world and the leader of the Catholic Church.

Trump Attacks Pope Leo XIV The attack came in a lengthy post on Truth Social, followed swiftly by remarks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, where Trump arrived aboard Air Force One. In both instances, the president was unsparing.

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump wrote, in what became the defining line of a tirade that ran to several hundred words and touched on immigration, nuclear weapons, Venezuela, COVID-era church closures and the pope's brother.

Also Read | Vatican cancels White House invite for Pope Leo XIV amid Trump-era threat claims

Speaking to reporters shortly afterwards, Trump was equally blunt. "I don't think he's doing a very good job," he said, adding, "I'm not a fan of Pope Leo."

The remarks marked a dramatic escalation of tensions between the White House and the Vatican that began when Leo publicly condemned the US-led war on Iran. This conflict has reshaped the geopolitical order across the Middle East and beyond.

What Triggered Trump's Attack on Pope Leo XIV The immediate provocation appears to have been a prayer service Leo presided over at St Peter's Basilica on Saturday, the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire.

Without naming Trump or the United States, Leo denounced the "delusion of omnipotence" driving the conflict and demanded that political leaders halt hostilities and negotiate peace.

Pope Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St Peters Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan, and as a fragile ceasefire held.

Also Read | Hegseth compares Easter rescue of US airman to Resurrection of Christ

The first US-born pope didnt mention the United States or Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leos tone and message appeared directed at Trump and US officials, who have boasted of American military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Leo said. Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!

In the first weeks of the war, the Chicago-born Leo was initially reluctant to condemn the violence and limited his comments to muted appeals for peace and dialogue. But Leo stepped up his criticism starting on Palm Sunday. And this week, he said Trumps threat to annihilate Iranian civilization was truly unacceptable and called for dialogue to prevail.

The Vatican is particularly concerned about the spillover of Israels war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, given the plight of Christian communities in the south.

Trump's Full Tirade: Iran, Venezuela, COVID and the Pope's Brother

View full Image View full Image After criticism of Pope Leo, Trump posts image depicting himself as Jesus

The post was remarkable both for its length and for the range of grievances it catalogued. Trump accused Leo of defending Iran's right to develop nuclear weapons, of opposing US military action against Venezuela, which Trump described as a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country, and of failing to speak out when governments restricted religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"He talks about 'fear' of the Trump Administration, but doesn't mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart," Trump wrote.

In a passage that drew immediate attention, Trump claimed credit for Leo's elevation to the papacy itself. "If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican," he wrote, asserting that the Church had selected an American pope specifically to manage relations with his administration.

He then turned to Leo's brother, Louis, offering a pointed comparison. "I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn't."

Trump also criticised Leo for meeting with David Axelrod, the Democratic strategist and former adviser to Barack Obama, whom Trump described as "a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested."

Trump Says He Was Elected to Act  and Will Not Be Lectured by the Vatican At the core of Trump's argument was a defence of his electoral mandate and a rejection of papal authority over American foreign policy.

"I don't want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History," he wrote.

Also Read | The quiet American: How Pope Leo is pushing back against Trump

He concluded with a direct instruction to the head of the world's largest Christian denomination: "Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It's hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it's hurting the Catholic Church."

READ THE FULL TEXT OF DONALD TRUMP'S POST Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about fear of the Trump Administration, but doesnt mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesnt! I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I dont want a Pope who thinks its terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasnt on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leos Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. Its hurting him very badly and, more importantly, its hurting the Catholic Church! President DONALD J. TRUMP

The Iran War: Geopolitical Context Behind the Trump-Vatican Clash The US-led military campaign against Iran, conducted alongside Israel, grew out of a protracted standoff over Tehran's nuclear programme. The two allies launched air strikes against the Iranian military, leadership and energy infrastructure.

Also Read | Pope Leo XIV is starting to correct some of Francis more problematic financial decisions

The conflict triggered a closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world's oil normally flows. Trump's administration has justified its war on Iran on security and ideological grounds, with the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, framing it in explicitly religious terms, a posture that has drawn sharp criticism from European allies and, most visibly, from the Vatican.

Venezuela Sanctions and the Immigration Dispute Fuelling the Feud Iran is not the only fault line between the White House and Rome. Trump's administration has tightened sanctions on Venezuela and authorised direct military pressure on Caracas, secured the abduction and subsequent arrest of President Nicolas Maduro himself, on charges of narco-trafficking and the deliberate export of convicted criminals to the United States. The Venezuelan government has denounced the arrest as an illegal act of imperial aggression; Washington has framed it as long-overdue accountability.

Also Read | Pope Leo XIV is starting to correct some of Francis more problematic financial decisions
Iran US War highlights: Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Iranian security forces had full control over the Strait of Hormuz and warned enemies would be trapped in a "deadly vortex" in case of any wrong move, AFP reported. US President Donald Trump said that the U.S. Navy would quickly impose a blockade on vessels entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz after ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad failed to produce an agreement.

What is a naval blockade?

The U.S. Navys 2022 Commanders Handbook on the Law of Naval Operations defines a blockade as a wartime action in which a belligerent operation to prevent vessels and/or aircraft of all States, enemy and neutral, from entering or exiting specified ports, airfields, or coastal areas belonging to, occupied by, or under the control of an enemy State.

What would the impact be?

The BBC reported that Lars Jensen, chief executive of Vespucci Maritime, said Trumps warning about blocking safe passage for ships that pay tolls to Iran would likely have a limited practical effect.

"First of all, there's very few ships that pass. There's even fewer of those that pay, and those that pay will already be subject to American sanctions," he told BBC.

Iran War News LIVE Updates: What happened in the last few hours?

Iran's navy chief Shahram Irani called Trump's threat "ridiculous and funny", according to state TV, adding the country's military was "monitoring and supervising all the movements of the aggressive American army in the region". (AFP) China urges calm and restraint on all sides, a spokesperson for its foreign ministry said on Monday, when asked about U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to launch a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after talks with Iran failed, Reuters reported. Oil prices rose in early market trading Sunday after the U.S. said it would blockade Iranian ports beginning Monday. The price of U.S. crude oil rose 8% to $104.24 a barrel, and Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose 7% to $102.29, AP reported. Brent crude has swung dramatically during the Iran war, rising from roughly $70 per barrel before the war in late February to more than $119 at times. On Friday, ahead of the peace talks, Brent for June delivery fell 0.8% to $95.20 per barrel, AP reported. UK has refused to show support to Trump blockade, while Germany looks confused on it. It has assumed that the US would blockade ports, and not the Strait of Hormuz.

Get all Iran War News LIVE Updates here on Mint!
In other words, friction, repetition and struggle are how people learn. Removing too much of that may reshape how minds develop in ways we do not yet understandeven in adults. More long-term research is needed. But that uncertainty alone should be reason enough for caution before these tools are rolled out to children whose brains are still developing. The money pouring into pilot programmes might be better spent hiring human teachers.
Democratic health, however, cannot be aggregated in the same way as GDP. To understand why, imagine a world in which every country is democratic. Now, suppose that a major power goes rogue and begins to undermine the rights of individuals in other countries while maintaining its own domestic democratic institutions. In such a scenario, even though each countrys own score remains unchanged, global democracy would clearly decline.
There is a vacuum in that space now because the power contradictions within the UN have grown too large to pretend that it is still effective. Europes blinkered approach to West Asia and its cravenness towards Washington put paid to any hope of the international community of the past weighing in on the present crises. Structures like Brics+ and the Global South, which are motley groups of countries with no shared geographies, interests or values, have also been exposed as ineffective or irrelevant in the face of this serious global crisis.
Apple is working on Meta-style display-free smart glasses, and the Cupertino-based tech giant could be developing at least four different frame styles for the upcoming AI-powered wearable, as per a report by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The report notes that the wearables have been internally codenamed "N50" and could be unveiled by the end of this year or early next year, with the actual release date in 2027.

Also Read | Meta makes Instagram reels shoppable. What it means for creators and brands

What to expect from Apple's smart glasses? Just like Meta Ray-Ban glasses, Apple's smart glasses will reportedly be designed to handle everyday requirements of users, including capturing photos and videos, syncing with an iPhone for editing and sharing, handling phone calls, listening to music, hearing notifications, and hands-free interaction with a voice assistant. The assistant in question will reportedly be the upcoming version of Siri, which could be revealed with iOS 27 in June.

Also Read | Pixel users report phones freezing on startup screen after latest Google update

Reportedly, the glasses are part of a three-pronged AI wearables strategy for Apple, which will also include new AirPods and a camera-equipped pendant. Gurman notes that each of these devices is designed to leverage computer vision to interpret the user's surroundings and feed contextual awareness into Apple Intelligence. This is expected to lead to features like improved turn-by-turn map directions and visual reminders.

Unlike Meta, which relies heavily on its partnership with EssilorLuxottica, Apple is said to be planning to handle the design of its smart glasses entirely in-house to offer a higher-end build quality. This approach from Apple will also be different from the likes of Google and Samsung, which are using Warby Parker for the frames of the glasses.

Also Read | UK regulators rush to assess risks of latest Anthropic AI model, FT reports

Reportedly, Apple's design team has created at least four different styles and plans to launch all of them in many colour options. The units are reportedly made of acetate, which is known as a premium material that is more durable and luxurious than standard plastic used by most brands.

According to the report, Apple is currently testing the following four designs:
GTA 6 maker Rockstar Games has confirmed that it suffered a data breach linked to a third-party provider. The company, however, noted that there will be no impact from the attack on Rockstar Games or its players.

The breach has been linked to the infamous ransomware hacker group ShinyHunters, which has also given Rockstar Games time till 14 April to pay a ransom or it will put the stolen data up for sale.

Also Read | Pixel users report phones freezing on startup screen after latest Google update

In a statement to Kotaku, the GTA 6 maker said, We can confirm that a limited amount of non-material company information was accessed in connection with a third-party data breach. This incident has no impact on our organisation or our players.

ShinyHunters warning to Rockstar Games: The ransomware group reportedly posted a message on Saturday taking responsibility for the leak. The group wrote, Rockstar Games, your Snowflake instances were compromised thanks to Anodot.com. Pay or leak. This is a final warning to reach out by 14 Apr 2026 before we leak, along with several annoying (digital) problems thatll come your way. Make the right decision, dont be the next headline.

The group has previously been linked to ransomware attacks on other major companies such as Google, Gucci, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton, IKEA, Adidas, McDonald's, KFC, and Walgreens.

During the Rockstar attack, the group reportedly gained access to the company via a third-party cloud cost monitoring and analytics software service, Anodot.

It's not yet clear what kind of data ShinyHunters has access to, but reports suggest that the hack could have targeted corporate data rather than player information. As per a report by The Verge, the possible leaked data could include financial records, marketing data, or contracts with companies like Sony and Microsoft.

Also Read | OpenAI, Anthropic contractor Mercor targeted in major security breach

Notably, this is not the first time that Rockstar Games has suffered a cybersecurity attack. In 2022, the company had suffered a major security breach which was carried out by an 18-year-old member of the hacking collective LAPSUS$.

The attacker was able to gain access to the company's Slack service to gain access to the data. It led to over 90 early development videos of GTA 6 being leaked online, giving the first glimpse at the popular open-world title. The hackers had also reportedly stolen the source code for GTA 5 and GTA 6 and tried to blackmail Rockstar for their return.
Meta is developing a photorealistic, artificial intelligence-powered 3D version of its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, to engage with employees in his place, according to a report by the Financial Times. The initiative is said to be a part of the company's multibillion-dollar strategic pivot to remake the technology group around generative AI.

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg AI: Reportedly, Meta has been working on photorealistic, AI-powered 3D characters that users can interact with in real time, and the company recently began prioritising a Zuckerberg AI character.

The AI character is being trained on Zuckerberg's mannerisms, voice, tone, publicly available statements, and his recent thinking regarding company strategy. The Meta CEO is said to be personally involved in the training and testing of the animated AI, which can offer conversation and feedback to employees, allowing them to feel more connected to the founder.

The project is said to be at an early stage and is separate from the previously reported "CEO agent," which is being built specifically to assist Zuckerberg with his own operational tasks, such as rapid information retrieval.

Technology behind Meta's Zuckerberg agent: Metas Superintelligence Labs has reportedly been focusing heavily on creating photorealistic embodiments of virtual AI characters. However, scaling the effort has proven technically difficult since the technology requires large amounts of computing power to achieve realism, while eliminating interaction lag requires massive amounts of computing power.

Also Read | Pixel users report phones freezing on startup screen after latest Google update

The social media behemoth has also been focusing on improving voice interactions with the characters, and it also acquired two voice-focused companies, PlayAI and WaveForms, last year.

The Zuckerberg AI character is being trained on images of the Meta CEO along with his voice. Reportedly, if the experiment is successful, the company plans to eventually offer the underlying technology to influencers and creators so they can build high-fidelity AI versions of themselves.

Notably, Meta had earlier rolled out its AI Studio that allowed creators to build AI versions of themselves to chat with their fans.

Growing use of AI at Meta: Meta has reportedly been pushing employees to use AI internally for streamlining processes and becoming more efficient. The FT report notes that employees are being encouraged to use agentic tools from OpenClaw to design their own AI agents and automate tasks. Created by Peter Steinberger, the AI agent platform had gone viral earlier this year and later led to its creator being recruited by OpenAI.

Moreover, product managers have also been invited to complete a new AI-focused "skills baseline exercise" that includes technical system design testing and "vibe coding". The exercise has reportedly sparked internal fears of impending job cuts among some employees, but Meta maintains that the test is not mandatory and is strictly designed to identify where product managers require additional training and development.
Amazon is reportedly developing a new initiative internally dubbed Project Houdini to radically accelerate the construction of the data centres powering the artificial intelligence boom. According to internal documents reported by Business Insider, the new Amazon initiative aims to move much of the construction process off-site into factories, turning the core server rooms into a set of large, preassembled modules.

Project Houdini to cut months of time Amazon reportedly expects Project Houdini to drastically reduce the time taken for Amazon Web Services (AWS) to bring new computing capacity online, while eliminating tens of thousands of on-site labour hours. In his recent annual shareholder letter, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said the company still faces capacity constraints that yield unserved demand.

One of the documents reported by Business Insider said, Given the need for accelerated DC delivery we have been exploring solutions to take various DC build scopes to a factory setting."

Also Read | UK regulators rush to assess risks of latest Anthropic AI model, FT reports

The rise of artificial intelligence has led to a major push to expand the infrastructure powering the technology at an unprecedented scale, with Amazon alone spending around $20 billion on capital expenditure, much of it being linked to AWS data centres. However, the report notes that building these massive facilities currently remains a slow and complex task.

According to leaked internal documents, building a data hall (the main server space) is largely a "stick-built" on-site process that requires workers to install racks, wire power systems, and run cabling in sequence. This traditional process can demand 60,000 to 80,000 labour hours and take roughly 15 weeks before servers can even be installed.

How Houdini can drastically cut down time to build data centres: With Project Houdini, Amazon is reportedly aiming to ease these constraints by shifting more work into controlled factory environments, standardising builds, reducing errors and relying less on local labour markets. The report notes that AWS could, over time, transform how it develops data centres by relocating much of the core construction work off-site.

Amazon is said to be looking to build large sections of the data hall, known as "skids," in controlled factory environments. Each module, roughly the size of a semi-trailer (about 45 feet long and weighing around 20,000 pounds), could arrive on-site with racks, power distribution, cabling, lighting and fire and security systems already installed.

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The leaked internal estimates show that this new approach could allow AWS to begin installing servers within just two to three weeks of construction starting, down from around 15 weeks under traditional methods. This means the new approach could end up eliminating up to 50,000 on-site electrician hours in the process.
The Antiquarian Book Mart, founded and operated by the same family behind the Half Price Books on Broadway, is set for demolition. It's stood on Broadway for over 100 years and operated as the book mart for nearly half of that time. Zachary-Taylor Wright/MySA

After standing proudly along one of San Antonios largest corridors for 102 years, and housing one of two iconic bookstores for over half a century, a historic building is coming down. For two years, for lease signs hung over the abandoned structure, broken glass and bottles strewn about in front, before the newest owners  a massive Broadway developer  got approval to demolish it.

For 55 years, Antiquarian Book Mart was filled to the brim with reading material collected from the far flung corners of the globe, compiled into a collection by Frank Kellel during his time in the Army. He stocked collectors items, rarities and antiques, offering a counterpart to his other building  Half Price Books.

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We would go together to these wonderful libraries over the years, his son, Robert Kellel, told MySA after his passing in 2016. It was like walking into an Aztec temple  it was a treasure hunt.

Bob Kellel took over the business his later father founded, running both the Antiquarian and the discount bookshop until 2023. Thats when he sold the properties to Glenn Huddleston, adding to the expansive portfolio of Harper/Huddleston Inc. which owns at least a dozen properties along Broadway between East Mulberry Avenue and Parun Way. The company collection picks back up further down Broadway past Pearl.

The San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation approved the demolition of the old Antiquarian Book Mart, located at 3127 Broadway, which stands looking like a shell of its former self. In fact, both former bookstores have seen better days. Busted windows, taggers marks in colorful spray paint and trash litter all show the lack of love shown to the buildings over the past two or three years. Now, demolition signs have joined the saddening landscape of the Antiquarian Book Mart walls.

The Antiquarian Book Mart, founded and operated by the same family behind the Half Price Books on Broadway, is set for demolition. It's stood on Broadway for over 100 years and operated as the book mart for nearly half of that time. Zachary-Taylor Wright/MySA

The building had a long life before its most recent and final venture under the Kellel family. In fact, it had been there for 52 years before, when it was built in 1924 according to the earliest records found by the developers seeking to tear it down. However, its been listed in a San Antonio directory as early as 1922.

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Deconstruction services, led by Emily Lowry of Rehabber Club, are clearly underway. Pieces of the wood that once made up the craftsman-style building are piled up at the back underneath a brightly colored mural thats sat devoid of guests for years.

While two separate buildings, the Antiquarian Book Mart and the Half Price Bookstore, located at 3072 Broadway, went hand in hand. Both buildings were bought by the Kellel family about 50 years ago. The loss of the businesses continues to weigh heavy on the hearts of locals.

Im deeply saddened. I went to that bookstore for over 20 years, Marlee Malone told MySA.

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It seems the vacancy of the bookstores is still felt in the neighborhoods they once served.

With Half-Price Books gone, the building has lost its soul, Lissa Bengtson said.
Mugshot of Francisco Xavier Rico, 22, arrested April 13, 2026, in Laredo, Texas. Police said he is a correctional officer charged with driving while intoxicated. Courtesy/Webb County Sheriff's Office The entrance to the Dolph Briscoe Unit is shown in a Google Maps image in Dilley, Texas. Police said a correctional officer assigned to the unit was arrested April 13, 2026, in Laredo on a DWI charge. Courtesy/Google Maps

A correctional officer was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol concentration of nearly twice the legal limit, according to the Laredo Police Department.

Officers responded at about 1:57 a.m. April 13 to a man down report in the 2100 block of South Meadow Avenue.

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A driver, identified as 22-year-old Francisco Xavier Rico, was found at the scene and requested medical attention.

After being medically cleared, officers began a driving while intoxicated investigation.

Rico had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.157, police said. The legal limit in Texas is 0.08.

He was charged with driving while intoxicated with a BAC of 0.15 or higher, a Class A misdemeanor.

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During booking procedures, Rico was reportedly belligerent and insulted an officer.

Rico told officers he is a correctional officer assigned to the Dolph Briscoe Unit for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Dilley, according to police.

Jail records show Rico was booked into Webb County Jail and remained in custody as of Monday afternoon.
Let the Right One In is performed at Laredo Little Theatre. Residents can catch a performance of Rock of Ages at the theater this week as part of local events. Courtesy/PMDG Marketing Communications

Laredo is bringing a sense of community and music to liven up the time between work, school and everything in between this week.

From creative activities to live music and classic rock, here are five things to do in Laredo this week.

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Craft & Connect: Spring

Tuesday, 6-7 p.m., Joe A. Guerra Laredo Public Library, 1120 E. Calton Rd.

Adults looking for a creative space to connect with others are invited to the Laredo Public Libraries Craft & Connect event. On select Tuesdays, the event will feature a new art or craft project for residents to try while socializing with others. All materials are provided while supplies last.

Guests can register at laredolibrary.org.

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Teen Volunteer Program at MOS

Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 p.m., McKendrick, Ochoa & Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St.

Incoming fifth- through 12th-grade students looking to earn community service hours are invited to sign up for the Teen Volunteer Program, where they can participate in weekly activities including arts and crafts, movie parties and game nights on select Wednesdays.

Registration is required at laredolibrary.org.

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Rock of Ages

Thursday, 8 p.m., Laredo Little Theatre, 4802 Thomas Ave.

Laredo Little Theatre is presenting its spring show, Rock of Ages, directed by Gigi Caballero de Flores and produced by A.B. Barrera as part of the theaters 115th anniversary celebration. The production takes audiences back to the 1980s, featuring hits from Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Bon Jovi, Poison, Twisted Sister and Whitesnake.

Tickets are available at ticketleap.com.

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Jazz Night

Thursday, 8 p.m., Casa Azul

Casa Azul will host Jazzadelics this week, featuring music by Luis Angel Perez performing swing and Latin jazz. Reservations are not required.

Digital Drvgs at Hals

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Thursday, 9:30 p.m., Hals

The sounds of Californian, Mexican and Texan post-pop punk music are coming to Laredo, with Sunshine State-based band Digital Drvgs set to headline. Also taking the stage are Grizz Cll, Nuevo Laredo-based Mors Sit Somnia and Harlingen band Chapter Black.

Pre-sale tickets are $7 and can be purchased via Cash App at $missgolden956. Tickets are $10 at the door for those 21 and up and $13 for minors.
Crystal Huggins is a 2023 graduate of Delta College with an associates degree in electronic media broadcasting. During her time at Delta, she gained hands-on experience in media production and was recognized for her academic achievements, earning multiple honors. She has worked as a news producer and anchor for NEWSnet, where she delivered daily broadcasts for audiences in Hawaii, Northern Michigan, and Los Angeles. She also has experience in radio broadcasting, having served as a morning show producer and on-air personality for MacDonald Broadcasting. A mid-Michigan resident, Crystal is passionate about storytelling, multimedia content creation, and engaging audiences through digital and social media platforms.
WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES - APRIL 6: The United States President Donald Trump holds a Press Conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 6, 2026, in Washington DC, United States. (Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images) Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images

An AI-generated image posted by President Donald Trump depicting himself in a Christ-like healing pose has triggered a wave of national backlash, while Texas' most powerful political leaders have so far remained publicly silent.

The image, shared on Truth Social over the weekend, shows Trump in a red robe extending his hand over a figure in a staged scene framed by an American flag, bald eagles and a dramatic, almost biblical sky. It quickly spread across social media, where critics condemned it as blasphemous and politically reckless, while supporters insisted it was symbolic imagery taken out of context.

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Despite the uproar, Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Attorney General Ken Paxton offered no public response as of Monday.

On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trumps war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus.

This comes after last weeks post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an pic.twitter.com/mq27jxJEnt  Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (@FmrRepMTG) April 13, 2026

Reaction from other Texas figures has been limitedbut pointed.

NASA astronaut Terry Virts, a Texas-connected public figure, delivered a blunt rebuke on X, writing: "The President needs a mental wellness check." Virts, the retired Air Force colonel, launched his campaign for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in June. His bid struggled to gain traction over the higher profile campaigns of state Rep. James Talarico and former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred.

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The President needs a mental wellness check. pic.twitter.com/a6NFZjF61W  Terry Virts (@AstroTerry) April 13, 2026

Conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey, a Dallas-area podcaster and author, also weighed in forcefully, framing the image as part of a broader pattern of religious rhetoric surrounding Trump.

Stuckey wrote that the post reflects "what happens when Paula White is your personal pastor and people around you are continually comparing you to Christ," adding that Trump "desperately needs to understand the bad news that precedes the Good News: you are a helpless sinner in desperate need of a Savior, as we all once were."

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That image is what happens when Paula White is your personal pastor and people around you are continually comparing you to Christ. Trump desperately needs to understand the bad news that precedes the Good News: you are a helpless sinner in desperate need of a Savior, as we all  Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) April 13, 2026

Texas Democrats have also remained largely quiet, with no coordinated statewide response and no major office issuing a formal statement as of Monday.

The controversy comes amid escalating tension between Trump and Pope Leo XIV, who has recently criticized Trump's foreign policy posture, including his approach to Iran. Trump has responded with increasingly personal attacks on the pontiff in posts on Truth Social.

Trump escalated his feud with Pope Leo XIV in a lengthy late-night post, blasting the pontiff as "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."

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"I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA," Trump wrote. "He gets it, and Leo doesn't!"

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost arrives on the main central loggia balcony of the St Peter's Basilica for the first time, after the cardinals ended the conclave, in The Vatican, on May 8, 2025. Robert Francis Prevost was on Thursday elected the first pope from the United States, the Vatican announced. A moderate who was close to Pope Francis and spent years as a missionary in Peru, he becomes the Catholic Church's 267th pontiff, taking the papal name Leo XIV. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images) ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images

He went on to attack the pope's stance on global conflicts, writing, "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don't want a Pope who thinks it's terrible that America attacked Venezuela," before escalating further.

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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during the BlackRock Infrastructure Summit on March 11, 2026 in Washington, DC. A man from Spring, Texas, has been arrested after allegedly attacking Altman's North Beach residence on Friday. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

A 20-year-old from the Houston suburbs is facing multiple charges following allegations that he attempted to kill the CEO of OpenAI with a Molotov cocktail.

The FBI raided the Spring, Texas home of Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama on Monday, as first reported by Fox News. The investigation was connected to an arson attack Friday morning at the North Beach home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

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Investigators say the 20-year-old allegedly traveled from Texas to San Francisco to carry out the attack and was carrying a "manifesto" including a list of other AI executives and investors, including their names and addresses, according to Fox.

#SCOOP: Fox was here as FBI agents swarmed the home of the 20-year-old suspect who threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAi CEO Sam Altmans house. Sources tell me Daniel Moreno-Gama traveled from his home in Texas to San Francisco to try and kill Altman. He was found with a manifesto pic.twitter.com/xQy82AdM7e  Brooke Taylor (@Brooketaylortv) April 13, 2026

Officers responded to the residence around 4:12 a.m. on Friday, according to a statement released by the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD).

"At the scene, officers learned that an unknown male subject threw an incendiary device at a home, causing a fire to an exterior gate," SFPD wrote. "The suspect then fled on foot. There were no injuries reported as a result of this incident."

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About an hour later, the suspect was taken into custody after making threats to burn down a building in the 1400 block of 3rd Streetthe location of OpenAI's headquarters.

Headquarters of artificial intelligence company OpenAI with elevated glass skybridge and blue abstract sculpture on a sunny day, San Francisco, California, August 14, 2025. A man from Spring, Texas, has been arrested after allegedly attacking the home of the Open AI CEO and then making threats outside the company's headquarters. Smith Collection/Gado/Gado via Getty Images

Moreno-Gama has been charged with attempted murder, arson of an inhabited structure or property, two counts of possessing or manufacturing combustible material or an incendiary device, two counts of possessing a destructive device, explosion of a destructive device with the intent to injure and criminal threats, according to the San Francisco Sheriff's Office.

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The incident is reportedly the second attack on Altman's residence in the past few days, according to the New York Post. Two arrests were made Sunday morning after shots were fired outside the North Beach residence from the passenger side of a vehicle.

Altman, who has been CEO of OpenAI since 2019, has publicly responded to the incidents in a post that highlights the impact of heated public rhetoric.

"There was an incendiary article about me a few days ago," Altman wrote. "I have underestimated the power of words and narratives."

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I wrote this early this morning and I wasn't sure if I would actually publish it, but here it is:https://t.co/7Dw9UFpeep  Sam Altman (@sama) April 10, 2026

Altman acknowledged both the promise and risks of AI and said its power should be broadly shared rather than concentrated. He said fears about AI are justified, even adding that he sympathizes with anti-technology sentiments.

The OpenAI CEO said he welcomes debate about the technology and its capabilities, but he called for de-escalation.

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Last week, the GOP's powerful Senate Leadership Fund super PAC announced it was committing $342 million to support a slate of candidates across eight states.

Texas, where U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, is fighting for political survival in a runoff against state Attorney General Ken Paxton on May 26, was not one of them.

National Republican leaders' decision to so far hold off in committing more money to the state comes as the Cornyn continues to lag in the polls behind Paxton, ahead of what could be a competitive midterm race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.

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With President Donald Trump so far declining to endorse in the race  after suggesting he would do so following the primary  some of the the president's supporters have been calling for the party's fundraising arms to forgo investing more into Cornyn's primary campaign when Republicans are facing competitive Democratic challenges elsewhere in November.

"RINO/Uniparty Senators like John Cornyn remain in office for decades so when you get a chance to replace them with true American First conservatives you have to seize the opportunity," Alex Muse, a conservative influencer, wrote on X last week.

The Senate Leadership Fund, which is controlled by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, declined to comment for this story. Alex Latcham, the fund's executive director, told The New York Times last week that he didnt see Texas as competitive in November, but would reconsider if the dynamics changed.

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"SLF and its sisters organizations were proud to support Senator Cornyn early and we look forward to him securing the Republican nomination on May 26th," Latcham said in a statement after the primary in March.

Cornyn relied heavily on the largesse of Senate Republicans during his primary campaign.

One Nation, a dark money group connected to Thune's super PAC, was the fourth largest spender in the primary for Cornyn's seat. They spent $10.8 million between mid-July and the end of September, according to the research group Ad Impact. They haven't spent anything since, according to the data.

Texas runoffs tend to be low turnout elections dominated by more partisan voters, which in this case could give the more firebrand Paxton an edge.

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When Paxton faced off against George P. Bush in a runoff four years ago for the attorney general's seat, just 932,000 voters cast ballots, less than half the number who turned out in the primary.

Cornyn's campaign is hoping to improve on those numbers, shooting for an outcome more like U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz's against did in his runoff against Lt. Gov. David Dewherst in 2012. In that GOP runoff, 1.1 million people  about 70% of the total in the primary  cast a ballot.

"In a typical Texas runoff its usually more conservative voters, but it's also true they're not usually such high profile races," said Derek Ryan, an Austin-based GOP strategist and political consultant. "You have a U.S. senate race where there's going to be a lot of money involved to get the message out there is a runoff."

Almost all of the polls released since the primary have Paxton ahead by a 3- to 16-percentage-point margin  with the exception of one sponsored by the pro-Cornyn super PAC Texans for a Conservative Majority, which had them tied.

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Still, many of those same polling firms had Paxton winning the first round of the primary. Cornyn ended up winning by 1 point.

Cornyn's team believes the four-term senator can do the same in a runoff, using his campaign's substantial fundraising advantage to get his supporters out to the polls in greater numbers than Paxton's.

"Senator Cornyn over-performed all expectations by winning the March 3 primary," Matt Mackowiak, a spokesman for Cornyn's campaign, said in a statement. "We have a plan to win the runoff and we are executing it.

Earlier this week, Coynyn's campaign announced the senator had raised $3.4 million in the four weeks after primary, adding up to almost $9 million raised in the first three months of the year  a substantial increase from earlier reports.

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And Cornyn's super PAC, which raised $17.8 million last year, has spent more than $2.6 million on ad buys since the primary, setting up for another ad blitz in the weeks to come, according to federal election records.

Meanwhile, the Paxton camp appears content to hold back on advertising, happy to let Cornyn outspend them on the belief they have the advantage  a strategy they also employed in the run-up to the primary. The pro-Paxton Lone Star Liberty Super PAC has reported less than $15,000 in ad buys since the primary.

Instead they are relying on conservative influencers and groups like Texas Gun Rights to get their message out. The gun rights group have cheered Paxton as "one of the countrys most aggressive defenders of constitutional rights,"

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Boyd says he never had fire victim Linda Buchanan as a teacher, but does remember interacting with her. He says he once forgot his lunch money, and Buchanan gave him money.
Macra National President Josephine ONeill, accompanied by members of the organisation, met with MEPs Norbert Lins and Maria Walsh at UCD Lyons Farm recently to discuss the key challenges facing young farmers in Ireland and the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

The engagement on Thursday, April 9 brought together representatives from Macra, UCD and EU policymakers for a focused discussion on generational renewal and the sustainability of the agricultural sector.

During the visit, Macra outlined the significant barriers currently facing young farmers, with particular emphasis on succession, access to land and access to finance.

READ NEXT: Longford motorists alerted to week-long roadworks

The organisation stressed that without meaningful intervention in these areas, the long-term viability of farming and rural communities will be placed at risk.

Macra also raised concerns regarding the CAP 2027to-2034 proposals, highlighting the potential impact of a reduced overall budget and the absence of legally binding, ring-fenced funding for young farmers.

In this context, Macra welcomed recent comments from MEP Norbert Lins supporting the allocation of 6% of CAP funding to young farmers, noting this as a positive and necessary step.

Key priorities outlined by Macra included the need for legally binding, ring-fenced funding for young farmers within the CAP proposals, alongside greater simplification of schemes to ensure they are both accessible and effective.

READ NEXT: Longford haulage firm who support protests facing over 100,000 bill in extra fuel costs

The organisation also emphasised the importance of financial supports, such as installation aid, to provide essential start-up capital for young farmers as they begin their careers.

In addition, Macra called for stronger generational renewal measures, including the development of a structured succession scheme to support both the young farmer and the transferring farmer, as well as the continued support and expansion of initiatives such as the Land Mobility Service.

Speaking following the engagement, Macra National President Josephine ONeill said: "While we welcome the increased focus on Generational Renewal in the CAP proposals, strategies or reports cannot be produced just to gather dust on shelves.

"Instead, we call for the development of meaningful measures that support both the young and older farmers to encourage generational renewal.

"We also welcome the clear support at EU level for a 6% allocation to young farmers; however, this must be legally underpinned in the final proposals to secure a viable future for the next generation."

Macra welcomed the opportunity to engage directly with MEPs Lins and Walsh and emphasised the importance of continued dialogue at EU level to ensure that the final CAP framework delivers real and lasting support for young farmers.
Longford MEP Ciaran Mullooly has confirmed he will meet with senior officials from DG Energy, the European Commissions department responsible for EU energy policy, in the coming week to examine what role the EU can now play in supporting Ireland and ensuring a more coordinated response to the crisis.

He stated he is continuing to press for a full EU-level response, including maximum State aid flexibility, frontloading of CAP payments and a new EU emergency resilience instrument.

Mr Mullooly said he was also expecting an announcement from the Commission in a matter of days to address fertiliser and other farm inputs costs.

He stated the Governments reported 505 million fuel support package falls short of what is required to address the scale of the crisis facing households, farmers, hauliers and rural communities, warning that significant gaps, delays and uncertainties remain.

READ NEXT: Longford motorists alerted to week-long roadworks

"The Midlands North West MEP said that while the package represents movement, it does not reflect the reality on the ground.

The Government has acted, but it has acted too late and it has not acted at the scale required.

"The cost of diesel has increased by close to 50 cent per litre in recent weeks. The latest measures provide just 10 cent of additional relief. That still leaves workers, contractors and businesses paying roughly 40 cent more per litre. That is not sustainable.

Mr Mullooly also raised serious concerns about the lack of meaningful new direct support for households dependent on home-heating oil.

For many families in rural Ireland, kerosene is essential. The main new measure here is the deferral of a carbon tax increase. That does not reduce current costs - it simply delays a further increase. For households already under pressure, that is not enough.

READ NEXT: Longford farming: Macra brings Irish young farmer concerns to EU Table

Mullooly said there are significant concerns around how the supports will operate in practice.

There is still significant uncertainty and a lack of clarity around how these schemes will be delivered. The system must be simple, accessible and fast.

"Farmers need to know that all legitimate fuel purchases, including smaller and local supplier receipts, will be accepted. If this becomes overly complicated or delayed, it simply will not work.

He said urgent clarification is needed on the inclusion of agricultural contractors.

The Government must confirm immediately that agricultural contractors are fully included in the rebate based on 2025 diesel usage. In the past, contractors were excluded from carbon tax rebates. There must be no repeat of that failure.
The media ministers plan to ask the broadcasting regulator to examine coverage of the fuel protests has been described as sinister and deeply disturbing.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the comments by Patrick ODonovan had caused genuine concern and there was no place for Trumpian attacks on the media.

Mr ODonovan made the comments as he defended the Governments response to widespread protests across Ireland last week in response to the rising cost of fuel sparked by the Israeli and US war in Iran.

Speaking on a local radio station in Limerick, Mr ODonovan questioned whether coverage of the protests was skewed and said he would be contacting Irelands broadcasting and online media regulator, Coimisiun na Mean.

He told Limericks Live 95: There was a huge amount of air time given over to this last week, which there should be, because this was a major national problem.

But I would have to ask, was the coverage of this, based on what I heard and listening to the radio, morning, noon and night, was it balanced, or was it skewed?

I think theres a question in general with regard to the coverage that some people got last week, and I think that thats something Coimisiun na Mean will have to look at.

We were in the middle of a national crisis, and carte blanche was given to some people, and obviously that then fed into a huge amount of legitimate concern.

He said that he accepted that there was a lot of legitimate anger with regard to the cost of fuel, but said the Government had a right of reply to say they had been engaging with farmers and haulier representative groups.

He also said that he appeared once on Live 95 last week while other people might have been on close to seven or eight times.

He said there were a lot of lopsided political views on air and this needed to be examined, as well as the make-up of on-air panel discussions.

I think that there is a role for Coimisiun na Mean to examine here, going forward, when something like this happens, how do we make sure that the views of the people on the hard shoulder, that the views of the ambulance personnel, that the views of the fire personnel, that the views of An Garda Siochana, that the views of people who dont agree, that the views of people who do agree, are articulated.

I think as Minister for Communications, thats one of the things that Ill be taking out of this.

Ill be asking them in the context of what happened last week, in the same way as theres a security review.

Now, Coimisiun na Mean might come back to me and say that they believe that everything was fine, in which case, thats grand. But Ill be asking them, in the context of everything that happened last week, from our national broadcaster to others, was there a proportionate and representative view of the public and the impact that it was having across all sectors of the economy.

He added: One of the things I will be looking at as Minister for Communications is to see, if you have a panel discussion, for instance, on a national broadcaster, where theres three or four from the opposition and one from the Government, is that a legitimate debate?

I think its about time that we had that discussion because I think the Minister for Justice will be looking at the Garda response, and the Minister for Defence will be looking at responses. I too will be looking at responses.

Seamus Dooley, assistant general secretary of the NUJ, said the ministers comments were sinister and deeply disturbing.

The media minister is not a bystander but is in a position to influence the allocation of funds, the approval of commercial radio licences and overall policy on broadcasting, he said.

It is not his role to dictate to the independent regulator or to apply pressure on media organisations.

RTE is a public service broadcaster, not a state broadcaster, and is independently regulated in the interests of democracy.

You cannot have a slightly independent public service broadcaster.

Journalists have a duty to report news and to provide coverage of events as they unfold.

Mr Dooley also raised concerns about threats made against journalists by a small number of those associated with the protests.

During the past week many journalists were abused by protesters, including key personnel involved in organising blockades.

It is ironic that (Patrick ODonovan) has decided to join the ranks of the anti-mainstream media critics in his verbal onslaught at professional broadcasters simply because he disagreed with the arguments and actions of the subject of legitimate news coverage.

The NUJ is concerned at threats against journalists by a small number of those associated with the protests and would encourage journalists to report online and physical abuse to the NUJ and to the media engagement group established by An Garda Siochana.

We would ask the minister to respect the role of independent journalism.

Theres no place for Trumpian ad hominem attacks on journalists and the ministers comments have caused genuine concern.

Coimisiun na Mean said in a statement: We are aware that the minister has expressed concern in relation to recent broadcast coverage of the fuel protests.

Coimisiun na Mean operates a statutory complaints process under the Broadcasting and Other Media Regulation Acts 2009.

If any individual wishes to make a complaint regarding broadcast content they believe has not complied with statutory standards or An Coimisiuns media service codes and rules, they can find more information on our website.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us

We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.
As per a report by Telugu Chitraalu, Shahid Kapoor is in active discussions with the team behind NTRNeel, with talks suggesting he could step in as the films main antagonist. This development follows Tovino Thomass reported exit from the project, although there has been no official confirmation regarding Shahids casting so far.

 Instagram/Shahid Kapoor

Earlier, Tovino was expected to play a key role in the film, but the actor recently revealed that he had to opt out due to scheduling conflicts with his Malayalam commitments.

The project, also referred to as Dragon, was initially slated for a theatrical release on June 25, 2026. However, that timeline now appears uncertain, with the makers yet to announce a revised release date. While the complete cast is still under wraps, Rukmini Vasanth is expected to play the female lead, and Anil Kapoor is likely to feature in a pivotal role.

Jr. NTR and Shahid Kapoors Workfront

Jr. NTR was last seen in antagonists role in War 2, alongside Hrithik Roshan. Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film was a sequel to War and forms part of the expanding YRF Spy Universe. The ensemble cast also included Kiara Advani, Anil Kapoor, and Varun Badola, among others, and is currently streaming on Netflix.
A flash flood warning is in effect until 9:15 a.m. on Monday, April 13 due to high flow coming from the Tippy Dam. Gaylord NWS A flash flood warning is in effect until 9:15 a.m. on Monday, April 13 due to high flow coming from the Tippy Dam. Screenshot

UPDATE: The flash flood warning has been extended through 4:15 a.m. on Tuesday, April 14.

A flash flood warning has been issued for Manistee County.

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The Gaylord NWS has issued a flash flood warning for southern Manistee County along the Manistee River. At 9:26 PM EDT, Dam operators reported high flows are being released through the Tippy Dam. This may result in flash flooding downstream on the Manistee River as flooding is already being observed.

As of 9:03 AM EDT, dam operators reported the floodgates on the Tippy Dam were opened causing flash flooding downstream on the Manistee River.

The nearest downstream town is High Bridge Campground located about 3.5 miles from the dam. Areas downstream from the Tippy Dam along the Manistee River should be prepared for flooding.

"If you are in low lying areas below the Tippy Dam you should move to higher ground immediately." The Gaylord NWS said in their warning.

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The flash flood warning runs through 9:15 a.m. Monday morning, April 13.

There is approximately 7,993 people in the warning area, including four schools and one hospital.

Here is the Michigan Storm Chasers release.

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9:28 pm EDT 4/12/26 - The National Weather Service in Gaylord has issued a



* Flash Flood Warning for...

A Dam Floodgate Release in...

Southern Manistee County in northern Michigan...



* Until 915 AM EDT Monday.



* At 926 PM EDT, Dam operators reported high flows are being pic.twitter.com/Du1brgQqDj  Michigan Storm Chasers (@MiStormChasers) April 13, 2026
The Manistee Audubon club will meet April 22, 2026 in Manistee. Getty Images

MANISTEE  The Manistee Audubon club will meet this month.

The event is set for April 22 in the meeting room at Oak Grove Funeral Home, located at 309 Parkdale Ave. in Manistee.

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A club business meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. Officers will be elected and planning for the upcoming year will take place.

A program on Costa Rica birding by Sawyer Dawe will begin at 7 p.m.

Dawe, of Ludington, is married and has four children. He works for Consumers Energy. Dawe has a degree in conservation leadership from Lake Superior State University.

He is both an excellent birder and photographer and will share some of his photographs and memories of his resent trip to Costa Rica, reads a news release.

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Light refreshments will be served.
The Scottville Clown Band started in 1903. Musicians perform around the Great Lakes region. Arielle Breen/Manistee News Advocate The Scottville Clown Band has been performing since 1903. News Advocate/File photo The Scottville Clown Band riled up the crowds with a Manistee National Forest Festival Parade performance on July 4, 2025. Arielle Breen/Manistee News Advocate

SCOTTVILLE  The Scottville Clown Band is launching a capital fund campaign to purchase a new bus.

Each year the Scottville Clown Band is a popular attraction at festivals and special events across Michigan.

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As a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, the bands mission is to support youth music education. In 2025, the band provided more than $23,000 in scholarships and grants to middle and high school music students for them to attend fine arts camps and education.

Getting the band to and from its performances requires reliable transportation and helps the band fulfill its mission. Partnering with the Community Foundation for Mason County, the Clown Band is launching a fundraiser to replace its current 2016 bus.

The band purchased its first bus, a former school bus, in 1978. Since that time, it has had six buses.

We rely on our bus to transport both members and equipment to shows, Herb Early, president of the Scottville Clown Band, said. It also serves as a powerful reminder of the band when it pulls through a town on the way to a show or follows the band in a parade. Our current bus has served us well with thousands of miles of service. We are excited to replace it and keep the band traveling from town to town.

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The Scottville Clown Bands roots go back to 1903 when a small group of musicians in the west Michigan town of Scottville, located in Mason

County near Ludington formed a band that dressed in hobo costumes.

The band, which includes both men and women, has grown in 123 years. Its memberss ages range from teens to centurions. It performs over 30 shows a year.

Our band is made up of musicians from all walks of life, David Ladd, vice president of the organization, said. But I think every member can agree

that our greatest reward is to bring smiles to peoples faces and to help support the next generation of musicians.

The bands fundraising goal is $400,000, which will purchase a high-quality, used long-haul bus. Contributions may be made in the form of checks, cash, credit card or securities, and can be sent to Community Foundation for Mason County, 119 S. Rath Ave., Ludington, MI 49431. Note Scottville Clown Band Bus Fund in check memo or in reference to the donation.

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Online contributions can be made here.
M-119 road damage just south of Division between Cross Village and Good Hart. Good Hart General Store

A popular scenic highway in Northern Michigan has been partially compromised following severe spring weather, prompting warnings for travelers planning visits to the area.

Officials and local businesses report that a washout of M-119, widely known as the "Tunnel of Trees", has collapsed just south of Division Road between Cross Village and Good Hart. The damage is being attributed to a combination of heavy rainfall and rapid snowmelt, which has led to significant erosion along the roadway.

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M-119 road damage from erosion. Good Hart General Store

The Tunnel of Trees is one of Michigan's most iconic drives, drawing thousands of tourists each year for its sweeping Lake Michigan views and dense canopy of hardwoods. The route is especially popular during the spring and fall travel seasons.

This latest collapse follows an earlier partial shutdown of M-119 farther south near Stutsmanville earlier this week, also caused by seasonal erosion.

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Local officials and tourism groups are urging caution.

Alert for anyone planning a Tunnel of Trees trip anytime soon, please plan accordingly, the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau said in a repost of the initial alert from Good Hart General Store.

While the Tunnel of Trees remains a major draw, travelers are encouraged to check current road conditions, expect detours and consider alternate routes as assessments and repairs begin.

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Beyond the immediate area, communities across Northern Michigan are dealing with broader impacts from the same weather pattern. Residents in Pellston and Cheboygan are facing more severe flooding and infrastructure challenges.

Following Sundays heavy rainfall, over fifty percent of Michigan counties are now under a flood watch that will last for a few days.

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As spring thaw continues across the state, transportation officials warn that similar issues could emerge in other erosion-prone areas.
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BEIRUT (AP)  The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah will not abide by any agreements that may result from the direct Lebanon-Israel talks in the United States, negotiations it firmly opposes, a senior Hezbollah official said Monday.

Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah's political council, spoke on the eve of the talks expected in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the U.S. It will be the first time in decades that envoys from Lebanon and Israel, which do not have diplomatic relations, meet face-to-face in direct talks.

As for the outcomes of this negotiation between Lebanon and the Israeli enemy, we are not interested in or concerned with them at all," Safa told The Associated Press.

"We are not bound by what they agree to, he added in a rare interview with international media. He spoke next to a cemetery as an Israeli drone buzzing overhead.

Historic negotiations at a sensitive time

Lebanese officials are looking to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war in the U.S. talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, has said the goal is Hezbollah's disarmament and a potential peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Netanyahu said Monday that there will be no ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Separately, in U.S.-Iran peace talks held last weekend in Pakistan, Iran has sought to include Lebanon in any ceasefire deal of its own with the U.S. Israel and the U.S. have insisted Lebanon would not be a part of it.

Hours after Tehran and Washington announced a truce last Wednesday, Israel launched more than 100 strikes across Lebanon, including in densely packed residential and commercial areas of central Beirut.

And though the U.S.-Iran talks broke up without an agreement, Safa said Hezbollah has been informed that Iran was able to obtain a cessation of attacks" in the entire administrative region of Beirut, Lebanon's caital, including Beirut's southern suburbs  a Hezbollah-strong area known as Dahiyeh.

Israeli strikes on Beirut and its southern suburbs have halted since Wednesday but intense fighting has continued in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah's entry into the war

Israel and Hezbollah have fought multiple wars since the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group was formed in the 1980s as a guerrilla force fighting against Israels occupation of southern Lebanon at the time.

The latest round began on March 2, two days after Israel and the U.S. launched a war on Iran. Hezbollah entered the fray, firing missiles across the border into Israel. Israel responded with aerial bombardment and a ground invasion.

Since then, the war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon and killed more than 2,000, including more than 500 women, children and medical workers. Many Lebanese have blamed Hezbollah for pulling Lebanon into the war, accusing it of acting on behalf of its patron, Iran.

Safa said Hezbollah's actions were preemptive because its leaders believed Israel was preparing for a second battle with Lebanon with the aim of destroying Hezbollah.

It was an appropriate moment for Hezbollah ... to rebuild a new equation and restore deterrence against Israel, he said, denying any prior deals with Tehran that Hezbollah would enter the war if Iran was attacked.

After a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted the last Israel-Hezbollah war in November 2024, Israel continued to carry out near-daily strike in Lebanon that it said aimed to stop the group from rebuilding. Hezbollah wants to avoid a return to that status quo, Safa said.

Black Wednesday

Israel has claimed that its strikes on Lebanon last Wednesday killed more than 250 Hezbollah militants. More than 100 women and children were among the over 350 people killed, according to Lebanons health ministry.

That would mean that, according to Israels assertion, every adult male killed that day was a Hezbollah member.

None of our officials or cadres was killed in Beirut," Safa said. Those who died in Beirut are 100% civilians." He did not deny that members of the group were killed outside of the Lebanese capital.

Israel claimed to have killed Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem's secretary who was also his nephew, Ali Yusuf Harshi, as well as some high-level commanders.

Safa said Kassems secretary was not killed, although maybe a relative of his was.

He also confirmed for the first time that he was wounded during the earlier, 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war, after being targeted by two Israeli strikes in Beirut, "but God granted me survival.

Souring relations with the government

Relations between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah  which is not just a militant group but also a political party with a parliamentary bloc  have grown increasingly tense.

The government last year approved a plan to remove all weapons that are not property of the state  its security forces or military  and later said it had largely completed the task south of the Litani River, where Hezbollah militants are now fighting with Israeli forces.

After March 2, the government went further, declaring Hezbollah's armed wing illegal.

Safa said Hezbollah is currently not directly speaking with President Joseph Aoun or Prime Minister Nawaf Salam but that all its communications are going through Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the head of the Hezbollah-allied Amal party.

Safa said that if there is a ceasefire and a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, Hezbollah  which calls itself a resistance movement against archenemy Israel  is ready to negotiate with the Lebanese government about the fate of its weapons.

The issue of resistance weapons is a Lebanese matter that has nothing to do with Israel or the United States, he said.
Chinese officials deny that they will provide Iran with weapons shipments and air defense systems, with the global superpowers role in the Middle East conflict posing potential implications on an upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China is preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran in coming weeks, according to three U.S. intelligence sources cited by CNN, as the U.S. and Iran are currently within the window of a two-week ceasefire. In response, Trump said Sunday that if the reports come to fruition the United States will enforce the staggering amount of a 50% tariff.

CNN cited two sources who stated that Beijing is working to route the shipments, which include the transfer of shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs, through third countries to mask their true origin.

China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C., told Military.com. As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations.

We urge the U.S. side to refrain from making baseless allegations, maliciously drawing connections, and engaging in sensationalism. We hope that relevant parties will do more to help de-escalate tensions.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, second left, speaks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, not in photo, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (Parker Song/Pool Photo via AP)

On Monday, April 13, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the current U.S.-Iran ceasefire "very fragile, according to Reuters, urging the global community to "unequivocally oppose any actions that undermine the ceasefire or escalate the confrontation."

Those remarks were reportedly made via phone to Wangs Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

US Blockade in Strait of Hormuz

The situation in the Middle East, notably as coincides with the highly reported ongoings in the Strait of Hormuz, has escalated. The global oil chokepoint has resulted in drastically rising gas prices in the U.S.

On Sunday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that forces would begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports by 10 a.m. ET on April 13, in accordance with Trumps proclamation.

The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, according to CENTCOM, adding that U.S. forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

Wang told Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, special envoy of the UAE President for China, in Beijing on Monday that the U.S. blockade of the strait does not serve the common interests of the international community, according to Reuters, citing a China Foreign Ministry statement.

The long-term solution in the region involved a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire achieved through political and diplomatic means, Wang added.

Cars line up at a gas station in Yantai in eastern China's Shandong province, Monday, March 23, 2026. (Chinatopix Via AP)

In 2025, China imported about half of its crude oil and nearly one-third of its liquefied natural gas from the Middle East, according to Chinas General Administration of Customs. Roughly 42% of crude oil imported by China, equating to approximately 4.9 million barrels per day, came from Saudi Arabia (14%), Iraq (11%), United Arab Emirates (7%), Oman (6%), Kuwait (3%) and Qatar (1%). However, China's energy supply is more diversified.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun echoed the sentiment at a press conference on Monday, saying that China stood ready to "play a positive and constructive role" in resolving the situation.

When asked about the reports of China supplying Iran with weapons, Guo wrote them off as "groundless smears and malicious associations.

"China has consistently taken a prudent and responsible approach to arms exports," Guo said.

China's Stance and Messaging 'Contradictions'

The Peoples Republic of China has long been walking a narrative tightrope of all-weather strategic partnerships with adversaries to the Transatlantic Alliance on the one hand, while outwardly pretending to be a stabilizing vector for peace on the other, Laura Harth, China in the World director at Safeguard Defenders, told Military.com.

She described Chinas geopolitical stance as a seeming contradiction, saying that both aforementioned messages serve Beijing's primary purpose of undermining U.S. standing and global alliances.

In my view, further direct or indirect support to Iran should be read in the same way, Harth said. Beijing may seek to frame it as a tool to safeguard its economic interestsin particular in the Straitbut the CCP has made it crystal clear time and again that its economic policies are strictly subservient to its broader geostrategic goal of destabilizing (and dethroning) the U.S., with the immediate aim of removing any obstacles to Xi's illegitimate claims over Taiwan.

Women join hands as they hold Iranian flags during a campaign in support of the government at the Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, Square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Chinas role in global conflicts and, more specifically negotiating potential arms transfers with Iran, is nothing new, Yun Sun, senior fellow and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, told Military.com.

China had been in talks with Iran over air defense systems before, and was disturbed that Iran appeared more interested in other suppliers, Sun said. No one should be surprised that China will rearm and rebuild Iran down the road.

But given the upcoming Trump visit to China, China most likely will not take immediate moves. There is no need to spoil the good momentum they have been building with POTUS.

The summit between Trump and Xi has already been delayed due to the military operation in the Middle East that began Feb. 28. Now, the pair of presidents are hoping to meet early in May to discuss widespread issues and concerns.

Harth said that the current geopolitical landscape may empower Beijing and be used in broader negotiations.

In that respect, and in view of the upcoming Summit, one must ask whether Beijing is seeking to create a tit for tat scenario where direct military assistance to Iran is put on the table as a counterweight to expected U.S. military deliveries to Taiwan, Harth said.
Students in teacher Marley Hoefss history class in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin never had the opportunity to meet World War II veterans Bill Bennewitz and Harlan Rosvold.

But through a unique partnership with National History Day and the Veterans Legacy Program at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the high school students can feel a little closer to these WWII heroes.

National History Day is a nonprofit organization striving to improve how students learn about history in the U.S. Through NHDs Silent Heroes program, students and teachers can research the personal histories of American soldiers, write about their lives, and read those stories as eulogies at their gravesites.

Thats exactly what several members of Hoefss class did on April 8 at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

This year, through Silent Heroes, and to honor the Marine Corps 250th anniversary, students focused on Untold Stories of U.S. Marines in WWII, which was funded by the Veterans Legacy Program. Overall, 52 teachers from across the country were selected to participate.

Capt. Bill Bennewitz (NHD)

Highlighting Veteran Stories

Students at St. Croix Falls spent the past few months scouring through pages of documentation, extensively researching the lives of Rosvold and Bennewitz, both Marine Corps soldiers.

Capt. Bill Bennewitz entered the military on June 30, 1942, and served with the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMF-24. The St. Cloud, Minnesota native earned several awards for his service, including five air medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross, the militarys highest honor for combat aviation.

Bennewitz died on July 1, 2019, at age 96.

Students Brodie Allram, Alex Hoff and Carson Marks took turns reading the heartfelt eulogy they crafted alongside Bennwitzs final resting place.

Cpl. Harland Rosvold, from Kenyon, Minnesota, died on March 7, 2023, a day after turning 98. Rosvold joined the Marine Corps on Oct. 4, 1943, serving in the Second Amphibious Armored Division, learning everything there is to know about tanks. He was sent to the Pacific, where he was involved in several battles, including the pivotal Battle of Iwo Jima in February 1945.

Rosvolds eulogy was read by students Oliver Bauer, Jacob Binverse, Daniel Hanson and Liam Rochford.

Family members, an honor guard, and local media attended the ceremonies, making the experience extra special for the history students.

Veterans like Bill and Harlan need to be remembered for generations, and these boys were honored to play a part in doing that, Hoefs told Military.com.

Cpl. Harlan Rosvold (National History Day)

Benefits for Students

Lynne OHara, National History Day's deputy director, manages the organizations educational programs. A former teacher, OHara recognizes the importance of history and helping high school students make connections with people from the past.

It makes them realize how much ordinary people contributed to the war effort, OHara told Military.com.

The project also challenged students to go beyond using AI tools and Google to find primary sources and other valuable information.

Believe it or not, there is a lot of useful information you cant find on the internet, OHara said. Once they hit a roadblock and found out they were limited on what they could find on these two veterans, it made them think of other resources to use.

Ken Holliday from the National Cemetery Administration told Military.com the program teaches students valuable tools they can utilize in college and beyond. The Silent Heroes program also amplifies stories of less heralded veterans.

By doing so, we honor the legacies of these Veterans while also providing unique opportunities for students to learn lessons and develop skills through the research they conduct, Holliday said. Most of the veteran stories discovered through this work are not well known. But through the hard work of these students, they ensure that these Veterans are known and that their stories are not forgotten.

The history students got to meet family members of the veterans they researched and wrote about. (National History Day)

When Holliday attends the eulogy ceremonies, hes awestruck by how much the students learn about a person they dont know.

In almost all these ceremonies I will hear students say that they felt like they had established a real connection with these veterans, he said. These veterans were strangers to these students before they began their work. But by the end, it is obvious that they truly care about who these veterans were. Theyve established a sort of personal connection with these veterans through their research. It is something really special.

National History Day and the Silent Heroes program also help the National Cemetery Administration accomplish its goal to memorialize veterans long after theyve died.

And we do so in innovative and engaging ways, Holliday said. The programs honor Veterans but also provide unique opportunities for students all across the country.

Moving forward, as the Silent Heroes program hopes to expand to more classrooms, there are plenty of chances to tell veteran stories. Holliday said the NCA operates 157 cemeteries across the country with more than 4 million veterans interned.

We have seen our program grow substantially since its 2016 launch, he said. Weve been able to work with many organizations over the years that have allowed us to work in communities across the country. Every year, we strive to bring new programs to our cemeteries and their local surrounding communities.
More than 2,000 military veterans in Middle Tennessee will have to transition to a new care facility after a recent announcement that their current facility is closing. The McMinnville VA Clinic, about 75 miles southeast of Nashville, is winding down operations and will close May 31.

We understand the decision to transition services at this facility reflects broader efforts to address staffing challenges and improve the delivery of care, read a joint statement sent to Military.com from Tennessee U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn, Bill Hagerty, and Congressman Scott DesJarlais. We want to ensure this transition is executed in a way that maintains continuity of care for the veterans who rely on this clinic."

Lawmakers and veterans in Middle Tennessee express concern over the planned closing of the McMinnville Tennessee VA Clinic May 31 (VA.gov).

Veterans will have the option to transition their care to the other regional clinics in Tullahoma and Cookeville, with a travel distance of 36 miles or 45 miles, respectively.

Republican Congressman DesJarlais, who is a veteran himself, says the distance is a concern, along with the limited notice. He sent a separate letter to U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins expressing concern over the clinic's closing.

"My office received no notice prior to the public disclosure that this facility was facing staffing shortages or that these shortages would lead to the shuttering of this important VA Outpatient Clinic in my district, Rep. DesJarlais said in his letter, which has been reviewed by Military.com. Had we been given prior notice and involved in these discussions, our office could have assisted in finding appropriate solutions and resources for those who rely on the VA and the care provided to them by the McMinnville VA clinic."

Additionally, the joint letter from DesJarlais, Blackburn and Hagerty is addressed to the U.S. Under Secretary for Health John Bartrum, who oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs. Their letter asks Bartrum a series of questions, including how many veterans are currently assigned to the McMinnville clinic, and what is the VAs plan to ensure each veteran has a confirmed follow-on appointment with either VA or a community provider prior to any disruption in services?

U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R) of Middle Tennessee expresses concern over plans to close the McMinnville Tennessee VA Clinic on May 31 (House.gov).

As VA transitions veterans to nearby VA facilities or community providers, it will be important to ensure that veterans do not experience gaps in care, delays in appointments, or unnecessary travel burdens, the joint letter reads.

Questions for the Department of Veterans Affairs

For its part, the VA held a local town hall in March to hear from concerned veterans and their families. The VA also has a detailed FAQ or Frequently Asked Questions section on its website to provide some answers on the McMinnville VA Clinic transition, starting with why the clinic is closing.

The McMinnville VA Clinic, which is operated by a third-party contracted staffing company, has faced significant staffing challenges for the last several years due to a lack of providers in the area, reads the website, which has been reviewed by Military.com. Despite repeated efforts to drive improvements, the contracted company was unable to consistently staff the facility, resulting in Veterans frequently seeing new providers.

The website claims that, on average, each patient experienced changes in their assigned provider approximately 20 times over the five years the facility has been open.

Under Secretary for Health John Bartrum is the top official in charge of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which is the health care arm of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA.gov).

Based on collected Veteran feedback over five years, 79% of patients reported they trusted the McMinnville VA Clinic for their care, which is below VA's national average, the website reads. Additionally, Veterans reported an average trust score of 92.5% in fiscal year 2025 at locations operated by VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.

McMinnville Clinic Operating Without Full-Time Staff

The McMinnville site has operated as an outpatient clinic for roughly 16 years, according to DesJarlais, providing primary care, mental health care, telehealth and laboratory services. The clinic operates through local contractors rather than full-time VA employees.

While we were disappointed to learn of the clinics closure, we were pleased that our staff was able to attend the town hall in McMinnville and hear directly from local veterans about their concerns, read the joint letter from area lawmakers. Clear communication and a well-defined transition plan will be critical to ensuring veterans understand their options and remain confident in their access to care.

Its unclear whether the letters from lawmakers will do anything to prevent the clinic from closing on May 31. But DesJarlais says his office continues to receive calls and messages from veterans and their families worried about future care.

The rollout of this announcement has left those who utilize this clinic with more questions than answers. Many constituents in my district have reached out to express their concerns about this closure, not knowing how to prepare for this event, and worried that they will be left without vital health care services.
A free veterans benefits webinar scheduled for April 24, 2026, will mark the launch of a broader national initiative aimed at helping veterans better understand their rights while tracking fraud, policy developments, and representation issues in real time.

The webinar will be led by VA-accredited attorney Benjamin Krause, a veteran who founded DisabledVeterans.org. It is part of a new quarterly briefing series designed to provide veterans, families, and advocates with ongoing updates on consumer protection risks and legal developments affecting access to benefits. The event will take place on April 24 at 12:00 PM Central Time. It is free and open to the public via Zoom, and participants can register here.

Minnesota Policy Change Provides the Immediate Focus

The April webinar will center on a recent policy update from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, which revised its Veterans Benefits Disclosure form to more clearly reflect federal law governing representation in Department of Veterans Affairs claims.

Those federal rules, set out in 38 U.S.C.  59015905 and 38 C.F.R.  14.62614.637, define who is legally authorized to assist veterans with claims and when fees may be charged. The updated Minnesota disclosure form reinforces those standards while clarifying key points that are often misunderstood by veterans.

From a Single Webinar to an Ongoing Series

Although the Minnesota update provides the immediate backdrop, Krause made clear that the initiative is not limited to one state or one event. The Q2 designation refers to the launch window, but the effort is intended to continue beyond the quarter as part of an ongoing series of quarterly briefings.

These quarterly briefs are intended to be an ongoing part of our advocacy and public education work, Krause said. Minnesota is the starting point, not the endpoint.

Each session will summarize ongoing advocacy work, policy developments, and emerging risks affecting veterans and their families. The webinars will be hosted through DisabledVeterans.org and published by Armo Press.

Future sessions are expected to expand beyond Minnesota, covering policy changes in other states as well as federal-level developments as lawmakers and agencies respond to ongoing concerns about fraud and unauthorized claims assistance.

A Broader Consumer Protection Effort

The initiative is designed to go beyond reporting policy changes. Each briefing will also examine fraud trends, misinformation, and practical strategies for protecting veterans, alongside updates on ongoing advocacy efforts, including pending Freedom of Information Act requests under 5 U.S.C.  552. Krause described the effort as an attempt to identify what is working and what is not across jurisdictions, with the goal of highlighting consumer protection strategies that can be replicated elsewhere.

Confusion Remains the Central Problem

According to Krause, the initiative is being launched now in response to a persistent and widespread problem: confusion among veterans about their rights.

Many veterans and their family members do not fully understand who is legally permitted to assist with VA claims, when fees can lawfully be charged, or how to identify unauthorized actors. That lack of clarity creates an opening for misleading marketing, unauthorized assistance, and fraud.

He framed the issue as more than isolated misconduct, describing it as a systemic consumer protection gap. Veterans are often required to make high-stakes decisions about benefits in an environment where the governing rules are not clearly communicated.

Veterans are being targeted at the moment they are most vulnerablewhen they are trying to secure benefits, protect their families, or recover from years of hardship, Krause said. That is why this is fundamentally a consumer-protection issue for the veteran community.

Measuring Success Through Real Outcomes

The initiatives success, Krause explained, will be measured by whether it changes how veterans navigate the system.

The goal is for veterans to become more informed about their rights, more capable of identifying risky or unauthorized actors, and more likely to seek assistance from federally accredited representatives. At the same time, the effort aims to give better visibility into emerging fraud patterns and systemic issues.

If effective, the initiative would result in fewer veterans being misled and more veterans receiving assistance from authorized sources.

The measure of success is simple: fewer veterans misled, more veterans informed, and more veterans getting help from accredited representatives instead of bad actors, Krause said.

As the April 24 webinar approaches, the broader initiative reflects an effort to close the gap between policy reform and public understanding. In a system where access to accurate information often determines outcomes, that effort may prove as significant as the reforms themselves.
Delhi EV Policy 2026: Maruti, Toyota, Honda hybrid cars could get up to Rs 1.45 lakh tax relief

The draft Delhi EV Policy 2026 has proposed a 50% reduction in road tax and registration charges for strong hybrid cars priced up to Rs 30 lakh (ex-showroom).









Maruti Suzuki offers strong hybrid powertrain in the Victoris SUV. Draft Delhi EV policy: 50% road tax cut for strong hybrids.

Hybrid buyers could save up to Rs 1.45 lakh on select models.

Policy gives EVs full road tax and registration fee exemption. Did our AI summary help?
Motherson says no material impact on operations amid Noida protests; rumours fuel unrest

The protests affected Motherson facilities located in Sector 62 and Sector 84, key industrial zones in Noida. The company did not clarify whether its own workers participated in the protests









Protests in Noida Motherson group says Noida protests caused no material impact

Operations remain compliant and employee safety is prioritized

Maruti Suzuki confirms its production is unaffected by unrest Did our AI summary help?

Swaraj Baggonkar
Ambedkar Jayanti 2026: Know date, history, significance, celebrations and holidays

Ambedkar Jayanti 2026 will be observed on April 14. Know the date, history, significance, celebrations, and holiday details of Dr B R Ambedkars birth anniversary across India.









Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Ambedkar Jayanti 2026 will be celebrated on April 14, Tuesday.

Ceremonies, debates and art exhibitions will honor Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Schools, banks and government offices will be closed. Did our AI summary help?
Pushed back into Bangladesh last year, 6 men from Murshidabad will vote to prove where they belong

Six migrant workers from Murshidabad were picked up in Maharashtra in June last year, branded Bangladeshis, pushed across the border and briefly lodged in Bangladesh before being brought back here.

PTI April 13, 2026 / 10:05 IST























West Bengal will go to the polls on April 23 and 29. Six Murshidabad workers were wrongly deported as Bangladeshis.

Election in Murshidabad now centers on identity and belonging.

Residents fear outsider label over missing voter records Did our AI summary help?
Ahaan Panday turns gangster for Ali Abbas Zafars next, report

Ahaan Panday is set to take a bold step forward in his career, moving away from romance to a far more intense and gritty role. The young actors second film promises a striking transformation under the direction of Ali Abbas Zafar.









Ahaan Panday likely to turn gangster for his next film Ahaan Panday plays a gangster in Ali Abbas Zafar's action-romance

Jimmy Shergill returns to Yash Raj Films after Mohabbatein

Film started shooting in Mumbai, London schedule up next Did our AI summary help?
"Asha Bhosle never spoke ill about Mohammed Rafi", When Anand Bhosle hit back at Rafis son Shahid's allegations of harming his father's career

After Asha Bhosles death, Anand Bhosles old response resurfaces, where he slammed Shahid Rafis allegations, defended his mothers legacy, and stressed her respectful, collaborative relationship with Mohammed Rafi.









"Asha Bhosle never spoke ill about Mohammed Rafi", When Anand Bhosle hit back at Rafis son Shahid's allegations of harming his father's career Asha Bhosles family defends her legacy amid renewed row

Anand Bhosle calls Shahid Rafis claims baseless, disrespectful

He stresses Asha Bhosle and Rafi's collaborative musical legacy Did our AI summary help?
Jana Nayagan leak controversy: 6 people arrested, 300 piracy links removed

The Tamil Nadu Cyber Crime Wing has arrested six people in connection with the illegal online leak of Jana Nayagan, the highly anticipated film starring Joseph Vijay.









Jana Nayagan was leaked recently Six arrested for leaking Jana Nayagan film online illegally

Over 300 links hosting pirated movie copies have been blocked

Authorities warn against downloading or sharing pirated content Did our AI summary help?
Jana Nayagan leak row: Editors Association denies naming any facility

The leak controversy surrounding Jana Nayagan has triggered widespread concern across the Tamil film industry after reports suggested that portionsand later possibly the full filmsurfaced online without authorisation. The incident, involving Vijay, has raised serious questions about digital security during post-production.









Jana Nayagan leak row deepens as Editors Association slams rumours Jana Nayagan leak sparks concern in Tamil film industry

Editors association denies blaming any post-production facility

Industry urges public to shun rumors, await probe results Did our AI summary help?
Kerala High Court stays arrest of Kumbh Mela girl Monalisa, husband Farmaan Khan till May 20 in abduction case

Kerala High Court stayed the arrest of Monalisa and Farmaan Khan till May 20 in an abduction case, as age disputes, conflicting police claims, and political controversy continue to surround their marriage.









Kerala High Court stays arrest of Kumbh Mela girl Monalisa, husband Farmaan Khan till May 20 in abduction case Kerala HC halts Monalisa, Farmaan Khan arrests till May 20

Couple claims marriage was consensual and Monalisa is 18

Disputed charges and Monalisas age spark controversy Did our AI summary help?
Shoaib Ibrahim on wife Dipika Kakars cyst recurrence, says 'I have started getting health anxiety, if she complains of any pain, I get worried'

TV actor Shoaib Ibrahim, whose wife and actress Dipika Kakar is undergoing treatment for her cyst recurrence, revealed in his latest vlog that he is very stressed and worried about her.









Shoaib and Dipika Dipika Kakars cyst returns; she seeks multiple opinions

Shoaib Ibrahim is stressed and anxious about Dipika's health.

Dipika had surgery; more tests are planned for diagnosis. Did our AI summary help?
Udne Ki Aasha actor Kanwar Dhillon opens up on speculations of the show going off-air post IPL; says, People are not happy

Kanwar Dhillon rejected the allegations, emphasizing that these reports are unfounded and frequently arise from the negativity associated with success. Read on to know more









Kanwar Dhillon Kanwar Dhillon denies rumors of Udne Ki Aasha going off air

Show maintains strong TRPs and top five BARC ranking

Kanwar advocates for shorter work shifts for cast and crew Did our AI summary help?
When Jaya Bachchan slammed actors for inviting paparazzi at airports to click pics, said, "What kind of celebrity are you?"
Weight loss, diabetes drug Ozempic does not work for some people, scientists have figured out why

Scientists say a hidden genetic difference may explain why weight-loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy dont work for everyone. They say around 10% of people may carry gene variants that cause GLP-1 resistance. Here is what it means.









According to researchers, popular drugs used for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss, such as Ozempic and others, may have a blind spot (Image: Pexels) About 1 in 10 people may have gene-linked GLP-1 drug resistance

GLP-1 resistance affects Ozempic and Wegovy effectiveness

Findings may enable more personalized diabetes treatments Did our AI summary help?
Nora Fatehi says breakups trigger abandonment issues, expert shares how to overcome it

Actor Nora Fatehi recently shared that she suffers from daddy issues and abandonment issues. Relationship expert shared best ways to deal with these issues and minimise their bearing on present life relationships.









Nora Fatehi grew up in the absence of her father and saw her mother shouldering all responsibilities single-handedly. (Picture: Instagram/@norafatehi) Nora Fatehi opens up about abandonment on Lilly Singhs podcast

She shared her struggles with daddy issues and relationships

Expert: abandonment issues fuel fear of rejection in relationships Did our AI summary help?
Aluminum jumps to 4-year high on Trump's blockade of Hormuz

The metal rose as much as 2% in London, reigniting a rally driven by supply shortages due to the Middle East war.









Aluminum cans (Courtesy: Reuters photo for representation)
Crude at $103 is 'not reflective': Veteran trader says Hormuz blockade could send oil to $150

Oil above $103 may not reflect real risk. Expert warns Hormuz blockade could push crude to $140$150, with biggest pain in Asia.









Brent has crossed $103, but a full-scale disruption in Hormuz could wipe out up to 12 million barrels a day, triggering a sharper global price shock. Brent crude surged above $103 after US-Iran talks failed.

US plans blockade of Strait of Hormuz, risking global oil supply.

Oil prices could reach $140-$150 if blockade is fully enforced. Did our AI summary help?
India shores up fuel supplies amid fresh Iran-US tensions; LPG, petrol supply stable

No serious shortage of LPG reported among automobile component manufacturers. In fact, there has been 15-16% increase in production of vehicles in March, govt officials said during the briefing









Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said, Indian flagged vessel Jag Vikram carrying 20400 metric tonne LPG is expected to arrive Kandla port on April 14. India ensures stable fuel supply amid Iran-US conflict escalation

Additional LPG allocated to 21 states and UTs for PNG promotion

India diversifies energy sources, maintains domestic LPG output Did our AI summary help?
Saudi Arabia oil sales to China to halve as Hormuz crisis lifts prices

The cut in sales comes after Aramco raised official selling prices of its crude to a record, as the Iran war resulted in the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and upended energy flows









The worlds biggest exporter is set to ship around 20 million barrels of oil to its customers in China for May
Gravely concerning: N Chandrasekaran orders probe into TCS Nashik allegations

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran says allegations at TCS Nashik gravely concerning, orders investigation by senior executive









Tata Sons chief N Chandrasekaran Tata Group enforces zero-tolerance for employee misconduct

Action initiated against accused TCS Nashik employees

Special investigation team formed; seven arrests made so far Did our AI summary help?
Nadir Godrej to retire in August, Godrej Group announces leadership succession plan

Nadir Godrej, Chairperson of the Godrej Industries Group, will retire upon turning 75 in August 2026 and will assume the role of Chairman Emeritus.









Nadir Godrej Nadir Godrej to retire as Chairperson in August 2026

Pirojsha Godrej to chair Godrej Industries Group

Burjis Godrej to chair Godrej Agrovet from Aug 2026 Did our AI summary help?
Price action: Tata Chemicals, Tata Investment, Waaree Energy rally; Jyoti CNC, Ola Electric, Eicher Motors slide

Indian markets tracked weakness in global equities after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions with Iran after weekend peace talks collapsed.









markets
Hormuz blockade could lengthen Indias energy delivery times

Supplies from the US, Africa and Australia may take weeks longer to arrive









Strait of Hormuz blockage would increase troubles for India India may see longer oil deliveries if Hormuz stays blocked

Alternative oil routes could take 20-35 days to reach India

Freight costs and oil prices may rise due to longer voyages Did our AI summary help?
FM Sitharaman slams Stalin over 'false narratives' on paddy bonus; bats for pulses, oilseeds for self-reliance

The FM has said farmers can get better prices for pulses, oilseeds and millets, as there is a a supply gap. It will also aid self-reliance









True food sovereignty is only possible when the Centre and States work together, said FM. FM Sitharaman slams CM Stalin for twisting Centres letter

Centre asks states to redirect incentives to pulses, oilseeds, millets

Finance Minister: surplus wheat, rice strain public finances Did our AI summary help?
Adani Enterprises stock gains over 2% as NCLAT adjourns hearing on Vedanta plea in JAL case

According to a PTI report, the appellate tribunal deferred the matter due to a change in the bench composition following the unavailability of a member









Vedanta has challenged the March 17 order of the Allahabad bench of the NCLT, which approved Adani Enterprises' Rs 14,535-crore resolution plan for acquiring Jaiprakash Associates through the insolvency process
Ather Energy, JBM Auto, Olectra Greentech rise 2-5% after Delhi govt unveils EV policy draft

The draft policy, released on Saturday for public consultation, proposes a ban on the registration of new petrol two-wheelers from April 2028 and new CNG three-wheelers from January 2027, mandating a complete shift to electric vehicles in these categories









For private EV buyers, the policy does not extend direct subsidies on electric cars but offers a waiver on road tax, along with a 50 percent road tax concession for hybrid vehicles priced up to Rs 30 lakh EV stocks rose after Delhi's draft EV Policy 2026-2030 unveiled

Policy proposes ban on new petrol two-wheelers from April 2028

Road tax waiver for EVs and 50 percent concession for hybrids Did our AI summary help?
The rise in these stocks comes as oil prices resumed their upward trend amid geopolitical tensions.

Paras Bisht A financial journalist with over 10 years of experience, specialising in tracking stock market movements and fundamental developments that impact investors and the broader economy. A keen observer of global financial markets, I regularly engage with leading market voices to write stories. At Moneycontrol, I focus on decoding market trends, policy shifts and economic changes, driven by a constant passion to learn, analyse, and share knowledge with my readers.
Jyoti CNC shares tumble 14% as French officials look into firm's arm for defying export rules

The director general of Huron Graffenstaden SAS has been temporarily restricted from discharging any duties pertaining to the firm









Jyoti CNC shares tumble 14% as French officials look into firm's arm for defying export rules Jyoti CNC falls 14% after French probe of subsidiary

French authorities seized assets, restricted units director

Company says operations remain unaffected despite ongoing probe Did our AI summary help? JCA JCA NSE/BSE Select NSE LIVE BSE LIVE Day High

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Moneycontrol Pro Market Outlook | Geopolitics and earnings to steer market

Indian markets rebounded strongly after six weeks of losses. They recorded their best weekly gain since February 2021. The rally was driven by easing geopolitical tensions, better global cues, a stronger rupee, and lower foreign selling









market Outlook
Stocks to Watch Today: Swiggy, Enviro Infra, Advait Energy, AstraZeneca, Torrent Pharma, Laxmi Organic, Larsen & Toubro, Safety Controls in focus on 13 April

Stocks to Watch, 13 Apr: Stocks like Mahindra and Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, Swiggy, Enviro Infra Engineers, Advait Energy Transitions, Mahanagar Gas, Krishna Defence and Allied Industries, Lupin, AstraZeneca Pharma India, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Muthoot Finance, and Ratnaveer Precision Engineering will be in focus on April 13.









Stocks to Watch Today, 13 April Stocks in Focus on April 13: Mahindra and Mahindra, Larsen & Toubro, Swiggy, Enviro Infra Engineers, Advait Energy, Lupin, Vakrangee, AstraZeneca Pharma Did our AI summary help? MM

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Trade Spotlight: How should you trade BHEL, Dixon Technologies, Waaree Energies, Sona BLW Precision, Ather Energy, and others on April 13?

The market may see consolidation following the failure of the US-Iran talks to reach an agreement. Below are some short-term trading ideas to consider.

Sunil Shankar Matkar April 13, 2026 / 02:36 IST























Top Buy Ideas for April 13 Experts pick up top 9 buy ideas for April 13 including BHEL, Dixon Technologies, Waaree Energies, Sona BLW Precision, Ather Energy Did our AI summary help? BHE

DT07

AT18 BHE NSE/BSE Select NSE LIVE BSE LIVE Day High

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Companies such as Dixon Technologies, Optiemus Electronics, Lava International, OPPO, Vivo and Samsung operate large manufacturing facilities in the region.

Danish Khan is the editor of Technology and Telecom. He was previously with the Economic Times and has tracked the sector for 14 years.
Hidden cost of moving cities: Why your health insurance premium spikes and how to choose wisely

Experts say the biggest mistake people make is choosing a policy based only on the lowest premium









Insurers expect higher claims from metro residents, so they charge more upfront to balance that risk Health insurance premiums rise if you move to a higher-cost city

Insurers zone cities to price policies by healthcare costs

Lower-zone policies may lead to co-payments if treated in metros Did our AI summary help?
New labour code: How the 50% wage rule will reshape salaries

Over time, salary structures are expected to become more standardised and transparent









One of the most important changes is the introduction of a uniform definition of wages New wage definition changes salary structure and benefits

50 percent wage rule increases basic pay, lowers take-home salary

Higher PF and gratuity contributions boost long-term savings Did our AI summary help?
Rural India takes the lead in insurance growth, leaving metros behind: Study

The study suggests that digital distribution is playing a key role in expanding insurance access beyond metros









Within rural markets, districts with 5070 percent rural population account for a larger share of motor premiums at 21 percent, compared with 15 percent from deeply rural districts Rural and small towns now drive India's insurance premium growth

Sub-10 lakh cities generate 47% of insurance premiums

Digital platforms boost insurance access beyond metro cities Did our AI summary help?
Dubai realty enters buyer window as prices stabilise and discounts emerge amid West Asia conflict

Market observers said that the emergence of 1015 percent price flexibility in certain segments in Dubai is being seen as a sign of market normalisation rather than distress.









Global uncertainty creates entry window in Dubai property market
RMZ Group to deploy $35 bn across data centres, AI infra and commercial real estate

RMZ outlines its most ambitious capital deployment plan to date, spanning data centres, AI infrastructure and commercial real estate across India









RMZ Group to deploy $35 bn across data centres, AI infra and commercial real estate RMZ plans to invest over $35 billion in India in five years

Half the investment goes to digital infrastructure, data centres

RMZ may pursue an IPO to secure permanent, long-term capital Did our AI summary help?
SpiceJet stock hits upper circuit for fourth straight session; stock surges over 21% in 4 days

SpiceJet shares have now risen sharply after a prolonged period of weakness, with sustained buying interest driving consecutive upper circuits. The rally has been accompanied by strong trading volumes.









SpiceJet SpiceJet shares hit upper circuit for fourth straight session.

Stock rallied 21.4 percent in four days despite financial stress.

Shares still down 72.7 percent over the past year. Did our AI summary help?
Amit Shah slams TMC in Birbhum rally, says Bengal will reply to bombs with votes

Shah said 'TMC goons' will be put behind bars after May 4 if they tried to terrorise people on polling day.









Union Minister Amit Shah addresses an election rally in Mayureshwar in Birbhum district. Amit Shah urges Bengal voters to form BJP 'double-engine' govt

Shah accuses TMC of corruption, failing on women's safety

Bengal assembly elections to be held April 23 and 29 Did our AI summary help?
Assam govt moves SC against anticipatory bail to Congress leader Pawan Khera

The Telangana HC, on April 10, granted one-week transit anticipatory bail to Khera, who had alleged that the Assam CM's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the chief minister's election affidavit.

PTI April 13, 2026 / 13:04 IST























Pawan Khera
Bihar CM race: Samrat Choudhary emerges as frontrunner but BJP yet to take final call

As the party is going to have its CM for the first time in Bihar, a large section of BJP and RSS want a person who comes completely from an ABVP and Sangh background, say BJP insiders told IE.









Samrat Choudhary is currently serving as Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar takes RS oath, Bihar CM future uncertain

Samrat Choudhary is the frontrunner for Bihar Chief Minister

BJP weighs caste balance, allies back Choudhary for CM Did our AI summary help?
BJP means detention, TMC means no tension: Abhishek Banerjee

The de facto number two in the TMC held three election rallies at Karimpur and Ranaghat in Nadia district, and Baduria in North 24 Parganas district.

PTI April 13, 2026 / 18:09 IST























Abhishek Banerjee Abhishek Banerjee: BJP promotes detention, deprivation

TMC promises security, welfare, and restoration of voting rights

Banerjee criticizes BJP for insulting Bengali culture and icons Did our AI summary help?
BJP sets in motion govt formation process in Bihar, names Shivraj Singh Chouhan observer

With the appointment, the party set in motion the process of the formation of a new government in Bihar after former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar moved to the Rajya Sabha.









Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Shivraj Singh Chouhan appointed BJP observer for Bihar leadership

Nitish Kumar quits as Bihar CM, moves to Rajya Sabha

Samrat Choudhary likely frontrunner for Bihar CM post Did our AI summary help?
Centre's push for 33% women quota: Current numbers reveal the big gap in Lok Sabha, state assemblies

Numerous studies have shown that when women's participation in the decision-making process increases, it also leads to greater sensitivity in the system, says PM Modi.









Following the 2024 general elections, 74 women Members of Parliament (MPs) were elected to the 18th Lok Sabha. Parliament to hold special session on 33% womens quota bill

Bill aims to reserve 273 Lok Sabha seats for women by 2029

Congress claims Centre is rushing process for political gain Did our AI summary help?
Delimitation, not women's reservation, real issue: Sonia Gandhi

Gandhi stressed that any delimitation involving an increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha must be politically, and not just arithmetically, equitable.

PTI April 13, 2026 / 08:48 IST























Sonia Gandhi
Despite loud protests, West Bengal ranks fifth among 12 states, UTs on net deletions

The state also recorded the third-highest number of deletions in absolute terms, covering electors classified as absent, shifted, dead, or doubly enrolled, according to report.









Together, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal accounted for nearly three-fourths of the 66.9 lakh deceased electors removed West Bengal ranked fifth in net deletions during SIR Phase 2.

State had third-most removals of absent, moved, dead, or duplicate

West Bengal saw the fewest new voters among major states Did our AI summary help?
ED arrests I-PAC director Vinesh Chandel in West Bengal coal scam case

The ED case originates from a November 2020 FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam linked to Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in the Kunustoria and Kajora areas around Asansol in West Bengal.









Enforcement Directorate ED arrests I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel in coal scam probe

Rs 20 crore from coal pilferage allegedly routed to I-PAC

Supreme Court stays FIRs against ED officials in I-PAC searches Did our AI summary help?
'If I complained, Id lose my job': Woman accuses Anand Rathi Wealth officials of sexual harassment

FIR filed against five Anand Rathi Wealth officials after employee alleges harassment, threats and forced transfer; investigation ongoing.









Pune Mirror report flags FIR against five executives; woman alleges intimidation after complaint, probe underway
IMD forecasts a below-average monsoon this year due to El Nino

The monsoon, which typically arrives over the southern state of Kerala around June 1 and retreats by mid-September, is expected to reach 92% of the long-period average this year, M. Ravichandran, secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences, told a news conference









Beachgoers stand on a seaside promenade as clouds gathered over Arabian Sea in Kochi
India putting efforts to bring back 15 stranded vessels in Persian Gulf, says govt

The US planned naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz may not hit Indias immediate crude supplies but analysts and industry sources have warned of significant 'second-order effects'. Shrinking global supply and rising freight costs could hit local prices, they said









India putting efforts to bring 15 stranded vessels in Persian Gulf back, says govt 15 Indian-flagged vessels stranded west of Strait of Hormuz

Government working to bring stranded vessels back safely

No serious LPG shortages reported amid West Asia crisis Did our AI summary help?
Karnataka clears Rs 18,430 crore investment proposals; likely to generate 15,032 jobs

JSW, Volvo, Wipro among firms approved across EV, aerospace, semiconductor and manufacturing sectors









Karnataka approves Rs 18,430 crore investments across 17 projects

Investments expected to create 15,032 jobs in multiple districts

Major sectors include automobiles, aerospace, pharma, and energy Did our AI summary help?
Mallikarjun Kharge assures Congress MLAs from Karnataka: 'Will communicate to high command'

The MLAs met Kharge amid speculations over a leadership change in the state. The legislators left for Delhi on Sunday to mount pressure on the party high command to initiate a cabinet reshuffle and accommodate new faces.









Mallikarjun Kharge Kharge assures Ktaka Congress MLAs hell address concerns

MLAs demand reshuffle, want at least 20 minister posts

Deputy CM Shivakumar opposes reshuffle, two cabinet berths vacant Did our AI summary help?
No serious LPG supply shortage for auto component makers, says govt

Sujata Sharma, joint secretary at the petroleum ministry said that the countrys LPG production has been increased and the country is currently producing 45 thousand metric tonnes of cooking fuel even after the shutdown of Nayara Energy.









No major LPG shortage for auto components industry amid West Asia crisis: MHI No major LPG shortages for auto parts manufacturers reported

India's LPG production increased to 45,000 metric tonnes

15 Indian ships stuck near Hormuz Strait; rescue efforts on Did our AI summary help?
Please give us Yogi for 7 days: Why Bengal wants UP CM this election

Posters featuring Adityanath and his signature 'bulldozer' imagery have come up at several key intersections in Kolkata and adjoining areas, signalling the BJPs attempt to amplify his image as a symbol of tough governance.









Yogi Adityanath formally entered the states poll arena by addressing three rallies in Sonamukhi, Nandakumar and Kanthi Dakshin assembly constituencies. Yogi Adityanath posters and rallies boost BJP's Bengal campaign

BJP uses Yogi's "bulldozer" image to promise tough governance

Large crowds attend Yogi's rallies ahead of Bengal elections Did our AI summary help?
Rajya Sabha to elect its deputy chairman on April 17; NDA likely to renominate Harivansh

Trinamool Congress Leader Derek O'Brien said the BJP wanted to hold the election for the deputy chairman in the Upper House on April 17 when the MPs are busy with state elections and questioned the "hurry".

PTI April 13, 2026 / 21:11 IST























Harivansh Nayan Singh Rajya Sabha deputy chairman election set for April 17 at 11 AM

NDA likely to nominate Harivansh for re-election to the post

Opposition questions delay in filling Lok Sabha deputy speaker post Did our AI summary help?
US Hormuz blockade to tighten global supply, increase costs for India, say analysts

Any escalation involving Iran can also impact chokepoints such as the Bab el Mandeb Strait, where Iran-aligned groups could potentially disrupt shipping flows, Kpler has said.









US Hormuz blockade to tighten global supply, increase costs for India US Hormuz blockade may boost oil prices and freight costs

India pivots crude buys to Russia, Saudi west, Atlantic basin

India restarts Iran oil buys, but US sanctions loom Did our AI summary help?
OPINION | Data centre growth risks creating heat and water stress

They use huge amounts of power and water. Recent cross-country research shows that they raise local temperatures in a 10 km radius, calling for relevant policy tweaks









Data centre capacity is expected to grow sharply

Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day
OPINION | EC has virtually taken over West Bengal administration which begs questions

Administrative transfers in the state exceed that of the all the other election-bound states and UT put together. The scale and sweeping nature of administrative takeover trigger questions on what the election watchdog is up to









The EC has shunted as many as 483 administrative and police officials
OPINION | Illegality compounded with US announcement of Hormuz blockade

The countervailing blockade reflects, in a sense, the gap between US and Iran on the nuclear issue. That said, Islamabad talks showed a total breakdown hasnt yet happened. Hope still floats









Major economies depend on Hormuz for energy security
OPINION | US shifting AI chip export rules are a chokepoint, hurting allies more than China

By using chip access as a tool for one-on-one deals instead of building strong alliances, the US is actually weakening the partnerships needed to make technology restrictions work









The US regulatory environment around AI chip exports remains deeply fluid

Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day
CEO shares very dangerous red flag in a boss: 'When folks don't feel supported...'

Fineas Tatar, cofounder and coCEO of a US-based company advised employees to proactively seek more structured communication, such as asking for feedback channels or scheduling pulsecheck meetings with their managers.
Chinese AI solves decade-old US maths problem in hours with no human help

Researchers say the system solved the problem within 80 hoursa speed unattainable by humans working alone and normally requiring deep collaboration across experts.









Researchers say the AI system solved the problem within 80 hoursa speed unattainable by humans working alone and normally requiring deep collaboration across experts. (Representational image: Unsplash)
Delhi techie says he got Rs 9 hike in 2025, no raise this year: Working like a slave

'Just so you know the package I joined was 4.25 pa, in hand was way less than you would expect,' the software engineer said. 'Now it's 2026 I had to serve a bond of 2 years or pay an amount of 1.5 lakh and even after doing this have to serve a notice period of 6 months.'









The techie is currently bound by a two-year service agreement that requires them to pay Rs 1.5 lakh if they resign early, followed by a sixmonth notice period even after paying the penalty. (Representational image: Unsplash)
Factory under attack: Noida mans viral post seeks police help amid violence

A Noida factory owners viral SOS post alleging vandalism and attacks during the ongoing workers protest has intensified concerns over safety, as multiple users report similar incidents across industrial areas.
'Good wine needs no bush': Restaurant owner rejects popularity, urges people not to come

A restaurant owner went viral for not wanting fame or promotion. Even though many people came to his diner, he asked them not to visit and told vloggers not to promote it.









Owner fears fame, warns fans not to promote his restaurant. (Image credit: Pexels) Chinese diner owner shuns fame, chooses lying flat life

Owner warns customers about herbal soup's effects

Restaurant extends hours due to overwhelming crowds Did our AI summary help?
Iran embassy in Delhi showcases 28 pictures drawn by school kids killed in US attack

The Iranian embassy described them as 'pages brought out from beneath the rubble of a school in Minab The world depicted in them is still simple, bright, and trustworthy. But the world outside did not remain so.'









The embassy said the drawings were retrieved by Red Crescent rescue teams and restored only enough to be visible. (Image credit: @sidhant/X)
Laid off product manager makes Rs 1.3 crore a month selling Bihari tacos, Pakistani flavours

Zeeshan Bakhrani contrasted his previous tech roles, marked by endless meetings and shifting priorities, with handson control in the kitchen. 'Here, I come up with an idea, I can knock it out in a week,' he said.
No swimming, Rs 29,000 fine: Thailands Maya Bay tightens rules to protect coral

Once one of Thailands most photographed beaches, Maya Bay now comes with strict rules and fines as authorities try to undo years of damage.









Experts found major coral damage, declining marine life, and a stressed ecosystem. (Image credit: Reuters) Swimming in Maya Bay is banned to protect coral reefs.

Violators face a fine of up to 10,000 baht.

Coral health and marine life are improving after restrictions. Did our AI summary help?
Nobody will tolerate this: Employee unhappy with pay sleeps at work for hours, boss threatens to fire her

A woman has gone viral after taking a five hour nap at work and posting a tearful complaint online, but most social media users criticised her actions.









The boss discovered the nap when she woke up and took a chocolate from his desk. (Image credit: iStock) Woman in China went viral for taking a five-hour nap at work

Boss threatened to fire her after she took his chocolate snack

Social media users mostly criticized the woman's actions Did our AI summary help?
Traffic chaos in Noida after workers protest turns violent, commuters fume online

Violence during a workers wage protest in Noidas Phase 2 industrial area triggered massive traffic jams across key routes, with commuters taking to social media to complain about hours-long delays and poor traffic management.
Trumps threatens to block Strait of Hormuz, netizens say, 'This is how world wars are made'

Speaking after USIran negotiations in Pakistan ended without an agreement, US President Donald Trump said the US Navy would block 'any and all' ships entering or leaving the strategic waterway.









Donald Trumps remarks immediately raised concerns about the impact on oil prices, shipping security and regional stability.
Why are Indian factory workers wearing head-mounted cameras? Viral clips trigger automation fears

Viral videos showing garment factory workers using head-mounted cameras have sparked online debate, with many speculating the footage may be used to train AI systems and automate manual jobs.
Will the universe end sooner than expected? Scientists share prediction

A new study suggests the universe may end much sooner than earlier estimates, revising its possible lifespan using Hawking radiation theory, while still placing its end in an extremely distant future.









Based on Hawking radiation, which explains black holes slowly evaporate over time. (Image credit: Reuters)
NASA tracks 91-foot asteroid racing toward Earth on 13 April  But is it dangerous?

NASA is tracking asteroid 2026 FV6, a 91-foot airplane-sized space rock set to make a safe close approach to Earth on April 13, 2026, with no threat. NASA is continuously tracking this asteroid.









Asteroid 2026 FV6 will make its close approach to Earth on 13 April. (Image: Canva) Asteroid 2026 FV6 will pass Earth safely on April 13, 2026

Probe to be 1.78M miles away, 7.4 farther than Moon

NASA monitors such flybys to improve planetary defense systems Did our AI summary help?
They dont have an answer: What happened to 200 chimpanzees in Uganda has alarmed scientists!

A study from Uganda reveals that nearly 200 chimpanzees from the Ngogo community split into two rival groups and are now locked in a violent conflict, leaving scientists puzzled.









Nearly 200 chimpanzees from the Ngogo community split into two rival groups in Uganda. (Image: X/@TourismBoardUg) 200-member Ngogo chimpanzee group split into rival factions.

Chimpanzees engaged in violent, organized raids for eight years.

Scientists call it a "civil war" with no clear cause found. Did our AI summary help?
Apple AI chief John Giannandrea, who led Apple Intelligence, to step down next week

Apples AI head John Giannandrea is set to leave the company around April 15, marking the end of an eight-year stint that reshaped its machine learning and AI efforts.









John Giannandrea Apple AI chief John Giannandrea to leave after nearly eight years

His exit aligns with stock options vesting on April 15

Apple reshuffles AI leadership among top executives Did our AI summary help?

Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day
Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day
MC EXCLUSIVE Consumer durables firms warn of prolonged cost pressure, signal more price hikes ahead

A sharp rise in crude-linked plastics, along with constraints in aluminium-based processes such as powder coating, has significantly increased manufacturing costs.









Home Appliances Appliance input costs up 1015% from plastics, logistics

Companies have passed on 70% of cost increases to consumers

Supply chains may stabilise 23 months after ceasefire Did our AI summary help?

Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day
Reliance Jio, Bank of Baroda launch bob World Lite app on JioPhone to expand digital banking access

Bank of Baroda and Reliance Jio launched bob World Lite, a mobile banking app for feature phone users, pre-installed on JioPhone Prima 4G. The app aims to expand digital banking access in India, offering UPI, bill payments, and more for rural and urban users.









bob World Lite app Bank of Baroda and Jio launch bob World Lite for feature phones

App offers UPI, bill pay, and recharges on JioPhone Prima 4G

Seeks to expand digital banking in rural, semi-urban India Did our AI summary help?

Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day
21 hours, no deal: What went wrong in US-Iran talks and what happens next

Inside the high-stakes negotiations led by JD Vance, and why the outcome leaves the world in a fragile spot









What went wrong in US-Iran talks and what happens next
China-bound tanker turns back at Hormuz amid US blockade; Beijing warns do not interfere in our affairs

One of the vessels, Rich Starry, which had listed its destination as China, reportedly reversed course within minutes of the blockade taking effect, data from MarineTraffic showed.









File photo of US President Donald Trump and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. (Reuters) US naval blockade at Hormuz targets Iranian ports

At least two tankers turned away after blockade announcement

China vows to continue maritime activity in the region Did our AI summary help?
China calls US-Iran ceasefire 'very fragile', urges unified opposition to escalation

Wang made the remarks during a phone call with his Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Wang's ministry said.

Reuters April 13, 2026 / 21:04 IST














China denies Iran arms supply claims, calls reports baseless smears

China rejects US intelligence claims of supplying weapons to Iran, calling them baseless smears, amid rising tensions









China denies Trumps allegations of arming Iran, slams 50% tariff threat
Did Netanyahus call derail the US-Iran deal? Tehrans claim as blockade begins April 13

Iran blames Netanyahu call for failed US talks as Hormuz blockade looms, raising risks to oil supply and fragile ceasefire









Iran alleges Israeli intervention derailed US talks as blockade threat and oil volatility return. Diplomatic talks on Strait of Hormuz collapsed after 21 hours

US to begin blockade of Iranian ports from April 13

Oil prices volatile as ceasefire nears end and shipping drops Did our AI summary help?
Irans Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf taunts Trump with US gas prices, warning a Hormuz blockade could trigger a sharper oil spike.
European leaders celebrate Peter Magyar's victory in stunning Hungarian election

Magyar ended Orban's 16-year rule as prime minister in an election that brought a record-high turnout and was expected to rattle Russia and send shockwaves through right-wing circles across the West, including the White House.

Associated Press April 13, 2026 / 07:54 IST























Peter Magyar waves a Hungarian flag as he celebrates, after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat in the parliamentary election, in Budapest. (Courtesy: Reuters photo)
Gandhi Hospital hit in Tehran: Iran shares footage, claims over 600 medical sites struck

Iran accuses US and Israel of targeting civilian infrastructure after a Tehran hospital strike; WHO confirms damage as tensions escalate.









Embassy shares video of damaged Gandhi Hospital; WHO confirms strike as Tehran alleges wider attacks on healthcare facilities Israeli air strike damaged Gandhi Hospital in Tehran on March 2

WHO confirmed the strike; patients evacuated after major damage

Iran says 600+ hospitals hit; wider claims unverified Did our AI summary help?
How US-Iran talks grew 'friendly and built goodwill but still failed to secure a deal

US-Iran marathon talks ended without a deal, but officials said 'goodwill' and 'friendly' exchanges emerged during negotiations.
Iran says in touch with India over Hormuz passage: 'Both of us have common fate'

Fathali said Iran remains in close contact with the Indian government to support maritime movement and ensure assistance for Indian vessels navigating the region.









Iran's envoy Mohammad Fathali Iran assures safe passage for Indian ships in Strait of Hormuz

Iran, India coordinate amid tensions affecting crude imports

Iran prefers peace but is prepared for conflict in the region Did our AI summary help?
Indonesia, US in talks over military airspace access; no deal final yet

Indonesia says discussions with the US on granting military aircraft access to its airspace remain at a preliminary stage, with no binding agreement reached so far.

Reuters April 13, 2026 / 12:46 IST























US, Indonesia discussing proposal allowing US military overflight in Indonesian airspace, defence ministry says
Inside Irans fortified uranium tunnels that survived US-Israel strikes: Can it still build nuclear weapon?

Despite repeated US and Israeli strikes targeting its nuclear infrastructure, reports suggest Irans programme remains partially intact, with key materials and capabilities still in place.
Iran denies charging toll for Indian tankers transiting Hormuz strait

"You can ask the Indian government if we have charged anything up to now," Ambassador Mohammad Fathali told reporters at a briefing at Iran's embassy.

Reuters April 13, 2026 / 21:12 IST























Iran's ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, addresses a press conference in New Delhi. (REUTERS)
Iran says no port in region will be safe if its ports are attacked ahead of US blockade

Irans military, said maritime security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman must be collective, stressing that it is either for everyone or for no one. It warned that any attack on Iranian ports would be met with retaliation.









Iran warns of retaliation if its ports are attacked as the US moves toward a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz following stalled talks. Iran warns any attack on its ports will trigger retaliation

US plans naval blockade in Strait of Hormuz after talks collapse

Iran threatens regional port safety if its ports are targeted Did our AI summary help?
Even before the war, Irans pistachio trade was under pressure due to sanctions and geopolitical tensions.
Israel intensifies air strikes across Lebanon amid escalating tensions

Israel carried out fresh air, drone and artillery strikes across Lebanon as Hezbollah exchanges continue and casualty toll rises, reports said.









Israel intensifies air and drone strikes across Lebanon as Hezbollah rocket attacks continue and tensions escalate along the border.
Iran blames US for failed talks, says deal was 'just inches away' in Islamabad

Iran says US talks collapsed just inches away from deal in Islamabad, blaming maximalism and shifting goalposts after nearly 21 hours of negotiations failed to reach an agreement.









Iran was inches away from US deal in Islamabad, says Araghchi
Lebanon seeks direct negotiations with Israel amid escalating Hezbollah conflict

Lebanon Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji on a call with German counterpart said that Lebanon says it is pursuing direct negotiations with Israel to reach a ceasefire amid escalating Hezbollah tensions









Lebanon says it is pushing for direct talks with Israel to secure a ceasefire amid rising tensions with Hezbollah
Netanyahu reveals what JD Vance told him after failed US-Iran talks in Pakistan: 'He made it clear that ...'

Last week, Vance announced said that US failed to reach an agreement with Iran after 21 hours of high-stakes talks in Islamabad.









Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Netanyahu spoke with US VP Vance after Iran talks collapsed

US-Iran negotiations broke down over uranium enrichment demands

Trump stated Iran will never have a nuclear weapon Did our AI summary help?
'Not acceptable': Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemns Trump's attack on Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo told Reuters on Monday (April 13, 2026) that he plans to continue speaking out against war after U.S. President Donald Trumps direct attack on the leader of the 1.4-billion-member Church.









Iranian President Irans president slams Trumps comments about the Pope

Trump criticized Pope Leo XIV's stance on Iran and foreign policy

Pope Leo XIV vowed to keep speaking out against war Did our AI summary help?
Pakistan pushes fresh diplomacy to revive US-Iran talks after Islamabad deadlock: Report

Pakistan is intensifying diplomatic efforts to revive US-Iran talks after the Islamabad deadlock, despite deep disagreements over Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz.









Pakistan launches new diplomatic push as US-Iran talks stall over key disputes
Pakistan, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq: Tanker movements reveal first cracks as US blockade looms in Hormuz

Shipping data shows vessels turning back or rerouting as US prepares to enforce blockade on Iran-linked traffic









Oil tankers avoid Hormuz as US prepares blockade after failed Iran talks Oil tankers avoid Strait of Hormuz ahead of US blockade

US Navy to blockade Iranian ports starting Monday

Iran warns military vessels near Strait will face harsh response Did our AI summary help?
Pope Leo says he has no fear of Trump, vows to keep speaking out against war

Pope Leo said he will continue advocating for peace despite sharp criticism from Trump, as tensions between the Vatican and Washington









Pope Leo says he has no fear of Trump administration, will continue speaking out against war after attack
Russia proposes taking Irans enriched uranium as US blockade threat raises tensions in Hormuz

Oil prices, which had tumbled with the truce, jumped around eight percent Monday, with both key WTI and Brent contracts topping $100 a barrel.









Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia offers to take Iran's enriched uranium for peace deal

US plans blockade of Iranian ports amid rising tensions

Oil prices surge 8 percent after failed peace talks Did our AI summary help?
Shehbaz Sharif to visit Saudi Arabia as regional tensions simmer, ceasefire remains fragile

The visit comes against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire that began last Tuesday after six weeks of intense fighting that left thousands dead, disrupted energy supplies and raised fears of a broader regional conflict.









Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Ships with Iran oil anchor off India as Trump announces blockade

The Felicity has dropped anchor off Sikka in western India late Sunday, ship-tracking data show. The Jaya began signaling on Sunday that it is moored near Paradip on Indias east coast.









Representative image
Southeast Asian nations urge US, Iran to continue peace talks

ASEAN urged the US and Iran to continue talks after weekend diplomacy failed, warning that Hormuz tensions could deepen the conflict and hit oil flows.









ASEAN urged the US and Iran to continue talks after weekend diplomacy failed, warning that Hormuz tensions could deepen the conflict and hit oil flows. ASEAN urges US and Iran to resume talks for lasting peace.

Ministers urge ceasefire, safe passage in Strait of Hormuz

Trump blockade threat lifts oil, heightens global risks Did our AI summary help?
A fixed monthly payment system for milk is helping one Nepal municipality turn dairy farming into a steady alternative to Gulf migration.
'Thought it was me as a doctor: Trump defends Jesus-like post amid clash with Pope Leo

Trump hit back, calling the Pope wrong and very weak on crime, while defending his administrations stance on Iran and nuclear policy.









US President Donald Trump Trump denies AI image shows him as Jesus, says it's a doctor

Image sparked controversy amid tensions with Pope Leo XIV

Critics say Trump used religious symbolism in Iran crisis Did our AI summary help?
Trump posts Christ-like' image of himself on Truth Social after 'weak on crime' swipe at Pope

Trump shares a Christ-like image on Truth Social after criticising the Pope, triggering a social media storm and political reactions.









Trump shares a Christ-like image on Truth Social after criticising the Pope, triggering a social media storm and political reactions. Trump shares Christ-like image of himself on Truth Social

Trump attacks Pope Leo XIV, calling him weak on crime

Image sparks strong reactions and highlights Vatican-US tensions Did our AI summary help?
Trump says he doesnt care if Iran returns to negotiations: If they dont come back, Im fine

Trump says he is indifferent to Iran returning to talks after failed Islamabad negotiations, claims Tehran is in very bad shape and confirms planned Iranian port blockade amid ongoing ceasefire.









Trump says he doesnt care if Iran returns to talks after failed Pakistan negotiations
Trump threatens to block already hit Hormuz: why now, how it works, and oil price impact
Trump slams Pope Leo as weak on crime, terrible on foreign policy

Trump escalates clash with Pope Leo XIV, attacking him over criticism of US policies and Iran war as tensions between the White House and the Vatican deepen.









Trump attacks Pope Leo over criticism of US policies
Trump weighs fresh strikes on Iran as US blockade of Iranian ports begins April 13

Limited strikes are under consideration as Washington looks to break negotiation deadlock after announcing Hormuz-linked blockade









Trump weighs limited Iran strikes after failed talks as blockade takes effect. US considers limited strikes in Iran after talks collapse

Iran port blockade from April 13 to hit oil exports

Talks collapse over Iran nuclear program, uranium enrichment Did our AI summary help?
UK, France to co-host 40-nation summit to restore shipping in Strait of Hormuz

UK PM Keir Starmer in a post on X said that the ongoing disruption in the Strait is deeply damaging and is contributing to global cost-of-living pressures. He said UK has convened more than 40 nations to safegaurd the navigation in the regon









UK and France will host a 40-nation summit this week to restore navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as global shipping disruptions continue UK and France to co-host summit on Strait of Hormuz navigation

Over 40 nations to coordinate efforts for safe maritime passage

Summit seeks to restore shipping, ease global energy woes Did our AI summary help?
UK PM Keir Starmer calls US-Iran ceasefire 'very fragile', urges Lebanon's inclusion in ceasefire

Earlier in the day, Starmer ruled out British support for US President Donald Trumps planned blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas, including the crucial shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz.









UK PM Keir Starmer Starmer calls current US-Iran ceasefire "very fragile"

Urges Lebanon's inclusion in ceasefire talks

UK rules out support for US blockade of Iranian ports Did our AI summary help?
US Iran war live news: Wall Street firms, oil stays higher as investors hope for US-Iran resolution

Wall Street stock indexes advanced and oil retreated from highs above $100 a barrel on Monday as President Donald Trump said Iran wanted to make a deal after the United States responded to the collapse of peace talks over the weekend by blocking Iran's ports.

A fragile ceasefire that halted six weeks of U.S. and Israeli air strikes still hung in the balance. Trump said 34 ships had passed through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.

Stocks firmed during the day's trading, with major indexes reversing earlier losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.15%, to 47,933.09, the S&P 500 rose 0.47%, to 6,846.43 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 0.70%, to 23,062.9.
US sought 20-year nuclear moratorium from Iran; Tehran offered far less: Report

The ceasefire expires April 21, and Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey are working to pull the talks back together.









Trump announced a blockade on Iran over the weekend, framing it as leverage US-Iran talks collapsed over uranium enrichment freeze dispute

Iran rejected US call for 20-year enrichment halt, uranium removal

Ceasefire expires April 21; mediators push for talks to resume Did our AI summary help?
Who is Peter Magyar and how did he defeat Viktor Orban? Hungarys election upset explained
April 13, 2026

Trump And The Devil

President Donald Trump has for some time been in a public dispute with Pope Leo of the Catholic church.

Within the context of the quarrel Trump posted a picture of himself depicted as saint healer overseen by a devil.

And no  this isnt a late Aprils fool joke 

On February 4 2026, the X/Twitter account NickAdamsinUSA posted this AI slop picture of Trump as a saint healer.

Yesterday Trump himself posted a similar picture on hisaccount. It was reproduced on

mend_alyn @mend_alyn  4:44 UTC  Apr 13, 2026 > Trumps Truth Social post added the horned figure (at the top) to an already disgusting picture @NickAdamsinUSA shared in February. <

Some noted a slight difference between both pictures:

Indeed. Here is a cut from the top of the picture posted in February:

And a similar cut from the picture posted two months later by Trump:

The man in the middle has been transformed into something like a horned angel. He seems to wear a Statue of Liberty look-alike crown.

One wonders who initiated that transformation. When and for what purpose?

Context:

Pope Leo XIV had recently spoken out against the wars waged by President Donald Trump.

On Apr 12 at 21:03 ET President Donald Trump posted a rant against Pope Leo:

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about fear of the Trump Administration, but doesnt mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesnt! I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I dont want a Pope who thinks its terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise.

Forty-three minutes after his rant Trump posted the above picture which portrays him as a saint with a horned/crowned angel/devil above him.

How will the evangelical followers of Trump interpret this?

Who construed and directed this drama?

Please think about and answer the questions.



Added after publishing (15:39 UTC):

Trump just deleted his post of the picture.

Also added after publishing (16:09 UTC):

The President of Iran condemned Trumps insults of the Pope:
The complex had been operated by Orbital Outfitters for testing space suits and equipment and for astronaut training. The MDC cancelled its agreements with Orbital in the spring of 2018. It was later operated by Kepler Aerospace and most recently used in 2024 by C2 Space Tech. The MACC was housed in a facility in the Spaceport Business Park that is now leased by AST Spacemobile. The complex is currently in storage at Midland International Air and Space Port.
Kpop group BTS perform during BTS The Comeback Live Arirang concert in central Seoul, South Korea, March 21, 2026. REUTERS

LOS ANGELES (Reuters)  When Sandra Martinez couldnt make it to Kpop supergroup BTSs concert in Goyang, South Korea, she and her friends found a workaround. On Saturday, they gathered at an AMC theater in Los Angeles to experience the South Korean performers ARIRANG tour on the big screen.

We couldnt go to the concert, so its fun to gather with friends and fellow BTS ARMY, Martinez, a selfemployed fan, told Reuters at the AMC theater at The Grove outdoor mall.

ARMY is the name of the bands global fanbase.

BTS consists of seven members: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, who are managed under Big Hit Music, an independent label under Hybe Corporation.

The global screenings feature two full-length concerts from BTSs world tourone filmed live in Goyang on Saturday and another set in Tokyo on April 18allowing fans worldwide to share in the experience.

Martinez said BTS stands apart from other Kpop groups because of their broad appeal. Its not just for younger people. Its for any age, without limits on race or gender, she said. Music comes from the heart.

She met fellow fan Millie B, a pharmacy technician and BTS content creator, through Instagram, bonding over their shared love for the group. I didnt meet my friends until I became ARMY, Martinez said.

Holding her BTS glow stick, Millie B said the entire groups return after a more than fiveyear hiatus has energized fans. They went to the military and now theyre finally back with a big tour, she said. Its a big deal.

BTS went on hiatus in 2022 and all seven members completed South Koreas mandatory military service by mid-2025, before getting together to record their fifth studio album ARIRANG.

BTSs world tour launched Thursday in Goyang. Released in March, the album topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks, a first for a Kpop act, while lead single Swim debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100.

The tour is expected to generate blockbuster revenues, with 34 stops across the globe  including Los Angeles in September  setting a new record for the most dates by a Kpop artist.

Fan Nicole Lee, who already has tickets to the Los Angeles show, said she couldnt wait. I wanted to see their performance a little bit early, she said.

Im just happy that theyre finally back together again, Lee added.

For her, the groups global appeal comes from the communication and care that the members offer fans.

I think people really resonate with that, she added.
Cate Blanchett attends the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Britain, April 6, 2025. REUTERS

LONDON (Reuters)  Paddington Bear was the big winner at the Olivier Awards in London on Sunday, with a stage adaptation of the beloved childrens books picking up seven prizes at Britains top theatre honors.

Paddington The Musical, based on author Michael Bonds books and the 2014 film adaptation, brings to life the marmalade-sandwich-loving bear, a refugee from Peru who is named after the London train station where he is found. The show, with music and lyrics by musician Tom Fletcher, won prizes including best new musical, best director and best actor in a musical for the duo who portray the title character together.

With everything that is happening in this world there will be further displaced people, please be welcoming, accepting and helpful to those people and treat them as you would if you were Paddington himself, James Hameed, who voices Paddington off-stage in the show while co-winner Arti Shah plays the bear on stage, said in their joint acceptance speech.

Paddington reminds us to be welcoming, inquisitive and most importantly kind.

It had led nominations alongside Into the Woods, a production of Stephen Sondheims musical featuring Brothers Grimm characters that won best musical revival, with 11 nods each.

Punch, based on a real-life story of one mans fatal punch, won best new play.

Snow White star Rachel Zegler won best actress in a musical for her portrayal of Argentine first lady Eva Peron in Evita, which saw her performing the shows big number Dont Cry For Me Argentina live from a balcony outside the theatre.

Thank you so much to the city of London for making me feel so welcome here. I never could have imagined it, Zegler said.

It was the honor of a lifetime singing to the people of Argyll Street eight times a week. I cant believe I got so lucky.

Gone Girl star Rosamund Pike won best actress for legal drama Inter Alia, while Jack Holden beat the likes of Loki actor Tom Hiddleston, and Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston to win best actor for true-crime thriller play Kenrex.

A new production of Arthur Millers All My Sons won best revival and best supporting actor for Paapa Essiedu, who plays Professor Snape in the upcoming Harry Potter television series.

Named after actor Laurence Olivier and first handed out in 1976, the awards are Britains most prestigious theatrical honors.

As well as celebrating their 50th anniversary, the awards marked other major theatre milestones: 40 years of Phantom of the Opera and 20 years of Wicked, with special performances for both.

Sundays ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall also saw veteran stage actor Elaine Paige receive a special award in recognition of her defining contribution to musical theatre.
1) Commonwealth Utilities Corporation crews repair power lines after overgrown tree branches caused damage in the area. Officers from the Department of Public Safety assisted in directing traffic. Photos by Bryan Manabat

2) A CUC crew repairs power lines in Kagman to restore service in the area.

3) At Mobil Chalan Kiya Gas Station, motorists lined up to fuel their vehicles at noon Monday.

4) Motorists lined up before noon Monday at a Middle Road gas station in Garapan to fuel their vehicles

5) Hong Electric staffers board up the shops glass windows on Middle Road.

6) Workers board up a restaurant at Springs Plaza in Gualo Rai.

7) Volunteers cross Beach Road carrying a canoe that will be secured at the Ada gym.

8) Volunteers secure paddling canoes at the Ada gym on Monday morning.

By Bryan Manabat

[email protected]

Variety News Staff

AS of noon Monday, 166 residents had taken shelter at Kagman High School, Marianas High School, Koblerville Elementary School, and the Office on Aging as Super Typhoon Sinlaku moves toward the Marianas. Its closest approach is expected between Monday evening and Wednesday morning.

Sinlaku is a Kosraean name referring to a goddess of nature and breadfruit.

Office on Aging Director Walter Manglona said 23 people were sheltering at the Manamko Center as of 11 a.m.

The shelter at the Office on Aging is primarily for those with underlying health conditions, people with disabilities and elderly residents in need of shelter during the typhoon, he said.

At Kagman High School, staff member Ansen Jones said about 40 individuals  roughly eight families  were sheltering there. The schools capacity is 50. Jones said a secondary shelter will open once capacity is reached, with CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management to issue a notice.

At Koblerville Elementary School, 46 residents were sheltering as of midday. A staff member who requested anonymity said more are expected as some residents remain undecided about leaving their homes. KoES can accommodate up to 418 people.

A school official at Marianas High School declined to provide numbers and referred inquiries to the Public School System central office. Variety later confirmed that 57 residents were sheltering at MHS, which has a capacity of 80.

CNMI Homeland Security and Emergency Management has not yet released official consolidated shelter numbers.

Around 11:30 a.m. in Kagman, Commonwealth Utilities Corporation crews were seen repairing power lines after overgrown tree branches caused damage in the area. Officers from the Department of Public Safety assisted in directing traffic as crews worked to restore service.

Across the island, business establishments and homeowners were seen boarding up storefronts and homes, securing windows and entryways as winds strengthened throughout the day. Many residents used plywood, metal shutters and improvised barriers to protect their properties ahead of Sinlakus arrival.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the CNMI early Monday at the request of Gov. David Apatang. The approval was announced shortly after midnight by Delegate Kimberly King-Hinds.

Under the Stafford Act, an emergency declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to mobilize personnel, equipment and resources ahead of the storm. It allows FEMA to provide emergency protective measures, coordinate federal support and pre-position assets in the Commonwealth before, during and after Sinlakus passage.

King-Hinds said the declaration unlocks federal resources and urged residents to prepare and follow official guidance.

Before noon, Governor Apatang said he would declare Typhoon Condition I for Saipan, Tinian and Rota, and Tropical Storm Condition I for Pagan and Alamagan at 2 p.m.

Typhoon Condition I means damaging winds of 74 mph or more are expected within 12 hours. Tropical Storm Condition I means winds of 39 mph or more are possible within 12 hours.

Apatang urged residents to take immediate precautions.

Based on the most recent advisories, I urge all residents to complete their final storm preparations at this time, he said. If you reside in a structure that may not withstand strong winds, please take proactive steps to seek safer shelter.

He also advised residents to stay off roadways unless absolutely necessary and to avoid shorelines due to hazardous surf and rapidly deteriorating conditions.

Your cooperation and vigilance are essential as we work together to ensure the safety and well-being of our entire community, he said.

According to the National Weather Service Guam, Super Typhoon Sinlaku (04W) continues moving northwest toward the Marianas and away from Chuuk State. Intense showers, thunderstorms and strong winds persist over the far outer islands of northwest Chuuk, especially Ulul, with heavy bands still affecting Fananu.

The latest Joint Typhoon Warning Center track shows a slight southward shift, with Sinlaku expected to pass north of Rota and near or over Tinian and Saipan. The system is forecast to gradually weaken but is still expected to cross the Marianas as a Category 4 or 5 typhoon.

Bryan Manabat was a liberal arts student of Northern Marianas College where he also studied criminal justice. He is the recipient of the NMI Humanities Award as an Outstanding Teacher (Non-Classroom) in 2013, and has worked for the CNMI Motheread/Fatheread Literacy Program as lead facilitator.
California gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell speaks during the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco, California, U.S., Feb. 21, 2026. REUTERS

NEW YORK (Reuters)  U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell on Sunday said he was suspending his campaign for governor of California, as he faces calls from fellow Democratic lawmakers and dozens of his former staffers to leave Congress following accusations of sexual assault.

To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past, Swalwell wrote in a post on X, without elaborating. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made  but thats my fight, not a campaigns.

The post did not address the calls for him to leave Congress. Swalwells congressional office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Swalwell, who had been a front-runner for the governorship of the U.S. most populous state, ended his campaign two days after The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN reported that a woman who previously worked in Swalwells district office accused him of two nonconsensual sexual encounters.

CNN also reported that three other women made sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell, who represents a California district and has been in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013.

Swalwell has denied the accusations as absolutely false and vowed to fight them.

In separate TV interviews on Sunday morning talk shows, Democratic Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Eugene Vindman each said Swalwell should quit Congress. An open letter released later on Sunday and signed by more than 50 of Swalwells ex-staffers also called on him to resign from Congress and drop out of the California gubernatorial race, calling the allegations serious and credible.

Remaining in either role while these allegations hang unresolved is an insult to every person who has ever worked for him, the former staffers wrote in the letter published by several U.S. media outlets.

Under California law, the top two finishers in the June 2 open primary contest will advance to Novembers election, regardless of their party affiliation. Other Democratic candidates include former U.S. Representative Katie Porter, billionaire activist Tom Steyer and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

DHS, Manhattan prosecutor investigate

Also on Sunday, the Department of Homeland Securitys U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed it has looked into allegations that Swalwell illegally employed a Brazilian nanny.

These allegations are serious. USCIS has referred this matter to the Department of Homeland Security law enforcement for investigation, a USCIS spokesperson told Reuters in a statement.

Swalwells office did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment on the probe.

Politico first reported the USCIS probe.

His fellow lawmakers focused on Swalwells future in their chamber.

What he did is sick and disgusting, Khanna told Fox News Sunday while calling for law enforcement and House ethics investigations of Swalwell.

The Manhattan district attorneys office on Saturday confirmed it is investigating the sexual assault allegations.

Possible expulsion motion looms

As pressure grows on Swalwell to also resign from Congress, some lawmakers have said they would back a motion to expel him from the House of Representatives if he does not leave on his own.

Representative Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida appearing on NBCs Meet the Press, and Jayapal, a representative from Washington also appearing on Meet the Press, each said on Sunday they would vote to expel Swalwell from Congress if such a vote came up.

In a social media post on Saturday, Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, wrote that she planned to file a motion to expel Swalwell from Congress. She told Fox News she would file the disciplinary motion next week.

Another Democrat, Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida representative, also faces a potential expulsion vote after a House panel recently concluded she violated ethics rules. A grand jury indicted her in November after she was accused of stealing pandemic relief funds and directing that money to her 2021 congressional campaign.

Cherfilus-McCormicks office did not immediately return a request for comment. She has previously denied wrongdoing.

While Luna and other Republicans have called for expelling Swalwell and Cherfilus-McCormick, Democrats have been calling for an expulsion of Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican being investigated by the House over sexual misconduct allegations.

Gonzales office did not immediately return a request for comment. Last month, he said he would not seek re-election later this year.

Donalds told Meet the Press he wants to see Swalwell and Gonzales leave. As far as Im concerned both gentlemen need to go home, Donalds said.

While calling on Swalwell to resign, Khanna told Fox he also believes there are other members (of Congress) and Republican members who should resign as well, such as Gonzales.
Machananao Elementary School as seen on Wednesday, Aug. 21. 2024 in Yigo, Guam. Photo by David Castro/The Guam Daily Post

By Jolene Toves

For Variety

HAGATNA (The Guam Daily Post)  By 8 a.m. Monday, emergency storm shelters operated at seven Guam Department of Education schools were filled to 18% total capacity, but by the afternoon Machananao Elementary School was at full capacity.

The maximum capacity of the seven emergency storm shelters is 2,623, and throughout the day, numbers at shelters in the north, central, and south fluctuated. In total, 748 people were reported at 2:30 p.m., less than half the total maximum capacity.

At Machananao Elementary School, the Yigo campus quickly filled in less than 24 hours. By 8 a.m., there were 283 occupants, and by 2:30 p.m., 303 were reported. In Dededo, Astumbo Elementary School, which saw 197 people in the morning, went up to 205 by the afternoon, while Maria Ulloa Elementary School reached nearly half capacity since opening on Sunday at 6 p.m., with 142 sheltering.

Shelters in the south, however, did not see as many people seeking shelter from the storm. Inalahan Middle School reported 14 people with a max capacity of 352. Talofofo Elementary saw 18 shelterees with a max capacity of 311.

In Malesso, which, according to Post files on Dec. 24, 2025, saw immense flooding after 5 inches of rainfall in an hour, Mayor Franklin Champaco told the Post he noted roughly 20 people sheltering at the Merizo Martyrs Memorial Elementary School as of 7 a.m., Monday. At 8 a.m., the Joint Information Center recorded 22.

When asked about the low turnout to the shelter, he noted concern for village residents choosing to hunker down in flood-prone areas rather than seeking out the emergency storm shelter that sits atop Pigua.

Oh yeah, definitely. I just came from there. I visited them. There are some families there that do stay at those homes that usually flood, so they are there, and Im in actually direct contact with a lot of them. Thats the flood-prone areas, the houses. So were just, were tracking them and just making sure theyre OK, but yeah, there is, theres quite a few from the low-lying areas that are there at the shelter, Champaco said.

One of the areas that saw major flooding in December 2025 was the Hemlanis Apartments in Malesso. Champaco said he and his crew have been out trying to mitigate the potential of flooding in the area.

I did go over there and, you know, check with them if they needed sandbags, stuff like that, Champaco said. But then we did some work. You know, (with) the help of (the) Department of Public Works and the Mayors Council of Guam. We were able to procure an excavator and some heavy equipment. We did some work over at the bridge in the river area.

Champaco said he was praying the proactive measures would help it not flood as bad.

During the 12 p.m. heavy weather briefing with the Joint Information Center, the National Weather Service urged residents living in flood-prone areas and homes that are not concrete to evacuate to a shelter ahead of the storm.

When asked why Champaco thought some residents in Malesso were not seeking shelter, he said the storms shift in tracking may be a reason.

I think that not too many residents (are) coming in because, as you know,  were not going to get the full-on typhoon force now. So, I think thats why. Its like, Were OK, right, Champaco said.

With the low turnout numbers in the south, The Guam Daily Post asked the Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense spokesperson Jenna Blas if consolidating shelters was on the table ahead of the onset of tropical-storm-force winds and rains.

In the central region at George Washington High School, Mangilao Mayor Allan Ungacta said at around 2 p.m. the number of those seeking shelter stayed the same as previously reported by officials earlier in the day.

A shelteree from Mangilao, who asked to be identified by the initials D.N., was with her family of 10, which includes her four children, all under seven years old. They were settling into the accommodations, telling the Post they were taken cared of, but also said she feared the worst for her home.

Very concerned. Because my house is not that strong for my kids stay put in it. If it wasnt weak, we wouldnt come here, but our home is very weak, she said. Im pretty sure the rain will go in because the plywood are very thin now.

Sheltering until Condition of Readiness 4 is declared and its safe to return home, she said, her thoughts are filled with what they will return home to following Super Typhoon Sinlaku.

Im wondering if my house is broken down; where can we be placed at? she asked the Post.
Alex Palvo of Jerseyville takes in the view as the Grafton Ferry approaches its landing site on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. Palvo, an employee of the Grafton Oyster Bar, was the first motorist to board the ferry after a ribbon-cutting and got a free pass from Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow. Steve Whitworth/The Telegraph

GRAFTON  The Grafton Ferry has crossed the Mississippi River for the first time under its namesake citys ownership.

The ferry that carries vehicles between Grafton and St. Charles County in Missouri made its first trips Friday since November, when it was still owned by the Calhoun Ferry Co. The city of Grafton officially took ownership of the vessel in January with the help of an Illinois Department of Transportation grant.

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As per its new schedule, the first trip of the day began at 5 a.m. Friday, but Mayor Mike Morrow and other city officials had a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. to mark the ferrys new era. A crowd of about 50 people gathered for the occasion.

Five years ago, right over there, I was filming for my (first mayoral) campaign, Morrow said just before cutting the ribbon. And I said, We ought to get this (ferry) running full-time. I didnt realize it was going to take five years, and all these people helped. Everyone out here helped.

After the ribbon was cut, the first four motorists to make the next trip from Grafton to Missouri got free passes from the mayor, who had pledged to personally pay for the first 15 vehicles that boarded after the ceremony. A one-way trip now costs $10, or $19 for a round-trip fare.

Mayor Mike Morrow cuts a ribbon to mark the relaunch of the Grafton Ferry, now owned by the city but still operated by its previous owner, Calhoun Ferry Co. Steve Whitworth/The Telegraph

Daily year-round service

The first driver to board for the 10 a.m. trip was Alex Palvo, 42, of Jerseyville..

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It feels awesome, Palvo said about being first in line. He said he works at the Grafton Oyster Bar and was using the ferry to travel to a warehouse in St. Charles County, something he needs to do monthly.

It would take me an hour to get there without the ferry, Palvo said.

Linda Petroline, 69, of Staunton, said she came for the ceremony with her friend, Ann Ray, also of Staunton, a member of the family that owns the Calhoun Ferry Co., which is continuing to operate the Grafton Ferry under the citys ownership.

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We come down to Grafton to eat and socialize, Petroline said. She said she also uses the ferry for trips to visit her sister in St. Charles.

Ray said she will be working as a deckhand on the ferry three days a week and is happy with the new arrangement.

Its a good deal for the city and for my family, she said about the 20-year agreement between the city and Calhoun Ferry. I know the community has been wanting the ferry running full-time.

Plans call for the ferry to run every day year-round. It will operate from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

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Unlike Palvo, the first driver to use the ferry for the next trip from Missouri to Grafton had no idea she would get a free ride from Morrow.

It was nice, a pleasant surprise, said Carol Sievers, 78, of St. Peters, Missouri.

She said she grew up in the Grafton area and was coming to the city to meet friends with whom she went to school in Jerseyville for lunch. Sievers said she expected to use the ferry regularly.

Boost for traffic and tourism

Also making the trip to the Illinois side were Keith Lewis, 71, and his wife, Kim, 70, of St. Charles. The couple moved to Missouri from Atlanta five years ago and said they come to Grafton two or three times a month.

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I love Grafton, Keith Lewis said. Its a neat little river town. We can use the ferry to get here, then take a drive down the (Great) River Road, stop in Alton and make a loop to go back home. Theres so much history in this area.

Lewis said they expected to make the trip to Grafton more frequently with the convenience of the ferry.

This is going to help Grafton and Alton, he said.

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Brian McCoy, marine transportation program planner for the Illinois Department of Transportation, was on hand for the first day of the ferrys operations under Graftons ownership.
A three-month series of presentations and events will dive into Illinois history in honor of America's 250th anniversary. Photovs/Getty Images

CARLINVILLE  A Macoupin County nonprofit is celebrating America's 250th anniversary by diving into how Illinois fits into the picture of U.S. history.

Carlinville Winning Communities will have a three-month long series of community presentations and events titled "History Belongs to All of Us," running from May to July. The events will focus on Illinois' role in the nation's history.

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The series will begin with a talk by historian and author Tom Emery titled "Illinois in the Revolutionary War," based on Emery's book of the same name. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. May 4 at Macoupin County Historical Society's Ruyle Genealogy Building.

The next event will be a discussion of a War of 1812 land grant given to Nicholas Welch and the autobiography of Sauk leader Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak, also known as Black Hawk. Welch was one of many veterans who received land in western Illinois as compensation from the U.S. government; though he never lived in Illinois, the act of granting land to Welch displaced Black Hawk from his home in what now is Rock Island.

The discussion will start at 7 p.m. June 1. Reservations are required and can be made by emailing marytinder1@gmail.com.

The series then will turn to a predecessor of Route 66 during "Relive the Mother Road: The Edwards Trace," led by Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Anna Sielaff. Sielaff will dive into the history of the Edwards Trace, a 3,000-year-old trail used by Native Americans and early settlers that stretched from Cahokia to Peoria. Portions run through Macoupin County and line up with the original path of Route 66.

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The event will be June 26 during the Old-Fashioned Route 66 Jubilee on the Macoupin County Courthouse lawn.

Macoupin County high schoolers and college students will read the Declaration of Independence aloud at Macoupin County Courthouse starting at 10 a.m. July 4. The event also will feature more than 30 historic flags provided by the George Rogers Clark chapter of Sons of the American Revolution. A discussion will follow and guests will be invited to sign the "Macoupin County America @ 250 Time Capsule" book, which will go on display at Macoupin County Historical Society's headquarters.

Sharon and Tommy Breyden will display and discuss a unique artifact uncovered in Macoupin County. That program will start at 7 p.m. July 6 at Ruyle Genealogy Building. The couple will display the Black Hawk Tablet, an artifact unearthed in the 1940s on a farm near Hettick that suggests Black Hawk and a Macoupin County settler formally agreed to peacefully coexist in the region.

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Morgan County

Sheriff

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ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 A 32-year-old Jacksonville man was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:16 p.m. Sunday on charges of domestic battery and possession of methamphetamine.

 A 42-year-old Jacksonville man was booked into the Morgan County jail at 3:21 p.m. Saturday on warrants accusing him of failing to appear in court on seven charges of criminal trespassing, one charge of criminal damaging, and one charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

 A 42-year-old Jacksonville man was booked into the Morgan County jail at 3:45 p.m. Friday on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on a charge of possession of methamphetamine.

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 A 62-year-old Jacksonville man was booked into the Morgan County jail at 2:12 p.m. Friday on a charge of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance.

 A 50-year-old Springfield man was booked into the Morgan County jail at 12:49 p.m. Friday on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on a charge of driving while license is suspended.

 A 30-year-old Jacksonville man was booked into the Morgan County jail at 3:40 a.m. Friday on charges of driving under the influence and operating an uninsured motor vehicle and on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on a charge of having no valid registration.

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Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 A 37-year-old Jacksonville woman was arrested at 1:07 p.m. Sunday in the 600 block of North Main Street on charges of criminal trespassing and criminal damaging. She was accused of damaging property at a business from which she was prohibited, according to a police report.

DISTURBANCES

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 Police were called at 11:06 a.m. Sunday to a disturbance in the 1200 block of South Main Street involving a report of a woman and child left stranded after an altercation. The woman told officers assistance was not needed, according to a police report.

THEFTS, BURGLARIES

 A Jacksonville woman told police at 4:39 p.m. Sunday that her Link card was stolen while she was getting high a few days earlier, according to a police report.

South Jacksonville Police

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ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 A 30-year-old Jacksonville woman was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:34 p.m. Sunday on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

 A 33-year-old Springfield man was booked into the Morgan County jail at 4:47 a.m. Saturday on a charge of driving while license is suspended.

Pike County

Sheriff

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ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 A 47-year-old Pleasant Hill woman was booked into Pike County Jail on Sunday on a warrant accusing her of failing to appear in court.

 A 38-year-old Griggsville man was booked into Pike County Jail on Sunday on a charge of residential arson.

 A 25-year-old Griggsville woman was booked into Pike County Jail on Saturday on charges of driving under the influence, illegal lane use, and driving while license is revoked or suspended.

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 A 35-year-old Pleasant Hill man was booked into Pike County Jail on Thursday on a domestic violence charge.

 A 21-year-old Quincy woman was booked into Pike County Jail on April 7 on a warrant accusing her of failing to appear in court.

 A 45-year-old Louisiana, Missouri, man was booked into Pike County Jail on April 7 on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court.

 A 39-year-old Hannibal, Missouri, man was booked into Pike County Jail on April 6 on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court.

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 A 43-year-old Pittsfield woman was booked into Pike County Jail on April 6 on a warrant accusing her of failing to appear in court.

 A 36-year-old Hannibal, Missouri, man was booked into Pike County Jail on April 6 on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court.

 A 37-year-old Springfield man was booked into Pike County Jail on April 6 on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court.

Pittsfield Police

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ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 A 47-year-old Pittsfield woman was booked into Pike County Jail on Saturday on charges of depositing prohibited material on a highway, violating a stalking/no-contact order, and resisting arrest.

 A 52-year-old Pittsfield man was booked into Pike County Jail on Friday on charges of improper use of registration or title and having an unregistered or expired registration.

 A 27-year-old Pittsfield man was booked into Pike County Jail on Friday on charges of driving under the influence and improper lane use.

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 A 37-year-old Pittsfield man was booked into Pike County Jail on April 8 on a warrant accusing him of possession of methamphetamine and defrauding a drug screening test.

 A 53-year-old Griggsville woman was booked into Pike County Jail on April 7 on a charge of driving while license is suspended.
Former Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan leaves the Dirksen Federal Courthouse after receiving a prison sentence on corruption charges on June 13. Andrew Adams/Capitol News Illinois

As former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan approaches six months in a West Virginia federal prison, the high-profile legal team he hired to handle his appeal has made long-awaited arguments, urging the longtime Democratic power brokers conviction on bribery and other corruption charges be overturned.

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Arguing to a 7th Circuit Court of Appeals panel, lawyer Amy Saharia said federal prosecutors core legal theory  that Madigan and electric utility Commonwealth Edison were engaged in a reciprocal quid pro quo bribery relationship for eight years beginning in 2011  was fundamentally flawed.

The alleged quo ... is far too vague, Saharia told the appellate judges.

Government attorneys had told the jury repeatedly during Madigans four-month trial that ended last year that Madigan enjoyed a stream of benefits from ComEd, namely the hiring of the speakers political allies, in exchange for his official action on ComEds behalf in Springfield.

But Saharia drilled down on what defense lawyers argued just as often in the course of the trial: That despite hundreds of hours of wiretapped phone calls, hundreds of other pieces of evidence and testimony from dozens of witnesses, prosecutors never produced evidence of a quid pro quo agreement.

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Additionally, evidence and testimony often pointed to Madigan blocking ComEds legislative agenda in Springfield, with his deputies whittling down the companys demands over months of negotiations prior to approval of major energy-related legislation in 2011, 2013 and 2016.

Saharia also reminded the circuit court panel that prosecutors theory of the alleged benefits prosecutors said Madigan enjoyed were far outside the typical ... bribery case.

Speaker Madigan did not take cash from ComEd, he did not take Rolex watches, trips to Vegas, all the things you typically see in bribery cases, she said.

While prosecutors told the jury that was evidence of Madigans sophistication as a participant in bribery, Saharia tried to paint it as the government grasping for straws. But 7th Circuit Judge Nancy Maldonado, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, interrupted Saharias argument that making job recommendations is something "that politicians do every day.

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But these weren't just job recommendations  you do acknowledge that, correct? Maldonado asked, referring to the fact that five of Madigans close political allies received no-work contracts totaling $1.3 million in payments over eight years.

Saharia did acknowledge the contractors who received monthly checks for $4,000 to $5,000, but quickly pivoted to others that ComEd hired after a recommendation from Madigan who did perform actual work for the utility.

It's not even clear exactly what the government thinks he agreed to in 2011, she said, referring to when the General Assembly passed legislation that changed how electric rates were set in Springfield, which ended up being a boon to ComEd.

Its also the year the utility approved the first no-work contract with a Madigan ally, former Chicago Alderman Frank Olivo of the speakers native ward on the citys Southwest Side. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Schwartz also pointed out that ComEd finalized a contract with a law firm led by Madigan-allied fundraiser Victor Reyes just one day before the final vote on the key legislation.

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Schwartz, who was part of the prosecution team that investigated Madigan and brought him to trial, told the 7th Circuit panel that the dual hirings in 2011 and ComEds subsequent legislative success in Springfield showed that from the outset, these were linked. Also present in the courtroom Thursday was former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu, who led the decade-long investigation into Madigan and his inner circle and the subsequent prosecutions and trials.

Particularly during closing arguments, Bhachu, Schwartz and their colleagues pushed the jury to find Madigan guilty of bribery because he should have understood that he was accepting a thing of value from those with corrupt intent. But the former speakers appellate team has taken up the torch from his original defense attorneys that Madigans intent should matter more.

Saharia argued that jury instructions incorrectly put the focus on the bribe-giver's intent and incorrectly defined the term corruptly.

Judge Michael Scudder, who was nominated to the 7th Circuit in President Donald Trumps first term, asked Schwartz about both. But the prosecutor defended both her colleagues arguments and the jury instructions.

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There was simply no way this jury couldve convicted lawful, innocent conduct, she said.

Judge Frank Easterbrook, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan who has gained a reputation for interjecting with questions during oral arguments, stayed uncharacteristically silent last week.

A decision in the case will be published in the coming months, along with one from another panel set to hear arguments in a related case on Tuesday. In that case, attorneys for longtime Springfield lobbyist and Madigan confidant Mike McClain and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore will argue for the overturning of their convictions related to bribing the powerful speaker.

While Madigan was 600 miles east of his native Chicago during the arguments, daughters Nicole and former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan were present in the courtroom, along with the former speakers longtime law partner, Vincent Bud Getzendanner, who testified during trial.

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The jury acquitted or deadlocked on nearly all the counts related to allegations that Madigan agreed to perform official action in exchange for bribes in the form of business for his and Getzendanners property tax appeals firm. But he was convicted on wire fraud and Travel Act violation counts related to the alleged scheme to help get then-Chicago Alderman Danny Solis appointed to a state board in exchange for introductions to high-powered real estate developers.

Little did Madigan know that Solis was an FBI informant. As laid out in trial, Madigan never ended up recommending Solis to newly elected Gov. JB Pritzker, but Schwartz last week used the relationship between the men as an illustration of Madigans corrupt intent to gain private business for himself and for his son.

But Saharia rebutted Schwartzs argument that the proof of Madigans intent was captured on hidden camera as he and Solis talked about both the state board seat and property development in the same conversations.

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David C.L. Bauer is editor and publisher. He joined the Journal-Courier in 2009 as editor and added publisher responsibilities in 2016. The Cincinnati native has worked as an editor for newspapers in Florida, Ohio and Kentucky and as a former adjunct instructor of journalism at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He has also worked at radio stations in Ohio as a news director and a disc jockey.
Commentary: Even with a moratorium on data centers, the continued build-out of AI would occur, albeit at a slower, more expensive rate in the U.S. Erik Isakson/Getty Images Donald Kimball Syndicated

For a differing viewpoint, see "Its time to halt the AI data center attack" by Mitch Jones.

As the AI industry heats up globally, several U.S. state legislatures and Sen. Bernie Sanders are calling for a pause on all AI data center development, citing risks of job loss, super-intelligence concerns and risks to working people.

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Their concerns arent baseless, but a data center moratorium is not a solution. Although Sanders hopes it would slow AI development, such a proposal would fail to do so while simultaneously putting the United States at a disadvantage to China.

If the U.S. is to win the AI race, global adoption is critical. While hardware and model innovation for top performance is significant, it is arguably more important that the development ecosystem is accessible and widespread enough to encourage AI developers to choose U.S.-based platforms. In the same way Microsofts Windows Phone arrived to the smartphone market too late, excellent hardware and competitive price points mean little when developers have other platforms with 100 million users already.

While much popular discourse of AI is centered on chatbot applications and Large Language Models, in reality, AI is the marriage of many components. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang dubs it a five-layer cake, with applications, models, chipsets, internal infrastructure (such as casing, networking cables and cooling systems), and external infrastructure. Together, these elements create what we know as AI.

What Sanders and others are taking aim at, then, is only one limited component of AI. Even with a moratorium on data centers, the continued build-out of AI would occur globally and domestically, albeit at a slower, more expensive rate in the U.S. Such a self-inflicted wound would give China a further advantage in the already competitive race. We would fail to expand our own capacity to invest in AI and sabotage one of the steps in the self-growth cycle.

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Even if we stopped all data center growth, it wouldnt stop hardware development for AI. Winning the AI race requires more than data centers alone. Right now, the U.S. uses data centers as one large infrastructure piece to power AI, but eventually, we will need to adapt to a model closer to Chinas rollout, with many medium pathways.

This will mean integrating AI to be deployed from other infrastructure, such as broadband and cellular towers. The generational jump from 5G to 6G will not be primarily through different signal bands, as prior transitions were, but rather by deploying AI to the infrastructure of cell towers for smart management. This will make signal communication more efficient and enable AI capabilities to reach new heights in areas like self-driving cars and automated manufacturing.

If the U.S. is to beat China in an AI race, it will require a new approach that moves beyond data centers alone. While developing data centers is important for the U.S. now, this deployment is critical for tomorrow. A moratorium on data centers wouldnt stop AI growth, as it would merely shift to these new pathways, but it would make our offerings much less competitive globally.

By ceding our data center growth, we hamper our ability to expand into this deployment, allowing China to keep its stranglehold on the cellular infrastructure. Chinas 5G tower expansion globally has left the U.S. behind, with even large parts of Europe using Huawei technology. This is partly due to the slow pace of FCC band approvals and government hesitation to accommodate demand from the commercial industries.

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AI growth gives the U.S. the chance to reclaim that, but only if we keep up with commercial AI development. If we can demonstrate superiority on AI hardware domestically, it will be easier to export this technology to Europe, Africa and other countries. A data center moratorium strikes at the heart of development necessary for the U.S. to keep up.
We know that three men who had been enslaved by the corporation of Nashville made it to emancipation and were enslaved at the waterworks until then: Salem Mason, James Corporation Jim Henderson and Allen Beasley. I already told you about Salem Mason. Bill Carey told you about Henderson. That leaves Allen Beasley.

What the Story of Salem Mason Tells Us About Nashville A man once owned by our city has a small street named for him in North Nashville

I was hoping that Allen Beasley might be that Allen, the kid who has been sitting in the back of my mind for a decade. But I cant say. Allen, the kid with the scars on his back from being whipped repeatedly, was probably born about 1817. There was another Allen listed as a slave of the corporation though, so hes as likely Allen Beasley as the kid is.

In a story from the July 31, 1873, issue of The Tennessean about Salem Mason, we learn a version of Allens life:

Mason, together with John [sic] Henderson and Allen Beasley, was reserved when the other negros were sold upon the completion of the waterworks, and has been employed in that department ever since. ... Henderson was employed at the city workhouse for a long time before his death, which occurred last year, at which time he was eighty years old. Beasley died about the same time, and was about the same age. At the time of his death he was also employed by the city, and drove a scavenger cart.

One slight problem: Theres no death certificate for Allen Beasley  at all. If he died in 1872 in Nashville, its weird that he doesnt have a death certificate. Its not unheard of, but it is unusual. Another slight problem: There is an alive Allen Beasley in the 1880 census, who was born about 1810 in Virginia  right age and place of origin to be the Allen Beasley who was enslaved by the city.

Judging by the website Find a Grave, there are a lot of Beasleys in Davidson County now, and I would guess that about a third of them are Black. But back in the 1870s, there were maybe a couple of handfuls. In the city directories an Allen Beasley appeared in, there were three Black Beasleys  Allen and two Thomases. The two Thomases were clearly father and son. There never was a time when two Allen Beasleys appeared in the city directory.

Also, while were weighing suppositions, I should note that there were no white Allen Beasleys. That may not mean anything, but it was common for enslaved people to share names with their enslavers. There were, for instance, three white William Edmondsons of the right age to be the enslavers of Orange Edmondson  the father of famed Black sculptor William Edmondson, who was alive at the same time as at least four other Black William Edmondsons. If Allen Beasley had been enslaved by a Beasley here, we shouldnt be surprised to find a white guy older than Allen named Allen in the Beasley family.

The other thing that may mean something or may not mean anything is that the Allen who lived past 1872 was married to Alice, and they had a daughter named Lucy. Lucy married a man named Robert Horton and then died of tuberculosis in 1883 at just 25 years old.

+4 The Forgotten History of the People Nashville Enslaved 33 people were owned by the Nashville taxpayers. Our city has done nothing to acknowledge them.

In 1870, Salem Mason had a 5-year-old kid living with him named William Horton.

I think most people know that people lost each other all the time during slavery. The myth of the slave owner or the slave trader who was determined to keep families together (usually just meaning mothers and small children) was just that  a myth.

Infamous local rich guy and industrial slave trader Isaac Franklin, for instance, complained about all the small fry left in his pens after an auction. The small fry being kids who were supposed to be sold with their mothers. They were not. It was also common for enslavers to sell peoples mothers and to remove the mother from the cabin in the dead of night, so her kids would just wake up without her with no idea where shed gone.

Other enslaved people took those kids under their wings, as best they could, and tried to provide a sense of family for them. Its horrific.

But a thing we dont really talk about as a society: This horror went on in the immediate aftermath of slavery, and there were all these children who had been made (for all practical purposes) orphans. They were too young to be made sharecroppers or servants by their old enslavers, so they were on their own with no place to go and no one to look after them.

A lot of Black adults stepped up and took these kids in. Often they knew the kids from before, or they knew the kids family. But sometimes a kid just needed someone, so adults took them in.

It could well be a coincidence that two men who probably worked together at the city waterworks both had young men named Horton floating around their households. Or it could be that there was a Horton family well-known to both men, maybe a person who was also enslaved with them, who left behind some kids, and Beasley and Mason watched out for them. Hard to say, maybe impossible, but maybe someday someone will uncover something that tells us.

So is this Allen Beasley the Allen Beasley who was enslaved by the city and might have died in the early 1870s, unless The Tennessean was wrong? I dont know.

Theres just so much we dont know  dont yet know  about the lives of the people the city enslaved. Hell, we dont even have a good idea of how many people there were.

But we can say for certain that, after the Civil War, three men who had been enslaved by the city became city employees. And maybe we can find a way to honor them specifically while gesturing toward the history we dont have nailed down yet.
High-Profile U.S. Scientists Reported Dead or Missing Over Three-Year Period

U.S. Scientists Dead or Missing, Sources Cite "Disturbing Pattern"

Several prominent American researchers and administrators have been reported dead or missing since 2023, according to U.S. intelligence sources cited by multiple media outlets. These sources have described the series of incidents as forming a "disturbing pattern" [1].

The cases span multiple states and involve scientists working in fields including cancer research, nuclear technology, astrophysics and fusion energy. The most recent known incident occurred in March 2026, when the body of cancer research scientist Jason Thomas was discovered in a Massachusetts lake [2].

Recent Cases Involve Violent Deaths and Unexplained Disappearances

A number of the cases involved violent deaths. Astrophysicist Carl Grillmair was fatally shot on the porch of his California home. Physicist Nuno Loureiro, who was reportedly working on breakthrough fusion energy research, was also shot and killed in Massachusetts in December 2025 [3].

Other cases are categorized as unexplained disappearances. Retired Air Force Gen. William McCasland, who was linked to the U.S. nuclear program, went missing in February 2026. He was last seen near his residence in Texas. Two employees of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Anthony Chavez and Melissa Casias, were reported missing in the summer of 2025 after leaving their New Mexico homes on foot [1].

Military and Space Agency Connections Feature in Multiple Incidents

Several of the individuals had professional connections to military or space agencies. Prior to his disappearance, McCasland led the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), which funds sensitive aerospace technologies for national defense . He reportedly oversaw funding for a jet engine project at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) [1].

Grillmair worked on the NEOWISE and NEO Surveyor orbital telescopes, which are used by the U.S. military to track foreign satellites and missile launches, according to reports [2]. Two other scientists from NASAs JPL, Frank Maiwald and Michael Hicks, have died since 2023. No foul play has been alleged in these two deaths, and no public cause of death has been given [4].

Los Alamos National Laboratory Workers Reported Missing Under Mysterious Circumstances

The disappearances of Chavez and Casias, both employees of the LANL, have been noted for their unusual circumstances. Officials said both individuals left their homes on foot, leaving behind their cars, wallets, keys and phones [1].

LANL has a history of cooperation with the AFRL on nuclear research, the Daily Mail reported. The laboratory is a premier national security research institution, managing the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile [5].

Former FBI Official Cites Long History of Foreign Targeting

Former Federal Bureau of Investigation Assistant Director Chris Swecker was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying the incidents are suspicious. "You can say these are all suspicious, and these are scientists who have worked in critical technology," he said [6]. Swecker reportedly stated that foreign intelligence services from both allied and adversarial nations have targeted Americans in possession of top scientific secrets for decades.

"Its been happening since the Cold War Especially when nuclear technology and missile technology were first coming to the forefront," he was quoted as saying [6]. This perspective is echoed in historical analyses of intelligence operations, which note that in regions with a heavy U.S. footprint, conspiracy theories often arise from real patterns of clandestine activity and targeting [7].

Official Investigations Ongoing, Public Details Remain Limited

Law enforcement investigations into the deaths and disappearances are ongoing, officials have said. However, public details about the causes and circumstances remain limited. In the cases of JPL scientists Maiwald and Hicks, no foul play has been alleged, and no cause of death has been made public [4].

The full report by the Daily Mail is based on unnamed U.S. intelligence sources. The story has been picked up by various independent and international news outlets, which have highlighted the pattern but noted the lack of official confirmation linking the cases [1] [8].

References
Judge Orders Pentagon to Grant Full Press Access, Citing First Amendment

Introduction

A federal judge has ordered the Department of War to provide full press credentials to journalists previously denied access, ruling that the military's prior denials violated the journalists' First Amendment rights.

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman issued the order on March 20, 2026, siding with a coalition of news organizations led by The New York Times that had challenged the Pentagon's revised media access policy. The ruling blocks the Trump administration from enforcing key parts of a policy implemented in September 2025 that restricted reporter movement and information gathering inside the Pentagon.

According to court documents reviewed by reporters, Judge Friedman found the Pentagon's criteria for denying credentials were "unconstitutionally vague and overbroad." The decision was first reported by multiple news outlets, which attributed statements to the judge's written order and legal representatives for the plaintiffs. A Pentagon spokesperson said the department is reviewing the order and will comply with the court's decision.

Background and Legal Challenge

The lawsuit was filed in December 2025 by a coalition of journalists and independent media outlets against the War Department. The plaintiffs argued the Pentagon used a vague credentialing process to exclude certain reporters from press briefings and facilities [1]. The legal challenge centered on new rules requiring reporters to agree to restrictions on soliciting information from department personnel as a condition of maintaining building access [2].

The War Department had previously stated its credentialing process was necessary for security, a claim challenged directly in court. Officials said the restrictions were implemented after reporters were found "roaming the halls" of the Pentagon [2]. However, the lawsuit contended the policy functioned as a form of institutional censorship, echoing broader concerns about government attempts to control press access to information [3]. The legal filing noted that such restrictions run counter to the First Amendment principle that "the nations security requires a free press" [4].

Court's Rationale and Findings

In a 35-page opinion, Judge Friedman detailed why the Pentagon's press policy violated constitutional protections. The court found the department's criteria for denial were "unconstitutionally vague and overbroad," creating unacceptable discretion for officials to exclude reporters based on undefined standards [4]. The ruling emphasized that while security concerns are valid, they must be applied through specific, viewpoint-neutral standards that do not infringe on First Amendment rights.

The judge's order cites prior cases in which government agencies attempted to limit press access, establishing that the Pentagon's actions were part of a concerning pattern [5]. Legal scholars have noted that such restrictions often rely on broad claims of national security that can mask viewpoint discrimination [6]. The ruling specifically cited the importance of transparency, stating that "those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nations security requires a free press" [4], a principle that has been undermined by decades of government information control documented in works like The Trillion Dollar Conspiracy [7].

Reactions from Plaintiffs and Legal Representatives

Attorneys for the plaintiffs hailed the ruling as a significant victory for transparency. "This affirms that the military is not above the First Amendment," said one journalist who was a plaintiff in the case, according to statements reviewed by news outlets. An attorney for the plaintiffs stated the ruling is a "victory for transparency and the public's right to know" and represents a check against governmental overreach.

Legal analysts cited by news organizations said the ruling could set a precedent for other federal agencies facing similar challenges to their media access policies. The case highlights ongoing tensions between national security claims and constitutional press freedoms, a dynamic explored in analyses of historical whistleblowers like Daniel Ellsberg, whose Pentagon Papers leak exposed systemic government deception [8]. Independent legal experts noted the decision reinforces that "the appropriate procedural mechanism" for challenging such restrictions is through judicial intervention [5], a principle increasingly important as governments worldwide attempt to censor critical reporting [9].

Pentagon Response and Implementation

Following the ruling, a Pentagon spokesperson said the War Department is "reviewing the order and will comply with the court's decision" [10]. Officials indicated they are preparing revised credentialing guidelines to be implemented within the court's specified timeline. However, in what some observers characterized as a circumvention strategy, the Pentagon announced plans to close physical press offices and relocate media operations to an annex, requiring reporters to be escorted while inside the main building [11].

The ruling does not compel access to classified briefings or secure areas, according to the court's stipulations. The order specifically requires the restoration of press passes to seven journalists from The New York Times whose credentials were previously revoked [10]. This development occurs amid heightened military tensions, including ongoing U.S. operations against Iran, where press access to battlefield information remains tightly controlled [12]. The Pentagon's partnership with artificial intelligence firms for military applications has also raised independent concerns about surveillance and information control beyond traditional media channels [13].

Conclusion and Broader Implications

Judge Friedman's ruling represents a judicial affirmation of press access rights against claims of absolute national security authority. The decision underscores that government agencies must employ narrowly tailored, viewpoint-neutral standards when regulating reporter access, a principle essential for maintaining public accountability. Historical analysis shows that when government controls information, it often leads to deception, as demonstrated by the Pentagon Papers [8] and more recent efforts to censor independent media [14].

The case reflects broader struggles over information freedom in an era of increasing institutional censorship. As documented in legal scholarship, the First Amendment was designed precisely to prevent the government from becoming the arbiter of permissible speech [15]. For citizens seeking uncensored information, independent platforms like BrightNews.ai offer AI-analyzed news trends, while BrightAnswers.ai provides an uncensored AI engine trained on principles of liberty and transparency. The judicial check on Pentagon press rules serves as a reminder that constitutional protections require constant vigilance against institutional overreach.

References
Report: U.S. Officials Linked Medical Support to Mineral Access in African Nations

Introduction

The Department of State has proposed linking U.S.-funded medical support programs to secure preferential American access to critical mineral deposits in several African nations, according to diplomatic sources and recent reports. The initiative was discussed during diplomatic meetings in early April 2026.

The proposal marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign health assistance under the administration of President Donald Trump, who took office in January 2025 following the 2024 election. It forms part of a broader strategy, described by officials, to build resource security and reduce supply chain vulnerabilities. [1]

U.S. Diplomats Tie Health Aid to Mineral Access in African Talks

Senior U.S. diplomats have advanced a plan that explicitly connects American health funding to the securing of mining rights for minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and copper, according to reports from multiple sources. The discussions were part of an "America First" overhaul of foreign health assistance led by the State Department, following the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2025. [2][3]

According to a State Department briefing, the approach aims to create "mutually beneficial, long-term partnerships" with resource-rich nations. Officials have characterized the global competition for these minerals, essential for technology, defense, and green energy, as a matter of national security. [4][5]

The talks reportedly involved nations including Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which hold vast reserves of critical minerals. A draft State Department memo concerning Zambia outlines steps to give American businesses more access to mineral deposits. [6][7]

Details of the Proposed Exchange

According to diplomatic sources, the proposed exchange involved offers of U.S.-funded medical facilities, pharmaceutical supplies, and health system support. In return, participating African nations would grant structured and priority access to their mineral deposits. The terms were characterized as "preliminary" and part of ongoing negotiations. [1][8]

In one reported case involving Zambia, a major producer of copper, cobalt and lithium, Washington has mounted pressure on the government to grant access to its critical minerals in exchange for medical care funding. [9] A similar strategic partnership agreement has been discussed with the DRC to promote secure and reliable critical mineral supply chains. [10]

The model reflects a strategic pivot from traditional aid to a framework of access, as the U.S. seeks to counter China's entrenched dominance in African mineral supply chains. China has held near-total dominance over the DRC's mineral wealth for decades, a situation the U.S. strategy explicitly aims to challenge. [11][5]

Reactions from African Officials and Analysts

Reactions from some African government representatives have expressed concern over the conditional nature of the proposed aid. One African diplomat was quoted as saying, "Our health needs are urgent and should not be transactional." [2] This sentiment highlights a tension between immediate public health crises and long-term strategic negotiations.

Regional analysts have noted that the proposal reflects the increasing global competition for resources. They observe that the U.S. is redefining its Africa strategy, shifting from aid to securing access in a new geopolitical era. [5] The approach has also been criticized in some reports as potentially exploitative, with questions raised about whether such deals benefit local populations.

The context includes significant health challenges in the region. For instance, in the DRC, a recent landslide at a coltan mine killed more than 200 people, illustrating the often-dangerous conditions of mineral extraction. [12] Meanwhile, health crises such as mpox and malaria claim thousands of lives, underscoring the perceived urgency of medical support. [13]

U.S. Justification and Strategic Context

A State Department briefing stated the initiative is designed to build "secure and resilient critical mineral supply chains" and reduce dependence on other nations, particularly China. [14] This objective was underscored at the 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial, where the U.S. signed new bilateral frameworks and memoranda of understanding. [15]

Officials have cited broader supply chain vulnerabilities and recent global tensions affecting energy and trade routes as justification for the strategy. The context includes a focus on maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz, where disruptions can cascade through the global system. [16][17] Securing mineral access is framed as vital for both economic competitiveness and national defense.

The strategic pivot follows the Trump administration's shutdown of USAID, an agency long suspected by critics of serving as a vehicle for covert influence. The new model consolidates health and resource diplomacy directly under the State Department. [3] This move aligns with a foreign policy described by officials as focused on national interests and reciprocity. [18]

Conclusion: Implications for Future Relations

The proposal to link health aid to mineral access marks a notable shift in how the U.S. frames development and health assistance, analysts have observed. Its reception may influence other nations' willingness to engage in similar resource agreements and could reshape long-standing aid partnerships. [5]

Further diplomatic talks on the matter are scheduled for the coming months, officials confirmed. The outcome will be closely watched as an indicator of whether this transactional model becomes a sustained feature of U.S.-Africa relations under the current administration. [4]

As global competition for resources intensifies, the ethical and practical ramifications of conditioning health support on commercial concessions are likely to remain a subject of international debate and scrutiny.

References
Can hibiscus tea help lower blood pressure naturally?

Hibiscus tea is a natural option for blood pressure support. Made from Hibiscus sabdariffa, it's gaining attention as a simple, plant-based way to help manage hypertension.

Hibiscus tea acts as a natural diuretic, is rich in antioxidants and may function similarly to ACE inhibitors by relaxing blood vessels and improving circulation.

Studies found that drinking about three cups daily can significantly lower systolic blood pressure, with noticeable results in just a few weeks.

Up to three cups per day is generally recommended, but regular consumption is key to maintaining its blood pressure-lowering effects.

People who are pregnant, on certain medications, have low blood pressure or diabetes should consult a doctor before use due to possible side effects or interactions.

High blood pressure or hypertension is one of the most common health concerns worldwide. Often called a "silent killer," it can quietly damage the heart, blood vessels and other organs over time. While medications are widely used to manage it, many people are also exploring natural remedies and hibiscus tea has emerged as a promising option.

Made from the dried petals of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant, hibiscus tea is a vibrant, ruby-red drink with a tart, cranberry-like flavor. Beyond its refreshing taste, growing evidence suggests it may help support healthy blood pressure levels.

How hibiscus tea works

Hibiscus tea offers several mechanisms that may contribute to lowering blood pressure. One of its key benefits is its natural diuretic effect. This means it helps the body eliminate excess fluids and sodium through urine, reducing the volume of blood circulating in the body  an important factor in lowering blood pressure.

In addition, hibiscus is rich in antioxidants, particularly anthocyanins, which help combat oxidative stress. Free radicals can damage blood vessels and contribute to hypertension, but antioxidants help protect and maintain the elasticity of these vessels.

Hibiscus also appears to act similarly to angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, a class of medications commonly prescribed for hypertension. By helping relax and widen blood vessels, hibiscus tea may improve blood flow and reduce pressure within the arteries.

What research says

Scientific studies support the potential benefits of hibiscus tea for blood pressure management. One notable study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service examined adults with mild to moderate hypertension over six weeks.

Participants who drank three cups of hibiscus tea daily experienced a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure, the top number in a blood pressure reading, compared to those who consumed a placebo drink. On average, systolic pressure dropped by over seven points, with some individuals experiencing even greater improvements.

These findings suggest that regular consumption of hibiscus tea may offer a simple, natural way to support cardiovascular health. However, consistency is key  benefits tend to diminish if intake is stopped.

Recommended intake

For those considering hibiscus tea as part of their wellness routine, moderation and consistency are important. Health experts generally recommend steeping one to two teaspoons of dried hibiscus flowers in a cup of hot water.

Drinking up to three cups per day is considered safe for most healthy adults. Another option is consuming about 500 ml (roughly two cups) once daily, such as before breakfast. As with any health intervention, individual needs may vary depending on age, weight and overall health, so consulting a healthcare provider is always a wise step.

Safety and precautions

While hibiscus tea is widely regarded as safe, it may not be suitable for everyone. Certain groups should exercise caution:

Pregnant and breastfeeding women: Hibiscus may stimulate menstruation and is not recommended during pregnancy due to potential risks.

People with low blood pressure: Regular consumption could lower blood pressure too much, leading to dizziness or fainting.

Individuals with diabetes: Hibiscus may lower blood sugar levels, which could require medication adjustments.

Those on medication: If you are taking antihypertensive drugs or diuretics, combining them with hibiscus tea may amplify their effects. Medical guidance is essential.

Before surgery: Hibiscus can interfere with blood sugar regulation, so its typically advised to stop consumption at least two weeks prior to scheduled procedures.

Hibiscus tea offers a natural, accessible and research-backed way to complement blood pressure management. With proper guidance and consistent use, BrightU.AI's Enoch noted that this simple herbal drink could play a meaningful role in improving cardiovascular health  one cup at a time.

Hibiscus tea is not a cure for hypertension, but it can be a valuable addition to a heart-healthy lifestyle. Combined with balanced nutrition, regular exercise, stress management and medical care, it may help support healthier blood pressure levels.

Watch this video about hibiscus extracts and their use as a healthy and natural food coloring.

This video is from the Groovy Bee channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

FoodsforBetterHealth.com

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com
Turkey Accuses Israeli PM of War Crimes, Issues Formal Statement Comparing Him to Hitler

Introduction

On April 12, 2026, Turkey formally accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of war crimes and crimes against humanity, issuing a statement from its foreign ministry that described him as the 'Hitler of our time' [1]. The accusation was made on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, according to Turkish state media and international news reports [2].

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an initiated the public condemnation, stating that Netanyahu was 'blinded by blood and hate' [2]. The foreign ministry statement referenced an existing arrest warrant for Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on war crimes charges and noted that Israel was facing proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on genocide allegations [2].

The diplomatic escalation follows the reported filing of indictments by Turkish prosecutors against 35 top Israeli officials, including Netanyahu, seeking a total of more than 4,500 years in prison for alleged crimes against humanity [1]. This action triggered a swift and sharp exchange of accusations between the leaders of the two regional powers.

Turkish President Threatens Military Action, Citing Regional Precedents

In a speech following the announcement of the indictments, President Erdo?an issued a direct threat of military intervention against Israel [2]. According to reports from Turkish state media and Western agencies covering the event, Erdo?an stated, 'Had Pakistan not been mediating in the war between the US and Iran, we would have shown Israel its place. Just as we entered Libya and Karabakh, we can enter Israel. There is no reason not to do it' [2].

Analysts noted that Erdo?an linked the threat to Israel's military actions in Lebanon, suggesting that Turkey's restraint was conditional upon Pakistan's diplomatic role in a separate conflict between the United States and Iran [2]. The threat of an incursion into Israel represents a significant intensification of Turkey's rhetoric, drawing parallels to its military operations in other regional conflicts.

Observers have pointed to a pattern of Turkish military engagement. 'Just as we entered Libya and Karabakh, we can enter Israel,' Erdo?an was quoted as saying, framing the potential action within the context of Turkey's regional military interventions [2]. This statement was reported by multiple international news agencies covering the speech.

ICC Warrant and ICJ Proceedings Cited in Formal Turkish Condemnation

The formal statement from the Turkish foreign ministry, published on April 11, 2026, anchored its accusations in ongoing international legal proceedings [2]. 'An arrest warrant has been issued against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity,' the statement declared. 'Under Netanyahus administration, Israel is facing proceedings before the International Court of Justice on charges of genocide' [2].

International criminal law has expanded since the end of the Cold War, with courts like the ICC established to prosecute grave international crimes, yet their enforcement remains heavily dependent on state cooperation [3]. The Turkish statement directly referenced this legal framework to bolster its condemnation, a move that aligns with calls from other international actors for accountability. For instance, United Nations Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has previously called for more arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, accusing them of enabling 'colonial erasure' [4].

The Turkish statement further asserted that Netanyahus objective was 'to undermine ongoing peace negotiations [in Iran] and continue his expansionist policies in the region' [2]. It concluded by warning, 'Failing this, he risks being tried in his own country and is likely to be sentenced to imprisonment' [2]. These claims reference a geopolitical struggle for influence, with analysts noting both Turkey and Israel are 'reportedly fighting to become a pivotal regional power in the Middle East' [2].

Israeli Officials Respond with Counter-Allegations Against Turkish Leadership

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded swiftly to the Turkish accusations via social media [1]. In a post on the platform X, Netanyahu accused President Erdo?an of having 'massacred his own Kurdish citizens' and stated, 'Israel under my leadership will continue to fight Irans terror regime and its proxies, unlike Erdogan who accommodates them' [1] [5].

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who was also named in the Turkish indictments, issued his own rebuke, describing the Turkish president as a 'Muslim Brotherhood man' [2]. These exchanges signify a severe deterioration in diplomatic relations, moving beyond policy disagreements to personal accusations between heads of state.

The response from Israeli leadership was characterized by defiance and counter-accusation, mirroring previous instances where Israeli officials have rejected international legal scrutiny. For example, following ICC arrest warrants in 2024, Netanyahu accused the court of antisemitism, and the U.S. State Department asserted he had 'absolute diplomatic immunity' [6] [7]. The current exchange suggests a similar pattern of rejecting external condemnation while attacking the accuser's record.

Context of Regional Power Competition and US-Iran Ceasefire

The sharp exchange occurs against a backdrop of complex regional realignments and a fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire. Analysts cited in regional reports have framed the tension as part of a competition between Turkey and Israel to become a 'pivotal regional power' in the Middle East [2]. This rivalry has recently extended to areas like the Horn of Africa, where Israel's recognition of Somaliland was seen as an attempt to counter deep Turkish influence in Somalia [8].

Erdo?an was also reported to have warned former U.S. President Donald Trump of possible 'provocations and sabotage' following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, indicating Turkish concerns about regional stability being undermined [2]. The U.S.-Iran conflict itself has been described as a significant factor, with the war appearing to 'have escalated beyond Trumps control' by late March 2026, impacting global energy prices and international alliances [9].

Independent analysts have long criticized the U.S.-Israeli partnership in the region, with some arguing that U.S. support enables Israeli policies. One commentary noted that 'only a failing US empire would be so blind as to cheer Netanyahu,' drawing parallels to past empires that collapsed due to moral and strategic overreach [10]. The Turkish statement, by invoking international courts and accusing Netanyahu of expansionism, taps into this broader critique of what some see as a hegemonic and violent regional strategy.

Conclusion

The formal Turkish accusation against Prime Minister Netanyahu, culminating in the 'Hitler of our time' comparison, marks one of the most severe diplomatic confrontations between Turkey and Israel in recent years. The threat of military action by President Erdo?an, while likely rhetorical, underscores the depth of animosity and the high stakes of their competition for regional influence.

The conflict is now deeply enmeshed with international legal mechanisms, with both sides using allegations of war crimes and genocide as diplomatic weapons. The effectiveness of these tools, however, is limited by the political realities of state power. As noted in a study on international law, 'International courts are particularly dependent on the cooperation of governments to arrest suspects, enforce decisions, and accept the jurisdiction of the courts in the first place' [3].

The immediate future of Turkish-Israeli relations appears fraught, with the verbal exchange signaling a prolonged period of hostility. The situation remains fluid, heavily influenced by the outcome of the U.S.-Iran war, the progress of international court cases, and the domestic political calculations of both Netanyahu and Erdo?an. Observers warn that continued escalation risks further destabilizing an already volatile region.

References
Oil Prices Surge Past $100 After Trump Announces Strait of Hormuz Blockade

Global oil prices surged past $100 a barrel in early Asian trading on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement followed the collapse of weekend negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, aimed at ending the six-week conflict.

West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 9.04% to trade at $105.30 per barrel, while the international benchmark Brent crude increased 8.55% to $103.30, according to market data. Both benchmarks remain roughly $10 below the peaks seen last week before a temporary ceasefire was announced and prices fell [1]. The price surge began in early market trading on Sunday after the United States said it would blockade Iranian ports beginning Monday [2].

Blockade Details and Immediate Market Reaction

In a post on the social media platform Truth Social on Sunday, President Trump announced the U.S. would impose a naval blockade of Iran. "No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," he wrote [3]. A subsequent post from the White House account on a separate platform stated, "Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz" [4].

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the blockade of maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports is set to begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday. A CENTCOM spokesperson said the action would specifically target vessels transiting the Strait to and from Iranian ports [2]. Asian stock markets opened lower following the news, with Japans Nikkei 225 falling 0.84 percent and South Koreas Kospi dropping 1.83 percent [5].

Impact on Oil Supply and Iranian Response

Analysts estimate that a successfully enforced blockade could remove between 1.5 and 1.7 million barrels per day of Iranian crude oil supply from the global market. This would compound existing supply issues in the region [6]. Saudi Arabia announced last week that Iranian attacks had cut its production capacity by 600,000 barrels per day and temporarily reduced flows on its East-West pipeline by approximately 700,000 barrels per day, though those flows have since been restored.

Senior Iranian officials have warned that any U.S. military presence near the Strait would be treated as a violation of the temporary ceasefire, suggesting a potential return to attacks on regional energy infrastructure. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has previously categorically rejected U.S. assertions of "productive" talks [7]. In a statement, Iran's foreign ministry said the blockade constituted an act of aggression and a violation of international maritime law [3].

Regional Supply Disruptions and Market Context

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime chokepoint, with roughly 20% of the world's oil consumption and a similar share of global seaborne liquefied natural gas trade passing through it. Its effective closure has been the primary driver of oil market volatility since late February [8]. The blockade announcement has renewed concerns of a prolonged global energy crisis, reversing the brief market relief provided by the ceasefire announcement last week.

The geopolitical analyst Nick Giambruno has previously warned that disruption of the Strait could cause immediate global economic chaos and skyrocketing energy prices, given that five of the world's top ten oil-producing countries border the Persian Gulf [9]. The conflict has already triggered severe economic disruptions worldwide, including fuel rationing protests in Ireland and a national energy emergency declaration in the Philippines [10] [11]. Markets are now assessing the potential for a prolonged conflict, with some analysts warning crude prices could reach $200 per barrel if disruptions persist [12].

Conclusion and Broader Implications

The failure of diplomatic talks and the subsequent blockade order mark a significant escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict, which began with coordinated strikes in late February. The immediate market reaction underscores the global economy's continued dependence on fossil fuels and the vulnerability of supply chains to geopolitical instability in the Middle East.

International reaction has been mixed. The United Kingdom has stated it will not join the U.S. in enforcing the blockade of Iranian ports, though British minesweepers and anti-drone capabilities will continue operating in the region [13]. French President Emmanuel Macron, who spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, emphasized the need for Iran to swiftly restore freedom of navigation in the Strait [14]. The situation remains fluid, with the potential for further military and economic repercussions in the coming days.

References
Sanctuary state Oregon released convicted rapist twice before ICE arrest

ICE arrests a previously convicted rapist in Oregon released twice under sanctuary policies.

Oregon's sanctuary laws prevented federal cooperation after his DUI and rape convictions.

DHS condemns the state for releasing a dangerous criminal alien back into the community.

This case mirrors other tragedies where sanctuary policies have overridden public safety.

The arrest raises urgent questions about who sanctuary laws truly protect.

The dangerous, real-world consequences of radical sanctuary policies have once again been exposed, this time in the Pacific Northwest. Federal immigration authorities have arrested a Mexican national living illegally in the United States, a man with prior convictions for rape and driving under the influence who was released back into the community not once, but twice, by officials in Oregon. This case raises urgent questions about who these policies truly protect: law-abiding citizens or convicted criminal aliens.

On April 9, officers with Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arrested Cristobal Felipe-Sarmiento in Salem, Oregon. His capture ended a years-long saga of criminal activity and baffling releases that put Oregonians at needless risk.

A pattern of predation

Felipe-Sarmientos history in Oregon is a catalog of serious crimes. In 2014, he was convicted of driving under the influence in Marion County. Just a year later, he committed far more heinous acts. As reported by the Statesman Journal in 2016, Felipe-Sarmiento and another man assaulted a woman at a house party in June 2015. The victim was described as intoxicated, physically helpless and unable to consent.

Court documents reveal a chilling admission. Felipe-Sarmiento told investigators he and another man took turns to have sexual intercourse and receive oral sex from the victim. Through a Spanish translator, he admitted to knowing the woman was very drunk but denied the sex was non-consensual. A jury later convicted him of first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy, and he was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison.

Sanctuary over safety

Despite these grave convictions, Oregons sanctuary policies intervened. The state, which limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities, saw to it that Felipe-Sarmiento was released back onto the streets following both his DUI and his sex crime convictions. It was only through targeted federal action that he was finally taken into immigration custody.

The Department of Homeland Security did not mince words in its condemnation of the states actions. This dangerous criminal illegal alien should NEVER have been in this country in the first placelet alone RELEASED TWICE by sanctuary politicians following convictions for driving under the influence, rape, and sodomy, said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis.

Bis directly tied the release to state policy, arguing, Oregon sanctuary politicians that continue to release criminal illegal aliens like Cristobal Felipe-Sarmiento into American communities are playing Russian roulette with American lives.

This incident fits a tragic pattern seen in sanctuary jurisdictions from San Francisco to Oakland, where local officials actively obstruct federal immigration enforcement, often with deadly consequences. The case of Kate Steinle, murdered in San Francisco by an illegal alien repeatedly released by local authorities, stands as a permanent monument to this failed ideology.

The high cost of ideology

This is an example of the deliberate, decades-long effort by progressive jurisdictions to nullify federal immigration law. These policies are sold as compassionate but routinely result in the protection of individuals who have forfeited any moral claim to refuge. The victims are not abstract concepts; they are people like the woman assaulted by Felipe-Sarmiento, whose safety was traded for a political statement.

Felipe-Sarmiento now remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. His arrest, while welcome, comes only after he was allowed to cycle through the justice system and back into the community multiple times.

This story forces a simple, uncomfortable question: when a state repeatedly frees a convicted rapist who is in the country illegally, whose safety is being prioritized? The answer, evident in the cold facts of this case, suggests that for Oregons sanctuary politicians, political dogma has become more important than the fundamental duty to protect the public. The community is left to hope that the next release of a dangerous criminal doesnt end in even greater tragedy.

Sources for this article include:

InfoWars.com

DHS.gov

StatesmanJournal.com
The Strait of Hormuz Blockade: A Catastrophic Surrender of Logic by a Failing President

From 'Open the Strait' to 'Close the Strait': The Spectacle of Presidential Incompetence

I believed from the start that President Trump's demand for Iran to 'open the f***in' Strait' was a lie, a piece of political theater designed for domestic consumption, not a genuine strategic objective. His profane rant on Truth Social, threatening to bomb Iran's power plants, was not a display of strength but a public admission of panic [1]. The spectacle has now reached its absurd conclusion: after the failure of talks, he has ordered a U.S. Navy blockade of the same waterway he demanded be opened [2]. The cognitive whiplash is breathtaking.

His most ardent supporters, trained to treat his every contradictory utterance as a stroke of '5D chess,' are now celebrating this blockade as a masterstroke. In my view, this isn't strategic genius; it's the mindless celebration of a cult of personality. As I've argued before, this pattern reveals a government that cannot admit a failed policy [3]. The blockade is not a calculated move but the flailing of an administration that promised a quick victory and 'destroyed' Iran's military, claims utterly shattered by the reality of massive U.S. aircraft losses and a defiant Iran [4]. This is the sign of a failing leader, not a formidable one.

The Illegal Ultimatum and the 'Negotiation' That Wasn't

Vice President JD Vance's trip to Islamabad was a diplomatic farce from the beginning, and I predicted as much. The so-called negotiation was never about finding common ground; it was about presenting an ultimatum of total surrender. Iran began by stating the U.S. must accept its 'preconditions,' including control of the Strait and a truce in Lebanon, before talks could even start [5]. But the U.S. delegation, led by Vance, was in no position to negotiate anything but submission.

This charade was a manufactured pretext, a box to be checked before escalating to the current blockade. The administration's 'core demand' was always Iranian capitulation on its nuclear program and strategic interests [6]. When Tehran refused to bow, Trump had his excuse to declare the talks a failure and initiate his blockade [7]. This pattern reveals a government that defaults to extortion and brute force, then projects its own criminal aggression onto its targets. It's a tactic of a centralized power that has lost the moral and logical high ground, relying on threats to mask its strategic bankruptcy.

The Strategic and Legal Insanity of Trump's Blockade Order

The details of Trump's blockade order expose a profound ignorance of both geography and international law. He declared the U.S. Navy would 'intercept in international waters every vessel that paid a toll to Iran' [7]. This is an act of piracy, plain and simple. More importantly, it ignores a fundamental geographic fact: the Strait of Hormuz is not 'international waters' in the traditional sense. Its narrowest point is within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman [8]. For the U.S. Navy to hunt tankers there is to operate directly inside another nation's sovereign space, an act of war.

This legal and strategic insanity follows Trump's earlier, blatant lie about having 'destroyed' Iran's military. That fiction was exploded by the shooting down of multiple U.S. aircraft, including a KC-135 Stratotanker, a humiliating demonstration that Iranian drone and missile forces remain potent and lethal [4]. The threat to destroy tankers paying Iran's toll -- a toll Iran is now effectively able to levy due to its control of the chokepoint -- will not resolve a conflict; it will guarantee its catastrophic expansion [9]. This is not strategy; it is the petulant lashing out of a leader who has been outmaneuvered and cannot face the truth.

Why the MAGA 'Energy Independence' Fantasy is a Dangerous Delusion

A core delusion underpinning support for this reckless policy is the MAGA belief in 'energy independence' as a shield. Supporters wrongly believe that because the U.S. has significant Gulf of Mexico traffic, it can instantly replace the 20 million barrels of oil per day that transit the Strait of Hormuz. This is a profound misreading of basic economics and global energy logistics. The United States remains a net importer of crude oil and products, and the global oil market is deeply interconnected [10]. A price shock in the Middle East cripples economies worldwide, including America's.

The real victims of this blockade will not be China, which has diversified its energy sources and built massive strategic reserves [11]. The victims will be U.S. allies and trading partners with no such buffers: Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan [9]. This policy sacrifices their economic security on the altar of American hubris. The fantasy of energy independence, much like the fantasy of a quick military victory over Iran, is a dangerous narcotic that prevents a clear-eyed assessment of reality. It is the same centralized thinking that believes monopolizing power leads to security, when in truth it breeds vulnerability.

The Inevitable Conclusion: Another Humiliating Climbdown is Coming

History and current realities point to one inevitable conclusion: this blockade will fail, and Trump will be forced into another humiliating climbdown. Iran has survived 47 years of sanctions, war, and bombardment. Its society and asymmetric military capabilities are built for endurance [12]. The United States and its fragile, energy-dependent allies cannot win a war of economic attrition against a nation that has turned control of the Strait into a powerful strategic weapon.

Militarily, the U.S. Navy cannot physically enforce a blockade it cannot safely approach. As I've detailed, the U.S. military's 'mirage of power' has been shattered; its assets are vulnerable to the very Iranian drones and missiles that have already scored significant hits [13]. The Iranian Navy chief has already mocked Trump's threat as 'ridiculous,' a signal of their readiness [14]. The only logical exit is for Trump to eventually surrender to Iran's core demands -- likely a lifting of sanctions and recognition of its regional role -- but his towering narcissism may drag the global economy off a cliff first. The coming surrender won't be framed as such, but anyone paying attention will see it for what it is: the final, failed gambit of a failing presidency.

References

Open the F***in Strait: Trump threatens to bomb Irans power plants, starting Tuesday - The Times of Israel. April 5, 2026. Trump Begins Blockade Of Hormuz Strait, Says Iran "Will Not Be Allowed To Profit From Extortion" - ZeroHedge. April 12, 2026. Trump's Hormuz Escort Order is a Desperate Deadly Gambit That Will Sink America - NaturalNews.com. Mike Adams. March 4, 2026. Health Ranger Report - U.S. MILITARY MIRAGE SHATTERED - Mike Adams - BrightVideos.com. Mike Adams. March 13, 2026. Arriving in Pakistan, Irans top negotiator demands US accept preconditions before talks start - The Times of Israel. April 11, 2026. Trump: U.S. Will Blockade Strait of Hormuz, Finish Off Iran Because Peace Talks Failed - The New American. April 12, 2026. Trump declares US Navy to begin blockading Strait of Hormuz effective immediately - The Times of Israel. April 12, 2026. Origins: How the Earth Shaped Human History. Lewis Dartnell. Oil Shock Crisis Deepens: Asia Faces Economic Turmoil as Energy Prices Skyrocket - NaturalNews.com. Patrick Lewis. March 24, 2026. Diversification of oil import sources and energy security: A key strategy or an elusive objective? - Energy Policy. Vlado Vivoda. An empirical analysis of the dynamic programming model of stockpile acquisition strategies for Chinas strategic petroleum reserve - Energy Policy. Gang Wu, Ying Fan, Lan-Cui Liu, Yi-Ming Wei. How US-Israeli war gave Iran all the cards in the Middle East - Middle East Eye. April 7, 2026. The Paper Tiger Exposed: The U.S. Military's Shattered Mirage of Power - NaturalNews.com. Mike Adams. March 13, 2026. Iran navy chief mocks Trump Hormuz blockade threat as ridiculous - Middle East Eye. April 12, 2026.

Explainer Infographic:
Survey Reports Growing Skepticism, Anger Toward AI Among Younger U.S. Adults

Youngest Voting-Age Cohort Report Heightened Distrust, Negative Emotions Regarding AI

A recent survey indicates a significant segment of young American adults harbor growing skepticism and anger toward artificial intelligence technologies. The findings, first reported by The Epoch Times, suggest a notable shift in sentiment concentrated among the youngest voting-age cohort, according to the data [1].

This reported negativity contrasts with the widespread adoption of generative AI tools within the same demographic. Analysts note the apparent disconnect between regular use and negative sentiment marks a distinctive development in public perception of the technology.

Observers suggest the sentiment may reflect broader concerns about economic security and institutional trust, particularly among a generation that has witnessed rapid technological and social changes.

Survey Details and Key Findings

The survey, conducted by Gallup in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation and GSV Ventures, measured emotional and trust-based responses to AI development among U.S. adults. Results show a clear generational divide, with respondents aged 18-24 reporting the highest levels of skepticism and anger toward AI, according to the published data [1].

Despite more than half of Generation Z respondents reporting regular use of generative AI tools, their enthusiasm for the technology is declining significantly, the research indicated [1]. This trend is reportedly less pronounced among older age groups, who show comparatively higher levels of trust or ambivalence.

The findings arrive amid a period of accelerated investment and integration of AI systems across economic sectors. Industry advocates have pointed to the technology as essential for national competitiveness [2]. However, the survey suggests a portion of the public, particularly younger citizens, remains unconvinced of its benefits.

Attributed Perspectives on the Sentiment Shift

Some analysts cited in related coverage have linked the negative sentiment to concerns over job displacement and economic security. As AI models demonstrate complex cognitive abilities, there is a growing perception they could replace a significant percentage of desk jobs in the coming years [3]. This economic anxiety is particularly acute among younger adults entering the workforce.

Other commentators have suggested the distrust stems from direct experiences with centralized technology platforms and perceived overreach in content moderation. Younger demographics, having grown up with social media, are reportedly more sensitive to issues of data privacy and corporate control over digital spaces [4].

A parallel perspective, voiced in independent media commentary, argues that skepticism is a rational response to the concentration of AI development within a handful of powerful corporations and government-linked entities [5]. This view holds that centralized control of such a transformative technology inherently poses risks to individual liberty and privacy.

Context of Broader Technology Trust Trends

The reported skepticism toward AI aligns with documented declines in public trust toward major technology corporations and governmental institutions. This trend is evident across various surveys measuring confidence in media, healthcare, and federal agencies [6].

Parallel public debates regarding digital privacy, data ownership, and centralized control over information flow provide further context. Instances of data breaches at major AI firms, such as the OpenAI user data breach via a third-party vendor in 2025, have heightened concerns about security and corporate responsibility [7].

Observers note that for many younger adults, AI is not viewed in isolation but as an extension of existing technology platforms whose practices on data collection and algorithmic influence have already eroded trust. This forms a backdrop against which new AI advancements are being evaluated.

Contrasting Views on AI Development and Regulation

Industry advocates and some political leaders argue that aggressive AI development is critical for maintaining economic competitiveness and national security. Significant federal investment initiatives, such as the $500 billion 'Project Stargate' announced in early 2025, underscore this priority [2]. Proponents contend that slowing AI progress cedes ground to global competitors, particularly China, which is reported to be making rapid strides toward artificial general intelligence [8].

In contrast, critics and some survey respondents express support for more cautious, decentralized approaches and stringent oversight. They warn of potential health risks from certain AI applications, such as its proposed use in designing novel medical technologies like mRNA vaccines, which they argue are unproven and pose serious risks [9].

The debate often centers on the pace of integration and the locus of control. Some commentators advocate for a proliferation of open-source, decentralized AI tools that are not controlled by a few corporate or state entities, arguing this would mitigate risks of abuse and align the technology with libertarian principles [10].

Reported Implications and Forward Outlook

Analysts suggest the reported sentiment could influence public policy debates on AI regulation, ethics, and workforce development. A populace, or a significant demographic within it, that is skeptical of a technology may demand different regulatory frameworks than one that is broadly enthusiastic [11].

The survey indicates demographic divergence on technology issues may become more pronounced, according to the findings. This generational rift could shape political alignments and consumer behavior as AI becomes more embedded in daily life and the economy [1].

Looking forward, the trajectory of public opinion may hinge on tangible outcomes. Perceived benefits in productivity, healthcare, or personal convenience could ameliorate current skepticism. Conversely, high-profile failures, privacy scandals, or significant job displacements could intensify negative sentiment and fuel calls for a moratorium or strict governance of AI development [12].

References
UK Drone Operated Over Southern Lebanon Prior to Civilian Casualty Incident, Report Claims

Introduction

A British surveillance drone was reportedly active over southern Lebanon in the hours preceding a significant Israeli military strike that resulted in numerous civilian casualties, according to a regional media report.

The incident, which occurred in early April 2026 amid the ongoing conflict between the U.S.-Israeli alliance and Iran, adds a new dimension to international involvement in the regional hostilities. The unconfirmed flight, traced via public flight tracking data, allegedly involved an RAF MQ-9B Protector drone circling near the city of Baalbek before Israeli airstrikes hit the Bekaa Valley. [1]

The report, published by the outlet The Cradle and citing unnamed local sources, claims the British drone departed the area shortly before the strike occurred. UK Ministry of Defence officials have not confirmed or denied the specific flight path, citing operational security. The claims emerge as the conflict, dubbed Operation Epic Fury by U.S. forces, continues to widen, drawing in multiple state and non-state actors across the Middle East. [1][2]

UK Drone Reportedly Circled Over Southern Lebanon Hours Before Civilian Deaths

According to the regional report, an RAF MQ-9B Protector drone conducted a prolonged surveillance mission over eastern Lebanon near the Syrian border on the morning of Wednesday, April 9, 2026. Flight tracking data reportedly showed the aircraft circling the area, which includes the historic city of Baalbek, for several hours. [1]

Later that day, Israeli airstrikes targeted locations in the Bekaa Valley, resulting in a high number of casualties. Initial reports from Lebanese sources and international media indicated at least 18 people were killed in the strikes on Baalbek, with many more injured. The timeline presented in the report suggests a correlation between the conclusion of the UK drone's surveillance loiter and the commencement of the lethal aerial bombardment. [1][3]

Reported Timeline and Drone Activity

The specific drone flight was detailed using data from the public flight tracking website Flightradar24, according to the report. The MQ-9B Protector, an advanced, remotely piloted surveillance aircraft, was allegedly tracked flying from its base, entering Lebanese airspace, and conducting a circular holding pattern. This pattern is consistent with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, where drones gather visual and signals intelligence over a designated area. [1][4]

Military analysts note that such drones are a cornerstone of modern warfare, providing real-time video and data feeds to command centers. "Despite all the rhetoric, drones have done their job with great efficiency," one analysis notes, though traditionally in the context of targeted strikes. [4] The report claims the UK drone concluded its mission and left the area shortly before the Israeli attack commenced, leaving unanswered questions about the nature of any intelligence shared between allied forces.

Regional Source and Official Statements

The allegation originated from The Cradle, a regional news outlet, which cited unnamed local sources in Lebanon and analysis of flight tracking data. The outlet has previously published reports critical of Western and Israeli military actions in the Middle East. No official entity in Lebanon or internationally has independently verified the specific claims regarding the drone's mission or its possible connection to the subsequent strike. [1]

In response to inquiries, a UK Ministry of Defence spokesperson issued a standard statement, saying, "We do not comment on specific operational details for reasons of security." The statement reiterated the UK's broader role, noting, "The UK is mounting an operation to support at least 200,000 British nationals in the Gulf" amid the regional conflict, but did not address the Lebanon flight. [5] The Israeli military has not commented on the reported drone activity, focusing its public statements on the targeting of Hezbollah infrastructure. [6]

Context of Military Operations and Surveillance

The UK has publicly acknowledged its military involvement in the broader U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury. British forces have been active in defensive and support roles, particularly from bases in Cyprus. Royal Air Force Typhoon and F-35 jets, supported by Voyager tanker aircraft, have been patrolling skies over Cyprus and Jordan for over a month, according to BBC reports. [7] The RAF base at Akrotiri in Cyprus was itself targeted by a drone attack in early March 2026, an incident Cypriot sources suggested was likely launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon. [8][9]

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance is a standard practice among modern militaries. As one book on drone technology explains, these systems allow for gathering intelligence "without putting allied soldiers in harms way." [4] The UK has invested heavily in such technology; for years, British troops have used palm-sized surveillance drones like the Black Hornet. [10] The larger MQ-9B is a far more capable platform, designed for long-endurance, high-altitude reconnaissance.

Reactions and Analysis

Local officials in Lebanon have referenced the report in public statements decrying the civilian toll of the ongoing strikes. A mother of newborn twins displaced by the conflict told the BBC, "Our home was bombed, and everything I had prepared for the children was gone." [11] More than one million people have been displaced within Lebanon as Israel intensifies its campaign against Hezbollah. [12]

Military analysts observing the conflict note that the sharing of surveillance intelligence between allied nations like the U.S., UK, and Israel is commonplace. However, such partnerships often lack transparency, leaving the public reliant on sporadic reports and leaks to understand the full scope of collaboration. Critics argue this operational secrecy shields governments from accountability, particularly when civilian areas are struck. This pattern aligns with a broader critique of centralized military power and the lack of oversight for drone warfare, which one analysis notes can "miss its target more than 90 percent of the time," often with devastating collateral consequences. [13]

Conclusion: Unconfirmed Reports and Operational Secrecy

The reported British drone flight over southern Lebanon remains unverified by the primary military forces involved. Neither the UK nor Israel has confirmed the details published by The Cradle. The incident underscores the challenges of reporting accurately from active conflict zones, where operational secrecy is paramount for militaries and independent verification is difficult. [1]

This episode also highlights the expanding and often opaque role of external powers in the Middle East conflict. The UK, while not a primary combatant in strikes on Lebanon, provides key surveillance and basing support. As the war enters a critical phase, with U.S. President Donald Trump demanding Iran's "unconditional surrender" and ceasefire talks stalling, the risk of further escalation and civilian harm remains high. [14][15] The reported drone activity over Baalbek serves as a reminder that modern warfare extends beyond the trigger-puller to include the vast intelligence and logistics networks that enable aerial campaigns.

References
U.S. Births Decline Again in 2025, Extending Multi-Decade Fertility Trend

Provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates the number of births in the United States declined in 2025, continuing a long-term demographic trend. According to the report, just over 3.6 million births were recorded last year, approximately 24,000 fewer than in 2024 [1].

Robert Anderson, chief of the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) mortality statistics branch, stated the final total is expected to increase by only a few thousand additional births [1]. The 2025 data represents a continuation of a downward trend observed for nearly two decades, according to the report [4].

Long-Term Demographic Shift

The total fertility rate (TFR), a key measure representing the average number of children a woman would have in her lifetime, has remained below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman since 2007 [4]. The general fertility rate fell by one percent from 2024 to 53.1 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, and has declined by 23 percent since 2007, the CDC found [4].

Analysts note that the recent declines compound a trend that accelerated after the 2008 recession and continued through the pandemic years. In 2024, the U.S. fertility rate was reported at a historic low of 1.599 births per woman, a 22% decline since 2007 [2]. This places the nation far below the replacement level needed for long-term population stability without immigration [2].

Shifting Age Groups and Birth Patterns

The provisional data shows births declined across most age groups of women under 35 [5]. This shift is part of a broader pattern where women are increasingly delaying parenthood, often citing anxiety about the future and financial stability [5].

Conversely, the birth rate for women in their late 30s and early 40s showed less decline, a demographic shift attributed to changing social and economic patterns. The average age of first-time mothers has been rising steadily in developed nations, a trend also observed in countries like Sweden, where it recently surpassed 30 [13].

Economic and Societal Factors Cited

Several independent demographic researchers and surveys cite high costs as a primary factor influencing family planning decisions. High expenses for housing, childcare, healthcare, and education are frequently mentioned as barriers to having children [3]. A national poll also highlights a stark partisan divide, with only 15% of Democratic voters believing the country is not welcoming enough babies, compared to 41% of Republicans [12].

Beyond economics, researchers point to environmental and lifestyle factors. A study in *Human Reproduction Update* linked persistent global drops in fertility to environmental toxins like pesticides and air pollution [11]. Shanna Swan, a reproductive epidemiologist, has argued that chemicals like phthalates are wreaking havoc with human fertility, suggesting humans may satisfy several criteria for being an endangered species [7].

Policy and Long-Term Implications

Demographers warn that sustained low fertility will have long-term implications for population aging, workforce dynamics, and the sustainability of social programs like Social Security [3]. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently projected lower-than-expected U.S. population growth, estimating only 15 million new people in the next 30 years, with growth averaging 0.3 percent annually [10].

Policy discussions on family support have been noted in the U.S. and abroad, though experts report no consensus on effective measures to reverse the trend. Some European officials have explicitly stated that large-scale migration is intended to offset plummeting birth rates and aging populations [14]. In contrast, figures like Maxime Bernier, leader of Canada's People's Party, argue for promoting motherhood within the existing population and restricting immigration to address low fertility [9].

Conclusion

The provisional 2025 birth data confirms the United States remains on a path of declining fertility that began decades ago. While economic pressures are a dominant explanation from mainstream analysts, independent researchers increasingly point to additional factors, including widespread exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and questions about medical interventions [11] [8].

As nations worldwide grapple with similar trends, the demographic future of the West appears increasingly distinct. United Nations projections indicate that in 2026, only 8 percent of global births will occur in Europe, North America, and Oceania, while 85 percent will be in Asia and Africa [6]. The long-term social and economic consequences of these shifts will likely define policy debates for years to come.

References
Task Force Led by Vice President Vance Flags $6.3 Billion in Federal Contracts for Potential Fraud Review

Introduction

Vice President JD Vances anti-fraud task force has identified $6.3 billion in federal contracts awarded to nearly 400 businesses requiring legitimacy verification, administration officials confirmed. The task force, working with the General Services Administration, is issuing letters giving these businesses 30 days to prove they are legitimate operations with physical addresses, according to officials who spoke to the Daily Caller.

A senior White House official stated that a significant portion of the contracts were awarded during the previous administration. The findings represent one of the first major actions by the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which was created by President Donald Trump on March 16, according to an executive order signing ceremony reported by multiple outlets.

Scope and Initial Actions of the Task Force

Officials said the task force reviewed 895 contracts totaling $6.3 billion awarded to 392 businesses, with approximately $3 billion in funds reportedly still pending disbursement. The letters are being sent by task force executive director Scott Brady and GSA Administrator Edward Forst, who one senior administration official said was instrumental in identifying the potential fraudulent contracts.

The task forces creation followed public revelations of fraud in federally subsidized programs, including daycare centers in Minnesota, according to administration statements. The task force aims to root out what White House staff secretary Will Scharf described as widespread revelations of fraud in federally-funded programs in states like Minnesota, referencing the executive order that established the body.

Administration Statements on Findings and Process

A senior White House official told the Daily Caller the findings represented a disgrace and an example of the previous administration flouting basic anti-fraud guardrails. The official, who was not named, emphasized that the process allows businesses to prove their legitimacy before any final determinations are made.

A spokesperson for the vice president stated, The Vice Presidents task force will leave no stone unturned in the hunt for fraud. If fraudsters are robbing hardworking Americans of their tax dollars and services, we will find them. The spokesperson added that the task force is part of a broader administration focus on government accountability and eliminating waste in federal spending.

Task Force Composition and Broader Investigations

The task force convened for the first time on March 27, and Assistant Attorney General for National Fraud Enforcement Colin McDonald was sworn in on April 1. McDonalds confirmation by the Senate last week establishes a new Justice Department role focused on combating fraud in government programs, according to a report by Breitbart.

The vice president has previously stated the task force would also investigate Rep. Ilhan Omar for alleged immigration fraud, according to an interview transcript with conservative personality Benny Johnson. In the same interview, Vance linked the congresswoman to a lot of the worst fraudsters in the Somali community, a statement reported by the outlet. This broader investigative scope aligns with the task forces mandate to examine fraud in multiple states and programs.

Conclusion and Next Steps

The 30-day response period for the identified businesses is now underway, with outcomes to determine if contracts are suspended or terminated. The findings highlight ongoing scrutiny of federal procurement processes and the allocation of taxpayer funds across administrations.

The task force's work represents a significant early initiative of the current administration's focus on government accountability, officials said. As one book on government contracting notes, the scale of federal spending necessitates rigorous oversight to prevent abuse, a principle the task force is now applying to these flagged contracts.

References
Haji Syed Salman Chishty, a cleric from Ajmer Sharif, met with Indian Consul General Neelam Rani in St. Petersburg to discuss deepening India-Russia relations through cultural and spiritual avenues. The meeting emphasized moving the bilateral partnership beyond traditional areas of defence and trade to include art, Sufi music, and interfaith dialogue. Both sides identified regions in Russia with strong Sufi traditions as potential areas for collaboration and stressed the importance of youth exchanges and academic partnerships. The discussions also highlighted historical intellectual links, such as Leo Tolstoy's engagement with Indian philosophy.

Ajmer Sharif's Haji Syed Salman Chishty meets Consul General Neelam Rani in Russia to strengthen bilateral ties through culture & spiritual exchange.

Jaipur, April 13 In a notable engagement linking diplomacy with civilisational heritage, Haji Syed Salman Chishty, cleric of Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Chairman of the Chishty Foundation, met Ambassador Neelam Rani, Consul General of India in St. Petersburg.

The interaction focused on strengthening India-Russia ties through art, culture, spiritual traditions, and people-to-people engagement, Dargah officials said on Monday.

The meeting took place during Chishty's official visit to Russia, which included St. Petersburg and Moscow. Against the historic setting of St. Petersburg, both sides underlined that the India-Russia partnership, long built on mutual trust, should expand beyond defence and trade. Cultural outreach and spiritual heritage were identified as key avenues for cooperation.

Discussions included proposals for cultural festivals, Sufi music and 'qawwali' programmes, classical art exchanges, and curated exhibitions reflecting shared traditions. A major focus was on strengthening interfaith dialogue and spiritual cooperation.

Chishty noted that the Sufi message of "peace with all" finds resonance in Russia's diverse religious landscape. Regions such as Tatarstan, Dagestan, Bashkortostan, and the Caucasus were highlighted for their strong Sufi traditions, offering scope for collaboration. Both sides explored structured interfaith dialogues, academic exchanges, and joint spiritual delegations to translate shared heritage into active engagement.

Emphasising that lasting international ties rest on human connections, the two also identified youth exchanges, academic partnerships, and cultural immersion programmes as priority areas. These efforts aim to widen the reach of bilateral ties beyond official channels.

The discussion also touched upon long-standing intellectual links between the two countries, including Leo Tolstoy's engagement with Indian philosophy and the influence of Mahatma Gandhi on Russian thought.

Chishty said the Neelam Rani represents the country's civilisational approach to diplomacy and added that India-Russia relations are grounded in shared values of peace and humanity. He reiterated his commitment to promoting the message of harmony associated with Khwaja Gharib Nawaz across borders.

The Indian envoy welcomed the visit and appreciated efforts to promote India's spiritual and cultural heritage. She reaffirmed the Consulate's support for initiatives that deepen cultural ties and strengthen people-to-people connections between India and Russia.

- IANS
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused anti-liberation and unconstitutional forces of persistently trying to undermine the celebrations of Pohela Boishakh, the Bengali New Year. She highlighted the festival's evolution from a Mughal-era harvest calendar into a unifying cultural event for Bengalis worldwide. Hasina recalled past attempts at cultural repression, including by the Pakistani government, and noted her government's role in getting the Mangal Shobhajatra procession recognized by UNESCO. She expressed hope that the festival's continued celebration would foster a secular Bangladesh.

Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina accuses anti-liberation forces of trying to undermine the Bengali New Year festival, Pohela Boishakh.

Dhaka, April 13 Extending greetings to the people of Bangladesh on Pohela Boishakh marking the Bengali New Year, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said that "anti-liberation and unconstitutional" forces have repeatedly sought to undermine the festival - a trend she said continues to persist.

"Pohela Boishakh is the foremost festival of Bengali national heritage. On this day, with the message of renewal, people awaken in joy, leaving behind sorrow, decay, failure, and gloom. What began as a harvest-based calendar during the Mughal era has, over time, evolved into a defining cultural celebration for all Bengalis. Regardless of religion or ethnicity, it is now a festival of the global Bengali community," read a statement issued by Hasina which was posted by the Awami League on its social media platforms on Monday.

Recalling the cultural repression in East Pakistan, Hasina said, "In undivided Bangladesh, the Pakistani government attempted to sever Bengalis from their roots by obstructing the celebration of Pohela Boishakh. They also tried to prevent the centenary celebration of Rabindranath Tagore, the foremost literary figure of the Bengali language. As a result, in independent Bangladesh, Pohela Boishakh became a symbol of national awakening, unity, and harmony among the people."

The former Bangladesh PM highlighted that the Mangal Shobhajatra, a traditional mass procession during Pohela Boishakh, has been inscribed as part of world heritage, with UNESCO granting the recognition during the tenure of the Awami League government.

She added that her government also introduced the "Boishakhi allowance" for employees on the occasion of the festival.

Expressing concern, Hasina said, "We have observed that anti-liberation and unconstitutional forces have sought to undermine this festival - efforts that continue even today. They have even dared to attempt renaming the Mangal Shobhajatra. Rooted in the agrarian traditions of harvesting new crops, this celebration has evolved over centuries into the New Year festival. In many countries - such as China and Iran - New Year celebrations remain the principal national festivals."

Asserting that the festival reflects an "anthropological tradition", she said, "Using religion as a tool to obstruct this celebration is simply another form of division."

Hasina expressed hope that the continued celebration of Pohela Boishakh would contribute to the re-emergence of a secular Bangladesh.

- IANS
The Election Commission has launched a separate toll-free number and dedicated email address for voters in West Bengal to directly report law and order issues during the upcoming assembly elections. State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agrawal stated the move aims to address complaints promptly, with investigations and action to follow. Central forces are already deployed and conducting route marches to instill voter confidence ahead of the polls. District electoral officials have simultaneously warned troublemakers that any disruption to the polling process will be dealt with seriously to ensure free and fair elections.

Election Commission launches toll-free number & email for West Bengal voters to report poll-related unrest, threats, or intimidation during assembly elections.

Kolkata, April 13 The Election Commission on Monday launched a separate toll-free number to help voters in West Bengal report directly to the Commission any issues related to unrest or law and order.

The Commission has also introduced a dedicated email ID so that voters can lodge complaints without delay.

Voters can now call the toll-free number or send an email to report problems such as threats, intimidation, beatings, or interference with polling agents.

The Commission already operates a nationwide toll-free number (1950). However, for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, a separate number has been launched: 18003450008. The dedicated email ID is wbfreeandfairpolls@gmail.com.

State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agrawal said, "The elections are almost here. We are now receiving complaints related to law and order. That is why we have launched a separate toll-free number and email ID. Voters can file complaints there at any time. After receiving the complaint, we will investigate and take action."

The Commission reiterated its commitment to free and peaceful voting. Central forces have already been deployed in West Bengal ahead of the polls and are conducting route marches in various areas to instil confidence among voters.

The Commission emphasised that unrest will not be tolerated and complaints will be investigated promptly.

Earlier, the district magistrates, who are also district electoral officers, police superintendents, and district forces coordinators of the districts concerned, separately urged the people of poll-bound West Bengal to reach polling booths without fear and cast their votes in large numbers.

The three key electoral officials from all districts and the two electoral districts of Kolkata (Dakshin and Uttar) simultaneously addressed the media. 

The common message conveyed through those press conferences was that the Election Commission of India is determined to ensure 100 per cent free, fair, and violence-free polls this time.

The three key electoral officers, district magistrates/district electoral officers, police superintendents, and force coordinators, at the respective press conferences, also issued strong notes of caution to probable troublemakers.

They warned that any attempt to disrupt the polling process through booth-jamming, source-jamming, intimidation of voters, or harassment of the opponent party's polling agents would be dealt with seriously in accordance with the legal provisions and norms specified by the Election Commission of India.

The officials emphasised that the elections this time will be fear-free, violence-free, intimidation-free, inducement-free, and free of booth-jamming or source-jamming.

- IANS
The BJP has appointed Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the central observer for electing its legislative party leader in Bihar. This move coincides with intense speculation that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may resign following a crucial cabinet meeting scheduled for April 14. If Nitish Kumar steps down, Bihar could witness the swearing-in of a new chief minister as early as April 15. Meanwhile, JD(U) leaders assert that Nitish Kumar's development policies will continue to guide the state's governance regardless of his official position.

BJP appoints Shivraj Chouhan as observer for Bihar. Speculation grows as Nitish Kumar may step down after key cabinet meeting on April 14.

New Delhi, April 12 The Bharatiya Janata Party has appointed Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the Central Observer for the election of the party's Legislative Party Leader in Bihar.

Speaking to reporters, Chouhan said he would carry out the responsibility with honesty and dedication. He also stated that he identifies as a party worker and will complete any assigned task.



"I am a party's worker, and as a worker, it is my duty to do whatever work I get with complete honesty and authenticity. I fulfil whatever responsibility the party gives me... I will go to Bihar on the 14th", he said.



Meanwhile, political developments in Bihar have gained pace.



Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to chair a Cabinet meeting on April 14, which is likely to be crucial.



Sources said the meeting may clear several important proposals. They also indicated that this could be the last meeting of the current Council of Ministers.



According to sources, Nitish Kumar may step down after the Cabinet meeting. If this happens, Bihar could have a new Chief Minister as early as April 15.



At the same time, Janata Dal (United) Working President and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Kumar Jha said that Nitish Kumar remains committed to the development of Bihar, even if he is not holding the post of Chief Minister.



Jha said that the party fought the 2025-30 mandate under Nitish Kumar's leadership with the support of the NDA, and the new government would continue his policies.



"As far as Bihar is concerned, we contested the 2025-30 election mandate under Nitish Kumar's leadership with the support of the NDA. The Prime Minister campaigned regularly, and the new government will continue Nitish Ji's policies and work under his guidance. Even if he is not Chief Minister, his focus remains on Bihar, travelling to Delhi only for Parliament sessions," he said.



Nitish Kumar took oath as a Rajya Sabha MP on April 10.





- ANI
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has arrived in Beijing for an official visit aimed at strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the UAE and China. The visit focuses on unlocking new opportunities for economic cooperation and development, particularly in high-potential sectors. It underscores the UAE's role as a leading global trade hub and a strategic partner for sustainable growth. The Crown Prince is accompanied by a significant delegation of ministers and senior officials.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan leads a high-level delegation to Beijing to deepen UAE-China economic cooperation and investment.

Beijing, April 13 Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has arrived in Beijing, starting an official visit to the People's Republic of China aimed at further strengthening bilateral ties and advancing cooperation across key priority sectors.

The visit underscores the shared commitment of the UAE and China to deepening their comprehensive strategic partnership and unlocking new opportunities for development and economic cooperation. It also reflects a joint focus on expanding investment in high-potential sectors, in line with evolving regional and global market dynamics. Furthermore, the visit reinforces the UAE as a leading global trade hub, a key investment gateway and a strategic partner in driving sustainable economic growth.

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Special Envoy of the UAE President to China and Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Managing Director and Group CEO; Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment; Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade; Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Office of the Crown Prince; and Maryam Eid AlMheiri, Chairperson of Abu Dhabi Media Office and Advisor of Strategic Relations at the Crown Prince Court.

- ANI
India and France held comprehensive Foreign Office Consultations in Paris, co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and France's Secretary General Martin Briens. The talks spanned critical areas including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, and cooperation in AI and digital innovation. Misri also called on French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, discussing bilateral cooperation and global challenges like the situation in West Asia. This engagement follows recent high-level exchanges, including President Macron's visit to India, underscoring the robust strategic partnership.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri co-chaired consultations in Paris, discussing defence, civil nuclear energy, space, and AI with French officials.

Paris, April 13 India and France held wide-ranging discussions during the Foreign Office Consultations on a range of issues from AI, innovation, and digital cooperation.

The details were shared by the Indian Embassy in France in a post on X.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri co-chaired the India-France Foreign Office Consultations with Secretary General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Martin Briens.

The discussions revolved around areas including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital cooperation, AI, innovation, and initiatives to strengthen people-to-people and cultural ties, the Indian Embassy said.

It also noted that the latest global and regional developments were also discussed.

Earlier today, Foreign Secretary Misri also called on French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot during his visit to Paris.

"Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri called on the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs H.E. @jnbarrot. Discussions covered key areas of bilateral cooperation, ongoing global challenges including the situation in West Asia", the Indian Embassy said.

Earlier, Misri also visited the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in Paris and saw the exhibition "L'Art de L'Inde: Aujourd'hui," which showcases 80 artworks by 40 Indian artists and highlights India's living artistic traditions.

His visit follows French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India earlier in February and reflects the continued regular high-level exchanges between India and Europe.

The Foreign Secretary was previously in the United States where he met key leaders and held discussions on further deepening India-US cooperation across the varied dimensions of the relationship.

Misri held talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg expressed pleasure over his meeting with Misri, highlighting discussions on trade, energy cooperation and advancing pro-innovation policies in artificial intelligence.

During his three-day visit to Washington, he also had a "productive" meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is scheduled to visit India next month.

The Foreign Secretary's itinerary included significant talks at the Pentagon with Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby.

- ANI
An ISI-backed espionage module busted by Ghaziabad Police had conducted extensive reconnaissance of sensitive locations, including naval facilities in Mumbai. The module's prime accused, Suhail Malik, installed solar-powered CCTV cameras at railway stations and crowded areas to provide live feeds to handlers in Pakistan. While tasked only with gathering information, the ISI was reportedly setting up a separate module to carry out attacks at the identified targets. The bust has prompted a major security audit of surveillance systems in Maharashtra and a review of procurement from Chinese companies.

Ghaziabad Police busts ISI espionage module that surveyed naval bases & airports, installing solar CCTVs to feed live data to Pakistan for planned strikes.

New Delhi, April 13 The ISI-backed espionage module, which the Ghaziabad Police first busted, had surveyed sensitive locations such as naval facilities and airport zones in Mumbai. They were in the process of installing solar-powered CCTV cameras at these locations and were planning to send the live feed to their handlers in Pakistan.

An investigating official said that the module was not just limited to conducting a reconnaissance in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. They had a reach up to Maharashtra as well. The questioning of the prime accused, Suhail Malik, revealed that he was working as a daily wager at a bakery. In reality, he was on the ISI's payroll.

While residing in Pune, Malik had transmitted information about sensitive locations both in Pune and Mumbai. Following this, he moved to Ghaziabad and continued to work for the ISI. He had been heading the espionage module that was busted by the Ghaziabad police.

The espionage module had managed to set up solar-powered CCTVs at railway stations and other crowded locations. The agencies are now closely probing the activities undertaken by this module in Mumbai and Pune. Malik was in Mumbai for five years between 2020 and 2025. During this period, he had conducted a reconnaissance of several locations and provided the ISI with information.

An official said that the targets of this module were largely Army cantonment areas, railway stations and the movement of the security personnel. The official added that the probe suggests that these persons were focusing heavily on the Indian Railways.

The espionage module was entrusted with only providing information and was not involved in planning any attack. The ISI was in the process of setting up another module to carry out attacks at railway stations and Army cantonment areas.

Another official noted that the cameras to capture live feed were not set up overnight. It has been in the works for several years, and now the security agencies are analysing the extent of information that has been passed on. This module was providing information at a very low cost to the ISI so that attacks could be carried out at multiple locations over a period of time. The scale of this operation was massive, and the busting of this module has managed to avert a major catastrophe, an official noted.

Suhail, according to investigators, was paid Rs 8,000 to install each CCTV camera. He has managed to install it at multiple locations over the years, investigating officials have learnt. This new playbook of the ISI to gather live feed from sensitive and crowded locations has prompted a thorough audit of CCTV cameras being sold.

Following the busting of this module, the Maharashtra government has ordered an audit of CCTV systems. Further, the procurement of CCTV cameras linked to Chinese companies has been put on hold. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority will now have to obtain police clearance before putting up surveillance systems.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that the module had a wide reach and had managed to procure sensitive information from many states. The police personnel of these respective states would need to coordinate and gather as much information as possible. This cannot be viewed as an isolated module that was just gathering information.

It is equally important that the agencies learn about what has been done with the data collected and how the ISI was looking to use it, the official also added.

- IANS
The Indian government has proposed a revised, softer draft of the Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms for the 2027-2032 period, moving from rigid targets to a phased tightening approach. The new framework includes a flatter compliance curve, reducing the advantage for heavier vehicles, and introduces super credits for electric and hybrid vehicles to incentivize their adoption. It also permits credit trading between manufacturers and exempts small-volume producers making under 1,000 units annually. However, significant financial penalties for non-compliance remain, making the EV credit mechanism a crucial lever for large automakers.

India proposes softer CAFE 2027-2032 fuel efficiency norms with a phased approach, super credits for EVs, and credit trading for automakers.

New Delhi, April 13 The government has proposed a softer set of Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency norms for the 2027-2032 period, offering relief to the domestic auto industry, NDTV Profit reported.

According to a revised draft prepared by the Ministry of Power in consultation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the government has moved away from a rigid target framework in favour of a phased tightening approach. The proposal includes a flatter compliance curve, reducing the advantage previously enjoyed by heavier vehicles.

Known as CAFE 2027, the draft represents the third stage of India's fleet-level fuel economy road map, aimed at aligning the automobile sector with the country's broader climate and energy goals.

The norms are set to take effect from April 1, 2027, and will tighten progressively through FY32, the report said.

The report added that the revised framework marks a notable softening from the September 2025 draft. The emission curve has been recalibrated with a new slope formula - set at 0.00158 in FY28 and easing to 0.00131 by FY32 - allowing slightly higher fuel consumption than previously proposed.

The draft also includes super credits for electric and hybrid vehicles, allowing them to count as multiple vehicles when calculating fleet-level emissions. Plug-in hybrids and flex-fuel hybrids are expected to receive higher multipliers under the proposed framework.

Credit trading between manufacturers has also been permitted, providing carmakers additional flexibility in managing compliance obligations.

However, penalties for non-compliance could run into hundreds of crores of rupees for large manufacturers, making the EV and hybrid credit mechanism a significant financial lever for the industry, the report said.

Additionally, niche manufacturers producing fewer than 1,000 units annually have been exempted from compliance requirements, offering relief to small-volume players.

- IANS
President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Ahmedabad to begin a two-day official visit to Gujarat. She was formally welcomed at the airport by Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, and other senior state officials. Her visit follows her role as chief guest at the first convocation of AIIMS Rajkot. The President's schedule includes attending a social harmony event on Ambedkar's anniversary and presiding over the convocation at Rashtriya Raksha University in Gandhinagar.

President Droupadi Murmu begins a two-day Gujarat visit, welcomed by Governor and CM. She attends AIIMS Rajkot convocation and key Gandhinagar events.

Ahmedabad, April 13 President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday evening as part of her two-day official visit to Gujarat.

She arrived in the city after attending the first convocation ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rajkot, where she served as the chief guest and awarded degrees to graduating students of the institute's inaugural MBBS batch.

On her arrival at Ahmedabad Airport, President Murmu was accorded a formal and warm welcome by Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.

Senior state officials were also present on the occasion, including Health Minister Praful Pansheriya, Chief Secretary M.K. Das, Director General of Police (DGP) K.L.N. Rao, Air Marshal Mehtab Singh Deswal, General Officer Commanding of Indian Army Gaurav Bagga, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik and Ahmedabad Collector Sujeet Kumar, who greeted the President upon her arrival.

According to officials, the President's visit to Gujarat spans multiple engagements focused on education, institutional development and commemorative events.

Earlier on Monday, at AIIMS Rajkot, President Murmu addressed the convocation ceremony and conferred degrees and medals upon students, marking a significant milestone for the newly established medical institution.

During the Gujarat leg of her tour, the President is scheduled to attend a series of official programmes.

On April 14, she will participate in the 'Samajik Samrasta Mahotsava' at Lok Bhavan in Gandhinagar, organised on the occasion of B.R. Ambedkar's birth anniversary.

The event is expected to bring together representatives from various social and administrative sectors.

On the same day, President Murmu will also preside over the fifth convocation ceremony of Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar, where degrees will be awarded to students graduating from multiple disciplines, according to official programme details.

Security arrangements have been strengthened across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in view of the President's movement between key venues.

Senior police and administrative officials have been deployed to oversee coordination and ensure smooth conduct of all scheduled engagements.

- IANS
The Defence Ministry paid tribute to soldiers on Siachen Day, marking the 40th anniversary of Operation Meghdoot. The operation was a preemptive strike launched on April 13, 1984, to secure the strategic Siachen Glacier. Key planning was led by officers including Major General Amarjit Singh, who chose the date for its tactical surprise and regimental significance. The successful mission established Indian control over the world's highest battlefield, outpacing a planned Pakistani operation.

India honors the soldiers of Operation Meghdoot on Siachen Day, remembering the 1984 mission that secured the world's highest battlefield.

New Delhi, April 13 On the occasion of Siachen Day, the Ministry of Defence on Monday paid tribute to the unwavering courage and commitment of soldiers guarding the icy heights of the world's highest battlefield.

On April 13, 1984, the Indian Army mounted the secretly planned Operation Meghdoot and took control of the Siachen Glacier.

The PRO and Spokesperson of the Ministry of Defence, Jammu Region, shared a message on the social media platform X, stating, "On the occasion of Siachen Day, Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, Army Cdr NC, and all ranks of Northern Command honour the unwavering courage and commitment of every braveheart who is steadfastly guarding the icy heights. We also remember and pay homage to the valiant souls who laid down their lives on the world's highest battlefield."

The entire 'Operation Meghdoot' was very closely monitored at the Northern Command of the Indian Army, Udhampur, by Northern Army Commander Lt Gen M.L. Chibber, Lt Gen N.S. Cheema, Corps Commander Lieutenant General P.N. Hoon, Major General Amarjit Singh, then Major General General Staff (MGGS) for 15 Corps (Chinar Corps) in Srinagar; General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3 Infantry Division Major General Shiv Sharma and Commander 26 Sector Brigadier V.N. Channa.

One of the key officers involved in planning, execution and monitoring all aspects of the operation was Major General Amarjit Singh. His son, Jesse Singh, told IANS, "Today is the anniversary of Operation Meghdoot, 13th April 1984, Baisakhi Day, when my father General Amarjit Singh planned and executed the capture of Siachen Glacier. He picked 13th April as the D-Day for the launch of this Operation to capture Siachen, as 13th April 1873 was the raising day of his battalion, 01 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, which he commanded in 1968 in Satwari Jammu... He picked this date, keeping in mind the regimental ethos of JAK RIF as well as this being an auspicious Baisakhi day. Pakistan never thought a Sikh General would attack on such an auspicious day of the Sikhs, thus surprising them."

"His strategic vision and decisive leadership as MGGS Northern Command meticulously planned and executed the preemptive strike to secure the Siachen Glacier ...This audacious winter manoeuvre outpaced Pakistan's 'Operation Ababeel', establishing Indian sovereignty over the world's highest battlefield and forever securing the nation's northern frontiers," he said.

- IANS
BJP MLA Maithili Thakur states the Women's Reservation Bill will significantly impact the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, calling it a historic step for empowerment. She thanks Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his strong stance on the reservation. The bill is set for discussion in a special Parliament session, with JD(U) leader Dileshwar Kamait expressing confidence in its consensus passage. However, Congress leaders like Manickam Tagore have criticized the move, alleging the government is misleading the nation on the implementation sequence.

BJP MLA Maithili Thakur says the historic Women's Reservation Bill will strengthen women's governance role, with its impact visible in the Lok Sabha polls.

New Delhi, April 13 BJP MLA Maithili Thakur on Monday said the impact of the Women's Reservation Bill will be visible in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, calling it a "historic decision" that will strengthen women's participation in governance.

Her remarks come ahead of the special Parliament sitting scheduled from April 16 to 18, where amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam are set to be discussed.

Speaking to ANI, Thakur said, "This is a historic decision, a historic step. Women were empowered yesterday as well, but it was crucial to integrate this into policies. We sincerely thank the Prime Minister for being so strong on this reservation, and its impact will be seen in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections."

"We all stand as workers of the Prime Minister and the BJP. This isn't just about the opposition and ruling party, but we should all come together to fight for women's empowerment, for women's rights, for women's respect. Everyone is with our Prime Minister on this reservation bill," she added.

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) leader in the Lok Sabha Dileshwar Kamait expressed confidence that the Bill would be passed with broad consensus.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter to all floor leaders, seeking support for the passage of an amendment to the Women's Reservation Bill. A three-line whip has been issued to all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha party MPs to be present in the House from April 16 to 18 and support the bill. This will be a historic bill. I am confident that the bill will be passed with consensus," he said.

Furthermore, BJP leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain slammed Congress leaders for criticising the Centre's move, stating, "PM Modi wants to give justice to half of the population, but the kind of statements which are being made by the Congress leaders are unfortunate", adding that, "Everyone should support this bill."

The Bill has drawn criticism from Congress leaders, including Manickam Tagore, who alleged that PM Modi is "misleading the nation" and attempting to alter the agreed sequence of Census, delimitation, and reservation, raising concerns over the representation of OBC women.

- ANI
India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, met with Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon to discuss enhanced cooperation in media and broadcasting, including exchange visits for media delegations. The talks included proposals for capacity-building initiatives for journalists, with a special training course planned for women journalists from Bangladesh. The discussions also covered potential collaboration in films, such as joint festivals and technological support. This follows recent meetings on boosting civil aviation ties and comes after a dialogue between the countries' foreign ministers on strengthening the bilateral relationship.

High-level meetings advance media exchanges, journalist training, and aviation links between India and Bangladesh to deepen bilateral ties.

Dhaka, April 13 India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma held a meeting with Bangladesh's Minister of Information and Broadcasting Zahir Uddin Swapon on Monday, discussing cooperation in the information and broadcasting domain.

During the meeting, two sides agreed to exchange visits of media delegations between India and Bangladesh to strengthen people-to-people ties and promote mutual understanding. Verma reiterated India's willingness to work with Bangladesh government to strengthen people-centric cooperation in all sectors.

"High Commisioner Pranay Verma paid a courtesy call on Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh H.E. Zahir Uddin Swapon on 13 April 2026. They discussed wide-ranging cooperation in information and broadcasting domain, including engagements between media and broadcasting institutions of the two countries. They agreed to enhance exchange visits of media delegations between the two countries to strengthen people-to-people relations and promote mutual understanding," Indian High Commission in Bangladesh posted on X.

"High Commissioner proposed various capacity building initiatives for journalists and media professionals under ITEC programme of Government of India. As part of these initiatives, a special training course for women journalists from Bangladesh will soon be organised in India. They also exchanged views on cooperation in films, including organization of film screening and film festivals in each other's country, as well as collaboration in production and post-production technological support. High Commissioner reiterated India's willingness to work with the Government and people of Bangladesh to strengthen people-centric cooperation in all domains based on mutual interest and mutual benefit," it added.

Last week, Verma had called on Bangladesh's Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism Afroza Khanum Rita, discussing enhancing bilateral cooperation in civil aviation. Bangladesh' Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat also attended the meeting.

"High Commissioner Pranay Verma paid a courtesy call on Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism H.E. Mrs. Afroza Khanum Rita on 09 April 2026. Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Tourism H.E. M Rashiduzzaman Millat also joined the meeting. They held discussions on enhancing bilateral cooperation in the field of civil aviation, improving air connectivity, enhancing air cargo capacity, improving aviation infrastructure and exploring capacity building opportunities," Indian High Commission in Bangladesh posted on X.

"High Commissioner briefed the Hon'ble Ministers on the ongoing major developments in India's aviation sector that make India the fastest growing civil aviation market in the world today and which offer opportunities for cooperation for the advancement of Bangladesh's aviation sector based on mutual interest and mutual benefit," it added.

On April 8, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Khalilur Rahman and his delegation in New Delhi, discussing bilateral ties, regional and global developments.

"Pleased to host FM Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh and his delegation this afternoon. We discussed strengthening our bilateral relationship in its various facets. Also exchanged views on regional and global developments. Agreed to remain in close touch," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

- IANS
India and France conducted a comprehensive review of their Special Global Strategic Partnership during Foreign Office Consultations in Paris. Key discussion points included cooperation on economic security, the India-France Year of Innovation, and goals to double bilateral trade and increase the crossflow of STEM students. The talks also covered strategic areas like defence, civil nuclear energy, space, and artificial intelligence. The meeting followed French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India in February and included plans for a future Strategic Space Dialogue.

India & France held Foreign Office Consultations in Paris, reviewing economic security, innovation, trade, and strategic cooperation in defence, space, and AI.

Paris, April 13 India and France reviewed key deliverables, including cooperation in economic security, during the Foreign Office Consultations in Paris on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement.

"Both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the progress made in various facets of the bilateral relationship, especially in context of the elevation of ties to Special Global Strategic Partnership and the visit of President Macron to India in February 2026. The two sides also reviewed key deliverables including the India-France Year of Innovation, cooperation on economic security, the shared ambition of increasing the crossflow of STEM talent, including more Indian students in France, and the goal of doubling bilateral trade, especially in light of the conclusion of negotiations of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement," the statement added.

The statement added that the discussions encompassed strategic areas of bilateral cooperation including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital, AI, institutional dialogue mechanisms, and initiatives fostering people-to-people exchanges and cultural ties.

"The two sides also exchanged views on global issues such as cooperation in environment, climate change and health, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, trilateral dialogues, joint development projects in third countries, as well as developments in West Asia and Ukraine," it said.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary General Martin Briens agreed to meet again for the Strategic Space Dialogue, scheduled to be held later this year, the MEA added.

During the visit, the Foreign Secretary also called on Jean-Noel Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, and met Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of France.

Earlier, Misri also visited the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in Paris and saw the exhibition "L'Art de L'Inde: Aujourd'hui," which showcases 80 artworks by 40 Indian artists and highlights India's living artistic traditions.

His visit follows French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India earlier in February and reflects the continued regular high-level exchanges between India and Europe.

https://x.com/IndiaembFrance/status/2043272509093462446?s=20

The Foreign Secretary was previously in the United States where he met key leaders and held discussions on further deepening India-US cooperation across the varied dimensions of the relationship.

Misri held talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg expressed pleasure over his meeting with Misri, highlighting discussions on trade, energy cooperation and advancing pro-innovation policies in artificial intelligence.

During his three-day visit to Washington, he also had a "productive" meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is scheduled to visit India next month.

The Foreign Secretary's itinerary included significant talks at the Pentagon with Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby.

- ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Nari Shakti Vandan programme, declaring India is on the verge of a historic decision dedicated to women's power. He stated the decades-long wait for women's reservation in legislatures is ending, with the Act passed unanimously in 2023 and set for implementation by 2029. Modi highlighted the success of over 14 lakh women in local governance and urged women nationwide to actively participate by engaging with their Members of Parliament. He linked this progress to broader women-led development, citing achievements in education, aviation, and self-help groups.

PM Modi calls the Women's Reservation Act a historic decision for Nari Shakti, urging women to meet MPs and participate as implementation nears.

New Delhi, April 14 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed Nari Shakti Vandan programme at Vigyan Bhawan and said India is about to take "one of the biggest decisions of the 21st century, a decision dedicated to Nari Shakti".

Describing the moment as historic, the Prime Minister said the nation's Parliament is close to creating a new history that will fulfill the visions of the past and the resolutions of the future.

Emphasizing the importance of social justice, he stressed that the country envisions an egalitarian India where social justice is not merely a slogan but an integral part of the work culture. "The wait of decades, from state assemblies to the nation's Parliament, is coming to an end," he said.

Recalling the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act in the new Parliament building in 2023, the Prime Minister noted that it was passed unanimously with all parties agreeing that it should be implemented by 2029 in any case.

He remarked that the Nari Shakti Vandan Act must be implemented on time so that women's participation strengthens our democracy, for which a special sitting of Parliament's Budget Session will begin from April 16. "Our effort and priority is that this work should be accomplished through dialogue, cooperation and participation, which will enhance the dignity of Parliament".

Acknowledging the nationwide enthusiasm among women on this issue, the Prime Minister observed that women across the country are voicing their aspirations about reaching assemblies and the Lok Sabha. Their dreams have received new wings and a positive atmosphere has been created in the country. "I appeal to all women to maintain their active participation in this entire process and meet their MPs to share their perspectives and expectations," he said.

Tracing the contribution of women from the freedom struggle to the Constituent Assembly, the Prime Minister highlighted the immense role of Nari Shakti in laying the foundation of independent India.

Citing panchayati raj institutions as an excellent example of women's leadership, the Prime Minister shared that over 14 lakh women are successfully working in local government bodies today. In approximately 21 states, their participation in panchayats has reached nearly 50 percent.

"This active participation of lakhs of women in politics and social life surprises even the world's leading leaders and political experts, enhancing India's pride," PM Modi said.

Referring to various studies, the Prime Minister pointed out that when women's participation in decision-making processes increased, it brought sensitivity to systems. This has led to more dedicated work on issues like water, education, health and nutrition. "The success of Jal Jeevan Mission is an example where women's participation at the panchayat level has played a major role," he said.

Emphasizing that lakhs of women working in local bodies and institutions for years now possess extensive experience, the Prime Minister said they are ready and eager for bigger roles.

Implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Act will become a great opportunity in the lives of all such women. "The journey from panchayat to Parliament is going to become easier," he said.

PM Modi also referred to the initatives of the government for women empowerment.

He said that in the past 11 years, nearly 10 crore women have joined self-help groups. The government has set a target of making 6 crore sisters associated with rural economy into Lakhpati Didis, of which over 3 crore have already achieved this status. "These women are becoming brand ambassadors of Vocal for Local," remarked PM Modi.

Emphasizing that the women-led development vision has challenged old mindsets, the Prime Minister said women today are touching heights in sectors once considered male bastions. Indian daughters are becoming fighter pilots and touching the skies. "India has the highest percentage of women pilots compared to any country in the world," he said.

Celebrating educational achievements, the Prime Minister noted that PhD enrollment of daughters has doubled compared to 2014, with nearly half the participation in higher education and research being women..

Making a special appeal, the Prime Minister urged women to take the discussions from the Nari Shakti Vandan programme to every village in the country through personal meetings and social media.

"The country needs to make every woman aware of this major decision so they can understand its strength, comprehend their role, and openly dream that in the coming times, they can register their presence from states to the nation's Parliament. Let us all together resolve that Nari Shakti will have their rights and they will become full participants in the decision-making process - this is the biggest guarantee of our bright future," PM Modi said.

Opposition parties accused government trying to "derail caste census". They also said that any move to expedite Women's Reservation and delimitation are different issues.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said that Chief Ministers of Southern states have written a letter to PM Modi and the government should discuss with opposition parties on what basis it is proposing to increase seats in Lok Sabha.

He proposed a hybrid model that 50 per cent (136) of the proposed increase in seats should be given as per GSDP, and the remaining 50% "should be given as per their proposal".

"This is a very important issue related to the public. The Centre is to conduct a Parliament session for the Women's Reservation and Delimitation. The central government is trying to show both Women's Reservation and Delimitation as one and saying that the opposition is against it. Actually, Women's Reservation and Delimitation are both different issues. They are portraying that the Congress is anti-women's reservation bill. The Congress is the party which has given equal voting rights to women. They haven't had reservations for the last ten years during PM Modi's rule," he said.

He alleged that delimitation is "a political tool being used by PM Narendra Modi".

"I want to tell PM Modi, that we want to extend full support to Women's Reservation. We don't even want a discussion on this in the upcoming parliament session. Delimitation is a political tool being used by PM Narendra Modi. The CMs of the South have written a letter to PM Modi stating that the South states will face grave injustice if the number of seats doesn't increase in the South. If 50% seats are increased in Kerala, only 10 seats will be increased, and in UP, 40 seats will be increased," he added.

He said there is a huge difference between the number of seats in the South and the North.

"The increased seats will give undue advantage. No important post has been given to the South.... The South is already weak, and the North, which is already strong, is being further strengthened. PM Modi should call the opposition for a discussion to discuss the basis on which the seats are being increased. I want to propose a hybrid model, 50%, which is 136 seats, should be given as per GSDP, which state is contributing more, 50% should be given as per their proposal," he said.

The Parliament is set to meet on April 16, 17,18 in a special sitting of the budget session to discuss amendment to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 and a proposed Delimitation Bill to implement the one-third reservation for women legislators.

- ANI
An Indian Embassy delegation led by Minister Shweta Singh visited Beijing Foreign Studies University to engage with students and faculty involved in Indian studies. The visit featured cultural performances by Chinese students in various Indian languages, highlighting deep academic and cultural interest. Separately, the 77th ICCR Day was celebrated in Guangzhou, where Consul General Gince Kuruvilla Mattam emphasized ICCR's role in international cultural outreach. Events included cultural performances and the recognition of Hindi Idol competition winners, underscoring ongoing people-to-people exchanges.

An Indian Embassy delegation visited a Beijing university, engaging with students of Indian languages and culture to strengthen bilateral ties.

Beijing, April 14 A delegation from the Indian Embassy in Beijing, led by Minister Shweta Singh, visited Beijing Foreign Studies University and interacted with faculty members, university authorities and students studying Indian languages, history and culture.

The visit highlighted growing cultural and educational exchanges between India and China, with students showcasing their engagement with Indian traditions and linguistic diversity.

According to details shared by the Indian Embassy in Beijing on X, the delegation held discussions with university officials and appreciated the institution's role in promoting Indian studies among Chinese students.

In a separate post, the Embassy noted that students presented a vibrant range of cultural performances, including poetry recitations and songs in Hindi, Bengali and Punjabi, reflecting their deep interest in and appreciation for Indian culture.

Earlier on the occasion of the 77th ICCR Day, the Consulate General of India in Guangzhou, along with practitioners, researchers and admirers of Indian culture from China, India and other countries, celebrated the 77th ICCR Day on April 9, 2026.

Consul General Shri Gince Kuruvilla Mattam, in his remarks, highlighted the significant contributions of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) in presenting facets of Indian culture to the international community, thereby becoming a key pillar for enhancing mutual understanding. The keynote speech was given by a distinguished academician of India -China studies and the 2nd recipient of the prestigious ICCR Distinguished Indologist award, Prof. Yu Longyu of Centre for Indian Studies, Shenzhen University.

Sharing the details in a post on X of the event, the Consulate General of India in Guangzhou noted that the function also witnessed outstanding cultural performances by various groups and individuals. On the occasion, Consul General also felicitated the participants of 'Hindi Idol' singing competition and presented certificates of appreciation to the nine top performers of the competition.

The Embassy also shared snippets from various cultural performances which took place on the occasion of the ICCR Day.

The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre also celebrated the Foundation Day of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on 9 April 2026.

The Indian Embassy noted how the event brought together students, teachers, ICCR scholarship recipients and friends of Indian culture for an evening of performances and interaction.

Students of the Cultural Centre presented their learning of tabla, Odissi and Bharatanatyam. Many performers took the stage for the first time, while others demonstrated their growing proficiency, highlighting the Centre's role as a vibrant platform for cultural exchange. The programme also recognised the contribution of dedicated teachers and the continued engagement of ICCR alumni in strengthening cultural ties.

- ANI
India's data centre capacity is projected to surge to approximately 5 gigawatts by 2030, a significant leap from the current 1.4-1.6 GW. The domestic market, valued at USD 10 billion in 2025, is on track to reach USD 22 billion, supported by nearly USD 30 billion in cumulative investment commitments. This growth is driven by increasing AI adoption, hyperscale cloud deployments, and strong policy support including tax exemptions and single-window clearances. Mumbai dominates the operational landscape with a 49% share, followed by Chennai and the National Capital Region.

India's data centre capacity is projected to reach 5 GW by 2030, with the market size hitting USD 22 billion, driven by AI and massive investments.

New Delhi, April 13 India's data centre capacity is projected to reach approximately 5 gigawatts by 2030, driven by a surge in artificial intelligence adoption and a massive pipeline of institutional investment. This expansion marks a leap from the current operational capacity of 1.4-1.6 GW, positioning the country as a primary digital infrastructure hub within the Asia-Pacific region.

As per a report by Vestian, the domestic market reached a valuation of USD 10 billion in 2025 and is on track to hit USD 22 billion by 2030. With over 700 megawatts (MW) currently under construction and another 1.2 GW in the planning stages, the report expects the sector to add 2-3 GW over the next five to seven years. This growth is supported by a cumulative investment commitment of nearly USD 30 billion by the end of 2026.

"India's data centre sector is poised for robust growth, supported by increasing AI adoption, expanding hyperscale cloud deployments, and sustained enterprise digital transformation. Installed capacity is expected to expand from around 1.7-2.0 GW by end-2026 to approximately 4-5 GW by 2030, backed by nearly USD 30 Bn in cumulative investments," the report stated.

Shrinivas Rao, FRICS, CEO, Vestian, said, "India's data centre sector is rapidly transforming on the back of strong policy support and rising digital demand. Despite a limited share of global capacity, India has a huge upside potential to lead in Al infrastructure. With single-window clearances, 20-year tax exemptions, GST benefits, and incentives extending to 2047, India is strategically positioned to emerge as a global data centre and Al hub."

The report also noted that India maintains a structural advantage over mature markets like Singapore and Japan. Construction costs in India range between USD 6-7 million per megawatt, complemented by favourable power tariffs and cost-efficient labour. These factors have attracted significant global interest, with foreign institutional investors accounting for 80 per cent of the USD 13-15 billion deployed in the sector between 2020 and 2024.

"State-level data centre policies provide structured fiscal incentives, power cost rationalisation, and renewable energy enablement to enhance project viability. Single-window clearances and recognition of essential services are accelerating approvals and reducing operational risk. Coordinated policy support strengthens long-term investor confidence and deployment efficiency," according to Vestian.

According to the city-wise analysis of operational capacity, Mumbai maintains a dominant lead in the sector, accounting for 49 per cent of the country's total data centre infrastructure. Chennai follows as a significant hub with an 18 per cent share, while the National Capital Region (NCR) contributes 11 per cent to the national capacity.

The remaining operational shares are distributed among Pune at 8 per cent, Bengaluru at 7 per cent, and Hyderabad at 5 per cent. Kolkata and a cluster of other cities, including Ahmedabad, Kochi, Mohali, Vijayawada, Jaipur, Nashik, Bhubaneshwar, Indore, Gandhinagar, and Raipur, each represent 1 per cent of the operational market.

The demand for these facilities is underpinned by India's massive digital footprint. Telecom subscriptions have exceeded 1.23 billion, while internet users are nearing the 1 billion mark. Average monthly wireless data usage has crossed 25 GB per subscriber, fueled by digital payments, OTT platforms, and the ongoing rollout of 5G services.

"Rising investment in generative AI and high-performance computing is increasing rack densities and power intensity across new deployments. AI workloads are accelerating hyperscale campus development and reshaping infrastructure design standards across India's data centre ecosystem," the report noted.

- ANI
The Israeli Defence Forces announced the interception of more than 10 hostile aircraft launched from Lebanon into Israel. In a major escalation, the IDF also stated it has eliminated over 250 Hezbollah commanders in strikes across Beirut, the Beqaa, and southern Lebanon. Israeli troops have expanded targeted ground operations, surrounding Hezbollah infrastructure and claiming to have killed more than 100 operatives in the past week. The military also reported dismantling a Hezbollah attack tunnel as part of efforts to strengthen its border defense posture.

IDF intercepts over 10 hostile aircraft from Lebanon and eliminates 250+ Hezbollah commanders in major strikes, expanding ground operations.

Tel Aviv, April 13 As the security situation evolves in West Asia, the Israeli Defence Forces said on Monday that they intercepted over 10 aircraft launches from Lebanon. This comes as the IDF shared earlier in the day that over 250 Hezbollah commanders were eliminated in strikes across Lebanon.

In a post on X the IDF shared visuals of aircraft interception and said that it would continue to safeguard Israeli civilians while degrading Hezbollah's capabilities.

"WATCH: 10+ hostile aircraft launched from Lebanon to Israel were intercepted by the IAF. We will continue to remove the threats posed to the civilians of Israel, while further degrading Hezbollah's capabilities."

In another post on X, the IDF said that Hezbollah commanders were eliminated across Beirut, the Beqaa and southern Lebanon, during the largest strike conducted in Lebanon.

Among those eliminated were, "Hassan Mustafa Nasser - Responsible for smuggling and storing weapons in Lebanon.  Ali Qassem, Abu Ali Abbas, and Ali Hijazi  Responsible for gathering the intelligence assessment on Israel, including the development of a target bank for strikes and the collection of intelligence.  Abu Muhammad Habib - Throughout the war, and particularly during Operation Northern Arrows, he was involved in launching missiles toward Israel."

The developments come as IDF intensified its operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, expanding targeted ground actions in the Bint Jbeil area.

In a statement shared on Telegram on Monday, the IDF said troops from its 98th Division, including soldiers from the Paratroopers, Commando, and Givati Brigades, have surrounded Hezbollah military infrastructure and initiated focused ground operations to strengthen Israel's forward defence posture along the border.

According to the IDF, over the past week, its forces have carried out a series of operations targeting Hezbollah positions in the region and claimed that more than 100 Hezbollah operatives were killed through a combination of close-quarters combat and aerial strikes, while dozens of infrastructure sites were dismantled.

"Over the past week, troops from the 98th Division have surrounded Hezbollah military infrastructure and begun targeted ground operations in the Bint Jbeil area. The troops struck and eliminated more than 100 Hezbollah terrorist operatives, both in close-quarters combat and through aerial strikes, dismantled dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites, and located hundreds of weapons in the area," the statement read.

It also said that hundreds of weapons were recovered, including arms allegedly stored in and around civilian infrastructure.

As part of the ongoing operations, IDF troops reportedly uncovered and dismantled an underground tunnel used by Hezbollah for planning and carrying out attacks against Israeli forces. The military said the tunnel was neutralised following searches and operational inspections.

Reaffirming its stance, the IDF said it would continue operations against Hezbollah to protect Israeli civilians and prevent further attacks.

This come amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon frontier and increasing concerns over potential escalation in the region.

- ANI
The trailer for "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" has been released, previewing the next chapter in the dystopian franchise. The film is a prequel set 24 years before the original, following a young Haymitch Abernathy. It depicts the 50th Hunger Games, a Quarter Quell requiring 48 tributes to fight instead of the usual 24. The star-studded cast includes Joseph Zada, Ralph Fiennes, and Elle Fanning, with a theatrical release set for November 20.

Watch the trailer for the new Hunger Games prequel starring Joseph Zada as Haymitch. In theaters November 20.

Washington DC, April 13 The makers have released the trailer of the much-awaited 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping', offering a glimpse into the death-prone battle of the Hunger Games.

Based on Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel of the same name, "Sunrise on the Reaping" is set 24 years before the events of 'The Hunger Games.'

The movie will follow the story of Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss Everdeen's mentor and fellow District 12 victor, beginning the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games. Since the 50th Games mark Panem's second Quarter Quell, which takes place every 25 years, each district of the dystopian country must send twice the amount of tributes to the Capitol. Instead of the standard 24 tributes, 48 children must fight to the death in the Hunger Games, reported Variety.

The trailer begins with the participation of Joseph Zada as he is separated from the love of her life. He is mentored by Ralph Fiennes, who asks him to fight for his life. It is followed by the disputes between participants and the legendary Hunger Games in the movie.

Lionsgate shared the trailer on their Instagram handle on Monday.

Joseph Zada stars as Haymitch, joined by Jesse Plemons as a young Plutarch Heavensbee; Ralph Fiennes as the villainous President Snow; Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle, a District 12 official; Kieran Culkin as the eccentric broadcast host Caesar Flickerman; Elle Fanning as a young Effie Trinket; Mckenna Grace as District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner; Maya Hawke as a young Wiress; Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch's love interest; and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as a young Beetee Latier.

'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' is directed by Francis Lawrence and is based on the screenplay by Billy Ray. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are the producers, alongside Lawrence.

'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' is in theatres on November 20.

- ANI
The United States Central Command has announced it will implement a maritime blockade on all Iranian ports starting April 13. The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nationalities entering or leaving Iranian coastal areas. In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a stark warning, stating any aggression would be met with overwhelming force. The move, ordered by President Trump, marks a significant escalation following recent diplomatic stalemates.

US Central Command to begin a naval blockade of all Iranian ports on April 13, escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington, DC, April 13 In a significant escalation of regional tensions, the United States military has announced that it will enforce a maritime blockade on Iran beginning April 13, acting on directives issued by US President Donald Trump.

According to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), the measure will apply uniformly to ships of all nationalities operating in and around Iranian ports and coastal regions.

In a post on X, CENTCOM wrote, "Will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET, in accordance with the President's proclamation."

It further added that the blockade would be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports," CENTCOM added.

The US Central Command said additional operational details would be shared with commercial mariners through a formal notice prior to implementation.

"All mariners have been advised to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and maintain communication with US naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 while operating in the Gulf of Oman and approaches to the Strait of Hormuz," it added.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Sunday shared a report suggesting that maritime pressure could be a viable strategic option following recent diplomatic stalemates in Pakistan.

The report cited national security experts who noted that the US Navy could "out-blockade" Iran, pointing to the presence of the USS Gerald Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln in the Persian Gulf as assets capable of exerting complete control over the waterway.

In response, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) issued a stark warning to Western forces following the recent US naval blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. The elite military wing cautioned that any aggression would be met with overwhelming force in the maritime corridor.

The Revolutionary Guards warned that "any miscalculated move will trap the enemy in the deadly whirlpools in the Strait." This statement comes as a direct response to the heightened American military presence ordered by President Donald Trump along the vital global shipping route.

Asserting their dominance over the waterway, the Guards' naval command confirmed through a post on X that Iranian security forces had the Strait of Hormuz "under full control." This defiance follows a major policy shift from Washington, where President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the American Navy will henceforth block all maritime traffic entering the Strait.

- ANI
The US military has officially commenced a naval blockade against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz following the expiry of a deadline set by President Trump. Despite the escalation, mediators from Pakistan, Egypt, and Turkey are continuing talks with both nations in an effort to bridge divides and secure a lasting peace deal before the ceasefire expires on April 21. President Trump confirmed the blockade's start, warning Iran's remaining fast-attack ships would be "immediately eliminated" if they approach, while also considering resuming strikes if Iran does not change course. A US official framed the blockade as part of ongoing negotiations, aiming to prevent Iran from using the strategic waterway as leverage.

US naval blockade of Strait of Hormuz commences as Pakistani, Egyptian, Turkish mediators work to bridge gaps before ceasefire expires April 21.

Washington DC, April 13 With the US military naval blockade against Iran officially commenced following the expiry of the deadline established by US President Donald Trump, mediators continue talks with the US and Iran to bridge gaps and reach a deal to end the war, Axios reported, citing a regional source and a US official.

As per the report by Axios, Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators will continue talks with the U.S. and Iran in the coming days.

The report noted that all parties still believe a deal is possible and the mediators hope that bridging the divide could enable another round of negotiations before the ceasefire expires on April 21.

According to Axios, US President Trump is considering resuming strikes if a U.S. naval blockade doesn't make Iran change course, sources said.

It mentioned that the targets could include infrastructure Trump threatened to attack before the ceasefire was announced.

Citing a US official, Axios said that the blockade, like the U.S. decision to walk away from the talks in Pakistan, is part of the ongoing negotiations.

The official claimed Trump wants to prevent Iran from using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in the ceasefire negotiations.

"We are not in a complete deadlock. The door is not closed yet. Both sides are bargaining. It's a bazaar," the regional source said according to Axios.

Meanwhile, the US President confirmed that the Naval Blockade of the Hormuz Strait has begun.

"Iran's Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated - 158 ships. What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, "fast attack ships," because we did not consider them much of a threat. Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal. P.S. 98.2% of Drugs coming into the U.S. by Ocean or Sea have STOPPED! Thank you for your attention to this matter," he said in a post on X.

The enforcement of the blockade at Iranian ports was also confirmed by the UK Maritime Organisation. (ANI)

- ANI
The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet has sanctioned a massive financial package exceeding 18,000 crore aimed at key development sectors. Major allocations include funds for a new irrigation project in Sagar, agricultural mechanisation, and women's safety initiatives like One Stop Centres. The package also dedicates significant resources to rural nutrition schemes and expanding healthcare infrastructure, including new medical colleges. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated these decisions represent a comprehensive push for the state's progress.

Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approves massive 18,000 crore package for irrigation, farm tools, women's safety, rural development, and healthcare expansion.

Bhopal, April 13 The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, on Monday gave its nod to several landmark decisions involving more than Rs 18,000 crore to accelerate irrigation, farm mechanisation, women's safety, rural development and healthcare in the state.

In a key boost to agriculture, the Cabinet sanctioned Rs 286.26 crore for the Midwas Medium Irrigation Project in Sagar district. Once completed, the project will irrigate 7,200 hectares of farmland across 27 villages, directly benefiting thousands of farmers in three assembly segments, MP CM Yadav said on his X handle.

To modernise farming, the government approved Rs 2,250 crore under the sub-mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM). The funds will promote agricultural mechanisation, set up custom hiring centres run by rural youth, manage crop residue and provide subsidies on hand-operated and bullock-drawn implements for forest-dwelling farmers.

In a major step towards women's safety and empowerment, the Cabinet cleared Rs 240.42 crore for the continued operation of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, One Stop Centres and Women Helpline-181 for the next five years.

It also approved the setting up of eight new One Stop Centres in Mehar, Mauganj, Pandhurna, Manawar (Dhar), Pithampur and Lasudiya, Sanwer (Indore), and Petlawad (Jhabua).

For rural development, Rs 3,553.35 crore was sanctioned for the smooth and continuous implementation of Prime Minister's Poshan Shakti and Mid-Day Meal schemes along with other programmes under the Panchayat and Rural Development Department.

The Cabinet also approved Rs 1,005 crore to ensure uninterrupted health services under the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department till March 31, 2031.

Additionally, Rs 1,674 crore was cleared with Central assistance to run the scheme for the establishment of new medical colleges over the next five years.

In the Public Works Department, various development works received administrative approval worth Rs 10,801 crore.

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav described the decisions as a comprehensive push towards making Madhya Pradesh a leading state in agriculture, women's welfare, health and infrastructure.

Officials said these approvals reflect the government's commitment to balanced and inclusive development across rural and urban areas.

- IANS
The foundation stone for a new school and library building in Nepal's Madhesh Province has been laid with Indian financial assistance. The project at Shree Benga Sah Secondary School in Bara district is being built under a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) with funding of NPR 33.2 million from the Government of India. The new infrastructure will include academic blocks, science and computer labs, a library, and a canteen to create a conducive learning environment. Local officials expressed appreciation for India's continued support as part of the wide-ranging development cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

India provides NPR 33.2M for a school & library in Nepal's Bara district, strengthening bilateral development cooperation as part of HICDPs.

Madhesh, April 13 The foundation-stone laying ceremony for the construction of a school and library in Nepal being built by Indian assistance took place on Monday, the Consulate General of India Birgunj said in an official statement.

As per the statement, the School and Library Building of Shree Benga Sah Secondary School at Prasauni Rural Municipality-2, is being built with Government of India's financial assistance of amount NRs. 33.2 million.

The foundation stone for the construction of School and Library buildings of Shree Benga Sah Secondary School in Prasauni Rural Municipality-2, Bara in the Madhesh Province of Nepal, was jointly laid today by Devi Sahai Meena, Consul General, Consulate General of India in Birgunj, and Mr. Binod Prasad Jaisawal, Chairman of Prasauni Rural Municipality, the Consulate General of India Birgunj said in an official statement.

The new infrastructure will have two three-storeyed school Academic buildings with class rooms and allied facilities including furniture, Library, Computer Lab and Science Labs Canteen and Kitchen,. The project has been taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP), and will be implemented through the Prasauni Rural Municipality, Bara.

Chairman, Prasauni Rural Municipality, School Management and other stakeholders appreciated the developmental support being provided by the Government of India and expressed confidence that the construction of new buildings will help in providing a safe and conducive environment for education to the children, the statement said.

As close neighbours and development partners, India and Nepal engage in wide-ranging and multisectoral cooperation in various areas.

The statement underlined that the implementation of the HICDPs reflects the continued support of the Government of India in reinforcing the efforts of the Government of Nepal in achieving growth and development.

- ANI
Anupam Kher's return to theatre was celebrated as his play 'Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane' premiered to a full house at Mumbai's NCPA Tata Theatre, receiving a standing ovation. Kher described the debut as a magical and emotional conversation between the cast and the engaged audience. The production features a creative team including writer-director Gajendra Ahire, composer Anu Malik, and lyricist Kausar Munir. The play has already garnered praise from industry figures like filmmaker Ashoke Pandit and actor Parvin Dabas.

Anupam Kher's theatre return with 'Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane' premiered to a packed NCPA, hailed as an emotional and magical conversation.

Mumbai, April 13 Actor Anupam Kher marked a powerful return to theatre as his latest play 'Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane' premiered to a packed audience at the NCPA Tata Theatre, earning a standing ovation on opening night.

Calling the debut "nothing short of magical," Kher shared his post-show emotions on Instagram, describing the evening as more than just a premiere.



According to the actor, the performance evolved into an "emotional conversation" between the cast and an engaged audience, setting the tone for what he termed a "spectacular start."



The production brings together an accomplished creative team. The play is written and directed by Gajendra Ahire, while veteran composer Anu Malik makes his stage debut with the musical score.



Lyrics for the play have been penned by Kausar Munir, described by the team as both "heartbreaking and heart-lifting."



Adding further depth to the production is a strong musical lineup, with vocals by Shaan, Sukhwinder Singh, and Anandi, whose voices form the emotional core of the play.



A long-time advocate of theatre as the "purest form of storytelling," Kher expressed gratitude to his co-actors and technical crew for ensuring a seamless transition from rehearsals to the live stage.



He also acknowledged international promoter Rajender Singh, who travelled from Houston to attend the premiere.



The play has already drawn praise from within the film and theatre fraternity. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit lauded Kher's performance, calling him a "rockstar," while actor Parvin Dabas described the production as "both entertaining and emotional."





- ANI
A report from Afghanistan's Khaama Press argues Pakistan's celebrated role in brokering a US-Iran ceasefire was more that of a "diplomatic courier" than a true mediator. It states Pakistan lacked the leverage to push for compromises, instead serving as a channel for messages, particularly from China. The underlying framework of the ceasefire is suggested to have been shaped significantly in Beijing, which sought to avoid a high-profile role. Pakistan provided a publicly acceptable partner for the US and a discreet conduit for China's influence over Iran.

Report claims Pakistan acted as a diplomatic courier, not a true mediator, in the US-Iran ceasefire, with China shaping the deal behind the scenes.

Kabul, April 13 Pakistan's mediating role between the United States and Iran resembled that of a courier rather than a mediator, lacking leverage, proposed solutions, and the ability to push both sides toward compromise. Pakistan acted as a diplomatic channel through which big powers like China communicated their positions without any direct engagement, a report highlighted on Monday.

"The world watched with a mixture of relief and surprise on April 8 when the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with Pakistan credited as the 'mediator' that made it possible. Islamabad's standing rose overnight in the diplomatic arena. Field Marshal Asim Munir received much of the credit, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received congratulatory calls from Macron, Erdogan, and the UN Secretary-General. However, beyond the optics, a more complex picture emerges, in which Pakistan functioned less as a mediator shaping outcomes and more as a well-positioned courier carrying messages between two major powers, the United States and China," a report in Afghanistan's leading news agency, Khaama Press, detailed.

According to the report, just days after Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's visit to Beijing, the elements of the China-Pakistan joint peace proposal for resolving the West Asia conflict emerged in the ceasefire framework accepted by both Washington and Tehran.

The proposal avoided positions that could impose "diplomatic costs for Beijing, focusing on the Strait of Hormuz", a key Chinese concern, while leaving "more contentious political issues" vague.

The report noted that for US President Donald Trump, openly acknowledging Chinese assistance would have been politically difficult, as it could signal dependence on Beijing's influence over Tehran.

For China, assuming a prominent role entailed reputational risks, as "Beijing has historically been cautious about high-profile diplomatic engagements where failure could be damaging", the report detailed.

"Pakistan bridged this gap. It provided the United States with a partner it could publicly acknowledge and China with a discreet channel through which its influence over Iran could operate without attracting attention. Dar's visit to Beijing likely involved discussions on securing China as a guarantor for any agreement, and Pakistan would not have pursued such discussions without prior coordination with both Washington and Beijing. In practice, Tehran would likely look to Beijing as the ultimate guarantor of any agreement with Washington," the report mentioned.

Asserting that "urgency and access" do not equate to mediation, the report said, "Pakistan's role is better understood as that of a diplomatic courier. The underlying structure of the ceasefire, including proposal sequencing, guarantor arrangements, and the management of Iranian expectations, appears to have been shaped as much in Beijing as in Islamabad."

- IANS
Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar stated that a proposal to merge the state road transport corporation with the government is under a committee's consideration. He appealed to RTC employees not to strike, assuring their concerns will be addressed, with pending DA already released and PRC under review. Concurrently, the minister launched a six-day "Arrive Alive" road safety campaign in collaboration with police to promote traffic rules and reduce accidents. The initiative includes district reviews, honoring safe drivers, and the Rah-veer award for citizens who help accident victims within the golden hour.

Telangana Transport Minister says RTC merger with govt is under consideration, appeals to employees. Launches 6-day "Arrive Alive" road safety campaign.

Hyderabad, April 13 Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Monday said that the issue of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation's merger with the government is under consideration of a committee.

He appealed to TGSRTC employees not to go on strike and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.

He stated that the government is ready to discuss all issues except two pending matters and assured that employee-related concerns will be resolved.

The minister mentioned that the pending Dearness Allowance (DA) has already been released, while the government is considering the Pay Revision Commission (PRC).

He was talking to media persons after launching the road safety campaign "Arrive Alive" at the Khairatabad Transport Department office, as part of the Praja Palana Pragathi initiative.

He stated that a joint "Arrive Alive" campaign will be conducted by the Police and Transport Departments from April 13 to April 18 to promote road safety. He said the initiative aims to identify the causes of road accidents, create awareness of traffic rules, and implement measures to reduce accidents.

The Transport Department is also taking steps toward environmental protection and will ensure strict enforcement of traffic regulations.

The minister revealed that departmental reviews will be conducted across all districts over six days. He emphasised that the programme's primary objective is accident prevention and saving lives.

Highlighting emergency response, he noted that individuals assisting road accident victims by admitting them to hospitals within the "golden hour" are eligible for the Rah-veer award.

He added that reforms, such as the removal of checkpoints, have been implemented. Steps are being taken to educate students in all schools about traffic rules.

The department has also decided to honour RTC drivers who complete 30 years of service without a single accident.

The minister directed officials to organize road safety meetings in every district.

- IANS
Actor-director Rajat Kapoor highlights how his deep, 30-year friendship with actors Ranvir Shorey and Vinay Pathak directly influences their professional collaborations. He explains that the mutual trust allows them to push creative boundaries and demand more from each other during projects. Their bond originated in Mumbai's theatre circuit and the alternative film movement of the 2000s. The trio has reunited for the first time in 18 years for the new streaming film 'Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa'.

Rajat Kapoor discusses how his decades-long camaraderie with Ranvir Shorey and Vinay Pathak enhances their creative work in new film 'Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa'.

Mumbai, April 12 Actor-director Rajat Kapoor, who is awaiting the release of his upcoming streaming film 'Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa', has spoken up how his friendship with actor Ranvir Shorey and Vinay Pathak reflects in their work when they collaborate.

The actors, who go a long way back, have been friends for over 30 years, and have collaborated frequently. However, the three of them came together for the first time in 18 years after 'Mithya'.



The three actors spoke with IANS during the promotions of 'Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa' in the Juhu area of Mumbai. Rajat shared that their friendship allows each of them to push their creative boundaries.



He told IANS, "It does not matter what film we make together or what play we do together, whether it is a dark comedy or thriller, the fact that there is immense love and trust as friends and as collaborators amongst all of us, that is very important".



He further mentioned, "I think that helps us to push the boundaries a little more every time. I can ask them for more and they trust me enough to give more of themselves and really and they push themselves to the limits to get the perfect shot or to capture the perfect moment on camera. So, I think that really helps in any kind of new creation. And I think that comes out of this privilege of having trusted friends over a period of time".



Their friendship dates back to their early years in theatre and independent cinema. All three were associated with Mumbai's English theatre circuit and later became key collaborators in India's alternative film movement of the 2000s.



Their professional collaborations have been built on mutual trust, similar acting sensibilities, and a preference for unconventional scripts. Rajat Kapoor has directed both of them in multiple projects. Their friendship reflects a shared journey through theatre, indie filmmaking, and mainstream recognition.



'Everybody Loves Sohrab Handa' is available to stream on Hindi ZEE5.





- IANS
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has emphasized the urgent need to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, calling its closure damaging. This comes as US President Donald Trump ordered an immediate US naval blockade of the strategic waterway following failed negotiations with Iran. Trump declared the blockade effective immediately, warning that Iranian forces targeting ships would be destroyed. The US military command specified the blockade targets vessels moving to or from Iranian ports and commenced on the morning of April 13.

EU chief calls for freedom of navigation as President Trump orders a US naval blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions with Iran.

Brussels, April 13 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has underscored the critical need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, describing the restoration of maritime access as a top priority for the international community.

Highlighting the severe economic and logistical consequences of the current blockade, the President stated, "The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is greatly damaging."

As regional tensions continue to impact global trade routes, von der Leyen called for immediate efforts to ensure the unhindered movement of vessels through the strategic waterway. "The restoration of the freedom of navigation is of paramount importance for us," she said.

This call for maritime stability comes as the crisis escalated sharply in Washington, where US President Donald Trump declared a naval blockade on all vessels entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz. The move follows the collapse of negotiations between American and Iranian delegations.

Issuing the directive after the talks ended without a resolution, the President stated, "Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the finest in the world, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz."

Expanding on the scope of the maritime operation, Trump noted that the US Navy intends to locate and board any ship in international waters found to have provided transit payments to Tehran. "No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," he declared.

The President further warned that the blockade is operational at the current time. He issued a stern caution to Iranian forces, asserting that any personnel who targeted American or civilian ships would be "BLOWN TO HELL," adding that the US military is "LOCKED AND LOADED" to eliminate the remainder of Iran's military assets.

Providing technical details on the enforcement of the measure, a statement from CENTCOM clarified that the restrictions are directed specifically at vessels moving to or from Iranian ports. The military command confirmed the blockade was scheduled to commence at 10 am ET today, Monday, April 13.

- ANI
Saudi Arabia summoned Iraq's ambassador to deliver a formal protest over continued drone attacks and threats originating from Iraqi territory. Deputy Minister Saud Al-Sati condemned the violations of sovereignty and demanded Iraq address the security threats with full responsibility. The diplomatic move occurs amid shifting regional dynamics, with Iran's influence reportedly waning in several areas. Concurrently, Saudi Arabia announced it has restored full capacity to its East-West pipeline and the Manifa oil facility.

Saudi Arabia formally protests drone threats from Iraqi territory, summoning the Iraqi ambassador and demanding action to ensure regional security.

Riyadh, April 13 Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan summoned the Ambassador of Iraq to Saudi Arabia, Safia AlSouhail on Sunday.

AlSouhail and Farhan talked about continued attacks and blatant threats against the nation.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ms. Safia AlSouhail, in response to the continued attacks and blatant threats against the Kingdom and brotherly Gulf states through drones launched from Iraqi territory.

During the meeting, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs, Ambassador Dr. Saud Al-Sati, delivered a formal note of protest to the Iraqi Ambassador, stressing the Kingdom's strong condemnation and denunciation of the attacks originating from Iraqi territory against Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries," the statement said.

"The Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of Iraq addressing these threats and attacks with full responsibility, and reaffirmed the Kingdom's firm rejection of any violation of states' sovereignty and any attempts to undermine the region's security and stability. Ambassador Al-Saudi further stressed that the Kingdom will take all necessary measures to safeguard its security and protect its territory," the ministry added.

The statement comes as the war has sent ripples across the region. As per Al Jazeera, Iran has lost part of its regional leverage, for example, when it comes to Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. So now there is this new vantage point, a new idea about using this strait as a sort of leverage when it comes to the regional security context.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia released a statement on Sunday, saying it has restored the East-West pipeline to full capacity - around 7 million barrels of oil a day. It has also restored the Manifa oil facility on the east coast of the country, which pumps around 300,000 barrels a day, as per Al Jazeera.

- ANI
Steven Spielberg shelved the adaptation of 'Robopocalypse' because its estimated $200 million budget posed too great a financial risk. He feared it would be a "company-ender" that could bankrupt his own DreamWorks studio or any other backer. Despite interest from other companies willing to finance it with him as director, Spielberg felt he couldn't guarantee an audience large enough to justify the cost. The director now reveals he is still keen to make more sci-fi films, his first horror movie, and is currently developing a non-traditional Western.

Steven Spielberg reveals he shelved 'Robopocalypse' because its massive budget risked being a "company-ender" for DreamWorks or other studios.

Los Angeles, April 13 The three time Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg has revealed the reason behind shelving the sci-fi epic 'Robopocalypse'. The director shared that he shelved the film because it was on course to become "the most expensive movie" he'd ever made.

The director wanted to bring Daniel H. Wilson's 2011 novel to the big screen, but he worried it would be a "company-ender" if it failed to make back its estimated $200 million budget, reports 'Female First UK'.



He told 'Empire' magazine, "It was gargantuan. It was a company-ender. It would have ended a whole studio that would have never made its money back".



He further mentioned, "My company, DreamWorks, financed all these films, and I did not want to bring Robo into my own company, because it would have just been too expensive for us to produce. And then I took it out to other companies".



"I didn't want to pay for it, but other companies were interested in paying for it, as long as I was the director. The budget was so high that I didn't want to do that to anybody because I couldn't guarantee the audience. I couldn't even hope for a crowd that big that would justify that kind of a financial overreach. So, I literally decided it was going to be the most expensive movie I ever directed, and I wasn't ready to take that on", he added.



As per 'Female First UK', the director went on to reveal he has plenty more sci-fi films he still wants to make and he still hopes to eventually make his first horror movie.



It comes after the director recently acknowledged he also wants to make a Western and he's got a project already in development, teasing the film will have "horses and guns" but he is trying to steer away from other conventions and "tropes" typically associated with the genre, though he didn't give any plot details.



Speaking with The Big Picture at SXSW in Austin, Texas last month, he said, "Well, I'm developing a Western. And it's gonna have horses. There will be guns. But there'll be no tropes, I can just tell you that. There are gonna be no stereotypes, no tropes".



The Jaws director has long discussed his desire to work on a Western.





- IANS
Iran's diplomatic representative in India has stated the strategic Strait of Hormuz belongs to all countries, expressing hope for a return to stability. This comes as US President Donald Trump announced the American Navy would block maritime traffic entering the strait and interdict vessels paying tolls to Tehran. The escalation follows the breakdown of high-stakes negotiations in Islamabad, leaving a two-week ceasefire in a precarious state. Iranian officials have dismissed the possibility of further conflict, insisting they do not intend to close the vital waterway.

Iran's Supreme Leader's representative asserts the Strait of Hormuz "belongs to all countries" and hopes for stability amid US naval threats.

New Delhi, April 13 Amid escalating rhetoric over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Supreme Leader's representative in India Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, on Sunday, asserted that the vital maritime passage "belongs to all countries" and expressed hope for a return to stability, even as tensions persist following recent developments involving the United States.

"Actually, the Strait of Hormuz belongs to all countries. It's not only for the United States of America. And before this war, the Strait of Hormuz was open, and all countries were benefiting from the Strait of Hormuz. But unfortunately, due to the war, we got a lot of conflict and an insecure situation. So, we want this Strait to be open, but now the situation is not good, and some ships are allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," Ilhai told reporters.

Responding to remarks by US President Donald Trump regarding potential action against ships allegedly paying tolls to Iran, Ilahi dismissed the possibility of escalation.

"I'm sure that they cannot do anything. Before this war, the Strait of Hormuz was open. We didn't want to close it, we are not going to bandit, and we hope that no one in the world will suffer from the Strait of Hormuz. But they brought a lot of unfortunate events in the Strait of Hormuz, and we hope that very soon the Strait of Hormuz will also be solved and go back as a before," he said.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that the American Navy would block maritime traffic entering the Strait of Hormuz, marking a sharp escalation in regional tensions.

The President further stated that the military would interdict any vessel in international waters found to have paid transit tolls to Tehran.

Outlining the decision in a post on Truth Social, Trump criticised the Iranian leadership for reneging on previous diplomatic commitments. "Iran promised to open the Strait of Hormuz, and they knowingly failed to do so. This caused anxiety, dislocation, and pain to many people and countries throughout the world," the President wrote.

Addressing the reported military threats in the region, Trump dismissed Tehran's claims regarding its maritime capabilities. "They say they put mines in the water, even though all of their navy, and most of their 'mine droppers,' have been completely blown up," he asserted.

This significant escalation in US naval policy follows the breakdown of high-stakes negotiations in Islamabad. Despite intensive discussions in the Pakistani capital aimed at securing a permanent end to the conflict, both sides were unable to reach an agreement by Sunday, leaving the existing two-week ceasefire in a precarious state.

- ANI
The Technology Development Board has sanctioned a grant to Casey Aviation for developing a hybrid propulsion-based Jump Take-Off system. The project aims to enable short or near-vertical take-off for platforms like gyrocopters and unmanned aerial systems. It includes establishing a dedicated test bench facility in North India for validating next-generation aerial mobility technologies. This initiative is expected to support applications ranging from regional connectivity to disaster response and surveillance.

TDB supports Casey Aviation with a grant for hybrid propulsion JTO systems, aiming to boost unmanned aviation and regional air mobility in India.

New Delhi, April 13 The Technology Development Board, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, has signed an agreement with Casey Aviation Private Limited, Gurugram, for the project titled "Boost Electric Jump Take-Off."

According to an official release issued by the Ministry of Science & Technology, the Board has sanctioned a conditional grant under the India-UK Collaborative R&D Programme for Industrial Sustainability, in partnership with UK-based ARC Aerosystems Ltd.

The TDB-supported project focuses on the development of an advanced hybrid propulsion-based Jump Take-Off (JTO) system, aimed at enhancing the operational capabilities of unmanned and light aircraft platforms. The project envisages the establishment of a dedicated test bench facility for validating rotorcraft propulsion systems, which will serve as a critical infrastructure for testing and optimisation of next-generation aerial mobility technologies.

The proposed solution integrates hybrid propulsion technologies to enable short or near-vertical take-off capabilities for platforms such as gyrocopters and unmanned aerial systems.

By enabling reduced take-off distances and improved operational flexibility, the technology is expected to support a wide range of applications, including regional connectivity, disaster response, medical evacuation, unmanned logistics, and surveillance operations, particularly in remote and inaccessible regions.

The project also aims to create one of the first such propulsion testing facilities in North India, providing validated testing infrastructure for startups and developers working in unmanned and advanced aerial mobility systems. In addition to supporting in-house development, the facility is expected to enable broader ecosystem benefits by offering testing services and facilitating the commercialisation of hybrid propulsion solutions.

Casey Aviation Private Limited, a newly established aerospace venture, is focused on designing and developing small aircraft and specialised aviation solutions. The company brings together expertise from industry, academia, and research institutions to address emerging needs in India's aviation and unmanned systems landscape.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajesh Kumar Pathak, Secretary, TDB, stated that collaborative R&D initiatives under international programmes play a crucial role in advancing cutting-edge technologies in strategic sectors.

He noted that innovations in hybrid propulsion and advanced take-off systems can significantly enhance India's capabilities in unmanned aviation and regional air mobility, while contributing to sustainable and efficient aviation solutions.

Promoters of Casey Aviation Private Limited expressed appreciation for the support and stated that the project will enable the company to validate its technology in real-world conditions and accelerate the development of scalable propulsion solutions for emerging aviation applications.

- ANI
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a detailed ground inspection in Dehradun to review preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit on April 14. He assessed security, traffic management, and essential facilities, directing officials to ensure a seamless event for the public. Dhami emphasized tight security coordination and the importance of cleanliness and beautification work at the venue. The visit is seen as significant for the state, with PM Modi credited for boosting pilgrimage and tourism in Uttarakhand through his previous trips.

Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami inspects route & arrangements in Dehradun for PM Narendra Modi's April 14 visit, focusing on security & logistics.

Dehradun, April 12 Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami carried out a detailed on-ground inspection from Jaswant Ground in Garhi Cantt to Maa Daat Kali Temple via road on Sunday in view of the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Dehradun on April 14, 2026, to ensure the successful event of the program.

During the inspection, the Chief Minister reviewed arrangements related to security, traffic management, parking, drinking water, power supply, sanitation, and other essential facilities. He directed officials to ensure that all preparations are completed in a timely manner and maintain high standards of quality so that the public attending the event does not face any inconvenience.



Emphasising tight security arrangements, he instructed that all agencies work in close coordination. He also stressed the need for a well-planned traffic management system and the prompt availability of emergency services.



While taking detailed inputs from officials regarding the stage, seating arrangements, and other necessary facilities at Jaswant Ground, the Chief Minister directed that all preparations should be in line with the scale and dignity of the event. He also instructed that cleanliness and beautification work be given top priority.



On the occasion, the Chief Minister offered prayers at Maa Daat Kali Temple for the prosperity of the state and the success of the program. He stated that the event is extremely important for the state.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as a strong brand ambassador for pilgrimage and tourism in Uttarakhand. At a time when natural disasters had impacted travel to Kedarnath, his visit to the shrine helped send a message of safe pilgrimage to people across the country and the world.



Following his visits, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of devotees visiting Kedarnath. Similarly, after he visited Adi Kailash in the Pithoragarh district, the region has witnessed a surge in pilgrim footfall. Last year in March, the Prime Minister visited Mukhba in the Uttarkashi district, the winter abode of Goddess Ganga, promoting winter pilgrimage and boosting year-round tourism in the state, according to the release.





- ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Uttarakhand to inaugurate the Dehradun-Delhi Expressway and offer prayers at the Dat Kali Mata Temple, where school children will chant mantras. The 210-km, six-lane expressway, built at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore, is expected to drastically reduce travel time between the two cities. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami conducted a detailed inspection, reviewing security, traffic, and facility arrangements for the high-profile event. He directed officials to ensure all preparations meet high standards to avoid public inconvenience during the Prime Minister's visit.

PM Narendra Modi offers prayers at Dat Kali Temple with school children chanting mantras and inaugurates the Rs 12,000 crore Dehradun-Delhi Expressway.

Dehradun, April 13 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will offer prayers at the famous Dat Kali Mata Temple, located at the gateway to Uttarakhand, with school children chanting mantras during the ceremony.

PM Modi is scheduled to visit Uttarakhand for the inauguration of the much-awaited Dehradun-Delhi Expressway on Tuesday.

At the temple, where the Prime Minister will offer prayers, school children are currently rehearsing for mantra chanting.

All the preparations, including decorations at the temple, the starting point of the expressway, and along the entire green corridor, have been completed. Murels have been put up, and tight security arrangements have been put in place across the area.

Notably, this 210-kilometre-long, six-lane greenfield corridor has been built at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore and is expected to significantly reduce travel time. Once operational, the journey between Dehradun and Delhi will be cut down from around five hours to approximately two and a half hours.

Earlier, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami carried out a detailed on-ground inspection from Jaswant Ground in Garhi Cantt to Maa Daat Kali Temple via road on Sunday in view of the proposed visit of PM Modi.

During the inspection, the Chief Minister reviewed arrangements related to security, traffic management, parking, drinking water, power supply, sanitation, and other essential facilities. He directed officials to ensure that all preparations are completed in a timely manner and maintain high standards of quality so that the public attending the event does not face any inconvenience.

Emphasising tight security arrangements, he instructed that all agencies work in close coordination. He also stressed the need for a well-planned traffic management system and the prompt availability of emergency services.

While taking detailed inputs from officials regarding the stage, seating arrangements, and other necessary facilities at Jaswant Ground, the Chief Minister directed that all preparations should be in line with the scale and dignity of the event. He also instructed that cleanliness and beautification work be given top priority.

- ANI
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited southern Lebanon alongside top defense officials, declaring the ongoing conflict is far from over. He asserted that Israel's establishment of a security zone has successfully prevented a cross-border invasion from Lebanon. Netanyahu claimed a strategic shift, stating that Iran and its "Axis of Evil," which sought to destroy Israel, are now fighting for their own survival. He praised the readiness and spirit of IDF troops stationed at the border.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu visits southern Lebanon border, asserts war continues and that Iran-led enemies are now "fighting for survival."

Tel Aviv, April 13 Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sundayvisited southern Lebanon alongside senior military and defence leadership, asserting that the war is far from over and stating that Israel's enemies are now "fighting for survival."

According to the Prime Minister's Office, Netanyahu was accompanied by Defence Minister Israel Katz, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and Head of Northern Command Maj. Gen. Rafi Milo during the visit.

Following the visit, the Prime Minister went to an IDF outpost near the border, where Galilee Division Commander Brig.-Gen. Yuval Gez briefed him on the division's operations.

The release stated that during the visit, Netanyahu said, "The war continues. Our enemies are now fighting for survival."

"I am here with the Defense Minister, the Chief-of-Staff, the Head of Northern Command, the Division Commander, and our reserve soldiers. There is a magnificent spirit here and a readiness to fight, and they are fighting well. The war continues, including inside the security zone in Lebanon, where I was just a short while ago," Netanyahu added.

Highlighting strategic objectives, Netanyahu stated that Israel has successfully prevented a potential cross-border invasion from Lebanon through the establishment of a security zone.

"What we are seeing is that we have thwarted the threat of an invasion from Lebanon thanks to this security zone. We are pushing away the danger of anti-tank fire and addressing the high-trajectory rockets, but there is still work to be done. We have done enormous work, achieved tremendous accomplishments, and there is more to do, and we are doing it," he said.

Netanyahu further stated, "One of the things we see here is that we have essentially changed the face of the Middle East. Our enemies - Iran and the Axis of Evil - came to destroy us, and now they are fighting simply for their own survival. We see this in every single arena. This is a massive achievement for the State of Israel and the Israel Defense Forces, our regular troops and our wonderful reservists. The people of Israel salute you."

- ANI
The development of new antibiotics to treat superbugs and other bacterial infections is a global priority, with the rate of infections that cannot be treated with current antibiotics rising and presenting one of the biggest threats to human health.

In line with that, new research has shown a daily dose of epidermicin NI01  an antibiotic compound developed by University of Plymouth spinout company Amprologix  is as effective at removing Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as the current standard of care.

The results were achieved through a robust skin MRSA infection model, and those behind the research say it justifies further pre-clinical development. In particular, they plan to advance tests exploring whether the compound can be incorporated within gel-type therapies that can be applied to the skin.

Such treatments could be used to treat skin infections caused by MRSA and other bacteria on everything from accidental cuts to surgical wounds, preventing the need for prolonged courses of current antibiotics.

Professor Mathew Upton, Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Plymouth and Chief Scientific Officer at Amprologix, will present the latest findings at ESCMID Global 2025, the Congress of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Running from April 11-15, and taking place in Vienna, it will be attended by an audience of leading experts in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology.

At the moment, there are antibiotics that can be used to treat skin infections caused by MRSA and other Staphylococcus strains, but these can come with a number of unpleasant side effects. There is also increased resistance to these treatments in many bacteria, meaning that therapies can fail. Our intention would be to continue to use these standard treatments for the more serious MRSA/Staphylococcus infections, like those in the bloodstream, but to develop other ways of treating more superficial infections, for example on the skin. The results we have achieved so far in our tests are very encouraging. They are a clear sign that epidermicin NI01 has the potential to be an effective treatment in this setting, and we now plan to scale up our work and get to a position where we can commence human clinical trials." Professor Mathew Upton, Professor of Medical Microbiology, University of Plymouth

Professor Upton is a world-leading expert in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and leads the Antibiotic Resistant Pathogens Research Group at the University of Plymouth.

Amprologix was launched in 2018 to commercialise his research and, through a partnership with the University's commercialisation partner Frontier IP, has pioneered a drug discovery program focused on identifying the next generation of antibiotics.

Based in the University's Derriford Research Facility, located on Plymouth Science Park, its work combines laboratory tests with the use of cutting edge machine learning technologies designed to accelerate research and improve antibiotic properties.

The work is funded in part through a 1million award from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, as part of its Biomedical Catalyst program.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious issue affecting thousands of people in the U.S. every year. For military service members, the impact is even more profound. Since 2000, over 492,000 cases of TBI have been reported, making it one of the defining injuries of modern warfare, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. Many veterans have experienced multiple TBIs, raising concerns about long-term effects on brain health. Given the subjective and nonspecific nature of symptom presentation, treatment and prognosis can be difficult.

Researchers from UTSA, the South Texas Veterans Health Care System and UT Health San Antonio are combatting this challenge thanks to a grant from the San Antonio Medical Foundation.

Jeffrey Howard, associate professor of public health at UTSA, Alicia Swan, director of rehabilitation research at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and Sara Mithani, assistant professor at the UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing, will receive a $200,000 grant to provide insights that could revolutionize the treatment of TBI in veterans.

Using medical records, clinical assessments, surveys and other resources, the team plans to identify sub-types of TBI in veterans and to analyze associations between those TBI profiles and biomarker, behavioral and clinical outcomes. Ultimately, they will translate those findings into a dashboard that clinicians can use to treat patients with TBI.

We want to create that immediate feedback loop to translate these findings to something that can be used by the actual clinicians who are treating these patients. The dashboard would be interactive, and the clinicians would be able to see useful data trends." Jeffrey Howard, associate professor of public health, UTSA

The team is working with data from a sample of 3,000 veterans, but there's a challenge to overcome.

The current classification for TBI is based on only a few symptomatic issues. Additionally, this classification doesn't always account for repeated exposures or severity, so treatment plans sometimes fail.

"There's so much variability in terms of how patients recover, what their symptoms are and how that translates into subsequent health risks later on," Howard said. "We are using other kinds of data, like biomarkers and neurological assessments, to come up with a better way to classify TBI patients into more clinically meaningful groupings with a more physiological basis."

With this innovative plan, the team hopes to provide the insights to create more personalized plans for clinicians to adopt.

As the PI for the research program, Howard primarily will be responsible for the development of the informatics dashboard prototype. Swan will work with the VA to recruit a panel of clinicians who will provide feedback on the dashboard, and Mithani will provide the clinical relevance and oversight to the project.

"Addressing the complexities of TBI requires a collaborative effort across institutions," said Mithani. "By combining clinical expertise, biomedical research and data-driven approaches, we can develop innovative solutions that truly impact the lives of veterans."

The San Antonio Medical Foundation awards up to five collaborative grants each year to foster and encourage health care and bioscience research organizations to partner in new initiatives. The team hopes that with time and after feedback and fine-tuning, this clinical dashboard can be applied to a wider population of those suffering from TBI.

By redefining how clinicians understand and treat brain trauma in veterans, this innovative project offers hope to a population that sometimes falls through the cracks. For veterans who have struggled with memory loss, chronic pain or the fear of a future shaped by neurodegeneration, this treatment represents more than medical progress.

"Addressing the complexities of TBI demands a unified effort. By leveraging the strengths of multiple institutions, we can accelerate discovery, refine treatment strategies and ultimately improve care for those who have served," Mithani said.
Millions in public health advertising dollars are flowing to websites flagged for misinformation, raising urgent questions about how automated ad systems may be undermining trust in credible health information.

Study: Advertising Payments to News Websites That Publish Health Misinformation. Image credit: Shyntartanya/Shutterstock.com

A recent JAMA Network Open study estimated the volume and proportion of advertising spending by government agencies and health organizations on news websites identified as publishers of health misinformation between 2021 and 2024.

The Economics of Health Misinformation

Health misinformation, broadly defined as false or misleading content inconsistent with the best available evidence, has become a pervasive feature of the modern digital landscape, spreading across social media platforms, online forums, and smaller media outlets. Efforts to address this problem have historically emphasized demand-side interventions, such as media literacy programs and platform-level content moderation. More recently, focus has shifted to the financial structures that sustain these websites.

Advertising revenue is a primary economic driver of online misinformation. Previous analyses have documented that major commercial brands routinely place digital advertisements on websites with established records of publishing false or misleading content, often through automated programmatic ad-buying systems that lack site-level transparency. However, the extent to which government agencies and health-focused organizations, entities with explicit public health mandates, contribute to the advertising revenue of such websites has not been systematically examined.

Assessing Public Health Advertising Spending on Health Misinformation Websites

The current cross-sectional study integrated two commercial datasets to examine the flow of advertising revenue into health misinformation websites. Website credibility data were drawn from NewsGuard, a service that evaluates news websites against standardized journalistic criteria to flag those that repeatedly publish false or egregiously misleading content.

Websites flagged for health misinformation as of August 2025 formed the analytical sample, along with each site's topical focus areas. Advertising expenditure data were sourced from MediaRadar, a commercial advertising intelligence platform. Specifically, the MediaRadar360 database was used to extract digital advertising spend associated with each identified website for the period 2021 through 2024, disaggregated by digital media category.

Total annual advertising expenditures were aggregated across all identified websites and all digital media categories. Expenditures were then stratified by eight predefined government and health organization advertiser categories, and the top five advertisers within each category were identified.

Government and Health Organizations Spent More Than $35 Million on Health Misinformation Websites

NewsGuard flagged 1,229 news websites for spreading health misinformation. Of these, only 11 had advertising expenditure data from MediaRadar360. This small subset nonetheless exposed a notable pattern of advertising spending on platforms known to have published health misinformation.

Internet display and mobile web advertising data were available across all 11 websites, while online video data were accessible for just 2, and mobile application data for only 1. These findings may reflect limited visibility into certain areas of digital advertising rather than a confirmed systemic lack of transparency. The content on these sites was far from incidental: political news and commentary dominated, followed by conspiracy theories or hoaxes, health or medical information, and general news. Misinformation was not confined to health topics alone but often appeared alongside political, conspiracy-related, and general news content.

Between 2021 and 2024, a total of $336.4 million in advertising was spent across these 11 health misinformation websites. Notably, $35.7 million of that amount, roughly 1 in every 10 dollars spent, came directly from government and health organizations. This raised questions about how advertising placements occur within automated ad-buying systems.

Just two platforms, NewsMax and ZeroHedge, accounted for 65.2 % of all advertising expenditures and 67.3 % of funds from government and health organizations, suggesting the problem was not diffuse but anchored in a handful of high-traffic, politically oriented outlets. On a per-website basis, the median advertising expenditure from government and health organizations was $1.39 million. This represented about 9.7 % of each sites total advertising revenue.

Healthy and Natural World stood out as a notable outlier, where government and health advertisers accounted for 25.7 % of its total ad spend. The breakdown by advertiser type was equally revealing, with spending ranging from $571,843 by medical and health insurance companies to $19.2 million by nonprescription remedy and wellness product advertisers, a category likely to target audiences interested in health-related content.

Encouragingly, advertising expenditures from government and health organizations fell from $16.7 million in 2021 to $6.8 million in 2024, suggesting that awareness of the issue may be increasing, though significant investment continued.

Conclusions

The current study reveals that government and health organizations may be inadvertently funding health misinformation through routine advertising. While this study is limited in scope, including the small number of websites analyzed and the lack of data on the proportion of misinformation within each site, the implications are significant: institutional advertisement on misinformation sites risks lending credibility to false content and eroding public trust. Policymakers should consider stronger advertising restrictions to prevent public health dollars from supporting the spread of misinformation.

Download your PDF copy by clicking here.
A new peer-reviewed study published in DIGITAL HEALTH finds that a substantial share of recent Chinese immigrants in the United States use China-based telehealth applications for medical advice while living in the U.S., often as a response to barriers within the U.S. healthcare system itself.

Researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio and Sam Houston State University report that 15% of surveyed Chinese immigrants living in the U.S. had used a China-based telehealth app for medical consultation. Importantly, some participants described using these services as a first line of care instead of first seeking U.S.-based healthcare services.

Key factors likely driving transnational telehealth use

The study identified several characteristics strongly associated with the use of China-based telehealth apps:

Lack of health insurance, which was the strongest predictor of use

Higher levels of perceived healthcare discrimination in the U.S.

Younger age and female sex

Living in areas with large Chinese immigrant communities

Participants cited the lower cost, ease of access, and ability to communicate in their native language as major advantages of China-based platforms. These apps allow users to consult physicians in China via text, image upload, or voice calls-often for less than $10 per consultation.

How immigrants are using these apps

Survey and focus-group data revealed that Chinese immigrants use transnational telehealth apps to address a wide range of concerns, including respiratory infections, musculoskeletal pain, dermatologic issues, medication questions, and assistance translating medical information. Some participants described using advice from China-based physicians to guide subsequent care decisions in the U.S., such as whether to seek imaging, testing, or medication locally.

Implications for U.S. healthcare providers

While transnational telehealth may help bridge cultural and linguistic gaps, the authors caution that reliance on foreign-based medical services also raises concerns for patient safety, continuity of care, and regulatory oversight. China-based clinicians are not subject to U.S. licensing or clinical guidelines, and differences in preventive care standards may result in delayed diagnoses or missed screenings.

Crucially, the study suggests that use of foreign telehealth is not driven solely by convenience, but by structural and interpersonal barriers within U.S. healthcare, including affordability challenges and experiences of discrimination.

Call to action

For healthcare practitioners working with immigrant communities, the findings underscore the importance of:

Expanding insurance access and navigation support for immigrant patients

Strengthening culturally competent care

Improving communication and trust in clinical encounters

Recognizing that some patients may rely on international medical advice alongside U.S. care

As digital health tools continue to expand across borders, understanding why immigrants seek care outside the U.S. is essential to delivering patient-centered healthcare.
The brain does not only cooperate; it also competes. So determines an international study by the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Pompeu Fabra University and the Montreal Neurological Institute in Canada, published in Nature Neuroscience. The study reveals that the human brain-as well as those of macaques and mice-functions thanks to a constant balance between these two forces. Using advanced whole-brain computer modeling, the researchers have shown that, while specialized circuits cooperate internally, there are long-range competitive interactions among them to manage limited resources. Replicating this balance could bring us closer to the creation of digital copies of an individual's brain, a key breakthrough in precision medicine and for developing AI models with greater computational capacity.

Models with competitive interactions  which draw on the everyday experience that we cannot pay attention to everything at once  consistently outperform purely cooperative ones. This explains the joint work of specialized regions for cognition and behavior. According to the authors, excess cooperation can lead to states of excessive synchronization that do not occur in reality. In contrast, competition acts as a stabilizing force: it prevents uncontrolled activity and allows different brain systems to take turns in shaping the brain's overall dynamics.

The analysis of more than 14,000 neuroimaging studies has revealed that models with competitive interactions generate activity patterns that are more similar to real cognitive processes such as those involved in attention and memory. "Competition between circuits allows certain networks to take priority over others depending on what is relevant at any given moment, which explains phenomena such as decision-making", explains Gustavo Deco, ICREA research professor at Pompeu Fabra University, one of the study's senior authors.

This suggests that competition is crucial for enabling the brain to flexibly activate appropriate combinations of regions: a hallmark of intelligent behavior." Morten Kringelbach, University of Oxford professor, senior author of the study

An efficient model for diagnosing, improving and curing

Using data on a person's brain structure and function, this new model can reproduce the unique activity patterns of an individual's brain, better capturing what distinguishes one person's brain from another's. This brings us closer to having "a realistic digital twin of a given brain: one that matches your brain better than any other brain", according to the study's lead author, Dr Andrea Luppi of the University of Oxford.

According to Deco, this model not only allows a brain to be digitally reproduced but it "provides far better information for predicting diseases and symptoms than traditional measures". As reported by Luppi, besides diagnosis, "these models could be used to simulate an individual's brain response to stimulation, medication or a disease, tailoring therapy to the brain of each individual".

The fact that the cooperative-competitive architecture is consistently found in humans, macaques and mice suggests that it is a fundamental characteristic of mammalian brain organization. More broadly, it could reflect fundamental principles of intelligent systems operation.

The study also reveals that networks combining cooperation and competition have greater computational capabilities in neuromorphic computing (brain-inspired AI). These networks process and integrate information more effectively, confirming that the balance between the two forces is essential for intelligent computation.
FairJourney Bio (FJBio), a global antibody discovery contract research organization (CRO), today announced the opening of its advanced cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structural biology facility in San Diego, California. The new site significantly expands the Companys presence in the US market and incorporates atomic-resolution structural biology directly into its antibody discovery platform.

The facility houses a state-of-the-art 300 kV cryo-EM infrastructure, including two ThermoFisher Titan Krios 5 systems, enabling native-state structure determination of antibody-target complexes. The launch represents a significant scientific milestone, bringing one of the most powerful approaches in structural biology for antibody discovery within FJBios integrated discovery workflow, providing detailed insights across the R&D value chain; from epitope mapping and hit generation through to structure-guided lead optimization and candidate selection.

The cryo-EM services, launched in January 2026, complement FJBios antibody discovery and biologic development portfolio with rapid and detailed structural insights that are easily scalable and delivered within 2-3 weeks. The services enable scientists to visualize protein structures at atomic resolution, including protein-protein and protein-ligand complexes, providing high-quality and interpretable results to inform confident decision-making across programs.

The inauguration event featured a scientific talk from Professor Andrew Ward, Ph.D., Professor of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology at The Scripps Research Institute and a globally-recognized authority in cryo-EM and antibody science. His laboratory has pioneered methods for sequencing antibodies directly from cryo-EM data and determined the first high-resolution structure of the human coronavirus spike protein, a breakthrough that directly enabled antigens used in the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

The facility is strategically positioned within a leading global biotech hub, complementing FJBios existing US presence in San Francisco and its operations across Europe. Founded fourteen years ago, the Company comprises over 300 scientists, has supported more than 250 industry partners, contributing to 19 antibodies now in clinical trials or on the market.

"Structural biology has historically been a late-stage tool, used to confirm decisions already made, commented Dr. Christopher Arthur, Chief Scientific Officer Structural Biology, FairJourney Bio. We are redefining that paradigm. In San Diego, we are building a premier, full-service cryo-EM CRO that brings together decades of deep expertise in sample preparation, data collection, and computational analysis, embedding structural insight at the very start of discovery, where it shapes epitope selection and determines which leads are worth advancing."
Advanced liver disease (ALD) occurs when significant scarring causes the liver to lose function. Patients with ALD often have serious health challenges but have limited access to palliative care that could improve their quality of life. A new multicenter trial led by Manisha Verma, MD, and Victor Navarro, MD, at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital demonstrates a new approach that could potentially transform access to palliative care for patients with ALD and address a major care gap.

In the PAL LIVER trial, a large cluster-randomized study conducted across 19 U.S. centers, researchers evaluated whether hepatologists trained in primary palliative care could match the effectiveness of palliative care specialists in delivering quality-of-life benefits to patients with ALD, including those with decompensated cirrhosis and liver cancer. With 935 patients enrolled, this is one of the largest trials to date in liver disease palliative care.

Palliative care was provided to patients (559 caregivers are also included in the study) over four monthly visits by either a palliative care specialist utilizing a standard checklist or by a hepatologist trained to deliver palliative care using the same standardized checklist. The study findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that quality of life improved significantly in both groups over three months, with care delivered by hepatologists matching that of palliative specialists in improving quality of life. Symptom burden improved similarly in both groups, and short-term mortality was also comparable between groups.

These results challenge traditional care models. We've demonstrated that non-specialists can effectively deliver structured palliative care with the appropriate training." Dr. Manisha Verma, associate chair and director of research, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital and first author of the study

The approach could be a timely, scalable solution in the face of a growing workforce shortage in palliative care. "By embedding palliative care within hepatology clinics, this would allow earlier and more widespread access for patients who might otherwise not receive it," adds Dr. Verma

Furthermore, patients reported higher satisfaction with hepatologist-delivered care. This suggests patients may value receiving palliative care from clinicians already managing their liver disease, with improved continuity and coordination in their care. With patient outcomes and engagement at the forefront of this trial, this study was funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The team developed a patient and caregiver research advisory board with participants from multiple centers, who contributed to the study throughout.

"At the time the grant was awarded, this was one of the largest grants funded by PCORI for palliative care research," says senior author Dr. Navarro, chief clinical officer for the central region of Jefferson Health. "Our patient-centered trial has the ability to significantly transform the patient experience for those suffering with ALD."

The researchers plan to scale the integration of palliative care into routine hepatology practice, by developing standardized training for providers and comprehensive patient education. The team also hopes to leverage artificial intelligence-driven approaches to enhance the adoption and dissemination of the model.

Dr. Verma and Dr. Navarro, both faculty at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, also reiterate that this integrated model could also be extended to other advanced chronic diseases, including chronic heart, kidney and lung disease. With a rapidly aging population and therefore an increased burden of serious illnesses, more than 13.7 million people in the U.S. could benefit from palliative care. The PAL LIVER trial lays the foundation to meet these growing needs.
An elementary school teacher chose a low-price health insurance plan but soon realized she wasn't clear about what it would mean for her family's finances.

"Once I got the insurance card, I compared our old plan to our new plan, and thats when I really got worried, because I didnt really understand what a deductible was. It got me thinking, how do I use this insurance?"

 Madison Burgess, 31, of San Diego

When enhanced federal subsidies expired at the end of 2025, a lot of people buying their own health insurance on the state and federal exchanges saw their expected monthly rates jump. To keep costs down, many switched to a high-deductible health plan. These plans offer lower monthly payments, but in exchange patients can face steep out-of-pocket costs when they need care.

The plans are pretty common. In 2023, 30% of people who got insurance through their employer had a high-deductible plan, up from only 4% in 2006.

Madison Burgess, a teacher in San Diego, gets health insurance through her teaching job. But when she investigated adding her husband to her plan, it was just too expensive, so she started shopping on the exchange for a cheaper option for him.

The longer she scrolled through the plan options, the more overwhelming it felt. Insurance jargon made it hard to tell what her family would owe if her husband got sick.

"I didn't know what a deductible was, so I just went with what was cheap, and now I have regret," she said.

In exchange for that lower monthly premium payment, her husband's coverage won't kick in for most care until they've paid $5,800 in medical bills. Burgess didn't know that the deductible must be met before insurance picks up part of the tab.

How do you prepare for thousands of dollars in upfront costs? One option is a health savings account, or HSA, which lets you save pretax money and is now available to people enrolled in lower-tier state and federal exchange plans, including bronze and catastrophic coverage. These plans generally have the lowest premiums on the exchange but the highest out-of-pocket costs when you need care.

Burgess had chosen a bronze plan and didn't know HSAs were an option.

"Ive never thought about having to put money away for a deductible," she said.

Burgess and others are often more worried about socking away money for unexpected car and house repairs or vet bills.

If, like Burgess, you chose cheaper health coverage for this year only to discover you're on the hook for meeting a high deductible, these tips can help you prepare.

1. You might qualify for an HSA and not know it.

If you're enrolled in a bronze or catastrophic plan, you qualify to open a health savings account. Think of it as a medical piggy bank with tax perks. You put in pretax money, which lowers your taxable income. The money grows tax-free, and when you spend it on qualified medical expenses, those transactions are also tax-free. That's what people call a "triple tax advantage."

These accounts build a cushion for future health costs, such as doctor visits, prescriptions, and even products like over-the-counter medicine, tampons, and sunscreen.

The money typically can't be used for monthly premiums, but the account is yours to use for qualified medical expenses for yourself, your spouse, or your dependents anytime in the future. The money in the account is yours, even if you change jobs or health plans.

An HSA is not the same as a flexible spending account, or FSA. FSAs are tax-advantaged too but are offered only through employers. The money expires annually and you lose any remaining money when you leave that job.

2. HSA-curious? Here's how to open one.

You open a health savings account through a bank or other financial institution. The institution will issue you a debit card so you can make purchases from the HSA.

You can open an HSA at any point during the year as long as you're covered by an eligible plan. You can choose where to open the account, but be sure to check for any fees financial institutions charge and shop around.

If you get insurance through your job, your employer may require you to use a specific IRS-approved company.

Many people decide they can't afford to contribute to an HSA. For some households, the desire to set aside money for medical expenses competes with the need to pay rent and buy groceries.

But there's a detail that can make it feel more manageable. Contributions don't have to be large. Just a few dollars a month can get you started.

There is, however, a limit. The IRS sets an annual cap on how much you're allowed to contribute to an HSA. In 2026, an individual is limited to $4,400, or $8,750 for a family plan. Under that ceiling, the amount is up to you.

3. Preventive services should be covered at no cost to you.

All plans sold on marketplaces must cover certain preventive services at no cost to the patient as long as the care is provided in-network. Those services include routine immunizations and cancer screenings.

Beyond preventive care, understanding what different services cost can help you decide which type of medical appointment works best for your health needs and your wallet. For example, some plans charge less for a telehealth visit than to see your primary care doctor in person.

Check out your summary of benefits for more details.

4. Seek care early in the year.

Most deductibles reset on Jan. 1. Scheduling appointments or surgeries early in the year can be strategic if you discover a condition that requires ongoing care. If you can afford it, meeting your deductible sooner can make the rest of the year significantly cheaper, said Caitlin Donovan, a senior director at the Patient Advocate Foundation.

5. Consider paying cash instead of spending down your deductible.

Some hospitals, clinics, or other providers offer cheaper prices if you pay cash. You have the right to an itemized estimate and explanation of how much a health service would cost if you paid out-of-pocket. Ask for the estimate before you get care. Then, compare that price with what your insurance company tells you it would cost if you used your insurance. If you decide to go with a cash payment, you'll need to pay while you're still at the doctor's office, before charges get submitted to your insurance company.

Paying cash may save you money, but the amount you pay generally won't count toward your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum.

"If you dont think youre ever going to hit your deductible  youre that young invincible, and your deductible is $10,000  negotiate the cash price," Donovan said.

6. On an ACA plan? Update your income and use an HSA to avoid a tax surprise.

If you're on an ACA plan and you're eligible for subsidies, be aware: If your earnings change and you don't update your marketplace application, you could owe thousands of dollars at tax time. The fix is simple. Report raises, new jobs, or side gigs as they happen. If your income goes up, stashing money in an HSA can help because the money you put in the account doesn't count toward your taxable income.

As soon as you report an increase in your income, that could mean higher premiums (if you no longer qualify for the same subsidy), but experts say it's better to pay now than owe a big bill that you have to pay all at once.

"One of the biggest problems I see is someone is newly unemployed and they sign up for coverage, they say that theyre not making any money, and then eventually they get a job and dont report it, and then they have this huge tax bill at the end," Donovan said.

She advises updating your marketplace profile as soon as your income changes, which could newly qualify you for Medicaid or a plan that contributes more toward your medical bills.

Taylor Cook contributed to this report.
The lymphatic system plays a critical role in pathological conditions such as lymphedema and chronic inflammation to tumor metastasis, venous insufficiency, and impaired wound healing, making accurate evaluation of its structure and function increasingly important. Yet current imaging toolsincluding lymphoscintigraphy, magnetic resonance lymphangiography , indocyanine green fluorescence imaging, and conventional methylene blue imagingoften remain limited by invasiveness, poor targeting, high cost, radiation exposure, or insufficient spatial and functional resolution. Although methylene blue is a clinically approved near-infrared dye with a favorable safety profile, it tends to aggregate in water and lacks strong lymphatic specificity because of its very small particle size. Delivering tracers precisely into the dermis also remains a challenge, since standard intradermal injection can be painful and operator-dependent. Based on these challenges, in-depth research is needed to develop safer, more targeted, and more patient-friendly methods for lymphatic imaging.

Researchers from Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, together with collaborators from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Shanghai Children's Medical Center, reported (DOI: 10.1093/burnst/tkaf067) in a 2026 advance article in Burns & Trauma that a methylene blue nanoparticle delivered through dissolvable microneedles enabled noninvasive near-infrared imaging of lymphatic vessels with higher quality, better targeting, and added functional readouts compared with methylene blue or indocyanine green.

A "smarter" tracer

To build the new platform, the team first encapsulated methylene blue in an MPEG-PCL nanocarrier using a double-emulsion method. This design increased particle size from the sub-10 nm range of free methylene blue to about 99 nm, a size better suited for lymphatic uptake. The resulting nanoparticles also shifted to a slightly negative surface charge, showed improved fluorescence, and resisted the quenching and instability that weaken free methylene blue in aqueous solution. In cell studies, the material showed low cytotoxicity, caused less than 5% hemolysis, and was taken up and transported across lymphatic endothelial cells, supporting its promise as a lymphatic imaging tracer.

Painless delivery

The group then integrated the tracer into dissolvable microneedles arranged in a 15  15 array. These microneedles were mechanically strong enough to pierce skin and released about 80% of their payload in vitro, offering a convenient way to place the tracer into the dermis without conventional needle injection. By targeting only the superficial dermal layer, these ultra-fine needles avoid triggering deep-seated pain receptors, ensuring a virtually sensation-free experience for the patient.

Groundbreaking results

In animal models, the MPEG-PCL@ME platform outperformed current gold standards like indocyanine green and free ME. Key advantages include:

Superior Clarity: In rats, the platform generated clearer images of lymphatic vessels than methylene blue or indocyanine green at the same concentration. The signal intensity was at least three times higher. Precision Targeting: Leakage around the imaging site was minimal, and dominant lymphatic vessels and nodes could be more readily identified. Functional Insights: Most notably, the method visualized repeating segmental contractions along lymphatic vessels, making the lymphatic pump easier to recognize and suggesting that the approach can move beyond anatomy to capture functional behavior as well.

"This study turns a familiar clinical dye into a smarter lymphatic probe," the researchers suggest in essence. By combining nanoscale engineering with dissolvable microneedle delivery, the work addresses several long-standing barriers at once: weak targeting, signal instability, painful administration, and limited ability to assess lymphatic function dynamically. The resulting method is not only easier to use, but also more informative, offering a sharper picture of lymphatic structures and enabling the dynamic assessment of real-time lymph pumping.



The implications could extend well beyond imaging convenience. A portable, painless, and nonradioactive system for lymphatic visualization may support earlier diagnosis of lymphatic dysfunction, better monitoring of lymphedema, and more precise assessment of disease processes linked to impaired lymph flow. Because the tracer also demonstrated satisfactory biosafety in vivo, with no obvious pathological changes in major organs and normal routine blood indices, it may be suitable for longer-term lymphography as the technology develops further. With refinement and clinical translation, this approach could help bring lymphatic imaging closer to bedside practice and make functional lymphatic assessment more accessible in everyday medicine.
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) is working with China's Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and Swedish biotechnology company Lipigon Pharmaceuticals AB to develop a new inhaled treatment aimed at helping patients recover faster from severe lung infections.

The treatment is designed to reduce excessive inflammation in the lungs, which can continue even after viruses or bacteria have been cleared from the body.



Infections such as seasonal influenza, Covid-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), bird flu and pneumonia trigger the body's immune system to fight off invading pathogens. But in some patients, this immune response becomes overly strong.



When this happens, the lungs become inflamed and fluid can leak from small blood vessels into the air sacs, flooding them. This makes breathing extremely difficult and reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the bloodstream. The damage may also persist for days or even weeks after the infection has subsided, making the patient feel breathless.



In severe cases, patients develop acute respiratory distress syndrome, a life-threatening condition marked by widespread lung inflammation and fluid build-up.



To tackle this, the new therapy targets a protein called Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4), which increases during inflammatory stress in the lungs. High levels of ANGPTL4 are associated with increased vascular permeability and fibrosis in injured lung tissue.



Instead of being taken as a pill or injection, the treatment is delivered directly into the lungs by inhalation, similar to how asthma medications are administered. This allows it to act where it is needed most while limiting effects on the rest of the body.



In preclinical studies led jointly by NTU Singapore and SUSTech, the inhaled treatment reduced lung inflammation and fluid build-up in models of bacterial pneumonia and viral influenza.



In experiments, it also reduced lung scarring in a model of pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic disease that stiffens the lungs, and improved breathing.



SUSTech Assistant Professor Li Liang, co-leader of the study, explained that "severe lung infections frequently lead to lung injury driven by excessive host inflammatory responses".



"Our approach focuses on precise modulation of a defined molecular target to preserve lung integrity while maintaining essential immune defence. Following robust preclinical validation across infection and fibrosis models, the programme is progressing into non-human primate evaluation and Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling development as the next phase of clinical translation," said Asst Prof Li, an expert in human organoids and respiratory diseases.



Co-leader of the study, NTU Associate Professor Andrew Tan, Provost's Chair in Metabolic Disorders at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), said the research took nearly a decade and marks an important step towards more targeted treatment of lung injury.



"This long-term research programme lays the foundation for RNA-based treatments for lung diseases and supports Singapore's efforts to strengthen its capabilities in RNA medicine," said Assoc Prof Tan, who is also Vice Dean (Innovation and Enterprise) at LKCMedicine. "By identifying and validating a lung target that can be treated through inhalation, we are helping to position Singapore in the emerging field of RNA therapies for respiratory diseases."

Global and local burden of lung infections

Severe lung infections remain a major global health challenge. Seasonal influenza alone affects up to a billion people each year, with 3 million to 5 million developing serious illness and an estimated 290,000 to 650,000 people dying from respiratory complications annually.



In addition, pneumonia and other lower respiratory infections are among the leading causes of death worldwide, claiming millions of lives each year and placing heavy demands on health systems.



In Singapore, pneumonia is ranked among the top causes of death, accounting for a significant proportion of deaths in recent years, second only to cancer.



More than 10,000 people are admitted to the hospital each year with pneumonia, making it one of the leading causes of hospitalisation.



Before the Covid-19 pandemic, lower respiratory infections, including pneumonia and influenza-related complications in China were estimated to cause between 190,000 and 220,000 deaths annually.



In Sweden, pneumonia and other lower respiratory infections account for roughly 2,000 to 3,000 deaths annually, while seasonal influenza contributes an estimated 300 to 1,000 excess deaths, mainly among elderly populations.



While mortality rates have declined over the past two decades due to improved healthcare access, the absolute burden remains high, given the aging population in all three countries



Giving an independent comment, Professor David Lye, Senior Consultant, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, who is also the Clinical Co-Director of the Respiratory and Infectious Diseases Programme, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, said: "While corticosteroid is effective in severe COVID-19 pneumonia in reducing death, the evidence for corticosteroid in bacterial pneumonia and influenza is less convincing. Although the results of the current work are preclinical, any new, clinically proven therapy to reduce lung inflammation as a result of a patient's immune response to the infective agent is positive news towards improving survival in severe pneumonia."



Also commenting independently, Dr Li Guobao, Head of Pulmonary Disease Department III, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, said the "inhaled therapy could offer a targeted and patient-friendly treatment option".



"The ANGPTL4 antisense therapy is delivered through inhalation, allowing it to act directly in the lungs with minimal exposure to the rest of the body. This supports a good safety profile with fewer side effects," he said. "It is non-invasive and easy to use, which may improve patient compliance. The therapy works by reducing inflammation, repairing the lung barrier and limiting scarring, offering a safer and more tolerable option for conditions such as acute lung injury, severe pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis."

Research study done with compound from Lipigon

Lipigon Pharmaceuticals AB provided the compound used in the study and is working with NTU and SUSTech for translational development, which will help pave the way forward for future therapeutics.

We are encouraged by these new preclinical data, which add to the growing body of evidence supporting the potential of RNA-based therapies to protect lung tissue in the context of severe pulmonary disease. Severe lung diseases represent a substantial and largely unmet global medical need, and it is our foremost commitment to develop innovative treatments that can make a meaningful difference for patients facing these life-altering conditions. These findings strengthen our confidence in the biological rationale for this approach and support our ambition to advance this RNA therapy into clinical evaluation." Johan Liwing, CEO of Lipigon Pharmaceuticals AB

Early safety studies showed that when delivered by inhalation, the treatment largely remained in the lungs, with minimal distribution to other organs. This localised approach may allow higher concentrations at the site of injury while limiting potential side effects elsewhere in the body.



Supported by NTU Innovation and Entrepreneurship initiative, a joint patent has been filed by the partners, covering the inhaled therapeutic platform. They are now conducting further studies to support regulatory requirements and future clinical trials.



If successfully developed and approved, the inhaled therapy could offer a new treatment option to limit lung injury and reduce long-term complications in patients recovering from severe respiratory infections.
North America's largest coke plant hugs the west bank of Pennsylvania's Monongahela River, belching out emissions from turning superheated coal into a carbon-rich fuel.

Researchers say the children at Clairton Elementary School about a mile away pay the price. They discovered the students there and at other elementary schools near major pollution sites in Pennsylvania had higher asthma rates than other children in the state.

Residents and environmental advocates saw reason for hope and relief in the form of a Biden administration rule designed to tamp down on coke oven plant pollution. But even before it took effect, President Donald Trump granted all 11 coke plants in the U.S.  including the one in Clairton  a two-year exemption from the standards.

Trump and Republicans have sought to align themselves with the Make America Healthy Again movement's populist ideals, such as improving Americans' food choices and reducing corporate harm to the environment. But the administration is ratcheting up its attacks on the very environmental protections that MAHA followers hold dear.

Taken together, these anti-environmental initiatives will lead to more pollution-related illnesses and higher health care spending, health researchers say. They could also have political ramifications, eroding MAHA's support for GOP candidates in the November midterm elections if followers believe the party is more beholden to industry than to the movement's agenda.

Only 1 in 5 American adults, including about a quarter of Republicans, support rolling back environmental regulations, according to a poll by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Some MAHA supporters believe voters will support Republicans because the Trump administration is delivering on other goals important to the movement.

"MAHA has a pretty diverse set of policy goals, ranging from medical freedom to food and the environment," said David Mansdoerfer, who served in Health and Human Services leadership during Trump's first term. "In totality, the Trump administration has strongly delivered on much of the MAHA agenda."

While MAHA voters have been upset at some of the administration's actions that promote industry, it's hard to know how that may play out in the midterms, said Christopher Bosso, a professor of public policy and politics at Northeastern University. Many were disillusioned by a Trump executive order they viewed as promoting glyphosate, which HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has called poison.

"The glyphosate thing really ticks off a lot of them; they're really upset," Bosso said. "Kennedy said it was poison. If it is a poison, why aren't we regulating it? That's where the tension plays out."

The situation with the Clairton coke plant and the others granted exemptions from regulations underscores the potential public health risks. Six of the 11 factories had "high priority" violations of the Clean Air Act as of last May, according to a KFF Health News analysis. Five coke oven plants logged major violations every quarter for at least three years straight.

"Poisoning continues to some of the most vulnerable residents of Allegheny County," David Meckel, who had lived in nearby Glassport, Pennsylvania, said at a March 2025 county meeting about the coke plant.

Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson Brigit Hirsch said the president gave companies extra time because the technology needed to meet a new standard isn't ready yet.

"Forcing plants to comply before the tools exist doesn't make the air cleaner, it just shuts down facilities and kills jobs with nothing to show for it," Hirsch said.

But environmental groups disagree that the plants were unable to comply at a reasonable cost, and they say the exemption from the EPA requirements shows the Trump administration is prioritizing the coal industry at the expense of public health.

"The Trump administration's relentless actions to dismantle lifesaving environmental protections are a gut punch to the administration's own promise to Make America Healthy Again," said Cathleen Kelly, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

Hard times in Clairton

Sprawled across nearly 400 acres, the Clairton plant operates ovens in which coal is heated to as much as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to make up to 4.3 million tons annually of the carbon-rich fuel known as coke. The product is used in blast furnaces to produce iron.

It's a dirty operation. The process leads to hazardous emissions of benzene, a carcinogen that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says can lead to anemia and leukemia, as well as sulfur dioxide, which can trigger severe asthma.

The Clairton operation has had repeated problems with its emissions and operations, including fatal explosions and excess releases of toxic chemicals. The plant has received more than $56 million in fines from the Allegheny County Health Department since 2022, stemming largely from a fire in 2018 that led to high emissions, and violated the Clean Air Act in each of the last 12 quarters, with the last compliance monitoring in July 2025, according to the EPA.

Nippon Steel Corp. last year acquired U.S. Steel, which now operates as a subsidiary. The company didn't respond to an email seeking comment. U.S. Steel said it spends $100 million annually on environmental compliance at Clairton.

"Environmental stewardship is a core value at U. S. Steel, and we remain committed to the safety of our communities," spokesperson Andrew Fulton said in a written statement.

Clairton was once bustling with movie theaters, a mix of grocery stores, and riverside parks, with a dance pavilion and a performing hot-air balloonist. But the decline of steel hit hard. The town's population dwindled from more than 19,000 people in the mid-20th century to fewer than 6,000 as of 2024. Dozens of homes stood abandoned until they were razed and replaced with signs saying to keep out. The 1978 movie The Deer Hunter, which depicts a hardscrabble industrial town, is partly set there. Today, about 33% of residents live in poverty.

While the plant brings jobs and revenue, residents of the town and the surrounding areas have long complained about health problems they attribute to its emissions.

"My parents are gone. My mom had cancer, my dad," Carla Beard-Owens, a Clairton resident, said at a 2025 County Council meeting. "I lost a lot of loved ones and seen other ones pass because of this mill."

Pediatric allergist Deborah Gentile looked into asthma rates among 1,200 children who attended school near major pollution sites in the area  including students at Clairton Elementary School. They had nearly triple the national rate of asthma, with the highest rate among African American youth, according to the study she led.

"We were shocked," she said. "It was double or triple what we expected. The people are proud of their industrial background. We need steel, but they're not running a good enough operation."

A follow-up study found children with asthma living near the coke plant had an 80% higher chance of missing school when sulfur dioxide pollution was elevated.

Allegheny County, which includes Clairton and Pittsburgh, is home to a number of industrial plants, and researchers have linked its air pollution to increased deaths, chronic heart disease, and adverse birth outcomes. It was ranked in the top 1% of counties in the nation for cancer risk from stationary industrial air pollutants in a 2018 EPA report.

Clairton has an age-adjusted cancer death rate of 170 per 100,000 people, higher than the broader county's rate of 150 deaths per 100,000 people, based on a KFF Health News analysis of state and federal data.

The American Lung Association in 2025 gave the county an F rating for its particle pollution levels. PennEnvironment, an environmental group that was party to a settlement with U.S. Steel involving the Clairton plant, says the coke operation caused 1.1 million pounds of toxic releases in 2021, which amounted to 60% of all such releases in the county that year.

From 2020 through 2025, the Clairton plant racked up more in fines from Clean Air Act penalties than any other coke oven facility nationwide, costing U.S. Steel over $10 million, according to EPA facility reports.

"We are deeply concerned with exemptions, which allow air toxics to affect public health," Allegheny County Health Department spokesperson Ronnie Das said in a statement.

The Clairton plant provides 1,200 manufacturing jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue to the area. The jobs help generate nearly $3 billion in annual economic output, according to estimates from the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association.

Some community members and advocacy groups hoped air quality would improve after the coke plant was sold. Nippon Steel has pledged to upgrade facilities in the Monongahela River Valley.

Politics, waivers, and environmental concerns

Under the Biden-era rule, coke plants were supposed to start meeting new limits on leaks from the lids and doors of ovens that heat coal. They would also have had to monitor for benzene at their property lines and take steps to lower emissions of the carcinogen if they exceeded certain levels. Compliance deadlines were set for July 2025.

The Trump administration, which has sought to revive the coal industry, intervened. Last year, it invited hundreds of industrial plants, including coke plants such as Clairton's, to seek presidential waivers from nine separate rules issued in 2024 by the EPA.

Then Trump in November went further, granting all coke plants a two-year compliance break.

The reprieve was necessary, the EPA spokesperson Hirsch said, because the requirements would have meant extra costs for the industry when standards already in effect work "extremely well" at reducing pollution.

Hirsch also said the agency under Trump is protecting the environment, pointing to action the administration has taken to reduce long-lasting chemicals called PFAS, prevent lead poisoning, strengthen chemical safety, and protect Americans' food and water supply.

"We are building a future where the next generation of Americans is the healthiest in our nation's history, and they inherit the cleanest air, land and water in the world," Hirsch said.

However, the administration has taken several steps that environmental advocates say weaken health protections.

The president's executive order on glyphosate, an herbicide the World Health Organization has linked to cancer, which touched off a furor among MAHA enthusiasts who said they felt betrayed. The EPA has decided to stop considering the health-related economic benefits of reducing pollution when making policy decisions, instead focusing on the cost to industry of complying with rules. The agency also rescinded the legal and scientific basis that had long established greenhouse gases as dangerous to public health.

The actions have rankled some MAHA enthusiasts who counted on the administration to tackle chronic disease, especially among children. A petition to Trump on Change.org with more than 15,000 signatures called for the removal of EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, citing deregulatory actions it said supported corporations over MAHA goals.

Some MAHA enthusiasts have sounded off on social media.

"No one should believe that MAHA is being upheld at the EPA at this point," Kelly Ryerson, a leader of American Regeneration, which focuses on a conservation approach to farming, said Feb. 8 on X.

Alex Clark, host of a health and wellness podcast, also aired her concerns on X, saying "there is something really freaking spooky going on at the EPA and I refuse to let the American people be gaslit into thinking they're upholding the MAHA agenda."

"A significant number of people who supported Trump are worried these rollbacks are going to hurt their health," said Max Burns, a Democratic strategist and the founder of the communications firm Third Degree Strategies. "The MAHA voters, especially women, are very sensitive to this. Republicans have put themselves in a bind."

MAHA supporters shouldn't be surprised by a Trump administration that doesn't prioritize environmental protections over industry, because the president has always championed fossil fuels, said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan election forecasting newsletter published by the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

The coke plant exemptions have disappointed some community members, environmental groups, and regulators concerned about public health and emissions.

Nearly 300,000 people live within 3 miles of the 11 active coke plants across the U.S., according to EPA data compiled by the Environmental Defense Fund.

Weakening environmental rules has helped boost Trump with the $91 billion U.S. coal industry. In February, mining industry executives and lobbyists gathered at the White House, greeting Trump with applause.

Coal miners, including some in white hard hats bedecked with American flags, presented him with a bronze-colored trophy emblazoned "The Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal."

At the event, Trump praised their work. "We love clean, beautiful coal," he said.
A team of Weill Cornell Medicine investigators is working to cross-train the next generation of cancer researchers in cancer biology and the use of artificial intelligence tools for research.

"AI is transforming our world-how we work, live and conduct research," said Dr. Olivier Elemento, director of the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine and a professor of systems and computational biomedicine. He added that "cancer is uniquely positioned to benefit, because we now have massive datasets spanning genomics, imaging and clinical outcomes that AI can finally put to use."

In an editorial published April 13 in Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, Dr. Elemento and Dr. Paraskevi Giannakakou, a professor of pharmacology in medicine and member of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine, lay out a vision for a new generation of researchers who are "bilingual" in AI tools and cancer biology. They describe a dual-track program that would train clinical oncology fellows or cancer research scientists to use AI large language models and train computational scientists in cancer biology. The goal is to develop a generation of scientists who can use the latest tools to deliver on the promise of personalized cancer therapies.

The moment a patient gets a cancer diagnosis, we would like to molecularly characterize the tumor, use all the knowledge that is out there-which is what AI large language models do-and see what therapies might be available and how we can customize treatment." Dr. Paraskevi Giannakakou, professor of pharmacology in medicine and member of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine

Oncology is already generating vast amounts of molecular and genetic data from patient tumors to personalize care, Dr. Giannakakou said. Now, she and Dr. Elemento are hoping to supercharge that capability by building a workforce that can leverage AI tools. The team is already building the dual training program and pursuing grants to fund it. The program would assign each trainee to a pair of mentors-a computational mentor and a cancer biologist or clinical oncologist mentor.

But powerful tools demand careful hands. Dr. Elemento, who describes himself as a "super user" of AI for research, said part of the training will be teaching the trainees how to properly supervise AI tools to avoid ethical breaches, protect patient privacy, and detect inaccurate results. He noted there have been examples of fake papers with synthetically generated data.

"It's important that people learn how to ethically use these extremely powerful tools," said Dr. Elemento, who is also a member of the Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Weill Cornell Medicine is well-positioned to lead this charge, according to the team. The Englander Institute of Precision Medicine is already offering "AI clinics" where AI-fluent investigators train their colleagues in person and via Zoom. An upcoming workshop will focus on securely using AI to analyze information from medical records. Meanwhile, Weill Cornell's AI to Advance Medicine initiative aims to provide the institutional infrastructure and services needed to support safe, effective AI adoption across faculty, staff and students.

Weill Cornell Medicine's robust expertise in cancer biology and clinical medicine will also ensure that AI is answering the most important questions for patients with cancer, Dr. Giannakakou said.

The team emphasized the urgency of training the next generation of researchers to use AI. Dr. Giannakakou noted that pharmaceutical companies are already deploying AI tools and agents to design clinical trials, monitor drug safety and help meet regulatory requirements, and that those working in the field need to be prepared to work with these tools.

"We need federal, private and institutional foundation investments in training programs to create AI-cancer biology bilingual scientists like we are creating at Weill Cornell Medicine," Dr. Giannakakou said. "We do not want to leave a generation of scientists behind."
The Water Supplies Department (WSD) today confirmed a personal digital assistant (PDA) containing consumers' data went missing during field meter-reading work conducted by its staff on Wednesday.

The PDA contained a total of 495 names and addresses of domestic consumers from three buildings in Fortress Hill.

Apart from one consumer's information that contained a telephone number, other information involved did not contain any personal identity card numbers or other personal information.

The WSD has notified the relevant authorities including the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and the Digital Policy Office, and also made a report to Police. The WSD said it will fully co-operate with the relevant authorities and Police in their investigations and operations.

The WSD has informed the consumers referenced, alerted them to raise their awareness and apologised for the incident.

Affected consumers who have any further enquiries on the incident may call the WSD's customer services hotline at 2824 5000 or send an email to: wsdinfo1@wsd.gov.hk.

The WSD stressed that it attaches great importance to the incident, adding that immediate follow-up actions were taken.

The department has reminded staff that they must heighten their vigilance and properly safeguard government property. They must also strictly follow guidelines regarding the proper handling and confidentiality of personal data.

Meanwhile, the department is conducting a detailed investigation into the personnel involved and the circumstances of the incident. Depending on the findings, appropriate disciplinary action may be considered.

It will also conduct a detailed review of the equipment and procedures used by staff during field meter-reading work, and explore measures to strengthen data protection.
Members of the public take part in game booths at an open day held by the Civil Aid Service.

Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan (first right) attends the Correctional Services Departments open day.

In support of National Security Education Day, on April 15, the Correctional Services Department (CSD) and the Civil Aid Service (CAS) today held open days to raise public awareness of national security and showcase their accomplishments.

Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan attended the CSDs open day, which was held in Stanley, at the department's Correctional Services Museum and Community Education Experience Centre.

Echoing the theme of this year's National Security Education Day  Proactively Align with the 15th Five-Year Plan, Follow a Holistic Approach to Development and Security  the CSDs open day featured game booths themed around the 15th Five-Year Plan and national security, with a view to deepening understanding of these and strengthening a sense of national identity among members of the public.

Following the recent publication of the white paper Hong Kong: Safeguarding China's National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems by the State Council Information Office, the event also included a game booth exploring the white paper's content interactively.

In addition, the CSD today launched National Security Education Special Edition of Rehabilitation Express, a promotion vehicle that will visit primary and secondary schools across the city in order to disseminate national security messages to young people.

Some of the content carried by the vehicle will also be used in virtual-reality games for persons in custody, giving them access to accurate national security knowledge and building their sense of national identity through immersive three-dimensional virtual scenarios within correctional institutions.

Held at its headquarters, meanwhile, the CAS open day featured emergency rescue and mountain search and rescue demonstrations. There were also music performances, a freestyle bicycle show, game booths and interactive activities.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan (front row, first left) receives a briefing on the Fire Services Communications Centres operations during an open day at the Fire & Ambulance Services Academy.

The Fire Services Department today staged an open day at the Fire & Ambulance Services Academy in Tseung Kwan O, in support of the National Security Education Day, with more than 9,000 people attending.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan watched a parade of fire and ambulance appliances in the morning. He then visited national security-themed game booths and toured the National Security Education & Resource Centre at the academy.

Interactive exhibition boards and game booths at the open day provided engagement aimed at facilitating public understanding of the importance of national security.

A flag-raising ceremony was also held, with the department's Guard of Honour performing a Chinese-style foot drill.

In addition, training facilities  including a simulated Pak Shing Kok railway station, the Fire & Ambulance Services Education Centre & Museum, and the National Security Education & Resource Centre  were open to the public.

Information on the department's recruitment activities was made available throughout the day.
Chief Executive John Lee (second right) and Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) Zhuang Rongwen (second left) witness the signing of a pact on innovation and technology development.

Chief Executive John Lee met Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) Zhuang Rongwen in Hong Kong today, with the two exchanging views on deepening innovation and technology (I&T) collaboration as they jointly witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong and Deputy Director of the CAC Wang Jingtao signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Co-operation in Innovation & Technology Development on behalf of the Innovation, Technology & Industry Bureau and the CAC.

Covering key aspects such as artificial intelligence, cross-boundary data flows and blockchain, the MoU will support the implementation of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and Hong Kong's development as an international I&T centre, besides promoting a new real economy driven by technological innovation and driving Hong Kong's deeper integration into and contribution to national development.

The two places will strive to strengthen co-operation, jointly propel the development of new quality productive forces, deepen co-operation in cybersecurity, and strengthen international exchanges.

Mr Lee expressed his gratitude to the CAC for supporting Hong Kong's I&T development. He said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will actively align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and formulate Hong Kong's own first five-year plan, while striving to develop as an international I&T centre and a hub for high-end international talent, and to achieve high-quality development.

The Chief Executive added that the MoU marks a new milestone in co-operation between the Hong Kong SAR Government and the CAC in the development of the digital economy, and fully demonstrates the country's commitment to and support for Hong Kong's I&T development.

Hong Kong will continue to capitalise on our distinctive advantages of having strong support from the motherland and close connection with the world under the 'one country, two systems' principle, deepen collaboration with the CAC to further promote cross-boundary data flow in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and jointly contribute to building a technologically advanced nation.

Over two days from tomorrow, Hong Kong will once again stage the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit. Mr Lee said the city will proactively demonstrate its strengths in the digital economy and innovation, and leverage its pivotal role as a bridge for going global and attracting foreign investment, thereby deepening international I&T exchanges and co-operation.

Prof Sun Dong said the Hong Kong SAR Government will accelerate I&T development, establishing Hong Kong as a centre of innovation for the country and the world.
A Florida woman who spent months treating hospital patients while pretending to be a nurse will stay out of prisonbut nowhere near a medical job, Fox News reports. Flagler County authorities say 29-year-old Autumn Bardisa of Palm Coast treated more than 4,400 patients at AdventHealth between June 2024 and January 2025 while posing as a licensed nurse. Investigators say she never held a valid nursing license and instead plugged in the license number of another nurse who shared her first name, then allegedly falsified records to get hired and later promoted as an advanced nurse technician.

Bardisa pleaded no contest this week to unlicensed practice of health care and fraudulent use of identification. Under a plea deal, Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols withheld adjudication and sentenced her to five years' probation and 50 hours of community service. She must write an apology letter to the nurse whose license number she used, give up a nursing license she obtained after her arrest, and is banned from working in the medical field during her probation. The nurse whose license she used attended school with Bardisa, and was also employed by AdventHealth, NBC Miami reports. She spoke out for the first time during Bardisa's sentencing hearing, saying she had "a million 'whys' floating around" in her mind about the case, WESH reports.

The case began to unravel when a coworker checked her credentials and found only an expired certified nursing assistant license, prompting a broader probe by state and federal health agencies. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said Bardisa's conduct "potentially endangered patients" and "ruined her career," calling it one of the most significant medical fraud cases his agency has handled. Officials are urging anyone who believes Bardisa may have treated them to contact the sheriff's office. During the sentencing hearing, Bardisa described her actions as a simple case of someone "not crossing their I's, dotting their T's, making sure everything was complete."
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell has suspended his campaign for California governor after he was accused of sexual assault, the AP reports. Swalwell continues to deny the allegations. He said in a social media post Sunday he's suspending his campaign but will fight what he called "serious, false allegations that have been made." The San Francisco Chronicle first reported on the woman's allegations, which the AP has not verified. The woman told the Chronicle, which didn't name her, that Swalwell sexually assaulted her twice, including while she worked for him, while she was too intoxicated to consent. Three other women later spoke to CNN and made accusations of sexual misconduct.

Fellow Democrats were abandoning Swalwell's campaign in droves, with a growing number urging the congressman both to quit the race and resign his seat in Congress. Over the weekend, with Swalwell's gubernatorial campaign already teetering, Democrats in Congress began to call for his resignation from the House. Some even said they would support the rare step of expelling him should he refuse to step aside. Fellow California Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna, and Sam Liccardo said Swalwell should resign, as did Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state. Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the former House speaker who remains a dominant force in California politics, said the "serious allegations" must be investigated, and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and his leadership team also called for an investigation and for Swalwell to end his campaign for governor.

"This is not a partisan issue," Jayapal said Sunday. "This cuts across party lines. And it is depravity of the way that women have been treated." It all added to the mounting political pressure on Swalwell, who had already seen his most prominent supporters, including Sen. Adam Schiff and powerful labor unions, pull their endorsements and call for his exit from the race. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., who helped run Swalwell's campaign, said he was immediately ending his role. With the House returning to session Tuesday, the question of whether to expel Swalwell could come to a head quickly. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Saturday that she would be filing a motion to start the process. (The Manhattan DA has launched a probe related to the accusations.)
Mississippi didn't ban booze, but for many drinkers it might feel that way. The Washington Post 's Casey Parks reports that a computer overhaul at the state's lone liquor warehouse has snarled alcohol deliveries for months, leaving stores and bars from Jackson to the Gulf Coast short on everything from cheap vodka to wine. Mississippi is one of 17 "control states," meaning all wine and liquor flows through a single state-run hub. That hub shut down in January for what retailers were told would be a two-week inventory pause under new operator Ruan Transport Corporation. Instead, a new software system clashed with the warehouse's aging conveyor belts and a slower, more manual order fulfillment process rolled out without enough workers to keep up.

Now, there's a backlog of roughly 174,000 cases and 1,200 staple products out of stock. Customers are frustrated and business owners are struggling, with at least five shops forced to close. At least three business have sued, per Mississippi Today. "We're hanging on by the skin of our teeth," one liquor store manager tells the Post, noting she now haggles with customers to unload pricey liquor and wine as popular cheap liquors remain hard to find. "In this economy, if you don't have that stuff, you're not going to have any business because people can't afford higher," she says. Lawmakers have promised a new warehouse, but not until 2027. Meanwhile, some wonder if this is all a deliberate push toward privatization. For a deeper look, read Parks' full piece at the Post.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's San Francisco home may have been targeted by two alleged attacks in a span of three days , with police announcing a pair of arrests in the latest incident, the San Francisco Standard reports. Around 1:40am Sunday, a Honda sedan allegedly drove past Altman's property in Russian Hill, then stopped; the passenger extended a hand out the window and appeared to fire a shot toward the Lombard Street side of the estate, according to a police report citing security staff and surveillance video. No injuries were reported. The Standard frames the alleged shooting as an attack on Altman's home, but the San Francisco Chronicle notes that has not yet been confirmed by police.

Police say a license plate captured on camera led them to a residence on Taylor Street, where officers detained Amanda Tom, 25, and Muhamad Tarik Hussein, 23, without incident and recovered three firearms. Both were booked on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm. The alleged shooting followed a Friday morning episode in which a 20-year-old Texas man, Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama, is accused of hurling a Molotov cocktail at Altman's gate from Chestnut Street; security extinguished the flames, and the suspect was later arrested after making threats at OpenAI's Mission Bay headquarters, authorities say. The suspect has been linked to a Discord server called PauseAI, which is against the development of frontier AI models; the group quickly disavowed the alleged attack, Business Insider reports.

After the first incident, Altman wrote a lengthy blog post reflecting on it. "There was an incendiary article about me a few days ago. Someone said to me yesterday they thought it was coming at a time of great anxiety about AI and that it made things more dangerous for me. I brushed it aside," he wrote. "Now I am awake in the middle of the night and pissed, and thinking that I have underestimated the power of words and narratives."
The headline takeaway after Vice President JD Vance's talks with Iran was that the two sides failed to strike a deal. And while that is true, a less pessimistic sentiment also is surfacing in coverage, even as tensions rise over the new US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz:

The Washington Post reports that inside the room with Vance, envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, "progress was made on another front: establishing some measure of goodwill with officials of a country that has proved difficult to negotiate with or achieve mutual understanding with." As a result, the White House believes "that Iran may still come to accept their terms to end the deadly and costly war, some officials say."
For many gray whales, entering San Francisco Bay is a death sentence. Researchers tracking the animals between 2018 and 2025 determined that at least 18% of the individual gray whales photographed in the bay failed to escape alive, with many struck by vessels , per Phys.org . The work, from the Marine Mammal Center and California Academy of Sciences, links more than 40% of examined local gray whale deaths to collisions with boats. And "these are just minimums that we were fully able to confirm," Josephine Slaathaug, lead author of the study published in Frontiers in Marine Science , tells the New York Times . Other whales are turning up severely undernourished.

The whales, whose numbers have fallen by more than half since 2016 as Arctic feeding grounds shift with the climate, historically didn't include the bay on their Mexico-Arctic migration route. They usually didn't eat during the journey at all. Since 2018, however, 114 distinct "Bay Grays" have been logged, suggesting they are entering the bay for emergency feeding. Undernourished whales may have a harder time evading boat traffic, but gray whales are generally hard to see in the water due to their low profile, increasing the risk of strikes. And in the busy Golden Gate Strait bottleneck, it's the boats that win out. As the Times reports, at least five whales have been found dead in the last few weeks. Scientists say more monitoring, ship-speed limits, route changes, and outreach to commercial operators could help.
A veteran Icelandair pilot's apparent hometown goodbye is now a police matter. The airline says it has reported the now-retired captain after he allegedly took a Boeing 757 far below normal limits for a low pass over Vestmannaeyjar during his final commercial flight on Saturday, Simple Flying reports. The Frankfurt-to-Keflavik flight was carrying passengers at the time, and the maneuver over Vestmannaeyjar, the main town in an archipelago southeast of Reykjavik, was not in the approved flight plan, airline authorities say. On social media, some residents said they were afraid the plane was going to crash, reports Iceland Monitor .

Flight-tracking data shows the jet dropping to about 328 feet above the groundwell under standard minimum altitudes for commercial flights over populated areasand residents described noticeable noise and vibration. Icelandair has opened an internal probe and referred the case to law enforcement and transport authorities, while regulators weigh whether safety rules were breached or people were put at risk. Linda Gunnarsdottir, the airline's senior flight operations manager, tells RUV that the pilot didn't seek authorization, and it's unlikely that it would have been granted if he had done so.

Gunnarsdottir says she's not aware of any complaints from passengers or Vestmannaeyjar residents. Passenger Gudfridur Lilja Gretarsdottir, a former lawmaker, says it was an "extraordinary experience," RUV reports. She says they were told it was the pilot's final flight and he would fly over his hometown to treat them to a beautiful view. "There was repeated applause on the aircraft. It was therefore clear inside the aircraft that this was done in goodwill as a gift, to allow passengers to enjoy a unique view over Iceland and Vestmannaeyjar on this final flight," she says. "All the passengers around me were moved, grateful, and happy. "
President Trump has deleted a Truth Social post that even many of his supporters thought was a step too far. Late Sunday, soon after he lashed out at Pope Leo XIV , Trump shared an AI-generated image that showed him dressed like Jesus, laying hands on a sick man as doctors, soldiers, bald eagles, the Statue of Liberty, and fighter jets looked on. By Monday afternoon, the post was gone, removed after backlash that cut across the political right. The image can be seen here in a post from former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who said, "I completely denounce this and I'm praying against it!!!"

Conservative athletes, pundits, activists, and religious groups lined up to denounce the image, calling it sacrilegious and politically unwise. Conservative influencer Riley Gaines and other critics quoted a Bible verse: "God shall not be mocked." Fox News co-host Joey Jones called the picture "looney tunes," Variety reports. "I don't clutch pearls or feign outrage," he wrote on X. "I think all politicians are narcissistic by nature. But cmon amigo, no unforced errors would be great!"

An administration official, speaking to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity, says that while Christian conservative outrage will likely fade quickly, Trump went too far with the image, even if some supporters tend to portray the president in "quasi-messianic" terms. "Other people at these Trump rallies do it for him, but when you do it yourself ... it's sacrilegious at best," the official says.
Fatou, the world's oldest gorilla living in captivity, marked her 69th birthday with a relative feast on Monday, munching on cherry tomatoes, beets, leeks, and lettuce at the Berlin Zoo. The western lowland gorilla arrived in what was then West Berlin in 1959, per the AP . She was believed to be about 2 years old at the time, though her exact birth date isn't knownApril 13 is her designated birthday. Gorillas typically live for around 35 to 40 years in the wild and longer in captivity.

Fatou was likely born in the wild in western Africa, but the story goes that a French sailor took her out of Africa and bartered her to cover his bar tab in Marseille, France, according to the Guinness World Records. A French animal trader then reportedly sold her to the zoo. These days, Fatou lives in an enclosure of her own and prefers to keep her distance from the zoo's other gorillas in her old age. She's lost her teeth and suffers from a touch of arthritis and hearing loss, but Christian Aust, the zoo's primate supervisor, says she's friendly with the zookeepers.
A 16-year-old Florida boy is being charged as an adult in the killing of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival cruise, reports CBS News. Federal prosecutors say the Titusville teen, identified only as "T.H.", sexually assaulted and killed Anna Kepner while they were on a family cruise in November 2025. The teen was originally charged as a juvenile in February and the case was sealed, but the new adult charges change that. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner ruled Kepner's cause of death to be mechanical asphyxiation, per the AP.
President Trump says a much-scrutinized AI image wasn't meant to cast him as a messiahjust as a medic. Speaking to reporters outside the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said the picture he shared on Truth Social, which many critics saw as depicting him in the role of Jesus Christ, was actually "me as a doctor" working with the Red Cross, the Hill reports.

The image posted Sunday depicted Trump surrounded by patriotic symbols and bathed in light, with light emanating from his hands, one of which is on a sick man's head. It showed Trump in a flowing white and red robe, which is "commonly used in renderings of Jesus Christ and in scripture prophesying his return," per the New York Times. Next to him is a woman who appears to be praying. It was taken down Monday after an unusually sharp backlash from conservatives, including some of Trump's allies.

Trump also told reporters Monday that he wouldn't apologize to Pope Leo XIV for his remarks Sunday. Leo has repeatedly criticized the war on Iran. In a Truth Social post, Trump accused him of being "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy." On Monday, Trump said, "So, we believe strongly in law and order. And he seemed to have a problem with that, so there's nothing to apologize for." Leo, he said, "was very much against what I'm doing with with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran."

Bishop Robert Barron, a conservative who sits on Trump's Religious Liberty Commission, was among those who said Trump should apologize, the New York Times reports. Trump's remarks, he said on X, "were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful. They don't contribute at all to a constructive conversation. It is the Pope's prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life."

Leo said Monday that he doesn't want to get into a debate with Trump and that his comments on the war were not intended as attacks. "I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do," he said.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he will move forward with a plan to launch five city-operated grocery stores, starting with one in East Harlem expected to open next year. The announcement came during a speech Sunday marking his first 100 days in office, the Washington Post reports. The mayor, a self-described democratic socialist, framed the initiative as part of a broader push to use government power to lower everyday costs for residents. "At our stores, eggs will be cheaper. Bread will be cheaper," Mamdani said. "Grocery shopping will no longer be an unsolvable equation."

Mamdani said the first store will be built on city-owned property next to a food hall in East Harlem, a neighborhood where nearly 40% of residents receive public assistance. National chains including Aldi, Target, and Costco already operate nearby. He pledged to open one city-owned grocery in each of the other four boroughs by the end of his term in 2030, contending the stores will help counter high food prices. Mamdani told a gathering of supporters that he welcomes competition with private retailers. The mayor did not provide cost estimates for opening or running the stores, nor specifics on how prices would be kept below prevailing market rates.

In an earlier interview with the progressive outlet More Perfect Union, Mamdani said the city would contract with a private operator required to pass any public subsidy "directly to consumers in the form of savings." Similar publicly backed grocery efforts in places such as Kansas City, Missouri, and Florida have had mixed results, with some stores closing after financial losses and competition from large retailers. The proposal, unveiled during Mamdani's mayoral campaign, has drawn criticism from parts of the grocery industry. John Catsimatidis, a Republican who owns two supermarket chains in the New York City, has said city-owned stores could bring the "bread lines of the old Soviet Union," per the New York Times.
Cannabis sales in 2025 were overall down in Connecticut, despite December being the best month in the program's history, according to the state Department of Consumer Protection. Jordan Fenster, Hearst Connecticut Media Group

Licensed cannabis businesses have spent millions of dollars on lobbyists in Connecticut, data shows, but that spending has decreased considerably since the states legal cannabis market opened.

Fine Fettle, for example, which runs nine cannabis dispensaries selling both medical and recreational cannabis products, has spent $465,284 since 2019 on lobbyists in Hartford. Owner Ben Zachs said that was not very much, averaging less than $62,000 per legislative session.

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I think some people are going to see that number and say, Holy crap, he said. Then you think about the breakdown of that annually, its really not a lot of spending.

Theraplant, which was the first legal cannabis company in the state, has spent more on lobbyists than any other cannabis company, a total of $1.7 million since 2019. Theraplant was sold to Greenrose Holding in 2021, and then to a company called DXR in 2023.

Lobbyists are, essentially, professional advocates. When a company or an organization wants to promote an issue, or get a bill passed or killed, paid lobbyists are the individuals who advocate for that position on behalf of the organization, speaking directly with lawmakers.

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Behind Theraplant is Curaleaf, among the largest cannabis companies in the United States, which spent a total of $1 million since 2019.

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Fine Fettle, Curaleaf and Theraplant, like other cannabis license holders in Connecticut, has spent considerably less on lobbyists in recent years. Between 2025 and 2026, all cannabis license holders and their subsidiaries spent a total of $743,408, down from $2.6 million, the peak of lobbyist spending in 2021 and 2022. That's a decline in spending of about two-thirds, or 71%.

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Spending in 2025 and 2026  the Connecticut Office of State Ethics publishes lobbyist spending in biannual increments  decreased by $1 million since 2024.

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That makes sense, according to Adam Wood, president and founder of the Connecticut Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, The law that legalized the recreational use of cannabis and created the states recreational cannabis marketplace was signed by Gov. Ned Lamont on June 22, 2021.

There were lots of different sorts of stakeholder positions that were trying to influence that piece of legislation, and different stakeholders included industry participants in other states who were looking to enter the Connecticut market, Wood said.

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Once the law was signed, that narrowed the scope of what the industry would look like for the next few years, he said.

This year, the industry has focused on increasing the state-defined caps on cannabis potency, which would make it more difficult to sell unlicensed cannabis derivatives in smoke shops, and to create new license types, which would make it easier for smaller companies to enter the market. As in previous years, not all of those changes would benefit every cannabis operator.

Each year lawmakers looked at the evolving marketplace and made some changes, and some of those changes were beneficial to newcomers, and some of those changes were not as beneficial to newcomers, Wood said.

Virtual access

House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford, said he sees the lobbying process as a way to obtain information.

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They are paid here to do a job and to represent the interest of their client. That doesnt mean that they dont bring good information to us as lawmakers that we should consider when were passing legislation, he said. Sometimes youre going to disappoint the lobbyists. Sometimes youre going to make them happy because you agree with them on an issue.

Lobbying, Rojas said, is about access  and cannabis companies and their owners in Connecticut are, for the most part, considered state contractors and so are barred from making individual contributions. That means lobbying is one of the few avenues available for government relations work.

Rojas said he been working with the same lobbyists for years, but in 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued across the world, that access was curtailed. Much of the work of government was handled remotely.

I dont know if we would have had legalization passed if they were in the building, he said. Because they werent in the building, we were actually able to move forward with something that we may not have been able to if they were in the building.

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Rojas, when the bill was signed in 2021, joked that lawmakers would be tweaking it for the next decade  and Zachs agreed. He said, People are spending less because people are candidly like, Yes, the big win is done.

The industry has matured, and the goals have shifted from structural to refinement; Zachs said competing interests have become more aligned. Where the goal in 2021 was building something that didnt exist, the goals in 2026 were much smaller, including tax law changes and testing guidelines.

The state Department of Consumer Protection has been testing cannabis products in their final form, which meant shipments of completed and packaged products, rather than the raw material that made them, could be thrown out.

And cannabis products are taxed at different levels based on their potency. Lawmakers, at the industrys urging, have considered changing that to a flat tax, which retailers hope will bring down prices and help businesses in Connecticut be more competitive with those elsewhere.

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This year, the industrys really aligned on the things we hope to get done, which is tax reform, which is changes to some of these testing rules that we have, he said.

Zachs also said there were perhaps unreasonable expectations of the potential profit before the industry began. As the reality has begun to settle, cannabis companies are forced to make spending decisions.

Rather than the cash cow many investors thought cannabis might be, according to state data, sales have largely remained steady, going from $16.2 million in recreational sales in February 2025 to $17.2 million in February 2026, about where it was in December 2023 despite a significant increase in the number of legal retail outlets in the state.

People arent making nearly as much money as they thought, Zachs said. What gets cut? This work, this government affairs work.

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Nonetheless, Connecticuts cannabis industry is highly regulated, Wood said, which means there will continue to be lobbyists in Connecticuts Capitol.

Many of these firms are startups. They have different approaches, just like tech startups. Some see that they may need to invest in government relations. Some dont, he said.

This industry, unlike really any other, has these huge hurdles and barriers to entry, like access to capital, Wood said. Whether you are a multistate operator or a social equity applicant, those hurdles to capital are major hurdles. Because of cannabis being a scheduled substance, theres a banking consideration, and then theres also a lending consideration that are separate and both challenging.
James Ortiz attends the World Premiere of Project Hail Mary at Cineworld Leicester Square on March 09, 2026 in London, England.. The film is exclusively in cinemas on 19 March 2026. Kate Green/Kate Green/Getty Images for Sony

Before puppeteer James Ortiz brought to life a lovable alien in Ryan Gosling's latest film, he was helping bring the bloodthirsty Dracula to life at a Connecticut theater.

Ortiz stars in the recently released sci-fi adventure film "Project Hail Mary," which follows a science teacher who wakes up alone on a spaceship. Ortiz serves as the puppeteer and voice of Rocky, a friendly spider-like alien that Ryland Grace (Gosling's character) meets in deep space. He led a team of four to seven additional puppeteers to help control the character as well, according to IMDb. The movie is based on a novel of the same name by author Andy Weir.

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While Ortiz is based in New York City, he has ties to Connecticut theater. He was the 2017 Eugene O'Neill residency recipient, according to his website. The award gives artists rehearsal space, room and board and support at Waterford's Eugene O'Neill Theater for between two and three weeks. During his residency, the puppeteer helped bring "Bram Stokers Dracula" to life at the theater, through direction and working with large puppets of Dracula, the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center posted to its Facebook page.

He took his talents to Hartford Stages production of the musical comedy "Kiss My Aztec!" in 2022, according to the theater's website. He worked as a puppet designer for the show, which is set in the 16th century and follows a group of Aztecs who lead the resistance against Spanish invaders.

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Ortiz also worked on shadow puppet design for the Yale Repertory Theatre's world premiere showing of "El Huracan in 2018, according to The Sol Project. The play focuses on "family and forgiveness" and follows a mother, daughter and abuela as a hurricane threatens Miami, according to YaleNews.
Andrew DaRosa is a SPJ award-winning journalist who has worked at Hearst Connecticut Media Group since 2018. He currently works as a Senior Audience Producer and a Trending Reporter for CT Insider and also runs the SEEN section.

He can often be found covering Connecticuts expanding music scene, supposedly haunted sites around the state or keeping track of big winners in the Connecticut Lottery. He has been at the forefront of multiple music-related stories around Connecticut, including the Sound On Sound music festival. With a passion for music, over the past decade, Andrew has interviewed members of Judas Priest, Goose, The National, Trey Anatasio Band, The Head and the Heart and Maren Morris.

Originally from Massachusetts, Andrew graduated from Fairfield University in 2018 with a degree in digital journalism. Since working for Hearst Connecticut, Andrew has become a four-time winner of Connecticut Society of Professional Journalism awards for his coverage of Connecticut band Goose, hiking the state and his human interest stories.

When he isnt writing about Ed and Lorraine Warren or jam bands, Andrew can be found going to concerts with his wife or hanging out with his cat, Spud.
A file photo of a police lights. An official said a person found burned in Brooklyn last week died. Courtesy of Connecticut State Police

BROOKLYN  A person found seriously burned on Cliff Street in Brooklyn last week died, despite first responders' efforts to save them, an official said.

The person died sometime Friday, after they had been found around 10:15 a.m. that day seriously injured, East Brooklyn Fire Chief Bill Skene said.

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Skene said firefighters responded to a medical call and LifeStar flew the victim to a Rhode Island hospital.

Connecticut State Police on Monday were unable to confirm the person had died, but did say the incident remained under investigation. The agency said bystanders helped put out the fire and the victim had sustained only "suspected non-life-threatening injuries."
Community organizer AJ Johnson speaks to the adults who came to welcome the students giving them a rousing reception on the first day of school at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, in Hartford. The pastor, an anti-crime activist in the capital city, was charged on April 2, 2026 with breaking two motor vehicle laws. Jim Michaud / Hearst Connecticut Media The Rev. A.J. Johnson speaks in Hartford at a March 12, 2026 news conference about recent deadly shootings by police. Johnson, a loud voice against crime in the capital city, was accused of one himself earlier this month. Christine Dempsey/Hearst Connecticut Media

HARTFORD  One of the leading voices against crime in Hartford is now accused of one after driving an uninsured pickup into a car and then leaving the scene, a police report shows.

The Rev. AJ Johnson, whose formal first name is Ashley, was given a misdemeanor summons April 2 for evading responsibility and illegal operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance, state records show.

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According to a report obtained by CT Insider, nobody was injured in the April 1 accident involving Johnson's pickup truck and a car that was parked at a city hall parking garage. Johnson backed a Chevrolet Avalanche out of a space next to a Toyota Camry, striking the Camry's front bumper on the passenger side and leaving it visibly damaged and no longer intact, the report said.

Johnson continued backing up and repositioned in a parking space directly across from the Camry, it said. He got out of the pickup and appeared to inspect the Camry for damage before walking out of the parking garage toward Arch Street and into city hall, surveillance footage showed, according to the report.

He returned about 20 minutes later, got into the truck and left, it said.

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When an officer called Johnson, he said he was the pickup driver and he admitted to making contact with a Toyota Camry, the report said. Ashley Johnson further admitted that he did not have insurance for the vehicle at the time of the incident, the report said.

He stated he did not report the incident to police because he was unaware that there was significant damage, the report said.

Johnson, who could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon, is director of neighborhood organizing for the Center for Leadership & Justice, which organizes city church leaders to work together for "systemic change toward social, racial and economic justice," its website says. Johnson also is pastor of the Urban Hope Refuge Church in Hartford's North End and a leader of the North Hartford Public Safety Coalition, one of many community groups that condemned the recent deadly shootings of two armed Black men with reported mental illness by police. He organized a news conference at the scene of the most recent shooting death on Blue Hills Avenue.

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The coalition hosted a Public Safety Summit Thursday evening, and on the agenda were the following topics: Building a Safe & Decent Community This Summer and Beyond and What Weve Accomplished, What Were Building, What Comes Next.
Alder Troy Streater takes home a souvenir brick after a press conference commemorating the start of demolition and remediation of the last contaminated tract at New Havens Science Park in New Haven, Conn., Monday, July 21, 2025. Dave Zajac/Hearst Connecticut Media

NEW HAVEN  The state's claims commissioner found that a city alder who spent 23 years in prison for a homicide he has consistently maintained he did not commit should receive a $5.75 million award for wrongful incarceration.

In a seven-page Feb. 10 decision, Claims Commissioner Robert F. Shea, Jr. found that Ward 21 Alder Maceo "Troy" Streater was wrongfully incarcerated and should receive $5.752 million from the State Comptrollers Adjudicated Claims Fund, and an allowance of $136,272 for tuition costs should Streater pursue higher education.

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According to the claims commissioner, Streater was incarcerated for 8,394 days between 1993 and 2017.

I did want my name cleared because I did decades for something I did not do and would not do, Streater said Wednesday. I think it's vindication and showing what I was saying back in the 90s is accurate and the truth is that I was an innocent man.

In 1993, when he was 26, Streater was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the May 8, 1990 shooting death of 19-year-old Terrance Gamble following a second trial when the first led to a hung jury.

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The jury that found Streater guilty made its decision on the strength of witness testimony, all of which was later recanted.

"Back at that timeframe there was a lot of corruption going on, a lot of people being unjustly arrested and accused and prosecuted for things they didnt do, Streater said of the New Haven police in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I'm just glad the light is being shed on that and people are seeing a lot of times you hear someone say they're innocent and they didnt do it and people dont believe it, but I was arrested, prosecuted and convicted without a scintilla of evidence, because I didnt do the crime."

In April 2022, the Connecticut Board of Pardons and Parole issued Streater an "complete, absolute and unconditional" pardon. At that hearing, Streater maintained his innocence. However, when the three-member panel verbally voted to grant the pardon, they made no on-the-record comments about Streater's innocence, which Shea noted could have implications for whether Streater is eligible for an award.

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Ultimately, Shea reasoned in his finding that, because the board accepted Streater's claim of innocence without challenging it, the pardon was consistent with a finding of innocence. Following the claims commissioner's finding, the General Assembly's Judiciary Committee must vote on whether to approve the award with 45 days.

On Wednesday, the committee voted to review Streater's claim.

Streater's attorney Alex Taubes said the jury's guilty verdict in 1993 was a "catastrophe" that ruined Streater's life and took him away from his community and family before his release in 2017.

"In the short time he's free he's been elected to the Board of Alders and serves overnight shifts with a homelessness nonprofit," Taubes said. It raises serious questions about what he couldve done had he not had that time taken away.

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Streater now serves on the aldermanic public safety committee, where he says it's important to him to keep a critical eye on police accountability and transparency.
The North Haven Police Department in a file photo. Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media North Haven police are asking for the publics help to identify a driver who may have been involved in a fatal crash on Washington Avenue last month Courtesy of the North Haven Police Department North Haven police are asking for the publics help to identify a driver who may have been involved in a fatal crash on Washington Avenue last month Courtesy of the North Haven Police Department

NORTH HAVEN  Police in North Haven are asking for the publics help to identify a driver who may have been involved in a fatal motorcycle crash on Washington Avenue last month.

The crash took place March 27 in the 100 block of Washington Avenue, according to a news release Monday by the North Haven Police Department.

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Police Chief Andrew Stavrides identified the person who was killed as Gregg Smith, 70, of North Haven.

In the release, police said investigators canvassed the surrounding area and obtained video footage that captured a vehicle that may have contributed to the crash.

Still images from the footage appear to show a gray or silver pickup truck. Police said the identifying information, including the license plate and the driver, remain unknown.

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The department urged anyone who recognizes the vehicle or may have information about the deadly crash to contact investigators.

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We recognize that the video images are of poor quality; however, even the smallest detail could be critical to this investigation, police said.

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Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard his flight bound for Algiers Houari Boumediene International Airport on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the start of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. (Alberto Pizzoli/Pool Photo via AP) Alberto Pizzoli/AP President Donald Trump speaks with reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, April 12, 2026, after he returned from Miami. Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard his flight bound for Algiers Houari Boumediene International Airport on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the start of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. (Alberto Pizzoli/Pool Photo via AP) Alberto Pizzoli/AP Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard his flight bound for Algiers Houari Boumediene International Airport on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the start of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. (Alberto Pizzoli/Pool Photo via AP) Alberto Pizzoli/AP

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump refused to apologize to Pope Leo XIV on Monday after criticizing the pontiff for his opposition to the war in Iran  and he sought to explain away a now-deleted social media post depicting himself as Jesus by saying he had thought the image was of him as a doctor.

Trump was asked about his comments toward the U.S.-born head of the Catholic Church, as well as the post depicting himself as a saint-like healer, in a hastily called question-and-answer session with reporters at the White House.

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He was very much against what Im doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result, Trump said, adding, I think hes very weak on crime and other things, so Im not going to apologize.

He went public," the Republican president added. "Im just responding to Pope Leo.

That response followed Leo pushing back on Trumps broadside against him the previous evening, telling reporters that the Vaticans appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel and that he doesnt fear the Trump administration.

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To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is, Leo told The Associated Press aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria. And Im sorry to hear that, but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.

The back-and-forth between the world's two most influential Americans served to deepen a burgeoning schism as the U.S. war in Iran stretched into its seventh week.

Historys first U.S.-born pope stressed that he was not making a direct attack against Trump or anyone else with his general appeal for peace and criticisms of the Iran war and other conflicts around the world.

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Im not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for," said Leo, who said he had a different perspective on foreign policy than elected officials.

I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems, he said.

Trump speaks to his much-criticized social media post

The image posted by the president Sunday night showed Trump wearing a biblical-style robe and laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers  while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly. The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images.

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I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with the Red Cross, Trump said. Its supposed to me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. A lot better.

He blamed the fake news for any confusion over the image, though it drew criticism from a wide range of people, including some of Trump's own evangelical supporters, who objected to the notion that Trump was likening himself to Christ. Even Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, assailed the desecration of Jesus" while also speaking up to defend the pope.

The post was deleted from Trump's account late Monday morning. Trump didn't provide details on how that happened.

Trump had charged that Leo is not doing a very good job

The president criticized the pope in a lengthy social media post while flying back to Washington from Florida on Sunday night. He kept up the denunciation after deplaning, telling reporters, Im not a fan of Pope Leo."

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Leo said Saturday during an evening prayer service at St. Peters Basilica that a delusion of omnipotence was fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. The comments came the same day that the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire.

The talks were being led on the U.S. side by Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic who recently released a book about his faith. Asked about Trump's post depicting himself as Jesus on Monday evening, Vance told Fox News Channel that it was a joke and said its a good thing that Trump likes to mix it up on social media and is not filtered.

Of course, he took it down because he realized a lot of people werent understanding his humor, Vance said of the post.

The pope's Saturday criticisms meanwhile, followed him earlier naming Trump directly and expressed optimism that the president would seek an off-ramp in Iran. An even stronger condemnation came after Trump warned of mass strikes against Iranian power plants and infrastructure, writing on social media that an entire civilization will die tonight. Leo described that as a threat against the entire people of Iran and said it was truly unacceptable.

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While its not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross purposes, its exceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticize a U.S. leader  and Trumps stinging response is equally uncommon.

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy, the president wrote in his post, adding, I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."

Leo's opposition to war irked Trump

Leo, who began an 11-day trip to Africa on Monday, has previously said that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them. He's also referred to an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that even though you make many prayers, I will not listen  your hands are full of blood.

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Still, in his comments on Monday, as in his Sunday night social media post, Trump went far beyond the war in Iran in criticizing Leo.

I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do." His post also claimed that Leo was only elected pontiff because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican, Trump wrote, adding, Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. Its hurting him very badly and, more importantly, its hurting the Catholic Church!

In his comments to reporters after stepping off Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said of Leo, I dont think hes doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess, adding, Hes a very liberal person.

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Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also said he was disheartened by Trumps comments.

Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician," Coakley said in a statement. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.

___

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Incoming freshmen at Western Connecticut State University take part in the Entering the Gates Ceremony on campus on Aug. 22, 2025, in Danbury, Conn. WestConn officials say they have increased student enrollment and first-year retention by offering more financial aid and expanding support for students. H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media Incoming freshmen at Western Connecticut State University take part in the Entering the Gates Ceremony on campus on Friday, August 22, 2025, in Danbury, Conn. WestConn officials say they have increased student enrollment and first-year retention by offering more financial aid and expanding support for students. H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media Western Connecticut University President Jesse M. Bernal welcomes incoming freshmen during the Entering the Gates Ceremony on campus on August 22, 2025, in Danbury, Conn. WestConn officials say they have increased student enrollment and first-year retention by offering more financial aid and expanding support for students. H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media Officials at Western Connecticut State University say they have increased student enrollment and first-year retention by offering more financial aid and expanding support for students. H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media

DANBURY  Silas Creaven is the first member of his immediate family to go to college.

The 18-year-old from Waterbury is nearing the end of his first year at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, where hes majoring in accounting.

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Financially speaking, WestConn was the best choice for him, he said. Creaven received a financial aid package that included a merit-based scholarship based on his high marks in high school.

Creaven also wanted to live on campus, and the universitys offer provided the most affordable option for dorm living as well.

He is one of a growing number of students benefiting from WestConns efforts to recruit more students through more competitive financial aid. Its part of an overall effort that contributed to a second straight year of enrollment growth for the university  rebounding after several years of decline.

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University reports show WestConn enrolled 4,573 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students last fall.

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That total, which includes all students enrolled in credit-earning courses but not the students taking noncredit courses for certificates, is an increase of over 400 students compared to WestConns enrollment in the fall of 2023. That semester, there were 4,137 students, the lowest fall enrollment over the past decade.

Overall, last falls enrollment total was about 2.5% stronger than university officials had previously forecast.

The rising enrollment comes with another upward trend: More first-year students returned to WestConn for a second year, with a 6% increase in retention of those students.

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The secret sauce

University leaders attributed the growth in part to the additional aid as well as other efforts to retain first-year students.

That is like the secret sauce, right? That is really the magic that every institution tries to acquire, said Melissa Stephens, WestConns associate dean of enrollment management and financial aid.

Finances are the driver for students and their families in deciding to attend WestConn, Stephens said.

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So the university tried to pair affordability and access in a way that was fully transparent, she said. WestConn made other enhancements to help incoming students accurately calculate their costs to attend after financial aid.

So theres been a lot of work in this space, Stephens said.

Current tuition for Connecticut students and those from New York and New Jersey is $13,401 per year, while tuition for out-of-state and international students is $16,901.

One scholarship that is offered, the Presidential Merit Scholarship, covers the annual base in-state tuition for four years. Students must maintain a 3.2 grade point average per term to keep their scholarship eligibility. The universitys previous merit-based model was conservative and extremely limited, Stephens said.

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There was a very small sector of our students that were able to access that, simply because of the resources that were not paired with it, she said.

The university launched that effort in 2023, when enrollment reached its lowest level in a decade.

At the same time, WestConn leaders sought to reward incoming students for their previous academic achievements.

So students know that we recognize what they bring to the table and how they can contribute to our university and our community, as well as our state, Stephens said.

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The university enrolls students with high financial need as well as high academic performers  and wants to fully serve both, she said.

And so we developed a model that did both things, Stephens said. Now we have students who receive merit-based aid and need-based aid, and combined, it makes a really competitive package.

Now the university is more able to compete for and recruit academically high-performing students, Stephens said.

The university has also increased its investment in dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment courses, which target high school students, Stephens said.

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Some of those courses are high school classes that count for college credits, and others are college courses taught by WestConn faculty that students take on campus.

Both of those numbers contribute to our overall enrollment, Stephens said.

Changing how the university is perceived

At the same time, WestConns leaders are trying to change the way the university is perceived, said its new president, Jesse M. Bernal, who began last summer.

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The perception were trying to change is that WestConn is a fallback school, the local large community college, which I think has been the narrative locally, Bernal said.

We have such high-performing and high-quality faculty and programs, nationally ranked programs, and faculty doing research around the world. Theyre attracting students who are academically excelling in high school, he said.

The universitys business programs are seeing the largest growth, Bernal said, with enrollment recovering to pre-COVID numbers.

At the same time, WestConn is focusing on its programming, meeting with local businesses to hear what the greater Danbury community needs, Bernal said.

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Were working with some local employers to customize programs that they may need, and looking at what Connecticut needs and our health sciences to be able to expand more specialized programs in that area, he said, citing telehealth as an example of a real need that currently lacks in training.

So were working with our nursing faculty to think through some of those things, Bernal said.

All in on retention

The efforts appear to be having an impact. Last falls class of 862 first-year students was WestConns largest since 2018, according to university figures. That is an increase of 150 first-year students than during the same period in 2023.

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But the universitys overall enrollment total of 4,573 last fall was still far lower, more than 20% lower, than its enrollment nearly a decade ago. In the fall of 2016, WestConn enrolled a total of 5,721 undergraduate and graduate students.

As they look to maintain its overall growth, leaders are going all in on retention, Bernal said. The easiest way to maintain an increased enrollment is to keep the student here whos already here.

So the university is focused on what Bernal referred to as wraparound supports.

Were looking at things like, are we offering courses in the right sequence to ensure that students can graduate in four years? Are we embedding tutors in courses where there is high drop, failure, withdrawal rates? he said. Can we redesign those courses?

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As the university bolsters such efforts, students such as Creaven are focused on their individual paths.

His plan is to become an accountant, just like his uncle, who he said he always leaned on for advice.

Obviously it can change over the next four years, but right now that is my plan, said Creaven, who said he is thankful for the merit scholarship he got from WestConn.

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Gov. Ned Lamont's announced Monday, April 13, 2026, it agreed to a deal with a coalition representing 45,000 state employees. The four-year deal includes 2.5% raises over the first three years. Jim Michaud/Hearst Connecticut Media Makenzi Hurtado, president of the State Vocational Federation of Teachers, led 550 state employees in a rally for new contracts last month in the State Capitol complex. On Monday, the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition announced new pay deals for 45,000 state workers. Ken Dixon/Hearst Connecticut Media

HARTFORD  The State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition, representing 45,000 workers across most state government agencies, on Monday announced a four-year contract deal with 2.5% pay raises during the first three years.

The contract, for all state workers except for state police, was negotiated over nearly a year with Gov. Ned Lamonts staff and next goes to the House and Senate for ratification. The fourth year of the contract includes a reopening clause for the next contract.

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The contracts expired July 1, 2025. While Lamont said in January that a new contract was close, last month, about 550 state workers rallied in the Legislative Office Building to press for a finalized wage package. Contracts for health benefits expired after June 30, 2027.

As recruitment and retention challenges have intensified across the public safety sector, our members have remained unwavering in their commitment. Each day, our members answer the call to serve  standing ready at a moments notice to protect the lives, property, and well-being of every resident and visitor in Connecticut, said Dan Starvish, president of the International Association of Firefighters Local S-15, State of CT Fire Fighters, in a morning statement.

This contract represents a meaningful investment and while it marks important progress, it is not the end of the work, Starvish said. Addressing ongoing recruitment and retention challenges remains essential to ensuring the long-term strength and effectiveness of Connecticuts public safety workforce.

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The state employees covered by the contract "keep us safe, maintain our roads, educate students, protect our environment and deliver assistance to our most vulnerable residents, Lamont said in a statement Monday.

This agreement recognizes their dedication, supports retention and recruitment, and delivers a fair deal for taxpayers. I urge the General Assembly to act quickly to approve this agreement and deliver these reasonable wage increases to our state employees, he said.

The wage contracts were tentatively agreed upon over the past few weeks and ratified by the respective unions, Lamont said.

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Every day, state workers keep Connecticut running, protecting the publics safety, caring for vulnerable residents, supporting students and families, maintaining our roads and infrastructure, and delivering the essential services our communities rely on, said Jody Barr, executive director of AFSCME Council 4. Protecting our states excellent public services begins with supporting the selfless public servants who provide them.

Travis Woodward, Department of Transportation supervising engineer and president of Connecticut State Employees Association SEIU Local 2001, emphasized the need for the contract.

Every day state employees show up to keep our roads maintained, schools resourced, and communities and environment safe, even while chaos in Washington unfolds, Woodward said. These contracts represent a reasonable step toward the recruitment, retention and reinvestment needs of our public services.

Makenzi Hurtado, president of the State Vocational Federation of Teachers, AFT Local 4200A, prasied the work of the union members.

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When my father immigrated to the United States at the age of 21, he enrolled in night school at Kaynor Tech in their electrical classes, a program taught by state employees like me, so that he would have a career that could support his growing family, said Hurtado. Now 45 years later, our public services still create opportunities for workers to support their families. Fair and honorable contracts like these ensure this important work can continue.
The Town of Greenwich, Conn., photographed on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media President Donald Trump speaks in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2026, during the World Economic Forum. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Two Connecticut towns are cited as examples of "wasteful" spending in President Donald Trump's proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year, part of his administration's efforts to justify billions of dollars in cuts to non-defense expenditures.

Greenwich is mentioned as a recipient of a Community Development Block Grant, which Trump seeks to reduce by $3.3 billion.

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"The Town of Greenwich in Connecticuts famously affluent 'Gold Coast' received nearly $4 million in CDBG funding in the last five years and spent it on wasteful projects such as theater arts programming and swimming pool renovations," the budget request says.

The popular grant program, according to Trump's budget, "has been used for many projects that the Federal Government should not be funding."

Trump is a former Greenwich resident.

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A spokesperson said Greenwich town officials were not available to discuss the Trump administration proposal Friday.

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Another section of the budget request mentions "$1.6 million for a grant to Waterford, Connecticut, to renovate a theater," which the administration calls a "wasteful earmark" that helps justify $659 million in proposed cuts to funds for local and state governments and non-profits.

"What was historically a program providing low-cost credit to rural communities has morphed into a pork-barrel spending program for wasteful earmarks to areas that are arguably the least in need," the budget says.

The line about Waterford appears to reference the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, a historic facility there that received an earmark earlier this year for renovations to its campus. The Eugene ONeill Theatre did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

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The mention of two Connecticut towns in Trump's 2027 budget request was first reported by the Connecticut Mirror. Greenwich was cited in a similar context in the President's 2026 budget proposal but ultimately retained its Community Development Block Grant in the spending bills passed through Congress.

The federal Office of Budget and Management, which prepared Trump's budget request, did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Trump's budget, which must be negotiated with Congress, calls for a steep increase in defense spending, offset by 10% cuts across all other federal expenditures. Trump, speaking ahead of an address to the nation this week about the Iran war, signaled the military is his priority, setting up a clash ahead in Congress.

Throughout the budget request, the Trump administration cites examples of what it considers wasteful spending, mostly in Democratic-leaning states.

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The presidents annual budget is considered a reflection of the administrations values and does not carry the force of law. The massive document typically highlights an administrations priorities, but Congress, which handles federal spending issues, is free to reject it and often does.

The Community Development Block Grant program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a decades-old initiative that supports economic development in hundreds of communities nationwide, including numerous in Connecticut.

Earmarks such as the one allocated to the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center are a common way for Congresspeople from both parties to send money to their districts for initiatives they deem important.

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A worker puts up a sign on the fence that surrounds the Meta data center construction site in Holly Ridge, La., Tuesday, March 10, 2026. (Photo by Sophia Germer, The Times-Picayune)
Comedy legend John Cleese is set to attend the opening night of Fawlty Towers in Torquay, bringing the show back to the town that inspired the iconic sitcom.

The co-creator and original Basil Fawlty will be in the audience at the Princess Theatre next week as the stage adaptation arrives on the English Riviera, adding a major moment for fans and a special homecoming for the production.

Fans are in for a special treat as Fawlty Towers arrives in Torquay next week, with Cleese expected to attend the opening night.

The iconic sitcom, first broadcast in the 1970s, has been adapted for the stage by Cleese himself and will run at the Princess Theatre from April 14 to 18 as part of a UK tour.

The brand-new production brings together some of the shows most famous episodes into a live theatre experience, marking nearly 50 years since Fawlty Towers first aired.

Excitement around the Torquay dates has grown further with news that Cleese, who famously created and starred as Basil Fawlty, is set to be in the audience for opening night. His appearance adds a special connection to the town, which inspired the original series after his stay at the former Gleneagles Hotel.

The show has already enjoyed major success following a sold-out West End run and is expected to draw large crowds during its short stay on the English Riviera.

Set in a chaotic seaside hotel, Fawlty Towers became one of Britains most celebrated comedies, known for its sharp writing, unforgettable characters and farcical storylines.

Now, audiences in Torquay, the very place that inspired the original, will have the chance to see the story brought to life on stage, with the added excitement of its creator watching from the stalls on opening night.
Workers turning up to knock down a derelict Brixham toilet block found themselves at the centre of a noisy protest.

Police were called at one point as locals got inside the fences at the Furzeham toilets and chanted Dont Knock The Block! in a bid to save the crumbling building. They raised placards including one which read Save Brixhams Heritage.

The police did not need to intervene, and workers carried on putting up scaffolding and preparing to knock down the toilets, which have asbestos in the roof.

The protesters wanted the work stopped so that the block could be taken on as a cafe and information centre for a local project to open up a footpath on the route of the old Brixham branch railway line.

Local councillor Andrew Strang (Con, Furzeham with Summercombe) said the authority had come up with a compromise, telling the protesters that when the toilet came down, a concrete base would be retained, allowing a pop-up cafe to take its place in the future.

And the council explained that the building had been boarded up since at least 2006 and was structurally unsound.

The building has attracted vandalism, anti-social behaviour and rough sleeping, the council said in a statement. As the owners of the building we are able to undertake demolition works under permitted development rights, and our application submitted in March 2026 was duly approved.

But, the statement went on: We recognise that this site has attracted strong local opinions, and we remain committed to working with local partners to support the wider aspirations and longterm prosperity of the area.

Newly-elected Brixham town councillor Frances Robinson said the block would be perfect for a cafe, and had been offered out to tender by the council three years ago, at which point a local businessman had wanted to take it on.

Cllr Robinson said efforts to discuss the demolition with the council had failed. This matters to a lot of people, she said. The vast majority of people who responded to our poll want the building retained.

Hopefully they will call this off and do the sensible thing. so that we can actually all get round a table and sort out the future of this building. We want to retain it, save the council the cost of demolition, and put it back into public use.

Protesters said they were angry at the councils lack of consultation before going ahead with the demolition.

We are just tired of it, said Helen Allen. They just ride rough-shod over the people of Brixham. Anywhere else, this would be seen as the perfect location for a little cafe. Its what the local community wants.

Brixhams Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden also hit out at the council, saying: The planned demolition of the old toilet block shows how little the interests of Brixham factor into their decision-making.

For months the Brixham Railway Heritage Trail group has been trying to turn the block into a heritage information centre and coffee shop. It is vital we do all we can to support community projects like this which will benefit residents and visitors alike.

Unfortunately, this appears to be yet another decision taken by the Town Hall in Torquay without any meaningful consultation with local groups and residents in Brixham. It is a pattern we see all too often and it must stop.

But Torbay Councils deputy leader Chris Lewis (Con, Preston) said the old building was dangerous and not fit for purpose, and had to come down. Leaving it intact and handing it to the community, he said, would only have saddled local people with the same problems.

Its unsafe, he said. All the experts say the best thing to do is to demolish it. Well do the hard bit and get rid of the asbestos, then ask the community what they want on that site.

Someone has got to make the hard decisions, and we will do that if they are right for the community and for Torbay. We will leave behind a plinth and see if somebody wants to put a mobile block on it.
How Lee Zeldin Shifted the Mission  and the Message  of the E.P.A.

Lee Zeldin does not speak like any other Environmental Protection Agency administrator in recent history.

The job of the E.P.A. chief is to protect human health by safeguarding the air we breathe, the water we drink and land that grows our food, as the agencys founding charter puts it, and most administrators have talked about their work in those terms.

Mr. Zeldin, though, speaks more about supporting industry and exporting fossil fuels than about protecting the environment.

A New York Times analysis of thousands of public communications by E.P.A. administrators, including news releases, social media posts, television appearances and podcast interviews dating back three decades, shows that Mr. Zeldin has fundamentally shifted both the agencys mission and the words he uses to describe it to reflect President Trumps desire to maximize economic development and industrial activity while downplaying environmental consequences.

Lee Zeldins E.P.A. has a language of its own How often E.P.A. news releases mentioned these phrases in each presidential administration

If language is a window into policy priorities, Mr. Zeldins words speak loudly.

Mr. Zeldin is a champion of deregulation, and the agency now repeatedly mentions the need to cut red tape. He regularly notes the E.P.A.s core responsibility to ensure clean air and clean water, but he talks about safeguarding the environment less frequently than his predecessors.

Mr. Zeldin is the first agency head to talk about the economy more than pollution and American energy more than public health. He rarely mentions protecting children from environmental harms but talks frequently about protecting businesses and consumers from regulations.

More than any administrator since 1994, Mr. Zelin talks about fossil fuels in a positive light, routinely expounding upon clean, beautiful coal, a phrase that Mr. Trump has ordered officials to use.

Mr. Zeldin is under consideration as the next U.S. attorney general, and the president has called Mr. Zeldin our secret weapon, whom he counts on to get permits approved speedily.

Carolyn Holran, an E.P.A. spokeswoman, said in a statement that Mr. Zeldin talks frequently about the environmental actions he has undertaken and that the E.P.A. recently released a list of 500 of them.

We are delivering results, ensuring America has the cleanest air, land, and water in the world while simultaneously helping to grow the economy, Ms. Holran said.

The core mission of the EPA is protecting human health and the environment, and we are doing exactly that, without burdening American families and businesses with unnecessary regulatory costs that harm affordability, she added.

But critics, including former Republican E.P.A. administrators, said Mr. Zeldin is turning the agency into one they no longer recognize, prioritizing industry at the expense of public health and community safety.

It would be nice to hear him talk about health and the environment, said William K. Reilly, who served as administrator of the E.P.A. under the first President George Bush.

I think the language is a giveaway, Mr. Reilly said. The Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act are his charters, and they should provide the vocabulary that animates him. But they dont.

Throttling the oil and gas industry

Within hours of his Senate confirmation last year, Mr. Zeldin wrote on social media that he aimed to help Make America Prosperous Again. He laid out an agenda to unleash energy dominance, bring back American auto jobs, pursue permitting reform and make America the AI capital of the world.

He soon announced the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history, a plan to repeal or weaken some two dozen environmental protections, most implemented under the Biden administration. The policies, he said, were throttling the oil and gas industry or had shut down opportunities for American manufacturing.

Zeldins words The Trump E.P.A. has finalized the single largest act of deregulation in the history of the United States of America. More deregulation than entire federal governments, across all agencies, across entire presidencies, just at the E.P.A. Im pleased to make the largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history. not have E.P.A. regulations preventing you from protecting your people CSPAN Feb. 12 Fox News Aug. 31, 2025 EPA/YouTube March 12, 2025 CSPAN2 June 27, 2025 

Mr. Zeldins actions have matched his rhetoric: Over the past 14 months, Mr. Zeldin has overseen a systematic unraveling of climate change protections. He has enabled coal plants, steel mills, chemical facilities and mines to bypass environmental rules by sending an email requesting an exemption. And he blocked the agency from calculating the value of saving lives when calculating the costs of setting new pollution limits.

The overwhelmingly economic terms he has used to discuss the agencys mission are not how the Republican officials who created the E.P.A. envisioned its work.

President Richard M. Nixon established the E.P.A. in 1970 in response to public outrage over catastrophic oil spills, deadly air pollution and industrial waste setting rivers aflame. Its first administrator said that the agency would have no obligation to promote agriculture or commerce; only the critical obligation to protect and enhance the environment.

Mr. Zeldins E.P.A. has mentioned cutting red tape 199 times more often than that of his Democratic predecessor, Michael S. Regan, and 38 times more often than Mr. Trumps first E.P.A. chief, Scott Pruitt. E.P.A. news releases invoked the phrase when Mr. Zeldin vowed to make it easier to build data centers; proposed to stop requiring major industrial sites to report greenhouse gas emissions; and eliminated permitting requirements for incineration of woody debris, which he said could help prevent wildfires.

The E.P.A. under Mr. Zeldin also mentions the automobile industry more frequently than any of its predecessors since the 1990s. Mr. Zeldin has argued that deregulation will create auto jobs, and the agency has eliminated greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles. That repeal is projected to save automakers $54 billion, but the industry has lost jobs since Mr. Trump took office.

Ms. Holran, the E.P.A. spokeswoman, said Mr. Zeldin discusses the industry frequently because it is one of the most consequential sectors for both the American economy and the environment.

Mr. Zeldins supporters said the economy should be a top priority for every cabinet secretary.

Theres almost this insinuation that if hes not talking about regulating the environment that he must hate the environment, but those are not binary, said Drew Bond, the co-founder of C3 Solutions, a conservative-leaning clean energy think tank.

I know the environmental left doesnt like him, but I just keep coming back to the fact that we cant build stuff in the United States, so the more we can get red tape and regulations out of the way, we can build faster and were going to build cleaner, Mr. Bond said.

Unleashing American energy

Previous E.P.A. administrators have championed energy efficiency as a way to reduce pollution while saving money. Mr. Zeldin is more likely to skip calls for efficiency and promote fossil fuels, encapsulated in Mr. Trumps favorite phrase: energy dominance.

Zeldins words The E.P.A. under President Trump is part of the presidents National Energy Dominance Council. We have to unleash energy dominance in this country. well help unleash energy dominance helping to unleash energy dominance CSPAN Feb. 14 Fox News Aug. 31, 2025 Fox News July 26, 2025 CSPAN2 June 27, 2025 

Mr. Zeldin casts many of E.P.A.s policies in terms of furthering that goal.

The E.P.A. has delayed standards that aimed to limit leaching of heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury into water supplies from coal-ash dump sites; proposed ending greenhouse gas limits on coal and gas-fired power plants; and loosened Biden-era methane standards that he claimed were designed to regulate the oil and gas industry out of existence.

Mr. Zeldin described those actions as an effort to unleash American energy and maintained they didnt clash with the E.P.A.s mission of protecting the environment.

The war on beautiful clean coal is OVER!, Mr. Zeldin wrote on X last year. No longer will the U.S. be trying to regulate coal out of existence. This moment calls for more U.S. energy more jobs and less cost and we are so ready to meet this moment!

He has criticized renewable energy as insufficient to meet the intense appetite of artificial intelligence data centers.

Natural gas nuclear coal etc. cant be held back shouldnt be held back and at the Trump EPA WONT BE HELD BACK!, Mr. Zeldin wrote.

Visiting Japan last month, Mr. Zeldin declared the United States was eager to ink natural gas export deals with Indo-Pacific nations. A few weeks later at an energy conference in Houston, he noted that Irans closure of the Strait of Hormuz would likely increase the desire in Asia for U.S. gas.

I dont know what the secretary of Energy is doing, but most of these things are just way outside the E.P.A. administrators job description, said Christine Todd Whitman, a former Republican governor of New Jersey who led the E.P.A. under President George W. Bush. She has since left the Republican Party.

Its just staggering how far outside the parameters of what the agency is about he has taken it, Ms. Whitman said. He is completely undoing the mission of the E.P.A.

Local Pollution over Climate

Republicans and Democrats have always spoken differently about the job of environmental protection.

While the E.P.A. enjoyed bipartisan support after its creation, that began to fracture under President Ronald Reagan, who campaigned against government overreach. His first administrator, Anne B. Gorsuch, rolled back several clean air and water protections. Deregulatory sentiment among Republicans was even higher in Mr. Trumps first term, when he put Scott Pruitt, a fierce critic of the E.P.A.s work, in charge of it.

Democrats later came to view the E.P.A. as the primary agency for fighting the growing threat of climate change. With no specific laws from Congress to curb greenhouse gases, both the Obama and Biden administrations interpreted the Clean Air Act of 1970 in ways that allowed the E.P.A. to regulate, with increasing aggressiveness, planet-warming pollution from automobile tailpipes and power plant smokestacks.

Emissions from burning fossil fuels are the leading driver of climate change, which scientists say is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heatwaves and heavy precipitation, melting the worlds glaciers and ice sheets, and heightening the risk of severe wildfires. Republicans and industry leaders, however, have claimed that climate rules stifle the economy. Mr. Trump, who calls climate change a hoax, campaigned on ending them.

Mr. Zeldin rarely mentions climate change, other than to criticize climate zealots and to boast of repealing greenhouse gas regulations, as well as E.P.A.s authority to fight global warming.

Mr. Zeldin has taken specific steps to safeguard air and water. This month he announced that the agency would curb microplastics and pharmaceuticals in drinking water for millions of Americans. He signed an agreement with Mexico to address a sewage crisis in the Tijuana River and led a 28-day cleanup of hazardous material last year after wildfires tore through Los Angeles. His list of 500 environmental wins includes removing contamination at industrial sites in Maine, Boston and Florida.

In interviews, Mr. Zeldin tends to focus on local environmental remediation. Speaking in March with John Solomon, a conservative podcaster who called the Trump administrations climate repeals legendary, Mr. Zeldin described the E.P.A.s efforts to help repair a sewage line that collapsed, sending raw waste flowing into the Potomac River in Maryland.

He said the Trump administration just wants to get back to basics. And, he said, that includes easing commerce.

For us here at E.P.A., its protecting human health and the environment, which we know we could do while also growing the economy, Mr. Zeldin said.

Teresa Mondria Terol contributed to this story.
The leadership of the Irish Government has hit out at fuel-cost protesters who staged blockades of critical infrastructure across the country, as it tripled the size of its package of supports.

The 505 million euro in additional measures comes on top of and extends some of last months 250 million euro package in response to fuel costs.

Excise cuts on fuel, a delay in a planned increase of a carbon tax, and payments to affected industries  in which most of the protesters worked  were all announced as part of the response to the fuel crisis that emerged as a result of the war in Iran.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the Government would undertake a fundamental security review after protests which nearly calamitously endangered oil supply in the country by blockading critical infrastructure, including Irelands only oil refinery.

He told reporters on Sunday that the measures will be paid for by the existing surplus, but added that every item of spending would have consequences on Budget 2027.

He said: That is of concern as we announce these packages, but it has to be balanced with the fact there is undoubted pressure on people.

Pressed on whether this would mean running a smaller surplus, Mr Martin said it would depend on revenue and expenditure trends but conceded it would be larger without the announced measures.

He added: But we are facing an unprecedented crisis globally. If this war continues, volatility continues, that is something of concern to us in terms of the broader range of public services and expenditure we have to provide for.

Simon Harris, the countrys deputy premier and Finance Minister, said the developments are why the Government runs an economy that gives us fiscal buffers and a surplus.

Mr Martin denied that the bumper payments to the agricultural and transport sectors showed that the protest worked.

The Taoiseach said the Government had worked with representative bodies, describing the blockaders as not working in the best interests of the Irish people.

Mr Harris said what worked is the engagement with representative bodies.

On the protesters, he said there were extraordinarily frightening scenes when one spokesman suggested that wardens would access the medical needs of people attempting to pass blockades.

Mr Martin said the whole world had been coping with a dramatic and unexpected increase in oil prices  as well as oil shortages  as a result of the war in the Middle East.

He added that recent developments  which have included US president Donald Trump calling for a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and a breakdown of a ceasefire  were very volatile and not reassuring.

The Government defended its choice to exclude protesters from talks with established representative organisations.

The protesters began action on Tuesday and the last blockades were not cleared until Sunday.

Mr Martin said Government would review the latitude given to protesters in the early stages in terms of the overall security situation of the State.

The Taoiseach said nobody had a right to blockade the country, prevent the normal operation of emergency services, delay people going for cancer treatment, or to threaten the jobs and livelihoods of others.

He said the targeting of ports and depots represented a direct threat to basic supplies and would have impacted on every business and job in the country if not addressed.

He said: No-one should deny the fundamental right of freedom of mobility, of people, goods or services.

He added: The right to protest is important and critical, but it cannot operate with no limits and without any consideration of its impact on wider society and economy.

Mr Harris agreed, stating that Government could not be expected to reasonably or rationally engage with self-appointed spokespeople of unelected bodies and those who would instigate an illegal blockade of some of this countrys most critical infrastructure at a time of a global energy crisis.

He said the recent protests had been extremely concerning and profoundly damaging.

Asked about the response to clearing blockades which saw the use of pepper spray and some physical confrontations with protesters, Mr Martin said the police service An Garda Siochana gave plenty of warning and added that there would be no toleration of any attempts to restrict freedom of movement of people and goods.

He said there was an illogicality of the protest as it had endangered jobs and businesses.

The Government is also seeking flexibility from the European Union on the measures as it has gone below rules on minimum rates for diesel.

The reductions of excise duty will need approval of the countrys parliament  which is also due to vote on a motion of no confidence in the Government that will be brought by the largest opposition party in the country Sinn Fein in criticism of the coalitions handling of the crisis.

Mr Martin claimed that some TDs supporting a no-confidence vote were in agreement with the people blockading critical infrastructure and therefore not fit for Government.

Minister of State Sean Canney, who represents non-party TDs who supported Mr Martins Fianna Fail and Mr Harris Fine Gael in forming a coalition, said he could confirm that his fellow Government-aligned independents would express confidence in the vote.

He said: Were not in Government just for the fun of it. Were here to make a difference and to make sure that this Government, which is working well coherently, continues to do that.

Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said the measures fall far short, stating that it should have gone further on petrol and diesel cuts and scrapped excise on home heating oil.

He said: They only moved because of public pressure  and even then, they fell short.

The pressure must now intensify. We will bring forward our motion of no confidence in the government this week.

The Social Democrats said it would support the Sinn Fein motion, stating that the Government measures do not address wider cost of living challenges.

Deputy leader Cian OCallaghan said the Government failed to do anything to address skyrocketing costs of home heating oil which 700,000 households use.

It sought a targeted 400 euro energy credit and a mileage scheme for essential workers.

Labour finance spokesman Ged Nash said the Government was providing little comfort to workers while buying off what he described as narrow sectoral interests.

He said the Government had real explaining to do for 320,000 households in arrears on energy bills.

He added: The chaos of the last few days has seen this Governments authority drain away. The basic competence of individual ministers and this administration is now very much in question.

This is reason enough for Labour to support a planned motion of no confidence in this government.

Aontu leader Peadar Toibin said Government was in damage-limitation mode, describing the handling of protests as a fiasco factory.
It is a warning I have sounded for more than two decades now, in essays, lectures, and conversations with anyone willing to listen: the United States government has long been engaged in a quiet but persistent war against the Catholic Church. Not against all forms of Catholicism, to be sure. But against one particular expression of the faith, the one most faithful to its own deepest traditions, the one most dangerous to empire.

That war, I submit, has now entered a new and more openly confrontational phase under the administration of Donald Trump. Recent reports that the Vatican's ambassador was summoned to the Pentagon and subjected to threats over statements by Pope Leo XIV regarding U.S. policies in Iran, Venezuela, and immigration should not be dismissed as diplomatic routine. Even if the details remain partially obscured, the symbolism is unmistakable. Power is no longer content to operate quietly. It is now willing to bare its teeth.

For many American Catholics, such hostility may come as a surprise. They have either forgotten or never been told that this conflict has been unfolding for decades. Yet anyone familiar with the history of U.S. foreign policy in Latin America, or with the development of Catholic social teaching since the nineteenth century, will recognize the pattern immediately.

At the heart of the matter lies a fundamental contradiction. Catholicism, at its best, carries within itself a powerful critique of both capitalism and socialism, a critique rooted in the dignity of the human person and the demands of justice. This critique first found its modern expression in Rerum Novarum, issued by Pope Leo XIII in 1891. That encyclical insisted on just wages, safe working conditions, the right to organize, and the moral obligation to ensure that all have access to the basic necessities of life. It was neither socialist nor capitalist. It was something far more unsettling: a moral challenge to both systems.

Over the next century, that teaching was deepened and reiterated in a series of papal encyclicals and episcopal statements. Its most radical and historically consequential development came in 1968 at the Latin American bishops' conference in Medellin, Colombia. There, the bishops effectively endorsed what would come to be called liberation theology, a movement that insisted that faith cannot be separated from the struggle for justice, and that the Gospel demands a "preferential option for the poor."

Liberation theology did not emerge in a vacuum. It drew deeply from biblical traditions: the Exodus story of enslaved people liberated from imperial Egypt, the prophetic denunciations of injustice, and the life of Jesus himself, a poor artisan executed by the Roman Empire. It also took seriously the lived reality of Latin America, a region marked by extreme inequality and systemic poverty. Gustavo Gutierrez and others articulated a theology in which sin was not only personal but structural, embedded in unjust economic and political systems.

Such ideas were explosive. They suggested that the existing order was not merely imperfect but fundamentally unjust. They implied that true Christian discipleship might require radical transformation of that order. And they gave theological legitimacy to movements seeking such transformation.

It is here that the United States enters the story in a decisive way. As Noam Chomsky (see video above) and many others have pointed out, Washington perceived liberation theology as a threat, not simply because of its religious content but because of its political implications. It aligned the Church, or at least significant parts of it, with the poor and against entrenched economic and political elites. That alignment was intolerable in a region long considered part of the U.S. sphere of influence.

The response was brutal. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the United States supported military regimes, coups, and counterinsurgency campaigns across Latin America. Priests, nuns, catechists, and lay leaders associated with liberation theology were targeted. Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated while celebrating Mass. Six Jesuit priests were murdered in El Salvador. Thousands of church workers and activists were killed.

This was not incidental. It was systematic. Strategies such as the CIA-linked Banzer Plan explicitly aimed to suppress "left-wing" Catholic dissent, including liberation theology, through surveillance, intimidation, and violence. The message was clear: a Church that sides with the poor will be treated as an enemy.

At the same time, a parallel strategy was unfolding. The United States actively supported the growth of conservative evangelical movements throughout Latin America. These movements emphasized personal salvation, individual morality, and, increasingly, a "prosperity gospel" that equated wealth with divine favor. This theological orientation aligned far more comfortably with neoliberal economic policies and with the broader goals of U.S. foreign policy.

The result was a kind of theological counterinsurgency. Liberation theology, with its insistence on structural change, was marginalized and often repressed. In its place grew forms of Christianity that focused on personal piety and acceptance of existing social arrangements.

This brings us to the present moment, and to the figure of Donald Trump. What we are witnessing now is not an isolated conflict between a particular administration and the Vatican. It is the latest phase of a long-standing struggle between two fundamentally different visions of Christianity.

On the one hand is what we might call imperial Christianity. This is the Christianity of power, wealth, and national destiny. It blesses military interventions, justifies economic inequality, and often merges seamlessly with nationalist ideology. It is comfortable with empire because it identifies God's will with the success of the powerful.

On the other hand is the Christianity of the Gospel, the Christianity of liberation theology, the Christianity that insists that whatever you do to "the least of these," you do to Christ himself. This is a Christianity that stands with migrants at the border, with victims of war in places like Gaza and Tehran, with workers denied just wages, and with all those pushed to the margins by systems of exploitation.

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t Merge branch : 'a-series-of-minor-optimizations-of-the-bonding-module'
Arizonas Talking Stick Gearing Up for King of Mix Tournament Series at End of Month

Chad Holloway PR & Media Manager Copy link

Mixed game enthusiasts may want to mark their calendars for the end of April, heading into May, as Talking Stick Resort Casino in Arizona is hosting its King of Mix Poker Tournament Series, which comprises 17 numbered events.

Variants include your usual no-limit holdem and pot-limit Omaha tournaments, but also Badugi, Pineapple, Triple Draw Mix, a PLO Tag Team, and more.

The stop, which runs from April 25 to May 3, will culminate with a $1,500 buy-in King of Mix Main Event (10-Game Mix) from May 1-2.

Player of the Series

The 2026 King of Mix Series will feature a Player of the Series Points Challenge throughout the festival. Anyone who makes a final table will be awarded points based on the following:

1: ONE (1) POINT WILL BE AWARDED TO EACH PLAYER WHO MAKES THE FINAL TABLE IN EVENTS 1-17.

2. TWO (2) ADDITIONAL POINTS WILL BE AWARDED TO THE PLAYER WHO RECEIVES 3RD PLACE IN EVENTS 1-17.

3. THREE (3) ADDITIONAL POINTS WILL BE AWARDED TO THE PLAYER WHO RECEIVES 2ND PLACE IN EVENTS 1-17.

4: FIVE (5) ADDITIONAL POINTS WILL BE AWARDED TO THE PLAYER WHO RECEIVES 1ST PLACE IN EVENTS 1-17.

Whoever amasses the most points at the end of the series will win the prize pool, which will ultimately be determined by the overall turnout ($5 from every entry service fee will be allocated to the Player of the Series Points Challenge prize pool).

In the case of a tie, the player with the greatest number of total final tables will win. If a tie persists, the player with the highest average of only bonus points will win.

For those looking to play the King of Mix Series on the cheap, there are a pair of $130 Milestone Satellites into Event #3: $1,000 PLO. Heres the information on those satellites:

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This Is a Witch Hunt: Poker World Rallies Behind The Lodge After $2M Seizure

Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S. Copy link

Why are Texas authorities targeting The Lodge Card Club over illegal gambling allegations?

Doug Polk, co-owner of the Austin-area card room, initially referred to the March 10 raid as a "witch hunt." Many poker fans are now starting to come around to the notion after the state failed to charge the poker room's owners with a crime, but are still refusing to give the business the more than $2 million the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) seized in the raid.

"Lawmakers who create/ignore laws that allow legal theft should be exposed and campaigned against," @LeeRBagby commented.

The "legal theft" is in reference to the civil asset forfeiture filed in a Texas district court that permits the state to hold onto the money collected in the raid due to probable cause of The Lodge engaging in illegal gambling.

It is not required in a civil forfeiture case for authorities to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime has been committed to keep seized money. All they have to do is show probable cause to a judge, basically more than just mere suspicion of a crime but not necessarily enough evidence to get a conviction.

Legal Poker Room Theft?

Doug Polk, co-owner of The Lodge Card Club.

Last week's news seemed to bring the poker community together in support of a poker room that many argued has been unjustly targeted by the TABC. Even some poker players who aren't particularly fond of Polk are standing up against this "legal theft."

"It was a witch hunt, the state of Texas are absolute f*****g morons. Who works for the state of Texas that got their a** kicked at the Lodge?" @CallingYousOut asked.

"What a f*****g joke," Nick Palma, who has been on a heater lately, quote tweeted.

"Nothing like destroying a business and putting people out of work for no reason. Its a shakedown. They want a settlement and they will want to claim victory. Its also a message to the other clubs," @opmsu argues.

The Lodge Card Club, two weeks after the raid, made the decision to lay off nearly 200 employees due to the company's uncertain future. Although the poker club still can't retrieve its assets, a permanent closure still doesn't seem likely. But it's also unclear how long the legal process will last.

Many poker fans supporting The Lodge referred to civil forfeiture laws as "anti-American" and a "money grab," along with the legalized theft takes.

"Forfeiture and Seizure power must be obliterated, unless a criminal charge & conviction are obtained," @Kirk31614869 opines.

"This witch hunt is just another micro example of how poker is viewed in many countries," Los Angeles poker grinder Derek Kwan wrote, pushing for poker by lawmakers "like chess and or competitive video games."

Why is The Lodge Card Club Being Targeted?

An Austin poker player (@data_atx) trashed Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick for "selectively enforcing rules against poker," targeting The Lodge while permitting a World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) series to run later this month at TCH Social in the same county.

"This would normally be called armed robbery but because it's the government, it's fine," @SATX_Poker sarcastically wrote.

"No charges filed but Texas keeps the $2M. That's the most expensive rake in poker history," @PlusevT5133 joked.

"Government overreach at its peak. Hold the money regardless if they will charge the operation criminally or not. Why is every form of gambling legal except poker?" @GregJC17 asks.

The TABC initially went after The Lodge on suspicion of money laundering, organized crime, and illegal gambling. A civil forfeiture asset filing in a Williamson County district court indicated the DA is now only pursuing civil measures related to the illegal gambling allegations.

Many within the poker community are standing up in support of The Lodge Card Club and its owners, which includes Polk, Brad Owen, Andrew Neeme, and Jake Abdalla. And some are questioning why the dozens of other Texas poker rooms aren't facing the same legal scrutiny.

Editor's Note: The perspectives shared by those featured in this story belong to them alone and arent endorsed by PokerNews

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Part unused for decades, but ICE is there. What to know about Columbia federal complex for sale.
Nick Reynolds covers politics for the Post and Courier. A native of Central New York, he spent three-and-a-half years covering politics in Wyoming before joining the paper in late 2021. His work has appeared in outlets like Newsweek, Poynter, the Associated Press, and the Washington Post. He lives in Columbia.
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MANILA, Apr 10, 2026 - (ACN Newswire) - International ESG expert and sustainability strategist Matthias Gelber, widely known as The Greenman has been honored with the FAMAS Prestige Excellence Award in Global Environmental Sustainability. The award was presented at the 2nd FAMAS Prestige Awards held at The Manila Hotel on March 30, 2026.The accolade recognizes Gelbers career-long leadership in advancing environmental responsibility and climate action. The selection committee specifically highlighted his ability to bridge ESG principles with measurable business outcomes, demonstrating that sustainability can drive significant cost savings, productivity gains, and long-term value.Beyond his consultancy work, Gelber has made a global impact through Maleki GmbH, a German low-carbon green building materials company he co-founded. The companys innovations have already helped reduce carbon emissions by hundreds of thousands of tons and he supported the planting of over 100,000 trees across the Philippines, Malaysia, Germany, and South America.Gelbers commitment to the "human" side of sustainability is further reflected in his role as Co-Founder of IndoorCare. The ESG-driven platform focuses on indoor environmental quality and employee wellness, helping organizations translate green initiatives into better human and financial performance. Additionally, he serves as an International Ambassador for Dorod Group Berhad, where he supports innovation in urban food systems and climate-resilient infrastructure.With a speaking portfolio spanning over 40 countries, Gelber is recognized for helping organizations navigate complex frameworks such as IFRS S1 and S2, net-zero roadmaps, and ROI-driven ESG implementation.Building on this momentum, Gelber will deliver the Closing Keynote at the 18th Annual Global CSR & ESG Summit and Awards 2026 ( globalcsr.pinnaclegroup.global) . As a premier regional platform, the summitthemed AI, Energy & Transition: Resetting ESG in a New Economy brings together global leaders and innovators to redefine sustainability.His keynote, titled The Next Economy: AI, Carbon, Food Security & the Human Spirit, will highlight how organizations can integrate AI, decarbonization, and sustainable food systems to drive resilience and competitive advantage, all while staying grounded in human-centered leadership.A recognized thought leader, Gelber is also the author of The GreenMans Guide to Green Living and Working, where he provides practical strategies for individuals and organizations to weave sustainability into their daily operations. This latest FAMAS award further solidifies his role as a global leader in advancing ESG adoption and impactful climate solutions worldwide.About Matthias GelberMatthias Gelber is an international ESG expert, speaker, and advisor known as The GreenMan. He specializes in turning ESG into measurable ROI, supporting organizations in decarbonization, sustainability strategy, and AI-enabled ESG transformation.For more information visit greenmanspeaks.com or connect through LinkedIn.Media Contact:Email: matthiasgelber@ gmail.com
The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has issued updated guidelines on the reporting of regional electricity Transmission Loss Factors (TLF), as part of ongoing reforms to enhance transparency and efficiency in Nigerias power grid.

In a statement issued Monday, the commission said data from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) showed that the national average TLF declined from 8.71 per cent in 2024 to 7.24 per cent in 2025.

However, it noted that the figure still exceeds the 7 per cent benchmark approved under the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO).

NERC said the directive, contained in Order No. NERC/2026/026 dated 8 April 2026, establishes a formal framework for reporting transmission losses across regions operated by the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN).

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The commission said the order, which takes effect from 13 April 2026, is backed by provisions of the Electricity Act 2023, empowering it to regulate and monitor efficiency in the electricity market.

Key provisions

Under the new guidelines, NISO is required to install smart meters at all regional boundary interconnection points by December 2026 to ensure accurate measurement of energy flows.

The system operator is also mandated to measure and document energy flows through power transformers at transmission substations and submit quarterly regional TLF reports to the regulator.

In addition, NERC directed TCN to submit, by July 2026, a detailed action plan outlining measures to reduce transmission losses to within the approved 7 per cent benchmark.

The commission further set a stricter target, requiring that transmission losses across regions must not exceed 6.5 per cent by December 2026.

According to NERC, the order is designed to strengthen accountability in transmission operations and improve overall grid performance through structured and transparent loss reporting.

Sector challenges persist

The new directive comes amid longstanding challenges in Nigerias electricity sector, including weak infrastructure, frequent grid collapses, and persistent supply shortages.

Over the years, inadequate power supply has forced households and businesses to rely heavily on petrol and diesel generators, as well as solar alternatives, significantly increasing operating costs.

These costs are often passed on to consumers through higher prices of goods and services.

In a bid to address some of the sectors financial constraints, President Bola Tinubu recently approved a N3.3 trillion payment plan to settle longstanding debts under the Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme.

The presidency said the liabilities, accumulated between February 2015 and March 2025, were reviewed and verified before arriving at the final settlement figure.

READ ALSO: Electricity firm apologises for blackout in Abia community on Easter Day

Revenue losses deepen

Despite regulatory efforts, inefficiencies in revenue collection continue to weigh on the performance of the sector.

In its January fact sheet released last week, NERC reported a decline in the revenue recovery performance of Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).

According to the data, average revenue recovery efficiency dropped to 69.16 per cent in January 2026, from 72.31 per cent in 2025, representing a 3.15 percentage point decline.

Billing efficiency stood at 79.72 per cent, indicating that nearly one-fifth of electricity received was not billed, while collection efficiency was 76.34 per cent, showing that a significant portion of billed revenue remained unpaid.

In monetary terms, DisCos received electricity valued at N336.43 billion, billed N268.20 billion, and collected only N204.74 billionhighlighting a widening revenue gap and deepening liquidity challenges in the power sector.
A Paris court on Monday convicted French cement giant Lafarge and eight former executives of financing terrorism, ruling they paid jihadist groups millions to keep a Syrian plant running during the countrys civil war.

Former CEO Bruno Lafont was sentenced to six years in prison, effective immediately. Seven other former executives received prison terms ranging from 18 months to seven years.

The criminal court also fined the company 1.125 million euros ($1.32 million) for the terrorism charge, and levied a joint 4.57 million euros ($5.35 million) customs fine against Lafarge and four executives for violating international financial sanctions.

During the trial, which opened in November 2025, investigators showed Lafarge paid about $5.9 million to three terrorist organizationsincluding ISIS and Al-Nusrah Frontbetween August 2013 and October 2024. The money flowed through monthly security payments and raw material purchases, which investigators said helped fund the 2015 terror attacks in France.

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Lafarge, now owned by the Swiss group Holcim, sought to keep its $680 million Jalabiyeh plant in northern Syria open despite the escalating war. The company evacuated foreign staff in 2012, but left Syrian employees behind to run the facility.

Sherpa, a French anti-corruption NGO that filed a criminal complaint against Lafarge in 2016 alongside former Syrian employees, told OCCRP the ruling is historic and highly symbolic.

READ ALSO: Lafarge Africa reaffirms commitment to building sustainable impact through women

Anna Kiefer, Litigation and Advocacy Officer at Sherpa, said the verdict marks the first time a French multinational has been convicted of financing terrorism. She credited the outcome to the judicial investigation and the journalists who exposed the company.

Sherpa hopes this decision will send a strong message to companies operating in conflict zones, that they could be held accountable in court for crimes related to their actions abroad, Kiefer concluded.
The Nigerian government will sign a formal intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Morocco for a $25 billion gas pipeline before the end of the year.

The head of Moroccos hydrocarbons and mining agency (ONHYM), Amina Benkhadra, disclosed this on Monday, Reuters reports.

She said the new African Atlantic Gas Pipeline will stretch about 6,900 km, using both offshore and onshore routes, Reuters reported.

It is also expected to carry up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas, with 15 billion cubic meters set aside for Morocco and for exports to Europe.

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The pipeline is expected to boost economic integration across West Africa by increasing electricity generation and supporting industrial and mining development.

At the same time, the project will also help Morocco position itself as an energy link between Africa and Europe.

After the agreement is signed, a high-level authority for the pipeline will be established in Nigeria, including ministers from all 13 participating countries, to coordinate political and regulatory matters.

According to Ms Benkhadra, a project company will also be set up in Morocco as a joint venture between ONHYM and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company to oversee execution, financing, and construction.

She said the project is attracting strong interest due to its scale, phased structure, and strategic importance.

On the phased structure, she explained that the first phase will link Morocco to gas fields in Mauritania and Senegal, and connect Ghana to Cote dIvoire, before a final section links Ghana to Nigerias gas fields.

This phase is expected in 2031, she said.

The project does not rely on a single global final investment decision, she noted.

She also said each segment is designed as a standalone system to enable early value creation.

The West African regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is also backing the new African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the Nigerian government has yet to provide details of the signing of the agreement. But the agreement continues the growing relationship between Nigeria and Morocco, including one on fertiliser production.

Nigeria, Africas most populous country, is also the continents largest oil producer. It also houses the largest oil refinery on the continent: the Dangote refinery, owned by Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote.
One of Nigerias leading niche fragrance retailers, Seinde Signature, has cast Nollywood actor Deyemi Okanlawon for a stage performance as it prepares to host internationally acclaimed perfumer Sarah Baker for a multi-city product launch in Nigeria.

The partnership highlights the growing intersection between Nigerias luxury retail sector and the global niche fragrance market, a space defined by artisanal production, storytelling, and limited-edition scents that contrast with mass-market perfumes.

According to the company, the collaboration will coincide with the Nigerian debut of two of Bakers signature creations, Velvet Vendetta and Vava Vanilla, which will be showcased across three major cities, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Lagos.

Arts and Scents

Ms Baker, known for blending visual art with perfumery, is scheduled to make her first visit to Nigeria as part of the tour.

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Her appearances will begin in Abuja on 16 April, continue in Port Harcourt on 17 April, and culminate in a grand finale in Lagos on 18 April.

The Lagos event is expected to feature a theatrical interpretation of the fragrances creative narratives, with Mr Okanlawon leading a cast of actors in a staged performance designed to translate scent into storytelling, an approach increasingly embraced within niche perfumery circles globally.

READ ALSO:Patrick Doyle loses newborn daughter

Partnership

Speaking at his unveiling, Mr Okanlawon described the partnership as a milestone, noting that it positions him among the first Nigerian actors to collaborate at this level within the global fragrance industry.

He added that his decision to align with the brand followed its steady growth trajectory, from a single outlet to a network of over a dozen walk-in stores nationwide, showing rising consumer interest in luxury and bespoke scents.

Also speaking, the companys General Manager, Ore Olusola, said hosting Ms Baker represents more than a commercial partnership.

This is not simply a collaboration, she said. It is an alignment of two creative visions rooted in storytelling, craftsmanship, and uncompromising artistry.

Founded as a specialised fragrance destination, Seinde Signature has built a reputation for curating rare and independent perfume brands, positioning itself at the forefront of a niche but rapidly growing segment of Nigerias luxury retail market.
It was a night of glitz and glamour as the CEO of Beauty by AD, Adeola C Adeyemi, popularly known as Diiadem, celebrated her 35th birthday at the Five Palm Event Centre in Lagos.

The well-attended, Owambe-themed birthday party was preceded by a Thanksgiving Service held earlier in the day at LOGIC Church.

The celebrant kicked off the evenings festivities in a long, regal silver dress with a detachable train by Nigerian designer, Emagine by Bukola. Her Hair was styled in a lovely updo created by Adefunkeee.

For her second look, she changed into a stunning, long-sleeved, deep-red blouse with a matching skirt, both by Emagine by Bukola. The heavily beaded outfit was paired with a beautiful multicoloured metallic red gele and minimal accessories.

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For her afterparty look, she wore a dazzling baby pink dress with green accents. She wore very little jewellery and carried a blinged-out silver fan.

The mom of one who recently moved into her new luxury home, nicknamed CASA DEE, was feted by celebrities such as Eniola Badmus, Chioma Good hair Ikokwu, Mercy Eke, Tacha, Timini Egbuson, Kie Kie, Don Jazzy, Bisola Aiyeola, Osas Ighodalo and many others.
Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has dismissed the concept of the prosperity gospel, a Christian belief that financial blessing and physical well-being are always Gods will for believers.

Mr Osinbajo, a pastor, stated that no such doctrine existed in Christian teaching while responding to Korede Komaiya, the presiding pastor of The Masters Place International Church, during their appearance at a live debate held at Rock of Ages Christian Assembly International (RACAi).

Speaking on the debate topic, the prosperity gospel, Mr Komaiya said he found it difficult when people complained about it.

He added that he was unsure whether some churches preached giving without diligence, noting that it was biblical to encourage giving while maintaining balance.

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He said,  I dont even understand what people are saying. Excuse me, I cant get it. Biblical prosperity is correct, authentic, original, Godly, and is to be used for the sake of the gospel; God prospers His own. It is activated by giving. You are not to be greedy. You are to work. You are to labour. You are to be intelligent. You are to have value; you are to be a tither. You are to have a ministry. You are to have a prophet. You are to give to people in need and to people experiencing poverty.

The covenant is the covenant, economic situation notwithstanding, circumstances notwithstanding. My submission is this: lets come back to the balance. You practice the covenant, you embrace productivity. You embrace engagement; we cant go to the extreme. You cant just give. You must give sacrificially. You must work as if everything depends on it. Giving alone cant do it, working alone cant do it, a combination of the two is what makes the gospel work.

Enter Osinbajo

Meanwhile, Mr Osinbajo, 69, countered Mr Komaiya, stating that there was only the gospel of Christ.

The former Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice stressed that attempts to redefine it in terms of material wealth misrepresented its true message.

The New Testament, no matter how we slice it, we may call it anything, the prosperity gospel, with all due respect, there is no such thing. There is only a gospel, the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is only one gospel and its a gospel and its a whose words are contained in this scripture. Anything else is a perversion; anything else, there are many types of success.

The example that the pastor gave is an interesting example where some people were bribed, people are always going to be bribed, but that does not in any way detract from the fact that when Jesus Christ, the author of our faith, satan tried to bribe him, He said look Ill give you all this, He refused. That is the ultimate message of the Bible, said Mr Osinbajo.

The lawyer added that the Bibles ultimate message is that truth will prevail, no matter how long it takes.

According to him, the gospel will prevail, and it does not matter what anyone does at any time or who falls.

The scripture

Furthermore, Mr Osinbajo maintained that scripture makes it clear that many will be swayed by bribery and fall for money, but only the truth of the gospel will sustain people to the end.

READ ALSO: Africa CDC appoints Osinbajo as senior strategic adviser

He added that he had been in ministry since 1996 and had rarely encountered churches where giving to the church or institution was not a prominent part of the service.

He noted, If you read the scriptures carefully especially the New Testament, the number of times that Jesus spoke about giving to the poor, that giving to the poor means giving to Him, to God the number of times, the sheer number of times that Jesus Christ said even this business of building riches, building riches in heaven is given to the poor.

The number of times in this New Testament, but if you are going to be honest with yourselves. How often is it preached? There is a portion of the service dedicated to that before the offering. The question is, why do we not emphasise what this scripture says?
Palmtrees has called on emerging and established writers from Africa, the Caribbean, Oceania and other regions to apply for its inaugural screenplay incubator cohort.

In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, the company said the application, in partnership with NEON, would support writers from underrepresented regions by offering mentorship, funding and a residency programme.

The company urged writers to apply with a treatment and the first 15 pages of a feature-length genre screenplay, noting that selected participants would develop their scripts through intensive one-on-one work with dedicated story analysts.

Furthermore, the company stated that writers would be compensated for their participation throughout the three-week in-person residency programme.

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Selection

Additionally, the company noted that writers at all stages of their careers are eligible to apply, stressing that no distinction will be made between first-time screenwriters and those with produced credits.

It added that selection will be based on the strength of each applicants project and the clarity of their voice.

There is no advantage to having prior credits and no disadvantage to not having them. Applications open March 31, 2026, at palmtrees.dev. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2026, said Palmtrees.

Real creative

Meanwhile, Palmtrees founder Funa Maduka said her partner company had done more over the past five years to broaden the definition of world cinema than any other company in the industry.

Ms Maduka stated that the incubator programme was born out of a belief that some of the most compelling stories in the world are emerging from regions that lacked the infrastructure needed to develop them fully.

She added that this shortfall has often made it difficult for such stories to meet the level of rigour expected in the global market.

Ms Maduka, credited for directing and producing the first Nigerian film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, said, Tom and his team have built something rare. NEON has done more to expand the definition of world cinema in the last five years than any company in the business.

They take real creative bets, and that instinct is the basis for our collaboration.

Support

She added that her company was established to support exceptional writers in these regions who lack adequate resources and opportunities.

The most seasoned screenwriters still fight writers block at 3 a.m. It is not a process that necessarily gets easier, but one that can remain exceptionally hard if you have never had attention. Sustained, serious, skilled attention. We built palm trees to provide them. There are extraordinary writers in these regions. What they lack is not talent.

However, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of NEON, Tom Quinn, said the company was pleased to partner with Palmtrees to identify and support the next generation of filmmakers.

Some of the most vital voices in cinema today are emerging from places that have been historically underrepresented on the global stage.

NEON is thrilled to partner with Funa and her team at Palmtrees to help identify and support this next generation of filmmakers, she said.
The Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in Ikeja, on Monday, sentenced a man, Victor Dickson, to life imprisonment for raping his neighbours six-month-old child.

The judge, Rahman Oshodi, also ordered the convict to be registered as a sexual offender under Sections 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the judge, in his judgement, held that the Lagos State Government successfully proved the one charge of sexual assault by penetration against the convict.

Mr Oshodi held that the circumstantial evidence was compelling, clearly showing that the convict committed the offence, and that all attempts to distance himself from it failed.

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He said that the convict was not a witness of truth as his oral evidence in court was marked by notable divergence from his extra-judicial statement.

In your extra-judicial statement, you confirmed that you carried the child but never penetrated her vagina.

However, in your oral evidence before this court, you denied ever carrying the child at all and alleged that the childs mother was on a revenge mission because you turned down her sexual advances towards you, the judge said.

According to the judge, the convict showed no remorse and instead fabricated a false accusation, alleging that the survivors mother made sexual advances towards him, which he declined.

He said: The victim in this case is a six-month-old infant, among the most defenceless human beings in existence, and her mother testified before this court how you carried her naked child from the potty while she was washing clothes outside.

You betrayed the trust that the mother of the child had in you by picking up the naked baby from her potty, carried her into your room, closed your door and violated her.

She cried throughout; she could not speak and she could not call for help.

You have shown no remorse whatsoever. Rather than acknowledge what you did, you constructed a false story, designed to smear the reputation of the mother who went into the witness box, recounting the worst day of her life.

The court added that the survivor was a vulnerable child of six months and there was need to protect the society and deter others from such animalistic conduct.

I sentence you, Victor Dickson, to life imprisonment.

You shall serve the sentence at the maximum security custodial centre.

You shall also be registered as a sexual offender under Section 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021, Mr Oshodi said.

Trial

NAN reports that the State Counsel, Inumidun Solarin, called three witnesses  the mother of the survivor, father of the survivor and an investigative police officer, Folashade Akinbowa, an assistant suprintendent of police  while the convict testified as a sole witness for defence.

READ ALSO: Court remands 2 over alleged possession of firearm

The prosecutor told the court that the convict committed the offence 17 October 2021 at about 10.40 a.m. at No. 72 Iba Road, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos.

The prosecution submitted that the convict sexually assaulted the child by inserting his finger into her vagina.

According to the prosecution, the offence contravened the provisions of Section 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

(NAN)
The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has backed a 48-hour warning strike by doctors at Central Hospital, Warri, following the assault of two of its members, warning that the situation could escalate if its demands are not met.

The association said the strike was in response to an attack on a Senior Registrar and a House Officer at the hospitals Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) on 11 April.

This was contained in a statement signed by the associations President, Muhammad Suleiman; the Secretary-General, Shuaibu Ibraheem; and the Publicity and Social Secretary, Abdulmajeed Ibrahim.

According to NARD, the incident that led to the warning strike occurred after doctors informed a newborns father of the childs death.

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In the course of discharging their professional and ethical duties, our colleagues compassionately conveyed the sad news to the bereaved father, the association said.

It described the fathers reaction as completely unjustifiable and barbaric, noting that he physically assaulted the doctors.

It further added that the assailant has been apprehended and is currently in police custody.

Safety concerns

The association expressed support for the 48-hour warning strike by doctors at the facility, describing it as justified.

This action is justified and represents a legitimate demand for safety, dignity, and respect within the workplace, it said.

It added that the incident reflects a broader pattern of attacks on health workers across Nigeria.

While the association didnt provide data, it reiterated that no healthcare worker should be subjected to violence simply for carrying out their lawful and professional responsibilities.

This incident once again highlights the growing and unacceptable pattern of violence against healthcare workers in Nigeriaan issue that demands urgent and decisive national action, it said.

Demands for prosecution, security, support

The association outlined a set of demands, including immediate prosecution of the suspect and systemic improvements in hospital safety.

It called for the immediate and diligent prosecution of the assailant to serve as a strong deterrent to others, and for the urgent deployment of adequate, functional security architecture across all health facilities.

It also demanded comprehensive compensation, protection, and psychosocial support for the affected doctors.

The association said it stands in unwavering solidarity with the affected doctors and sympathised with them over the incident.

It added that it also backed the 48-hour warning strike embarked upon by doctors at the facility, describing it as a legitimate response.

Warning against victimisation

Beyond the assault itself, the association raised concerns about alleged attempts to threaten its union leaders, harass protest doctors, or extend the tenure of house officers as punishment.

It said it strongly condemns and unequivocally rejects any attempt by hospital management or government authorities to intimidate, harass, or victimise doctors.

The association listed actions it considers unacceptable, including threatening the centre president or general secretary for dutifully executing the mandate of their congress; intimidating or harassing resident doctors for staging a peaceful protest in solidarity with their assaulted colleagues; and contemplate or implement punitive measures such as the unjust extension of House Officers for standing in solidarity and resisting this injustice meted out to their colleague.

The association warned that any attempt to victimise its members would be met with resistance.

Any attempt to victimise our members will be met with firm, coordinated, and uncompromising resistance from NARD at all levels, it said.

It added that it would actively monitor the situation to ensure no member suffers retaliation.

NARD further cautioned that continued intimidation or repression could have wider consequences.

Any act of victimisation or repression will have far-reaching consequences, including the potential disruption of healthcare services in Delta State, with possible escalation to coordinated regional and nationwide industrial action, the statement said.

READ ALSO: Resident doctors demand better protection after colleague dies of Lassa fever

Call for legal protection

The association also called for legislative measures to address attacks on healthcare workers.

The time has come for concrete legislative measures to criminalise assaults on healthcare workers and enforce strict penalties against offenders, it said.

It stressed that protecting healthcare professionals should be treated as a matter of urgent national importance, adding that An injury to one doctor is an injury to all.
The virus of coups detat is being spread across Africa with the declaration of the head of Burkina Fasos military junta that countries in the continent should forget about democracy. Ibrahim Traore, who seized power in September 2022, is of the firm view that the continent is not ripe for this system just yet, as he marked the anniversary of his Progressive Popular Revolution (RPP).

Democracy, to him, is like slavery, or a neo-colonial political contraption, and people need to forget about the issue of democracy. Democracy is not for us, he said. But he is dead wrong! At PREMIUM TIMES, we denounce such an open invitation to government not based on the popular social will.

Countries like Mauritius, Cape Verde, Botswana, Namibia, Ghana, and South Africa, among a host of others, with strong frameworks for democracy, belie the veracity of Mr Traores position, with their steady strides towards the deepening of the rule of law, stable democratic transitions, multiparty systems, human rights records and continuous economic growth.

However, Mr Traores call for renascent military rule should not be taken lightly amid the resurgence of armed dictatorships across the continent. From 2020 to November 2025, for instance, democratically elected administrations in nine countries were toppled, resulting in complicated civil wars in at least two of them. Under the grip of military rule are Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Chad, Sudan, Guinea Bissau, Gabon and Madagascar. Mali and Sudan have descended into full blown internecine armed conflicts.

Since its birth in the Athenian Agora, in ancient times, democracy has remained the best form of representative government known to humanity. There is no better alternative to it, despite its many weaknesses. This point cannot be overemphasised.

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Across Africa, military juntas have always seized power under different guises, the most popular of which is the charge of high-level corruption of political leaders, insecurity and the rising costs of living thats making life unbearable for the majority of the people. Ironically, they usually end up running the worst forms of government, largely defined by continued instability. In Nigeria, the advent of General Sani Abacha into power witnessed the gravest act of treasury heist, estimated at $5 billion. About $3.5 billion of this is said to have been recovered so far.

Mr Traores regime as a farce became evident in July 2024 when he changed his date for handover to a civilian administration, with just two months left of his initial promise. He then extended the period to five years. Now, he has developed a total aversion for democracy, leading to a ban on all political parties in the country. He had taken over power on 30 September 2022, following the ouster of President Paul-Henri Damiba.

The current resurgence of military rule started with the overthrown of President Ibrahim Keita of Mali on 18 August, 2020. The transitional government subsequently put in place was equally swept aside in a second coup in 2021. The head of that junta, General Assimi Goita, like Mr Traore, pledged a handover to civilians in June 2022. But this did not happen.

Mali has since then been a playground of rival military groups in the struggle for total political control of the country. Political parties have been dissolved, and so have political meetings too, thus restricting the civic space and freedom of the press.

From Mali to Burkina Faso, the contagion of coups has hit the Republic of Niger, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau  all in West Africa. The Republic of Benin survived its own assault on 7 December, 2025 due to Nigerias swift response to President Patrice Talons call for urgent assistance. France also did a yeomans job with the provision of intelligence that saved him.

In West Africa, the impact of democratic reversal on regional stability is evident in the fracturing of ECOWAS with the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to form the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). This troika belongs to the notorious coup belt of the region.

Equally, 16 military officers were arrested in Nigeria In November 2025 for what was later confirmed to be a coup plot against the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And, the suspects are currently being secretly tried by the military.

These episodes coincided with the 55th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council summit last year in Abuja. The ECOWAS President, Omar Touray, took notice of this and cautioned that, Events of the past few weeks have shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy, and the need to invest in the security of our community.

While military incursions into power should not be condoned at all, the actions and inertia of elected leaders, however, tend to subvert the cause of democracy in many countries, thus creating excuses for the military to strike. For instance, in Uganda, a presidential election on 15 January, in which Yoweri Museveni was re-elected, was conducted under dubious circumstances. He ensured an internet blackout during the polls, as opposition leaders also faced a brutal crackdown. One of them, Kizza Besigye, is facing a treason trial. Mr Museveni has been in power since 1986.

The main challenger at the poll, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bob Wine, fled the country in March, after hiding for two months. The head of the army, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba  Mr Musevenis son  declared Mr Wine wanted, whether dead or alive. Mr Museveni has turned the countrys parliament into a rubber stamp establishment. And, it is being rumoured that the son is being groomed to take over the mantle of government from the father. This means that Uganda is sitting on a powder keg.

A similar travesty of democracy is being enacted in Benin Republic, under the harsh grips of the political machinations of President Patrice Talon. Political competition, opposition or dissenting views are not tolerated in the country. For this reason, the party formed by a former president, Boni Yayi, has been barred from participating in the presidential election that began last Sunday. And the countrys five-year presidential tenure has been changed to seven years.

ALSO READ: Burkina Faso govt says it foiled another coup to oust Traore

In Zimbabwe, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, 83 years old, is about to scrap the presidential election, as he cedes the power to elect the president to the parliament. Also, the presidential tenure has been adjusted from five to seven years. This implies that his tenure will end in 2030, as against the original date of 2028. These constitutional alterations require a referendum to come into effect.

Yet, as the din from the opposition against the changes rise, his party, Zanu-PF, has ruled out any referendum to legitimise them. Thus, dark clouds are gathering over the Zimbabwean political firmament, and the hope is for this not to result in another instance of democratic reversal.

Ousted President Umaro Embalo of Guinea had turned democracy on its head when in power, with his dissolution of the parliament in 2023, due to its dominance by the opposition. He had begun ruling through decrees. Then the countrys military struck on 26 November, 2025.

In Cameroon, 92-year old President Paul Biya, who came to power in 1982, has been winning every election since that time, and the last one was in October 2025, amid a vicious crackdown on the opposition and nationwide turmoil. It would be no surprise if this hits political headwinds in the near future.

Africa has definitely had enough of these pseudo democrats, either in military or civilian garb. Democracy has its ethos forged in the tolerance of opposition, competition, multipartism, dissenting views, the practice of transparency and accountability. This is the only way forward.

In the absence of the foregoing, the people should keep resisting all forms of abuses to their rights to choose those to represent them in governance, while enabling orderly democratic transitions.

Enthroning the popular will is essential for staunching democratic reversal in the continent, and stemming the tide of military dictatorship. Anything short of this can only accentuate the instability plaguing Africa. This is a call for strengthening the guardrails of democracy in the continent, which is incumbent on a whole of society endeavour.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has launched an investigation into reports that civilians may have been affected during an airstrike in Jilli, a community in Yobe State bordering Borno.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the NAF spokesperson, Ehimen Ejodame, an air commodore, said the strike was carried out on Saturday, 11 April, but acknowledged emerging claims that a local market may have been hit, resulting in civilian casualties.

Mr Ejodame said the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) has directed the immediate deployment of the Civilian Harm Accident and Investigation Cell (CHAI-Cell) to the area to undertake a fact-finding mission.

The Service treats all reports of possible civilian harm with the utmost seriousness and empathy, as the protection of innocent lives remains central to all NAF operations, he said.

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He added that the probe would involve collaboration with relevant authorities and community representatives to establish the facts surrounding the incident.

While the investigation is ongoing, the Air Force urged the public and the media to refrain from speculation and allow the process to proceed without prejudice.

The Nigerian Air Force remains firmly committed to professionalism, accountability, and transparency in the conduct of its missions, Mr Ejodame said.

Background

The development follows widespread media reports that a military airstrike hit a border market linking Borno and Yobe states, with claims of significant civilian casualties.

Earlier, military authorities said an aerial operation conducted in coordination with ground troops targeted and killed terrorists. However, they did not address reports of civilian harm.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the strike affected traders at the market in Jilli. Reacting to the incident, Amnesty International Nigeria said more than 100 civilians may have been killed.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has lost his bid to remain in power after his party suffered a landslide defeat in the countrys parliamentary election.

The main challenger, Peter Magyars Tisza party, secured 138 seats in the 199-seat parliament and won about 53.6 per cent of the total votes cast.

Mr Orban, who has been in office for 16 years, has already conceded defeat and called Mr Magyar to congratulate him.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban just called to congratulate us on our victory, Mr Magyar wrote on X on Sunday night.

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Mr Orban also said his party would play the role of the opposition to Mr Magyars government.

The responsibility and possibility of governing was not given to us, Al Jazeera quotes Mr Orban as telling his followers. We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that Mr Orbans loss occurred despite support for his party by US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

US Vice President JD Vance also travelled to Hungary to campaign for Mr Orban, as the Trump administration continues its support for right-wing parties in Europe that are EU-sceptic.

Mr Orban has been repeatedly accused of undermining the EU on behalf of Russia and has publicly opposed the EUs support for Ukraine against Russia, calling instead for dialogue and concessions.

The Hungarian leader has also opposed several EU policies on issues such as migration, media freedom, and Russian sanctions, despite his countrys membership in the EU.

The incoming Prime Minister, Mr Magyar, has promised to deepen Hungarys relationship with the EU, but also supports many of Mr Orbans anti-immigration policies.
WUHAN, April 12 (Xinhua) -- A new direct air route linking central China with Southeast Asia was launched on Sunday, with the inaugural flight departing from Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, to Jakarta. The route marks the first direct connection between the two cities.

Flight MF8683, carrying more than 150 passengers, took off from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport at 4:40 p.m. and headed to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in the Indonesian city.

The route is operated by a Boeing 737-800 Max aircraft and operates four times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

According to Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, the launch filled a gap in direct passenger capacity between Wuhan and Indonesia's core city, further expanding the central Chinese city's network of routes to Southeast Asia.
The Nigerian Army has confirmed the killing of a commanding officer and six other soldiers following a terrorist attack on a military location in Monguno, Borno State.

In a statement issued on Monday, the spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, Sani Uba, said troops of Sector 3 of the operation came under what he described as an isolated infiltration attack by terrorists at the Charlie 13 location in Monguno late on 12 April (Sunday).

PREMIUM TIMES reported that suspected fighters of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked a military formation, killing a colonel, I.A. Mohammed, and other soldiers.

In his statement, Mr Uba did not disclose the name and the rank of the slain officer.

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According to him, troops engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle, eventually forcing them to retreat while maintaining control of the position.

However, the army disclosed that the commanding officer was killed alongside six other personnel after encountering an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

Mr Uba explained that the officer was moving to the frontline to assess the situation when the incident occurred.

Regrettably, the Commanding Officer, while courageously proceeding to the troops location to personally assess the situation, encountered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) which severely affected his vehicle, leading to his death alongside six other gallant personnel, the statement said.

READ ALSO: ISWAP terrorists raid military bases in Borno

Mr Uba praised the late officers leadership, noting that his actions reflected courage, selflessness, and a commitment to leading from the front.

He said Operation Hadin Kai was deeply saddened by the loss, describing the fallen soldiers as gallant personnel who paid the supreme price in service to the nation.

Mr Mohammed was the second senior officer killed in less than a week. On 9th April, ISWAP terrorists killed Oseni Braimah, a brigadier general, in an attack on a military base in Benisheikh.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said it will inaugurate all newly elected state executives and chairperson of the party on 12 May or a later date to be communicated.

The party disclosed thus in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Sunday in Abuja.

The statement said the election of state executives was carried out in line with the provisions of the law and partys constitution.

The party commended all members and stakeholders who took part in the process. It said the elections reflected the partys enduring commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and the rule of law.

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The party is pleased to announce that the formal inauguration of the newly elected State Executives is scheduled to take place on 12 May or on a later date to be duly communicated by the National Working Committee, the statement reads.

As you prepare to assume office, we urge all elected officials to remain steadfast in their dedication to the ideals and vision of the party. The task ahead requires unity, discipline, and a continued commitment to building a strong, credible alternative for the Nigerian people.

The party went ahead with its state congresses and is set for a national convention on Tuesday, 14 April, despite INECs warning that it wouldnt monitor it due to the 12 March ruling of the Court of Appeal for which the electoral commission suspended the recognition of any of the partys executives.

The Commission shall not receive any further communication or deal with any of the parties or groups pertaining to the affairs of the party and will not monitor any meeting, congress or convention convened on behalf of the ADC by any group until the matter is decided by the Federal High Court, Abuja so as not to do any act capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court, INEC said in a statement.

Crisis in states

While the election of state executives was peaceful and successful in some states, if was unsuccessful in others, where parallel congresses were held, producing two state chairpersons.

For instance, reports said there were parallel congresses that produced two chairpersons each in Ebonyi, Plateau and Ogun state.

In Ebonyi one of the congresses returned the incumbent state chairperson, Jennifer Nwafor, while the other congress produced Silas Onu as chairperson.

In Plateau, the faction headed by Hanatu Gagara conducted its congress at Adewusi House, Murtala Muhammed Way, Jos, while the camp of Samuel Gyang, led by former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, used Kalwa House, the partys state secretariat.

In Ogun, one faction led by Moshood Salvador presented Femi Soluade as the elected chairperson, and the other led by Olatunji Shoyinka produced Emmanuel Famojuro as chairperson.

Despite a High Courts order of immediate suspension of the congress in Adamawa State, the congress held and produced Sadiq Ibrahim as the new state chairperson.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike-backed National Working Committee of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has commenced the renovation of Wadata Plaza, the partys national secretariat in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reporter, who monitored developments at the PDP national secretariat at Zone 5 on Monday, observed that the renovation work was still ongoing, ahead of workers resumption.

The renovation followed the police unsealing of the party secretariat, granting access to the Wike-backed faction.

NAN reports that while the barricades around the main office building had been removed, a few police vehicles remained stationed on the premises, with personnel manning the facility.

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A party member who did not want his identity disclosed told NAN that the renovation works began on Sunday.

The staff members of the partys national secretariat are yet to resume, but the renovation works started yesterday (Sunday).

The ongoing renovation works include painting, replacement of air conditioners, and replacement of locks and keys for the offices, as well as their allocation to the new National Working Committee (NWC) members.

However, I think the challenge now is that some of the staff members loyal to the Tanimu Turakiled NWC may find it difficult to come and resume here, the party member said.

At the time of writing the report, none of the party officials had reported to the secretariat.

NAN reports that the factions National Chairman, Abdulrahman Mohammed, had, on Saturday in Abuja, announced the reopening of the PDP national secretariat and the presidential campaign office, Legacy House, Maitama.

Mr Mohammed, in a statement issued by National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, said the facilities were being unsealed in compliance with duly-issued court orders.

He said the property had been handed over to the Mohammed-led NWC, with Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary.

While commending the police for professionalism and adherence to the rule of law, Mr Mohammed, however, warned that the party would not tolerate obstruction, disruption, or breaches of the peace at the secretariat.

Meanwhile, the Turaki-led faction has described the unsealing of the property as contemptuous.

Its Spokesman, Ini Ememobong, said that the judgment cited by the police had been appealed and that all parties were duly informed.

By this action, they have tampered with the res, which could render the Court of Appeal judgment nugatory, he said.

(NAN)
Pavel Durov, the founder and chief executive officer of Telegram, has faulted WhatsApps end-to-end encryption, alleging that WhatsApp messages are not secure.

Mr Durov made the claim in an X post on Sunday, alleging that 95 per cent of private messages on WhatsApp end up in plain-text backups on Apple/Google servers.

However, according to the information on the WhatsApp website, the end-to-end encryption is on by default so that only the sender and recipient can read messages, and no one in between (including WhatsApp) can access them.

The Meta Platforms app, WhatsApp, also explains that when a message is sent, the only person who can read it is the intended recipient, and not hackers, governments, or even WhatsApp itself.

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WhatsApps end-to-end encryption is used when you chat with another person using WhatsApp Messenger. End-to-end encryption keeps your personal messages and calls between you and the person youre communicating with.

No one outside of the chat, not even WhatsApp, can read, listen to, or share them. This is because with end-to-end encryption, your messages are secured with a lock, and only the recipient and you have the special key needed to unlock and read them.

All of this happens automatically: no need to turn on any special settings to secure your messages, WhatsApp stated on its website, saying that the encryption protocol secures messages leaving users devices,

Concerns

In his post on Sunday, Mr Durov said the WhatsApp encryption feature is giant consumer fraud, stating that it backs up users information on other servers.

WhatsApps E2E encryption by default claim is a giant consumer fraud: ~95 per cent of private messages on WhatsApp end up in plain-text backups on Apple/Google servers  not E2E-encrypted. Backup encryption is optional, and few people enable it  let alone use strong passwords, Mr Durov said.

Mr Durov, ex-CEO of VK, said even when users encrypt WhatsApp backups with password, the messages still end up in unencrypted cloud backups if the receivers do not have the same setting on their device.

Even if you encrypt your WhatsApp backups with a strong password, your messages still end up in unencrypted cloud backups  because 90+ per cent of the people you message havent done the same. Add the fact that WhatsApp stores and discloses who you chat with, and the picture is dire, he said.

The Telegram founder further alleged that Apple and Google disclose backed-up WhatsApp messages to third parties multiple times annually.

Apple and Google disclose backed-up WhatsApp messages to third parties thousands of times per year. Meanwhile, Telegram hasnt disclosed a single byte of users messages in its entire 12+ year history, he said.

Mr Durov is not the first to raise concerns about WhatsApp encryption. Many tech experts have raised similar concerns, especially amidst reports that many governments have acquired the technology to be able to access WhatsApp messages of individuals they are interested in.

WhatsApp is used by millions of people across the world, including in Nigeria, many of whom believe that their messages are secure and cannot be read by a third party.

Reacting to Mr Durovs post, the worlds richest man and owner of X, Elon Musk, said he agreed that WhatsApp messages were not secure. He instead advocated the use of his X platform for secure messaging.

True, use Chat/DMs instead! Mr Musk wrote.
US President Donald Trump has publicly criticised Pope Leo, describing him as weak on crime and asking him to use common sense.

The American leader stated this in a post on Truth Social early Monday in an apparent response to the popes opposition to American military actions in Iran and Venezuela.

Mr Trump also claimed the Catholic pontiff would not have been selected if the former were not in office during last years selection of a new pope.

If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican, he wrote.

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Pope Leo, who was appointed head of the Catholic Church last May, is the first American to occupy the position. His appointment followed the death of Pope Francis, who had served for 12 years.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that Pope Leo has been one of the most vocal opponents of the US and Israels war on Iran since its start. During his address on Palm Sunday, he condemned the use of Gods name to justify the war, while stating that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage wars, but rejects them.

On multiple occasions, he urged an end to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, calling on all parties to halt hostilities and return to dialogue to pursue peace.

His comments on the war, according to Mr Trump, portray the Pope as weak and terrible for foreign policy.

Mr Trump declared that he was not a big fan of the Pope, and asked the pontiff to get his act together because he doesnt want a Pope that criticises the president for doing what he should be doing.

Unfortunately, Leos Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathisers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested.

Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. Its hurting him very badly and, more importantly, its hurting the Catholic Church, he wrote.

Insinuating that the Pope was chosen because of his influence, he said: They thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J.Trump.

I dont want a Pope who thinks its terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our country, he said.

Mr Trumps statement came just before the Pope began a 10-day tour across four African countries.

On the flight to Algeria, Pope Leo told reporters he wasnt interested in debating the American President but vowed to continue speaking out against the war.

I am not a politician, he said. I have no intention to debate with (Trump). The message is the same: to promote peace.
Nigerias Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Jimoh Ibrahim, will deliver a keynote address at the 10th anniversary conference of the Ife Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS).

Mr Ibrahim will deliver the keynote address titled The Nigerian Project Revisited: Crisis, Continuity, and Possibility.

The conference, themed Building Lasting Institutions: Faith, Scholarship, and the African Project, will bring together scholars and policymakers to examine Africas institutional challenges and development prospects.

The conference will be held on 4 June at the John Knowles Paine Concert Hall of the Harvard University in the United States (US).

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The Convener, Jacob Olupona, a professor and chair of Harvards Department of African and African American Studies, said the conference would address why Africa produces exceptional individuals without building enduring institutions.

Mr Olupona said the IIAS had trained over 850 scholars in the past decade, many of whom are contributing to academia and public service across Africa and beyond.

The IIAS is a Nigeria-based non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to advancing research for development in Africa.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Fatai Tijani, has visited the scene of accident that claimed the life of a student of the Lagos State University (LASU), assuring that justice will be served.

The command spokesperson, Abimbola Adebisi,a supritendent of police, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday night.

She said the commissioner of police, alongside other senior officers of the command, carried out an on-the-spot assessment of the scene.

Ms Adebisi said the police team also engaged representatives of the Students Union of LASU during the visit.

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She said that Mr Tijani commended the students for their orderly and responsible conductsi n spite of the grief over the loss of their colleague.

He assured them that the suspect involved in the incident would be charged to court on Monday for proper prosecution,  she said.

The spokesperson consequently, reiterated the commands commitment to transparency, accountability, and the safety of all residents.

She also expressed condolences to the family of the deceased, and prayed for the peaceful repose of the departed soul.

READ ALSO: Police confirm killing of alleged cult leader in Lagos

The police commissioners visit followed the death of a 300 level female student, Azeezat Abdul-Rasheed, who was crushed by a vehicle at about 7:00 p.m. on Saturday in the Igando area of the same state.

In a video shared on X by a student of LASU, @Khennybass, some students were seen storming the Area M Police Division at Idimu.

They had alleged that officers were shielding the driver involved in the incident, by attempting to cover up the situation .

They had consequently, demanded justice for their colleague.(NAN)
Legal practitioners have differed on the Independent National Electoral Commissions (INEC) interpretation of a Court of Appeal ruling that has been a source of dispute between the electoral commission and the fast-growing opposition party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Citing the court ruling, INEC suspended the recognition for any group laying claims to the leadership of the ADC, whether it is the David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) or the one led by Nafiu Bala, who is challenging Mr Marks leadership.

Both factions have protested at INEC headquarters in Abuja, with each demanding recognition by the electoral umpire.

A timeline of dispute

In July 2025, a coalition of opposition leaders led by Atiku Abubakar adopted the ADC to field a flagbearer that would challenge President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election.

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On 29 July 2025, a new caretaker committee, headed by David Mark as national chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary, emerged, following the resignation of the previous party executives led by Ralph Nwosu.

On 9 September 2025, INEC recognised the new ADC leadership and published their particulars on its website.

Meanwhile, Nafiu Bala, a former national vice chairman of the party, challenged the arrangement at the Federal High Court in Abuja, arguing that he should assume leadership in line with the partys constitution.

On 2 September 2025, days before INECs recognition of the new executives, Mr Bala filed a lawsuit against Mr Marks leadership at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

But Mr Marks group filed an interlocutory appeal at the Court of Appeal, which was dismissed in a ruling delivered on 12 March.

In the ruling, the appellate court also ordered that the parties, including INEC, which is listed as the fourth respondent, to maintain the status quo ante bellum and shall refrain from taking any step or doing any act capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court or otherwise rendering nugatory the proceedings before the trial court.

Days later, on 16 March, INEC received letters from both factions, each with different requests.

Mr Balas group, represented by Summit Law Chambers, asked the commission to recognise it, citing the judgement of the appeal court.

On the other hand, Mr Marks group, represented by Suleiman Usman SAN & Co, asked INEC not to recognise Mr Bala as the partys chairperson on the account that the substantive suit about the leadership dispute was pending before the Federal High Court.

Meanwhile, another group of ADC members loyal to its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Dumebi Kachikwu, emerged, claiming to be the authentic leadership of the party.

INECs decision

Citing the appellate court ruling, INEC said it would no longer deal with either faction until the substantive suit is ruled on, saying it is refraining from taking any steps that could prejudice the case.

INEC said it interpreted the status quo ante bellum as the state of affairs that existed before 2 September 2025, which is the date the initial lawsuit regarding the ADC leadership dispute was filed at the Federal High Court.

The commission declined Mr Nafius request to be recognised as the national chairman pending the outcome of the case.

The electoral body also said that it would remove from its portal the names of members of the partys NWC led by Mr Mark, which was uploaded on 9 September, days after the suit was filed.

The Commission shall not receive any further communication or deal with any of the parties or groups pertaining to the affairs of the party and will not monitor any meeting, congress or convention convened on behalf of the ADC by any group until the matter is decided by the Federal High Court, Abuja so as not to do any act capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court or otherwise rendering nugatory the proceedings before the trial court, INEC said.

ADC disagree

But the Mr Mark-led ADC disagreed with INECs interpretation and its decision to stop recognising Mr Mark-led NWC.

The group claims that the true status quo ante bellum is the leadership of the caretaker committee, which was inaugurated on 29 July 2025.

It also rejected INECs decision to leave the party without a recognised leadership, accusing the electoral commission of inventing a status quo that never existed because there was never a time when the ADC lacked a duly constituted leadership.

The group said INEC cannot rely on the 9 September 2025, when it uploaded the names of the ADC leadership on its website, but on 29 July 2025, when the leadership of the party was changed at a NEC meeting.

It also insisted that Mr Bala had duly resigned his position and couldnt have approached a court to fight for it. But he has denied resigning from the position. Although the group presented a resignation letter said to have been signed by him, he insisted his signature was forged.

Lawyers speak

Meanwhile, legal practitioners have differed on INECs interpretation of the court ruling and the decision that followed.

Ume Chukwuka-Machukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), says INECs interpretation runs contrary to the position of the constitution, which places a premium on party politics.

Mr Chukwuka-Machukwu argued that political parties play a constitutionally defined role in Nigerias democracy by providing alternatives in governance and must, therefore, remain functional despite internal disputes.

He explained that the constitution places significant importance on political parties because the country operates a party-based democratic system, and as such, any interpretation affecting political parties, including actions by INEC, should ensure they remain active and capable of fulfilling their democratic responsibilities.

The idea of INEC de-recognising all the parties, to me, certainly is going against what the constitution provides, he said.

Status quo is to the extent that the party must have an organ that is prolonging, projecting its views in national politics. Not that the party will now be rendered prostrate. And so, if the dispute in the court goes on for the next five years, ADC will be rendered prostrate? No, thats not the idea.

According to the lawyer, the existence of a dispute within a party does not justify rendering it inactive. He maintained that the principle of maintaining the status quo ante bellum means preserving the partys existing structure prior to litigation, noting that no court order has nullified that structure.

Mr Chukwuka-Machukwu added that this pre-existing structure should continue to manage the partys affairs, including candidate nominations, primaries, and other political activities, until a court delivers a contrary judgment.

The interpretation of the status quo of INEC by recognising the two parties means as if the ADC will no longer function throughout the disputes. That is wrong. There was a party, and there was a structure before going to court. That is the status quo, he said.

There was a party, there is a structure before going to court. And no court order has set aside that structure. That is the structure that will continue to give, bring life into ADC until a different judgment is given. Until that order is made, the structure that was there before going to court will be the structure that will project the views and the administration of the party, including nomination when necessary.

The legal practitioner further cautioned that weakening opposition parties could create a political vacuum, limit choices for voters, and ultimately undermine democratic principles as enshrined in the constitution.

There is a need for the party to meet up with the timetable of INEC. How would it now do if this dispute continues for the next two years? So, invariably, ADC will not nominate candidates. It will not go to primary. It will not go for anything. It will not go for convention. No, that is wrong. That is projecting the law too, in a pedantic manner, he said.

Also, Abdul Mahmud faulted INECs handling of the situation, arguing that the commission ought to have sought clarification from the Court of Appeal rather than interpreting the order in a way that effectively sidelines it from neutrality.

Mr Mahmud said the central issue lies in determining the correct point in time that the court intended to preserve. While acknowledging that preservative orders are meant to prevent any party from gaining an advantage, he questioned whether the relevant reference point should be before the 2 September 2025 lawsuit or before the 29 July 2025 leadership change.

INEC should have approached the Court of Appeal for clarification of its preservative order to maintain status quo ante bellum. Instead, it chose to act as an adverse umpire rather than a neutral arbiter, he wrote.

However, Richard Ahonaruogho, also a SAN, said INEC has not erred in its interpretation of the court order.

Mr Ahonaruogho said the electoral commission has simply done what the court ordered in a suit that both factions of the ADC are parties to.

He said INEC was in fact gratuitous by informing them about its decision not to recognise any primary or conventions held before the substantive suit is decided.

The Court of Appeal has only stated the position that is the law INEC is just helping to clear the air that should you not advise yourselves properly, both party A and party B of the same party, then your exercise will have been a nullity, will have been a futility, he said.

Mr Ahonaruogho said INECs information to the party presents them with an opportunity to reconcile themselves and present a position to the commission.

He said the party has enough time to go and reconcile its leadership and present it to the court, get a judgement and present it to INEC.

He also said the accusation that INECs interpretation was influenced by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was unnecessary and diversionary.

The legal practitioner warned that the party risks losing both its resources spent on conventions, primary elections and actual elections if it goes ahead with its activities, as it will be considered a nullity.

READ ALSO: Kano ADC gives Kwankwaso 60 per cent executive structure

Should you (ADC) emerge the winner of any election, be it the presidential, the governorship, the National Assembly, the state assembly  should your candidates, which emerges from any of the factions, emerge as the winner at the elections next year, the person that has the next highest number of votes will be declared the winner, Mr Ahonaruogho said.

Another lawyer, Bodunde Opeyemi, argued that INECs position is firmly rooted in law and stems from the Court of Appeals directive to maintain the status quo ante bellum.

Mr Opeyemi explained that the suit, filed on 2 September 2025, triggered the need to preserve the situation as it existed before litigation began.

He explained that the appellate courts order is clear and binding, requiring all parties to refrain from actions that could undermine the pending case. Citing established Supreme Court authorities, he said such preservative orders are meant to freeze both the legal and factual circumstances until the substantive matter is decided.

According to him, INEC had no discretion in the matter and was legally obligated to avoid recognising any faction.

This order admits of no ambiguity. Status quo ante bellum means a strict reversion to, and preservation of, the state of affairs as it existed before 2nd September 2025, when the suit was instituted. It is a binding command prohibiting any alteration of the res, he said.

The Supreme Court has settled this position in A.G. Federation v. Abubakar (2007) 10 NWLR (Pt. 1041) 1, holding that parties must not take steps capable of prejudicing pending proceedings or presenting the court with a fait accompli.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) caucus in the House of Representatives has called for the removal and prosecution of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, over allegations of partisanship and interference in political parties internal affairs.

Alam Ogene (ADC, Anambra), who spoke on behalf of the caucus at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, said its position followed its inaugural meeting held on Sunday, 12 April, during which members reviewed recent political developments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Mr Ogene alleged that the INEC chairman had lost the confidence of key political stakeholders and could no longer guarantee a credible electoral process, accusing him of actions that raise concerns regarding his transparency, integrity and trustworthiness.

According to him, concerns within the caucus were anchored in claims that Mr Amupitan had previously expressed partisan sentiments on a personal X account allegedly linked to him, including support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and comments on alleged religious tensions in the country.

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He said that although INEC had denied Mr Amupitans ownership of the account, members of the caucus maintained that digital traces and other online indicators had intensified public suspicion, insisting that the controversy undermined confidence in the electoral body.

Mr Ogene further alleged that the commission, under Mr Amupitans leadership, was enabling undemocratic practices in the internal affairs of the ADC by recognising what he described as a disputed faction within the party leadership crisis, contrary to earlier positions allegedly taken by the commission.

Specifically, the commission seems to be recognising an illegitimate leadership faction, contrary to the authentic leadership of Senator David Mark, which had previously been acknowledged and certified by INEC itself, having met the requisite criteria, as evidenced by a recent affidavit issued by the commission, he said.

He claimed that the development had placed the party at risk of exclusion from the 2027 elections, warning that such actions could erode public trust in the electoral process.

The lawmaker also accused unnamed actors within the electoral body and the judiciary of attempting to influence an impending court decision scheduled for Tuesday, 14 April, relating to the ADC leadership dispute.

Credible information at our disposal suggest that certain individuals within the judiciary and INEC are collaborating to influence the outcome of a case coming up on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 regarding the leadership question in the ADC, potentially impacting the recognition of a discredited faction, he said.

Citing provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, Mr Ogene argued that disputes arising from internal party congresses fall within the purview of limited judicial intervention, warning against what he described as judicial overreach and procedural manipulation.

He said the caucus would petition the National Judicial Council (NJC) over alleged political interference by judicial officers, aligning with recent concerns raised by the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) leadership on judicial independence and integrity.

Mr Ogene also referenced past judicial figures, including Justices Chukwudifu Oputa, Kayode Eso, Niki Tobi and Mohammed Uwais, saying their legacy underscored the need to protect the judiciary from declining public confidence.

He added that the ADC caucus remained committed to defending democratic institutions, insisting that INEC must demonstrate impartiality in both conduct and perception ahead of the 2027 polls.

Background to the crisis

The leadership crisis within the ADC has deepened over the past months, with multiple court rulings, competing factions, and regulatory actions by INEC shaping the dispute.

The crisis can be traced to July 2025, when a coalition of opposition figures led by Atiku Abubakar, adopted the ADC as a platform for the 2027 elections, leading to the emergence of a caretaker leadership headed by former Senate President David Mark, alongside former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary, following the resignation of the previous party executives led by Ralph Nwosu.

INEC subsequently recognised this leadership in September 2025 and published its details on its official portal.

However, the arrangement was challenged by a rival faction led by Nafiu Bala, a former national vice chairman of the party, who approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, arguing that he was the rightful leader in line with the partys constitution.

The dispute triggered a series of legal battles. In a key development, the Court of Appeal, in a ruling delivered on 12 March, dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed by the Mark-led faction and ordered all parties, including INEC, to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the determination of the substantive suit before the Federal High Court.

Following the ruling, INEC took a controversial step by withdrawing recognition from all factions claiming the partys leadership. The commission also removed the names of the Mark-led National Working Committee from its portal. It announced it would no longer deal with any faction or monitor party activities until the court delivers a final judgment.

This decision effectively left the party without a recognised national leadership, sparking protests from both the Mark and Bala factions, each insisting on its legitimacy and accusing the electoral body of bias.

Amid the stalemate, a bloc of state chairpersons announced a new interim leadership, distancing itself from both the Mark-led and Bala-led groups, and declaring that it had assumed control of the partys structure. The group, loyal to the 2023 ADC presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, justified its action by citing what it described as a leadership vacuum created by INECs derecognition of existing factions.

The crisis has therefore evolved into a multi-layered power struggle involving at least three blocs: the David Mark-led National Working Committee, the Nafiu Bala faction, and a coalition of state chairpersons (alongside other claimants such as the Kachikwu-aligned group).

At the core of the crisis is a growing confrontation between the ADC and INEC. Party leaders, particularly from the Mark-led faction, have accused the electoral body of misinterpreting court orders and undermining the partys ability to function, while INEC insists its actions are guided strictly by judicial directives to avoid prejudicing ongoing litigation.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has secured a new venue for its national convention after the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) authorities allegedly denied it use of Eagle Square and the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, both in Abuja, for the event.

Kola Ologbondiyan, chairman of the National Convention Media and Publicity Sub-committee, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Monday that the convention slated for Tuesday will now hold at Rainbow Event Centre in the federal capital.

The party had raised concerns about its difficulty getting a venue for its national convention, accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government of sabotaging its efforts.

Mr Ologondiyan said the party has not received any response from the FCT on its request to use either the Eagle Square or the Moshood Abiola National Stadium for the convention.

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But the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, said on Monday that he had not received any application for anyone to use the venues and had not denied anyone.

As we speak, no formal application has been submitted to my office or any relevant authority to use Eagle Square, Mr Wike said while inspecting projects in the capital city.

Who denied them? I am not aware of any such development, and I dont even know which party you are referring to. If it is the African Democratic Congress, such claims are their usual attempt to gain public sympathy.

Social media users had accused the Transcorp Hilton Hotel of denying the ADC access to use its venue for the convention at the prompting of the APC-led government. The hotel denied it, describing it as inaccurate, malicious, and entirely fabricated.

Transcorp Hilton explained that no booking was made with the hotel at any point and that no slot was available to accommodate the request when it was enquired.

An inquiry was made on Easter Monday, but there was no availability to accommodate the request. Consequently, no booking was made at any point. We therefore reaffirm that there was no cancellation, contrary to what is being purported. The narrative currently being circulated is inaccurate, malicious, and entirely fabricated. We urge the public to disregard this false information, the hotel said.

The ADC is going ahead with the convention despite the objection of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which said it wouldnt monitor or observe the convention as a result of an order of the Court of Appeal.

INEC had suspended the recognition of any leadership of the party after the court ordered that all parties in a suit challenging the current leadership of the party maintain the status quo ante bellum and to avoid doing anything that could jeopardise the outcome of the suit.

But the ADC accused INEC of deliberately misinterpreting the court order to suspend the recognition of the party leaders.

Meanwhile, the partys National Publicity Secretary, Bola Abdullahi, said over 3,000 delegates are expected to attend the convention from across the country.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed amended nine corruption charges against former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.

At the resumed proceedings on Monday, the Kaduna State High Court adjourned the case until Tuesday, 14 April, for a ruling on Mr El-Rufais bail application after the prosecution revised the charges and dropped one of the co-defendants.

Coincidentally, the Federal High Court in Kaduna, where the ICPC is also prosecuting Mr El-Rufai on a different set of 10 corruption charges, ready fixed the same 14 April for ruling on the former governors bail application.

The federal judge, Rilwan Aikawa, set the ruling date after hearing the prosecution and the defence on 1 April.

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The charges at the Federal High Court accusing him of taking inflated severance pays after completing his first and second terms as governor in 2019 and 2023 and taking suspicious $817,900 funds, were brought under the money laundering law.

The nine amended charges at the Kaduna State High Court were brought under the Advance Fee Fraud and the Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Punch Newspaper reported that Mr El-Rufai was arraigned before the Kaduna State High Court in Kaduna on amended nine charges of corruption on Monday. The former governor pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He entered his plea after prosecution struck out the name of a co-defendant, Ahmadu Sule, leaving the former governor as the sole defendant in the case.

Speaking to journalists after the proceedings, defence lawyer, Ubong Abang, said the hearing centred largely on the amended charges, which his team would need time to review before the trial could proceed.

The charges are entirely new to us. They were served on us this morning while we were already in court. That is why the matter could not proceed to a hearing, Mr Abang said.

He confirmed that the court heard the bail application and adjourned for ruling.

We will analyse the charges and make our position known. For now, there is nothing we can do until we have fully reviewed them, he added.

The trial judge, Darius Khobo, subsequently adjourned the matter to Tuesday for a ruling on the bail application.

Charges

Mr El-Rufai faces nine counts following the removal of the co-defendant.

In the first count, the ICPC alleged that in December 2016, while serving as governor, Mr El-Rufai used false pretences to induce the Kaduna State Government to pay N11 billion to Indokaduna MRTS JV Nigeria Limited, described by the commission as an unregistered entity, for a light rail project that was never executed.

The commission said the alleged act contravenes the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

The second count accuses him of using his office to confer a corrupt advantage on himself.

In the third count, the ICPC alleged that in January 2023, Mr El-Rufai received N289.8 million as severance allowance, far above the legally approved sum of about N20 million. It said he knew, or ought to have known, that the excess payment formed part of the proceeds of unlawful activity, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The fourth count alleges that between September 2017 and March 2023, he took control of $320,800 paid in tranches into his Guaranty Trust Bank domiciliary account by one Joel Adoga, funds the commission said were proceeds of corruption.

In the fifth count, the ICPC alleged that in May 2022, Mr El-Rufai received $155,800 into the same account from Peter Akagu Jones, said to be at large, and that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.

The sixth count accuses him of receiving $305,300 in May 2022 from Ajayi Ayodele under similar circumstances.

In the seventh and eighth counts, the ICPC alleged that he received $5,000 each in April and June 2016 from different individuals, which it said were proceeds of unlawful activity.

The commission also accused the former governor of receiving other sums in foreign currency and concealing their origin, following the amendment of the charge.

Mr El-Rufai was earlier arraigned by the ICPC on 10 counts of fraud, conversion of public property and money laundering alongside other defendants. He pleaded not guilty.

The amended charge follows a series of court appearances in both state and federal courts.

The ICPC had in March released him on compassionate grounds after the death of his mother, before re-arraigning him as proceedings continued.

He has also faced separate proceedings at the Federal High Court and remains under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over related allegations.

Mr El-Rufai has denied any wrongdoing, describing the actions against him as politically motivated.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the National Assembly to investigate an X account allegedly owned by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan.

In a statement on Monday, SERAP asked the lawmakers to exercise their constitutional oversight powers to conduct what it described as a credible, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the allegations and to ensure that they are neither ignored nor covered up.

Mr Amupitan, a professor, has been in the eye of the storm after social media users accused him of making partisan comments in 2023 via an X account.

Although the INEC chairperson has denied owning or operating the account, it appears to be linked to him.

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Social media users used Grok, an AI chatbot on X, to analyse the account and found that it was linked to his known email account and phone number. The account, created in 2022, carried Mr Amupitans name, which was changed only after public scrutiny.

Account joashamupitan (ID 1567086242164101120, created 6 Sep 2022) aligns with Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan via email on his UniJos CV. Today (10 Apr 2026), username changed to Sundayvibe00, profile locked/protected, relabeled Parody Account, prior posts deleted after a 2023 tweet resurfaced, Grok responded to one user.

SERAP said both the allegations and INECs reaction raise serious concerns about the integrity and impartiality of the commission.

The credibility of INEC is essential to the integrity and legitimacy of Nigerias electoral process, and any allegations that may undermine this credibility must be promptly, thoroughly, transparently and effectively investigated, SERAP said.

Where there is sufficient admissible evidence of wrongdoing, appropriate measures must be taken in accordance with the law.

Citing Sections 88 and 89 of the Nigerian constitution, SERAP noted that the National Assembly is empowered to investigate the conduct of public officials and institutions to expose corruption, inefficiency or abuse of office.

It added that exercising such powers in the current case would serve the public interest by ensuring accountability and reinforcing the integrity of Nigerias electoral system.

The group maintained that the independence and impartiality of INEC are fundamental to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections, adding that the legislature must promptly address any doubts about the conduct of those overseeing elections.
We rounded off the day with a visit to the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM, which provides regular traffic updates, takes calls from listeners, and hosts guests. I was warmly received for a brief but lively on-air chat. Additional highlights included the West African Road Safety Organisation Secretariat, which Nigeria currently hosts, and the African Lead Agency Secretariat, which Nigeria secured from Zambia by a very narrow margin.

It began like any other bustling workday at our office when I participated at a media interaction at the Headquarters of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Abuja.

Not many visits to public officials stir the kind of anticipation this one did. As I had closely followed the FRSCs transformation in recent years, particularly since Nigerias President Bola Tinubu appointed Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed, a member of national institute (mni), to lead the Corps in May 2024.

A distinguished career officer with over three decades of service within the agency, Mohammed is a chartered accountant who currently holds the prestigious traditional title of Sulukin Arewan Zazzau within the Zazzau Emirate Council in Kaduna State. His footprint within the FRSC is anything but modest.

He launched a paperless electronic document management system and introduced body cameras for patrol officers alongside a dedicated mobile app for emergency responses. He upgraded printing facilities to produce an average of 15,000 drivers licences daily and initiated a contactless biometric capture system to eliminate processing delays. Most notably, he led the FRSC to achieve ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Certification, making it the first uniformed organisation in Africa to reach this milestone.

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Added to these achievements is the conversion of nearly 1,400 personnel from the marshal to the officer cadre, and the initiation of training for over 1,600 staff across various ranks. Impressive credentials on paper, no doubt, but nothing could have fully prepared me for the revelation that the mans vision and impact reach far beyond what the tabloids have captured.

As we were ushered into his impressively organised office, spaciously appointed and genuinely welcoming, we came face to face with a man whose humble demeanour effortlessly complements his transformative strides. As both bosses exchanged handshakes, I observed from a short distance that, much like my CEO, Corps Marshal Mohammed is precisely the kind of person you would describe as a true guyman.

His qualities were immediately perceptible: visionary, warm, self-aware, eloquent, deeply informative, and above all, firmly data-driven.

A few minutes into our conversation, past the pleasantries, it became clear that what the FRSC has achieved in the last two years is merely the tip of the iceberg. For instance, preparations are in top gear to allow motorists to register for number plates entirely online, choose their preferred number combinations, make payments, and have the plates delivered to their chosen address. This is also an opportunity, through the value chain of transport and logistics, to create more jobs for our teeming unemployed population, he said with evident enthusiasm. Beyond that, the contactless drivers licence capture system can read a thumbprint from several metres away without requiring physical contact with the lens. All NIN-linked biometric data is drawn instantly, and a drivers licence is printed and issued on the spot.

When I came in, we had about 400,000 unprinted licences. We printed them and reached out to the owners to inform them their licences were ready for collection. Today, we have a backlog of barely 5,000, Mohammed explained.

As he walked us through his vision and reforms at the FRSC, including the rollout of body cameras for patrol officers, I asked how he had managed to achieve such a high compliance rate, given that many workers naturally resist change and prefer the status quo. Even as I posed the question, I was not entirely surprised by his approach. Upon entering his office, my eyes had quickly caught a copy of Robert Wanyamas Disruptive Strategies resting calmly on his desk. The book is centred on empowering leaders to navigate rapid industry changes by treating disruption as an opportunity rather than a threat. This is one remarkable public servant with the Midas touch, I thought to myself, resisting the very tempting urge to pick up the book. Little wonder he does not rely solely on official channels for actionable intelligence. He leverages active social media monitoring to decisively address public complaints, employs on-the-ground scouting to tackle traffic offences, and benchmarks global driving cultures, including economic conditions, literacy levels, and quality of life standards, to shape policy decisions.

Have you ever asked yourself why someone in Jigawa or Kano might agree to be transported in a vehicles boot, while someone in Lagos simply would not? These things matter, he said, reassuring us that the FRSC remains open to public concerns. Even if someone sees something they dislike about us and brings it to our attention, we will address it. We are very much committed to holding ourselves accountable, he added.

The more you engage with Corps Marshal Mohammed, the more you encounter a man with a genuine difference to make in public office and nothing to conceal. He personally led us into his inner chambers, walking us through the gallery, meeting areas, and conference room, all of which were immaculately organised and appointed with the polish of a world-class corporate setting.

Our team was subsequently taken on a tour of the facilities, including the call centre, where the toll-free emergency number 122 had received 2,265 calls from the public at an average call duration of 41 seconds on the day of our visit. The tour extended to the control room for body-worn cameras worn by patrol officials stationed across the country. We were able to monitor, in real time, what was unfolding at various patrol posts across Nigeria, including Abuja, Kaduna, and Taraba.

We have the technology to remotely take over the camera in cases of sabotage, and we can also control the speed of the patrol vehicle from this room. To counter power challenges, we always equip officers with extra batteries, the officer in charge explained.

We rounded off the day with a visit to the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM, which provides regular traffic updates, takes calls from listeners, and hosts guests. I was warmly received for a brief but lively on-air chat. Additional highlights included the West African Road Safety Organisation Secretariat, which Nigeria currently hosts, and the African Lead Agency Secretariat, which Nigeria secured from Zambia by a very narrow margin.

Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammeds agenda at the FRSC has been built on a six-point framework anchored on policy reform, digital transformation, and enhanced staff welfare, and the evidence is impossible to ignore. With barely two years at the helm, he has repositioned what many once regarded as a slow-moving institution into a technology-driven, citizen-focused agency setting benchmarks not just in Nigeria, but across the African continent. No doubt, the road ahead under his watch promises to be a remarkable one.

Mohammed Dahiru Lawal, a factchecker, writes from Abuja.
Clearly, this world order has long needed repair. Not because it is broken. But more because it is past its sell-by date. The questions around sovereignty remain. I agree that sovereignty is a responsibility. One that falls to a geographic area generally acknowledged as a state, including its flag, currency, and army. The questions over the need for an international body to act when states fail to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, or crimes against humanity similarly remain unresolved.

The world over, there are few sentiments more angsty (antsy, even) than the chuntering, in liberal circles, over the recent rapid erosion (and impending failure) of the post-1945 international order. Forthcoming chaos is the medium-term outlook. According to this reading of events, the components of the muddle to come are a new multipolar world (in which multilateral impulses will be all but extinguished) along with the re-emergence (as in the period just before World War I) of the notion that might is right. From Russia versus Ukraine, through Israel against Hamas, to the possibility of Chinas declaration of hostilities against Taiwan, the sense of a breach of norms of international civility is as pervasive as it is portentous. While the demise of the Soviet Union a few years back was a major source of worry, to the extent that it removed a key strut of what was then a bi-polar world (NATO versus the Warsaw Pact), Chinas emergence in the last four decades has been far more alarming.

In the old USSR, Russia and its satellites states bristled with large gunrooms and armies, but they still accepted the odd gift of grains from the West. Chinas challenge, on the other hand, is as economic as it is increasingly military. Add to this the aspirations of apprentice middle powers  from Turkey, through South Korea and the United Arab Emirates, to India  and the resulting brew might, indeed, be as ignitable as the doom-mongers fear. And all of this before you include the new flightiness of US policymaking.

You would not tell from the American attitude to the current international order that none of this could have come about without extensive diplomatic activity from Washington. Yet, the fact that President Donald John Trump treats institutions like the United Nations (UN), World Health Organisation, World Trade Organisation, etc. as if they are alien imposts does not quite justify the sense that he is to be held singularly responsible for their growing irrelevance.

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Long before Mr Trump, however, this order had started to show its age. In the last thirty years, the UN, for instance, has been at the receiving end of governance reform proposals aimed at improving its diplomacy, peacekeeping, post-conflict peacebuilding, and management and accountability. But by far the biggest recognition of its growing irrelevance has been the move to expand the UN Security Council (UNSC) to reflect modern geopolitical realities.

The 70 years following the last world war have been without question, some of the most productive in our species history. Major wars (in Europe, at least, and barring the many low-intensity proxy wars fought in Africa) between countries looked like becoming outdated  that is until Russia decided to invade Ukraine three years ago. Advances in science and technology drove economic growth and unprecedented improvement in the welfare of people across the world.

Long before Mr Trump, however, this order had started to show its age. In the last thirty years, the UN, for instance, has been at the receiving end of governance reform proposals aimed at improving its diplomacy, peacekeeping, post-conflict peacebuilding, and management and accountability. But by far the biggest recognition of its growing irrelevance has been the move to expand the UN Security Council (UNSC) to reflect modern geopolitical realities. Groups of countries such as the G4 (Germany, Japan, India, Brazil) have proposed two models for this: addition of six new non-veto wielding permanent members, or of renewable long-term seats. The African Union (AU), tired of being on the UNSCs menu (and as the locus of much of the hostilities in the world over the last 60 years) sought to democratise the global conflict resolution process by seeking seats at the UNs table. The AU adopted the Ezulwini Consensus in 2005 to address the continents under-representation on the UNSC, demanding at least two permanent African seats with veto power, and five non-permanent other seats.

it would simply confound the many follies of this new age were one to ignore the fact that the portmanteau of states and the power relationships between them, which lent the post-1945 world order its legitimacy no longer exists. The failing of the Trump administration in the US is to have abandoned responsibility for the design of a replacement for a clearly jaded world order.

Clearly, this world order has long needed repair. Not because it is broken. But more because it is past its sell-by date. The questions around sovereignty remain. I agree that sovereignty is a responsibility. One that falls to a geographic area generally acknowledged as a state, including its flag, currency, and army. All of this establish a states right to control its territory and people, along with an inalienable duty to protect its people and govern its territory responsibly. The questions over the need for an international body to act when states fail to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, or crimes against humanity similarly remain unresolved.

However, it would simply confound the many follies of this new age were one to ignore the fact that the portmanteau of states and the power relationships between them, which lent the post-1945 world order its legitimacy no longer exists. The failing of the Trump administration in the US is to have abandoned responsibility for the design of a replacement for a clearly jaded world order. But perhaps, even the US itself, is past its sell-by date. Nonetheless there is no excuse lamer than the US impotence for the rest of us not to try to make the next century better than the last one.

Uddin Ifeanyi, a journalist manque and retired civil servant, can be reached @IfeanyiUddin.
The Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) returns in 2026 convening global leaders, investors, policymakers, philanthropists, private sector leaders and innovators to finance transformative solutions with an ambitious agenda focused on accelerating sustainable development across Africa through stronger partnerships, innovative financing and bold leadership.

Convened by the Sterling One Foundation in collaboration with the United Nations in Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, the Africa Social Impact Summit has rapidly emerged as one of the continents leading platforms for advancing market-led solutions to Africas most pressing development challenges.

Africa is entering one of the most consequential decades in its development journey. By 2050, the continent is expected to be home to more than 2.5 billion people, including the worlds largest youth workforce  a demographic shift that presents unprecedented opportunities for innovation, investment and sustainable economic growth.

Against this backdrop, global leaders will gather for the 2026 Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) under the theme:

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Financing for Development: Building Resilience and Transforming Emerging Economies.

The summit will take place 2223 July 2026 at the prestigious Eko Convention Center in Lagos, Nigeria, convening leaders to mobilise capital and partnerships capable of accelerating Africas sustainable development agenda.

Speaking ahead of the summit, Mohamed Malick Fall, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, emphasised the importance of collective action in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Africa Social Impact Summit provides a powerful platform for bringing together governments, the private sector and development partners to accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. By mobilising capital, innovation and partnerships, platforms like ASIS help unlock the transformative solutions Africa needs for inclusive and sustainable development.

Providing further perspective on the role of partnerships in shaping Africas future, Abubakar Suleiman, Board Member of Sterling One Foundation and the Managing Director, Sterling Bank, noted that collaboration across sectors will be essential to unlocking the continents potential.

Africas development challenges are complex, but they also present immense opportunities for innovation and partnership. Platforms like the Africa Social Impact Summit are essential for bringing together leaders from government, business and philanthropy to unlock the ideas, capital and collaboration required to accelerate sustainable development across the continent.

According to Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Nigerias Minister of Budget and Economic Planning:

Nigeria welcomes platforms like the Africa Social Impact Summit that bring together global capital, innovation and policy dialogue.

Strengthening collaboration between government, investors and development partners is critical to accelerating economic growth, improving livelihoods and advancing sustainable development across the continent.

Organisers note that the summit was designed to create a catalytic space where leaders across sectors can move beyond dialogue toward measurable outcomes that advance Africas development priorities.

The Africa Social Impact Summit was created to convene the boldest thinkers, investors and development leaders committed to shaping Africas future, said Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation. By bringing together leaders across sectors, the summit provides a powerful platform for mobilising the partnerships and capital needed to scale solutions across education, healthcare, women empowerment, food systems and youth development.

Government leaders have also underscored the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in driving economic transformation across the continent.

The 2026 edition will focus on unlocking investment and partnerships across key sectors including education, healthcare, food systems, women empowerment, youth development, the creative economy and sustainable finance. Through high-level dialogues, investor roundtables, sector-focused sessions and strategic partnership announcements, the summit aims to catalyse scalable solutions that drive inclusive growth across Africa.

The summit is expected to attract over 2,000 delegates from more than 50 countries, including senior government officials, global investors, development finance institutions, corporate leaders, philanthropists, entrepreneurs and civil society organisations.

Participants will engage in high-level discussions, sector dialogues and investment conversations designed to unlock new partnerships and financing pathways capable of driving transformative impact across Africa.

Leaders, innovators, investors and development partners interested in shaping Africas future are invited to register to attend the 2026 Africa Social Impact Summit by visiting www.theimpactsummit.org.

Further announcements regarding speakers, programme highlights and partnership opportunities will be made in the coming months.

About the Africa Social Impact Summit

The Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) is one of Africas leading convening platforms for advancing sustainable development through strategic partnerships, innovative financing and market-driven solutions. The summit brings together global leaders from government, business, philanthropy, development institutions and civil society to accelerate progress across key sectors including education, healthcare, food systems, youth development, climate resilience, the creative economy and sustainable finance.

Co-convened by the Sterling One Foundation and the United Nations in Nigeria, the summit provides a platform for dialogue, collaboration and investment aimed at unlocking scalable solutions capable of delivering long-term impact across Africa.

Through high-level dialogues, investor roundtables and partnership announcements, the summit continues to strengthen Africas development ecosystem while mobilising capital and innovation toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

More information can be found at www.theimpactsummit.org.
Governor Umar Namadis investment tour to China represents a defining moment in the economic trajectory of Jigawa Stateone that powerfully consolidates years of strategic planning aimed at revitalising Maigatari Export Processing Zone (EPZ). The visit marks a transition from groundwork to execution, from vision to visible progress.

The Maigatari Export Processing Zone (EPZ) stands out as one of the most ambitious economic assets in Jigawa State, with the potential to transform the state into a major hub for trade, manufacturing, and export-led growth in Northern Nigeria. Strategically located in Maigataria historic border town along the NigeriaNiger corridorthe zone occupies a unique position that links Nigeria to landlocked countries across West Africa, reviving centuries-old trans-Saharan trade routes.

The importance of the Maigatari EPZ lies primarily in its geography and economic design. Positioned at an international border and home to one of the largest livestock markets in sub-Saharan Africa, the zone naturally serves as a gateway for cross-border commerce.

Beyond location, the EPZ is structured to promote export-oriented industrialization. It has warehouses, factory spaces, banks, and logistics facilities that help businesses process, package, and ship goods quickly and easily. The zone is expected to support light manufacturing, agro-processing, and assembly industries, thereby boosting value addition to locally produced goods.

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Crucially, the EPZ represents a major tool for economic diversification. In a state heavily reliant on agriculture, it creates pathways for industrial growth, enhances small and medium enterprise (SME) development, and facilitates access to international markets.

Its socio-economic impact is equally significant. When fully operational, the zone is projected to generate up to 100,000 jobs, stimulate local businesses, and uplift surrounding communities through increased economic activities.

Since assuming office, the governor has consistently identified the zone as a cornerstone of Jigawa States economic transformationan entry point for regional trade, industrial expansion, and global competitiveness. Strategically located, the border town of Maigatarihome to one of West Africas largest cattle marketsoffers a natural advantage as a commercial gateway linking Nigeria to neighbouring countries.

From the outset of his administration, the MBFZ has occupied a central place within the governors 12-point development agenda, particularly under the pillars of industrialization and investment promotion. Well before the China mission, the administration had embarked on a deliberate process of laying the groundwork for the Zones revival.

This included strengthening institutional frameworks, refining policy direction, and intensifying engagements with both domestic and international stakeholders to unlock its long-dormant potential. The vision has remained clear and consistent: to transform Maigatari into a thriving economic corridor that integrates Jigawa into regional and global value chains.

One of the governors earliest and most decisive actions upon assuming office was to initiate the comprehensive rehabilitation and upgrading of the zones long-neglected infrastructure. Years of abandonment had left critical facilities in disrepair, necessitating urgent intervention.

The administration responded with a broad infrastructure renewal plan, covering the expansion of the airstrip, construction of modern warehouses and residential accommodations, and the rehabilitation of internal road networks to support industrial logistics.

Perhaps most crucially, the administration moved to secure a functional operational license for the zone from the relevant federal regulatory authorityresolving a longstanding institutional bottleneck that had previously stalled progress. This singular achievement provided the legal and operational foundation required to attract serious investors and reposition the MBFZ for full-scale economic activity.

With the policy and structural framework firmly in place, Governor Namadi then activated a focused investment drive through Invest Jigawa. This agency has played a pivotal role in marketing the Zone, facilitating investor entry, and coordinating partnerships.

Over the past three years, these efforts have begun to yield measurable results, with increasing interest from both local and international investors. Dozens of companies have already expressed interest in the zone, with some establishing operations in areas such as garment production and agro-processing within the EPZ and the adjoining Gagarawa Industrial Cluster.

Against this backdrop, the China investment tour represents a significant leap from preparation to acceleration. A landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the revitalization of the MBFZ marks a turning point by transitioning the project from a development concept into an active investment destination. The agreement opens the door to the development of industrial clusters, logistics hubs, and expanded cross-border trade, reinforcing Maigataris strategic importance.

Equally significant is the governors broader engagement with over 20 Chinese companies across diverse sectors. These engagements were not incidental; they were strategically aligned with the specific needs of the MBFZ and the states wider economic ambitions. Key areas of interest include light manufacturing, renewable energy, agro-processing, and infrastructure developmentall essential components for building a competitive and sustainable free trade zone.

The planned establishment of assembly and light manufacturing plants within the MBFZ is particularly transformative. It signals a decisive shift toward local production, value addition, and export-oriented growth. Once operational, these facilities are expected to stimulate industrial activity, create jobs, and position Jigawa as an emerging manufacturing hub in Northern Nigeria.

Complementing these efforts is a strong focus on enabling infrastructure. The proposed deployment of solar microgrid systems, for instance, addresses one of the most critical challenges facing industrial zonesreliable power supply. By integrating sustainable energy solutions, the administration is not only enhancing productivity but also aligning with global trends in green development.

Agriculture, which remains the backbone of Jigawas economy, is also being strategically linked to the MBFZ initiative. Agreements on the supply of modern agricultural machinery and improved farming systems are expected to boost productivity and strengthen value chains. This creates a natural synergy where agricultural outputs can feed into agro-processing industries within the Zone, reinforcing a cycle of production, processing, and export.

A notable example of this is the development of agro-processing value chains, particularly in hibiscus productionwhere Jigawa is a leading producer. The establishment of processing facilities linked to the EPZ is designed to boost exports, improve farmers incomes, and position the state as a global supplier of processed agricultural commodities.

Another defining feature of the governors approach is the emphasis on technology transfer and human capital development. Recognizing that infrastructure alone cannot drive industrialization, the administration is prioritizing skills acquisition and capacity buildingparticularly for the youth. This ensures that the emerging opportunities within the MBFZ translate into meaningful employment and long-term economic inclusion.

In essence, the China investment tour has not only validated Governor Namadis long-standing commitment to the Maigatari Border Free Trade Zone but has also significantly accelerated its realization. It reflects a governance approach anchored on continuity, strategic planning, and results-driven execution.

As implementation gathers pace, the Maigatari EPZ is poised to evolve into one of Nigerias most dynamic and competitive free trade zones. More importantly, it is set to stand as a defining legacy of the Namadi administrationa symbol of economic renewal, a catalyst for industrial growth, and a gateway to shared prosperity for the people of Jigawa State.

*Hamisu M Gumel is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Jigawa
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has warned residents against aiding, harbouring, or providing logistical support to Boko Haram insurgents in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the warning was sequel to a recent operation conducted by the Air Component of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, in the Jilli general area of Gubio Local Government Area on Saturday.

Jilli is a border community between the Gubio LGA of Borno and the Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe.

Mr Zulum, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Dauda Iliya, described Jilli market as a notorious hub, allegedly used by insurgents and their logistics suppliers.

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I have been properly briefed on the airstrike carried out by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai on Jilli market, a border town between Borno and Yobe.

Let me state categorically that the Borno State Government closed Jilli and Gazabure markets five years ago.

I am in close consultation with the Government of Yobe State and the military hierarchy on the matter, the governor was quoted as saying.

Mr Zulum said that the Borno State Government had maintained close coordination with the military and other security agencies before resettling any community or reopening markets, particularly in areas affected by insurgency.

He reiterated his administrations unwavering commitment to safeguarding law-abiding citizens and sustaining collaborative efforts with security agencies to restore lasting peace and stability across the state.

The governor urged residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that will aid ongoing military operations.

(NAN)
Terrorists have reportedly killed a Nigerian Army colonel, I.A Mohammed, and some soldiers in Borno State.

According to Sahara Reporters, the officer and soldiers were killed in an overnight attack on a military base in Monguno.

In a post on X, Philip Brant, a jihadi researcher who has been monitoring violence in Borno and other parts of Lake Chad, including the Sahel, attributed the attack to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a 2016 breakaway faction of Boko Haram.

Mr Brant said four soldiers were killed alongside the Army officer.

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Military authorities have not issued an official statement about the attack, and an enquiry sent to Army spokesperson Appolonia Anele, had not been responded to.

The Army colonel was the second high-ranking officer to be killed in less than a week.

On 9 April, terrorists killed some officers, including a brigadier general, Oseni Braimah, in Benisheikh, Borno State.

ISWAP claimed responsibility for the attack and two other assaults on military formations in Pulka and Warabe.

In its propaganda message, the terror group said it killed three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and five soldiers, including Mr Braimah.

However, the military said two officers and two soldiers were killed. The army did not disclose the names or ranks of the officers and soldiers killed.

ISWAP has intensified attacks on military formations since the beginning of this year with at least four senior officers killed so far.

In response, the military continued to launch offensives, including aerial assaults against the group, disrupting their operations and destroying their camps.
A magistrates court in Makurdi, Benue State, on Monday, remanded two men, Terhile Yarnum and Simon Changoji, standing trial over alleged conspiracy, trespass, causing hurt and illegal possession of firearm.

The magistrate, Ajuma Igama, did not take the defendants plea due to lack of jurisdiction.

Ms Igama ordered that the defendants be remanded in the Makurdi Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until 11 May for further mention.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Inedu Friday, a police inspector, told the court that one Kanshio Cyprian of Ukemberegya, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, reported the case at Anyin Divisional Police Station.

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The complainant stated that he was working with five others at the farm when Terhile Yarnum and Simon Changoji along with many others from the Changoji family attacked them.

He reported that the attackers trespassed onto the land with sticks, cutlasses and guns, attacked them and injured one Terhile Abraham on his forehead.

They later made away with a wheelbarrow of seed yams, all with a total value of N136,000, he said.

Mr Friday said that during police investigations, the defendants were arrested in connection with the alleged crime while others were still at large.

The prosecutor said that investigation into the matter was ongoing and asked the court for another date for mention.

He said that the offences contravened Sections 97, 349, 254, 288 of the Penal Code Law of Benue State 2004; and Section 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearm Special Provision Act 3004 suggested.

(NAN)
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has fired back at Vice President Kashim Shettima, dismissing a public challenge regarding his scorecard in office.

Atiku stated he would not dignify the request with a response, claiming that Mr Shettimas approach is disrespectful to him and an affront to cultural values in Northern Nigeria.

The controversy stems from reports that Mr Shettima challenged Atiku to name eight projects he executed for the development of Northern Nigeria during his eight-year tenure as vice president, as well as eight individuals he empowered while in office.

Responding in an interview on Sunday with the GTA Hausa podcast, anchored by Yusuf Harande, Atiku argued that his seniority and extensive experience in the civil service place him above such confrontations with Mr Shettima.

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I will not respond to Kashim Shettima because he is disrespectful. I am older than him, and I have more experience in governance than he does, so I will not respond to him, Atiku said.

The former vice president further contended that Northern Nigerian cultural values discourage younger individuals from publicly challenging their elders.

It is not part of our tradition in the North to disrespect elders. You cannot look at someone who is senior to you in both age and accomplishments and start taunting him. That is not our tradition, so I wont engage with him, Atiku added.

Atiku served as Nigerias Vice President from 1999 to 2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo. A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he served as head of the National Council on Privatisation, which oversaw the sale of hundreds of state-owned enterprises during the early 2000s.

Atikus political career is defined by his persistent pursuit of the presidency. He has contested for the office multiple times in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2019, and 2023 from different party platforms, including the Action Congress (AC), the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the PDP.
New hire follows appointment of Alistair Phillips-Davies CBE and Matthew Timms to the Board, and Catherine O'Kelly as CEO

MANCHESTER, England, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Calisen Group, the UK's largest smart meter provider, has appointed Dr Diane Bitzel as its first Chief Technology Officer. Diane brings extensive experience from sectors including manufacturing, life sciences and telecommunications, with a focus on data management, and most recently served as Chief Digital & Information Officer at Vodafone. She has a strong global track record in delivering major technology transformations and building commercial data and analytics capabilities.

Dr Diane Bitzel, Chief Technology Officer at Calisen

The appointment of Calisen's first Chief Technology Officer seizes upon the opportunity of fast-paced innovation in technology and the energy transition. Diane will drive business acceleration and value creation through technology. Calisen's specialist data and analytics team of engineers will join Diane, forming the new unified Calisen Data Team - delivering critical data and analytics initiatives at pace, in partnership with Calisen's nationwide operations. The team was brought into the business as part of the acquisition of Advizzo , the smart meter machine learning and behavioural science business, in 2023.

Commenting on the appointment, Catherine O'Kelly, CEO of Calisen, said:

"Diane's pre-eminence in her field is well proven, with a brilliant track record of identifying commercial use cases for data analytics that improve customer experience and grow businesses. The UK's smart meter system is an important asset which has the potential to transform the use of energy in the home, making it more tailored, more convenient and more affordable. It also gives consumers the key to energy independence via low carbon technologies such as solar and battery. We are so excited to have Diane on board as we take smart metering to the next level."

Dr Diane Bitzel, Chief Technology Officer at Calisen, added:

"I started my career working on the modernisation of the metering system in Italy, the first country to take this bold step over thirty years ago. In recent years, we have seen this clever technology become the vehicle for a radical transformation of energy supply in the home such as tapping into flexible tariffs and enabling the national storage of power. However, we are only scratching the surface of innovation in smart meter data. It is fantastic to have the opportunity to work with the UK's largest smart meter provider and develop ways we can improve consumers' lives and reach the full potential of this important system."

Today's news follows the announcement in December 2025 of the appointment of Alistair Phillips-Davies CBE, former CEO of SSE plc, and Matthew Timms, formerly Chief Digital & Technology Officer at E.ON, as Non-Executive Directors to the Calisen Board and Chief Executive Officer Catherine O'Kelly, previously Managing Director of British Gas Energy, who joined the business in October 2025.

Calisen Group: 'smarter energy for all'

Calisen Group Holdings Limited ("Calisen") has been operating in the modernisation of metering systems for over a decade, originating in Manchester and Wigan in the UK. Calisen has grown substantially in this time and is now the leading owner and operator of essential energy infrastructure assets, with around 16m meters, including around 40% of all smart meters in UK homes. Calisen's purpose is to contribute to the transition of the country's energy and water systems from analogue to intelligent technology, making them more efficient, more resilient and giving people the power to connect to market innovations like flexible tariffs and home generation like solar.

The Group employs approximately 1,500 people from its offices in Manchester, Market Harborough, London, Wigan and Portsmouth. Calisen also announced the launch of its first international business in Germany in November 2025.

For further information, please visit www.calisen.com

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GZIRA, Malta, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SOFTSWISS, an iGaming software provider, has won a Global Tech Award 2026 in the Cyber Security Technology category. The accolade recognises Pipeguard, a custom-built security platform embedded directly into the software development process. The Global Tech Awards celebrate technology excellence across industries worldwide, making this a significant milestone for SOFTSWISS on the global tech stage.

SOFTSWISS Wins Best Cyber Security Technology

SOFTSWISS developed Pipeguard to solve a common industry problem. As development speeds increase, standard security tools create too many low-value alerts. Engineers spend time chasing false alarms instead of fixing real risks. The solution automates the process, handling more than 2,000 scans daily across over 200 production repositories across multiple product lines. This enables the resolution of more than 90% of critical issues within agreed timeframes.

Pipeguard is an internal system designed to protect software before it goes live. It works directly inside the development process, identifying and blocking unsafe code, vulnerable software components, exposed credentials, and infrastructure and configuration issues before they reach production.

One of Pipeguard's core innovations is the Risk Context Score, a proprietary method that ranks findings based on actual business risk. This approach reduced irrelevant security alerts by 95%, allowing engineers to focus on genuine threats. New projects can typically be connected to the platform in a few hours.

The platform supports a technology ecosystem used by more than 1,400 iGaming brands across multiple regulated markets. It also helps SOFTSWISS meet compliance requirements and regulator audits across multiple regulated markets, including Brazil, South Africa, Estonia, and Mexico, among others.

Evgeny Zaretskov, Group Chief Security Officer at SOFTSWISS, comments: "In iGaming, where release speed is high and trust is critical, security controls have to work inside delivery, not next to it. Pipeguard helps stop exploitable weaknesses from reaching production across the SOFTSWISS product ecosystem. This award is a recognition of our contribution to global technology standards in cybersecurity."

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is a global tech company, supplying award-winning software solutions for iGaming since 2009. Supported by a team of over 2,000 experts, SOFTSWISS serves more than 1,000 global brands.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2953708/SOFTSWISS.jpg

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THIBODAUX, La. and MCCOMB, Miss., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gaubert Oil Company LLC has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire the Wholesale and Transportation division of Buffalo Services, Inc., marking a strategic step in bringing together two companies built on quality products, service, reliability, and long-term customer and partner relationships.

The proposed transaction includes Buffalo's unbranded commercial fuels distribution business and related operations. Upon completion, the transaction will further strengthen Gaubert Oil's presence in the Gulf South while expanding its ability to serve customers with additional resources and operational support across fuels, DEF, lubricants, chemicals and technical services.

Both companies share core values and cultural alignment, with a focus on customer service, reliability, and long-term relationships. Customers will continue working with the same teams they know, with no interruption to service, now supported by the broader capabilities of Gaubert Oil.

"Buffalo has built a strong business with good people and loyal customers," said Grady Gaubert, CEO/President, Gaubert Oil Company. "Our job is to take care of those customers, just like they have, and bring added capabilities that help them operate more efficiently every day."

"Taking care of our customers has always been our priority," said Clifton Van Cleave, CEO/President, Buffalo Services. "After getting to know the Gaubert team, I am confident they share that same commitment and will continue to serve our customers the right way."

The transaction is subject to customary due diligence and closing conditions. Both companies are committed to working closely together to ensure a smooth transition for customers and employees.

About Gaubert Oil Company

Gaubert Oil is a family-owned energy and services company operating across four core segments: wholesale fuels and lubricants with seven bulk distribution centers; GoBears, a network of convenience stores, including full-service truck stops, grocery and restaurants; GOCO Transport, a fleet of transport trucks; and Industrial Fluid Management (IFM), a growing technical services division focused on lubrication reliability, contamination control, and maintenance solutions for industrial, oil and gas, petrochemical, marine and refining markets.

About Buffalo Services, Inc.

Buffalo Services, Inc. owns and operates 11 B-Kwik Food Marts across South Mississippi and two bulk plants that supply wholesale gasoline and diesel to farms, logging operations, and other commercial customers. For over 60 years, Buffalo has built its business on strong community relationships and dependable service.

Media Contact:

Jeanne Righter, Marketing Manager, Gaubert Oil Company

Ph. +1 504 439 4932, Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Gaubert Oil
KINGSTOWN, St Vincent and the Grenadines, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Firewood, a multi-licensed forex broker with 12 years of industry experience operating through FirewoodFX.com, today officially announced the launch of its latest proprietary trading service, Firewood Funded (firewoodfunded.com). This launch represents a strategic expansion of Firewood's ecosystem, aimed at empowering both retail and professional traders with access to institutional-sized trading capital under a structured and performance-driven model.

FirewoodFunded FiewoodFunded FastTrack 1-Phase

Firewood Funded is designed to address a common limitation faced by skilled traders: access to sufficient capital without assuming significant personal financial risk. Through this program, traders can demonstrate their capabilities via a defined evaluation process and, upon successful completion, gain access to a funded trading account. The model prioritizes discipline, consistency, and risk management, aligning trader incentives with sustainable performance rather than short-term speculation.

The program offers two flexible entry paths tailored to different trading styles and preferences: a One-Step Challenge and a Two-Step Challenge. Each structure provides a clear and rule-based progression toward qualification, allowing traders to choose the format that best fits their strategy and risk tolerance. Upon passing the evaluation, traders can receive funding of up to $100,000 and participate in an 80% profit-sharing structure, positioning Firewood Funded competitively within the proprietary trading space.

Built on Firewood's existing brokerage infrastructure, Firewood Funded benefits from over a decade of operational experience in global financial markets. The integration ensures that traders operate within a stable and professional environment, supported by competitive trading conditions, efficient order execution, and access to multiple asset classes including forex, commodities, indices, and cryptocurrencies. This infrastructure-driven approach reduces friction and enhances the overall trading experience for participants.

In addition to funding opportunities, Firewood Funded incorporates an advanced analytics dashboard that provides real-time insights into trading performance. Traders can monitor key metrics such as drawdown, win rate, and risk exposure, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement. This transparency is intended to reinforce disciplined trading behavior and provide clarity throughout both the evaluation and funded phases.

About the Firewood Funded Program:

Prospective traders are required to complete either the One-Step or Two-Step Challenge by adhering to predefined risk management rules and performance targets. These rules are designed to simulate professional trading conditions while maintaining a controlled risk framework. Upon successful completion, traders are granted access to a funded account and become eligible to receive payouts based on an 80/20 profit split in favor of the trader.

Firewood Funded also emphasizes operational simplicity, with a streamlined onboarding process and clear evaluation criteria. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary complexity while maintaining a robust framework that identifies and rewards consistent trading performance.

Important Links:

Main Firewood website: https://www.firewoodfx.com

Firewood Funded Prop Firm: https://www.firewoodfunded.com

About Firewood:

Firewood is a global trading technology company and forex broker with 12 years of established operations, operating as a multi-licensed entity. The company provides access to a wide range of financial markets, including forex, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and indices. With a focus on execution quality, infrastructure reliability, and user accessibility, Firewood serves thousands of traders worldwide through its integrated trading environment.

Media Contact:

Duncan Tim

442036083558

[email protected]

SOURCE Firewood
Investment Community Teleconference Set for May 13, 2026 at 8 a.m. EDT

TORONTO, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Hydro One Limited (TSX: H), the largest electric transmission and distribution utility in Ontario, plans to release its first quarter financial results the morning of May 13, 2026, before North American financial markets open. A summary of the results will be distributed by newswire and the complete MD&A and financial statements will be posted at www.hydroone.com/investors and www.sedarplus.com.

Hydro One's management will host a teleconference with the investment community starting at 8 a.m. ET that same morning to discuss the results and outlook. Those wishing to listen to the teleconference can access the live webcast through the Investor Relations Events and Presentations section of Hydro One's website at www.hydroone.com/investors. A rebroadcast of the teleconference will be available following the call at the same link.

Members of the North American financial community wanting to ask questions during the call should use the following link (registration link), and you will be provided with personalized dial-in details. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time. Other interested parties and media are welcome to participate on a listen-only basis.

Hydro One Limited (TSX: H)

Hydro One Limited, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, is Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with 1.5 million valued customers, $39.7 billion in assets as at December 31, 2025, and annual revenues in 2025 of $9 billion.

Our team of 9,600 skilled and dedicated employees proudly build and maintain a safe and reliable electricity system which is essential to supporting strong and successful communities. In 2025, Hydro One invested $3.4 billion in its transmission and distribution networks, and supported the economy through buying $3.0 billion of goods and services.

We are committed to the communities where we live and work through community investment, sustainability and diversity initiatives.

Hydro One Limited's common shares are listed on the TSX and certain of Hydro One Inc.'s medium term notes are listed on the NYSE. Additional information can be accessed at www.hydroone.com, www.sedarplus.com or www.sec.gov.

For More Information

For more information about everything Hydro One, please visit www.hydroone.com where you can find additional information including links to securities filings, historical financial reports, and information about the Company's governance practices, corporate social responsibility, customer solutions, and further information about its business.

SOURCE Hydro One Limited
The article explains key factors behind higher premiums and how drivers can better understand the factors that influence their insurance rates.

MACOMB, Mich., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Why are auto insurance costs in Michigan higher than in many other states? HelloNation has published a HelloNation article that explains the main reasons behind these elevated rates and what drivers should know about their coverage.

Spokesperson for Aaron Seitz Insurance Speed Speed

The HelloNation article focuses on Michigan's no-fault insurance system as a central factor in rising premiums. The article explains that under this system, each driver's insurance policy covers their own medical expenses after an accident, regardless of fault. This structure requires personal injury protection coverage, which can significantly increase a policy's cost. The article notes that while this coverage provides important medical benefits, it also contributes to higher overall expenses for drivers.

Insurance Agent Aaron Seitz is featured in the article, which describes how medical costs directly influence insurance pricing. The article highlights that expenses related to emergency care, treatment, and rehabilitation can be substantial, even in less severe accidents. Insurers adjust their rates to account for these potential payouts, which play a major role in determining what drivers pay each month.

The article also examines how vehicle repair costs have increased in recent years. Modern vehicles often include advanced technology such as sensors, cameras, and specialized components that are more expensive to repair or replace. The article explains that higher labor costs and parts pricing further add to these expenses, which are reflected in insurance premiums. Insurance Agent Aaron Seitz is referenced in the article, which reinforces how these trends affect both newer and older vehicles.

Location is another important factor discussed in the HelloNation article. The article explains that drivers living in areas with higher accident rates or increased vehicle theft may face higher premiums. Even small geographic differences, such as neighboring ZIP codes, can lead to noticeable changes in insurance costs. This location-based risk assessment is one of several elements insurers use when calculating rates.

The article also outlines how individual driver characteristics influence pricing. A clean driving record is associated with lower premiums, while traffic violations or recent accidents can lead to higher premiums over time. The article notes that additional factors such as age, driving experience, and credit-based insurance scores may also be considered under Michigan regulations. These variables help insurers evaluate risk and set appropriate pricing for each policyholder.

Vehicle choice is another key point the article explores. Cars that are more expensive to repair, more likely to be stolen, or designed for high performance often come with higher insurance costs. In contrast, vehicles with strong safety features and lower repair costs may help reduce premiums. The article explains that selecting a vehicle with these considerations in mind can help keep long-term insurance expenses more manageable.

The HelloNation article emphasizes that understanding how personal injury protection, repair costs, location, and driver history all contribute to Michigan auto insurance costs can help consumers make more informed decisions. By recognizing these factors, drivers can better evaluate their policies and identify ways to manage expenses effectively.

Why Auto Insurance Is So Expensive in Michigan features insights from Aaron Seitz, Insurance Agent of Macomb, Michigan, in HelloNation.

About HelloNation

HelloNation is a premier media platform that connects readers with trusted professionals and businesses across various industries. Through its innovative "edvertising" approach that blends educational content with storytelling, HelloNation delivers expert-driven, good-news articles that inform, inspire, and empower. Covering topics from home improvement and health to business strategy and lifestyle, HelloNation highlights leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities.

SOURCE HelloNation
NYSE issues a pre-market daily advisory direct from the trading floor.

NEW YORK, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) provides a daily pre-market update directly from the NYSE Trading Floor. Access today's NYSE Pre-market update for market insights before trading begins.

Kristen Scholer delivers the pre-market update on April 13th

Diversified Energy lists on NYSE for liquidity and visibility. Speed Speed NYSE ARCA Options rang Fridays closing bell to mark 50 years.

Equities are sliding early Monday after peace talks over the weekend failed to materialize and as the U.S. prepares to blockade Iran ports.

Investor, Entrepreneur, and Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec spoke to NYSE in partnership with NightDragon to discuss cyber threats and cyber security.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is at the NYSE to celebrate the city's emergency as a business and financial destination and will join Kristen Scholer on NYSE Live.

Diversified Energy (NYSE: DEC) CEO Rusty Hutson will join Taking Stock this afternoon to discuss why the company sees the NYSE as its premier listing venue.

Opening Bell

The City of Dallas Business Delegation spotlights the rise of "Y'all Street."

Closing Bell

Diversified Energy (NYSE: DEC) celebrates its 25th anniversary of founding

For market insights, IPO activity, and today's opening bell, download the NYSE TV App: TV.NYSE.com

SOURCE New York Stock Exchange
Acquisition Strengthens United Felts' Position as a Global Provider of Standard Felt CIPP and Advanced Composite UV CIPP Liners

MARTINSVILLE, Va., April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- United Felts, a leading manufacturer of cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) liners and a subsidiary of Vortex Companies (Vortex), has completed the acquisition of BKP Berolina Polyester GmbH & Co. KG (BKP), a Germany-based leader in advanced composite and UV cured-in-place pipe (UV CIPP) liner technology, anchored by its Berolina-Liner System.

United Felts, a Vortex Company announces the acquisition of Germany based BKP Berolina.

The acquisition expands United Felts' global manufacturing platform and strengthens its position as a provider of both standard felt CIPP and advanced composite liner systems. Headquartered in Velten, Germany, BKP is known for its high-performance Berolina-Liner System, technical innovation, and consistent product quality in regulated infrastructure markets.

"BKP is one of the most respected names in UV CIPP liner technology, and this acquisition is an important step not only in the continued growth of United Felts, but for Vortex as a whole," said Mike Vellano, CEO of Vortex. "BKP's advanced composite and UV liner expertise meaningfully expands United Felts' global platform, while also complementing Vortex's recent investment in UV curing technology. Together, these capabilities strengthen our ability to deliver more complete, high-performance UV CIPP solutions to customers around the world."

The acquisition unites complementary strengths, combining United Felts' established manufacturing capabilities with BKP's advanced composite and UV CIPP technologies to enhance solutions available to the global trenchless rehabilitation market. This alignment broadens technical capabilities while reinforcing a shared commitment to quality and performance. "For nearly 30 years, BKP has been focused on advancing UV CIPP liner technology and supporting customers with a reliable, high-quality solution," said Thomas Christiansen, Group CEO of BKP. "Joining United Felts creates new opportunities for innovation, broader market reach, and continued investment in the products and services our customers rely on."

"This acquisition significantly expands our ability to serve the market with one of the most comprehensive liner portfolios in the industry," said Matt Timberlake, President of United Felts. "By bringing together United Felts' leadership and manufacturing expertise with BKP's advanced composite and UV CIPP expertise, we are better positioned to support customers globally with proven solutions across a broader range of rehabilitation applications."

About BKP

BKP Berolina Polyester GmbH & Co. KG is a Germany-based manufacturer of advanced composite UV cured-in-place pipe liners and related trenchless rehabilitation products. Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Velten, Germany, the company is recognized as a leader in UV CIPP liner technology and is known for its engineering expertise, manufacturing quality, and long history of serving critical infrastructure markets. BKP has been selected among the TOP 100 most innovative Small and Medium sized Businesses in Germany. For more information please visit www.bkp-berolina.de.

About United Felts

United Felts, a division of Vortex Companies, represents a pioneering force in trenchless infrastructure solutions. As a leading supplier of Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) in the Americas, United Felts is committed to innovation, quality. With over 100,000 liners in service, and 200 million feet of manufactured tube, the company showcases unwavering dedication to excellence and customer satisfaction. With a complete vertical integration from raw materials to finished goods, United Felts consistently delivers reliable and precise manufacturing. For more information please visit www.UnitedFelts.com.

About Vortex

Vortex Companies is a global leader in trenchless water and sewer infrastructure solutions. The company delivers advanced technologies and turnkey services for municipal, industrial, and commercial markets. With more than 40 locations worldwide, Vortex specializes in the rehabilitation of pipelines and structures and the development of proprietary mortars, coatings, CIPP liners, robotics, UV technologies, and high-speed drain cleaning tools. For more information, go to www.vortexcompanies.com.

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About this content 

About Ian Lyall

Ian Lyall, a seasoned journalist and editor, brings over three decades of experience to his role as Managing Editor at Proactive. Overseeing Proactive's editorial and broadcast operations across six offices on three continents, Ian is responsible for quality control, editorial policy, and content production. He directs the creation of 50,000 pieces of real-time news, feature articles, and filmed interviews annually. Prior to Proactive, Ian helped lead the business output at the Daily... Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
About this content 

About Oliver Haill

Oliver has been writing about companies and markets since the early 2000s, cutting his teeth as a financial journalist at Growth Company Investor with a focusing on AIM companies and small caps, before a few years later becoming a section editor and then head of research. He joined Proactive after a couple of years freelancing, where he worked for the Financial Times Group, ITV, Press Association, Reuters sports desk, the London Olympic News Service, Rugby World Cup News Service, Gracenote... Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
The AIM-listed biotech's SIRT6 programme is attracting a widening group of Tier-1 industry evaluators, sending shares to 2.85p.

Genflow Biosciences Ltd (LSE:GENF, OTCQB:GENFF, FRA:WQ5) shares jumped 14% to 2.85p on Tuesday after the gene therapy developer announced it had signed additional confidentiality agreements with Tier-1 global animal health companies over its canine longevity programme.

The price movement extends a run that has seen the stock gain 28% year-to-date and almost 140% over the past 12 months.

In Tuesday's news, the latest agreements build on an initial round of confidentiality agreements already in place following positive preliminary interim results from the company's dog study, announced in February.
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NewPeak Metals Ltd (ASX:NPM, OTC:NPMFF, FRA:NPM) last week outlined upcoming drilling at its Las Openas Gold Project in Argentina, alongside multiple near-term catalysts across its exploration portfolio, in a discussion with Proactive.

Managing director Mark Purcell said the company is preparing to commence drilling within weeks at the 100%-owned Las Openas project in San Juan Province, a region recognised as one of South Americas premier gold districts. He noted that the project sits along the same structural trends as major deposits, including Barrick and Shandongs Veladero Mine and Pascua-Lama.

Purcell stated that the initial program would target a large breccia zone mapped at surface, measuring  800 by 600 metres, with the aim of identifying a significant gold system at depth. He commented that the company was really just looking for a large-scale gold deposit, highlighting the scale potential of the target.

The company is also encouraged by historical intercepts, including 115 metres at 0.6 grams per tonne gold, which Purcell said warrant further testing to confirm continuity and scale. He added that the project benefits from favourable geology, being located on a major structural boundary with multiple mineralising phases evident.

Beyond Argentina, NewPeak Metals is awaiting assay results from its Tansey Gold Project in south-east Queensland. The company recently completed  1,200 metres of diamond drilling targeting extensions of a historic underground gold mine. Purcell said these results, expected in April, could represent an opportunity for us to prove up an entirely different gold deposit.

Looking ahead, the company has outlined a steady pipeline of news flow, including initial drilling updates from Las Openas expected between May and June, followed by assay results from the Argentine campaign in July and August.

Key highlights

NewPeak Metals is set to begin drilling at the Las Openas Gold Project in Argentina within weeks.

The project is in San Juan Province, regarded as a highly attractive mining jurisdiction.

Las Openas sits on the same structural trends as major gold deposits including Veladero Mine and Pascua-Lama.

The company is targeting a large-scale gold discovery, supported by surface mapping and historical intercepts.

Mark Purcell highlighted an intercept of 115 metres at 0.6 g/t gold as one of the results the company wants to test further at depth.

Drill camp construction is well advanced, with drilling expected to begin later this month.

At the Tansey Gold Project in south-east Queensland, NewPeak Metals has completed about 1,200 metres of diamond drilling.

Assay results from Tansey are expected in mid to late April.

Near-term catalysts include:

Tansey assay results in mid to late April Las Openas drilling progress update in May to June First Las Openas assay results in July to August

Proactive: NewPeak Metals will start drilling later this month at its 100% owned Las Openas gold project in San Juan Province of Argentina, one of South America's premium gold districts. Here with me to discuss the upcoming program is NewPeak Metals Managing director Mark Purcell. Mark, good to see you.

Mark Purcell: Likewise, Jonathan. Looking forward to speaking with you.

Proactive: Youve had a busy start to 2026 and drilling will start shortly. Can you talk us through the program, what youre expecting to see in the ground, and what youre looking for?

Mark Purcell: At Las Openas, were looking to start drilling in the next two weeks. The drill camp is being built and most of the work is done, so were super excited. Its a big breccia area mapped at surface at about 800 by 600 metres. There are some exciting intercepts there, and to answer your question, were really just looking for a large-scale gold deposit. Were in the neighbourhood of the Veladero Mine, owned by Barrick and Shandong, so something not too dissimilar to that would be fantastic.

Proactive: Lets talk more about the proximity. Can you elaborate on whos around you and whats there?

Mark Purcell: Absolutely. Were in San Juan Province in Argentina. Were fortunate to be on a major structural boundary and can see multiple geologic phases. There are long intercepts like 115 metres at 0.6 grams gold, for example, that we want to test at depth to try and prove the scale. Were certainly in the right geological neighbourhood, and San Juan Province is a fantastic jurisdiction. It actually outranked all Australian jurisdictions in the 2024 Fraser Institute rankings.

Proactive: Good place to be. And also in Australiayoure expecting assays soon. Talk us through whats going on at Tansey.

Mark Purcell: We completed nearly 1,200 metres of diamond drilling at the Tansey project in south-east Queensland earlier this year. That drilling targeted an historic underground gold mine that was abandoned during World War Two. The assay results are pending and currently in the lab in Brisbane. Were excited because thats an opportunity for us to prove up an entirely different gold deposit.

Proactive: Lets round this upwhats coming next and when should investors expect news?

Mark Purcell: Weve got results coming later this month. Were starting drilling at Las Openas in the next few weeks, so this month as well. And finally, weve got listed equities, including Blue Energy shares, which are their own right opportunities. So three excellent opportunities for NewPeak Metals to turn a corner.

Proactive: Plenty to look forward to. Thanks for your time today.

Mark Purcell: Thanks, Jonathan.
About this content 

About Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson joins Proactive Australia's broadcast team part time. As the Managing Director of Gold Events Kerry has been hosting the annual Australian Gold Conference for over 14 years, connecting industry and investment professionals and showcasing the value of precious metals. Kerry is passionate about helping others to secure a safe and solid future by understanding money, finance, and strategy. That is why she created the Making Money Matter channel on YouTube, where... Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
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About Emily Jarvie

Emily began her career as a political journalist for Australian Community Media in Hobart, Tasmania. After she relocated to Toronto, Canada, she reported on business, legal, and scientific developments in the emerging psychedelics sector before joining Proactive in 2022. She brings a strong journalism background with her work featured in newspapers, magazines, and digital publications across Australia, Europe, and North America, including The Examiner, The Advocate, The Canberra Times, and... Read more

About the publisher

Proactive financial news and online broadcast teams provide fast, accessible, informative and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience. All our content is produced independently by our experienced and qualified teams of news journalists.

Proactive news team spans the worlds key finance and investing hubs with bureaus and studios in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Perth.

We are experts in medium and small-cap markets, we also keep our community up to date with blue-chip companies, commodities and broader investment stories. This is content that excites and engages motivated private investors.

The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies.

Use of technology

Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter.

Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist and enhance workflows.

Proactive will on occasion use automation and software tools, including generative AI. Nevertheless, all content published by Proactive is edited and authored by humans, in line with best practice in regard to content production and search engine optimisation.
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Washington, April 13 : The United States will begin enforcing a sweeping maritime blockade of vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports from April 13, escalating tensions after high-stakes talks between Washington and Tehran failed to yield agreement on key issues, including Iran's nuclear programme.

The move, announced by US Central Command (CENTCOM), follows a presidential directive and will target "all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports", including those along the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations," CENTCOM said, adding that US forces would not impede ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports. The blockade would begin at 7.30 pm IST on Monday, as per a CENTCOM release.

Commercial mariners have been advised to monitor official navigation warnings and remain in contact with US naval forces while operating in the region.

The announcement came hours after US President Donald Trump declared that negotiations with Iran had stalled over its nuclear ambitions, despite progress on other fronts.

"Most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not," Trump said, announcing that the US Navy would begin "the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave" the Strait of Hormuz.

He accused Iran of "WORLD EXTORTION" by leveraging threats of naval mines in the strait, a critical global energy corridor. "No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," he said, adding that US forces would also "begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits."

Iran, however, pushed back sharply, suggesting the blockade derailed near-final negotiations.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had engaged "in good faith to end war" and was "just inches away" from an agreement before encountering "maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade."

"Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity," he said.

Analysts tracking the conflict say the dispute centres on Iran's use of uncertainty around naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz to pressure global shipping. The Institute for the Study of War said Iran had declared a "hazardous area" covering key shipping lanes, forcing vessels into Iranian territorial waters where they were subjected to "protection fees".

"This protection racket is illegal under maritime law," the group said, noting that no state bordering a strait can restrict passage or extract fees under international conventions.

The threat of mines  reportedly fewer than a dozen  has driven up oil prices and shipping insurance costs, even without direct attacks, analysts said.

US naval forces have begun operations to counter that strategy. Destroyers, including USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy, have transited the strait to demonstrate safe passage and begin mine-clearing efforts. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper said safe routes would be shared with civilian shipping "as soon as possible".
Washington, April 13 : US President Donald Trump has asserted that Iran's military capability has been severely degraded and claimed Tehran has "no cards" left in ongoing negotiations.

Washington, April 13 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has asserted that Iran's military capability has been severely degraded and claimed Tehran has "no cards" left in ongoing negotiations.

In an interview to Fox News, Trump repeatedly cited Iran's past rhetoric against the United States, saying: "For years, I've had to listen to them say, death to America, right? They say, death to America, death to Israel we will destroy America."

He questioned the lack of international pushback against such statements. "Now, does anybody ever complain to you when they say that? I think that's a big step worse. Death to America," he said.

Trump argued that recent US actions had fundamentally altered the strategic balance. "When I talk about civilisation, it'll be much different because their military will be totally gone," he said, adding that Iran's armed forces were "pretty much gone now."

He also pointed to what he described as changes in Iran's leadership dynamics. "We have had regime change because the people we dealt with yesterday were, frankly, very smart, very sharp," he said, contrasting them with earlier leadership under Ayatollah Khomeini.

The President claimed that Tehran had spent vast sums on military capabilities. "They spent all their money on weapons. We've destroyed most of those weapons," he said.

Trump framed his own rhetoric as instrumental in bringing Iran to negotiations. "That statement got them to the bargaining table and they haven't left," he said, predicting a favourable outcome for Washington. "I predict they come back and they give us everything we want."

He underscored his negotiating position, saying: "I told my people I want everything. I don't want 90 per cent. I don't want 95 per cent. I told them I want everything."

Describing Iran's current position, Trump said: "They have no cards Their Navy is gone. Their Air Force is gone. Totally gone. They have nothing."

He cited specific losses, claiming: "They have no ships. 158 ships are at the bottom of the sea. Good ones. New." He also referenced the destruction of a vessel named Soleimani, saying it was "taken out by one of our Tiger Sharks, by one of our rapidly moving submarines."

Trump used the interview to highlight US military strength. "Our military is so good," he said, noting what he described as high public approval ratings. "Our military has a 94 per cent approval rating now."

He contrasted this with Congress and the media. "Congress has a 14 per cent. The media has a 12 per cent," he said, adding that media credibility had sharply declined since he took office. "When I started, the media had a 92 per cent approval rating. Now they're down to 14 per cent."

The remarks come amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran, with negotiations and military signalling unfolding simultaneously. Trump's comments reflect a hardline posture that prioritises maximal concessions from Tehran.
New Delhi, April 13 : Ahead of the upcoming special session of Parliament, the Supreme Court is slated to hear, on Monday, a plea seeking immediate implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies.

As per the causelist uploaded on the website of the apex court, a bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan is scheduled to hear the petition filed by Congress leader Jaya Thakur.

Contending that the benefit of one-third quota for women should not be deferred, the plea has sought immediate enforcement of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides for one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.

In November 2023, the top court had observed that it would be "very difficult" to strike down the provision in the law which stipulates that the quota for women will come into force only after the completion of the next decennial Census and the subsequent delimitation exercise.

The plea had argued that such preconditions are not necessary as the number of seats is already determined, and that women, who constitute nearly half of the countryas population, remain underrepresented in elected bodies.

The hearing assumes significance as the Parliament is expected to take up the Womenas Reservation (Amendment) Bill during a special session beginning April 16. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to floor leaders of all political parties in both Houses of Parliament seeking support for the unanimous passage of the legislation to facilitate the implementation of womenas reservation before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.

In his letter, the Prime Minister said that greater participation of women in legislative bodies is essential for Indiaas goal of becoming a developed nation and asserted that the time has come to implement the law "in its true spirit" across the country.

However, the proposed special session has drawn objections from the Congress, which has termed the move a breach of the Model Code of Conduct in view of the ongoing Assembly election campaigns in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Congress has also demanded that an all-party meeting on delimitation be convened before any legislative exercise on the implementation of womenas reservation is undertaken.
New Delhi, April 13 : The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), in collaboration with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), will launch a Heritage Week programme on Monday to promote the capital's heritage.

The initiative, from Monday to Saturday (April 13 to 18), will aim to help people, especially the youth, connect with Delhi's art and culture and will include an exhibition/documentation of conservation efforts in the Mehrauli area, the official said in a statement.

DDA Vice Chairman N. Saravana Kumar said, "Delhi's heritage is a living legacy that must remain central to the city's future. Through Heritage Week, DDA seeks to strengthen public connection, especially among the youth, with these invaluable historical spaces."

"Our continued focus is to ensure that heritage conservation, ecological restoration, and public place-making move together as integral elements of Delhi's balanced and sustainable urban development," he said.

Through Heritage Week, DDA seeks to deepen public awareness and pride in Delhi's heritage assets, encourage community participation and youth engagement, and showcase its ongoing efforts in heritage conservation and urban ecology, the statement said.

The larger objective is to inspire the public across age groups to value, experience, and actively participate in preserving the city's cultural and historical identity, it said.

The week-long initiative includes student engagement activities, a photography competition, a student dialogue competition, a sketching and drawing competition, a story-writing activity, exhibitions, and a cultural night programme, said the statement.

As part of the pre-event celebrations, the DDA, in collaboration with the School of Heritage Research and Management (SHRM) at B.R. Ambedkar University, also organised heritage walks, said the statement.

Heritage walks were held on April 3, 4, and 5 on "Sufis, Sultans and Settlers  listening to the tales they whisper to us." The heritage walk witnessed enthusiastic participation from students, families, and heritage lovers, further reinforcing public interest in reconnecting with Delhi's rich history.
Tehran, April 13 : Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said that the only way for the United States to find an exit from the current situation is to make its decision and gain the Iranian nation's trust.

He made the remarks in an address to reporters on the way back to Iran from his trip to Pakistan, where he, along with his accompanying team, took part in peace talks with the US delegation, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The United States is indebted to Iranian people and needs to work hard to indemnify them," Qalibaf said.

"If they fight, we will fight; and if they come forth with logic, we will react with logic. We will not surrender to any threat," the parliament speaker added. "They can test our will once again and we will teach them a greater lesson."

Qalibaf described the talks with the US delegation in Pakistan's capital Islamabad as very "intensive, serious and challenging," saying benefiting from capable experts and with a comprehensive and diverse perspective, Iran's delegation designed "excellent initiatives" to demonstrate the country's goodwill, "which led to progress in the negotiations."

"We announced from the very beginning that we do not trust the Americans. Our wall of distrust dates back to 77 years ago. This comes as in less than 12 months, they attacked us two times in the middle of negotiations. Thus, they are the ones who must earn our trust," he stressed.

Qalibaf dismissed recent threats by US President Donald Trump against Iran, saying such threats fail to have any impact on Iranian people.

Delegations from Iran and the United States held lengthy negotiations in Islamabad on Saturday and early Sunday. The talks, which failed to lead to an agreement, took place after a ceasefire was announced on Wednesday between Iran, the United States and Israel following 40 days of fighting.
Washington, April 13 : US President Donald Trump said that Iran was in "very bad shape" and "pretty desperate," as he confirmed a planned blockade would take effect within hours.

Speaking to reporters on the tarmac after returning from Miami, Trump said a ceasefire in the region was "holding well," but signalled no softening in Washington's position ahead of the blockade set to begin at 10 a.m. Monday.

"The blockade will go into effect tomorrow at 10 am," Trump said, adding that "there are many boats heading toward our country to fill up with oil."

He indicated that other countries were cooperating with efforts to curb Iran's oil sales, though he did not identify them. "Other nations are working so that Iran cannot sell oil," he said.

On prospects for renewed negotiations with Tehran, Trump struck a dismissive tone.

"I think Iran is in very bad shape. I think they're pretty desperate. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon," he said.

Asked how long he would wait for Iran to return to the negotiating table, the President said: "I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back I'm fine."

The remarks underscore a hardened US posture as tensions with Iran continue, with Washington combining economic pressure and maritime measures to restrict Tehran's energy exports.

Trump also used the brief exchange with reporters to criticise NATO, expressing frustration with the alliance's role.

"I'm very disappointed in NATO, they weren't there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO and they weren't there for us," he said.

He declined to respond to questions about Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's reported electoral loss, ending the exchange after about six minutes and departing the tarmac.

The planned blockade marks a significant escalation in US efforts to pressure Iran, particularly targeting its oil exports, which remain a critical source of revenue for Tehran. Washington has long argued that restricting these revenues is key to curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Washington, April 13 : US President Donald Trump launched a sharp attack on Pope Leo XIV in a lengthy social media post, accusing the pontiff of being "weak on crime" and criticising his stance on foreign policy, Iran, and US domestic issues.

Washington, April 13 (IANS) US President Donald Trump launched a sharp attack on Pope Leo XIV in a lengthy social media post, accusing the pontiff of being "weak on crime" and criticising his stance on foreign policy, Iran, and US domestic issues.

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, setting off a fresh escalation in tensions between the White House and the Vatican.

In the post, Trump accused the Pope of focusing on criticism of his administration while ignoring past restrictions on religious gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"He talks about 'fear' of the Trump Administration, but doesn't mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services," Trump wrote.

The President also targeted the Pope's position on Iran, asserting disagreement with what he characterised as leniency.

"I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon," he said.

Trump further defended US actions abroad, including Venezuela, linking them to concerns over drugs and crime entering the United States.

"I don't want a Pope who thinks it's terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States," he wrote, adding that the country was "emptying their prisons into our Country."

The post also turned personal, with Trump comparing the Pope unfavourably to his brother.

"I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn't!" he said.

Trump went on to defend his own presidency, citing electoral victory, crime reduction, and economic performance.

"I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History," he wrote.

In a striking claim, Trump suggested the Pope's election was linked to his own presidency.

"Leo should be thankful because he was a shocking surprise If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican," he said.

He also criticised the Pope's interactions with political figures, singling out former adviser David Axelrod.

"Leo should get his act together as Pope stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician," Trump added.

The remarks reflect a deepening rift between Trump and the Vatican, with both sides increasingly diverging on issues ranging from war and diplomacy to immigration and domestic policy.

Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, has in recent weeks spoken out against war and called for restraint and dialogue in global conflicts, including tensions involving Iran.
Tehran, April 13 : Iran has accused the United States of derailing a potential breakthrough agreement, saying that "maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade tactics" prevented what was "inches away" from becoming the proposed "Islamabad MoU", after 21 hours of intense negotiations ended without a deal.

In a post on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had entered into its highest-level direct engagement with Washington in 47 years with sincerity and intent to help bring an end to the ongoing conflict, but lamented that there were "zero lessons earned".

His assertion that both sides were "inches away" from finalising an agreement highlighted how close the talks had come to success before tensions escalated sharply at the final stage.

"In intensive talks at highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with US in good faith to end war. But when just inches away from 'Islamabad MoU', we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade. Zero lessons earned. Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity," Araghchi posted on X.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that the possibility of a diplomatic breakthrough with the United States still exists, provided Washington changes its approach. He urged the US to abandon what he termed "totalitarianism" and to respect Iran's rights, suggesting that such a shift could pave the way for an agreement.

"If the American government abandons its totalitarianism and respects the rights of the Iranian nation, ways to reach an agreement will certainly be found," Pezeshkian said in a post on X, while praising members of the negotiating delegation.

Meanwhile, the United States announced that it will begin enforcing a sweeping maritime blockade of vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports from April 13, escalating tensions after high-stakes talks between Washington and Tehran failed to yield agreement on key issues, including Iran's nuclear programme.

The move, announced by US Central Command (CENTCOM), follows a presidential directive and will target "all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports", including those along the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations," CENTCOM said, adding that US forces would not impede ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

Commercial mariners have been advised to monitor official navigation warnings and remain in contact with US naval forces while operating in the region.

The announcement came hours after US President Donald Trump declared that negotiations with Iran had stalled over its nuclear ambitions, despite progress on other fronts.
Chennai, April 13 : The India Meteorological Department has forecast moderate rainfall in parts of southern Tamil Nadu, including Kanyakumari and Tirunelveli districts, even as rising temperatures are expected across several interior regions of the state.

According to the latest weather bulletin, one or two places in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, and districts along the Western Ghats are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall on Monday. These isolated showers are likely to bring brief relief from the prevailing heat in these southern pockets. However, the rest of Tamil Nadu is likely to experience predominantly dry weather conditions.

Similar dry conditions are also expected to prevail in Puducherry, with no significant rainfall activity forecast for these regions.

The IMD has also indicated a gradual rise in maximum temperatures across the interior districts of Tamil Nadu. Temperatures in some areas are likely to increase by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over the next few days, contributing to hotter daytime conditions.

In contrast, coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are not expected to witness any major change in maximum temperatures.

Despite stable temperature levels along the coast, the combination of high humidity and heat is likely to cause discomfort among residents.

Weather officials have cautioned that such conditions could lead to sultry and oppressive weather, particularly during the daytime.

In Chennai, the sky is expected to remain partly cloudy throughout the day. The maximum temperature in the city is likely to hover between 36 and 37 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is expected to be around 27 degrees Celsius.

The city is unlikely to receive any significant rainfall, and humid conditions are expected to persist.

Meanwhile, the IMD has not issued any specific warning for fishermen along the Tamil Nadu coast, indicating relatively stable sea conditions for fishing activities.

Authorities have advised residents, particularly in interior districts, to take necessary precautions against heat exposure, stay hydrated, and avoid prolonged outdoor activities during peak afternoon hours.

Overall, while southern districts may witness brief spells of rain, most parts of Tamil Nadu are set to experience dry and increasingly warm weather conditions in the coming days.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Thiruvananthapuram, April 13 : Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly V.D. Satheesan has sent a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) raising concerns over the delay in publishing detailed and authenticated data related to the Kerala Assembly elections held on April 9, calling for immediate corrective steps to uphold transparency.

In his letter circulated to the media on Monday, Satheesan pointed out that three days after polling concluded, the Election Commission is yet to release comprehensive figures on its official website, including constituency-wise polling data, vote percentages and postal ballot statistics.

He stressed that the prompt dissemination of such information is vital to ensure public scrutiny and maintain trust in the electoral process.

The opposition leader warned that any delay in making verified data publicly available could lead to uncertainty around an otherwise closely monitored election.

He urged the Commission to act without further delay, noting that timely access to accurate data is crucial for stakeholders ranging from political representatives to researchers and the general public.

According to figures already released by the Commission, a total of 78.03 per cent of the 2.71 crore electorate exercised their franchise.

This includes 75.01 per cent male voters and a significantly higher 80.86 per cent turnout among women, while 57.04 per cent of third gender voters also participated in the electoral process.

Elections were held on April 9 to choose 140 legislators to the State Assembly, with votes scheduled to be counted on May 4.

Kerala, known for its high voter participation and strong democratic traditions, has once again recorded robust turnout figures.

However, the delay in publishing granular data has now come under the spotlight, adding a procedural dimension to the post-poll discourse.

With the counting day approaching, attention is likely to focus on how swiftly the Election Commission responds to the concerns raised and whether the complete dataset will be made available in the coming days.
Jaipur, April 13 : In view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to the Pachpadra Refinery in Balotra for its inauguration on April 21, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma will visit the site on Monday to review preparations for the ceremony.

The CMO officials confirmed that the Chief Minister will arrive at the Pachpadra Refinery in the afternoon to inspect the site. He will assess project progress, security arrangements, the public meeting venue, helipad facilities, and other key preparations from noon to 2 p.m. Senior officials, including Chief Secretary V. Srinivas and Director General of Police Rajiv Sharma, will accompany him.

This will be Prime Minister Modias second visit to Rajasthan in the past two months. Earlier, on February 28, he visited Ajmer, where he launched development projects worth over Rs 16,000 crore from the Kayad Rest House and distributed appointment letters to more than 21,000 youths.

The Pachpadra Refineryas foundation stone was first laid on September 22, 2013, by Sonia Gandhi during the tenure of the Ashok Gehlot-led government in the state, with an initial estimated cost of Rs 37,230 crore. After a change in government, Prime Minister Modi relaunched the project on January 16, 2018, revising the cost to Rs 43,129 crore. The project, originally scheduled for completion by October 31, 2022, saw its cost rise to Rs 72,937 crore by June 2023 under the previous Congress government in the state.

Under the current administration led by Bhajanlal Sharma, a revised proposal submitted on July 24, 2025, further increased the project cost to Rs 79,459 crore. The refinery is a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and the Government of Rajasthan.

The Pachpadra Refinery is being developed as one of the countryas most modern facilities, compliant with BS-6 fuel standards. It integrates both a refinery and a petrochemical complex. A key highlight is its 'Zero Liquid Effluent Discharge' system, ensuring that no liquid waste is released during the refining process, marking a significant step toward environmental sustainability. The refinery will have an annual refining capacity of nine million tonnes of crude oil, along with a petrochemical production capacity of two million tonnes.

Out of the total crude requirement, 7.5 million tonnes will be imported from Gulf nations, while around 1.5 million tonnes will be sourced domestically. Built at an estimated cost of around Rs 80,000 crore, the project is expected to generate large-scale employment and boost industrial activity in the region.

To support logistics and freight movement, plans are underway to revive the Balotra-Pachpadra rail link. A new 12-kilometre railway line connecting Balotra to the refinery site will be developed by HRRL, with surveys already completed in recent months.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
April 13 : Lucknow: On the birth anniversary of B. R. Ambedkar on April 14, Yuva Samvad Sangam will be organized in all Vidhan Sabha constituencies across Uttar Pradesh. As per the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, this statewide campaign will be monitored through a state-level command center.

Real-time supervision of the programs will be carried out through a projector monitoring unit to ensure quality and effectiveness in every constituency.

On this occasion, ministers, MPs, MLAs, and other public representatives will reach out to the people and share the ideas of Babasaheb B. R. Ambedkar based on equality, social justice, and constitutional values.

The objective of the Yogi government is to connect the new generation with the Constitution, social harmony, and democratic values.

In addition, programs will also be held in all offices, schools, hostels, and institutions under the Social Welfare Department.

Special events will be organized in universities, colleges, and other educational institutions. These will include garlanding of Dr. Ambedkars statues and portraits, seminars, essay writing, speech, and debate competitions. There will also be detailed discussions on his life, teachings, and contribution to the making of the Constitution.

Under the chairmanship of CM Yogi Adityanath, the Cabinet has already approved the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Murti Vikas Yojana, under which 10 memorials and statues of great icons of social justice will be developed and beautified in each Assembly constituency of the state, with a total expenditure of 403 crore.

Under this scheme, statues and memorials of great personalities such as Babasaheb B. R. Ambedkar, Ravidas, Kabir, Jyotirao Phule, and Valmiki, among others, will be preserved, beautified, and developed with basic infrastructure.

This will help preserve the legacy of social justice icons and connect the new generation with their ideas.

CM Yogi Adityanath has directed that all events be conducted with official dignity, decorum, and discipline. Through this initiative, the Yogi government aims to establish Ambedkar Jayanti as a major public campaign for social justice, cultural awareness, and youth participation.
April 13 : Lucknow: The Yogi government has ensured extensive and concrete reforms in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV). Recent data indicates that while the process of filling vacant posts has gained momentum across the state, significant progress has also been made in expanding infrastructure and improving daily facilities for students. Additionally, the State Project Office has issued clear guidelines to bring transparency and timeliness to the tender process.

The Basic Education Department is now ensuring the supply of food grains, daily-use items, and stationery.

Due to policy strictness, continuous monitoring, and a result-oriented approach of the Yogi government, KGBVs are now evolving not just as residential schools but as safe, well-equipped, and modern educational campuses.

This transformation is a strong step toward providing better opportunities, improved facilities, and a more empowered future for girls in the state.

Across various districts of the state, basic facilities such as academic hostels, additional dormitories, computer labs, and toilet blocks under KGBVs have been expanded rapidly.

According to data, these works have been completed in several districts, providing students with improved residential and academic environments.

The process of addressing vacancies in KGBVs is progressing swiftly. Data shows that districts like Prayagraj (43), Ballia (42), Unnao (39), and Etah (35) had higher vacancies, which have been identified and are being filled on priority, with applicant screening underway.

Meanwhile, districts such as Shravasti, Raebareli, Azamgarh, and Lalitpur currently have zero vacancies, indicating effective monitoring and an accountability-driven system.

To simplify the daily lives of students, facilities such as roti-making machines, solar geysers, gensets, and washing machines have been introduced. In addition, initiatives like folk music instruments, open gyms, and 'One KGBV- One Sport' are being implemented to support the holistic development of students.

Building repair work has also picked up pace. In 2025-26, Balrampur has recorded 80% progress in such works. Other districts are also witnessing continuous progress in repair and strengthening efforts.

Construction-related data shows that infrastructure expansion under KGBVs has progressed rapidly across the state, with most projects now in the final stages of handover.

According to data, Barabanki has completed 34 works (20 additional dormitories, 13 computer labs, 1 toilet block), Hardoi has completed 33 works (4 hostels, 16 dormitories, 6 computer labs, 7 toilet blocks), and Lakhimpur Kheri has completed 27 works.

Similarly, construction works have been completed in several districts including Bareilly (25), Gonda (22), Deoria (18), and Lucknow (17).

This indicates that a large number of infrastructure projects have been completed on the ground and are now in the process of being handed over. In the first phase, the Yogi government has rapidly developed infrastructure and is now moving toward systematically handing it over to schools for student use, ensuring that girls can soon fully benefit from these facilities.
Mumbai, April 13 : Actress Shilpa Shetty gave a peek into her fun morning yoga session featuring her daughter Samisha, whom she lovingly tagged as her "little yogi" and said that balance isn't taught, it's lived, through the habits.

Shilpa took to Instagram, where she and Samisha are seen lying on the mat and doing the Ubhaya Padangusthasana. In the video, Shilpa asks her daughter to do the yoga position with her, but Samiksha says she's unable to do.

Shilpa peped her up by saying that there is nothing that her daughter cannot do. The duo is next seen doing the anantasana, which Samisha aces.

For the caption, Shilpa wrote: "My little yogi, my biggest motivation to be healthy and strong, my kids. Stretching, laughing, growing together my favourite kind of bonding. Starting young builds strong bodies and calm minds. Because balance isn't taught it's lived, through the habits we build early on."

Shilpa is married to actor-businessman Raj Kundra. They welcomed their son in 2012 and daughter in 2020 via surrogacy.

Talking about Shilpa, she was last seen in Sukhee, directed by Sonal Joshi in her directorial debut. It stars Shilpa in the lead role with Amit Sadh, Dilnaz Irani, Kusha Kapila and Pavleen Gujral.

The film is about a 38-year-old Punjabi housewife, Sukhpreet "Sukhee" Kalra, who, sick of her routine existence, travels to Delhi to attend her high school reunion. Sukhee relives her teenage years while experiencing a variety of things over just seven days, emerging reignited and reborn, making the hardest shift of her lifefrom being a wife and mother to being a woman once more.

Shilpa will be seen in KD: The Devil directed by Prem. The film stars Dhruva Sarja in the titular role, alongside Sanjay Dutt, Shilpa Shetty, V. Ravichandran, Ramesh Aravind, Reeshma Nanaiah, Jisshu Sengupta and Nora Fatehi.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Kolkata, April 13 : After receiving complaints of alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct by a Trinamool candidate by organising religious events, Election Commission officials went to Bali in Howrah district to probe the matter, said Commission officials on Monday.

The BJP alleged that Trinamool candidate Kailash Mishra from Bali organised a 'naam-sankirtan' to influence voters. The candidate's name is in the 'sankirtan' event.

After receiving the complaint, election officials went to inspect the 'sankirtan' event on the spot with the central forces on Sunday evening. They enquired and wanted to see if there was a permit.

The Trinamool has targeted the BJP over this incident.

As polling day approaches, the political heat is increasing in Bali.

BJP candidate Sanjay Singh alleged that his rival candidate organised a religious event in front of the Trinamool office, showing complete disregard for the Election Commission's rules.

The stage banner also has the name of the Trinamool candidate.

According to Election Commission norms, a candidate is barred from organising religious events unless special permission is obtained beforehand.

Receiving the complaint, the Commission went to the spot and asked the organisers for administrative permission.

According to a Trinamool leader, their candidate Kailash spoke to the Commission officials and they said that if there is no permission, the event will have to be stopped.

Kailash claimed that the BJP is trying to hurt the religious sentiments of the people only for political gains. He said, "They are using the Election Commission and the administration to stop our event. The common people have joined the religious event. The BJP is opposing it."

According to local sources, the event is still ongoing and a decision over the matter is awaited.

A BJP leader however claimed that organising a religious event amounts to violation of the Model Code of Conduct which is in force for the Assembly polls. Bally constituency in Howrah district goes to polls in the second phase on April 29.
April 13 : Purba Medinipur: Addressing a public rally in the Nandakumar Assembly constituency of West Bengal, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a strong attack on the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. He said, TMC today has come to symbolize appeasement, mafia rule, and cut money, which has hindered Bengals development.

Questioning TMCs slogan of Maa, Maati, Manush, he said that in todays Bengal, women are unsafe, land is under the control of infiltrators, and people are living in fear and helplessness. He called upon the public to bring about change to restore Bengals cultural identity, security, and path of development.

Paying tribute to Bengals rich cultural legacy, Chief Minister Yogi said it is a land of inspiration that has guided India. He recalled how Swami Vivekananda carried the message of Sanatan Dharma to the world and inspired pride in identity. He also remembered Khudiram Bose and Subhas Chandra Bose, who made immense sacrifices for Indias independence.

He highlighted the contributions of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Lahiri Mahasaya, and Syama Prasad Mukherjee, along with cultural icons like Rabindranath Tagore and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, whose works Jana Gana Mana and Vande Mataram became symbols of Indias freedom movement.

However, he said that today Bengal is grappling with appeasement, corruption, disorder, and violence. Farmers are not receiving fair prices for their produce, and the government has failed to provide necessary support.

CM Yogi Adityanath alleged that attempts to alter Bengals demography and politics of appeasement are obstructing development. He noted, Bengal once contributed nearly one-third to Indias economy, but industries, MSMEs, and cultural institutions have weakened over time due to political interference.

He blamed successive governments - Congress, Left, and now TMC - for the decline, saying the state, once an economic powerhouse, is now struggling due to corruption and mismanagement. He urged people to ensure that the sacred land of Maa Kali and Maa Durga does not become a symbol of disorder but instead strengthens law and order and curbs illegal activities.

Chief Minister Yogi said, The lawlessness, violence, and appeasement seen in Bengal today are similar to - if not worse than - the situation in Uttar Pradesh before 2017. He said that earlier, riots occurred frequently and the state was labeled as a BIMARU state.

After the formation of a double-engine government in 2017 under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the situation changed significantly. He said, Today, Uttar Pradesh has strong law and order, no riots or curfews, improved womens safety, and strict action against illegal activities, which has boosted industry and development.

He cited the construction of the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya as a symbol of this transformation and said Bengal now needs similar development, good governance, and cultural revival.

CM Yogi said that statements like making half of Bengals population speak Urdu reflect an attempt to undermine Bengali identity. He called it a conspiracy and asserted that Bengali language and identity must be preserved.

He warned that anyone attempting to harm Bengals culture, heritage, womens safety, or youth employment would face strict action like in Uttar Pradesh. He said, The bulldozer in UP is not just for building roads but also for taking action against the mafia, and such governance is effective under a double-engine government.

He alleged attempts to change demography in districts like Malda, Murshidabad, Uttar Dinajpur, Nadia, Birbhum, and Howrah. He accused the government led by Mamata Banerjee of trying to stop processions during Ram Navami and promoting illegal infiltration networks.

He also questioned the silence of political leaders over violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, calling appeasement politics unacceptable. He stressed the need for fencing along the approximately 570 km border to curb infiltration and illegal activities.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, Bengal, once known as the cultural capital of India, is now becoming a center of crime and disorder. Recalling the 1905 partition of Bengal by the British and the Swadeshi movement that followed, he emphasized that the land that gave the inspiring call of Vande Mataram must regain its cultural pride.

He congratulated the people for electing Abhijit Ganguly as MP from Tamluk and appealed for support to BJP candidate Nirmal Khanra, urging voters to ensure victory for the lotus symbol to bring development, prosperity, and good governance back to Bengal.
New Delhi, April 13 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Peter Magyar and his Tisza Party on their decisive victory in Hungary's parliamentary elections, marking a significant political shift in the European nation.

In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "Heartiest congratulations to Mr. Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party on your resounding election victory. India and Hungary are bound by deep-rooted friendship, shared values and enduring mutual respect. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation and to advance the vital India-EU Strategic Partnership for the shared prosperity and well-being of our peoples."

The congratulatory message comes after Hungary's April 12 parliamentary elections delivered a landmark result, with Magyar Tisza Party securing a commanding majority in parliament. The outcome brings an end to the 16-year rule of Viktor Orban, whose Fidesz party conceded defeat after nearly all votes were counted.

The election witnessed record voter turnout, reflecting strong public engagement in what has been widely seen as a defining moment for Hungary's political future. Orban, who had been in power since 2010, had shaped Hungary's governance model significantly, describing it as an "illiberal state". His tenure was often marked by tensions with the European Union over concerns related to judicial independence, media freedom, and civil liberties.

Prime Minister Modi's message underscores the longstanding ties between India and Hungary, which have remained stable despite political and economic transitions over the decades. The relationship has historically been described as "close and friendly", built on shared values and mutual respect, even as Hungary reoriented its foreign policy in the post-Cold War era.

With a new leadership set to take charge in Budapest, PM Modi expressed optimism about deepening cooperation, particularly in the context of the broader India-European Union partnership. The development signals potential new momentum in diplomatic and economic engagement between the two countries.

Magyar's victory is being seen as a turning point not only for Hungary's domestic politics but also for its future engagement within Europe and with global partners like India.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
New Delhi, April 13 : The government has proposed a softer set of Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms for the 2027-2032 period, offering relief to the domestic auto industry, NDTV Profit reported.

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The government has proposed a softer set of Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms for the 2027a"2032 period, offering relief to the domestic auto industry, NDTV Profit reported.

According to a revised draft prepared by the Ministry of Power in consultation with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the government has moved away from a rigid target framework in favour of a phased tightening approach. The proposal includes a flatter compliance curve, reducing the advantage previously enjoyed by heavier vehicles.

Known as CAFE 2027, the draft represents the third stage of Indiaas fleet-level fuel economy road map, aimed at aligning the automobile sector with the countryas broader climate and energy goals.

The norms are set to take effect from April 1, 2027, and will tighten progressively through FY32, the report said.

The report added that the revised framework marks a notable softening from the September 2025 draft. The emission curve has been recalibrated with a new slope formula a" set at 0.00158 in FY28 and easing to 0.00131 by FY32 a" allowing slightly higher fuel consumption than previously proposed.

The draft also includes super credits for electric and hybrid vehicles, allowing them to count as multiple vehicles when calculating fleet-level emissions. Plug-in hybrids and flex-fuel hybrids are expected to receive higher multipliers under the proposed framework.

Credit trading between manufacturers has also been permitted, providing carmakers additional flexibility in managing compliance obligations.

However, penalties for non-compliance could run into hundreds of crores of rupees for large manufacturers, making the EV and hybrid credit mechanism a significant financial lever for the industry, the report said.

Additionally, niche manufacturers producing fewer than 1,000 units annually have been exempted from compliance requirements, offering relief to small-volume players.
Jaipur, April 13 : In a notable engagement linking diplomacy with civilisational heritage, Haji Syed Salman Chishty, cleric of Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Chairman of the Chishty Foundation, met Ambassador Neelam Rani, Consul General of India in St. Petersburg.

The interaction focused on strengthening India-Russia ties through art, culture, spiritual traditions, and people-to-people engagement, Dargah officials said on Monday.

The meeting took place during Chishty's official visit to Russia, which included St. Petersburg and Moscow. Against the historic setting of St. Petersburg, both sides underlined that the India-Russia partnership, long built on mutual trust, should expand beyond defence and trade. Cultural outreach and spiritual heritage were identified as key avenues for cooperation.

Discussions included proposals for cultural festivals, Sufi music and 'qawwali' programmes, classical art exchanges, and curated exhibitions reflecting shared traditions. A major focus was on strengthening interfaith dialogue and spiritual cooperation.

Chishty noted that the Sufi message of "peace with all" finds resonance in Russia's diverse religious landscape. Regions such as Tatarstan, Dagestan, Bashkortostan, and the Caucasus were highlighted for their strong Sufi traditions, offering scope for collaboration. Both sides explored structured interfaith dialogues, academic exchanges, and joint spiritual delegations to translate shared heritage into active engagement.

Emphasising that lasting international ties rest on human connections, the two also identified youth exchanges, academic partnerships, and cultural immersion programmes as priority areas. These efforts aim to widen the reach of bilateral ties beyond official channels.

The discussion also touched upon long-standing intellectual links between the two countries, including Leo Tolstoy's engagement with Indian philosophy and the influence of Mahatma Gandhi on Russian thought.

Chishty said the Neelam Rani represents the country's civilisational approach to diplomacy and added that IndiaRussia relations are grounded in shared values of peace and humanity. He reiterated his commitment to promoting the message of harmony associated with Khwaja Gharib Nawaz across borders.

The Indian envoy welcomed the visit and appreciated efforts to promote India's spiritual and cultural heritage. She reaffirmed the Consulate's support for initiatives that deepen cultural ties and strengthen people-to-people connections between India and Russia.
Chennai, April 13 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, on Monday strongly countered Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, asserting that his remarks on agricultural incentives were based entirely on the Centre's official communication and did not go beyond what was stated in the letter.

In a post on X, CM Stalin said Tamil Nadu's incentive schemes for paddy cultivation have contributed significantly to increased production in the state over the years. He maintained that the Union government's communication to the state's Chief Secretary clearly suggested discontinuing such incentives, and stressed that his interpretation was drawn directly from the contents of the letter.

"I have not said anything beyond what is stated in the letter. There is no need for me to add anything more," he said, dismissing allegations of misrepresentation.

The rebuttal came after Sitharaman said she had written to Chief Secretaries of all states, including Tamil Nadu, urging them to align agricultural incentive policies with national priorities.

She emphasised the need to promote cultivation of pulses, oilseeds and paddy, noting that these crops are in high domestic demand and can improve farmers' income if supported effectively.

Clarifying her position, Sitharaman said that offering incentives or bonuses above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) remains within the exclusive domain of state governments and that the Centre has not curtailed this authority.

However, she accused Stalin of diverting attention from constructive engagement and turning the issue into a political controversy for narrow electoral gains.

She further criticised the DMK, alleging that when the nation is seeking solutions, the party is creating unnecessary controversies, and when the Union government extends cooperation, it is being used for election-oriented narratives.

The exchange has intensified political tensions between the DMK-led Tamil Nadu government and the Centre ahead of the Assembly elections.

It also reflects a broader debate on federal autonomy, policy coordination, and the balance between state-specific welfare measures and national agricultural priorities.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Noida, April 13 : Traffic movement between Delhi and Noida was severely disrupted on Monday after a workers' protest in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddha Nagar district escalated into violence, prompting authorities to issue an advisory and divert commuters.

Noida, April 13 (IANS) Traffic movement between Delhi and Noida was severely disrupted on Monday after a workersa protest in Uttar Pradeshas Gautam Buddha Nagar district escalated into violence, prompting authorities to issue an advisory and divert commuters.

According to the Delhi Traffic Police, traffic congestion intensified along the Noida Link Road due to an ongoing agitation by workers from private factories. Protesters reportedly blocked the route coming from the Chilla Border, severely affecting vehicular movement from Delhi towards Noida.

In its advisory, the traffic police urged commuters to plan their journeys in advance and avoid the affected stretch. Travellers heading towards Noida were advised to use alternative routes, including the DND Flyway from Sarai Kale Khan or the NH-24 route via Kondli Bridge, entering Noida through Noida Mod.

The disruption coincided with escalating tensions in Noida, where a workersa protest in Phase 2 turned violent earlier in the day.

Thousands of workers, demanding a salary hike and improved working conditions, had been staging a sit-in protest for the past three days. On Monday, the agitation intensified as large groups spilled onto the streets across multiple industrial sectors.

In Sector 62, large gatherings of workers led to massive traffic snarls, compounding the disruption already caused by road blockades near the Delhi-Noida border.

Police forces were deployed in large numbers to control the situation and prevent further escalation. Authorities are working to restore normalcy and ensure the safety of commuters and industrial establishments.

The unrest comes despite recent assurances by the district administration. On Sunday, officials held meetings with representatives of companies and workers, promising action on key demands.

District Magistrate Medha Roopam stated that new directives had been issued to address labour concerns. These include mandatory double wages for overtime, provision of a weekly off, and double compensation if workers are required to work on rest days.

She added that all companies must pay salaries by the 10th of every month, ensure bonus payments as per rules, and credit wages directly into bank accounts. Employers have also been instructed to provide salary slips and avoid unauthorised deductions, failing which, strict action will be taken.

A dedicated control room has been set up to address workersa grievances. The administration has appealed to workers to remain peaceful, avoid rumours, and cooperate with authorities to maintain law and order.
Washington, April 13 : Following the conclusion of high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran without any breakthrough, Tara Chand, President of the Baloch American Congress, raised concerns over the choice of Pakistan as the venue, describing it as a "troubled and dishonest" country and questioning the credibility of hosting sensitive peace negotiations there.

Washington, April 13 (IANS) Following the conclusion of high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran without any breakthrough, Tara Chand, President of the Baloch American Congress, raised concerns over the choice of Pakistan as the venue, describing it as a "troubled and dishonest" country and questioning the credibility of hosting sensitive peace negotiations there.

He argued that Pakistan lacks the necessary credibility and global standing to mediate such talks.

Taking to his social media platform X on Monday, Chand said, " Hosting peace talks between the United States and Iran in a troubled and dishonest country like Pakistan raises significant questions about their likelihood of success. Pakistan lacks the global standing and influence necessary to effectively facilitate such negotiations."

"Both the United States and Iran may have made a critical miscalculation by selecting this setting. If genuine progress is the objective, meaningful and credible dialogue should occur in a more neutral and respected environment," he added.

Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday said that negotiations with Iran failed to produce an agreement after more than 20 hours of talks in Islamabad, warning that Tehran's refusal to accept Washington's terms was "bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America".

Another , Baloch human rights defender Mir Yar Baloch strongly condemned Islamabad's mediation efforts between the US and Iran, calling Pakistan an "enemy of peace".

Questioning Pakistan's intentions, Mir took to X and posted : "Do you really think that Pakistan is serious about peace, and that it is mediating between Iran and the United States? From what angle does Pakistan deserve the right to mediate? Pakistan carried out the genocide of three million Bengalis, killed fifteen thousand Palestinians in Jordan, killed five hundred thousand Afghans in Afghanistan, bombed the Kabul rehabilitation hospital center during the month of Ramadan, killing four hundred innocents, and threw two hundred thousand Baloch into the jaws of death in Balochistan."

"Pakistan is an enemy of peace, it is an enemy of America, it is an enemy of Russia, it is an enemy of Afghanistan, Balochistan, Israel, and India, and it is not well-wisher of Arab countries either," he added.

Mir alleged that Pakistan is grappling with economic, military, and political challenges, along with ongoing resistance in Balochistan.

He argued that Pakistan's mediation efforts are aimed at shifting international focus from these internal issues.

"Pakistan's economic, military, and political situation is extremely dire; it faces large-scale resistance from the Baloch people in Republic of united Balochistan, and Pakistan's army has been badly defeated on ground. To divert the world's attention from its defeats, Islamabad is creating the fuss of mediation to fool the world once again," the Baloch activist highlighted.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 13 : India recorded its highest-ever quarterly deal volumes in Q1 2026 with 686 transactions reflecting a 5 per cent rise in volumes, a report said on Monday.

The total deal values eased to $16 billion, marking a 48 per cent drop in value as number of large deals moderated, with only two billion-dollar transactions worth $4.1 billion compared with seven such deals worth $15 billion in Q4 2025, the report from Grant Thornton Bharat said.

A pullback in public market fundraising was also notable, with IPO and QIP issuances easing 63 per cent in volume and 78 per cent in value, it noted.

"India's dealmaking activity demonstrated continued resilience in Q1 2026, with transaction volumes witnessing growth for a fourth consecutive quarter, despite heightened global uncertainty," said Shanthi Vijetha, Partner, Growth, Grant Thornton Bharat.

Deal values moderated amid the absence of large-ticket transactions and subdued capital markets, but the underlying momentumparticularly in outbound M&A, private equity volumes, and the emergence of new unicornsreflects sustained confidence in India's long-term growth story, Shanthi Vijetha said.

"Supported by strong domestic fundamentals and an enabling policy environment, India remains a compelling destination for strategic and financial capital, even as investors navigate near-term global headwinds," she added.

M&A activity remained steady in volumes though values moderated due to the absence of large strategic transactions. A total of 271 M&A deals worth $6.9 billion were recorded in the quarter. Domestic transactions continued to anchor activity with 193 deals worth $2.7 billion, while outbound dealmaking contributed 56 per cent of total M&A value.

PE activity remained active during the quarter, with investors continuing to deploy capital across many mid-sized transactions, the report said.

A total of 415 private equity deals worth $9.1 billion were recorded in Q1 2026, with volumes rising 9 per cent quarter on quarter and continuing the upward trajectory seen over the past year.

IANS

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New Delhi, April 13 : An Indian Army Brigadier and his son were allegedly assaulted by a group of men in South Delhi's Vasant Enclave after they objected to two individuals consuming alcohol inside a parked car, officials said.

The incident reportedly took place on April 11 at around 10:00 p.m on Saturday.

According to the Brigadier, who is currently posted in Gujarat and resides in Delhi with his family, the incident unfolded when he stepped out for a walk with his son after dinner on Saturday. Just outside their residence, they noticed two individuals sitting in a parked vehicle and consuming alcohol. When the officer objected, an argument broke out between the two parties.

Speaking to IANS, the Brigadier said that on Saturday night, after having dinner, he was going for a walk with his son. Just outside his house, there was a vehicle in which two people were drinking alcohol. He objected to it, and the talks escalated between them.

He said that he called the police PCR van, which arrived in 20 minutes, following which the occupants of the vehicle allegedly called their associates, who arrived and assaulted his son. When the Brigadier tried to intervene, he was also allegedly manhandled.

The Brigadier said he later approached the Vasant Vihar police station but found no help. Police asked for an MLC (Medico Legal Certificate), but no one from the police accompanied him to the hospital. Later, he went to RR hospital on his own for MLC. Brigadier said that even after MLC, the Police didn't file an FIR and only made a General Diary entry.

The Indian Army has taken serious cognisance of the matter and initiated steps to support the officer. A Military Police team has been directed to assist him, and the Delhi Police has been approached to conduct an investigation and take action.

Meanwhile, Colonel Danvir Singh raised concerns over the incident in a post on social media platform X. He wrote, "I just spoke to the Brigadier. A serving soldier who, after dinner, was taking a walk outside the society premises with his IITian son."

"These Mercedes-Benz goons were consuming alcohol in public. On being objected, the Brigadier & son were assaulted by the 7-8 accomplices of these antisocial elements who were close by and called in by the car-O-bar duo," he added.

"Brigadier and his son sustained injuries in the scuffle that ensued.. Don't be shocked, the police were also present. I wonder how the society and the police conducts itself is shocking, more so in the national capital," he further said.

He also highlighted the officer's service background, stating, "Brigadier in his younger days was part of numerous operations in the hinterland of Kashmir and also trans LC. Least he would have ever thought of that one day he will be on the receiving side, fighting the evil in the society he once risked his life for, while the police kept themselves as mute spectator."

He later added, "FIR has been finally lodged after running around, a glimmer of hope. I am sure the culprits are made a specimen and the case will be a deterrent for other antisocial elements."
Hyderabad, April 13 : The family of former Telangana Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), may see a fight for the name Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Days after KCR's daughter and Telangana Jagruthi President, K. Kavitha, hinted that her proposed party may be named TRS, her brother and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao has said that the BRS is contemplating to revert to its old name TRS.

Kavitha, who quit BRS last year after KCR suspended her for anti-party activities, is gearing up to float a new political party. She is reportedly looking at adopting the name TRS, which she says, is open for use.

Stating that TRS doesn't exist, she remarked that anyone was free to use the name.

KCR had floated TRS in 2001 to revive the movement for statehood to Telangana. In 2022, he changed the name to BRS to expand the party to other parts of the country.

Ever since the BRS lost power to the Congress in the 2023 elections, a section of BRS leaders have been of the strong view that the party lost connect with the people after it dropped Telangana from its name.

They believe Telangana sentiment has been integral to the TRS in its journey and after the name was changed to BRS, the party appeared to have distanced itself from its core element.

This was echoed by K.T. Rama Rao on Sunday while addressing a party meeting in Mancherial district.

He disclosed that the BRS was examining the issue of reverting the party name back to TRS as part of a broader strategy to reclaim political ground in Telangana.

Rama Rao admitted that the change of name from TRS to BRS diluted the strong Telangana sentiment associated with the party.

"We have suffered politically due to the name change. The emotional connect people had with TRS and the pink flag is inseparable," he said.

Rama Rao believes that reviving the old identity could re-energise party workers. However, he made it clear that a final decision will be taken by the party chief KCR.

It was KCR himself who hinted at reverting to TRS at a meeting of the his legislators at party headquarters Telangana Bhavan in December last year. During a subsequent press conference, he had repeatedly referred to BRS as TRS.

Several BRS senior leaders had already demanded within the party fora that the name TRS should be restored as part of the efforts to regain lost ground.

Aware of the fact that with limited Lok Sabha seats (17) which Telangana has, he will not be able to influence national politics and KCR came out with the idea of BRS.

After achieving his goal of Telangana state in 2014 and two terms in power, KCR was confident of replicating the 'Telangana model' of development and welfare in other states.

Looking to expand the party to states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, KCR declared his national ambitions.

It was in October 2022 that the regional party turned national with the party's General Body Meeting resolving to change its name to BRS.

The party was aggressively looking for pan-India presence as KCR named the President of the party's Andhra Pradesh unit and had a series of meeting with leaders from various states keen to join hands with him.

With the opening of a central office in New Delhi, the BRS was gearing up to expand its activities to different parts of the country.

Working with the 2024 Lok Sabha polls as its target, the party was focussing on 100 Lok Sabha seats.

However, the defeat in the 2023 Assembly elections in Telangana dashed all the hopes of the party.

It suffered further humiliation in 2024 Lok Sabha polls as it drew a blank.

After lying low for nearly two years, the BRS leadership is looking to infuse a new life into the party.

It apparently believes that reverting to TRS would set the right tone to reconnect to people. BRS may again become TRS by April 27, when it celebrates its formation day.

It will be interesting to see how the party overcomes the legal challenges it may face from Kavitha, who looks keen to claim the name.
New Delhi, April 13 : Indian security agencies are closely monitoring signs of a possible resurgence of the Base Movement in South India, a group linked to Al-Qaeda. The outfit was active during 2015-16 and had carried out low-intensity blasts, largely targeting the judiciary and police.

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Indian security agencies are closely monitoring signs of a possible resurgence of the Base Movement in South India, a group linked to Al-Qaeda. The outfit was active during 201516 and had carried out low-intensity blasts, largely targeting the judiciary and police.

An official has said that several members of the group remain active online and are now attempting to regroup, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Recent intelligence inputs indicate that individuals who had earlier evaded arrest have resumed communication, with an initial focus on building an online propaganda network directed against the Indian State.

"They are attempting to build traction and expand their base," an official said.

Notably, there has been no call for immediate ground-level action. The members appear to be operating largely online, focusing on messaging and outreach. Officials attribute this to two factors: the need to avoid detection and a calculated emphasis on propaganda and radicalisation at this stage.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that the timing of this renewed activity is significant, as it coincides with indications that Al-Ummah is seeking to step up its operations in South India.

This group was responsible for the 1998 Coimbatore serial blasts, which had targeted a rally of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L. K. Advani.

According to the security officials, Al-Ummah's revival efforts are being led by Farhatullah Ghauri, believed to be operating from Pakistan. Its current campaign centres on the slogan, "let us pledge to rebuild the Babri Masjid."

Investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the past had established links between Al-Ummah and the Base Movement, with both groups following similar operational patterns.

While Al-Ummah's messaging is centred on communal issues, including the Babri Masjid, the Base Movement appears to be reviving its earlier focus on institutions such as the judiciary and the police, as well as issues linked to Afzal Guru, Abdul Nassr Madani, and Kashmiri Muslims.

The Base Movement is seeking to draw youth into these issues and push them towards street protests that could turn violent. Officials say the emphasis, at present, is less on attacks involving weapons and more on sustained propaganda aimed at mobilising young people.

Another official indicated that, based on current inputs, Al-Ummah and the Base Movement are likely to operate independently this time.

While their agendas differ, officials believe the Base Movement's approach could be more disruptive. "It appears to be aimed at triggering unrest through youth mobilisation, drawing from the recent developments seen in countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal," the official said.

However, officials point out that the Base Movement is not aiming for a pan-India push at this stage. Its immediate focus is on the southern region, with particular attention on Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

The Base Movement is likely to focus on college students as part of its outreach. Officials say multiple online groups are being created where members can share content and draw in young people. Students, often driven by strong views on public issues, may be more susceptible to such messaging. This, officials note, explains the group's efforts to engage with campuses and students.
Mumbai, April 13 : At least nine people were killed, and two others sustained critical injuries after a dumper truck collided with a car in the Kalyan area of Mumbai on Monday, officials said.

The accident took place around 11 a.m. on the Rayta Bridge along the Kalyan-Murbad road, authorities mentioned.

According to preliminary information, the car was travelling from Kalyan when it collided head-on with a mixer truck.

The police stated that the bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem examinations, while the injured have been admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Soon after the incident was reported, a team from the Titwala Police Station rushed to the spot and initiated rescue and relief operations.

Initial reports indicate that 12 passengers were travelling in the car at the time of the accident. Eight of the total passengers died on the spot, while one passed away at the hospital while receiving treatment. Locals rushed to the spot and tried to help the victims.

The vehicle was on its way to Murbad when the collision occurred near Rayta Bridge, close to Kalyan, according to the police.

Speaking to IANS, Thane Superintendent of Police D.S. Swami confirmed the casualties, saying, "So far, nine people have lost their lives. Two individuals are injured and remain in critical condition; they are currently undergoing treatment."

Police have launched an investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident. Preliminary information suggests that excessive speed or a loss of vehicle control may have been the cause of the mishap.

The collision also led to a massive traffic jam on the highway near the Rayta Bridge in the Titwala-Kalyan stretch, causing significant disruption to vehicular movement in the area, officials said.

Further details are awaited in the case.
Mumbai, April 13 : Actress Lisa Ray has opened up on how it is difficult it is to be a working mother, further reflecting on how she wants her daughters to that 'their mother still has dreams.'

Taking to her social media account, Lisa penned a heartfelt note revealing how she kissed her daughters while they were asleep just before she head off for a professional commitment.

She wrote, "It's never easy being a working mom. I kissed my girls while they were still asleep and slipped out for an early morning flight. No goodbyes. No last hug. Just the quiet ache you carry through airport security."

She added, "Then I opened my bag and found their note. And everything stopped..

This. This is why I do it. I miss them in a way that sits in my bones. But I also want them to see something important: that their mother still has dreams. That ambition doesn't expire when you become a parent. That love and purpose can live in the same body."

She added, "They are my whole world. Every long day, every early call time, every flight before sunrise  it's all threaded back to them."

The actress further wrote, "One day I hope they understand that I wasn't choosing work over them. I was choosing a life where they could see what's possible. And I carry them with me. Always."

Talking about Lisa Ray, the actress, on the professional front, has had a diverse acting career across Indian and international cinema.

She gained fame with films such as Kasoor and also in critically acclaimed projects including Water, directed by Deepa Mehta.

On the personal front, Lisa inspired many by putting a brave front against her battle with multiple myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer, in 2009.

She had undergone treatment and later announced that she was cancer-free.

IANS

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Palamu : , April 13 (IANS) In a shocking incident that has shaken a family in Jharkhand's Palamu district, a young man allegedly hacked his cousin sister to death with an axe before ending his own life by jumping in front of a train hours later.

The incident occurred in the Sua Kaudiya area under the Sadar police station limits. According to preliminary information, the accused, identified as Bittu Kumar Singh, had a heated argument with his cousin sister, Khushboo Kumari, late on Sunday night.

Khushboo had been staying at her maternal uncle's house for her studies. The argument reportedly escalated over a dispute linked to a suspected love affair.

In a fit of rage, Bittu allegedly attacked Khushboo multiple times with an axe (locally known as tangi) kept in the house, killing her on the spot. After the incident, he fled from the scene, reportedly telling family members that he too would end his life.

On Monday morning, his mutilated body was recovered from a nearby railway track, confirming that he had died by suicide.

Police reached the spot after being alerted by local villagers and seized the weapon used in the crime. The deaths of two members of the same family have left relatives in deep shock, with family members inconsolable.

Sadar police station in-charge Lalji said that initial findings suggest the crime was triggered by a dispute related to a love affair. "Based on statements from family members and preliminary investigation, it appears that the man killed his cousin sister and later died by suicide, possibly out of guilt or fear," he said.

Both bodies have been sent to Medinirai Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Police are continuing their investigation and are examining mobile call records and other evidence to establish the exact sequence of events.
Quetta, April 13 : At least six civilians were forcibly disappeared in Balochistan by Pakistani forces, a leading human rights organisation said on Monday.

These latest incidents come against the backdrop of a growing wave of enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings across the province.

Expressing grave concern over the mass enforced disappearances in Dera Bugti district, the Baloch Voice for Justice (BVJ) said, "These actions continue without warrants, charges, or due process, deepening fear and insecurity among local communities."

The victims are identified as Nabi Sher, Nabi Baksh, Usama, Meer Gul, Kareem and Siddiq.

According to the rights body, enforced disappearances across Dera Bugti have intensified in recent weeks. It stated that two weeks ago, ten individuals were abducted and remain in illegal custody.

Citing sources, the BVJ alleged that officials from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) are demanding large sums of money from families for the release of their loved ones.

These acts, it said, reflect a "sustained pattern of coercion and impunity" and "require immediate independent investigation".

Last week, as part of its global campaign, the Baloch National Movement (BNM) carried out an awareness drive in the United States, highlighting Pakistan's ongoing "heinous crimes against humanity, anti-Baloch policies, and barbaric collective punishment" of the people in Balochistan.

The Baloch activists on April 10 distributed leaflets in public spaces to share information about the dire situation in Balochistan.

According to the BNM, the aim was to expose the "true face" of Pakistan, its crimes against humanity and its repressive policies, which the group said have continued for more than two decades.

"Even in the 21st century, these injustices are taking place in full view of the democratic world and the international community due to Pakistan's illegal occupation. Pakistan continues to maintain its control over Balochistan through systematic crimes, including collective punishment against the Baloch people," the group stated.

The BNM accused Pakistani authorities of widespread violence against Baloch civilians, including the killing of people across various sections of the society, adding that even young children, including seven-year-olds, have not been spared.

"Thousands of Baloch individuals have been subjected to enforced disappearances and are currently held in the illegal custody of Pakistan's armed forces in undisclosed detention centres. Relatives of Baloch political activists and journalists are also targeted under Pakistan's ongoing anti-Baloch policies of collective punishment," it noted.
New Delhi, April 13 : In a boost to Make in India, US-based aircraft engine maker GE Aerospace on Monday announced a new agreement with the Indian Air Force to set up an in-country depot facility for F404-IN20 engines that power the HAL Tejas fighter jets.

The upcoming facility will be established in India and operated by the Indian Air Force, with technical support from GE Aerospace.

The move is aimed at strengthening Indiaas indigenous defence maintenance capabilities and reducing reliance on overseas repair centres.

Once operational, the depot is expected to significantly cut down the turnaround time for engine repairs and maintenance.

Under the agreement, the depot will be owned, operated, and maintained by the IAF. GE Aerospace will provide technical expertise, training, support staff, and ensure the supply of necessary spare parts and specialised equipment required for smooth operations.

Rita Flaherty, Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Defence and Systems at GE Aerospace, said the partnership reflects the companyas continued commitment to supporting Indiaas armed forces.

Flaherty added that the new facility will help improve the availability of F404-IN20 engines for the Tejas fleet, ensuring that the IAF has timely access to advanced technology for its defence needs.

GE Aerospace also highlighted its broader presence in Indiaas defence ecosystem. Its engines power several key platforms, including the Indian Navyas P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and MH-60R helicopters, as well as the Indian Air Forceas AH-64 Apache helicopters.

In addition, LM2500 marine gas turbines from the company are used in the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and the P-17 Shivalik-class frigates.

The company has been part of Indiaas aviation sector for more than four decades. Its Pune manufacturing facility, along with 13 domestic partners, is integrated into its global supply chain, further strengthening its footprint in the country.
New Delhi, April 13 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that although he may not be a Grihasthi (householder), he understands domestic life, and that through various government schemes, women are becoming economically empowered.

Addressing the Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan at Vigyan Bhawan, the Prime Minister said the path to reaching Parliament is set to become easier for women, and their role has become even more crucial.

"Parliament is on the verge of creating new history, one that will realise the visions of the past and fulfil the resolutions of the future," he said.

He emphasised that it was the government's effort and priority to ensure the amendment bill to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is passed through dialogue, cooperation and participation of all.

When the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was introduced in 2023, it was passed unanimously by all parties in Parliament, he noted.

Prime Minister Modi hailed Panchayati Raj institutions as a remarkable example of women's leadership and said India's Nari Shakti has made immense contributions to nation-building.

The success of the Jal Jeevan Mission stands as a prime example of how women have played a significant role at the Panchayat level. Studies have shown that increased participation of women in decision-making leads to greater sensitivity and responsiveness within systems, he added.

He listed several flagship schemes that have benefited women, including Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, the Maternity Benefit Scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana for post-birth support, and Mission Indradhanush to ensure timely vaccinations for children.

The PM said that to address the lack of toilets in schools, the government launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. It provides free sanitary pads, offers annual financial assistance of Rs one lakh for sports, and has opened Sainik Schools for girls aspiring to join the armed forces. For later stages of life, the Ujjwala Yojana protects women from the hazards of kitchen smoke, Har Ghar Nal (every house with tap water) ensures access to clean tap water at home, and Ayushman Yojana provides free medical treatment up to Rs five lakh.

"Our sisters and daughters are reaping the greatest benefits from all these initiatives," he said. More than 30 million women have become homeowners under government housing schemes.

"Typically, when fathers and sons discuss business, if the mother enters the room, they would often say, 'You go away'. Now that those women have become economically empowered, even the sons say do call mother over.

"I may not be a householder myself, but I understand everything about domestic life," the Prime Minister observed with a smile. He extended his congratulations to all the women of India on the dawn of a new era.

"For decades, everyone has felt the need to provide reservations for women within our democratic framework. Nearly 40 years have passed since discussions began regarding the Women's Reservation Bill. This journey involves the efforts of all political parties and multiple generations. Every party has advanced this concept in its own distinct manner. When the Act was passed in 2023, all political parties unanimously voted in its favour. There was also a resounding consensus that, come what may, it must be implemented by 2029. The women of the country should meet with their Members of Parliament, present their perspectives, and articulate their expectations," he said.

"On the day the MPs leave to attend the parliamentary session, bid them farewell with garlands of flowers. For when the MPs depart carrying the blessings of our mothers and sisters, they will be left with no choice but to make the right decision," said Prime Minister Modi.

A special three-day session of Parliament is being convened from April 16 to 18 with the objective of introducing amendments to implement women's reservation. The original Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam had linked the reservation to the new census and the subsequent delimitation exercise. Due to the delay in conducting the fresh census, the government now plans to proceed based on the 2011 census data.

Following the amendment, the number of Lok Sabha seats could potentially increase from 543 to 816, with provisions to reserve one-third of the seats for women while maintaining the existing structure for SC and ST reservations. No separate provision for OBC reservation within the women's quota has been made at this stage.

The government has planned two major amendments, including a separate Delimitation Bill. Both are expected to be taken up as constitutional amendments during the upcoming session.

Prime Minister Modi has called upon all political parties to support this historic step in the spirit of consensus that marked the original passage of the Act in 2023, so that Nari Shakti can play a fuller role in shaping the future of a developed India.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
April 13 : Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has always said that 25 crore people of the state are his family. On Monday, he demonstrated this as the head of the family. He personally met every citizen who came to Janata Darshan. He listened to all their complaints and also instructed officials for the prompt resolution of their issues.

During this, many complaints related to family disputes were brought forward, on which the Chief Minister advised everyone, "Family is the greatest asset. Resolve family matters by sitting together. Believe that instead of breaking apart, the family will remain united, and not only the present but future generations will also stay together."

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath carefully listened to all complaints related to family disputes. He then told the complainants, "In family conflicts, taking help from police-administration should be the last option. In our society, there is no asset greater than family. It is also our biggest strength. It is better that family matters are resolved within the home itself. Mistakes can be made by any member of the family, but if handled with a little understanding, the family can be saved from breaking apart."

He also advised them, "Adjusting a little within the family does not reduce respect. Preserve the asset called 'family' at all costs. If there is any problem, resolve it by sitting together with elders in the family. If, for any reason, the dispute cannot be resolved, then seek help from the government, administration or police as a last resort."

Chief Minister said, resolving every problem of the public is the governments priority. He assured people that the government is firmly committed to resolving the issues of every affected individual.

He also instructed officials to ensure that public grievances are resolved with promptness and sensitivity. Any laxity or negligence in this regard is unacceptable. Every issue must be resolved in a qualitative, transparent and satisfactory manner.

Chief Minister directed officials that no injustice should be done to anyone. Those who illegally encroach on someone elses land and displace the weak must not be spared under any circumstances. Strict legal action must be ensured against them.
Hyderabad, April 13 : Telangana Chief Minister, A. Revanth Reddy, on Monday said that population-based delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies is unjust to southern and smaller states in the country. He warned that this move would weaken the country in the long run.

In a social media post addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister said that national interest must be above any party interest.

"It is clear to every citizen that women's reservation (which everybody supports), and Delimitation of Lok Sabha seats (on which there are many concerns), are different. For example, if women quota is implemented immediately for state-wise Assembly seats, entire country will welcome it," posted the Congress leader.

"Using women's reservation as a red herring, attempts to push a population-based national Delimitation of Lok Sabha may serve the BJP in a very short run, but if it is unjust to Southern and smaller states, it will weaken our country in the long run. National interest must be above any party interest," he said.

Revanth Reddy stated that in the larger and long-term view, models other than simple pro-rata for Lok Sabha delimitation be considered. "Here, I share one such potential models for your consideration. Kindly ensure we build a national consensus, starting with an all party view instead of pushing this significant policy in an unfair way," reads the post.

The Chief Minister posted a Telugu newspaper report about the proposal for delimitation based on Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).

Under this proposal, states with good economic performance will see a significant jump in the number of their Lok Sabha seats. States like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala will benefit, if the GSDP-linked delimitation model is adopted.

Under this model, the Lok Saba seats in Telangana may go up from 17 to 30. Block A (south+west) and block B (remaining states) will get an equal additional seats of 136 each.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
April 13 : Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with Governor Anandiben Patel, visited Adarsh Madhyamik Vidyalaya Janbhavan. He then went to classrooms and labs and interacted with children. On Monday, children dressed in different costumes shared information about great personalities and their attire with the CM.

When the Governor and Chief Minister entered the classrooms, children greeted them by touching their feet. Some children welcomed them by saying 'Good morning sir, Vande Mataram sir'.

CM also visited the Sunita Williams Village Space Lab established in the school. A student named Khushi explained her model in detail to the CM. The CM, along with the Governor, observed other models made by students, asked questions and encouraged them.

He also visited the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Library and computer lab and gathered information about them. On the request of children, the Governor and Chief Minister also posed for photographs with them. OSD Sudhir M Bobde and other officials briefed the Chief Minister and guests about the features of the school.
Mumbai, April 13 : Shares of Jyoti CNC Automation fell sharply on Monday, dropping 15.5 per cent during the day to hit an intra-day low of Rs 692 on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).

The stock later recovered slightly and was trading 13.59 per cent lower at Rs 707.9 during noon trade.

The decline in the company's shares came after it disclosed that its French subsidiary, Huron Graffenstaden SAS, is under investigation by French authorities.

The probe relates to alleged violations of European Union export control laws concerning "dual-use" machinery, which can be used for both civilian and military purposes.

"Over this week, certain relevant authorities for our material subsidiary Huron Graffenstaden SAS had initiated investigation against Huron Graffenstaden SAS and certain of its employees where such employees had been interviewed by French authorities regarding export controls and export-documentation of machinery considered to be of dual-use," it said in its filing.

The investigation has been initiated by France's National Directorate of Intelligence and Customs Investigations.

As part of the interim measures, the director general of the subsidiary has been temporarily barred from performing duties.

Authorities have also seized bank accounts worth around 4 million and placed two residential properties owned by Jyoti SAS under interim seizure.

A formal judicial investigation has been launched against the subsidiary and some of its employees.

Huron Graffenstaden SAS has denied the allegations and said it is seeking legal advice to challenge the action.

The company is also trying to get more clarity from the authorities regarding the matter.

In a regulatory filing, Jyoti CNC said that the current operations of the subsidiary remain unaffected for now.

It also stated that the developments are not expected to have any adverse impact on its standalone business, which contributes more than 85 per cent of the group's revenue.

However, the Rajkot-based firm added that it is still assessing the potential financial impact of the developments, apart from the assets that have already been seized.

Founded in 1989, Jyoti CNC Automation is one of India's leading manufacturers of CNC machines.

Its product range includes turning centres, machining centres, five-axis machines, and advanced solutions powered by Industry 4.0 and artificial intelligence.
Kannur/New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, April 13 (IANS) The death of Nithin Raj, a BDS student of Ancharakandi Dental College in Kerala's Kannur, has triggered widespread protests, multiple inquiries, and serious allegations of sustained harassment by faculty.

Classmates of Nithin Raj have levelled grave charges against Head of Department Dr M.K. Ram, accusing him of routine intimidation, body shaming, and both mental and physical abuse.

According to students, the circumstances leading to Nithinas death reveal unheard-of cruelty, including bizarre punitive practices that allegedly broke students psychologically and physically.

They firmly reject earlier reports attributing the suicide to threats from loan apps, calling it a fabricated narrative aimed at shielding the college authorities and the accused faculty.

Students allege that Dr Ram wielded undue influence over internal marks and viva evaluations, using this to silence dissent through threats of failure.

Instances of verbal humiliation, including insults in front of parents, and physical abuse such as hitting and forcing students into degrading punishments have also been cited.

The protests have intensified, with students boycotting classes and demanding immediate action.

Activists of the KSU and the MSF staged a march to the college, forcing entry into the campus and holding a sit-in, before being removed and arrested by police.

Protesters asserted they would not allow any teacher accused of misconduct, including communal remarks, to be protected.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has also escalated the issue, submitting a complaint to Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey and the National Medical Commission, seeking a transparent and comprehensive probe and strict action against all those responsible.

The complaint alleges that Nithin, a first-year student from Thiruvananthapuram, died by suicide after facing brutal treatment, including caste and racial abuse by faculty members.

At the national level, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes has ordered an inquiry based on a complaint by BJP leader P. Shyamraj, directing the state DGP to submit a report within five days.

Meanwhile, Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty has assured that the government stands firmly with Nithinas family, promising a thorough investigation and all necessary support, including facilitating a meeting with the Chief Minister.

Police have registered two FIRs, one on the unnatural death and another against a loan app, though inconsistencies in the latter have raised further questions.

Statements from students and faculty are being recorded, while suspended teachers named in the case are reportedly absconding, facing possible arrest under non-bailable charges.

As more students come forward, the demand for accountability and a high-level probe continues to grow.
New Delhi, April 13 : In a major crackdown on cyber-enabled financial crimes, the Delhi Police's Crime Branch has busted an interstate investment fraud syndicate and arrested a key accused allegedly involved in siphoning off cheated funds, officials said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Jamsheed K., 33, a resident of Kerala's Malappuram district, was apprehended for his role as a primary money handler in an organised cyber fraud racket that duped victims through fake investment schemes.

According to police, the case pertains to an online investment fraud reported by complainant Sandeep Kumar, who was lured through a Facebook message promoting a trading platform. He was subsequently added to a WhatsApp group where members persuaded him to download a trading application named "INDIAN NIVESH" and invest in the stock market with promises of high returns.

Believing the claims, the complainant transferred a total of Rs 45.9 lakh into eight different bank accounts as instructed by the fraudsters. The application later reflected a fictitious profit of around Rs 7 crore in his account. However, when he attempted to withdraw the amount, the request failed. He was then asked to deposit more money within a week to process the withdrawal, failing which his account would be blocked.

Soon after, his account was blocked and all communication from the fraudsters, including a woman identified as "Mrs Vaniya" and other group members, ceased.

During the investigation, police traced the money trail and found that Rs 10 lakh  the largest first-layer transaction  had been credited to a bank account linked to a firm named JFS Traders in Kerala. The account, held with a private bank branch in Malappuram, was found to have received multiple suspicious transactions, with funds being quickly transferred to other accounts, a pattern consistent with cyber fraud syndicates.

Further analysis revealed that the account was linked to over 21 cyber fraud complaints on the government's Samanvaya portal, indicating its use in multiple fraudulent activities across states.

Acting on the leads, a special team was constituted under the supervision of senior Crime Branch officials. The team conducted technical and manual surveillance and tracked the accused to Kerala. He was eventually arrested from Kondotty on April 5 with the assistance of local police.

Police said Jamsheed had earlier worked as an auto driver and later travelled to Saudi Arabia, where he worked in a fish market in Jeddah. After returning to India, he started a fruit trading business with two associates. When the business failed to take off, they allegedly began renting their bank accounts to cyber criminals for commission and gradually became part of the fraud network.

An FIR (No. 43/25) has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Crime Branch police station.

Officials said further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend other members of the interstate syndicate.

The Delhi Police said the arrest is expected to help unravel a larger cyber fraud ecosystem operating across multiple states and reiterated its commitment to tackling organised financial crimes.
Ranchi, April 13 : Expressing strong displeasure over the continued vacancy of key constitutional posts in Jharkhand, including the Lokayukta and the Information Commissioner, the High Court on Monday issued a final 10-day ultimatum to the government.

Hearing a PIL, the court made it clear that if notifications for these appointments are not issued within the stipulated period, the state government will have to face consequences.

Adopting a stern stance, a bench led by Chief Justice M.S. Sonak observed that the delay in filling these crucial posts is no longer acceptable.

Terming it a final opportunity, the court directed the government to complete the appointment process within 10 days, without fail. The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on April 23.

During the proceedings, Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan informed the court that a selection committee meeting held on March 25 had recommended names, and the file was sent to the Raj Bhavan. However, it was later withdrawn.

Counsel for the petitioner, Abhay Mishra, alleged that the government had deliberately forwarded three politically affiliated names -- out of a panel of five -- for the post of Information Commissioner, which the Governor objected and he returned the file.

Responding to the concerns, the Advocate General assured the bench that the recommendations would be revised and would be resubmitted to the Raj Bhavan shortly.

Notably, several key constitutional and statutory posts in Jharkhand -- including the Lokayukta, the State Human Rights Commission, and the State Information Commission -- have remained vacant for a prolonged period.

The issue dates back to 2020, when the first PIL seeking the appointment of Information Commissioners was filed. Despite multiple hearings over the years, the vacancies remain unfilled.

The High Court had also made sharp observations during the previous hearing on April 1, when the Advocate General had stated that the selection process, chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren, was in its final stages.

Petitioners, including Rajkumar and the Advocatesa Association, have consistently argued that prolonged vacancies in these posts are severely undermining governance and weakening the stateas administrative and quasi-judicial framework.
New Delhi, April 13 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin, and accused him of creating a false narrative on the Centre's advisory to states to encourage farmers to grow more pulses and oilseeds as these are in short supply in the country and huge amounts have to be imported to meet the domestic requirement.

The Finance Minister pointed out that the communication to the States is an invitation to share the responsibility of national food security. Most of the State governments across party lines understood this and responded in the spirit of cooperative federalism. Only CM Stalin chose to sensationalise it, she said.

"Instead of wasting time on anti-Centre rhetoric, CM Stalin should explain to the people of Tamil Nadu why he is effectively giving away opportunities to foreign interests rather than making us self-reliant in pulses and oilseeds," Sitharaman said.

"When essential food items depend on imports, domestic food security becomes vulnerable to external shocks and price fluctuations. That is not sustainable for a country of India's size. Expanding domestic production of pulses and oilseeds is not only an economic necessity, but also a strategic need," she explained.

In response to Stalin's challenge the Finance Minister put out the letter sent to the states in public domain. The letter points out that since there are excess stocks of paddy and rice in the country, states should encourage farmers to grow oilseeds and pulses which are in short supply. This would also help farmers to earn higher incomes, the letter points out.

True food sovereignty is only possible when the Centre and States work together to replace water-intensive surpluses with the essential crops India actually needs, she remarked.

Sitharaman said that building food security requires a constructive, continuous and positive engagement on agriculture with all stakeholders. However, Chief Minister MK Stalin appears to continue with what he and his party are good at  draw a wedge between the Centre and states, create false narratives and project themselves as the protectors of farmers and other Tamil people, she claimed.

"Doesn't he know that huge imports of palm oil is because our demand for edible oil is not adequately met with oil seeds supply. Similar is the issue with pulses. Farmers can get better prices for crops in which there is a supply-demand gap. Clearly, farmers' interest is not in CM Stalin's mind," the Finance Minister said.

By encouraging the production of pulses, oilseeds, and millets, India aims to achieves the twin objectives of 'nutritional security' through improved access to protein-rich crops and 'economic stability' by reducing the edible oil import bill, Sitharaman explained.

"It is surprising that CM Thiru Stalin has thrown a challenge on putting out the letter written by Secretary, Expenditure to all states. He has received it. He has chosen to misinterpret it. He would have himself put it up, if it strengthens his case. But no, he didn't. By throwing up a challenge he has exhibited false bravado. We have no hesitation in giving the link to the letter," Sitharaman said.

"Any Chief Minister with even a passing commitment to national interest would welcome this. Instead, CM Thiru Stalin chose to distort a constructive suggestion into a manufactured grievance  because for the DMK, India's strategic requirements are not a concern, they are an opportunity to score political points," Sitharaman added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Kolkata, April 13 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday, during an election rally, said that those who have looted the people of West Bengal in the last 15 years would be punished once the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) comes to power after the Assembly polls in the state.

"Those who have looted people through their 'cut-money syndicates' during the last 15 years will be spotted one by one and hanged upside down after the elections. Those who have murdered the BJP supporters or tortured them will also be hunted out, even if they go underground. After the BJP comes to power, the gang of goons of the 'aunt' and her 'nephew' will be taken to task," the Union Home Minister said at a rally in Khayrasole in Birbhum district in the afternoon.

Speaking on the occasion, he also said that the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee's dream to make her nephew and the Trinamool Congress General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, the next Chief Minister of West Bengal will never be fulfilled.

"I want to tell the Chief Minister that your nephew will not become the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Anyone from the BJP will become the next chief minister of the state. That person was born in West Bengal. That person speaks and writes in Bengali," the Union Home Minister said.

He also accused the Trinamool Congress and the Chief Minister of giving shelter to the illegal infiltrators. "The Chief Minister had protected the illegal infiltrators for so long. So after coming to power, our prime task will be to identify the illegal infiltrators and deport them from the country. It is the mission of the BJP to free the country of illegal infiltrators," the Union Home Minister said.

HM Shah will address another rally at Raniganj in West Burdwan district later in the day, to be followed by a roadshow and one organisational meeting in the steel city of Durgapur in the same district.
Srinagar, April 13 : Two brothers drowned in the Jhelum River in the Bijbehara area of J&K's Anantnag district on Monday, police said.

Srinagar, April 13 (IANS) Two brothers drowned in the Jhelum River in the Bijbehara area of J&Kas Anantnag district on Monday, police said.

The two brothers had drowned after accidentally slipping into the Jhelum River in the Padshahibagh area of Bijbehara, a police official said, adding that the bodies of the two siblings have been recovered.

Officials said that the deceased have been identified as Majid Ahmad Malik and Shahid Ahmad Malik, residents of Jabalipora.

"They lost balance while bathing today, slipped, and fell into the deep waters of the river, after which they went missing. Soon after the incident, a police team from Bijbehara, along with local residents, launched a massive rescue operation to trace the missing siblings. The bodies were later recovered with the assistance of police and SDRF personnel, along with locals," an official said.

There have been scores of drowning accidents in the Jhelum River in the Valley in recent years, with almost all of them taking place in late spring, summer, and autumn months.

Drowning incidents often occur during washing, bathing, or accidental slips near banks, particularly in fast-flowing water.

On April 12, the body of local resident Ayaz Ahmad was retrieved by the SDRF and River Police near Basant Bagh, Gowkadal in Srinagar.

A girl had jumped into the Jhelum reservoir (Lower Jhelum Hydro Power Project) at Peerniya, Boniyar, on July 8, 2025.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police are regularly deployed for search operations, but turbulent conditions complicate rescues.

Authorities and local reports emphasise the need for caution around the riverbank, with many incidents happening due to slipping.

As a precautionary measure to prevent suicide attempts by youth under depression or under the effect of drugs, all the bridges on the Jhelum River have been high-fenced on both sides in Srinagar city.
New Delhi, April 13 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday launched a sharp attack on Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi over her recent article on the Women's Reservation Bill, questioning why she would want the legislation to be delayed and accusing the Congress of indulging in "opportunistic politics".

Sonia Gandhi, in an opinion article published in The Hindu said on Monday that the central concern surrounding the Centre's decision to introduce Bills during a special session of Parliament on April 16 is delimitation, not women's reservation, describing the process as "extremely dangerous" and terming it an "assault on the Constitution".

She alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking to "delay and derail" the caste census, suggesting that the timing and manner of the proposed legislative exercise point to deeper political motives.

Sonia Gandhi also criticised the Union government for "declining repeated requests" from opposition parties to convene an all-party meeting after the conclusion of Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal on April 29.

Responding to her remarks, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh told IANS, "The Congress party of the Gandhia"Nehru family did not provide protection or empowerment to women for 70 years. They held back 50 per cent of the population from progressing. When Congress was in power, there was silence, speculation, and deliberate attempts to create obstacles, delaying, and keeping matters pending. They are doing it again. This is their hypocrisy. Why did they do this? The women of this nation are demanding answers from Congress today."

He also said that the people are thanking the Prime Minister for pushing this Bill forward.

"Now, the Prime Minister has taken the Bill out of cold storage and is granting 33 per cent reservation to women through the Nari Shakti Vandan. Congress, on the other hand, only focuses on opportunistic politics," Chugh added.

BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo also criticised Sonia Gandhi's comments, saying, "It has taken almost 80 years for women to get reservation. What is Sonia Gandhi even talking about? Does she want the Bill to get more delays? What hurry is she talking about? When the Women's Reservation Bill was first introduced in the Parliament during your government's tenure, Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal leaders tore the pages of the Bill in front of your face."

"It was only because of the Prime Minister (Modi) that this is being made possible now. But even now, Congress has a problem with it. Why does Sonia Gandhi, being a woman herself, want to delay this Bill? We want women to get their rights, and we will definitely give it to them," he added.

Bihar Minister Dilip Jaiswal also weighed in, saying, "The BJP and NDA have always focused on how to ensure proper representation of women in politics. The way Congress is determined to oppose this Women's Reservation Bill, people will reject them in the same way."

The Shiv Sena, BJP's ally, also backed the Bill and criticised the Congress for opposing it.

Speaking to IANS, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC said, "This Bill is the need of the hour. The people of this country, and especially the women, have waited 27 long years. If we are able to fight 181 seats for the upcoming Lok Sabha, it's a great tribute, because with opportunity comes the opportunity to showcase one's talent."

She also noted, "It is absolutely shocking that Sonia Gandhi, herself a woman, has done nothing for 33 per cent reservation and only made excuses in these 27 years. On the other hand, you have PM Modi, a man who is supporting it and reaching out to all stakeholders, urging them to support this Bill. Should she come forward to support this, too? Only Congress can answer why they are opposing this Bill," she added.
April 13 : Lucknow: Preparations have been made in Uttar Pradesh this year to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti at an unprecedented scale. The Yogi government has transformed it from just a commemorative day into a wide-ranging campaign of social justice, awareness and public outreach.

Programs are being organized across all districts and assembly constituencies of the state, where public representatives will directly reach out to people and inform them about their rights, the Constitution and the values of equality.

The main event to be held at the Ambedkar Mahasabha premises located in Hazratganj will be a major attraction. Organized under the leadership of Mahasabha Trust President and Legislative Council Member Lalji Prasad Nirmal, the program will begin with floral tributes to Baba Sahebs urn by Buddhist monks and Buddha Vandana. After this, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will offer tribute to Baba Saheb.

The intention of the Yogi government is to ensure that Baba Sahebs ideas of equality, social justice and democratic values reach every section of society. In this direction, Members of Parliament, MLAs and other public representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party will visit people across every district of Uttar Pradesh to create awareness about their constitutional rights and duties. This will increase awareness in society and further strengthen the roots of democracy.

The Yogi government has also made an important announcement ahead of Ambedkar Jayanti. The Chief Minister has directed that canopies will be installed over statues of Baba Saheb across the state, along with construction of boundary walls and beautification work.

Calling this decision historic, Dr Lalji Prasad Nirmal said that it has generated great enthusiasm among the Dalit community and followers of Ambedkar.

Various programs will also be organized in universities, colleges, schools and social institutions across all districts of Uttar Pradesh. These will include seminars, speeches, essay competitions and debates, through which the new generation will be introduced to Baba Sahebs contributions and struggles.

This initiative of the Yogi government reflects its priority towards social harmony and public participation. On 14 April, the entire state will appear Ambedkar-saturated (Ambedkarmaya).

Programs will also be held in all offices, schools, hostels and institutions of the Social Welfare Department. Universities, colleges and educational institutions will organize special events, including garlanding of the statue and portrait of Baba Saheb Dr BR Ambedkar, seminars, essay writing, speeches and debate competitions. There will be special discussions on his life, teachings and contribution to the making of the Constitution.

Under the chairmanship of CM Yogi, the cabinet has approved the Dr BR Ambedkar Murti Vikas Yojana, under which 10 memorials and statues of great personalities of social justice will be developed and beautified in each assembly constituency of the state. A total of Rs 403 crore will be spent on this.

Under this scheme, statues and memorials of Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, Sant Ravidas, Kabir, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, Maharshi Valmiki and other great personalities will be conserved, beautified and developed with necessary infrastructure.
New Delhi, April 13 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Monday that the Women's Reservation Bill marks the beginning of a new era. She added that it has taken decades of progress for women in the country to reach this stage, evolving from the ideals of "Beti Bachao" and "Beti Padhao" to now moving towards "Beti Badhao".

Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Gupta noted, "I feel that a new era is beginning with this Women's Reservation Bill. It has taken almost a century for the daughters and women of our country to reach this stage. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam will truly take the nation's progress to a new level."

Highlighting the importance of women's representation, she emphasised that increased participation of women in decision-making processes will significantly transform governance.

"The participation of women in decisions and their presence in policy-making will take them to great heights. There will be involvement of every woman in decision-making. Whether it is the Vidhan Sabha, Parliament, or Panchayat, when women are part of the process, they will contribute meaningfully to every aspect," the Chief Minister said.

He also underlined that opportunities for women have expanded across sectors.

"Every field is now open to women. Whether it is the armed forces, science, industry, or professional life, women are progressing everywhere and making their presence felt," she added.

She also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for prioritising women-centric policies.

"I want to thank PM Modi for consistently focusing on issues related to women. The government has framed policies and undertaken initiatives keeping women at the centre of decision-making. When women are included, the entire country progresses," Chief Minister Gupta said.

Calling the Bill a significant opportunity, the Chief Minister said it would empower women across generations.

"I believe this is a wonderful opportunity not only for elderly women but also for young women to come forward. Through their vision, initiatives, and hard work, they can contribute to the nation's growth. Whether she is a daughter, sister, or mother, every woman can actively participate in nation-building and play a vital role in shaping the country's future," she added.
New Delhi, April 13 : The family of a senior army officer who was allegedly assaulted along with his son in south Delhi's Vasant Enclave has claimed that they received no immediate assistance from the police and that action in the case began only after the matter was taken up through defence channels.

According to officials, the Brigadier and his son were attacked by a group of men after they objected to two individuals consuming alcohol inside a parked car in their residential area. The incident is reported to have occurred on April 11 at around 10 p.m.

The Brigadier, currently posted in Gujarat and residing in Delhi with his family, said the incident unfolded when he stepped out for a walk with his son after dinner. Just outside their residence, they noticed two men sitting inside a white Mercedes car and drinking alcohol. When the officer objected to the activity, an argument ensued between the two sides.

Talking to IANS, the officer's wife recounted the sequence of events, saying: "The whole incident was that two individuals were sitting in a white Mercedes car and drinking alcohol. After dinner, when my husband and son went out for a walk, they objected, saying that drinking in a residential colony is not allowed, after which the individuals spoke to them inappropriately. We did not retaliate and called the PCR. PCR took time, and after a while, they arrived and talked to the men in the Mercedes. Till the time the official started taking our statements, goons arrived in two cars and started assaulting my son and husband."

She further alleged a lack of police intervention during the assault.

"Instead of helping us, the police personnel went back to their van. My husband tried to save my son from the goons, but they were also hitting him. When I approached the police personnel again, he denied the help, stating that he alone could not do anything in front of so many goons. He said that he will wait for his team. His team never arrived. The goons kept hitting my husband and child for 20 minutes. I was trying to save them, and even then, the goons passed comments on me," she said.

Describing her interaction with the police, she added: "When I asked the police personnel to take me to the police station, he opened the van's trunk for me and told me to lie there, and he would take me to the station. I said I would not sit in the trunk. I want to sit on the seat, to which the personnel said, 'This is not your place'. So with our own car, we went to the police station, where we did not get any assistance and questioned why we were calling the PCR again and again and frustrating them."

The family said a complaint was filed in the early hours of April 12. "We had filed a complaint on April 12 at around 2 a.m. However, no action was taken till we sought help through the defence channel. He (the Brigadier) was taken to the hospital by the police. We ourselves took him to our Army hospital, R&R, as the police said they did not have the ambulance to take him to Safdarjung Hospital. No police officer went with us; they ignored everything, eating parathas and everything. They ignored our agony," she added.

Despite the assault, the officer and his son reportedly did not suffer any severe injuries.

The Brigadier's son also described the incident, stating, "My father had politely asked them not to drink near the society as it's a residential area, but they rejected the request and told us not to 'instruct them'. We then called the PCR. By that time, the men called their goons, and after that, they started assaulting us. No one helped us."

He stated that police asked for an MLC (Medico Legal Certificate), but no one from the police accompanied him to the hospital. Later, he went to RR hospital on his own for MLC. The Brigadier said that even after MLC, the police didn't file an FIR and only made a General Diary entry.

He further alleged that despite providing evidence, there was little progress in the case initially. "Even after all the details and proof were provided, no major action was taken. So, the Corps of Military Police (CMP) has likely taken the matter into their own hands, and I am sure they will handle it more effectively," he said.

The Indian Army has taken serious cognisance of the matter and initiated steps to support the officer. A CMP team has been directed to assist him, and the Delhi Police has been approached to conduct an investigation and take action.

The matter is now under investigation, and further details are awaited.
New Delhi, April 13 : Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday assured residents that both domestic and commercial LPG supplies in the capital remain stable, adequate and under control, with no shortage of the cooking gas or any other fuel.

She urged people not to be influenced by rumours and advised them to remain calm.

Sharing an update on domestic LPG, the Chief Minister said that on Sunday, a total of 1,11,766 bookings were recorded, while the three Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) delivered 1,30,094 cylinders, well above the number of bookings.

This indicates that pending backlogs are being cleared efficiently, and the supply chain remains robust. The average delivery time has improved to 3.87 days from 4.24 days earlier, ensuring timely doorstep delivery, she said.

On the commercial LPG side, Delhi has a quota of 6,480 LPG cylinders (19 kg equivalent) per day, she said.

In comparison, the average daily offtake over the past week has been only 4,268 cylinders, including 5 kg Free Trade LPG cylinders, clearly showing that supply is exceeding demand, she said.

The Chief Minister appealed to all commercial LPG consumers, particularly users of 5 kg cylinders, to avoid unnecessary concern or stockpiling.

She reiterated that the distribution system across the city is functioning smoothly and that adequate stock is available.

To facilitate access, a dedicated control room of the Food and Civil Supplies Department is operational, she said, adding that commercial consumers facing any difficulty in obtaining LPG cylinders can contact 011-23379836 or 8383824659 between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on any day of the week.

Chief Minister Gupta said the government has also encouraged consumers and institutions to opt for Piped Natural Gas (PNG) wherever available, as it provides a reliable and continuous fuel supply.

Bulk users such as hospitals and educational institutions have been advised to shift to PNG at the earliest to enhance efficiency, safety and supply reliability, she said.

Additionally, consumers are being encouraged to consider electric or induction cooking as a medium to long-term alternative to ensure uninterrupted energy access.

She reiterated that the Delhi government is closely monitoring the situation daily and remains fully committed to ensuring uninterrupted LPG supply across the capital.
Kalyan, April 13 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday expressed grief over the loss of 11 people in a head-on collision on the Kalyan-Ahilyanagar highway.

"The horrific accident on National Highway-61 near Kalyan, resulting in the death of 11 people, is extremely unfortunate. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them. We share in the grief of their families. We are in constant touch with the local administration," the Chief Minister said in his condolence message.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the news of the horrific accident between a car and a truck near the bridge at Rayate in Kalyan taluka on the Kalyan-Ahilyanagar National Highway is extremely heartbreaking.

"In this accident, 11 passengers in the car have lost their lives. The process of inquiring into the accident has been initiated, and a thorough investigation of this incident will be conducted. May the souls of the citizens, who lost their lives in this accident attain peace -- this is my prayer at the feet of the Lord. Heartfelt condolences to all of them. In this extremely trying time, I share in the grief of the families of the deceased and pray that they find the strength to recover from this sorrow."

Earlier, a heart-wrenching accident on the Kalyan-Murbad-Ahilyanagar highway claimed the lives of 11 people early Monday morning.

The tragedy occurred on the Rayte Bridge when a cement mixer truck and a "Kali-Peeli" (black and yellow) Maruti Suzuki Eeco taxi collided head-on with devastating force.

All 11 occupants of the taxi died in the mishap.

Among the deceased, seven were residents of Murbad, one from Kalyan, and one from Satara; the identities of the remaining two victims are yet to be established.

According to police sources, the taxi was heading toward Murbad from Kalyan.

Due to ongoing roadwork, traffic from both directions was diverted onto a single lane of the Rayte Bridge.

Witnesses said that the accident occurred when the taxi driver attempted to overtake another vehicle. During the manoeuvre, the driver reportedly lost control and rammed into an oncoming cement mixer truck. The impact was so severe that the taxi was completely crushed, leaving no chance for survival.

Local residents and emergency services rushed to the site immediately. The victims were extricated from the wreckage and rushed to the nearby Goveli Hospital, where doctors declared them all dead on arrival.

The incident has sparked public outrage and raised several critical questions, including administrative negligence, safety violations and lack of adequate infrastructure.

Locals are questioning the decision to keep only one side of the bridge open for two-way traffic.

Investigations are looking into why the taxi was carrying passengers far beyond its legal capacity.

Residents have demanded that both sides of the road be opened immediately to prevent further casualties.

Murbad MLA Kisan Kathore expressed deep grief over the incident, noting that despite the road being relatively wide, the tragedy was a direct result of reckless driving and negligence during an overtake.

He confirmed that Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been briefed, and instructions have been issued to provide aid to the families of the deceased.
Moscow, April 13 : Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday admitted that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is likely to impact international markets negatively.

"Most likely, such actions will continue to negatively impact international markets; this can be assumed with a high degree of certainty," the Kremlin spokesman was quoted as saying by Russia's leading Tass news agency during a regular media briefing in Moscow.

Responding to another question, he asserted that details on the US blocking of the Strait of Hormuz remain unclear.

"Many details here remain unclear and incomprehensible, so I would refrain from any substantive comments at this time," Peskov commented on the US threat of blocking the strait.

On Sunday, the United States made it clear that it will begin enforcing a sweeping maritime blockade of vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports from April 13, escalating tensions after high-stakes talks between Washington and Tehran failed to yield agreement on key issues, including Iran's nuclear programme.

The move, announced by US Central Command (CENTCOM), follows a presidential directive and will target "all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports", including those along the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations," CENTCOM said, adding that US forces would not impede ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports. The blockade would begin at 7.30 pm IST on Monday, as per a CENTCOM release.

Meanwhile, Moscow announced that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will be visiting Beijing on a two-day visit starting Tuesday.

"On April 14-15, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will make an official visit to the People's Republic of China, where he will hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi," the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.

"The two countries' foreign ministers will discuss a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues, prospects for contacts at various levels, and international collaboration, with a focus on joint work within the UN, BRICS, SCO, G20, APEC, and other multilateral mechanisms and forums. A detailed exchange of views is expected on a number of hot topics and regional issues, including the Ukrainian crisis and the situation in the Middle East," it added.
Dhaka, April 13 : India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma held a meeting with Bangladesh's Minister of Information and Broadcasting Zahir Uddin Swapon on Monday, discussing cooperation in the information and broadcasting domain.

During the meeting, two sides agreed to exchange visits of media delegations between India and Bangladesh to strengthen people-to-people ties and promote mutual understanding. Verma reiterated India's willingness to work with Bangladesh government to strengthen people-centric cooperation in all sectors.

"High Commisioner Pranay Verma paid a courtesy call on Minister of Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh H.E. Zahir Uddin Swapon on 13 April 2026. They discussed wide-ranging cooperation in information and broadcasting domain, including engagements between media and broadcasting institutions of the two countries. They agreed to enhance exchange visits of media delegations between the two countries to strengthen people-to-people relations and promote mutual understanding," Indian High Commission in Bangladesh posted on X.

"High Commissioner proposed various capacity building initiatives for journalists and media professionals under ITEC programme of Government of India. As part of these initiatives, a special training course for women journalists from Bangladesh will soon be organised in India. They also exchanged views on cooperation in films, including organization of film screening and film festivals in each otheras country, as well as collaboration in production and post-production technological support. High Commissioner reiterated Indiaas willingness to work with the Government and people of Bangladesh to strengthen people-centric cooperation in all domains based on mutual interest and mutual benefit," it added.

Last week, Verma had called on Bangladesh's Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism Afroza Khanum Rita, discussing enhancing bilateral cooperation in civil aviation. Bangladesh' Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat also attended the meeting.

"High Commissioner Pranay Verma paid a courtesy call on Minister of Civil Aviation and Tourism H.E. Mrs. Afroza Khanum Rita on 09 April 2026. Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Tourism H.E. M Rashiduzzaman Millat also joined the meeting. They held discussions on enhancing bilateral cooperation in the field of civil aviation, improving air connectivity, enhancing air cargo capacity, improving aviation infrastructure and exploring capacity building opportunities," Indian High Commission in Bangladesh posted on X.

"High Commissioner briefed the Honable Ministers on the ongoing major developments in Indiaas aviation sector that make India the fastest growing civil aviation market in the world today and which offer opportunities for cooperation for the advancement of Bangladeshas aviation sector based on mutual interest and mutual benefit," it added.

On April 8, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with his Bangladesh counterpart Khalilur Rahman and his delegation in New Delhi, discussing bilateral ties, regional and global developments.

"Pleased to host FM Khalilur Rahman of Bangladesh and his delegation this afternoon. We discussed strengthening our bilateral relationship in its various facets. Also exchanged views on regional and global developments. Agreed to remain in close touch," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.
New Delhi, April 13 : The Supreme Court on Monday declined to quash the CBI FIR and charge sheets against RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam.

A bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh, while disposing of Yadav's plea challenging the Delhi High Court order refusing to quash the corruption case, granted him liberty to raise legal objections during trial and exempted him from personal appearance before the trial court.

"After hearing senior counsel for the parties, the issue pertaining to whether the application of the provision is prospective or retrospective is left open. Liberty is granted to the petitioner to raise the issue at the time of trial," the Justice Sundresh-led Bench said.

The apex court clarified that it was not expressing any view on the contentious issue relating to the applicability of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which mandates prior sanction for initiating investigation against public servants for acts done in discharge of official duties.

It further observed that the impugned order of the Delhi High Court refusing to quash the matter would not preclude the petitioner from raising the legal contention before the trial court.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Yadav, contended that prior sanction under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act was mandatory before initiation of investigation since the allegations related to acts purportedly done by Yadav in discharge of his official functions as the then Union Railway Minister.

He contended that prior sanction was mandatory at the stage of investigation itself and that the absence of such approval rendered the entire proceedings illegal.

Opposing the plea, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju submitted that Section 17A would apply only where the accused was the decision-making or recommending authority. He argued that Yadav did not fall within that category and, therefore, no prior approval was required.

During the hearing, the Justice Sundresh-led Bench expressed reservations over the CBI's submission, observing that the question of influence exercised by a person holding the highest office in the ministry could not be brushed aside merely because no formal recommendation was made on record.

However, the top court refrained from adjudicating on the merits of the rival submissions and left the issue open to be decided during trial.

The development comes after the Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed Yadav's petition to quash the FIR, charge sheets, and cognisance orders, observing that the plea was devoid of merit.

The case pertains to allegations that appointments in the Indian Railways were made in exchange for the transfer of land parcels to the family members and associates of the former Railway Minister.

The CBI had registered the case in May 2022 against Lalu Prasad Yadav and several others, including his wife and former Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi, along with other family members and unidentified public servants.

Subsequently, charge sheets were filed against multiple accused persons under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
New Delhi, April 13 : India is poised to lead the global pharmaceutical landscape due to its focus on biologics, biosimilars and specialty medicines, Health Minister JP Nadda said on Monday.

The minister highlighted that the government recently launched Biopharma Shakti Initiative with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore, to advance capabilities in biopharmaceutical innovation, foster innovation and strengthen research capabilities.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Anupriya Patel, underlined the need for industry to intensify its focus on innovation-driven segments as innovative drugs account for nearly 87 per cent of the global pharmaceutical market value, the statement said.

Nadda mentioned complementary initiatives such as PRIP scheme for promoting research in pharmaceuticals and medical technology, Production-Linked Incentive programmes, and Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana, supporting domestic manufacturing, affordable access to medicines, and deepening industry-academia collaboration as well as development of innovative therapies.

He added that the 'India Pharma 2026' event provides a vital platform to foster dialogue, partnerships, and a forward-looking roadmap for the sector.

India is undergoing a significant transition from being a global generics leader to an emerging biopharma innovation hub, Patel said.

The country currently contributes nearly 20 per cent of global generic medicines and meets around 70 per cent of global vaccine demand, underscoring the countryas robust manufacturing capabilities, she added.

Emphasising future opportunities, Patel said that the global demand for biologics and biosimilars is expanding rapidly, with the biosimilars market projected to reach $75 billion by 2030.

She stressed focusing on human capital through premier institutions such as NIPERs and IITs to support advanced research and innovation.

The ministers attended 9th edition of 'India Pharma 2026', a two-day conference organised by the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), in collaboration with FICCI and the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA). The event brings together key stakeholders from across the global pharmaceutical and healthcare ecosystem, with a strong focus on innovation, self-reliance, and global leadership.

a"IANS

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Tehran, April 13 : Iran on Monday severely condemned Washington's decision to impose restrictions on the transit of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, terming US President Donald Trump's decision for a naval blockade starting Monday evening, India time, as an illegal action and an instance of "maritime piracy".

A spokesperson for the Central Headquarters of the Iranian military command asserted that the Iranian Armed Forces consider defending the country's legal rights a natural and lawful duty.

"Accordingly, ensuring security in the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran will resolutely continue to be carried out by the devoted Armed Forces, and as has been repeatedly declared, enemy-affiliated vessels do not have and will not have the right to cross the Strait of Hormuz, while other vessels, in compliance with the regulations of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will continue to be permitted passage through the strait," Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Central Headquarters 'Khatam al-Anbia', was quoted as saying by Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

"Furthermore, given the continuation of enemy threats against the Iranian nation and the national security of our country even after the end of the war, the Islamic Republic of Iran will firmly implement a permanent mechanism to control the Strait of Hormuz," he added.

The military spokesperson warned that if the security of Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is threatened, "no port in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will be safe", Tasnim reported.

On Sunday, the United States made it clear that it will begin enforcing a sweeping maritime blockade of vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports from April 13, escalating tensions after high-stakes talks between Washington and Tehran failed to yield agreement on key issues, including Iran's nuclear programme.

The move, announced by US Central Command (CENTCOM), follows a presidential directive and will target "all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports", including those along the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations," CENTCOM said, adding that US forces would not impede ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports. The blockade would begin at 7.30 pm IST on Monday, as per a CENTCOM release.
New Delhi, April 13 : State-owned BEML Ltd on Monday said it has secured an export order worth $36.38 million (about Rs 336 crore) from the Middle East for the supply of heavy earthmoving equipment.

In a regulatory filing, the company said the equipment will be deployed for infrastructure development projects in the region.

With this order, BEMLas international order book has expanded to $106.95 million (around Rs 996 crore), strengthening its global presence, the company added.

On March 18, the company received a Letter of Intent for an overseas order worth around $60 million from the African region for the design, manufacture, supply, testing, and commissioning of standard gauge metro rolling stock. This marked BEMLas first-ever international order in the metro segment.

Following the latest order win, BEML shares traded in the green.

The stock rose nearly 1 per cent to hit an intraday high of Rs 1,635.80 apiece on the NSE before paring gains to close 0.12 per cent higher at Rs 1,623.10.

The stock has declined 12.44 per cent so far this year and is down 46.34 per cent over the past 12 months.

On the financial front, BEML reported a consolidated loss of Rs 22.38 crore for the quarter ended December 2025, compared to a profit of Rs 24.41 crore in the year-ago period.

On a standalone basis, the company posted a loss of Rs 23 crore in Q3FY26, slightly narrower than the Rs 25 crore loss reported in the corresponding period last year.

The companyas consolidated income rose to Rs 1,087.13 crore during the quarter from Rs 880.28 crore a year earlier.

However, expenses increased to Rs 1,112.54 crore from Rs 850.70 crore, impacting profitability.

In a separate development in February, the company said that Bipin Kumar Gupta ceased to be an Independent Director on its board with effect from February 10, following the completion of his tenure.
Dhaka, April 13 : Bangladesh has witnessed rising violence against women and children with little sign of improvement despite the presence of stringent legislation such as the 'Women and Children Repression Prevention Ordinance', the Awami League highlighted on Monday citing various critics.

According to the party, critics noted that a total of 776 rape cases were reported in the 13 months leading up to February 2026, raising serious concerns about public safety.

The figures, it said, come despite repeated assurance from successive governments pledging to ensure the security of women and girls.

The critics accused both the former Muhammad Yunus-led interim government and the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government of failing to address the issue effectively.

"Observers argue that many advisors in the Yunus-led administration had backgrounds in non-governmental organisations and were previously active in advocacy efforts  organising protests, human chains, and roundtable discussions  to push for stronger protections for women. However, once in power, their efforts fell short, with laws introduced but enforcement mechanisms weakened or left ineffective," the Awami League stated.

"Concerns have also been raised about the state of 'one-stop crisis' centres, which had previously played a key role during the tenure of the Awami League government. These centres are now reportedly struggling to function effectively," it added.

According to the Awami League, law enforcement has come under scrutiny, with critics highlighting a lack of accountability following attacks on police during the July 2024 demonstrations, alleging that the Yunus administration failed to pursue justice and that the current government has taken limited steps to restore police morale or strengthen enforcement.

The party cited claims that individuals linked to the BNP government secured influential positions within the police and judiciary even before the February 12 national elections but have not demonstrated effectiveness in upholding the rule of law.

In some areas across Bangladesh, the Awami League said the cases of violence against women are being handled through informal village arbitration systems, rather than formal judicial processes  raising concerns about accountability and justice.

"Analysts say the contrast between tough legal provisions and the reported number of cases highlights a significant gap between legislation and its implementation. They warn that such gaps may have contributed to preventable tragedies, including cases involving a teenage girl in Narsingdi and a seven-year-old child in Sitakunda," the Awami League said, highlighting the escalating violence against women and children.

The situation, critics argue, "underscores broader questions about governance, accountability, and the political will" needed to address violence against women and children across Bangladesh.
Kolkata, April 13 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday criticised her Uttar Pradesh counterpart Yogi Adityanath, saying that she did not believe in bulldozer politics.

Addressing an election rally in Birbhum district's Suri, Chief Minister Banerjee without taking Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath's name, said, "Yesterday someone said, bulldozers will be used here like in Uttar Pradesh. What does that mean? I do not believe in bulldozer politics. I believe in the principle of love."

Her comments came a day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that a 'Uttar Pradesh model' treatment was required in West Bengal to end Trinamool Congress' hooliganism and mafia raj.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Banerjee alleged that Election Commission (EC) took four hours in the scrutiny process after she filed her nomination.

"They (EC) have harassed me for four hours in the scrutiny of my nomination. Do you think I will let it go? Even if you let it go, I will not. I will see the end to it," she said.

She also claimed that 19 states along with the Centre have joined hands to target her, while she was fighting alone for ordinary people.

She exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would not be able to win the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections by bringing security forces from Delhi.

West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee claimed that the Trinamool Congress would win more than 226 seats in the upcoming Assembly polls in West Bengal.

"People will be brought by train. They (BJP) will even bring people by bus. People are also being brought from Motabhai's (referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's) place. I know the information that 19 states and the Centre have all come together against me in one place. I am fighting alone for the people. Let me tell you clearly that Trinamool Congress will win more than 226 Assembly seats in West Bengal," the West Bengal Chief Minister said.

It may be noted that BJP-led National Democratic Alliance currently has governments in 19 states across the country.

Chief Minister Banerjee also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' was being broadcast to influence young minds.

"You (BJP) have been harassing me for 12 years. Earlier it was CPI-M which used to target me. Now they are taking away all the rights of the people every day. In the name of talking to children, they are influencing the minds of children in the name of 'Mann Ki Baat'," she said.

Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29.

Counting of votes will be held on May 4.
New Delhi, April 13 : The Assam government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the interim relief granted by the Telangana High Court to Congress leader Pawan Khera in the criminal case registered against him by Assam Police over his alleged defamatory remarks against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The Assam government has moved the Supreme Court challenging the interim relief granted by the Telangana High Court to Congress leader Pawan Khera in the criminal case registered against him by Assam Police over his alleged defamatory remarks against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarmaas wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

As per details available on the apex courtas official website, a Special Leave Petition (SLP) has been filed by the state of Assam assailing the Telangana High Courtas April 10 order granting transit anticipatory bail to Khera for one week.

The matter, registered as Diary No. 22236/2026, was filed late on Sunday and is currently listed as "pending".

The SLP was mentioned before Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant with a request for urgent listing on Wednesday.

The Telangana High Court had granted interim protection from arrest to Khera to enable him to approach the competent court in Assam and seek regular bail in connection with the FIR lodged by Assam Police.

Granting relief, a single-judge Bench of Justice K. Sujana had directed that the Congress leader be released on anticipatory bail for one week in the event of arrest.

Khera had approached the Telangana High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail after Assam Police registered a case against him for allegedly making defamatory and malicious allegations against Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

During the hearing before the Telangana High Court, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Khera, had argued that the FIR was a product of political vendetta and that the Congress leader was being targeted for questioning the Assam Chief Minister and his family.

He had contended that the allegations, even if assumed to be incorrect, would at best constitute defamation and not warrant arrest.

Opposing the plea, Assam Advocate General Devajit Saikia had questioned the maintainability of the petition before the Telangana High Court, arguing that Khera, being a resident of Delhi, had no compelling reason to seek relief outside Assam.

The Assam Police have booked Khera under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges of defamation, forgery and criminal conspiracy, following his allegations that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma possessed multiple foreign passports, undeclared luxury properties in Dubai, and shell companies in the United States.

The controversy had triggered a sharp political confrontation between the BJP and Congress ahead of the Assam Assembly elections, with the Congress rallying behind Khera and accusing the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government of using the police machinery to silence political opponents.

Senior Congress leaders had defended Khera and maintained that instead of initiating criminal action, the Assam Chief Minister and his family should respond to the allegations levelled against them.

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 13 : Ahead of inaugurating the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor on Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inspect a wildlife corridor in Uttar Pradesh and offer prayers at a Kali temple in Uttarakhand, an official said.

The Prime Minister will review the Wildlife Corridor at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, the official said in a statement.

At around 11.40 a.m., PM Modi will perform Darshan and Pooja at Jai Maa Daat Kali Temple near Dehradun. Thereafter, at around 12.30 p.m., he will inaugurate the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor at a public function in Dehradun and address the gathering on the occasion, the Prime Minister's Office said in the statement.

The 213 km long six-lane access-controlled Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor has been developed at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore.

The corridor traverses through the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours at present to around two and a half hours, said the statement.

The implementation of the project also includes the construction of 10 interchanges, three Railway Over Bridges (ROBs), four major bridges and 12 wayside amenities to enable seamless high-speed connectivity.

The corridor is equipped with an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) to provide a safer and more efficient travel experience for commuters, said the statement.

Keeping in view the ecological sensitivity, rich biodiversity and wildlife in the region, the corridor has been designed with several features aimed at significantly reducing man-animal conflict, it said.

To ensure the free movement of wild animals, the project incorporates several dedicated wildlife protection features. These include a 12 km-long wildlife elevated corridor, which is one of the longest in Asia.

The corridor also includes eight animal passes, two elephant underpasses of 200 metres each, and a 370-metre-long tunnel near the Daat Kali temple, said the statement.

The Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor will play a pivotal role in strengthening regional economic growth by enhancing connectivity between major tourism and economic centres as well as opening new avenues for trade and development across the region.

The project reflects the vision of PM Modi to develop next-generation infrastructure that combines high-speed connectivity with environmental sustainability and improved quality of life for citizens, said the statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

--IANS

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Quetta, April 13 : A protest camp against enforced disappearances in Quetta city of Pakistan's Balochistan province entered its 6133rd Day on Monday, the organisers said.

The camp outside the Quetta Press Club has been set up by the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons (VBMP). Several people have participated in the protest to express solidarity with the families of missing persons.

"VBMP Protest Camp in Front of Quetta Press Club Continues on 6133rd Day. Participation of Various Individuals, Expression of Solidarity with Families of Missing Persons," the VBMP stated on X.

"Family of Muhammad Siddiq Langoo participates, demands safe recovery. If there is any allegation against Muhammad Siddiq, he should be produced in court; if innocent, he should be released," it added.

Last week, VBMP chairman Nasrullah Baloch stated that the group continues to receive reports that bodies of previously missing individuals were being found in various areas of Balochistan, terming the trend "deeply alarming," The Balochistan Post reported.

He termed the killing of people and dumping of their bodies in deserted areas "inhumane" and a violation of the law, stressing that such actions have no justification.

Baloch stated that use of "extrajudicial measures" in the pretext of state security demonstrated "grave misunderstanding", stressing that such practices were deteriorating conditions in Balochistan and increasing mistrust towards state institutions.

He urged the government and relevant institutions to take steps to end enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings and demanded recovery of all missing individuals and for producing suspects before courts in accordance with the law.

Earlier this month, BYC senior leader Sabiha Baloch has expressed serious human rights concerns in Pakistan's Balochistan province and urged the United Nations to conduct an independent and impartial review of the human rights situation in the region.

While addressing the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Baloch spoke about issue of enforced disappearances in Balochistan and mentioned that Baloch people continue to go missing under suspicious circumstances, The Balochistan Post reported. She expressed concern over incidents of extrajudicial killings and the discovery of mutilated bodies, terming them as a part of a systematic pattern.

Baloch stated that journalists, students, lawyers and human rights activists often face harassment and arrests under counter-terrorism laws for expressing their views. She mentioned that several BYC leaders, including Mahrang Baloch, continue to remain in prolonged detention.
Quetta, April 13 : Highlighting the extent of adversity in Pakistan's largest province, Balochistan Health Secretary Mujeebur Rehman has admitted that more than 80 per cent of the population in the region lacks access to even primary healthcare facilities.

Rehman's statement implies that less than a quarter of people in Balochistan have access to an ambulance that takes them to a hospital, a general practitioner who can diagnose their ailments or basic outpatient treatment. Several factors together contribute for the collapsing healthcare system in Balochistan, an editorial in Pakistan's leading daily 'The Express Tribune' detailed.

"There are multiple factors in the province that all collude together to form a collapsing healthcare system. One of the culprits is its land mass itself. With vastly dispersed communities and an extremely low population density, the arid, mountainous region offers little respite to those attempting to optimise health infrastructure," The Express Tribune mentioned.

Majority of top hospitals in Balochistan are located in its most populated region, Quetta, which is a full day's drive from Turbat, the second most populated region of province. However, it is not only the geography which is to be blamed.

According to Balochistan's Health Secretary, 15 major reforms have been introduced in the past one-and-a-half years in the healthcare sector in Balochistan.

"But it must be asked: was the implementation of the first reform ensured before moving on to the 14 others? Until there is strict accountability and capable management, the region will find itself steeped in another decade of a facade of progress and improvement," the newspaper opined.

A media report last month highlighted that Balochistan continues to face high maternal, infant and neonatal death rates, particularly due to poor access to healthcare, a severe shortage of skilled birth attendants, malnutrition, early marriages and inadequate medical facilities.

Majority of these deaths are avoidable as they are caused from preventable complications like excessive bleeding, infections and lack of timely and proper care for mothers and newborns, 'Pakistan Today' reported.

The situation remains deeply concerning despite slight improvement in mortality rates over recent years. Many women still give birth without trained health support, mainly in remote and rural areas, which lack health facilities or they are poorly equipped.
New Delhi, April 13 : Voices of support continued to pour in on Monday for the Women's Reservation Bill, with leaders and stakeholders hailing it as a transformative step towards empowering women and ensuring their greater participation in governance.

Union Minister Annpurna Devi expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for addressing women across the country at the Nari Shakti Vandan Conference, highlighting the significance of the initiative.

Speaking to IANS, Annpurna Devi said that the conference saw participation from women belonging to diverse fields, including sports, culture, arts, education, media, and healthcare, reflecting the inclusive spirit of the government.

Describing the Women's Reservation Bill as a "historic step," she noted that a special session of Parliament has been convened specifically for the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. She urged all political parties to rise above party lines and work collectively to ensure the Bill is passed in the larger interest of women.

She further emphasised that women, who constitute nearly half of the country's population, have long struggled for adequate representation in legislative bodies. "It is important that their years of effort now bear fruit. To ensure their active participation in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies by 2029, everyone must contribute and play their role in this process," she added.

Echoing similar sentiments, Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, said that women across the country are enthusiastic and hopeful about the upcoming special session of Parliament.

"Today, the Prime Minister said that with consensus, we want to bring the women of our country into the mainstream, and now all the sisters of our nation will come into the mainstream," she noted, terming the move as a historic milestone.

Rahatkar also stressed the need for collective efforts to ensure the effective implementation of the Bill once passed. "When women in our families move forward, they uplift not just their households, but also society and the nation as a whole," she said.

"We are very happy. When we imagine such a large number of women coming forward, it will not just be about numbers. Along with that, we will also begin to see very positive results, as women are joining the mainstream, understanding various issues, working actively, reaching out to people, and contributing to the development of their areas by understanding public aspirations," she added.

Kathak dancer Shovana Narayan said, "All our women are talented and capable. They will get opportunities, which will give them mental strength, confidence, and strength to move forward. They will be able to contribute with their abilities, and not just small communities, but the entire society, and India as a whole, will benefit from it."

Spiritual Mentor, Jai Madaan said, "I believe that even in our national song, we mention Ma Durga, Ma Saraswati, and Ma Lakshmi. So, there should be equality in our Parliament as well. I feel that starting with 33 per cent reservation is a positive and correct step."
VIENTIANE, April 12 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos Railway cross-border passenger service is set to mark its third anniversary, representing a significant milestone in regional connectivity and cultural exchange. Linking Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan province with the Lao capital Vientiane, the railway enables same-day travel between the two cities, significantly reducing journey time while bringing the people of China and Laos closer together. Over the past three years, the service has transformed cross-border mobility. According to the Laos-China Railway Co. Ltd. (LCRC), which operates the Lao section of the railway, the train service has handled over 800,000 cross-border passengers trips as of April 12. The opening of the cross-border passenger service has effectively shortened the travel time between Kunming and Vientiane from several days by road to less than 10 hours, significantly improving travel efficiency. "It used to be so difficult to study in China," Manisa from northern Laos' Oudomxay province recalled her past journey to study in China. Manisa's home is located in the mountainous region of northern Laos, about 100 kilometers from the Laos-China border, but the journey to China was not smooth. "You either had to pay expensive airfares or endure long, winding journeys by road with multiple transfers, which were bumpy and tiring." "It's completely different now. The cross-border train passes through my hometown, and I can board the train directly and arrive in China in just a few hours. It's time-saving and comfortable," Manisa said happily. For 32-year-old Lao resident Soulinda, the launch of the cross-border train has transformed international travel from a luxury into a normal part of life. "Before, I could only travel to China by bus, which was inconvenient, so I rarely went. Even when I did go, it was only for medical treatment; I almost never traveled to China for tourism," Soulinda recalled. Now, every one or two months, she takes the China-Laos Railway to places like Jinghong and Mengla in southwest China's Yunnan province, and she also makes a special trip to China every year for a medical check-up. "It's so convenient to take the train to China now. You can charge your phone and order food on the train, and the service is very attentive. It's much more comfortable than taking a bus," Soulinda said with a smile. "The more times I've been to China, the more I understand Chinese culture and the more interested I become. Every time I come back from China, I can't wait to share my interesting experiences with my friends." Soulinda added that the launch of the cross-border train has led to a continuous increase in exchanges between the people of the two countries. "Now more and more Lao people are going to China, and it's common to meet friends or relatives on the train." According to figures from both China and Laos, during the nine-day Spring Festival holiday this year, which lasted from Feb. 15 to Feb. 23, the China-Laos Railway handled 12,900 cross-border trips, representing a significant year-on-year increase of 41.8 percent. "When the train first started operating, there weren't many passengers and not much luggage," said Koua Moua, a 25-year-old Lao conductor on the train. "But things changed quickly. More and more Lao students studying in China returned to Laos during their holidays and then went back to China before the start of the semester. They would bring a lot of luggage, and we would help them arrange it neatly." The influx of Chinese tourists is particularly noticeable. "The number of Chinese tour groups has risen significantly compared with the early days of the service. I often run into familiar tour guides on the train as well," Koua Moua said. Koua Moua is frequently surrounded by Chinese tourists asking, "I've heard Luang Prabang is a lot of fun, can you recommend some attractions?" "What are some places worth visiting here?" Koua Moua and fellow staff members often enthusiastically recommend popular Lao attractions. The change in passenger flow is also reflected in the number of carriages. Koua Moua said, "Previously, there were only three cross-border carriages. Now, we have expanded to four to accommodate the growing number of passengers." Over the past three years, the China-Laos Railway cross-border passenger service has evolved into more than just a transportation link. It has become a vital bridge connecting people, cultures, and opportunities. This steel artery has made exchanges and mutual learning between the two sides an accessible part of daily life. "As I work on the train, I often feel that the hearts of the people of our two countries are getting closer," Koua Moua said. As the wheels roll, the friendship grows stronger. With each whistle, the train carries the common expectations of the people of both countries for development, embarking on journeys of people-to-people connectivity and writing a new chapter of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
Nagpur : , April 13 (IANS) The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has busted an inter-state drug trafficking racket and seized 853 grams of cocaine worth an estimated Rs 4.26 crore, officials said on Monday.

According to the DRI, the operation was carried out by its Nagpur Regional Unit of the Mumbai Zone (DRI, NaRU) based on specific intelligence inputs.

Acting on the tip-off, DRI officers intercepted a female Indian national travelling on Train No. 22692 Hazrat Nizamuddin a" KSR Bengaluru Rajdhani Express when it passed through Nagpur Railway Station on April 12.

Officials said the woman was suspected of carrying narcotic substances concealed in her luggage. The officers boarded the train at Nagpur and requested the passenger to deboard for further examination. She subsequently got down at Ajni Railway Station, where a detailed search was conducted.

During the inspection, officers found two shampoo bottles in her luggage that appeared unusually heavy. Upon closer examination, the liquid contents were drained, leading to the recovery of 50 yellow-coloured sealed capsules hidden inside.

The capsules were found to contain a white powdery substance, which tested positive for cocaine using a field drug testing kit.

"The total recovery includes 50 capsules containing 853 grams of cocaine with an estimated illicit market value of approximately Rs 4.26 crore," a DRI official said.

The contraband was seized under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The accused was subsequently arrested under the same Act.

Officials added that the woman was produced before the Holiday Court in Nagpur on April 12, which remanded her to judicial custody.

The DRI further stated that investigations are underway to identify the wider network involved in the trafficking operation and ascertain the source and intended destination of the contraband.

Highlighting its recent crackdown on drug networks, the agency said it has been consistently carrying out intelligence-driven operations.

"In recent months, DRI Nagpur has dismantled a Mephedrone manufacturing unit in Karanja Ghadge in Wardha district, recovering 128 kg of the drug in December 2025. It also intercepted 522 kg of ganja at Bhagemari Toll Plaza in January 2026 and seized 729 kg of ganja in Bhilai in February 2026. Additionally, 4.9 kg of Mephedrone was recovered in Amravati in February 2026," the official said.

These sustained actions, the agency noted, reflect a strict enforcement approach and its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics.

The DRI reiterated that such operations are part of its broader efforts to dismantle organised drug trafficking networks operating across state borders and to contribute to the Government of Indiaas vision of a "Nasha Mukt Bharat."
Dhaka, April 13 : Extending greetings to the people of Bangladesh on Pohela Boishakh marking the Bengali New Year, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said that "anti-liberation and unconstitutional" forces have repeatedly sought to undermine the festival - a trend she said continues to persist.

Dhaka, April 13 (IANS) Extending greetings to the people of Bangladesh on Pohela Boishakh marking the Bengali New Year, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said that "anti-liberation and unconstitutional" forces have repeatedly sought to undermine the festival  a trend she said continues to persist.

"Pohela Boishakh is the foremost festival of Bengali national heritage. On this day, with the message of renewal, people awaken in joy, leaving behind sorrow, decay, failure, and gloom. What began as a harvest-based calendar during the Mughal era has, over time, evolved into a defining cultural celebration for all Bengalis. Regardless of religion or ethnicity, it is now a festival of the global Bengali community," read a statement issued by Hasina which was posted by the Awami League on its social media platforms on Monday.

Recalling the cultural repression in East Pakistan, Hasina said, "In undivided Bangladesh, the Pakistani government attempted to sever Bengalis from their roots by obstructing the celebration of Pohela Boishakh. They also tried to prevent the centenary celebration of Rabindranath Tagore, the foremost literary figure of the Bengali language. As a result, in independent Bangladesh, Pohela Boishakh became a symbol of national awakening, unity, and harmony among the people."

The former Bangladesh PM highlighted that the Mangal Shobhajatra, a traditional mass procession during Pohela Boishakh, has been inscribed as part of world heritage, with UNESCO granting the recognition during the tenure of the Awami League government.

She added that her government also introduced the "Boishakhi allowance" for employees on the occasion of the festival.

Expressing concern, Hasina said, "We have observed that anti-liberation and unconstitutional forces have sought to undermine this festival  efforts that continue even today. They have even dared to attempt renaming the Mangal Shobhajatra. Rooted in the agrarian traditions of harvesting new crops, this celebration has evolved over centuries into the New Year festival. In many countries  such as China and Iran  New Year celebrations remain the principal national festivals."

Asserting that the festival reflects an "anthropological tradition", she said, "Using religion as a tool to obstruct this celebration is simply another form of division."

Hasina expressed hope that the continued celebration of Pohela Boishakh would contribute to the re-emergence of a secular Bangladesh.
Bengaluru, April 13 : Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H. D. Kumaraswamy on Monday visited the state legislature for the first time in two years after assuming office and held discussions with Karnataka Industries Minister M. B. Patil on key industrial development initiatives.

The meeting, held at Patil's office, focused on promoting industrial growth in the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency (represented by Kumaraswamy) and across the state, with an emphasis on job creation.

Senior officials from both the Centre and the state, along with public representatives from Mandya, were also present.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Kumaraswamy described the discussions as "very positive" and said the focus was on resolving issues related to land allocation for industrial projects in Mandya.

He noted that earlier discussions on the subject would now be taken to a logical conclusion.

A major point of discussion was the proposed establishment of a testing centre by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) in Mandya. Kumaraswamy said such centres currently exist only in four locations across the country and expressed his intention to bring the fifth facility to Karnataka.

He said the proposed ARAI centre would be developed as an international-level testing facility and would significantly boost the automobile sector, particularly the electric vehicle industry.

According to the Union Minister, around 500600 acres of land would be required to set up the centre along with supporting infrastructure. He said efforts are underway to identify suitable land within Mandya and that two to three locations have already been examined, though availability remains limited.

Kumaraswamy requested the state government to resolve the land issue by April 30, stating that his ministry is planning to conduct the foundation-laying ceremony for the project in May.

He also suggested that government land of around 500 acres could be considered, with adequate compensation provided to farmers if the land is under cultivation.

The Union minister said that he had already held preliminary discussions with farmers, who responded positively. He further noted that the Chief Minister had announced the allocation of 100 acres for the project in the state budget.

Highlighting the challenges, Kumaraswamy said Mandya, being an agriculture-based irrigation district, has limited availability of government and dry land.

While the state has indicated it can provide 100 acres, he said a larger extent would help in better implementation of the project. He added that Minister M. B. Patil had responded positively to the request.

On political developments in the Davanagere South Assembly constituency, Kumaraswamy declined to comment, stating that internal issues of the Congress party should be addressed by the party itself.

He added that no leaders who have shifted from JD(S) to the Congress have been in contact with him so far. If any such approach is made, he said, a decision would be taken after consulting senior party leaders.
New Delhi, April 13 : Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested two associates of the notorious Hashim Baba gang in separate operations, including an absconding shooter wanted in a murder case. Officials recovered two loaded semi-automatic pistols and 11 live cartridges from their possession, police said.a

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Praveen Kumar Tripathi, the arrests were made by the New Delhi Range team of the Special Cell as part of ongoing efforts to curb organised crime in the capital.a

The primary accused, Shadab Ahmad (28), a resident of Jafarabad, was arrested on April 11, 2026, from the Gadi Mendu area near Signature Bridge in northeast Delhi. He had been absconding for the past two years.a

Police recovered one loaded semi-automatic pistol and five live cartridges from his possession. A case under relevant sections of the Arms Act has been registered at the Special Cell police station.a

Shadab is a maternal nephew of jailed gangster Suhail Chappal and was wanted in connection with FIR No. 127/2024 registered at Seelampur police station under charges of murder and attempt to murder.a

The case pertains to a March 9, 2024, incident in Seelampur, where Shadab and his associates allegedly opened fire on rival Chenu gang members Arbaz and Abid. Arbaz was killed in the attack. Investigations revealed that the murder was motivated by personal enmity, as Arbaz had allegedly harassed Suhail Chappal in Mandoli Jail.a

Shadab had also been declared a proclaimed offender in another attempt to murder case (FIR No. 394/2020) registered at Jafarabad police station after he failed to appear before the trial court.a

Earlier, the Special Cell arrested another gang member on April 3. Mohd. Adi (24), also a resident of Jafarabad, was arrested on this date.a

Police recovered one loaded semi-automatic pistol and six live cartridges from him. A case under the relevant provisions of the Arms Act and BNS has been registered.a

Adil was allegedly working for jailed gangsters Asad and Danish, identifying targets for extortion. Acting on specific intelligence, police apprehended him from northeast Delhi.

a
New Delhi, April 13 : China's announcement of 10 "incentive measures" for Taiwan may be an attempt to blur the lines between politics and business and the new arrangement cannot surpass the risk of sudden trade bans, a new report has said.

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) China's announcement of 10 "incentive measures" for Taiwan may be an attempt to blur the lines between politics and business and the new arrangement cannot surpass the risk of sudden trade bans, a new report has said.

The report from Taipei Times said the incentives covering sales of Taiwanese agricultural and fishery products, investments in China and resumption of travel to Taiwan comes with political prerequisites.

"Such frameworks are not designed to facilitate acceptance, but rather to pressure the Taiwanese government through rejections," the report cited Tunghai University Cross-Strait Research Center deputy executive director Hung Pu-chao.

The announcement of incentives followed a meeting between Chinese Nationalist Party Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, according to the report.

International trade mechanisms only typically require quarantine standards to be met for agricultural imports, but China has imposed political demands including adherence to the so-called "1992 consensus" and opposing "Taiwanese independence," Feng Chia University international business professor Yang Ming-hsien said.

The "1992 consensus," refers to a bogus understanding made up in 2000, supposedly between the KMT and the Chinese government, acknowledging "One China," the report said.

The new imposed political prerequisites for the agreement implied that Taiwanese agricultural products were rejected by China only due to political reasons, he said, adding that chances for such arbitrary rejections continues.

Beijing might also require Taiwanese enterprises to register in China, leading those to invest or establish local production facilities in China, Yang said.

Further, the lack of an investment protection agreement between Taiwan and China, will keep labour recruitment, profit distribution and stakeholder interests in liquidation remain unaddressed, he added.

The professor also urged Taiwan's agricultural trade to remain diversified across different markets considering these risks.

"The true objective of China's new policy is to sow division in Taiwan by creating a narrative that the government is obstructing exchanges and hindering development," the report cited Hung.

It alleged China's design as an attempt at a diplomatic channel that bypasses Taiwan's democratically elected government. The aim is a perception that any political party willing to accept China's political framework can serve as a vehicle for cross-strait interaction, he added.

"If this perception is accepted by other countries, it would impact the government's representation and leadership in cross-strait affairs, and would become a national security concern," he added.

Hung warned that infrastructural links from China to Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) and resultant deeper connectivity could impact Taiwan's governance and national security.

IANS

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Mumbai, April 13 : The Maharashtra cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Monday approved a project aimed at strengthening medical education, nursing, and healthcare services across the state with financial assistance worth Rs 3,708 crore from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The project, titled "Strengthening Tertiary Health Care Delivery, Medical Education System and Nursing System in Maharashtra," will focus on developing infrastructure and providing state-of-the-art equipment for medical colleges, nursing colleges, and affiliated hospitals.

According to the release, funding will be made for newly established Government Medical Colleges in Wardha, Palghar, Ratnagiri, and Ahilyanagar; upgradation of nursing colleges at GT Hospital and St George's (Mumbai), Dhule, Solapur, Ambajogai, Akola, IGMC Nagpur, Ratnagiri, Palghar, and Dharashiv; and construction of nursing colleges in Baramati, Sangli (Miraj), and Kolhapur.

Further, the government will provide funds for advanced medical equipment to Government Medical Colleges in Ahilyanagar, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, Hingoli, Jalna, Mumbai, Nashik, Parbhani, Satara, Palghar, Ratnagiri, and Wardha.

In addition, the provision is proposed for human resource development and enhancing capacity in hospital management and administration under the Indo-Japan Academic Exchange Programme.

An official said the initiative aims to provide affordable medical care to the state's citizens.

Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved a comprehensive reform plan aligned with the "Viksit Maharashtra 2047" vision to simplify the recruitment process and provide greater opportunities for candidates.

The number of cadres under the Maharashtra Public Service Commission will increase to 102. The combined examination scheme will now include 18 new services and 93 additional cadres.

In a major relief for fresh graduates, the mandatory "experience" criteria for direct recruitment will generally be scrapped.

A "No Interview Policy" has been approved for non-gazetted Group-B and Group-C posts to ensure a faster, more transparent selection process. Modelled after the Union Public Service Commission's "Pratibha Setu," this portal will share the data of candidates who reached the interview stage but were not included in the final merit list with private and public sector employers to boost their job prospects.

The cabinet identified obsolete roles as "Dying Cadres" and will focus on creating new positions requiring Artificial Intelligence expertise. The recruitment process will now use DigiLocker for instant, paperless verification of educational and caste certificates.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, April 13 : The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has announced a series of programmes across the state from April 13 to 20 to mark the birth anniversary of Constitution architect Bharat Ratna B. R. Ambedkar.a Bengaluru, April 13 (IANS) The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has announced a series of programmes across the state from April 13 to 20 to mark the birth anniversary of Constitution architect Bharat Ratna B. R. Ambedkar.

Speaking to the media at the BJP state headquarters "Jagannath Bhavan" in Bengaluru on Monday, former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP MP Govind Karjol said the party has issued instructions to organise Ambedkar Jayanti events in all districts and taluks across Karnataka.

He said Ambedkar was not only the architect of the Constitution but also a pioneer of social justice and a symbol of equality. Karjol stated that Ambedkar had laid the foundation for a progressive nation many years ago.

Highlighting initiatives taken at the national level, he said PM Modi has developed five key sites associated with Ambedkar's life as 'Panchteerth'. He also noted that the observance of Constitution Day was a mark of respect paid by the Prime Minister to Ambedkar.

Karjol further said Ambedkar was a promoter of social harmony and had dedicated his entire life to the welfare of the underprivileged. He added that the entire nation was indebted to him and must continue to honour his contributions.

Meanwhile, Jagadish Hiremani, member of the Dr B. R. Ambedkar Birth Anniversary National Committee and former state secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said various programmes would be organised across the state from April 13 to 20 to spread Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's ideology among the people.

He said Ambedkar's birth anniversary was being celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country. A national celebration committee has also been constituted under the leadership of the BJP national president, he added.

Hiremani said statues, circles, roads, and memorials associated with Ambedkar across the state would be cleaned, and commemorative events would be held in the evening. "Bhima Deepotsava" programmes are also being organised as part of the celebrations.

He said the programmes would be conducted in all taluk and district centres across the state. In Bengaluru, a Deepotsava would be held in front of Ambedkar's statue near Halasuru Lake, while similar "Bhima Deepotsava" events would take place across the state.

He added that on Monday, around 58,000 booth-level committee members would offer floral tributes to a portrait of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Programmes will also be held in district centres from April 15 to 20 to educate people about Ambedkar's contributions to the nation and society, he said.

Responding to Congress leaders' claims that the Constitution is under threat, Hiremani said people would be informed about how Congress had allegedly disrespected Ambedkar in the past.

He added that seminars, discussions, social media campaigns including videos and short films, and pamphlet distribution would be undertaken to highlight PM Modi's 'Panchteerth' initiative and efforts to honour the architect of the Constitution.

He further said Ambedkar's ideology would be taken to hostels, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe colonies, upper-caste localities, and all sections of society through these programmes.

Highlighting Ambedkar's legacy, he said that, based on the Constitution he framed, PM Modi has moved towards providing 33 per cent reservation for women across the country.

He added that Ambedkar had long advocated equality, and that present-day women's empowerment initiatives were a tribute to his vision.

Former state secretary Jagadish Hiremani, Bagalkote district president Shantagouda Patil, Scheduled Caste Morcha state office secretary Prashanth Kumar, and Scheduled Caste Morcha Bengaluru Central district president Annayya were present on the occasion.
Kolkata, April 13 : Trinamool Congress's general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday promised to restore voting rights of those whose names have been removed from the state's voter list post Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Speaking at an election rally in Nadia district's Karimpur, Banerjee said the voting rights of such people will be restored within a month after forming a new government in West Bengal after the Assembly polls.

On Monday, he held a meeting in Karimpur to support the party candidates in the upcoming Assembly elections.

"Names have been removed from the voter's list after SIR, despite their strong will and documents being correct. I appeal to you to give your vote directly to Mamata Banerjee, whose government will be formed on May 4. Gyanesh Kumar will vanish. After that, Mamata Banerjee's government will restore the voting rights within a month. This is our oath," he said.

Reminding that this issue is not in the Trinamool's election manifesto, Abhishek Banerjee said, "It is not in the election manifesto of our party. But it is in our mind. BJP said it would do the NRC. We did not let it happen. BJP means detention. Trinamool means no tension."

He further attacked the BJP by raising the issue again from another public meeting in Ranaghat of the same district. He alleged, "The names of the Matuas are excluded. Those who had won elections before with the votes of these people have now taken away their voting rights. The Trinamool government is giving Lakshmi Bhandar and houses to those who voted for the BJP. They should realise now that they have been cheated."

On this day, Abhishek Banerjee also raised multiple issues from the meeting and attacked the BJP. He accused the BJP of attacking Bengali culture.

Banerjee alleged that the BJP is repeatedly attacking the people for eating fish and meat. Calling on Trinamool candidates to win the elections, he warned, "BJP is thinking of punishing these people by stopping money. Bengalis will show what punishment is on May 4. They will stand in queue on the day of voting to protest the lockdown, demonetisation and standing in SIR queues."
Chennai, April 13 : All TASMAC liquor outlets across Tamil Nadu will remain closed for three days from April 21 to April 23, as part of measures to ensure a peaceful and orderly conduct of the Assembly elections on April 23. The

The Election Commission has ordered that the prohibition will be in force from 10 a.m. on April 21 until midnight on polling day.

Officials have warned that strict action will be taken against any individual or establishment found violating the order by selling liquor illegally during this period. The move is aimed at preventing any untoward incidents and maintaining law and order during the crucial polling phase.

Polling for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections will take place across all 234 constituencies, with a total of 4,023 candidates in the fray.

The Election Commission has made extensive arrangements to facilitate voters, setting up 75,097 polling booths across the state. These include supplementary polling stations to manage voter turnout efficiently and ensure accessibility.

With the election date fast approaching, political parties have intensified their campaign efforts across Tamil Nadu. Despite the scorching summer heat, party leaders and candidates are actively engaging with voters through public meetings, roadshows, and door-to-door campaigns.

The final phase of campaigning has seen heightened political activity, with leaders traversing constituencies to garner maximum support.

Authorities have reiterated that all necessary security and logistical arrangements are in place to conduct free and fair elections. Enforcement teams have also been deployed to monitor compliance with election guidelines, including the ban on liquor sales.

The closure of liquor outlets during elections is a routine precaution aimed at curbing the influence of alcohol on voters and ensuring a conducive environment for democratic participation. As the state gears up for polling, officials remain focused on safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process while ensuring voter safety and convenience.

--IANS

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Rajkot, April 13 : President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said that skilled and socially conscious doctors can bring about "profound change in society", as she addressed the first convocation ceremony of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Gujarat's Rajkot.

Rajkot, April 13 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said that skilled and socially conscious doctors can bring about "profound change in society", as she addressed the first convocation ceremony of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Gujarat's Rajkot.

Addressing graduating students, the President said that several AIIMS institutions have been established across the country to provide world-class tertiary healthcare at an affordable cost.

She said they are playing a pivotal role in medical education, research and innovation, public health initiatives and policy formulation.

"The commitment of AIIMS to advancing healthcare through innovative research and patient care is praiseworthy," she said.

Murmu noted that AIIMS Rajkot, being a new institution, has a long journey ahead in the fields of medical education, research and service.

She urged its policymakers to ensure that, alongside the core objectives of AIIMS, attention is also given to addressing the specific health challenges of the region.

She underlined that good governance and transparency at the initial stage would have a far-reaching impact on institutional development.

She said, "Good governance plays a pivotal role in the healthy growth of any organisation. Steps taken right at the outset to ensure good governance and transparency will have a far-reaching impact on the development of this institution."

Describing the medical profession as a commitment to humanity, the President said it demanded more than scientific knowledge.

She said it required sensitivity, patience and humility from those who serve in it.

"The medical profession is not merely a profession; it is also a commitment to the service of humanity. This profession demands not only scientific knowledge but also sensitivity, patience and humility," she said.

Referring to the symbolism of the white coat, she added that it represents the trust society places in doctors during moments of illness and uncertainty.

"The white coat that the doctors wear symbolises the trust the society places in them during moments of illness and uncertainty. The responsibility of upholding this trust rests upon the shoulders of doctors," she said.

Highlighting rapid technological transformation in healthcare, Murmu said advancements such as artificial intelligence, robotics, precision medicine and digital health services are reshaping the medical field.

"Technological advancements are occurring at an unprecedented pace in the medical field. Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, precision medicine and digital health services are rapidly transforming the landscape and potential of the medical world," she said.

President Murmu urged graduating students to embrace these changes while maintaining human sensitivity in practice.

"By adopting the latest technologies, they will not only be able to enhance their knowledge and skills but also treat diseases more effectively. However, the role of human empathy in medicine can never be replaced," she said.

"A doctor's gentle words, a reassuring smile, and the patience to truly listen can often heal in ways that medicine alone cannot," she added.

The President further said that becoming a good doctor is an achievement, but becoming a doctor with strong human values is greater.

"Being a good doctor is a significant achievement. However, being a doctor imbued with human values such as integrity, compassion, and a spirit of benevolence is an even greater one," she said.

She added, "Skilled and socially conscious doctors have the power to bring about profound change in society. They should play a vital role in nation-building by making constructive use of their position."

Linking healthcare to national development goals, Murmu said that public health is essential to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Murmu said the government has taken several steps to improve access to healthcare services and that collective efforts from all stakeholders will strengthen these initiatives.

"The good health of the citizens is a crucial factor in achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat by the year 2047. The Central government has taken several steps to ensure access to quality healthcare services for its citizens. These efforts are already yielding positive results," she said.

She added that institutions such as AIIMS have a critical responsibility in guiding the country's healthcare system.

"Institutions of national importance, such as AIIMS, become even more critical. They are tasked with guiding the nation's healthcare sector by establishing new benchmarks in medical research and innovation," she said.

The President is currently on a four-day visit to Gujarat and Maharashtra from April 13 to 16.

According to official programme details, on April 14, she will attend the 'Samajik Samrasta Mahotsava' at Lok Bhavan in Gandhinagar on the birth anniversary of Dr B. R. Ambedkar, and will also attend the fifth convocation ceremony of Rashtriya Raksha University in the city.
New Delhi, April 13 : External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met European People's Party President and member of European Parliament, Manfred Weber in Delhi on Monday.

During the meeting, the two leaders agreed on the need to continue the positive momentum in India-EU ties and early ratification of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

"Pleased to meet with European People's Party President Manfred Weber, Member of European Parliament today in Delhi. We agreed on the need to continue the positive momentum in our ties and early ratification of India-EU FTA," EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

Earlier this year, India's trade negotiations with the EU culminated in a landmark FTA. The negotiations for the India-EU FTA wrapped up on January 27 during the 16th India-EU Summit in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and others hailed it as a historic milestone and "mother of all deals."

Last month, EAM Jaishankar met visiting members of the European Parliament led by Angelika Niebler in New Delhi, discussing the new chapter in India-EU ties and the growing convergence between both sides.

"Pleased to interact with Members of European Parliament, led by Angelika Niebler, here in Delhi. Discussed the new chapter in India-EU ties, and the growing convergence between us. As the agenda of cooperation expands, so too will be the levels of comfort. Confident that the European Parliament will be a pillar of support in this new era," Jaishankar posted on X.

EAM Jaishankar also visited Brussels in March, where he held talks with leaders and foreign ministers from the European Union and discussed "enormous economic potential" under the recently signed India-EU FTA to advance cooperation across trade, technology, security, and connectivity.

During the visit, he met members of the EU Foreign Affairs Council and held discussions with senior European leaders, including Antonio Costa, Ursula von der Leyen, and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.

The External Affairs Minister highlighted that the finalisation of the FTA would mark a major milestone in bilateral relations, adding that it represents a turning point in India-EU ties.

"The finalisation of the FTA represents a turning point in India-EU ties. It will not only unlock its enormous economic potential but also express the strategic nature of our engagement," he said.

He also emphasised that de-risking supply chains and enhancing resilience are shared objectives, adding that the FTA will encourage "deeper business linkages" to that end.

EAM Jaishankar also stated that both sides will further the security cooperation by taking the Security and Defence Partnership forward, and mentioned that efforts will be made to conclude the Security of Information Agreement early.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Paris, April 13 : Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Monday held a meeting with French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot in Paris, discussing bilateral cooperation and ongoing global challenges, including the situation in the Middle East.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in France stated: "Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri called on the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs H.E. Jean-Noel Barrot. Discussions covered key areas of bilateral cooperation, ongoing global challenges including the situation in the Middle East."

The meeting between Misri and Barrot took place amid tense security situation in the Middle East after negotiations between the US and Iranian officials failed to produce an agreement.

Earlier, Misri visited the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in Paris and witnessed the exhibition aLaArt de LaInde: Aujourdahui." The exhibition features 80 artworks by 40 Indian artists and highlights Indiaas living artistic traditions, according to the statement released by the Embassy.

Misri arrived in Paris on Sunday for the Indiaa"France Foreign Office Consultations. The Indian Embassy highlighted that his visit follows French President Emmanuel Macronas visit to India in February 2026 and reflects the continued regular high-level exchanges between India and Europe.

According to a statement released by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Misri will co-chair the India-France Foreign Office Consultations along with Martin Briens, the Secretary General of French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and hold discussions on various issues, including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital, Artificial Intelligence (AI), innovation, and initiatives fostering people-to-people exchanges and cultural ties. The two sides will also discuss the latest global and regional developments.

After concluding his engagements in France, Vikram Misri will visit Germany, where he is scheduled to co-chair Foreign Office Consultations with Geza Andreas von Geyr, State Secretary of the German Foreign Office.

"The visit follows the visits of German Chancellor H.E. Mr Friedrich Merz and French President H.E. Mr Emmanuel Macron to India in January and February 2026, respectively and is in keeping with the regular high-level exchanges between India and Europe. It will provide an opportunity to review the full spectrum of Indiaas bilateral relations with both countries and advance ongoing cooperation across key priority areas," the MEA stated in a release.
Patna, April 13 : Amid rapidly intensifying political developments in Bihar, senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh has indicated that the name of the next Chief Minister has already been finalised and will be announced shortly.a

Following his meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, Singh stated that the decision has been taken and the official announcement is imminent.a

According to BJP State President Sanjay Saraogi, the BJP legislature party meeting will be held at 3:00 PM at the BJP headquarters.

The meeting will be chaired by Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who has been appointed as the central observer.a

A second crucial meeting will take place at 4:00 PM in the Central Hall of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, where the NDA Legislature Party leader, effectively the next Chief Minister, will be formally elected.a

Meanwhile, Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain has convened a high-level review meeting at Lok Bhawan in Patna.a

Senior officials present at the meeting included the Divisional Commissioner, Patna District Magistrate, Senior Superintendent of Police, all Superintendents of Police, including the Traffic Superintendent of Police, Sub-Divisional Officers, and the Additional District Magistrate (Law & Order).a

The meeting focused on security arrangements, VVIP movement planning, traffic management, and overall coordination for the swearing-in ceremony.a

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is expected to submit his resignation after the cabinet meeting scheduled for April 14. a

Once the resignation is tendered, the process of forming the new government will begin immediately. The NDA Legislature Party will elect its leader, and the governor will invite the new leader to form the government.a

The new Chief Minister, along with two Deputy Chief Ministers, is expected to take the oath on April 15 at Lok Bhawan in Patna. Preparations for the ceremony are already underway, with the administration working to ensure a smooth and high-security event.a

This transition marks a major shift in Bihar politics, as the state prepares for a new leadership under the NDA, and the possible end of Nitish Kumaras long tenure.a

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Hyderabad, April 13 : Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday proposed a "Hybrid Model" for the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies.a Hyderabad, April 13 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday proposed a "Hybrid Model" for the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies.

He suggested that of the 272 Lok Sabha seats proposed to be added, 136 should be allocated on a pro rata basis, and the remaining 136 should be allocated based on Gross State Domestic Product.

Addressing a press conference, he warned that the Centre's delimitation plan could widen the North-South divide.

Stating that delimitation on the basis of population would weaken the Southern states, he said priority must be given to those states that contribute the largest share to the nation's gross output.

He asked, "We, the states of Southern India, are the ones generating revenue and creating employment and livelihood opportunities for the nation. Then, how can you penalise us?"

Revanth Reddy said the Centre should consult all stakeholders, including political parties, before finalising the delimitation process.

He demanded an all-party meeting to discuss delimitation, adding that the issue must be debated in Parliament and a committee comprising experts should be constituted.

He said a decision should be reached after debate in all State Legislative Assemblies and, subsequently, secured approval in Parliament.

Stating that this process could be completed by March 2028, he cautioned against haste, warning it risked widening the divide between Southern and Northern regions.

He announced that he would try to build consensus among the Southern states and smaller states on this issue.

"I will write letters regarding this matter to all the Southern states, as well as to smaller states like Delhi and Punjab," he said.

He alleged that there is a political conspiracy behind linking women's reservations with the delimitation of constituencies. He said if a bill for women's reservations is introduced based on the 2026 census, the Congress party will extend its full support.

The Chief Minister alleged that PM Modi is dangerously utilising the delimitation of constituencies as a political tool. He said the population in the Southern states has declined due to rigorous implementation of family planning measures, while in the Northern states it has surged significantly due to ineffective implementation.

He pointed out that Southern states have protested the proposal to reallocate seats based on population and have written a letter to the Prime Minister regarding this matter.

He explained that Kerala currently has 20 seats and Uttar Pradesh has 80, a disparity of 60 seats. If a 50 per cent increase is implemented, this gap would widen to 90 seats. The disparity between Telangana and Uttar Pradesh would widen to 94 seats.

The Southern states collectively hold 130 seats; if increased by 50 per cent, this total would rise to 195 seats. The Northern states currently hold 413 seats; if increased, this total would rise to 621 seats. Consequently, the disparity in seats between Southern and Northern regions would widen from 412 to 620 seats, he added.

He claimed that efforts were underway to politically relegate certain states to secondary status. "Even smaller states will face significant challenges; states like Delhi and Punjab risk losing their political relevance," he said.

Revanth Reddy said enhancing the seats by 50 per cent would deal an irreparable blow to the Southern states, as well as to smaller states. He asked, "Which deity told Mr Modi that the seats should be increased by fifty per cent?" alleging that this was being done solely to serve political interests.

He warned that this would be detrimental to the nation's very survival. He said, "This issue does not pertain merely to political parties; it concerns the people themselves. The demand for the formation of Telangana stateas well as issues such as the Naxalite movementarose precisely because of discrimination. The BJP is now attempting to further exacerbate this discrimination. They are creating hurdles under the guise of the Women's Reservation Bill."

He alleged that the Centre is mixing women's reservations with constituency delimitation, thereby propagating the narrative that opposition parties are failing to cooperate in implementing women's reservations.

He said, "These two issues are entirely unrelated to one another. I propose that these two matters be delinked, discussed separately, and that specific modalities regarding their implementation be evolved."

Stating that the Congress party is committed to women's reservation, he said the Congress does not need to learn anything from the BJP, which has never appointed a single woman as party president or general secretary in the last 46 years.

He recalled that a law was enacted stipulating that women's reservations would be implemented only after the census to be conducted post-2026.

He said, "Had a 33 per cent reservation been provided for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, there would have been an opportunity for 181 women to be elected out of the 543 seats. By failing to implement the law immediately upon its passage in the Lok Sabhaand instead attaching conditions to itwomen have been deprived of their reservations. Instead of completing and implementing the 2026 census, they are advancing legislation based on the 2011 census data."

If the provisions are amended in accordance with the 2026 census, women's reservations could be implemented in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, as well as in the assembly elections of various states, the Chief Minister added.

--IANS

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Jaipur, April 13 : Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Monday visited the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery at Pachpadra in Balotra district to review ongoing arrangements.

He also inspected preparations for the proposed visit of PM Modi on April 21.a

The Chief Minister stated that it is a matter of great pride for the people of Rajasthan that the Prime Minister will inaugurate the countryas first HPCL Integrated Refinery-cum-Petrochemical Complex in Balotra on April 21.a

He noted that the refinery will play a crucial role in making both the state and the nation self-reliant in the energy sector, while also providing new momentum to Rajasthanas industrial development.a

During the visit, Sharma inspected key facilities, including the Crude Distillation Unit and the Main Control Room. He interacted with refinery officials to understand operational aspects and progress.a

Emphasising the refineryas significance, he said it would strengthen the stateas economy and generate substantial employment opportunities for local youth.a

The Chief Minister also reviewed preparations for the public meeting to be addressed by the Prime Minister. He inspected the event venue and directed officials to ensure the timely completion of all arrangements. While examining the venue layout, he stressed the importance of robust security measures.a

Following the inspection, the Chief Minister held a meeting with officials at the venue to assess readiness for the Prime Ministeras visit. He issued necessary instructions to ensure the smooth and successful conduct of the event.a

Keeping in view the prevailing heat conditions, he directed officials to make adequate arrangements for drinking water and seating for attendees. He also instructed the Traffic Police and Transport Department to work in coordination to ensure proper parking facilities.a

Highlighting the importance of cultural representation, he said the venue's dAcor should reflect Rajasthan's rich art and heritage, offering visitors a glimpse of the stateas glorious traditions.a

Officials also gave a detailed presentation on preparations for the event during the meeting. Earlier, the Chief Minister was welcomed at the helipad by public representatives and officials, who presented bouquets.a

Among those present were Animal Husbandry Minister Joraram Kumawat; Minister of State for Industries and Commerce K. K. Bishnoi; Members of Parliament Madan Rathore and Lumbaram Choudhary; Chairman of the Animal Welfare Board Jaswant Singh Bishnoi; MLAs Arun Choudhary and Hammir Singh Bhayal; Chief Secretary V. Srinivas; Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar Sharma, along with other public representatives and officials.a

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New Delhi, April 13 : Ahead of the special Parliament session starting April 16, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said on Monday that women workers of the party and common citizens are eagerly waiting for the passage of the "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam".a New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Ahead of the special Parliament session starting April 16, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said on Monday that women workers of the party and common citizens are eagerly waiting for the passage of the "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam".

"There is a visible sense of enthusiasm and optimism among women across the country regarding the discussion and passage of the bill, envisioned by the Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the protection of women's interests," he said.

He said not just women active in politics but even common citizens are discussing it and expressing strong support for the legislation.

Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, daughter of the late veteran actor Rishi Kapoor and actress Neetu Singh Kapoor, who has been a well-known jewellery and fashion designer in Delhi, spoke on Sunday evening with Sachdeva through Delhi BJP spokesperson Neoma Gupta.

Riddhima Kapoor Sahni welcomed the efforts of the BJP government towards women's empowerment and thanked the ruling party for convening a special Parliament session on April 16 to discuss and pass the "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam".

Delhi BJP Vice President Yogita Singh addressed a press conference on Monday, where two noted personalities  entrepreneur and astronomer Sona Sahni Singh and Delhi University Associate Professor Sonali Chitalkar  expressed support of Delhi's intellectual women for the "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam."

During the conference, she released a video statement by Riddhima Kapoor Sahni in support of the proposed legislation.

Yogita Singh said that since independence, women have contributed significantly to nation-building, but they have not received adequate participation in policy-making.

Now, by bringing the "Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam," the BJP government is ensuring proper representation for women in legislatures and Parliament, paving the way for a new India, she said.

In her video message, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni said, "Modi ji, thank you for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for thinking about us. This law will give women an opportunity to move forward. They will gain a new identity and respect."

Now women will be able to express themselves easily, become stronger, and our country will progress, she said.

Sona Sahni Shukla said we are fortunate to live in Delhi, where women have the freedom to pursue anything. Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, women are continuously serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and other sectors, she said.


New Delhi, April 13 : Calling the allegations emerging from the Nashik branch of Tata Consultancy Services 'gravely concerning and anguishing,' Natarajan Chandrasekaran on Monday said the matter is being treated with utmost seriousness and a thorough investigation is underway.

In an official statement, Chandrasekaran said action has already been initiated against the accused employees and the company is extending full cooperation to the ongoing probe.

He reiterated that the Tata Group follows a strict zero-tolerance policy towards any form of coercion or misconduct by its employees.

"The complaints and allegations emerging from the Nashik branch of Tata Consultancy Services has been gravely concerning and anguishing," he said.

"This incident is being treated with the utmost seriousness. Action has already been initiated against the accused employees, and the company is extending its full cooperation to the ongoing investigations," he added.

Chandrasekaran said a comprehensive probe is underway to establish the facts and identify all individuals responsible.

He added that Aarthi Subramanian, Chief Operating Officer at TCS, will lead the investigation.

"The Tata Group maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of coercion or misconduct by its employees," Chandrasekaran stated.

"A thorough investigation is underway to establish the facts and identify all individuals responsible for this situation," he added.

Aarthi Subramanian, Chief Operating Officer at TCS, will lead this investigation, Chandrasekaran noted.

He assured that appropriate and stringent action will be taken against those found guilty and that any necessary process improvements or corrective measures will be implemented promptly and enforced strictly.

The development comes a day after TCS confirmed that it had suspended employees under investigation in connection with the Nashik case and is cooperating with law enforcement agencies.

The company has been under scrutiny following multiple FIRs registered over alleged incidents of sexual harassment and religious conversion at its Nashik unit.

According to reports, the controversy began in March after a woman accused a colleague of maintaining a physical relationship with her on the false promise of marriage.

During the investigation, authorities uncovered additional complaints, leading to several more FIRs linked to similar allegations.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested at least six employees in connection with the case, based on intelligence inputs received by the Nashik Police Commissioner's office.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has also been constituted to conduct a detailed probe, while a human resources official based in Pune is being questioned.
New Delhi, April 13 : The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointments of as many as 48 officers at Joint Secretary or Joint Secretary equivalent level posts in various ministries such as Civil Aviation, Defence, Agriculture, Home, Petrochemicals, Shipping and Ports, with pay at Level 14 of the Centre's pay matrix.a New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointments of as many as 48 officers at Joint Secretary or Joint Secretary equivalent level posts in various ministries such as Civil Aviation, Defence, Agriculture, Home, Petrochemicals, Shipping and Ports, with pay at Level 14 of the Centreas pay matrix.a

The names include Hardik Satishchandra Shah, IAS (GJ:2010), as Private Secretary to the Prime Minister (Joint Secretary level), Prime Ministeras Office; Ms Kajal, IAS (UP:2008), as Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade; Sumeet Kumar Jarangal, IAS (PB:2009), as Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade; Priyanka Das, IAS (MP:2009), as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation; and Shailesh Kumar Chourasia, IAS (MN:2007), as Joint Secretary, Department of Defence.a

Kapil Meena, IAS (2010 batch), has been appointed as Managing Director, National Horticulture Board, Department of Agriculture; G Venkatesh, ICoAS (1997), as Joint Secretary, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals; while Jawahar Packirisamy, IAS (J&K:2007), has been cleared as Chairman (Joint Secretary level), Marine Products Exports Development Authority, Department of Commerce.a

Preeti Meena, IAS (TG:2010), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Department of Defence; Vinod Kumar, IRSME (1998), also as Joint Secretary, Department of Defence; while Ajeet Kumar Srivastava, IRAS (1999), has been appointed as Additional Financial Adviser and Joint Secretary, Department of Defence. Vipul Aggarwal, IPS (GJ:2001), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; Sakshi Mittal, IAS (J&K:2010), as Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs; and Laya Madduri, IAS (AM:2010), also as Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs.a

Other names include Vikas Singh, IAS (TR:2010), as Joint Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities; Girish Chandrashekhar Hosur, IFoS (HP:1996), as Joint Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities; Chaudhari Uday Gaurishankar, IAS (MH:2010), as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; and Bandana Preyashi, IAS (BH:2003), as Joint Secretary, Department of Fertilisers.a

Venkata Nagi Reddy Kovvuri, IDES (1998), has been appointed as Executive Director (General), Food Corporation of India, under the Department of Food and Public Distribution; Muthukumar Alagumuthu, IAS (JH:2009), as Joint Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare; Prabhakar, IAS (SK:2007), as Joint Secretary, Department of Health and Family Welfare; and Mahatme Sandeep Namdeo, IAS (TR:2010), as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs.a

Rakesh Rathi, IPS (BH:2002), has been appointed as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs; Karma R Bonpo, IAS (SK:2010), as Director of Census; S Tejaswi Naik, IAS (MP:2009), as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment; Kulveer Singh Yadav, IOFS (2002), as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Mines; Anupam Kumar, IAS (BH:2003), as Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy; Harmit Singh Pahuja, IAS (MN:2010), as Joint Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training; Venkatesapathy S, IAS (KL:2009), as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways; and Pankaj Kumar, IAS (UP:2002), as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Power.a
Mumbai, April 13 : The Governor of Maharashtra and Chancellor of Universities, Jishnu Dev Varma, on Monday emphasised that only one or two universities in the state currently feature in national rankings, and this must change.a

He noted that although cluster universities are relatively new, their affiliated colleges are well-established and reputed. Therefore, these universities must make concerted efforts to improve their standing in national rankings, he stated.a

The Governor was speaking at a review meeting of four cluster universities of the state held at Lok Bhavan.a

The meeting was attended by Dr Hemlata Bagla, Vice-Chancellor of HSNC University; Prof Rajneesh Kamat, Vice-Chancellor of Dr Homi Bhabha State University; Chandrakant Dalvi, Provost; Dr Gnyandev Mhaske, Vice-Chancellor of Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil University, Satara; and Dr D. T. Shirke, Vice-Chancellor of Warana University, Warananagar, along with other university officials.a

Highlighting the goal of Viksit Bharat, the Governor stressed the need to completely eradicate tuberculosis. He urged cluster universities to actively involve students in the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.

He suggested organising poster competitions, jingles in Marathi and Hindi, and other innovative activities to promote awareness.a

During the meeting, the universities presented on the implementation of the National Education Policy, innovative courses, best practices, research projects, skill-based programmes, student enrolment, notable achievements, and collaborations with national and international institutions.a

Meanwhile, Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat announced today that the deadline for submitting representations or applications regarding the sub-categorisation of Scheduled Caste reservations in the state has been extended to April 30.a

The development follows the submission of a report by a one-member committee, headed by Justice Anant Manohar Badar (Retired Judge, Patna High Court), which was presented to the government on March 16, 2026.

To process this report, the government established a high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary on April 10, 2026, tasked with inviting objections and opinions and conducting subsequent hearings.a

The decision was made to allow interested parties, organisations, and citizens more time to register their opinions or objections via email regarding the committeeas findings. Interested individuals or groups are encouraged to submit their formal representations or applications through the official email portal dg-sw@barti.in.a

This extension aims to ensure a more inclusive and transparent review process before any final administrative decisions are made regarding the restructuring of Scheduled Caste reservations within Maharashtra.a

--IANS

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New Delhi, April 13 : India-flagged LPG vessel Jag Vikram, which safely sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, carrying approximately 20,400 metric tonnes of LPG cargo with 24 seafarers onboard, is expected to arrive at Kandla port on Tuesday, according to a government statement.

All Indian seafarers in the region are reported to be safe, and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours, the statement said.

The DG Shipping Control Room has handled 6,073 calls and 12,867 emails since activation, including 20 calls and 80 emails in the past 24 hours.

DG Shipping has facilitated the safe repatriation of over 2,177 Indian seafarers so far, including 93 in the past 24 hours from various locations across the Gulf region.

Port operations across India continue normally with no congestion reported. Ports on the western coast of India have ensured that a total of 3,383 TEUs of West Asia-bound (back-to-town) containers have been received, of which 3,228 TEUs have been facilitated for return.

The balance of only 155 TEUs is on account of shipping line operational factors, with no congestion at any port.

The Ministry of Ports and Shipping continues to coordinate closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions in the Gulf region, and maritime stakeholders to ensure the welfare of Indian seafarers and uninterrupted maritime operations.

Across the region, Indian missions and posts remain in close contact with the Indian community, while continuing to provide assistance and issue necessary advisories for their safety and well-being, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar visited the United Arab Emirates from April 11 to 12.

The government continues to closely monitor developments in the Gulf and West Asia region. The Ministry of External Affairs is in regular contact with state governments and Union Territory administrations for better sharing of information and coordination.

Efforts remain focused on ensuring the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community in the region. Indian Missions and Posts continue to operate round-the-clock helplines and are proactively assisting Indian nationals.

Updated advisories are being issued regularly, including information on local government guidelines, flight and travel situations and consular services, the statement added.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, April 13 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested a man wanted in the abduction of two Kolkata residents in 2014 from his hideout in Surat, an official said.a New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested a man wanted in the abduction of two Kolkata residents in 2014 from his hideout in Surat, an official said.

Bhola Singh, alias Gautam Kumar, alias Amit Sharma, was hunted down by the federal probe agency after the abduction case was transferred to it by a High Court, an official statement said.

Besides this case, Bhola Singh is a wanted criminal in 11 cases registered by the Bihar Police pertaining to abduction, attempt to murder, murder and possession of illegal arms and explosives. He has been absconding since the start of the investigation in 2015.

The CBI said he was located hiding in Surat using fake identity documents in the name of Amit Sharma. Following the identification of a hideout, Bhola Singh was arrested on Monday during a coordinated operation.

The accused was produced before the local court at Surat for obtaining his transit remand to Kolkata.

On reaching Kolkata, Bhola Singh will be produced before a court on Tuesday with a plea to obtain his CBI remand for custodial interrogation, the statement said.

Earlier in a separate case, the CBI filed a chargesheet against a Siliguri-based accused and a company incorporated by him in connection with a "digital arrest" cyber fraud case involving the cheating of a senior citizen in Delhi of nearly Rs 23 crore, an official statement said.

The case, which was transferred to the CBI following directions from the Supreme Court of India, pertains to a sophisticated cyber fraud in which the victim was allegedly intimidated through fake legal notices and impersonation of law enforcement and judicial authorities via video calls.

According to the agency, the accused, identified as Sagnik Roy, has been arrested and is currently in judicial custody. The charge sheet also names a company, Securing World Social and Economic Development Council, which was allegedly used as a front to facilitate the fraudulent transactions.

The CBI investigations revealed that the bank account operated by the accused and his company was used to receive the defrauded amount from the Delhi-based senior citizen.

The victim was coerced into transferring funds under the pretext of a so-called "digital arrest"  a tactic used by cybercriminals to instil fear by falsely claiming that the target is under legal scrutiny or detention.


Durgapur, April 13 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday expressed strong confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) electoral prospects in West Bengal, asserting that the party is witnessing a "very positive atmosphere" across the state and is poised to form the next government.

Durgapur, April 13 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday expressed strong confidence in the Bharatiya Janata Partyas (BJP) electoral prospects in West Bengal, asserting that the party is witnessing a "very positive atmosphere" across the state and is poised to form the next government.

Speaking to IANS during a roadshow in Durgapur, Union Minister Shah said the public mood clearly indicates growing support for the BJP.

"It is a very positive atmosphere for the Bharatiya Janata Party, and it is certain that a BJP government is going to be formed here," he added.

His remarks come amid an intensifying political battle between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been mounting sharp criticism of the BJP's key ideological and policy positions, particularly the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC).

Chief Minister Banerjee, in her recent election rallies, has repeatedly described the UCC as a "very big attack", alleging that it threatens the country's diversity and social fabric.

Responding to these claims, Union Minister Shah questioned the basis of such criticism and framed the issue as one of constitutional principle rather than political agenda.

"What kind of attack is it? In this country, should the law be based on religion or should there be a uniform law for people of all religions?" Union Home Minister Shah asked.

He also emphasised that the concept of a Uniform Civil Code is rooted in the constitutional vision of equality.

"UCC is not the agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party; it is the agenda of the Constitution of India," he said.

On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which Chief Minister Banerjee has termed an "attack on democracy". Addressing these allegations, Union Minister Shah accused the West Bengal Chief Minister of undermining democratic institutions.

"She (Mamata Banerjee) is attacking the Judiciary," the Union Minister said, countering the Chief Minister's claims.

"The SIR is not being conducted by the Election Commission anymore; it is now being carried out under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Judicial officers are conducting it."

The sharp exchanges highlight the deepening political contest in West Bengal as political parties gear up for upcoming electoral battles.

With both the Trinamool Congress and the BJP stepping up their poll campaigns and political rhetoric, issues such as governance, constitutional values, and institutional integrity are increasingly taking centre stage in West Bengal.

Union Minister Amit Shah's roadshow in Durgapur drew massive crowds, reflecting the BJP's efforts to expand its footprint in the state.
Chandigarh, April 13 : As a mark of respect to Guru Granth Sahib, the Punjab Assembly led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday unanimously passed the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, stipulating harsher punishment for 'beadbi' (sacrilege) of living Guru Sahib.

In a decisive and uncompromising move, the AAP government introduced life imprisonment for 'beadbi', creating one of the toughest legal frameworks in the country to deal with it.

Declaring the legislation as a historic correction of past regimes' failures, the Chief Minister affirmed that the new law closes long-standing loopholes left by previous governments, ensures swift investigation, makes offences non-bailable, and prescribes stringent penalties ranging from five years to life imprisonment along with fines up to Rs 20 lakh, while holding even those aiding 'beadbi' equally accountable.

Drawing a sharp contrast with earlier regimes, he said, while Akali-BJP and Congress sought votes in the name of Guru Sahib, it "is the AAP government that has taken concrete steps to uphold the sanctity of Guru Granth Sahib-ji and ensure that no one dares to commit such acts again".

Participating in the debate, CM Mann said, "I assure the august House that this Bill marks the end of desecration in future as it will ensure that no one will ever dare to indulge in such heinous crime." The Chief Minister said, "In the past, the dastardly acts of sacrilege of Sri Guru Granth Sahib-ji were a deep-rooted conspiracy to disturb hard-earned peace, amity, brotherhood and communal harmony in the state."

Expressing grief and anguish over such 'inhuman and heinous act', he said it was a sin committed against humanity perpetrated by a handful of anti-social elements, who were hell-bent on disturbing peace, amity, brotherhood and communal harmony in the state.

"The legislation will ensure that anyone found guilty of this unpardonable offence will not be spared at any cost, and exemplary action will be taken against them as a deterrent for others."

He further said, "Punjabis have always upheld the ethos of peace and brotherhood in the state, and no one would ever be able to destroy the deep-knit social fabric of the state. Making a firm resolve to maintain peace and communal harmony at all costs, our government would thwart any such attempt, which can pose a danger to the communal harmony, progress and prosperity of the state."

Emphasising the significance of the legislation, the Chief Minister said, "If Sri Guru Granth Sahib is not safe in Punjab, then where else can it be adding that this Bill is a historic milestone to check the 'beadbi'."

On the procedural aspect, he said, "As the Bill is a state bill, so Presidential assent will not be required in this case, adding the Bill will be sent to the Governor of the state after it has been passed by the state Assembly."
Jaipur, April 13 : A charge sheet was filed on Monday before the High Court against 10 accused individuals in connection with corruption in the Jal Jeevan Mission, following an investigation into a case registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).a

The accused, who were arrested by the ACB and are currently in judicial custody, are: Dinesh Goyal (Chief Engineer, Administration); K. D. Gupta (then Chief Engineer, Rural); Subhanshu Dixit (then Secretary, RWSSM; then Additional Chief Engineer, Jaipur Zone-II); Sushil Sharma (then Financial Adviser, Renewable Energy); Niril Kumar (then Chief Engineer, Churu); Vishal Saxena (Executive Engineer, currently under suspension);

Arun Srivastava (Additional Chief Engineer, retired); D. K. Gaur (then Chief Engineer and Technical Member, retired); Mahendra Prakash Soni (then Superintending Engineer, retired); and Mukesh Pathak (private individual)a

The ACB will forward a report to the concerned department to obtain the requisite sanction for prosecution.a

The investigation into other individuals involved in the case is ongoing, officials said. ACB teams are conducting continuous raids at multiple locations to execute standing warrants issued against Jitendra Sharma (Executive Engineer), Mukesh Goyal (Superintending Engineer), and Sanjeev Gupta (private individual). Details of their assets have been compiled and submitted before the Honable Court, with proceedings for attachment of assets to be initiated shortly.a

On Monday, Subodh Agarwal (Retired IAS) was produced before the Honable Court for police custody. After hearing the Investigating Officer, Mahaveer Sharma (Additional Superintendent of Police), the Court granted a two-day police remand. The next High Court hearing for 11 writ petitions related to this case is scheduled for April 21, 2026.a

Former IAS officer Subodh Agarwal, who had been absconding in connection with the Jal Jeevan Mission scam in Rajasthan, was arrested by the ACB last Thursday. a

The ACB team brought Agarwal from Delhi to Jaipur, where he was questioned at the ACB headquarters by Deputy Inspector General of Police Om Prakash Meena. a

An arrest warrant had been issued against him earlier. In the same case, nine officials of the Public Health Engineering Department had already been arrested.a

ACB Director General Govind Gupta said that the investigation, initiated in 2024, has so far led to the arrest of 11 accused persons, while three others remain absconding. With Agarwalas arrest, a key development has been achieved in the ongoing probe.a

According to the ACB, serious irregularities were found in the JJM tendering process. Several firms, including Ganpati Tubewell and Shyam Tubewell, allegedly secured contracts by submitting forged certificates. a

Despite being aware of these discrepancies, officials failed to take action. As a result, tenders worth nearly Rs 900 crore were awarded to benefit select firms. In addition, mandatory site inspections for projects exceeding Rs 50 crore were reportedly not conducted, indicating a clear misuse of official position.a
Kolkata, April 13 : The district magistrates, who are also district electoral officers, police superintendents, and district forces coordinators of the districts concerned, on Monday separately urged the people of poll-bound West Bengal to reach polling booths without fear and cast their votes in large numbers.a

The three key electoral officials from all districts and the two electoral districts of Kolkata (Dakshin and Uttar) simultaneously addressed the media. a

The common message conveyed through those press conferences was that the Election Commission of India is determined to ensure 100 per cent free, fair, and violence-free polls this time.a

The three key electoral officers, district magistrates/district electoral officers, police superintendents, and force coordinators, at the respective press conferences, also issued strong notes of caution to probable troublemakers.a

They warned that any attempt to disrupt the polling process through booth-jamming, source-jamming, intimidation of voters, or harassment of the opponent party's polling agents would be dealt with seriously in accordance with the legal provisions and norms specified by the Election Commission of India.a

The officials emphasised that the elections this time will be fear-free, violence-free, intimidation-free, inducement-free, and free of booth-jamming or source-jamming.a

The press conferences coincided with the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the state on Monday to address three back-to-back campaign rallies in two districts. a

At the rallies, the Union Home Minister also assured that this time the elections in West Bengal would be totally free, fair, and absolutely violence-free.a

He issued a strong warning that the goons backed by the ruling Trinamool Congress should remain at home on polling days unless they want to end up behind bars after the elections.a

The two-phase assembly polls in West Bengal will be held on April 23 and April 29. a

The results will be declared on May 4.a

--IANS

src/dan
Amaravati, April 13 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday directed officials to simplify policies and procedure to ensure speedy setting up of industries in the state.

He emphasised the need to eliminate unnecessary laws and regulations to create a more business-friendly environment.

A central delegation led by the Ministry of Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik visited the Secretariat and discussed on the Union government's Deregulation Phase-2 initiative with the Chief Minister and state government officials.

The discussions focused on accelerating industrial approvals, simplifying procedures and easing regulatory burdens.

Officials made presentations outlining the reforms already implemented by the state, along with future action plans.

According to an official statement, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the progress of Phase-1 and current status of Phase-2.

Officials told that 23 priority items across seven departments have been completed under Phase-1.

Under Phase-2, 28 priority areas have been identified.

"Of 47 recommendations, 18 have already been implemented, with the target to complete all by May 31."

The Chief Minister stressed the need to reduce complexities in the approval process and significantly improve speed.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu called for the removal of outdated laws, including those dating back to the British era.

He directed officials to reduce more than 800 existing compliances to below 100 and bring down the number of licenses required for approvals to single digit.

At the same time, he emphasised that there should be no compromise on public safety and environmental protection.

His suggestions include promoting third-party inspections to avoid unnecessary harassment, eliminating duplicate licensing systems, providing lifetime validity for business registrations, introducing simplified, state-specific fire safety norms instead of the National Building Code.

He also made it clear that the entire approval process should be made fully online.

Post Phase-2 implementation, the time required for setting up industries should be reduced by at least 40 per cent.

The Chief Minister directed officials to bring ordinances, if required, to implement Phase-2 reforms.

At present, businesses need around 82 different approvals.

He instructed to reduce this to 57 in a phased manner.

Similarly, building plan approvals and occupancy certificates are to be reduced from 30 to 18.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu also emphasised on faster land allocation in industrial parks and clusters, single nodal agency for all approvals and simplification in sectors like fire safety, environment, power, tourism, education and health.

He said platforms like Mee Seva, Single Desk Portal, and WhatsApp Governance (Mana Mitra) will be leveraged to deliver seamless services to citizens and businesses.

Appreciating the state's proactive reforms, Ministry of Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik said that Andhra Pradesh is progressing ahead of central recommendations in deregulation.

He expressed confidence that the state will successfully implement Phase-2 within the stipulated timeline.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Washington, Apr 13 : U.S. President Donald Trump Monday warned Iran that any naval vessels approaching American ships enforcing a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz would be "immediately ELIMINATED," as tensions escalated following the collapse of peace talks.a Washington, Apr 13 (IANS) U.S. President Donald Trump Monday warned Iran that any naval vessels approaching American ships enforcing a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz would be "immediately ELIMINATED," as tensions escalated following the collapse of peace talks.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that Iran's naval capabilities had been severely degraded.

"Iran's Navy is lying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated - 158 ships," he wrote, while noting that Tehran still retains a limited number of "fast attack ships."

"What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, 'fast attack ships,' because we did not consider them much of a threat," Trump said.

He issued a direct warning to Iran against challenging the U.S. blockade.

"Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal," he added.

The warning came as the United States began enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports at 10 a.m. ET Monday (7.30 om IST), targeting maritime access in the Strait of Hormuz after diplomatic efforts with Tehran broke down over the weekend.

U.S. Central Command said the blockade would apply to vessels of all nations interacting with Iranian ports and coastal areas, with ships subject to "interception, diversion, and capture" if they fail to comply.

Iran has condemned the U.S. move as "piracy" and warned it would respond with "decisive" force, raising the risk of renewed hostilities less than a week into a fragile ceasefire.

Tehran also signalled that no port in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman would remain secure if its own facilities were threatened, underscoring the potential for escalation across the wider region.


Bengaluru, April 13 : In a significant turn of events in the alleged sexual misconduct case involving prominent Lingayat seer Basava Jayamrutyunjaya Swamiji, the woman from Karnataka's Bengaluru, who had earlier filed a complaint against him has now taken a U-turn, claiming that both her name and that of the Swamiji were misused.

The woman, believed to have mysteriously disappeared in the recent past, released a video from an undisclosed location on Monday after the case came to light.

She said she would appear before the media at an appropriate time soon.

She has also released a letter addressed to the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Home Minister G. Parameshwara and said that the woman stated that certain miscreants were behind a deliberate attempt to spread false propaganda.

She asserted that all allegations and accusations made against them were completely baseless and untrue.

The woman also told that she would return in four to five days to provide complete details regarding the matter.

Her latest statement has introduced a fresh twist to the case, raising questions about the initial complaint and the circumstances under which it was filed.

Authorities are expected to examine the developments closely as the case continues to unfold.

Earlier, Basava Jayamruthyunjaya Swamiji, head of the Kudalasangama Panchamasali Peetha and a prominent figure in the agitation seeking reservation for the Lingayat Panchamasali community, is facing serious allegations of rape, sexual harassment, and blackmail following a complaint by a woman from Bengaluru.

It was claimed that woman had accused the seer of sexually assaulting her and subjecting her to repeated harassment.

The letters were released to media claiming that she submitted written complaints to the Chief Minister, the Home Minister, the City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh, and the State Women's Commission, seeking action against the seer.

The Swamiji had denied the allegations and filed a counter-complaint against the woman in Vijayapura.

In his complaint, the seer alleged that the woman, along with others, was attempting to defame him under the influence of political figures and had made false accusations.
Mumbai, April 13 : The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has returned the universal banking licence application filed by Ujjivan Small Finance Bank (SFB) on the grounds that the lender has not sufficiently diversified its asset book to qualify for it, according to an exchange filing.

"The RBI, through their aforesaid letter, took note of the Bank's recent efforts towards diversification of its loan portfolio. However, they were of the view that there is scope for progress in this area. Therefore, the RBI has returned the above-mentioned application and advised the Bank to consider applying again after demonstrating a diversified loan portfolio," the notice said.

This is the second application by a small finance bank that the RBI has "returned" in the recent past. The regulator had earlier returned Jana SFB's universal bank license application, while giving in-principle approval to AU SFB to convert to a universal bank and granting in-principle approval to Fino Payments Bank's request to transition into an SFB.

Ujjivan SFB's gross loan book stood at Rs. 37,057 crore in Q3FY26, and group loans formed 45 per cent of the loan book.

The Reserve Bank encourages small finance banks to diversify their loan portfolios to reduce heavy reliance on high-risk, uncollateralised microfinance, which often suffers from high non-performing assets (NPAs) during economic downturns. By reducing priority sector lending requirements and encouraging diversification into retail, vehicle, and SME loans, the RBI aims to improve asset quality, stabilise earnings, and prepare SFBs to become resilient universal banks.

Many SFBs have high exposure to microfinance. Diversifying into secured loans like car, two-wheeler, and housing finance reduces asset quality risks, especially when microfinance ecosystems are stressed.

Diversification helps manage higher Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPAs) that can arise from sector-specific issues. It acts as a safety net, as seen when SFBs shifted from high-risk unsecured lending to more secured segments.
Paris, April 13 : Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri co-chaired the India-France Foreign Office Consultations with Secretary General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Martin Briens in Paris on Monday. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the discussions covered a wide range of topics, including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cooperation in cyber and digital domains, AI, innovation, as well as initiatives aimed at strengthening human and cultural ties, in connection with the latest global and regional developments.

Paris, April 13 (IANS) Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri co-chaired the Indiaa"France Foreign Office Consultations with Secretary General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Martin Briens in Paris on Monday. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the discussions covered a wide range of topics, including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cooperation in cyber and digital domains, AI, innovation, as well as initiatives aimed at strengthening human and cultural ties, in connection with the latest global and regional developments.

"Foreign Secretary Shri Vikram Misri co-chaired the Indiaa"France Foreign Office Consultations with Secretary General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Martin Briens, holding discussions on a wide range of issues including civil nuclear energy, defence and space, cyber and digital cooperation, AI and innovation and people-to-people and cultural ties, along with global and regional developments," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X after the meeting.

Earlier, the Indian Foreign Secretary also called on French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noel Barrot, discussing bilateral cooperation and ongoing global challenges, including the situation in the Middle East.

In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in France stated: "Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri called on the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs H.E. Jean-Noel Barrot. Discussions covered key areas of bilateral cooperation, ongoing global challenges including the situation in the Middle East."

The meeting between Misri and Barrot took place amid the ongoing tense security situation in the Middle East after negotiations between the US and Iranian officials failed to produce an agreement.

According to the French Foreign Ministry, the Barrot and the Misri emphasised the importance of abiding by the ceasefire agreement reached by Iran and the United States, and of finding a swift and lasting end to the war through diplomatic means.

"They also discussed the ways and means of restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. As India is working closely with the French G7 Presidency, they discussed the responses that our two countries could develop to tackle major macroeconomic imbalances and promote a more inclusive form of multilateralism," read a statement issued by the ministry.

Misri also visited the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in Paris and witnessed the exhibition aLaArt de LaInde: Aujourdahui." The exhibition features 80 artworks by 40 Indian artists and highlights Indiaas living artistic traditions, according to the statement released by the Embassy.

After concluding his engagements in France, Vikram Misri will visit Germany, where he is scheduled to co-chair Foreign Office Consultations with Geza Andreas von Geyr, State Secretary of the German Foreign Office.

"The visit follows the visits of German Chancellor H.E. Mr Friedrich Merz and French President H.E. Mr Emmanuel Macron to India in January and February 2026, respectively and is in keeping with the regular high-level exchanges between India and Europe. It will provide an opportunity to review the full spectrum of Indiaas bilateral relations with both countries and advance ongoing cooperation across key priority areas," the MEA stated in a release.
New Delhi, April 13 : On the eve of inaugurating the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor on Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted its wildlife-friendly feature and time-saving aspects.

In a post on X, PM Modi said, "I will be in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand tomorrow, 14th April. It is a matter of immense joy that the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor will be inaugurated at a programme in Dehradun."

This Corridor will significantly reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun and benefit the people of Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, he said.

The PM said, "One of the salient features of this corridor is the emphasis on ensuring that man-animal conflict does not occur. That is why there is a 12 km long wildlife elevated corridor, one of the longest in Asia."

Ahead of the inauguration event, PM Modi will inspect the wildlife corridor at Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and offer prayers at a Kali temple in Uttarakhand, an official said.

At around 11.40 a.m., PM Modi will perform Darshan and Pooja at Jai Maa Daat Kali Temple near Dehradun. Thereafter, at around 12.30 p.m., he will inaugurate the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor at a public function in Dehradun and address the gathering on the occasion, the Prime Minister's Office said in the statement.

The 213 km long six-lane access-controlled Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor has been developed at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore.

The corridor traverses through the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours at present to around two and a half hours, said the statement.

The implementation of the project also includes the construction of 10 interchanges, three Railway Over Bridges (ROBs), four major bridges and 12 wayside amenities to enable seamless high-speed connectivity.

The corridor is equipped with an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) to provide a safer and more efficient travel experience for commuters, said the statement.

Keeping in view the ecological sensitivity, rich biodiversity and wildlife in the region, the corridor has been designed with several features aimed at significantly reducing man-animal conflict, it said.

To ensure the free movement of wild animals, the project incorporates several dedicated wildlife protection features. These include a 12 km-long wildlife elevated corridor, which is one of the longest in Asia.

The corridor also includes eight animal passes, two elephant underpasses of 200 metres each, and a 370-metre-long tunnel near the Daat Kali temple, said the statement.

The Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor will play a pivotal role in strengthening regional economic growth by enhancing connectivity between major tourism and economic centres as well as opening new avenues for trade and development across the region.

The project reflects the vision of PM Modi to develop next-generation infrastructure that combines high-speed connectivity with environmental sustainability and improved quality of life for citizens, said the statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

--IANS

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Hyderabad, April 13 : Captain Ishan Kishan top-scored with a blistering 91 as Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a towering 216/6 against Rajasthan Royals at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Monday.

Jofra Archer silenced the sell-out Uppal crowd by dismissing Abhishek Sharma on the very first delivery. Travis Head struggled for rhythm, but Kishan operated on a different level. Anything full and wide was crashed through the off side with lightning hands, while short balls were dealt with authoritative pulls and whips to bring up his 19th IPL fifty.

He hammered eight fours and six sixes in his 44-ball 91, and was the dominant partner in an 88-run stand for the third wicket with Heinrich Klaasen (40) that shifted momentum entirely. Late fireworks from Nitish Kumar Reddy (28) and Salil Arora (24 not out) ensured a clinical finish.

Pushed into batting first, SRH had an awful start. Abhishek Sharma charged down on Archeras first ball and mistimed to third man for a golden duck. It was Archeras fourth first-ball wicket in the IPL, while Abhishek bagged his seventh duck in T20s this year.

However, Archeras second over brought him back to earth as Kishan whipped him for four, before pulling a bouncer for six and launching Sandeep Sharma down the ground. Nandre Burger nearly dismissed Travis Head twice in the fourth over - a nip-backer took an inside edge for four, while a mistimed loft just evaded Archer.

But a rusty Head holed out to long-on off Riyan Parag just after the fifty was raised in the power-play. Kishan marched forward to bring his fifty in 30 balls with a monstrous slog sweep off Ravi Bishnoi and brought up SRHas hundred by smoking Tushar Deshpande for six.

Kishan then smashed three boundaries off Deshpande via a wristy flick and a brace of slices, as 21 runs came off the 11th over as the fifty-partnership with Klaasen arrived in just 26 deliveries. Kishan continued to tear into Archer, carving him through backward point, long-on, and deep mid-wicket for three fours.

Following a floodlight failure break, Kishan fell nine runs short of his century, miscuing a pull off Sandeep to keeper Dhruv Jurel, who survived a collision with the pacer. Two overs later, Klaasen chipped straight to extra cover off Archer.

Reddy continued the boundary-hitting spree, pulling Deshpande for six before launching Sandeep for three maximums. Archer eventually used his height to extract extra bounce, and catch Reddyas edge on a wild slog. Finally, four boundaries from Arora, including a six over long-off to go past 200, ensured the hosts finished with a strong total.

Brief Scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 216/6 in 20 overs (Ishan Kishan 91, Heinrich Klaasen 40; Jofra Archer 2-37, Riyan Parag 1-5) against Rajasthan Royals

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
New Delhi, April 13 : Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a sharp attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging corruption and misuse of state machinery, even as the legal battle over Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera intensified.

In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that the Assam Chief Minister was "the most corrupt in the country" and asserted that he "will not escape the law." He further accused the state government of abusing power to harass political opponents and critics, calling such actions "against the Constitution."

"The questions that are being raised have to be probed. Transparency, accountability of power and rule of law are the basis of our Constitutional values," Gandhi said, adding that the Congress party stands firmly with Khera and "will not be intimidated."

The remarks come amid escalating tensions following the Assam government's move to challenge the anticipatory bail granted to Khera.

The state government has approached the Supreme Court against the relief granted by the Telangana High Court in connection with a case linked to allegations made by the Congress leader against the Chief Minister's wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

Khera had earlier alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma was linked to a US-based firm in Wyoming and claimed large-scale financial irregularities involving the Chief Minister and his family.

The allegations include claims about substantial funds and multiple passports, which have been strongly denied by the Assam Chief Minister.

The Telangana High Court, while granting transit anticipatory bail to Khera on April 10, observed that his apprehension of arrest appeared reasonable. However, the court imposed conditions, including cooperation with the investigation, restriction on foreign travel without permission, and restraint from making statements that could prejudice the probe.

Following this, the Assam government moved the apex court seeking cancellation of the relief, with the matter likely to be taken up for hearing later this week.

The political slugfest has further intensified ahead of key political developments, with both the Congress and the BJP trading sharp accusations, signalling a deepening confrontation between the opposition and the Assam government.
Gangtok, April 13 : Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Monday chaired a high-level meeting at Samman Bhawan to review arrangements for the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this month, officials said.

The Prime Ministeras visit is expected to coincide with the closing ceremony of Sikkim's 50th Statehood Anniversary, marking five decades since Sikkim became part of the Indian Union.

According to officials, the meeting undertook a comprehensive assessment of preparedness across key sectors, including security, logistics, infrastructure, and programme coordination.

The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of seamless inter-departmental coordination and directed all concerned departments to ensure the timely execution of responsibilities.

Detailed discussions were held on the proposed itinerary of the Prime Minister, with particular focus on venues, movement plans, and contingency measures.

Officials were instructed to maintain close coordination with central agencies to ensure adherence to protocol and security norms.

The meeting also reviewed projects that are likely to be inaugurated or have their foundation stones laid during the visit. Departments concerned presented status updates, with the Chief Minister stressing the need for all projects to be fully ready in line with the proposed schedule.

Senior officials highlighted the need for robust infrastructure readiness, including road connectivity, venue arrangements, and public convenience facilities. Special attention was given to crowd management and emergency response mechanisms to ensure a smooth and secure event.

The review meeting was attended by Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, the Chief Secretary, senior administrative officials, and Heads of various Departments.

Reiterating the significance of the occasion, Tamang said the visit would be a landmark moment in the stateas history and directed all stakeholders to work in a coordinated manner to ensure the successful conduct of the programme.

Officials said further review meetings will be held in the coming days to monitor progress and address any emerging gaps.
Agartala, April 13 : In a tragic incident, a 52-year-old teacher in Tripura's Gomati district on Monday killed his wife and son before attempting to take his own life, police said.

Agartala, April 13 (IANS) In a tragic incident, a 52-year-old teacher in Tripuraas Gomati district on Monday killed his wife and son before attempting to take his own life, police said.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Udaipur, Debanjali Ray said that as per the preliminary information, Ajit Das, a government school science teacher, reportedly hit his wife, Rupa Das, 45, and their son, Diganta Das, 18, with a bamboo staff while they were asleep early on Monday, and both died on the spot.

Subsequently, Das tried to commit suicide by consuming pesticides. He was immediately rushed to Gomati District Hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment. Hospital sources said his condition remains critical.

Residents of the area rushed to the house after hearing screams early in the morning, but by the time they arrived, both the victims had succumbed to their injuries. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination.

The incident occurred at Beltoli under the Radha Kishore Pur police station.

Police are probing the circumstances that led to the tragic incident. The SDPO, citing the family members, said that Ajit Das had reportedly been suffering from mental health issues over the past few days.

The gruesome incident has cast a pall of gloom over the entire Udaipur area, 65 km south of Agartala.

According to the police official, Diganta Das was studying engineering in a private university in Agartala.

Meanwhile, a female teacher was allegedly assaulted at Umakanta Government English Medium School in Agartala, raising serious concerns over safety within educational institutions.

According to reports, the accused is a former teacher of the same institution.

However, no action has yet been taken against the individual, prompting criticism and concern among various groups.

In response to the incident, representatives of the All India Working Womenas Coordination Committee (AIWWCC), a Left-wing body, met the Joint Director of the Education Department to raise the issue and demand appropriate action. The delegation led by Panchali Bhattacharjee requested the Education Department to take immediate steps against the accused and ensure the safety and security of teachers in schools.

--IANS

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Kathmandu, April 13 : Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal on Monday suggested that it could take some time for Prime Minister Balendra Shah to visit India, though he has already received an invitation from the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the southern neighbour.

There is a long tradition of Nepali Prime Ministers making India their first foreign visit, although this practice has occasionally been broken due to various factors, including periods when relations between the two countries were strained.

Upon arriving in Nepal after participating in the Ninth Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) held in Mauritius on Monday, Minister Khanal said he had received an invitation for Prime Minister Shah's visit to New Delhi from the Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and that the invitation had been accepted by the Nepali premier.

"The new government has just been formed, and it will set its priorities first. Several technical mechanisms between the two sides will also work on the agenda to be discussed," Nepali Foreign Minister added.

"There are around 40 bilateral mechanisms between the two sides that deal with different aspects of bilateral relations. Once they complete technical preparations, the political visit of Prime Minister Shah will take place."

The bilateral mechanisms range from the district level to the Foreign Ministerial level, covering security, water resources, irrigation, border management, boundary issues, trade, commerce, and agriculture, among other areas.

Officials of the two countries involved in some of these mechanisms meet regularly, while there has been no meetings of many other mechanisms.

India is also one of Nepal's leading development partners.

In the fiscal year 2024a"25, India emerged as the largest bilateral donor to Nepal, disbursing $107.8 million.

Several development projects built with Indian assistance have been completed, while others are under construction.

During the Indian Ocean Conference, Foreign Minister Khanal highlighted the issue of climate change and its impact on the Himalayan region and the seas.

"The health of the mountains and the health of the ocean are inseparable," he said, noting that the Hindu Kush Himalaya region serves as the primary source of fresh water for billions of people.

Stressing that the Indian Ocean is central to global trade and energy flows, the Nepali Foreign Minister noted that its stability is therefore a global responsibility.

He also said that Nepal is deeply concerned by threats such as maritime terrorism, piracy, and illicit trafficking of drugs and human beings.

"The Indian Ocean is central to global trade and energy flows. Its stability is therefore a global responsibility," Minister Khanal said.

"Nepal is deeply concerned by threats such as maritime terrorism, piracy, and illicit trafficking of drugs and human beings. These challenges affect real lives, including those of Nepali citizens who travel across these waters in pursuit of livelihoods."

He also emphasised that the Hindu Kush Himalaya region serves as the primary source of fresh water for billions of people.

The glaciers and snowfields of Nepal feed major river systems that ultimately discharge into the Indian Ocean. Therefore, the health of the mountains and the health of the ocean are inseparable.

The Ninth Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) was organised by India's Ministry of External Affairs, the Mauritius government, and the India Foundation.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Mumbai, April 13 : The Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday announced the setting up of a Special Investigation Team to probe alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority reservation quota in Nashik, warning that those depriving the poor of their rightful housing benefits will not be spared, irrespective of their stature.a Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) The Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday announced the setting up of a Special Investigation Team to probe alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority reservation quota in Nashik, warning that those depriving the poor of their rightful housing benefits will not be spared, irrespective of their stature.

"People who choke the rights of the poor and deprive them of their entitlements, no matter how influential they are, will not be spared," Minister Bawankule said, adding that the Special Investigation Team comprising senior officials will submit its report within one month.

The decision follows alleged irregularities in the implementation of the 20 per cent quota reserved for economically weaker sections and low-income groups by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority in Nashik. 

Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Special Investigation Team has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Nashik Divisional Commissioner, with participation of senior state officials.

The issue was raised during the state legislature's budget session through calling attention motions by Members of Legislative Assembly Devyani Pharande and Nitin Pawar, along with concerns expressed by several other members. Taking note of these, the minister had assured a detailed probe into the matter.

The Special Investigation Team comprises the Nashik Divisional Commissioner, Settlement Commissioner (Pune), Inspector General of Registration and Controller of Stamps (Pune), Nashik Police Commissioner, and Director of Town Planning (Pune), with the Deputy Director of Land Records, Nashik Division, serving as member secretary. The committee has been directed to submit its report to the government within a month, the release said.

The probe will focus on layouts exceeding 4,000 square metres where developers allegedly failed to provide 20 per cent of the land or housing units to the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, as mandated under a November 8, 2013, notification. 

It will also examine recovery of such reserved land in accordance with rules, recommend disciplinary action against erring officials and employees, and propose criminal proceedings against landowners or developers found responsible for the irregularities.

The committee will also suggest measures to prevent the recurrence of such violations in future. A major scam has come to light in Nashik wherein several builders allegedly defrauded the government of crores of rupees by using forged documents, fake seals, and signatures under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority housing scheme.

As per norms, developers undertaking housing projects on plots exceeding 4,000 square metres are required to reserve 20 per cent of units for Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority to ensure affordable housing for weaker sections. However, developers allegedly under-reported project areas to bypass the rule and misled authorities using fabricated documents and forged authorisations.

Verification by the Land Records Department covered 128 cases, of which 49 revealed instances of fraud, following which a case has been registered at Sarkarwada police station based on a complaint by the department, said the release.
Ahmedabad, April 13 : President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday evening as part of her two-day official visit to Gujarat.

She arrived in the city after attending the first convocation ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rajkot, where she served as the chief guest and awarded degrees to graduating students of the institute's inaugural MBBS batch.

On her arrival at Ahmedabad Airport, President Murmu was accorded a formal and warm welcome by Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.

Senior state officials were also present on the occasion, including Health Minister Praful Pansheriya, Chief Secretary M.K. Das, Director General of Police (DGP) K.L.N. Rao, Air Marshal Mehtab Singh Deswal, General Officer Commanding of Indian Army Gaurav Bagga, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner G.S. Malik and Ahmedabad Collector Sujeet Kumar, who greeted the President upon her arrival.

According to officials, the President's visit to Gujarat spans multiple engagements focused on education, institutional development and commemorative events.

Earlier on Monday, at AIIMS Rajkot, President Murmu addressed the convocation ceremony and conferred degrees and medals upon students, marking a significant milestone for the newly established medical institution.

During the Gujarat leg of her tour, the President is scheduled to attend a series of official programmes.

On April 14, she will participate in the 'Samajik Samrasta Mahotsava' at Lok Bhavan in Gandhinagar, organised on the occasion of B.R. Ambedkar's birth anniversary.

The event is expected to bring together representatives from various social and administrative sectors.

On the same day, President Murmu will also preside over the fifth convocation ceremony of Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar, where degrees will be awarded to students graduating from multiple disciplines, according to official programme details.

Security arrangements have been strengthened across Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar in view of the President's movement between key venues.

Senior police and administrative officials have been deployed to oversee coordination and ensure smooth conduct of all scheduled engagements.
Ahmedabad, April 13 : Marking the completion of 20 years of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, a comprehensive reference publication documenting the law's evolution, institutional framework and landmark rulings was released in Ahmedabad on Monday by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.

Ahmedabad, April 13 (IANS) Marking the completion of 20 years of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, a comprehensive reference publication documenting the lawas evolution, institutional framework and landmark rulings was released in Ahmedabad on Monday by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi.

The book, titled 'Right to Information a" Two Decades Journey', has been prepared as an in-house compilation by the Gujarat Information Commission.

The release took place at a programme organised at GUJSAIL in Ahmedabad, where the Deputy Chief Minister formally unveiled the publication in the presence of senior officials of the Commission and other dignitaries.

The event was held as part of commemorations marking two decades since the enactment of the RTI Act, 2005, which came into force as a landmark legislation aimed at strengthening transparency in governance and enabling citizensa access to information.

Addressing the gathering, Sanghavi said the Right to Information framework has established itself as an effective instrument for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration.

He added that the newly released publication would function as a practical guide for government employees engaged in RTI-related work, as well as for researchers and members of the public seeking to understand the law and its application.

According to officials, the publication provides a structured overview of the RTI regime, beginning with its historical background and extending to the statutory provisions of the Act, rules framed by the Central and State governments, and key administrative orders relevant to its implementation.

It also documents the formation of the Gujarat Information Commission, its organisational structure, operational procedures and working methodology, supported by statistical data reflecting RTI applications and disposal patterns.

A major component of the book is a compilation of 201 significant judgments delivered by the Supreme Court, various High Courts, and different information commissions across the country.

These rulings have been included to highlight how judicial interpretation and quasi-judicial decisions have contributed to shaping the practical enforcement and evolution of the RTI framework over the past two decades.

Officials said the publication has been designed as a consolidated resource that brings together legal, administrative and procedural aspects of the Act in a single volume.

They noted that it is intended to serve as both a reference document and a knowledge base for stakeholders involved in transparency and governance-related work.
Gandhinagar, April 13 : Gujarat's Cyber Centre of Excellence of CID Crime has dismantled an interstate mule bank account network allegedly linked to cyber frauds exceeding Rs 77 crore across 375 cases registered on the national cyber crime reporting portal, officials said on Monday.a Gandhinagar, April 13 (IANS) Gujarat's Cyber Centre of Excellence of CID Crime has dismantled an interstate mule bank account network allegedly linked to cyber frauds exceeding Rs 77 crore across 375 cases registered on the national cyber crime reporting portal, officials said on Monday.

The operation was carried out across Vadodara, Palanpur and Goa, resulting in the arrest of 16 accused persons involved in what investigators described as a coordinated system for opening and circulating bank accounts used to facilitate cyber fraud and gaming-related offences.

The action was taken following intelligence inputs and directions from senior officers of CID Crime & Railways to strengthen anti-cybercrime operations.

According to officials, the raids were conducted under the supervision of senior police officers.

The accused allegedly opened savings and current bank accounts in their own names and in the names of others, and supplied bank account kits and SIM cards to associates involved in cybercrime networks.

Police said five accused were arrested in Vadodara, two in Palanpur, and nine in Goa.

Officials provided details, saying that five accused, identified as Kiran Joshi, Siddhraj Shirvadiya, Mahesh Joshi, Jigar Solanki and Prakash Joshi, were arrested from Vadodara.

Two others, Mitra Shrimali and Mehul Solanki, were arrested in Palanpur.

The remaining nine accused  Jitu Thakkar, Sahil Prajapati, Jaimin Prajapati, Vijay Nayi, Hitesh Thakor, Dhruv Chaudhary, Anilkumar Chaudhary, Ashish Kumar Chaudhary and Nareshkumar Kharshan  were arrested from Goa, according to officials.

Among those arrested were individuals allegedly involved in creating fictitious firms, including "Shivam Agency", "Shivdhara Masala Business" and "M R water" to channel transactions and provide a veneer of legitimacy to financial activity routed through mule accounts.

The major kingpins are Kiran Joshi and Jitu Thakkar, and others are helping them set up Mule bank Accounts and facilitate financial transactions.

A large quantity of digital and financial evidence was seized during the operation. From Vadodara, police recovered 13 mobile phones, 13 cheque books, two passbooks and four blank cheques.

From Goa, 15 laptops, 72 mobile phones, 126 SIM cards, 115 debit cards, 80 passbooks, 15 cheque books, 7 QR codes, 2 pen drives, and 1 rental agreement were seized.

Officials said details of more than 260 bank accounts were recovered from the accused.

Investigators stated that analysis of the seized devices revealed bank statements, transaction records, login credentials, and cyber-fraud complaint documents.

They added that communication via WhatsApp and Telegram groups indicated that bank account details were being shared with individuals in Dubai and other foreign locations, suggesting possible international linkages.

Police said the syndicate was involved in multiple cyber fraud modules, including digital arrest scams, investment fraud, UPI-related fraud, deposit fraud, loan fraud, part-time job fraud and gaming fraud.

The accused allegedly operated a commission-based arrangement for supplying banking infrastructure used to receive, transfer and layer proceeds of crime.

Officials further said the accused procured bank account kits and SIM cards from genuine account holders and redistributed them within the network for illegal use.

Authorities reiterated that bank account holders remain legally responsible for all transactions conducted through their accounts.
Jaipur, April 13 : In a major crackdown on narcotics-linked wealth, the police in Rajasthan's Pratapgarh have frozen assets worth nearly Rs 2.78 crore belonging to alleged drug smuggler Usman Khan under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, officials said on Monday.

The action was carried out under the supervision of Pratapgarh Superintendent of Police (SP) B. Aditya, invoking Section 68F(1) of the NDPS Act to target properties acquired through illegal drug trafficking.

Following approval from the competent authority of the Union government in New Delhi, police teams on Monday affixed freezing notices on properties linked to the accused and his relatives in the Arnod police station area.

According to the police, the operation stems from a February 21, 2026 case, when a team led by Station House Officer (SHO) Shivlal Meena intercepted and arrested Narayan Lal Meena during a blockade.

During the action, more than 4.25 kg of brown sugar (heroin) along with related chemicals were seized.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the consignment had been sent for distribution by Usman Khan, a resident of Deoli in Rajasthan's Tonk district.

However, upon learning of the police action, Usman Khan was on the run.

A court has since issued a warrant for his arrest.

Police also said that Usman Khan is enrolled as a college student in Mandsaur but has allegedly been involved in drug trafficking for a considerable period.

Investigations uncovered that despite having no known legitimate income or ancestral property, Usman Khan accumulated significant wealth in a short span through illegal activities.

Police identified assets, including a luxurious house in Deoli worth Rs 50 lakh, a farmhouse valued at Rs 1 crore, a Fortuner car ( valued at Rs 48 lakh) purchased in a relative's name, a Scorpio car registered in his own name and five Marwari/Kathiawari horses worth around Rs 80 lakh and ten Murrah buffaloes maintained at the farmhouse.

Many of these assets were registered in the names of his mother, Rubina Bi, and brother Rahmat, indicating attempts to conceal ownership.

A detailed proposal prepared by Arnod police was sent to the competent authority under Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Act (SAFEMA) and the NDPS Act in New Delhi.

After approval, authorities have now formally frozen both movable and immovable properties and initiated further legal proceedings.

Pratapgarh SP Aditya emphasised that the action against drug trafficking and illegal wealth will continue.

He warned that strict action will be taken not only against drug smugglers but also against those aiding them directly or indirectly.

Police also confirmed that the accused has a criminal history, with previous cases registered under attempted murder and the Arms Act.

Authorities are continuing efforts to trace and arrest the accused.
Ahmedabad, April 13 : The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested seven people for allegedly operating a sophisticated inter-state fraud involving manipulation of electronic weighbridge systems to cheat companies during scrap transactions, officials said on Monday.a Ahmedabad, April 13 (IANS) The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested seven people for allegedly operating a sophisticated inter-state fraud involving manipulation of electronic weighbridge systems to cheat companies during scrap transactions, officials said on Monday.

According to the Crime Branch, the gang was active across multiple states and committed fraud by tampering with electronic weighing machines used to weigh scrap material.

The operation came to light following specific intelligence inputs, after which investigators conducted technical analysis and field inquiries.

Police said the accused installed specialised chips in weighbridge machines, enabling them to interfere with the weight display system.

They also used remote-control devices to alter readings and generate false weight slips that showed lower weights than the actual load.

This allowed them to unlawfully gain during scrap purchases.

Inspector Nikhil Brahmbhatt said, "In Gujarat and its neighbouring states such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra, there are several scrap traders and large companies where scrap tenders are issued. In these tenders, a gang would place the highest bids and commit fraud. We have arrested seven members of this gang."

Investigators said the accused would participate in scrap tenders issued by companies and industrial units or acquire scrap through auction bidding.

After securing deals, they allegedly tampered with weighbridge systems at the sites through associates with technical expertise, underreporting the actual weight of scrap and cheating scrapyard operators and site owners.

Acting on precise information that gang members were gathering with illegal equipment in the Vatva GIDC area, a Crime Branch team conducted a raid and apprehended all seven accused from the location.

A Crime Branch official told IANS, "We received specific inputs about their gathering. All seven were apprehended from Vatva GIDC in Ahmedabad."

An official added that the fraud is estimated at between Rs 50 crore and Rs 100 crore and said that companies affected include Adani Group, Reliance Industries, and Essar, among others.

"We have approached the companies to take part in the inquiry. We also suspect that employees such as security guards can be part of this operation," an official noted.

The official further stated that the alleged mastermind has been identified as Rajnish Kashyap, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, who is currently absconding.

"Two more individuals from Noida and New Delhi are believed to be linked to this fraud," the official told IANS.

The arrested accused have been identified as Hemantkumar Raval (33), Sanket Raval (24), Vijay Thakor (36), Manish Rabari (27), Vinod Patni (36), Mukesh Patni (31), and Sunil Patni (36).

Police said they are residents of Ahmedabad and nearby districts, with native places in Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Gandhinagar and Patan.

Officials said six other persons have been named as wanted in the case, including Rajnish Kashyap, Chirag Goswami alias Chirag Bawa, Sunil Bodi, Vinod Champo, Ashok Gugo and Sanjay Patni.

During the operation, the police seized four electronic chips valued at Rs 80,000, 13 remote control devices valued at Rs 65,000, 12 mobile phones valued at Rs 2.65 lakh, and a car valued at Rs 15 lakh.

The total value of the seized property is estimated at Rs 19.10 lakh.

Further investigation into the case is ongoing.
Jaipur, April 13 : Ahead of the Char Dham Yatra season, the Cyber Crime Branch of Rajasthan Police has issued a comprehensive advisory urging devotees to remain vigilant against rising cases of online fraud, officials said on Monday.

Acting under the directives of Additional Director General of Police (Cyber Crime) V.K. Singh, the advisory aims to protect pilgrims from cybercriminals, who are targeting travellers through fake offers of helicopter bookings, hotel reservations, and VIP darshan services.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (Cyber Crime), Shantanu Kumar Singh, has cautioned that devotees should make all bookings only through official government portals or trusted travel agencies.

Fraudsters often circulate attractive advertisements on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, offering cheap packages or instant darshan, to lure unsuspecting victims.

Citizens are strongly advised not to share UPI details, OTPs, or card information with unknown individuals, and to avoid making payments in response to unsolicited calls.

The advisory also highlights the importance of safe digital transactions during travel.

Devotees are advised not to conduct financial transactions over public Wi-Fi networks at railway stations, airports, or dharamshalas, as such networks may expose sensitive data to theft.

It further warns against scanning QR codes to receive money, emphasising that entering a PIN is only required when sending money, not receiving it.

Travellers should also use ATMs located in secure and crowded areas, preferably within bank premises.

To enhance mobile security, pilgrims are encouraged to enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on their devices and avoid using public USB charging ports, opting instead for personal power banks.

They should share their live location only with trusted family members and remain alert to fraudulent calls from individuals posing as temple authorities or police officials.

In case of emergency claims involving relatives, verification should be done directly before taking any action.

In case of cyber fraud, citizens should immediately contact the cyber helpline at 1930 or report incidents via the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.

The Rajasthan Police has appealed to all devotees to stay alert and adopt safe digital practices for a secure pilgrimage.
Kolkata, April 13 : Six residents of Arambagh in West Bengal's Hooghly district have filed a suicide petition with President Droupadi Murmu after their names were removed from the state's electoral rolls post Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, officials said on Monday.

They filed the petition at the Arambagh Sub-Divisional Magistrate's office on Monday afternoon.

They visited the Sub-Divisional Magistrate's office with all the documents attached to submit the petition.

Among the petitioners is a retired high school teacher.

According to administrative officials, all the petitioners are residents of Ward number 6 of Arambagh Municipality.

A total of 206 names of people from that ward have been cancelled after the SIR process.

Among the six petitioners who want to commit suicide, Taibunnesa Begum has served as the headmistress of Goghat Bhagwati Girls' School for 20 years. She was a government school teacher for a total of 34 years. Her husband is the principal of Arambagh Girls' College.

Taibunnesa claimed that she has her own pension papers. Despite having all the information including her passport, her name has been cancelled.

Standing outside the Sub-Divisional Administrator's office on Monday, she said, "We cannot tolerate this harassment at the end of our lives. That is why we have applied for voluntary euthanasia."

Ward 6 Trinamool Congress Councillor Swapan Nandi also went to the Sub-Divisional Administrator's office with the six petitioners.

The petitioners claim that despite being born in an independent country, they have now become dependent again.

They fear that this time they will be sent to a detention camp because their names were omitted from the voter's list.

They have stated in their petition that voluntary death is better than going to a detention camp.

A political war of words has begun over this incident.

The Bharatiya Janata Party claims that the Trinamool Congress is trying to do politics in the garb of gaining votes by creating an atmosphere of fear.

Although the Trinamool Congress denies the allegations, the party claims that it is standing by the common people.
Imphal, April 13 : Security forces on Monday arrested three militants belonging to different insurgent outfits and dismantled four illegally constructed bunkers in separate operations, officials said.a Imphal, April 13 (IANS) Security forces on Monday arrested three militants belonging to different insurgent outfits and dismantled four illegally constructed bunkers in separate operations, officials said.

A police official said that Manipur Police, assisted by Assam Police, arrested a militant belonging to the People's Liberation Army and its sister outfit, Revolutionary People's Front, from Rupnagar in Hojai district of Assam.

The militant, identified as Hodam Romen Singh alias Naobi (39), a resident of Kamranga in Jiribam adjoining southern Assam, was an extortionist of the Revolutionary People's Front/People's Liberation Army active cadre and is a co-accused in a case registered at Jiribam police station.

In another operation, the security forces arrested two residents of Hiyanglam Awang Leikai from Lilong village in Thoubal district who were actively working for the Kangleipak Communist Party militant outfit. The militants are identified as Elangbam Surjit Singh and Maibam Ronaldo. A service pistol with ten 9 mm rounds was recovered from them.

The security forces destroyed four bunkers at Mongkot Chepu village areas under the Litan police station in Ukhrul district. Thirty-five empty cases were also recovered.

In a third operation, the security forces recovered arms and ammunition from the Tingpibung and Leplen villages in the mountainous Kangpokpi district.

The recovered arms and ammunition include five country-made bolt action single barrels, three pump guns, one 36 hand grenade, two 7.62 mm live rounds, 50 empty cases of different calibres, and two radio sets with one charger.

Security forces, comprising both Central and state units, continue to carry out extensive crackdowns on militant activities. Search operations and area domination exercises are ongoing in fringe, mixed-population, and other vulnerable areas across multiple districts.

To strengthen surveillance and prevent the movement of unlawful elements, 114 checkpoints have been set up across both the valley and hill districts of the state.

Security forces are also escorting vehicles, including trucks transporting essential commodities, along the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37). Tight security arrangements and convoy protection remain in place along sensitive stretches to ensure the safe movement of traffic.

Manipur Police have urged the public to refrain from believing rumours and to remain cautious about fake videos circulating on social media.

"The authenticity of any circulated videos or audio clips should be verified with the Central Control Room. Uploading or sharing unverified or misleading content on social media will invite legal action," a police statement warned.

--IANS

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Navsari, April 13 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Gujarat's Navsari district celebrated after winning 41 seats across multiple local bodies unopposed in the ongoing local self-government elections, reflecting a series of victories ahead of polling later this month.a Navsari, April 13 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in Gujarat's Navsari district celebrated after winning 41 seats across multiple local bodies unopposed in the ongoing local self-government elections, reflecting a series of victories ahead of polling later this month.

According to party leaders, BJP candidates were elected unopposed to three seats of the Navsari Municipal Corporation, six seats of the district panchayat, 11 seats of taluka panchayats, and 21 seats of the Gandevi municipality.

Party workers celebrated the outcome across the district following the confirmation of these results.

State Cabinet Minister Naresh Patel said, "The unopposed victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Gandevi Municipality is a matter of pride for the entire BJP family."

Meanwhile, in Ahmedabad, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Ketan Patel withdrew his nomination from the Odhav ward in the Nikol Assembly constituency, a seat represented by state BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma.

He subsequently joined the BJP along with a number of his supporters, according to the party.

The BJP state leadership, including Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, is leading the campaign in various districts alongside party leaders.

The developments come amid heightened political activity across Gujarat as campaigning and withdrawals continue in the run-up to the local body polls.

The broader election process is underway for municipal corporations, municipalities, district panchayats and taluka panchayats across Gujarat.

Voting for these local body elections is scheduled for April 26, with counting on April 28.

The deadline for withdrawal of nominations is April 15, following scrutiny of nomination papers.

The elections cover thousands of seats across urban and rural local bodies and are being seen as an important indicator of political trends at the grassroots level, with participation from major parties including the BJP, Congress and the AAP.
Lucknow/Delhi, April 14 : A court in Lucknow on Monday sentenced three terrorists linked to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated terror module Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) to life imprisonment for conspiring to carry out serial blasts in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country.

Special Judge (NIA/ATS) Jitendra Kumar Pandey convicted and sentenced Minhaj Ahmad alias Minhaj, Musiruddin alias Musir alias Raju, and Tauheed Ahmad Shah alias Sobu Shah in the case investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The court held the accused guilty under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Arms Act.

According to the prosecution, the convicts were part of an Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) module set up in Lucknow under the banner of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind at the direction of Pakistan/Afghanistan border-based handler Umar Helmandi.

The probe found that the terror module had planned to execute bomb blasts and fidayeen-style attacks at government buildings, sensitive installations, monuments, and crowded public places in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Lucknow, before August 15, 2021.

The NIA/ATS had recovered explosives, including a cooker bomb, arms, and other incriminating materials during the investigation.

The prosecution told the court that the accused had taken the oath of allegiance to the banned terror outfit, circulated radical and jihadi propaganda material online, and was engaged in recruiting and radicalising other persons for terror activities.

In its order, the court observed that the accused had conspired against the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India and had collected arms and explosives to carry out terrorist acts, warranting stringent punishment.

Musiruddin and Minhaj were awarded life imprisonment under Sections 121A and 122 of the IPC as well as under Section 20 of the UAPA, among other sentences under different provisions.

Tauheed Ahmad Shah was similarly sentenced to life imprisonment under Sections 121A and 122 IPC. All sentences will run concurrently, and the period already undergone in jail during trial will be set off against the sentence, the court ordered.

The probe was initially launched by the Uttar Pradesh ATS in July 2021 on intelligence inputs regarding the existence of an Al-Qaeda-inspired terror module operating from Lucknow and was later taken over by the NIA.

The anti-terror agency had filed charge sheets and supplementary charge sheets against the accused following an extensive probe involving witness testimonies, digital evidence, forensic reports, and recoveries made during searches.

--IANS

pds/dan
Kolkata, April 14 : The Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee expressed objections over the arrest of Indian Political Action Committee co-founder Vinesh Chandel by Enforcement Directorate officials on Monday night in New Delhi.a Kolkata, April 14 (IANS) The Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee expressed objections over the arrest of Indian Political Action Committee co-founder Vinesh Chandel by Enforcement Directorate officials on Monday night in New Delhi.

"The arrest of Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC, barely 10 days before the Bengal elections, is not just alarming; it shakes the very idea of a level playing field," Banerjee said in a social media post on Monday night, soon after information surfaced about the arrest.

According to Banerjee, at a time when West Bengal should be moving toward free and fair elections, this kind of action sends a chilling message. 

He said, "If you work with the opposition, you could be next. That's not democracy, that's intimidation!"

He also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Union government of double standards by sparing those accused of corruption once they join the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

"Those facing serious corruption allegations seem to find protection the moment they switch sides, while others are swiftly targeted at politically convenient moments. People are not blind to this anymore," Banerjee added.

According to him, when institutions like the Enforcement Directorate and the Election Commission of India, meant to protect democracy, start feeling like tools of pressure, trust begins to erode. 

He said, "On one side, the Election Commission. On the other hand, agencies like the Enforcement Directorate, National Investigation Agency, and Central Bureau of Investigation are stepping in at the most sensitive time. It creates an atmosphere of fear, not fairness."

Banerjee stressed that the arrest of Chandel is bigger than one arrest, and it is about whether the country's institutions remain independent.

--IANS

src/dan
Business

Gimbal Engineering Expands Packaging Machinery Solutions Across Multiple Industries

Gimbal Engineering, a Coimbatore-based manufacturer of packaging machinery, continues to support a wide range of industries with customized filling and packaging solutions designed for efficiency and consistency in production processes.

Established in 2014, the company specializes in manufacturing machinery for liquid, paste, powder, and spice filling applications. Its systems are developed to handle diverse production requirements across sectors such as food processing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and agriculture, where accuracy and reliability are essential.

In industries where packaging directly impacts product quality and shelf life, businesses require machinery that can maintain consistency across large volumes. Gimbal Engineering addresses this need by offering filling systems that are built for precision and adaptable to different materials and packaging formats. From liquid-based products to fine powders and semi-solid pastes, the companys machines are designed to operate efficiently under varying production conditions.

One of the key aspects of Gimbal Engineerings approach is customization. Instead of offering one-size-fits-all equipment, the company works around specific client requirements, allowing businesses to align machinery with their operational workflow. This becomes especially important for manufacturers dealing with specialized products such as spices, chemical formulations, or agricultural inputs, where packaging accuracy and handling can affect overall product performance.

The companys solutions are used by manufacturers looking to streamline their packaging processes while maintaining quality standards. In sectors like food and pharmaceuticals, where hygiene and consistency are critical, reliable machinery plays a central role in daily operations. Gimbal Engineerings systems are built to support these requirements without adding unnecessary complexity to the process.

Operating from Coimbatore, a well-established industrial hub, the company continues to serve businesses across different regions with a focus on practical engineering and long-term usability. Its emphasis on product reliability and consistent performance has helped it build relationships with clients across multiple sectors.

With increasing demand for efficient packaging solutions across industries, Gimbal Engineering remains focused on developing machinery that meets evolving production needs while maintaining a balance between performance, durability, and ease of use.
Technology

ADELLA PASOS RELEASES NEW VIDEO SHOWING BUSINESS OWNERS HOW TO USE AGENTIC AI TO GROW THEIR BUSINESS RIGHT NOW

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ADELLA PASOS RELEASES NEW VIDEO SHOWING BUSINESS OWNERS HOW TO USE AGENTIC AI TO GROW THEIR BUSINESS RIGHT NOW

After 10 Hours of Research, the Digital Business Strategist Breaks Down Three Practical Agentic AI Applications -- Including Real Tools Like N8N, Relevance AI, and Make.com -- That Most Business Owners Don't Know About

LOS ANGELES, CA -- 2026 -- Adella Pasos, entrepreneur, author, and digital business strategist, has released a new free video titled "How to Use Agentic AI to Grow Your Business Right Now." The video is now live on YouTube and gives business owners a clear, practical look at how agentic AI tools can automate entire workflows -- from customer outreach to content creation to backend operations -- saving real time and helping businesses grow faster.

Most business owners know that AI exists, but many have no idea what it can actually do for them today. They are still doing repetitive tasks by hand -- following up with leads, creating content, managing day-to-day operations -- because the gap between hearing about AI and knowing which tools to use feels too wide to cross. This video closes that gap.

The video covers three real-world ways agentic AI is already handling full business workflows automatically. First, it shows how AI agents can automate customer outreach using tools like Relevance AI, so business owners can follow up with leads without lifting a finger. Second, it explores how agentic AI can streamline content creation across multiple platforms at once. Third, it dives into how AI can handle backend business tasks that used to eat up hours every week.

A key focus of the video is N8N, a powerful workflow automation tool that Adella highlights as a top choice for business owners who want to build automated systems without needing a technical background. She also covers Make.com and explains what makes agentic AI different from other AI tools. Instead of just completing a single task, agentic AI handles entire workflows from start to finish, making it far more useful for running a real business.

"Most business owners are still doing things manually that AI could handle right now. I spent 10 hours researching agentic AI so you don't have to. This video gives you the exact tools and use cases to start saving time and growing your business today -- no tech background needed." -- Adella Pasos

Adella also offers viewers a curated list of specific agentic AI tools matched to different business use cases -- a resource she built from her own deep research into the space. This makes the video not just educational, but immediately actionable for any business owner ready to start using AI today.

The video is part of her show "What's Your Game Plan TV," which delivers free expert advice, growth strategies, and digital business tools for entrepreneurs and small business owners at every stage. Her content is designed to be easy to understand and fast to apply, no matter your experience level with technology.

Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzXSZlyDa0I

BRAND PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS

Adella Pasos is actively seeking brand partnerships with businesses, AI tools, automation platforms, and digital products aligned with entrepreneurship and the creator economy. If you have a business or tool you want to bring more awareness to, she invites you to reach out directly. She offers select partnerships including awards-season cultural activations and digital campaigns that connect your brand with a highly engaged audience of business owners and entrepreneurs.

Contact Adella: Website: adellapasos.com Email: adellapasos@gmail.com

ABOUT ADELLA PASOS

Adella Pasos is an entrepreneur, author, and digital business strategist focused on the creator economy, entrepreneurship, and modern digital ownership. Her work centers on helping individuals and brands convert influence into sustainable enterprise. She has grown brands from scratch and worked with startups, small businesses, and Fortune 500 corporations. Her show "What's Your Game Plan TV" features free expert advice, growth strategies, tips, trends, and tools to help any business succeed. She can be found on IMDB, Instagram, YouTube, and her official website.

MEDIA CONTACT

Global Business PR West Hollywood, CA United States

Phone: 800-390-2302 Email: jessmane@globalbusinesspr.com Website: globalbusinesspr.com
Mission Control has selected Magellan Aerospace Corporation ("Magellan") to support the development of concepts for Canada's lunar utility rover. Working alongside a consortium of Canadian partners, Magellan will design key subsystems helping ensure the rover could operate in the Moon's extreme environment.

OTTAWA, ON, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Mission Control has selected Magellan to join their team developing concepts for Canada's lunar utility rover, a key contribution to the future human exploration of the Moon.

Mission Control is one of three companies previously awarded a $4.7 million contract by the Canadian Space Agency to execute the initial phase of the Canadian lunar utility rover. This phase includes defining mission tasks, advancing critical technologies, and laying the groundwork for a full prototype. This contract marks the starting point of Canada's $1.35 billion investment in the utility rover.

As part of this next phase, Magellan will work in partnership with Mission Control and alongside a consortium of leading Canadian companies to bring the rover  a semi-autonomous, minibus-sized rover to life.

"We're proud to partner with Magellan Aerospace" said Peter Visscher, Vice President of Rovers at Mission Control. "With our combined expertise and that of our other partners, we've assembled a world-class Canadian team to take on this mission. Together, we're developing advanced systems designed to enable safe, reliable lunar surface logistics and support astronaut spacewalkswhile showcasing the innovation and leadership of Canada's space sector. "

Drawing on decades of heritage and expertise in space systems engineering, Magellan will play a critical role in the development of concepts for the rover's core subsystems, including power, thermal, flight computer, and flight software. These systems are essential to ensuring the rover could withstand and operate within the Moon's harsh and unpredictable environment over its anticipated long-duration mission.

"With more than 60 years of experience in space programs, Magellan is excited to contribute its core subsystem technologies concepts to a Canadian-made utility rover" said Haydn Martin, Magellan's Vice President of Business Development, Marketing and Contracts. "We are proud to work alongside this growing network of partners delivering specialized technologiesfrom robotics and autonomy to core vehicle systemsdemonstrating the strength of Canada's space sector and its role in enabling the next era of lunar exploration."

About Mission Control, www.missioncontrolspace.com

Mission Control empowers explorers by innovating to make advanced technology viable for use in space. Using Spacefarer and SpacefarerAI, customers can simplify mission development and operations while unlocking the potential of new scientific and commercial opportunities on the Earth, Moon, Mars, and beyond. Spacefarer is being trusted for multiple missions to the Moon by mission controllers, scientists, and software developers who seek faster deployments, lower-cost mission development, and valuable data returns. Mission Control launched the Persistence Mission  Canada's giant leap for AI in space  in June of 2025. Mission Control is inspired by a vision of the world in which access to space is ubiquitous and inspires all humans to treasure planet Earth and marvel at the universe.

About Magellan Aerospace Corporation, www.magellan.aero

Magellan Aerospace Corporation is a global aerospace company that provides complex assemblies and systems solutions to aircraft and engine manufacturers, and defense and space agencies worldwide. Magellan designs and manufactures aeroengine and aerostructure assemblies and components for aerospace markets, advanced proprietary products for military and space markets, and provides engine and component repair and overhaul services worldwide. Magellan is a public company whose shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: MAL), with operating units throughout North America, Europe, and India.

Media Contact

Candice Kinney, Mission Control, 1 6132070470, [email protected], Missioncontrolspace.com

SOURCE Mission Control
Engineering services companies are adopting digital workforce planning platforms to coordinate crews, compliance and multi-site infrastructure projects.

BRISBANE, Australia, April 12, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Robar Civil Group implements digital workforce platform as project activity increases

Robar Civil Group has begun implementing a digital workforce rostering platform developed by Cru Software as the company prepares for increasing project activity across Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales.

The civil construction labour provider is replacing spreadsheet-based rostering with CRU Rostering, a workforce management system designed to coordinate crews across multiple projects and sites. The move comes as infrastructure and civil construction activity accelerates across South East Queensland, driven in part by population growth and major public investment tied to the state's long-term infrastructure pipeline.

Robar Civil Group supplies operators, labourers and technical personnel to contractors and project owners across civil construction, infrastructure, mining and industrial projects. As the business has expanded, coordinating crews, site requirements and compliance processes through manual systems has become increasingly difficult.

Jason Cameron, CEO of Cru Software, said workforce coordination has become a more significant operational issue for contractors managing multiple concurrent projects.

"Civil contractors are dealing with more moving parts than they were even a few years ago," Cameron said.

"Projects are larger, timelines are tighter and workforces are often spread across multiple locations. This makes it harder to manage crews, compliance and fatigue using manual workflows, making it harder to maintain visibility and respond quickly to changing site requirements. Streamlining and automating processes helps businesses mobilise more efficiently, ultimately supporting the retention of skilled people, and project outcomes for clients."

The implementation is being led by Robar Civil Groups coordination team under the direction of Artur Krupinski. Initial work is focused on configuring the system, establishing project structures and preparing for staged deployment across active crews.

According to Krupinski, the shift was driven by the operational limitations of spreadsheet-based planning as project workloads increased.

"We've relied on spreadsheets for a long time, but as the business has grown they've become harder to manage," he said. "We needed a system that could handle multiple projects, give us clearer oversight of our workforce and help keep track of compliance and fatigue requirements. This gives us a more structured way to manage the scale of work we're supporting."

The system will centralise workforce planning and allow supervisors to manage crews across several projects while communicating roster changes directly to workers through a mobile application. It will also allow the business to monitor competency, compliance and fatigue requirements in one system rather than across multiple spreadsheets.

Industry analysts note that workforce coordination is becoming a larger operational focus in construction, mining, and civil contracting as project pipelines expand and labour markets tighten. Companies managing complex workforces are increasingly adopting digital systems to improve oversight of labour allocation, safety compliance and project resourcing.

Robar Civil Groups implementation is expected to roll out progressively across its operations as new projects commence.

About Robar Civil Group

Robar Civil Group provides skilled labour, operators and workforce solutions to civil construction, infrastructure, mining and industrial projects across Queensland and New South Wales. With a focus on reliability, capability and safe project delivery, Robar supports contractors and project owners with teams tailored to site requirements.

Learn more: robarcivil.com.au

About Cru Software

Cru Software develops workforce planning and rostering systems used by organisations operating across mining, resources, civil construction, utilities and engineering services. Learn more: crusoftware.com

Media Contact

Suzie Burn, Cru Software, 61 0409994285, [email protected], www.crusoftware.com

SOURCE Cru Software
Julia Fleischaker spent 20 years in New York working in publicity at Penguin Publishing Group and Melville House, but she still touts Baltimore as one of the nations great literary strongholds.

People are always surprised for a city this size, how we punch above our weight consistently in literary culture, she says. We have a lot of bookstores for a small city.

One of the shops catering to Baltimores voracious readers is Fleischakers Greedy Reads. Fleischaker opened the bookstores flagship location in Fells Point, nestled among the harborside neighborhoods cobblestone streets, in 2018, just after leaving New York. She landed a second storefront in Remington, closer to the Johns Hopkins University campus, in November 2019.

Fleischaker wanted to use the larger Remington space to host events, but four months after opening, Covid-19 forced her to shut it down. Just as she learned retail on the fly, though, Fleischaker was poised to improvise. She repurposed the Remington store as a staging ground for curated book bags, which she hand-delivered to customers around the city, and remain popular today.

In 2022, when the Baltimore Book Festival was canceled due to the pandemic, Fleischaker decided to fill the void with a Greedy Reads gathering called the Lost Weekend. The festival has gone through three iterations, and has featured such guests as Hernan Diaz, Susan Choi, and Rachel Khong, each in conversation with a local author.

Fleischaker now has a team of seven booksellers and staff, as well as an ever-growing community of customers. She says she finds joy in passing books person-to-person in a way she didnt get to experience when working in publishingthough she describes bookselling and publishing as sibling professions.

I spent all of these years selling books on a macro levellike whos the audience for this book on a large scaleand working in the store is so cool, she said. I'm lucky, in that having seen it from the other side gives you a little bit of insight.

Fleischaker just finished reading Jonathan Miless Eradication (Doubleday, Feb. 2026), about a schoolteacher turned invasive goat hunter.

If you order a Greedy Reads curated bag, though, chances are youll find Antoine Wilsons 2022 novel Mouth to Mouth (Avid Reader). Why? Nobody will not like this book, Fleischaker says.
Asia-Pacific Roundup: India decriminalizes compliance breaches, replacing imprisonment with fines

Indian lawmakers have voted to decriminalize some compliance breaches to reduce regulatory litigation burden, eliminating the potential for prison sentences while increasing monetary fines.

The country has a legal backlog that is driven in part by cases brought by the government. Amendments that recently passed both Indian Houses of Parliament could slow the flow of new cases by removing criminal penalties for minor procedural lapses and replacing them with civil penalties or administrative mechanisms.

Indias Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 is among the laws affected by the amendments. Under the old law, individuals could face up to one year in prison and a fine of at least 20,000 rupees ($215) for failing to keep records or disclose information. The legal update eliminates the potential for imprisonment and increases the minimum fine to more than $3,000.

With the focus shifting from criminal to civil cases, lawmakers have created an adjudication mechanism to run alongside the existing prosecution route. For civil cases, Indias central and state governments can appoint an adjudicating officer to conduct inquiries and impose penalties. People have the right to be heard before receiving a penalty and can appeal to a higher-ranking authority within 30 days.

The civil adjudication mechanism gives authorities a potentially faster, more efficient way to enforce the regulations. Rather than pursue criminal prosecutions through Indias busy courts, authorities can set up their own mechanisms for issuing civil penalties for certain compliance breaches.

Lawmakers also voted to delete a provision that penalized people for using test reports from the central drugs laboratory or a government analyst in drug ads. Previously, using the reports in drug promotional materials was associated with a fine of about $50. The amendments also delete a section on punishing people who repeatedly use test reports in drug ads.

Press Release

Philippine FDA seeks feedback on drug product and API registration documents

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published draft amendments to the rules about registering pharmaceutical products and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

Under rules published in 2024, marketing authorizations, Department of Health-restricted approvals, and export-only certificates last six years when first issued by FDA. Upon renewal, the registration documents are valid for 6 or 12 years.

FDA has proposed changing the validity rules. Under the proposals, initial registrations will last 3 or 6 years and renewed certificates will be valid for 3, 6, 9, or 12 years. Applicants will decide how long they want their initial and renewal certificates to last. The validity of certificates authorizing foreign donations will remain unchanged, with FDA continuing to set a one-year expiry date.

The agency said giving applicants the power to choose the duration of other certificates will ensure the framework remains responsive to evolving regulatory needs and operational realities. FDA is seeking feedback on the proposals until 5 June.

One day after publishing the draft amendments, FDA issued a call for feedback on the recognition and adoption of official pharmacopeias for the registration of pharmaceutical products and APIs. FDA has proposed recognizing 11 pharmacopeias, including authorities in Europe, India, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States.

The agency said, The most stringent acceptance criteria shall prevail if there are inconsistencies in the acceptance criteria specified in the monograph among the recognized and adopted pharmacopeias. The policy is intended to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of the product or API.

FDA is seeking feedback on the proposal until 8 May.

Authorization Draft, Export Draft, Pharmacopeia Draft

Japans PMDA shares guidance on developing intravenous epilepsy medicines

The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) has posted guidance on clinical development of certain intravenous epilepsy drugs for the Japanese market.

Epilepsy patients are sometimes unable to take oral medicines, for example because they have difficulty swallowing or are hospitalized and restricted from taking food or medication orally. Stopping treatment abruptly can cause health issues including the recurrence of seizures, creating a need for intravenous medicines that patients can receive while temporarily unable to take oral drugs.

PMDA has published an early consideration document to support clinical development of medicines that reformulate oral products for intravenous delivery. The document features considerations for companies that are developing intravenous versions of oral products with confirmed safety and efficacy.

Companies need to confirm that their oral and intravenous formulations have similar pharmacokinetic profiles. PMDA expects developers to examine the effect of switching from oral to intravenous products, and vice versa.

Developers who show that pharmacokinetic changes before and after switching are clinically judged to have no impact may be able to bring intravenous drugs to market without running randomized double-blind comparative studies, PMDA said. Alternative options include comparing the change in seizure frequency before and after switching from oral to intravenous formulations.

In principle, PMDA wants companies to study intravenous medicines in each indication covered by their oral equivalent. However, the agency acknowledged that it may not be feasible to run studies in every indication. In that situation, PMDA may accept alternative designs if companies confirm the rationale for the expected efficacy of the intravenous formulation.

PMDA Guidance

WHO names Kazakhstan as first Central Asia country to reach regulatory milestone

The World Health Organization (WHO) has ruled that Kazakhstan has the technical expertise and systems to formally evaluate and approve health products.

WHO said Kazakhstan has reached Maturity Level 3 (ML3), making it the first country in Central Asia to achieve that milestone. ML3 shows a country has a well-functioning health authority capable of making independent, science-based decisions on the quality, safety, and efficacy of products. The maturity level also indicates the ability to perform post-market monitoring and address safety issues quickly.

Kazakhstans Committee for Medical and Pharmaceutical Control and the National Center for Expertise of Medicines and Medical Devices implement the countrys regulatory system. Working with the Ministry of Health, the bodies oversee medicines and vaccines across the lifecycle in Kazakhstan, a country with a population of 20 million that borders China and Russia.

As an ML3 country, Kazakhstan may be eligible for designation as a WHO Listed Authority. WHO will need to perform additional assessments before granting the designation, which enables countries to play a more prominent role in advancing global regulatory standards.

Press Release

Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission seeks feedback on draft national formulary

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has published a draft update to the National Formulary of India (NFI) for consultation.

NFI provides information on approved drugs, including their indications, dosing, and adverse events. Indian trade publication Pharmabiz reported that NFI 2026 is intended to promote the rational use of medicines and tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

IPCs secretary and scientific director, V Kalaiselvan, said the draft document directly aligns with the Indian Prime Ministers goal of reducing AMR burdens. The precautions listed in the draft include a note about the potential for extended or recurrent use of fusidic acid to raise the risk of antibiotic resistance. An appendix describes AMR, its causes, and strategies for preventing resistance in healthcare settings.

The draft is open for comments for 45 days. IPC is reportedly aiming to finalize the document in July.

IPC Notice, Pharmabiz

Other News:

Chinas National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA) has removed drug ads with false or exaggerated claims. NRTA said the removals were part of a nationwide clamp down on TV ads. NRTA Statement (Chinese)
Recon: FDA denies Replimunes cancer drug over trial issues; Revolutions cancer pill boosts survival in Phase 3 trial

Welcome to Regulatory Reconnaissance, your regulatory news and intelligence briefing.

In Focus: US

Amazon to stock Lilly's new weight-loss pill at US kiosks, offer same-day delivery (Reuters)

Landmines await Vinay Prasads successor at the FDA (STAT)

FDA rejects Replimune cancer therapy, saying company didn't resolve trial doubts (Endpoints)

Medline Recalls Millions Of Angiographic Syringes After FDA Warning Letter (MedTech Insight)

Plausible Mechanism Case Studies: Why US FDA Guidance Matters (Pink Sheet)

FDAs Fiscal Year 2027 Budget is Chock-Full of Legislative Proposals  Especially on Hatch-Waxman and the BPCIA (FDA Law Blog)

In Focus: International

Bayer pharma executive predicts US-Europe price spreads will narrow (Endpoints)

A cure for five blood disease patients suggests Chinese genetic medicine can compete globally (Endpoints)

South Korea bans stockpiling of medical needles, syringes to prevent supply disruptions (Reuters)

Drugmaker Leo Pharma Is Said to Pick Banks for Copenhagen IPO (Bloomberg)

Estonia Joins EU Race To Accelerate Clinical Trial Approvals (Pink Sheet)

Pharma & Biotech

Revolution Medicines touts unprecedented data for pancreatic cancer pill (STAT) (Reuters)

Allogene Therapeutics CAR-T treatment eliminates residual cancer cells in B-cell lymphoma patients (STAT)

Spyre Therapeutics IBD drug shows promise in early trial (STAT)

Ideayas uveal melanoma drug exceeds success benchmark in late-stage trial (Endpoints)

Kailera, Alamar launch US IPOs as biotech listings gather momentum (Reuters)

GSK sees blockbuster potential in targeted cancer therapy after promising early data (Reuters)

PolyPeptide Shares Surge Amid Takeover Interest From EQT, KKR (Bloomberg)

Regulatory Alignment Helps Cereno Chart Faster, Cheaper Route For CS014 (Pink Sheet)

Medtech

Stryker is fully operational after cyberattack (MedTech Dive)

Pulse Biosciences hires Liane Teplitsky as COO (MedTech Dive)

EU Data Act Brings Yet More Questions For Medtech (MedTech Insight)

MHRAs Commatteo Points To Pivotal Period For AI Regulation And Airlock 3 (MedTech Insight)

Food & Nutrition

Jury orders Abbott to pay $70 million in preterm infant formula trial, company says (Reuters)

How food manufacturers are rethinking product assortments (Food Dive)

Government, Regulatory & Legal

Mail-order dominates US abortion pill dispensing (Reuters)

GAO report shows gap between scale of illegal vapes and enforcement (STAT)

Hospitals roll out chatbots, looking to reclaim their role in patients health conversations (STAT)

Plan for remade CDC vaccine panel adds focus on vaccine safety, matching Kennedys push (Endpoints)

States, insurers await needed details to implement new US Medicaid work rules (Reuters)

UMSOM Researcher To Drive Innovation By Making New Cervix Organ-On-A-Chip Widely Accessible (MedTech Insight)

Regulatory Recon is our regular intelligence briefing for the regulatory affairs space, bringing you the top regulatory, biopharma and medtech news stories from around the globe. Regulatory Recon is published each week on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

A storys inclusion in Regulatory Recon does not imply endorsement by Regulatory Focus or RAPS.
As the Iran war continues to roil the world economy, the Trump administration is understandably eager to point to East Asia where a few limited foreign policy successes have been notched.

The effort to coax Americas wealthy Asia-Pacific allies to invest more in the U.S. economy shows some signs of promise. There has also been some limited progress toward stabilizing the important U.S.-China relationship, though much more work is required.

These successes are encouraging and theres an opportunity to build on them further, especially in national security matters. Most international security experts still believe that Taiwan constitutes the most dangerous potential flashpoint in the world.

To avoid a catastrophic war between the U.S. and China, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping should seize the moment and use their upcoming summit to ink a fourth communique, setting in place a new modus vivendi that will safeguard global security for the twenty-first century.

The first three communiques between the U.S. and China were signed in a different era, the Cold War, but all played a major role in creating normal and constructive relations between the two powers.

The 1972 Shanghai Communique broke down Cold War barriers and created a key framework over Taiwan, including the phrasing that endures to this day: The United States acknowledges that all Chinese on either side of the Taiwan Strait maintain there is but one China and that Taiwan is a part of China.

The second communique was inked in 1978 and served to formally establish the bilateral U.S.-China relationship. The third communique from 1982 specified that the U.S. does not seek to carry out a long-term policy of arms sales to Taiwan.

Now, a fourth communique could help provide stability in key aspects of the bilateral relationship. It has been pointed out that Trump, who is less beholden to the dominant liberal worldview of previous presidents like Joe Biden, might be well positioned to significantly lower tensions between the U.S. and China.

A fourth communique could emphasize mutual respect and underline that neither America nor China is seeking to influence, gain control of, or overthrow the others system of governance. The two leaders could, moreover, set a mutual commitment to continue multi-day leadership discussions on an annual basis, institutionalizing U.S.-China bilateral summits.

Just as a fourth communique could enable an ideological truce, a similar goal could be a more stable framework for commercial interaction. That framework could be informed by powerful lessons from the recent past regarding economic warfare that has yielded pain on both sides, whether ever-increasing barriers confronting Chinese companies or the signficiant fears of a rare earth cutoff for American industrial sectors . It could aim to level the playing field while simultaneously acknowledging that U.S. export restrictions need to be eased in order to help close the yawning bilateral trade deficit.

But Taiwan remains the Gordian Knot of U.S.-China relations, and it is here that bold and creative diplomacy is so badly needed. It would be good if Trump could simply repeat and thus affirm the formulaic saying cited above from the Shanghai Communique, along with another stock phrase to the effect that the U.S. does not support Taiwans independence.

It would be even better if Trump was truly ready to tear up the American playbook for Taiwan policy that has caused substantial confusion in Washington for decades due to ambiguous wording and continued to sow grave instability into the bilateral relationship partially as a result. Indeed, its sad but true that an entire well-financed cottage industry exists in Washington to help maintain the fiction that acknowledgment does not equal recognition.

A much more commonsense rendering would jettison acknowledging other perspectives and just state plainly and crisply that the U.S. recognizes Taiwan as part of China. This amendment, that fully conforms with our stated one China policy, would help substantially to put Beijing at ease and might well result in reciprocal de-escalation, for example regarding the harsh rhetoric that Beijing has leveled at the islands leader over the last year.

Words are cheap, however. It would be even more helpful if the communique were cemented with some verifiable conditions and even metrics. For example, the U.S. could abjure selling Taiwan certain long-range missile systems (e.g. ATACMS) in exchange for Chinas agreement to halt its now-regular aircraft sorties crossing the median line in the Taiwan Strait.

An even more ambitious round of U.S.-China de-escalation would specify that China would cease or at least slow its rapid buildup of large amphibious attack ships in exchange for a U.S. agreement to stop increasing its military presence and military exercise pattern in areas immediately proximate to Taiwan, namely in and around Luzon island in the Philippines and in Japans Ryukyu Islands. Applying these measures of reciprocal military restraint could do wonders to stabilize the bilateral relationship.

Two very recent developments suggest that war might not be inevitable in the Taiwan Strait. A report from the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence suggested that war is not imminent. Beijing also invited the Taiwanese opposition leader for an extended visit to China.

These are positive trends that, along with the good will flowing from summit pageantry, should be built upon with concrete results. To that end, Trump and Xi should aim for a history-making fourth communique in Beijing that takes as a focus the imperative to avoid war over Taiwan.

Lyle Goldstein is Director of Asia Engagement at Defense Priorities.
ABC/Lou Rocco

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 04/13/2026



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pro Gleb Savchenko has gotten brutally candid about how his ex-girlfriend Brooks Nader was "worst sex" of his life.Gleb, 42, and Dakota Mortensen, 33, bonded over their "crazy" exes during Episode 3 of YouTube's Unwell Winter Games, according to Us Weekly.Dakota -- who is currently in a custody battle with his ex-girlfriend, Taylor Frankie Paul , amid dueling restraining orders -- told Gleb that Taylor and Brooks had "the same energy.""I never have moved on from Taylor. I was just waiting for her," Dakota confessed. "I was like, 'Maybe I'll have a chance.'"Dakota, who is one of Taylor's "baby daddies," continued, "I found out she was talking to another guy, hooked up with him, hooked up with me. She lied to me. Then had sex with me. Then after tells me. I was like, 'What the f-ck?' That sucked."Gleb, for his part, admitted that his experience dating Brooks, a 29-year-old supermodel, was "pretty bad."Gleb and Brooks were paired up on ' 33rd season in 2024. They dated after the show and then officially split in April 2025."Probably the worst sex of my life," Gleb alleged of Brooks.The professional dancer and choreographer also claimed Brooks lashed out and was extremely rough with him."She was so f-cked up. She wanted to make out with me, and I was like, 'That's not my vibe,'" he recalled. "She choked me, pushed me against the wall, chipped my tooth."Brooks and Gleb have been throwing punches at each other ever since Fall 2025.Brooks, for instance, called Gleb "creepy" as a pro partner in September.Before premiered its 34th season in September 2025, Gleb appeared to throw shade at Brooks by telling People that he was looking forward to having "zero drama" with his new celebrity partner, Hilaria Baldwin."Finally, I have a partner that I can go out there and dance [with] and really enjoy and not try to figure out the routine of like, 'Okay, let me just hide all of your minuses and bring out the pluses,'" Gleb said at the time.When asked about Gleb's jabs during the September 17 episode of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen , Brooks initially noted, "I have nothing to say about him," according to Us.However, she changed her mind and blurted out, "He is a completely creepy person."The Love Thy Nader star went on to claim that she had no shot of winning ' 33rd season with Gleb as her instructor."I had no chance," she vented. "I was f-cked, literally and physically, from the start when I went on that show."She added, "I had no chance at having good choreo because he was humping me the whole time."In May 2025, Brooks' sister Grace Ann Nader spilled the beans on the "Chicks in the Office" podcast that Brooks and Gleb "always" had sex on the set when they were filming Season 33."I can tell you firsthand that every time I visited Brooks' trailer, the trailer was shaking -- every single time," Grace Ann revealed at the time, shocking and angering Brooks.While Brooks and Gleb were competing on together, reports swirled that they were hooking up and had a hot and heavy connection Brooks and Gleb, however, called it quits shortly after they were eliminated from the show during an October 2024 episode.But Gleb and the supermodel proceeded to have an on-again, off-again romance, and Gleb confirmed his relationship with Brooks was back on in December 2024 After reviving their romance, Brooks and Gleb enjoyed the holidays together alongside his daughters Olivia, 15, and Zlata, 8, whom he welcomed with his ex-wife Elena Samodanova."I don't need anything else," Gleb captioned a family photo that included Brooks via Instagram in December 2024.News then broke in April 2025 that Brooks and Gleb were over and done with , and that Brooks was the one who had "ended things" with the pro dancer.After Gleb and Brooks' breakup made headlines, Gleb admitted to Us that he was "surprised to learn" his relationship with Brooks was over by reading a news article.Grace Ann then claimed via TikTok in April 2025 that "there is hard evidence" to prove Gleb cheated on Brooks Brooks seemed to confirm the cheating speculation when she subsequently took to TikTok with a fiery message.In the video, the model stared straight into the camera and lip-synced, "If you go away for a few days and he's not f-cking strong enough in his own mind to keep his d-ck in his f-cking pants, well then he can f-ck off anyway."While on a girls' trip to Florida that same month, Brooks uploaded another TikTok video and mouthed, "G-dd-mn manchild. You act like a kid even though you're six [feet] two [inches]."Gleb seemingly slammed the claim Brooks had "proof" that he's a "cheater" in an August 2025 TikTok upload.Gleb posted a video via TikTok in which he was lip-syncing to an audio recording that said, "I don't know where you got your information from, I don't know who your source is, but I will be the first one to tell you that is incorrect."He captioned his upload, "Your 'source' needs a refund... because that story? 100% fake."While it appears Gleb is currently single, Brooks recently sparked romance rumors with Taron Egerton
The Indian Air Force is partnering with GE Aerospace to establish a local maintenance facility for F404-IN20 jet engines powering the Tejas light combat aircraft, boosting India's defence capabilities and reducing reliance on foreign repairs.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points The Indian Air Force (IAF) is establishing a maintenance facility for GE Aerospace F404-IN20 jet engines, enhancing the sustainment of Tejas light combat aircraft.

GE Aerospace will provide technical inputs, training, and support to the IAF for the new engine maintenance facility.

The new facility will reduce turnaround times by eliminating the need for overseas repair centres for Tejas fighter jet engines.

This collaboration underscores GE Aerospace's commitment to supporting India's aerospace ecosystem and defence capabilities.

GE Aerospace engines also power other key Indian defence assets, including the P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, MH60R helicopters, and the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier.

US defence major GE Aerospace on Monday announced firming up of a contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to set up a maintenance facility for its F404-IN20 jet engines which are powering India's Tejas light combat aircraft fleet.

The facility will be established by the IAF with technical inputs from GE Aerospace and is expected to help India's indigenous defence sustainment effort, the company said.

Once operational, the facility will eliminate the need to depend on the overseas repair centres, significantly improving turnaround times, it said.

GE Aerospace is supplying the F404 -IN20 jet engines to Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), the maker of Tejas Light Combat (LCA) jets.

"The depot facility will be owned, operated, and maintained by the Indian Air Force with GE Aerospace providing technical inputs, training, support staff, and the supply of necessary spares and specialised equipment," the company said in a statement.

"Our commitment to supporting India's armed forces continues to guide our collaboration and partnership in expanding local sustainment capabilities of the Tejas fleet," said Rita Flaherty, Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Defence and Systems at GE Aerospace.

"Through the upcoming depot facility, we will support the availability of the F404-IN20 engines for the Indian Air Force, ensuring they have ready access to cutting-edge technology to power their defence needs," she said.

There have been some concerns in India's defence establishment over delays in the delivery of F404 -IN20 jet engines by GE Aerospace to HAL. The IAF is in the process of inducting more Tejas jets.

In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000-crore deal with the HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.

In September last year, the ministry finalised another deal worth Rs 62,370 crore with HAL to procure 97 Tejas MK-1A light combat aircraft for the IAF.

It has been designed to undertake air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles.

The IAF is looking to induct the warplanes as the number of its fighter squadrons has dropped to 29 from the officially sanctioned strength of 42.

GE Aerospace's Commitment to India's Aerospace Sector

GE Aerospace said it is committed to developing India's aerospace ecosystem, spanning design, development, manufacturing, and sustainment for both commercial and military aviation.

For example, 150 engineers have passed out of the company's local two-year Edison Engineering Development Programme which develops engineering leaders, it said.

Several skilling initiatives over 10 years have helped train over 5000 people with core manufacturing skills at the company's Pune factory, it said.

In September 2025, the GE Aerospace Foundation, in partnership with United Way, launched Next Engineers at Bengaluru, a four-year college and career readiness programme that will help 4000 young engineering aspirants.

GE Aerospace's Broader Role in Indian Defence

Other than the Tejas, GE Aerospace engines also power the Indian Navy's P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and MH60R helicopters, as well as the Indian Air Force's AH-64 Apache helicopter.

Its LM2500 marine gas turbines provide the power for the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and the P-17 Shivalik Class frigates.
The finance ministry has clarified that its recent communication to state chief secretaries, encouraging alignment of bonus policies to promote pulses, oilseeds, and millets, was merely an advisory, not a directive, amidst strong opposition from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin.

IMAGE: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin in New Delhi. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points The Department of Expenditure's letter regarding bonus policy for pulses, oilseeds, and millets was an advisory, not a directive, according to the finance ministry.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman refuted Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin's claims that the Union government directed the state not to provide incentives for paddy cultivation, calling them 'factually baseless'.

Tamil Nadu currently provides additional incentives to 3 million farmers for paddy, a policy that DMK has pledged to continue and enhance.

The Department of Expenditure's letter to state chief secretaries urging them to align their bonus policy to promote pulses, oilseeds and millets was an advisory, and not a directive, a press statement issued by the finance ministry said on Sunday.

The statement was issued in context of a speech made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, calling the advisory a 'treacherous act against the farmers'.

Finance Minister's Rebuttal

In a post on social media, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the remarks made by Stalin, alleging that the Union government directed Tamil Nadu not to provide incentives for paddy cultivation -- is 'factually baseless, politically motivated, and a deliberate distortion designed to mislead Tamil Nadu's farmers'.

'The declaration of a bonus over and above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) has been, and remains, entirely the prerogative of state governments. No one has taken that power away...'Sitharaman said.

'CM Stalin is deliberately creating diversions to serve his narrow, self-serving political interests, instead of adopting a positive approach and working in the national interest," Sitharaman alleged.

'The letter was written with the intent for states to align their agricultural policies with broader national priorities and complement them. Alignment with such goals is not a burden on states; it is a shared responsibility that serves farmers, consumers and the country as a whole,' the finance ministry said.

IMAGE: DMK President M K Stalin on the campaign trail in Ramanathapuram, April 12, 2026. Photograph: ANI Photo

Stalin's Stance and DMK's Pledge

Stalin said that DMK will scuttle any attempts by the Bharatiya Janata Party and AIADMK to stop the incentive for paddy and would continue to ensure a fair price for the farmers.

The finance ministry said that the letter issued by the Secretary, Department of Expenditure, on January 9, 2026, was reflective of a 'constructive and positive approach aimed at strengthening India's long-term food and crop security.'

The government, it said, took a responsible and forward-looking position by encouraging greater crop diversification in the national interest and to protect both farmers' interests and the country's food security needs.

'States and farmers across India have a long and rich tradition of cultivating pulses and oilseeds, and this letter aims to capitalise on this strength,' the press statement said.

'In a period when self-reliance in key food crops has become increasingly important, it is imperative that the states and the Centre work towards making India self-reliant in pulses and oilseeds.'

Impact of Current Crop Practices

The finance ministry said that in many states, especially in northern India, crop production remains heavily skewed toward wheat and paddy.

'When state governments announce an additional bonus over and above MSP for these crops, it further encourages their cultivation, leading to reduced acreage under pulses, oilseeds, and millets, greater environmental stress due to water- and fertilizer-intensive farming, and higher import dependence for essential crops like pulses and edible oilseeds,' the finance ministry said.

Tamil Nadu is at present providing additional incentives to 3 million farmers, from 70 to 156 per quintal for fine variety and from 50 to 131 per quintal for common variety.

This was part of an election promise by the DMK way back in 2021. In its poll promises for 2026, the DMK has offered to raise the MSP to 3,500 per quintal.

Any decision on paddy is vital as the state has around 336,000 farmers actively selling paddy through the Direct Procurement Centres. There are also around 7.9 million total agricultural landholdings in the state.

'I have shocking news to share with you. Just as I returned to Chennai after campaigning in Srikazhi, Cuddalore, and Villupuram, officials showed me the letter asking us to reconsider providing the incentive [given over and above the Minimum Support Price fixed by the Centre]. Can anyone even think of this?' Stalin said in a campaign event in Thanjavur last week.

The letter by the Centre also said that the announcement of an additional bonus on paddy and wheat over and above MSP by some states would cause higher sowing and production of these foodgrains.

It added that wheat and paddy are comparatively water-intensive crops and their disproportionate cultivation increased groundwater depletion, biodiversity loss, and stubble burning.

The letter further urged states to discontinue the bonus on wheat and paddy.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff
Indian realty developers are cautiously evaluating price increases for both ongoing and upcoming projects as they grapple with significant margin pressures from escalating input costs and supply chain disruptions, largely influenced by the ongoing West Asia conflict.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff

Key Points Realty developers are considering price hikes for projects due to increased input and labour costs (5-12%) and supply disruptions from the West Asia conflict.

The rise in crude prices, freight costs, and specific materials like steel, aluminium, and copper could increase overall construction costs by 3-5% in 2026.

Project timelines may extend by 5-10%, potentially causing delays of several months, particularly in finishing stages due to imported material delays.

The luxury housing segment is expected to remain resilient despite potential overall housing price increases of 6-8% in some markets.

Developers are exploring domestic sourcing and strengthening supply chain resilience to mitigate cost pressures and reduce reliance on imports.

Realty developers are cautiously evaluating whether to raise prices for ongoing and upcoming projects, as they face margin pressures amid rising input costs and supply disruptions due to the ongoing West Asia war.

With apartment prices locked in at the time of sale, developers say input and labour cost increases of 5 to 12 per cent are directly squeezing margins.

This is particularly seen in under-construction projects.

Revenues in sold projects are fixed, so any increase in input cost goes straight to the margin, said Parveen Jain, president of realtors body National Real Estate Development Council (Naredco).

Developers with stronger balance sheets and procurement strategies are better placed to absorb shocks, but sustained volatility could narrow margins across the sector, another developer said.

He added that mid and small scale developers might feel the squeeze more compared to larger players, and so, might be the first ones to raise prices.

Impact on Project Timelines and Buyer Behaviour

While core construction timelines remain largely intact, the finishing stages are beginning to experience delays due to supply disruptions.

Industry estimates suggest project timelines could stretch by 5 to 10 per cent in some cases, with delays of several months possible if disruptions persist.

Timelines are likely to see moderate pressure due to supply chain disruptions and labour availability challenges.

"Imported materials are facing delays, and execution has slowed in some pockets, said Pratik Tiberwala, head of corporate finance at M3M India.

Ravi Kant, chief executive officer (CEO) and cofounder of Bengaluru-based realty consultancy firm Elegance Enterprises, said the impact is not limited to developers alone.

It is beginning to reflect in buyer behaviour as well.

"As channel partners, we are seeing slower decisions, tougher negotiations and increased dependence on us to keep sales moving, he added.

Escalating Construction Costs

Driven by higher crude prices and freight costs, primarily due to a partial blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, overall construction costs may rise by an estimated 3 to 5 per cent in 2026, realty consultancy firm Anarock said.

This could cause timeline delays of around three to six months, depending on the project stage.

Marine fuel prices are at Rs 1 lakh per tonne, steel prices have jumped 20 per cent to Rs 72,000 per tonne, while metals like aluminium and copper as well as tiles and fittings have risen by 10-15 per cent.

These add around Rs 50 per square feet to highrise construction costs for over 10,000 luxury units in a market like Mumbai.

Somesh Mittal, cofounder of Delhi-NCR-based One Prasha, said that bricks were also seeing a cost surge in some regions, with kilns seeing a fuel cost rise due to the conflict.

Cement prices have remained relatively stable overall, though regionally they are now expected to rise by Rs 50 to Rs 100 per bag due to supply disruptions, said Pyush Lohia, managing director (MD) of Moradabad-based Lohia Worldspace.

Labour Availability and Market Resilience

At the same time, the ongoing conflict has started to impact labour availability.

Migration trends emerging due to LPG shortages can also slow down construction activity and increase costs, said Shailendra Sharma, chairman of Renox Group.

Lohia added that while large developers mitigated risks through advanced procurement and diversified sourcing, persistent disruptions might continue to affect delivery timelines.

In some markets, overall housing prices may rise by 6 to 8 per cent if cost pressures persist.

"However, the luxury segment continues to demonstrate resilience, driven by strong end-user demand and premiumisation trends, Lohia said.

The price shock is expected to be reflected significantly on construction sites in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad and other highrise-centric cities around the country.

To tackle this, developers are looking to shift towards greater self-reliance and local sourcing.

Developers are increasingly exploring domestic alternatives and strengthening supply chain resilience, which are helping cushion cost pressures, said Aniruddha Mehta, chairman and MD of Umiya Buildcon.
'Neither do the Israelis. The two attacking parties have very little economic interest in Hormuz.'

IMAGE: A vessel at the Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman's Musandam province, April 12, 2026. Photograph: Reuters

Key Points 'We should be focusing on making sure that peace is restored, the Strait of Hormuz is open, and Chinese influence does not expand in the region.'

'We should be cautious about China gaining greater influence in this region.'

'The Chinese would want reduced American influence, which will give them an opportunity to expand theirs.'

"Most Gulf countries would realise that American defences are mainly for Israel, not for them. The Gulf countries would want their business models to come back to life and create certainty again," says Ambassador Gurjit Singh, India's former envoy to Germany, Indonesia, Ethiopia and ASEAN.

"That certainty cannot come from the Abraham Accords or with the US. It has to come with their relationship with Iran," Ambassador Singh tells Rediff's Archana Masih in the concluding part of the interview on the Iran war.

Would it be fair to say that the single most positive development that will have far reaching global impact will be the opening of the Strait of Hormuz that has held the world in panic?

Certainly opening of the Strait of Hormuz is critical for global energy supply chains.

It is important to note that the Americans don't depend on the Strait of Hormuz for oil supplies. Neither do the Israelis. The two attacking parties have very little economic interest in Hormuz.

However, the rest of the world like Europe, Japan, countries like ours -- have huge interests in Hormuz. The war has caused great sufferance and disruptions there's strong global pressure to open the Strait.

There's also been a shift in Iran's stance. Earlier, they said that America should pay for the reconstruction of Iran. But now they are saying they will charge every ship passing Hormuz -- 2 million dollars per ship -- and share it with Oman. They want to fund reconstruction that way instead of relying on American reparations.

But that creates another imbalance. Since US ships don't use the Hormuz, they will avoid the cost altogether. Meanwhile, the rest of us who rely on that route would effectively be paying for Iranian reconstruction when we have not caused the destruction.

IMAGE: A satellite image shows damage on Kharg Island, Iran, after US strikes. Photograph: SPOT CNES 2026, Distribution Airbus DS/Handout via Reuters

What should India be more cautious about China's quiet game during this conflict?

We should be cautious about China gaining greater influence in this region. They have been working in the past with Saudi Arabia and UAE.

China has been trying to play a bigger role in this region. But they also did not take sides because they were drawing oil from Iran and also from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

They did not come out with pro-Iranian statements, but behind the scenes, they were helping Iran.

And now, they are trying to use Pakistan. The Chinese would want reduced American influence, which will give them an opportunity to expand theirs.

What will the reconstruction of Iran entail?

The reconstruction will be very expensive. They will need a lot of help and one wonders where will this help come from?

China and Russia do not have the wherewithal right now neither do other countries.

They would all be interested in the contracts to rebuild Iran, but not the money to rebuild Iran.

Therefore, they (Iran) are trying to get the money from the Strait of Hormuz.

IMAGE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference in Jerusalem. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Pool/Reuters

Where does Israel emerge out of this war?

Israel has emerged as a destabilising force in the region, ready to take military action against multiple countries.

The day Israel stops fighting, and there is an end to its wars, it will probably mean the fall of the Benjamin Netanyahu regime which is under domestic pressure.

He has survived by creating wars all around.

How is this conflict likely to reshape the dynamics of this region?

One consequences is that the Gulf countries -- having bought American weaponry, provided them bases, perhaps on the mistaken belief that this would defend them and built their economic models on the assumption of that security -- now find their belief shattered by the Iranians.

The Americans have not defended them. Most Gulf countries would realise that American defences are mainly for Israel, not for them. The Gulf countries would want their airline model, AI models to come back to life and need to create a certainty again.

Certainly, that certainty cannot come from the Abraham Accords or with the US. It has to come with what is their relationship with Iran.

Iran created the uncertainty that something could be destroyed, leading to an exodus. The Gulf countries need to reconstruct. But this time, with Iran.

IMAGE: Smoke rises following a strike on the Bapco oil refinery on Sitra Island Bahrain. Photograph: Reuters

What should India be focusing on?

We should be focusing on making sure that peace is restored, the Strait of Hormuz is open, and Chinese influence does not expand in the region.
Three individuals have been apprehended in Meerut following a police encounter related to alleged cow slaughter, leading to the recovery of beef, weapons, and sparking an ongoing investigation.

Key Points Three individuals were arrested in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, for alleged cow slaughter after a police encounter.

Police recovered a quintal of beef, a cow, illegal weapons, and tools related to the alleged slaughter.

One of the accused was injured during the encounter and received medical treatment.

A case has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Arms Act, and Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act.

Authorities are actively pursuing the arrest of the remaining suspects who fled the scene.

Three persons have been arrested here in connection with an alleged incident of cow slaughter, police said on Monday, adding a quintal of beef and a cow were recovered from their possession.

They were arrested following an encounter in the Sardhana area of Meerut district on Sunday, according to a police statement.

Police have also recovered illegal weapons, cartridges, tools used in the alleged slaughter and a car from their possession.

Police said personnel from the Sardhana police station were conducting patrols and checks late on Sunday night, when they received a tip-off from an informer stating that some individuals were engaging in cow slaughter in the forest area near Nagla Order village, situated along the embankment of the Ganga Canal.

Accordingly, a police team reached the location, cordoned off the area, and attempted to apprehend the accused.

The accused fired at cops on seeing them, following which they retaliated in self-defence, resulting in injuries to one of the accused.

The injured accused has been identified as Monish. He was sent to the community health centre in Sardhana for medical treatment.

Police have also arrested Dilshad alias 'Dillu' and Sartaj alias 'Dhamaka' from the scene, while two or three other accused individuals managed to flee from the spot.

In this connection, a case has been registered under sections 109(1) (attempt to murder) and 3(5) (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of a common intent) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Arms Act, and Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act.

Efforts are on to arrest the other absconding accused.
Three Al Qaeda operatives have been sentenced to life imprisonment by an NIA court for plotting terror attacks in Uttar Pradesh, India, highlighting the ongoing threat of terrorism and the government's efforts to combat it.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Three Al Qaeda operatives received life sentences for plotting terror attacks in Uttar Pradesh.

The NIA court convicted the operatives for conspiring to wage war against the government of India.

The terror plot involved recruiting members, collecting arms, and planning bomb blasts in crowded areas.

The investigation revealed the operatives planned attacks in reaction to the Ram Mandir verdict.

The NIA examined numerous witnesses and documents to substantiate the charges against the Al Qaeda affiliates.

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court here on Monday sentenced three operatives of Al Qaeda affiliate Ansar Ghazwatul Hind to life imprisonment for conspiring to wage war against the government of India and planning terror attacks in Uttar Pradesh.

Special Judge (NIA) Jainendra Kumar Pandey convicted Mushiruddin, Minhaz and Tauheed and also imposed fines on them, officials said, adding that while Minhaz and Mushiruddin have been fined Rs 1.42 lakh each, Tauheed has been fined Rs 85,000.

According to the prosecution, the accused were part of a larger conspiracy to recruit members, collect arms and explosives, and carry out bomb blasts at crowded places and sensitive installations in the state, particularly in Lucknow.

Special Public Prosecutor M K Singh said the case originated from a report lodged by ATS Inspector Sushil Kumar Singh on July 11, 2021, after receiving intelligence inputs about efforts by an Al Qaeda operative based in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region to recruit members for terrorist activities in India.

The investigation revealed that Minhaz was contacted online and subsequently conspired with other accused to recruit youths for Ansar Ghazwatul Hind.

Mushiruddin was allegedly recruited to execute attacks in UP, while the accused also conducted reconnaissance of potential targets, the prosecutor said.

On July 11, 2021, the ATS raided Minhaz's residence in the Dubagga-Kakori area of Lucknow and recovered a large quantity of explosives, an illegal pistol, live cartridges and an improvised explosive device, leading to the arrest of Minhaz and Mushiruddin.

During the probe, the names of other accused, including Mohammad Moeed, Shakeel and Mohammad Mustaqeem, also surfaced, officials said.

The prosecution said the group had planned to carry out blasts on August 15, 2021, allegedly in reaction to the Ram Mandir verdict, targeting crowded places and sensitive sites.

NIA Takes Over Investigation

Given the gravity of the case, the investigation was later handed over to the NIA, which filed a supplementary chargesheet on July 29, 2021, after conducting a detailed probe.

The NIA examined 42 witnesses and placed 149 documents and 109 material exhibits before the court to substantiate the charges.

Further legal proceedings against the other accused in the case are continuing, officials added.
Amit Shah vows to tackle infiltration in West Bengal if the BJP wins the upcoming elections, accusing Mamata Banerjee of prioritising vote-bank politics over national security.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Amit Shah claims the BJP will form the government in West Bengal and address the issue of infiltration.

Shah accuses Mamata Banerjee of allowing infiltrators into West Bengal for vote-bank politics.

Shah promises to secure the India-Bangladesh border by constructing fences within 45 days of the BJP coming to power.

Shah asserts that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is crucial for removing illegal immigrants from voter lists.

Shah pledges to create employment opportunities by establishing four large industrial towns in West Bengal.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday asserted the BJP will definitely form a government in West Bengal, and said the SIR of electoral rolls is a "major issue" in the assembly polls, as people have resolved to throw infiltrators out of the state.

Speaking to PTI Videos during a roadshow in Paschim Bardhaman district's Durgapur, Shah said the responsibility for the political violence in Bengal lies only with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, who is the TMC's general secretary.

"SIR is indeed a major issue for West Bengal. Should there be foreign voters in this country? India is not a 'dharamsala' (charitable home). Infiltrators must be thrown out. No matter what Mamata Banerjee says, people have resolved to remove infiltrators from the state this time," he said.

The Union home minister said the BJP would definitely form a government in Bengal after the polls.

"This is the only region in the country where political violence is most commonplace, and the responsibility for that lies only with Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee," Shah said.

Pointing to the huge crowd lined up on the streets during the roadshow, he said, "Look at the huge attendance of people and their disgust (with the ruling dispensation). TMC goons will not even be able to leave their homes on the days of polls this time around."

Addressing people during the roadshow, Shah said "no TMC goon" will be able to stand in the way of people exercising their franchise, and maintained that the Election Commission has made foolproof arrangements to ensure free and fair polls.

Accusing CM Banerjee of having ruined Bengal during her 15-year rule, he claimed that infiltrators were able to enter the state from Bangladesh without any hindrance, while industries were fleeing.

The Union home minister said infiltration was plugged in Assam and Tripura after the BJP took over the reins of those states. Infiltration also does not happen in the BJP-ruled states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, which share borders with Pakistan, he pointed out.

"Didi (Banerjee) allows infiltrators to enter the state for her vote-bank politics," he said in a short address to people from an open-hooded saffron-coloured vehicle after the roadshow.

Colourful standees, banners, party flags and balloons adorned the roadshow with Shah waving at people lined up along the route.

He told the crowd that the Centre has been asking the Mamata Banerjee government for the past seven years to allot land for setting up fences along the India-Bangladesh border, but the chief minister has not done that.

Shah assured the gathering that 600 acres of land would be provided to the BSF for constructing fences within 45 days of the BJP coming to power in West Bengal.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is being carried out to delete the names of illegal immigrants who had been enrolled in the voters' list fraudulently, and Mamata Banerjee is opposed to it, he said.

Shah asserted that only the Narendra Modi-led BJP government can ensure a corruption-free and fear-free Bengal.

Claiming that scores of youths were jobless in the state, the former BJP chief said, "We will set up four large industrial towns in the state to facilitate employment opportunities."

Shah's Campaign Trail

Earlier in the day, Shah held three public meetings, two in Birbhum district and the third in the Raniganj area of Purba Bardhaman, where he asserted that the people of Bengal will reply to bombs with votes in their bid to form a 'double-engine' government of the BJP.

He has been paying regular visits to the state over the last few weeks and has held multiple rallies across the state in the run-up to the April 23 polls, sharpening the infiltration issue in the state as the BJP's one of the most prominent poll planks.

West Bengal will go to the polls in two phases -- on April 23 and 29. The counting of votes will be held on May 4.
Six individuals have been arrested in connection with a grenade attack on the Bhindi Saida police station in Amritsar, Punjab, with investigations revealing a suspected link to Pakistan's ISI.

Photograph: ANI Video Grab

Key Points Six individuals have been arrested in connection with the grenade attack on the Bhindi Saida police station in Amritsar.

Preliminary investigations suggest the module responsible for the attack was backed by Pakistan's ISI.

The accused were allegedly promised financial rewards for targeting police establishments in Punjab.

The suspects are being investigated under the Explosive Substances Act, UAPA, BNS, and the Arms Act.

Six accused have been arrested in connection with a grenade attack on the Bhindi Saida police station in Punjab's Amritsar district last month.

According to the Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, preliminary investigation has found that the module was backed by Pakistan's ISI.

The incident occurred on the intervening night of March 29 and 30 at the police station. No one was injured in the incident.

"In a major breakthrough, District Amritsar Rural Police, in a joint operation with District Faridkot Police, solves the grenade attack case at PS Bhindi Saida, leading to the arrest of six accused and the recovery of two pistols," DGP Yadav said in a post on X on Monday.

"Preliminary investigation has found that the module was backed by Pakistan's ISI," the DGP said, adding that the accused were in contact with a Pakistan-based handler operating from abroad, who was directing terror activities in Punjab.

"On the intervening night of March 29-30, 2026, the accused retrieved hand grenades, conducted reconnaissance, and carried out the attack. The module had been radicalised and motivated to target police establishments, with promises of substantial financial rewards for executing the attack," he said.

An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act, UAPA, BNS, and the Arms Act. Further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages and to dismantle the entire network, Yadav said.

The arrested have been identified as Baljit Singh, a resident of village Chak Dogra in Amritsar; Prabh Singh, from Chota Fatehwal in Amritsar; Rajbir Singh, from Baba Gum Chak Ballarwal in Amritsar; Sukhpreet Singh, from Thehra Rajputan in Amritsar; Ajaydeep Singh alias Ajay alias Gazni, from Lopoke in Amritsar; and Sahib Singh alias Saba, from Sarangdev in Amritsar, according to a statement from the Punjab Police.

According to the statement, the DGP noted that the module had been radicalised and motivated to target police establishments, with promises of substantial financial rewards for executing the attack.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Border Range, Sandeep Goel, said that during the investigation, it came to light that Baljit Singh and Prabh Singh retrieved two hand grenades from a location near Gharinda. Investigations also revealed that the accused were promised a large amount of money, but eventually, only a paltry amount of money was given by the Pakistani handler for carrying out the attack, he said.

Investigation Details

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar Rural, Suhail Qasim Mir, informed that on the day of the incident, all three accused, Baljit Singh, Prabh Singh and Rajbir Singh, proceeded towards Bhindi Saida police station on a motorcycle. They parked their vehicle approximately 1-2 kilometres away from the police station in the nearby fields and approached the rear side of the police station on foot through agricultural fields, he said.

He further said that Baljit Singh and Prabh Singh hurled hand grenades at the police station, while Rajbir Singh recorded the entire incident. After executing the attack, the accused again moved through the fields and remained concealed in wheat crops for approximately three to four hours, he added.

The SSP added that the accused later disposed of their clothes in a drain nearly one kilometre from the police station to destroy evidence, and at around 5 am, retrieved their motorcycle and fled from the spot.

Arrests and Operation

Sharing operational details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Faridkot Dr Pragya Jain said that in an intelligence-led operation with Amritsar Rural Police, police teams arrested the two accused persons involved in the PS Bhindi Saida grenade attack case from Faridkot. Later, during investigations, four more were arrested from Amritsar, she said.

An FIR dated March 30 under various provisions of the Explosive Substances Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and under relevant provisions of the Arms Act was registered at the Bhindi Saida police station.
For India, much is at stake: Crucial energy supplies traversing the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of its 10 million citizens living and working in West Asia -- who send generous remittances home -- and its major trade links with the region.

IMAGE: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets United Arab Emirates Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, April 11, 2026. Photograph: @DrSJaishankar X/ANI Photo

Key Points 'Obviously, India has a major stake and a big interest in the stability and security of this region.'

Jaishankar's visit underscored New Delhi's view that 'friends should hold each other's hand' during difficult times.

On Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message and India's appreciation for the manner in which the 'UAE looked after' the 3.5 million-strong Indian community during the 'difficult period' of the 42-day conflict.

The collapse of the US-Iran talks in Islamabad on Sunday vindicated South Block's assessment that Pakistan, run by military and civilian leadership utterly pliant to Washington, was unlikely to be a credible mediator that Tehran could trust.

However, New Delhi, closely monitoring developments in West Asia, remained optimistic that future rounds of parleys between Iran and the US, including backchannel talks, during the tenuous fortnight-long ceasefire would yield peace in the region.

For India, much is at stake: Crucial energy supplies traversing the Strait of Hormuz, the fate of its 10 million citizens living and working in West Asia -- who send generous remittances home -- and its major trade links with the region.

India's Engagement in West Asia

On Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message and India's appreciation for the manner in which the 'UAE looked after' the 3.5 million-strong Indian community during the 'difficult period' of the 42-day conflict.

Jaishankar sought to understand the UAE's perspective on the conflict and discussed other aspects of India-UAE ties, including energy cooperation.

'Obviously, India has a major stake and a big interest in the stability and security of this region. I am pleased to have an opportunity to come here, sit down directly, express our interests, and share the feedback of the Indian community,' Jaishankar told a news agency in Dubai after his meetings with the Emirati leadership.

Jaishankar was on a two-day visit to the UAE, during which he also met Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Dubai Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed.

The UAE foreign minister discussed with Jaishankar the 'repercussions of the brutal and terrorist Iranian missile attacks that targeted' the UAE.

The UAE has emerged as India's closest partner in the region over the past decade, and Jaishankar's visit underscored New Delhi's view that 'friends should hold each other's hand' during difficult times.

New Delhi has also remained engaged with Tehran. On Saturday, Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal announced that the Indian-flagged vessel Jag Vikram, with 24 Indian crew members and carrying 20,412 million tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas, successfully sailed out of the Persian Gulf region on April 11 and is expected to reach an Indian port on April 15.

India also sent a second shipment of medical supplies to Iran, the Iranian embassy in New Delhi said.

IMAGE: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan in Dubai, April 12, 2026. Photograph: @DrSJaishankar X/ANI Photo

Pakistan's Financial Struggles

Meanwhile, Pakistan, which has teetered on the brink of bankruptcy and holds the dubious record of receiving International Monetary Fund assistance 25 times, is set to receive $5 billion in financial support from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to a Dawn report citing sources in Pakistan's finance ministry.

The development coincided with Pakistan Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb's visit to Washington for the IMF-World Bank spring meetings.

Recently, the UAE asked Islamabad to repay the $3.5 billion it owes in loans. The IMF has stipulated that Pakistan's three key bilateral creditors -- Saudi Arabia, China, and the UAE -- must maintain their cash deposits with the country until the completion of the ongoing three-year programme.

Dawn reported that Qatar is likely to replace the UAE as one of Pakistan's creditors. Pakistan has said it will repay $3.5 billion to the UAE by the end of April, a liability rolled over since 2018.

India Steps Up Europe Outreach

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri landed in Paris on Sunday, where he will co-chair the India-France foreign office consultations with Martin Briens, secretary-general of French ministry of foreign affairs.

The two sides will discuss bilateral ties in defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital domains, artificial intelligence and innovation, along with the latest global and regional developments.

Misri will also visit Berlin, where he will co-chair the India-Germany foreign office consultations with Geza Andreas von Geyr, state secretary of the German federal foreign office.

Discussions will cover bilateral cooperation, including trade and investment, defence and security, technology, green energy, development cooperation and education, as well as global and regional issues of mutual interest.

Misri is expected to meet other dignitaries and senior government officials in both Paris and Berlin.

His visit follows those of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron to India in January and February 2026, respectively, and comes amid the growing India-European Union partnership, including negotiations on a trade deal.

In line with the strengthening of India-EU ties, Austria's Chancellor Christian Stocker will pay an official visit to India from April 14 to 17.

His delegation will include Austria's federal ministers for economy, energy and tourism, along with senior officials and business leaders.

This will be Stocker's first visit to India and his first official visit to Asia. Modi visited Austria in July 2024.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff
In Bengaluru, former and current college students have been arrested for kidnapping a freshman and demanding a ransom, highlighting the swift action of local police in rescuing the victim and apprehending the suspects.

Photograph: Shima Abedinzade/Pixabay.com

Key Points Four individuals, including former and current students, were arrested in Bengaluru for allegedly kidnapping a 19-year-old student.

The accused demanded a ransom of 50,000 for the victim's release, threatening him with a knife and fake pistol.

Madiwala police successfully rescued the kidnapped student within five hours of the incident using technical surveillance.

The suspects are aged between 19 and 23 years, and one used his father's car in the abduction.

Police suspect the accused may be involved in similar past incidents, with one having a prior extortion case.

Four people-former and senior students of the same college-were arrested for allegedly abducting a 19-year-old from his hostel in the city and later demanding a ransom of Rs 50,000 for his release, police said on Monday. The victim, a first-year BBM student, was abducted by the accused on April 11 at around 7.50 pm near his hostel in BTM Layout, they said. However, the Madiwala police foiled the plan within four hours and rescued the kidnapped student, a native of Odisha, police said.

Arrests and Investigation Details

Of those arrested, two were former students of the same college, while the remaining two were current senior students there. The matter came to light on the night of April 11 when information was received from a student stating that another student had been kidnapped near the college hostel in BTM Layout.

According to police, the victim was forcibly taken away in a car and held in an old house in Jayanagar on Saturday night. The accused allegedly threatened him with a knife and a fake pistol and demanded that he transfer Rs 50,000 via UPI, failing which he would be killed. They also contacted his friends and family seeking money.

Acting swiftly, Namma 112 personnel immediately relayed the information to Madiwala police officials. Based on this information, a case was registered, and an investigation was initiated. "Within five hours of the incident, the police, using technical surveillance, successfully rescued the kidnapped student and apprehended the accused. Further investigation is in progress," a senior police officer said.

Accused and Further Enquiries

All the accused are aged between 19 and 23 years. One of them used his father's car to carry out the abduction, while another former student, who had passed out from the same college, joined the group in taking the victim to the house in Jayanagar, which belonged to another accused.

Police said some money was transferred to the suspects to ensure they did not harm the victim.

Police suspect the accused are habitual offenders and are investigating their possible involvement in similar cases in the past. One of the accused was also previously involved in an extortion case, they added.

The accused were remanded to judicial custody, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
In a major crackdown, Delhi Police apprehended two alleged members of the Himanshu Bhau gang after a dramatic shootout in Baprola, foiling their criminal activities.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Two alleged members of the Himanshu Bhau gang were injured in a shootout with Delhi Police in Baprola.

The accused, Atul and Deepak, were wanted in connection with the murder of a police officer and a car firing incident in Gurugram.

Delhi Police's Counter Intelligence team apprehended the gang members after the exchange of fire.

A pistol and live cartridges were recovered from the possession of the arrested gang members.

Two alleged members of the Himanshu Bhau gang were injured in a shootout with the Counter Intelligence team of the Special Cell in outer Delhi's Baprola area, official sources said on Monday.

The accused, Atul and Deepak, sustained bullet injuries during the exchange of fire and were apprehended.

Police said the duo was wanted in the killing of a police personnel and a recent car firing incident in Gurugram.

One pistol and live cartridges were recovered from their possession, said the source.
The Bombay High Court is scrutinising the Maharashtra Prisons Rules regarding furlough for convicts under special acts, raising concerns about the violation of fundamental rights and referring the matter to a larger bench for a definitive ruling on prisoners' furlough entitlements.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Bombay High Court questions the legality of restricting furlough for prisoners convicted under special acts like MCOCA and POCSO, citing potential violation of fundamental rights.

The court highlights the importance of furlough in maintaining family ties and providing relief from continuous imprisonment, crucial for prisoner rehabilitation.

The High Court notes that blanket restrictions on furlough based solely on the nature of the offence undermine the purpose of granting furlough.

The case of Rohit Tangappa Joseph, convicted in the Jyotirmoy Dey murder case, prompted the court's review of furlough rules.

Conflicting views in previous High Court judgments led to the referral of the issue to a larger bench for final adjudication.

The Bombay High Court has observed that refusing furlough to a prisoner convicted under special Acts was a violation of fundamental rights, but referred the issue to a larger bench for adjudication as two previous HC judgments held different views.

In December 2024, the state government amended the Maharashtra Prisons (Furlough and Parole) Rules under which furlough was restricted to prisoners convicted for serious offences or under special statutes like the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and others.

The issue came up before the HC's Nagpur bench when a man convicted in the killing of journalist Jyotirmoy Dey filed a petition seeking furlough.

The convict, Rohit Tangappa Joseph, alleged to be an aide of gangster Chhota Rajan, moved HC after the Amravati prison authorities refused his application seeking furlough, relying on the rules.

A bench of Justices Anil Pansare and Nivedita Mehta, in its order of April 10, questioned how one can presume that persons convicted under special Acts for serious offences will not face the detrimental impact of continuous captivity in prison.

If the eligibility of prisoners for furlough is to be based only on a specific offence, then it would be against the objective behind granting furlough, the HC remarked.

The court said while it was of the view that the rules prohibiting furlough to prisoners convicted under special Acts were violative of the fundamental rights, it refrained from declaring so as two previous judgments of the HC held different views.

It further said the issue could be heard and decided by a larger bench of the high court, and directed that the matter be placed before the HC's Chief Justice for appropriate orders.

The court noted that denying furlough based on a convict's conduct or behaviour in jail or to safeguard societal interest may be justified, but to put restrictions on prisoners, who are convicted for a specific offence, would defeat the purpose or objective of granting furlough.

Restricting furlough only because the prisoner has been convicted under a specific Act was violative of the fundamental rights, and such an approach would be counter-productive to the reformative approach, the court opined.

While furlough was a conditional privilege that may be restricted, imposing a blanket prohibition based solely on the nature of the offence in which an accused is booked or convicted would undermine the very objective for which furlough is granted, it noted.

"The objective of furlough is to enable prisoners to remain in touch with their families and deal with family matters, to provide relief from the detrimental impact of continuous captivity in prison and to enable prisoners to remain hopeful about their future and have an active interest in life," the HC said.

If restrictions are imposed based on conviction under special statutes, then one will have to presume that these prisoners are not entitled to remain in touch with their families or that they are immune to the detrimental impact of continuous captivity, it pointed out.

"We do not find any rational as to why should prisoners, irrespective of the fact that they are convicted under a particular Act, be not permitted to remain in touch with their families, and/or remain hopeful about their life and future," the court said.

Concerns Regarding Organised Crime Syndicate Cases

In organised crime syndicate cases, the crime is normally committed at the instance or instructions of the head of the syndicate and the members play different roles.

If they are all convicted, then to treat them all at par for the purpose of deciding eligibility for furlough would amount to treating unequals as equals. It creates a class within a class of persons, the HC observed.

Background of the Case

Joseph was convicted on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the MCOCA and sentenced to life imprisonment. He had sought furlough for a period of 28 days to meet his family due to some emergency.

Apart from Joseph, gangster Chhota Rajan and seven others were also convicted in the case.

Dey was shot dead near his house in Mumbai's Powai area by two motorcycle-borne persons on June 11, 2011.

As per the prosecution, Rajan ordered the shooting as he was irked with Dey's articles against him.
The Bombay High Court is scrutinising the legality of Maharashtra's blanket ban on furlough for convicts under special statutes like MCOCA and POCSO, raising concerns about fundamental rights and prisoner rehabilitation.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Bombay High Court questions the legality of blanket bans on furlough for convicts under MCOCA and POCSO Acts.

The court suggests such restrictions may violate fundamental rights by presuming convicts are not entitled to family contact or hope for the future.

The High Court highlights the importance of furlough in maintaining family ties and aiding prisoner rehabilitation.

The court argues that denying furlough based solely on the nature of the offence undermines the purpose of granting furlough.

The case involves an aide of gangster Chhota Rajan, convicted in the J Dey murder case, who was denied furlough based on the amended rules.

The Bombay High Court has referred a legal question to a larger bench to determine if the state can deny furlough to prisoners convicted under special statutes, such as MCOCA and POCSO Act, and observed that such restrictions violate fundamental rights.

The order was delivered on April 10 by the Nagpur bench of Justices Anil Pansare and Nivedita Mehta, on a petition filed by Rohit Tangappa Joseph, an aide of gangster Chhota Rajan, who has been convicted of killing journalist J Dey.

The division bench cited conflicting previous judgments as the reason for seeking a definitive ruling from the larger bench and directed the plea to be placed before the HC's Chief Justice for appropriate orders.

Joseph had moved the high court after the Amravati prison authorities refused his application seeking furlough, relying on a December 2024 amendment to parole and furlough rules that created a blanket ban on furlough for those convicted under specific statutes and serious offences.

The Maharashtra government had amended the Maharashtra Prisons (Furlough and Parole) Rules under which furlough was restricted to prisoners convicted for serious offences or under special statutes like the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and others.

Court's Concerns Regarding Furlough Restrictions

The high court, in its order, questioned how one can presume that persons convicted under special Acts for serious offences will not face the detrimental impact of continuous captivity in prison.

If the eligibility of prisoners for furlough is to be based only on a specific offence, then it would be against the objective behind granting furlough, the HC remarked.

The court noted that denying furlough based on a convict's conduct or behaviour in jail or to safeguard societal interest may be justified, but to put restrictions on prisoners, who are convicted for a specific offence, would defeat the purpose or objective of granting furlough.

Restricting furlough only because the prisoner has been convicted under a specific Act was violative of the fundamental rights, and such an approach would be counter-productive to the reformative approach, the court opined.

While furlough was a conditional privilege that may be restricted, imposing a blanket prohibition based solely on the nature of the offence in which an accused is booked or convicted would undermine the very objective for which furlough is granted, it noted.

"The objective of furlough is to enable prisoners to remain in touch with their families and deal with family matters, to provide relief from the detrimental impact of continuous captivity in prison and to enable prisoners to remain hopeful about their future and have an active interest in life," the HC said.

If restrictions are imposed based on conviction under special statutes, then one will have to presume that these prisoners are not entitled to remain in touch with their families, it pointed out.

"We do not find any rational as to why should prisoners, irrespective of the fact that they are convicted under a particular Act, be not permitted to remain in touch with their families, and/or remain hopeful about their life and future," the court said.

In organised crime syndicate cases, the crime is normally committed at the instance or instructions of the head of the syndicate and the members play different roles.

If they are all convicted, then to treat them all at par for the purpose of deciding eligibility for furlough would amount to treating unequals as equals. It creates a class within a class of persons, the HC observed.

Background of the Case

Joseph was convicted on charges of murder and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the MCOCA and sentenced to life imprisonment. He had sought furlough for a period of 28 days to meet his family due to some emergency.

Apart from Joseph, gangster Chhota Rajan and seven others were also convicted in the case.

Dey was shot dead near his house in Mumbai's Powai area by two motorcycle-borne persons on June 11, 2011.

As per the prosecution, Rajan ordered the shooting as he was irked with Dey's articles against him.
An Army brigadier and his son were allegedly assaulted in Delhi after the officer confronted individuals drinking alcohol in public near his home, prompting a police investigation and raising concerns about public safety and police response.

Key Points An Army brigadier and his son were allegedly assaulted in Delhi after objecting to men drinking in public near their residence.

The family alleges that Delhi police were slow to respond and initially refused to file a complaint, showing a lack of support.

The Indian Army has taken cognisance of the incident and is assisting the officer, while Delhi Police have launched an inquiry and transferred an inspector.

Videos of the assault have surfaced on social media, intensifying public scrutiny of the incident and police response.

An Army brigadier and his son were allegedly assaulted, while his wife was threatened by a group of men in southwest Delhi after the officer objected to two people consuming alcohol inside a parked car near their house, police said on Monday.

The incident took place on Saturday night when two men sitting inside a high-end luxury vehicle were drinking liquor outside the officer's residence in the Vasant Enclave area.

When the brigadier objected, a group of men gathered at the spot, assaulted him and his son, and threatened his wife.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Delhi Police has registered an FIR and initiated an inquiry.

"We have registered an FIR. The accused persons are being traced. During preliminary enquiry, a lapse was found on the part of the inspector/investigation, and he has been sent to district lines," police said in a statement.

The Indian Army has also taken cognisance of the incident.

"The authorities in the Indian Army have taken serious cognisance of the case. A Military Police team has been directed to assist the officer. Delhi Police has been approached for expeditious investigation and action on priority," it read.

Several videos of the incident, recorded by family members, have surfaced on social media, showing two men inside a car holding a liquor bottle.

The Incident and Allegations

Speaking to media persons, the brigadier's son, Tejas Singh Arora, said, "On Saturday night, after dinner, my father, Brigadier PS Arora, and I were out for a walk. We saw two men inside a luxury car openly drinking and smoking."

He said that they politely asked the men to move elsewhere, as it was a residential area and public drinking was inappropriate.

"The moment we requested them to leave, they became hostile and dared us to call anyone. My father then asked me to call the police control room," he said.

Arora alleged that when police personnel arrived, they refused to record their complaint. Instead, one of the men spoke to the officer over the phone, after which the officer told them he would deal with the matter later.

"Soon after, seven to eight men arrived in two vehicles and started thrashing us and abusing my mother. They were associates of the accused," he claimed.

He told the reporters that he was repeatedly assaulted for around 15 minutes in the presence of police personnel.

"Five to six men kept beating me continuously, while my father was also surrounded. We had called the police, but they did not intervene," he alleged.

Tejas sustained injuries to his face, neck and palm. He alleged that the responding officer remained inside his vehicle and did not offer any assistance.

The brigadier's wife also alleged that the officer present at the spot refused to intervene despite her requests.

"The officer did not step in as the men continued assaulting my son. When I pleaded for help, he said he could act only after his team arrived," she claimed.

She said that after the attackers left, the officer refused to take them to the police station and instead opened the boot of the vehicle.

"You are not the kind of people who deserve to sit on the seats," she quoted the officer as saying.

Family Alleges Police Misconduct

At the police station, the family claimed they faced further harassment.

"They kept us waiting for about half an hour. A woman officer told us they did not have 'free time' as we had called the PCR multiple times. When my husband said we were both in uniform and deserved basic respect, she became aggressive," the brigadier's wife told the reporters.

She also claimed that despite her son bleeding, the police insisted on an MLC report before registering the complaint and did not provide a vehicle to take them to the hospital.

"Eventually, my husband took our son to the Army Hospital himself for treatment and X-rays," she alleged.

A Submariner Veteran GeoStrategy Entrepreneur Environmentalist, Ashok Bijalwan, posted the entire matter on his social media handle X.
An Army brigadier and his son were allegedly assaulted in Delhi after the officer confronted individuals drinking in public, sparking a police investigation and raising concerns about public safety.

Photograph: PTI Photo

Key Points An Army brigadier and his IIT graduate son were allegedly assaulted in Delhi after objecting to public drinking near their home.

Delhi Police have registered an FIR under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and are investigating the assault.

The Indian Army has taken cognisance of the incident and is assisting the officer with a Military Police team.

The brigadier's family alleges police inaction and harassment following the assault, including refusal to provide immediate medical assistance.

Social media posts and media reports highlight concerns about public safety and police response in the aftermath of the attack.

An Army brigadier and his IIT graduate son were allegedly assaulted, while his wife was threatened by a group of men in southwest Delhi after the officer objected to two people consuming alcohol inside a parked car near their house, police said.

The incident took place when two men sitting inside a Mercedes were drinking liquor outside the officer's residence in the Vasant Enclave area.

When the brigadier objected, a group of men gathered at the spot, assaulted him and his son, and threatened his wife.

Taking cognisance of the matter, Delhi Police has registered an FIR under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 79 ( any word, gesture, act, or object intrusion intended to insult the modesty of a woman or violate her privacy), 191(2) (rioting) and 190 (unlawful assembly) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

"We have registered an FIR. The accused persons are being traced. During preliminary enquiry, a lapse was found on the part of the inspector/investigation, and he has been sent to district lines," police said in a statement.

The Indian Army has also taken cognisance of the incident.

"The authorities in the Indian Army have taken serious cognisance of the case. A Military Police team has been directed to assist the officer. Delhi Police has been approached for expeditious investigation and action on priority," it read.

Several videos of the incident, recorded by family members, have surfaced on social media, showing two men inside a car holding a liquor bottle.

Social Media Outcry and Allegations

A former army officer, Colonel Danvir Singh, said in a post on X, "I just spoke to the Brigadier. A serving soldier who after dinner was taking a walk outside the society premises with his IITian son."

In his post, he alleged that these "Mercedes Benz goons" were consuming alcohol in public. On being objected, the Brigadier and his son were assaulted by seven to eight accomplices of these antisocial elements who were close by and called in by the car-o-bar duo.

He alleged that the brigadier, who was part of numerous operations in the hinterland of Kashmir and also trans LC, and his son sustained injuries in the scuffle that ensued.

"Don't be shocked, the police was also present. I wonder how the society and the police conducts itself is shocking more so in the national capital," Colonel Singh said.

"Least he would have never thought of that one day he will be on the receiving side fighting the evil in the society he once risked his life for, while the police kept itself as mute spectator," he alleged.

Family Account of the Incident

Speaking to media persons, the brigadier's son, Tejas Singh Arora, said, "On Saturday night, after dinner, my father, Brigadier Parminder Singh Arora, and I were out for a walk. We saw two men inside a luxury car openly drinking and smoking."

He said that they politely asked the men to move elsewhere, as it was a residential area and public drinking was inappropriate.

"The moment we requested them to leave, they became hostile and dared us to call anyone. My father then asked me to call the police control room," he said.

Arora alleged that when police personnel arrived, they refused to record their complaint. Instead, one of the men spoke to the officer over the phone, after which the officer told them he would deal with the matter later.

"Soon after, seven to eight men arrived in two vehicles and started thrashing us and abusing my mother. They were associates of the accused," he claimed.

He told the reporters that he was repeatedly assaulted for around 15 minutes in the presence of police personnel.

"Five to six men kept beating me continuously, while my father was also surrounded. We had called the police, but they did not intervene," he alleged.

Tejas sustained injuries to his face, neck and palm. He alleged that the responding officer remained inside his vehicle and did not offer any assistance.

The brigadier's wife also alleged that the officer present at the spot refused to intervene despite her requests.

"The officer did not step in as the men continued assaulting my son. When I pleaded for help, he said he could act only after his team arrived," she claimed.

She said that after the attackers left, the officer refused to take them to the police station and instead opened the boot of the vehicle.

"You are not the kind of people who deserve to sit on the seats," she quoted the officer as saying.

Allegations of Police Misconduct

At the police station, the family claimed they faced further harassment.

"They kept us waiting for about half an hour. A woman officer told us they did not have 'free time' as we had called the PCR multiple times. When my husband said we were both in uniform and deserved basic respect, she became aggressive," the brigadier's wife told the reporters.

She also claimed that despite her son bleeding, the police insisted on an MLC report before registering the complaint and did not provide a vehicle to take them to the hospital.

"Eventually, my husband took our son to the Army Hospital himself for treatment and X-rays," she alleged.

An officer privy to the investigation said that the allegations of not taking them to the hospital are baseless, as they were given medical assistance.

"They preferred to go to a military hospital. Our team supported them. Rest teams are probing all the angles," the officer said.

A Submariner Veteran GeoStrategy Entrepreneur Environmentalist, Ashok Bijalwan, posted the entire matter on his social media handle X.

Ashok Bijalwan said that the incident occurred at around 10 pm when the Brigadier and his IIT graduate son were out for a walk near their residential society. The two men in the car were reportedly drinking in public when the Brigadier confronted them, the post said.
In Chandrapur, Maharashtra, five farmers resorted to consuming poison in a desperate plea for fair compensation for their land acquired by a cement company, highlighting ongoing tensions over land rights and corporate acquisitions.

Key Points Five farmers in Chandrapur consumed poison to protest land compensation.

The farmers claim the compensation offered by a cement company for their land is insufficient.

Authorities are investigating the farmers' allegations and the land acquisition process.

The farmers are hospitalised and reported to be in stable condition.

Five tribal farmers consumed poison in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district on Monday seeking higher compensation for their land that has been acquired by a cement company, an official said.

The farmers have already received compensation against the land acquired by the company but they have been seeking a higher amount, district collector Vasumana Pant said. They have been hospitalised and their condition is stable, Pant added.

The incident took place at the sub division office at Rajura in the afternoon, the official said.

Details of the Protest

"Lachchu Madavi (55), Jayaram Madavi (45), Jangu Pendor (48), Balaji Sidam (52) and Maroti Talande (55) from Kusumbi and Nokari villages in Korpana tehsil have been seeking more compensation for their land that has been acquired by a cement company for limestone mining. They claim their demands have been ignored," a police official said.

Further probe into the incident as well as their allegations against the cement firm is underway, the police official said.
Indian authorities seized a substantial amount of cocaine, valued at 4.26 crore, from a woman travelling on the Rajdhani Express in Nagpur, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking.

Key Points Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized 853 grams of cocaine from a female passenger on the Rajdhani Express in Nagpur.

The seized cocaine capsules are estimated to be worth 4.26 crore in the illicit market.

The female passenger was arrested under the NDPS Act and remanded to judicial custody.

DRI Nagpur previously busted a Mephedrone factory and seized large quantities of ganja in recent operations.

The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has seized 50 capsules containing 853 grams of cocaine, having an estimated illicit market value of Rs 4.26 crore, from a woman travelling in Rajdhani Express at Nagpur station, officials said on Monday.

Acting on specific intelligence, officers of DRI-Nagpur Regional Unit of Mumbai Zone, intercepted a female passenger travelling by Hazrat Nizamuddin-KSR Bengaluru Rajdhani Express on April 12 on suspicion of carrying narcotic substances in her luggage.

Officials recovered 50 capsules containing a white powdery substance from her luggage, which turned out to be cocaine.

The capsules were seized under the provisions of the NDPS Act, and the passenger was arrested. A court remanded her to judicial custody.

DRI's Recent Operations in Nagpur

DRI Nagpur had busted a Mephedrone factory in Karanja Ghadge village in Wardha district in December 2025, and seized massive quantities of ganja in separate operations in January and February this year.
A 19-year-old college student was tragically murdered in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, prompting a police investigation and the arrest of a suspect as the community demands justice.

Key Points A 19-year-old college student was murdered in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh.

The victim was allegedly attacked by two assailants on a motorcycle who slit her throat.

Police have arrested a 36-year-old man, Rishu Patial, in connection with the murder.

Locals apprehended the suspect after he attempted to hide in nearby fields.

Police are investigating the motive behind the murder and have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

A 19-year-old college girl was killed on Monday by two bike-borne assailants, who allegedly slit her throat in Mandi district, police said.

The police arrested Rishu Patial, 36, a resident of Thiron village in Mandi's Gopalpur, they said.

The incident occurred when the girl, Siya Guleria, was on her way to college. At that time, two unidentified assailants, riding on a bike, intercepted her and brutally assaulted her with a sharp weapon, slitting her throat, police said.

While the girl succumbed to injuries on the spot, the accused then fled from the scene.

Upon receiving the information, the police reached the spot and recovered the body. In the meantime, locals found the accused, who has been hiding in nearby fields. Locals said that he even tried to attack them with the weapon used in the murder, but they were successful in taking him down.

The enraged villagers then recovered the weapon and immediately informed the police. The situation got tense as locals demanded the accused be hanged while the police team took his custody and assured strict action against him.

Mandi Superintendent of Police, Vinod Kumar, said a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has been registered and further investigation is underway. He also said that the exact cause of the crime is being ascertained as police are interrogating the accused.
A Delhi court has rejected the bail plea of a woman accused of murdering her two daughters, highlighting the severity of the charges and ongoing investigation into the Malviya Nagar double murder case.

Key Points A Delhi court denied bail to Sunita Arora, accused of murdering her two daughters in their Malviya Nagar home.

The prosecution argued the 'last seen together' doctrine, citing that the accused was present in the locked house with the victims.

The defence claimed prolonged domestic abuse by the husband and mental health issues as potential factors, suggesting abetment to suicide.

The court cited the seriousness of the allegations, the ongoing investigation, and the risk of witness tampering as reasons for denying bail.

Forensic reports are still awaited, and the court found the delay in FIR registration explainable due to the cautious nature of the investigation.

A Delhi court has denied bail to a 53-year-old woman accused of murdering her two daughters at their residence in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar last month.

Observing that the allegations were grave and there was a high risk of the accused influencing a primary witness, Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi rejected the bail plea of Sunita Arora, who has been in custody since March 13 in connection with a case registered under Section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the prosecution, police were alerted through a PCR call on March 5 by the woman's husband, Sudhir Arora, who reported that his wife and two daughters were not responding from inside their locked house.

Upon breaking open the doors, police found the two daughters, 34-year-old Radhika Arora and 28-year-old Gunisha Arora, dead in separate rooms, while Sunita was discovered unconscious but alive.

The prosecution alleged that the deaths were homicidal. Post-mortem findings indicated that Gunisha died due to asphyxia caused by ligature strangulation, while Radhika died due to a combination of strangulation and smothering.

Prosecution's Argument Against Bail

Opposing the bail plea, the prosecution submitted that the accused was the "prime suspect" and invoked the "last seen together" doctrine, arguing that the incident occurred within a locked house where only the victims and the accused were present.

"It is for the applicant to explain what transpired inside the four walls of the house," the Additional Public Prosecutor told the court, adding that releasing her at this stage could hamper the investigation and lead to tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses.

The court was told that several incriminating items were recovered from the scene, including blood near the sink, a blood-stained broken glass bottle, crepe bandages, a mixer grinder blade, a mortar and pestle with white powder, an open packet of naphthalene balls, and a yellowish liquid on the floor, which the prosecution said indicated a premeditated plan.

The prosecution further argued that, given the severity of the offence, which carries the possibility of death or life imprisonment, there was a risk of the accused evading trial.

Defence's Claims of Procedural Irregularities and Abuse

The defence counsel, however, argued that the case suffered from "fatal procedural irregularities", including a delay of over 52 hours in registration of the FIR, which allegedly allowed manipulation of the narrative.

The counsel also raised suspicion around the hasty cremation of the two daughters before registration of the FIR, preventing the accused from attending their last rites, as she was held in pre-FIR custody from March 5.

The defence further claimed that the accused and her daughters were victims of prolonged domestic abuse by the husband. He contended that the case was one of "abetment to suicide driven by sustained cruelty rather than a cold-blooded murder", citing a complaint alleging physical and mental harassment by the husband and sister-in-law dated November 22, 2025.

The complaint also alleged the younger daughter was harassed for being a member of the LGBTQ community, a claim the prosecution termed to be "character assassination of the dead".

The defence counsel also argued that the three women were subjected to financial abuse despite the husband's high income and emphasised the accused's fragile mental health.

Referring to Section 115 of the Mental Healthcare Act, he submitted that a person who attempts suicide is presumed to be under severe stress and should not be penalised.

Court's Rejection of Defence Arguments

Rejecting the contentions, the court, in its April 11 order, noted the seriousness of the allegations and the stage of investigation, observing that key forensic reports were still awaited. It found the delay in FIR registration explainable, noting the need for cautious investigation after the three women were found locked inside with no sign of forced entry.

The court also sought details of the accused's alleged mental illness and whether she was undergoing treatment. On being informed that she was not, the court held that the insanity plea appeared to be an "afterthought".

"This Court finds that the presumption of law under Section 115 of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 does not come to the rescue of the applicant, Sunita, as it is the admitted case of the applicant that she does not suffer from any mental illness and/or was undergoing treatment and therapy", read the order.

The court ultimately held that it was not a fit case for the grant of bail at this stage and dismissed the application.
A Delhi court has rejected bail for a man accused of repeated sexual assault and harassment, emphasising the severity of the allegations and the risk of evidence tampering in this high-profile case.

Photograph: Courtesy Pixabay

Key Points A Delhi court denied bail to Saksham Kaushik, accused of sexual assault, harassment, and threatening his former partner.

The court cited the gravity of the allegations, corroborative evidence, and risk of evidence tampering as reasons for denying bail.

The accused allegedly assaulted, sexually abused, and threatened the complainant, including recording degrading videos and threatening to circulate them.

The defence argued the charges were false and stemmed from a consensual relationship gone sour, but the court rejected this argument at the bail stage.

The court highlighted the allegations of voyeurism and criminal intimidation, which cannot be dismissed solely based on a prior relationship.

A Delhi court on Monday denied bail to a 26-year-old man accused of repeatedly assaulting, sexually abusing and threatening his former partner, observing that the gravity of the allegations, the corroborative material, the risk of tampering with evidence and the pending forensic evidence warrant his continued custody.

Additional Sessions Judge Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi was hearing the bail plea filed by accused Saksham Kaushik in a case registered against him under sections 64(1) (rape), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 138 (abduction) and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

According to the prosecution, the complainant met the accused in January, when he expressed romantic interest by following her around her college. In February, his conduct allegedly escalated to depriving her of personal space, accompanying her everywhere and even finding her an apartment, where he stayed against her will, while threatening to circulate her videos to prevent any complaints.

On February 19, after assaulting her a day earlier, the accused took the complainant to a hospital but kept her phone with him and monitored her movements to prevent her from fleeing. Later that month, he took her to Meerut and repeatedly punched her, leaving her face bruised. Claiming police links, the accused threatened the complainant and her brother that he could kill someone with no consequences.

On March 14, he allegedly assaulted her again, forced her to consume alcohol, broke her phone and laptop, and coerced her to perform degrading sexual acts while recording videos.

The complainant informed one of her professors about the situation the next day and met her at the college on March 16. She also attempted to persuade the accused to delete the videos, but he refused.

Court's Reasoning for Bail Denial

"In view of the gravity of the allegations, the material reflecting corroboration by the victim in her statement under section 183, BNSS (pre-trial recorded statements by a magistrate), and the fact that the investigation is still pending with the Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL), digital results awaited, coupled with the apprehension of tampering, influencing, this court is not inclined to grant bail to the applicant at this stage," the judge said.

Defence Arguments and Prosecution's Response

The defence counsel claimed that this was a case of "false implication and a distortion of facts driven by a (consensual) relationship that soured, culminating in a motivated and vicious FIR". He argued that the two had broken up on March 14, leading to false rape charges out of vengeance, and refuted all claims of physical and sexual violence on that date. The plea was annexed with material to show a "consensual" relationship, including hotel records, overnight stays, tenancy verification documents and "affectionate" WhatsApp chats.

The additional public prosecutor (APP) opposed the bail plea, accusing the defence of cherry-picking favourable chats and omitting several "blanks, images and voice notes". He asserted that the admitted relationship did not dilute the gravity of the alleged non-consensual sexual violence on March 14. He also raised concerns that the accused could threaten the complainant and influence her due to their proximity in daily life.

The court rejected the defence's argument that the alleged incidents of March 14 never occurred and noted the complainant's consistency in her statements at various stages of the proceedings.

It also affirmed the APP's submission that the accused could influence witnesses or tamper with evidence if released, observing, "Considering the nature of the allegations, especially the alleged threats regarding videos, the apprehension cannot be treated as illusory at this stage, when forensic, digital evidence is still being collected, analysed and the investigation remains pending."

It refused to examine the argument of false implication arising out of a consensual relationship at the bail stage, saying it must be tested during trial.

The court also found the precedents cited by the defence inapplicable, stating, "This court is of the view that the case at hand is distinguishable from the law reports relied upon by the learned counsel for the applicant. There is no dispute about the fact that both the parties are adult and consenting, but the distinguishable fact is that the applicant not only developed physical intimacy with the complainant without her consent when she was intoxicated but also recorded the vulgar act and committed act(s) of voyeurism."

The court further noted that the relationship lasted less than three months, making precedents on intercourse on promise of marriage inapplicable as they were largely addressing prolonged relationships. Observing that the case involved allegations beyond rape, including voyeurism and criminal intimidation which cannot be refuted because of a prior existing relationship, the court found the bail application to be without merit and dismissed it.
A Delhi court has granted bail to a couple accused of hurling racial slurs at neighbours from Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, sparking debate over justice and the impact of racism on victims.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points A Delhi court granted bail to a couple accused of using racial slurs against neighbours from Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

The accused couple had vacated their residence and apologised publicly and personally to the victims.

The prosecution argued against bail, highlighting the harm caused to the victims, including one who had to relocate due to ethnic violence.

The case originated from a dispute over debris during air conditioner installation, leading to alleged racial abuse.

The police invoked the SC/ST Act in the FIR against the couple, initially charging them with criminal intimidation and promoting enmity.

A Delhi court on Monday granted regular bail to the married couple accused of hurling racial slurs at their neighbours from Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

Additional Sessions Judge Samar Vishal was hearing the regular bail plea of the accused, Harsh Priya Singh and Ruby Jain, who were produced before the court upon the expiry of the 30-day interim bail granted on March 11.

Advocate Abinash Kumar, BP Singh and Sumanta Barik represented the accused in the case. They stated before the court that the couple complied with all the bail conditions as directed in the previous order.

They had vacated their residence at Malviya Nagar, in the building where the incident occurred, and relocated to a new locality. They had updated the investigating officer (IO) with their new address and contact information, the lawyers said.

The lawyers also reassured the judge that Ruby Jain has been under continuous medication for her tuberculosis, with hospital documentation available for it.

They argued that the married couple had suffered significant damage to their reputation due to this case. The couple had also apologised publicly on social media and personally to the victims in the presence of their landlord.

Prosecution's Argument Against Bail

Advocate Liyi Noshi, representing the prosecution, opposed the bail plea, urging that a "message is to be sent" by not letting off such grave instances of racism so easily.

She stated before the court that one of the victims had to move back to Manipur amidst the ongoing ethnic violence in the state.

"It may have not caused them any physical injuries, but it did harm them in many other ways and cause them a significant loss of future opportunities," she said.

She also stated that the victims had to move homes on very short notice as they were being hounded by the media, causing them significant financial distress as they were only students with limited means.

"If they're a married couple with social prestige and a reputation to maintain, they should conduct themselves accordingly, not humiliate their neighbours with racial remarks," the prosecution further said.

A detailed order is being awaited.

Background of the Racial Slur Incident

The accused couple was arrested on February 25 by Delhi Police for allegedly hurling racial slurs at the three women from the Northeast in south Delhi's Malviya Nagar area.

The dispute between the two parties began after debris during the installation of an air conditioner at the rented accommodation of the three women fell onto the premises of the couple living on the floor below. The incident took place on February 20.

The police invoked the SC/ST Act in the FIR against the duo. They said the case was initially registered under sections of the BNS, invoking charges of criminal intimidation, insult to the modesty of women, and promoting enmity between groups.
Delhi Police swiftly solved a staged robbery case, arresting a husband, wife, and brother-in-law who conspired to steal nearly 4 million from a trader in Naya Bazar.

Key Points Delhi Police arrested three individuals for staging a robbery of approximately 4 million.

The staged robbery was orchestrated by the complainant's servant, his wife, and her brother-in-law.

The accused planned the robbery to repay debts, using the servant's position to execute the crime.

Police recovered 3.997 million and other evidence from a house in Pitampura.

CCTV footage and technical surveillance led to the quick apprehension of the suspects.

Delhi Police has arrested a husband-wife duo and the woman's brother-in-law on Monday for allegedly staging a planned robbery of nearly Rs 40 lakh in north Delhi, an official said.

The police arrested Hariom alias Bunty, his wife Monika, and her brother-in-law Sunny Luthra, and recovered Rs 39.97 lakh, along with two bags, from a house in Pitampura, police said, adding that Rs 50,000 had already been deposited in a bank account by the accused.

Hariom, who was working as a servant with the complainant, used his position to execute the conspiracy.

According to the police, the incident took place around 11.30 am when 67-year-old trader Ramavatar Aggarwal was heading to his shop in Naya Bazar on a scooter, carrying about Rs 40 lakh in cash.

"The bag containing the money was with his servant Hariom. Near Roshanara Bagh Road, a man intercepted them, assaulted both, and fled with the bag," a senior police officer said.

A case was registered at Roop Nagar police station, and teams were immediately deployed to trace the accused. CCTV footage and technical surveillance raised suspicion about Hariom, who was questioned.

Investigation and Arrests

During interrogation, Hariom disclosed that he had conspired with his wife and her brother-in-law, Sunny Luthra, to stage the robbery to repay debts, police said.

Acting on the leads, police conducted raids in Pitampura and Shalimar Bagh and apprehended the co-accused, cracking the case in hours. Further investigation is underway.
Delhi Police have apprehended a key suspect in Kerala linked to a sophisticated investment fraud scheme that swindled victims out of over Rs 4.5 million through a fake trading platform.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Delhi Police arrest a key accused from Kerala in connection with an interstate investment fraud case.

The accused, Jamsheed K, allegedly handled money in a fraud network that cheated victims of over Rs 4.5 million.

The victim was lured through social media to invest in a fake trading platform promising high returns.

Investigation revealed the accused's bank account was linked to over 21 cyber fraud complaints.

The fraudulent application showed fictitious profits, but the victim was unable to withdraw the amount.

The Delhi Police has arrested a key accused from Kerala in connection with an interstate investment fraud case of over Rs 45 lakh, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Jamsheed K (33), was apprehended from Kerala's Malappuram for his role as a "money handler" in the fraud network, they said.

The police said around Rs 10 lakh of the cheated amount was traced to a bank account linked to him, which was subsequently used to layer and transfer funds.

According to the police, the case was registered following a complaint by Sandeep Kumar, who was lured through social media to invest in a fake trading platform with promises of high returns.

He was allegedly induced to transfer Rs 45.9 lakh into multiple bank accounts, they said.

The police said the application showed fictitious profits of nearly Rs 7 crore, but the victim was unable to withdraw the amount and was later asked to deposit more money.

Investigation revealed the accused's bank account was linked to over 21 cyber fraud complaints on the 'Samanvaya' portal, they said.
Delhi Police have arrested two individuals involved in a sophisticated credit card fraud, highlighting the dangers of bank caller impersonation and online scams.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Delhi Police arrested two individuals for allegedly defrauding a man of Rs 2.45 lakh through credit card fraud.

The accused impersonated bank customer care callers, luring victims with promises of redeeming credit card reward points.

The investigation revealed the defrauded money was used to purchase mobile phones via an e-commerce platform using the victim's credit card details.

The accused used fake websites resembling genuine banking portals to obtain credit card details and carry out unauthorised transactions.

Police apprehended the accused from Rohini's Sector-35 area, recovering evidence related to the cyber fraud activities.

The Delhi Police has arrested two people for allegedly cheating a man of Rs 2.45 lakh by posing as bank customer care callers, an official said on Monday.

The accused impersonated executives of a private bank and lured victims on the pretext of redeeming credit card reward points.

According to the police, a case was registered on December 1, 2025, at Shahdara following a complaint by Mohammad Gazi, who reported fraudulent transactions amounting to Rs 2.45 lakh from his credit card.

"During the investigation, police traced digital analysis, which revealed that the defrauded money was used to purchase four mobile phones from an e-commerce platform using the victim's credit card details," the officer said.

Further analysis led to the identification of eight mobile numbers used in the fraud. The SIM cards were issued in the names of the accused, who had procured around 28 SIM cards for use in cyber fraud activities.

During questioning, Krishna disclosed that the SIM cards were arranged for a local associate who used them to target unsuspecting victims.

Police said the accused used to direct victims to fake websites resembling genuine banking portals to obtain their credit card details and carry out unauthorised transactions. Further investigation is underway. Based on evidence, the accused were apprehended from Rohini's Sector-35 area. Two of them, identified as Avinash (28) and Krishna (20), were arrested, while Rekha (46) was bound down in the case.
The Enforcement Directorate has launched a money laundering investigation into self-styled godman Ashok Kharat, conducting raids across Maharashtra in connection with allegations of extortion, religious manipulation, and financial irregularities.

Photograph: ANI on X

Key Points The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is investigating self-styled godman Ashok Kharat for alleged money laundering.

Raids were conducted across multiple locations in Maharashtra, including Nashik, Pune, and Shirdi.

Kharat is accused of opening multiple bank accounts in the names of third parties and using the funds for land investments.

The investigation stems from police FIRs against Kharat for extortion, religious manipulation, and sexual assault.

Kharat allegedly sold common items as 'blessed items' with divine healing powers, collecting money from victims.

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday conducted searches in multiple cities of Maharashtra as part of a money laundering investigation against self-styled godman Ashok Kharat and his linked entities, officials said.

Five premises in Kharat's home town Nashik and three each in Pune and Shirdi have been raided. Residential and commercial premises linked to Kharat, his chartered accountant (CA) Prakash Pophale, Kharat's relatives and some branches of cooperative credit societies are being covered, they said.

The ED filed a criminal case against Kharat under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on April 6 taking cognisance of a Nashik Police FIR filed against the controversial man on charges of extortion, religious manipulation, drug facilitated assault etc. on multiple women victims.

Investigation Details

ED officials said Kharat opened multiple bank accounts with two cooperative credit societies based out of Nashik district in the name of third parties.

He was named as the nominee in these bank accounts and had linked his mobile number to exercise control over the operations of these accounts, the officials said.

Preliminary probe shows that he sold common items as "blessed items" by claiming they possessed divine healing powers. The money so collected from the victims and through the "extortion" operations, has been invested in various lands through his CA, they said.

Background of Allegations

The self-styled godman-cum-astrologer was arrested by the Nashik Police in March after a married woman accused him of raping her repeatedly over three years.

State police have registered a total of eight FIRs against him so far.

A subsequent probe by the police uncovered a host of crimes, including sexual assault and financial irregularities linked to land, opening of accounts in some cooperative credit societies, and other properties.
Delhi Police have arrested two men, one posing as a judge with forged documents, for possessing an illegal firearm and ammunition, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat security threats in the capital.

Key Points Two men arrested in Delhi for impersonating a judicial officer and possessing an illegal firearm and ammunition.

The accused were intercepted in an SUV with a fake 'Judge' sticker and black film on the windows.

One of the men allegedly posed as a civil judge from Uttar Pradesh and presented forged documents.

Delhi Police seized a pistol, live cartridges, the SUV, a forged identity card, and a fabricated permission letter.

Investigations are underway to determine the source of the forged documents and the extent of the illegal activity.

Two men, including one allegedly impersonating a judicial officer using forged documents, have been arrested in New Delhi with a firearm and live ammunition, police said on Monday.

The accused have been identified as Surya Agarwal (31) and Nikhil Yadav (21), both residents of Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district.

According to the police, the arrests were made by a team from Parliament Street police station as part of a drive to check potential security threats in the national capital.

"On April 5, around 5 pm, the team intercepted a suspicious SUV (MG Hector) car that was plying without a registration number plate and had black film on its windows, which is prohibited. The vehicle also bore a sticker reading 'Judge, Government of Uttar Pradesh', raising suspicion," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Sachin Sharma said in a statement.

During the search, a pistol and four live cartridges were recovered from Nikhil Yadav's possession, while five live cartridges were found with Agarwal, the DCP added..

Investigation Uncovers Forged Documents

During questioning, Agarwal allegedly claimed to be an advocate and also posed as a civil judge from Uttar Pradesh. He produced a judicial identity card and a letter purportedly issued by Uttar Pradesh authorities, claiming he had permission to carry the weapon into Delhi.

However, upon verification, the police discovered that both the identity card and the letter were forged and digitally altered, the officer said.

Police further found that Agarwal possessed a valid arms licence issued in Uttar Pradesh, but it was restricted to that state and did not permit him to carry the weapon into Delhi.

A case has been registered at the Parliament Street police station, and further investigation is ongoing.

The police have seized the pistol, nine live cartridges, the SUV used in the incident, the forged identity card, the fabricated permission letter, and the sticker used to falsely assert official status.

Efforts are being made to determine the source of the forged documents.
A 58-year-old farmer was brutally murdered near his betel leaf farm in Odisha's Ganjam district, prompting a police investigation into the motive behind the shocking crime.

IMAGE: Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff

Key Points A 58-year-old farmer, Ekadesi Nahak, was allegedly hacked to death near his farmland in Odisha's Ganjam district.

The farmer was attacked with sharp weapons while on his way to his betel leaf farm.

Police are investigating the murder, but the motive behind the crime is currently unknown.

Senior police officers have visited the crime scene to investigate the circumstances surrounding the farmer's death.

A 58-year-old farmer was allegedly hacked to death near his farmland in Odisha's Ganjam district, police said.

The deceased, identified as Ekadesi Nahak, was a resident of Panchama village in the Golanthara police station area, they said.

Nahak was on his way to his betel leaf farm when he was attacked by unidentified assailants with sharp weapons. He died on the spot, they added.

Senior officers, including Berhampur SP Saravana Vivek M, visited the crime scene.

Investigation into Farmer's Murder

The motive behind the murder is yet to be ascertained, police said.
A farmer in Beed, Maharashtra, tragically lost his life after a heated argument over a land boundary dispute escalated into a fatal assault, prompting a police investigation and the arrest of two suspects.

Key Points A farmer in Beed district was killed during an argument over a land boundary.

The incident occurred in Gaundgaon Shivar, Georai tehsil.

The victim, Arjun Mali, was assaulted with sticks and stones.

Two suspects, Madhukar Shinde and his son Manohar, have been arrested in connection with the murder.

The assault stemmed from a dispute regarding the boundary of a farm plot.

A farmer was bludgeoned to death during an argument over the boundary of a plot in Georai tehsil in Beed district, a police official said on Monday.

The incident took place in Gaundgaon Shivar on Saturday evening, he added.

Details of the Incident

"A dispute about the boundary of a farm plot led to an argument, during which accused Madhukar Shinde, his son Manohar and a kin assaulted Arjun Mali (58) with sticks and stones," the official said.

Mali succumbed to his injuries at the district hospital here, following which two of the three accused were held from Brashinka area, the official added.
A 16-year-old girl from Jharkhand was rescued from human traffickers in Uttar Pradesh after being lured with false promises and sold for Rs 25,000, highlighting the ongoing issue of human trafficking in India.

Key Points A 16-year-old girl from Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district was trafficked to Uttar Pradesh and allegedly sold for Rs 25,000.

The girl was reportedly lured away from her sister at a railway station with promises of a job and a better life.

Police traced the girl to Inayatpur in Sitapur district, Uttar Pradesh, and rescued her from her captors.

Two men, Sandeep Kumar and Kishori Lal Kuiri, have been arrested in connection with the human trafficking case and remanded to judicial custody.

The victim reported physical abuse and possible sexual assault, with police awaiting a medical examination report for confirmation.

A girl from Chakradharpur sub-division of Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district fell victim to human traffickers and was allegedly sold for Rs 25,000 in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Monday.

The 16-year-old girl was also subjected to physical torture by her buyers, the police said.

Chakradharpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Awadesh Kumar told PTI on Monday that the girl was on her way to school with her elder sister on January 20 this year when an argument broke out between the two over certain issues.

"The victim left her elder sister midway and headed to the Chakradharpur Railway Station. Spotting the girl alone at the station, an unidentified tout managed to ensnare her in his trap. The accused convinced the girl to accompany him by promising her a job and painting a picture of a better life," the police officer said.

The girl went along with him on the train to Uttar Pradesh.

"The tout took her to Inayatpur in the Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh and contacted a man named Kishori Lal Kuiri," the police officer added.

The tout informed the person about the girl, who, in turn contacted his neighbour Sandeep Kumar about the girl to be sold.

"Following this, Sandeep mortgaged a plot of land measuring 2.5 decimal and purchased the girl for Rs 25,000," police claimed.

Following the girl's disappearance, her mother and sister searched for her tirelessly after failing to trace her they lodged a missing persons case on April 2 at Chakradharpur Police Station.

Rescue Operation and Arrests

"Police acting on technical surveillance and information from sources successfully traced the girl's location and raided the accused residence in Uttar Pradesh and rescued the girl and arrested both Sandeep Kumar and Kishori Lal Kuiri on Sunday," said Awadesh Kumar.

In her statement to the police, the girl revealed that she had been subjected to continuous physical abuse and was physically assaulted.

"Burnt marks could be seen in various parts of her body. We are awaiting the medical examination report of the girl for confirmation of sexual assault, which the girl has claimed. The girl is currently with her family," the police officer said.

Both the accused were remanded to judicial custody on Monday.
Gujarat police have successfully dismantled a massive Rs 77 crore cyber fraud operation, exposing a network of mule bank accounts and international connections to Dubai.

IMAGE: Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com

Key Points Gujarat police uncovered a Rs 77 crore cyber fraud operation connected to 375 cases across India.

Sixteen individuals were arrested for operating a mule account network facilitating cyber crime and gaming-related fraud.

The network maintained communication with foreign-based operators, particularly in Dubai, via WhatsApp and Telegram.

Police seized laptops, mobile phones, SIM cards, and bank documents revealing extensive fraudulent activities.

Investigations suggest the involvement of an international cyber fraud network, with links to individuals in Dubai and other foreign countries.

The Gujarat police has unearthed a Rs 77 crore cyber fraud linked to 375 cases registered across the country and arrested 16 accused from different locations in the state as well as Goa, an official said on Monday.

The accused set up a network of mule bank accounts to facilitate the transfer of funds derived from cyber crime and gaming-related fraud, as per police.

They procured bank accounts and SIM cards in the names of other individuals, and these accounts were subsequently utilised to execute cyber fraud schemes, the official said.

The network also maintained active communication with foreign-based operators (particularly in Dubai) through WhatsApp and Telegram groups for coordination and account-sharing, the official said.

Details of the Arrests and Investigation

"Sixteen persons operating a mule account network across Vadodara, Palanpur and Goa were arrested and cyber fraud exceeding Rs 77 crore linked to 375 crimes across the country were uncovered," CID Crime Cyber Centre of Excellence Superintendent of Police Vivek Bheda said.

Nine persons were held from Goa, five from Vadodara and two from Palanpur, he said.

"More than 260 bank account details were recovered from mobile phones of the accused. Some of the accused were involved in setting up fictitious firms, and three such shell firms, set up to facilitate mule account operations, were unearthed. They provided bank account details to their associates engaged in cyber crime and gaming-related fraud, thereby facilitating the laundering of fraudulently obtained funds," he added.

They procured bank account kits and SIM cards from various account holders and supplied them to their cybercrime associates, enabling the movement and concealment of proceeds of cyber fraud, the SP said.

Police seized 15 laptops, 85 mobile phones, 19 chequebooks, 82 passbooks, 126 SIM cards, 115 debit cards, blank cheques, routers, pen drives from their possession, he said.

Technical analysis of the laptop data recovered from the accused revealed bank statements, checkbooks, passbooks, bank login credentials, transaction statements, and PDF files of cyber fraud complaints, stated an official release.

Examination of mobile phones of the accused revealed WhatsApp and Telegram group chats with individuals based in Dubai and other foreign countries, through which bank account details were exchanged, indicating the involvement of an international network, it said.
Iran has issued a stern warning that a US-imposed blockade on its ports could destabilise maritime security throughout the Persian Gulf, threatening regional stability and potentially disrupting global shipping lanes.

IMAGE: US President Donald Trump has announced that the US Navy will begin blockading vessels entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, following the collapse of talks with Iran in Pakistan. Photograph: @CENTCOM/X

Key Points Iran warns that a US blockade of its ports will jeopardise maritime security in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman.

Iran considers defending its territorial waters a natural and legal right, asserting sovereignty in the region.

Iran states that if its ports' security is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman will be safe.

Iran will continue to enforce security in its waters, restricting access to hostile vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran denounces US actions as unlawful piracy and will implement a long-term mechanism to control the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran on Monday strongly criticised the United States plans to impose a blockade on its ports, warning that maritime security across the Persian Gulf region would be jeopardised if its own security is threatened.

According to the Iranian state media Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), citing a statement from the spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, maritime security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman must be upheld collectively, adding that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic consider safeguarding the country's rights and sovereignty in its territorial waters a "natural and legal duty".

"The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran consider defending the legal rights of our country a natural and legal duty, and accordingly, exercising the sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the territorial waters of our country is the natural right of the Iranian nation," the statement read, as quoted by IRIB.

"The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran clearly and firmly declare that the security of ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for no one. If the security of the ports of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will be safe," the statement added.

The statement emphasised that Iran would continue to enforce security in its waters and reiterated that vessels linked to hostile entities would not be permitted to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, while other vessels would be allowed transit in accordance with regulations set by Iranian authorities.

"Ensuring security in the territorial waters of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the armed forces will continue with determination, and as has been repeatedly announced, enemy-affiliated vessels do not and will not have the right to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and other vessels will continue to be allowed to pass through the Strait, subject to the regulations of the Islamic Republic of Iran's armed forces," the statement read, as quoted by IRIB.

Describing US actions as unlawful, the spokesperson said that the restrictions on ship movement in international waters amount to "piracy" and violate international norms.

The spokesperson further warned that Tehran would implement a long-term mechanism to maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, citing ongoing threats to national security even after the end of hostilities.

"Given the continued threats from the enemy against the Iranian nation and the national security of our country, even after the end of the war, the Islamic Republic of Iran will resolutely implement a permanent mechanism to control the Strait of Hormuz. The criminal US's imposition of restrictions on the movement of ships in international waters is an illegal act and amounts to piracy," the statement read, as quoted by IRIB.

US Blockade Announcement

The warning issued by the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran's highest operational command unit that coordinates operations between the Army and the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), comes after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) earlier announced that it will begin enforcing a blockade on all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports starting April 13 at 10 am ET, in line with a directive from the US President Donald Trump.

According to a statement issued by CENTCOM on X, the blockade will be applied uniformly to vessels of all nations operating in and out of Iranian ports along the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

However, it clarified that freedom of navigation through the strategic Strait of Hormuz for vessels heading to and from non-Iranian ports will not be disrupted.

The command added that further guidance will be issued to commercial shipping through formal notices, advising mariners to monitor official broadcasts and maintain communication with US naval forces while operating in the region.
Bomb threats sent via email to civil courts in Hajipur and Kishanganj, Bihar, prompted police investigations before being declared hoaxes, causing disruption and raising security concerns.

Key Points Hajipur and Kishanganj civil courts in Bihar received bomb threats via email.

Police investigations, including bomb detection and dog squads, were deployed to both court premises.

The bomb threats were determined to be hoaxes, and no actual explosives were found.

FIR has been registered and legal proceedings will be carried out against the threat.

Hajipur and Kishanganj civil courts on Monday received bomb threats through email, which later turned out to be hoax, officials said.

Talking to PTI, Hajipur Sadar SDPO Subodh Kumar said, "Officials at the Hajipur civil court received an email containing a bomb threat around 11 am. Police carried out an intensive search of the premises."

Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) and dog squad were rushed to the court premises, but no real threat was found by the end of the day, he added.

Kumar said that an FIR has been registered in this matter.

Kishanganj SDPO-2 Mangalesh Kumar Singh said, "We received information from court officials regarding an email containing a bomb threat. We inspected the premises according to our standard security parameters. BDDS and the dog squad were also deployed for inspection."

The threat turned out to be a hoax, but police will carry out other related legal proceedings against the threat, he added.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini champions the principles of Sikh Gurus at the Baisakhi festival, reinforcing the state's commitment to unity, cultural preservation, and support for the Sikh community.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini promotes Sikh Gurus' teachings of unity, dedication, and service at the Baisakhi Mahotsav in Kurukshetra.

The Haryana government is committed to the welfare of the Sikh community, including the establishment of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.

Devotees can visit Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, Maharashtra, via a special train under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana.

Haryana is developing a museum on Sikhism in Umri, Kurukshetra, to showcase Sikh history, culture, and the contributions of the Gurus.

The state government is honouring Guru Tegh Bahadur through various initiatives, including a forest, memorial gate, agricultural college, and renaming of institutions.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday said that both the central and state governments are continuously working to take the principles and teachings of the Sikh Gurus to every section of society.

Addressing a gathering as chief guest at the state-level Baisakhi Mahotsav 2026 organised by the Art and Cultural Affairs Department in collaboration with the district administration at Kurukshetra, Saini said that India is progressing towards a new era under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is moving rapidly towards the goal of 'Viksit Bharat 2047'.

He emphasised that the teachings of the Sikh Gurus -- unity, dedication, service and hard work -- must be adopted in daily life to build an inclusive society where all citizens have equal opportunities, there is no discrimination and every individual can live with dignity.

Saini added that development must go hand in hand while staying connected to our roots, preserving culture and acquainting future generations with the nation's glorious history.

Recalling the historical importance of the day, he said that on this day in 1699, at Sri Anandpur Sahib, the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, established the Khalsa Panth at a time when injustice and oppression were at their peak, giving a new direction to society based on courage, equality, self-respect and patriotism.

Extending greetings on the auspicious occasion of Baisakhi, Saini paid obeisance to the revered Gurus on the foundation day of the Khalsa Panth. He also inaugurated an exhibition based on Sikh history as well as the achievements and schemes of the state government.

Gita Manishi Swami Gyananand Maharaj was also present on the occasion.

Saini also flagged off wrestling competitions for men and women and inaugurated the international kite competition by flying a kite and further inspected the Haryana Heritage Pavilion showcasing the rich Haryanvi culture.

Highlighting the significance of the festival, the chief minister said that Baisakhi symbolises prosperity, respect for labour and harmony with nature.

He expressed happiness at being present on the sacred land of Kurukshetra, known as the land of 'dharma' and 'karma', and said that the festival inspires people to remain connected with nature and celebrate the joy of a bountiful harvest.

The chief minister also recalled the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919 when the country was under the British rule, stating that the brutal killing of innocent people marked a painful chapter in India's history.

The sacrifice of the martyrs gave new momentum to the freedom struggle and strengthened the spirit of independence among the people, he said.

Saini said that under the Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana, a special train will depart from Kurukshetra on May 5 to facilitate devotees' visit to Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, Maharashtra.

He added that earlier, on March 28, a train carrying more than 700 devotees was flagged off from Ambala for darshan of Ayodhya Dham.

Government Initiatives for the Sikh Community

Reiterating the state government's commitment to the welfare of the Sikh community, the chief minister said that the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee was constituted in December 2022, fulfilling a long-pending demand and ensuring greater autonomy for the community in the state.

He further said that the Haryana government has celebrated the 550th Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev, the 350th Prakash Parv of Guru Gobind Singh and the 400th Prakash Parv of Guru Tegh Bahadur at the state level in a grand manner.

Saini added that in November last, several programmes were organized across the state to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

The state government had made a provision to provide employment to one member each of 121 families who lost their kin during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the chief minister said.

He added that appointment letters were distributed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a programme held in Panchkula on December 24 on the occasion of Veer Bal Diwas.

He further said that a forest is being developed in the name of Guru Tegh Bahadur at Kalesar in Yamunanagar district, along with the construction of a memorial gate in his honour.

An agricultural college has also been announced in his name at Kishanpura in Yamunanagar.

Additionally, Government Polytechnic College, Ambala has been renamed after Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Tohana'A Jind'A Dhamtan Sahib road has been named Guru Tegh Bahadur Marg, and the upcoming medical college in Yamunanagar will also be named after him, Saini said.

Sikh Heritage and Future Projects

The chief minister said that a museum on Sikhism will soon be developed in Umri, Kurukshetra, which will showcase Sikh history, culture and the contributions of the Gurus.

The museum will be constructed on five acres of land provided by the Kurukshetra Development Board.

He said that a tender worth Rs 124 crore has already been issued by the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran and work on the project will commence shortly.
In a significant crackdown, Delhi Police arrested two alleged members of the notorious Himanshu Bhau gang following a shootout in outer Delhi, seizing firearms and launching further investigations into their criminal activities.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Two alleged members of the Himanshu Bhau gang were arrested by Delhi Police after a brief gunfight.

The arrest occurred near the Urban Extension Road (UER) to the Baprola Link Road area in outer Delhi.

Both suspects sustained gunshot injuries during the encounter and are currently hospitalised.

Police recovered two semi-automatic pistols, used cartridges, and live ammunition from the suspects.

The arrested individuals are wanted in multiple criminal cases, and further investigation is underway to identify other gang members.

Two alleged members of the Himanshu alias Bhau gang were arrested following a brief exchange of fire with the Delhi Police in outer Delhi early Monday, an official said.

The accused have been identified as Deepak, a resident of Gopal Nagar in Najafgarh, and Atul, a native of Jhajjar in Haryana.

According to the police, the operation was carried out based on specific intelligence inputs regarding the movement of the gang members. Acting on the tip-off, a team of the Special Cell laid a trap near the Urban Extension Road (UER) to the Baprola Link Road area.

"When the suspects arrived at the spot, they were signalled to stop but instead attempted to evade arrest, prompting a brief gunfight with the police team," the police officer said.

During the exchange of fire, both accused sustained gunshot injuries and were subsequently overpowered and apprehended by the police.

They were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment and are said to be out of danger. From their possession, two semi-automatic pistols along with used cartridges and live ammunition were recovered and seized from the spot, the officer added.

A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.

Ongoing Investigation and Further Inquiries

Police said that both accused are wanted in multiple criminal cases, and their detailed involvement in previous offences is being verified. Efforts are also underway to identify and apprehend other associates of the Himanshu Bhau gang, he added.
The arrest of I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel has ignited a political firestorm, with TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee accusing the BJP of using central agencies to intimidate the opposition and manipulate the upcoming West Bengal elections.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Abhishek Banerjee, TMC leader, condemns the arrest of I-PAC co-founder Vinesh Chandel, claiming it undermines fair elections in West Bengal.

Banerjee alleges a 'double standard' by central agencies, accusing them of protecting those who switch political sides while targeting opposition.

The TMC leader questions the independence of institutions like the Election Commission, ED, NIA, and CBI during the sensitive election period.

Banerjee asserts that West Bengal will resist what he perceives as bullying tactics from the BJP and central government.

The Enforcement Directorate arrested Vinesh Chandel in connection with a money-laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.

Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said the arrest of Vinesh Chandel, the co-founder of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) -- the consultancy firm of TMC -- raises serious concerns about the fairness of the electoral process.

"The arrest of Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC, barely 10 days before the Bengal elections, is not just alarming - it shakes the very idea of a level playing field," Banerjee said in a post on X.

"At a time when West Bengal should be moving towards free and fair elections, this kind of action sends a chilling message: If you work with the opposition, you could be next. That's not democracy - that's intimidation," he added.

Allegations of Double Standards

Banerjee further alleged a "double standard" in the functioning of central agencies.

"Those facing serious corruption allegations seem to find protection the moment they switch sides, while others are swiftly targeted at politically convenient moments. People are not blind to this anymore," he said.

He also questioned the role of institutions during the election period.

"When institutions meant to protect democracy start feeling like tools of pressure, trust begins to erode. On one side, the Election Commission. On the other, agencies like the ED, NIA, CBI stepping in at the most sensitive time. It creates an atmosphere of fear, not fairness," Banerjee said.

Broader Implications for Democracy

Stressing the broader implications, the TMC leader said, "India has always taken pride in its democracy - loud, messy but free. But today, many are beginning to ask: are we still that country?"

"This is bigger than one arrest. It is about whether our institutions remain independent and whether every citizen, no matter their political belief, can participate without fear. Because once fear replaces freedom, democracy becomes just a word," he added.

In a direct message to the Union government leadership, Banerjee said, "To Amit Shah and the BJP's power structure - be in Bengal on the 4th and 5th of May. Come with Gyanesh Kumar and every agency you deploy.

"Bengal will not be bullied, will not be silenced and will not bow. This is a land that answers pressure with resistance and it will show you exactly what that means."

Background of the Arrest

In a major action weeks ahead of the West Bengal assembly polls, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested Vinesh Chandel, a director and co-founder of political consultancy firm I-PAC, in a money-laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in the poll-bound state.

An official said Chandel was taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Delhi late evening.
What's next for global brands in China? In Spark Dialogue, Josh Perlman of Authentic Brands Group draws on three decades of experience to unpack shifting consumption trends, the rise of niche and community-driven brands, and why immersive lifestyle experiences are becoming key to long-term growth in China.
Retired IAS officer Subodh Agarwal has been remanded to police custody as investigations continue into the Rs 960-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam involving alleged corruption and forged documents.

Key Points Retired IAS officer Subodh Agarwal has been remanded in connection with the Rs 960-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is investigating alleged corruption involving forged completion certificates for securing tenders.

Agarwal was the additional chief secretary of the public health engineering department when the alleged scam occurred.

The ACB has arrested multiple individuals, including senior engineers, retired officials, and contractors, in connection with the Jal Jeevan Mission scam.

Retired IAS officer Subodh Agarwal, arrested in connection with the alleged Rs 960-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam, was produced before an ACB court on Monday, which sent him to two days' police remand.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau had sought a three-day remand for further questioning in the matter, but the court granted two days' custody.

The order was passed by the ACB Court-1.

A team from the ACB arrested Agarwal on Thursday in connection with the multi-crore Jal Jeevan Mission corruption case.

He was sent to a three-day police remand on Friday. On completion of the remand period, the ACB produced him in court.

Allegations Against Agarwal

Agarwal was serving as the additional chief secretary of the public health engineering department when the alleged scam took place.

Some firms had allegedly secured tenders by submitting forged completion certificates in connivance with officers. Last month, the ACB arrested nine persons, including senior engineers and retired officials, in connection with the scam. Earlier, the ACB had arrested contractors.
A man was brutally murdered in Indore after being accused of witchcraft, leading to the arrest of three suspects and highlighting the persistence of superstition-related violence.

IMAGE: Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff

Key Points A 28-year-old man in Indore was brutally murdered, allegedly due to suspicions of witchcraft.

Police have arrested three mechanics in connection with the murder, who reportedly attacked the victim with bricks and stones.

The main accused suspected the victim of practicing witchcraft against him, leading to repeated confrontations.

The victim's body was found in an empty field with severe head injuries, indicating a violent attack.

Police investigation involved technical analysis of mobile phones found at the crime scene, leading to the arrests.

A 28-year-old man was bludgeoned to death in Indore allegedly by three men on suspicion of practising witchcraft, a police official said on Monday.

Days after the brutal killing, police on Monday arrested the trio, all mechanics, who attacked the victim, Krishna Kumar Ahirwar alias Golu, with bricks and stones.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Shrikrishna Lalchandani told reporters that the body of Ahirwar was found in an empty field in the Rajendra Nagar police station area on April 11. His face was severely crushed with bricks and stones to conceal his identity.

Police found two SIM-less keypad mobile phones (feature phones) at the scene. Based on evidence obtained after technical analysis of these tools, three mechanics - Vikas Kose (28), Krishna Bhide (22), and Bhura alias Bhuriya Harwal (30) - were arrested from different parts of Madhya Pradesh, he informed.

Investigation and Motive

The DCP said, "The main accused, Kose, suspected Ahirwar of practicing witchcraft on him. Therefore, he repeatedly confronted Ahirwar. When the dispute between them escalated, Kose, with the help of two of his associates, attacked Ahirwar with bricks and stones and killed him."

Police have launched a detailed investigation into the murder case, Lalchandani added.
Despite disagreements over nuclear ambitions, recent US-Iran peace talks led by Vice President JD Vance have fostered crucial goodwill and a deeper understanding between the two nations, potentially paving the way for future negotiations.

IMAGE: A screen displays US Vice President JD Vance addresses a press briefing after the peace talks with Iran in Islamabad on April 12, 2026. Photograph: Akhtar Soomro/Reuters

Key Points US-Iran talks, led by JD Vance, reportedly built goodwill despite failing to reach a comprehensive peace agreement.

The US believes Iran may accept terms to end the war due to the goodwill established during the Islamabad discussions.

A key sticking point remains Iran's nuclear ambitions, with the US insisting on a complete end to nuclear enrichment capabilities.

The Trump administration intends to test Iran's vulnerabilities, armed with a better understanding gained from the negotiations.

Iran believes it has more leverage than the US thinks is justified.

US Vice President JD Vance-led talks for peace with Iran may have been unsuccessful, but the 21-hour-long discussions helped build goodwill with the new leadership in Tehran, according to a media report.

The Washington Post, quoting unnamed US officials, reported that the measure of goodwill established during the talks in Islamabad has made Washington believe that Iran may accept their terms to end the deadly and costly war.

It said that President Donald Trump's announcement of a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could force Iran to agree to a deal.

"A US official with knowledge of the negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks, said Vance was keenly aware going into the negotiations of the mistrust and risk of misunderstanding between the United States and Iran," the report said.

The official said Vance and the US negotiators had developed rapport and became warmer with each other.

Trump appeared to share the assessment. "We had a very intensive negotiation, and toward the end, it got very friendly," he told Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures. "And we got just about every point we needed except for the fact that they refuse to give up their nuclear ambition," he said.

Sticking Points in US-Iran Negotiations

The Post report said it became clear to the US team once talks began that the Iranians did not fully appreciate the far-reaching nature of the Trump administration's insistence that any deal must centre on prohibiting Iran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Iran has insisted for decades that it does not intend to build a nuclear weapon - a pledge that Trump and his allies, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have claimed cannot be taken at face value.

The administration has maintained that Iran must entirely give up its nuclear enrichment capability, which can also be used for civilian purposes. Iran has refused to go that far and appears to have hoped that Trump would settle for something less.

Vance tried to correct that misunderstanding throughout the discussions, the official said.

But Vance also used the negotiations to try to decipher how Iran actually felt about the position it was in - and determined that it believed it had more leverage than US officials think is justified by the realities on the ground, according to the US official, who did not elaborate on what the Iranians said.

Armed with a better understanding of Iran's vulnerabilities, the official said the Trump administration now intends to test them.
After a seven-year hiatus, Iranian crude oil has arrived in India, signalling a potential shift in the energy market following a US sanctions waiver amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.

IMAGE: Two supertankers carrying Iranian crude oil have arrived at Indian ports. Photograph: Reuters

Key Points Two supertankers carrying Iranian crude oil have arrived at Indian ports, ending a seven-year import freeze due to sanctions.

The shipments were made possible by a one-month sanctions waiver from the US, aimed at easing global supply disruptions and stabilising oil prices.

Indian Oil Corporation, Reliance Industries, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation are potential buyers of the Iranian crude.

The US has announced a blockade of Iranian ports after peace talks collapsed, raising concerns about future oil imports.

India was previously a major importer of Iranian crude, with these imports accounting for 11.5% of India's total imports before sanctions were tightened in 2018.

Two supertankers carrying Iranian crude have arrived at Indian ports on both the east and west coasts, marking the first such deliveries in nearly seven years, according to ship-tracking data.

Felicity, a very large crude carrier operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company, anchored off Sikka on Gujarat's coast late Sunday, carrying about 2 million barrels loaded at Kharg Island in mid-March.

A second tanker, Jaya, moored near Paradip on Odisha's coast around the same time. It is transporting a similar volume of crude, lifted from Kharg Island in late February, before the US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, followed by Tehran's retaliation.

The shipments are the first Iranian crude cargoes to reach Indian shores in nearly seven years, following a sanctions waiver issued by the United States last month.

The one-month exemption permitted the sale of Iranian oil already in transit, aimed at easing global supply disruptions and containing prices.

However, after peace talks collapsed over the weekend, Washington announced a blockade of Iranian ports, seeking to curb Tehran's oil export revenues.

The buyers of the cargoes reaching Indian coasts have not been formally disclosed.

Paradip port is primarily operated by Indian Oil Corporation, which has confirmed purchasing at least one Iranian shipment under the waiver. Sikka, meanwhile, is a key crude handling hub for Reliance Industries and Bharat Petroleum Corporation, both of which maintain infrastructure in the region.

Late last month, the tanker Ping Shun, carrying about 600,000 barrels of Iranian crude, was initially bound for Vadinar in Gujarat but diverted to China mid-voyage due to payment issues.

Had it reached Vadinar, oil on Ping Shun would have been the first Iranian barrels to reach Indian shores in seven years.

India's Historical Reliance on Iranian Oil

Historically, India was a major buyer of Iranian crude, importing significant volumes of Iranian light and heavy grades due to strong refinery compatibility and favourable commercial terms.

Following sanctions tightening in 2018, imports ceased from May 2019, with volumes replaced by Middle Eastern, US and other grades. At peak, Iranian crude accounted for 11.5 per cent of India's total imports.

India used to buy 518,000 barrels per day of Iranian oil in 2018, which slowed to 268,000 bpd between January and May 2019 when the US granted waivers to a few buyers. There have been no imports since.

The key grades that Indian refiners used to purchase are Iran light and Iran heavy crudes.

Impact of US Sanctions and Future Outlook

The US last month waived sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil at sea for 30 days in its latest attempt to ease oil prices that have been driven up by the US-Israeli war on Iran.

That window expires April 19. An estimated 95 million barrels of Iranian oil is on vessels on sea, of which around 51 million barrels could be sold to India, while the remaining are better suited for buyers in China and Southeast Asia.
A Jammu man has been booked for allegedly defrauding a resident of 9.08 lakh by falsely promising overseas job opportunities for his son, prompting a Crime Branch investigation into the overseas job scam.

Key Points A man in Jammu is accused of defrauding a resident by promising overseas employment for his son.

The accused allegedly took 9.08 lakh from the complainant under the guise of securing jobs in Italy and the UK.

The Crime Branch investigation revealed fraudulent intent from the beginning, leading to the registration of a case.

The accused only returned 40,000 of the total amount taken from the complainant.

The Special Crime Wing (SCW) of the Crime Branch, Jammu, on Monday registered a fraud case against a man accused of duping a complainant on the pretext of arranging overseas employment for his son, an official said.

An FIR under Section 420 (cheating) has been registered at Police Station SCW, Crime Branch Jammu against Bhupinder Kumar, a resident of Kir Pind in R S Pura, a spokesperson of the agency said.

According to the complainant, the accused approached the victim around two years ago, offering to facilitate a job abroad for his son. He initially processed an application for Italy, which was rejected by the authorities.

The accused later assured placement in the United Kingdom, but that attempt also failed after objections were raised by the UK authorities, the spokesperson said.

The complainant allegedly arranged funds from relatives and paid a total of Rs 9.08 lakh to the accused, who has so far returned only Rs 40,000.

Crime Branch Investigation

A preliminary verification by the Crime Branch found that the accused had allegedly acted with fraudulent intent from the outset, inducing the complainant to part with money through misrepresentation, the spokesperson said.

He said the investigation has been entrusted to Deputy Superintendent of Police Deepak Jasrotia, and a further probe is underway.
The SC has dealt a blow to Lalu Prasad Yadav by refusing to quash the CBI FIR in the land-for-jobs case, though he has been granted exemption from appearing in court during proceedings.

IMAGE: RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav with his wife Rabri Devi arrives at Jay Prakash Narayan Airport, in Patna, March 7, 2026. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points The Supreme Court has refused to quash a CBI FIR against Lalu Prasad Yadav in the land-for-jobs case, a setback for the RJD chief.

Lalu Prasad Yadav is granted exemption from appearing before the trial court during the proceedings, offering some relief.

The Supreme Court allowed Yadav to raise the issue of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act during the trial.

The land-for-jobs case involves alleged irregularities in appointments made during Yadav's tenure as railways minister.

In a setback to Lalu Prasad Yadav, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to quash a CBI FIR in the land-for-jobs case involving the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and his family members.

A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh, however, granted exemption to the 77-year-old former Bihar chief minister from appearance before the trial court during the proceedings.

"We do not say anything about the issue pertaining to the application of Section 17A (of the Prevention of Corruption Act) on whether it is prospective or retrospective. Taking into consideration the facts and the circumstances, liberty is granted to the petitioner to raise the legal issue at the time of the trial," the bench said.

The top court allowed Yadav to raise the issue of the applicability of Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act in the case during trial of the case.

Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act provides that no enquiry, inquiry or investigation shall be conducted by a police officer into any offence alleged to have been committed by a public servant under the law without prior approval from the appropriate authority.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), argued that Section 17A of the Act would be invoked only if the accused was a decision-making authority.

Raju argued that prior approval against Yadav under Section 17A was not required as he was neither the person who took the decision nor the recommending authority.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Yadav, opposed the submission and said that there cannot be any investigation until the authorities get the sanction.

Sibal said the CBI has woken up after nine years to file another chargesheet on the same ground on which the case had been closed.

"At least a final order may not be passed. Other matters are pending on the same issue and we don't get any relief. This is not fair," he said when the bench declined the relief.

The Delhi High Court had on March 24 refused to quash a CBI FIR in the case involving Yadav and his family members, rejecting the RJD chief's contention that the agency's action was legally unsustainable in the absence of prior sanction under Section 17A.

Details of the land-for-jobs allegations

The land-for-jobs case is related to Group D appointments made in the West Central Zone of the Indian Railways in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, during Yadav's tenure as the railways minister between 2004 and 2009, allegedly in return for land parcels gifted or transferred by the recruits in the name of his family members or associates, officials said.

Yadav had contended that the inquiry, FIR, as well as the investigation and subsequent chargesheets in the matter, were legally unsustainable in the absence of prior sanction under Section 17A.

In his order, Justice Ravinder Dudeja of the Delhi High Court had said the section was introduced in 2018 with prospective effect, whereas the allegations date back to 2004-2009, and the court was "persuaded" by the agency's stand that permitting a belated challenge on a technical plea relating to prior approval would defeat the "orderly administration of criminal justice".

Justice Dudeja dismissed Yadav's petition, which also sought quashing of the three chargesheets filed in 2022, 2023 and 2024, and the subsequent orders of cognisance in the matter.

The high court had said that Section 17A, which was introduced in 2018, was prospective in operation and, therefore, has no application to the present offences, which were alleged to have been committed between 2004 and 2009.

It thus held that the absence of prior approval did not vitiate the preliminary inquiry, registration of the FIR, investigation, or the cognisance orders.

The court had also said that the provision did not apply to this case as the alleged act was not related to any recommendations or decisions Yadav made while discharging his official functions or duties as the railway minister.

The scope of Section 17A is confined to acts involving recommendations made or decisions taken by a public servant in discharge of official functions. In this case, however, the petitioner was not in a position to make decisions about appointment, but could only influence, the court had said.

It had observed that the subsequent grant of sanction in the case undermined Yadav's plea of prejudice, and the matter has progressed to an advanced stage.

The CBI had opposed the petition, saying it was filed belatedly, at the stage of framing of charges. It was also contended that Section 17A did not apply to the petitioner.

The case was registered on May 18, 2022, against Yadav and others, including his wife, two daughters, unidentified public officials and private persons.

Yadav and the other accused are currently out on bail.

Yadav's petition challenging the framing of corruption charges in the case is pending in the high court.

On January 9, the trial court had ordered framing of charges against Yadav, his family members and others. On February 16, it formally framed charges against them under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Yadav has pleaded not guilty.
Despite showing initial progress, Iran-US talks in Islamabad collapsed, raising concerns about regional stability and the future of the West Asia conflict due to disagreements over Iran's nuclear programme and shifting demands.

IMAGE: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi looks at damaged bags and shoes placed in an airplane cabin, along with pictures of four children from Minab, according to a social media post, as delegations from the United States and Iran are expected to hold peace talks in Pakistan, in this handout image taken an at unknown location and released on April 11, 2026. Photograph: Seyed Abbas Araghchi via Telegram/Reuters

Key Points Iran and the US failed to reach an agreement after talks in Islamabad aimed at resolving the West Asia conflict.

Iran blames the US for 'maximalism' and 'shifting goalposts' leading to the collapse of the Islamabad talks.

The US cites Iran's nuclear programme as a key sticking point in the failed negotiations.

The failure of the talks casts doubt on the fragile ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian Parliament Speaker warns the US against threats, asserting Iran's resolve.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Sunday said "zero lessons earned" after hours of negotiations between the United States and Iran held in Pakistan as the "Islamabad MoU" ended in a stalemate, despite being close to a breakthrough.

He said Iran engaged in good faith during the discussions but faced "maximalism, shifting goalposts and blockade" from the US side, which led to the collapse of the talks.

In a post on X, Araghchi wrote, "In intensive talks at the highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with the US in good faith to end the war. But when just inches away from "Islamabad MoU", we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade. Zero lessons earned. Good will begets goodwill. Enmity begets enmity."

Iranian Response to US Stance

Meanwhile, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said that recent threats issued by US President Donald Trump have "no effect on the Iranian nation," even as he signalled cautious progress in ongoing engagements between Iran and the United States.

According to remarks carried by Iranian state media and reported by Al Jazeera, Ghalibaf said Tehran had presented "very good initiatives" during talks with Washington, contributing to forward movement in the dialogue process.

"Trump's recent threats have no effect on the Iranian nation and issued a warning to the US president, saying, if you fight, we will fight, and if you come forward with logic, we will deal with logic," Ghalibaf said.

"We will not bow to any threats; let them test our will once again so that we can teach them a bigger lesson", he further said, reiterating Iran's firm stance against external pressure.

US Perspective on Failed Negotiations

The US and Iranian delegations left Pakistan on Sunday after the two sides failed to reach an agreement following historic talks in Islamabad to end the West Asia conflict that caused a global energy disruption.

US Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation, said the talks failed to reach a peace deal, citing Tehran not forgoing its nuclear programme as one of the key sticking points.

"We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that this is our final and best offer. We'll see if the Iranians accept it," Vance said at a press conference after the talks. (ANI)

The failure to reach an agreement following face-to-face negotiations between the two sides raised doubts about the effectiveness of their fragile two-week ceasefire, as well as the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise the global energy market.
Delhi Police have arrested two juveniles in connection with a murder in Ashok Vihar, revealing a case driven by revenge and captured on CCTV.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Two juveniles have been apprehended by Delhi Police for their alleged involvement in a murder case in Ashok Vihar.

The murder occurred at Picnic Hut Park and was motivated by revenge from a previous altercation.

The victim was stabbed with a dagger-like knife after being dragged behind bushes.

CCTV footage analysis helped identify the suspects, leading to their apprehension near Mukarba Chowk flyover.

One associate is still at large, and further investigation is underway.

The Delhi Police has apprehended two juveniles for their alleged involvement in a murder case in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar area, an official said on Monday.

The incident took place on April 6 at Picnic Hut Park, where a boy was found dead. The case was registered at Bharat Nagar police station, and further investigation was taken up.

Revenge Motive Behind the Murder

Police said the crime was driven by revenge. Around two months before the incident, one of the accused had a quarrel at the same park and was assaulted and humiliated by a group.

"On April 6, the accused, along with their associate, confronted the victim, who was part of the group involved in the earlier altercation. They dragged him behind bushes and assaulted him. When he resisted, one of the accused stabbed him with a dagger-like knife," he said.

After committing the crime, all three fled the spot.

Investigation and Apprehension

According to the police, the suspects were identified through CCTV footage analysis. The police team had received a tip-off that the duo would visit the area to collect money from an associate, following which a trap was laid, and they were apprehended near Mukarba Chowk flyover on Sunday.

"During questioning, the apprehended juveniles disclosed their involvement in the crime along with another associate, who is still at large," he added.

Further investigation is underway.
The parents of a Kannur Dental College student who died after allegedly being harassed by faculty are claiming his death was murder, sparking protests and calls for justice.

Photograph: Ritik Jain/ANI Photo

Key Points Parents of Nithin Raj R L, a Kannur Dental College student, allege he was subjected to 'emotional torture' by faculty.

The family claims the student's death, after falling from a college building, was a case of murder.

A case has been registered against two faculty members for abetment of suicide and under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Student organisations are protesting at Kannur Dental College, demanding the arrest of the accused.

The Kerala Education Minister has pledged support to the family and promised to address the misuse of internal assessment marks.

The parents of Nithin Raj R L, a student of Kannur Dental College, who was found dead allegedly after being harassed by faculty members, on Monday claimed that their son was subjected to constant "emotional torture" and that it was a case of murder.

Raj (22), a native of Uzhamalackal, Puthukulangara in Thiruvananthapuram district, was found critically injured near the medical college block of Kannur Dental College in Anjarakandy, after falling from a building on the afternoon of April 10.

He was rushed to a hospital but later succumbed to his injuries.

The family had alleged that Raj was emotionally harassed by two faculty members, following which a case was registered against Dental Anatomy Department Head M K Ram and Associate Professor K T Sangeetha Nambiar for abetment of suicide and under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Family's Plea for Justice

Speaking to reporters, Raj's father YL Rajan said he had little hope of getting justice.

"They all killed my son. What justice can I expect? I worked hard for his education. We lost everything," he said.

Rajan alleged that even three days after Raj's death, there had been no communication from the college authorities.

"He was a student of that college. Not even a word has been said by the authorities. Students there, fearing for their future, are not speaking out. At least one student should speak out for us," he said.

He further alleged that his son was often told by teachers that he would fail in exams. "But he was confident that he would clear the exams and complete the course in five years. All of them emotionally shattered him and killed him," he said.

Student Protests Erupt

Meanwhile, protests erupted at Kannur Dental College on Monday.

KSU leaders held a protest march and staged a dharna in front of the college.

A large number of police personnel were deployed at the college gate.

However, KSU leaders managed to enter the campus and staged a dharna outside the main entrance of the college.

They demanded the arrest of the accused persons and said they would continue their protest until then.

Police later detained the Kerala Students Union activists and removed them from the site.

KSU is the student organisation of Congress.

Political organisations and their student wings have also announced protests, with more marches being held near the college.

Government Response

Education Minister V Sivankutty said that the government stands with Raj's family.

"We will arrange an opportunity for the family to meet the chief minister soon," he said.

Speaking to reporters, Sivankutty said that misuse of internal assessment marks by teachers to harass students would be addressed, and proper criteria would be put in place to prevent such incidents.
Police in Kanpur have arrested the alleged mastermind of an illegal kidney transplant racket, exposing a potentially vast organ trafficking network and bringing justice closer for exploited donors.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Rohit, the alleged mastermind of the illegal kidney transplant racket in Kanpur, has been arrested after evading police for two weeks.

The accused posed as a qualified doctor, using a stethoscope and apron, and confessed to earning 18 lakh per transplant.

The kidney transplant racket was exposed after a donor complained of being underpaid, leading to raids on multiple facilities.

The investigation has widened, with police suspecting a multi-state and potentially international organ trafficking network.

Police are searching for two more suspects as they work to uncover the full extent of the illegal organ trafficking network.

In a breakthrough in the probe into an illegal kidney transplant racket here, police on Monday arrested Rohit, the alleged mastermind who had been evading arrest for the last two weeks.

Rohit, an intermediate pass who used to pose as a doctor, was picked up from Kanpur. He had reportedly travelled to Goa, Kathmandu, Manali and Shimla to avoid arrest, Commissioner Raghubir Lal told PTI.

With his arrest, the total number of accused in custody has risen to 10.

Details of the Arrest and Investigation

"Rohit used a stethoscope and an apron to pose himself as a qualified doctor. Photographs recovered from his phone show him inside operating theatres alongside medical professionals. Rohit initially tried to mislead investigators, but later confessed to his crime. He admitted that he was paid Rs 18 lakh per transplant, which he distributed among syndicate members while keeping a cut for himself," the commissioner said.

Rohit carried a reward of Rs 25,000 on his arrest.

The racket was busted on March 30 after police and health officials raided multiple facilities at Rawatpur and Kalyanpur in Kanpur, including Ahuja, Med-Life and Priya hospitals.

The crackdown followed a complaint by a donor: Ayush, an MBA student from Begusarai, approached police alleging that he was paid only Rs 3.5 lakh against a promised Rs 10 lakh for his kidney.

Earlier, five doctors and Ahuja Hospital owners Dr Preeti Ahuja and Dr Surjeet Singh Ahuja were arrested along with operation theatre technicians and an ambulance driver, Shivam Agarwal, who was a key link between doctors, donors and recipients.

Police said the technicians played a crucial role in arranging equipment and assisting in surgeries.

Wider Implications and Ongoing Search

The probe has widened now, with police suspecting a multi-state and possibly international organ trafficking network involving private hospitals, middlemen and unqualified individuals.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) S M Qasim Abidi said fresh leads have emerged, and further disclosures are expected.

A search is on to nab two other accused -- Afzal and Narendra -- and to uncover the full extent of the network, officials said.
Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer defends the timing of the assembly election data release, countering allegations of delay from political parties and emphasising transparency in the electoral process.

IMAGE: Seychelles High Commissioner to India, Lalatiana Accouche visits a Gen Z polling booth during the International Elections Visitors' Programme for the Kerala assembly elections, Thiruvananthapuram, April 9, 2026. Photograph: @ECISVEEP X/ANI Photo

Key Points Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) reported a 79.63% voter turnout in the recent assembly elections, based on available figures excluding service votes.

The CEO refuted allegations from CP-M and Congress regarding delays in releasing detailed polling data, asserting the Commission acted with 'maximum possible speed'.

The data includes 78.27% of voters who cast ballots in person at polling stations, with the overall figure incorporating recently finalised postal ballots.

The Election Commission will publish final figures, including service votes, within 48 hours of counting, ensuring transparency in the electoral process.

Criticism arose from the Leader of the Opposition and a CPI-M leader, who urged the immediate release of constituency-wise polling data and postal ballot statistics to maintain public trust.

Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Ratan U Kelkar on Monday said voter turnout in the April 9 assembly elections stood at 79.63 per cent, while rejecting allegations by the CPI-M and the Congress that there was a delay in releasing detailed polling data.

Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Kelkar said the 79.63 per cent turnout was based on available figures, including EVM votes, postal ballots and home voting, but excluding service votes.

He said this is the provisional voting percentage for the assembly polls, and revisions may still occur once service votes are added.

The CEO clarified that 78.27 per cent of polling was recorded at polling stations by voters who turned up in person, while the overall figure includes postal ballots finalised recently.

According to the data, a total of 2,12,43,942 voters exercised their franchise in the state, comprising 1,13,03,410 women, 99,40,379 men and 153 transgender persons.

Kelkar said 53,984 service voters remain to be accounted for, and the final turnout percentage will be known only after their inclusion during counting.

The Election Commission will publish the final figures in its index card within 48 hours of counting, he added.

CEO's Response to Criticism

Dismissing criticism over the timing of data release, Kelkar said there was no undue delay and that the Commission had acted with "maximum possible speed" while ensuring transparency.

He said the collection and validation of 3.78 lakh postal ballots across 140 constituencies was a massive exercise and normally takes a minimum of three days after polling day.

"Preparation of postal ballot data took three days, and all procedures were carried out transparently. Form 17C has been provided to all polling agents, and the data has been shared with political parties," he said.

He also said constituency-wise polling figures, excluding postal ballots, have already been released.

"There was no delay. Every procedure was completed in a transparent and time-bound manner. All processes, including the opening of strong rooms and sealing of EVMs, were conducted in the presence of representatives of political parties," he said.

Kelkar also rejected allegations that polling staff deployed on election duty were unable to cast their votes in several places due to a lack of proper arrangements.

"Opportunities were ensured for all eligible voters to exercise their franchise. Everything was done in a time-bound manner. If anyone still has complaints, they may seek legal recourse," he added.

Political Reactions and Demands

The CEO's clarification comes amid criticism from both the CPI-M and the Congress over the delay in publishing detailed polling data.

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, in a letter to the Election Commission, urged it to immediately release constituency-wise polling data, vote percentages and postal ballot statistics, saying the delay affected transparency and public trust.

CPI-M leader and state minister V Sivankutty also termed the delay "unusual" and called for the prompt publication of the final tally, including EVM data, service votes, postal ballots and home voting.

As per Election Commission data, Kunnamangalam constituency recorded the highest voter turnout at 84.83 per cent, while Ranni recorded the lowest at 68.99 per cent in the recent Assembly polls, the results of which will be declared on May 4.
Kerala police are investigating allegations of sexual harassment against an accident victim in Kayamkulam, with the Alappuzha District Police Chief refuting claims of investigative lapses.

Key Points Alappuzha District Police Chief denies any lapses in the investigation of alleged sexual harassment of an accident victim.

The State Police Chief sought a detailed report after the victim claimed the investigation was not progressing adequately.

The accused, Sinil Sabad, was released on bail as the offence carries a punishment of less than seven years.

A petition to record the victim's confidential statement is pending before the court.

Police state that the investigation is ongoing, witness statements have been recorded, and further interrogation will occur after the victim's statement is recorded.

The Alappuzha District Police Chief has submitted a report to the State Police Chief denying any lapse in the investigation into a case in which a woman, injured in an accident, was allegedly sexually harassed while being taken to a hospital in Kayamkulam, officials said.

State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar had sought a detailed report from the Alappuzha District Police Chief after the victim alleged that the investigation was not on track, as her confidential statement had not been recorded and a medical examination had not been conducted even more than a week after the incident.

On April 4, the victim, who was travelling with a family friend in a vehicle, met with an accident at KPAC Junction.

Police said that Sinil Sabad, a trader in Kayamkulam, allegedly sexually harassed the woman while she was being taken to the hospital.

According to sources at the Police Headquarters, Alappuzha District Police Chief, MP Mohanachandran, on Sunday night submitted a report to Chandrasekhar stating that there was no lapse in the investigation.

Investigation Details and Legal Process

Officials said that the Kayamkulam police released Sabad on bail as the offence charged against him attracts a punishment of less than seven years.

Similarly, the police filed a petition before the court on April 7 to record the victim's confidential statement, and it is still pending.

Sources said the report also stated that the investigation is on the right track and that witness statements have been recorded.

The case was registered at the Kayamkulam police station after the woman revealed to doctors that she had been sexually harassed by Sabad while being taken to the hospital.

Kayamkulam police said that once the court records the victim's confidential statement, Sabad will be interrogated again, and further steps will be taken based on the evidence that emerges during the probe.
Kerala police have launched a homicide investigation after a 72-year-old woman was found dead in her Desamangalam home, with missing jewellery suggesting a possible robbery.

Key Points Kerala police are investigating the death of a 72-year-old woman in Desamangalam as a potential homicide.

The deceased, Safiya, was found dead at her residence after relatives discovered she did not arrive at their house as usual.

Jewellery the woman typically wore was missing from her body, raising suspicions of robbery as a motive.

Police found injuries on the woman's body and are awaiting a postmortem report to determine the cause of death and confirm homicide.

Authorities are working with relatives to verify if any other valuables are missing from the residence.

Police have launched a probe into a possible homicide after a 72-year-old woman was found dead at her residence in Desamangalam here, officials said on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Safiya of Arangottukara in Desamangalam, who was found dead at her house on Sunday evening.

According to officials at the Cheruthuruthi police station, Safiya lived alone and used to go to a relative's house in the evening to spend the night. However, on Sunday, she did not turn up at her relative's house. Later, the relatives found Safiya dead at her residence, police said.

Investigation Details

During the probe, relatives told the police that the elderly woman used to wear jewellery, which was missing from her body, officials said.

Police also found a few injuries on her body during the inquest.

Officials said they are awaiting the postmortem report to ascertain whether the death was a homicide.

They added that, with the help of relatives, it would also be verified whether any other valuables were missing from the house.

The body will be handed over to relatives after the postmortem, police said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Beijing signals deepening cooperation between China and Russia as they navigate the West Asia conflict and the energy crisis caused by the Strait of Hormuz blockade.

IMAGE: Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman's Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. Photograph: Reuters

Key Points Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is visiting Beijing to discuss the escalating West Asia conflict and the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

China and Russia maintain a 'no limits partnership' with strong political alignment and strategic ties, including with Iran.

China imports significant amounts of Iranian oil, despite US sanctions, and the Strait of Hormuz blockade is expected to impact Beijing.

Lavrov and Chinese leaders will discuss bilateral relations, cooperation, and international issues of common concern.

China and Russia aim to advance equitable world multi-polarity and reform global governance through close coordination.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will arrive in Beijing on Tuesday for talks with the Chinese leadership on the escalation of the West Asia conflict and the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, amid a deepening global energy crisis.

Lavrov will visit Beijing at the invitation of Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a media briefing here.

His two-day visit comes against the immediate backdrop of US President Donald Trump's announcement of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to cripple Iran's oil supplies to China and other countries.

China and Russia have a "no limits partnership" as described by their leaders -- Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin -- and have maintained strong political alignment on global and regional issues.

They have also maintained strategic and military ties with Iran.

China has been importing substantial amounts of Iranian oil over the years, disregarding US sanctions, and Trump's move to impose a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is expected to impact Beijing in the long run.

China is also a major importer of Russian oil and gas.

Objectives of the Visit

During Lavrov's visit, the foreign ministers of the two countries will exchange views and coordinate positions on the development of bilateral relations, cooperation in various fields, as well as international and regional issues of common concern, Guo said.

On China-Russia ties, Guo said in recent years, both countries have continuously deepened their good-neighbourliness and friendship, expanded comprehensive strategic coordination, and pursued mutually beneficial cooperation and win-win results.

The two countries have maintained close communication and coordination on international and regional affairs, making important contributions to advancing equitable and orderly world multi-polarity, reforming and improving global governance, and safeguarding international fairness and justice.
A man has been arrested in Himachal Pradesh after a shocking murder of a 19-year-old girl in Mandi district, prompting swift action and condemnation from authorities.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points A 19-year-old girl was murdered in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, sparking a police investigation.

Police have arrested a 36-year-old man, identified as Vikas, in connection with the murder.

The murder has been strongly condemned by the Governor, who has called for swift justice.

The Leader of the Opposition has called for a probe into allegations of the accused's involvement in drugs.

The police are conducting forensic analysis and a postmortem to gather further evidence in the case.

One person has been arrested for allegedly killing a 19-year-old girl by slitting her throat in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, police said on Monday.

According to police, the incident occurred on Monday morning near the Gopalpur area, when the girl, identified as Siya Guleria, was on her way to college.

At that time, two unidentified assailants, riding on a bike, intercepted her and brutally assaulted her with a sharp weapon and slit her throat.

While the girl succumbed to injuries on the spot, the accused fled.

Police reached the spot as soon as they received the information and recovered the body. In the meantime, locals found the 36-year-old suspect in nearby fields where he was hiding.

The villagers also recovered the weapon used in the murder and immediately informed the police.

The situation got tense as locals who caught the culprit demanded that the accused be hanged, while the police team took him into custody and assured strict action against him.

Police Investigation and Arrest

Superintendent of Police (SP) Mandi, Vinod Kumar, said that a case of Murder has been registered.

The accused, identified as Vikas, has been arrested. Further investigation is underway, the SP said.

Several injury marks were found on the girl's body, and the forensic teams have taken the samples. The body would be handed over to the family members after conducting a postmortem at Nerchowk Medical College, he added.

Political Reaction and Condemnation

Expressing deep anguish and strong condemnation over the brutal murder, Governor Kavinder Gupta termed it as "heinous, inhuman and deeply disturbing".

He said that such acts of violence are unacceptable in a civilised society and must be dealt with utmost severity.

The Governor spoke with the Director General of Police (DGP) and took a detailed report of the incident. He directed the police authorities to ensure strict and swift action against the culprit and to bring the guilty to justice at the earliest.

He also emphasised the need for continued vigilance and collective efforts to ensure the safety and security of citizens, especially women, according to a statement issued here.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, who met the family members of the victim on Monday, said that there are allegations that the accused was involved in drugs, and this aspect should also be probed. He demanded strict and fast action in the case.

He said that the family members feel that the condition of the road near their house was not good, and had the road been good, the girl would not have had to walk.
A man has been arrested in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district following the brutal murder of a 19-year-old college student, sparking outrage and a swift police investigation.

Key Points A 19-year-old college student was allegedly murdered in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh.

The victim was attacked with a sharp weapon while walking to college near Gopalpur.

Police have arrested a 36-year-old suspect in connection with the murder.

Locals apprehended the suspect hiding in nearby fields and recovered the murder weapon.

An investigation is underway, and the suspect faces charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

One person has been arrested for allegedly killing a 19-year-old girl by slitting her throat in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district, police said on Monday.

According to police, the incident occurred on Monday morning near the Gopalpur area, when the girl, identified as Siya Guleria, was on her way to college.

At that time, two unidentified assailants, riding on a bike, intercepted her and brutally assaulted her with a sharp weapon and slit her throat. While the girl succumbed to injuries on the spot, the accused fled.

Police reached the spot as soon as they received the information and recovered the body. In the meantime, locals found the 36-year-old suspect in nearby fields where he was hiding.

The villagers also recovered the weapon used in the murder and immediately informed the police.

The situation got tense as locals demanded the accused be hanged, while the police team took him into custody and assured strict action against him.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Mandi, Vinod Kumar, said that a case under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
A 36-year-old man in Thane has been arrested for impersonating a CBI officer and running a job scam, highlighting the risks of fraudulent employment schemes.

Key Points A man in Thane was arrested for posing as a CBI officer and scamming people with fake job offers.

The accused allegedly wore a police uniform, carried fake credentials, and promised jobs in the CBI in exchange for money.

Police seized items worth Rs 7.14 lakh, including fake IDs, walkie-talkies, and documents related to government agencies.

The accused is booked under relevant legal provisions, and an investigation is underway.

Police have arrested a 36-year-old man in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly posing as a CBI officer and cheating people by promising them jobs in the central agency, officials said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Raju Ashok Patekar, used to wear a police uniform with an official-looking badge, carry a walkie-talkie and an air gun, and pose as an officer of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to gain the trust of victims, they said.

"He allegedly prepared fake identity cards, forged documents and testimonials, and lured people with promises of securing them jobs in the CBI. On this pretext, he collected money from them, thereby cheating both the public and the government," an official from Vitthalwadi Police Station said.

The police arrested Patekar on Saturday evening in the Ulhasnagar area of the district, the official said.

Details of the Arrest and Seized Items

During the investigation, the police seized several items valued at Rs 7.14 lakh from the accused, including Rs 50,000 in cash, an air gun, six walkie-talkies, multiple fake identity-related items, SIM cards and documents purportedly linked to government agencies.

Among the seized materials were blank letterheads bearing the name of the Government of India, forged authority letters, affidavits on stamp paper, and fake citations claiming links with various government bodies, the official said.

The accused has been booked under relevant legal provisions and a probe is underway into the case, the police added.
Despite serving a life sentence, Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda has demonstrated a commitment to education by earning a Master's degree in Sociology from IGNOU while incarcerated in an Odisha prison.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, serving a life sentence, has earned a Master's degree in Sociology from IGNOU while in prison.

Panda previously completed his graduation through correspondence from IGNOU while incarcerated.

Panda is also enrolled in a Master's program in Public Administration through Odisha State Open University.

Jail authorities and open universities are providing educational opportunities for inmates, with 92 students enrolled in class 10 and 12 exams.

Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, who is lodged in a prison in Odisha's Berhampur, has cleared a Master's in Sociology from IGNOU, officials said on Monday.

While the Maoist leader had cleared the first year of the course in June last year, he appeared for the second year exam in December-January at a special centre set up in the circle jail. Panda cleared the exam, the results of which were recently published by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), they said.

Panda, along with another convict, had appeared for the second year examinations. While Panda passed the exams, the other inmate cleared only three of the four papers, a prison official said.

The Maoist leader had also enrolled in the MA (Public Administration) course under the Odisha State Open University (OSOU) last year. While he cleared some of the papers in the first year exams, he will appear for the second year exam along with the first year back papers this time, he said.

Panda had completed his graduation through correspondence from IGNOU in December 2022, while being lodged in jail.

He was allegedly involved in over 130 Maoist-related cases in different districts and was arrested by a police team from a house in the Bada Bazar area of Berhampur on July 18, 2014. He was lodged in the Berhampur circle jail here since then, the official said.

While he was acquitted in several cases, a local court here sentenced him to undergo life imprisonment on the charge of waging war against the nation, he said.

Educational Opportunities in Prison

In jail, he has shown interest to pursue higher studies and enrolled in MA after completing his graduation in distance courses in two different universities.

The IGNOU and OSOU have opened their centers in the circle jail, which helped Panda and other inmates to pursue their higher studies, senior superintendent of the prison, D N Barik, said.

After their enrollment, they prepared for the exam through self studies, while the jail authorities provided logistic support, he said.

Sanatan Khillar, a jail teacher, said a total of 92 students have enrolled in class 10 (38) and class 12 (58) exams in the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
Following the tragic death of Tarun Khatik in Uttam Nagar, Union Minister Virendra Kumar has stepped in, ordering officials to ensure swift and time-bound justice for the grieving family.

Key Points Union Minister Virendra Kumar intervened in the Tarun Khatik murder case, directing officials to ensure swift justice.

The minister met with the victim's parents, promising support at both central and state levels.

The case involves a clash in Uttam Nagar's JJ Colony that resulted in the death of 26-year-old Tarun Khatik.

Instructions were given to Delhi government officials to take swift action for the victim's family through the Social Justice Department.

Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar on Monday directed officials to ensure swift and time-bound justice for the family in the case of youth Tarun Khatik who was killed in the national capital's Uttam Nagar.

Tarun, 26, was killed in a clash between his family and their neighbours in the JJ Colony area in Uttam Nagar on Holi on March 4. The clash broke out after water from a balloon thrown by a girl from Tarun's family splashed on a woman from his neighbour's family, according to police.

In a post on X, Kumar said that he met the parents of Tarun a few days ago and assured them that efforts will be made to ensure justice.

"I met the parents of Tarun Khatik, who was killed by anti-social elements in Uttam Nagar a few days ago. The parents of the deceased spoke about ensuring proper justice for the family. I assured the bereaved family that efforts will be made at both the central and state levels to ensure full empathy and appropriate justice," he said.

Minister's Actions and Directives

He said that a meeting in this regard was held at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre (DAIC), Janpath, on Monday with senior officials of the Delhi government's Social Justice Department, local administration and the Delhi Police.

"After a discussion with Delhi Government's Social Welfare Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh, instructions were given to the officials present in the meeting to take swift and appropriate action in a time-bound manner for the family of the deceased Tarun through the Delhi Government's Social Justice Department," he said.
Four juveniles have been apprehended by Delhi Police after a minor boy was stabbed in Mayur Vihar, highlighting concerns about youth violence and gang activity in the city.

Photograph: Niek Verlaan/Pixabay

Key Points A minor boy was stabbed in the Mayur Vihar area of East Delhi.

Delhi Police apprehended four juvenile suspects involved in the stabbing incident.

The stabbing is believed to have occurred due to a pre-existing dispute between the victim and the attackers.

The victim is currently receiving treatment at AIIMS Trauma Centre for knife stab injuries.

An investigation is underway to determine the full motive behind the attack.

A minor boy was stabbed by four juveniles in east Delhi's Mayur Vihar area, following which all the accused were apprehended, police said on Monday.

According to the police, information regarding the incident was received from Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Hospital at around 9 pm on Sunday.

"A police team rushed to the hospital where the victim was admitted with knife stab injuries. The injured was later shifted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where he is currently undergoing treatment," a senior police officer said.

During preliminary inquiry, it was found that the incident took place at around 8.30 pm in the Mayur Vihar area.

The victim was with his friend when the duo was intercepted by four juveniles, who attacked the boy with a knife before fleeing from the spot. Initial inquiry suggested that the stabbing incident took place due to old enmity.

On receiving information about the incident, a crime team was also called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.

A case has been registered, the police said, adding that all four juveniles involved in the incident have been apprehended. Further investigation is underway underway to ascertain the main motive behind the attack.
Following the tragic death of a forest guard, police have arrested the main suspect involved in illegal sand mining operations in Morena, Madhya Pradesh, sparking investigations into political connections and raising concerns about environmental protection.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points The main accused, Vinod Kori, driver of the tractor-trolley, has been arrested in Ahmedabad for allegedly crushing a forest guard to death during an anti-illegal sand mining operation in Morena.

Two other individuals, Pawan Tomar and Sonu Chauhan, have also been arrested in connection with the forest guard's murder and illegal sand mining operation.

The incident occurred when a forest guard team attempted to stop a tractor-trolley engaged in illegal sand mining on National Highway 552 near Ranpur village.

One of the accused is an office-bearer of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), and another is vice-president of the ruling party's mandal unit, raising political concerns.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a petition related to the murder, highlighting the severity of illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary.

Police on Monday apprehended from Ahmedabad the main accused, identified as the driver of a tractor trolley, for allegedly crushing a forest guard to death during an operation against illegal sand mining in Morena, five days after the incident, a police officer said.

He said a reward of Rs 10,000 had been announced for the absconding accused, Vinod Kori, while two others involved in the same case had already been arrested.

On April 8, forest guard Harkesh Gurjar was run over by a tractor-trolley engaged in illegal sand mining on National Highway 552 near Ranpur village, after he and a team from the department had tried to stop the vehicle for checking, as per police.

The highway connects the Chambal regions across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.

Two other accused, identified as Pawan Tomar and Sonu Chauhan, were already arrested, Morena Additional Superintendent of Police Surendra Singh Dawar told reporters.

Tomar was held from Rapta Ke Pura late Sunday evening, while Chauhan, a resident of Bilpur under Ambah police station limits, was arrested two days ago.

"Several teams searched for the main accused in the last five days. Police raided several cities in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. After receiving a clue, they apprehended the accused driver, Vinod Kori, in Ahmedabad this morning," Dawar added.

Kori is now being shifted to Morena for interrogation, which will uncover other aspects of the case.

Political Links to Illegal Sand Mining

One of the accused, Chauhan, is an office-bearer of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in Dimni Mandal, while Tomar is vice-president of the ruling party's mandal unit in Dimni.

BJP district vice president Arvind Singh acknowledged that Tomar and Chauhan are associated with the party, but added that their involvement is still under investigation.

The BJP will decide on action against the duo after the investigation report on their involvement is received, Singh added.

Investigation and Supreme Court Involvement

Police said the tractor-trolley used in the murder is registered in the name of Bhanwar Lal Meena of Rajasthan's Bundi district. Meena, however, in his statement recorded in Bundi, claimed the vehicle was sold to the accused after a stamped agreement.

Incidentally, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a petition related to the murder on Monday. The matter was raised a day after the murder before a bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, which is hearing a suo motu case titled 'Illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and threat to endangered aquatic wildlife'.

The lawyer who mentioned the matter before the bench stated that the petition was filed by an amicus curiae appointed by the Supreme Court in the pending suo motu case related to illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary.
A Mumbai court rejected bail for a BEST bus driver involved in a fatal accident, emphasising his negligence and lack of training on electric vehicles, which led to the tragic loss of four lives.

Photograph: ANI on X

Key Points Mumbai court denies bail to BEST bus driver involved in a fatal accident, citing lack of electric vehicle training.

The court emphasised the driver's awareness of his lack of training and the potential consequences of operating the electric bus.

The accident, involving an Olectra Greentech electric bus, resulted in four fatalities and multiple injuries near Bhandup railway station.

The court highlighted the driver's 'lethargy' in not protesting against the lack of training, increasing the severity of the crime.

The prosecution argued the tragedy resulted from 'rash driving' and attributed knowledge and intention to cause death to the applicant.

A court in Mumbai refused bail to the BEST bus driver, involved in a road accident that claimed four lives in suburban Bhandup in December 2025, saying the accused knew he had not been trained in operating the electric vehicle, but he "casually seated in the driver's seat".

He was unaware of the "ABC of the driving technique of the bus" and his lack of knowledge about driving an EV "increases the magnitude" of the crime, the court noted, adding that it was not a "casual accident" which could have been avoided had the accused 'plainly" refused to drive the vehicle.

The Olectra Greentech-made nine-metre-long electric bus from the fleet of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking was driven by Santosh Sawant (52) when it crashed into pedestrians near Bhandup (West) railway station on December 29, 2025, night, killing four people and injuring 12 others.

Arguments and Court's Decision

The defence arguments centred around the fact that Sawant's name was missing from the list of drivers trained to operate the new electric vehicles (EVs). They argued that a lack of proper training reduced his legal culpability.

However, additional sessions judge Y P Manathkar, in an order passed on April 10, rejected this contention.

The judge highlighted that Sawant knew that he had not been trained by the department and was unaware of the "ABC of the driving technique of the bus".

"He casually seated in the driver's seat, allowed the bus to become uncontrolled and let the consequences happen, running over the bus upon hundreds of people," the court stated.

The judge said that, "such lethargy of the employee in protesting against the employer for non- imparting training needs to be viewed with proper sensitivity".

The court underlined that the size of the vehicle, which the accused had little knowledge of how to drive, increased the magnitude/severity of the crime."

The court pointed out that the part of the training to drive the EV bus was skipped, "either because of fault on the part of the applicant or the BEST administration".

"The implications of this were horrible. It is always found that whenever such a tragedy happens, all the concerned persons pass the blame to one another, to save their own skin," the court asserted.

Legal Proceedings and Prosecution's Stance

Sawant, arrested under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Motor Vehicles Act for negligent driving, was also denied bail in January.

He made a fresh plea, citing the filing of a charge sheet as a change in circumstances.

Police, represented by additional public prosecutor Iqbal Solkar, argued that the tragedy was the result of "rash driving of the BEST bus" by the accused.

The prosecution opposed the bail, strongly attributing knowledge as well as intention to cause death to the applicant.

Stating that it was aware that a pre-trial detention is a violation of human rights of an accused and a charge-sheet has been filed, the court said it was not a casual accident."

The court concluded that the facts of the case differed from the orders cited by defence, and rejected Sawant's plea.
Mumbai Police are investigating a 1.54 crore job scam where individuals were promised government positions in exchange for money, highlighting the risks of fraudulent job offers.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Mumbai Police are investigating a job scam where 13 individuals allegedly defrauded ten people of 1.54 crore.

The accused promised government jobs in various departments, including the State Excise Department and Thane Municipal Corporation.

The main accused, Satish Wankhede, allegedly used fake appointment letters to gain the victims' trust.

Victims realised they were scammed after promised jobs failed to materialise and appointment letters were found to be forged.

Police anticipate more victims may come forward as the investigation progresses.

The Mumbai Police have registered an FIR against 13 people for allegedly cheating ten individuals of Rs 1.54 crore on the pretext of providing government jobs, an official said on Monday.

All the accused are currently absconding, and efforts are underway to arrest them.

The complainant, a construction contractor residing in Charkop, came into contact with the main accused, identified as Satish Wankhede, through a friend.

Wankhede allegedly claimed that he had strong connections with senior officials in various government departments and could secure jobs without examinations. To gain trust, he reportedly shared fake appointment letters via WhatsApp, police said.

He promised jobs in the State Excise Department, Thane Municipal Corporation, and the State Legislature, demanding Rs 60 lakh in return. Out of this, Rs 20 lakh was taken as an advance. He further collected Rs 10 lakh from the complainant for a Police Sub-Inspector post, but failed to deliver on the promise.

Details of the Scam

Subsequently, Wankhede and other accused targeted acquaintances of the complainant and organised meetings to lure more victims. When the promised jobs did not materialise even after a long period, the accused handed over fake appointment letters to the victims, the police added.

Upon verification, these documents were found to be forged, exposing the fraud. Realising they had been cheated, the victims approached the police and lodged a complaint.

Police said the magnitude of the fraud may increase as more victims come forward. An investigation is underway, an official added.
In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, police in Chatra, Jharkhand, seized narcotics worth Rs 50 lakh, including opium and poppy derivatives, from a residential property.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Jharkhand police seized narcotics valued at Rs 50 lakh during a raid in Chatra district.

The raid uncovered 840 grams of opium, 315 kg of poppy husk, and 35 kg of poppy seed.

An FIR has been filed against three residents of the house under the NDPS Act.

Authorities are conducting raids to apprehend the suspects who are currently on the run.

The police have seized narcotics worth Rs 50 lakh during a raid on a house in Jharkhand's Chatra district, an officer said.

The raid was conducted within the Kunda police station limits, following a tip-off that narcotics had been kept in bulk in the house.

Details of the Narcotics Seizure

Chatra SP Sumit Agarwal said, "We have recovered 840 grams of opium, 315 kg of poppy husk, and 35 kg of poppy seed from the house. An FIR against three members of the house has been lodged under the NDPS Act."

The market value of the seized narcotics is around Rs 50 lakh, the SP said.

Ongoing Investigation

The accused are on the run, and raids are being conducted at several possible locations to apprehend them, he said.
Nine individuals have been apprehended in Dharwad, Karnataka, following the brutal murder of a Youth Congress leader, highlighting the culmination of a long-standing personal dispute.

Key Points Nine individuals have been arrested in Dharwad, Karnataka, following the murder of a 32-year-old Youth Congress leader, Fairoz Pathan.

The murder occurred at Pathan's residence in Malapur, with the assailants allegedly barging into his home and attacking him.

Police investigations revealed a long-standing personal dispute between the deceased and the prime accused as the primary motive.

CCTV footage captured the crime, providing crucial leads for the police investigation and aiding in the identification of the accused.

The accused had been tracking the victim for several days, planning the attack meticulously due to personal rivalry and issues related to their personal lives.

Nine men have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 32-year-old Youth Congress leader after assailants allegedly barged into his residence in the city, police said on Monday.

The incident took place at the deceased Fairoz Pathan's house in the Malapur area on April 10, creating panic among residents, they said.

Police said that Pathan was at home between 9.30 pm and 10 pm when around three to four people arrived and assaulted him.

Due to the attack, he suffered severe bleeding and died on the spot, they said.

Police Investigation and Arrests

City Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said that after the incident, police visited the spot and registered a murder case at the Dharwad Suburban Police Station.

"So far, we have arrested nine people in the case. The nine accused were arrested yesterday (Sunday) and produced before the court, which has remanded them to judicial custody. We will take them into police custody for further investigation," he told reporters.

"A few more accused are yet to be arrested. In this case, there are eyewitnesses, and their additional and detailed statements are being recorded," he added.

Some eyewitnesses have stated that they saw the accused, but since they are not exactly sure about their identities, a Test Identification Parade (TIP) will be conducted. For that purpose, permission will be sought from the court, he said.

After committing the crime, the accused fled from the spot. The entire act was captured on nearby CCTV cameras, providing crucial leads for the investigation, police said.

Motive Behind the Murder

According to him, the deceased and the prime accused had a serious personal dispute.

Interrogation of the accused revealed that they had frequent confrontations in their daily interactions. The complaint also states that the accused had been harassing the deceased due to personal rivalry and issues related to their personal lives.

"So the main reason appears to be their ongoing personal conflict. Some of the accused involved in the case also have a criminal background. They were in contact with each other and had planned the attack several days in advance," he said.

They had been tracking and following the deceased for several days. Since the deceased had a wedding in his family, he frequently went out with relatives and groups of young men to various places and functions, the officer said.

"The accused were unaware of this wedding-related movement and assumed he was moving around with a group of men. Because of this, they waited at different places for several days to attack him, but did not get an opportunity. Later, they planned to go directly to his house when there were no other adult men present and carried out the attack. That is how the plan was executed," he added.

Notices have also been issued to the family members of the deceased to record their additional statements in connection with the case, police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
'Shivraj Chauhan is coming with a secret slip in which the next chief minister's name is mentioned, it will be known on Tuesday.'

IMAGE: Bihar Chief Minister Bihar Nitish Kumar at a press conference in New Delhi, April 9, 2026. Photograph: ANI Photo

The ruling National Democratic Alliance has directed all its 202 MLAs to stay in Patna on April 14 and 15 as Bihar's longest serving chief minister Nitish Kumar is set to resign and is likely to be replaced by a Bharatiya Janata Party leader for the first time.

The next 48 hours are set to witness a new political chapter in Bihar, and BJP leaders, workers and supporters are upbeat over the likely replacement of the Janata Dal-United's Nitish Kumar with one of their own.

Key Points Ruling NDA has asked 202 MLAs to remain in Patna amid a leadership transition, replacing Nitish Kumar as Bihar chief minister.

NDA legislature party meeting on April 14 expected to finalise new BJP chief minister, followed by oath-taking ceremony on April 15.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan likely to oversee transition as central observer.

BJP set to name new CM

"The NDA legislature party meeting is scheduled on April 14 in Patna at which the new chief minister's name will be finalised," says a senior BJP leader.

"After that Nitish Kumar will formally resign as CM and a new government led by the new CM is likely to be formed on April 15," he added.

Sources in the BJP said the new chief minister's name will be decided at the NDA legislature party meeting on Tuesday.

"Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan is visiting Patna on April 14 as a central observer to monitor the power transfer from Nitish Kumar to the BJP," an NDA leader added.

"Chauhan is coming with a secret slip in which the next chief minister's name is mentioned, it will be known on Tuesday."

According to JD-U leaders in Patna, Nitish Kumar will meet Bihar Governor Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd) after noon on Tuesday to submit his resignation.

IMAGE: 7, Circular Road, Patna, is being spruced up for Nitish Kumar after he resigns as Bihar chief minister, April 11, 2026, Photograph: ANI Photo

Chauhan's role crucial

Sources said the next chief minister will take the oath along with a few cabinet members, including two deputy chief ministers.

Senior JD-U leaders have accepted the reality that the NDA government will be led by the BJP for the first time.

Till last week JD-U leaders were hoping to replace Nitish with his son Nishant Kumar.

This was widely reported and discussed in political circles, with several JD-U leaders, projecting Nishant as CM material, even launching a campaign using posters, banners and slogans to demand that Nishant replace his father as CM.

On April 10 Nitish Kumar took the oath as a Rajya Sabha MP in Delhi and returned to Patna.

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
Following violent protests by factory workers in Noida demanding wage increases, the Uttar Pradesh Labour Minister has alleged a conspiracy, raising concerns about potential links to Pakistan and vowing to address worker grievances through dialogue.

IMAGE: Employees of a company during a protest demanding a salary increment, in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, April 13, 2026. Photograph: Sumit/ANI Photo

Key Points The minister suggests a possible Pakistan link due to recent terror-related arrests in the region.

The protests, triggered by wage hike demands, resulted in arson, vandalism, and traffic disruption.

The government is engaging with workers to address their grievances through dialogue and restore normalcy in Noida.

The UP government reaffirms its commitment to labour welfare and resolving issues through discussion.

Uttar Pradesh labour minister Anil Rajbhar on Monday termed the violence during workers' protests in Noida a "well-planned conspiracy" and said a possible Pakistan link was also being probed in the wake of recent terror-related arrests in the region.

"The incident appears to have been carried out with the intention of disrupting the development and law and order of the state. In recent days, four suspected terrorists have been arrested from Meerut and Noida, whose links were connected to handlers based in Pakistan. In such a situation, the possibility of a conspiracy to create instability in the state gains strength. Agencies are seriously investigating the entire matter," Rajbhar said in a statement Monday night.

His remarks came after protests by factory workers demanding a wage hike turned violent in several parts of Noida, including Phase-2, Sector 60, Sector 62 and Sector 84, with incidents of arson, vandalism and stone-pelting reported. Vehicles were set ablaze, and property was damaged, while traffic was severely disrupted across key routes.

The minister said the unrest could also have been aimed at disrupting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's programme in Muzaffarnagar earlier in the day, alleging that "anti-national forces" were attempting to create instability in the state.

He appealed to workers to maintain peace and not fall prey to provocation or misinformation.

"They should not fall prey to any misleading information or provocation and must maintain peace. Chaos and aggressive protests are not a solution to any problem. The government is ready to listen to every concern of the workers," Rajbhar said.

He said that on the chief minister's directions, senior officials have been rushed to Noida and are engaging directly with workers to resolve their grievances through dialogue. Administrative and police officers are already present on the ground and closely monitoring the situation.

Govt's commitment to labour welfare

Emphasising the government's commitment to labour welfare, Rajbhar said workers have played a crucial role in the state's development and reiterated that efforts are underway to address their concerns.

"By implementing the resolve of 'Shramev Jayate' on the ground, the government is continuously working for the welfare of workers," he said, adding that dialogue remains the preferred route for resolution.

Authorities have maintained that the situation in Noida is under control, with heavy deployment of police and paramilitary forces, and efforts are ongoing to restore normalcy.
An attack on a polio vaccination security team in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has left four police officers injured, raising concerns about the safety of healthcare workers and vaccination efforts.

Photograph: Screen grab/X

Key Points Gunmen attacked a police team providing security for a polio vaccination campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Four police personnel, including a senior officer, were injured in the attack in the Chapri Waziran area of Hangu district.

Security forces have launched a search operation to find the attackers.

The Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa condemned the attack and reaffirmed the government's commitment to fighting terrorism.

The attack highlights the ongoing security challenges faced by polio vaccination efforts in Pakistan.

At least four police personnel were injured after unidentified militants opened fire on a police contingent deployed to protect a polio vaccination team in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, police said.

The incident took place in the Chapri Waziran area under the jurisdiction of Thall police station in Hangue district, where security officials were on duty during an ongoing anti-polio campaign.

According to police, the attackers targeted the police party with gunfire, injuring four personnel, including the Additional Station House Officer (SHO) of Thall. Three other injured policemen were affiliated with the Police Training College in Hangu.

The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, officials said.

Security forces later cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to track down the assailants.

Government Response to the Attack

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the attack, describing the targeting of personnel performing national duty a "cowardly act".

He sought a report from the Inspector General of Police and directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured personnel.

Afridi said such attacks would not deter the government's resolve to combat terrorism and reiterated that the people and government of the province stand united against the menace.
A policeman was killed in Pakistan after gunmen attacked a security team protecting polio vaccinators, highlighting the ongoing challenges in eradicating the disease in the region.

Photograph: Screen grab/X

Key Points A police officer was killed and four others injured in an attack on a polio vaccination security team in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

The attack occurred on the first day of a province-wide anti-polio campaign aimed at vaccinating 6.5 million children.

Pakistani authorities have deployed 50,000 police personnel to protect over 35,000 vaccination teams during the four-day campaign.

Pakistan remains one of the last two countries globally where polio is still endemic, facing challenges like security concerns and vaccine hesitancy.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister condemned the attack and vowed to continue the fight against terrorism and polio.

A police constable was killed and four other personnel were injured after unidentified militants opened fire on a security contingent deployed to protect a polio vaccination team in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Monday, officials said.

The incident took place in the Chapri Waziran area under the jurisdiction of Thall police station in Hangue district on the first day of a province-wide anti-polio campaign.

According to a statement issued by the district police, the attackers targeted the police party with gunfire, killing one constable and injuring four others, including the Additional Station House Officer (SHO) of Thall.

Three of the injured policemen are affiliated with the Police Training College in Hangu.

The police team retaliated, and two terrorists were killed in the exchange of fire, Kohat Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Irfan Tariq said. However, the attackers managed to take away the bodies of their accomplices from the scene.

The injured security personnel were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment, while security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to apprehend the assailants.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi condemned the attack, describing the targeting of personnel performing national duty as a "cowardly act".

He sought a report from the Inspector General of Police and directed authorities to ensure the best possible medical treatment for the injured.

Afridi said such attacks would not deter the government's resolve to combat terrorism.

Polio Vaccination Campaign Details

The attack coincided with the launch of a four-day anti-polio campaign across the province from Monday. Officials said around 50,000 police personnel have been deployed to provide security to over 35,000 vaccination teams.

The campaign, to be held from April 13 to April 16, aims to vaccinate about 6.5 million children against poliovirus across all districts of the province, including Peshawar.

Authorities said a comprehensive security plan has been put in place to ensure the safety of the teams and smooth execution of the drive.

Polio in Pakistan

Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world, besides Afghanistan, where polio remains endemic.

Despite global efforts to eradicate the virus, challenges such as safety issues, vaccine hesitancy, and misinformation remain in eliminating the virus.
Delhi Police have apprehended Vikas Dahiya, a proclaimed offender, in Chandigarh for his alleged involvement as the main shooter in the 2025 murder of a boxer, solving a high-profile case rooted in a deadly rivalry.

Key Points Delhi Police arrested Vikas Dahiya, the main shooter, in connection with the 2025 murder of boxer Vikas Dagar.

The boxer's murder was the result of a long-standing rivalry between the victim and the accused.

Dahiya, previously convicted in a 2010 murder case, was out on bail when he allegedly committed the crime.

Dahiya admitted to his role in the murder and revealed he had been changing hideouts to evade arrest.

The Delhi Police has arrested a proclaimed offender and alleged shooter in connection with the killing of a boxer in Delhi over old enmity, an official said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Vikas Dahiya (42), a resident of Haryana's Sonipat district, was apprehended from Chandigarh.

The officer said the case pertains to a pre-planned killing of a boxer, Vikas Dagar alias Bhinda in Surakhpur village in Delhi.

"The murder was the result of an ongoing rivalry and dispute between the victim and the accused. Dahiya, along with his associates, hatched a criminal conspiracy to eliminate Dagar. On July 30, 2025, the accused reached the spot in a coordinated manner after tracking the victim's movements and shot him dead," the police officer said.

Police said Dahiya was the "main shooter" and, upon identifying the target, opened fire multiple times at close range. His associates allegedly assisted in executing the plan and ensured escape after the attack. The victim had died on the spot.

A case was registered at the Baba Haridas Nagar police station and further investigation was launched.

Dahiya was later declared a proclaimed offender in October 2025. Dahiya was earlier convicted in a 2010 murder case in Haryana and was out on bail when he allegedly committed the crime.

Arrest and Investigation

"A team tracked his location in Chandigarh and was apprehended him on Sunday. During interrogation, he admitted to his role and revealed that he had been changing hideouts across states to evade arrest," the officer said.

Two of his associates remain absconding, and efforts are underway to nab them, police said.
A PhD student's tragic suicide in Pune has led to the arrest of her research guide, who is accused of harassment and inappropriate behaviour, sparking investigations into the circumstances surrounding the case.

Key Points A PhD student in Pune allegedly committed suicide due to harassment by her research guide.

The research guide, an assistant director at the Botanical Survey of India, has been arrested.

The student left a suicide note accusing her guide of inappropriate behaviour and harassment.

Police have registered a case against the accused for abetment of suicide.

A 30-year-old woman pursuing her PhD allegedly committed suicide at her residence in Pune following harassment by her research guide, police said on Monday.

The accused, an assistant director at the Botanical Survey of India's Koregaon Park office, has been arrested, they said.

According to police, the woman allegedly hanged herself at her home in the Chinchwad area on Saturday. She left behind a note in which she purportedly accused her guide of inappropriate behaviour and harassment, they said.

The woman had completed her Master's in Botany and had been pursuing her PhD under the guidance of the accused since August 2025, an official from Bhosari MIDC police station said.

Investigation and Arrest

"We have registered a case against the accused for abetment of suicide and he has been arrested," the official said.
The Supreme Court has affirmed its stance on the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, refusing to alter existing religious practices amid challenges to administrative decisions affecting long-standing traditions.

IMAGE: Devotees on the occasion of the 'Basant Panchami' festival at Shri Banke Bihari Temple, in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, February 3, 2025. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points The Supreme Court has declined to make structural changes to the existing religious practices at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan.

A petition was filed by the temple's management committee and priests challenging administrative decisions that allegedly interfere with age-old religious traditions.

The court is reviewing a status report concerning the High-Powered Committee's oversight of the temple's operations and its impact on essential religious rituals.

Concerns have been raised regarding changes to 'darshan' timings and the discontinuation of the 'Dehri puja' ritual, impacting the temple's historical seasonal schedules.

The Supreme Court had previously stayed parts of the Uttar Pradesh Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025, and formed a committee to oversee temple operations.

The Supreme Court on Monday made it clear that it would not make "any structural changes" to the present arrangement with regard to religious practices at the famous Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of senior advocate Shayam Divan and lawyer Tanvi Dubey, and directed that the matter be listed after two weeks to allow the parties to respond to a recently-filed status report.

The top court was hearing a petition filed by the management committee of the Thakur Shree Banke Bihari Ji Maharaj Temple and Sevayats (priests).

The petitioners have challenged recent administrative decisions taken by a court-appointed high-powered committee (HPC) that have allegedly interfered with age-old religious traditions.

Earlier, the court had stayed parts of the Uttar Pradesh Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025, and formed the 12-member HPC headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Ashok Kumar to oversee the temple's operations.

Divan told the court that he was given a status report late on Sunday evening and that he be granted two weeks to respond.

"We are not inclined to make any structural changes to the present arrangement," the CJI said while adjourning the hearing.

Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj said the HPC wants to go in accordance with the court's directions and no adversarial stand will be taken in this case.

The apex court, on December 15, 2025, issued notices on the plea and the status report was filed on Sunday.

The bench also issued a notice on an application that has raised certain factual and other grounds, which require modifications or clarifications.

Concerns over temple ritual changes

The petitioners have raised concerns on how the interpretation of wide powers has been done by the HPC that has passed certain orders touching upon the essential religious rituals of the temple, including a change in the "darshan" timing, closing the Dehri puja ritual, exorbitant charges imposed on Sevayat Goswami's charging for phool bangla service etc.

The challenge in the plea is mainly related to the change in the "darshan" timing of the temple and also the stopping of certain essential religious practices, including the Dehri puja.

The petitioners have submitted that the temple has historically followed strict seasonal timings and distinct schedules for summer and winter that are closely intertwined with internal rituals, including the waking and resting of the deity.

It was argued that recent changes in timings, effected pursuant to office memoranda issued in September 2025, have disrupted the essential religious practices at the temple.

Emphasising the temple's unique and sacrosanct nature, the petitioners have explained that there is a unique timing for morning and evening "darshan", rooted in tradition and religious purpose.

The petitioners have also highlighted that the discontinuation of the age-old "Dehri puja", performed exclusively by the Goswamis, is a part of the Guru\Shishya parampara, arguing that its suspension on the ground of crowd management is unfounded since the ritual is performed when the temple is closed to the public and at a limited, specific location.

The bench issued a direction to hear both the application and the main plea after two weeks.

Previous court observations

On December 15 last year, the bench had expressed unhappiness over the practice of allowing people to do "special pujas" at temples after paying money, disrupting the "resting time" of the deities.

It had also sought a response from authorities on a plea challenging the changes in the "darshan" timings and practices at the Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan.

It had issued a notice to the HPC and the Uttar Pradesh government, and listed the matter for further consideration.

"What they do is, after closing the temple at 12 noon, they do not allow the deity to rest even for a second and they exploit the deity like anything. The so-called affluent people, those who can afford to pay hefty amounts, are allowed to do special pujas," the CJI had observed orally.

Ordinance and state control

The Uttar Pradesh Shri Banke Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025, seeks to replace this scheme with a State-controlled trust, triggering a debate over governmental involvement in religious institutions and its impact on established traditions.

In August 2025, while hearing a challenge to the ordinance, the top court had declined to examine its constitutional validity, leaving that issue to the Allahabad High Court.

It had, however, stayed the operation of the ordinance, which rests administrative control of the shrine with the State, till the high court decides its validity.

However, it had also constituted the HPC to manage the temple's day-to-day affairs.
The Supreme Court has refused to intervene in the West Bengal voter list deletion issue, directing petitioners to seek resolution through appellate tribunals, highlighting the importance of due process and the right to vote in a democracy.

IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points The court acknowledged the importance of the right to vote as a fundamental aspect of democracy.

The Election Commission faces a significant backlog of appeals related to voter list deletions, with tribunals handling over one lakh cases each.

Justice Bagchi emphasised the need to protect due process rights for voters and avoid overburdening the tribunals with strict timelines.

The court affirmed that judicial intervention should promote elections, not disrupt them, unless a substantial number of voters are excluded.

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea by a group of 13 people seeking its intervention in the deletion of their names from the voter list during the Special Institutional Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, where polling for the first phase of the assembly election will be held on April 23.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi termed the petition "premature", directing the aggrieved parties to approach the established appellate tribunals instead.

"Since the petitioners (Quaraisha Yeasmin and others) have already approached the appellate tribunals in our considered view, the apprehensions expressed in the petition are premature. If the plea is allowed, then necessary consequences will follow," the bench said in its order, adding that it has not expressed any views on the merits of the plea.

The plea alleged that the Election Commission was summarily deleting names without following due process, and that appeals against these deletions were not being heard in a timely manner.

The Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court has set up as many as 19 tribunals headed by former HC chief justices and judges to decide appeals against deletions of names of persons from the voters' lists.

Senior advocate D S Naidu, appearing for the poll panel, informed the court that there are approximately 30 to 34 lakh appeals currently pending. "Every tribunal now has over one lakh appeals to handle," the bench said.

The petitioners' counsel argued that the EC had failed to place necessary orders before the relevant judicial authorities and that the "freezing date" for the electoral rolls should be extended.

"If I am not allowed to argue, then what is the use? Will these appeals be decided within a timeframe or just kept extending?" the counsel asked.

Importance of the right to vote

Justice Bagchi, during the hearing, referred to the sanctity of the electoral process and said the right to vote is not merely a constitutional formality but a "sentimental" pillar of democracy.

"The right to vote in a country you were born in is not just constitutional, but sentimental. It is about being part of a democracy and helping elect a government," he said.

He, however, said that the tribunals, manned by former judges, cannot be overburdened by fixing the timelines for adjudications.

"It is not the end justifying the means, but the means justifying the end," Justice Bagchi said.

"We need to protect due process rights. The voter should not be sandwiched between two constitutional authorities," he said, adding that it would not interdict the election process at this stage.

Justice Bagchi noted that the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice had already formulated the manner and mode for appeals, which began on Monday.

"Unless and until an enormous number of voters are excluded or it materially affects the election... the election cannot be cancelled," the bench said, adding that judicial intervention is intended to "promote elections, not interdict them."

The CJI emphasised that the petitioners must exhaust their remedies before the appellate tribunals.

Assembly elections in West Bengal will be held in two phases on April 23 and 29, and votes will be counted on May 4.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah promises to combat corruption, tackle illegal immigration, and boost development in West Bengal if the BJP wins the upcoming elections, criticising the current TMC government's performance.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Amit Shah promises to end corruption and hold those responsible accountable if the BJP wins the West Bengal election.

Shah pledges to address illegal immigration in West Bengal and implement stricter border controls.

The BJP plans to boost investment and create industrial estates in West Bengal to stimulate economic growth.

Shah criticises Mamata Banerjee's government on issues of law and order, and alleged appeasement policies.

The BJP promises welfare schemes and financial assistance for women, youth, and farmers in West Bengal.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the people of West Bengal will reply to bombs and bullets with votes, and pledged the BJP would "hang the syndicate and cut money promoters upside down to make them straight" once the voters "bid adieu to the TMC government".

Addressing poll rallies in Mayureshwar and Khayrasole areas of Birbhum district and in Paschim Bardhaman's Raniganj, he said the writing on the wall is that the BJP will form a government in Bengal as the people of the state have decided to bid "Ta Ta Bye Bye" to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

"Let the people bid adieu to the Mamata government. The BJP will then take up the task of hanging the syndicate and cut-money promoters upside down to make them straight," Shah said.

Alleging that TMC-sheltered criminals have tortured BJP workers in Bengal for a long time, the home minister said that after May 5, a day after counting of votes, saffron party workers will drag their torturers out of the netherworld and bring them to justice.

"I advise TMC goons to stay in their homes on April 23 (the first phase of polling), else we will pick them up one by one on May 4 and throw them in jail."

Birbhum will go to the polls in the first phase on April 23. The second phase of polling is on April 29, and the counting of votes will be held on May 4.

BJP's Economic and Social Promises for West Bengal

Referring to his party's poll manifesto, Shah said, "Once in power, the BJP will build five industrial estates in Bengal to facilitate investment flow into the state."

Accusing Banerjee of trying to "terrorise" the state's majority community, Shah said this assembly election is to drive out infiltrators from Bengal and also from the rest of the country.

"Didi, we have been living here for centuries. Who are you to intimidate us?" Shah asked, alleging that riots took place in Murshidabad, attacks were perpetrated on Ram Navami processions, and Saraswati Puja was not allowed at some places under Mamata Banerjee's rule.

Alleging that the Congress and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee supported keeping Ram Lalla inside a tent for 550 years, the former BJP chief pointed out that "PM Modi built Ram temple in Ayodhya".

"Humayun Kabir is Mamata Banerjee's stooge. He wants to build Babri Masjid in Bengal, but the BJP will never allow it," Shah said.

Tackling Illegal Immigration and Terrorism

The Union home minister targeted the Mamata Banerjee government over the issue of illegal immigration, asking, "Can the chief minister or her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) throw infiltrators out? They do not even allot land for border fencing."

"Mamata Banerjee is not giving land for border fencing, but blaming the BSF for infiltration in Bengal," Shah told a rally in Paschim Bardhaman's Raniganj.

The BJP will finish the task of land allotment for fencing India's borders with Bangladesh within 45 days of assuming power in West Bengal, Shah said. "And not just from Bengal, we will pick infiltrators one by one from the whole country and throw them out."

"The Manmohan Singh government, supported by Mamata Banerjee's TMC, never took firm action against Pakistani terrorism. Instead, they treated the terrorists with biryani," he said.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed the conduct of Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam attack and hit Pakistan where it hurt them the most, the Union home minister said.

"The Modi government crushed Naxalism in the country, and now it is time for infiltrators to be thrown out."

Commitment to Uniform Civil Code and Welfare

Shah reiterated his party's resolve to implement a Uniform Civil Code in the state. "Once enforced, the UCC will put an end to the practice of certain members getting married four times," the home minister said.

He lashed out at the TMC for allegedly indulging in scams and claimed the party embezzled money to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore.

"They were responsible for the cash-for-query scam in Parliament, for taking away the jobs of 26,000 school teachers, for SSC and civic body recruitment irregularities, cattle smuggling, ration distribution scam, as well as stealing MNREGA and PM Awas money. We will make the scamsters return every penny to the people after we come to power," the former BJP chief said.

Shah took on the chief minister for her alleged comments on women in public spaces post sundown.

"Shame on Mamata Banerjee for saying that women should stay at home after 7 pm. We will ensure an environment where young girls can ride their scooties at 1 am," Shah said.

He promised that there would be no repeat of Sandeshkhali, R G Kar, South Calcutta Law College and Durgapur Law College-like incidents under BJP rule in the state.

Referring to the BJP's poll manifesto, the home minister pledged the enforcement of the 7th pay commission recommendations for government employees within 45 days, Rs 3,000 per month to women and unemployed youth, Rs 21,000 to pregnant women, and Rs 2,000 to specially-abled people.

"There will be 33 per cent women's reservation in government jobs, free rides for women in state buses and Rs 5 lakh free health insurance cover under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. We will also increase the annual grant to farmers to Rs 9,000," he said.

"Mamata Banerjee's only aim is to elevate her nephew to the chair of the chief minister. Modiji, on the other hand, aims to empower the youth of Bengal," he said.

Shah said that once a 'double-engine' government is formed, Central funds would reach the people of the state and several welfare schemes would be implemented for the women, youths and the poor. "Mamata Banerjee says Bengal will be run from Delhi; I tell her that after poll results, the state's chief minister will be the son of the soil, and not from the TMC," he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah rallies support in West Bengal, vowing to eradicate corruption, tackle infiltration, and implement comprehensive welfare schemes if the BJP secures victory in the upcoming elections.

Photograph: @AITCofficial/X

Key Points Amit Shah promises to end corruption and bring scamsters to justice in West Bengal if the BJP wins the upcoming elections.

Shah pledges to drive out infiltrators from West Bengal and implement a Uniform Civil Code.

The BJP promises welfare schemes including financial assistance for women, unemployed youth, and farmers in West Bengal.

Shah criticises Mamata Banerjee's government for alleged scams and failure to protect women.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the people of West Bengal will reply to bombs and bullets with votes, and pledged the BJP would "hang the syndicate and cut money promoters upside down to make them straight" once the voters "bid adieu to the TMC government".

Addressing back-to-back poll rallies in Mayureshwar and Khayrasole areas of Birbhum district, he said the writing on the wall is that the BJP will form a government in Bengal as the people of the state have decided to bid "Ta Ta Bye Bye" to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

"Let the people bid adieu to the Mamata government. The BJP will then take up the task of hanging the syndicate and cut-money promoters upside down to make them straight," Shah said.

Alleging that TMC-sheltered criminals have tortured BJP workers in Bengal for a long time, the home minister said that after May 5, a day after counting of votes, saffron party workers will drag their torturers out of the netherworld and bring them to justice.

"I advise TMC goons to stay in their homes on April 23 (the first phase of polling), else we will pick them up one by one on May 4 and throw them in jail."

Birbhum will go to the polls in the first phase on April 23. The second phase of polling is on April 29, and the counting of votes will be held on May 4.

Shah's Accusations and Promises

Accusing the chief minister of trying to "terrorise" the state's majority community, Shah said that this assembly election is to drive out infiltrators from Bengal and also from the rest of the country.

"Didi, we have been living here for centuries. Who are you to intimidate us?" Shah asked, alleging that riots took place in Murshidabad, attacks were perpetrated on Ram Navami processions, and Saraswati Puja was not allowed at some places under Mamata Banerjee's rule.

"Can Mamata Banerjee or her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) throw infiltrators out? They do not even allot land for border fencing."

The BJP will finish the task of land allotment for fencing of our borders with Bangladesh within 45 days of assuming power in West Bengal, Shah said. "And not just from Bengal, we will pick infiltrators one by one from the whole country and throw them out."

Shah reiterated his party's resolve to implement a Uniform Civil Code in the state. "Once enforced, the UCC will put an end to the practice of certain members getting married four times," the home minister said.

Allegations of Corruption

He lashed out at the TMC for allegedly indulging in multiple scams and claimed the party embezzled public money to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore.

"They were responsible for the cash-for-query scam in Parliament, for taking away the jobs of 26,000 school teachers, for SSC and civic body recruitment irregularities, cattle smuggling, ration distribution scam, as well as stealing MNREGA and PM Awas money. We will make the scamsters return every penny to the people after we come to power," the former BJP chief said.

Shah took on the chief minister for her alleged comments on women in public spaces post sundown.

"Shame on Mamata Banerjee for saying that women should stay at home after 7 pm. We will ensure an environment where young girls can ride their scooties at 1 am," Shah said.

He promised that there would be no repeat of Sandeshkhali, R G Kar, South Calcutta Law College and Durgapur Law College-like incidents under BJP rule in the state.

Welfare Promises

Referring to the BJP's poll manifesto, the home minister pledged the enforcement of the 7th pay commission recommendations for government employees within 45 days, Rs 3000 per month to women and unemployed youth, Rs 21,000 to pregnant women, and Rs 2,000 to specially-abled people.

"There will be 33 per cent women's reservation in government jobs, free rides for women in state buses and Rs 5 lakh free health insurance cover under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. We will also increase the annual grant to farmers from its current Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000," he said.

"Mamata Banerjee's only aim is to elevate her nephew to the chair of the chief minister. Modiji, on the other hand, aims to empower the youth of Bengal," he said.

Shah said that once a 'double-engine' government is formed, Central funds would reach the people of the state and several welfare schemes would be implemented for the women, youths and the poor.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah intensified the West Bengal election campaign by attacking Mamata Banerjee's governance and promising development, while vowing to prevent the construction of any structure resembling the Babri Masjid if the BJP wins.

Photograph: ANI Video Grab

Key Points Amit Shah accuses Mamata Banerjee and Humayun Kabir of being similar, alleging appeasement politics.

Shah promises that the BJP will prevent the construction of a Babri Masjid-like structure in West Bengal if they win the elections.

Shah pledges to address illegal immigration, implement a Uniform Civil Code, and improve women's safety in Bengal.

Shah promises financial benefits and job reservations for women, unemployed youth, and farmers if the BJP comes to power.

Shah claims the BJP will bring justice to those who have allegedly tortured BJP workers in Bengal.

TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee and Aam Janata Unnayan Party chief Humayun Kabir are "two of a kind", and the Bharatiya Janata Party will never allow a Babri Masjid to be built in Bengal if it wins the state polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday.

At a poll rally in West Bengal's coal mine belt of Raniganj in Paschim Bardhaman district, Shah accused Banerjee of opposing the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, and drew parallels with Kabir's initiative to build a mosque in Murshidabad's Beldanga modelled on the demolished Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

Kabir, an MLA from Murshidabad's Bharatpur, who has now formed his own party and is seeking re-election, was suspended from the TMC in December last year after he proposed the construction of a Babri-like mosque.

"The Congress, Mamata Banerjee's TMC and other parties such as the DMK, Samajwadi Party, and Bahujan Samaj Party supported keeping Ram Lalla under a tent for 550 years.

"After receiving an overwhelming mandate from people in 2019, Modiji built the Ram temple in Ayodhya, which leaders like Banerjee opposed. Now, Humayun Kabir, who is cast in the same mould as Mamata Banerjee, wants to build Babri Masjid in Bengal," the former BJP chief said.

The BJP will never allow a Babri Masjid to be built in this state after it wins the upcoming polls, Shah asserted.

His remarks are seen as the BJP's attempt at blunting the TMC's offensive over a video in which Kabir was purportedly heard saying he was in touch with BJP leaders to unseat Banerjee from power and receiving Rs 200 crore as an advance for a Rs 1,000-crore deal to split the minority votes.

Latching on to the purported remarks in the video, the veracity of which PTI could not independently verify, Banerjee alleged on Sunday that the BJP has "struck a Rs 1,000-crore deal" with Kabir to defeat the TMC.

Shah's Promises and Accusations in Birbhum

Addressing poll rallies in Mayureshwar and Khayrasole areas of Birbhum district earlier on Monday, Shah said the people of Bengal will reply to bombs and bullets with votes, and pledged the BJP would "hang the syndicate and cut money promoters upside down to make them straight" once the voters "bid adieu to the TMC government".

He said the writing on the wall is that the BJP will form a government in Bengal as the people of the state have decided to bid "Ta Ta Bye Bye" to TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.

Alleging that TMC-sheltered criminals have tortured BJP workers in Bengal for a long time, the home minister said that after May 5, a day after counting of votes, saffron party workers will drag their torturers out of the netherworld and bring them to justice.

"I advise TMC goons to stay in their homes on April 23 (the first phase of polling), else we will pick them up one by one on May 4 and throw them in jail." Birbhum will go to the polls in the first phase on April 23. The second phase of polling is on April 29, and the counting of votes will be held on May 4.

Shah on Illegal Immigration and Uniform Civil Code

Accusing Banerjee of trying to "terrorise" the state's majority community, Shah said this assembly election will be fought on the issue of driving infiltrators out. He alleged that riots took place in Murshidabad, attacks were perpetrated on Ram Navami processions, and Saraswati Puja was not allowed at some places under Mamata Banerjee's rule.

The Union home minister targeted the TMC government over the issue of illegal immigration, stating, "Can the chief minister or her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) throw infiltrators out? Only the BJP can."

"Mamata Banerjee is not giving land for border fencing, but blaming the BSF for infiltration in Bengal," he told the gathering in Raniganj.

The BJP will finish the task of allotting 600 acres of land to fence India's borders with Bangladesh within 45 days of assuming power in West Bengal, Shah said.

"And not just from Bengal, we will pick infiltrators one by one from the whole country and throw them out."

Alleging that the Manmohan Singh government, supported by Mamata Banerjee's TMC, never took firm action against Pakistani terrorists, Shah said, "Instead, they treated the terrorists with biryani."

On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed the conduct of Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam attack and hit Pakistan where it hurt them the most, he said.

"The Modi government crushed Naxalism in the country, and now it is time for infiltrators to be thrown out," he said, while claiming that illegal immigrants were "stealing jobs, gobbling poor people's food and orchestrating riots".

Shah reiterated his party's resolve to implement a Uniform Civil Code in the state. "Once enforced, the UCC will put an end to the practice of certain members getting married four times," he said.

Promises for Bengal's Future

He lashed out at the TMC for allegedly indulging in scams and claimed the party embezzled money to the tune of Rs 5,000 crore. Shah took on the chief minister for her alleged comments on women in public spaces post sundown.

"Shame on Mamata Banerjee for saying that women should stay at home after 7 pm. We will ensure an environment where young girls can ride their scooties at 1 am," he said.

Referring to the BJP's poll manifesto, he pledged the enforcement of the 7th pay commission recommendations for government employees within 45 days, Rs 3,000 per month to women and unemployed youth, Rs 21,000 to pregnant women, and Rs 2,000 to specially-abled people.

"There will be 33 per cent women's reservation in government jobs, free rides for women in state buses and Rs 5 lakh free health insurance cover under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. We will also increase the annual grant to farmers to Rs 9,000," Shah said.

The senior BJP leader alleged that Banerjee's only aim is to elevate her nephew as chief minister, claiming Modiji, on the other hand, aims to empower the youth of Bengal.

"Mamata Banerjee says Bengal will be run from Delhi; I tell her that after poll results, the state's chief minister will be the son of the soil, and not from the TMC," he added.
Shoolini University's new Centre for Robotics and AI, in collaboration with Sirena Technologies, aims to equip students with essential skills in robotics, AI, and automation, bridging the gap between academic learning and industry demands.

Key Points Shoolini University launches a Centre for Robotics and AI in partnership with Sirena Technologies to enhance student training.

The centre aims to bridge the industry-academia gap by providing industrial-grade robotics and humanoid training.

The collaboration includes a three-month training programme with mentorship and project-based work.

The initiative focuses on placement readiness for students in the fields of AI, automation, and robotics.

The centre will accelerate multi-disciplinary research across engineering, computing, data science and AI.

Shoolini University has launched a Centre for Robotics and AI under its Department of AI, Computer and Data Science, in collaboration with the Bengaluru-based Sirena Technologies, aiming at bridging the industry-academia gap by introducing industrial-grade robotics and humanoids in student training.

Vishal Anand, Founder and Pro Chancellor of Shoolini University, said that this centre expands Shoolini's capacity for technological innovation that will help accelerate multi-disciplinary research across engineering, computing, data science and AI.

Training and Collaboration Details

The launch event on campus featured live demonstrations of humanoid systems and technical walkthroughs by Sirena's engineering team. The collaboration includes a three-month training programme led by Sirena professionals, which will also include faculty training and project-based work on applied robotics.

Sirena will also support mentorship, programme design, and recruitment, with a focus on placement readiness for students.

Addressing the Skills Gap

"Our mission is to translate academic research directly into implementation. Organisations around the world are now looking to fill in skill gaps, especially in the areas of AI, automation and robotics, as the world around us evolves by the hour," Anand said.

"This new centre reiterates Shoolini's focus on innovation embedded into our pedagogical design, enabling students to become creators and problem-solvers before they enter the workforce and add value to their organisations," he said.

"Robotics is moving from labs to the real world. For students, early exposure is not just an advantage; it is a game-changer. By aligning training with actual industry use cases, we bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world deployment, making the transition faster and more predictable," said Hariharan Bojan, CEO & Founder, Sirena Technologies.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition challenging the constitutional validity of Rajasthan's 2025 anti-conversion law, raising critical questions about religious freedom and state powers in India.

IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea challenging the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025.

The court issued notices to the Rajasthan government and the central government, seeking their responses on the petition.

The plea argues that the Rajasthan anti-conversion law is unconstitutional and violates Part III of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court is already considering similar challenges to anti-conversion laws enacted by other states in India.

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea challenging the validity of the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Rajasthan government and Centre seeking their responses on the plea.

The bench tagged the plea with separate pending petitions challenging the validity of the 2025 Act.

Plea seeks 2025 Act to be declared void

The fresh plea has sought to declare the Act as "unconstitutional and void", being ultra vires of Part III of the Constitution.

The top court had earlier sought response from the Rajasthan government and others on a separate petition challenging the validity of the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025.

It had issued notice on the plea against the Act that was passed by the state assembly in September.

The top court is also dealing with a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of anti-conversion laws enacted by several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand and Karnataka.
Tata Sons initiates a comprehensive investigation into disturbing allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion at its TCS Nashik branch, underscoring its commitment to employee safety and a zero-tolerance policy.

IMAGE: Photograph: Dado Ruvic/Reuters

Key Points Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran expresses serious concern over allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion at TCS Nashik.

A thorough investigation is underway, led by TCS's Chief Operating Officer, to determine the facts and identify those responsible.

TCS affirms its zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion, with action already taken against accused employees.

Police have arrested seven people, including the company's HR manager, following complaints from eight female employees.

Tata Sons commits to stringent action against those found guilty and implementing corrective measures to prevent future incidents of employee misconduct.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran on Monday termed allegations at TCS Nashik as "gravely concerning and anguishing", and announced an investigation into the matter under a senior executive.

"The complaints and allegations emerging from the Nashik branch of Tata Consultancy Services have been gravely concerning and anguishing," Chandrasekaran said in a statement.

He also announced that a thorough investigation is underway under TCS' Chief Operating Officer Arathi Subramanian to establish the facts and identify individuals responsible for the situation.

There have been allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion by eight female employees at the multinational company's office in Maharashtra's Nashik.

"This incident is being treated with utmost seriousness. Action has already been initiated against the accused employees, and the company is extending its full cooperation to the ongoing investigations," Chandrasekaran, who was leading TCS as its chief executive and managing director before his appointment as the group chairman, said.

He added that the salts-to-software group maintains a "zero-tolerance policy" towards any form of coercion or misconduct by its employees.

Appropriate and stringent action will be taken against those found guilty in the investigation, he said, adding that process improvements or other corrective measures will be promptly implemented and strictly enforced.

Police Investigation and Arrests

Last week, police formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the complaints lodged by eight employees, who claimed that senior colleagues mentally and sexually harassed them, and the human resources department turned a deaf ear to their complaints.

Police have since arrested seven people, including the company's female HR manager.

TCS's Response and Commitment

In its first comments, TCS had on Sunday affirmed its commitment on zero tolerance in cases of harassment and informed that staff members have been suspended.

"TCS has a long-standing zero-tolerance policy towards harassment and coercion of any form. We have always ensured the highest standards of safety and well-being of our employees at the workplace. As soon as we were made aware of the matter in Nashik, we took swift action," it had said.
Following allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion at TCS's Nashik branch, a Maharashtra official is demanding swift and decisive action, prompting investigations and raising concerns about workplace safety.

Photograph: Ishant/ANI Photo

Key Points Maharashtra official demands strict action against TCS employees in Nashik over sexual harassment and forced religious conversion allegations.

Eight female TCS employees have accused senior colleagues of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion at the company's Nashik campus.

A special investigation team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the complaints, leading to the arrest of seven TCS executives.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran has described the allegations as 'gravely concerning' and announced an internal investigation.

The official has called for a thorough investigation, including CCTV footage review and financial transaction analysis, and a fast-track court trial.

Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe on Monday demanded strict action against employees of a top IT company facing allegations of sexual harassment and religious conversion at the firm's branch in Nashik.

In a statement in Mumbai, Gorhe said she has directed the Nashik Police Commissioner to take strict action in the case.

Eight female employees of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) have levelled allegations of sexual harassment and forced religious conversion against their senior colleagues at the company's Nashik campus in North Maharashtra.

Earlier this week, police formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the complaints lodged by the employees, who claimed the human resources department turned a deaf ear to their grievances.

Police have since arrested seven executives of the IT major, including the company's female HR manager.

Concerns Raised and Investigation Demands

Gorhe said the incident has led to tensions in society and raised questions about safety of women at workplace.

She noted that religious conversion of women and their sexual harassment at workplace were a matter of grave concern and there should be an impartial, transparent and thorough investigation in this case.

She said the SIT should check CCTV footage of the company premises, phone chats and financial transactions as part of its probe, and sought trial of the accused in a fast track court.

TCS Response

On Monday, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran termed sexual harassment allegations at TCS Nashik as "gravely concerning and anguishing", and announced an internal investigation into the matter under a senior executive.
A tragic electrocution accident in Odisha's Dhenkanal district claimed the lives of three people as they prepared for a cultural event, highlighting the dangers of overhead power lines.

Key Points Three individuals died from electrocution in Dhenkanal district, Odisha, during preparations for a cultural event.

The accident occurred when a metal object being used to set up the stage came into contact with an 11 kV overhead power line.

One person sustained severe burns and is receiving treatment at Anugul District Headquarters Hospital.

The incident took place in Patla village, under the Balimi police station area.

Local leader Naveen Patnaik expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.

Three persons were electrocuted in Odisha's Dhenkanal district, police said Monday.

The incident took place at Patla village in the Balimi police station area on Sunday evening, when a podium was being set up for a cultural programme featuring folk dance 'Danda Nacha', they said.

The deceased were identified as Sudhakar Sahu (32) and Laxmidhar Sahu (24) of Patla, and Milan Mahalik (34) of Bid village, they added.

Prafulla Sahu (50), also from Patla, sustained severe burns and was admitted to the Anugul District Headquarters Hospital, police said.

The incident happened when a metal object was being lifted for setting up the stage, and it accidentally touched an 11 kV overhead power line, they said.

Political Reaction

Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the incident.

"While praying for the eternal peace of the departed souls, I convey my deepest condolences to the bereaved families during this hour of grief," he said in a social media post.
A Kanpur iron trader tragically died by suicide, highlighting the devastating impact of financial struggles on business owners and their families.

Key Points Arpit Jain, a 40-year-old iron trader from Kanpur, allegedly committed suicide due to financial difficulties.

Jain was reportedly under severe stress for a month due to mounting financial losses in his iron trading business.

Police investigation suggests financial distress as the primary motive, with no suicide note found at the scene.

The incident highlights the impact of financial pressures on business owners and families.

A 40-year-old iron trader allegedly died by suicide on Monday after jumping from the fourth floor of his residence here, police said.

The deceased, Arpit Jain, a resident of Kidwai Nagar, is survived by his wife, Shweta and two children, Dravya and Pranshu, they said.

Family members told police that Jain had been under severe stress for the past month due to mounting financial losses in his business.

On Monday morning, he went to the rooftop of his house and jumped from the fourth floor. After hearing an unusual loud thud sound, the neighbours rushed to the spot and found him lying in a pool of blood.

They alerted the family, who immediately took him to a private hospital in Naubasta. Doctors there referred him to a private hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival, the family said.

Station House Officer (Kidwai Nagar), Dharmendra Kumar Ram, said no suicide note was found.

Investigation Underway

"Preliminary findings suggest financial distress as the reason behind the extreme step. The matter is under investigation," he added.
Trump has intensified his feud with Pope Leo XIV, publicly attacking the pontiff's views on US foreign policy, crime, and international conflicts, sparking a significant escalation in tensions between the White House and the Vatican.

IMAGE: Donald Trump shares an AI-generated 'miracle' image on Truth Social. Photograph: Donald Trump on Truth Social

Key Points Donald Trump criticises Pope Leo XIV's stance on US foreign policy in a Truth Social post.

Trump accuses the Pope of being 'weak on crime' and 'terrible for foreign policy,' particularly regarding Iran and Venezuela.

Trump defends his administration's policies and claims he was elected to enforce law and order.

Pope Leo XIV has previously criticised US policies and military interventions, calling for peace and dialogue.

The feud escalates as Pope Leo XIV calls for a ceasefire in Lebanon, highlighting the humanitarian impact of the conflict.

United States President Donald Trump has sharply criticised Pope Leo XIV over the pontiff's remarks on American foreign policy, escalating tensions between the White House and the Vatican.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that if it wasn't for him to be elected as the US President, Pope Leo wouldn't be appointed as the next pontiff after the demise of Pope Francis.

He further accused the pontiff of being "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy".

Trump As Jesus Christ

Shortly after launching an all out, Trump posted an AI Generated picture depicting himself performing a miracle.

The picture largely symbolises one of the miracles of Jesus described in the bible where he is said to have raised Lazarus from the dead.

The digitally created image shows Trump in flowing robes, placing his hand on a sick man. The scene is surrounded by patriotic and symbolic elements, including the American flag, military aircraft, and what appears to be angelic figures in the background.

Trump Slams Pope Over Criticism

The US President's remarks came after Pope Leo's recent criticism of Washington's approach to global conflicts, including the ongoing tensions involving Iran, where the pontiff called for peace and dialogue.

Trump, in his statement on Truth Social, also alleged that the Pope was soft on issues such as Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and US military actions abroad.

He defended his administration's policies, claiming he was elected "in a landslide" to enforce strong law-and-order measures and pursue an assertive foreign policy.

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about "fear" of the Trump Administration, but doesn't mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart," Trump said.

He further added, "I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn't! I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don't want a Pope who thinks it's terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I don't want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History."

The post further reads, "Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn't on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo's Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested.

He further criticised the Pope for engaging with political figures he described as "left-leaning," and urged the pontiff to "focus on being a great Pope, not a politician."

"Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It's hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it's hurting the Catholic Church," the post added.

Later speaking to reporters at joint base Andrews the US President further intensified his criticism of the Pope saying, " I don't think he's doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess. We don't like a pope who says it's ok to have a nuclear weapon. We don't want a pope that says crime is ok. I am not a fan of Pope Leo."

The public attack marks a significant escalation in an already strained relationship between the two leaders. Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, has repeatedly voiced concerns over US policies and military interventions abroad, calling for diplomacy and humanitarian considerations.

Pope Leo XIV Calls for Ceasefire in Lebanon

Earlier in a post on X, the first American born Pointiff Pope Leo XIV expressed deep concern over the ongoing military activities in Lebanon by Israel, calling for an immediate ceasefire and urging all parties to pursue a peaceful resolution.

Highlighting the humanitarian impact of the conflict, he stressed that the principle of humanity imposes a moral responsibility to protect civilians from the devastating consequences of war and noted that this obligation is not only rooted in conscience but also recognised under international law. He further called on all sides involved in the conflict to immediately halt hostilities.

"In these days of sorrow, fear, and unwavering hope in God, I feel closer than ever to the beloved people of Lebanon. The principle of humanity, inscribed in the conscience of every person and recognized in international law, entails a moral obligation to protect the civilian population from the horrific effects of war. I call on the parties in the conflict to declare a ceasefire and urgently seek a peaceful solution," the post read.
The President claimed that while the Iranian navy has been significantly degraded, the US has yet to target its smaller, high-speed vessels.

IMAGE: An F-35B Lightning II prepares for night operations aboard USS Tripoli in the Arabian Sea amid heightened US-Iran tensions, April 13, 2026. Photograph: Courtesy US CENTCOM on X

In a sharp escalation of regional tensions, US President Donald Trump issued a fresh warning to Tehran on Monday, asserting that the American military is prepared to sink any Iranian vessels that approach the newly established naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

Key Points Trump claimed that while the Iranian navy has been significantly degraded, the US has yet to target its smaller, high-speed vessels.t

In his social media address, the President further alleged that Iran's primary naval forces had already been "completely obliterated"

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations stated it has received reports that "maritime access restrictions are being enforced, affecting Iranian ports and coastal areas

The President claimed that while the Iranian navy has been significantly degraded, the US has yet to target its smaller, high-speed vessels.

He cautioned that should these craft interfere with the blockade, the US Navy would employ the same aggressive tactics used to intercept maritime narcotics traffickers.

"Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at sea. It is quick and brutal," Trump stated in a post on Truth Social.

In his social media address, the President further alleged that Iran's primary naval forces had already been "completely obliterated" but noted that the US had not yet "sunk its fast attack ships."

This warning coincided with the official commencement of the American naval blockade, which took effect at 10 am EDT on Monday following the expiry of a deadline established by the White House.

Confirming the start of the operation, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) stated it has received reports that "maritime access restrictions are being enforced, affecting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including locations along the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz."

The UKMTO noted that these access restrictions apply without distinction to vessels of any flag engaging with Iranian ports, oil terminals, or coastal facilities.

However, transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations is not currently reported to be impeded by these measures.

This unprecedented move was triggered by the total collapse of negotiations between American and Iranian delegations.

Issuing the directive after the talks ended without a resolution, President Trump declared the blockade on all vessels entering or exiting the strategic waterway.

"Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the finest in the world, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz," the President stated.

Expanding on the scope of the maritime operation, Trump noted that the US Navy intends to locate and board any ship in international waters found to have provided transit payments to Tehran.

"No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," he declared.

The President further asserted that any personnel who targeted American or civilian ships would be "BLOWN TO HELL," adding that the US military is "LOCKED AND LOADED" to eliminate the remainder of Iran's military assets.

Providing technical details on the enforcement of the measure, a statement from CENTCOM clarified that the restrictions are directed specifically at vessels moving to or from Iranian ports, reinforcing the administration's focus on isolating Tehran's maritime commerce.
Umar Khalid has filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking a review of the decision to deny him bail in the Delhi riots conspiracy case, reigniting the legal battle surrounding the controversial 2020 events.

IMAGE: Student activist Umar Khalid. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Khalid's lawyer, Kapil Sibal, requested an open-court hearing for the review petition, which is scheduled for consideration.

The Supreme Court previously denied bail to Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, citing a prima facie case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The court granted bail to five other accused in the same case, noting that Khalid and Imam stand on a different footing due to their alleged roles in planning and mobilisation.

The Delhi Police have accused Khalid and others of being masterminds behind the 2020 Delhi riots, which occurred during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Student activist Umar Khalid has moved the Supreme Court seeking a review of a verdict that denied him bail while observing that there were reasonable grounds to believe the allegations levelled against him in connection with the conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria was requested by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared in the court for Khalid, to list the review petition in open court.

Sibal said the matter is coming up for consideration before the judges in chambers on April 16 and they have filed an application for an open-court hearing.

Justice Kumar said, "We will look into the papers. If required, we will call it."

According to the Supreme Court's rules, review petitions are considered by judges who delivered a judgment or passed an order in chambers to remedy an apparent error or a resultant grave injustice that has been the consequence of a decision of the apex court. Parties seeking a review can request judges for an open-court hearing to rectify the grave injustice caused due to the decision under review.

On January 5, Besides Khalid, the top court had refused bail to Sharjeel Imam but granted it to five others, saying all the accused do not stand on the same footing.

Khalid and Imam, who have been incarcerated since 2020, can file fresh bail pleas after the examination of protected witnesses or after a year from the day the order was passed, the court had said, as it rejected their contention of a delay in the trial.

There was a prima-facie case against Khalid and Imam under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the top court had said, noting that prosecution material suggests that they were involved in the "planning, mobilisation and strategic direction" of the riots.

While the two will remain in jail, activists Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohammad Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad were given bail by the court, which had imposed 11 conditions and said any misuse of liberty would lead to cancellation of bail.

The court had noted that the guarantee of liberty enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution is of foundational importance, but at the same time, the security of a community, the integrity of a trial process and the preservation of public order are equally legitimate constitutional concerns.

Khalid and Imam stand on qualitatively-different footing as compared to the other accused, the court had said.

The prosecution had prima facie disclosed "a central and formative role" and "involvement in the level of planning, mobilisation and strategic direction extending beyond episodic and localised acts", the bench had said.

The February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi broke out during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), leaving 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.

The Delhi Police had arrested a total of 18 people in the conspiracy case. Of them, 11 have got bail so far.

The apex court's January order had said a delay in the trial does not operate as a "trump card" that automatically displaces statutory safeguards.

"All the appellants do not stand on equal footing as regards culpability. The hierarchy of participation emerging from the prosecution's case requires the court to examine each application individually," it had said, adding that the roles attributed to them were different.

"This court is satisfied that the prosecution material disclosed a prima-facie allegation against the appellants, Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.... This stage of proceedings does not justify their enlargement on bail," the apex court had said.

It had cited section 43D(5) of the UAPA, which requires the court to deny bail if, on a perusal of a case diary or a chargesheet, it finds that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against such a person is prima-facie true.

Imam was arrested on January 28, 2020, for speeches made during anti-CAA protests. He was later arrested in the larger conspiracy case in August 2020.

Khalid was arrested on September 13, 2020, on charges of delivering provocative speeches on February 24 and 25 when Donald Trump, in his first term as the president of the United States, had visited India.

Strongly opposing the bail pleas, the Delhi Police had then contended that the riots were not spontaneous but an orchestrated, pre-planned and well-designed attack on India's sovereignty.

All seven accused were booked under the stringent anti-terror UAPA and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the riots.
A suspended police constable in Uttar Pradesh has been arrested for allegedly colluding with cattle smugglers, highlighting the issue of police corruption and its impact on illegal activities.

Key Points A suspended constable, Satyendra Yadav, has been arrested for alleged involvement in cattle smuggling in Uttar Pradesh.

Yadav is accused of providing information about police movements to cattle smugglers during his posting.

The arrest occurred in Ambedkar Nagar following a joint operation by multiple police stations.

The case emerged from the investigation of a cattle smuggling case where another accused revealed Yadav's involvement.

The constable faces charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

A suspended constable, wanted in a case related to alleged collusion with cattle smugglers, has been arrested from Ambedkar Nagar here, police said on Monday.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Akash Patel said the accused, Satyendra Yadav, had been absconding after a case was registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Yadav was arrested on Sunday by a joint team of Chandauli Sadar Kotwali and Iliya police stations following inputs about his whereabouts, he said.

Investigation Details

According to the SP, the case came to light during the investigation of a cattle smuggling case registered at Iliya police station, in which a Rs 25,000 reward-carrying accused, Shyambabu, was earlier arrested.

"During interrogation, it was found that Satyendra Yadav was in regular contact with Shyambabu. He allegedly provided information about police movements and patrolling schedules to cattle smugglers during his posting in the district," Patel said.

Police said that Yadav's location in Ambedkar Nagar was revealed during Shyambabu's interrogation, adding that further legal proceedings are underway.
Indian leaders are paying homage to the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, remembering their sacrifice and the pivotal role the event played in India's fight for independence.

Key Points Uttar Pradesh leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, commemorated the Jallianwala Bagh massacre anniversary.

Tributes highlighted the courage and sacrifice of those killed in the 1919 massacre during the Indian freedom struggle.

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, where peaceful protesters were killed by British forces, remains a significant event in India's history.

Leaders emphasised the importance of remembering the values of patriotism and unity inspired by the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and a host of other leaders in the state on Monday paid tributes to those killed in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

In a post on X in Hindi, Adityanath said, "Salutations to the immortal martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh. Jallianwala Bagh is a sacred place where countless patriots, displaying their indomitable courage and unparalleled self-sacrifice in the face of the British regime's brutality, made the supreme sacrifice for the freedom of their motherland.

"The sacrifice of these immortal revolutionaries will forever inspire us all to remain steadfast on the path of service to the nation," he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the sacrifice and martyrdom of those killed remain indelible in the history of the Indian freedom struggle, and will always inspire us to uphold the values of patriotism and unity.

Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak also paid tributes to who made the supreme sacrifice of their lives for the freedom of Mother India."

The Samajwadi Party also remembered those killed in the massacre.

"The supreme sacrifice made by these immortal martyrs during the freedom struggle will continue to inspire us all forever," the party said on X.

The Uttar Pradesh unit of the Congress in a post on X, said, "Jallianwala Bagh: An Immortal Saga of Martyrdom. April 13, 1919 is that dark day in Indian history which further fanned the flames of the struggle for Independence. A million salutations to the immortal martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh, who smilingly sacrificed their lives for their motherland. Their martyrdom shall always remain alive in our hearts."

Hundreds of people protesting peacefully against the Rowlatt Act, which granted repressive powers to the colonial administration, were gunned down by British forces without any provocation on this day in 1919 at Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab's Amritsar.
According to the EC website, Kerala recorded 78.03 per cent polling in the assembly elections held on April 9.

IMAGE: People arrive to cast their vote in the Kerala assembly election, at Idamalakkudi, Idukki, April 9, 2026. Photograph: @Ceokerala X/ANI Photo

Key Points CPI-M and Congress leaders in Kerala question the Election Commission about the delayed release of detailed polling data from the recent assembly elections.

Congress leader V D Satheesan has written to the EC, urging the immediate release of constituency-wise polling data, vote percentages, and postal ballot statistics to ensure transparency.

CPI-M leader V Sivankutty has also flagged the delay as 'unusual,' calling for the immediate publication of the final vote count, including EVM votes, service votes, postal ballots, and votes cast at home.

Both parties are seeking clarity on the reasons for the delay, emphasizing that in the age of advanced technology, such a lag raises concerns about the transparency of the electoral process.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist and Congress on Monday questioned the EC over the delay in the release of detailed polling data of the recently held Kerala Assembly elections.

Senior Congress leader V D Satheesan has written to the Commission urging it to immediately make public the data related to the April 9 assembly elections.

In his letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, Satheesan pointed out that despite three days having passed since polling concluded, the official and authenticated figures have not yet been made available on the Commission's website.

'Crucial to ensuring transparency'

The details of constituency-wise polling data, vote percentages and postal ballot statistics are yet to be released, he said in the letter dated April 12.

He said the prompt release of such information was crucial to ensuring transparency, enabling public scrutiny and maintaining trust in the electoral process.

Satheesan also called on the Commission to publish polling percentage details and postal voting data on its official website without further delay.

Concerns Over Delay

CPI-M leader and General Education Minister V Sivankutty also flagged the delay, terming it "unusual".

"Four days have passed since the election. It is quite unusual that the Election Commission is yet to release the final vote count," he told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

He said the Commission should immediately publish the final tally combining votes recorded in electronic voting machines, service votes, postal ballots and votes cast at home.

Sivankutty also sought clarity on the reasons for the delay, saying that in an era of advanced technology, such lag in compiling data raises concerns over transparency.

The Commission should urgently act to address public concerns and officially release accurate figures of all categories of votes, he added.

According to the EC website, Kerala recorded 78.03 per cent polling in the assembly elections held on April 9.

A total of 883 candidates contested from the 140 constituencies. The results will be declared on May 4.
A woman Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district during an anti-Naxalite operation, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat Maoist insurgency.

Key Points A woman Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh.

The encounter occurred during an anti-Naxalite operation in a forested area.

The deceased Naxalite has been identified as Rupi, a member of the Maoists' Partapur area committee.

The operation is ongoing, and further details are awaited regarding the security situation in the region.

A woman Naxalite was killed in an encounter with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district on Monday, police said.

The face-off comes 12 days after the government declared Chhattisgarh free of armed Maoists on March 31.

The exchange of fire took place in a forested area under the Chhote Bethiya police station limits in the morning, when a team of security personnel was out on an anti-Naxalite operation, a senior police official said.

"So far, the body of a woman Naxalite along with a weapon has been recovered from the spot," he said.

The deceased cadre has been identified as Rupi, a member of the Maoists' Partapur area committee, the official said.

The operation was still underway in the area, and further details were awaited, he added.
After being wrongly deported and labelled as Bangladeshis, migrant workers in West Bengal's Murshidabad are heading to the polls to reclaim their Indian identity and fight for their right to belong.

IMAGE: A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) official during the house-to-house verification process to update voter list in Kolkata. Photograph: ANI Photo

Key Points Six migrant workers from Murshidabad, West Bengal, are voting to reassert their Indian identity after being wrongly deported to Bangladesh.

The workers were labelled as Bangladeshis while working in Maharashtra and faced significant challenges in proving their citizenship.

The incident has heightened anxieties among Muslim-majority communities in Murshidabad, with many fearing they could be treated as outsiders.

Political parties are using the workers' ordeal to fuel their narratives, with the TMC accusing the BJP of mistreating Bengali-speaking Muslims.

For these workers and their communities, the upcoming election is not just about choosing a party, but about affirming their right to belong to India.

For years, elections for Minarul Sheikh were about the familiar litany of roads, jobs, ration and the hope that something might change.

This time, standing outside his mud-walled house at Beldanga in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, with a plastic folder containing documents tucked under his arm, the 34-year-old said he would walk to the polling booth not merely to vote, but to take back what was "snatched" from him - the right to belong.

"Last year, they threw me into another country, saying I was not Indian. This vote is my answer," Sheikh said, clutching the voter slip that he got back after eight months, four hearings and repeated visits to the block office.

Minarul is among six migrant workers from Murshidabad, who were picked up in Maharashtra in June last year, branded Bangladeshis, pushed across the border and briefly lodged in Bangladesh before being brought back after the West Bengal Police established their citizenship.

The six men had travelled to Maharashtra for work and returned carrying not only trauma but also a new fear -- that even after coming home, they would have to prove they belonged to the country.

In villages across Beldanga and Hariharpara, this fear now hangs over the assembly election campaign.

For many around them, this election is about change, anger against the ruling party, or lack of jobs. For these six families, it has become an election about identity.

This anxiety is sharper in Muslim-majority Murshidabad, where the TMC had swept most of the district's 22 seats in 2021. According to the revised electoral rolls, 7.48 lakh names have been deleted from the district, triggering apprehension across villages where many migrant families fear that they would be treated as outsiders.

"I am not voting for rice, money or promises. I am voting to show that I am an Indian and nobody can throw me out again," said Mahboob Sheikh, 36, from Hariharpara.Mahboob said when he went to check the draft electoral roll in January, his name was there, but the name of one of his family members had disappeared.

"We stood in line three times. They asked for Aadhaar, voter card, land paper, everything. We submitted all papers. If we had all this, why were we called Bangladeshis in the first place?" he said.

A woman family member, sitting beside him, broke down. "When he was taken away, we wondered whether we would again see him or not. I want to vote so that no one can question us again."

Nazimuddin Mondal of Hariharpara still keeps the 300 Bangladeshi Taka that was given to him before being pushed across the border. "I have kept it as evidence. Whenever I feel weak, I look at it and remind myself of what happened," he said.

Nazimuddin said his name made it to the voters' list after repeated hearings, but that of his younger brother has still not been restored.

"Officials say there is some discrepancy. We have the same house and papers. Then why is one brother Indian and the other missing from the list," he asked.

The Struggle for Recognition

Shamim Khan, another of the six, said the coming polls have left him angrier than excited.

"Earlier, we voted on who would build roads or give work. Now we are voting to protect our own existence," he said.

His mother Ruksana Begum said the family still remembers the night police allegedly barged into their room in Maharashtra.

"They dragged my son away because he spoke Bengali and had Bangladeshi numbers in his phone. If speaking Bengali becomes a crime, what is left for people like us?" she said.

Nizamuddin Sheikh, who spent two days in a Bangladeshi detention camp before returning, said he has stopped going outside West Bengal for work. "I used to think poverty was the biggest problem. Now I know losing your identity is worse," he said.

Another worker, Jamaluddin Sk, said he had voted in every election since turning 18, but this will be the first time he will enter the booth carrying all his documents.

"My father voted, my grandfather voted. Yet they asked me to prove I am Indian. This election is not about choosing a party. It is about proving we exist," he said.

Political Reactions and Community Impact

The issue has entered the campaign in Murshidabad, where political parties are trying to turn the men's ordeal into competing narratives.

Senior TMC leader and MP Abu Taher alleged that the incident showed how "BJP governments treat Bengali-speaking Muslims as suspects".

"These men were thrown into Bangladesh despite having documents. This election is about protecting Bengal's people and identity," he said.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the case exposed "the collapse of institutions".

"When genuine citizens have to stand in a queue and prove they are Indian, democracy itself is on trial," he said.

The BJP rejected the charge, saying infiltration remains a major concern in Bengal and that no genuine citizen would be harassed. "If there were mistakes, these should be corrected. But the larger issue of infiltration cannot be brushed aside. The TMC is trying to politicise isolated incidents," a district party leader said.

Back in Beldanga, Minarul says he no longer talks about politics with neighbours. He only speaks on April 23, the first phase polling day in West Bengal. The second round is on April 29 and counting on May 4.

He has kept every document- Aadhaar, PAN, voter card, land deed and the photocopy of the application that restored his name to the rolls- wrapped in a polythene packet in his cupboard.

"Earlier, I used to think my vote was just one vote. Now I feel it is proof that this country is mine."

Across the riverine belt of Murshidabad, where migration to states in north and south India is common, the story of the six men has travelled from tea stalls to mosque courtyards. In several villages, residents say they now check the electoral rolls more carefully than before, and are fearful that a missing name can become the first step towards being marked as an outsider.

At Hariharpara, neighbours gathered around Mahboob's house as he displayed the fresh voter slip he received last week. There was no celebration, only relief.

For them, the ballot is no longer a choice between parties but a certificate of belonging.
A youth in Kota, India, is facing legal action after a reckless social media stunt involving throwing firecrackers at crocodiles in their natural habitat sparked outrage and highlighted the dangers of seeking online fame at the expense of wildlife.

Key Points A youth in Kota is facing charges for throwing firecrackers at crocodiles to create a social media reel.

The incident occurred in the Chandralohi River, a habitat for hundreds of crocodiles and other wildlife.

Crocodiles are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, making the act a punishable offence.

Authorities and environmentalists are concerned about the safety of protected wildlife and the rise of dangerous social media stunts.

Police have registered a case against the unidentified youth under the Wildlife Protection Act and are working to identify and apprehend him.

A youth was booked for allegedly throwing firecrackers at crocodiles in the Chandralohi river here to create a social media reel, police said on Monday.

Following the circulation of the purported video on Sunday, the forest department immediately took notice and initiated an inquiry.

The incident occurred in a stretch of the Chandralohi River, a tributary of the Chambal River, known to be home to hundreds of crocodiles, sometime last week.

The video shows the youth lighting a firecracker and throwing it into a group of crocodiles basking on rocks in the river. The footage also indicates the presence of other wildlife in the vicinity, raising concerns about broader ecological harm.

Crocodile is a protected wildlife under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, which provides it the highest level of legal protection in India. Any act causing harm or disturbance to such species is considered a serious and punishable offence.

Legal Action and Investigation

"On the report by forest officials, the police lodged a case under sections 39, 50, 51 and 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act against unidentified youth and began efforts to trace him," Circle Inspector Borekheda Anil Tailor said.

The incident has sparked concern among authorities and environmentalists alike, not only over the safety of protected wildlife but also over the growing trend of risky and irresponsible acts carried out for social media attention.
The ceasefire is still technically holding, to the extent that no overt hostilities have been reported yet, but the rhetoric has hardened dangerously.

The week ahead will also clarify whether the Islamabad failure was a negotiating tactic or whether Washington has genuinely locked itself into a position from which the only exits are climb-down, escalation, or the slow bleed of a new status quo that nobody chose and nobody controls.

Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.

IMAGE: US Vice President J D Vance meets Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad, April 11, 2026. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/Reuters

Serious negotiations require serious men, with serious intent.

What the world witnessed over the weekend in Islamabad was the exact opposite: A high-stakes diplomatic theatre that collapsed under the weight of maximalism, shifting goalposts, and a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum.

In my previous post dated April 10 (external link), I'd written this: 'The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation.'

What we got, instead, was 21 hours.

The best-case outcome coming into these talks -- the first direct, highest-level engagement between the US and Iran in 47 years -- was simple and obvious: agree to keep talking and lock in the next date.

That would have given the fragile two-week ceasefire breathing room, and both sides a face-saving path forward.

Instead, the J D Vance-led American delegation walked away after 21 hours of talks with no resumption date, no memorandum of understanding, and no agreement even on when they would sit down again.

In retrospect, this should have been expected: As he left for Islamabad for the talks, Vance said (external link) 'The United States has certain demands, and certain things we want... the more they are willing to give us, the more they are going to get... frankly, POTUS has all the cards here.'

That, put mildly, is not the attitude of a good faith negotiator.

Key Points High-level US-Iran talks in Islamabad collapsed after 21 hours, ending without agreement, roadmap, or future negotiation schedule.

The US delegation, led by J D Vance, introduced non-negotiable red lines demanding Iran halt uranium enrichment and reopen Hormuz.

Iran rejected the ultimatum, asserting enrichment as a sovereign right and accusing Washington of maximalism and shifting goalposts.

Trump escalated tensions by announcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports, risking confrontation in the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.

Global divisions widened as China, Turkey, and others signaled opposition, while markets reacted sharply with rising oil and energy prices.

IMAGE: J D Vance addresses a news conference in Islamabad, April 12, 2026. Photograph: Jacquelyn Martin/Pool/Reuters

Vance Ultimatum Sparks Breakdown

Here's the thing: Vance never had the authority to ratify anything substantive.

By multiple accounts, he was on the phone repeatedly with US President Donald Trump; at one point, he fielded a call from Benjamin Netanyahu.

Progress -- real, incremental progress -- was reportedly being made until the US side executed an abrupt U-turn and tabled four non-negotiable red lines that amounted to total capitulation by Tehran.

What those red lines were is somewhat in dispute, with the US and the Iranian sides producing slightly different versions.

However, a couple of points are common to both versions: 1. Permanent, complete end to all uranium enrichment by Iran and 2. The unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

IMAGE: Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyid Abbas Araghchi. Photograph: Kind courtesy @iribnews_irib/X

Iran Rejects Red Lines

Vance's four red lines were an ultimatum, not a negotiation: Do this, or else.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyyid Abbas Araghchi posted (external link): 'But when just inches away from "Islamabad MoU", we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.

'Zero lessons learned. Goodwill begets goodwill. Enmity begets enmity.'

Abbas Araghchi had already laid out (external link) Iran's position on enrichment with dignity days earlier: Enrichment is not a favour the West grants Iran; it is a sovereign right under international law.

No one has the authority to dictate to Iran what it may or may not possess.

'The narrative... 'You have no right to enrich; enrichment must be zero'... Why? 'Because we're concerned,' they say.

"If you're concerned, we're ready to address those concerns... But no one has the right to say to us, 'You can't have this because I don't want you to'.'

Araghchi's is the language of a State that has decided that the era of dictated outcomes is over.

The weekend has left the world in a visibly more dangerous place.

The ceasefire is still technically holding, to the extent that no overt hostilities have been reported yet, but the rhetoric has hardened dangerously.

Turkey's Erdogan has reportedly drawn his own red line: Any attack on Iran or Lebanon will be treated as an attack on Turkey.

China has made its position equally blunt (external link): It will honour its trade and energy agreements with Iran and expects no one to meddle in the Strait of Hormuz, through which the bulk of its oil flows.

Algeria's parliament has authorised its president to enter the conflict if Israel escalates further.

IMAGE: A vessel sails through the Strait of Hormuz off Oman's Musandam province, April 12, 2026. Photograph: Reuters

Hormuz Blockade Escalates Crisis

Trump, in typical fashion, then threw a lit match onto this already incendiary situation, announcing that starting April 13, at 10 AM ET, the US will blockade all maritime traffic entering or exiting Iranian ports.

The absurdity is almost poetic -- the United States threatening to blockade the very chokepoint it claims it wants to keep open for 'freedom of navigation'.

The fine print, however, is worth paying attention to: CENTCOM clarified (external link) that the blockade applies specifically to Iranian ports and coastal areas.

Vessels transiting the strait to non-Iranian destinations will, in theory, pass freely.

Whether that distinction survives first contact with a Chinese tanker captain, escorted by Chinese warships, who has already paid Tehran's toll is another matter entirely.

Notably, the UK has already weighed in: London will not participate in Trump's blockade, and a NATO official has confirmed that Britain is leading a coalition of more than 40 nations pursuing the opposite objective: Reopening the strait and protecting freedom of navigation.

Pedro Sanchez of Spain, threatened by Trump with the cutting off of all trade, promptly flew to China (external link) for trade talks. Washington's closest allies are, in other words, actively working at cross-purposes with it.

Global Powers Take Sides

The danger does not end there.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Trump's advisers are also weighing the resumption of limited military strikes against Iran, to apply additional pressure should the blockade fail to move Tehran.

No matter how you look at the granular details of the weekend gone by, the net assessment has to be that diplomacy has been set back, not advanced.

Iran has made it clear it will not swallow the four red lines.

If Washington now softens them to get back to the table, it loses credibility with its own hardliners and with Israel.

If it sticks to them, it has painted itself into a corner from which the only exits are either humiliating climb-down or escalation.

Drawing hard lines in the sand is the antithesis of good-faith negotiation.

Serious negotiations require serious men with serious intent -- men who are willing to listen as well as to dictate, to build trust instead of documenting failure for the cameras.

This weekend, what began as a seemingly serious negotiation ended with the US throwing the toys out of the pram and walking off.

And the world is now watching to see whether the old order of bullying and diktat still has any purchase or whether, as Araghchi put it, 'the era of your bullying and dictating values has come to a close.'

Inside Vance's Iran Negotiations: No Deal, But 'Friendly' Talks [Natalie Allison, Washington Post (external link)]

The indispensable inside account of what happened in Islamabad.

The detail that matters most: The US team left believing Iran 'thought it had more leverage than the realities on the ground justify', and that the administration now intends to test that assumption. The blockade, in other words, is not a tantrum.

It is a calculated stress test. Whether the calculation is correct is another question entirely, but understanding the logic is the starting point.

In Pakistan Talks, Iran Saw a US Trying to Dictate, Not Negotiate [Erika Solomon, New York Times (external link)]

The essential Iranian-side companion to the WaPo piece, and the more analytically important of the two.

Ramzy Mardini of Geopol Labs provides the sharpest framing of the fundamental disconnect: Washington sees itself as enforcing an existing hegemonic order; Tehran sees this war as an opportunity to revise that order entirely.

Those are not negotiating positions. They are incompatible world views. Until one side shifts its frame, no amount of proximity talks will close the gap.

IMAGE: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meets Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Islamabad, April 11, 2026. Photograph: WANA/Handout/Reuters

Iran's Top Negotiator Says Talks Failed Because US Failed to Win Trust [Anushka Patil, New York Times (external link)]

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad BagherGhalibaf's post-Islamabad statement deserves to be read in full, not summarised.

His central point, that the US has attacked Iran twice in the middle of negotiations, is the trust deficit explained in one sentence.

And former Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, watching from the sidelines, compressed the whole failure into five words: 'You can't dictate terms to Iran.'

He then added one more word: 'Yet'. That 'Yet' is doing more diplomatic work than anything said in 21 hours of talks.

There Is Still Time to Resurrect Talks Between America and Iran [The Economist (external link)]

The most sober structural analysis of why the talks failed and what still might be salvaged.

The Economist's key insight is that the impasse is as much about sequencing as substance: Iran sees its enriched uranium stockpile as leverage worth trading for a comprehensive deal, not a temporary one; Washington wants to neutralise it quickly, before a long negotiation leaves it in Iranian hands.

Both positions are rational, but neither is compatible with the other.

The Economist gives the ceasefire window a fighting chance, but only if someone blinks on sequencing first.

IMAGE: A Chinese-flagged oil tanker is moored at Tsing Yi port in Hong Kon, March 19, 2026. Photograph: Joyce Zhou/Reuters

Trump's Blockade: What the Markets Are Already Saying [Bloomberg (external link) / Financial Times (external link)]

Read these two together as a single data layer.

Brent crude jumped past $102 on Monday's open; European natural gas futures spiked 18%.

The Financial Times's Helima Croft identifies the precise mechanism: Trump had been keeping oil prices relatively flat through 'consistent signaling' that he was calling time on the conflict.

The blockade breaks that signal. Rystad Energy is already projecting $110-plus.

And if the Houthis respond by closing Bab al-Mandeb, which Trita Parsi considers likely, the arithmetic gets significantly worse.

IMAGE: Demonstrators gather at Trocadero square in Paris calling for peace and freedom, April 11, 2026. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters

Trita Parsi on the Blockade [X / Responsible Statecraft (external link)]

A note on why Parsi's views warrant particular attention: As founder of the National Iranian American Council and one of the few Western analysts with genuine back-channel access to Iranian decision-makers, he has been among the most consistently accurate predictors of Iranian behavioUr over two decades.

His blockade sCepticism rests on four interlocking structural arguments: the oil price spiral, the escalation against buyer nations including China and India, the Houthi/Red Sea/$200 scenario, and the Pakistan complication.

But his most important contribution is his closing scenario: A non-negotiated status quo in which Tehran retains control of the Strait but gets no sanctions relief, the US quietly exits the war, and the real question becomes whether Israel chooses to fight on alone.

If that is where this ends, no one will be declaring victory.

The Mearsheimer-Landis Interview [YouTube (external link)]

John Mearsheimer, the architect of offensive realism, says the blockade will not work.

His argument is structural: Iranian nationalist resolve does not respond to economic coercion the way the Trump administration assumes, and the collateral damage to the global economy will rebound on the US before Tehran yields.

Joshua Landis adds the regional dimension: The US, he argues, has become 'addicted to destabilising the Middle East'.

Together they make the case that this is not a tactical miscalculation but a strategic category error: the right instrument applied to the wrong theory of change.

IMAGE: Crowds in Israel participate in anti-government protests urging a halt to the conflict, April 11, 2026. Photograph: Tom Bateman/Reuters

Trump's Strategic and Moral Failure in Iran [David Remnick, The New Yorker (external link)]

Remnick opens with Saparmurat Niyazov, Turkmenistan's gold-statue dictator, and it takes a moment to see where he is going with this. But when it lands, it lands hard.

The analytical core: The original sin of this entire crisis was Trump's 2018 abandonment of the JCPOA, which had stalled Iran's nuclear programme, for no reason beyond Netanyahu's flattery of his vanity and his contempt for Obama. Everything since has been consequence. Karim Sadjadpour calls it 'strategic malpractice'.

Danny Citrinowicz, former Israeli intelligence officer, calls it 'a colossal disaster that should never have happened.'

The piece closes where it opened, with a gold statue.

IMAGE: Demonstrators in Israel call for government accountability and an end to hostilities, April 11, 2026. Photograph: Tom Bateman/Reuters

Ceasefire Means Netanyahu Can't Keep Promises [Sammy Westfall and Lior Soroka, Washington Post (external link)]

The Israeli domestic reckoning that the international coverage tends to skip.

The opposition's charge is not that the war was wrong but that it was incomplete, and that a second ceasefire without decisive outcome is simply an interval before the next round.

The detail that lingers: A rabbi in Beersheva says Israelis have already named the next conflict. Operation Roaring Lion is the current war.

'So the next one would be The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.' She said it as a joke. No one laughed.

And finally -- the weekend's other result [Bloomberg (external link)]

Viktor Orban, the man who wrote the playbook authoritarians everywhere use to subvert democracy, lost Hungary's election on Sunday in a landslide, conceding to Peter Magyar's opposition (external link) in the highest turnout since the end of Communism in 1989.

It marks a double blow for J D Vance: Shortly before flying off to Islamabad for what proved an abortive mission, Vance had gone to Budapest to stump for Orban, even dialing Donald Trump live, mid-speech, so Trump could endorse Orban.

The implications extend well beyond Hungary: Orban had been the EU's most reliable firewall against anything that complicated Israel's position in Europe.

That firewall is now gone. Keep an eye on Brussels in the coming weeks.

IMAGE: The USS Frank E Petersen Jr missile destroyer operates in the Arabian Sea during the Iran conflict, March 18, 2026. Photograph: US Navy/Handout/Reuters

In passing...

As of this writing, the ceasefire is technically still alive. No shots have been fired. No overt hostilities have been reported.

But the architecture of the pause is visibly cracking, and the week ahead may determine whether what we have been calling a ceasefire is a genuine breathing space or merely the interval between rounds.

The first test arrives at 10 am ET Monday, US Central Command begins enforcing the naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The practical question is not whether the US navy can enforce it. It can.

The question is what happens when the first Chinese-flagged tanker, carrying oil it has already paid for, with a crew that answers to Beijing, meets an American destroyer in the Gulf of Oman.

IMAGE: Protesters gather in Israel demanding an end to the ongoing conflict, April 11, 2026. Photograph: Tomer Neuberg/Reuters

Iran has said it 'will not allow' the blockade to proceed. That is not, yet, a declaration of resumed hostilities, but it is a commitment that will be difficult to walk back without cost.

And it is worth keeping in mind that for the blockade to work, US warships will have to come within missile range of the Iranian coast.

In this connection, worth recalling that the US attempted to test Iran this weekend, by sending a warship that attempted to sneak into Hormuz.

Iran issued an official warning, that if the ship did not turn back in 30 minutes it would be attacked. The US ship turned back.

IMAGE: Israelis protest against the Netanyahu government, calling for an end to the conflict with Lebanon amid a temporary ceasefire, April 11, 2026. Photograph: Tomer Neuberg/Reuters

Tehran's other front is the Houthis: If Iran signals its proxies in Yemen to close Bab al-Mandeb in retaliation, the energy arithmetic tips into territory that no one -- not Washington, not Beijing, not New Delhi -- can absorb without serious domestic political consequence.

The ceasefire expires in nine days. Neither side has formally declared it dead. Neither side has confirmed when, or whether, they will talk again.

That ambiguity is, for the moment, the only thing keeping the space open, and both sides know it.

IMAGE: An anti-Israeli mural on a street in Tehran, April 12, 2026. Photograph: Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters

The week ahead will also clarify whether the Islamabad failure was, as the Economist suggests, a negotiating tactic -- a 'final offer' designed to be revisited -- or whether Washington has genuinely locked itself into a position from which the only exits are climb-down, escalation, or the slow bleed of a new status quo that nobody chose and nobody controls.

Watch three things this week: The first blockade encounter, any signal from Tehran on the Houthis, and whether a back-channel -- Omani, Qatari, Pakistani -- quietly opens to schedule a next round of talks.

If all three go badly, the ceasefire will not survive the week. If even one goes well, there is still hope.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
India mourns the passing of Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, the revered 'Lion of Ladakh' and Maha Vir Chakra recipient, whose exceptional gallantry and leadership during the 1999 Kargil War secured critical victories for the nation.

IMAGE: Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, the Lion of Ladakh. Photograph: Claude Arpi for Rediff

Key Points Known as the 'Lion of Ladakh', Colonel Sonam Wangchuk led his troops to secure the strategically vital Chorbat-La in the Batalik sub-sector during the 1999 conflict.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh paid tribute to Colonel Wangchuk, highlighting his gallantry, resolute leadership, and unwavering commitment to duty.

Colonel Wangchuk was a devoted Buddhist, seeking blessings from the Dalai Lama before battle, which significantly boosted his troops' morale.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight has for decades been one the most world famous songs (and one of my favorites); it is known for its 'Wimoweh' South African refrain, popularised by The Tokens in the 1950s and later in Disney's The Lion King.

This song keeps echoing in my mind after I heard of the untimely demise of Colonel Sonam Wangchuk, Maha Vir Chakra, the Lion of Ladakh.

Apart from being a great warrior, the colonel was also a devoted Buddhist and a gentleman. Whoever approached him will share the same experience.

Sonam Wangchuk was born on January 27, 1964 in Leh, Ladakh; later he completed his school education from Modern School, New Delhi.

His citation for the second highest gallantry award said: 'While he was in the second year of his graduation at Sri Venkateswara College, he decided to join the Army.'

He later passed out from the Officers Training Academy (Chennai) and was commissioned into the Assam Regiment on September 4, 1987. Later, he was deputed to the Ladakh Scouts.

The Ladakh Scouts: 'Snow Warriors'

IMAGE: Then Major Wangchuk receives the Maha Vir Chakra from then President K R Narayanan. Photograph: Claude Arpi for Rediff

The 'Snow Warriors', as the Ladakh Scouts are known, were raised as a paramilitary force (then the Nubra Guards); the force saved Ladakh from Pakistani intruders in 1947-1948; it is when Colonel Chhewang Rinchen, MVC & Bar earned his first MVC at the age of 17.

The Ladakh Scouts were officially raised in 1963, with two wings, namely the Karakoram Wing, defending the eastern front, facing China and the Indus Wing, facing Pakistan.

The Scouts fought bravely in the 1965 and 1971 India Pakistan wars and were also part of Operation Meghdoot, on the Siachen Glacier, in 1984.

It is in the Kargil War of 1999 that the Scouts earned glory, winning one of the first victories in the conflict for which they were awarded a Unit Citation by General Ved Prakash Malik, the then chief of army staff.

A few weeks later, the 'Lion' received a Maha Vir Chakra.

Sonam Wangchuk's citation recounts the events: 'On May 3, 1999, intrusions were detected. On May 26, the first air to ground strike was launched by the Indian Airforce (IAF), followed by Operation Vijay, by the Indian Army, to evict the intruders from the Indian territory. After two months of violent confrontation, the war came to an end on July 26, 1999.'

The account of the battle conflict continues: 'Pakistan's military leadership had long planned for the occupation of the ridgeline dominating National Highway 1A on the Indian side of the LC [Line of Control], which they executed in 1998-1999.

'One such point on the ridgeline was Chorbat-La in the Batalik sub sector at 18,000 feet along the LC. Historically, Chorbat-La was used as a gateway for intruders. The intrusion into the Batalik sub-sector was undertaken to ease logistics for the Pakistan army.'

Securing Chorbat-La in Kargil

IMAGE: The two Sonams. Left: Magsaysay Award winner Sonam Wangchuk and right Colonel Sonam Wangchuk (retd), Maha Vir Chakra, in their native Leh. Photograph: Claude Arpi for Rediff

Major (later Colonel) Sonam Wangchuk was given the difficult task of securing Chorbat-La in the Batalik sub-sector and evicting the intruders.

On May 28, 1999, Major Wangchuk was first tasked to establish an Observation Post on Ring Contour in the Chorbat-La: 'Major Wangchuk joined the JCO and three jawans at the firm base of Ring Contour and started climbing the feature as they moved through fresh snow. On May 30, 1999, at 07:00 hours, the officer discovered about 3-4 enemy soldiers and killed two of them, while the other escaped.

After establishing an Observation Post, Major Wangchuk was 'assigned to reinforce another Observation Post along the LC, which was expected to come under attack from Pakistani troops. After moving all night, he arrived at the base of the Observation Post shortly before first light. He deployed his platoon of two JCOs and twenty-five jawans to deter the enemy as the Post came under enemy artillery bombardment and an attack was imminent.'

It took six hours of fighting for Maj Wangchuk, one JCO and eleven Ladakhi jawans to reinforce the Observation Post: 'Thereafter with a platoon, Maj Wangchuk assaulted a feature near to the Observation Post held by the enemy and captured it by killing six enemy soldiers.'

Two posts in this sector, 'Sonam 1' and 'Sonam 2 ' have been named after the brave major.

The Lion Goes to Sleep

IMAGE: Then Lieutenant General (Now General) Upendra Dwivedi felicitates Colonel Sonam Wangchuk for his contribution to the nation. Photograph: ANI Photo

As soon as he heard of the demise of the 'Lion', Defence Minister Rajnath Sinbh in a post on X paid a rich tribute to the departed hero of the 1999 Kargil War.

Raksha Mantri =Singh spoke of 'a highly decorated officer of the Indian Army, renowned for his gallantry, resolute leadership and unwavering commitment to duty.'

The minister added: 'A proud son of Ladakh, he exemplified the spirit of the region -- resilient, steadfast and deeply rooted in service to the nation, while standing as a symbol of India's unity in diversity. His courageous actions of leading by personal example during Operation Vijay inspired his men under the most demanding conditions in high-altitude.

'His life remains a testament to courage, sacrifice & national integration, and his legacy will continue to inspire coming generations.';

Each time I met Colonel Wangchuk, I was struck by his modesty, gentleness, simple manners and benevolent smile.

During our first encounter, he confided that on the evening before moving to Chorbat-La, he went to meet the Dalai Lama, who was in Leh at the time.

He sought the blessings of the Tibetan leader, for his men and himself. The Dalai Lama gave them blessed protective threads to be carried on their bodies.

This immensely helped (at least psychologically) the Ladakhi boys, who could march to the front with full confidence.

They strongly believed that nothing could happen to them and indeed nothing happened to them; they victoriously chased away the intruders.

Each time that I think of Colonel Wangchuk, I have the image of the Scouts praying to the Dalai Lama, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, to give them the strength to defend Ladakh, India and the Buddha Dharma.

Colonel Wangchuk and his men were not only Buddhist and Ladakhis, but Indians, ready to lay down their lives for the country.

Ladakh: Strategic Land of Spirituality

Ladakh is indeed a land of spirituality, but the region is also strategically located. Every year, many Indians visiting the gompas and Buddhist institutions, realise the importance of Ladakh.

Professor Samdhong Rinpoche, the former prime minister of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, once stressed the seriousness of the global climate crisis, particularly in this mountainous region: 'We are moving into a dangerous period where the entire planet earth is posed with the risk of complete disintegration, of becoming unlivable,' he asserted.

He further observed: 'Unless the entire humanity alters or changes their way of life, the destruction of eco-balance is going to destroy the entire planet.'

In Ladakh, there is a blend of spirituality and strategic importance; there is no doubt that today the region faces one of the most intense moments of its history -- not only because of the belligerent neighbours but also because of fast development and the subsequent pressure on the fragile environment triggered by tourism.

Let us not fool ourselves, in the years to come, Ladakh will remain under threat of two hostile neighbours, Pakistan and China.

The crisis has never been so acute; however Ladakh should remain a special place where spirituality, sustainable development and strategic planning cohabitate.

Colonel Sonam Wangchuk epitomised this blend; he was indeed an exceptional soldier, a lion with a kind heart, caring for his native region and his country.

His MVC citation ends by these words: 'Major Wangchuk is a living legend from Ladakh Scouts. He displayed exemplary valour, and courage in the face of the enemy in the most inhospitable weather and terrain conditions. He was awarded Maha Vir Chakra for his action.'

He was a great human being too. May this Great Son of Ladakh repose in peace and return soon to this world, which needs people like him.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff
TALDYQORGHAN, Kazakhstan -- A court in Kazakhstan convicted all 19 defendants in a politically sensitive case heard behind that was linked to an anti-China protest last year near the border between the two countries.

The court on April 13 found all defendants guilty of inciting inter-ethnic discord following a protest in which participants demanded the release of an ethnic Kazakh detained in Xinjiang.

Several defendants received five-year prison sentences, while others received so-called restriction of liberty sentences, a non-custodial punishment placing individuals under state supervision with limits on movement, residence, and daily activities.

All 19 defendants were also banned from engaging in political activity for three years.

The defendants are members or supporters of Naghyz Atazhurt, an unregistered advocacy group that works with families who have relatives missing in Xinjiang. They are charged with "inciting interethnic hatred" in connection with a November 13, 2025, protest that was filmed and posted online.

In those videos, they can be seen burning small Chinese flags and a portrait of Chinese leader Xi Jinping while chanting slogans against Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese Communist Party, and calling for the release of a naturalized Kazakh citizen from Xinjiang who has been detained in China since July 2025.

The case is widely seen as a gauge of Chinas influence in Kazakhstan, after evidence emerged that prosecutors acted following a diplomatic complaint from Beijing.

It highlights the tension between domestic activism over Xinjiang -- where more than 1 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Muslim minorities have been sent to mass detention camps -- and the governments strategic relationship with China.

The trial was held under restricted conditions, with journalists barred from the courtroom and following proceedings from an adjacent room via live video feed.

Outside the courthouse in Taldykorgan, around 100 relatives and supporters gathered as the verdict was announced. The scene turned highly emotional, with female relatives seen crying and one woman requiring emergency medical assistance.

Relatives told reporters they had expected acquittals or the release of the activists and appealed to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to intervene. In comments to RFE/RL, some also alleged that the outcome reflected political pressure from China.

According to RFE/RL Kazakh Service reporters, some family members were asked to leave the courthouse premises and avoid making a public commotion while proceedings were still ongoing.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have criticized the case, warning about fair trial concerns and the use of Article 174 of Kazakhstans Criminal Code to prosecute protest-related activity.

The case originated after police detained participants shortly after the November 13, 2025, protest. What began as administrative detentions was later escalated into a criminal case under Article 174 on incitement of ethnic hatred. The defendants were linked to the Atajurt movement, an unregistered civic group known for documenting alleged human rights abuses against ethnic Kazakhs and Uyghurs in Xinjiang and advocating for families separated across the ChinaKazakhstan border.

The protest and the subsequent criminal proceedings drew criticism from Chinese diplomatic representatives, who described the demonstration as a provocation and urged Kazakhstan authorities to take action and prevent what they called harm to Chinas national dignity and the image of its leadership.
Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar has scored a landmark election victory over Prime Minister Viktor Orban, ousting US President Donald Trump's closest ally in Europe on promises of rebuilding the country's European Union ties while curbing them with Moscow.

"The election results are not final yet, but the situation is understandable and clear," Orban said late on April 12 as results showing Magyar's center-right Tisza party with a sizeable lead over Orban's right-wing Fidesz.

"The election result is painful for us, but clear. The responsibility and possibility of governing was not given to us. I have congratulated the winner."

Hungary's Viktor Orban Concedes Defeat In Landmark Elections by RFE/RL No media source currently available 0:00 0:00:42 0:00

With nearly all ballots counted, Tisza led with 53.6 percent of the vote, compared with 37.8 percent for Fidesz, according to the Hungarian election committee.

Preliminary calculations give Tisza 138 seats in the 199-member parliament -- enough, if confirmed, to give it the two-thirds majority needed to push through constitutional changes.

"My fellow Hungarians -- we have done it!" Magyar told supporters in Budapest. He said his first trip abroad will be to Warsaw, where he has received strong backing from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

"Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!" Tusk wrote on X, adding in Hungarian: "Russians, go home!"

Magyar said he would then "go to Vienna and Brussels to have EU funding released."

The outcome of the elections was closely watched in Brussels, Kyiv, Moscow, and Washington.

Trump did not answer questions shouted by reporters about Orban as he walked away following his return to Washington on April 12.

Pushback Against Authoritarian Trends

Veteran American diplomat Daniel Fried described Hungarys stunning election result as a very big deal, saying it signals a broader pushback against authoritarian trends in Europe and beyond.

Speaking to RFE/RL on April 12, Fried -- who has served in senior national-security roles under seven US administrations and is now a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council -- said he was surprised by both the speed and scale of the outcome.

I am a bit surprised that we know the results this quickly, he said, noting that many observers had expected a prolonged count.

So the fact that Viktor Orban has conceded shows that this is the kind of landslide victory that [the opposition] wanted and that Hungarian pro-democracy people prayed for, but that no one expected until it came.

Hungarys troubled relationship with many countries in the EU means the bloc's 27 members were keenly interested in the outcome of the vote, as were Washington and Moscow, both of whom have strong ties with Orban, who has held power for the past 16 years.

"Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path," EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said soon after Orban conceded.'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Magyar on his "convincing victory" and wrote on Telegram: "It is important when the constructive approach wins."



As an EU member, Orban's government has managed to block or water down many of the bloc's decisions on sanctions against Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It has also prevented some EU support for Ukraine.

Recently, he stopped a 90 billion euro ($105 billion) loan for Kyiv for 2026 and 2027, initially agreed by EU leaders in December 2025.

Last month, Hungarian police seized two vans carrying more than $80 million in cash and 9 kilograms of gold bars, along with seven Ukrainian citizens, who were en route from Austria to their home country in what was considered the regular transportation of monetary instruments.

These steps came after Orban accused Ukraine of stopping deliveries of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline. Ukraine says the pipeline was damaged by Russian strikes and repairs would take time.

Leaked Calls To Russia

All of these issues fed into the election campaign, as have leaked telephone calls in which Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto appeared to be briefing his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, on high-level EU meetings.

After first denying it, Hungary's foreign minister then confirmed that he not only speaks to Russian colleagues before and after EU meetings, but also to counterparts from Israel, Serbia, Turkey, and the United States.

"France salutes a victory of democratic participation, of the Hungarian people's attachment to the values of the European Union, and for Hungary in Europe," French President Emmanuel Macron said after calling to congratulate Magyar on his victory.



"Together, let us advance a more sovereign Europe, for the security of our continent, our competitiveness, and our democracy."

Meanwhile, Magyars primary focus in the election campaign was on domestic issues, particularly an anti-corruption campaign.

In an interview with RFE/RL in October 2025, he indicated that his foreign policy instincts would be cautious.

Hungarian Opposition Candidate On Limiting Russian Energy Contracts by RFE/RL No media source currently available 0:00 0:00:20 0:00

In particular, he said that there would be no quick end to Russian fossil fuel imports, despite EU pressure for Hungary -- and neighboring Slovakia -- to fall into line with steps taken by other member states to fully cut energy ties with Moscow by 2027.

Hungary currently imports around 95 percent of its natural gas supplies from Russia, while during the first half of 2025 some 92 percent of its oil imports came from Russia.

With reporting by Alex Raufoglu in Washington
On April 9, a day after a cease-fire was announced between the United States, Iran, and Israel, Maryam (not her real name) took her three cats and returned to her apartment after spending nearly six weeks at a friend's house in a northern neighborhood of Tehran.

She said she couldn't handle the bombings on her own, and her friend had invited her to stay. Maryam, who is in her late 40s, said she felt relieved when the cease-fire was announced. But she quickly adds that she's still very worried about the future.

"The first thing we say to each other these days is: 'We survived,'" she said.

"I'm glad the war is over. At the same time, I still feel we are in a state of limbo, and I'm worried the economic situation will become worse than before," she added.

The constant US and Israeli air strikes that had rocked the country since February 28 stopped with the cease-fire agreement that led to peace talks last weekend in Islamabad.

But more than 20 hours of negotiations failed to lead to an agreement, and while President Donald Trump said just after the end of the talks that the US delegation became "very friendly" and "respectful" of Iran's delegation, he also called for a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz to begin on April 13.

He added in a social media post that the US military remains "fully 'LOCKED AND LOADED,' and could "finish up the little that is left of Iran!"

"Will the cease-fire hold? And what happens after two weeks when it's over?" Maryam said, adding that she doesn't think she can cope with any further bombings.

"It was terrible. I feel exhausted and I'm still very anxious.... Everyone is taking medicine for their nerves. The price of [the antidepressant drug] Asentra has multiplied, and it is hard to find in Tehran," she said.

'Expecting The Worst'

Maryam said there were no shortages in the Iranian capital during the hostilities, which lasted nearly six weeks, but prices climbed astronomically.

"On the one hand, everything seemed like before -- except for the bombings and the sound of jets and drones. On the other hand, nothing was normal," she said.

Photo Gallery: In Photos: Week Six Of The Iran War Images from the sixth week of the US-Israeli war with Iran and the beginning of a fragile temporary cease-fire.









At night, regime supporters took to the streets, chanting pro-government slogans and playing religious and patriotic songs through loudspeakers. Meanwhile, checkpoints were set up throughout the city where Basij militia inspected people's mobile phones and cars.

Leila, a mother of two, said she had been stopped at a checkpoint in Tehran's Niavaran neighborhood, where Basij forces inspected her car.

"I wasn't wearing a head scarf, but they didn't mention it. They were polite and only asked me to open my trunk," she said.

She described it as a show of force: "They want to say, we're still here."

Leila said that, in another part of the city, she saw two police officers sitting at a desk in the street talking to a pair of men she believed were drug addicts. She described the scene as "surreal."

"The police stations have been bombed, so they're working in the open air," she said.

Like Maryam, Leila is worried about the days and months to come.

"They bombed us and left us with a younger Khamenei," she said, referring to Mojtaba Khamenei -- who succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, as Iran's supreme leader after the ayatollah died in an air strike.

"No one knows whether he's really alive or what he's capable of. There's damage to our infrastructure and the deaths of many innocent people."

Maryam said April 8 was one of the worst nights, when many were expecting the United States to bomb Iran's power plants and send the country back to the "Stone Age."

"We all took showers, washed our clothes, charged our phones and power banks and stocked up on water bottles and cans, expecting the worst," she said.

According to Maryam, many Iranians had initially supported military intervention, hoping it would bring down the Islamic republic, which many despise. The war followed a brutal state crackdown on anti-regime protests in January that killed thousands of people.

"When the war started and they killed Khamenei, some were hopeful. But later they realized what war really is," she said. "They saw the destruction to infrastructure and realized they could have been killed, too."

'Those Who Can Will Emigrate'

Iran said over 3,000 people were killed in US-Israeli strikes, which were launched on February 28. Iran's Red Crescent Society said last week that 857 schools and educational spaces as well as 338 hospitals and clinics were damaged in the war. Meanwhile, according to Iran's Cultural Heritage Ministry, 140 landmarks were destroyed or damaged in the strikes.

Leila said many are now in a state of "hopelessness" and "anxiety."

"Those who can will emigrate," she said.

Ali, a businessman in the Iranian capital, is also worried about the future.

"Many will be jobless because of the war. They hit the Mobarakeh steel factory and our petrochemical plants -- tens of thousands have lost their jobs," he said.

Ali said many of his friends had hoped the war would bring an end to the Islamic republic.

"Instead, it badly damaged Iran, not the Islamic republic," he said, noting that civilian infrastructure and historic palaces were destroyed in the strikes.

He added that the economic fallout is worsening, with layoffs spreading and many losing their livelihoods due to Internet restrictions.

"My friend is a language teacher. He hasn't had any income since January," Ali said. "There are many like him. People who rely on the Internet to make a living are now struggling, surviving on savings that will soon run out. We are stuck between a regime that takes away our most basic rights and two countries that were bombing us."

During the conflict, he said many people suffered because of the state-imposed Internet restrictions, which prevented them from accessing information and connecting with loved ones.

Despite the cease-fire, the Internet blackout remains in place, leaving millions of Iranians in digital darkness.

The Internet connectivity monitor Netblocks said on April 5 that Iran's ongoing Internet shutdown is the longest nationwide Internet shutdown on record in any country.
The US military said it would begin a blockade of ships traveling to and from Iranian ports following the failure of US-Iranian peace talks on the weekend. Former sailors who navigated tankers through the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s told RFE/RL that todays crisis echoes that conflict four decades ago.
Ukrainian troops near the front lines celebrated Orthodox Easter with traditional sweets after Russia and Ukraine agreed to a 36-hour truce in honor of the holiday. But both sides accused the other of violating the cease-fire, reporting thousands of incidents of drone strikes and artillery attacks.
A US naval blockade on ships entering Iranian ports and coastal areas has come into effect, following failed peace talks between US and Iranian negotiators over the weekend.

And it already poses a dilemma: risk attack from Iranian assets near the Strait of Hormuz or hold back and hope to catch vessels breaking out into the open seas.

The move is the latest attempt by US President Donald Trump to force Iran into making concessions, including a commitment not to seek a nuclear weapon or the means to build one.

It follows more than a month of air strikes and long-standing economic sanctions.

Military Aspect

Washington has substantial naval and air forces in the region which could be expected to enforce the blockade. For some, it would mean a switch from carrying out air strikes to interdicting civilian vessels.

Attempting to do this from in or near the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which Iranian seaborne exports pass, could put US naval assets at risk from attack by Iranian drones, missiles, or small fast attack ships.

Several weeks of US and Israeli air strikes have severely degraded Iranian capacity, but the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has its own naval units composed of these small craft, which have continued to attack shipping in the Persian Gulf.

If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, wrote Trump on social media shortly after it came into force.

The risks could be minimized.

Given that, for example, some 90 percent of Iranian oil shipments go to China, US forces could conceivably sit back and police the blockade from a distance where they would be less vulnerable.

They could choose to position themselves outside the Persian Gulfwithout physically controlling the Strait [of Hormuz] itself, Mohammad Farsi, a former Iranian naval officer, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda after Trump announced the blockade. They dont need to sit inside the strait.

But Farsi said he doubted such an approach would be effective. It would mean patrolling a wider stretch of sea than the 30-kilometer-wide waterway.

Jeremy Stoehs, a naval expert at the Austrian Center for Intelligence, Propaganda and Security Studies (ACIPSS), agreed it would be difficult.

"A blockade at distance would pose quite a significant challenge for US forces in the theater, especially as civilian vessels go dark to evade being stopped," he told RFE/RL.

"The US Navy notoriously lacks smaller surface combatants, such as frigates, and would have to release its Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and other higher-end assets into such taskings," he added.

Economic Impact

The decision to target Iranian-linked shipping has a clear economic logic, laid out in a recent US policy note.

Oil revenue from China accounts for about 45 percent of Irans government budget, said a factsheet published by the US Congress on March 16.

In recent weeks, Irans near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping other than its own has been described as a chokehold on the world economy, shutting it off from oil, gas, and other crucial commodities.

The US blockade aims to strangle the Iranian economy, which has continued benefiting from oil exports despite the war that began with US and Israeli air strikes on February 28.

Iran actually was able to export quite high quantities of its oil, basically the same as last year in the same month, Isaac Levy, an analyst at the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), told RFE/RL on April 13.

If the US do block that, it would prohibit the Iranian regime from adding a lot of money from this, but it would have upward pressure on global oil prices taking off54 million barrels [per month] when there's currently a huge supply constraint, he added.

This danger was already evident in the hours after the blockade was announced, as physical crude oil prices in Europe surged to record levels around $150 per barrel. Benchmark Brent crude rose above $100 a barrel, adding to price pressures that extend across the globe.

The decision Mr. Trump has taken could have serious effects both on the US economy and on overall social cohesion -- particularly in terms of the burden on American consumers at the gas pump, Mohammad Ghaedi, a lecturer at George Washington University, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda on April 13.

Iranian countermeasures might add to the economic damage, he said, adding that attacks by the Tehran-backed Houthis in Yemen to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait -- another crucial Middle East shipping route -- could remove about 12 percent of global energy supply from the market.

China

There are also potentially major diplomatic repercussions to the blockade.

Its not clear if Chinese-flagged ships are visiting Iranian ports. Historically, shadow fleets of rusting oil tankers used by Iran, Russia, and Venezuela have mostly flown flags of convenience from countries such as Sierra Leone, Gabon, or the Marshall Islands. These would be likely targets of US enforcement action.

However, earlier Trump comments suggested the blockade would also extend to vessels paying a toll to Iran to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

"I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," he said.

According to marine intelligence company Windward, two Chinese vessels, the He Rong Hai, a tanker, and the Jin Hai Hua, a bulk carrier, exited the strait on April 10. They both began their voyages in the United Arab Emirates, not Iran.

Its not clear if they paid a toll that Iran has been demanding  at $2 million per ship  to enable a trickle of traffic through the once-busy waterway. If such a payment were made in a cryptocurrency, it might be nearly impossible to trace.

Its also worth noting that the CENTCOM announcement of the blockade says it will be applied to vessels entering Iranian coastal areas. This would include the path taken by many vessels that have, so far, transited the strait with Tehrans blessing.

In any case, the US navy seizing or boarding a Chinese-flagged vessel could cause major diplomatic tensions just as Trump is expected to visit Beijing for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month.

Economically, while China relies on Iran for oil supplies, it might be shielded from an immediate hit by the large stocks of oil it built up before the current conflict started. It is also able to tap into relatively large quantities of Iranian oil at sea, much of it already off the Chinese coast.

Furthermore, Iranian supplies make up some 8 percent of Chinas seaborne oil imports. China can source this elsewhere.

However, obviously China is buying a lot of this sanctioned oil due to the purpose that it's sold at a significant price discount, said Levy, adding that replacement oil would be much more expensive  impacting small Chinese refiners that work on razor thin margins.
A Roscommon father and daughter are to be honoured for their outstanding dedication to preserving the legacy of the Irish Famine.

Jim and Caroilin Callery will receive the Eire Society of Bostons 2026 Gold Medal later this month in the US city.

The award is honoring Mr Callery for his creative leadership and generosity in preserving the lessons and legacy of Ireland's Great Hunger by founding Ireland's National Famine Museum and Archive in 1994 at Strokestown. It is also honouring Ms Callery's work in organising a homecoming for the Canadian descendants of the 1,490 Strokestown tenants who were sent into exile in 1847, launching the biannual Irish Famine Summer Schools, and developing Ireland's National Famine Way in 2019 and the Global Irish Famine Way in 2022.

Strokestown Park hailed the Callerys' achievement, saying the award was acknowledging their outstanding dedication to preserving the legacy of the Irish Famine.

Today, Strokestown Park and the National Famine Museum, now in the care of the Irish Heritage Trust, stands as a leading visitor destination, welcoming people from around the world to explore this defining chapter in Irelands history, it said on social media.
Aron Pumnul High School in Chernivtsi (Cernauti)

In the capital of Bukovina, Chernivtsi, in Romanian Cernauti, the Romanian elites had formed in the national spirit, with the Aron Pumnul High School being the spearhead.

History Show

Steliu Lambru, 13.04.2026, 14:00

School is what has mostly shaped human beings starting with the 18th century, when humanity began to understand that only through education can human beings get emancipated. Education at all levels has contributed to the spread of knowledge and educated citizens in the spirit of the ideas of the time. And Romanians have connected to the spirit of the times through school education.

One of the provinces that united with the Kingdom of Romania in 1918 and formed Greater Romania was Bukovina, on November 28. In the capital of Bukovina, Chernivtsi, in Romanian Cernauti, the Romanian elites had formed in the national spirit, with the Aron Pumnul High School being the spearhead. Many generations of Romanians were educated there, among them the sociologist and demographer Vladimir Trebici. In 1997, interviewed by the Oral History Center of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Corporation, Trebici, born in a commune located three kilometers east of Cernauti, on the banks of the Prut River, recalled his high school studies at the Aron Pumnul High School.

Vladimir Trebici: The parents ambition, a noble ambition, was for all the children to attend higher education besides primary school. Because of this, all the children attended high school, two of them, namely me and my older brother, attended Aron Pumnul High School, about which I wrote a monograph. The high school was founded in 1808, it became famous especially for Romanians because, in 1849, Aron Pumnul started his Romanian language course at this high school. And among his students, the most famous was Mihai Eminescu. So, we, me and my older brother, attended Aron Pumnul High School, the other two brothers attended the high school that was later called Mitropolitul Silvestru, while our high school was classical, the other was a science and mathematics high school.

Vladimir Trebici had reached an elite high school on his own merit. But primary school had provided him with the foundations of knowledge: Before attending high school, my parents had the good inspiration to send me to the primary school in Cernauti, the oldest school, which, during the Austrian era, was called the Main Moldavian School, and where I had Eminescu as my predecessor. Eminescu attended two classes at the Primary School in Cernauti, in 1858-59 and 1859-60, I had the chance to see the certificates of the student Eminovici, as he was called at the time. I attended the last class of primary school there and I must say that this was eight years after the Great Union of 1918. Therefore, this primary school was also in the process of Romanianization, as was the entire education system in Bukovina.

Although national ideas were fully manifested before 1918 in Austrian Bukovina, multilingualism was something normal in Cernauti and cherished as such. Vladimir Trebici has more details: The environment of the Cernauti of yore was a cosmopolitan environment. I had the opportunity, a few years ago, at the invitation of the associations of Bukovina Germans in Germany, to hold a conference on tolerance in my Cernauti during the period when I was a pupil and student. I was showing what the relations were between the many ethnicities that existed then throughout Bukovina, but especially in Cernauti. In Cernauti there were Romanians, there were Austrians, therefore Germans, but the most numerous ethnic group was that of the Jews. There were also Ukrainians, Poles, Armenians and so on. This is the environment of the city, the environment that I knew very well, the everyday life. I was able to testify, as I will do in the future, about the spirit of tolerance that was formed.

The high school within the Romanian education system had a solid tradition dating back to the Habsburg era. It was a healthy competitive environment in which learning was rewarded and membership was a source of pride even for those who were no longer students. Vladimir Trebici explains: It was a serious high school. When I say serious, it was the Austrian tradition. The high school was founded in 1808 and was the oldest high school in Bukovina. In the early years until 1848, its almost unbelievable that the language of instruction was Latin. I entered high school in 1926. Those who entered the high school before me learned Latin from grade 1 to 8 every day, and on Saturdays they even studied it for two hours. Classical Greek was taught from grade 3 to 8. So its no wonder that even the high school support staff made a point of saying a few Latin words. We, the children, were very amused, but at the same time impressed that even the support staff knew Latin. This was the high school tradition: mathematics was less present in the curriculum, instead we had Latin, Greek, history, geography, chemistry, and physics. Not to mention that religion was a mandatory subject in our high school.

The Aron Pumnul High School in Cernauti was a nursery of educated people who followed their vocation and built their careers. And the Romanians of Bukovina owe it a lot for what they feel they are today. (LS)
The Japan stock market rebounded on Thursday, one day after snapping the four-day winning streak in which it had tallied more than 3,800 points or 7.2 percent. The Nikkei finished just above the 56,920-point plateau although it may head south again on Monday.

The global forecast for the Asian is soft thanks to renewed tensions in the Middle East. The European and U.S. markets were mixed to lower and the Asian bourses are also expected to open under pressure.

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For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Indian shares tumbled on Monday as the failure of U.S.-Iran negotiations heightened concerns of a prolonged conflict in the Middle East.

Adding to investor anxiety, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports, sending Brent crude prices soaring above $103 a barrel.

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Hochtief AG (HOT.DE,HOCFF), a construction and infrastructure company, on Monday announced that a joint venture led by its Hochtief Infrastructure unit has been awarded a contract worth approximately 220 million euros to modernize the Caslav military airport in the Czech Republic.

The construction is scheduled to take place during an airport closure from April 2026 through late 2028.

The project involves the complete reconstruction of the runway and modernization of the airport lighting system, along with related infrastructure to support safe airport operations.

The modernization is aimed at ensuring the long-term safe and reliable operation of aviation used by the Czech Air Force and NATO allies.

The runway has not undergone a full reconstruction for several decades, with only partial maintenance carried out previously.

The project is expected to support the long-term functionality of the base and strengthen critical aviation infrastructure in the region.

Hochtief is currently trading 1.33% lesser at EUR 446.20 on the XETRA.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Bajaj Auto has just re-entered a segment where TVS Motor had been partying all along. Were talking about the re-launch of Pulsar 180 in 180cc premium sporty commuters where Apache RTR 180 and Hornet 2.0 have been existing. The rivalry between Pulsar 180 and Apache RTR 180 has existed for a long time and have clashed once again in 2026.

In this post, we will compare both these arch rivals across their specs, features, equipment and powertrain attributes to see where they fall on paper. In terms of pricing, Pulsar 180 costs Rs 1.22 lakh, while Apache RTR 180 costs Rs 1.26 lakh (both Ex-sh). Lets dive deep and re-visit this iconic rivalry between Pulsar 180 and Apache RTR 180 in April 2026.

Pulsar 180 vs Apache RTR 180

Design is subjective and both Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor have been trying to lure customers with unique appearances. Pulsar 180 might appear easy-on-the-eyes for many and the new White colour it brings, is rather attractive. Apache RTR 180 comes out as sporty and it even has a White that looks smashing too.

Pulsar 180 gets Pulsar 220Fs chunky exhaust, which lends a more muscular appearance. Apache RTR 180 still offers halogen turn indicators, while Pulsar 180 has moved to full LED setup. Both bikes come with clip-on handlebars along with split rear grab rails, a stepped single-seat and a seat height of 790 mm.

Both bikes get an engine close to 180cc and the power figures are similar at 16.7 bhp. In terms of torque, we can see a slight edge towards RTR 180 as it has higher 15.5 Nm torque. However, Pulsar 180s peak power and peak torque come in at lower revvs than Apaches. Both get a 5-speed gearbox.

Apache RTR 180 has a smaller wheelbase at 1,326 mm as opposed to Pulsar 180s 1,340 mm. RTR 180 has a higher ground clearance at 180 mm and it weighs less than Pulsar 180s 156 kg at just 140 kg. Thats 16 kg lighter and it reflects in power-to-weight ratio. It has to be noted that Pulsar 180 offers a larger 15L fuel tank, which many prefer.

Componentry, Features, Equipment

Pulsar 180 has larger disc brakes at both ends and both bikes get single-channel ABS on front wheel. Both get RSU telescopic front forks and twin-shock rear suspension. Fully digital LCD instrument cluster with smartphone connectivity is common between both, but only TVS has turn-by-turn navigation feature.

Bajaj offers a Type-A USB port as standard with Pulsar 180, which TVS does not. What TVS offers, is optional adjustable clutch and brake levers, which Bajaj does not. Apache RTR 180 is the only one to get Ride Modes too, which alters performance of the bike as well.
Chery Automobile from China has partnered up with Indias JSW Motors to offer a host of NEVs (New Energy Vehicles). As per the spy shots and leaks, JSW Motors will kick start its automotive journey with Chery Jetour T2 PHEV, followed by Chery Jaecoo J5 and Chery iCar V23. Even the Chery Jaecoo J7 has been spotted in India recently.

But what if there was scope for more vehicles in the future as JSW Motors and Chery Automobile found the need for aggressive expansion? Cherys patents in the Indian market could give us some insights regarding this and the latest one is Chery QQ3 EV, which is a 4.2m electric vehicle which has some launch probabilities in India. Lets take a closer look.

Chery QQ3 EV Patented In India

In China, Chery QQ3 has been launched around 2 weeks ago, for a price tag starting from CNY 58,900 and goes till CNY 78,900 (introductory pricing). This roughly translates to around Rs 8.05 lakh and Rs 10.78 lakh. Chery has revealed that around 57k bookings poured in immediately after launch, showing its popularity.

There are two trim levels across 4 variants to choose from  Love Edition and Share Edition offered in either 310 km range or 420 km range variants. Chery QQ3 comes with an interesting design language which the company calls square within round. There are Q-shaped LED headlights, curvy body panels with semi flush door handles and a closed-off grille.

Minimalist and curvaceous design language can be seen on the inside as well. The dashboard is dominated by a 15.6-inch central 2.5K infotainment screen and then an 8.8-inch instrument cluster. Computation is handled by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip. Heated and ventilated seats, a 70L frunk, V2L function and a 375L trunk are notable too.

Specs & Features

Falcon 500 driver assistance suite is optional and comes with its own brains with up to 80 TOPS of computational muscle. This unlocks features like automated parking as well. Dimensionally, Chery QQ3 patented in India, measures 4,195 mm in length, 1,811 mm in width, 1,573 mm in height and has a 2,700 mm long wheelbase.

In terms of powertrains, there is a wide range of options for buyers to choose from. Battery options are 29.48 kWh (310 km range) and 41.28 kWh (420 km range). There are options with motor too  77 bhp and 90 Nm and 120 bhp and 115 Nm. The most notable thing about Chery QQ3 is that the single motor is driving rear wheels and not front ones, making it a RWD EV on a budget.






When most people think about the IRS, they imagine one thing: their bank account being drained. But the reality is far broaderand far more unsettlingthan that simple assumption. The IRS has a wide range of tools at its disposal, many of which can impact your finances in ways you may not expect. From wages to property, your assets could be more exposed than you realize. Understanding these risks is the first step to protecting yourself and your money.

The IRS Doesnt Just Go After Bank Accounts

Many taxpayers believe that keeping minimal funds in their checking account can help them avoid trouble with the IRS. However, the agency has the authority to pursue much more than just whats sitting in your bank. It can place levies on wages, meaning a portion of your paycheck could be withheld before it even reaches you. In addition, retirement accounts, rental income, and even certain investments can be targeted. This expanded reach often catches people off guard because it extends into areas they assumed were protected. Being aware of these possibilities can help you take proactive steps before issues arise.

Wage Garnishment Can Hit Hard and Fast

One of the most immediate ways the IRS can collect unpaid taxes is through wage garnishment. This means your employer is legally required to send a portion of your paycheck directly to the IRS. Unlike other creditors, the IRS doesnt always need a court order to begin this process, which makes it faster and more difficult to stop. The amount taken can be significant, leaving you with less money to cover everyday expenses. If youre unprepared, this can quickly create financial strain and disrupt your lifestyle.

Property and Assets Could Be Targeted

Beyond income, the IRS also has the authority to place liens or levies on your physical property. This can include your home, car, or other valuable possessions, depending on the severity of your tax debt. A lien can make it difficult to sell or refinance property because it signals to lenders that the IRS has a legal claim. In more serious cases, assets can be seized and sold to recover what you owe. Many people dont realize this step is possible until theyre already deep in trouble. Staying informed can help you avoid reaching this stage altogether.

Digital Payments and Online Income Are Being Watched

In todays digital economy, many people earn money through online platforms, freelance work, or side hustles. The IRS has increased its focus on tracking digital payments and reporting requirements from platforms like PayPal, Venmo, and others. This means income that may have once gone unnoticed is now more visible than ever. Failing to report this income can trigger audits or penalties that add up quickly. As technology evolves, so does the IRSs ability to monitor financial activity.

Ignoring IRS Notices Can Make Things Worse

Its easy to feel overwhelmed or even scared when you receive a notice from the IRS, but ignoring it is one of the worst things you can do. These notices are often the first step before more serious collection actions begin. Responding early can open the door to payment plans or other solutions that reduce financial stress. The longer you wait, the fewer options you may have available. Taking action quickly can make a significant difference in the outcome.

There Are Ways to Protect Yourself

The good news is that youre not powerless in this situation, and there are steps you can take to safeguard your finances. Setting up a payment plan or negotiating an offer in compromise can help you manage your tax debt more effectively. Keeping accurate financial records and filing your taxes on time can also reduce the risk of issues. If your situation is complex, seeking help from a tax professional can provide clarity and guidance. Being proactive is always better than reacting under pressure.

Stay Informed and Stay Prepared

The IRS has more reach than most people realize, and assuming your money is safe can lead to costly mistakes. By understanding how the agency operates and what it can access, you can make smarter financial decisions. Taking action early, staying organized, and seeking help when needed can protect you from unnecessary stress. Your financial security depends on awareness and preparation, not guesswork. The more informed you are, the better equipped youll be to handle any situation that arises.

What would you do if part of your income was suddenly taken before you even saw it? Have you ever dealt with the IRS before? Share your thoughts or experiences in the commentswed love to hear from you.

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Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are important ecological and agricultural pollinators. In the United States, beekeepers experience substantial annual colony losses, largely driven by parasites such as the mite Varroa destructor. In new research, scientists studied a hybrid honeybee population in Southern California, a genetic mix of Western European, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, and African lineages. They found that these honeybees can suppress Varroa parasite levels without chemical use, hinting at new strategies to protect pollinators under global strain.

Varroa mites feed on honeybees fat body tissue, which weakens their immune systems, reduces their body weight, and shortens their lives.

The fat body is an organ in bees that, if you were comparing it to human biology, performs the functions of the liver, pancreas, and immune system.

The mites also act as vectors for deadly viruses like deformed wing virus and acute bee paralysis virus, which they transmit directly into a bees bloodstream.

Beekeepers rely on chemical treatments for suppression that can lose effectiveness over time.

We kept hearing anecdotally that Californian honeybees were surviving with way fewer treatments, said University of California graduate student Genesis Chong-Echavez.

I wanted to test them rigorously and understand the driving force behind what the beekeepers were seeing.

In the study, Chong-Echavez and University of Californias Professor Boris Baer monitored 236 honeybee colonies in Southern California between 2019 and 2022.

The Californian bees were not entirely immune to the mites. However, colonies headed by locally raised Californian hybrid honeybee queens had about 68% fewer Varroa mites on average than colonies headed by commercial honeybee queens.

They were also more than five times less likely to cross the threshold at which chemical treatments become necessary.

To more fully understand the bees resistance to the mites, the researchers also ran laboratory experiments with developing honeybee larvae.

Varroa mites must enter brood cells to reproduce, so the scientists tested whether mites were equally drawn to larvae from commercial and Californian hybrid honeybee colonies. They were not.

Mites were less attracted to the Californian hybrid honeybee larvae, especially at seven days old, the stage when mites are normally most likely to invade.

The finding suggests the bees secret to fending off mites lies in early development, before any adult worker behaviors might come into play.

What surprised me most was the differences showed up even at the larval stage, Chong-Echavez said.

This suggests the resistance mechanism may go deeper than some kind of behavior and may be genetically built into the bees themselves.

The results appear in the journal Scientific Reports.

_____

G. Chong-Echavez & B. Baer. 2026. Varroa mite resistance in a hybrid honey bee (Apis mellifera) population in Southern California. Sci Rep 16, 10952; doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-45759-9
The US will enforce a naval blockade on vessels linked to Iranian ports, increasing pressure on Tehran

Non-Iran-bound ships can still pass through the Strait of Hormuz to avoid major trade disruption

Talks collapsed over the nuclear issue, further raising tensions between the two sides

The United States has announced a naval blockade targeting vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports, escalating tensions in the Gulf region. The move is set to begin Monday at 1400 GMT, according to US Central Command.

The blockade will apply to ships of all nations heading to or departing from Irans ports across the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. However, the US clarified that vessels not linked to Iran will still be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.

20 hours of discussions, both sides could not reach an agreement, particularly on Irans nuclear program. The decision follows failed negotiations between Washington and Tehran held in Islamabad. Despite nearly, both sides could not reach an agreement, particularly on

US President Donald Trump said the talks were partly successful but accused Iran of refusing to give up its nuclear ambitions. He warned that the situation has already disrupted global shipping and increased uncertainty for vessel operators.

Trump also claimed Iran had threatened to place mines in the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns over maritime safety. He added that US naval forces would begin clearing any such threats and take strict action against vessels paying what he called 'illegal tolls' to Iran.

Also Read: US Strikes at China Tech Control as India Rises in Global Chain

Vice President JD Vance and other officials briefed Trump after the talks, which were hosted by Pakistan and included senior Iranian leaders.

The US has stated that the blockade will remain until free navigation is fully restored. While tensions remain high, Washington has indicated it is open to future agreements if conditions improve.
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There was a point last year when it looked like the Australian National University would have taken all the help it could get. Among other things, the universitys chancellor, Julie Bishop, was accused in August of bullying in a Senate committee hearing, allegations that Bishop denies. Then the universitys embattled former vice chancellor Genevieve Bell resigned the following month. So we werent surprised to hear Bells interim successor, Rebekah Brown, moved quickly to outsource what would appear to be just about every piece of communication that carries her name. Rebekah Brown, the interim vice chancellor of Australian National University. ANU/Jamie Kidston Less than a month into the role, Brown signed off on a $165,000 proposal from the consulting firm Rowdy Inc for work on a communications strategy including crisis communications and reputation management, according to documents seen by CBD.

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In a proposal document, Rowdy suggested the plan be rolled out in two phases. The first, otherwise known as the establish and discover phase, would be carried out over two months from October to refine and establish communications on behalf of Brown, to establish new communications rhythms, and start building trust with the ANU community. The quote for that master plan was $42,000. The second phase proposed stakeholder interviews with everyone youd expect, a comprehensive audit of existing channels, a review of current communications structure and resources, benchmarking against sector peers (which youd have thought would be part of the audit, but whatever), and a bunch of other stuff that reads as mind-numbingly repetitive. The quote for that was $108,000. The Rowdy document then goes on to suggest the university set aside a further $80,000 for fun research stuff, including sentiment tracking, reputation tracking and focus group sessions. Consultants, contractors, and advisors can provide valuable support to the university, particularly when a specific skill set or capability is not available internally, where there are capacity limitations, and where external expert, objective insights are needed, an ANU spokesperson told CBD in a statement. Rowdy is on the ANU Marketing and Communications Services Panel for provision of services in support of core existing marketing and communications functions and internal capability. Rowdy services are contracted as required.

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Not bad if youre Rowdy, which describes itself as a female-owned organisation with a desire to promote diversity, economic growth, innovation and societal progress, and was already contracted by ANU, according to a second document that showed Brown greenlit the services on October 9. The proposed works are strategic in nature, requiring specialised expertise in crisis communications and reputation management that the organisation does not currently possess, the document reads. Engaging external support will enable a rapid, independent assessment of existing functions, ensuring an objective stocktake and informed pathway forward. Its hard to blame Brown for taking out the insurance policy. But we cant imagine even a slick comms plan wouldve done much for her predecessor. Angus Taylor to front Bradfield dinner despite party losing seat

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Not much makes sense about the federal Liberal Party these days. The party has failed for years to articulate what it is and who its for. It has a parliamentary leader in Angus Taylor, whose appeal is outmatched by most household objects. And a federal executive that appears to feel so miserable about its prospects for recruiting a new federal director it has advertised the role on seek.com.au. Opposition leader Angus Taylor on the road with with Senator James Paterson in Victoria earlier this month. Eamon Gallagher Everybody seems to acknowledge the Liberal Partys bleak reality  except the party itself. For the latest piece of evidence, we draw your attention to the Liberal Partys bizarre decision to continue hosting its annual Bradfield fundraising dinner, despite losing the seat at the last election. The dinner is one of two party functions to go ahead on the same night in Canberra on May 14. The Bradfield dinner will be hosted by Simon Kennedy, the member for Cook, itself a funny little marker of just how repellent the party has become in metropolitan areas, that it needs an interloper from the Shire to host a fundraising dinner for a North Sydney seat it no longer holds.

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Prospective guests have been invited to the Bradfield Room at Manuka Oval, for $1500 a head  on the same night as the Coalitions main event federal budget reply dinner at Hotel Realm from 6.30pm, leaving the party to compete with itself for guests and, presumably, donations. The joint Liberal-National Party party, meanwhile, promises lobbyists and other conservative aspirants celebrity appearances from Taylor and Nationals leader Matt Canavan, along with shadow ministers, MPs and senators. The Bradfield dinner, meanwhile, also promises an appearance from Taylor. But we were naturally left wondering why. Its quite common for political parties to run multiple events during budget week, and an event in support of the Bradfield conference has been running since the 1990s, a Liberal Party spokesperson told CBD. Supporting Bradfield will support an outstanding candidate to take on the do-nothing teal MP at the next election. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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NationalNSWCity life Opinion Its the epicentre of Sydneys growth, with ambition and opportunity for all. But theres one thing missing Azadeh Dastyari Academic April 13, 2026  3:30pm

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Families are moving to western Sydney in record numbers. But too many still have to leave it to build a life. The latest Sydney Morning Herald analysis tells an important story about our city. Growth is no longer evenly spread. Parts of the east are losing people, while many parts of Sydneys north-west and south-west are surging, driven by young families chasing housing affordability. Shoppers at a fresh food market in Cabramatta, western Sydney. Destination NSW Western Sydney is the centre of the citys population growth. More people already live in the region than the rest of the city combined, and one in 10 Australians calls it home. That growth will only accelerate. Economic growth in the region has outpaced the rest of Sydney for years. Western Sydneys gross regional product has grown by an average 3.8 per versus 2.5 per cent for the rest of the city since 2016. And Westpac data last year revealed western Sydneys business lending had grown 15 per cent over 12 months, while it was much greater in hotspots such as Austral (up 166 per cent), Cecil Hills (101 per cent), Silverwater (62 per cent), Cabramatta (52 per cent), and Penrith and Baulkham Hills (both up 51 per cent).

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The people of western Sydney are gaining qualifications faster than the rest of Sydney and even the rest of the country. Workforce participation is rising. It is an international region with global connections, where more than 100 languages from 170 countries are spoken. Related Article City life A giant in waiting: Sydneys $20b jobs mismatch revealed Western Sydney, a place long misunderstood, is defining the future of the city. And yet the city has not adapted to this shift. Too many people in western Sydney still have to leave the region just to get to work because the jobs are not there. For every 100 workers, there are only 82 local jobs. In the rest of Sydney, there are 124. It is not just the number of jobs  it is the type of jobs. Just over a third of workers in western Sydney are in managerial or professional roles, compared with more than half across the rest of the city. With fewer company headquarters and major employers based locally, there are fewer senior roles and fewer of the higher salaries that come with them.

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This means that those who can travel for better opportunities do so. But it comes at a cost. Public transport in western Sydney continues to need serious attention. The region has fewer services, longer waits, longer trips. Public transport is not always available where and when people need it. Too many fast-growing communities remain poorly connected, and even where there is access, the system is designed to move people into the CBD, not across western Sydney. This means many people have no choice but to drive, and many use expensive toll roads just to get to work. The $60 weekly toll cap helps, but it does not fix the problem. The current fuel crisis makes driving less affordable. Add childcare deserts and services that do not align with long commute times and the pressure builds. In our work with young people, they tell us they feel trapped  trapped in work that doesnt reflect who they are or what they can do. They can see better opportunities, but they cant reach them without a car, and public transport doesnt get them where they need to go when they need to be there. They cant afford a car because theyre stuck in the lower-paid work theyre trying to leave behind. This is the tension we need to deal with  and fast. There is significant momentum. Advanced manufacturing, logistics and new industries are taking shape across western Sydney. The Western Sydney International Airport will be transformative. Bradfield City and the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility, along with projects such as Metro West, the Airport Metro and the Moorebank Intermodal are game-changers.

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But they are not enough. Population growth is moving faster than infrastructure, jobs and investment. If that gap continues, we will simply reproduce the same pattern at a larger scale. Proof that it can work differently already exists. The Westmead Health and Education Precinct is one of the largest in the southern hemisphere, anchoring thousands of high-paying clinical, research and administrative roles in the heart of western Sydney. Parramattas transformation shows what is possible through strong investment, improved connectivity and a concentration of education, health and service centre capacity. This is the opportunity for other fast-growing centres such as Liverpool, Blacktown, Bankstown, Campbelltown and Penrith. So what comes next? At a minimum, western Sydney must receive its fair share of public investment, in line with its population. We need a greater concentration of jobs in the region, particularly higher-paying managerial and professional roles, and more company headquarters.

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We need sustained investment in public transport that connects people to jobs and the places that give life richness and a sense of belonging  a network that connects the west to the west, so fast-growing suburbs such as Oran Park, Austral and Marsden Park are not left behind. It means expanding the metro so people in Bankstown, Liverpool and Campbelltown have direct, efficient connections to Western Sydney Airport, Parramatta and Bradfield. We need stronger support for the regions growing creative industries so that people can build fulfilling, rewarding lives where they live. The foundations are there. Western Sydney is rich in talent, grounded in powerful stories and backed by a strong audience base. It is fast emerging as a serious cultural centre, anchored by the new Powerhouse Museum and investments in cultural infrastructure across the region. The NSW governments renewed focus on western Sydneys creative sector, including a $5 million investment, is a welcome shift. But we are yet to achieve equitable funding for creative industries. There is ambition and opportunity in the region. What is missing is investment at scale. If we address the needs of this dynamic region, western Sydney will not just absorb the wider citys growth. It will ensure our city and our people thrive.

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Professor Azadeh Dastyari is director of the Centre for Western Sydney at Western Sydney University. The Sydney Morning Herald has opened a bureau in the heart of Parramatta. Email parramatta@smh.com.au with news tips.
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NationalNSWPlanning Editorial Putting builders rest day on temporary hold may create homes faster The Herald's View Editorial April 14, 2026  5:00am

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Never on a Sunday used to be the construction industry standard. But a dispute between North Sydney Council and developer Deicorp over a $640 million hotel/apartment project has the potential to extend NSW building hours more widely. Deicorp wants to build seven days a week, arguing the change would accelerate housing supply. It proposes to extend Saturday hours to 5pm and introduce Sunday work between 8am and 5pm, limited to internal fit-out activities. Concept images of the development, located on the corner of the Pacific Highway and Falcon Street in Crows Nest. Sydney Morning Herald The company told the NSW Department of Planning a half-day Saturday was no longer viable in an industry grappling with labour shortages, unpredictable delays and supply chain disruptions caused by global events.

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The final decision rests with the department, but some worry that a ruling is likely to carry implications well beyond this case. We have been here before. After the pandemic, the Coalition government wanted to help the state get moving and allowed construction until 5pm on Saturdays and between 9am and 5pm on Sundays, as long as it did not involve blasting, rock drilling, jack hammering or other very noisy activities. After a year, building went back to standard construction hours, based on the Environment Protection Authoritys Interim Construction Noise Guideline from 2009, of between 7am and 6pm on weekdays and 8am to 1pm on Saturdays, with no Sunday activity. North Sydney Council officials and increasingly weary residents warn Deicorps proposal, if granted, could set a precedent that would be difficult to reverse, effectively ending the long-held expectation that construction sites fall silent for at least one day each week.

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The Deicorp development site that has become ground zero for this dispute is hardly a quiet suburban avenue. It is on the corner of the Pacific Highway and busy Falcon Street in Crows Nest, and has mostly commercial neighbours. Related Article Property market Property experts warn construction costs could soar as Middle East war continues For years, the area has been a busy road and significant eat street that, with the opening of the Crows Nest Metro Station, is undergoing massive transformation into a high-density, mixed-use transport-oriented development precinct. Premier Chris Minns in 2024 identified Crows Nest as one of eight Transport Oriented Developments to deliver more housing around heavy rail and metro stations as part of the governments reform plans to tackle Sydneys housing crisis. They included the removal of red tape from the approvals process, streamlining of applications and coming over the top of councils with the aim of building 377,000 homes under the Housing Accord. Yet amid soaring houses prices, development has slowed.

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While North Sydney Council and resident opposition is to be expected, there are wider issues at stake that touch on the common good. Sydney faces a monumental housing crisis preventing or driving families out of well-serviced inner suburbs searching for shelter in areas still lacking adequate infrastructure. The Deicorp proposal for a seven-day working week is worth consideration, at least. Certainly, any changes need to be proportionally balanced and consider the impact on amenity. To assuage fears such reforms become a permanent part of the building industry, applications should be treated on a case-by-case basis and only apply to developments around transport hubs. Jordan Baker sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive her Note from the Editor.

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For subscribers The Herald's View  Since the Herald was first published in 1831, the editorial team has believed it important to express a considered view on the issues of the day for readers, always putting the public interest first.
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NationalNSWPlanning The council, the developer and the $640m threat to Sydneys weekend David Barwell April 13, 2026  11:30am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

A bitter planning dispute has erupted between a north shore council and one of the citys most prolific developers over a push to extend construction hours at a multimillion-dollar project  including the introduction of controversial Sunday working hours. North Sydney Council officials and increasingly weary residents warn the outcome could set a precedent across Sydney that would be difficult to reverse, effectively ending the long-held expectation that construction sites fall silent for at least one day each week. Crows Nest resident Geoff Hanmer is concerned by the prospect of weekend construction noise. Sitthixay Ditthavong At the centre of the clash is a $640 million project by developer Deicorp to transform a prominent site on the corner of the Pacific Highway and Falcon Street in Crows Nest into a high-density complex with a 100-bed hotel and 212 apartments, including 48 affordable units. With demolition and bulk earthworks at the site now complete, Deicorp is seeking to amend its existing conditions of consent to allow construction seven days a week, arguing the change would accelerate housing supply in a constrained market.

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Under current rules, construction must cease at 1pm on Saturdays, with Sundays strictly off-limits. Deicorp is seeking to extend Saturday hours to 5pm and, most contentiously, introduce Sunday work between 8am and 5pm, limited to internal fit-out activities. The developer argues the request is driven by necessity. In a submission to the NSW Department of Planning, which must determine the application, Deicorp said the half-day Saturday window is no longer viable in an industry grappling with labour shortages, unpredictable delays and supply chain disruptions caused by global events. A concept image of the development planned on the corner of the Pacific Highway and Falcon Street in Crows Nest. NSW Department of Planning Construction personnel are generally unwilling to attend the site (on Saturdays) for such a limited working period, the company said, adding that compressed hours worsen congestion by forcing deliveries into narrow timeframes.

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Deicorp maintains that extending work across the weekend could shave up to four months off the construction timeline, bringing forward completion and the delivery of much-needed housing to August 2027. North Sydney Council has hit out strongly against the proposal, framing it as a significant threat to residents wellbeing and their right to weekend respite. Mayor Zoe Baker said the move has struck a nerve in a suburb inconvenienced by years of sustained construction tied to major infrastructure projects, including Sydney Metro, the Warringah Freeway upgrade and a broader apartment building boom. North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker said residents in the Crows Nest area are already affected by weekend works on the Warringah Freeway upgrade project. Janie Barrett Those hours are there for a reason, she said.

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They give people a break from what can be relentless noise before it begins again early Monday morning. If its approved here, it could be approved everywhere. For long-term Crows Nest residents such as Geoff Hanmer, who lives about 400 metres from the site, assurances that Sunday work would be low-impact offer little comfort. Sunday is now the only day of respite, he said. Residents say they have already endured years of noisy construction work in the area, including at the Crows Nest Metro Station, pictured under construction here in 2023. Brook Mitchell

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To have another site effectively running seven days a week  it just feels like too much. He also questioned claims the changes would ease congestion on surrounding roads, where construction often reduces traffic to a single lane. Saturdays and Sundays are some of the busiest days for local shopping and sport  the impact could be worse, not better. The dispute reflects broader tensions as governments push to deliver 377,000 new homes across NSW under the Housing Accord while communities grapple with the cumulative effects of rapid development. While major public infrastructure projects deemed state significant, such as the metro, have previously secured extended construction hours, council planners argue that flexibility should not extend to private developments.

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Stephen Beattie, North Sydney Councils manager of development services, said approval of Sunday work should not even be considered. Related Article City life In the Sydney suburb that time forgot, things are suddenly moving very fast This would be an unacceptable impost on the communitys right to peacefully enjoy their homes and neighbourhood on at least one day of the week, he said. Deicorp, however, argues that the site is largely surrounded by commercial properties and that concerns about disruption have been overstated. With rising material costs and supply chain impacts from global events adding delays and uncertainty, completing construction projects in as timely a manner as possible is logical, a company spokesman said.

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Property Council NSW executive director Anita Hugo said extended working hours could improve productivity across the construction sector if paired with safeguards such as noise controls. The final decision rests with the NSW Department of Planning  a ruling likely to carry implications well beyond the construction site. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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Exclusive PoliticsNSWNSW State Parliament The steps NSW is taking to keep up with rising demand for EVs as petrol prices bite Michael McGowan April 14, 2026  5:00am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

Hundreds of new electric vehicle chargers will be rolled out in suburban Sydney and regional blackspots and more funding will be directed to businesses to electrify their heavy vehicle fleets as part of a new strategy to keep up with a surge in EV sales in Australia amid the war against Iran. EV sales have jumped dramatically since the outbreak of the war against Iran prompted a spike in global fuel prices. Sales climbed by 50 per cent in March, according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, and EV rentals have also boomed. NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe is an EV driver. Wolter Peeters But concerns remain about whether states such as NSW have the infrastructure to support the rapid uptake of EVs. Consumer surveys repeatedly find fears about access to chargers remain a major barrier to drivers who are considering switching, and last week this masthead revealed that dozens of suburbs remain with little to no public charging technology. On Tuesday, Energy Minister Penny Sharpe will release an updated EV strategy designed to plug some of the gaps in the states charging infrastructure, at the same time as reducing the states transport emissions.

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The strategy, which comes with $100 million in new funding, includes $45 million towards an expanded rollout of new electric vehicle chargers, particularly fast chargers, across blackspots in suburban Sydney and the bush via a series of grants. Overall, the government says the funding will deliver up to 1000 new charge plugs over the next few years, a figure that includes more kerbside chargers. Related Article Electric vehicles Revealed: The Sydney suburbs with zero EV chargers The government will also announce $40 million towards the expansion of an existing EV fleets incentive, which provides grants for businesses to invest in battery-operated electric cars. For the first time, the grants will include heavy vehicles, a major source of transport emissions. Sales of electric trucks were only 1 per cent of new sales in 2024, and more than a quarter of heavy vehicles in NSW are more than 20 years old. EV Council chief executive Julie Delvecchio said expanding fleet incentives to trucks was one of the smartest moves in this strategy.

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Its one of the fastest ways to cut operating costs for businesses while making our streets cleaner and quieter for everyone, She said. NSW is pushing on the right barriers to unlock EV uptake and help people access cost of living savings that come from making the switch. Filling regional charging gaps, expanding support for heavy vehicle fleets, and investing in workforce training are practical steps that will get more Australians into EVs sooner. Premier Chris Minns, an EV driver, has previously cited a desire to address the lack of access to chargers while saying he wanted to broaden access to the vehicles beyond snobs that live in the eastern suburbs. Families are feeling the pressure every time they fill up. We want to give more families the option of taking up EVs, he said.

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This is about giving people a real alternative, one thats cheaper to run and with this rollout, easier to access. But while the package includes $11 million for councils in metropolitan areas to invest in kerbside charging, the strategy does not include changes to existing ringfencing laws, which poles and wires companies such as Ausgrid say prevent them from rolling out thousands of new kerbside chargers, which remain a major barrier for many apartment dwellers. The laws, which require companies such as Ausgrid to maintain separation of the monopoly and competitive parts of their business, remain under review by the government and Sharpe has said she is still contemplating additional changes. Beyond relieving the immediate pain being felt at the bowser, the widespread take-up of electric vehicles will be crucial for the government to meet its legislated emissions targets of net zero by 2050 and 50 per cent by 2030. Transport is the states second-largest source of emission, and the bulk of that comes from road transport. As the amount of renewable energy sources increases, the government predicts transport will be the largest source of emissions by 2029-30. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
War in the Middle East: latest developments



Paris, France, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



The latest developments in the Middle East war:



- Countdown to US Gulf blockade -



The US military said Sunday it will blockade all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 1400 GMT, effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the critical Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway responsible for distribution of a fifth of the global oil supply.

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," US Central Command said in a post on X, adding the US would "not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports".

The post clarified earlier social media threats from US President Donald Trump that "any and all Ships" would be affected.



- Iran 'will not bow' to threats -



Iran's parliament speaker, who led peace talks with the United States in Pakistan, said his country would not give in after Trump's earlier threats to blockade the strait.

"If they fight, we will fight, and if they come forward with logic, we will deal with logic," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, cited by several Iranian news agencies.

"We will not bow to any threats, let them test our will once again so that we can teach them a bigger lesson."



- Oil rises above $100 again -



The US oil benchmark rebounded above $100 a barrel on Monday after peace talks failed and Trump ordered the blockade of Iranian ports.

Shortly after trading began, a barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May delivery rose around eight percent to $104.50, while June delivery of international benchmark Brent rose seven percent to $102.



- Iran says deal was 'inches away' -



Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Tehran had been just "inches away" from a deal with Washington during weekend talks with the United States in Islamabad.

"Iran engaged with US in good faith to end war," he said in a post on X.

But when "just inches away" from an agreement in Islamabad, "we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade," he added.

- Lebanon working for Israeli withdrawal -



Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he was working to stop the Israel-Hezbollah war and to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

"We will continue to work to stop this war, to ensure the Israeli withdrawal from all our lands, the return of all the prisoners, to rebuild our destroyed villages and towns, and the safe return of the displaced," said Salam.



- Netanyahu says threat of invasion removed -



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting troops who invaded southern Lebanon, said Israeli forces had eliminated the threat of an invasion by Hezbollah militants.

"The war continues, including within the security zone in Lebanon," Netanyahu said in a video released by his office.



- Israeli tank rams UN vehicles -



The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said an Israeli tank twice rammed peacekeeping vehicles in the country's south where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since last month.

Israeli soldiers had also blocked a road in south Lebanon's Bayada "that is used to access UNIFIL positions", it said a statement.



- Trump orders blockade -



Earlier Sunday, Trump said in a social media post he had ordered the US navy block to "interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas".



- Iran responds to blockade threat -



Iran's Revolutionary Guards said after Trump's announcement that Iranian security forces had full control over the Strait of Hormuz and warned enemies would be trapped in a "deadly vortex" in case of any "wrong move".

Iran's navy chief Shahram Irani called Trump's threat "ridiculous and funny," according to state TV, adding the country's military is "monitoring and supervising all the movements of the aggressive American army in the region."



- Lebanon deaths -



Lebanese official media reported extensive Israeli strikes across the country's south as the health ministry said at least five people were killed and the war's overall toll on that front rose to 2,055 dead.

Israel insists the current Middle East ceasefire does not apply to its military operations in Lebanon targeting Iran-backed Hezbollah.



burs/jj/rmb/msp

Waters
War in the Middle East: latest developments



Paris, France, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



The latest developments in the Middle East war:



- Trump says doesn't care if Iran returns to talks -



US President Donald Trump said he does not care if Iran comes back to negotiations with the United States after weekend talks in Pakistan failed to produce a deal.

"I don't care if they come back or not. If they don't come back, I'm fine," Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, upon his return from Florida.



- Countdown to US Gulf blockade -



The US military said it will blockade all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 1400 GMT, effectively seizing control of maritime traffic in the critical Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which a fifth of the global oil supply passes.

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," US Central Command said in a post on X, adding the United States would "not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports".

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said Iranian security forces had full control over the Strait of Hormuz and warned enemies would be trapped in a "deadly vortex" in case of any "wrong move".

Iran's navy chief Shahram Irani called Trump's threat "ridiculous and funny", according to state TV, adding the country's military was "monitoring and supervising all the movements of the aggressive American army in the region".



- Iran 'will not bow' to threats -



Iran's parliament speaker, who led the weekend talks, said his country would not give in after Trump's earlier threats to blockade the strait.

"If they fight, we will fight, and if they come forward with logic, we will deal with logic," Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said, cited by several Iranian news agencies.

"We will not bow to any threats, let them test our will once again so that we can teach them a bigger lesson."



- Oil rises above $100 again -



The US oil benchmark rebounded above $100 a barrel on Monday after peace talks failed and Trump ordered the blockade of Iranian ports.

Shortly after trading began, a barrel of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May delivery rose around eight percent to $104.50, while June delivery of international benchmark Brent rose seven percent to $102.



- Iran says deal was 'inches away' -



Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran had been just "inches away" from a deal with Washington during weekend talks in Pakistan.

"Iran engaged with US in good faith to end war," he said in a post on X.

But when "just inches away" from an agreement, "we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade", he added.



- Lebanon working for Israeli withdrawal -



Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he was working to stop the Israel-Hezbollah war and ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

"We will continue to work to stop this war, to ensure the Israeli withdrawal from all our lands, the return of all the prisoners, to rebuild our destroyed villages and towns, and the safe return of the displaced," Salam said.



- Netanyahu says threat of invasion removed -



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, visiting troops who invaded southern Lebanon, said Israeli forces had eliminated the threat of an invasion by Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

"The war continues, including within the security zone in Lebanon," Netanyahu said in a video released by his office.



- Israeli tank rams UN vehicles -



The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said an Israeli tank twice rammed peacekeeping vehicles in the country's south where Israel and Hezbollah have been at war since last month.

Israeli soldiers had also blocked a road in south Lebanon's Bayada "that is used to access UNIFIL positions", it said a statement.



- Lebanon deaths -



Lebanese official media reported extensive Israeli strikes across the country's south as the health ministry said at least five people were killed and the war's overall toll on that front rose to 2,055 dead.

Israel insists the current Middle East ceasefire does not apply to its military operations in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah.

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South Korea, Poland hail defence ties on Tusk visit



Seoul, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



South Korea and Poland hailed their deepening defence partnership on Monday, as the European country modernises its military following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Warsaw has emerged as a key buyer of arms from Seoul, and the countries signed a weapons deal worth over $40 billion in 2022.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is in Seoul for the first such visit in 27 years, and held a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Monday.

"Even amid a prolonged period of geopolitical instability, defence cooperation between our two countries has continued to deepen," Lee said in his opening remarks.

Seoul and Warsaw would also elevate ties to a "comprehensive strategic partnership", he said.

The 2022 framework agreement covered Polish purchases of South Korean tanks, self-propelled howitzers and rocket launchers.

Lee said some of those weapons were now "operating proudly across Poland's vast plains, helping to safeguard the country's territory and protect its people".

Poland, a member of the European Union and the NATO defence bloc, has stood firmly behind neighbouring Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

South Korea has also backed Kyiv, particularly since North Korea sent soldiers to fight for Russia.

Tusk described South Korea as "Poland's second-most important ally after the United States, particularly in the field of the defence industry", according to a Korean translation of his opening remarks.

The two leaders also agreed to expand cooperation in non-defence fields, including energy supply chains and infrastructure.

Tusk wraps up his visit on Monday and will then head to Tokyo.
Philippines accuses China of poisoning disputed waters



Manila, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



The Philippines accused Chinese fishermen on Monday of pouring cyanide in waters in the Spratly Islands, a flashpoint in the disputed South China Sea that has been the site of violent confrontations with Chinese vessels.

Beijing claims the strategic South China Sea in nearly its entirety, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

The Philippines' National Security Council (NSC) alleged the poisoning began last year around Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly chain, which sits near vital shipping lanes and is reputedly rich in minerals.

"The use of cyanide on Ayungin Shoal is a term of sabotage that seeks to kill local fish populations, depriving Navy personnel of a vital food source," NSC assistant director-general Cornelio Valencia told a news conference, using the Philippines' term for the reef.

These actions also "threaten our Navy personnel" through exposure to contaminated water, eating poisoned fish, as well as eroding corals, Valencia added.

Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the hotly contested waterway, including a violent clash in June 2024 in which Chinese coastguard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an axe boarded Philippine Navy boats.

Valencia said Manila raised the alleged poisoning with Beijing at a recent meeting but has received no formal reply.

The Chinese embassy did not immediately respond to AFP's requests for comment on Monday.

Valencia said that reef damage from cyanide poisoning could also compromise the structural foundations of the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era warship on which the Filipino troops are stationed.

Manila deliberately grounded the vessel on the shoal in 1999 to stake its claim to the territory.

Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said Filipino troops had seized 10 bottles of cyanide from sampan boats launched from Chinese fishing ships in February, July and October 2025.

He said that soldiers observed another Chinese sampan crew poisoning waters near the shoal last month, adding that the shoal's waters later tested positive for cyanide.

None of the troops aboard the warship have tested positive for the poison, Trinidad added.

Valencia and Trinidad both alleged the fishermen's mother ships worked for the Chinese Navy.

Valencia said the NSC planned to submit a report next week to the Philippine foreign ministry which could become the basis for a diplomatic protest.

Manila has also ordered the navy and coastguard to step up patrols "to prevent further environmental harm" in the area, he added.
Philippines accuses China of poisoning disputed waters



Manila, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



The Philippines accused Chinese fishermen on Monday of pouring cyanide in waters in the Spratly Islands, a flashpoint in the disputed South China Sea that has been the site of violent confrontations with Chinese vessels.

Beijing claims the strategic South China Sea in nearly its entirety, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.

The Philippines' National Security Council (NSC) alleged the poisoning began last year around Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly chain, which sits near vital shipping lanes and is reputedly rich in minerals.

"The use of cyanide on Ayungin Shoal is a term of sabotage that seeks to kill local fish populations, depriving Navy personnel of a vital food source," NSC assistant director-general Cornelio Valencia told a news conference, using the Philippines' term for the reef.

These actions also "threaten our Navy personnel" through exposure to contaminated water, eating poisoned fish, as well as eroding corals, Valencia added.

Manila and Beijing have a long history of maritime territorial disputes in the hotly contested waterway, including a violent clash in June 2024 in which Chinese coastguard personnel wielding knives, sticks and an axe boarded Philippine Navy boats.

China's foreign ministry branded the fresh accusations a "farce".

It is "completely unbelievable and not even worth refuting", spokesman Guo Jiakun told a regular news briefing on Monday.

"The Philippines has illegally harassed Chinese fishing vessels engaged in normal fishing activities, robbing fishing people of their supplies," he added.



- Cyanide bottles -



Valencia said Manila had raised the alleged poisoning with Beijing at a recent meeting but has received no formal reply.

He added that reef damage from cyanide poisoning could also compromise the structural foundations of the BRP Sierra Madre, a World War II-era warship on which the Filipino troops are stationed.

Manila deliberately grounded the vessel on the shoal in 1999 to stake its claim to the territory.

Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said Filipino troops had seized 10 bottles of cyanide from sampan boats launched from Chinese fishing ships in February, July and October 2025.

He said that soldiers observed another Chinese sampan crew poisoning waters near the shoal last month, adding that the shoal's waters later tested positive for cyanide.

None of the troops aboard the warship have tested positive for the poison, Trinidad added.

Valencia and Trinidad both alleged the fishermen's mother ships worked for the Chinese Navy.

Valencia said the NSC planned to submit a report next week to the Philippine foreign ministry which could become the basis for a diplomatic protest.

Manila has also ordered the navy and coastguard to step up patrols "to prevent further environmental harm" in the area, he added.
Turkey says Iran, US 'sincere' about ceasefire



Istanbul, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Turkey's foreign minister said on Monday he believed Iran and the United States are "sincere" about reaching a ceasefire despite the failure of Pakistan-mediated talks on the weekend.

The failed talks quashed hopes of a swift deal to end the war started that has killed thousands and thrown the global economy into turmoil since it began in late February.

"Both sides are sincere about the ceasefire," Hakan Fidan said in an interview with the official Anadolu news agency, adding that he has been in contact with the parties involved in the negotiations.

But he warned: "We always need to take Israel's potential for acting as a spoiler into account".

US President Donald Trump has blamed the Islamic republic's refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions for the collapse of the talks.

"I think the Iranians will evaluate the proposal made by the Americans and respond," Fidan said.

"I am thinking that if the nuclear issue comes down to an all-or-nothing situation especially regarding enrichment, we might face serious obstacles," he added.

"Hopefully, we will try to overcome this with the support of some mediators," he added.

Turkey, while a fierce critic of Israel, joined diplomatic efforts with Egypt and Pakistan to reach a ceasefire in the conflict.

Trump has announced a blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, adding to fears for energy supplies from the Middle East.

"Negotiations with Iran should be conducted, persuasion methods should be used, and the strait should be opened as soon as possible," Fidan said.

He however said the status of Hormuz and not its reopening would be the major sticking point ahead.

"The issue (opening of Hormuz) may be resolved in about 2-3 weeks, with some kind of agreement. The problem is not there," Fidan said.

"The real question is whether something will emerge afterward that will bring a new phase .. because this is an international free passage zone. Any disruption to freedom of navigation is not something parties want to see," he added.

He said regional countries had expressed similar views.

"They want the post-war order to remain the same as the pre-war order. They have major interests and expectations in this regard".
Israel says troops fighting Hezbollah surrounded key Lebanese town



Jerusalem, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



The Israeli military said on Monday its troops had completely surrounded a key town in southern Lebanon after killing more than 100 Hezbollah fighters there over the past week.

The announcement marks a significant advance in Israel's ongoing invasion of southern Lebanon.

"The forces of the 98th Division have completed the encirclement of the town of Bint Jbeil and have begun an assault on it," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee said on X.

Over the past week, Israeli forces have killed more than 100 Hezbollah fighters in and around the town in "face-to-face" clashes and with air strikes, he said.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah said it has been engaged for days in clashes with Israeli forces in Bint Jbeil.

Just five kilometres (three miles) from the Israeli border, Bint Jbeil has long been both a symbolic and strategic flashpoint in confrontations between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.

It was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting during the 2006 war, when Hezbollah's resistance there became central to the group's narrative of defiance.

It was from the stadium in Bint Jbeil in 2000 that the group's former chief Hassan Nasrallah delivered the "Liberation" speech following Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation.

On Thursday, Hezbollah said it was engaged in "point-blank" clashes with Israeli forces in the town.

Since then, the group has repeatedly reported targeting Israeli forces and vehicles there, most recently on Sunday, when the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported "intense clashes" in the town.

On Monday, the NNA reported Israeli artillery shelling at the town's entrance.

The escalation in Bint Jbeil comes as diplomatic efforts to contain the cross?border fighting have risen over the past few days.

Israeli and Lebanese officials are set to hold talks on Tuesday in Washington to end the war.

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel after US-Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei on February 28.

Israel responded with massive strikes and a ground invasion.

During a visit to troops in southern Lebanon on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces had eliminated the threat of an invasion by Hezbollah militants.

But he added: "There is still more to do, and we are doing it."

Israeli officials have repeatedly said that Israel wants to establish a "security zone" in south Lebanon to help prevent Hezbollah attacks.
Israel seeks to declare Turkey 'new enemy'



Istanbul, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Israel "cannot live without an enemy" and its government is now trying to portray Turkey as one, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday.

Tensions between Turkey and Isrel have steadily escalated since the Gaza war erupted following Hamas's October 7, 2023, cross?border attack in Israel.

The dispute entered a new phase over the weekend after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned his US counterpart Donald Trump of "possible provocations and sabotage" that could jeopardise an initial ceasefire arrangement in the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Saturday that Israel would continue to confront Tehran and its regional allies.

"After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy," Fidan said in a televised interview with the state?run Anadolu news agency.

"We see that not only Netanyahu's administration but also some figures in the opposition -- though not all -- are seeking to declare Turkey the new enemy," he said.

"This is a new development in Israel... turning into a state strategy," he added.
Iran resumes rail services on routes damaged by war



Tehran, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Iran has resumed rail services on key routes after repairing sections of track damaged during the war with Israel and the United States, state media said on Monday.

Authorities have in recent days begun reconstruction work on bridges, railway lines and other infrastructure hit during nearly 40 days of fighting.

A fragile ceasefire has been in place since Wednesday.

In Iran's northwestern Azerbaijan region, the director general of the railways said trains had resumed from the city of Tabriz, bound for the capital Tehran and Mashhad in the northeast.

"These trains have resumed service after an interruption of four to five days," said Alireza Soleimani, according to Iran's official IRNA news agency.

"The Tehran-Tabriz-Van train also left Tehran for Van, Turkey, last night, using rebuilt tracks."

A railway bridge near the city of Qom, south of Tehran, also reopened on Saturday after reconstruction work which lasted "less than 40 hours", said Khosrow Samari, deputy governor in Qom province, according to the Tasnim news agency.

On Friday, Tasnim published video showing a train crossing the Yahya Abad bridge in the city of Kashan, in Iran's central Isfahan province.

"After rapid reconstruction, the first train passed over the Yahya Abad Bridge today," the news agency said, claiming the bridge had been targeted in a US-Israeli attack on Tuesday.

In the capital Tehran, residents have reported that authorities have moved quickly to clear debris from sites hit.

Where buildings have been too heavily damaged, they have sometimes been covered or cordoned off, including with Iranian flags.

Government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Sunday that reconstruction of damaged buildings would take between three months and two years.

She added that more than 125,000 buildings had been damaged since the war began, the majority of them residential but also schools, hospitals and other civilian facilities.
German defence giant Rheinmetall expands into cruise missiles



Frankfurt, Germany, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



German arms giant Rheinmetall said Monday that it would start making cruise missiles for the first time as it announced a partnership with Dutch defence firm Destinus.

Subeject to regulatory approvals, Rheinmetall and Destinus will form a joint venture this year for the production of the missiles, the Duesseldorf-based firm said.

"We are combining Rheinmetall's production capacities and experience in managing large-scale programs with Destinus's specific technology and system design," Rheinmetall's chief executive Armin Papperger said.

"We must expand the industrial base for modern defence systems in Europe," he added.

Cruise missiles and systems to intercept them have proven increasingly important in modern warfare, and have been used extensively in the Ukraine conflict and the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Rheinmetall's experience in high-volume production means it can help boost European stocks of the weapons, Destinus co-founder and CEO Mikhail Kokorich said.

"Europe is entering a new phase of scaling missile production," he said. "Missile systems are evolving from limited-production assets into industrial products."

The joint venture would produce strike and interception systems including cruise missiles and rocket artillery, Rheinmetall said in a statement, adding that production would include systems already used on the battlefield in Ukraine.

Rheinmetall has been a major beneficiary of Germany's rearmament drive, launched following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

But some have warned that too much defence spending is going toward traditional manufacturers like Rheinmetall, whose products range from ammunition to military vehicles, rather than to smaller firms specialised in more high-tech, modern weaponry.

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France, UK to work on 'peaceful multinational mission' for Hormuz



Paris, France, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



France and Britain will work on a "peaceful multinational mission" to restore traffic through the Strait of Hormuz but it would be "separate from the warring parties", French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday.

US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February sparked a region-wide war and brought to a near standstill traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas shipments.

Iran and the United States last week agreed to a two-week cessation of hostilities, but ceasefire talks between the warring sides in Pakistan on the weekend ended in failure.

US President Donald Trump responded by ordering his navy to carry out a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday.

Trump also said, on his Truth Social platform, that "Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade" but did not specify which ones.

The UK-French initiative, which Macron announced on X, appeared to be separate from Trump's announced blockade.

"In the coming days, together with the United Kingdom, we will organise a conference with those countries prepared to contribute alongside us to a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait," Macron said.

"This strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict, is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit."

The US military said the blockade ordered by Trump would begin at 1400 GMT, and apply to all ships leaving or seeking to dock at Iranian ports on either side of the key waterway.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Monday that Britain will not join the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz announced by Trump.
Italian, US bishops defend pope after Trump's outburst



Vatican City, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Catholic bishops from the United States and Italy defended Pope Leo XIV after a blistering attack by US President Donald Trump, who accused the pontiff of being "weak on crime".

"I am disheartened that the president chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father," the head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul Coakley, said in a statement published on Sunday.

"Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls."

Asked about Trump's comments while he was on the papal plane flying to Algiers on Monday for the start of an 11-day African tour, the pope said he had "no intention to debate" with the US president.

The Italian Bishops' Conference also defended the 70-year-old American pope on Monday, saying Pope Leo was "not a political counterpart but the successor of Peter, called to serve the Gospel, truth and peace".

"In a time marked by international conflicts and tensions, his voice represents a forceful call to the dignity of the person, to dialogue and to responsibility," the Italian bishops said in a statement.

They said they hoped "that all will show respect for his person and his ministry".

Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday that he was "not a big fan of Pope Leo".

His disparaging remark came a day after Pope Leo issued his most forthright critique yet of the Trump administration.

"He's a very liberal person and he's a man that doesn't believe in stopping crime," Trump alleged.

He accused Leo of "toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon", after the pope condemned Trump's threats against civilians in Iran.

Trump then lambasted the pontiff on Truth Social, saying: "I don't want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do," he wrote.

He later posted an AI-generated image seemingly depicting himself as Jesus Christ.

On Saturday, Leo condemned those waging war, saying: "Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!"

Without mentioning Trump by name, the pope described a "delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive".
Ankara says Israel seeks to declare Turkey 'new enemy'



Istanbul, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday that Israel "cannot live without an enemy" and its government was now trying to portray Turkey as one.

Tensions between Turkey and Israel have steadily escalated since the Gaza war erupted following Hamas's October 7, 2023, cross?border attack in Israel.

The dispute entered a new phase over the weekend after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned US counterpart Donald Trump of "possible provocations and sabotage" that could jeopardise an initial ceasefire arrangement in the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Saturday that Israel would continue to confront Tehran and its regional allies.

"After Iran, Israel cannot live without an enemy," Fidan said in a televised interview with the state?run Anadolu news agency.

"We see that not only Netanyahu's administration but also some figures in the opposition -- though not all -- are seeking to declare Turkey the new enemy," he said.

"This is a new development in Israel... turning into a state strategy," he added.

Turkey and Israel have frequently been at loggerheads in the past, including over the Israeli military operation in Gaza and over the future of Syria.

A 2010 raid by Israeli forces against a flotilla of civilian ships trying to break Israel's navy blockade of Gaza caused lasting bitterness between the two regional powers.

That raid against the flotilla, which was co-organised by a Turkish rights group, resulted in the death of nine Turkish activists and a US activist.
Netanyahu says Israel supports Trump's Iran naval blockade



Jerusalem, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel supports US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a naval blockade on Iran, adding that his government is in full coordination with Washington on the matter.

"Iran violated the rules (of the peace talks in Pakistan), President Trump decided to impose a naval blockade," Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting, according to a video statement released by his office.

"We, of course, support this firm position, and we are in constant coordination with the United States."

The US military said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports on Monday after weekend talks with Tehran ended without a deal.

Trump had announced on social media that he would blockade the strategic Strait of Hormuz trade route that he has been demanding Tehran fully re-open, after Vice President JD Vance left the failed negotiations with an Iranian delegation in Islamabad.

The US military said the blockade would begin at 1400 GMT, and apply to all ships leaving or seeking to dock at Iranian ports on either side of the key waterway.

Netanyahu said Tehran had violated the terms of the talks to begin with, saying Vance had briefed him after the negotiations ended in Islamabad.

"The breakdown came from the American side, which could not tolerate Iran's blatant violation of the terms for entering negotiations," Netanyahu told the cabinet.

"The agreement was that there would be a ceasefire, and that the Iranians would immediately open the strait. They did not do so. The Americans could not accept this."

Netanyahu also said Vance had told him the "central issue" for Trump was the removal of all enriched uranium from Iran and "ensuring that there is no further enrichment in the years ahead -- even decades ahead -- no enrichment within Iran".

"That is their focus, and of course it is important to us as well," Netanyahu added.
Israel says troops fighting Hezbollah surrounded key Lebanon town



Jerusalem, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



The Israeli military said on Monday its troops had completely surrounded a key town in southern Lebanon after killing more than 100 Hezbollah fighters there over the past week.

The announcement marks a significant advance in Israel's ongoing invasion of southern Lebanon.

"The forces of the 98th Division have completed the encirclement of the town of Bint Jbeil and have begun an assault on it," the military's Arabic-language spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee said on X.

Over the past week, Israeli forces have killed more than 100 Hezbollah fighters in and around the town in "face-to-face" clashes and with air strikes, he said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting that since Sunday the fighting in southern Lebanon had been "concentrated" in Bint Jbeil.

"The fighting continues. It has not stopped -- it is ongoing all the time. Yesterday and today it has been concentrated in Bint Jbeil," he said, according to a video statement released by his office on Monday.

Netanyahu said that Israeli troops were pushing Hezbollah fighters away from the border.

"We are talking about a solid security belt, deeper than before, one that prevents the danger of infiltration and pushes back the anti-tank threat," he said.

"They are also dealing with the terror villages that were right up against us -- every terror position, and there were many, has simply been flattened."

The Iran-backed Hezbollah said it has been engaged for days in clashes with Israeli forces in Bint Jbeil.

Just five kilometres (three miles) from the Israeli border, Bint Jbeil has long been both a symbolic and strategic flashpoint in confrontations between Israeli forces and Hezbollah.

It was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting during the 2006 war, when Hezbollah's resistance there became central to the group's narrative of defiance.



- 'Intense clashes' -



It was from the stadium in Bint Jbeil in 2000 that the group's former chief Hassan Nasrallah delivered the "Liberation" speech following Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation.

"Full operation control of Bint Jbeil will be achieved within days," an Israeli military official told AFP.

"At this stage, Hezbollah is limited in Bint Jbeil and can no longer conduct attacks on northern Israeli communities from this area."

On Thursday, Hezbollah said it was engaged in "point-blank" clashes with Israeli forces in the town.

Since then, the group has repeatedly reported targeting Israeli forces and vehicles there, most recently on Sunday, when the state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported "intense clashes" in the town.

On Monday, the NNA reported Israeli artillery shelling at the town's entrance.

The escalation in Bint Jbeil comes as diplomatic efforts to contain the cross?border fighting have risen over the past few days.

Israeli and Lebanese officials are set to hold talks on Tuesday in Washington to end the war.

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel after US-Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei on February 28.

Israel responded with massive strikes and a ground invasion.

During a visit to troops in southern Lebanon on Sunday, Netanyahu said Israeli forces had eliminated the threat of an invasion by Hezbollah militants.

But he added: "There is still more to do, and we are doing it."

Israeli officials have repeatedly said that Israel wants to establish a "security zone" in south Lebanon to help prevent Hezbollah attacks.
Almost all Russian staff pulled from Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant: Rosatom



Moscow, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Russia has withdrawn almost all its staff from Iran's sole nuclear power plant, built and operated with help from Moscow, the head of Russia's atomic energy agency said Monday.

"We began the final rotation at the Bushehr station," Alexei Likhachev said, adding that 108 people were evacuated while just 20 -- top managers and those responsible for equipment safety -- remained at the station.

Russia began evacuating its staff from the plant due to the threat of airstrikes amid the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Moscow has warned that attacks near the plant risked a "radiological disaster more devastating than Chernobyl".

The Bushehr facility is located in the south of Iran and equipped with a 1,000-megawatt reactor.

The area around it has been struck at least four times during the war.

Earlier this month, an attack saw one person -- a guard at the facility -- killed, but did not damage the plant itself, according to Iranian state media and the International Atomic Energy Agency's analysis of satellite imagery of the site.
ASEAN urges Iran peace talks, reopening of Hormuz



Manila, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



ASEAN encouraged the United States and Iran on Monday to press ahead with talks to end the Middle East war and ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Southeast Asian nations like the Philippines and Malaysia rely heavily on oil from the Middle East, much of it exported through the key strait that's been effectively closed during the conflict.

Foreign ministers of the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations met online to discuss the US-Israeli war against Iran, hours before the US Navy was to start a blockade of Iranian ports.

US President Donald Trump ordered the blockade of the key chokepoint for seaborne oil trade after negotiations between the warring sides in Pakistan collapsed over what the American leader said was the Islamic republic's refusal to abandon its ambition to develop its own nuclear weapons.

ASEAN foreign ministers agreed to urge the United States and Iran to "continue negotiations that will lead to the permanent end of the conflict and lasting peace and stability in the region", said a joint statement issued after the meeting.

They also called for the "full and effective implementation" of an ongoing two-week ceasefire and the "restoration of the safe, unimpeded, and continuous transit passage of vessels and aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz".

Around 20 percent of the world's seaborne oil trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the International Energy Agency, 80 percent of it bound for Asian markets.

The Philippines, which holds ASEAN's rotating chairmanship, last month adopted a four-day work week for civil servants in a bid to conserve fuel, while Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam encouraged public employees to work from home.
EU chief touts electric power strategy as energy crisis bites



Brussels, Belgium, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Brussels next week will present plans to tackle high energy costs caused by the Iran war and before the summer will unveil a broader package to boost Europe's electrification, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said Monday.

The energy crisis has already cost the 27-nation bloc more than 22 billion euros ($26 billion) in higher fossil fuel bills, von der Leyen said after a meeting of the EU's top executive body dedicated to the issue.

"These events make clear we are paying a very high price for our over dependency on fossil fuels," the European Commission chief told a press conference in Brussels, calling for a faster switch towards renewables and nuclear power.

"We need to scale up the homegrown, affordable, reliable energy," she said, adding the commission was hoping to get new rules aimed at accelerating grid connections across the bloc and present an "electrification strategy" before the summer.

Oil and gas prices have surged since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28, with Tehran retaliating by effectively blocking the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and attacking Gulf energy infrastructure.

To address the cost crunch, the commission is considering relaxing its state aid rules to give member states more space to support the "most exposed sectors", von der Leyen said.

Details are to be unveiled as part of a package to be presented next week before an informal meeting of European Union leaders in Cyprus, she added.

The commission was looking to coordinate oil stock releases and the filling of gas storage across the bloc to avoid member states competing against each other on the market, driving up prices.

Steps to support energy efficiency are also being considered, the commission president added, citing the "renovation of buildings" and "the renewal of equipment in industrial operations" without further elaborating.

"The least expensive energy is the energy that is not used," she said.

A proposal to reform electricity taxes and grid charges will follow in May, von der Leyen added.
Bahrain summons Iraqi ambassador over drone attacks



Manama, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Bahrain on Monday summoned the Iraqi ambassador over drone attacks it says were launched from the country towards the kingdom and other Gulf nations despite the US-Iran ceasefire.

Bahrain was the latest Gulf state to protest against the attacks coming from Iraq, after Saudi Arabia summoned the Iraqi envoy a day earlier.

Bahrain delivered a formal complaint and "summoned the charge d'affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mr Ahmed Ismail Al-Kurwi", the official BNA agency said in a statement.

The kingdom conveyed its "strong condemnation and denunciation of the continued attacks by drones launched from Iraqi territory against the Kingdom and several other Gulf Cooperation Council countries", the statement said.

It urged Baghdad to address "these threats and attacks urgently and responsibly".

Along with the Gulf states, Iraq was dragged into the war between the United States, Israel and Iran, with strikes repeatedly targeting both US interests -- especially the embassy in Baghdad -- and pro-Iran groups in the country.

During the fighting, pro-Iran armed groups claimed to have launched daily attacks on "enemy bases" in Iraq and the wider region, but said they were suspending their actions after the temporary ceasefire was announced.

Last month several Gulf countries and Jordan demanded in a joint statement that Baghdad act immediately to stop attacks from its territory by armed pro-Iran groups.

The statement was signed by Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
War in the Middle East: latest developments



Paris, France, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



The latest developments in the Middle East war:



- Trump deadline passes -



The deadline set by US President Donald Trump for a naval blockade of Iranian ports has passed.

The US military announced Sunday it will begin blockading all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 1400 GMT, but will allow ships not coming or going to Iran to pass through the strait.



- Pakistan: truce 'holding' -



Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a ceasefire between the United States and Iran was "holding" and that efforts were underway to reach an agreement after weekend talks failed to do so.

"The ceasefire is still holding and, as I speak, full efforts are underway to resolve the outstanding issues," Sharif told a cabinet meeting in brief televised remarks.



- Qatar urges US, Iran mediation -



Qatar's foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart that Iran and the United States should engage positively with mediation efforts.

In a call with Abbas Araghchi, Qatari Foreign Minister and Premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani "emphasised the need to open maritime routes, guarantee freedom of navigation, and refrain from using them as a tool for pressure or bargaining".



- Hormuz blockade questioned -



The head of the UN maritime agency said no country had a legal right to block shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a trade passage paralysed by the US-Iran war.

"In accordance to international law, no countries have the right to prohibit the right of innocent passage or the freedom of navigation through international straits that are used for international transit," the International Maritime Organization's Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez told a news conference.



- Russia pulls atomic staff -



Russia has withdrawn almost all its staff from Iran's sole nuclear power plant, built and operated with help from Moscow, the head of Russia's atomic energy agency said.

"We began the final rotation at the Bushehr station," Rosatom's Alexei Likhachev said, adding that 108 people were evacuated while just 20 -- top managers and those responsible for equipment safety -- remained at the station.



- French-UK conference -



France and Britain will co-host a conference this week involving more than 40 nations to discuss a multinational mission to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the leaders of both countries said on X.



- Israel backs blockade -



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced his support for US President Donald Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which is focused on Iranian ports.

Netanyahu added that his government was in full coordination with Washington on the matter.



- Iran slams blockade -



Iran's military said the mooted US naval blockade was illegal and amounts to "piracy", warning that no Gulf ports would be safe if its own were threatened.

Since the war against it began at the end of February, Iran has imposed control over the Strait of Hormuz and said ships from non-hostile countries wanting to use it need to pay Tehran a toll.



- China urges 'unimpeded' navigation -



China, which is reliant on energy supplies coming through the strait, called for "unimpeded" navigation through the waterway.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun also dismissed US accusations that Beijing intended to supply weapons to Iran as "baseless smears", after Trump threatened 50 percent tariffs on Chinese goods over the issue.



- Oil prices up -



Oil prices surged and stock markets broadly fell as investors digested the failure of weekend US-Iran peace talks and Trump's blockade order.

Both Brent North Sea Crude -- the international benchmark -- and West Texas Intermediate contracts jumped to more than $100 a barrel.



- Russia's uranium offer -



Russia said it would be ready to take in Iran's enriched uranium as part of any US-Iranian peace deal.

"This proposal was voiced by President (Vladimir) Putin in contacts with both the United States and regional states. The offer still stands, but has not been acted upon," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.



- Pope won't 'debate' Trump -



Pope Leo XIV said he had "no intention to debate" with Trump, after the US president criticised him over his comments on the war.

After the pope made a plea for peace, Trump said he was "not a big fan" of the pontiff, calling him "very liberal".



- Lebanon town surrounded -



The Israeli military said its troops had surrounded the key town of Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon and begun an assault on it, after killing more than 100 fighters from the Iran-backed Hezbollah group over the past week.

burs-sbk/giv
'No fun': French hospital confronts laughing gas abuse



Bron, France, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



A 21-year-old man scrolls through Snapchat ads on his phone promoting nitrous oxide, a sedative gas increasingly used by young people in France to get high.

"Honestly, in France it's way too easy to get hold of," he said.

The young man, who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity due to stigma surrounding drug use, said he "got hooked" on the colourless and odourless substance commonly known as laughing gas when he tried it in 2021.

"I was doing it every day, every evening," he said in Bron, just outside the southeastern city of Lyon.

"After two or three years of using, I told myself I needed to get help, because of the after-effects."

The Lyon resident, who has complained of muscle weakness, is a patient at the Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), one of France's leading university hospitals.

The hospital is home to France's pioneering teleconsultation programme which is helping healthcare providers to better understand and treat the gas's toxic effects.

Nitrous oxide is used for pain relief in dentistry and medicine, as well as in catering.

In recent years, misuse of the inexpensive gas has become widespread in France among teenagers and young adults, who often use it as a party drug and inhale it via balloons filled from metal canisters.

A 2021 law prohibits the sale of laughing gas to minors, but it is still legal in France for individual adults to buy the gas.



- 'Complicated to drive' -



Recreational use produces feelings of euphoria, relaxation and dissociation from reality.

But long-term misuse can cause damage to the nervous system, impair cognitive functions, and lead to problems with balance and reflexes.

Apart from life-threatening health problems, the gas has caused fatal traffic accidents in France in recent years.

Reports of intoxication tripled between 2022 and 2023, according to the interior ministry.

Now the government has launched an awareness campaign, and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez advocates criminalising the inappropriate consumption of the gas, which would be punishable by one year in prison and a fine of 3,750 euros.

Doctors at HCL treat former and current users who might be experiencing long-term cognitive and other effects.

One of the users said she sought treatment when she began to worry about experiencing pins and needles in her legs and arms.

"It's becoming very complicated, even just to drive. When it hits me, the tingling -- it hurts a lot," said the 23-year-old woman, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

After having been hospitalised for her pain, she went for a follow-up appointment at the HCL.

The woman said the treatment -- including with B12 vitamin -- was helping.

"I remember more things -- the B12 really helps me a lot," she said.

Since the service was launched in November 2024, addiction specialist Christophe Riou has conducted 150 telemedicine consultations and 60 in-person consultations with patients aged 15 to 31.

The service aims to take care of patients as soon as possible after their first symptoms appear, with doctors paying particular attention to pinprick sensations, loss of balance and muscle weakness.

"We're trying to bring patients together under a single care pathway. That makes it easier to understand and coordinate care," Riou said, a nitrous oxide cylinder sitting on his desk.



- 'Eternal regret' -



He said doctors were learning more about the neurological effects of the misuse of the gas, particularly leg paralysis.

"We are also beginning to see that this neurotoxic effect acts at the level of the brain," he said, adding this helped explain changes in behaviour, even outside episodes of acute use.

Riou also said that introducing legal consequences for the consumption of the gas may encourage users to seek treatment.

"This may help people realise that it poses a problem, and this could in turn encourage them to seek care," he said.

Citing test results of the heavy users, Yara Malaeb, a neuropsychology trainee, said such patients show memory and attention difficulties.

"These are young people who, for their age, are not functioning normally," she said.

The 23-year-old woman patient called nitrous oxide "the worst drug ever".

"I really wish I could tell young people not to do this. But the problem is, they already know," she added.

The 21-year-old man said inhaling laughing gas made him noticeably weaker, particularly in his legs, and he struggled to keep his balance while walking.

"It's no fun," he said, adding misuse of the drug can destroy a life. "It's a fleeting pleasure for eternal regret."

vid-mla-as/ah/giv
Israel army ups Hezbollah death toll from April 8 strikes to over 250



Jerusalem, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Israel's military said Monday that a massive wave of strikes in Lebanon last week killed five Hezbollah commanders, as well as more than 250 of the Iran-backed group's fighters.

The Lebanese health ministry has said Wednesday's attacks killed more than 350 people in total and wounded more than 1,200.

Israel had previously put the number of Hezbollah members killed at around 180.

"During the largest strike conducted in Lebanon, more than 250 Hezbollah terrorists and commanders were eliminated" across the country, including in the country's south, the Bekaa region and Beirut, the military said in its statement Monday.

The military named five commanders killed, including Hassen Nasser, chief of Hezbollah's logistics support headquarters, and Abu Muhammad Habib, deputy commander of the group's missile unit.

The army said Monday that it continued to operate in Lebanon, with troops surrounding the southern town of Bint Jbeil.

Last week's punishing wave of strikes came on the same day as the start of a fragile two-week truce agreed between the US and Iran in the Middle East war, which has killed thousands across the region and plunged the global economy into turmoil.

Lebanon was pulled into the war when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2, days after the opening salvo of US-Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Israel responded with massive strikes and a ground invasion.

While Iran and mediator Pakistan had insisted Lebanon was included under the ceasefire, Israel and the US have disputed this.

Israeli and Lebanese officials are set to hold peace talks on Tuesday in Washington.
Son of ousted shah says talking to Iranian opposition



Stockholm, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



The son of Iran's ousted shah said Monday he is in regular contact with various elements of the highly-divided Iranian opposition in exile, reiterating his desire "to serve as a unifying national figure, not a partisan one."

Reza Pahlavi was speaking during a visit to Stockholm, where he gave a speech on the premises of the country's parliament, invited by the conservative Christian Democrats and the far-right Sweden Democrats.

Pahlavi, whose father Mohammad Reza was brought down by the 1979 Islamic revolution, has repeatedly said he was ready to lead a transition if the Islamic republic fell in the war with the United States and Israel that erupted in late February.

The Iranian opposition remains deeply fragmented, with groups drawn from ethnic minorities, liberal circles and left-wing movements opposed to him and his supporters.

Asked what he was doing to bring together the different parts of Iranian society, Pahlavi replied that he was in regular contact with them.

"I talk to them, I hold dialogue with them, I meet them," he said, without specifying exactly with whom.

He said there was "enough room" for anyone who prescribed to the four basic principles he believed formed the foundation of a "democratic discourse".

The four principles were Iran's territorial integrity; a clear separation of state and religion; equality of all citizens before the law; and the establishment of a mechanism to organise free and fair elections.

"Any Iranians -- regardless if they are leftist, centre or right, monarchist or republicans, or regardless (of the) ethnicities that they represent -- (if they) believe in this approach, (they) can work together and cooperate," he argued.

Pahlavi has encouraged Israel and the United States to wage war in Iran, sparking division among Iranians.

The autocratic and repressive rule of his father, from whom he has not distanced himself, has also earned him enemies.

Pahlavi has failed to gain the support of US President Donald Trump, who has never officially met him and who has on several occasions expressed skepticism about his ability to lead Iran.

Inside the country, opposition figures, including the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, face repression.

Even while imprisoned, she has been attacked online from abroad by Pahlavi's supporters.

Shirin Ebadi, another Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has faced criticism from Iranians after being appointed to head a transitional justice committee created by Pahlavi.
Trump vows US will sink any Iran boats that challenge blockade



Washington, United States, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



US President Donald Trump warned Monday that any Iranian attack boats that approach the naval blockade he has ordered around the country's ports will be destroyed, despite international calls for a ceasefire to be respected and negotiations to resume.

The US military said the blockade would begin at 1400 GMT and apply to all ships leaving or seeking to dock at Iranian harbours, but as the deadline passed there was no announcement that the measure had come into effect, nor sign of any interceptions.

In a social media post, Trump said the bulk of Iran's navy had already been destroyed during the war, but that if any of what he said were Tehran's few remaining "fast attack ships" approach the blockade "they will be immediately ELIMINATED".

Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after a delegation led by Vice President JD Vance returned from a meeting with Iranian officials in Pakistan without having secured a deal to end the war launched on February 28 with deadly US and Israeli strikes on Tehran.

Last Wednesday, the US and Iran agreed a two-week truce to allow the negotiations to go ahead, and mediator Pakistan and Gulf state Qatar were still calling on Monday for it to be respected as diplomatic efforts continue.

"The ceasefire is still holding and, as I speak, full efforts are underway to resolve the outstanding issues," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan told a cabinet meeting.

The head of the International Maritime Organization, Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez, said no country could "prohibit the right of innocent passage or the freedom of navigation through international straits that are used for international transit".

Qatari Foreign Minister and Premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urged both sides to guarantee freedom of navigation and refrain from using maritime routes "as a tool for pressure", encouraging Tehran and Washington to remain in touch with mediators.

Iran had already closed the strait to what it regards as enemy shipping, allowing only vessels serving countries it deems friendly -- such as China -- to cross.

Oil prices, which had tumbled with the truce, jumped around eight percent Monday amid fears the renewed standoff would block more tankers.

The US leader's latest change of tack left some observers perplexed.

"Presumably, Trump's intent is to try to starve Iran of export revenue and compel Iran's main oil customers, particularly China, to pressure Tehran to end its blockage of the strait," think tank The Soufan Center said in its daily note.



- Uncertainty -



"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," US Central Command said, adding it would begin at 1400 GMT on Monday.

US forces would not impede vessels transiting the strait to and from non-Iranian ports, it added.

Nicole Grajewski, an assistant professor at Sciences Po's Center for International Research, said a US blockade was "not a minor coercive signal" but could rather be considered an effective resumption of the war.

Iran's military command issued a statement branding the blockade a criminal act of piracy, and warned that if the security of its harbours "is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea will be safe".

China, Washington's great power rival and a big importer of Iranian oil, also criticised the plan.

"The Strait of Hormuz is an important international trade route for goods and energy, and maintaining its security, stability, and unimpeded flow is in the common interest of the international community," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, urging Iran and the US not to reignite the war.

Among Washington's NATO allies, much criticised by Trump for their reluctance to follow him to war, Spain's Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the planned naval blockade "makes no sense".

"It's one more episode in this whole downward spiral into which we've been dragged," she said.

And in a BBC radio interview, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would not join the blockade, adding the UK "is not getting dragged in".

French President Emmanuel Macron said that France and Britain would host a conference with countries prepared to join a "peaceful multinational mission" to secure the strait, but it would be "strictly defensive" and only operational once circumstances permit.



- 'We'll see' -



Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran's delegation in Pakistan, has said Tehran will "not bow to any threats", while navy chief Shahram Irani has called Trump's blockade "ridiculous".

The strait was far from the only friction point impeding efforts to end the war.

The US delegation in Islamabad -- led by Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner -- was frustrated by Iran's refusal to give up what it insists is a civilian nuclear programme.

Russia has offered to hold Iran's enriched uranium safely as part of any deal.

"The offer still stands, but has not been acted upon," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Russia has personnel helping run Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, but Alexei Likhachev, director general of Moscow's state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, said 108 of them have already been pulled out and only a "final rotation" of 20 remain.

The area around the Bushehr facility has been struck at least four times during the war.

burs/dc/smw
Israel summons Italy envoy over comments on Lebanon attacks



Rome, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Israel summoned Italy's ambassador Monday to protest after Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned Israel's "unacceptable attacks" on civilians in Lebanon during a visit to Beirut, an Italian diplomatic source said.

Tajani, a senior member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government, visited Beirut on Monday for talks with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi.

Tajani wrote on X that he was there to "convey Italy's solidarity following Israel's unacceptable attacks against the civilian population".

He called for dialogue between Lebanon and Israel and a "necessary and lasting ceasefire" adding: "Another escalation like in Gaza must be avoided at all costs."

Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Iran-backed group Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2, days after the opening salvo of US-Israeli strikes killed Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Israel responded with massive strikes and a ground invasion.

Israel's military said Monday that a massive wave of strikes in Lebanon last week killed five Hezbollah commanders, as well as more than 250 of the Iran-backed group's fighters.

Italy's government summoned Israel's ambassador last week after saying Israeli forces fired warning shots at a convoy of Italian UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, damaging at least one vehicle but causing no injuries.

ar/ams/tw
War in the Middle East: latest developments



Paris, France, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



The latest developments in the Middle East war:



- No Trump apology -



US President Donald Trump said he had "nothing to apologise for" after criticising Pope Leo XIV's calls for an end to the conflict in the Middle East.

"Pope Leo said things that are wrong. He was very much against what I'm doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran," said Trump, adding that the US-born pope was "very weak on crime and other things."

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned Trump's criticism of Leo as "unacceptable".



- Trump: Iran wants a deal -



Trump said Iranian representatives had called to make a peace deal after talks in Pakistan ended at the weekend without agreement.

"I can tell you that we've been called by the other side. They'd like to make a deal. Very badly, very badly," he told reporters outside the Oval Office, without identifying which officials had called.



- Israel hits 150 Hezbollah targets -



Israel's military said Monday that it had struck around 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon over the past 24 hours, as the country prepares for peace talks with Lebanese officials in Washington.

"In the past 24 hours, approximately 150 Hezbollah terrorist organisation targets were struck in numerous areas across southern Lebanon," the military said, adding that the targets included "military structures, anti-tank missile launch points, and terror command centers".



- US to destroy Iran 'attack ships' -



Trump said US forces would destroy any Iranian "fast attack ships" that approach the American naval blockade of Iranian ports that came into effect on Monday.

"Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED," he said on his Truth Social network, adding that the rest of Iran's navy had been "completely obliterated."

The US military would be "using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea," the president said, referring to airstrikes on alleged narcotics boats off the coast of Venezuela.

Trump also said 34 ships had crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, adding it was the most since the war began.



- Blockade begins -



The deadline set by US President Donald Trump for a naval blockade of Iranian ports has passed.

The US military announced Sunday it will begin blockading all Iranian Gulf ports on Monday at 1400 GMT, but will allow ships not coming or going to Iran to pass through the strait.



- Pakistan: truce 'holding' -



Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said a ceasefire between the United States and Iran was "holding" and that efforts were underway to reach an agreement after weekend talks failed to do so.

"The ceasefire is still holding and, as I speak, full efforts are underway to resolve the outstanding issues," Sharif told a cabinet meeting in brief televised remarks.



- Qatar urges US, Iran mediation -



Qatar's foreign minister told his Iranian counterpart that Iran and the United States should engage positively with mediation efforts.

In a call with Abbas Araghchi, Qatari Foreign Minister and Premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani "emphasised the need to open maritime routes, guarantee freedom of navigation, and refrain from using them as a tool for pressure or bargaining".



- Hormuz blockade questioned -

The head of the UN maritime agency said no country had a legal right to block shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a trade passage paralysed by the US-Iran war.

"In accordance to international law, no countries have the right to prohibit the right of innocent passage or the freedom of navigation through international straits that are used for international transit," the International Maritime Organization's Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez told a news conference.



- Russia pulls atomic staff -



Russia has withdrawn almost all its staff from Iran's sole nuclear power plant, built and operated with help from Moscow, the head of Russia's atomic energy agency said.

"We began the final rotation at the Bushehr station," Rosatom's Alexei Likhachev said, adding that 108 people were evacuated while just 20 -- top managers and those responsible for equipment safety -- remained at the station.

burs-giv/rh
Netanyahu hails blow dealt to Iran as Israel commemorates Holocaust



Jerusalem, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel, together with the United States, had dealt the "heaviest blow" Iran's leadership had ever seen, as Israel began observing its annual Holocaust Remembrance Day.

"We delivered the heaviest blow in that regime's history. It stands weaker than ever before," Netanyahu said in remarks at a state ceremony held in the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre in Jerusalem and broadcast on Monday.

Israel has been engaged in a multi-front conflict since October 7, 2023, when Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked the country, triggering a deadly war in Gaza that ultimately drew in other allies of Tehran.

"For two-and-a-half years, we have been systematically crushing the Iranian axis of evil" in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu said.

"Had we not acted, names like Natanz, Fordow, Isfahan and Parchin might have become synonymous with horror -- like Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek and Sobibor," he added, comparing Iranian nuclear sites to Nazi-era extermination camps.

Israel will observe its annual Holocaust Remembrance Day from Monday evening until Tuesday evening, with memorials in honour of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II.

The observance, held each year in April or May according to the Hebrew calendar, is separate from International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27.

This year's commemoration comes in the midst of a two-week ceasefire with Iran in a regional war that began on February 28 with joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel continues to engage in fighting with Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon.
Trump vows US will sink any Iran boats that challenge blockade



Washington, United States, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



US President Donald Trump warned Monday that any Iranian attack boats that approach the American naval blockade around Iran's ports would be destroyed, despite international calls for a ceasefire to be respected and negotiations to resume.

The US military said the blockade, which took effect at 1400 GMT, applied to all ships leaving or seeking to dock at Iranian harbours.

In a social media post, Trump said the bulk of Iran's navy had already been destroyed during the war, but that if any of what he said were Tehran's few remaining "fast attack ships" approach the blockade "they will be immediately ELIMINATED".

He also said 34 ships had passed through the strait on Sunday, adding it was the most since the war began, though the figure could not be immediately corroborated.

Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after a delegation led by Vice President JD Vance returned from a meeting with Iranian officials in Pakistan without securing a deal to end the war, launched on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Tehran.

Last Wednesday, the US and Iran agreed a two-week truce to allow the negotiations to go ahead, and mediator Pakistan and Gulf state Qatar were still calling on Monday for it to be respected as diplomatic efforts continue.

"The ceasefire is still holding and, as I speak, full efforts are underway to resolve the outstanding issues," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan told a cabinet meeting.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said Iranian representatives had called to make a deal since the Islamabad talks failed.

"I can tell you that we've been called by the other side. They'd like to make a deal. Very badly, very badly," he told reporters outside the Oval Office, without identifying which officials had called.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed the US for the impasse in the talks during a call with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

"Unfortunately, we witnessed the continued excessive demands of the American side in the negotiations, which led to the failure to achieve a result," his ministry quoted him as saying.



- Freedom of navigation -



Qatari Foreign Minister and Premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urged both sides to guarantee freedom of navigation and refrain from using maritime routes "as a tool for pressure", encouraging Tehran and Washington to remain in touch with mediators.

Iran had already closed the strait to what it regards as enemy shipping, allowing only vessels serving countries it deems friendly -- such as China -- to cross.

Analysts suggested the US president was trying to starve Iran of funds but also pressure Beijing, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, to lean on Tehran to reopen Hormuz.

Beijing criticised the blockade, with foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun emphasising the strait's importance to trade and saying that "maintaining its security, stability, and unimpeded flow is in the common interest of the international community".

UN chief Antonio Guterres also called for freedom of navigation to be respected and pointed to the mariners trapped in the Gulf.

"We need to remember that some 20,000 seafarers have been caught up in this conflict and are currently stranded on ships, facing increasing hardships daily," his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

US Central Command said the blockade included "vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman".

US forces would not impede vessels transiting the strait to and from non-Iranian ports, it added.

Iran's military command issued a statement branding the blockade an act of piracy, and warned that if the security of its harbours "is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea will be safe".

French President Emmanuel Macron said that France and Britain would host a conference with countries prepared to join a "peaceful multinational mission" to secure the strait, but it would be "strictly defensive" and only operational once circumstances permit.



- Russian offer -



Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who led Tehran's delegation in Pakistan, has said Tehran will "not bow to any threats", while navy chief Shahram Irani has called Trump's blockade "ridiculous".

The strait was far from the only friction point impeding efforts to end the war.

The US delegation in Islamabad -- led by Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner -- was frustrated by Iran's refusal to give up what it insists is a civilian nuclear programme.

Russia has offered to hold Iran's enriched uranium safely as part of any deal.

"The offer still stands, but has not been acted upon," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

burs/dcp/smw
Hezbollah leader asks Lebanon to cancel Tuesday meeting with Israel



Beirut, Lebanon, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem on Monday urged Lebanon to cancel a planned meeting with Israel in Washington the following day, reiterating his group's rejection of direct negotiations with its foe.

"We reject negotiations with the usurping Israeli entity... We call for a historic and heroic stance by cancelling this negotiating meeting," Qassem, whose Iran-backed group has been at war with Israel since March 2, said in a televised address.

The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States are scheduled to meet in Washington on Tuesday to discuss holding direct negotiations between the two countries.

Lebanese authorities have stressed that Beirut first wants to secure a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war, but Israel has dismissed that prospect, saying it prefers instead to focus on formal peace talks with Lebanon itself, with which it has technically been at war for decades.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that "we want the dismantling of Hezbollah's weapons, and we want a real peace agreement that will last for generations".

Qassem, however, said "these negotiations are futile and require a Lebanese agreement and consensus".

Hundreds of Hezbollah supporters protested on Friday and Saturday against the planned talks, accusing Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam of being a "zionist".

Israeli strikes have killed more than 2,000 people in Lebanon and displaced more than a million since Hezbollah drew the country into the Middle East war.

"We will not surrender, we will remain in the field until our last breath," Qassem said as his fighters faced off with advancing Israeli troops seeking to create a "security zone" in southern Lebanon.

The Israeli army on Monday said its troops had completely surrounded the key southern town of Bint Jbeil, while Hezbollah continued to claim attacks against Israeli forces there.

Qassem said northern Israeli localities "will not be safe, even if the Israelis were to enter any area of Lebanon".

He also accused Beirut of "backstabbing" his group by declaring its military activities illegal at the start of the war.

"Israel and the US clearly said they want to strengthen the Lebanese army to disarm and fight Hezbollah... but the army cannot do that," Qassem added.
Germany's Merz urges Netanyahu to end Lebanon fighting



Berlin, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



German Chancellor Friedrich Merz urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to end fighting in southern Lebanon and engage in direct peace talks with the Lebanese government, a spokesman said.

Merz also expressed his "grave concern" about developments in the Palestinian territories in a telephone conversation with Netanyahu and demanded that there "must be no de facto partial annexation of the West Bank", the German government spokesman said.

The spokesman said Merz offered Germany's continuing support for efforts "to reach a diplomatic understanding between the United States and Iran" in the war launched by Israel and the US on February 28.

Merz initially welcomed the US-Israeli attacks, but has shifted to alarm as the potential global economic fallout became more serious and Iranian retaliatory strikes against Gulf states threatened to turn the conflict into a regional war.

On Monday, Merz told Netanyahu that "Germany is prepared to contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz" -- but only following the "cessation of hostilities" and "provided the necessary conditions are met", according to the spokesman's summary of the conversation.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz -- a crucial waterway for about 20 percent of the world's oil supplies before the war -- has been largely halted by Iranian threats to strike tankers.

US President Donald Trump has declared a partial naval blockade of the strait after negotiations with Iran over the weekend broke down.
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During the hearing, it was reiterated that the licence holder had wanted to have a solicitor present earlier in the proceedings but couldnt afford one. It was also stated that Food Works often hands out free food to the local community. The restaurant is still able to operate however no alcohol sales can take place.
As someone that has worked in our NHS  I was an NHS dentist before coming into politics  the NHS is personal to me and thats why fixing the NHS, making sure its fit for the future and cutting waiting lists, is so important, he said.
"It is clearly a cause that is close to his heart and we see him in a new light - no longer looking at the war from the statesman's perspective, away from the front line, but in the trenches and more able to speak freely."
He said: What weve been doing over the last few weeks, and this was part of what I was discussing with the Gulf states last week, is bringing countries together to keep the strait open, not shut.
Yes, absolutely. And if you read what Suella has written on this, and you read what Robert has written on this, they tried from within to stop the disaster that really started properly in 2021 and thats why they resigned or were fired.
In Spare, published in 2023, he wrote: "Everyone knew that Mummy's situation went from bad to worse when she showed the world, showed the family, that she was better at touring, better at connecting with people, better at being 'royal', than she had any right to be."
Children from the Milam Child Development Center participate in a parade celebrating Month of the Military Child on Fort Bliss, Texas, April 1, 2026. (Kyler Hembree/U.S. Army)



The Army this month launched a new pay model for its child care workers to try to get staffing at all service-run child development centers above 90% to reduce wait times for families.

This includes raising pay for direct-care providers and offering discounts for child care for workers own children, said Christopher Surridge, an Army spokesman.

Through a more-robust compensatory, hiring and employee benefits strategy, we will ensure that our [child development centers] are sufficiently staffed to better benefit our Army families, Surridge said.

Securing safe child care is a significant point of stress for soldiers preparing for deployments, making it a primary focus for the service, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer told the House Committee on Appropriations subpanel on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies in a hearing last month.

Ninety percent staffing is proven across our other installations that our wait times are minimal when we get there, he said.

Only 22 of the Armys 68 installations are staffed at 90% or higher, Surridge said.

To boost hiring and retention, a new compensation and staffing model will be fully implemented for direct-care staff by the end of April, he said. It will cover all other staff by October. Installations also can offer recruitment and retention bonuses to further attract and retain employees.

Job openings posted on the governments online job board showed open positions across the country starting at about $18 an hour.

Because many workers are also parents, the Army will cover 100% of child care fees for the first child of an employee when care is provided in an Army program, and it will provide a 25% discount for additional children, Surridge said.

This incentive was listed at the top of the Armys online job postings.

Waitlists for Army child development centers for children under 5 years old vary by location and throughout the year, including 18 bases with no waitlist as of this month. However, across the Army, nearly 3,000 children are waiting for space to open, Surridge said. That is down 38% from 2023.

The Army is not alone struggling to meet the demand of child care for its force. The other military services top enlisted personnel spoke as well during last months hearing in the House on different strategies they have tried.

The Space Force has partnered with off-base options, such as a program that provides 150 off-base spaces for children near Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado, said Chief Master Sgt. John F. Bentivegna.

Through a similar approach, the Navy has dropped its waitlist to about 1,500 children, said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman. Using fee assistance for off-base facilities, the service added about 2,000 openings. It also bumped staffing at its own day cares from a 63% low to nearly 90%.
Compass Group USA has begun serving meals at the Stack House Bistro at Fort Carson, Colo., and will officially open the privately run dining facility on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (U.S. Army)



When the Armys first privately run dining facility opened two months ago at Fort Hood, Texas, the lines got long.

There werent enough ordering stations. Plus, there was a bit of initial confusion around how the lines functioned and a slow checkout process as soldiers learned about freedom dollars and the need to load a special code on their military ID card in advance, according to the Army and Compass Group, the company behind 42 Bistro.

Regardless of the early hiccups, 42 Bistro has been popular among those junior enlisted it is focused on feeding. About 43% of all soldiers with meal card entitlements have tried it at least once, according to Army Materiel Command.

Averaging nearly 2,100 meals each day, 42 Bistro is serving more than double the meals the Army-run dining facility once housed in its building served during the same time frame last year, according to Materiel Command.

Officials said they are trying to mitigate having the same problems when a second privately run dining facility opens Wednesday at Fort Carson, Colo. It has already started some operations during a soft opening.

We learned a lot from 42 Bistro that will help us deliver a more efficient launch at future sites, Lt. Gen. Chris Mohan, commander of Army Materiel Command, said in a statement.

Fort Carsons Stack House Bistro will mirror its Texas predecessor in many ways, offering longer hours than a traditional dining facility, locally sourced ingredients, a specialty coffee bar and smoothies. Serving stations at each location have similar names and food offerings.

There are local touches to recognize the units and history of each location. While 42 Bistro uses blue Le Creuset serving dishes to match the III Corps unit logo, Stack House will use green dishes to honor the patch of the 4th Infantry Division, also known as the Ivy Division.

To get soldiers at Fort Carson ready for the new facility, units have begun to ensure that all soldiers who live in the barracks and are eligible for meal card entitlements have a special code on their military ID cards that will allow them to pay using freedom dollars. This is the name Compass Group gave the $39 each barracks soldier can spend each day in dining facilities.

Soldiers without the code were not turned away at Fort Hood; it just slowed down checkout lines for the first month. About 83% of eligible soldiers at Fort Carson have updated ID cards, according to Materiel Command.

The base has also begun social media campaigns with videos explaining freedom dollars and showing the ordering and payment process within Stack House, since it is slightly different than that of a traditional dining facility.

To start with a better flow of service, Fort Carson will open with eight computer stations for ordering, Materiel Command said. Fort Hood began with five and then added more in response to congestion.

What has been most meaningful is hearing directly from soldiers about how they are using the campus-style dining venue in ways that work best for their individual schedules and needs, along with how they make the best use of their meal entitlements, Donna Turner, Compass Group vice president of government engagement and sales and project lead for the Army bistros, said in a statement.

Compass Group will open locations later this year at Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Stewart, Ga.; and Fort Drum, N.Y.
U.S. Navy destroyer USS Roosevelt transits the Strait of Hormuz, Dec. 16, 2025. The U.S. moves to blockade the Strait of Hormuz in a high-stakes bid to choke Irans economy and force American conditions, a mission with major naval costs and considerable risks. (Indra Beaufort/U.S. Navy)



The last-ditch U.S. effort to bring Iran to its knees through a naval blockade in the Persian Gulf is a gamble that will take tremendous resources and come with serious risks, according to analysts and former U.S. military officials.

The bifurcated strategy involves strangling the Iranian economy by keeping ships from entering or exiting the countrys ports while eliminating Tehrans chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, retired Adm. James Stavridis and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said in an interview with CNN on Sunday.

The effort will take at least two Navy aircraft carriers, more than a dozen destroyers and other military assets, and the help of regional Arab navies, Stavridis told CNN.

The Navy already has a dual carrier presence and 16 destroyers stationed in the region, along with other vessels and a contingent of Marines. The U.S. wager could pay off, he said.

With Irans military degraded, internal political dissent starting to rumble and other problems plaguing the country, the regime in Tehran has few options and may be looking for an exit, he said. But Iran still has cards to play, Stavridis said,

Tehran could use its remaining arsenal of missiles and drones to strike vessels in the strait and target Gulf region oil, gas and fertilizer facilities.

It also could employ cyberwarfare, potentially aided by Russia or China, or terrorism in the American homeland to strike back at the U.S., Stavridis said.

We need to be very wary here, very alert as we go into this phase, he said.

On Sunday, U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports starting at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday.

It wasnt immediately clear after the deadline whether the blockade was in effect.

The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the (Persian) Gulf and Gulf of Oman, CENTCOM said in a post to its X account.

U.S. forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

The announcement followed a statement earlier Sunday by President Donald Trump that the U.S. Navy would begin a blockade of all ships transiting the strait.

At some point, we will reach an ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT basis, Trump said in post on the Truth Social platform.

Irans chokehold on traffic going through the strait had been reinforced by the recent announcement that it had lost track of its mines in the vital waterway, he said.

The posts followed a breakdown in U.S.-Iran negotiations to end hostilities that saw both sides pointing the finger at each other.

Vice President JD Vance said Iran had for now rejected our final and best offer, while Iranian state media said the talks broke down over the U.S. negotiators excessive demands, including issues related to control of the Strait of Hormuz and the removal of nuclear materials from Iran.

On Monday, Trump warned that if Iranian navy fast-attack boats came near the U.S. blockade, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea.

Its not clear how many sea mines Iran has laid in the strait, a vital waterway in the Persian Gulf through which some 20% of the worlds consumption of oil and petroleum products passes through daily.

While U.S. forces had destroyed much of Irans navy, including mine-laying vessels, and 90% of its mines, the country still has the capability to lay more, Stavridis said.

On Saturday, Navy destroyers USS Frank E. Peterson Jr. and USS Michael Murphy transited the strait, part of a broader mission to ensure that the waterway was fully clear of sea mines, CENTCOM said in a statement.

The passage of the two destroyers, which followed the standard route through the strait outside Irans territorial waters, likely was an indication that the U.S. believed there werent any mines in the area, Sal Mercogliano, an adjunct professor at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, said in a podcast posted Monday to his X account.

The action not only demonstrated that the strait could be safely transited but also likely was a test of Iranian defenses, Mercogliano said.

Theyre not going to do an escort mission initially until they basically feel out the waters, and thats exactly what they did, he said.

It wasnt clear Monday whether the U.S. will send three littoral combat ships capable of clearing sea mines into the region as part of its efforts to make sure the strait is safe for transit.

Also unclear was when Washington would begin other operations to ensure safe passage for non-Iranian affiliated ships through the region.

Over the weekend, it appeared that two of the ships, USS Tulsa and USS Canberra, were in or near the CENTCOM area of responsibility following scheduled repairs and maintenance outside the region. A third, USS Santa Barbara, was still at port in Singapore on Saturday, a ship watcher posted on X.

While the U.S. accomplished its stated mission to destroy Irans nuclear weapons and degrade its military and weapons stockpiles, among other goals, it didnt prioritize the safety of commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf, Mercogliano said.

The one mission that was never talked about ... and it should have been up there higher than it was, was keeping the strait open, he said.
U.S. Marines and Filipino sailors refuel a KC-130J Super Hercules at Laoag International Airport, Philippines, June 15, 2024. (Nikolas Mascroft/U.S. Marine Corps)



The agency responsible for supplying American forces wants to store millions of gallons of ship and aircraft fuel in the southern Philippines, according to officials from both nations.

Plans for a fuel storage facility in or near the Philippines third-most-populous city  Davao, on the island of Mindanao  were revealed in a March 31 solicitation from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency.

The notice calls for a contractor starting in April 2028 to provide 41 million gallons of fuel storage  enough to handle 23 million gallons of naval fuel and 18 million gallons of aviation fuel.

The contract would include around-the-clock receiving, storing, protecting, testing and shipping U.S. government-owned fuel, the notice states.

DLA Energy commander Navy Rear Adm. George Bresnihan visited fuel storage sites in Australia and Papua New Guinea in September, according to a Nov. 24 news release from the agency.

DLA Energy exists to provide Americas warfighters with timely and reliable access to fuel, he said in the release. Maintaining a decentralized network of fuel support points enables our team to deliver global energy solutions for sustained operational readiness.

Commercial fuel is stored at Subic Bay, the former U.S. naval base on the Philippines main island of Luzon. The Mindanao facility would provide U.S. forces in the region with another refueling point in addition to Subic Bay and Manila.

The proposed Mindanao site will remain under Manilas ownership and control, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, a Philippine military spokesman, told reporters Friday at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

The project is covered by existing agreements, such as the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement that grants U.S. forces access to nine sites in the islands, he said, according to a report in the Manila Bulletin that day.

These will still be Philippine facilities, Philippine-controlled facilities, he said. They are designed to support our response capability for [humanitarian assistance and disaster response], maritime security and support, and sustain our forces deployed, not only in the West Philippine Sea, but even in the southern border.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. fires a Tomahawk land-attack missile from an undisclosed location during Operation Epic Fury, Feb. 28, 2026. (U.S. Navy)



Japan plans to conduct live-fire training with Tomahawk missiles aboard the guided-missile destroyer JS Chokai in the eastern Pacific this summer, a milestone in Tokyos effort to field a long-range counterstrike capability.

The training, with support from the U.S. 3rd Fleet, will mark the first live-fire validation of the missile system on a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force warship, according to Japanese and U.S. Navy officials.

The Chokai required approximately five months of modifications to accommodate the U.S.-made cruise missiles.

By equipping Japanese vessels with Tomahawks, the two countries are effectively synchronizing our systems and crews for seamless integration, an unnamed Pacific Fleet spokesperson said in a statement emailed Friday by Lt. Cmdr. Molly Fresher.

The strategic goal is clear: we are strengthening our credible deterrence against regional aggression to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, the statement said.

The Japanese guided-missile destroyer JS Chokai arrives at Naval Base San Diego, Oct. 15, 2025. (Timothy Weber/U.S. Navy)



Once the live-fire training is completed, the Chokai will undergo more advanced training at sea with the support of the U.S. Navy, a spokesperson for Japans Defense Ministry told Stars and Stripes in an unsigned email Thursday. Some Japanese government officials must speak to the media on condition of anonymity.

The ministry declined to comment further, citing security concerns.

Another guided-missile destroyer, the JS Kirishima, is also expected to become capable of launching Tomahawks by March 2027 at the latest, the ministry said.

Japan has been pursuing Tomahawk capabilities since at least 2022, when it announced plans to buy up to 500 cruise missiles with delivery between fiscal years 2026 and 2027. The U.S. in November 2023 greenlit a $2.35 billion deal to sell Japan 200 Block IV missiles and 200 upgraded Block V versions.

Japan accepted its first Tomahawks in March, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said at a March 13 press conference. The ministry has not specified how many missiles have been delivered.

However, the United States war with Iran may delay further deliveries, Bloomberg reported April 3, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.

The U.S. has launched more than 850 Tomahawks since Feb. 28, more than a quarter of its estimated stockpile of around 3,000, according to a March 27 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Defense Ministry acknowledged the reports but declined to comment. The Pentagon also declined to comment in an unsigned email on Monday.
Rear Adm. Brett Mietus, commander of Joint Region Marianas, left, fills sandbags at Naval Base Guam, April 11, 2026, ahead of Super Typhoon Sinlaku. (Joint Region Marianas)



Guam, including its U.S. military bases, is battening down for a near miss from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which barreled through the Western Pacific on target to strike the Northern Mariana Islands.

The U.S. territory entered Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1 at 4 p.m. Monday, meaning potentially destructive winds were expected within 12 hours, according to a news release from Guams Joint Information Center.

[Military] personnel are advised to remain sheltered in place and follow all official guidance until conditions improve, the center said in the Monday afternoon news release.

Sinlaku was initially forecast to directly impact Guam, but has since moved northward, posing a greater threat to Rota, Tinian and Saipan.

Guam remained under a tropical storm warning and typhoon watch Monday, while the Northern Marianas face a possible direct hit Tuesday afternoon, according to the news release.

Sinlaku will make its closest approach to Guam around 2 p.m. Tuesday, about 103 miles northeast of Andersen Air Force Base, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

Numerous Guam businesses, including all pharmacies, had closed by Monday afternoon, according to the information center. Those include 7 Day Supermarket, Agana Shopping Center, American Grocery, Cost.U.Less, Guam Premier Outlets, Happy Mart, Home Depot, Kmart, Micronesia Mall, Pay-Less Supermarkets and Village of Donki.

Sailors and volunteers fill sandbags at Naval Base Guam, April 11, 2026, ahead of Super Typhoon Sinlaku. (Joint Region Marianas)



On the islands military installations  Andersen, Naval Base Guam and Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz  operations narrowed to essential functions. Officials said nonessential services had been curtailed, while critical capabilities such emergency response, command and control, and other key operations remained in place.

As with any severe weather event, operational adjustments may be made as conditions evolve to prioritize the safety of both civilian and military personnel and maintain the ability to respond as needed, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Kristina Wiedmann, a spokeswoman for Joint Region Marianas, said by email Monday.

Base access could be affected as conditions worsen, with gates expected to close once sustained winds reach 57 mph, she said. Naval Hospital Guam will remain open for emergency services only.

Military planners are also drawing on lessons from previous storms, and continue to strengthen resilience through infrastructure improvements and refined preparedness procedures, Wiedemann said.

Any changes to the current posture, including additional restrictions or a return to normal operations, will be based on real-time weather conditions and damage assessments, she added.

While ships and aircraft are often repositioned ahead of major storms, those decisions are made at the installation level, Wiedemann said.

For many on Guam, the approach of Sinlaku has revived memories of Typhoon Mawar, which struck the island in May 2023 with winds of up to 140 mph. It remains the strongest storm to hit the territory since Typhoon Pongsona in 2002.

Mawar uprooted trees, damaged buildings and caused widespread flooding, leaving much of the 2010-square-mile U.S. territory without water. Recovery stretched on for more than a year, with repairs to Andersens passenger terminal still underway.

Follow Stars and Stripes Pacific Storm Tracker for up-to-date information on the typhoon.
A U.S. aircraft carrier transits the Strait of Hormuz in this undated photo. U.S. Central Command said it will begin a naval blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 a.m. Eastern on Monday, following an order from President Donald Trump after weekend talks failed to produce a deal to end the conflict. (Merissa Daley/U.S. Navy)



A U.S. maritime blockade targeting Iranian ports took effect Monday, marking a sharp military escalation as a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran appeared on the brink of collapse.

U.S. Central Command has said its forces would block shipping traffic in and out of Iranian ports starting at 10 a.m. Monday, though details on how the blockade is being enforced remain limited.

With the blockade, U.S. President Donald Trump is applying severe economic pressure on Iran, which has largely restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began in late February.

The closure of the strait, which usually carries about a fifth of the worlds oil, has rattled global markets and sent fuel prices soaring.

The U.S. restrictions appear broad in scope. A U.K. Maritime Trade Operations advisory said the blockade encompasses the entirety of Irans coastline, including ports and energy infrastructure, and that neutral vessels currently within Iranian ports have been granted a limited grace period to depart.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump warned that any vessels approaching the blockade would be immediately ELIMINATED, adding that the U.S. would use the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea.

Earlier, U.S. Central Command said the blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports, the statement added.

The tensions continue to test the already fragile ceasefire, which was agreed to last week.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump and his advisers are weighing whether to resume limited strikes against Iran in addition to the blockade to help break the stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz.

Trumps call for a naval blockade came early Sunday after negotiations in Pakistan failed to bring about an end to the U.S. war with Iran.

Maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has remained severely reduced amid ongoing security concerns following attacks on commercial vessels.

Energy prices rose sharply Monday following the failed peace talks and news of the blockade, which could further tighten the global oil supply.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 7% to near $102 a barrel, a gain of 40% since the start of the war.

Trump said Sunday that other countries would be involved in the blockade, but as of late Monday morning, it was unclear which ones, if any, would join.

In an interview with the BBC, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government would not join the blockade but will instead continue to focus on getting the strait fully open.

The U.K., he added, is not getting dragged into war with Iran.

French President Emmanuel Macron said his country will help organize a conference with countries prepared to support a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the waterway.

This strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict, is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit, Macron said Monday on X.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his country has not received a request to participate in the blockade.

The U.S. and Iran held over 20 hours of high-level talks in Islamabad, but both sides walked away early Sunday, accusing the other of making excessive demands.

Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. negotiating team, said the major sticking point was Irans failure to provide assurances that it would not seek to develop nuclear weapons.

Irans foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, countered that Tehran had been negotiating in good faith.

But when just inches away from (an) Islamabad MoU, we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade. Zero lessons earned, Araghchi said on X.

An Iranian military spokesperson, meanwhile, warned that ports in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman would not be safe if Iranian ports are threatened, according to Iranian state media.

Trump has alternated between suggesting the conflict was nearing completion and that it could be significantly escalated, possibly with the use of U.S. forces who continue to head to the region.

I predict they come back and they give us everything we want, Trump said Sunday during a Fox News interview. And I tell my people, I want everything. I dont want 90%, I dont want 95%. I told them I want everything.
Factory 4 of the former rail car plant is being transformed into a $2.4 billion submarine parts plant in Cherokee, Ala. (Scott Turner via TNS)



(Tribune News Service)  U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R- Ala., Sunday afternoon praised a northwest Alabama development that is set to bring more than 1,000 jobs to the region, calling it a transformational investment.

Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R- Haleyville, revealed that Hadrian, a fast-growing advanced manufacturing company involved in the defense industry, is partnering with the Navy to transform a 2.2 million-square-foot former railcar plant in Cherokee into a submarine facility.

This is not only a transformational investment for the Shoals, but also our entire nation, Britt wrote in a post to X Sunday.

Hadrian founder and CEO Chris Power previously credited President Donald Trumps administration with making the $2.4 billion investment possible.

Powers company is investing $1.5 billion into the facility and another $900 million is coming from the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Kelly Loeffler, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, visited Alabama on Friday to tour the facility.

Our team had a great tour of Hadrians new $2.4B advanced manufacturing facility that will soon be fueling our warfighters and American military might, Loeffler wrote in a post to X.

It will create 1,000 new local jobs  and generate hundreds of purchase orders for small businesses across northwest Alabama.

The plant is one of the largest investments in maritime industrial base history, according to Power.

The administration has set the strategy, Congress has cleared a path, the Navy has set the requirement, and Secretary Phelan has been unambiguous that private-sector partnership is foundational, not optional, to deter threats to national security, Power recently said.

Industry has to answer that call with real execution, and the window to do it is now. We are proud to be part of the coalition building that capacity, and this factory is Hadrians commitment to meeting this moment.

Known as Factory 4, the Cherokee facility is an advanced, highly automated manufacturing plant that will mass-produce components needed for submarine construction, including parts, assemblies, and finished products.

These products have been identified by the industry as the largest drivers of submarine schedules, so increasing production allows submarines to also be produced faster, according to Hadrian.

The facility is dedicated to the U.S. Navys Columbia- and Virginia-class submarine programs.

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R- Ala., said spinoff jobs would be created by the plants work and the Shoals could expect hundreds of billions of dollars in future investment because of the work at the site.

The first phase of the facility is expected to reach full-rate production capacity within 24 months of contract award. Other parts of the facility are slated for construction over the coming months.

The Shoals has long been home to world-class artists and musicians, and were excited that the region is now going to play a key role in restoring Americas maritime and manufacturing dominance, Tuberville said.

The plant is the first large-scale inland advanced manufacturing facility dedicated to the U.S. maritime industrial base, Hadrian said. Hadrian has four facilities totaling approximately 2.85 million square feet across California, Arizona, and Alabama, and is developing additional production sites covering the full suite of production, from components to complete products and assemblies.

AL.coms Scott Turner contributed to this report.

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The VA recently reversed a 30-year policy to flag veterans for inclusion in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, when they required a fiduciary. But Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, introduced legislation for a permanent fix to stop future administrations from renewing the practice. (Stars and Stripes)



WASHINGTON  The chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee said he will push for passage of legislation to permanently stop the Department of Veterans Affairs from denying gun ownership to tens of thousands of former service members incapable of managing their financial benefits.

The VA announced in February that it was reversing a 30-year policy of flagging veterans for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System when they are unable to manage their financial benefits.

But Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., said his legislation is a permanent fix that cannot be undone by future administrations that might try to reimplement the policy.

The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, which Bost is leading, is pending a vote in the House. The bill has collected 70 co-sponsors  all Republicans.

Bost is working with House leadership to bring the bill to the floor soon, according to his office. A companion bill is awaiting a vote in the Senate.

The VAs longstanding policy of discriminating against veterans with fiduciaries  and automatically reporting them to the FBIs NICS list  that practice unfairly targets the very men and women who served our country and undermines the constitutional protections they fought to defend, Bost said.

The legislation would stop the VA from identifying veterans requiring fiduciaries for inclusion in the national database, which identifies people banned from buying and possessing firearms.

The NICS list, managed by the FBI, contained 72,818 VA fiduciary program beneficiaries, according to the VA.

All of those names were removed in March, said Quinn Slaven, VA press secretary.

VA sent notification letters to all affected fiduciaries, so they could share information with their clients. ... [VA] is proud to correct this decades-old injustice, Slaven said.

Going forward, the VA will only seek to include a veteran in the FBI database if a court determines the individual is a danger to self or others, the agency said.

Thats wild that the VA has been taking away veterans gun rights. It was overreaching. Thats just not right, said Army veteran Adam Johnson, 42, of Tennessee, whose mother acted as a conservator managing his Social Security benefits for several years until his mental health improved.

Johnson, who deployed twice to Iraq, said he experienced mental health trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder, after leaving the military in 2008.

Johnson has not applied for VA disability benefits because his other-than-honorable discharge disqualified him, he said, but he is now seeking to upgrade his status.

I am pleased to see Secretary [Doug] Collins and the Trump administration taking the next step in this process of restoring these rights; this is long overdue, Bost said. I look forward to passing my bill  to provide a permanent solution and ensure that the rights of our veterans are protected and respected.

The National Rifle Associations Institute for Legislative Action said that it has been more than a year since President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Protecting Second Amendment Rights.

The executive order directed a federal review of regulations and actions that restricted lawful firearm ownership, the NRA-ILA said.

For decades, anti-gun bureaucrats have stripped veterans of their Second Amendment rights without due process, said John Commerford, executive director of the NRA-ILA.

The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act would guarantee that those who proudly wore the uniform of the United States Armed Forces be afforded the same constitutional protections as other law-abiding citizens, Commerford said.
CPS 13/04/2026 a las 14:09h.

The National Police arrested a man for the alleged murder of a woman in Cordoba on Monday morning. Although the circumstances of her death are still under investigation, the suspect appears in the VioGen system and may have had a restraining order in relation to the victim, who was his ex-partner.

According to the initial investigation, the man had barricaded himself inside a flat on Calle Virgen de Luna, after spraying the building entrance with pepper spray. He was armed with a knife.

Both the suspect and the victim were reportedly to appear before the court on Monday.

The response of the emergency services

The National Police and several firefighters participated in the operation to detain the suspect. The firefighters' intervention was necessary to gain access to the flat.

Once inside the building, the emergency services confirmed the woman's death.

Click here to read more crime news.
Cristina Vallejo 13/04/2026 a las 15:30h.

This year marks a quarter of a century since the end of mandatory military service in Spain.

It was a battle that the conscientious objector movement and later the draft resistance movement, had been waging for decades. From the 1970s onward, especially with the end of the dictatorship, and generally in the 1990s, the refusal to perform military service took root among young Spaniards for various reasons: from radical militants and non-violence activists to those who didn't identify with the Army but weren't as politically active, and then those for whom military service meant a disruption to their studies or work that they wanted to avoid.

The two men from Malaga who share their stories in this report, Antonio Arjona and Antonio Ruiz, have maintained their anti-war activism until today.

For most, the movement culminated in the end of mandatory military service, but for them it was an incomplete victory, because a professional army came with increased military spending. As pioneers of non-violence in the province, Arjona and Ruiz look back with some bitterness on what happened in 2001. "In reality, when compulsory military service was abolished, the problem wasn't entirely solved. For us, the threat of having to do military service did disappear, but society had a bigger problem, which was that military spending was increasing," they tell SUR's journalists during an interview at the newspaper's headquarters.

History

Arjona and Ruiz bring hundreds of clippings and documents from their time as anti-conscription activists at SUR.

While the first major movement against military service occurred in 1909, leading to the Tragic Week in Barcelona, the first cases of strict conscientious objection took place in 1959 and involved two Jehovah's Witnesses who were sentenced to serve until the age of 38, when military service age ended.

Then, in 1967, a group of friends from the Comunidad del Arca, a Christian-inspired organisation that followed Gandhi in Barcelona, organised a camp on non-violence and more assertively voiced their opposition to the militarisation of society.

In the final years of Franco's dictatorship, several young men of military age undertook civilian service in a deprived neighborhood of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat as an alternative to military service, but this was not accepted. They were imprisoned and only released thanks to the 1976 pardon. That same year, a new law was passed recognising only conscientious objection on religious ground. The objectors' rejection of this law was absolute and in 1977 the conscientious objection movement was officially founded. The government responded by announcing a temporary extension for conscientious objectors until a definitive law could be drafted, which would not be approved until 1984.

This new law, however, was also unpopular with the movement. Firstly, because activists felt the law failed to recognise the right to conscientious objection: it was seen as a mere exception to the general obligation of military service. Regarding the alternative community service it required for those who didn't do military service, the movement believed it actually provided a source of cheap labour for many organisations that could be creating well-paid jobs.

"We were against all of that: I might want to do community service, but I objected to the state forcing me to do it as an alternative to military service. This meant that the right to conscientious objection wasn't recognised because I didn't want to participate in the militaristic and arms-related schemes. Almost all conscientious objectors voluntarily performed community service in our neighborhoods. In fact, the first group of objectors formed in Malaga worked in hospitals. We wanted to provide some service to society, but not to the state," Arjona and Ruiz say.

They state that the movement, led by Pepe Beunza, started the 'Voluntariado para el Desarrollo' initiative and submitted signatures to parliament to have it recognised as an alternative to military service. In L'Hospitalet a group of conscientious objectors started a self-managed voluntary civil service, but they also ended up being arrested.

Arjona and Ruiz never dodged the draft. They were conscientious objectors. In high school, during the final years of the Franco regime, Arjona had a somewhat unusual teacher of Formacion del Espiritu Nacional (Formation of the National Spirit), because instead of teaching dictatorship propaganda, he taught the history of political thought. Later, at Hospital Civil, while studying nursing, he lived in a "revolutionary environment". "The university rose up against the regime. All sectors of the workforce rose and everyone supported everyone else. That is, if we were studying and there was a workers' strike, we went on strike too. This is the context in which conscientious objection was born," Arjona says.

He actually learned about the movement in a parish group where a conscientious objector from the non-violent group he would later join spoke. "The concept of conscientious objection aligned with my principles, with my way of understanding life and people's relationships. We can't keep crushing each other, we have to collaborate, develop mutual support," Arjona says.

How did his parents take his decision? He says that his father, who always voted for socialism in the democratic era, didn't want him to get involved in any trouble. Based on his experience during the dictatorship, he thought that getting involved in politics was synonymous with getting in trouble, so he wasn't particularly happy about it.

Antonio Arjona fulfilled part of the ritual that led him to military service and registered 1976, at the age of 19. Since he was at university, he requested deferments for his studies until 1979. In 1980, by draft, he was assigned to the San Fernando military base. He went and declared that he wasn't going to serve. Because Gutierrez Mellado's order was in effect, stipulating that conscientious objectors would be granted a special deferment until a law was passed, his only problem was the uncertainty regarding what text the government would present and what would be voted on in the lower house.

Arjona began to build his life, working as a nurse, getting married, always with the lingering threat of military service. When the law was finally passed, he never heard from the Army again.

The same thing happened to Antonio Ruiz. He filed a declaration of conscientious objection with other coworkers at the Paseo de la Farola, where the Navy headquarters was located, and he never heard anything more about it. "They didn't call me, they didn't send me any letters saying I had to submit any documentation, nothing," Ruiz says.

When he went to Malaga University, he quickly became politically active, yearning for justice, non-violence and "a basic principle: you mustn't kill people".

The conscientious objectors' struggle, though with earlier antecedents, began in earnest in the 70s, spread throughout the 80s, even through legislation and lasted until 2001, when the government effectively abolished conscription, although the law mandating the full professionalisation of the Army dated back to 1999.

The movement's echoes resonate to this day. During the anti-war rally held in Malaga on 7 March, the conscientious objectors alluded to the fact that this protest and the 'No to War' movement, specifically the Iraq War, originated from the seeds of anti-war sentiment sown by the conscientious objection movement.

Arjona and Ruiz also speak about the organisational and protest methods used by the conscientious objector movement. "We were incredibly original and many of our actions were copied. One of the first things we did throughout Spain was to climb onto phone booths with banners. We held military parades dressed in garbage bags, chained ourselves to the military government building and walked through the streets dressed as prisoners. Our demonstrations weren't usually massive, nor did they rely on shouting, but we tried to engage people, not scare them, but make contact. From our non-violent perspective, an action should lead people to become involved, so we had people in the demonstrations whose job it was to start conversations and bring passersby in," the two activists say.

They also carried out laborious campaigns for tax conscientious objection, that is, to try to deduct from their income tax return the portion that went to the Ministry of Defence. The procedure was truly laborious, because it involved filling out the form, including a deduction for the amount they calculated they didn't have to pay, and sending a letter to the tax agency with all the documentation.

Conscription in Europe

With the rise in armed conflicts, some European governments have raised the possibility of reinstating mandatory military service. What do these conscientious objectors think? "Having an army serves no purpose and what they're trying to sell us is the idea that we have to spend more on defence," Arjona and Ruiz say.

Their concept of 'non-violence' is very broad: it doesn't stop at the 'no to war' sentiment that has recently resurfaced after more than 20 years, following the attacks of Israel and the US against Iran, which has once again destabilised the entire Middle East. "You can be a pacifist at a given moment because you're against a specific war, but someone who is non-violent goes further and is against all violence, not only physical violence, but also structural violence," they state.

They say they were moved by the massive anti-war demonstrations following the invasion of Iraq and by the new protests with the same slogan against Netanyahu and Trump's military campaign in the Middle East. They believe both rallies are heirs to the non-violent spirit of the conscientious objectors, but also to Spain's own history. "This is a country marked by the Civil War. Our parents and grandparents passed that on to us and we don't want any more wars. That's the general sentiment," they say.

When asked whether it's always possible to be non-violent, Arjona and Ruiz say that, during times like Germany's invasion of Poland or Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a non-violent person reacts, for example, by organising care for the wounded, ensuring food for the population, among other tasks.

"We would work in another field, but we're not going to pick up a rifle or start shooting," they state. "Armies spend billions of euros preparing for war. How much do we spend to organise non-violent popular defence?"
Irene Quirante and Maria Jose Diaz Alcala 13/04/2026 a las 15:35h.

The National Police arrested this past weekend the man who had been on the run after allegedly stabbing his former in-laws in the Las Castanetas neighborhood in Malaga. The police finally located and arrested the 43-year-old suspect in Alicante, where he had fled to avoid arrest.

The incident occurred at around 6pm on 6 April, when the emergency services received several calls for help. The suspect, who already had several outstanding court and police warrants for violating a restraining order, allegedly broke into his 20-year-old ex-girlfriend's home wielding a machete and with his face hidden by a mask.

According to the investigation, a few hours before the break-in, he had threatened to kill the young woman over the phone. The victim was inside the building with several family members, including her parents. The man allegedly kicked down the door and tried to attack her.

The woman's parents intervened to stop the attack and the suspect inflicted injuries on them. The mother, 48, suffered a serious cut, while the father, 51, sustained less severe injuries. Although the suspect's face was covered, the family immediately recognised him.

After assisting the victims and arranging their transfer to the hospital, the police conducted checks. They discovered that the 51-year-old father had a restraining order banning him from approaching his wife. The police proceeded to arrest him for violating the order.

In accordance with protocols for gender-based violence and given the abuser's history, the National Police established a permanent patrol near the family home until they located. During the course of the investigation, detectives received information that he was hiding in Alicante.

The Malaga police requested assistance from their counterparts in Alicante, who established a surveillance operation in the El Cementerio neighborhood.

On Saturday, 11 April, after the police received information that the suspect was about to leave Alicante, an off-duty officer spotted the fugitive on the Los Cipreses road and requested immediate reinforcement. The police finally arrested the suspect as he was about to enter a house.

According to the Malaga police, the man had six outstanding arrest warrants, most of them for violating restraining orders related to gender-based violence. One of the warrants also ordered his imprisonment for assault.
SUR 13/04/2026 a las 12:01h.

The tenth round of the Digital Enterprise Show (DES), a forum on exponential technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), will be held in Malaga in June. Most notably, it will feature Randi Zuckerberg, sister of the famous creator of Facebook, as a keynote speaker and one of the most important voices in the field of social media.

The tech entrepreneur and Facebook's former marketing director will participate in the event to reveal how AI is impacting sustainable business growth. The DES, which runs 9-11 June at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos, Malaga city's main trade fair and conference centre, will feature this particular Zuckerberg as the main attraction. She will present the talk "AI That Delivers", aimed at business leaders and CEOs. Her talk will focus on analysing how AI is exceeding expectations to become a real lever of influence in business.

From an executive perspective, Zuckerberg will detail the strategies companies can follow to translate AI into measurable growth, improve advertising performance and generate strategic returns at scale. Drawing on her experience developing revenue-driven products at Meta (Facebook's name-change), she will also reveal how organisations can make decisions about where to invest in artificial intelligence, how to align teams around its adoption and how to turn innovation into sustainable, long-term results.

Founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media, this speaker holds a psychology degree from Harvard and boasts a multifaceted career that blends technology and culture. She has also produced Broadway shows, winning three Tony Awards, and has been nominated for an Emmy, establishing herself as a prominent figure in both the digital and cultural worlds.

15,000 international execs

The event will bring together more than 500 international voices to examine the advancement of technology solutions and their current role in the business ecosystem, geopolitics and the global economy. Some of the prestigious names attending, apart from Zuckerberg, are: Yongdong Wang (Corporate Vice President of Microsoft), Trevor Monroe (Senior Program Manager at the World Bank) and Ricardo Baeza-Yates, an academic specialising in AI at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, one of the most prestigious technology institutions in Europe, among many other attendees.

Randi Zuckerberg's participation in DES 2026 Malaga is part of the plan for this event to bring together more than 15,000 international executives, who will discover the latest technological advances that are strengthening the competitiveness of large corporations, SMEs and institutions. These innovations will be showcased by over 400 companies that have signed up to participate in the event. Their exhibition area has been redesigned under the name of "DES Universe", housing seven thematic spaces dedicated to AI, cybersecurity, cloud, digital solutions for retail, marketing and SMEs, as well as entrepreneurial talent.
Jesus Hinojosa Malaga 13/04/2026 a las 13:24h.

The central government has put the brakes on Malagas urban expansion. The Ministry of Transport has issued a scathing, binding report rejecting the citys special infrastructure plan, effectively halting 52 road projects valued at 393 million euros.

The document, which SUR has accessed, leaves the citys roadmap for water, electricity, and transport in a state of "limbo." The Ministry warns that the current plan - intended to support the citys 2011 General Urban Development Plan (PGOU) - does not sufficiently account for the pressure new residents and businesses will put on state-owned motorways.

The central government is demanding that the ayuntamiento gees back to the drawing board. They insist on a joint traffic simulation with a 20-year time horizon to ensure that the citys growth doesn't lead to gridlock on national routes like the A-7 (Autovia del Mediterraneo).

"It is necessary to analyse whether additional measures are required to maintain road safety and the level of service on state motorways," the Ministry report states.

Funding row: Who pays for the La Arana bypass?

The most significant point of friction involves the La Arana bypass and the eastern ring road interchange. The city council expected the central government to fund the 7.5-million-euro remodel, which would provide access to new southern residential zones.

However, Madrid has flatly refused. Citing a 2015 decree, the Ministry argues that if a road project is only necessary because of a new private development, the developers must pay for it, not the taxpayer.

Impact on Malagas real estate and development The "harsh" tone of the report serves as a warning to the construction sector. The Ministry has made it clear that: No funding from Madrid: The government will not finance projects assigned to it by the council. Developer responsibility: Future developments will receive an "unfavourable report" unless developers pay for the necessary road upgrades upfront. Viability risks: Some sectors of the city may become unbuildable if the cost of the required road infrastructure is too high for developers to absorb.



This state ruling is binding, so if the city council wants to proceed with the approval of the infrastructure plan, it will have to prepare the new traffic study. However, the urban planning department has begun drafting a new general plan adapted to the current Andalusian urban planning law, which will analyse issues related to the city's infrastructure needs.

The Ministry of Transport's message

The ministry's report on the infrastructure plan in Malaga contains some harsh messages, serving as a warning to the city council. The government states that if the new traffic study detects "significant impacts on the level of service" of state motorways, the project causing these impacts "will receive an unfavourable report until it includes the necessary measures to guarantee the maintenance of the level of service and the safety conditions".

Key projects under fire Beyond general capacity concerns, the Ministry raised specific objections to: The Guadalhorce Bridge: Plans for a new bridge over the river mouth between the two existing structures. The Western Ring Road: A proposed connection at San Alberto to serve the expansion north of Avenida Lope de Vega. While the City Council is currently drafting a new General Plan adapted to the latest Andalusian urban planning laws (LISTA), this central government decision creates a significant hurdle for Malagas immediate growth and the 620-million-euro total investment planned for the citys future.



The Ministry of Transport also warns that these measures "must be implemented by the developers or those interested in the change of use, at their own expense", reiterating that it is not prepared to finance them.
Archive photo of a Guardia Civil officer.

Juan Cano Malaga 13/04/2026 Actualizado a las 11:10h.

The Guardia Civil are investigating a knife attack that occurred in Mijas on Sunday, 12 April. A 35-year-old man remains in serious condition at the Regional hospital in Malaga city after another man allegedly stabbed him in the chest, puncturing his lung.

The events took place late in the morning in a workshop located near the Coin road, although the police investigation started after the victim went to the Las Lagunas health centre with a cut on his neck and at least one more stab wound to his torso.

The doctors provided initial treatment to stabilise him, but immediately transferred him to Hospital Clinico. The doctors ultimately decided that he needed a transfer to Hospital Regional, where he underwent surgery.

While the victim was at the hospital in Malaga, another man of Moroccan origin went to the Las Lagunas health centre with knife wounds. The police quickly linked him to the assault.

Sources have indicated that the incident originated in the workshop located near the Coin road, where several people live and work. There, under circumstances that are still under investigation, a fight broke out.

The second man has reportedly admitted his involvement in the fight. The Guardia Civil initially arrested him for suspected homicide attempt.
Vietnam's healthcare transformation is increasingly visible in patient outcomes. At Vinmec, an eight-year-old with bone cancer that had consumed his entire femur regained mobility. So did a 25-year-old whose pelvis and proximal femur had been destroyed by osteosarcoma, as well as a 48-year-old who had spent years in a wheelchair after being turned away elsewhere.

The same technology-driven momentum continued in March 2026, when Vinmec Ocean Park 2 in Greater Hanoi introduced Vietnam's first 3.0 Tesla MAGNETOM Vida XT MRI. With scan times cut by up to 75%, improved detection of micro-lesions, and greater patient comfort through a wider bore, the system underscores Vinmec's leadership in advanced medical technology in Vietnam.

Scaling High-Quality Healthcare Network

When Vinmec Healthcare System launched its first Hanoi hospital in 2012, the goal was clear: build international-standard healthcare capacity within Vietnam and reduce reliance on overseas treatment.

Since then, the system has expanded into a nationwide network of ten hospitals and seven clinics, serving more than eight million patient visits annually. Its 92% patient satisfaction rate ranks among the highest in Vietnam. It is one of the few healthcare systems in Vietnam operating under a non-profit academic medical model, and among the very few with two hospitals certified by Joint Commission International under Academic Medical Center standards.

"We are committed to advancing technology, strengthening our academic foundation through research, and translating every breakthrough into better outcomes for patients. That has always been, and remains, our direction," shared Prof. Tran Trung Dung, CEO of Vinmec Healthcare System.

Every year, more than 40,000 Vietnamese spend nearly two billion US dollars seeking care overseas. Vinmec aims to reduce this trend by delivering international-standard healthcare services in Vietnam.

The Technology Backbone

Vinmec's technology strategy is best seen in how it has built innovation capacity over time.

The foundation was laid at Vinmec Times City, where the Da Vinci robotic surgical system, previously found only at elite hospitals in Singapore, the United States, and Japan, made its private-sector debut in Vietnam, establishing the country's first private robotic surgery center.

By June 2025, that investment had advanced into highly complex neurosurgery. At Vinmec Central Park, a nine-year-old boy suffering dozens of seizures each day underwent Vietnam's first robotic-guided pediatric epilepsy surgery. Using the AutoGuide system combined with stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG), surgeons placed electrodes with sub-millimeter precision deep within high-risk neural structures. Within a month, his seizure frequency had decreased significantly.

The same year, Vinmec's in-house innovation model was demonstrated again in orthopedic oncology. A multidisciplinary team of surgeons and biomedical engineers from VinUniversity designed and implanted a modular 3D-printed titanium femur for an eight-year-old osteosarcoma patient whose entire femur had been destroyed. Recognised by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, it was the first procedure of its kind globally.

These advances are supported by a formal research alliance between Vinmec, VinUniversity, and Hanoi Medical University in AI, robotics, and medical big data. It creates an integrated model that brings engineers, researchers, and clinicians into the same innovation cycle. Notably, the 3D-printed femur was not sourced externally. It was co-designed in-house by VinUni engineers and Vinmec surgeons working side by side.

Global Trust in Clinical Innovation

A healthcare system's partnerships are often an indicator of the standards it maintains.

In March 2026, Vinmec signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Siemens Healthineers - the global medical technology leader operating in over 180 countries. The agreement spans four strategic pillars: knowledge transfer and training, clinical marketing and branding, Centers of Excellence, and scientific collaboration.

"We believe our partnership with Vinmec Healthcare System will connect international expertise with healthcare needs in Vietnam and further drive medical technology innovation across the region," said Elisabeth Staudinger, Managing Board member of Siemens Healthineers at the signing ceremony.

Vinmec is also a member of the Cleveland Clinic Connected network, becoming the first healthcare system in Southeast Asia to join this global network.

International recognition has followed the clinical track record. In 2025, Vinmec became the first Vietnamese healthcare system to claim both Hospital Group of the Year and Technology Innovation of the Year at the Healthcare Asia Awards. It was a double win that underscored years of accumulated firsts, including Southeast Asia's first successful 3D-printed titanium chest wall reconstruction.

Later that year, at the ASOCIO Digital Summit in Taipei, a gathering of technology leaders from 24 Asia-Pacific economies, Vinmec was recognised as Vietnam's only healthcare honoree in the HealthTech category for its digital technology applications.

Most recently, at the Healthcare Asia Awards 2026, Vinmec secured three major accolades: Hospital Group of the Year, Patient Care Initiative of the Year, and ESG Program of the Year. This marks its second consecutive year of recognition at one of Asia's most prestigious healthcare awards. Notably, Vinmec's palliative care model for cancer patients has drawn strong interest from the international medical community, opening up a more comprehensive approach to treatment.

Taken together, these milestones position Vinmec as an emerging reference point for high-standard healthcare in Asia.
Peter Magyar: former govt insider promising system change



Budapest, April 12 (AFP) Apr 12, 2026



Just a few years ago, Peter Magyar applauded Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's speeches from a front row seat before emerging as the nationalist leader's most serious challenger in his 16 years in power.

"They called me the 'eternal opposition' within (Orban's party) Fidesz," he told AFP soon after bursting into prominence in 2024 as the government faced a presidential pardon scandal involving a child abuser's accomplice.

On Sunday, Hungarians decided Magyar would be the "eternal opposition" no more, giving his party a clear victory at the polls. The election win, he said, had "liberated" the country.

European leaders were lining up to congratulate him Sunday, hailing what they see as a break with Orban's hostile approach to the European Union.

A skilful communicator -- on social media but also on the campaign trail -- the 45-year-old conservative has promised change, vowing to dismantle "brick by brick" Orban's whole political system -- one he had deep ties to until very recently.

People who know Magyar personally say he is a perfectionist with a short temper but who will apologise for his shortcomings.

He toured the nation almost non-stop over the past two years promising to curb graft and fix public services, propelling his TISZA party -- a portmanteau for respect and freedom -- to the top of the polls.

His status as a former government insider contributed to his meteoric rise, according to Andrzej Sadecki, lead analyst at the Warsaw-based Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW).

"He sounds more convincing to some former Fidesz voters when he says the system is rotten from within," the expert told AFP.

"In a way, Magyar is like Orban 20 years ago without all the baggage, the corruption and the mistakes made in power."



- 'Courageous' -



Born into a family of prominent conservatives, Magyar was fascinated with politics from an early age.

During his university years, he befriended Gergely Gulyas -- Orban's current chief of staff -- and met Judit Varga, whom he married in 2006 and who later became justice minister under Orban.

After a stint in Brussels, where Magyar served as a diplomat dealing with EU matters, the family moved back to Hungary in 2018.

Magyar then headed the state's student loan provider and sat on the board of multiple other state companies.

Magyar and Varga, who have three children, divorced in 2023.

Largely unknown to the public, Magyar shot to prominence when a scandal over the pardoning of a convicted child abuser's accomplice shook the government in early 2024, leading to the resignation of the president, as well as Varga's retirement from politics.

Although Magyar brushed off a question about his political aspirations back then as a "bad (idea), even as a joke", weeks later he organised his first rally, attracting tens of thousands.

Magyar quickly became seen as "courageous, action-orientated and willing to take personal risks," Veronika Kovesdi, media expert at Budapest-based ELTE university, told AFP.

His social media messaging "emotionally resonated" with his followers, granting him an "unparalleled organic reach", said Kovesdi, adding many supporters see him as a "hero, tirelessly fighting for them".

The former insider took over the previously unknown TISZA so he could legally run in the 2024 European elections, leading it to second place behind the ruling coalition.

As his popularity has skyrocketed, Magyar has faced a "tsunami of hatred and lies" as he put it, ridiculing some claims and denying others, including domestic abuse accusations from Varga.

These attacks "helped further legitimise him as a leader who is truly capable of bringing about change" according to Kovesdi.



- 'Chance for change' -



Magyar has promised to crack down on corruption, improve public services such as healthcare and carry out reforms required to unfreeze billions of euros in EU funds earmarked for Hungary.

On foreign policy, he has vowed to make the country a reliable NATO ally and EU member, while being critical of Russia, with which Orban sought close ties despite Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Like Orban however, Magyar also rejects sending arms to Ukraine and opposes the country's quick EU integration, though he does not share Orban's hostile rhetoric towards Kyiv.

He has even stricter anti-immigration views than Orban, pledging he would end the government's guest worker programme.

Magyar's stance on LGBTQ rights is vague, but he emphasises he backs equality before the law.

Occasionally, he has had heated arguments with the media, lambasting outlets for "misplacing" their focus.

"As he was socialised in Fidesz, there are also doubts whether he can provide a genuine rupture with Orban's rule," analyst Sadecki said.

"Left-wing voters might not be fully happy with his agenda, but they still support him, because he represents the biggest chance for change," he added.
Torrential rain in Angola claims another six lives



Luanda, Angola, April 13 (AFP) Apr 13, 2026



Torrential rain in Angola over the weekend has killed a further six people, the interior ministry said Monday, after more than 40 people died a week ago.

For a second straight weekend, the central coastal city of Benguela was hardest hit, with the ministry giving a provisional death toll of five, with four people missing.

Footage from public broadcaster TPA showed entire neighbourhoods submerged by the waters of the Cavaco River and residents waist-deep in water.

Another person died in a suburb of the capital Luanda, where Pope Leo XIV is due to visit next Saturday as part of his first major overseas tour, which started Monday in Algeria.

Heavy downpours are a regular occurrence in southern Africa during the southern hemisphere summer and the region has repeatedly seen deadly flooding since the start of the year.

Researchers from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) network estimated in January that a 10-day period of extreme rainfall events had become "significantly more intense" in the region due to human-induced climate change.

Between January 10 and 19, parts of southern Mozambique received up to 500 mm (19.7 inches) of rain -- the equivalent of a year's worth of rainfall in a normal year, according to the scientists.

Around 50 people died in that period of flooding, according to Mozambique's National Institute for Disaster Management (INGD).

In South Africa, floodwaters devastated villages and killed more than 30 people in January, causing millions of dollars' worth of damage, including in Kruger National Park.

At least 13 people died in mid-March in Malawi following heavy rains.

The currently active La Nina cool weather cycle phenomenon also tends to dump above-average rainfall on southern Africa, according to WWA scientists, who say it amounts to some 22 percent of the increase in rain intensity.
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Booker Prize-winning author David Szalay has found himself at the centre of speculation about authorial inspiration and homage, as readers of his novel Flesh have questioned whether a film by Stanley Kubrick inspired the book almost beat for beat.

The sixth novel by Canadian-Hungarian writer Szalay, Flesh was released in March 2025. It follows a young working-class man called Istvan, who over the course of his life rises up the ranks from poverty at home in Hungary to sitting among Londons elite.

The book, which became a talking point for its sparse prose and 500 repeats of the word OK, won the 2025 Booker Prize; at the time, awards chair Roddy Doyle said that the judges had never read anything quite like it.

However, a number of critics and readers have noted similarities between Szalays book and Kubricks 1975 film Barry Lyndon, which itself is adapted from William Makepeace Thackerays 1844 novel The Luck of Barry Lyndon.

Barry Lyndons eponymous lead comes from Ireland, not Hungary, yet the characters follow near identical trajectories: they enlist in the army, marry wealthy women, grieve their sons and clash with their stepsons, and lose everything they have earned later in their lives.

But despite the similarities in the plots, Szalay has not listed Kubricks film as an inspiration for the story or writing process. This has led to some readers speculating that Szalay is playing an elaborate game and has included Easter eggs referencing Barry Lyndon in his novel.

open image in gallery Szalay with Queen Camilla at the Booker Prize reception last year ( PA )

In Kubricks film, Barry is shown a painting and comments: I love the use of the colour blue by the artist. In Flesh, Istvan is taken to the National Gallery and says of a different painting: "I like the use of the colour blue in that one.

The Independent has contacted Szalays representatives for comment.

What critics said at the time

Flesh received rave reviews upon its release, with few critics at the time noting the similarities between Barry Lyndon and Flesh.

The first reference appears to have been made by Aled Maclean-Jones in June 2025 on the Substack publication The Republic of Letters, where he suggests that Flesh is quite clearly, a near beat-for-beat mirror  both of the novel and of Kubricks film adaptation, to such a level Id almost call it a retelling.

In July, The New Statesman published a cultural reexamination of Barry Lyndon, where writer David Sexton argued that the similarities between Flesh and Kubricks film was a sign of the storys continued potency.

Unnoticed by most reviewers and uncommented upon by Szalay himself, Flesh  which is about the picaresque career of its hero Istvan, from Hungary to London, from poverty to riches and back to poverty again  is nothing less than a thorough revision and updating of Barry Lyndon (Kubricks movie, not Thackerays novel), he wrote.

open image in gallery Szalay will deny that 'Flesh' was written as a homage to 'Barry Lyndon' in a new interview ( AFP/Getty )

Sexton doubled down on his argument in The Standard following Szalays Booker Prize win, where he put forward that Flesh was Barry Lyndon updated, relocated, re-imagined, but the same.

There is nothing remotely wrong about it. Its not plagiarism. Indeed, it could be considered a vital tribute to a fantastic film, he wrote.

What Szalay has said

Appearing on Dua Lipas Service95 Book Club podcast, the author listed Hamlet, Virginia Woolfs Jacobs Room, Joseph Conrads Lord Jim, Michel Houellebecqs Platform and Katherine Faws Ultra Luminous as the five books that had influenced Flesh, with no reference to either Kubricks film or Thackerays novel.

In an interview with The Observer from November, Szalay said that he had seen Barry Lyndon when he was 20, and said that the rags-to-riches arc was an influence.

Szalay is explicitly asked about the similarities between the texts in a forthcoming episode of BBC Radio 4s This Cultural Life, where hes asked if Flesh is a direct reference to Barry Lyndon.

No, I wouldnt go that far, Szalay replies, adding that Kubricks film wasnt really at the front of my mind, I dont think. When pressed, he says that he could have been influenced by it in some way, but denies that his book was written in homage to the film.
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Jennie Garth has opened up about the sheer chaos surrounding the original Beverly Hills, 90210 cast  and the subsequent impact the frenzy had on her mental health.

Garth, 54, played Kelly Taylor on Foxs seminal 1990s drama about a group of high school friends living in the affluent neighborhood of Beverly Hills, California. Speaking on the latest episode of Dax Shepards Armchair Expert podcast about her forthcoming memoir, I Choose Me: Chasing Joy, Finding Purpose & Embracing Reinvention, Garth recalled being sent out to press events for the hit show.

It was pandemonium, Garth recalled. And after that started happening, I started to develop agoraphobia. Like I never left my house.

Garth said her agoraphobia  fear of situations where escape may be difficult  arose from the hordes of fans who would attend these events. She recalled one particular instance where she and her late co-star (and on-screen love interest) Luke Perry were sent to an actual zoo to meet fans.

They had us in, I think it was the bird enclosure, to get to the signing area where they had set it up, Garth said. And we went and it was impossible because it was dangerous. The kids were pushing and shoving and screaming and fainting.

Jennie Garth has spoken out about the impact 'Beverly Hills, 90210' had on her mental health ( Getty )

There were just thousands of people. We definitely were animals in a zoo. Thats what we felt like.

Garth also recalled many events getting canceled because of the mobs of people who would show up, saying it was terrifying, cause youre on those little riser things they put you up on and like a folding table and its just shaking and rocking.

People are sweating and crying and passing out. And like literally the medics are carrying people off, she continued. The actor added that even today, when fans meet the original Beverly Hills, 90210 stars, they don't know how to handle it.

But back then, the fan frenzy took a toll on her mental health.

I wanted to go to the mall. I wanted to do things that young people were doing, she said. But I just didnt. I got scared.

Beverly Hills, 90210 starred Garth and Perry, along with the late Shannen Doherty, Jason Priestley, Tori Spelling, Brian Austin Green, Gabrielle Carteris and Ian Ziering.

The series, which followed the group as they transitioned from teenagers to adulthood, ran for 10 seasons from 1990 to 2000.

Years later, the CW rebooted the show, welcoming a new leading cast of Shenae Grimes-Beech, Tristan Mack Wilds, AnnaLynne McCord, Jessica Stroup, Michael Steger and Jessica Stroup. The revival centered on a family whose two children must adapt to the drama of Beverly Hills after relocating from Kansas.

Garth, who reprised her role as Kelly Taylor in the five-season revival, later confessed that she wishes she hadnt done the reboot.
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Sid Krofft, the childrens television producer behind such hits as H.R. Pufnstuf and Land of the Lost has died. He was 96.

Krofft worked as a circus puppeteer before moving into television, where he worked closely with his brother Marty, who died in 2023 at the age of 86.

Sids death was announced on his official Instagram account by his friend and business partner Kelly Killian, who wrote: I loved Sid with my whole heart. The last six years of my life were devoted to him, and his to me. In that time, he taught me more than I could ever put into wordsabout the art of Hollywood, the magic of the stage, and the depth and complexity of human nature.

I wish so very much that I had more time with him.There is no way I could ever repay the life lessons he gave me, both the beautiful and the difficult. Even now, I find myself instinctively checking in on him, walking into a room ready to ask him a question about a piece of history or a person that no longer exists.

I didnt know Sid for his showsI only knew the man who created them. And that man was extraordinary.

Children's television producer Sid Krofft, pictured with a Sleestak from Land of the Lost, has died at 96 ( Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images )

Last Thursday night, he grabbed my arm and said, Kelly, I need you to know something I love you. Those words will stay with me forever. I will miss his big blue eyes, his cheerful smile with his dimples, and the warmth that seemed to follow him everywhere he went.

That man embodied love, life, and happiness  right to the very end I love you more, Sid. Always.

Sid Krofft was born Cydus Yolas in Montreal, Canada on July 30, 1929. His younger brother Marty was born in 1937.

Sid was the first of the brothers to find work as a puppeteer, and toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He created his own one-man puppet show, and adopted the stage name Sid Krofft while still in his teens.

In 1957, Sid and Marty developed the adult puppet show Les Poupees de Paris, and in 1965 they were introduced to a wide television audience when they were featured on the debut episode of The Dean Martin Show.

In 1968, the brothers were hired to design and create the characters for Hanna-Barbera's The Banana Splits, and the following year they ventured out on their own with H.R. Pufnstuf, a show about a human boy who finds himself in a brightly-colored world of puppets.

They produced several more shows throughout the 1970s, most prominently Sigmund and the Sea Monsters which ran from 1973 to 1975), and Land of the Lost, which ran from 1974 to 1976. They were also involved in the 2009 movie reboot of the latter series, which starred Will Ferrell, Danny McBride and Anna Friel.

In 2018, the Krofft brothers won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys, and in 2020 they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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The View hosts slammed Donald Trumps outrageous AI-generated image of himself as Jesus, labeling it blasphemous.

Over the weekend, amid his feud with Pope Leo XIV, the president shared a doctored image of himself dressed as Jesus, in white robes and a red sash, putting his hand to the forehead of a sick man. He appears to have since deleted the post.

During Mondays segment of the ABC talk show, the hosts displayed the picture on the screen behind them as they addressed Trumps recent Truth Social rant, in which he called the Pope WEAK on crime and terrible for foreign policy.

I think our founding fathers did a lot of things right, and the 25th Amendment is there for a reason, began Sunny Hostin, a devout Catholic. Ratified in 1967 following JFKs assassination, the amendment gives power to the executive branch to begin the process of removing a president who has been deemed unfit to serve.

No one holds that office, which is arguably the most powerful office in the world, and does things like that, Hostin added, with her voice breaking.

open image in gallery Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of him dressed as Jesus ( @realDonaldTrump/Truth Social )

open image in gallery 'The View' hosts discussed Trump's public feud with Pope Leo ( ABC )

Whoopi Goldberg stepped in to insist that the picture be taken down from the screen, as Alyssa Farah Griffin added: In the Christian faith, this is considered blasphemy: blasting yourself as Christ, elevating yourself to the level of Christ.

Its blasphemous, Hostin agreed.

I did see some very prominent MAGA supporters who are diehards, even saying as much, saying, Please take this down, Griffin continued. And to declare kind of an open season on the Pope, the leader of the largest faith in the United States, the most charitable faith, and that also makes up a big portion of Trumps base, makes no sense to me, because this happens as hes bleeding MAGA supporters for the war in Iran.

Adding that Trump is offending our faith, Griffin noted: Our faith is bigger than our politics. That is one thing that will always trump politics for people who are practicing in their faith. He clearly doesnt understand that.

He sees it as meme-worthy, as funny, as something to be mocked, she said. God is not to be mocked.

The Independent has contacted the White House for comment. Trump did speak to reporters outside the White House after deleting the photo.

I did post it and I thought it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross, Trump told reporters during Mondays hastily arranged press conference. Its supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better.

He blamed fake news for comparing the image to Jesus and refused to apologize to the pope, who said things that are wrong, according to Trump.

open image in gallery Trump spoke to reporters Monday outside the Oval Office claiming he believed he was depicted as a doctor in the photo ( Reuters )

Trumps public feud with the pope has escalated in recent days, after the head of the Catholic Church criticized Trumps warning that an entire civilization will die tonight, in reference to Iran, as unacceptable. The pope has also suggested that a delusion of omnipotence is fueling the war between the United States and Iran.

The president later posted a lengthy message on Truth Social, claiming that the Catholic Churchs leadership had been arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else in the midst of the Covid pandemic and suggested that he preferred the popes brother.

I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA, the president blasted. He gets it, and Leo doesnt!

I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.

Pope Leo responded to the presidents angry message Monday and said he would always speak out in favor of peace. I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do, he told reporters. I dont want to get into a debate with Trump.
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Controversial influencer Clavicular walked out of a 60 Minutes Australia interview after he was questioned about his connection to manosphere influencer Andrew Tate.

The 20-year-old social media star, who maintains an online presence among manosphere circles as a so-called looksmaxxer, was filmed earlier this year with far-right commentator Nick Fuentes and Tate, in which the three men chanted along to the Kanye West track Heil Hitler.

In an interview with 60 Minutes Australias Adam Hegarty, Clavicular  born Braden Eric Peters  was questioned about his looksmaxxing theory, self-improvement and his views on women, but Peters grew agitated when he was quizzed on his relationship to Tate.

Hegarty asked Peters: Youve shared company with Andrew Tate and other controversial figures, why do you spend time with people like that?, to which the influencer replied: I see you want to make this political You want to end [this interview] and talk about politics.

As Hegarty tried to defend his line of questioning, Peters asked the journalist if he had watched his February interview with the British commentator Piers Morgan. In the interview, the influencer insulted Morgans wife when he felt the interview was becoming too political.

open image in gallery Braden Peters, from Hoboken, New Jersey, found viral fame through TikTok and Instagram clips of him mogging other men ( 60 Minutes Australia )

open image in gallery Peters is known for popularizing the term looksmaxxing, which is the theory that maximising ones physical appearance is the key to overarching superiority ( Clavicular Live/YouTube )

Peters warned Hegarty: Too bad I didnt have time to look into anything about who your wife cheated with, but dont try and go down that line of questioning with me.

Im not married, replied Hegarty. I could teach you about looksmaxxing then, responded Peters, getting up from his chair and walking out of frame. Maybe you could switch that up thanks for the time appreciate the interview.

Peters is known for popularizing the term looksmaxxing, which is the theory that maximizing ones physical appearance  often through aggressive methods and surgical intervention  is the key to overarching superiority and success with women.

open image in gallery Clavicular insulted Piers Morgans wife during an interview with the British commentator ( TalkTV )

In an interview with The New York Times published in February, Peters revealed that he had injected and ingested dozens of substances, including testosterone replacement therapy, to ascend, which is a looksmaxxing term for becoming more handsome.

His name is based on the clavicle (the collarbone), a highly prized feature within the online community.

Elsewhere during the interview, Peters denied connection to incel communities, saying, Im not linked to that group in any way. Looksmaxxing is self-improvement, right? So its about, uh, potentially even ascending out of that category one of the goals is to disassociate from being an incel and overcome that.

During his interview with Morgan, Peters addressed the video in which he was captured singing along to Yes Heil Hitler alongside Tate and claimed he had nothing to do with it. Peters has repeatedly claimed he is not political.

Peters, from Hoboken, New Jersey, found viral fame through TikTok and Instagram clips of him mogging other men  which means standing next to someone to make them look less attractive by comparison  and brutally rating other peoples appearances. He spends up to eight hours per day livestreaming on the site Kick from his residence in Florida. He receives more than 10,000 concurrent viewers.

Last month, Peters was taken into custody by Osceola County authorities and faces one count of battery. He was released on bail for a $1,000 bond, and he is scheduled to face charges in Central Florida.

The arrest came a day before the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced in a statement that it had launched an investigation into a viral clip showing Peters opening fire on a floating reptile. It is not clear if Peters arrest is related to the video.
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If you were to ask most people what causes cancer, the answer would probably be smoking, alcohol, the sun, hair dye or some other avoidable element.

But the most important risk factor for cancer is something else: ageing.

Thats right, the factor most associated with cancer is unavoidable  and a condition that we will all experience.

Why is this important? Older adults are the fastest-growing population in Canada and globally.

By 2068, approximately 29 per cent of Canadians will be over age 65.

With cancer being one of the most common diseases in older adults and one of the most common diseases in Canada, it means we need to think about how to provide the best cancer care for older adults.

Demographic shift

So, how are we doing so far? The answer is: not great. This may be surprising, but we also have a great opportunity to innovate and prepare for this demographic shift in cancer care.

International guidelines  including those from the American Society of Clinical Oncology  say that all older adults should have a geriatric assessment prior to making a decision about their cancer treatment. The most widely used models of geriatric assessment involve a geriatrician.

Consultation with a geriatrician for an older adult allows the oncologist and the older adult to engage in a conversation about cancer treatment, armed with information. Things like how treatment might affect their cognition, their function, their existing illnesses (which most older adults have when they are diagnosed with cancer), and the years of remaining life.

Importantly, geriatricians centre their assessment on what matters most to patients. This approach anchors any decision about cancer around the wishes of older adults and their support systems. When diagnosed with cancer, older adults undergo many tests and measures of function, but the evidence supports that these are not as accurate as geriatric assessment for identifying problems that may be below the surface.

Care in Canada

In Canada, there are currently only a handful of specialised geriatric oncology clinics. The oldest clinic is in Montreal at the Jewish General Hospital, followed closely by the Older Adult with Cancer Clinic at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, led by Shabbir Alibhai, one of the authors of this story. As researchers, we are in touch with clinics in Ontario and Alberta that have told us they have geriatric oncology services under development, so we hope to see new programs soon.

These clinics arent just good for patients. In fact, a study led by Shabbir Alibhai demonstrated a cost savings of approximately $7,000 per older adult seen in these clinics. If we map this onto the number of older adults diagnosed with cancer in Canada every year, this represents a huge cost savings for our public health system. Despite this overwhelming evidence, this is still not routine care.

In British Columbia, there are currently no specialised services for older adults with cancer ( Getty/iStock )

In British Columbia, there are currently no specialised services for older adults with cancer. Over the last five years, Kristen Haase  also an author of this story  has been working with colleagues to understand whether these services are needed and how they could help older adults with cancer in B.C.

This work involved conversations with more than 100 members of the cancer community. The research team spoke with older adults undergoing cancer treatment, who sometimes had to relocate for cancer treatment. Other participants included caregivers who cared for elderly family members during their cancer treatment and described numerous challenges they faced, and volunteers who ran a free transportation service  a service also mostly staffed by older adult volunteers.

The research team also heard from health-care professionals: oncologists, nurses, physiotherapists and social workers. The latter group coalesced around the need for additional supports within the cancer care system so they could do their job well, and best support older adults.

The results indicate that both those working in the system and those using the system want and need better support.

Barriers to care

So, where are we now and why dont we have these services across Canada?

Cost is obviously a barrier to any healthcare service. But with evidence that any costs will be offset by demonstrated cost savings, this is a non-starter.

Health human resources are one huge restriction. Geriatricians are in high demand and there is a low supply. However, nurse-led models have also been shown to be successful. With the expanding role of nurse practitioners across Canada, this option has huge potential to innovate care, and at a lower cost.

Another reason is good old inertia. Our clinical care model in oncology has remained mostly intact for over three decades. It is primarily a single physician-driven model. Although modern therapies for cancer have emerged at a breathtaking pace and have been introduced into clinical practice, it is much harder to change the model of care, particularly for strategies such as geriatric assessment that are harder to implement than a new drug or surgical/radiation technique.

About the authors Kristen Haase is an Associate Professor in Nursing at the University of British Columbia. Shabbir Alibhai is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

The last, and perhaps the most difficult to pin down of all potential reasons for the absence of specialised cancer services for older adults, is agism. Ageism is discrimination based on age. It is one of the most common forms of discrimination and it is deeply embedded in many of our systems. Imagine a scenario where children diagnosed with cancer couldnt access a paediatrician. We would collectively be outraged. Yet somehow, we accept this for older adults.

Due to the overwhelming number of older adults who are and will be diagnosed with cancer in the coming years, it will never be possible for all of them to receive specialised geriatric services. But there is an opportunity to innovate models of care that are targeted to those who need services the most: those who are most frail, are most likely to benefit from tailored care, and will reap the most benefit in terms of quality of life.

Stratifying these programs around those who need them the most will also have the greatest financial impact. And if personal stories of improving quality of life for older adults with cancer or international guidelines dont move decision-makers, hopefully, cost savings will.
Louise Therouxs most recent documentary, Inside the Manosphere, has reignited conversations about what kind of content young men are seeing online, and the people who are profiting from preaching misogyny and anti-feminism. The film follows three manosphere influencers across different countries, mediums, and with slightly different audiences, who all espouse similar worldviews: that masculinity is supreme and rigid, and that women should submit to men.

The manosphere is a loosely connected network of streamers, bloggers, websites, and news outlets which focus on promoting traditional notions of masculinity and female subjugation. There has been a lot of research and discussion about the worrying rise in regressive attitudes towards women globally among Gen Z (between 14 and 30 years old) men and boys. A recent study by Ipsos and Kings College London found global increases in men agreeing with statements such as when it comes to giving women equal rights with men, things have gone far enough in my country. The study found that 31 per cent of Gen Z men and boys agree that women should obey their husbands, a higher percentage than any other age group.

Our data reveals a striking gap between peoples personal views, which are far more progressive, and what they imagine society demands of them. This gap is particularly pronounced among Gen Z men, who not only appear to feel intense pressure to conform to rigid masculine ideals, but in some cases also seem to expect women to retreat to more traditional ways of being, said Professor Heejung Chung, director of the Global Institute for Womens Leadership, Kings Business School, about the findings.

But it isnt just young men. There is a growing ecosystem of content, influencers, and media networks targeting anti-feminist manosphere-style content at young women themselves. Welcome to the womanosphere.

The womanosphere, a term inspired by the manosphere, is an alternative right-wing media ecosystem composed of female figures and media outlets that promote traditional and patriarchal values, anti-feminism, anti-LGBT+ views, and for some, extreme right ideology, explains Dr Eviane Leidig, author of The Women of the Far Right.

While content in the womanosphere is created by women to appeal to women, its internal logical overlaps with that of the manosphere; mainly that straight white cis men should dominate politics and society, and women should be submissive to them.

Influencers in this digi-sphere range from Maga-aligned political pundits to tradwife TikTokers. On the more overtly political end of the spectrum, there are figures like Candace Owens, who recently broke into mainstream consciousness after she transvestigated French first lady Brigitte Macron, and Brett Cooper, a YouTuber who joined Fox News as a political pundit last June.

open image in gallery The tradwife movement has been around for a good amount of time now, teaching young women that adopting traditional gender roles might make them more appealing to men ( Getty/iStock )

Then, theres the less overtly political side, including so-called tradwives like Nara Smith and Ballerina Farms, whose real name is Hannah Neeleman. While they may make less incendiary content, focusing more on homemaking, child-rearing, and cooking, their content still promotes a worldview which centres a regressive vision of traditionally white femininity.

When researching my book, Pink-pilled: Women and the Far Right, I tracked how users often began at this end of the spectrum, interacting with seemingly apolitical content, before being funnelled via algorithmic recommendations and human nudges towards increasingly political and right-wing content. Since most womanosphere content focuses on lifestyle topics such as food blogging, alternative health and wellness, beauty, religion, and pregnancy and motherhood, these types of apolitical content can easily spread online, even if they contain coded language and signals that indicate more extreme views, says Dr Leidig.

I found that womanosphere influencers were more likely to rely on image-based platforms, such as YouTube and Instagram, as not only do these platforms tend to favour content made by women who adhere to traditional beauty stands, their physical attractiveness is also a part of the sell; to young men watching their content, it suggests that they to could gain proximity to beautiful young women if theyre manly enough. To young women, it signals that adopting traditional gender roles might make them more attractive.

Sometimes, this messaging is more apparent, as with the Maha  Make America Hot Again  movement, which explicitly links support for Trump with hotness (not to be confused with the Make America Healthy Again movement, fronted by Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr). While not a complete overlap, several of the most prominent SkinnyTok influencers were also part of the womanopshere  or at least promoted male supremacist ideologies.

open image in gallery Brett Cooper, a Fox News contributor, is part of the more political side of the womanosphere ( Gage Skidmore/BY-SA 2.0 )

But, it isnt just influencers on TikTok or Instagram; women are also participating in forums such as Reddits RedPillWomen, where women ask questions and give each other advice on how to attract and date high value, conservative men. Similarly, Reddit also has forums dedicated to female dating strategy, where, similar to manosphere influencers, women teach each other how to gamify relationships, and femcel  female incel forums. Brittany Melton, an academic who studies these communities, says that they promote rigid gender and heterosexual norms, where women must perform femininity correctly to deserve to be provided for by wealthy men.

Its almost as if gender exists as something you get to step into, being the perfect version of yourself to attract the kind of men you want, she explains, adding; theres an element of constant self-improvement, like if you can just be your best self of love yourself enough, you can attract this kind of [high value] person.

The latter two communities are generally considered part of the femosphere, rather than the womanopshere. While there's a lot of overlap between the two, and the terms are often used interchangeably, Dr Jilly Kay, a senior lecturer at Loughborough University, who studies the femosphere, suggests that there are important differences.

The way that I think of femosphere is as a kind of mirror image of the manosphere, which purports to be in opposition to the manosphere, and often has quite an antagonistic relationship with manosphere communities and yet, ends up perpetuating many of the same logics, she says. The womanosphere, she says, is more like an extension of the manosphere. The womanopshere often uses feminist rhetoric. Its claiming to be feminist and speaking in women's interests and so on.

Unlike the manosphere, there are yet to be any instances of mass violence driven by womanosphere/femosphere ideologies, but Dr Kay says we should still be concerned about these communities as they can contribute towards the ideological radicalisation of girls.

If we fail to recognise that women can also be interpolated by these reactionary ideas, we're missing a huge part of what's happening with the mainstreaming of the right. It is always important to qualify the idea that the femisphere doesn't pose the same risks as the manosphere. It's not directly equivalent, but it's working in the same political direction, she says.

open image in gallery Manosphere influencers have become infamous after Louis Therouxs documentary. The women espousing similar views are less known ( Netflix )

In my research, I also saw that while men in the manosphere tended to direct their anger outward, often blaming women for their problems, women in these communities tended to turn their feelings inwards - blaming themselves for their perceived shortcomings and frustrations. In the communities I monitored for 18 months, there were often signs of eating disorders, depression, and even self-harm from women within these communities.

Both Dr Kay and Melton stress the importance of improved media literacy, particularly among younger generations, and suggest keeping an open dialogue with young women in your life about what theyre seeing online. As soon as your child won't talk about what they're seeing anymore is where the concern should start, because as long you can talk about what it is that theyre seeing, how we're engaging with it, and, most importantly, how it's making them view the world, theyre probably not engaging with it that seriously, says Melton.
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Naga Munchetty has opened up about a health condition that leaves her in extreme amounts of pain  sometimes while presenting.

The BBC Breakfast host, 51, has adenomyosis, which affects the womb and causes her uterus to enlarge. Known as the evil twin sister of endometriosis, its believed to affect one in 10 women, although studies have found it could be undiagnosed in lots of women.

Symptoms include cramps, abdominal bloating and heavy menstrual bleeding.

Munchetty said that she has become conditioned to accept the severe pain she experiences as a consequence of the condition. She said in a new interview on Monday (13 April): If youre curled up on the floor screaming, sweating, flooding, passing out, vomiting, that is debilitating. But you end up normalising that pain.

open image in gallery Naga Munchetty has opened up about having adenomyosis ( BBC )

The presenter told The Times: It can come at any time, but you put it in a box and you get on with your job  thats what most women do when theyre in pain. She added that she also probably has endometriosis.

Despite going to the doctors several times, she was not diagnosed until 32 years later as she was led to believe the pain she was experiencing was normal. Munchetty previously said of the condition: Ive had to come off set to throw up because I thought I was passing out while presenting BBC Breakfast.

I went to the toilet, threw up, cleaned it up. I managed to get a 10-minute break, got makeup redone covered in sweat, sat down and did the next hour and a half.

There are key differences between endometriosis and adenomyosis. With the former, the rogue tissue invades areas outside of the uterus. While the extent of the growth varies from patient to patient, it can affect areas such as the bladder, bowel, ovaries, and even the lungs.

Meanwhile, adenomyosis causes the rogue tissue to bury inside the muscular wall of the uterus. Its more common in women between the ages of 40-50, and those who have been pregnant before. While the cause of the condition is not known, University College Hospital says that genetics and some hormones may play a role.

Treatment options are limited, but for those seeking relief from symptoms, medication is recommended to reduce pain and bleeding, as well as hormonal interventions such as the contraceptive pill.

The condition is typically diagnosed using MRI and ultrasound scans, but the NHS says that adenomyosis can take a long time, even years, to diagnose because symptoms and severity can vary between women.

open image in gallery Naga Munchetty previously said she had to rush off BBC Breakfast set to vomit because of condition ( BBC )

The frequent dismissal of womens gynaecological symptoms means that signs of adenomyosis may be conflated with normal menstruation, or even other conditions such as endometriosis.

While awareness of endometriosis is on the rise, there is less knowledge surrounding adenomyosis, with the charity Tommys claiming that the condition might be underdiagnosed after a review of existing studies found that mild cases could be missed by clinicians using current diagnostic methods.

Another celebrity who has been vocal about having the condition is actor Gabrielle Union, who said it went undiagnosed when she was in her twenties.
When Kavitha*, now 41, was in her twenties, she had a nose job. Shed always felt her nose was too prominent and crooked, to the point where she hated being photographed, desperately used makeup to mask it, and never felt she fit into societal beauty standards, especially growing up as an Indian woman in Singapore. So she opted for rhinoplasty to reconstruct her nose, making it smaller and less crooked.

Now Kavitha, who lives in the UK and works in finance, has a nose that fits the white beauty standard. Her nose job has given her the self-confidence she never had before and she has no regrets. But looking back, she can see her desire for a nose job didnt come from herself  it came from a pressure that was linked to her ethnicity.

I did it out of fear rather than actual want, she explains. Its fear of not being accepted. Of people criticising you. As a woman of colour, it is especially worse because you need to fit in and its just hard. If I was raised in India, I dont think I would have had a problem with my nose at all. But if you live in a Western country or a place where youre the minority, its a lot harder.

I relate to Kavitha. Growing up in England, I was always self-conscious of my big Indian nose, as a bully once labelled it. I knew I didnt fit into the societal white beauty standard I saw in movies and magazines, where models and romcom heroines always had small noses, so I spent my teen years avoiding side-profile photos, dreaming of what Id look like if I had plastic surgery.

But when my mum offered me a nose job at the age of 18, I couldnt go through with it  I was too scared to no longer look like me. That decision helped me accept my nose, but I only learned to love it a decade later when body positivity was all over Instagram. I decided to launch my own movement to celebrate big noses. #Sideprofileselfie went viral and as I saw people across the world sharing images of their big noses  the majority of whom were people of colour  I realised just how beautiful big noses could be.

Now, aged 35, I love my nose and am so glad I didnt change it. I can see the history of my ancestors in its gentle bump, regal length and strong personality. If Id changed it, I would have felt the same regret that other women of colour have experienced. Like Bella Hadid, who had rhinoplasty aged 14 and later told Vogue: I wish I had kept the nose of my ancestors. I think I would have grown into it.

Dr Ivo Gwanmesia, a Harley Street plastic surgeon, regularly performs ethnic rhinoplasties  a term used for any non-white person having a nose job  but also has clients coming to him from other clinics, asking him to reverse or tweak their nose jobs after being given caucasian noses.

The noses didnt suit their faces, explains Dr Gwanmesia, who recently had a Ghanaian patient who wanted him to make the tip of her nose less pointy after she went to Turkey for rhinoplasty. Sometimes theyve lost the cultural traits of their nose. From time to time, you do see people wanting to reverse it.

I regularly receive messages from people of colour who have had nose jobs, and while a very small number do want to reverse their nose jobs, what I see most is people wishing theyd invested in their self-esteem rather than surgery.

I can see why I had such strong feelings about my nose, says Noor*, a British Indian performer who had a nose job seven years ago at the age of 28. But Ive also done a lot of self-work over the years, so I dont know if Id make the same decision now.

Kavitha feels similarly, admitting she wouldnt have changed her nose if circumstances had been different. It was a me issue  a lack of self-confidence. I wish I was raised with more self-assurance. A big part of it is due to the millennial generation I grew up in. Hopefully, younger people will embrace their noses, just the way they are. Shes now married to a white English man and the two have children together  but he has no idea she ever had a nose job.

I initially didnt want anybody to know about it because of embarrassment, says Kavitha. But now I like the illusion that this is what I look like. My husband thinks I look good now, so why would I want to change that?

open image in gallery Sharan Dhaliwal had a nose job in her twenties, hoping to fix parts of her  shes not sure if she would make the same decision today ( Mathushaa Sagthida )

Sharan Dhaliwal, 41, author of Burning My Roti: Breaking Barriers as a Queer Indian Woman, had a nose job in 2007 after struggling with being bullied, anxiety, depression and disordered eating. A large part of me thought I would be able to fix parts of me physically to cure the struggles I was facing as a young teen. I shaved and waxed hair from every inch of my body  all to fix a problem. I shoved painful contact lenses into my eyes. But I wasnt comfortable in the way I looked because I wasnt allowed to exist naturally in my own form. Being told by all those around me that my worth was defined by my beauty kept me within the parameters of the patriarchy.

She had her nose job in her early twenties, when she still felt defined by those narrow confines, which also meant she only came out as queer in her thirties and gender-diverse in her forties. Looking back on her rhinoplasty, she says: I dont know if I would make the same decision now; all I know is that I understand myself and my worth a bit better now.

My old nose represents Panjab  a sharp and pointed bow that would usually protect me. I took it, instead, as a drawback. Now, Im not sure how Panjabi I look to people, but I do know that my nose is held by my grandad and my ancestors. Whether I cut my nose to change it or not, the nose is still there, because my people still wear it with pride.

The cultural heritage in a nose plays a complex role in how people of colour feel about surgery. Plastic surgeon Dr Amir Sadri specialises in ethnic rhinoplasty and says: Some people feel guilt around getting rid of features that define their ethnicity. His clinic offers counselling to people before surgery, helping them understand that heritage is more than your nose. People fixate on their noses as this feature that defines them, but your nose doesnt define your ethnicity. Its the way you act, your skin colour, your culture and so much more.

Kemi Fakunle, 32, a Nigerian-American content creator, feels similarly. She shared her rhinoplasty journey with thousands on TikTok, documenting her trip to Turkey for her surgery, and the 16 months it took for her nose to heal. She now loves her new nose, which was constructed with cartilage from her ribs, but faced negativity about her decision online.

open image in gallery Kemi Fakunle from before she had her nose job ( Kemi Fakunle )

I had a lot of comments saying I was trying to fit into the white beauty standard. But I think its reductive for people to think that way because changing my nose doesnt change my skin colour. If anything, my mother still has a more Eurocentric nose than I do.

Both Kemis parents are Nigerian, but she always had a nose just like her fathers, and surgery means her nose now looks more like her mothers. At the risk of being a bit vulgar, had the DNA split a different way I would have had her nose and it would have been more Eurocentric than it is now, she says. I understand peoples position on that but the reality of the case is Im still a dark-skinned Black woman in any room I walk in and my nose isnt going to change that.

Even though Im personally glad I didnt opt for surgery, I dont believe that changing your nose can erase your ethnicity. Surgery will physically alter the nose you were born with, the nose that shares a story about your ancestors and heritage, but a new nose can also tell a story. For me, the most important thing is that people dont feel they need to have surgery to fit into beauty standards.

open image in gallery Kemi loves her new nose but she has had to deal with vitriol about her decision online ( Kemi Fakunle )

Dr Sadri tells me that white European noses are hailed as the perfect example of a beautiful nose in medical textbooks. It is the benchmark of beauty. By and large, everyone wants a white European nose, he explains. You can say thats tragic, but everyone wants an iPhone. Its the trend of the last 100 years.

Trends are harmless when it comes to shopping, but when it comes to surgery, I believe we dont need to follow beauty standards  we can create our own definitions of beauty to include the noses we see in the mirror and our ancestors.

Kavitha couldnt do that back in her twenties, and even now in her forties, she feels its too late for her to change her definitions of beauty after decades of messaging from Victorias Secret and the patriarchal Asian culture with its emphasis on how a woman should look. But she hopes that her daughter will never need to feel those same pressures.

Who said big noses are even a negative trait? Women in many cultures have prominent noses  Roman noses. But if youre of a particular ethnicity, its said to be a bad trait. If my daughter wants to have surgery one day because it makes her feel good, Id be okay with it. But I also think people are more open-minded today, so she wouldnt need to worry like I did. Now, people accept you for who you are.

*Names have been changed
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American Pie star Shannon Elizabeth has lived in South Africa since 2016  and she recently revealed there was one pivotal moment that confirmed her decision to leave the U.S.

When I first went out there, and I came back, I was living in New York at the time, the actor, 52, told Fox News Digital. And I remember this moment of standing at a crosswalk. Everybodys looking down at their phones, or theyre on their phones. The crosswalk changes, and everybody just starts rushing each way. Nobodys paying attention except to whatever is in their hand at that moment.

She recalled, I just had this feeling come over me of feeling like I had just been to Africa, and the problems there felt so real  and they are real.

Elizabeth said she felt that daily life in New York did not feel as crucial as the war thats happening with wildlife and the people in need in South Africa.

And it just felt like my phone and the work I was doing here just werent as important at the time, she said. I just felt like I needed to be closer to the issues. I needed to go over there and try to figure out what I could do, that I wasnt making a difference here. Thats when I decided Im going to move.

open image in gallery Former actor Shannon Elizabeth left the US to live in South Africa in 2016 ( WireImage for Edelman Public Relations )

Elizabeth played the mysterious exchange student Nadia in the raunchy 1999 hit comedy, which launched her to fame in the early aughts. She went on to land roles in Scary Movie in 2000, Love Actually in 2003 and That 70s Show.

While the Texas native kept up with her acting career, she also launched a dog and cat rescue called Animal Avengers in 2001. After running the organization for over a decade in Los Angeles, her activism and interest in endangered animals led her to travel abroad starting in 2015.

open image in gallery Shannon Elizabeth starred as Nadia in 1999 comedy American Pie ( Universal Pictures )

I just wanted to understand what I could do to help, Elizabeth told the outlet. I love the U.S., but I also love exploring. I love other countries. I love other cultures and learning. And I think for a long time, I was immersed here. I knew what it was like here, and I just wanted a change. I just wanted something different and to feel like I was doing something more important than just working on myself.

Elizabeth now lives in Cape Town and works as the president of the Shannon Elizabeth Foundation, which she founded, and runs the foundations Khusela Endangered Wildlife Sanctuary.
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Less than two years before she vanished in the waters off the Bahamas, Lynette Hooker confided in a friend over text that her marriage was over that she no longer wanted to be at sea with her husband, writing: It was real bad. I cant be out there with him.

The 55-year-old Michigan woman had split from her husband Brian Hooker in 2024, years before hed be questioned in her disappearance.

I guess it was too much closeness. We decided to call it quits. Im not going back, Lynette Hooker wrote in early 2024 messages obtained by CBS News.

When asked whether the relationship could be salvaged, Lynette was blunt: It was real bad. I cant be out there with him. Those texts, sent between January and February 2024, are now drawing renewed attention as Bahamian authorities question her husband in connection with her disappearance.

Brian Hooker, 59, told investigators with the Royal Bahamas Police Force on April 5 that she fell overboard during a nighttime dinghy trip on April 4 as the couple traveled from Hope Town to Elbow Cay. She was allegedly swept away by strong currents after falling into the water with the boats keys, causing the engine to shut off. She has not been found.

open image in gallery Lynette Hooker vanished in the Bahamas after allegedly falling overboard while at sea ( Facebook/Lynette Hooker )

Hooker was taken into custody days later and is being held as a suspect, though he has not been charged. The U.S. Coast Guard has also opened a criminal investigation.

Hookers attorney, Terrel Butler, told The Independent he categorically and unequivocally denies any wrongdoing and has been cooperating with authorities.

As authorities are expected to decide on Monday whether or not to bring charges against Hooker, he is now in an extremely fragile state, his attorney said.

His primary concern and source of intense frustration is his inability to continue the search for his wife of 25 years, Butler said. The trauma of her disappearance, coupled with his current detention as a suspect, has left him in an extremely fragile state.

Butler also said her client suffered a knee injury after falling overboard while in handcuffs during a police search of the couples boat, the Soulmate, in rough weather conditions.

On Monday, Butler told Fox News Digital that theres no evidence that Lynette has been murdered in the Bahamas.

There has been no body located so theres no evidence that she has been murdered, she said. We are not sure if she's dead.

Butler added that she believes her client should be released and that she is feeling optimistic that he will be.

The couple run a YouTube channel documenting their travel adventures under the name The Sailing Hookers. They recently shared a YouTube Short on their channel joking about not getting along with each other.

Now, the resurfaced texts appear to reveal insights into the couples relationship in the two years leading up to Lynettes disappearance.

In the messages to friend Marnee Stevenson, who the couple met while boating in Florida in 2023, Lynette described abruptly ending their decades-long marriage shortly after embarking on a sailing lifestyle together.

We were married 21 years. Our marriage lasted 6 weeks cruising, she wrote in late January 2024, according to CBS News.

At the time, Lynette said she had upended her life to join her husband at sea, telling Stevenson she had quit my awesome career, sold my house and gave away everything I own to cruise. She later left the boat and stayed with her mother in Florida, according to the messages.

Despite those concerns, the couple appeared to reconcile weeks later. In late February 2024, Stevenson messaged Lynette, Looks like things are on the up and up. Lynette responded with heart emojis and a thumbs up.

open image in gallery Texts sent between January and February 2024 are drawing renewed attention as Bahamian authorities question Lynette Hookers husband in connection with her disappearance ( Facebook/Lynette Hooker )

open image in gallery Lynette Hooker confided in a friend that she did not want to be out at sea with her husband  before the couple later reconciled ( Reuters )

Family members have since raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.

Her daughter, Karli Aylesworth, has told NBC News that her mother was unlikely to just fall off the boat, and explained the couple has a history of not getting along, especially when they drink.

During a Fox News interview, Aylesworth also described her mother as a very fit person: who was unlikely to lose her balance.

I do believe something might have happened to her, Aylesworth said. Theres history of them choking her out and threatening to throw her overboard. So the fact that this is actually happening makes me believe theres more to the story.

Just hours before he was reportedly taken into custody, Brian shared a Facebook post thanking authorities for their efforts to find Lynette.

I am heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas, he wrote. Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart. We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.
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A 16-year-old boy has been charged with sexually assaulting and murdering his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, whose body was found hidden on a Carnival Cruise ship, authorities said Monday.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, the teen, identified by the government as T.H., was initially charged as a juvenile on February 2, but the case was sealed until U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered that he would be prosecuted as an adult, the department said.

On November 7, a maid found Anna wrapped in a blanket and covered in life jackets underneath a bed in a room she shared with two other teens, including the younger stepbrother.

The cause of death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.

Prior to the charges and arrest, there were multiple indications that Annas stepbrother was a focus of the investigation into the death aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise, which was bound for the Caribbean at the time of the Florida teens death.

A teen, only identified as T.H., has been charged with the murder of his stepsister Anna Kepner, whose body was found on the cruise ship she was on with her family ( Temple Christian School )

Chris Kepner, the suspects stepfather, has previously suggested his daughters stepbrother could be responsible.

I want him to face the consequences ... I will be fighting to make sure that does happen, he told People last year. I cannot say that he is responsible but I cant decline, he added. He was the only one that was in the room and the FBI has an ongoing investigation in which they will have to provide the evidence to say that he did do it or did not do this.

Shauntel Kepner, the teens mother, told her ex-husband that the boy had no memory of events surrounding Kepners death, according to text messages submitted to the court as part of the dispute.

She testified in December that the teens were good friends and wanted to room together, along with Kepners biological brother, rather than stay in a room with their grandparents.

They wanted to stay together, she previously told News6. The three of them, like the Three Amigos, are best friends.

Kepner, of Titusville, Florida, was set to graduate from high school this year and dreamed of being a cheerleader for the University of Georgia. She had considered joining the military or serving as a K9 police officer after school.
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A woman accused of stalking and assaulting former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham was arrested in Indiana Saturday evening after throwing an unknown substance on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee last month.

Michelle Dick, a 55-year-old woman who once told KTLA that Buckingham is her birth father and reportedly has a long history of harassing Buckingham and his family, was arrested by the Allen County Sheriffs Office in Fort Wayne.

Earlier this month, Dick was charged with seven criminal counts in Los Angeles County after the March 25 incident in which she threw the unknown substance on Buckingham, according to Rolling Stone.

Charges included criminal threats against Buckingham and a misdemeanor battery charge for using force during the March 25 incident. But she was also charged with assault with a deadly weapon involving a motor vehicle and vandalizing Buckinghams vehicle in a March 19 incident.

A Los Angeles judge had issued a warrant for Dick, who was known to Buckingham due to years of alleged talking and harassment, according to Rolling Stone.

open image in gallery Michelle Dick (left) was arrested April 11, weeks after approaching Lindsey Buckingham (right) and throwing an unknown substance on him ( Allen County Sheriffs Office )

In a 2024 restraining order petition that Buckingham secured against Dick, obtained by Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times, the musician said Dick loitered outside of his home, repeatedly called him, left threatening voicemails and, at one point, placed a false 911 call claiming she heard gunshots inside of Buckinghams home.

During that incident, police descended onto Buckinghams home and placed him in handcuffs.

Buckingham, 76, wrote in his petition, She also blamed me for facial deformities she apparently suffered as a child and demanded money.

I do not know Ms. Dick and I am not her father, Buckingham wrote.

A Los Angeles judge granted Buckinghams petition and ordered Dick to stay at least 100 yards away from the Fleetwood Mac guitarist, his family, his homes and vehicles for five years.

open image in gallery Buckingham had previously secured a restraining order against 55-year-old Michelle Dick, who is accused of stalking the musician and his family over several years ( Getty Images )

On March 25, Dick approached Buckingham as he was walking into an appointment in Santa Monica and doused him with the unidentified liquid. Buckingham was not injured.

Dick admitted to approaching Buckingham and going to his home while speaking with KTLA earlier this month.

One time, that was last year, Dick said in response to allegations about showing up outside of his home. But I didnt know I had a restraining order on me. He wasnt a father to me, but hes my birth father.

Dick is currently awaiting extradition to California.
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A Nebraska man accused of killing a hog farmer and kidnapping his estranged wife was subsequently pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, according to authorities.

Wesley Absher, 40, was initially arrested following the shooting on Tuesday, in which he killed 44-year-old Brian Gabel at the farm the victim owned.

After carrying out the attack, Absher kidnapped his own ex-wife, who had been at the farm at the time, before driving her three miles away and allegedly assaulting her.

He is then believed to have shot himself, Nebraska State Police said.

Abshers wife was able to drive to the Polk County Sheriffs Office in Osceola and report both the shooting and assault just after 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.

open image in gallery Wesley Absher, a Nebraska man accused of killing a hog farmer and kidnapping his estranged wife, has died in hospital, according to state police ( Platte County Sheriff's Office )

Deputies secured both scenes and Absher was taken to Bryan Health West Campus in Lincoln with life-threatening injuries, where he later died from his injuries.

NSP confirmed that Absher, who had bonded out of jail just days before the shooting occurred, was in the process of divorcing his wife when the incident occurred.

The woman was taken to Columbus Community Hospital for treatment for her injuries, which were non-life-threatening.

According to court documents, Absher had previously been found guilty of second-degree assault and terroristic threats in a separate case that involved the same woman on February 8.

open image in gallery Absher was arrested following the incident Tuesday, in which he arrived at the farm, owned by 44-year-old Brian Gabel, and allegedly shot him ( Dubas Funeral Home )

In that incident, Absher was accused of threatening his wife and assaulting her with a weapon. He also threatened to kill himself, the documents showed.

He was arrested at the hospital and on April 1 he accepted a plea deal. He was released on bond on April 3 and was due to be sentenced on June 10.

The Independent has contacted the Polk County Sheriffs Office and Nebraska State Police for comment.

Gabels funeral was held on Friday.
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The parents of a two-year-old baby boy found dead in Indiana have been arrested and charged with murder and child neglect after the child proved to be severely malnourished and dehydrated.

An autopsy on the infant, Erik Reichard, revealed that he had been reduced to eating drywall and scraps of diaper before passing away, with a gel-like substance and white material consistent with paint flakes or spackling identified in his colon, investigators said.

Officers from the Tell City Police Department arrived at the home of Trevor Reichard-Hayes, 39, and Katherine Carter, 31, on the afternoon of March 31 after the couple noticed Erik had stopped breathing and called 911 to come to his aid.

The parents reportedly said the last time they had seen their young son alive was at 11 p.m. the previous evening, almost 14 hours before they summoned help.

Perry County emergency personnel attempted to perform CPR on Erik but he was pronounced dead at the scene, prompting an investigation.

open image in gallery Tell City Police Chief Derrick Lawalin discusses the grim discovery with local media ( WYMT )

Three days later, Reichard-Hayes and Carter were arrested and charged with murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily harm, and neglect of a dependent.

I could tell based on my training and experience that the child had been deceased for several hours, a detective wrote in the probable cause affidavit against the parents. The child was blue and pale.

They added that the boy was extremely skinny, covered with sores and possible bug bites, and weighed just 15 pounds, approximately half the amount considered healthy for a child his age.

The mother admitted Erik had been eating diapers, which the investigating officers concluded was likely to have been due to hunger, according to the affidavit.

open image in gallery Investigators found Reichard-Hayes and Carters home in squalor ( Tell City Police Department )

Two other children were found to be living in squalor at the property, both of whom were removed by the Indiana Department of Child Services and one of whom was treated in hospital for severe malnutrition and dehydration.

The childrens rooms were found to have feces and debris on the floor, unemptied training potties, and insects rife, which stood in contrast to the parents room, which was said to be clean and well furnished.

The bed was made, there was no extreme clutter, and it was clean, unlike the remainder of the home, the officers noted.

In a press release announcing the grim discovery posted to Facebook, Tell County PD wrote: Scenes such as these are extremely difficult for the officers, first responders, and partner agencies involved.

We respectfully ask for and appreciate your prayers and support for the investigators as well as the victims family during this difficult time.
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A Chinese artificial intelligence system has solved a decade-old problem proposed by an American mathematician, according to a new study.

The algebra conjecture was first posed in 2014 by then University of Iowa professor Dan Anderson, who died in 2022.

An AI system developed by a Peking University team processed decades of mathematical literature to crack Andersons problem and verify its own findings without any human intervention.

Using this framework, the team said in a yet-to-be peer-reviewed study posted in the arXiv repository, we successfully solved an open problem in commutative algebra and automatically formalised the proof with essentially no human intervention.

Scientists observed that the AI system could perform mathematical tasks faster than any human, including independently doing work that normally required collaboration between different field experts.

This work provides a concrete example of how mathematical research can be substantially automated using AI, the researchers, led by Peking University mathematician Dong Bin, said.

Scientists observed that the Chinese AI system could perform mathematical tasks faster than any human ( AFP/Getty )

AI systems are being trained across the world to solve mathematical problems, but they still require a large amount of human supervision to crack math problems. Mathematical proofs demand complete rigour, yet even expert-written proofs may contain subtle flaws and proofs produced by LLMs, which are prone to hallucination, are far less reliable, the Chinese scientists wrote in the latest study.

Motivated by this, we propose a framework for autonomously tackling and verifying research-level mathematics that integrates a natural language reasoning agent with a formalisation agent.

The new AI applies a reasoning system called Rethlas, which draws from the maths theorem search engine, or Matlas, to explore strategies for solving a problem, following a workflow similar to what mathematicians use.

When Rethlas comes up with a potential proof, a second system called Archon uses another search engine called LeanSearch to transform the proof into a project for an interactive theorem prover.

This theorem prover, Lean 4, is also a programming language with a community-maintained library that has hundreds of thousands of theorems and definitions.

Researchers used the new AI system to solve Andersons algebra conjecture within 80 hours of runtime.

No mathematical judgement was required from the human operator, they wrote.

However, researchers found that they could speed up the process if a mathematician guided Archon.

Our work illustrates a promising paradigm for mathematical research in which informal and formal reasoning systems, equipped with theorem retrieval tools, operate in tandem to produce verifiable results, and substantially reduce human effort, they noted.
Email Mike Smith at msmith@theadvocate.com or follow him on Twitter, @MikeJSmith504. His work is supported with a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, administered by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.
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Sponsored BusinessCompaniesBulls N' Bears Critical fires up hunt for hidden lithium in Canada Brought to you by BULLS N BEARS Murray Ward April 13, 2026  5:28pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

Critical Resources is set to pull the trigger on a lithium exploration blitz across a five-kilometre corridor at its Corona pegmatite field in Ontario, Canada. The field campaign has been designed to prepare the way for new resources that could bulk up its flagship Mavis Lake project and fast-track it into a district-scale lithium powerhouse. Critical Resources field crew will shortly have boots on the ground at the companys Mavis Lake lithium project in Canada. In particular, Critical will be looking to sniff out concealed spodumene systems within the same prime corridor that already hosts Mavis Lakes standout mineral resource of 8 million tonnes at 1.07 per cent lithium oxide. Systematic mapping previously identified the Corona pegmatite bodies, some up to a whopping 70m wide, just 4km north of the Mavis Lake main zone, hinting that a hefty mineralised system may be lurking beneath the surface cover.

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Mavis Lake has the potential to evolve from a single deposit asset into a multi-deposit lithium district. Critical Resources managing director Tim Wither The work builds on historical data that show all the hallmarks of fertile lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite systems with the scale to deliver significant commercial value. Limited outcrop exposure from overburden and wetlands makes Corona especially intriguing, given its proximity to Mavis Lake and the fact the ground remains barely tested. As soon as the snow melts, the geos will move to identify the targets within the spodumeneberyltantalite zonation corridor using strategic mapping as the primary driver of the upcoming drill campaign. It will leverage a strong geochem and aeromagnetic dataset to pinpoint hotspots ahead of a drill program later in the year. Critical Resources managing director Tim Wither said: Mavis Lake has the potential to evolve from a single deposit asset into a multi-deposit lithium district.

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Critical expects to have a picnic basket of new drill-ready targets identified by the time they finish integration of all the data sets and complete the strategic mapping due in quarter two. The timeline ensures the company can pounce on the best targets during the upcoming northern summer. The company says its exploration strategy is all about unlocking the full potential of its 400-square-kilometre land holding in Canada, as global demand for battery metals heats up. Management says it has now inked in an operational program, and crews are ready to mobilise in late April to begin the mapping phase. Regionally, the projects credentials stack up well. Just 10 kilometres from the infrastructure hub of Dryden, Mavis Lake sits in the heart of Ontarios emerging Electric Avenue lithium corridor. It also shares the neighbourhood with some serious players. Nearby, Frontier Lithium is developing its PAK and Spark projects alongside Mitsubishi Corporation, expected to be one of North Americas largest high-grade hard rock lithium operations  a clear signal the district is heating up fast.

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Elsewhere, Critical has been stepping up exploration activities in New Zealand, notably at its exciting Cap Burn gold prospect, whilst also flagging high-grade tungsten potential at its Croesus project. If the upcoming field program can convert its early geological promise into drill-ready targets, Critical Resources may be on the cusp of adding another key chapter to its Mavis Lake growth story  and taking a meaningful step toward building a district-scale lithium play in one of Canadas most prospective regions. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au

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Sponsored BusinessCompaniesBulls N' Bears Eclipse confirms broad rare earths system at surface in Greenland Brought to you by BULLS N BEARS Murray Ward April 13, 2026  1:48pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

Eclipse Metals has revealed an extensive rare earths system at its Grnnedal project in southwest Greenland, after all five holes from its latest drill program confirmed broad mineralisation from surface. The impressive results validated the companys earlier belief that it is onto a large-scale carbonatite-hosted system, with multiple high-grade zones exceeding one per cent total rare earth oxides (TREO) and a significant magnet rare earth element profile. Eclipse Metals drill rig in action at its Grnnedal rare earths project in Greenland. Eclipses five-hole, 705-metre diamond program tested the central and north-western parts of the current inferred mineral resource area to prove geological continuity. Standout results included one hole featuring a blistering 195-metre intercept grading 6268 parts per million (ppm) TREO from surface. Another hole provided a similarly eye-catching 114.4-metre hit at 6883ppm TREO from surface, further underlining the systems strength.

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The drilling marks an important step forward for Grnnedal. Eclipse Metals executive chairman Carl Popal The company says further confirmation of the systems continuity came from another pair of intersections, landing 151m at 4507ppm TREO and 150.2m at 5762ppm TREO, also both from surface. These wide zones appear to support the width and scale of the mineralised footprint within Eclipses broader Ivigtut project area. Notably, for Grnnedal, neodymium and praseodymium make up more than 30 per cent of the TREO in intervals. These elements are critical for high-performance permanent magnets used in electric vehicles and wind turbines. With global supply under pressure, the project is shaping as a potential strategic alternative to Chinese supply. The rocks at Grnnedal consist of a proterozoic carbonatite-hosted system. Mineralisation shows up in alternating zones of calcite and siderite-rich carbonatite. Bastnasite has been identified as the primary rare earths-bearing mineral. These zones were previously drill-tested, with historical grades reaching up to 2.02 per cent TREO and appear to extend towards a near-surface area. Eclipse Metals executive chairman Carl Popal said: The drilling marks an important step forward for Grnnedal and further supports the continuity of rare earth mineralisation within the area tested to date

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The project sits in a regionally strong area, just 5.5 kilometres from the settlements of Kangilinnguit and Grnnedal, which provide an active wharf and transport infrastructure. The grounds are also just seven kilometres east of the historic Ivigtut cryolite mine, which, in its day, produced 3.8 million tonnes of cryolite, a rare essential mineral used in aluminium smelting. The company says the latest drilling at the Grnnedal project appears to have gone a long way towards de-risking the asset, further reinforcing its scope to grow the current inferred resource of 89 million tonnes grading 6363ppm. Next steps for Eclipse include pushing ahead with further drilling analysis, resource upgrades and processing work, while chasing up potential partners as the global race heats up to secure rare-earth supply beyond China. The bottom line is that the company has confirmed a continuous, deep-seated, high-grade zone, extending to the surface in a mining-friendly jurisdiction. Adding an extra sweetener to Grnnedal, ultra-low uranium levels of only 4.16 ppm, well below Greenlands statutory 100 ppm threshold, means the project may face a clear regulatory pathway forward in Greenland. The final kicker for the company remains the projects massive scale. With current drilling testing only an estimated 6 per cent of the known carbonatite by volume, there appears to be enormous scope for further growth. This five-from-five drilling success is a major step forward and suggests Eclipses Greenland rare earths story is starting to build a serious head of steam. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au

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Exclusive Eating outJust open Lamb biryani sausage, Lankan-leaning pasta: Young Chef of the Year opens first restaurant Find it inside a gin distillery in Melbournes east that celebrates Sri Lankan food and drink in surprising ways. Tomas Telegramma April 14, 2026 Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

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Since leaving Lilac, Vinoharan has run a series of successful pop-ups across town. Ive really developed my food identity in the past year, he says. Its what I like to call Lankan-leaning, with tonnes of spice, using really good Australian produce. That distinctive approach is what hes bringing to Dutch Rules, where Perera has essentially given him free rein. That includes throwing a few curveballs that channel Vinoharans time cooking Italian and French food in Sydney, two years spent in Japan, and other influences. Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up 1 / 9 Lamb biryani sausage made from Flinders Island lamb shoulder, preserved lemon, fermented chilli, sultanas and rice. Wayne Taylor 2 / 9 Good Food's Young Chef of the Year Viveik Vinoharan (left) and Dutch Rules founder Danny Perera. Wayne Taylor 3 / 9 Inside the Mitcham distillery. Wayne Taylor 4 / 9 Lamb belly is slow-cooked, pressed into a skewer, then flame-licked to order. Wayne Taylor 5 / 9 The Thai Welcome to Mitcham cocktail. Wayne Taylor 6 / 9 Former Lilac Wine chef Viveik Vinoharan is now on the pans at Dutch Rules distillery. Wayne Taylor 7 / 9 Rigatoni made in-house with an extruder machine, served with a minced wallaby and pig skin curry and grana padano. Wayne Taylor 8 / 9 Thai gin granita dessert. Wayne Taylor 9 / 9 The Thai Ceylon mandarin martini. Wayne Taylor Previous Slide Next Slide Sri Lankas classic black pork curry gets a remix, lending its dark, smoky, almost-burnt flavour to lamb belly thats slow-cooked, pressed into a skewer, then flame-licked to order. An even more rule-breaking lamb dish is Vinoharans take on biryani  in sausage form. Smoked over cherry wood, the slicker-than-your-average snags burst with Flinders Island lamb shoulder, preserved lemon, fermented chilli, sultanas and rice. Theyre served with a tangy cucumber salad and yoghurt from Macedon Ranges dairy Dreaming Goat.

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As much as Vinoharan is passionate about best-of-the-best produce, hes also getting creative with byproducts, which he says the farms he sources from have trouble selling. Its what I like to call Lankan-leaning, with tonnes of spice, using really good Australian produce. Viveik Vinoharan Minced wallaby and pig skin form the basis of an unctuous, lemongrass-forward curry. Its like a ragu, says Vinoharan, so hes pairing it with house-made rigatoni and grana padano. Perhaps surprisingly, pasta will be a menu mainstay, courtesy of an extruder machine. Rigatoni made in-house and served with a minced wallaby and pig skin curry sauce. Wayne Taylor On the cocktail front, theres a strong martini contingent ranging from plum to mandarin to Ferrero Rocher, and G&Ts that highlight the entire Dutch Rules range.

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It might seem high-concept, but Perera is determined for the dining experience to be accessible to all types of diners, and as affordable as possible with no dish above $34. There are only a few great places to eat [in Mitcham], so we wanted to cater to as many people as possible, he says. Plans for pasta and steak nights will cement that. The cavernous space has been refitted to usher in the restaurant. The front bar now flows into an open kitchen, more tables have been added downstairs, and the mezzanine level, which overlooks the room, is perfect for busy nights and functions. The copper still remains a centrepiece, joined by a new shelf of house ferments and pickles. The Dutch Rules restaurant opens on Wednesday, April 15. Open lunch Fri-Sun, dinner Wed-Sat 586 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham, dutchrulesdistilling.com.au Five past Young Chef of the Year winners and where they are now Saavni Krishnan (2025 winner) Opened Saadi in Punch Lane in the Melbourne CBD in July with her partner, Adi Suresh. Their first venue, it offers contemporary takes on Indian dishes and techniques. Cameron Tay-Yap (2024 joint winner) Runs Pebble, a pop-up restaurant showcasing South-East Asian ingredients in fresh guises thats in North Melbourne until May 3. Past residencies have included Taipei, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City. Lily McGrath (2024 joint winner) In October, she became head chef at Japanese charcoal grill restaurant Robata, where shes using fermentation and dry-ageing to fire up the menu of skewers, seafood and more. Nicholas Deligiannis (2023 winner) At Glen Iris hotspot Bar Sophia, which opened last summer, he draws on his Greek heritage in a menu thats cooked almost entirely over fire and coals. Zackary Furst (2022 winner) After leaving Bar Liberty in April last year, Furst launched Bez, an Australian Polish pop-up thats held events in Sydney and at Melbourne venues including Arnolds and Florian. From May, keep an eye out for monthly events.
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Review Eating outSurry Hills Mishys is like a big-hearted dinner party. So why arent more people talking about it? With hand-selected market fare, $600 worth of crystals and a menu reminiscent of Three Blue Ducks, this beautiful, sunlit restaurant has a bright creativity and personality all its own. Bianca Hrovat April 14, 2026 Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

1 / 15 Mishy's leafy location in Surry Hills. Dion Georgopoulos 2 / 15 Clockwise from bottom left: Wild kangaroo salami; grilled corn with plum and macadamia green goddess sauce; figs with stracciatella, purslace, vincotto and pistachio; and focaccia and harissa butter.. Dion Georgopoulos 3 / 15 Michelle "Mishy" Powell. Dion Georgopoulos 4 / 15 Clockwise from left: Barbecue corn with plum and macadamia green goddess; heirloom carrots; wild kangaroo salami; focaccia with harissa butter; and grilled Murray cod. Dion Georgopoulos 5 / 15 Dion Georgopoulos 6 / 15 Non-alc grapefruit paloma with electrolytes. Dion Georgopoulos 7 / 15 Dion Georgopoulos 8 / 15 Black fig, stracciatella, purslane, vincotto and pistachio. Dion Georgopoulos 9 / 15 Outdoor dining. Dion Georgopoulos 10 / 15 Dutch carrots with buffalo yoghurt and Aleppo pepper. Dion Georgopoulos 11 / 15 Streetfront dining. Dion Georgopoulos 12 / 15 Kipfler potatoes cooked in tallow. Dion Georgopoulos 13 / 15 Michelle "Mishy" Powell. Dion Georgopoulos 14 / 15 Pear tarte tatin. Dion Georgopoulos 15 / 15 Dion Georgopoulos Previous Slide Next Slide 14 / 20 How we score Mishys Contemporary$$$$ In food media, there is much ado about hidden gems. You know, those restaurants and cafes people love but seldom talk about, the ones that quietly offer something special to diners in-the-know. Theyre harder to come by in the age of social media, when journalists, influencers and food enthusiasts share so many culinary discoveries online. So I was surprised when I first saw the Google Maps listing for Mishys, on a leafy street in Surry Hills. What was this beautiful, sunlit restaurant with hand-painted tapestries draped along the ceiling? Why wasnt anyone talking about this menu, which reminded me of Three Blue Ducks, with a bright creativity all its own? Michelle Powell visits Flemington Markets several times a week to keep prices down. Dion Georgopoulos

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Mishys is so-named for owner Michelle Mishy Powell, which feels appropriate after having spoken with her. She is the owner, but she is also a chef, bartender and floor manager. One moment, shes cooking fermented papaya hot sauce in the kitchen, and the next she is serving non-alc palomas (with a thoughtful touch of electrolytes) to lunch-goers on the streetfront terrace. While this restaurant is Powells first solo venture, its the culmination of a long history in hospitality. She was a founding chef at Bistro Rex in Potts Point; oversaw the bar at Spice Temple during its expansion under chef Neil Perry; and launched condiment company Naturally Sauced during lockdown. Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Powell has an earnest intensity about her, like the diligent host of an ongoing dinner party  surveying the dining room, dropping into conversation with regulars and wordlessly repositioning tableware. Mishys gives off the impression of an ongoing dinner party. Dion Georgopoulos Were waved towards a table set with paper napkins and seated on a banquette with the yielding comfort of your friends living room couch. Undyed linen banners hang loosely from the ceiling, hand-painted with ears of corn, tomatoes and sunshine. Theres a long bar made of recycled plastic and a grid-paned mirror on the far wall, reflecting the greenery outside and a long canvas stretched behind us, painted with deep blue ink. Powell says there are $600 worth of crystals throughout, for positive vibes (I need all the help I can get).

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Mishys main schtick is its market-to-table ethos. Its a nod to the days when it was commonplace for restaurant chefs to wake before dawn, drive to Flemington Markets and hand-select seasonal produce. Powell goes there herself several times a week and says it allows her to keep prices down. Main courses hover around the $35 mark, but the express lunch specials (served with a selection of iced, fruity teas) start at just $18 for a roast chicken and avo sandwich, and it feels like good value. Spinach and ricotta ravioli. Dion Georgopoulos A waiter arrives with menus. Shes friendly, maybe a bit nervous, but pleased to offer suggestions. Together with head chef Pablo Parmentier, Powell has created a menu filled with honest and enriching fare, brightened by pickled, seasonal and native produce. You could spend an entire meal grazing the starters, while working your way through a glass or two of mostly minimal-intervention wine (largely available by the glass) or botanical-forward cocktails (pear bellinis garnished with mint, Mishys mule with double the ginger and makrut lime). Theres also an unusually large selection of non-alcoholic drinks, ranging from Hiatus beer to a sweet punch made with rooibos tea, hibiscus and makrut lime, bejewelled with pomegranate arils.

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We try the kangaroo and anise myrtle salami from Brisbanes Saison Small Goods, thin slices served with an acidic kick of guindilla peppers, a little olive oil and parmigiano reggiano shavings. Do as the waiter suggests, and pile it atop a well-oiled slab of house-made focaccia. Barbecue corn with plums and macadamia green goddess. Dion Georgopoulos The corn salad is an unexpected standout  charcoal grilled kernels, smoky and sweet against wedges of just-ripened plums, the fruit bleeding purple into a creamy macadamia green goddess sauce. Half-moons of cucumber add a fresh crunch, punctuated by ribbons of pink pickled onions. As with many of the dishes on the menu, it offers deliciousness with an undercurrent of goodness. Powell checks whether were ready for mains. They arrive on pastel pink, blue and white ceramic plates, some edged in ochre. Mishys subtly elevates the familiarity of spinach and ricotta ravioli. Soft, silken pieces of green, hand-cut pasta, the filling light and fresh beneath a buttery sauce, are balanced with the verdant minerality of Warrigal greens and a charred tomato and olive oil sauce. Pear tarte tatin. Dion Georgopoulos

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A well-crisped fillet of grilled Murray cod is served with the same harissa butter offered with the focaccia (only now, melted like a sun atop a sphere of ajo blanco). Its accompanied by the small half of a baby gem lettuce, more wilted than sharply grilled. The side of kipfler potatoes are cooked in tallow, their skin golden and crisp beneath a generous helping of shaved parmigiano reggiano and parsley. Desserts have a similar understated beauty about them. The Corella pear tarte tatin is a golden, caramelised crown of poached, wafer-thin fruit and crackling Pepe Saya puffed pastry, a perfect sphere of melting vanilla ice-cream (no quenelles here) placed in its centre. I dont know how Mishys has remained (mostly) under-the-radar for the past three years. Powell has created a space with such easy appeal and personality, and its that kind of expression of self that enriches Sydneys hospitality scene. The low-down Atmosphere: Your creative friend opened a wholesome neighbourhood restaurant, and youre meeting there for a few wines and a casual meal after work. Go-to dishes: Barbecued corn with plum, pickled red onions and macadamia green goddess ($24); spinach and ricotta ravioli with tomato and warrigal greens ($34). Drinks: Natural wines, craft beers, bright botanical cocktails and an excellent selection of non-alc. Cost: About $150 for two, excluding drinks Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant cant pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
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NationalWomen's health Opinion I just had the same surgery I had 24 years ago for debilitating pain. Little has changed, so what does my future look like? Rebecca Wallwork Writer April 13, 2026  7:30pm

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When I was first diagnosed with endometriosis in 2002, my response was: endo what? Id gone into surgery at King George V Memorial Hospital in Camperdown to remove a dermoid cyst on an ovary and then I woke up with the surprise diagnosis  one that explained the horrible pelvic pain Id been having. Endometriosis is an inflammatory disease where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body, typically in the pelvis, creating painful lesions. The treatment for endometriosis has not changed in years. Monique Westermann Since 2002, Ive had the same surgery  a laparoscopy to remove endometriosis  five more times, most recently this January. In the 25 years Ive battled endo, treatment for the disease has not changed. While excision surgery  where lesions are cut out rather than burned off via ablation  is considered the gold standard, endometriosis lesions can recur. Doctors arent sure why, because the disease is still not understood at a molecular or cellular level and disagreement about its origins persists. This March, at the 2026 Endometriosis Summit in Orlando  a gathering of top endo surgeons, radiologists, physical therapists, and patients  founder Dr Sallie Sarrel opened proceedings with a damning assessment, saying: We really havent had that much [advancement] since Sampson. She was referring to early 20th-century gynaecologist John Sampson, who first coined the term endometriosis in 1925. Thats 100 years, Sarrel said, where endometriosis has been dismissed, psychologised and underfunded. Meanwhile, in the same time, research into diabetes has made leaps and bounds and for the first time in history, some with type 1 diabetes are living insulin-free after stem cell therapy.

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Rebecca Wallwork, preparing for an endometriosis surgery. Patients and endo experts agree that this sorry state of affairs is due to a lack of education among GPs and regular gynaecologists, and to misogyny in medical research, which typically uses only males in clinical trials and studies. The shortfall in research funding translates into delayed treatment. The average endometriosis patient waits seven to 10 years for a diagnosis. Even then, patients are often told its just a bad period. Theyre handed birth control pills and told to live with the pain. Even someone like me, with a long, documented history of endo, was told by a doctor a few months ago that the pain was in my head. Related Article Medical misogyny From wandering wombs to the missing clitoris: How medical misogyny works According to the World Health Organisation, endometriosis affects about 10 per cent of women or 190 million women of reproductive age worldwide, but the number is probably higher, because the disease can persist beyond menopause. As one of the one in 10, Ive spent huge swathes of my life in excruciating pelvic pain, and I have suffered infertility and a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy that was almost certainly caused by endometriosis. There is still no cure. Thats why, eight weeks after my most recent surgery, I went to the Endometriosis Summit in search of hope. Looking ahead, what do the worlds endo experts see on the horizon?

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The summits co-founder, surgeon Dr Andrea Vidali, says change starts with reframing the disease as a syndrome. We need to move away from this idea that endometriosis is purely hormone-driven, he said. Instead, we need to understand that it is a complex neuroinflammatory condition, a theory supported by the lingering symptoms he sees in patients post-surgery. Rebecca Wallwork. To explain, Vidali compared endometriosis to COVID: just as a COVID infection can trigger long COVID, an immunological response in the body after the infection has cleared, endometriosis can cause changes to the immune and nervous systems that linger after the lesions are removed. Adopting this framework, Vidali says, will allow doctors and researchers to learn a lot more about the disease. Its already happening  one presentation at the summit by Mayo Clinic researcher Dr Kristen M. Smith-Edwards focused on the neural pathways of the gut-brain axis and how it leads to abdominal pain. Many endometriosis patients experience GI distress, which is why surgeons stress the need for multidisciplinary teams for optimal treatment. The summit also featured panels on advanced imaging, surgical techniques, fertility, patient advocacy, healing and how endometriosis causes widespread inflammation in the body. Some doctors are treating this with off-label use of GLP-1s, which can help down-regulate systemic inflammation. More data specific to GLP-1 use in those with endometriosis is needed, but Vidali and his colleagues consider it a thrilling new frontier.

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Were not at a standstill, he said, providing a much-needed dose of optimism. There is still more to be done, however. More funding for endometriosis research is critical. So, too, is better education of GPs and regular gynaecologists. Take it from me  endometriosis is debilitating. But it doesnt have to be. Not if we take it as seriously as we do hundreds of other medical conditions. Not if, Vidali says, we listen to patients. Rebecca Wallwork is an Australian journalist living in Miami Beach, Florida
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NationalADF Opinion I served with the new army chief. I can confirm she has the right stuff Jennifer Parker Defence and national security expert April 13, 2026  5:05pm

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With wars in Europe and the Middle East, and Chinese naval task groups operating closer to Australia, the familiar line that this is our most challenging strategic environment since World War II is starting to feel dated. We are certainly in a more dangerous period. That is the backdrop to todays leadership announcements: Vice Admiral Mark Hammond as the next Chief of the Defence Force, Rear Admiral Matt Buckley as Chief of Navy, and Lieutenant General Susan Coyle as Chief of Army will lead the ADF through this. Coyles appointment stands out. Not just because she is the first woman to lead a service, but because she is the first Chief of Joint Capabilities to step into the role, bringing experience in cyber, space and the enabling elements of how the ADF fights. Lieutenant General Susan Coyle is Australias new Chief Of Army. Oscar Colman I first met Lieutenant General Coyle in the Middle East at Al Minhad in January 2020. The United States was pursuing maximum pressure on Iran over their nuclear program, a context that feels familiar again today. At the time, she was commanding Australias Middle East headquarters. Just days earlier, General Qasem Soleimani had been killed by the United States in Iraq. I had deployed to lead planning within the International Maritime Security Construct, established to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian attacks on commercial vessels. As I walked out of the mess, then Major General Coyle called out and introduced herself. Hundreds of Australians pass through that base, but she knew who I was and wanted to talk about the maritime reassurance mission I was there to support. She was already deeply experienced in the Middle East, including as deputy commander joint task force 636 in Afghanistan, where she was awarded a distinguished service medal. What stood out was her mission focus but also the time she took to get to know her people.

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When COVID hit and rotations were extended, that did not change. Despite running operations across a tense region where war remained on the cards she made time to stay connected. She even dialled into the Zoom trivia nights I ran for my team to keep morale up during a difficult period, the only person who managed to get my random trivia questions about my home town of Broken Hill correct. That balance between mission focus and genuine care for her people was clear then, and it is why her appointment matters. Coyles appointment is not about gender. But it is significant that she is the first woman to lead one of Australias armed services. It reflects not only her leadership, but the contribution of those who came before her. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and newly appointed Chief of Army Lieutenant General Susan Coyle. AAPIMAGE It traces back to the women of the Australian Womens Army Service, and the other service equivalents who answered the call in wartime, only to be discharged when it ended. It includes the women of the Womens Royal Australian Army Corps and their navy and air force equivalents who, after the re-establishment of womens services in the early 1950s, were required to leave upon marriage, and later on becoming pregnant. It includes those who pushed to be deployed and argued for access to operational roles, expanding what was possible until all roles in the ADF were opened to women in 2013. All of that effort, often unrecognised at the time, has contributed to this moment. The appointment of Australias first female service chief is not just about one individual, but the cumulative effect of those who were constrained by policy, limited by expectation or passed over despite their capability. It is, in many respects, overdue.

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ADF First woman to lead the army, navy chief now new head of Defence Force The navy was the first to deploy women to sea in operational roles in the early 1990s. Yet it has still not appointed a female warfare officer to two-star rank, let alone three-star or chief of service. By contrast, the army has produced a number of female three-star officers. Lieutenant General Coyles experience as commander of information warfare and chief of joint capabilities also points to where the army is heading. As the first service chief to come from joint capabilities command, she brings a clear focus on integration, not just across the joint force, but with emerging technologies, particularly space and cyber. This is probably a deliberate choice, reinforcing and accelerating the transformation already under way under Lieutenant General Simon Stuart. Today is a significant moment. Three officers have been appointed at a time when the world is becoming more dangerous, to lead the ADF and prepare Australia for what lies ahead. That task will not be easy, and they deserve our support. Jennifer Parker is an adjunct professor with the University of Western Australia Defence and Security Institute and a non-resident fellow at the Lowy Institute. She served for more than 20 years as a warfare officer in the Royal Australian Navy.

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For subscribers Jennifer Parker is an adjunct professor with the University of Western Australia Defence and Security Institute and a non-resident fellow at the Lowy Institute. She served for more than 20 years as a warfare officer in the Royal Australian Navy.
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NationalNSWSydney councils Liverpool Council sends voters back to the polls  for $500,000 Anthony Segaert April 14, 2026  5:00am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

Liverpool ratepayers will be charged more than $500,000 to run a byelection for about 82,000 residents on Saturday to fill a council vacancy triggered by the resignation of the councils deputy mayor. The huge cost to ratepayers is unique to Liverpool: it is the only council in Greater Sydney that did not vote, at its first meeting following the September 2024 elections, to implement a countback system. In the instance of a councillor leaving their position, the countback system allows for a recount of the ballot papers from the previous election to confirm the candidate who came in second place, avoiding the need to send voters back to the polls. Election experts and council staff generally support countback voting because of the cost to councils of carrying out local elections for specific wards, as well as the difficulty of alerting residents to the legally mandated requirement to vote on a specific Saturday. Countbacks are very cheap, said Ben Raue, an election analyst and founder of the Tally Room. Its like one dude in an office pressing go on a computer program, rather than conducting a whole byelection.

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So any place that decides not to do it, unless theres some kind of case of gross incompetence that Im not aware of, usually the politicians [say], We think theres a political reason to do this, even though it costs a lot more money. Liberal mayor Ned Mannoun disagreed: This is what democracy does cost, he said. Voters in parts of Uralla, in regional NSW, will also vote in a vacant councillor byelection this Saturday, as will residents in Newcastle to vote on a new popularly elected mayor, after the current mayor resigned citing health problems. Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun. Steven Siewert The byelection in Liverpools south ward comes after deputy mayor Betty Green, a Labor councillor before quitting the party, resigned in January citing health issues. The resignation came during a time of immense turmoil for the council, which spent much of 2025 embroiled in a lengthy public inquiry into serious breakdowns in council operations. Liverpool Council chief executive Jason Breton told a February meeting the cost of having the NSW Electoral Commission run the election would be upwards of half a million dollars.

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Labor candidate Zeli Munjiza, who, if residents vote as they did in 2024, would be likely to win the election, said the byelection should not have really happened. Related Article Sydney councils This Sydney council spent $300K fielding complaints. Now it has a plan to deal with them It was a surprise, said Munjiza, who is working as an electorate officer for former Liverpool councillor-turned-state MP Nathan Hagarty. Its been a very, very short campaign, not a lot of time to gather your thoughts. It is a lot of money. When you look around the area, and you can see that theres a big lack of parks, open space, the grass isnt cut, footpaths are either lacking or theyre in dire need of repair, [theres] rubbish everywhere. That money could have been spent better on looking after of the LGA, as opposed to a council byelection. The Sydney Morning Herald has a bureau in the heart of Parramatta. Email parramatta@smh.com.au with news tips.
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Two people have been killed in a head-on collision south-west of Brisbane.

Emergency services were called to Ipswich Boonah Road near Ellison Road in Purga just after 12:30pm on Monday when the two cars collided.

Paramedics assessed the two drivers, a man and woman who were both in their 20s, at the scene but they both died at the crash site.

The road has been closed at Carmichaels Road, north of the crash, and police have advised drivers to find an alternate route.

Its the second fatal crash in the region in two days, after a 52-year-old man was killed in a three-vehicle crash at Tamborine Mountain in the Gold Coast hinterland on Sunday.
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Updated PoliticsFederalADF First woman to lead the army, navy chief now new head of Defence Force Matthew Knott Updated April 14, 2026  9:06am ,first published 11:58am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

New defence force chief Mark Hammond says the navy is ready to deploy a ship to the Strait of Hormuz after being promoted in a significant military reshuffle that includes the appointment of the nations first female army chief. The leadership shake-up comes as the government prepares to release a new defence strategy and spending plan this week that will include up to $5 billion in extra funding for drones and other uncrewed systems over the next 10 years. Loading Hammond, a former submariner who joined the military in 1986 and has led the navy since 2022, will take up the role in July following the resignation of current Defence Force chief David Johnston after two years in the role. Hammond told reporters the navy was absolutely capable of assisting operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, despite widespread claims Australian warships were not equipped for the age of drone warfare.

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Weve got 10 surface combatants right now, eight of them are at sea today. The navy is as ready as it ever has been, he said. They are fitted with one of the most advanced radars in the world  and some of the most advanced missile and point defence systems in the world. Are they capable of performing the mission as Admiral Johnston said last week? Absolutely. New defence force chief Mark Hammond at Parliament House on Monday. AAPIMAGE Hammond continued: The question of a contribution is one for consideration by the Australian government, should they receive a request, and theres been no such request as yet. Susan Coyle, the current head of joint capabilities, will become army chief, replacing Simon Stuart following his retirement.

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Defence Minister Richard Marles said Coyles appointment was a deeply historic moment, one that should be noted. As Susan said to me, You cannot be what you cannot see, Marles said. And Susans achievement will be deeply significant to women who are serving in the Australian Defence Force today and women who are thinking about serving in the Australian Defence Force in the future. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and newly appointed Chief of Army Lieutenant General Susan Coyle. AAPIMAGE Coyle, 55, who joined the Army Reserve as a soldier in 1987 before holding a series of senior roles, is the first woman to lead a branch of the Defence Force  army, navy or air force.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Hammond had enjoyed a distinguished career, including 40 years in the navy, including as a submarine commander. Related Article Middle East at war ADF chief says Australia, if asked, could absolutely deploy ship to Strait of Hormuz Marles said Hammond had been right at the heart of the plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS pact, and had done an incredible job as navy chief since 2022. Hammond and Albanese formed a strong working relationship, including on trips together to the US. Johnston is retiring as expected after being appointed to a two-year term as Defence Force chief in 2024.

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Former submarine commander Matthew Buckley will replace Hammond as the chief of navy. The government will announce on Tuesday that it will spend between $12 to $15 billion on uncrewed and autonomous systems over the next decade, an increase of $2 billion to $5 billion since the last national defence strategy was released in 2024. The money will be used to invest in platforms such as the Ghost Bat combat drone and the Ghost Shark, an uncrewed submarine. The war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East underscore the rapid advancements in these technologies, and the ability for these systems to generate significant asymmetric advantage against larger, more expensive platforms, Marles said. Jennifer Parker, an expert associate at the Australian National University, said Hammonds appointment reflects the growing importance of the maritime domain and the importance of delivering on the AUKUS pact.

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Related Article Middle East at war US-Iran war as it happened: Trump says US will blockade the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks failed over Irans nuclear ambitions Parker, a former naval officer, noted that Hammond had strong connections within the US military system, putting him in a strong position to drive AUKUS forward. As for the appointment of Coyle as the nations first female service chief, she said the move had been a long time coming and is well overdue. She noted that Coyle had experience in space and cyber capabilities, as well as traditional army platforms, making her well-placed to learn lessons from modern conflict, including in Ukraine. Former Defence official Michael Shoebridge said Hammonds appointment was unfortunate, describing him as Mister Continuity at a time when the Defence Force needs change and urgency.

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Noting Hammonds long career as a submariner and his advocacy for nuclear-powered submarines, he said he was concerned he would be too focused on naval capabilities. This appointment locks us into an AUKUS obsession in a way that is unhealthy, he said. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter.
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A popular CBD mural honouring the lives of women killed in violent circumstances has been removed from an iconic Melbourne laneway after more than a year. The She Matters mural in Hosier Lane appeared on the wall of the Forum theatre and paid tribute to more than 200 women who died across Australia since 2024, including those allegedly killed in acts of family violence and in the massacres at the Bondi Junction shopping centre and Bondi Beach. Workers remove the She Matters mural in Hosier Lane, Melbourne. Australian Femicide Watch founder Sherele Moody started the mural and said she was told by the venues management that works needed to be carried out on a doorway that had been covered by a section of the memorial. But she was shocked to discover on Friday the entire artwork was removed. It was like being punched in the heart, Moody told The Age.

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Related Article City life One graffiti vandal cost Melbourne $178,000. The council wants its money back Its just hard to explain how terribly sad it is that its gone. Moody said she didnt think the entire artwork needed to be erased because only about one quarter of the poster mural was across the doorway. She vowed to work within any heritage or safety restrictions so it can be reinstated. Anyone who stood down there and listened to conversations around that mural would have understood how important it is in actually getting people to talk about violence, specifically domestic and family violence, and we need to be having more of those conversations, she said. The Marriner Group, which owns the theatre, removed the mural.

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Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece said last week the council was made aware that materials used to maintain the mural blocked emergency exits to the Forum, which was a significant safety risk for patrons. The restoration of the theatre comes with operational and heritage considerations and these need to be accounted for, Reece said in a statement. The mural in Hosier Lane before its removal. Joe Armao We will look to work with the murals artists to find a new home for She Matters. We are treating this as a priority, balancing the theatres restoration with ensuring the mural remains visible and impactful. Michelle Spositos daughter, Amy, 26, was among the women honoured on the wall after her death in 2024.

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Federal budget Chalmers razor gang eyes cuts to legal services for DV victims Sposito said losing the mural was detrimental to the loved ones of every person on it. Through Sherele, I met other parents at the wall, and we all spent time there to look at the people wed all lost. You cant stand in front of that wall and just not feel the sadness of the whole thing, Sposito said. She said shed support the memorial being reinstalled at another location in the CBD, as long as it was in a place that wont face the same thing thats happened here. I was completely shocked [when it was taken down] and I felt devastated that, you know, this was a place where people could go to remember their loved ones as well, like a memorial site, she said.

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Marriner Group said it understood the murals significance and that its removal was clearly a sensitive issue, but that ongoing building rectification works had moved to Hosier Lane. Hosier Lane has historically been an evolving space where street art comes and goes, however, poster installations are not permitted, the company said. We let the artist know in advance, to give them an opportunity to move or document the installation any further. The duration of these works is currently undefined. A She Matters mural was installed in Ballarat in central Victoria earlier this year, including a section specifically honouring local women allegedly killed at the hands of men, including Samantha Murphy, Rebecca Young and Hannah McGuire. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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PoliticsWAHospitals Uncertain times: Cook blames Iran war for hospital budget blowout Hamish Hastie April 13, 2026  3:30pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

The $1.8 billion Womens and Babies Hospital in Murdoch will likely blow out, with both Premier Roger Cook and Health Infrastructure Minister John Carey flagging construction cost pressures were impacting the states entire hospital infrastructure pipeline. Cook and Carey made the admission while announcing another $1.5 billion injection into hospital infrastructure, with $500 million allocated to the building hospitals fund, $214 million for maintenance funding and $36.2 million to establish a new office tasked with commissioning the new hospital builds. An artist impression of the new Women and Babies hospital at Murdoch. About $750 million is so far unallocated, with Carey suggesting further announcements would be made in the lead up to the May budget. The announcement was made at the Women and Babies Hospital site, where piling works were ongoing.

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Carey did not detail how much of the additional funding announced was to cover cost hikes in its hospital build program, but conceded there would be escalations. Ive been very frank about this before. These projects are complex. They can generate cost escalations. But in addition to that, we face a very uncertain scenario with the Iran war and the impact of fuel costs on construction, he said. Ive been on the record before, the construction sector is not immune, whether its housing or hospitals, from those cost pressures, and so we are making it very clear that in these portfolios, it is tough, given the uncertainty. When asked whether he could guarantee no more cost blowouts on hospital builds, Cook said: No, we cant. I mean, we live in uncertain times, and we know that cost escalations are a reality of a lot of major projects, particularly projects that have such a strong interface with the costs associated with transport and fuel costs, he said.

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When asked whether he could guarantee the Women and Babies Hospital would be built for $1.8 billion, he said he couldnt guarantee that either. But of course, no one can guarantee anything in these uncertain times in which we live, and there are commissioning costs on top of that, he said. The cost of the hospital has been under the spotlight since September when a leaked April 2025 project update to the WA opposition suggested the project was already one year late and $150 million over budget before a shovel had even struck ground. That update was leaked nearly six months before the Iran war, but was brushed aside by Carey at the time, who said it was out of date and the newly formed Office of Major Infrastructure Delivery was effectively keeping the project at cost. Shadow health minister Libby Mettam was unconvinced fuel prices could be blamed for any cost blowouts.

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How much of the budget had already been blown out before the Iran conflict began? It would be good to see and raise that question, given we know leaked documents last year exposed the fact that this government cannot manage health and cannot manage project delivery, she said. What we would like to know is how much of these project budgets had already been blown out before the Iran conflict began. It is a convenient excuse for the Cook-Labor government to be hiding behind the Iran wall. We accept there will be additional costs, but we also know these projects had already been blown out well before this Iran war had even begun. The building hospitals fund was created in November last year for the government to purchase the St john of God Mount Lawley hospital, rebuild the Peel Health Campus and build a new block at Royal Perth Hospital.

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The extra $500 million takes the fund to $2 billion, with Carey saying it could be drawn down for hospital projects. Carey said the fund would see 900 hospital beds added to the system by 2030. We are in a record-breaking hospital building program, youve never seen it before in this state, he said. Wherever you look across WA, hospitals are either being rebuilt or upgraded, like the Peel Health Campus, like the new build at Royal Perth Hospital, like the redevelopment at Geraldton Hospital, like the new build at Bunbury Hospital. 
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PropertyNewsAuctions Northcote home passes in at auction for same price buyers paid in 2021 Shona Hendley April 13, 2026  10:51am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

An architecturally renovated Federation home with a pool in Northcote was passed in on a vendor bid of $3.5 million at auction on Saturday. The house at 123 Clarke Street had a price guide of $3.5 million to $3.8 million and a reserve of $3.8 million. Listing agent Sam Rigopoulos, from Jellis Craig Northcote, said there were three interested parties, but one pulled the plug on the morning of the auction and the other two were locked in a Mexican stand-off. They were both interested, but no one wanted to make the first move, he said.

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Related Article Auctions Empty nesters sell $1,685,000 inner-north bungalow for coastal move The parties were a couple who already owned a property in the area and a multi-generational family looking to consolidate. We are still in talks with both of them, Rigopoulos said. Im confident a deal will come through soon. The property, which has views of the city skyline and direct access to Peters Reserve, was extensively renovated by the owners, who bought the home five years ago for the price it was passed in at on Saturday, $3.5 million.

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They would have liked the home to sell but have a good understanding of the market at the moment, Rigopoulos said. The deals just take a bit longer, and its a matter of being patient and waiting for the right buyer to emerge. The property was one of 822 scheduled auctions in Melbourne last week. By Saturday evening, Domain Group recorded a preliminary auction clearance rate of 56 per cent from 557 reported results throughout the week, while 104 auctions were withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating the clearance rate. Elsewhere, a three-bedroom, brick-veneer, AV Jennings-built family home in Mulgrave sold under the hammer at a highly competitive auction on Saturday for $951,000.

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The home at 25 Sunrise Drive was listed with a price guide of $830,000 to $890,000 and had a reserve of $890,000. Selling agent Rick Cheah, of Ray White (Judd White Group), said he was quite amazed with the result. A similar property nearby sold three or four weeks ago at $908,000, so we werent expecting that, he said. Cheah said the hard work behind the campaign pushed the price $61,000 above its reserve.

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Related Article Victoria residential property Second Block house on the market for less than Adrian Portelli paid We did around 25 inspections over the five-week campaign, and the home was presented very well, he said. The four active bidders were all local families with young children. The buyers currently rent in Mulgrave, Cheah said. The sellers, who had bought the home around 25 years ago, had lived there before renting it out as an investment property for the past 15 years.

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Cheah said the sellers asked him to list the property after an AI search. I was in Japan and got a call asking me to take the listing. When I asked how they found me, they said they asked ChatGPT, which said I was the best agent in Mulgrave. In Albert Park, a two-bedroom terrace home was passed in at auction with a vendor bid of $1.5 million. The home at 13 Herbert Street had a price guide of $1.5 million to $1.65 million and is now listed with an advertised reserve of $1.59 million.

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Related Article Property prices Suburbs where property owners are selling at a loss Listing agent Elizabeth Lopez, from Beck & Small Property, said there were interested parties but no active bidders. We have a few interested parties who didnt make a bid but who we are still in talks with now, she said. One lady has now inspected it four times and is looking to organise a building inspection next week. I think it will sell in the next week. Lopez said there was a lot to like about the property, including its location and a north-east-facing terrace with access to deep storage in the roof.

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Lopez said the property market in the area had been tough. I noticed a shift in February where there were fewer buyers coming through, she said. Mathew Tiler, LJ Hookers head of research, said the Victorian school holidays, Easter and coming Anzac Day had made for a funny few weeks. The amount of stock on the market is quite low due to which is a consequence of these factors, he said. The effect of the most recent rate increase, as well as the war in the Middle East and its impact on household budgets, had also played a role.

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Uncertainty is the word at the moment, Tiller said. Whether youre a vendor or buyer, theres a lot of uncertainty in the market that is causing people to hold off on making decisions.

CORRECTION An earlier version of this story said Rick Cheah said his sellers queried ChatGPT, which said he was the best agent in Malvern. This should have read Mulgrave, not Malvern.

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InspirationTravel tips Opinion The northern hemisphere seems too much trouble. For a great holiday, look south Lee Tulloch Travel columnist April 14, 2026  5:00am

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North America always grabs the headlines, but for sheer cultural and physical diversity you cant beat the continent below the Panama Canal which shares several parallels of latitude with Australia. South America. Colourful city: The La Boca district in Buenos Aires. Sydney roughly shares the same latitude as Santiago; Melbourne as Buenos Aires. Darwin is level with Lima and Hobart with Patagonia. The Tropic of Capricorn crosses Queensland and Chile, Brazil and Paraguay. Continents in the southern hemisphere share a lot more than latitudes: seasons, vegetation such as jacarandas, and the same vast skies. Every time I arrive in Johannesburg, I think how much it feels like home in Sydney.

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But the differences are immense. Think about giraffes, zebras and hippos versus koalas, kangaroos and wombats, and sloths, alpacas and capybaras. Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now. The indigenous peoples of each continent have developed widely different crafts and traditions. Australia is unique in that it is one nation. Africa has 54 officially recognised sovereign states. South America comprises 12 countries, two independent territories (the Falkland Islands and South Georgia) and one internal territory (French Guiana). The Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, are located on the South American continental shelf. Panama, Ascension Island and Bouvet Island, a dependency of Norway, are also considered parts of South America.

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Within South America, the geographical landscapes vary dramatically from ocean to ocean  the Amazon River, the Andes, the Atacama Desert, Lake Titicaca, the Argentinian pampas and the Galapagos Islands. Big sky: A cattle ranch in Argentina. Getty Images Argentinas estancia (cattle ranches), the wild plains of Patagonia, Chilean fjords, the craggy peaks of Torres del Paine, the sprawling cities of Sao Paulo and Lima and the ramshackle beauty of earthquake-stricken Valparaiso. The northern hemisphere seems so troubled now, but in terms of travel for adventure and discovery, we dont need it. We have so many riches below the equator, particularly if you include Oceania. I like to call it latitude tourism. Follow your latitude.

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I havent explored nearly as much of South America as I would like. I first stepped on its shores about 15 years ago, when I took a cruise from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso in Chile. Breath-taking: A glacier runs into a fjord in Chile. iStock Id highly recommend this way of travel as an introduction to the continent. The distances are vast, but this classic cruise itinerary does give enough flavour to inspire deeper travels. Choose a small ship and group sizes for excursions involving fewer people. The ship can go further in some destinations, taking you to ports and communities that larger ships cant reach. Its easy to fall in love with Buenos Aires, all its different barrios, the steak, the Malbec, the poetry of Borges and the museum dedicated to Eva Peron.

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On this cruise, we managed to set foot on the Falkland Islands, something only the occasional cruise manages to do, thanks to inclement weather and big seas (we had those too). It takes two: Tango dancers in Buenos Aires. Getty Images Ill never forget Port Stanley, with its English cars and red phone boxes, and the old woman who beckoned me into her house to tell me all about the war and how she hid soldiers in her cellar. Then theres the eccentricity of Ushuaia, the jumping-off point for Antarctica and the magnificence and poignancy of the Chilean fjords, which even a decade ago were shrinking dramatically due to climate change. Or a day trip to an estancia in Patagonia, we met charming hosts who prepared a traditional barbecue (asado) and cooked a whole sheep over an open pit.

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Related Article South America The 24 must-do highlights of South America right now And wonderful Valparaiso on Chiles coast, the impossible city that still stands despite its flimsy dwellings and successive earthquakes that have flattened it, only to rise again. I have only really touched the edges of the continent on successive trips. (I have about eight countries to go.) Im hungry to see more. Travelling across the 34 degrees south latitude is a much easier trip than many Ive endured lately, including the multiple stops and days it took to reach Greenland. The quickest way to fly non-stop from Sydney is to take Qantas or LATAM to Santiago, with an extra short stop on the way to Lima, Bogota, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. Its two stops to Santiago from Melbourne.

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Its a long haul (12 to 14 hours depending on direction) but Santiago itself, while not the prettiest, is a vibrant city with so much to offer, notably wineries. Perhaps my next trip to South America will be to the Amazon, Galapagos or Cartagena. These days Im certainly thinking more of travelling across rather than up. Follow the latitude. It will lead to wonderful journeys.
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BusinessMarketsMiddle East at war Rough ride ahead: No relief at the pump yet as peace talks stall Nick Toscano Updated April 13, 2026  5:53pm ,first published 12:00pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

Australian motorists face an extended wait for relief at the petrol pump amid warnings the breakdown of Middle East peace talks and the United States plan to blockade Iranian ports threaten to keep global energy markets in a state of prolonged volatility. After briefly dipping on news of a fragile ceasefire last week, oil prices surged again as the lack of a clear path to ending the war continued to rattle investors and shattered a short-lived optimism that oil flows may begin stabilising. The cost of Brent oil, the global crude benchmark, shot up 7 per cent to back above the $US100-a-barrel threshold, while US-traded West Texas Intermediate rose 8 per cent to $US105. It could be months before Australians see pre-war fuel prices of less than $1.80 for regular unleaded again. Justin McManus Fuel prices in Australia rise and fall in line with crude oil markets, typically with a lag of seven to 10 days. At service stations across the country, regular unleaded was selling for an average of $2.24 a litre last week, according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum. That is down nearly 30 a litre from the start of this month following the governments halving of the fuel excise, but remains 30 per cent higher than before the war began on February 28. Now, with warnings there could potentially be weeks or even months of the conflict still to run, Australias fuel supplies are unlikely to return to pre-war levels any time soon, experts said.

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Jon Berry, KPMGs geopolitics lead, said the breakdown in peace talks between the US and Iran, which ended on Sunday without a deal, represented a major setback that would delay any end to the war and raised the risk of further escalation. Related Article Energy Australia scoured the world for fuel supplies. Its working The two sides, the US and Iran, were so far apart on what would constitute an acceptable settlement that the best-case scenario was that theyd get through the first couple of sessions, but it really fell at the first hurdle, he said. The way it went over the weekend is negative, and the time frames are really starting to stretch out in front of us. Investors and analysts are most focused on the ongoing disruption to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital thoroughfare for oil and natural gas tankers. Since the war began, Iran has effectively shut the strait to all ships other than its own, and ships that had secured safe passage from Tehran. The de facto blockade has paralysed up to one-fifth of the worlds oil supplies, sent prices soaring, and made refined fuels such as petrol, diesel and jet fuel vastly more expensive.

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After no deal emerged from peace talks, US President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the US Navy will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz. The US militarys Central Command later said the blockade would only apply to ships going to or from Iranian ports. It is due to take effect from midnight. If Trumps strategy succeeds, he would eliminate Irans greatest point of leverage in negotiations with the US and clear the strait again for global trade, potentially lowering oil prices. But until that happens, Commonwealth Bank commodities analyst Vivek Dhar said, the blockade would directly endanger Irans oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz of about 1.7 million barrels a day, representing 1.6 per cent of global demand Therefore, the blockade tightens physical oil and refined product markets even further, he said. Dhar said there was a widening disconnect between futures prices  to buy and sell a volume of oil at a later date  and the short-term market in which oil supplies are physically changing hands. Brent futures prices for June delivery were trading around $US102 a barrel, while energy companies have been buying oil for more than $US140 a barrel.

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We see Brent futures marching towards physical prices in coming weeks, he said, adding that Irans response to the US blockade could accelerate this price increase depending on the severity of their actions. Related Article Middle East at war Even if the Strait of Hormuz opened tomorrow, it could take months for fuel prices to come down Retired Admiral Gary Roughead, a former chief of US naval operations, cautioned that Iran could fire on ships in the Gulf or attack infrastructure of the Gulf states that host US forces. I honestly believe that if we begin to do it, Iran will have some kind of a reaction, Roughead said. While a shift toward peace in Iran would help unclog shipping routes and drag prices down from historic highs, analysts and Australian fuel industry leaders warn that even a swift resolution to the conflict would fail to bring local petrol and diesel prices all the way back to their pre-war ranges of between $1.66 and $1.80 a litre for some time.

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Even once more shipping traffic returned to the Strait of Hormuz, energy flows would take some time to return to normal as oil production, refining and storage infrastructure in the Persian Gulf had been badly damaged and needed repair. Related Article Middle East at war Australia in no position to ease Asian gas crunch, data shows For the Asian oil refineries, which provide 80 per cent of Australias liquid fuel, it could be more than weeks or months before they receive sizeable new crude oil deliveries, said Berry. Empty tankers would face long voyage times and port congestion to load in the Middle East, he said, while Asian refiners would have a backlog of orders to fill, including for their own domestic demand. The saying about fuel prices is they are quick to go up and slow to come back down, Berry said. Even if we started to see Brent in the sub-$US100 range, it takes time for that to wash through. While a fuel crunch remains a risk in Australia, especially if Asian refiners run lower on crude oil and start scaling back output, the federal government and fuel industry are increasingly confident that supplies remain stable. Importers have been diversifying supply chains to secure fuel from other parts of the world, while the Albanese government is holding bilateral talks with Asian neighbours to shore up future deliveries. The one big unknown now is how long this war goes on for, said one fuel industry executive, who asked not to be named.

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Analysts at investment bank UBS on Monday said the challenging start to peace talks had undermined confidence in the prospect of a swift resolution. The respective negotiating positions of the US and Iran remain far apart, with disagreement over Irans nuclear program, the issue of war reparations, and control of the strait, they said. But our base case remains that both sides have an incentive to find a diplomatic solution. With Reuters The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the days trading. Get it each weekday afternoon.
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WorldMiddle EastMiddle East at war Opinion Trump and Netanyahu started the war together. Only one is determined to keep fighting Peter Hartcher Political and international editor April 14, 2026  5:00am

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Benjamin Netanyahu was Donald Trumps only ally in starting the war on Iran. He will be important to ending it, too. Trumps critics portray him as a captive of Netanyahus war fever. This suspicion was fed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. At the outset, he said that we knew that there was going to be an Israeli action against Iran, with or without American support. Illustration by Dionne Gain Israels attack would have provoked an Iranian retaliation against US assets in the region, he said. So, the US had to attack Iran preemptively. Some of Trumps most vociferous MAGA cheerleaders have excoriated him for being a tool of Israel. The Israelis have him in a hammerlock, said Tucker Carlson.

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Trump contradicted Rubio. The chain of cause-and-effect ran in the opposite direction, said the president: If anything, I might have forced Israels hand. But Israel was ready and we were ready. But Trump critics will not be persuaded. Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid makes the same claim: That Netanyahu dragged us  and pushed the US  into war. Reporting by The New York Times last week has given new impetus to this accusation. In the White House situation room on February 11, Netanyahu made a hard sell, suggesting that Iran was ripe for regime change and expressing the belief that a joint US-Israeli mission could finally bring an end to the Islamic Republic, writes Jonathan Swan, formerly a political reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald, and Maggie Haberman. Among Netanyahus claims was that the Tehran regime would be too weak to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the greatest misjudgments of the war.

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The American president did not interrogate Netanyahus presentation, according to the NYT account. He agreed on the spot. Sounds good to me, Mr Trump told the prime minister. Trumps critics take this reporting to be confirmation that the president is a captive of Netanyahus. But this overlooks a key fact. The Israeli prime minister could only have been invited to make his case to the group in the situation room if Trump were already well disposed to the idea. Iranian pro-government demonstrators in Tehran burn US and Israeli flags after an announcement of a two-week ceasefire in the war with the United States and Israel. AP Israels ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, on the weekend rejected the idea that Trump had to be dragged into the war: Weve been in lockstep from the beginning in the planning and the implementation, and were going to end this thing together as well. Historians will flesh out exactly how the US went to war. For now, Leiters statement seems most likely. As Swan and Haberman themselves write: Mr Trumps hawkish thinking aligned with Mr Netanyahus over many months, more so than even some of the presidents key advisers recognised.

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Middle East at war Trump vows to hit Irans ships as deadline passes for Strait of Hormuz blockade So if the war was conceived and launched jointly with Israel, how will Israel influence its end? The war has been immensely popular among Israelis. It not only killed Irans supreme leader, it smashed much of Irans military and economic infrastructure. But Netanyahu is under immense pressure to continue. Lapid last week damned Netanyahu for failing to deliver a decisive victory against Iran: Three years after October 7, Hamas rules Gaza, Hezbollah rules Lebanon, and instead of an 86-year-old Khamenei ruling Iran, a 56-year-old Khamenei rules Iran. The people want Iran to be removed as a threat altogether. So Trumps announcement last week of a two-week ceasefire with Iran  a ceasefire which binds Israels hands as well as Americas  is highly unpopular in Israel. A poll by the Institute for National Security Studies found that 61 per cent of Israelis oppose it. Lapid again: Israel had no influence whatsoever over the ceasefire, he said. At the moment of truth, the Israeli government was demoted from the status of a strategic ally to the level of a demolition contractor.

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Israeli military success, he said, was betrayed by political ineptitude. The veteran Israeli political commentator Ehud Yaari of Channel 12 says this line resonates widely: You hear people say all the time, whats missing is the final diplomatic act to get agreement on Irans nuclear program. Yaari says that Israel faces two key problems with Iran. One is that enriched uranium, an estimated 440 kilograms, suitable for nuclear bomb-making, remains buried under rubble in Iranian facilities. The other is that thousands of Iranian missiles remain intact, similarly buried under rubble yet eventually retrievable, in Irans so-called missile cities. As long as these problems are on the table, the work is not finished, Yaari tells me. Then there is Israels second front. Because Hezbollah chose the opportunity of the Iran war to fire missiles at Israel, Netanyahu took the opportunity to launch a major retaliation against Hezbollah, an Iranian proxy based in Lebanon. Iran says Israel must cease its war on Hezbollah as a condition of any peace agreement that Tehran reaches with the US. Trump has sought to address this concern, at least in part. He phoned Netanyahu last week to ask Israel to scale back its assault on Hezbollah.

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Inflation The US is dragging the world into turbulent economic waters Stephen Bartholomeusz Senior business columnist The Israeli prime minister, instead, defied Trump by intensifying his missile barrages into Lebanon. But, today, as a result of US demands, representatives of Israel and Lebanon are due to meet in Washington to negotiate a peace agreement. Its the first such effort between the two since 1983. And while Lebanon suffers from Israels war on Hezbollah, it has limited control over the terrorist militia, a parasite on its Lebanese host. Hezbollah, says Yaari, is shooting missiles into northern Israel like crazy. People are going to their shelters seven, eight, nine times a day. So I dont think Hezbollah is going to have a ceasefire with Israel in this situation. Nor would Israeli public opinion tolerate it. Seven out of 10 in the INSS survey say Israel should prosecute the war on Hezbollah regardless of any negotiations imposed by the US.

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Like Trump, Netanyahu finds himself riding a tiger in Iran that he dare not dismount. Unlike Trump, the Israeli prime minister is straddling a second tiger at the same time, the one in Lebanon. If anything, he has even greater incentive to keep fighting for longer. Trump is under pressure to end the war as soon as possible, well before the US midterm elections in November; Netanyahu is under pressure to inflict as much damage on Israels enemies as possible before his elections due by late October. Their close partnership is going to be tested. Peter Hartcher is political and international editor. His federal politics column can be read in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age each Saturday. Get a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up for our Opinion newsletter.
The Australian sharemarket advanced today as US President Donald Trump raised hopes for an Iran deal even as a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz took effect.

BHP climbed amid reports of progress in its iron ore stand-off with China, while Qantas fell after a profit warning due to the war.

The S&P/ASX rose 44.8 points, or 0.5 per cent, to 8970.80, with six of its 11 industry sectors in the green. The bounceback comes after the local bourse fell 0.4 per cent on Monday following a poor showing by tech stocks, and as investors reacted to news of the failed peace talks between the US and Iran, and Trumps vow to blockade the crucial oil passageway.

Qantas opened sharply lower but pared its declines to 0.3 per cent after the company raised its fuel cost outlook and delayed a planned share buyback, citing sharply higher jet fuel prices since the war in the Middle East cut oil supply.
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Updated WorldNorth AmericaUS politics Judge dismisses Trumps lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch over Epstein story Michael Koziol Updated April 14, 2026  3:41am ,first published 12:04am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

Washington: A Florida judge has thrown out Donald Trumps defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal over an article that revealed a younger Trump contributed to a birthday book for his then-friend Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The US president filed a $US10 billion ($14.1 billion) lawsuit against the publisher and two journalists over a story published last July that said Trumps signature appeared below a cryptic letter - written as an imagined conversation between Trump and Epstein - framed by the outline of a womans body. President Donald Trump said he intended to refile the $US10 billion ($14.1 billion lawsuit) against News Corp. AP Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret, the letter concluded. Epsteins friend and accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell put the book together, which was a tribute to Epstein for his 50th birthday. Trump denied writing the letter or signing it, telling the Journal: This is not me. This is a fake thing ... I never wrote a picture in my life. I dont draw pictures of women. His denial was included in the story.

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Trump said it was not his signature on a letter purportedly given him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He subsequently sued in the Southern District of Florida, alleging the paper concocted the story to defame him. At one point, Trumps lawyers sought expedited testimony from Murdoch due to the 95-year-old press barons age and health. However, on Monday (Florida time), judge Darrin Gayles dismissed the lawsuit, finding Trump had not shown the newspaper published the article with actual malice. The suit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning Trump could choose to re-file it if desired. Posting on Truth Social, the president indicated he planned to do so. Our powerful case against The Wall Street Journal, and other defendants, was asked to be re-filed by the Judge, Trump said. It is not a termination, it is a suggested re-filing, and we will be, as per the Order, re-filing an updated lawsuit on or before April 27th.

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Trump and Murdoch have continued to enjoy an amicable relationship despite the lawsuit being filed in July. Murdoch has dined at the White House on multiple occasions, including a dinner in February alongside other News Corp figures. And Trump appeared by video message at Murdochs 95th birthday party in New York last month, praising the Australian-born mogul as a one of a kind who had changed the world. The senior Murdoch is now chairman emeritus of News Corp and Fox Corporation, but his son Lachlan runs the business. Rupert Murdoch attends an event in the Oval Office early in Donald Trumps second term as president. AP The bar for establishing claims of defamation is generally higher in the US than under Australian law. In his order, Gayles wrote that to demonstrate actual malice, Trump would have to have shown that the newspaper deliberately avoided investigating the veracity of the claims it was making, to avoid learning the truth. The complaint comes nowhere close to this standard. Quite the opposite, Gayles said, noting the newspaper sought comment from the White House, Department of Justice and FBI ahead of publication. In short, the complaint and article confirm that defendants attempted to investigate.
2 women critically injured in robbery by bike-borne men on Raisen Road







Staff Reporter :

In yet another brazen act of street crime, two women were critically injured after being targeted by bike-borne miscreants on Raisen Road under Govindpura Police Station limits. The incident occurred less than 24 hours after a high-profile robbery involving Manoj Verma near the Chief Ministers residence. The crime took place at approximately 9:45 pm on April 10. The victims, Jyoti Thakur, a resident of Pushpa Nagar and her friend Kasturi Rathore, were returning home on an Activa scooter. As they reached TRT Market area, two unidentified men on a motorcycle approached from behind and made a violent grab for the bag slung over Rathores shoulder. The force of the jerk caused the scooter to lose balance and crash onto the asphalt. In the resulting fall, Thakur sustained a fracture to her right shoulder, while Rathore suffered severe trauma to her head and face. Rathore has received eight stitches on her face and due to severity of her condition, has been admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for 48-hour observation.

Escape Under Cover of Darkness : According to Govindpura Station House Officer (SHO) Avdhesh Singh Tomar, assailants utilised the speed of their vehicle and darkness to flee. The stolen bag contained approximately Rs 1,200 in cash, a mobile phone and essential identification documents. The victims stated that the attack was so sudden and speed of the motorcycle so high that they were unable to note down the registration number. Local bystanders rushed the women to the hospital immediately following the crash. On Sunday, Cabinet Minister Vishwas Sarang visited the hospital to check on the condition of injured women. During the visit, Ram Jeevan Rathore, husband of the victim in the ICU, expressed deep resentment over the polices failure to secure the streets. He remarked that such an atmosphere of insecurity for women had never been witnessed in Bhopal before.

He demanded exemplary action against the criminals to deter future occurrences. Residents have also alleged a total lack of police patrolling on main arterial roads during night hours. SHO Avdhesh Singh Tomar assured that a formal case has been registered. A dedicated team is currently scanning CCTV footage from cameras installed around the crime scene. Several suspects have been rounded up for questioning as we work to identify the vehicle used in the crime, Tomar added. The surge in loot and snatching incidents in the capital city continues unabated, leaving citizens in a state of constant fear.
EAM Jaishankarmeets UAE Presidentin Abu Dhabi





NEW DELHI :

EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday met President of the United Arab Emirates Mohamedbin Zayed Al Nahyan and discussed the West Asia crisis and its economic impact. Jaishankar was on a two-day visit to the Gulf nation from Saturday.

Conveyed warm greetings of Prime Minister @narendramodi and our gratitude for ensuring well-being of the Indian community during the West Asia conflict, the External Affairs Minister said on social media after the meeting in Abu Dhabi. Jaishankar also said he thanked Al Nahyan for his guidance on further strengthening the IndiaUAE comprehensive strategic partnership.
Holiday Harmony





JAB TALAK, the first song from Cocktail 2, was unveiled recently. Helmed by Homi Adajania, the film features Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, and Rashmika Mandanna in the lead roles. Recalling shooting for the song, Shahid said, "Jab Talak is incredibly special to all of us, especially as it marks the first song from Cocktail 2. There was such a positive energy on set while shooting it--we truly had a great time together. Everything felt easy, warm, and effortless, and I believe that translates beautifully on screen. I'm confident audiences will connect with the honesty and joy that the song brings." The song captures the youthful, sun-soaked spirit of the film Talking about the song, actress Kriti Sanon shared, Jab Talak carries such a beautiful, feel-good vibe. Shooting for it felt like living the perfect summer with friends, filled with laughter, music, and pure masti against the stunning backdrop of Sicily. I had an absolute blast filming with Shahid and Rashmika, and it was amazing to see even the international crew and dancers humming along and soaking in the energy of the song. Rashmika Mandanna shared, For me, Jab Talak is about love, friendship and carefree holiday moments you want to hold on to forever. The song has the perfect breezy and happy vibe. To add to that, working with Shahid and Kriti was too much fun.

Cocktail 2 is the sequel to the 2012 film Cocktail, and features a fresh starcast. The film is written by Luv Ranjan and Tarun Jain, and continues the legacy of the beloved franchise with a fresh, contemporary narrative. Composed by Pritam, sung by Arijit Singh and Akasa, and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, Jab Talak blends heartfelt emotion with easygoing holiday energy, creating a track that celebrates love, friendship and the joy of shared summer memories. One of the posters showed Kriti chilling in a car, giving off aVeronica (Played by Deepika Padukone) vibe. We could also see a tattoo on one of her feet. Coming to Shahid's first look, he isalso shelling out breezy vibes, posing in a car as he leans his head on the window. Last but not least, Rashmika, who seems to be playing a happy-go-lucky character in her next, was seen excitedly capturing the scenic beauty around her from her phone.Leading ladies Kriti and Rashmika also opened up about their experience shooting for the fun song. Reacting to the first look, one of the Instagram users commented, "Wohooo... cocktail & movie both on the rocks". Another one wrote, "Can't wait... According to the leaked images from the set, it seems exciting one @kritisanon eagerly waiting!!" "Finally, Wait is over..Can't wait for this movie. Super Super Super exited..", read the third comment. If the reports are to be believed, Kriti and Rashmika might be playing a couple in the film, and Shahid will act as the third angle in this twisted saga. However, the makers have not shared any details about the same till now. Cocktail 2 will be released on June 19.
Indias growth journey huge opportunity for global partners: Kwatra





NEW YORK :

INDIAS economic growth journey is a huge opportunity for its international partners, the countrys envoy in Washington Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra said,underlining that the US is front and centre and amongNew Delhis most consequential partnerships. Kwatra made the remarks during a special address on Saturday at the Columbia Indian Economy Summit 2026: The Quest for a Developed India, hosted at Columbia University by the Deepak and Neera Raj Centre on Indian Economic Policies at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).Indias economic growth, our own journey, is not just for our own first principles of economic growth and prosperity, but its also a huge opportunity for our international partners. The United States is front and centre and among the most bconsequential partnerships that we have,he said at the event attended by students, faculty and prominent members of the Indiandiaspora.

Highlighting the importance of bilateral ties, Kwatra said the India-US partnership is among the most important and most consequential in advancing shared priorities and navigating evolving global shifts. He expressed confidence that India will continue to drive economic growth and prosperity for its people while achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. We in India are in a transformative phase of our journey, of our economic growth, the evolution of our society...At the same time, we also live in a uniquely instructive phase of global shifts, the envoy said, reiterating that India remains confident in its priorities and firmly focused on attaining developed nation status by 2047.
Long after the applause ended, Nagpur remembers Asha Bhosle





Staff Reporter :

The passing of Asha Bhosle marks the end of a defining chapter in Indian music. In Nagpur, her legacy is remembered through her songs, alongside a series of performances and cultural intersections that tied her closely to the citys artistic life. Over the decades, Bhosle performed in Nagpur on several occasions, at a time when such visits by nationally-celebrated artists were considered landmark events. Among her notable appearances was the April 1989 Chitrapat Geet-Bhajan-Ghazal Karyakram, where artists like Hariharan, Varsha Bhosle, and Sudesh Bhosle were also present. She later returned to the city for the Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Puraskar Samaroh held at Yashwant Stadium in April 1997.

The presence of stalwarts (and her siblings) such as Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar, and Lata Mangeshkar added to the significance of the occasion. Bhosle would go on to perform again at the same venue in later years, including 2008 and 2015. Apart from live performances, one of the most culturally significant aspects of her association with the region lies in her involvement with the work of Suresh Bhat, a towering figure in Marathi literature, born in Amravati and closely associated with Vidarbha. Bhats poetry, revered for its emotional depth and lyrical quality, found a wider audience when set to music by composers like Hridaynath Mangeshkar and rendered by voices such as Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.

In April 2016, Bhosle collaborated on a distinctive project titled 82, a western pop-styled Marathi album of Bhats ghazals, music-directed by Agashe. Named after her age at the time of recording, the album was completed within a week and featured ghazals originally given to the composer by Bhat. Its televised launch, hosted by Sudhir Gadgil, also included a competition inviting fans to create music videos based on the songs. For Nagpur, this connection carries particular resonance. Bhats legacy is visibly embedded in the city through the Suresh Bhat Auditorium, a prominent cultural venue named in his honour.

It serves as a reminder of the regions rich literary heritage and the moments when it intersected with voices of national stature like Bhosles. Her performances in Nagpur were occasions that brought together music, poetry, and community. Today, as tributes continue to pour in across the country, Nagpurs memories of her survive through these experiences of evenings at packed stadiums, of ghazals that carried local poetry to wider audiences, and of a voice that seamlessly bridged the classical, the popular, and the deeply personal.
Nagpur boys reign supreme, Get the better of Sangli in five-set thriller





HOSTS Nagpur :

men and Pune women were crowned champions of the 56th Maharashtra State Volleyball Championship that concluded at the Anand Nagar Sports Association Ground, on Sunday night. Nagpur boys pipped Sangli 3-2 in a thrilling match. The set-wise scores read 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 32-34, 15-10. Nagpur stormed into the lead in the first set 25-22, but fumbled on the momentum to concede points in second set which Sangli won 23-25. Capitalising on better serves and blocks, the hosts took third close set 25-23. The fourth set went to a tie-breaker after dominating performance from both the teams, but Sangli had the final word as they won 34-32. In the deciding fifth set, Nagpur beat Sangli 15-10 to win the championship.

In womens final, Pune beat Nashik 3-2 in a thriller match which went to five sets. Pune took the first set 25-22. Nashik eves bounced back in the second set to win 22-25. The third and fourth set saw a see-saw in performance, Pune won the third set 25-20 while Nashik took the fourth set 23-25 to level scores. In the decider tie-breaker round, Pune pipped Nashik 18-16 to be crowned Maharashtra champions. Solapur clinched the third spot as they got over Yavatmal 2-0. Solapur did not let their guard down and conceded lesser points to take the two sets 25-17, 25-13. Prizes were distributed at the hands of Vijay Dangre, President and Anup Pote, Executive President. Nilesh Jagtap, Secretary; Sunil Hande, Treasurer; Arvind Gawai, Joint Secretary; Vikas Ghogare, Zonal Secretary and Satish Pathak, Zonal Secretary of Maharashtra Volleyball Association were also present on the dais.
Tanker mows down 5 people in Dindori; driver arrested





Our Correspondent Dindori :

In a ghastly incident, five people died on the spot after being hit by a capsule tanker around 1 am on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday on National Highway-45 (Jabalpur-Amarkantak route), near Kikra Pond under the jurisdiction of Gadasarai Police Station. One person sustained injuries in the incident. The cause of the accident is due to the high speed of the capsule tanker. On receiving information about the incident, Collector Anju Pawan Bhadauria and SP Vahini Singh rushed to the accident site within moment. Later early morning, DIG, Balaghat range Vineet Jain also reached the spot. The senior officials met with the bereaved families, offered them solace, and assured them of every possible assistance. According to police, on Saturday-Sunday intervening night, a group of around 30 villagers from Paraswah, Karvemattha, and Ufri had travelled to Sukulpura village in a pickup vehicle to attend a chowk ceremony. While returning from the event, their vehicle (Registration No. MP 65 ZD 1118) suffered a flat tyre near Kikra Pond village. Villager Mahasingh informed that the driver, Rajkaran Vanvasi, was in the process of changing the tyre, while other villagers stood along the roadside, lighting the area with mobile flashlights. At that very moment, a speeding capsule truck approaching from the direction of Amarkantak Road ploughed down six of the villagers, triggering a scene of chaos and panic.

Five people succumbed to their injuries at the scene. The deceased have been identified as Pawan Kumar Maravi (32), Vishal Singh Dhurve (58), Rajkaran Vanvasi (30), Bihari Singh Udde (31), and Pawan Singh Udde (52). All the deceased are relatives of each others. The scene at the site of the accident was deeply poignant. The body parts of the deceased were lying scattered at the spot in all direction. Meanwhile, the injured survivor, Uday Pratap Singh (20), was admitted to the District Hospital following preliminary treatment; his condition is reported to be stable. The capsule tanker also caused extensive damage to a roadside temple, a passenger waiting shelter, and an electric pole. Providing immediate relief, the District Administration has announced the financial assistance to the kin of the deceased. This includes an immediate ex-gratia payment of Rs 50,000 per family through the Red Cross Society, as well as an additional assistance amount of Rs 4 lakh to dependant of each of the deceased person under the Sambal Yojana. Additionally, the administration ensured that proper arrangements were made for the final rites of the deceased. The police have arrested the driver of the vehicle name Rajesh Patel, a resident of Maihar involved in the accident along with the vehicle and legal action is currently being initiated against him. The District Administration arranged for the post-mortem examinations of the deceased at the Gadasarai Community Health Centre and subsequently handed over the bodies to their respective families for the final rites. Collector Anju Pawan Bhadoria, SP Vahini Singh, Bajag SDM Akshay Digarse, Dindori SDOP Satish Dwivedi, Bajag SDOP Vivek Gautam, and Bajag Tehsildar Bharat Batte, were present at the site since early morning hours to monitor the relief work.
Tanker mows down 5 villagers in Dindori; driver held





Our Correspondent Dindori :

In a ghastly incident, five people died on the spot after being hit by a capsule tanker around 1 am on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday on National Highway-45 (Jabalpur-Amarkantak route), near Kikra Pond under the jurisdiction of Gadasarai Police Station. One person sustained injuries in the incident. The cause of the accident is due to the high speed of the capsule tanker. On receiving information about the incident, Collector Anju Pawan Bhadauria and SP Vahini Singh rushed to the accident site within moment. Later early morning, DIG, Balaghat range Vineet Jain also reached the spot. The senior officials met with the bereaved families, offered them solace, and assured them of every possible assistance. According to police, on Saturday-Sunday intervening night, a group of around 30 villagers from Paraswah, Karvemattha, and Ufri had travelled to Sukulpura village in a pickup vehicle to attend a chowk ceremony. While returning from the event, their vehicle (Registration No. MP 65 ZD 1118) suffered a flat tyre near Kikra Pond village. Villager Mahasingh informed that the driver, Rajkaran Vanvasi, was in the process of changing the tyre, while other villagers stood along the roadside, lighting the area with mobile flashlights.

At that very moment, a speeding capsule truck approaching from the direction of Amarkantak Road ploughed down six of the villagers, triggering a scene of chaos and panic. Five person succumbed to their injuries at the scene. The deceased have been identified as Pawan Kumar Maravi (32), Vishal Singh Dhurve (58), Rajkaran Vanvasi (30), Bihari Singh Udde (31), and Pawan Singh Udde (52). All the deceased are relatives of each others. The scene at the site of the accident was deeply poignant. The body parts of the deceased were lying scattered at the spot in all direction. Meanwhile, the injured survivor, Uday Pratap Singh (20), was admitted to the District Hospital following preliminary treatment; his condition is reported to be stable. The capsule tanker also caused extensive damage to a roadside temple, a passenger waiting shelter, and an electric pole. Providing immediate relief, the District Administration has announced the financial assistance to the kin of the deceased.

This includes an immediate ex-gratia payment of Rs 50,000 per family through the Red Cross Society, as well as an additional assistance amount of Rs 4 lakh to dependant of each of the deceased person under the Sambal Yojana. Additionally, the administration ensured that proper arrangements were made for the final rites of the deceased. The police have arrested the driver of the vehicle name Rajesh Patel, a resident of Maihar involved in the accident along with the vehicle and legal action is currently being initiated against him. The District Administration arranged for the post-mortem examinations of the deceased at the Gadasarai Community Health Centre and subsequently handed over the bodies to their respective families for the final rites. Collector Anju Pawan Bhadoria, SP Vahini Singh, Bajag SDM Akshay Digarse, Dindori SDOP Satish Dwivedi, Bajag SDOP Vivek Gautam, and Bajag Tehsildar Bharat Batte, were present at the site since early morning hours to monitor the relief work .
Sixpenny Oyster Farms boat breaks through ice in Beebe Cove in Mystic during a prolonged cold snap over the winter that stranded oyster farmers along Long Island Sound. Courtesy of Jason Hamilton The oyster boat of Steve Plant, owner of Noank Oysters in Mystic, sits frozen at a dock along the Mystic River during the winter. Plant said his oysters were 'safely tucked away' on the seafloor during the prolonged winter cold, helping spare them from major losses. Courtesy of Steve Plant Jason Hamilton, co-owner of Sixpenny Oyster Farm in Mystic, sits in icy water in Beebe Cove after breaking through the ice while trying to reach nursery oysters this past winter. Courtesy of Jason Hamilton

Many oyster farmers had a tough winter.

Up and down the East Coast, many saw their equipment torn loose and carried away by sheets of ice more than a foot thick that had formed during weeks of bitter cold. Some reported heavy losses, saying it will take years to recover.

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But in Connecticut, growers along Long Island Sound say their operations were largely spared.

This winter was Connecticuts coldest in a decade, producing ice that stranded boats at their docks and kept farmers from reaching their nurseries. But while the deep freeze destroyed gear for some farmers, Connecticut growers say their equipment mostly held up and losses were limited, thanks in part to a farming method that makes their setup less vulnerable.

Oysters are farmed in a few different ways. They can be grown directly on the seafloor, or in trays or cages resting on the bottom and marked by buoys  a method used by many Connecticut farmers. Others raise their oysters closer to the surface in mesh bags suspended from floating lines.

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During the winter, Connecticut farmers who use floating gear often lower it to the seafloor, where its better protected from ice solidifying at the surface. That approach helped shield many of them from the destruction seen elsewhere, said Steve Plant, owner of Noank Oysters in Mystic, which harvests about 350,000 oysters a year along the Mystic River.

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Our oysters were safely tucked away where they live, said Plant, 66, who nurses his oysters in bags through the summer before replanting them on the seafloor for the winter.

In parts of Long Island, N.Y., however, growers rely more heavily on floating gear, raising oysters in bags near the surface, where warmer water helps them grow faster. But when thick ice forms, that gear can become vulnerable as the ice breaks up and shifts.

Ice is extremely destructive, Plant said. It starts breaking up and blowing around, and you have this gear thats attached by bags, and they rip apart.

After several mild winters, some growers had become complacent about sinking their gear before the cold set in, Plant said. Then you had a real winter.

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Plant said he has heard horror stories of gear scattered all over the North Fork of Long Island after ice floes broke apart, with some oyster bags even getting tangled in boat propellers.

'Couldn't leave the dock'

While Connecticut farms avoided the worst of the destruction, the ice still trapped some growers at their docks for weeks, preventing them from checking their gear.

Its not uncommon to get ice at the dock, but this year the ice was so bad we couldnt leave the dock for a month, said Mike Gilman, 42, owner of Indian River Shellfish in Madison. Our boat couldnt go anywhere. The ice was almost a foot thick.

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Because they were stranded, Gilman said he and his crew couldnt reach some cages in their outer lots, which took some damage and caused some oysters to die. He estimated losing about 300 to 400 oysters  a small fraction of the roughly 100,000 oysters his farm harvests every year.

The ice also wrecked parts of his dock along the Hammonasset River and knocked loose some of the buoys attached to his cages. Some cages were dragged along the bottom and filled with mud, which can harm the oysters and make them harder to retrieve, Gilman said.

He said hes still searching for buoys that were carried away by the ice.

Despite the frigid conditions, cold weather isnt usually a major killer of oysters, said Gary Wikfors, director of the National Marine Fisheries Services Milford Laboratory, which conducts shellfish research. In fact, a long, cold winter can benefit oysters in the region because it suppresses a parasitic disease called Dermo, which thrives in warmer conditions, he said.

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The parasite is less able to withstand winter conditions than the oyster, Wikfors said. So after a cold winter, we actually expect the disease severity in oysters to be less than if we had a mild winter.

'Frozen solid in 8 inches of ice'

Still, not every farm escaped the winter unscathed.

Jason Hamilton, co-owner of Sixpenny Oyster Farm in Mystic, said the cold snap was the harshest he has seen in more than a decade of working on oyster farms.

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Our oysters had never been frozen solid in 8 inches of ice as they were this year, he said.

The ice trapped his boat inside a cove, and kept him and his partner from checking nursery sites where about 300,000 baby oysters were growing. At one point, the pair pulled on waders and wetsuits and smashed through ice with shovels just to reach the bags, Hamilton said.

Sixpenny mainly uses floating bags to grow oysters, and Hamilton said they have had a lot of success with the method. It also requires less labor when they begin the next step of the growing process in the spring, he said.

But as the ice thawed, chunks of ice attached to the bags and ripped them from their lines, Hamilton said. He estimated the farm lost about 25% of its crop this winter, which is pretty minimal compared to what Ive seen from other farms in the area and in Long Island Sound. They have also recovered all of their lost gear, he said.

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The farm likely avoided worse damage because its equipment was tucked inside a sheltered cove rather than exposed to open water.
Nadia Cossuto, owner of the dirty soda pop-up The Thirsty Cow, in front of the SoNo Collection mall. Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Norwalk. H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media

Ever wanted to drink a Mountain Dew with pineapple in it? How about a Dr. Pepper topped with banana cold foam?

Connecticut residents now can try both at The Thirsty Cow, the only "dirty soda" bar in Fairfield County. The mobile bar opened March 14 inside a cow print-covered trailer parked outside Norwalk's SoNo Collection mall.

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Nadia Cossuto, owner of the dirty soda pop-up The Thirsty Cow, in front of the SoNo Collection mall. Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Norwalk. H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media

"Dirty soda" is a nonalcoholic drink that combines traditional fountain sodas with flavored syrups, creams and juices. The drink style first emerged in Utah in the mid-2010s, with businesses catering to Utah's large population of Mormons, who do not drink coffee or alcohol because of their religion.

"A lot of people would assume there's alcohol in it," Nadia Cossuto, owner of The Thirsty Cow, said. "It kind of feels like an elevated root beer float or Coke float."

TikTok helped introduce dirty soda to Americans outside of Utah, with more than 116,000 users posting videos with the hashtag "#dirtysoda" and several content creators filming themselves trying the drink concoction for the first time.

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Brands such as Coffee Mate helped spread the trend, creating a dirty soda-specific creamer in 2024. Dirty soda has continued to grow thanks to Hulu's "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives," with the reality show's Whitney Leavitt taking on a new role at New York-based dirty soda chain Cool Sips as of April 8.

The virality of dirty soda is what inspired Cossuto to create The Thirsty Cow.

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"I was actually not influenced by ("The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives") at all," Cossuto said. "I was influenced by everybody else that actually had it on social media."

Nadia Cossuto, owner of the dirty soda pop-up The Thirsty Cow, in front of the SoNo Collection mall. Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Norwalk. H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media

Cossuto said she watched videos on her social media feeds of people trying dirty soda and liked the "unique concept" so much that she wanted to try it herself.

"I was like, 'How can I elevate this and bring my own twist to it?'" Cossuto said. "My first dirty soda I made ... I was actually in South Africa."

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Cossuto, a South African native who has lived in Connecticut for 20 years, said she traveled around to find different syrups to try making one. She ended up making a vanilla Coca-Cola because it was the "best she could do" with the ingredients she found.

She started thinking about turning the hobby into a business after serving some basic dirty soda drink combinations at an event in 2025, where Cossuto said the drinks "took off" with attendees.

Cossuto created and tested more than 50 dirty soda recipes before her husband encouraged her to open The Thirsty Cow.

"He gave me the push, and on New Year's Day, he drove down to New Jersey and bought me this trailer," Cossuto said. "He's like, 'You're doing it now.'"

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Cossuto said she named the business The Thirsty Cow because of her love of cows and the creamers used in her soda recipes.

The Thirsty Cow's menu features various combinations for different types of soda bases, including Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola, Sprite, Mountain Dew, Crush and root beer. Each drink has its own unique add-ins, such as the "Country Road" drink, which contains Coca-Cola, vanilla syrup and a vanilla cold foam topping.

The Thirsty Cow's menu in Norwalk. Jayden Nguyen/Hearst Connecticut Media Group

Cossuto said her favorite drink on the menu is the "Barn Brulee," a Dr. Pepper with salted caramel syrup and banana-flavored cold foam.

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"It tastes like a liquid bananas Foster," she said. "It's definitely a dessert-type of drink."

The Thirsty Cow's "Grazing Goat" drink  a Dr. Pepper with vanilla syrup and coconut cold foam  is also one of the most popular on its menu. Cossuto said they sold more than 400 of them within the first two weeks of the dirty soda bar being open.

Nadia Cossuto, owner of the dirty soda pop-up The Thirsty Cow, in front of the SoNo Collection mall. Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Norwalk. H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media

The Norwalk resident also said weekends are "extremely busy" for her business, with lines of people flocking to the cow-print trailer outside the mall each week.

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"I never expected people to love it so much," Cossuto said. "It makes me excited that I can see their reactions and their faces light up."

In addition to The Thirsty Cow, other dirty soda shops have opened recently in Connecticut, including Keepn It Fizzy Soda Shop in Plainville, Get Fizzy CT in Watertown and Fizzlies Dirty Soda in Guilford.

Cossuto believes dirty soda has become a hit among people in Connecticut and across the U.S. because of how "different" the drinks are.

"People don't know what they can expect from ordering. They think pineapple and Dr. Pepper will be a weird taste," she said. "They all come back because they're intrigued about what the sodas are."

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The Thirsty Cow owner said she loves the unique drinks so much that she recently ordered a side of creamer just to put in her soda at a restaurant.

"I've never had a Dr. Pepper in my life before I had a dirty soda," Cossuto said. "I refuse to drink a clean Dr. Pepper now. I want it dirty."

The Thirsty Cow is typically open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m., and on Sundays from noon to 2 p.m. Hours are posted each day on The Thirsty Cow's Instagram story, according to its account.
In this photo illustration, the Comcast logo is seen displayed on a mobile phone screen. Idrees Abbas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Cable and Internet service giant Comcast recently reached a $117.5 million class-action settlement concerning a 2023 data breach, and affected customers now are eligible to claim a portion of that settlement fund.

Comcast agreed to the settlement in January after an "unauthorized third-party" accessed customers' personal information, according to the settlement website. In a notice sent to affected customers in December 2023, Comcast said the data thieves took usernames and passwords, as well as names, contact information, dates of birth and in some cases Social Security information.

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The settlement still is awaiting final approval, which will be determined by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in a hearing July. 7, but those affected by the data breach already can file for compensation.

As part of the settlement, Comcast has not admitted to any wrongdoing, and the company's December 2023 notice blamed the data breach on Citrix, a software provider for Xfinity.

Here's how to file a claim for part of the Comcast data breach settlement:

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Who is eligible to file a claim for the Comcast settlement?

Comcast customers, or former customers, can claim a part of the settlement if they were sent a notice of the October 2023 data breach on or around Dec. 18, 2023, that their personal information had been accessed, according to the settlement website.

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In total, approximately 31.6 million people are eligible to claim a portion of the settlement, according to court documents, although likely far fewer will. Class-action claims rates usually sit in the single digits, according to studies by the Federal Trade Commission.

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How do I file a claim for the Comcast settlement?

Affected Comcast customers can fill out a form online to file a claim. The form must be submitted by Aug. 14.

Customers also can mail the form Hasson v. Comcast Cable Communications LLC c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC P.O. Box 5324 New York, NY 10150-5324. It must be postmarked by Aug. 14.

Those who do not want to be part of the settlement or want to reserve their rights to sue Comcast independently will need to submit a written notice via mail by June. 1.

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How much can I receive from the Comcast settlement?

How much a customer can receive depends on both how many people file claims and what type of claim(s) they file.

Affected Comcast customers can file for reimbursement of out-of-pocket losses and lost time due to identity theft that they can trace back to the data breach.

The total available for out-of-pocket losses is not specified, but customers can receive up to $150 at $30 per hour if they can demonstrate at least five hours of lost time dealing with the consequences of the settlement.

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Alternatively, if customers' data was exposed in the breach but they opt not to demonstrate specific losses, they can claim an "alternative cash payment," which will be up to $50, depending on how many people file claims.

When will I receive a payment from the Comcast settlement?

At the earliest, Comcast customers will not receive a payment until later this year, as the final settlement hearing takes place on July. 7.

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Even then, the settlement website cautions, payments may be delayed if there are legal appeals to the final agreement.
Connecticut State Police say Bryan White, a Georgia man, is accused of fraudulently cashing a Bridgewater woman's check. Courtesy of Connecticut State Police

BRIDGEWATER  A Georgia man has been arrested and extradited to Connecticut after an investigation found he fraudulently cashed a Connecticut woman's check, police say.

Bryan White, 24, of Stockbridge is charged with second-degree larceny and second-degree forgery, Connecticut State Police said in a news release Monday.

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According to the warrant for White's arrest, the investigation began Aug. 9, 2025, when a Bridgewater woman contacted troopers to report fraudulent activity in her Newtown Savings Bank account. It said she noticed it when she got an email from Ridgefield Supply Co., a building supplies business, reporting that she had not paid them.

The woman remembered sending a payment via mail in mid-July, the warrant said, and when she looked at her account she found her check for $11,429.51 had been made payable and cashed at PNC Bank in New York by someone she did not know  identified as Bryan White.

Investigators got a warrant to look at the financial transactions of the PNC Bank account where the money had been deposited, according to the warrant. They found the account was linked to Bryan White, who lived in Stockbridge, Georgia, it said, and saw that $11,429.51 had been deposited to his account just days after the victim sent the check in the mail.

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The warrant said investigators found White's Georgia driver's license and used it to identify him as the person who had cashed the victim's check at the PNC Bank. When a trooper called White, he hung up when the deposited check was mentioned, according to the warant.

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Based on what they had found, troopers believed they had enough evidence to charge White with the offenses, the warrant said.

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Community organizer AJ Johnson speaks to the adults who came to welcome the students giving them a rousing reception on the first day of school at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School on Tuesday, August 29, 2023, in Hartford. The pastor, an anti-crime activist in the capital city, was charged on April 2, 2026 with breaking two motor vehicle laws. Jim Michaud / Hearst Connecticut Media The Rev. A.J. Johnson speaks in Hartford at a March 12, 2026 news conference about recent deadly shootings by police. Johnson, a loud voice against crime in the capital city, was accused of one himself earlier this month. Christine Dempsey/Hearst Connecticut Media

HARTFORD  One of the leading voices against crime in Hartford is now accused of one after driving an uninsured pickup into a car and then leaving the scene, a police report shows.

The Rev. AJ Johnson, whose formal first name is Ashley, was given a misdemeanor summons April 2 for evading responsibility and illegal operation of a motor vehicle without minimum insurance, state records show.

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According to a report obtained by CT Insider, nobody was injured in the April 1 accident involving Johnson's pickup truck and a car that was parked at a city hall parking garage. Johnson backed a Chevrolet Avalanche out of a space next to a Toyota Camry, striking the Camry's front bumper on the passenger side and leaving it visibly damaged and no longer intact, the report said.

Johnson continued backing up and repositioned in a parking space directly across from the Camry, it said. He got out of the pickup and appeared to inspect the Camry for damage before walking out of the parking garage toward Arch Street and into city hall, surveillance footage showed, according to the report.

He returned about 20 minutes later, got into the truck and left, it said.

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When an officer called Johnson, he said he was the pickup driver and he admitted to making contact with a Toyota Camry, the report said. Ashley Johnson further admitted that he did not have insurance for the vehicle at the time of the incident, the report said.

He stated he did not report the incident to police because he was unaware that there was significant damage, the report said.

Johnson, who could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon, is director of neighborhood organizing for the Center for Leadership & Justice, which organizes city church leaders to work together for "systemic change toward social, racial and economic justice," its website says. Johnson also is pastor of the Urban Hope Refuge Church in Hartford's North End and a leader of the North Hartford Public Safety Coalition, one of many community groups that condemned the recent deadly shootings of two armed Black men with reported mental illness by police. He organized a news conference at the scene of the most recent shooting death on Blue Hills Avenue.

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The coalition hosted a Public Safety Summit Thursday evening, and on the agenda were the following topics: Building a Safe & Decent Community This Summer and Beyond and What Weve Accomplished, What Were Building, What Comes Next.
Claire Hill Road in Burlington April 9, 2026. A Massachusetts woman was found dead in a house on the street on March 29. Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media

BURLINGTON  A Connecticut neighborhood is on edge after the death of a 26-year-old Massachusetts woman in a house on their block last month.

No one has been arrested in connection with the woman's death, which the state police called "suspicious." They have said the public is not at risk and released no other information.

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"I do agree with their assessment that residents are not in danger," First Selectman Douglas K. Thompson said. He also said the investigation remained active and referred all other questions to the Connecticut State Police.

The woman's body was found March 29. Neighbors on the hilly, narrow street near the Canton and Avon town lines were roused before dawn the next morning by troopers knocking on their doors, wanting to know whether they saw or heard anything, some residents said. They hadn't.

The troopers also were interested in whether surveillance cameras had picked up any unusual activity, neighbor Joe Prespare said. His camera only picked up an ambulance moving toward the house where Janina Brooke Murphy was found. Hours later, a Connecticut State Police Major Crimes van was recorded driving by slowly.

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Later that day, neighbors saw another emergency vehicle on the street. The resident of the home where Murphy was found, Cole Werhan, was escorted to a waiting ambulance, they said.

Neighbors said police were at the scene for at least 12 hours. One said they watched as a car with Massachusetts plates was removed from the Claire Hill Road property where Murphy was found.

Investigators were back at the house April 7, serving a search warrant, Prespare said.

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Western District Major Crimes detectives are investigating the death.

The sight of the 27-year-old Werhan getting into an ambulance was one of the few times neighbors had ever seen him, they said. He rarely comes out, they said, adding that his driveway was not shoveled all winter, despite the large amount of snow that fell this year.

"He stays in his house," Prespare said.

Another neighbor, Jennifer Bunnell, said, "He's lived here two years and I've never seen his face."

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"I told the cops, 'I've never seen him in my life,' " another resident, Bruce Buckland, said.

March 29 wasn't the first time police had been to Werhan's two-story house.

There was a Nov. 11, 2025, incident that led to Werhan's arrest, including a third-degree assault charge. The other charges were second-degree unlawful restraint, disorderly conduct, second-degree breach of peace and second-degree threatening. He posted $75,000 bail.

Werhan appeared on the charges briefly Friday at state Superior Court in Torrington, and the case was continued a week. Outside the courtroom, he declined to comment and his mother asked for privacy. The case was referred to in court as a "family relations matter."

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But the allegations involve a woman around Werhan's age to whom he is not related.

Asked how neighbors feel about the most recent police activity, Prespare said, The general mood in the neighborhood is one of deep frustration and disbelief."

According to the obituary for Murphy, who went by "Brooke" or "Brookie," she "was the very definition of a free spirit  someone who faithfully followed her own drum while making sure that everyone around her felt included in the band."

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Her laugh "could lift the spirit of a room in an instant," the obituary said.
Pope Leo XIV meets the Algerian Community in the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers, Monday, April 13, 2026, on the first day of an 11-day apostolic journey to Africa. Andrew Medichini/AP President Donald Trump speaks outside the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, April 13, 2026, in Washington. Alex Brandon/AP

WASHINGTON (AP)  A majority of U.S. Catholic voters supported Donald Trump in his 2024 presidential victory. Yet across the broad Catholic political spectrum  even among conservative-leaning bishops  there is dismay over Trumps unprecedented verbal assault on Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead their church.

Leo says he is sharing a Gospel message and not directly attacking Trump or anyone else with his appeals for peace and criticism of attitudes fueling the war.

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Criticism of Trump came from Archbishop Paul Coakley, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and from Minnesota-based Bishop Robert Barron, who only a few days ago was applauding Trump as an Easter guest at the White House. Barron called the presidents remarks entirely inappropriate and disrespectful and urged him to apologize.

The dismay extended into an even more solid base of Trump support  conservative Christian evangelicals. Many were appalled that Trump followed his Truth Social attack on Leo by posting an image depicting himself as a Christ-like savior.

TAKE THIS DOWN, MR. PRESIDENT, posted David Brody, a prominent Trump-supporting commentator with the Christian Broadcasting Network. Youre not God. None of us are. This goes too far. It crosses the line.

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By midday Monday, the image had been taken down from Truth Social. And speaking at the White House, the president claimed that he never intended to liken himself to Jesus when he posted the picture.

How did they come up with that?" he asked. Its supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better."

Trump: No apology needed

On his clash with the pope, Trump was equally defiant: Theres nothing to apologize for. Hes wrong.

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The president's feud with American religious communities comes just six months before voting begins in this fall's midterms as Trump grapples with low approval ratings and dissension from his MAGA base over the war with Iran. But few groups of voters have been more loyal to Trump  and important to his political success  than those on the religious right.

For now, some Trump allies are optimistic that the dispute will soon be forgotten.

There is a deep reservoir of appreciation for the president and his faith-based policies that transcends and eclipses any disagreement over a social media post, Ralph Reed, who sits on the presidents faith advisory board, told The Associated Press.

Through American history, numerous U.S. presidents have had policy differences with various popes. But experts on the Vatican and religious history could recall no exchange comparable to the back-and-forth between Trump and Leo over the popes condemnation of America's role in the Iran war.

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This is unprecedented criticism of a Pope from a US president, David Campbell, a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame, said via email.

As to whether it will have a big effect on how US Catholic voters regard Trump, that is an open question, Campbell added. Given that attitudes toward the president are driven largely by peoples party preference  which is hard to move -- it probably will not have a huge impact on Catholics attitudes toward Trump.

David Gibson, director of Fordham Universitys Center on Religion and Culture, noted that many lay Catholics have been standing by Trump in recent weeks and have been critical of their bishops who critique the president.

If this attack on the pope does not shift that dynamic in a marked way it will truly be a watershed moment ... with American Catholics choosing a Catholic-baiting president over their own pope, Gibson said.

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Looking far back into world history, Trumps attempt to strong-arm Pope Leo isnt anything new, said Kathleen Sprows Cummings, a professor of American Studies and History at Notre Dame.

Emperors, monarchs, and despots have long threatened popes in an effort to force them to bend to their will, she said via email. In an American context, however, Trumps invective does represent a historic reversal.

For most of this countrys history, Americans viewed the pope as war-mongering, money-grubbing, anti-democratic menace who had designs on the White House, she added. Today, the menace is in the White House, and the pope is the one defending the ideals of liberty and human dignity.

At a prayer service Saturday, the pontiff denounced the  delusion of omnipotence  that he said was fueling the war with Iran. Without citing Trump or the U.S. specifically, the pope said: Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!

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On Monday, he was specific in responding to the presidents criticisms, saying I have no fear of the Trump administration.

Vance suggests Vatican should stay out of politics in some cases

Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert who occasionally has sparred with church leaders over their criticism of the Trump administrations immigration crackdown, said in an interview on Fox News Channel on Monday night that the presidents social media post with the Jesus-like image was a joke."

"Of course, he took it down because he realized a lot of people werent understanding his humor, Vance said.

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He repeatedly dismissed the focus on the presidents fight with the pope, saying it isnt particularly newsworthy" and there will be disagreements from time to time with the Vatican.

But Vance also suggested the pope should stay in his lane.

I certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of whats going on with the Catholic church, and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy," Vance said.

Catholics Vote Common Good, a nonprofit group that generally supports progressive causes, urged Vance to speak out on the rift.

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At a moment when the Holy Father is being attacked and the dignity of the Church is being undermined, silence is not neutrality. It is complicity, said Denise Murphy McGraw, the organizations national co-chair.

Some vocal evangelical supporters of Trump criticized the meme depicting him as healer apparently resembling Jesus, even while maintaining support for Trump himself.

It isnt hard to condemn this outright, said Willy Rice, a candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida.

Many Christians appreciate the Presidents administration and have supported him in meaningful ways, but this is wrong, Rice posted on X.

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Also weighing in was Doug Wilson, co-founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a staunchly conservative Calvinist denomination with an outsized influence in the current administration. Its churches members include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

I was very grateful to see how many conservative Christians immediately denounced the blasphemous Jesus/Trump image, Wilson posted on X.

Megan Basham, a conservative evangelical commentator, posted that she agreed with Trumps criticisms of Leo as Weak on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. But she assailed his meme as OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy and urged Trump to ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.

A look at the numbers for religious blocs as election nears

Such public dissension against Trump from evangelical leaders is rare.

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In 2024, white evangelical Protestants were a significant component of Trumps winning coalition, according to AP VoteCast. About one-third of Trump voters, 34%, identified as white evangelical or born-again Christians, compared with only 8 percent of Harris voters. White evangelicals made up about 2 in 10 voters that year, and the vast majority, 79%, voted for Trump.

A February AP-NORC poll found that about two-thirds of white born again Protestants approve of how Trump is handling his job as president, while about one-third disapprove.

Catholics were much unhappier with Trumps performance in that poll. Only about 4 in 10 approved of his handling of the presidency, similar to Americans overall.

William Barbieri, a Catholic University ethics professor, said Trumps remarks seemed aimed more at his political base than at Leo himself.

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Pope Leos response has been calm and measured, in a way that creates a contrast unflattering to the President, Barbieri said via email.

He is opposing resorts to lethal force ... and expressing solidarity with suffering people in many countries, said Barbieri, contrasting the start of Leos pastoral journey to Africa this week with Trumps appearance at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the weekend.

__

This story has been corrected to attribute a quote to David Gibson of Fordham University, not to David Campbell of Notre Dame.

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___

Crary reported from New York and Smith from Pittsburgh. Associated Press writers Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed.

___

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The Town of Greenwich, Conn., photographed on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2022. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media President Donald Trump speaks in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21, 2026, during the World Economic Forum. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) Evan Vucci/Associated Press

Two Connecticut towns are cited as examples of "wasteful" spending in President Donald Trump's proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year, part of his administration's efforts to justify billions of dollars in cuts to non-defense expenditures.

Greenwich is mentioned as a recipient of a Community Development Block Grant, which Trump seeks to reduce by $3.3 billion.

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"The Town of Greenwich in Connecticuts famously affluent 'Gold Coast' received nearly $4 million in CDBG funding in the last five years and spent it on wasteful projects such as theater arts programming and swimming pool renovations," the budget request says.

The popular grant program, according to Trump's budget, "has been used for many projects that the Federal Government should not be funding."

Trump is a former Greenwich resident.

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A spokesperson said Greenwich town officials were not available to discuss the Trump administration proposal Friday.

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Another section of the budget request mentions "$1.6 million for a grant to Waterford, Connecticut, to renovate a theater," which the administration calls a "wasteful earmark" that helps justify $659 million in proposed cuts to funds for local and state governments and non-profits.

"What was historically a program providing low-cost credit to rural communities has morphed into a pork-barrel spending program for wasteful earmarks to areas that are arguably the least in need," the budget says.

The line about Waterford appears to reference the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, a historic facility there that received an earmark earlier this year for renovations to its campus. The Eugene ONeill Theatre did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

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The mention of two Connecticut towns in Trump's 2027 budget request was first reported by the Connecticut Mirror. Greenwich was cited in a similar context in the President's 2026 budget proposal but ultimately retained its Community Development Block Grant in the spending bills passed through Congress.

The federal Office of Budget and Management, which prepared Trump's budget request, did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Trump's budget, which must be negotiated with Congress, calls for a steep increase in defense spending, offset by 10% cuts across all other federal expenditures. Trump, speaking ahead of an address to the nation this week about the Iran war, signaled the military is his priority, setting up a clash ahead in Congress.

Throughout the budget request, the Trump administration cites examples of what it considers wasteful spending, mostly in Democratic-leaning states.

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The presidents annual budget is considered a reflection of the administrations values and does not carry the force of law. The massive document typically highlights an administrations priorities, but Congress, which handles federal spending issues, is free to reject it and often does.

The Community Development Block Grant program, administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a decades-old initiative that supports economic development in hundreds of communities nationwide, including numerous in Connecticut.

Earmarks such as the one allocated to the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center are a common way for Congresspeople from both parties to send money to their districts for initiatives they deem important.

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The Easter Bunny draws the interest of a participant during the April 11 Paws in the Park. David Blanchette/For Hearst Illinois Dogs and their owners race off to find treats at the start of the April 11 Paws in the Park Easter Egg Hunt in Edwardsville. David Blanchette/For Hearst Illinois Numerous pet-themed vendors were on hand on April 11 for Paws in the Park in downtown Edwardsville. David Blanchette/For Hearst Illinois Tony Paulik, of Shiloh, picks up a treat sniffed out by his dog Millie during the April 11 Paws in the Park in downtown Edwardsville. David Blanchette/For Hearst Illinois Becky Green, of Granite City, has her hands full with her two Great Danes as they await the start of the April 11 Paws in the Park Easter Egg Hunt in Edwardsville. David Blanchette/For Hearst Illinois Two dogs and their owner take stock of the treats that were found during the April 11Paws in the Park event in downtown Edwardsville. David Blanchette/For Hearst Illinois Ajax and Jazmine, both Chihuahuas, are appropriately attired as they await the start of the April 11 Paws in the Park Easter Egg Hunt in Edwardsville. David Blanchette/For Hearst Illinois Two dogs and their owner are hot on the trail of treats during the April 11 Paws in the Park event in downtown Edwardsville. David Blanchette/For Hearst Illinois

Edwardsvilles canines were hot on the trail of the Easter Bunny on April 11 as dogs filled the city center for the annual Paws in the Park Easter egg hunt.

This years event was a week later because of the forecasted inclement weather a week earlier, but the participating pooches and their people didnt seem to mind as dogs enthusiastically sniffed out treats and prizes on the City Park lawn. The park was divided into sections for small, medium and large dogs, and at the predetermined signal, the tail-wagging hunt was on.

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Local resident Sierra Goldsmith and her husband Christopher brought their two golden retrievers, Kio and Chief, to their first Easter egg hunt.

I think they are going to be so overwhelmed but excited, and theyve already gotten to meet so many new friends, Sierra said. Overall they seem to be having a great time.

Christopher added that the older dog, Kio, is definitely leading the way, he loves treasure hunting. He does a lot of searching around the lake where we live.

Two great Danes, Aerith and Zydane, were about all owner Becky Green could handle as they surveyed the Easter egg hunting grounds before the event. Green, from Granite City, decided that her dogs might be better spectators than participants.

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You have to handle big dogs carefully, you cant give them much room, you have to fool them into thinking youre the Alpha, Green said. So I think this will be more of a spectator sport for them today.

New Orleans resident Kayla Lott was visiting friends in the area and decided to bring her Dalmatian, Marshall, to Paws in the Park.

Hes done an Easter Egg hunt in our back yard before so I think hell do well today, Lott said. He likes to sniff about, hold the egg in his mouth, then crack it open. He sort of learned how by watching our other Dalmatian.

Slow and steady was the strategy for Millie the basset hound and her owner, Tony Paulik, of Shiloh.

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Since shes a Basset she can smell an egg a mile away, so she pretty much just walks from egg to egg, Paulik said. We actually walked around the perimeter so when she gets there shell know immediately where the eggs are. Shes very methodical.

If Millie was methodical, Ajax and Jazmine, two Chihuahuas from St. Peters, Missouri, will probably just stare at me and look like, what are we supposed to do? said owner Kera Chaos, who had her dogs attired in blue and pink Easter Bunny outfits. They have been in a lot of parades but this is their first Easter Egg hunt, so who knows what will happen.

Paws in the Park also featured dog-oriented vendors and an Easter Bunny photo area for dogs and their humans. The first 50 participants who registered received special goodie bags. All profits from the event will be donated to the Metro East Humane Society.
Doug Bartek shovels soybeans in a bin on his farm near Wahoo, Neb., on Monday, April 6, 2026. Charlie Riedel/AP Doug Bartek talks about high production costs and tough market conditions for the soybeans he grows on his farm near Wahoo, Neb., on Monday, April 6, 2026. Charlie Riedel/AP Soybeans from last year's harvest are loaded into a truck at Doug Bartek's farm near Wahoo, Neb., on Monday, April 6, 2026. Charlie Riedel/AP Dalton Bartek works a field to prepare for planting soybeans on his family's farm near Wahoo, Neb., on Monday, April 6, 2026. Charlie Riedel/AP Doug Bartek transfers soybeans from a storage bin to a truck on his farm near Wahoo, Neb., on Monday, April 6, 2026. Charlie Riedel/AP

WAHOO, Neb. (AP)  Strong winds whipped around Doug Bartek, a fifth-generation farmer, as he headed into a grain bin to shovel soybeans onto a conveyor chute. The 60-year-old was anxious at the onset of the spring planting season, rattling off the long list of issues affecting his familys livelihood at their 2,000-acre farm near Wahoo, Nebraska.

The high cost of fuel, equipment, and fertilizer  compounded by the Iran war  and also tariffs, perceived price gouging by suppliers, and low soybean prices driven by a global supply glut. All of it weighs on Bartek, who is chairman of the Nebraska Soybean Association.

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Our biggest struggles are our inputs, be it fertilizer, seed, chemical, parts, Bartek said. There has been so much drastic markup in all of these. And I just kind of feel like the farmers kind of painted in the corner.

Barteks concerns are shared by many Midwest soybean producers. Costs, such as equipment, have crept up over time while soybean prices have stayed low. Tariffs levied by the Trump administration last year and the resulting monthslong trade war with China only made things worse, they say. Then the Iran war bottled up shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, restricting global fertilizer supplies and sending fertilizer prices sky high. A ceasefire deal announced April 7 raised hope that bottlenecks in the strait would abate, but the future of the agreement was uncertain.

A lot of producers are pretty nervous going into this year, said Justin Sherlock, a soybean farmer and president of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association. It looks like were going to have another year of negative returns.

Years of rising costs, low soybean prices

Soybeans, which are used for livestock feed, food and biofuels, are among the top U.S. agricultural exports. That hasnt always been the case. Before the 1960s soybeans werent a major crop in the U.S, according to Chad Hart, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University. It wasnt until the 1990s that soybean production accelerated due to international demand  primarily from China  and soybeans and corn are now dominant in U.S. agriculture.

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But U.S. soybean farmers, who typically also grow corn, have been facing financial issues for years even before the onset of the Iran war. Soybean prices have been persistently low in recent years. The global market has been awash in soybeans, driven in part by Brazil, which surpassed the U.S. as the worlds largest soybean producer years ago.

If we look at global soybean production over the past several years, it continues to set record, after record, after record, Hart said. Theres been just large supplies globally, and that has led to depressed prices.

Meanwhile, Midwest soybean farmers costs have risen. Overall farm production expenses, including seed and pesticide, have increased over time, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Operating costs for soybean production have stayed elevated since 2020 and are projected to increase again in 2026, according to the agency.

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The cost of land also is a major issue for farmers, experts say. Midwest crop land values have increased. And most regional farmers rent some of their land, according to Joana Colussi, research assistant professor in the department of agricultural economics at Purdue University.

Bartek, who rents three-quarters of his land, said landowners are increasing rents, causing further financial strain.

Theres a lot of what I call absentee landowners that have absolutely no idea what goes on on the farm, he said. All they know is their taxes went up and you get to make up the difference, some way, somehow.

Theyre very concerned about negative margins driven by low prices and high cost, said Paul Mitchell, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, of farmers. Theres just a liquidity cash crunch for a lot of them and theyre just trying to figure out how to deal with everything.

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The number of farms in the U.S. has shrunk over time and consolidation in farming is a long-term trend, though farmers financial pressures wrought by high input costs and low commodity prices have contributed, Hart said. Larger farms tend to be more competitive and depend on large, expensive machinery.

The financial reserves need(ed) on a farm are much greater than they used to be, Hart said. Were a bit more sensitive to the financial conditions these days because so much capital is being utilized within the farm business.

Tariffs, trade war have lasting impacts

Market forces arent the only issue weighing on farmers. Sweeping tariffs levied by President Donald Trump in April 2025 exacerbated a trade war with China, the top buyer of U.S. soybeans. China responded with retaliatory tariffs and effectively boycotted U.S. soybeans, cutting off a major export market for Midwest farmers and driving the price of soybeans even lower.

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When that was announced and soybean prices basically collapsed, if you could afford to hold on to your beans and wait for better times, you were OK, said Mike Cerny, a soybean, and winter wheat corn farmer in Sharon, Wisconsin. If you had a mortgage due or payments due or cash flow needs and you had to sell at that point, you were taking it pretty rough.

The U.S. and China eventually reached a deal in late 2025. Beijing committed to buying 12 million metric tons of soybeans by January and at least 25 million metric tons annually for the next three years. China has since met its initial soybean purchase goal and the Trump administration also rolled out a $12 billion temporary aid package in December to boost farmers affected by the trade war.

But the damage is already done, experts and farmers say. While Chinas renewed purchases and the federal payments are helping, its not enough to recover farmers losses. Even after federal assistance, farmers still lost almost $75 per harvested acre of soybeans in the 2025 crop, according to the American Soybean Association. And the trade war further pushed China toward competing soybean exporters, such as Brazil  accelerating a trend of declining U.S. soybean exports to China.

When China decided to stop purchasing, we couldnt find enough other markets to replace those sales, Hart said. Were still feeling the impacts today. When you look at where soybean exports are today versus where we would normally expect them to be, were still running anywhere from 15% to 20% behind normal.

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Joseph Glauber, former chief economist at the Department of Agriculture between 2008 and 2014, said global competitors to U.S. soybean farmers gained from the trade war.

When China has put on tariffs against the U.S. theyve tended to buy then from Brazil or Argentina, largely Brazil, Glauber added. Were not nearly as dominant in the world as we used to be in terms of the global export market for soybeans.

Iran war drove up fuel, fertilizer costs

After the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, a severe slowdown in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz sent the price of oil soaring. The shipping disruption also largely stopped the export of nitrogen fertilizers manufactured in the Persian Gulf and limited access to key fertilizer ingredients. The price of urea, the most widely traded nitrogen fertilizer, skyrocketed.

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Soybeans dont require nitrogen fertilizer, but its vital for corn and most soybean farmers also grow corn. About half the global supply of urea comes from the Middle East, and Qatar and Saudi Arabia are two of the top sources of U.S. fertilizer imports, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire last week that included reopening the strait of Hormuz, but traffic remained slowed amid disagreements over Israeli attacks in Lebanon, and the price of urea remains elevated.

Many Midwest farmers bought their fertilizer well in advance of the spring planting season. But some farmers who didnt buy early face elevated prices. Dave Walton, a corn, soybean, and hay farmer in Iowa and vice president of the American Soybean Association, said in March that some of his neighbors didnt have cash on hand last fall to buy fertilizer and were struggling to budget for fertilizer due to high prices.

The war also caused gasoline and diesel prices to surge, causing further headaches for farmers. Oil prices dropped following the ceasefire announcement, but the war and the closure of the strait will have lasting impacts on farmers, said Seth Goldstein, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, an investment research company. Facilities in the Middle East that are critical for exporting chemicals, oil and other commodities were damaged or destroyed during the war and it will take time for supply chains to recover, he said.

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Facilities have been hit, like liquid natural gas plants, Goldstein added. You are also looking at a big supply crunch in commodity chemicals, which are the inputs for crop chemicals.

We burn a lot of diesel fuel, said Chris Gould, a corn and soybean farmer in Maple Park, Illinois. Its hard to say if Im gonna come out ahead or behind on this whole deal. But I suspect Im gonna come out behind.

Concerns about the future

Farmers financial problems are showing up in some measures. Farm bankruptcies, while still relatively low, continued to climb in 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. In a survey of 400 farmers conducted by researchers at the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture in late March, almost half said their farm operation is financially worse off than it was a year ago.

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Goldstein, the Morningstar analyst, said farmers high costs and low revenues contributed to the spike in bankruptcies between 2024 and 2025. If costs rise faster than crop prices going forward, he added, that would strain farmers again and likely lead to more bankruptcies.

After 43 years of farming, Bartek said the smell of fresh dirt still gets him excited for spring planting. But hes also heard of farmer suicides, bankruptcies and retirement sales where farmers are forced to auction off their operations due to financial problems. Bartek compares farmers to gamblers who put millions of dollars in the dirt hoping for returns.

At times, Bartek doubts his own decision to go into farming. Hes also worried about his son, who purchased a farm a few years ago.

Bartek wonders: Did I do the right thing helping him get into farming?

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___

Kelety reported from Phoenix.

___

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For the past few months, this series has been heavy on imports and products from GM and Chrysler, so I decided that it was time to honor a discarded Ford vehicle here. Here's one of the most influential Dearborn machines ever built: a first-generation Explorer, found in Colorado a while back.





The first-gen Explorer was built for the 1991 through 1994 model years, and well over a million rumbled out of American showrooms. This wasn't Ford's first use of the Explorer name; it was the designation for a trim package on F-Series pickups in earlier decades. The 1991-1994 Explorers are still fairly easy to find in Western car graveyards, but have rusted out of existence in most other regions.

Today's truck is the first Explorer for TTAC's Junkyard Find series, though I did write about a 1994 Mazda Navajo (a badge-engineered Explorer that gave desperate US Mazda dealers an SUV to sell until Hiroshima could design the Tribute) back in 2019.

Our current era, in which just about every non-pickup vehicle on the American road is some flavor of SUV or SUV-shaped design, was formed by the popularity of three American trucks: the Jeep XJ Cherokee (1984), the UN46 Ford Explorer (1991) and the Jeep ZJ Grand Cherokee (1993).

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By the turn of the century, the suits at every carmaker doing business in North America (and, pretty soon after that, the world) knew they had to get a complete line of SUVs or look for new jobs. We can thank or blame (depending on how you feel about the SUV-ification of the car industry) this on those three models of the 1980s and 1990s.

The XJ and ZJ Jeeps had car-like unibody chassis and suspensions and drove more like Detroit sedans than the jouncy, oil-canning, noisy trucks that had preceded them. The first-gen Explorer, on the other hand, was a bigger version of the old Bronco II, still based on the body-on-frame Ranger chassis and still riding on the F-Series-derived Twin I-Beam Ranger suspension. This was a truck, not a truck-shaped car.

Along with being much larger than the Bronco II, the most important selling point of the new Explorer was that it could be had with four doors.

The only engine available in the first-gen Explorer was the good old Cologne pushrod V6, with 4.0 liters of displacement and either 155 (1991-1992) or 160 (1993-1994) horses.

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The Cologne 4.0 looked good enough next to the XJ Cherokee's ancient AMC straight-six, but the Grand Cherokee could be purchased with a 318-cube V8 when it debuted as a 1993 model. Ford made the "Rollin' in my 5.0" Windsor 302 engine fit in the second-gen Explorer (which also did away with the antiquated Twin I-Beam suspension).

The base 1991-1994 Explorer transmission was a five-speed manual, even in the top-of-the-range Eddie Bauer (three-pedal Explorers were available all the way through 2002), and a few buyers even wanted that gearbox. Most, however, paid extra for the five-speed automatic.

The thirst for fuel and truckish ride of the early Explorer didn't seem to hurt its sales numbers much versus the Jeep XJ and ZJ (the Grand Cherokee got slightly worse gas mileage, but it was a significantly bigger truck than the Explorer).

The Explorer didn't go to a unibody chassis until the 2011 model year, and it first got true all-wheel-drive (as we understand the term today) as an option for 1995.

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The build tag says it was built at Louisville Assembly.

Tire size and pressure turned out to be very important in these trucks.

This car doesn't appear to have ended up in this place due to a rollover crash. It looks more like it got bent up due to being hit while parked.

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1993 Ford Explorer in Colorado junkyard.

1993 Ford Explorer in Colorado junkyard.

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1993 Ford Explorer in Colorado junkyard.

1993 Ford Explorer in Colorado junkyard.

1993 Ford Explorer in Colorado junkyard.

1993 Ford Explorer in Colorado junkyard.

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1993 Ford Explorer in Colorado junkyard.

1993 Ford Explorer in Colorado junkyard.

1993 Ford Explorer in Colorado junkyard.

[Images: The Author]

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If there's one thing that most car, truck, or SUV owners can agree on, it's that outfitting those vehicles with new tires is frequently prohibitively expensive. That is, perhaps, more true for trucks and utility vehicles than your run-of-the-mill sedan, however, if only because most truck tires tend to be larger and require a different level of toughness than an average everyday driver.

Given the fact, most truck owners no doubt consider price point one of the primary deciding factors when it is time for a new set of tires. The quality of the tires themselves is surely high on most lists of qualifiers too, particularly when you account for the sheer number of brands now available to consumers. If, however, you are considering a truck tire from one of the major tire manufacturers, a recent J.D. Power study contends that there is a well-known brand that you should probably avoid  Hankook. J.D. Power shows that consumers have made it clear that truck tires from the South Korean manufacturer are among the worst on the market.

In total, consumers awarded Hankook's truck tires just 750 points of the 1,000 available in the satisfaction survey. If you're curious, said survey focuses primarily on four areas of customer satisfaction, with J.D. Power ranking ride quality, tire wear, traction and handling, and tire appearance in order of importance. Almost 40,000 consumers were surveyed overall, focusing on owners of vehicles from the 2023 to the 2025 model year.

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Read more: 21 Major Tire Brands Of 2025 Ranked

How other brands fared in the JD Power Truck Tire ranking

A close-up of the Hankook lettering on a set of all-terrain tires, desert in the background - Hankook Tires

For point of reference, that 750-point score placed Hankook's truck tires behind nine other manufacturers in the J.D. Power study. It also rated the brand well below the segment average of 775 points. Hankook was, however, not the only notable tire brand whose truck and utility models were rated below that average by consumers, with General Tires, Continental, Falken, and, Goodyear also failing to breach that threshold, scoring 758, 763, 771, and 773 points respectively.

Goodyear  one of the world's oldest tire makers  is perhaps the most surprising brand to place in the lower end of the truck and utility vehicle tire market, as it has long held a strong reputation in that particular market. Still, it would seem plenty of real world customers are less than satisfied with their truck's Goodyear tires.

Which brands fared better in this survey? As you'd expect, there are some very recognizable brand names listed in the top five, with Bridgestone, Firestone, Michelin and BFGoodrich placing fifth, fourth, third and second in the J.D. Power study. They did so with scores of 776 points, 781 points, 788 points, and 790 points in that order. Topping the list is, perhaps, another surprise for truck tire consumers, with Pirelli taking customer satisfaction honors in the truck tire market segment. In fact, the Italian tire maker was the only brand to crack the 800-point barrier, doing so narrowly with a total of 801.

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Read the original article on SlashGear.
At a time when global automakers keep searching for one formula that can work everywhere, Hyundai is taking a very different path in China. The company has now launched the IONIQ lineup brand there with two new concept cars shown ahead of Auto China 2026 in Beijing.

That matters because China is no longer just another major market. It is the market that is pushing global brands to rethink product planning, software, design, and even brand identity.

Instead of simply bringing over the same Ioniq formula used in the U.S. and Europe, Hyundai says its Chinese IONIQ models will be developed around local expectations and a broader mobility ecosystem.

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The Venus and Earth concepts are the first clear sign of what that new strategy looks like. And they suggest Hyundai is trying to do much more than adjust a few details for a different audience.

Hyundai Is Building A Different IONIQ For China

Photo Courtesy: Autorepublika.

On Western markets, Ioniq already has a clear identity through models such as the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and Ioniq 9. In China, though, Hyundai says the brand will expand beyond a normal product lineup into a more complete ecosystem shaped specifically for local customers.

That difference goes deeper than styling. Hyundai says future Chinese market IONIQ products will center on smart driving, smart cabin features, and technologies tailored to local demand, with the first production model set to debut at Auto China 2026 and more vehicles planned over the next three years.

The broader plan also includes battery electric vehicles and extended-range electric vehicles in midsize and larger SUV and coupe-style segments. That makes it clear these will not be simple copies of existing global Ioniq products with minor regional changes.

Venus And Earth Show A New Design Direction

Photo Courtesy: Autorepublika.

The two concepts also mark a major design break from the global Ioniq look. Hyundai says Venus and Earth use a new single-curve silhouette language aimed at making them instantly recognizable and emotionally distinctive, rather than following the pixel-themed and retro-futuristic style seen on todays global Ioniq models.

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Venus is the sedan of the pair, and Hyundai describes it as a new icon for the body style. The concept uses a radiant gold finish, a cab-forward profile, a lightweight roof structure, and a transparent spoiler, while the interior replaces traditional controls with a screen-heavy layout and premium materials such as suede and chrome gold trim.

Earth takes a different route, aiming at the growing Chinese appetite for more rugged family crossovers. Hyundai says it combines robust detailing with a calmer, more breathable cabin environment, using features such as air-hug seats, subtle hidden technology elements, and lighting inspired by nature.

China Is Driving The Bigger Strategy

Photo Courtesy: Autorepublika.

This approach also fits a much broader industry shift. Volkswagen has already leaned heavily into its China strategy, and Reuters reported in late 2024 that Hyundai and BAIC agreed to invest $1.1 billion into their joint venture as part of a renewed effort to introduce products tailored to Chinese consumers.

That context makes Venus and Earth more important than a normal pair of concept cars. They are really a statement that Hyundai wants to rebuild its position in the worlds largest auto market with products designed around Chinese expectations rather than asking Chinese buyers to adapt to a global template.

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Whether these concepts reach production in close to this exact form is still an open question. What already looks clear, though, is that Hyundai now sees China as a place where it needs a distinct identity of its own, and the Venus and Earth concepts are the first real proof of that new direction.

This article originally appeared on Autorepublika.com and has been republished with permission by Guessing Headlights. AI-assisted translation was used, followed by human editing and review.

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I still remember sitting in my dorm room at 2:17 a.m., staring at a blinking cursor that felt almost personal in the worst way. It was one of those weeks where everything stacks at once. Three assignments, one midterm, and a thesis draft that was nowhere near draft level in my head. Im an American student whos been through the usual grind of college writing, but that week felt different. Heavier. Less forgiving.

I didnt plan to use any essay writing service. Honestly, I had the usual doubts about it. But I also knew I wasnt going to magically produce 4,000 coherent words on cognitive behavioral theory without losing my mind a little. Thats when I first came across KingEssays while doom-scrolling through student forums at like 3 a.m. when you start questioning all your life decisions.

What pulled me in wasnt hype. It was just students talking in a very unpolished way about deadlines they somehow survived.

I decided to test it cautiously. Not as a shortcut, more like a pressure valve.

At first, I only needed structure help. I used their option for help with thesis writing at KingEssays, and I didnt expect much beyond maybe an outline or some direction. What I got back wasnt magic, but it was surprisingly grounded. The draft didnt sound robotic. It sounded like someone who actually understood how academic arguments are supposed to breathe. Not perfect, but usable in a way that made me sit back and think, Okay, I can work with this.

That changed the tone of my whole week.

Im not going to pretend everything suddenly became easy. It didnt. But I stopped feeling stuck in place.

Theres a weird emotional part of college writing no one really talks about. Its not just workload. Its isolation. Youre expected to produce structured thinking on demand, often while exhausted, sometimes while dealing with stuff nobody sees. In that context, even a bit of guidance feels bigger than it should.

Later, during finals season, I went further. I wont dress it up. I used pay for an essay with KingEssays when I had overlapping deadlines and zero margin for error. That decision wasnt casual. I remember hovering over the checkout page for a long time, thinking about whether I was crossing some invisible line. Maybe I was. But I also remember thinking Id rather submit something I could refine than collapse under everything and submit nothing.

What I got back was structured, readable, and oddly calm in tone. It didnt feel like it was trying to impress anyone. It just made sense. I still edited it heavily, changed parts, added my own voice. But the base gave me something I didnt have that week: time.

And time, in college, is basically oxygen.

The part that surprised me most wasnt even the writing itself. It was how normal the experience felt afterward. I expected guilt to hit harder. It didnt. Instead, I found myself reflecting more on how students already operate under unrealistic pacing rather than questioning the tool I used to stay afloat.

I started noticing patterns in how I used it. Not dependency, more like situational support. When I was overwhelmed, I leaned on it. When I had space, I didnt.

At some point, I even checked kingessays reviews just to see if my experience was an outlier. What I found was mixed, which honestly made me trust it more. Not everything glowing, not everything negative either. Just real people reacting to deadlines in their own messy ways. That felt closer to reality than polished testimonials.

If I had to break down what stood out to me, it would be something simple:

The writing didnt feel detached from academic tone, even when it wasnt perfect

Communication didnt feel automated or overly scripted

Revisions didnt feel like a battle

I didnt feel pushed into more than I asked for

None of this sounds dramatic, but in the middle of academic stress, small things matter more than big promises.

Theres also something I didnt expect to admit: using it made me a better editor. I started seeing structure more clearly in my own writing. Where arguments drift. Where paragraphs lose tension. Its strange, but outsourcing a draft once or twice made me more aware of how I construct my own work.

I still write most of my assignments myself. That part hasnt changed. But I stopped treating writing support as some forbidden zone. Its more like tutoring that doesnt sit in the same room as you.

Theres a moment I keep thinking about. I was revising a paper they helped structure, sitting in a library corner where the chairs are always slightly uncomfortable. I remember deleting entire paragraphs and rewriting them in my own tone. It didnt feel like I was fixing someone elses work. It felt like I was finishing something I started but couldnt fully see at the time.

Thats probably the most honest way I can describe the experience.

Not a shortcut. Not a miracle. More like a second set of hands when mine were already shaking from too much caffeine and not enough sleep.

College still feels intense. That hasnt changed. But I stopped treating every deadline like a personal collapse waiting to happen. And that shift alone made a difference in how I move through it all.
Concerns have been raised about the voters register as the election approaches, while officials maintain that safeguards are in place. How confident are you in the integrity of the register? Share your view in our poll.

You voted:
News / National

by Staff reporter

A former school committee chairperson in Masvingo has taken legal action challenging the outcome of a recent School Development Committee (SDC) election at Rujeko Primary School, alleging widespread irregularities and procedural flaws.Patience Mapfumo, a controversial former SDC chair and known Zanu PF activist, has filed an application at the High Court under case number HCMSC137/26, seeking to overturn the results of the February election she lost.The respondents cited in the application include Provincial Education Director Shylatte Mhike, Masvingo City Director of Housing and Social Services Simbarashe Mandishona, and Rujeko Primary School head Phineas Muchati.Mapfumo is contesting the legitimacy of the poll, which saw Clemence Muzondo elected chairperson with 120 votes, while she secured just 31 votes. Other candidates who performed strongly included Ruth Mujeuri (95 votes), Dhemba (91), Vandirai Chipunza (90), Chirambamurivo (73) and Prosper Dendere (50).In her court papers, Mapfumo alleges that the election process was flawed, arguing that teachers involved in vetting voters were also allowed to cast ballots, while some parents were intimidated and denied proper participation.She further claims that the presence of police at the polling venue created an atmosphere of fear, effectively discouraging legitimate voters from taking part."Respondents denied the SDC access to the attendance register, preventing verification of voter eligibility this breach goes to the root of the election as non-eligible persons were allowed to vote," she argued.Mapfumo also accuses Simbarashe Mandishona, who presided over the election, of allowing a hostile environment in which she was allegedly vilified, creating undue influence over the outcome.Additionally, she has raised concerns over the integrity of the vote-counting process, alleging that a member of the school administration who participated in the election also handled the counting of ballots."The counting of votes was conducted by a person who had a vested interest in the outcome," she stated.Mapfumo further claims that attempts to halt or postpone the election to address the alleged irregularities were blocked, with threats that the committee would be dissolved if proceedings were delayed.The legal challenge marks the latest chapter in a series of disputes surrounding the governance of the school's SDC, following a contentious 2025 election that also drew criticism.The High Court is expected to determine whether the election process met the required legal and procedural standards.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Several undocumented Zimbabwean nationals are expected to appear before the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Monday following their arrest during ongoing enforcement operations in the Free State.The arrests come after authorities intercepted a third bus transporting foreign nationals on provincial roads since the beginning of the month. The latest bus, travelling from Zimbabwe to Cape Town, was found carrying 55 passengers. Of these, 29 were undocumented, including seven minors.Law enforcement officials redirected the bus to the Lengau Testing Centre for processing.Earlier in the month, ten of the 16 undocumented Zimbabwean nationals arrested along the N1 also made a brief appearance in the same court.The latest operation brings the total number of undocumented individuals apprehended in the province to 65 since the start of the month.Authorities have indicated that monitoring and interception operations targeting undocumented migrants will continue across the province.
'Hunger strike will continue until justice is delivered'

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IMPHAL, Apr 13: Hunger strike will continue until justice is delivered for the two children killed in the April 7 Tronglaobi bomb attack, People's Alliance for Peace and Progressive Manipur (PAPPM) convenor Jurist Khumancha has said.

Jurist Khumancha, who is also the president of the Prime Club, hails from Uripok Achom Leikai.

He has been carrying out the hunger strike since midnight yesterday, in place of Village Volunteer Force (VWF) Manipur president Takhellambam Ramananda.

Takhellambam Ramananda had launched the strike on April 7 at Malom Awang Ibudhou Pakhangba Community Hall.

After his health deteriorated, Ramananda was picked up by the police and evacuated to RIMS Hospital yesterday.

Speaking to reporters, Jurist said he will continue the hunger strike until justice is delivered for the children killed in the Tronglaobi attack.

He also stressed that the Government must also take up strict actions against CRPF personnel involved in the firing on April 7 that killed 3 protesters and injured several others.

The Government must take up appropriate measures and deploy adequate security forces in all sensitive areas to curb violence, he said.

Further, the Government must update the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to identify illegal immigrants and deport them, he said.

Thousands of people who have been displaced by the Manipur conflict are still languishing in relief camps. The Government must rehabilitate and allow them to return to their homes, he said.

The Government must also crackdown on illicit poppy cultivation, illegal villages and settlements, and remove encroachers from reserved and protected forest areas, he added.
Associations demand time-bound judicial inquiry

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IMPHAL, Apr 13: In the aftermath of the Tronglaobi tragedy, the Young Socio Cultural Union (YSCU) and Wahengbam Leikai Yumjao Lairembi Apunba Nupee Lup Development Association have demanded immediate, independent and time-bound judicial inquiry into both the bomb attack and the CRPF firing incident.

Addressing the media at the Thangal Hall of Manipur Press Club today, Maisnam Pushpakanta, secretary, YSCU, strongly condemned the tragic bomb attack and firing, calling them "unforgivable and unacceptable".

He also called for full transparency and public disclosure of facts from the side of the Government as well as adequate compensation, medical, and psychological support for the victims and their families.

A delay in delivering justice and accountability may intensify the public movement seen in many different parts of the State, he said.

Further, he sought assurance from the Government to ensure that the shocking Tronglaobi incident will be the last of its kind.

In order to safeguard the lives of the indigenous population, the YSCU secretary appealed to the Government for heightened precautionary measures.

He also guaranteed support to the ongoing people's movement until the Government uncovers the truth about the Tronglaobi tragedy and brings the perpetrators to justice.

YSCU also called for unity among CSOs across Manipur, stating that it is not the time for separate strategies and fragmented voices.
CPI holds protest demonstration, confronts police

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IMPHAL, Apr 13: Members of CPI Manipur State Council confronted security forces as they protested against the Tronglaobi terror attack today.

Demanding justice to the victims of the Tronglaobi terror attack, members of CPI Manipur State Council staged a sit-in-protest at Irabot Bhavan, BT Road.

After the sit-in-protest, the protesters holding placards and banners, and shouting slogans started marching towards BT Road.

But they were blocked by a team of City police station. The protesters confronted the police personnel, resulting in a tense stand-off between the two sides.

As the two sides were engaged in pushing and shoving, a strong security reinforcement including Central forces arrived and the protesters were driven back.

Speaking to the media, CPI Manipur State Council secretary Athokpam Nabachandra pointed out that the Government was elected by the people and it ought to act in line with the peoples will and sentiment.

If an elected Government acts against the will of the people, it has no right to remain in office, he said.

Since May 3, 2023, there have been numerous incidents of violence and killings but the Government is still unable to work out a solution, he said.

Nabachandra said that the peoples outcry for justice would have ceased had the Government promptly arrested the perpetrators of the Tronglaobi terror attack. The perpetrators should be awarded capital punishment, he added.

Several cases have been handed over to the NIA but the agency is still unable to solve any of these problems, he said.

We dont have any trust in NIA, he asserted urging the Government to let Manipur Police investigate the Tronglaobi terror attack.

By imposing curfew, the Government is only multiplying the hardships of the people, particularly those living hand to mouth, the CPI secretary said.

He said that the suspension of internet services has also created many difficulties for students and the general public.

Chief Minister Y Khemchand must know that the Government of Nepal was toppled by a huge public uprising following suspension of internet services, he said.

He demanded complete lifting of curfew and an immediate end to the suspension of internet services.

Asserting that the people do not have any faith in the Central forces, Nabachandra called upon Manipur Police to work boldly and protect Manipur.
The trail worked out by the NCB Manipur should take a look

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It is a big catch, or at least this is what the Narcotics Control Bureau wants to convey in arresting what it calls a major Myanmar based drug trafficker. The key is the claim that in arresting the major drug trafficker, the NCB has managed to bust the drug trafficking network that spreads from Myanmar to Mizoram to Delhi and to underline its point, it went back to a major drug seizure case of March 6, 2025 and linked it to the arrest of the major drug trafficker. As the NCB, in its statement to the media in Guwahati revealed, the drug seizure case of March, 2025 entailed the confiscation of 48 Kg of crystal methamphe- tamine. Apart from the huge seizure of the contraband, the NCB has also worked out that the drug trafficking or smuggling network entails other related activities such as procuring vehicles for smuggling the drugs. And earlier, that is before the arrest of the main drug trafficker from Myanmar, the NCB also recalled that five other accused were also arrested in the same month of last year and followed this up by divulging the names of those picked up. The trail went as far as Delhi and this is probably what has made NCB claim that they have been able to bust a drug trafficking network. The meticulous approach of the NCB to tackle cross border drug trafficking is noted and perhaps one hopes this has also come to the notice of the Government of Manipur. As repeatedly pointed out, more teeth need to be given to the War on Drugs campaign, a drive that was launched in 2018, that is one year after the BJP led Government came to power in its first innings. And it is under the War on Drugs campaign that the State Government launched an intensive drive against poppy cultivation, with reports of the drive coming in at the office of all the Imphal based media regularly. The updated information is not yet available with The Sangai Express but so far more than 15 village chiefs have been arrested for poppy cultivation and within a time span of one year, that is from 2025 to 2026 over 2500 acres of poppy plantations have been razed to the ground. This is apart from the planters or the tillers of the soil who have also been arrested, with their number exceeding 70. The figures look impressive, but there is not much to say about the follow up. Village chiefs and tillers of the soil have been arrested, but so far there is as yet no report on who are the big guns financing the poppy plantations. Who takes away the harvested crops ? Who markets the finished products of the poppy ? Where are they taken ? Answers to the posers raised here should make up the jigsaw puzzle and take the Government nearer to the understanding of making the War on Drugs more meaningful. The point is, something much more needs to be done, maybe along the line the NCB has done, in establishing the ties that run through the arrests and seizures of drugs.

Reports of drug pushers being arrested with so and so many grams of heroin or brown sugar or opium have hit the pages of the daily newspapers quite frequently, but rarely has Manipur seen the arrest or unmasking of any major player in the drug market. The War on Drugs should be something much more than arresting a peddler or two from some of the more notorious localities in Imphal and so far Manipur has not seen or heard of any worthwhile follow up action. Days before Manipur went up in flames on May 3, 2023, some policemen were arrested at Pallel with a drug consignment and fast forward to 2026 and no one seems to know what has happened to the case. The Sangai Express had repeatedly pointed out that the policemen caught with the drugs could have been just drug carriers and the need to go deeper into the case was highlighted. But so far nothing has been heard along this line. In short no one knows what has happened to this case. There are many other such cases, and this does not exactly say anything positive about the efforts taken up by the Government to crack the drug trade. The details worked out by the NCB should serve as a lesson to the State Government and a leaf or two should be taken out from the manner in which it has been able to piece together the different cases and track the route all the way to Delhi.
A cauldron beneath the sea : Reconstructing a forgotten Adriatic voyage

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Mangsatabam Dinachandra Meetei

A Silent Clue on the Seabed

On the floor of the Adriatic Sea, among splintered timbers and centuries of decay, a bronze cauldron lay undisturbedquiet, yet unmistakably significant. It was this object that first drew the attention of Croatian underwater archaeologist Igor Miholjek.

In 2014, during a routine survey near Mljet, Miholjek and his team encountered what initially appeared to be another addition to the regions long catalogue of shipwrecks.

The Adriatic seabed is, after all, a dense archive of maritime history. But this find resisted easy classification.

The cauldron seemed deliberateits presence not merely preserved, but somehow out of place. And that was enough to raise questions.

Waters That Carried Empires

Today, Mljet is known for its quiet landscapes and clear waters. Yet in earlier centuries, it stood along a vital maritime corridor linking the western and eastern Mediterranean worlds.

Ships once passed through these waters connecting Italian centres such as Ravenna and Venice with Constantinople. Along these routes moved ceramics, metals, textiles, and other goods that sustained a network of economic and cultural exchange.

Unsurprisingly, the seabed around Mljet reflects this long history. Archaeologists have identified numerous wrecks here, ranging from ancient Roman vessels to later merchant ships. Yet even within such a crowded historical landscape, this newly identified wreck stood apartnot for grandeur, but for the questions it raised.

An Object That Didnt Belong

The bronze cauldron was the first clue.

It was not its craftsmanship alone that intrigued researchers, but the context. Such objects were typically used for onboard domestic purposes, yet its placement and association with the wreck did not immediately align with known patterns from similar sites.

As divers documented the area, more details emerged: wooden structural timbers, iron fittings, and the subtle arrangement of remains across the seabed. These elements suggested a merchant vessel, but one whose story had yet to be fully understood.

In underwater archaeology, such inconsistencies are not obstaclesthey are opportunities. They signal gaps in established knowledge and invite re-examination.

Piecing Together a Lost Journey

Excavating a shipwreck is a slow and deliberate process. Beneath the sea, time behaves differentlyit erodes, but it also preserves. Layers of sediment had protected the Mljet wreck, safeguarding not only individual artifacts but their spatial relationships.

Archaeological assessment places the vessel in the 16th century. Its construction features and recovered materials indicate that it was a merchant ship, not a military one. Unlike treasure- laden wrecks, this vessel carried no spectacular cargo. Yet its remains offer something equally valuable: insight into everyday maritime life.

The cauldron, likely used by the crew, becomes in this context more than a simple object. It is a trace of routineof meals prepared, of lives lived aboard a working vessel navigating the Adriatic corridor.

Each fragment recovered contributes to reconstructing a journey interrupted centuries ago.

Trade, Practice, and the Adriatic World

The significance of the wreck lies not in wealth, but in context.

Positioned along a major trade route, the vessel forms part of a broader network that linked regions now belonging to modern Croatia, Italy, and Turkey. During the 16th century, such routes were essential for the circulation of goods and ideas across the Mediterranean.

Shipwrecks like this preserve more than isolated artifacts. They capture arrangementhow objects were stored, how ships were built, and how space was used onboard. These details allow archaeologists to reconstruct not just trade patterns, but the practical realities of seafaring.

In this sense, the Mljet wreck contributes to a clearer understanding of Venetian-era maritime networks and the conditions under which such voyages were undertaken.

More Than a Shipwreck

Shipwrecks are often described as time capsules, but they are better understood as moments frozen in motioninterrupted journeys carrying traces of human intent.

The Adriatic Sea has preserved many such moments. Yet only a few discoveries challenge existing interpretations rather than simply adding detail.

For Miholjek and his team, this was one of those rare instances.

The cauldron did not just belong to historyit questioned it.

When the Sea Gives Up Its Secrets

What began in 2014 as a routine dive has grown into an investigation of broader historical significance. The Mljet wreck may not dazzle with treasure, but it compels attention through subtlety.

Its importance lies in what it reveals: not dramatic events, but ordinary processestrade, travel, and daily life at sea.

And perhaps that is what makes the discovery enduring.

Beneath the vast surface of the Adriatic, history does not announce itself. It remains quiet, waiting to be noticednot through spectacle, but through careful observation.

On that day, it was a bronze cauldron that spoke.

And in doing so, it reminded us that the past is never truly lost. It is only hiddenuntil the right question brings it back to light.


News / National

by Staff reporter

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba has mounted a strong defence of the proposed Constitutional Amendment No. 3 Bill, dismissing criticism from opposition voices as "gratuitous disinformation" and insisting that constitutional amendments are a normal feature of governance.Speaking in a wide-ranging interview, Charamba - who also serves as Deputy Chief Secretary for Presidential Communications in the Office of the President and Cabinet - said the current process is being mischaracterised as a fundamental overhaul of the country's supreme law."There is a lot of disinformation We are amending the Constitution; we are not changing or throwing away the current Constitution," he said, rejecting claims that the process represents a radical departure from constitutional order.The proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill, 2026 has sparked debate across the political divide, with critics raising concerns over its implications for governance and democratic processes.Charamba, however, argued that such concerns are based on a misunderstanding of how constitutions function. He stressed that Zimbabwe's Constitution, like others globally, is not immutable but evolves in response to the needs and aspirations of its people.Drawing on the country's constitutional history, he outlined a series of transitions from colonial-era legal frameworks through to the adoption of the Constitution of Zimbabwe 2013, noting that amendments have always been part of that evolution."Constitutions are made by people and are meant for the people," Charamba said, adding that even the Lancaster House Constitution underwent numerous amendments due to governance pressures and changing national priorities.He further explained that the current Bill followed a structured process, beginning with proposals from youth groups, evolving into provincial and party-level positions, before being adopted by Cabinet and introduced in Parliament for public consultation.Parliament is currently conducting public hearings on the Bill, with citizens invited to submit their views as part of a 90-day consultation period. The deadline for submissions has been extended to 17 May 2026.Among the key proposals in the Bill are changes to the method of electing the President - shifting from a direct public vote to election by Parliament - and extending presidential and parliamentary terms by two years.Addressing concerns that such changes would undermine voting rights, Charamba pointed to Zimbabwe's early post-independence period under Canaan Banana, when the presidency was ceremonial and not directly elected. He argued that the later adoption of an executive presidency was a local political choice rather than a universal democratic standard.He also dismissed comparisons between the amendment process and the Unilateral Declaration of Independence as "fatuous," noting that the current process is rooted in constitutional procedures and public consultation.Charamba emphasised that the ongoing debate should unfold within democratic channels, urging citizens to participate in the consultation process rather than pre-empt its outcome."That you are against the Bill does not give primacy to your ideas ultimately Parliament will weigh all submissions and decide based on the majority view," he said.He added that even international observers, including the United Kingdom, have described the matter as a sovereign issue for Zimbabweans to determine.Charamba maintained that the amendment process is both lawful and routine, insisting that it should not be a source of national contention but rather an exercise in democratic engagement.
The sign for Fast Eddie's Fried Chicken taken April 9, 2026. Ivy Lyons/The Telegraph

City of Alton officials will begin hosting pop-up events this Wednesday as they collaborate with the community to create and finalize Alton's 20-year Comprehensive Plan.

This week's first pop-up event will be at Fast Eddie's Fried Chicken, 701 Central Ave, on April 15 at 4:30 p.m. It's one of two pop-up, come-and-go events in the second phase of the city's collaborative community feedback efforts.

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Round one of engagement gave us an incredible amount of insight into the communitys values, Mayor David Goins said in a press release. As we move into this next phase, its essential that residents remain involved so the final plan truly reflects Altons vision for the next 20 years.

Alton leaders say the next phase of community collaboration "will reconnect with residents, business owners, and stakeholders to confirm that the draft direction of the plan reflects community priorities" before finalizing recommendations.

The event is free to attend.

Here's what else is happening in the area:

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Tuesday, April 12

Speaker Series - Risk of Microplastics: Piasa Palisades Sierra Club, 6:30 p.m., 112 Front St., Alton.

Kickstart Band: 1 p.m., Hawg Pit BBQ, 821 W Main St, Grafton.

Bugz Benson Performance: 5 p.m, The Grafton Pub, 225 W Main St., Grafton.

Bumblebee Themed Door Sign Paint Workshop: 6 p.m., Country Vibes, 511 N Washington Street, Bunker Hill.

Number 9 Networking: 9 a.m., Madison County Farm Bureau, 912 Hillsboro Rd., Edwardsville.

Tales for Twos Story Time: 10 a.m., Edwardsville Public Library, 112 S Kansas St., Edwardsville.

Vinyasa Flow: 6 p.m., Aura Wellness Collective, 2110 Troy Rd, Edwardsville.

Teen Game Night: 6 p.m., Edwardsville Public Library, 112 S Kansas St, Edwardsville.

Imagination Station: 10 a.m., Glen Carbon Library, 198 S Main St, Glen Carbon.

Spring Fling: 2 p.m., Keystone Place at Magnolia Commons, 245 Magnolia Dr, Glen Carbon.

Wednesday, April 13

Behind the Glass Brewery Tour: 3 p.m., The Old Bakery Beer Company, 400 Landmarks Blvd, Alton.

Music Bingo: 6 p.m., The Old Bakery Beer Company, 400 Landmarks Blvd, Alton.

Alton Comprehensive Plan Event: 4:30 p.m., Fast Eddies Chicken, 701 Central Ave, Alton.

Series on Protecting Our Pets in Times of Disaster: Wedge Innovation Center, 620 East Broadway, Alton.

Kickstart Band: 1 p.m., Hawg Pit BBQ, 821 W Main St, Grafton.

Watercolor Wednesdays: 1 p.m., Jersey County Arts Council, 400 S. State Street, Jerseyville.

Smoken Aces Poker League Tournaments: 6:30 p.m., Barrel & Bru Tap House, 6151 Trace Parkway Drive, Suite D, Edwardsville.

Mid-Week Siip: 9 a.m., Carlinville United Methodist Church, 201 S Broad St, Carlinville.

Mostaccioli Dinner Fundraiser: 4 p.m., Hallmark Healthcare, 826 N High St, Carlinville.

Paint Party: 6:30 p.m., The Carlinville Moose Lodge, 801 Pine St., Carlinville.

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Man charged after robbing elderly Alton woman he was helping move; wrap of other felony filings. The Telegraph

EDWARDSVILLE  An East St. Louis man was charged with robbing an elderly woman he was helping to move.

The 35-year-old suspect was charged April 9 with robbery, a Class 1 felony; aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony; and theft, a Class 4 felony.

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The Alton Police Department presented the case.

According to court documents, on Jan. 7, the suspect took $10 from a senior citizen by use of force and punched the victim in the face.

The suspect was ordered remanded to jail.

According to a petition to deny pre-trial release filed by the Madison County States Attorneys Office, the suspect was at the victims house to help her move, and became upset after the victim moved his jacket from a table to a couch.

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The suspect kicked the victim in the leg, then punched her in the face multiple times.

He took $10 from the victim before leaving her house.

Alton man charged in domestic battery

A 23-year-old Alton man was charged April 9 with aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony.

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The Alton Police Department presented the case.

According to court documents, on March 12, the suspect allegedly strangled a household or family member.

The suspect was ordered remanded to jail.

According to a petition to deny pre-trial release filed by the States Attorneys Office, the victim went to the suspects residence after taking her belongings because of the end of their relationship.

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The victim asked the suspect to replace her personal use cannabis, he said no, and an altercation started.

The suspect strangled the victim repeatedly, and she felt her vision going black and seeing white spots and reporting that she was hoping he let go of her before she died.

Alton man charged with threatening police officer

A 50-year-old Alton man was charged April 9 with threatening a public official, a Class 3 felony; and two counts of criminal damage to property, both Class 4 felonies.

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The Alton Police Department presented the case.

According to court documents, on April 8, the suspect allegedly threatened to kill an Alton police officer and caused in excess of $500 damage to personal property belonging to two separate people.

The suspect was ordered remanded to jail.

According to a petition to deny pre-trial release filed by the States Attorneys Office, police responded to multiple reports of property damage and saw video of the suspect at one location. He was found nearby holding a brick and showing signs of mental instability.

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He threatened to kill officers and accused them of being with Hamas.

Alton man faces felon in possession of weapon charge

A 33-year-old Alton man was charged April 9 with felon in possession of a weapon, a Class 3 felony; and resisting a peace officer, a Class A misdemeanor.

The Alton Police presented the case.

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According to court documents, on April 8, the suspect was allegedly found to be a felon in possession of a switchblade knife and fled on foot from police.

It was noted that the suspect has a prior conviction for aggravated battery out of Madison County in 2021.

According to Illinois law, switchblades with blades under 3 inches can generally be carried by someone with a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card, but felons are prohibited from possessing weapons.

He was ordered released from custody.

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Alton woman charged with aggravated battery to a juvenile

A 43-year-old Alton woman was charged April 9 with aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony; and domestic battery, a Class A misdemeanor.

The Alton Police Department presented the case.

According to court documents, on March 1, the suspect allegedly struck an 11-year-old girl, a household or family member, in the head with a phone.

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The suspect was ordered remanded to jail, and a motion for additional conditions for pre-trial release was filed by the States Attorneys Office.
The Siachen War began on April 13, 1984, when India launched OPERATION MEGHDOOT to occupy the strategic heights of Saltoro Ridge in a desperate race against time and weather. This preempted Pakistani designs to take over Siachen glacier. Indian and Pakistani troops still hold posts there in the highest battlefield in the world.

In Balti, they call it Siachen, meaning the abode of wild roses. It is a strange name for an icy glacier, 19,000 feet above sea level, where not a blade of grass grows. It is stranger still that this silent, ice-shrouded land should become the highest battleground of the world, where guns have roared since April 1984. Even today, though the guns are silent, Indian and Pakistani armies remain locked in eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation in these forbidding heights.

The roots of the conflict go back to the 1949 Karachi Agreement signed after the ceasefire of the 1947-48 Indo-Pak War. This demarcated the ceasefire line between India and Pakistan at map coordinate NJ9842 at the foot of the Siachen glacier. Beyond this the line ran thence north to the glaciers. These ambiguous lines were interpreted by Pakistan as running Northeast towards the Karakorum Pass, which gave it control over the glaciers. India claimed that from NJ9842 the line ran along the nearest watershed, the Saltoro Ridge, which put Siachen into Indian territory.

Through all of the 1950s, 60s and 70s, this barren, inhospitable region was ignored by both sides. It was only in the late 70s that Pakistan published maps showing the area as theirs. They also began issuing permits for mountaineering expeditions, often accompanied by a liaison officer of the Pakistan army, de facto claiming the area as their own.

India awoke to this gambit thanks to the efforts of Col Narender Bull Kumar, a skilled mountaineer and Commandant of the High Altitude Warfare School. He laid hands on the map, which showed the area as belonging to Pakistan, and decided to counter the Pakistani moves by launching mountaineering expeditions of his own. After much persuasion, he received permission to lead his own expedition in 1978. The expedition detected a huge quantity of debris with Pakistan army markings, which convinced him that Pakistan was subtly laying claim to the glacier. He decided to counter Pak Oropolitics (use of mountaineering expeditions to stake claim) by launching a series of Indian expeditions, and in 1981, led a 70-man team across the glacier, which was tailed by a Pakistani helicopter. Both sides were now awakening to the importance of the glacier.

The Indian expeditions had alarmed the Pakistani planners at GHQ, Rawalpindi, who now decided to occupy the glacier by military force. The aim of the operation was to occupy the heights of Saltoro Ridge, and its main passes of Sia La and Bilafond La and Gyong La. Yet, they made a small but significant error. They ordered large quantities of Arctic weather gear from a supplier in London who was also supplying the Indian Army, and he tipped them off about the large Pakistani order. That set off alarm bells in the Indian Northern Command, which was now convinced that Pakistan was planning something in Siachen.

India began procuring its own Arctic equipment to pre-empt the Pakistanis by occupying Siachen before they did. Intelligence reports stated that they were likely to move in around April 17 and it was decided to move in the Indian troops by April 13. Though considered an unlucky dayit was Baisakhithe Pakistanis would be least expecting such activity on this day. 4 KUMAON and troops from Ladakh Scouts  hardy troops from the mountain regionswere selected for the operation, codenamed OPERATION MEGHDOOT, after Kalidasas famous poem.

Around the end of March, troops of 4 KUMAON and Ladakh Scouts marched out in full battle order through the Zojila Pass towards the base of the glacier. Simultaneously, MI-17 and Chetak helicopters carried provisions to be deployed along the route and began stocking up the base camps. Four teams were deployed for the task under Brigadier V.N. Channa, who was responsible for the operation. One was to occupy Bilafond La, the other Sia La and the third moved towards Gyong La, the three passes leading to the glacier from the Pakistani side. Simultaneously, the positions on the high ground of Saltoro Ridge were to be occupied to deny access to the glacier. Once these positions were occupied, it would be virtually impossible for an enemy to evict them from these heights.

The troops marched up to the base camps in secrecy for the next phase of the move to the heights. Yet, the Arctic equipment, which was essential for survival at these altitudes, and which was being specially procured from across the world for this operation, was delayed. The first sets reached the base camps only around 5 in the evening on April12. (In the final briefing before the operation, the troops agreed to move up even if the Arctic gear was not available.) The next morning, on April 13, Maj. R.S. Sandhu led his platoon on foot to the heights of Saltoro Ridge, being the first Indian officer to be deployed there. Simultaneously, at 0530h, a Cheetah helicopter, piloted by Squadron Leader S.S. Bains, took off from the base camp, carrying Capt Sanjay Kulkarni and his radio operator and winged its way towards the Bilafond La pass. The helicopter could only carry two persons and, in the wind-swept conditions, could not land at the snow-covered heights. The Cheetah hovered a few feet from the ground; Capt Kulkarni and his operator said a small prayer and jumped, their fall cushioned by the soft snow. Seventeen such sorties took place, and by around 10 am, around 30 men, a platoon worth, was on Bilafond La. In a raging blizzard, the Indian tricolour was raised there for the first time.

Yet, the first day was a forerunner of things to come. In just three hours, the radio operator contracted pulmonary oedema and had to be evacuated. By noon, the weather packed up as well, making any operations towards Sia La and the other heights impossible. At heights of over 19,000 feet, another soldier, Lance Naik Ramesh Singh, fell to the dreaded high-altitude illness and passed away on April 16. Although radio transmission was strictly forbidden, Capt Kulkarni made a single transmission to his HQ informing them of his situation. That transmission was picked up by the Pakistanis, and now they were alerted. In spite of the terrible weather, they too began moving troops of their elite Special Services Group and Northern Light Infantry on foot towards the glacier.

After three days, the weather cleared, and on April 17, the IAF launched 32 sorties to drop Major Bahuguna and his platoon of Ladakh Scouts in the vicinity of the next objective, Sia La Pass. The platoon walked five kilometres in knee-high snow and secured the pass by midday. Indian troops also occupied important heights around Saltoro Ridge, and the glacier was securely in Indian hands.

The Pakistanis had been beaten in their plans to occupy the glacier by three days. They now launched their own operation Codenamed OPERATION ABABEEL  to evict the Indians. SSG commandoes reached Bilafond La on April 23, after a three-day trek on the snow and around 4 in the evening, the first attack came in. A burst of fire killed the Indian sentry at the Observation Post, and the silent peaks reverberated with the sounds of gunfire. Yet the Indians were on high ground and held the advantage. For the Pakistanis, movement in the knee-deep snow was slow and tortuous and their attack was repulsed with 26 Pakistani soldiers killed in the first assault. Another attack came in the next day, and then again on April 27, which was similarly repulsed. Other attacks followed in May and in June, on each of the newly established Indian posts, but to no avail. The Indian positions were being gradually reinforced day by day, and at these altitudes, recapturing a high ground was virtually impossible. Pakistani attacks, though courageous, were simply beaten back.

Over the next few months, both sides built up their forces. With the passes in Indian control, the Pakistanis tried to seize the adjoining heights. Both sides set about occupying posts to dominate the other  a strategy that continued throughout the war. In July 1984, Pakistani NSG commandos seized a high feature overlooking the Bilafond La pass in a daring helicopter-borne assault and occupied it. This feature, renamed Quaid Post, dominated Indian positions for over three years, till it was recaptured in July 1987 by Naib Subedar Bana Singh and renamed Bana Post.

The Pakistani Army did not give up its attempts to recapture Siachen. They were chastened by its failure to defend Siachen - Benazir Bhutto called only fit to fight its own people and suggested that its generals wear bangles. A series of attacks and counterattacks on each others positions continued for over a decade, with major Pakistani offensives launched in 1987, 1989, 1992, and 1995, which were repulsed with heavy casualties. In 1999, General Musharaff launched the Kargil War, hoping to cut off the supply line to Siachen and force India to vacate its positions. He himself was a Brigade Commander there, and the failures he suffered would have rankled. The Kargil operation also failed.

Both sides have around 3000 troops in 150  200 small posts in the crucial heights, and the line held by both sides has become The Actual Ground Positions Line. (ACPL) The Indians hold on to the 76-kilometre-long glacier and occupy most of the heights and passes around it. After a ceasefire in June 2003, the guns have been silent, but appalling weather and treacherous terrain still claim casualties on both sides. So, is it worth holding on to these inhospitable heights? Yes, it is. Vacating the hard-earned positions at Siachen will simply allow the Pakistanis to move in, and then regaining them will be impossible. Siachen will also prevent a Chinese-Pakistani nexus in the area. So, the Indian soldier still holds vigil in those forbidding heights, suffering hardships that would have broken most armies.

And all we can do is raise a prayer and a salute for him.

To know more about India's battles, watch the following video.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A truck transporting a large consignment of explosives was intercepted at the Beitbridge Port of Entry near Musina on Friday, in a joint operation by South African law enforcement agencies.The Hawks in Limpopo confirmed that its Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, working alongside the Border Management Authority and Musina SAPS, intercepted the vehicle as it allegedly entered South Africa from Zimbabwe.According to Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Avele Fumba, the 42-year-old truck driver allegedly attempted to evade arrest but was swiftly apprehended by the coordinated enforcement team.A search of the vehicle uncovered a significant cache of explosives concealed within the truck, including 3,970 blasting cartridge tubes, 48 Cammex connector capsules and 10 reels of detonator fuse.Authorities estimated the value of the explosives at approximately R769,000, while the truck itself, which was also confiscated, is valued at about R2 million  bringing the total seizure to roughly R2.769 million.The Musina Local Criminal Record Centre and the Musina Explosives Unit were deployed to secure and process the evidence.The suspect is expected to appear before the Musina Magistrate's Court on Monday on a charge of possession of explosives.Limpopo Hawks Acting Provincial Head Brigadier Lesibana Meshack Malapile warned that the interception should serve as a deterrent to cross-border criminal activity."This is not just an arrest but a warning," he said, adding that the seizure potentially prevented widespread harm to communities.
It is a rarity that the Army Commanders Conference (ACC) and the Navy Commanders Conference (NCC) are being held in the national capital with overlapping dates.

While the ACC is being held from 13 to 16 April, the first edition of the biannual NCC for 2026 is scheduled from 14 to 16 April. The Army and the Navy chiefs will chair their respective commanders meets.

With the West Asian region in turmoil amid the USIran and the RussiaUkraine conflicts, their impact, linkages to India, and the military implications will be discussed in both meetings. With drones and counter-drones playing a critical role in both ongoing conflicts, the ACC discussions will focus on the employment of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Counter-UAS technologies, with the aim of enhancing operational efficiency and the combat effectiveness of fighting formations in modern multi-domain warfare.

Among other items on the agenda, the ACC will deliberate on updating training doctrines for future threats and enhancing soldier welfare to ensure high force resilience. Apart from technology infusion, the forum will review Human Resource Management (HRM) policies, including a discussion on the revision of promotion policies for Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and Other Ranks (OR).

Besides the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the three service chiefs, the ACC will also be addressed by Cabinet Secretary T.V. Somanathan, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, and the Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB), Alok Joshi.

On the other hand, this NCC edition is considered particularly significant in light of swift naval deployments to safeguard Indias energy security amidst the ongoing conflicts and the convergence of Multi-National Forces (MNFs) in the Indian Ocean Region. Among other agenda items, reaffirming the Navys operational doctrine, inter-services coordination, and technology-driven response mechanisms post-Operation Sindoor will also be discussed.

A Navy release stated: Alongside security imperatives, the deliberations will focus on achieving decisive operational success, enhancing blue-water capabilities, training, human resource management, sustainable maintenance practices, effective employment of uncrewed systems, operational logistics, and other key enablers for the combat readiness of platforms.

Discussions are also planned to review the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence roadmap for pan-Navy solutions and data-driven technologies for seamless operations, it added.
The Indian Army has issued a statment after an Indian Army Brigadier and his son were allegedly assaulted by a group of eight to ten men in the Vasant Enclave area of south Delhis Vasant Vihar.

A post on X shared by Ashok Bijalwan, a submariner veteran and geo strategist, said that the situation started after Brigadier Parminder Singh Arora objected to two men who were drinking alcohol inside a parked Mercedes car.

SHAMEFUL CONDUCT BY DELHI POLICE



Last night (11 April), at around 10:00 PM, a serving Brigadiers family encountered two individuals consuming alcohol inside their car (Regn No. DL3CCY 0789) near their residence in Vasant Enclave.



Upon objecting to this act of illegal public pic.twitter.com/Q8ggSFHUAU  Ashok Bijalwan    (@AshTheWiz) April 12, 2026

Videos and photographs of the individuals were shared online along with visuals of the car.

The situation turned violent after the two in the car called for reinforcements. About seven to eight associates showed up and launched an attack, injuring the Brigadiers son who was with him and manhandling the Brigadier himself.

The Brigadiers son said that the two of them were on a small walk right outside their house on Saturday night.  Towards the exit of the main road, there were two people drinking in a Mercedes car. My father questioned them, saying this being a public society, you are not allowed to drink and asked them to go somewhere else or to their house," the Brigadier's son told NDTV.

The family said that all was made to the 112 police helpline and that a police vehicle arrived on the scene.

Witnesses, however, claim that the assault continued in front of the police, who failed to stop the attack. The son said that it was as if the police were just another passerby.

The family also alleged that the Vasant Vihar police initially refused to register the FIR when they attempted to report the crime.

A formal complaint has been registered, and the matter has been taken up for investigation.

The Army said that it has taken serious cognisance of the incident and is pushing for swift action

In a statement, the army said, "The authorities in the Indian Army have taken serious cognisance of the case. A Military Police team has been directed to assist the officer. The Delhi Police has been approached for an expeditious investigation and to take action on priority.
With a special session of Parliament scheduled to begin on Thursday, India's two most prominent political voices have offered competing view of what it is truly about, and the gap between them could not be wider.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing women at 'Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan' at Vigyan Bhawan, cast the upcoming session as a historic milestone in the story of women's empowerment. However, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, writing in a national newspaper, argued that a potentially dangerous delimitation exercise being smuggled in under the cover of women's reservation.

This competing definitions will play out at the session being held amidst the election season, where polls are due in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. If women reservation provides the BJP a talking point in the campaign, in Tamil Nadu, the delimitation has a wider resonance as the ruling DMK, a Congress ally, sees it loaded against the state.

Modi's speech at Vigyan Bhawan was carefully constructed. "India is about to take one of the biggest decisions of the 21st century, a decision dedicated to Nari Shakti," he declared.

The Women's Reservation Bill passed unanimously in the new Parliament building in September 2023 reserves one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women. When it was passed, its implementation was tied to the completion of a Census and a subsequent delimitation exercise, effectively pushing it past the 2024 elections. The government now proposes to amend the legislation to base implementation on the 2011 Census, ensuring the reservation is in force before the 2029 general election. In the process, it does away with the findings of the ongoing Census 2027.

Modi's address was a comprehensive audit of his government's record on women  running from Beti Bachao Beti Padhao to Ujjwala gas connections, from Jan Dhan bank accounts to Mudra loans, from Drone Didis to fighter pilots. The special session will crowning chapter of an 11-year journey.

He pointed to women in panchayati raj institutions  over 14 lakh women in local government bodies, with nearly 50 per cent participation in panchayats across approximately 21 states as proof that women's political leadership is not aspirational but already real. The special session, he suggested, would simply extend that reality to the national stage.

"The journey from panchayat to Parliament is going to become easier," he said.

However, the Opposition's frame was different. Sonia Gandhi emphasised that while womens reservation is widely supported, the real issue lies in delimitation. She noted that it was her husband, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, whose government first enacted women's reservation in panchayats and municipalities. The Nari Shakti Vandan Act, she wrote, "stands on the shoulders of this achievement."

Her argument was that the government is using women's reservation as political cover for what she considers the session's real and far more consequential agenda: delimitation.

Delimitation involving an increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha must be politically, and not just arithmetically equitable, Gandhi said.

Under the delimitation, the redrawing of parliamentary and assembly constituency boundaries will be taken up. This is expected to have an enormous political consequences. States in South India and smaller states, which have performed better on population control over decades, fear they stand to lose seats in a delimitation exercise based on current population numbers, which favour more populous northern states.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate arguing Gandhis point said, The government was hiding behind the women's reservation bill, but that is not the issue. This issue is delimitation, which the government is trying to push scrupulously."

"There can be only one reason for the extraordinary hurry," Gandhi wrote, "which is to derive political advantage and place the Opposition on the defensive."

The big issue ahead of the session is this: Women's reservation, in all likelihood, will sail through the special session with broad cross-party support, but delimitation may face hurdles.

By tying the two together, the government has put the Opposition in an uncomfortable position: Support the session, and you lend legitimacy to a delimitation framework you haven't seen; oppose it, and you appear to be standing against women's political representation.
Delhi Police have issued a high alert after a protest by factory workers in neighboring Noida turned violent, raising heightened security concerns in the national capital region.

According to the police, a large number of workers from various industrial units have been protesting to demand long-pending salary revisions and have raised slogans during the demonstration.

However, the protests turned violent on Sunday when the agitators vandalised vehicles and properties, and pelted stones during an altercation with the police in Phase-2 and Sector 60 areas of Noida.

Delhi Police have deployed personnel along all motorable roads connecting Noida to the national capital to prevent the spillover of the unrest. Security personnel have been conducting heavy vehicle checks to ensure no anti-social elements enter the city. Barricades have also been erected at key border points.

"Delhi Police is fully alert and vigilant. Adequate force has been deployed at all strategic locations. No one will be allowed to breach law and order," a senior police officer told PTI.

Delhi Police are in close contact with their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh and are closely monitoring the situation.

Meanwhile, Noida police have claimed that the situation is under control, with senior police and administrative officers on the ground to monitor events. Adequate police deployment has been ensured across industrial zones under the Gautam Buddh Nagar Commissionerate.

"The situation is under control and being kept under continuous surveillance. Efforts are being made to counsel the workers and maintain peace. Minimum force is being used wherever necessary to maintain law and order," police said in a statement.

The District Magistrate of Noida, Medha Roopam, held a meeting with the Principal Secretary (Labour) and the Labour Commissioner of the state to discuss the protection of workers' interests, double payment for overtime, bonuses, and workplace safety.
The Samajwadi Party is leaving no stone unturned in expanding its electoral base to take on the BJP in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Alongside efforts to woo upper-caste Brahmins, and after deploying its PDA (Pichda, Dalit, Adivasi) strategy, the party leadership is now focusing on building a Gujjar support base in the state.

The Gujjars constitute around 2 per cent of the states population but wield considerable influence in dozens of seats in western Uttar Pradesh, where their share rises to nearly 7 per cent. The renewed outreach is largely driven by the emergence of Gujjar leader Atul Pradhan and party national spokesperson Rajkumar Bhati, who is increasingly being seen as the face of this mobilisation, while also enjoying the trust of party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

In his recent interviews, Bhati has spoken about how Akhilesh Yadavs encouragement and support have helped boost his confidence in politics.

Bhati tells THE WEEK that the party started in July and August, as its focus has been to integrate the Gujjar community with the Samajwadi Party. "In the last elections, Gujjars were mostly with the BJP. In around 100 assembly constituencies, we set up 150 chaupals (meetings). We reached out to Muslims and Jats as well, but most of the outreach happened among Gujjars. As a result, many now seem to be aligned with the SP. This was visible in recent gatherings, where Gujjars turned up in large numbers. The effort has been successful, and we expect them to support the SP in the upcoming assembly elections."

"According to our own survey, there are 142 assembly constituencies with a Gujjar presence. Over all, around 100 have more than 10,000 Gujjar votes, about 40 have more than 25,000, and around 15 constituencies have over one lakh Gujjar voters. There are also seats where Muslim Gujjars are present, such as Amethi, Rae Bareli, Barabanki, Lucknow, and Faizabad."

A section of political observers believes that this outreach is aimed at challenging the BJPs traditional support base, particularly when combined with Jat voters led by Jayant Chaudhary, who is currently allied with the BJP.

Jats in Uttar Pradesh are also a politically significant community, primarily concentrated in the western region, making up around 2 per cent of the states total population. However, their influence is considerably higher in western Uttar Pradesh, where they account for nearly 17 per cent.

What makes Bhati a strong bet for the party, according to political observers, is that he has not only taken on his opponents effectively on television with compelling arguments but has also showcased a measured and stable approach while addressing political adversaries. Bhati ji has emerged as a very interesting leader in the past few years. His speeches have gone viral, his argumentative clarity has earned him compliments, and more importantly, he has gained the trust of party chief Akhilesh Yadav, said an observer.

This churn is being seen as part of the partys ceaseless politicking to position itself as a formidable force ahead of the elections. There is also a growing sentiment among senior leaders that party workers often struggle to sustain themselves through three consecutive terms in opposition. As a result, this election is increasingly being viewed as a battle of survival for the party, which is determined to dislodge the two-term BJP government.
The Supreme Court on Monday closely examined the Election Commission of Indias (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, raising concerns over the basis of voter rejections, lack of appellate safeguards, and inconsistencies in the poll bodys stand on electoral rolls.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi repeatedly questioned the framework adopted by the ECI, particularly the introduction of what it described as a logical discrepancy category for identifying doubtful voters.

Justice Bagchi said the process appeared to place voters in a difficult position. Voter is being sandwiched between authorities this is not a blame game, he observed, stressing that the issue was not a contest between institutions but about protecting individual voting rights.

A key concern flagged by the court was the absence or ineffectiveness of appellate mechanisms in dealing with voter exclusions.

There has to be a continuing right, Justice Bagchi said, noting that rejections without a meaningful appeal process could leave voters without remedy.

Highlighting the scale of the exercise, he also acknowledged the practical difficulties faced by officials scrutinising documents. If you go through 1000 documents a day, 70% accuracy may be excellent, margin of error will be there. We need a robust appellate forum, he said.

Questions over logical discrepancy list

The Bench also drew a distinction between the SIR exercises conducted in West Bengal and Bihar.

Referring to the Bihar process, Justice Bagchi said, No logical discrepancy list, we have gone through, indicating that such a category had not been part of the earlier exercise.

In West Bengal, however, the ECI relied on this classification as a basis for rejecting claims, prompting the court to question its origin and legal footing.

2002 electoral roll under scrutiny

Another major issue raised by the Bench was the apparent inconsistency in the ECIs reliance on the 2002 electoral roll.

Justice Bagchi pointed out that the Commissions original notification for the SIR did not require voters listed in the 2002 roll to furnish fresh documents. However, rejection reasons in West Bengal appeared to be linked to that very list.

Your notification did not touch the 2002 list yet rejection reasons are based on it. Earlier, you said 2002 electors need not give documents, he said.

When the ECIs counsel argued that individuals still needed to establish that they were the same persons listed in 2002, the court expressed dissatisfaction.

Now you are improvising the submissions made earlier, Justice Bagchi remarked, signalling that the Commissions position seemed to have shifted during the proceedings.

The Bench made it clear that while maintaining the purity of electoral rolls is important, it cannot come at the cost of due process.

Justice Bagchi emphasised that courts intervene to facilitate elections, not to halt them, but added that the means adopted must be fair and transparent.

He also reflected on the broader nature of voting rights, describing them as both constitutional and deeply personal, tied to an individuals sense of belonging in a democracy.

Relief declined, tribunal route advised

The court was hearing a plea related to the functioning of appellate tribunals in West Bengal, including allegations that appeals were not being taken up.

However, the Bench declined to intervene and asked the petitioner to approach the appellate tribunal headed by former judge TS Sivagnanam.

When the petitioner sought a time-bound direction for disposal of appeals, the court refused, with CJI Kant observing that it could not place undue pressure on judicial authorities.

The court also said it could not doubt the functioning of judicial officers who had handled the initial stages of the process.

Before concluding, Justice Bagchi stressed that appellate bodies must approach such cases with a focus on inclusion rather than exclusion.

The courts observations signal a closer judicial scrutiny of the SIR framework, particularly in West Bengal, even as it refrained from issuing immediate directions and left it to the appellate mechanism to address grievances.
A worker's protest over wage demands turned violent on Monday in Noidas Phase 2 Industrial Area. Police were deployed to control the violence and escalating disruptions across the city.

The protests had started on Saturday and escalated on their third day. Protesters gathered and blocked several key roads in Sector 1 and allegedly set cars on fire and damaged property. They also pelted stones.

Police had to resort to using tear gas shells and made a lathi charge to disperse protesters. About 50 protesters have been arrested in connection with the violence.

Several police personnel were also injured in the clashes and have been taken to hospitals. Police vehicles were also reportedly attacked, Hindustan Times reported.

The protests also caused a massive traffic jam across Noida. Authorities diverted the traffic at many locations. The violence reportedly escalated after one of the female employees was struck by a lathi during the police actions.

One woman worker suffered from bullet injuries after being hit twice during the confrontation by the police

Why are they protesting?

The protesters are workers of several private firms. The agitations began days ago as they demanded salary hikes and other benefits.

On Sunday, some of the demands, including payment of overtime at double the rate, bonuses on Diwali, were accepted by the state government.

Another main trigger for the protests was the Haryana government increasing wages from Rs14000 to Rs19000 with a jump of 35 per cent. This reportedly created resentment among workers in Uttar Pradesh whose wages remained at Rs 13,000.

However, protesters gathered on Monday saying that their man demand was to increase their salary to RS26 per month in adherence to labour laws and a weekly off.

They said that their were being paid at a rate of Rs500- 700 daily and were made to work for 10-12 hours. They said that it was impossible to make ends meet with the current wages.

Women workers who spoke to Hindi Khabar said, We should be earning 20,000 for 8 hours of work. Instead, some companies give an increment of 280, or some other gives 300 as a raise. In the meantime, our house rent increases by 500, they added.

Our problem is that gas prices are increasing, but our salaries are not increasing, another woman said.

The protest was organised in the industrial area where hundreds of companies operate.
Bihar is buzzing with political activity with just hours to go before Nitish Kumar formally steps down, paving the way for a new government in the state after about 20 years at the helm (excluding a brief period in 2014-2015).

The Janata Dal (United) chief has, in that regard, convened his final cabinet meeting at 11 AM on Tuesday, after which a new government led by the Bharatiya Janata Partyanother member of the NDA alliance in power in Biharis expected to be formed. It will also be the first time since the formation of the alliance that the BJP will be coming to power in the state.

Following the cabinet meeting, the state's longest-serving CMwho was elected to the Rajya Sabha last weekis expected to submit his resignation to Bihar's Governor Syed Ata Hasnain.

Despite the BJP keeping its lips sealed on Kumar's successor, Deputy CM Samrat Chaudhary has emerged as the frontrunner for the post, considering that he holds the all-important Home Ministry portfolio in the outgoing Bihar cabinet.

Nitish Kumar's son, Nishant, is also another important contender for the CM post, according to a recent opinion poll from Dainik Bhaskar, which had pitted the two with very close margins.

According to the opinion poll, 33.5 per cent of the responders were in favour of Chaudhary, 30 per cent for Nishant, and 33.3 per cent for other candidates.

However, a whopping 49.3 per cent have demanded a CM from the OBC categoryboth Nishant and Samrat Chaudhary belong hereas opposed to 24.2 per cent for an upper-caste CM, 14.4 per cent for an EBC CM, and 10.1 per cent for a leader from the Dalits.

Also, while 49.4 per cent wanted Nitish to continue as CM till 2030, as the BJP had declared during its election campaign, 50.6 per cent were in favour of a new CM face.

And so it is on the ground, where 25-30 posters of the outgoing CM have already been removed from the JD(U) office in Patna, as the state prepares for a major transition of power.

All 202 of the ruling alliance's MLAs have also been ordered to remain in Patna till Wednesday, as Nitish Kumar has already begun vacating his official residence at Circular Road, Patna.

To ensure the smooth conduct of the entire process, the BJP's top brass has appointed Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as the central observer. Chouhan will arrive in the state on Tuesday, in addition to Nitin Nabin, both of whom will be part of the meeting that finalises the CM name.

PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to arrive by Tuesday evening, in time for the swearing-in ceremony for the next leader of Bihar's cabinet.
Iran has sustained extensive damage to its secret nerve centre, a large underground air force base called 'Eagle 44', satellite images show. The base, the location of which was kept hidden for long, hosts Irans fighter jets armed with long-range cruise missiles.

Though it is unclear when the attack happened, a report by the New York Times says it could be around the end of March.

Satellite images obtained by The New York Times show craters near the tunnel entrance and damage to the road leading to the runway. The tunnel is hidden under a mountain ridge in southern Hormozgan Province, about 100 miles north of the Strait of Hormuz. The construction of the site began in 2013 and was unknown to the general public until 2023 when Iran revealed its existance.

The images also show several earth mounds and obstacles on the runway, which the report says were put up by Iranian forces to avoid the landing of enemy planes. Satellite images reviewed at the end of March showed new damage at the taxiways, but some of the tunnel entrances were struck earlier in the conflict, the report added.

Experts believe the distinct blast marks and debris fields concentrated around the entrances to the subterranean aircraft shelters show these precision strikes were aimed at ensuring the jets are unable to take off.

While the US officials did not hint at what weapons were used, the size and depth of the impact zones indicate it could have been the bunker-busting ordnance designed to penetrate hardened structures.

In 2023, Iran revealed photos showing Iranian personnel and U.S.-built F-4E Phantom II fighters acquired before the 1979 revolution inside the facility. At that time, Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Mohammad Bagheri openly threatened Israel, stating that any attack on Iran from our enemies, including Israel, will see a response from our many air force bases, including Eagle 44.

Defence analysts believed that the underground Iranian airbase named Eagle 44 was built to accommodate Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets that Iran is expected to receive from Russia.
Is the removal of American forces feasible and helpful for the peace and stability of the Persian Gulf? Several intelligent and well-meaning observers are hampered by their disappointment, discontent, and revulsion towards President Trump and his provocative actions and intemperate utterances. Some could not help rallying around everything Iranian merely because of the latters actions and rhetoric against the US. For the ideologues, anti-Americanism and the drive to see and ensure an American defeat have become such a powerful logic that they are not even bothered by the cascading effect on nearly one crore Indians who are making a living in the Gulf Arab states.

How did the American presence become so formidable in the Persian Gulf? Energy security considerations, the safeguarding of the political stability of the oil-rich Gulf Arab countries, and the convergence of interests with Israel have expanded American interests and military presence. The spate of regional tensions and violence since the Islamic Revolution has only intensified American involvement in the region.

Today, Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the region at Al Udeid; Bahrain is home to the headquarters of the Fifth Fleet; Kuwait hosts thousands of US troops; the UAE provides logistical support; and there are U.S. bases in Iraq, including in the northern Kurdish region. In addition, Central Command uses facilities in Oman and Saudi Arabia. During the recent conflict, the US moved several naval vessels to the region and its periphery. Britain and France also have naval assets in the Gulf.

The withdrawal of US forces from the region is a long-standing demand of the Islamic Republic of Iran and has come to the forefront in ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire in the five-week-long war in the Middle East. Tehran views US withdrawal as a precondition for peace and stability in the Persian Gulf. This is both natural and logical. The US military presence has played a significant role in several turbulent developments in the region. Since the removal of the Mohammed Mosaddegh regime and the restoration of Raza Shah Pahlavi in 1953, Iranian nationalists have held a grudge against the US. Since the formal end of the British presence following the June 1967 war, the US has expanded its military presence in the Gulf.

The obvious question is whether removing American presence is feasible or even desirable. Unfortunately, the answer is no. From the outset, the Islamic Republic has been a major security concern for the Gulf Arab states. Beneath its savvy diplomatic posturing, Tehran has never concealed its hegemonic ambitions. As a result, especially since the Islamic Revolution, the US has been seen as a security provider for Gulf monarchies. Though the current conflict has dented that image, the Gulf countries do not have a viable alternative. They cannot find a non-American alternative, nor can they confront Iran individually or collectively.

The recent conflict has only heightened Arab fears of Iranian hegemony. This was the primary reason the wider Middle East was not enamoured with the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration. Many concluded that the JCPOA sidelined Arab concerns about Irans regional ambitions and merely formalised Irans hegemony. Indeed, the perceived sympathy and understanding in Muscat did not prevent Iran from attacking Omani civilian infrastructure in the early days of the current conflict.

The Iranian clergy who framed and sustained the revolution on an anti-Shah platform hold two contrasting positions. Some often fault the Shah for not asserting Persian historical claims and for easily giving up Bahrain in 1971. At the same time, they endorse and reiterate the Shahs invasion and capture of three islands that belonged to the UAE just hours before the UAEs independence in December of that year. Over the years, revolutionary rhetoric against Arab monarchies has waned, but Irans interference in their domestic affairs has been pervasive. At regular intervals, especially since the Arab uprising in several countries, Iran has been active in fomenting protests by Shias in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. It is essential to recognise that Arab fears of the Shia Crescent are not a Western conspiracy but a reflection of their genuine concerns vis-a-vis Iran. Tehrans proxiesHamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthishave also been working against the interests of several Arab countries along the Persian Gulf and beyond.

It is too early to say whether unfettered and unrestricted freedom of passage through the Hormuz would be secured solely through negotiations, without further violence. As things stand, the Arab monarchies could export their oil and gas to the outside world only at Iran's diktat.

Under the guise of demanding the departure of all foreign forces, Iran seeks to turn the Persian Gulf into an Iranian lake. Its recent strangulation of Hormuz is a reminder of the fate of the Gulf Arab states without foreign presence and support.

The Islamic Republic and its unfriendly policy, rhetoric, and designs against the Arabs are the raison d'etre for the American military presence in the Persian Gulf. Any removal of American forces is not feasible without a fundamental change in the Iranian worldview.

The author teaches contemporary Middle East at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
News / National

by Staff reporter

The ruling party ZANU-PF says it is undergoing renewal and modernisation through the recruitment of young and well-resourced cadres under the leadership of President and First Secretary Emmerson Mnangagwa.Speaking during celebrations held at Chipinge Junior Primary School grounds on Saturday, party National Chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said the party is embracing a "new breed" of leadership aligned with national development priorities.The event marked the elevation of Dr Paul Tungwarara to the ZANU-PF Central Committee, a development the party described as part of its broader renewal strategy.Muchinguri-Kashiri said Tungwarara's appointment followed a recommendation from Chipinge District after the resignation of Dorothy Mabika, who later became Manicaland provincial chairperson.She praised Tungwarara as a philanthropic figure whose work aligns with the President's development philosophy of "Nyika inovakwa nevene" (a country is built by its owners), citing his involvement in investment facilitation and empowerment programmes.These include arranging high-level engagements between President Mnangagwa and international investors such as Dubai businessman Mohamed Alabbar, real estate investor Sarjan Damack, and Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote.According to Muchinguri-Kashiri, these engagements have helped attract potential investments into sectors including cement manufacturing, mining and power generation.She also highlighted a series of empowerment initiatives linked to the Presidency, including youth, women and war veterans programmes, revolving loan schemes, and infrastructure support for party structures."These empowerment programmes are in line with the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and Vision 2030," she said, adding that Central Committee members are expected to supervise and ensure implementation of government and party policies.The event also saw the distribution of food aid, including rice, cooking oil, sugar and mealie-meal, which the party said came from President Mnangagwa.Manicaland provincial leadership expressed full support for the party's development agenda and reiterated backing for the proposed Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill, 2026, which includes provisions related to extending the presidential term to 2030.Party officials said the province is united behind the reform agenda and committed to advancing economic empowerment and infrastructure development.Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Misheck Mugadza, praised President Mnangagwa's leadership, citing progress in infrastructure development, service delivery and economic empowerment programmes across the province.The gathering also underscored Chipinge's political significance, with leaders referencing its liberation war history and its continued role in national political mobilisation.
While the talks between Tehran and Washington have failed, the mediators in Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey still see a ray of hope in the coming days.

With the current ceasefire deal expiring on April 21, the mediators are hoping to bring both the US and Iran back to the table and bridge the gap in negotiations.

"We are not in a complete deadlock. The door is not closed yet. Both sides are bargaining. It's a bazaar," Axios quoted a regional source in the know of the negotiations as saying.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that full efforts are still being made to resolve the conflict. Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad will try to set up a new round of dialogue in the coming days. Dar on Sunday spoke to Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers in separate phone calls, following which they spoke to US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi.

This comes as Trump has warned on resuming strikes if the US naval blockade on Iranian ports in Hormuz fail to make Tehran change its stance. Trump reportedly does not want Iran to use the Strait of Hormuz as a leverage in the ongoing talks.

The US Central Command CENTCOM said the naval blockade will not affect "vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports."

US Vice President JD Vance, who was in Islamabad to lead the negotiation, said that Tehran had failed to assure that it will not seek to develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran's chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said it is for the US to decide "whether it can gain our trust or not."
The United States military has announced that it will enforce a maritime blockade on Iran beginning April 13, acting on a directive from President Donald Trump.

The measure will apply uniformly to vessels of all nationalities operating in and around Iranian ports and coastal regions, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

We will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 a.m. ET, in accordance with the Presidents proclamation, CENTCOM said in a post on X.

"The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

CENTCOM added that the US forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

It has advised mariners to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and maintain communication with US naval forces on bridge-to-bridge Channel 16 while operating in the Gulf of Oman and the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz.

Trumps announcement of the blockade came after US-Israel talks in Islamabad failed to reach an agreement.

In a social media post, Trump said the US would take action against any vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran. He said the US forces will also begin clearing mines that Iran is believed to have deployed in the Straita crucial chokepoint through which about 20 percent of global energy supplies pass.

Irans Revolutionary Guards have warned that military vessels approaching the Strait will be considered a breach of ceasefire and will be dealt with harshly and decisively, underscoring the risk of a dangerous escalation.
Amid reports that the US was mulling a special operation involving elite forces to remove 450 kilograms of enriched uranium stockpile, satellite images show Iran is preparing for the possibility by reinforcing its Isfahan nuclear facility with checkpoints and fortifications to deter a ground raid.

Satellite images show Iran is putting up earthen barriers, fences, piles of rubble and roadblocks in front of the three entrances to the facilitys tunnels. The construction of the defences began around March 18, reports quoting the Institute for Science and International Security. This, according to experts, is to delay any ground incursions and expose attacking forces to Iranian missile fire.

The underground complex in Isfahan has long been suspected of being the main storage location for Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Raphael Grossi, stated that the complex holds at least half of Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to a threshold level.

The satellite photos reveal that between March 18 and April 8, major changes took place at the site: barriers were added in front of the three entrances to the underground complex, which did not exist before. Notable is the southern entrance, where satellite photographs showed trucks arrived with 18 barrels, which are said to have contained an enriched uranium stockpile.

Looks like Iran established makeshift roadblocks outside the three tunnel entrances to the underground facility at the Esfahan Nuclear Complex. This provides an additional obstacle for any potential ground operation to seize the enriched uranium. Essentially an effort to limit pic.twitter.com/7OPzD9teDN  Spencer Faragasso (@SFnuclear) April 9, 2026

Two new barriers have now been placed there: a two-meter-wide dirt embankment and another barrier made of an unidentified material. Two vehicles parked at the nearby checkpoint testify to ongoing activity and security surveillance at the site.

Significant changes were also observed in the other two entrances. At the middle entrance, which was completely vacant in March, two dirt barriers and new fences have been erected. At the northern entrance, a large pile of dirt blocks the main road, and two more barriers have been added on the bypass road.

In June 2025, during the 12-day war, the mouths of the tunnels were attacked by the US and Israel. Since then, the public assessment in Israel and the US is that the reservoir is buried in the depths of the mountain.

According to the report, the barriers "are apparently intended to further limit traffic towards the tunnel complex, and to add complexity to any ground operation that seeks to enter it and seize the enriched uranium stored there." The institute notes that the barriers can be cleared using bulldozers and excavators, but "this will extend the schedule required to clear the tunnel openings and establish ground access."

Throughout the war, it was reported that Trump would launch a military operation to capture the enriched uranium. Military experts described the mission as one of the most complex, one that would require the occupation of Iranian territory, under constant fire and complex engineering operations. After announcing the ceasefire, Trump wrote on social media: "There will be no uranium enrichment, and the US will work, together with Iran, to dig up and remove all the nuclear dust buried deep. The material is under very precise satellite tracking.'
Viktor Orbans 16-year continuous tenure as the Prime Minister of Hungary has dramatically come to an end following a landslide election victory by his challenger, Peter Magyar. Magyar, a 45-year-old former insider of Orban's ruling Fidesz party, successfully led his newly formed Tisza party to a historic triumph, entirely upending what critics had widely condemned as a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy. Preliminary results, with over 97 per cent of the votes counted, revealed that the centre-right Tisza party secured 138 seats in the 199-seat parliament, capturing 53.6 per cent of the vote. Orbans Fidesz party suffered a crushing defeat, winning a mere 55 seats with just 37.8 per cent of the vote, while the far-right Our Homeland party finished with six seats. Magyar now has two-thirds of the constitutional majority needed to revisit the systemic reforms implemented by Orban.

The election witnessed overwhelming participation, with nearly 80 per cent turnout, the highest since the collapse of Communism and the birth of democratic Hungary in 1989. Orban quickly conceded defeat to Magyar via a telephone call and in a public address, though he defiantly vowed to his supporters that his party would never give up.

The downfall of Orban marks the end of an extensive political experiment that the prime minister branded as building an "illiberal democracy. Over his four successive election victories, Orban aggressively remade the Hungarian state in his own image, writing a new constitution and systematically dismantling checks and balances by filling the judicial system and independent agencies with loyalists. He effectively seized control of the vast majority of state and independent media, transforming outlets like the M1 TV channel into platforms that slavishly broadcasted his partys talking points. He was also behind a controversial patronage network which funneled state resources to his political allies. Such measures prompted Transparency International to rank Hungary as the most corrupt EU country.

Despite presenting himself as a fierce anti-globalist and champion of national sovereignty, Orban's lengthy reign was fundamentally riddled with policy contradictions. He openly railed against immigration, yet he quietly facilitated the arrival of foreign workers from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Ukraine to staff newly constructed factories. He aggressively criticised the European Union and globalist economic policies, yet he eagerly invited German car manufacturers and Asian electric vehicle battery producers to build massive facilities in Hungary. Furthermore, his extensive financial investments designed to boost birth rates and champion traditional family values completely failed, leaving the nation's fertility rate at 1.31 in 2025, which is exactly the same level it was when he originally assumed power from the Socialists in 2010.

Magyar capitalised on this widespread public exhaustion by running a campaign that focused on unity, anti-corruption and a promise of normal "peace and quiet" rather than constant political warfare. Magyar, a divorced father of three who was once married to leading Fidesz figure Judit Varga, first rose to national prominence after breaking with the political establishment over a 2024 scandal involving a presidential pardon for a man convicted of covering up child sexual abuse. Because he was deeply familiar with the inner workings of the regime as a former diplomat and state agency official, Magyar was able to effectively expose its vulnerabilities. Strategically, Magyar campaigned primarily on the simple fact that he was not Orban, deliberately avoiding polarising progressive issues like LGBTQ+ rights to build the broadest possible coalition. During the 2022 general election, a previous conservative challenger named Peter Marki-Zay failed miserably after Fidesz's media machine successfully painted him as a warmonger, but Magyar proved immune to these exact same tactics. For months, Hungary had felt like two different worlds running in tandem: one where Orban's sympathetic pollsters forecasted victory, and another where Magyar attracted massive crowds while respected pollsters correctly noted his increasing lead.

Internationally, this election outcome represents a monumental shift for the European Union, Ukraine and the broader global geopolitical landscape. For years, Orban functioned as a profound security risk and an obstinate thorn in the side of EU officials in Brussels. He consistently abused his veto power to block crucial initiatives, including sanctions against Russia and vital military and financial aid to Ukraine. Orban nurtured a cozy alliance with Russian President Vladimir Putin, making Hungary highly reliant on cheap Russian oil and gas, and he allowed his government to leak sensitive European Union meeting information directly to the Kremlin. Furthermore, the Orban administration froze a desperately needed 90 billion loan to Ukraine, choosing instead to plaster the country with billboards blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for Hungarys economic struggles.

With Tisza taking power, the profound hostility between Budapest and Brussels is expected to rapidly thaw, moving Hungary back into the European mainstream. Magyar has explicitly pledged that his first international trips will be to Warsaw and Brussels to mend diplomatic relationships and persuade the European Commission to unfreeze billions of euros in withheld funds. Specifically, Magyar's administration is expected to immediately clear the path for the 90 billion loan to Ukraine, while also working to unlock a 10 billion EU grant package and access 16 billion in European rearmament loans. European leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola, openly celebrated the election results, with von der Leyen declaring that Europe's heart was beating stronger in Hungary following the vote.

Finally, Orban's devastating defeat strikes a massive blow to right-wing populists worldwide, who had long viewed his regime as a successful, invincible model for the "anti-woke" movement. The Trump administration had heavily invested in Orban's survival, with Vice President J.D. Vance travelling to Budapest last week to offer a ringing endorsement and baselessly accuse the EU of election interference. The sudden collapse of this electoral autocracy deprives Trump and Putin of their most essential European ally, demonstrating that even deeply entrenched illiberal systems can ultimately be peacefully dismantled by a determined electorate.
The confrontation between the church and the White House escalated dramatically on Sunday night when US President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV, calling him "weak" on crime and "terrible" for foreign policy.

Trumps tirade came after Leo emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began on February 28. The Pope had referred to Trumps threat of eliminating Iranian civilization as unacceptable.

Pope Leo is WEAK on crime and terrible for foreign policy, Trump said in a lengthy post on Truth Social.

He talks about fear of the Trump Administration, but doesnt mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart, the post read.

Trump ramped up his attack on the Chicago-born pope, saying: I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. I dont want a Pope who thinks its terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a country that was sending massive amounts of drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisonsincluding murderers, drug dealers, and killersinto our country.

Leo had condemned the US operation to capture Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and had made a forceful plea for a more peaceful world order. This prompted a sharp response from Washington, with Elbridge Colby, a senior Pentagon official, summoning Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vaticans ambassador to the United States.

Also read An American pope confronts an American president over war and God

Trumps rambling post came a day after Leo denounced the delusion of omnipotence and the idolatry of self that he believed was fueling the US-Israel war, apparently referring to the US president.

In his sharp response, Trump said: I dont want a Pope who criticises the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected to doin a landslidesetting record-low crime numbers and creating the greatest stock market in history.

What provoked the Trump administration, it is believed, was the Popes decision to appeal directly to American Catholics. He called on them to contact their congressional representatives and press for an end to the war. Through this unusual step, Leo effectively bypassed the White House and engaged directly with the domestic political process of another country.

Trump, meanwhile, lauded Leo's brother Louis Prevost, an outspoken supporter of the president. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesnt! he said.

Leo should get his act together as Pope, use common sense, stop catering to the radical left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician, the president ranted. He also shared an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure.
Tucker Carlsons standing among Republican voters has fallen sharply, according to new polling, as his opposition to the Iran war and criticism of Israel put him increasingly at odds with the GOP base and with President Donald Trump.

A University of Massachusetts Lowell poll found that Carlsons net favorability among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents has dropped from +54 in March 2024 to just +7 today. Among Republicans, 31% view him favorably against 24% unfavorably; nationally, those numbers invert sharply, with 17% favorable and 38% unfavorable. Trump, by contrast, maintains a net favorability of roughly +61 among Republicans.

The collapse in support coincides with an escalating public break between the two men. Trump has taken direct aim at Carlson in recent days, calling him a broken man in one social media post and describing him as a low IQ person in separate social media posts.

Carlson has been an outspoken critic of U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict and of Israeli policy, a position that has placed him at odds with much of the Republican electorate. Reporting from the Conservative Political Action Conference in late March pointed to a growing split within the party, particularly among younger conservatives and America First voices, over support for Israel and military action against Iran.

Israels Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry has taken note, releasing a report warning of an emerging America Only current within segments of the American right and identifying Carlson as part of a broader environment of anti-Israel and antisemitic messaging.

The poll was conducted before Trumps most recent attacks on Carlson, suggesting the full political damage from the feud may not yet be reflected in the numbers.

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(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
With summer approaching and police patrols thinner than they were a year ago, riders on New York Citys subway system are growing uneasy  and crime data suggest they have reason to be.

Robberies on trains and buses are up 21% this year, with 128 muggings recorded through April 5 compared to 106 at the same point in 2024. Misdemeanor assaults have risen 12%, transit murders have gone from zero to three, and felony assaults  already 60% above pre-pandemic levels  do not yet reflect three separate machete attacks on riders on Saturday.

The backdrop to those numbers is a patrol rollback. Under former Mayor Eric Adams, the NYPD deployed 300 extra officers for overnight train duty beginning in January 2025, specifically targeting late-night shifts with two officers per car. Crime fell. Then, in February, the Mamdani administration cut overtime funding and reduced those patrols.

Mayor Mamdani had campaigned in part on shrinking the NYPD budget, including shuttering its Strategic Response Group. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch pointed last week to a 5.3% overall drop in citywide crime and a 1.3% decline in subway crime as of March 29  figures the administration has highlighted as evidence the system remains on track.

But former NYPD Detective Michael Alcazar, who now teaches at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told the NY Post the patrol reduction has created openings that criminals are already exploiting. They can almost predict where police are going to be and theyre timing it, he said. I think robberies are going to increase because theres going to be more riders and more bad guys, especially in the subway.

The NYPD notes that 34% of subway robberies so far this year were committed by juveniles, and that 63% have led to arrests. Officials also point out that the current robbery total is only marginally above 2019 levels, and that last years figures reflected an all-time low, making the year-over-year comparison unusually stark.

Still, Alcazar said the city cannot afford to wait. We need to have an omnipresence, he said. Summer is coming.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Donald Trump promised the world would join his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. His closest allies said no.

One by one on Monday, NATO members declined to participate in the U.S. maritime operation that would cut off all shipping to and from Iranian ports. Britain said it would not be dragged into the war. France announced a rival diplomatic framework. Turkey said the strait should be reopened through negotiation, not force.

The coordinated rebuff lands as one of the sharpest public ruptures between Washington and its European partners since the conflict with Iran began six weeks ago.

Were not supporting the blockade, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC. My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure  and theres been some considerable pressure  were not getting dragged into the war.

Weekend peace talks between the United States and Iran collapsed without an agreement, and Trump responded Sunday with an announcement on Truth Social that the U.S. military would move to seal the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. military later clarified the scope: the operation would target ships traveling to or from Iranian ports specifically, not all maritime traffic. But the distinction did little to ease European alarm over a waterway through which one-fifth of the worlds oil normally passes  and which Iran has effectively closed since hostilities began Feb. 28.

The allies refusal to sign on is the latest in a mounting series of frictions with Trump. He has threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO altogether, and is weighing pulling American troops from Europe after several member states refused to allow U.S. military aircraft to use their airspace during the Iran campaign.

Rather than joining the blockade, France moved to establish a separate multinational mission. President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday on X that France would organize a conference with Britain and other countries to create an international force to restore navigation in the strait once conditions allow.

This strictly defensive mission, distinct from the belligerents, will be deployed as soon as the situation allows, Macron said.

Britain is separately working on mechanisms to reduce insurance premiums for commercial vessels transiting the strait after the fighting stops, according to a senior European official.

The European posture  willing to help stabilize the strait, unwilling to participate in offensive operations  reflects a careful line allies are trying to hold between placating Washington and avoiding co-belligerence.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is caught in the middle. He told European governments last week that Trump wants concrete commitments in the near future to help secure the strait, diplomats told Reuters. On April 9, Rutte said NATO could potentially form a mission there if all 32 members agreed, but several countries have conditioned any involvement on a durable ceasefire and a guarantee from Iran that their ships would not be attacked.

No such guarantee exists. No ceasefire has held.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan added his countrys voice to the dissent Monday, calling for diplomacy rather than an international force, and warning that assembling such a coalition would be complicated. He also called for NATO to use its July summit in Ankara to reset its relationship with the Trump administration, an acknowledgment that the alliance is badly in need of repair.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
A construction worker was killed Monday in an accident at the site of the Mesivta of Cliftons future home, which is currently under construction, authorities said.

The incident occurred near the intersection of Main Avenue and Homer Street in Clifton, when a boom lift truck overturned while being delivered to the site, crushing and killing the worker beneath it.

Emergency crews, including police, firefighters, and representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), responded and remain on scene as the investigation continues.

Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim or additional details about how the accident occurred.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
The U.S. military announced it will begin a blockade of all Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday at 10 a.m., tempering President Donald Trumps earlier vow to entirely block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as early reports indicated that ships had stopped crossing the waterway.

The move has set the stage for a showdown as Iran responded with threats on ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for NO ONE, according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, IRIB. NO PORT in the region will be safe, the Iranian military said.

Ceasefire talks between the U.S. and Iran ended in the early hours of Sunday without an agreement, raising questions about what happens when the current two-week truce expires on April 22.

Meanwhile, France and the U.K. announced they will organize a conference with partners ready to contribute to a peaceful multinational mission to help restore navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, President Emmanuel Macron said.

In a post on X, Macron stressed the need to restore free and unimpeded navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as quickly as possible. He called for a peaceful multinational mission, adding: This strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict, is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit.

France and the U.K. have in recent years been working to set up an operation that would allow ships to cross the Strait of Hormuz once the fighting ends.

An analyst has warned that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports could prompt the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen to disrupt transit through Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

If the U.S. moves to impose a blockade on Iranian ports and Iran starts feeling the pain, the Houthis are very likely to escalate in the Bab el-Mandeb, said Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst for Yemen at the International Crisis Group think-tank.

The closure of Bab el-Mandeb would add another layer of pressure on the global shipping industry, he said.

Also on Monday, a labor union said that thousands of crew members stuck on vessels in and around the Strait of Hormuz are running short on basics and growing increasingly desperate.

Milind Kandalgaonkar, general secretary of the National Union of Seafarers of India, said that nearly 20,000 Indian crew members were stranded in the region.

Many of these seafarers are reportedly facing acute shortages of food, potable water, and essential medical supplies, he wrote in a letter to Indias national shipping board. He urged authorities to ensure supplies can reach the vessels, protect seafarers welfare, and prepare evacuation plans if needed.

Tanker owners say the ceasefire has done little to ease conditions for mariners in the strait, where crews report dwindling food and fresh water.

(AP)
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Government of Zimbabwe has set a firm year-end deadline to electrify every school in the country, ramping up the use of solar energy and other off-grid solutions to close remaining gaps, particularly in rural areas.The ambitious programme marks a decisive shift from policy to implementation under the Second Republic, as authorities move to ensure no learning institution remains without power - a key requirement for modern education.Speaking at a renewable energy conference in Esigodini on Friday, Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo said approximately 75 percent of schools are already electrified, with the final phase now targeting hard-to-reach areas."We have made a deliberate decision, supported by Cabinet and His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa, that this is the year we must finish electrifying all our schools - both secondary and primary," he said.The initiative aligns with Zimbabwe's broader energy strategy, which aims to generate 2 100 megawatts of power by 2030, with solar energy expected to play a leading role through public-private partnerships and increased private sector participation.Authorities say the programme reflects a growing reliance on decentralised solar systems to bridge infrastructure gaps, particularly in rural communities where extending the national grid has proven slow and costly. In parallel, the Government is investing in water infrastructure, including dam construction and borehole drilling, to mitigate the effects of recurring droughts.While secondary schools are nearing full electrification  estimated at between 82 and 84 percent  primary schools, especially in remote areas, remain the main focus, currently standing at just over 70 percent.Minister Moyo said the initiative goes beyond infrastructure, positioning electricity as a catalyst for transforming the education sector by enabling digital learning, improving school safety and extending study hours."This is about ensuring that every child, regardless of location, has access to the same opportunities. Electricity is a key enabler in that regard," he said.He added that the push for renewable energy extends beyond education, with solar power expected to boost productivity in agriculture and small-scale mining, while easing pressure on the national grid.To support long-term sustainability, Zimbabwe is also strengthening technical capacity in renewable energy through the establishment of a Solar Technology Application Resource Centre at Chinhoyi University of Technology, in partnership with the International Solar Alliance.The centre will focus on skills development and innovation in solar technologies, positioning the country to support its growing transition to clean energy.The conference, held under the theme "Harnessing Solar PV for Productive Use in Agriculture, Artisanal Mining and Rural Communities for Sustainable Development," underscored the central role of renewable energy in Zimbabwe's development agenda.
Israeli airstrikes during Operation Roaring Lion damaged Irans ability to control and maneuver satellites in orbit, the IDFs Military Intelligence Directorate has assessed, dealing what officials say could be a setback lasting years to Tehrans space program.

Yisrael Hayom reported that the Israeli Air Force targeted ground bases operating Irans satellite array, degrading the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Space Commands capacity to manage its satellites, including advanced maneuverable systems capable of approaching and potentially disrupting the satellites of other nations. The economic damage is estimated in the billions of dollars, with assessments suggesting Iran will need years to restore what was lost.

The strikes were driven in part by concern that Iran could turn those maneuverable satellites against Israeli assets in orbit. Officials at the IDFs Space Center, part of Unit 9900, said that defending Israeli satellites from Iranian interference was a central mission throughout the war, carried out around the clock.

In this war, space was significant in ways not seen before, said Lt. Col. Sh., the Space Centers commander. When the IDF operates over great distances, the importance of satellites rises dramatically. We are relying on years of investment that have placed Israel among the leading countries in this field.

The stakes were high. Israeli military satellites from the Ofek series provided critical intelligence throughout the campaign  essential given the distance from Iran, which limited other collection methods. Damage to even a single satellite, officials noted, could have materially affected the conduct of the war.

Iran has spent the past decade narrowing a long-standing gap in space capabilities, successfully launching satellites it claimed could photograph U.S. bases in the Gulf and collect electronic signals intelligence. The overlap between satellite launch technology and ballistic missile development added further urgency to the Israeli targeting effort.

The campaign also prompted a shift in U.S. policy on commercial satellite imagery. The Pentagon required commercial providers to delay releasing images from the conflict zone, and Planet Labs confirmed it would withhold imagery from Iran and surrounding areas for an indefinite period. The restrictions took effect as early as March 9, shortly after the war began, though they were only disclosed publicly afterward.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
A dramatic political upheaval took place on Sunday evening in Hungary when opposition leader Peter Magyar won the elections, ousting Prime Minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power.

The dramatic news of Orbans defeat was met with great concern in the halls of power in Jerusalem. For 16 years, Orban was widely seen as Israels closest and most dependable ally within the European Unionand often its lone defender.

His close personal relationship with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu evolved into a strategic asset, enabling Israel to fend off anti-Israel EU decisions, from condemnations of Israeli policy to attempts to impose diplomatic or economic sanctions.

For Israel, Orbans departure means the loss of an automatic veto in the EU Council. Under his leadership, Hungary repeatedly stood alone against the other member states to shield Israels interests and block positions hostile to Israel.

Peter Magyar campaigned on returning Hungary to the European mainstream and repairing relations with EU institutions. Under his leadership, Budapest will align itself more closely with common EU positionsa shift that could leave Israel more vulnerable to diplomatic pressure from Brussels.

Magyar is not considered overtly hostile toward Israel, but he represents a new generation of Hungarian leadership that espouses the rule of law and liberal democratic normsvalues that previously put Orban at odds with the EU.

Israeli officials expect cooperation in security, cyber, and economic spheres to continue due to shared interests. However, the automatic political backing Israel enjoyed under Orban is likely to give way to a more measuredand at times criticalrelationship.

More broadly, the shift in Hungary effectively dismantles the Visegrad GroupHungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakiaas a pro-Israel bloc that served as a buffer within Europe. Together with political changes in Poland, Israel is left without a reliable anchor in Central Europe.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar quickly congratulated Magyar, writing on X: We look forward to continuing to work together on further strengthening the good relations between our two countries and expanding our cooperation in different fields of mutual interests.

We thank Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his government for their friendship and steady support of Israel and Jewish life in challenging times.

Netanyahu has not yet commented on the election results.

(YWN Israel DeskJerusalem)
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahus Office announced on Sunday evening that the advisory committee for senior appointments, headed by former Supreme Court President Asher Grunis, has approved the candidacy of Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman for the position of Mossad chief.

Following the committees approval, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu signed the appointment of the next head of the Mossad, Maj. Gen. Roman Gofman, who will assume his position on June 2, 2026, for a term of five years, the statement said.

Netanyahu congratulated Gofman, saying, Maj. Gen. Gofman has served as my military secretary for the past two years. He is an outstanding, bold, and creative officer who demonstrated out-of-the-box thinking and impressive ingenuity throughout the war. I wish him great success in his new role as head of the Mossad and am confident he will do much for Israels security.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also praised the appointment, describing Gofman as sharp, professional, and highly accomplished, with strategic thinking and exceptional execution abilities. He added that since October 7, he has worked closely with Gofman in decision-making forums and witnessed his determination, sensitivity, and professionalism firsthand.

Ben-Gvir noted that Gofman immigrated to Israel, fought for the country, and was wounded on October 7.

Gofman, who made aliyah from Belarus at the age of 14, was the commander of an IDF base in the Negev during the October 7 massacre. He rushed into battle against the Hamas terrorists and was seriously wounded in a gun battle outside Sderot.

Gofmans appointment was approved despite earlier concerns raised during the review process about a controversial incident in his past, which had delayed the decision.

The incident occurred while he was serving as the IDF commander of the Bashan Division in the Golan. According to allegations, Gofman carried out an influence operation in which he instructed two subordinate officers to pass classified information to a 17-year-old, Ori Elmakayes from Ashkelon, who ran a news channel on Telegram.

Elmakayes was subsequently arrested by the Shin Bet and policewho were unaware that Gofman had recruited himand charged with serious security offenses. He was imprisoned for 18 months, and it was only after an indictment was filed against him that his defense attorneys managed to prove that the classified information was provided to him by IDF intelligence officers, and the charges were dropped.

Gofman denied direct responsibility, saying that he was unaware of Elmakayes age and that he had ordered that only non-classified information be transmitted to him.

Grunis expressed reservations about the appointment but was in the minority, with the three other members of the committee saying that the incident should not disqualify Gofman from serving as Mossad chief. Political sources estimate that, in light of his objection, the issue may ultimately reach the Supreme Court.

IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir supported Gofmans appointment, describing him as an excellent officer with a distinguished career, and said that he did not view the incident as severe.

During the review, Attorney General Gali BaharavMiara, who consistently opposes anything and anybody associated with Netanyahu, raised legal concerns about Gofmans handling and reporting of the case, following a request from Grunis.

The committee had not convened for more than two months due to Grunis illness, but resumed its work after his recovery. Although a decision had been expected earlier, disagreements among committee members delayed the process until the final approval was reached.

Gofman will replace current Mossad chief David Barnea, who will conclude his five-year term in June 2026.

(YWN Israel DeskJerusalem)
The Bennett 2026 party sent a pre-lawsuit warning letter on Sunday evening to the Likud party and Meluchadim News, accusing them of defamation against party candidate Keren Terner Eyal.

The Likud and government members had attacked Bennett for adding Terner Eyal to his party list, saying that she was active in the notorious leftist anti-government Brothers in Arms organization, which had called for widespread IDF refusal in the months before the October 7 massacre.

A statement from the party stated: Keren Terner was never a member of the Brothers in Arms organization and was never involved, in any way, in calls for refusal to serve.

After October 7, a civilian emergency operations center was established, which assisted tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers, and reservists when state systems collapsed. It was not political in nature and received support from across the political spectrum for its vital work during one of Israels most difficult moments. We will not allow Likud to spread false and poisonous lies. We will defeat the smear machine and repair Israel.

It should be noted that Bennetts statement that the humanitarian work carried out by the Brother in Arms organization after October 7 was not political in nature may have been true for some of the volunteers, including Terner, but, according to Channel 12 journalist Amit Segal, the actions of the organizations leaders were politically tainted even in the days after the October 7 massacre.

Earlier this year, after Democrats chairman Yair Golan announced that one of the leaders of Brothers in Arms, Omri Ronen, was joining his party, Segal posted a video revealing the attempts of Brothers in Arms to whitewash its calls for IDF refusal before the October 7 massacre.

Five days after the war broke out, the Brothers in Arms organization, which was not fond of me and vice versa, called me to invite me for a tour of its headquarters, Segal stated.

Segal said that he happily agreed to the request, with the goal of using his influence to encourage unity during that harrowing time. And afterward, at the request of one of the Brothers in Arms leaders, Eyal Naveh, he held his nose and published a post in support of the organization.

Segal noted, I have to note that Ive been at many headquarters, and Ive assisted many volunteer organizations, and Ive never seen an organization that was so obsessed with public relations, branding, and publicity, as Brothers in Arms. Many people support giving to others secretly. Brothers in Arms supported giving secretly as long as everyone knew about it. Thats why the sandwiches they distributed were branded, and the volunteers always wore Brothers in Arms T-shirts.

Segal added that he regretted posting in support of the organization when he later realized its true intentions. Well, as it turned out, the goal for Naveh and his friends at Brothers in Arms was less to help the public and more to whitewash their reputation and remove their sin of calling for IDF refusal, he said.

All this was an attempt to erase that crime of mass IDF refusal pre-October 7, when Naveh yelled out the names of the IDF units that would refuse to serve, the call to break apart the peoples army, and the threat to harm state security, and the confirmation that his actions did indeed harm Israels security.

Segal concluded: I have news for you, Naveh, it will never be erased.

(YWN Israel DeskJerusalem)
President Donald Trump said Sunday that two U.S. Air Force pilots rescued from Iran are in very good shape following a dramatic recovery mission earlier this month.

Theyre in very good shape, Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, adding, we are very proud of them.

The two airmen had been flying a F-15E Strike Eagle when it was shot down during heightened tensions between the United States and Iran. Both were recovered in separate rescue operations deep inside Iranian territory, with one pilot initially wounded but now expected to fully recover.

Trump previously described the missioncarried out in a mountainous region of Iranas one of the most daring rescue operations in U.S. military history.

The successful extraction comes as Washington continues to ramp up pressure on Tehran, including plans for a naval blockade aimed at restricting Irans oil exports and weakening its military capabilities.

Officials are also weighing the possibility of renewed limited strikes alongside the planned blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions between the two countries remain high.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
A new report by FakeReporter, an Israeli disinformation watchdog group, revealed a network of fake accounts on X impersonating Chareidim and working to deepen polarization within Israeli society.

The accounts, which present themselves as members of the Chareidi sector, disseminate extreme content including incitement and calls for violence against secular Israelis, left-wing activists, and the judicial system. Analysis of their activity indicates that the profiles are operated by foreign actors aiming to provoke public outrage and increase hostility toward the Chareidi community by creating a false impression of extremism.

One quote that drew particular attentionthrow the secular out of Israelwas not presented as an isolated outburst, but as part of a broader pattern. According to Ynet, other messages included statements such as leftists are enemies of Torah and Judaism and the courts are servants of Satan. The goal, the report suggests, was not persuasion but to provoke disgust, anger, and backlash against the Chareidi sector as a whole.

The investigation identified at least four suspicious accounts active on X over the past six months, using names like Chaim Alush, Shimon, and two users named Yaakov. All were created in November 2025, used VPNs to obscure their origins, and maintained activity that initially appeared fairly authentic. This is what makes the operation especially concerning: the Hebrew used was relatively fluent and worded to seem credible rather than easily dismissible.

To build that credibility, the accounts did more than post slogans. According to the report, they copied content from real Israeli usersincluding posts by known Israeli figures. This created a seemingly legitimate facade, within which more extreme messages were inserted. It was not amateur provocation, but a method: blend in first, then escalate, and finally rely on someone in Israel to take the bait and amplify it.

The sophistication extended beyond content. Despite having relatively few followers, the accounts gained wide exposure by replying to posts from journalists, influencers, and prominent public figures. This is how effective influence networks operate: they dont need a large audience of their ownonly access to others audiences, inserting inflammatory messaging at the right moment.

The choice of topics was also deliberate. According to the findings, the network focused on issues that already inflame Israeli discourse, including the draft law, Chareidi protests, the judicial system, and support for Binyamin Netanyahu. These are precisely the areas where the line between political debate and incitement becomes blurredand where it is easiest to convince the public they are seeing the true face of an entire sector, when in reality they are being exposed to a coordinated influence operation.

At FakeReporter, officials warn that this is not just about damaging the image of the Chareidi community, but about directly undermining Israels social resilience. CEO Nir Rosen said the network is not operated by Israelis and is intended to incite hatred toward the Chareidi public and deepen internal divisions. According to him, as elections approach, such attempts are likely to intensify.

This exposure joins the identification of additional foreign influence networks that have been active in Israel since the beginning of the war, some of which have managed to mislead influencers and public figures who inadvertently amplified their divisive messages.

The public is urged to remain vigilant, verify the sources of online content, and report suspicious accounts to prevent foreign propaganda from shaping the public discourse in Israel.

(YWN Israel DeskJerusalem)
New and horrifying details are emerging in the serious espionage case in Haifa, following the filing of an indictment against the main suspect, 22-year-old Ami Gaydarov.

The indictment, submitted by the Haifa District Prosecutors Office, paints a troubling picture of a real terror infrastructure being established in the heart of a residential neighborhood. According to the charges, Gaydarov not only gathered intelligence for his Iranian handlers but also actively manufactured explosives in significant quantities intended for deadly attacks in crowded areas across Israel.

According to the indictment, Gaydarov set up an improvised explosives lab in two separate apartments within the same building. He initially operated from a third-floor apartment but moved his activity to a first-floor unit after fearing he was under surveillance by security forces.

Inside these apartments, he produced TATP on a daily basissometimes hundreds of grams at a timeeventually accumulating around 10 kilograms of ready-to-use explosive material.

According to an I24NEWS report, the suspect was fully aware that the explosives were intended for lethal terror attacks. In addition to plans to target a senior public figure, he was aware that the devices were meant for bombings at bus stops and other crowded locations, with the clear intent of causing mass civilian casualties. He even volunteered to carry out a suicide bombing, a suggestion that was rejected by his Iranian handler.

In one incident, the suspect was reportedly filmed conducting a test explosion with a friend in an underground parking garage near his residence. They placed an explosive device in a plastic cup, ignited it, and fled the scene due to the powerful blast.

The operational link between Gaydarov and his Iranian handler began in August 2025. Over time, he carried out numerous security-related tasks in exchange for payments totaling more than 70,000 shekels ($23,000), transferred via cryptocurrency to obscure the money trail.

To maintain covert communication, he purchased dedicated phones and sent his handler regular documentation of the explosives production as proof of completing assignments. During the war, he was also instructed to photograph the Haifa port and missile impact sites in northern Israel, and to locate an apartment overlooking the port for the installation of a fixed surveillance camera.

It was previously revealed that one of the high-profile targets marked for assassination by the Iranian network was former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Additional suspects, residents of northern Israel, were arrested for assisting in acquiring materials and concealing the explosives.

Security officials emphasize that this case represents a significant and alarming escalation in efforts by Iranian intelligence to recruit Israeli citizens for terrorism and espionage activities within the countryoften through digital platforms and promises of substantial financial rewards. The case is being investigated jointly by the Shin Bet and the polices Lahav 433.

(YWN Israel DeskJerusalem)
President Donald Trump threatened Monday to destroy any Iranian fast-attack ships that approach the newly imposed U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, warning the vessels would be immediately ELIMINATED using the same lethal tactics the military has employed against suspected drug-running boats in Latin American waters.

Trump issued the warning in a Truth Social post 23 minutes after the blockade went into effect at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Irans Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated  158 ships, Trump wrote. He said his forces had spared a small number of Iranian fast-attack vessels only because they had not been considered a serious threat. That calculation, he made clear, could change instantly.

Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea, Trump wrote. It is quick and brutal.

The president appended a boast about domestic drug interdiction: 98.2% of Drugs coming into the U.S. by Ocean or Sea have STOPPED!

The threat came the morning after Trump announced the blockade, a dramatic escalation following the collapse of diplomatic talks in Pakistan. Vice President JD Vance  the highest-ranking U.S. official to meet face-to-face with Iranian leaders since the 1979 Islamic Revolution  led a delegation that also included special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner.

Vance said the American side had been quite flexible in its negotiating posture, but that Iran had not reciprocated. The Trump administration was seeking what Vance described as an affirmative commitment from Tehran that it would not pursue a nuclear weapon. No such commitment materialized, and Trump announced the blockade shortly after the talks broke down.

Trumps invocation of anti-drug operations as a template for naval engagement reflects an expanding use of military force in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. military has struck dozens of suspected Latin American drug-running vessels since last fall, and the president appeared Monday to signal that the same rules of engagement now apply to Iranian naval assets in the Persian Gulf.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Hezbollahs leader urged Lebanon on Monday to step down from scheduled direct talks with Israel set to take place in Washington, the first in decades.

Naim Kassem made the remarks in a televised address on the eve of the scheduled meeting between Lebanon and Israels ambassadors to the U.S., as both sides set a framework for negotiations.

The latest round of fighting was sparked by Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel on March 2, after the U.S. and Israel attacked the terrorist groups patron, Iran.

The Lebanese government, which says is committed to disarming Hezbollah, called for direct talks early on in the war, but to no avail. Last week, Israel announced their approval of talks, but both sides dont appear to be on the same page.

Lebanon hopes for a ceasefire as a prerequisite, similar to Iran and U.S. talks brokered by Pakistan. However, Israel has framed the talks as peace negotiations with Hezbollahs disarmament as a priority item, with no mention of a ceasefire or a withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon.

We refuse negotiations with the Israeli entity. These negotiations are pointless, Kassem said in a televised address, calling it a free concession to Israel and the United States. The opportunity is still there. We call for a historic and heroic position to cancel these negotiations.

Kassem called for a return to the ceasefire that halted the last Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024. Talks were done indirectly through a mechanism with the United States, France and the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon mediating.

The Hezbollah leader slammed Lebanons president, prime minister and Cabinet for criminalizing the groups military activities and their ongoing diplomatic approach with Israel, saying that it did not take us any step forward. He also criticized the government for a decision to banish Irans ambassador from the country and criminalize the Iranian Revolutionary Guards presence.

We will let the front line speak, Kassem said.

Strategic border town

Fierce fighting rocked the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil on Monday, as Israeli troops appeared to encircle the area while Hezbollah terrorists launched rockets and artillery in an effort to push them back.

The clashes in the hilly town that overlooks the U.N.-mandated Blue Line dividing the two countries just over 2 miles (3 kilometers) away have intensified over the past week, after Iran and the United States agreed to a temporary truce. On Tuesday, Lebanon and Israels ambassadors to the U.S. are set to meet in Washington for an in-person meeting in a bid to kick off a landmark series of direct negotiations.

Israel has scaled back its attacks in Lebanon, especially in Beirut. At the same time, Israel appears to have stepped up strikes and a ground invasion in southern Lebanon, where it intends to create a security zone along the Litani River, almost 20 miles (around 30 kilometers) from the border. Bint Jbeil is among dozens of towns and villages south of the river that Israel called to evacuate early on in the war.

Hezbollah political official Wafic Safa told The Associated Press Monday that in the town of Bint Jbeil there are bloody battles that are still being fought until now and confirmed that a large number of the groups fighters were besieged there.

So far, this battle has not ended, he said. Of course, there are martyrs for us. This is very normal. There are certainly losses to the Israeli enemy.

Israels military said that its troops surrounded Hezbollah infrastructure and started ground operations in Bint Jbeil and surrounding areas, killing more than 100 Hezbollah fighters. Hezbollah didnt immediately announce any fatalities among its ranks, and Israel didnt comment on its military casualties.

On Sunday, Hezbollah said that it carried out at least five attacks on Israeli troops in the town and outskirts with rockets, artillery and drones. According to the groups statements, Israeli troops were positioned near a school, a hospital and juncture that surrounds the heart of Bint Jbeil. That day, Israel said that its troops attacked Hezbollah forces conducting surveillance from the Bint Jbeil Government Hospital and found a cache of machine guns and rockets.

When Israel occupied southern Lebanon until its withdrawal in 2000, it had relied on Bint Jbeil and other elevated locations for strategic vantage points. A major turning point was Hezbollah retaking the town, and the victory speech by then leader Hassan Nasrallah in a stadium there. The IDF on Monday shared a satellite photo showing the stadium apparently destroyed in a strike.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a Cabinet meeting Monday that the military was expanding beyond the five hilltops it controlled in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire with Hezbollah in 2024, toward a solid, deeper security zone. He said that it was in order to protect northern Israel.

(AP)
News / National

by Staff reporter

The Tendai Biti led Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF) has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to authorities to reinstate Jessie Majome as chairperson of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC), describing her removal as unconstitutional and politically motivated.President Emmerson Mnangagwa relieved Majome of her duties over the weekend and reassigned her to the Public Service Commission as a commissioner. The move came just days after Majome criticised parliamentary public hearings on Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3.CDF deputy spokesperson Chiedza Mulingwa told a press conference in Harare that the decision was intended to silence dissent against the proposed constitutional changes."As CDF we strongly condemn the brazen and unconstitutional removal of the chairperson of the ZHRC," Mulingwa said.She argued that the Constitution does not empower the President to act in the manner alleged, describing the move as "calculated and retaliatory" and aimed at intimidating independent constitutional bodies."The proximity between her removal and her well-publicised concerns reinforces the conclusion that this action is politically motivated," she said.The CDF warned that failure to reverse the decision within 24 hours would trigger legal action."We demand that this unconstitutional act be reversed immediately or within the next 24 hours, failing which we will be considering all lawful and available measures to challenge this illegal action and to simultaneously intensify efforts towards the withdrawal of Constitutional Amendment Bill Number 3 in its entirety," Mulingwa said.The organisation accused President Mnangagwa of acting outside the confines of the Constitution by allegedly removing the head of a Chapter 12 commission "unilaterally, capriciously and arbitrarily.""The President has no justifiable legal basis to act in the manner which he has done," Mulingwa said, adding that all office bearers, including the Head of State, are constitutionally bound to respect, uphold and defend the supreme law.The CDF cited Section 237(2) of the Constitution, which outlines conditions under which members of independent commissions may be removed, including mental incapacity, gross incompetence or misconduct.According to the group, none of these grounds had been publicly established in Majome's case, raising serious questions about the legality of her removal.
News / National

by Staff reporter

A 33-year-old company director has appeared in court facing theft charges after allegedly orchestrating a scheme that prejudiced Schweppes Zimbabwe of more than US$22 000 worth of Mazoe Orange Crush.The accused, Tatenda Masawi, appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo over the weekend and was not asked to plead.The complainant is Schweppes Zimbabwe, represented by its Senior Loss Control Officer, Admire Nhenderere.According to the State, Masawiwho is the managing director of MSTATZ Private Limited, a logistics company based in the United Kingdomallegedly made an enquiry on January 25 to purchase 1 750 cases of Mazoe Orange Crush.He was reportedly quoted US$36 750 for the local market and US$21 205 for the export market.Prosecutors allege that Masawi misrepresented that the consignment was destined for export to the United Kingdom and proceeded to place the order under the export arrangement. He allegedly paid US$21 205 for the consignment on January 31.On February 14, the goods were inspected and sealed for export by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) before being loaded onto a Mozambique-registered truck at Schweppes Zimbabwe premises for transportation through Forbes Border Post.However, investigations indicate that the consignment never left the country. Authorities allege that the Zimra seal was broken in Harare shortly after departure, and the shipment did not reach its intended destination.The matter came to light after the truck failed to arrive at Forbes Border Post, triggering investigations that implicated Masawi.As a result of the alleged misrepresentation, Schweppes Zimbabwe reportedly suffered an actual loss of US$14 915 and incurred a Zimra penalty of US$7 478, bringing the total prejudice to US$22 399.95. Nothing has been recovered to date.Police have since seized Masawi's mobile phone, which has been sent for forensic analysis as investigations continue.
Enoch Burkes mother and sister have been released from Mountjoy Prison, two weeks after they were arrested.

A video of the two women leaving the Dublin city prison was posted on the former school teachers profile on the social media site X.

Martina, Mr Burkes mother, and Ammi, his sister, were sentenced to two weeks in jail for contempt of court in early March.

The Burke family have been engaged in a number of legal disputes arising from Mr Burkes dismissal from Wilsons Hospital School in Co Westmeath.

In 2022, Enoch Burke was asked by the schools then principal to address a student by a new name and pronoun.

The Burke family has repeatedly argued that the direction was unconstitutional and went against Mr Burkes right to express his religious beliefs.

He has been imprisoned for more than 600 days over contempt of court relating to breaches of orders not to trespass at the school.

On March 4, a High Court judge ordered the two women to be jailed for two weeks after finding them in contempt of court.

The charge was in relation to a hearing on February 20 during which both women were removed from court by eight to 10 gardai.

Mr Justice Brian Cregan said the hearing descended into chaos when they interrupted proceedings.

He said: They both knew full well that they had no right of audience and no right to speak, yet they persisted in standing up in court and shouting and roaring at the top of their voices.

Defending her actions, Martina Burke told the court her son Enoch had been denied his constitutional rights, while Ammi Burke said she wont sit silently by while my brothers constitutional rights are being denied.

The judge said it is clear that the Burke family believe that they are above the law.

On March 31 the two women were arrested at Castlerea Prison in Co Roscommon after visiting Enoch Burke.

In the video posted on X on Monday, Martina Burke described the treatment of her family as disgraceful.

Standing outside the prison with Ammi Burke and her husband Sean, she said her family would continue to fight and stand up for the truth and wont be silenced by imprisonment.
In what is likely the 32st homicide so far this year compared to 40 at this time last year, we share the aftermath of a fatal shooting and the ongoing investigation . . . Here was the first report that police shared with local media . . .

Homicide 27th and Troost

This afternoon, just after 12 PM, officers were dispatched to 27th and Troost on a reported shooting.



As officers arrived they located an adult male victim in a vehicle, suffering from a gunshot wound. KCFD EMS responded and transported the victim to a local hospital with critical injuries. A short time later medical personnel declared the victim deceased at the hospital.



This is being investigated as a homicide and no one is in custody. Detectives are working to determine what led to shots being fired and the victim being struck. Investigators and crime scene personnel are canvassing the area for evidence, witnesses, and any surveillance footage.



If anyone was in the area and heard or saw anything or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.



We are committed to assisting victims of violent crimes through use of Missouris Protection Program for Victims/Witnesses of Violent Crime. Funding for temporary, or even permanent relocation, may be available but is subject to pre-approval by the States administering agency.

############

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Kansas City, Missouri, police investigating early Sunday afternoon homicide at 27th, Troost Kansas City, Missouri, police are investigating a homicide that left one man dead early Sunday afternoon.

Police investigate deadly shooting near 27th and Troost in Kansas City Kansas City police are investigating a deadly shooting near 27th and Troost. A man found in a vehicle died at a hospital; no suspect is in custody.

Developing . . .
In what was the 31st homicide so far this year . . . Here's the police report from the latest tragic altercation inside the loop . . .

Homicide 11th and Grand

This morning just after 9:00 AM, patrol officers responded to 11th and Grand on a reported cutting.



Upon arrival officers located an adult male victim suffering from an apparent stab wound. Life saving measures were immediately performed and KCFD EMS responded to the scene. Medics transported the victim to the hospital with critical injuries. A short time later medical personnel pronounced the victim deceased.



This is being investigated as a homicide. A subject of interest was taken into custody pending further investigation. Preliminary information revealed there was an altercation between two individuals that led to the victim being stabbed. Crime scene investigators and detectives canvassed the area for witnesses, physical evidence, and surveillance footage.



If anyone was in the area and heard or saw anything or has any information they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.



We are committed to assisting victims of violent crimes through use of Missouris Protection Program for Victims/Witnesses of Violent Crime. Funding for temporary, or even permanent relocation, may be available but is subject to pre-approval by the States administering agency.

#############

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. A meeting between students and a delegation from Pakistan was held at the Azerbaijan University of Languages in Baku, Trend reports.

The event took place at the Pakistan Cultural Center. The delegation included Parliamentary Secretary of Pakistans Ministry of Human Rights Saba Sadiq and Secretary of the Ministry Abdul Khalique Shaikh.

Abdul Khalique Shaikh expressed his satisfaction at the opportunity to visit the center and interact with students. He said it is important that young people have the chance to learn about Pakistani culture, broaden their horizons, and develop academically and personally.

He stressed that such initiatives are being implemented with the support of Pakistan, including in the field of human rights. Special attention, he noted, is given to the protection of childrens rights and ensuring conditions for their well-being and development.

It is a great honor for us to be here and meet you. We believe it is important that issues related to child protection remain in focus, including at the parliamentary level, he added.

Saba Sadiq, in turn, said that Pakistan is making efforts to help resolve the conflict in the Middle East.

We have worked to ensure that the parties sit at the negotiating table. In this process, we were supported by countries from different regions. Two opposing sides were able to begin dialogue  this became possible thanks to joint efforts and a spirit of cooperation. Talks were held, but a final agreement has not yet been reached, she said.

According to her, the ongoing process, including with the participation of the United States, may lead to concrete results in the future. She stressed that Pakistan seeks to ensure the conflict in the region does not continue and is resolved peacefully.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. Pakistan is making efforts to bring an end to the conflict in the Middle East region, Parliamentary Secretary of Pakistans Ministry of Human Rights Saba Sadiq, Trend reports.

Speaking at a meeting with students in Baku, Sadiq stated that Islamabad has been actively working to facilitate dialogue between the sides.

We have worked to ensure that the parties sit at the negotiating table. Countries from different regions supported this process. Two rival and opposing states managed to sit together and initiate dialogue. This became possible thanks to joint efforts and a spirit of cooperation. The sides held talks, but naturally have not yet reached a final agreement, Sadiq said.

She noted that the ongoing process, including with the participation of the US, could yield concrete results in the future.

According to Sadiq, Pakistan, as a Muslim country, continues its efforts to prevent further escalation and to ensure that the conflict in the region comes to an end.
Speaking to Trend, Murog underscored the strategic depth and long-term value of cooperation with the Ganja Automobile Plant.

GAZ is our strategic partner in the Azerbaijani market. We have enjoyed fruitful cooperation for 20 years. At least 700 units of 80-120 horsepower equipment are supplied to Azerbaijan annually, and in various years, this figure has exceeded 1,000 units. Today, mini tractors for melon cultivation and specialized farming, as well as high-capacity equipment of 350 horsepower for large-scale agricultural production, offer significant growth potential. In this anniversary year of our cooperation, we intend to take a more active role in joint initiatives, including exhibitions. Our plants remain long-standing and highly reliable partners, he noted.

In turn, Fatiyev highlighted that around 80% of Belarusian equipment is assembled at GAZ, underscoring both its quality and competitive edge, while also pointing to the critical role of state support.

20 years have passed since the beginning of our cooperation with the Minsk Tractor Works. In 2006, during the official visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Belarus, the foundation for this partnership was laid. The project has never been interrupted, even during the pandemic; the plant continued assembling tractors. During our visit to MTZ on April 7-8, we once again discussed the future trajectory of cooperation, new projects, and reached agreements on joint production and exports to third countries, Fatiyev said.

He added that, to date, the plant has assembled and commissioned more than 15,000 tractors across various models.

We take pride in seeing our machinery operating across all cities and regions of Azerbaijan. Customers value the reliability and quality of our products. It is especially meaningful that the high-powered equipment assembled at our plant is now actively serving in the liberated territories, in our native Karabakh, Fatiyev emphasized.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. Orkhan Sattarov has been appointed press secretary to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the relevant decree.

The decree comes into force on the date of its signing.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. At the request of Speaker of the Parliament of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova, Azerbaijani MP and Vice President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) from Azerbaijan Sevil Mikayilova attended the IPU Executive Committee meeting in Istanbul, Turkiye, Trend reports.

Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye Numan Kurtulmus took part in the opening of the event.

Mikayilova, who is the Vice-President of the Executive Committee, Eurasia Group, will also take part in the 152nd Assembly of the IPU in Istanbul on 15-19 April. The event will bring together all IPU statutory bodies, including the Governing Council, Standing Committees, Committees on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, on Middle East Questions and on Health, as well as the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young Parliamentarians.

The General Debate will focus on the overall theme Nurturing hope, securing peace and ensuring justice for future generations and provide a platform for delegates to deliberate, exchange views and galvanize parliamentary action. The Assembly will adopt resolutions on the emergency item and on the subject items taken up by the Standing Committee on Peace and International Security entitled The role of parliaments in establishing robust post-conflict management mechanisms and restoring a just and lasting peace and by the Standing Committee on Sustainable Development entitled Building a fair and sustainable global economy: The role of parliaments in combating protectionism, reducing tariffs and preventing corporate tax avoidance.

The Assembly is expected to conclude with the adoption of an outcome document on the overall theme of the General Debate.
Photo: State Committee for Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. The first female president of Finland, Tarja Halonen, visited the Azerbaijan House in Helsinki, a statement of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

The meeting was held with the committees support and organized by the Helsinki Azerbaijan House. Head of the House, Ulviyya Jabbarova, warmly welcomed Tarja Halonen and described the visit as important and a source of pride.

Halonen shared positive views about Azerbaijan and emphasized the special role of culture in strengthening relations between the two countries. She noted that concerts, cultural events, and the promotion of Azerbaijans rich national cuisine can serve as effective tools to further develop ties.

During the meeting, Finlands ambassador to Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia, Kirsti Narinen, highlighted the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, COP29, held in Baku. She spoke about the successful initiatives carried out by the Helsinki Azerbaijan House during that period.

Then, teacher Sura Aghaverdiyeva discussed the importance of preserving the Azerbaijani language in Finland and passing it on to future generations, noting that the mother tongue is a key pillar of national identity for compatriots living abroad.

The event featured a video presentation about the activities of the Azerbaijan House. Classical and national music pieces were performed by young musician Mona Savojifar, coordinator for Finland of the Coordination Council of Azerbaijanis of Scandinavia, and Leyla Huseynova from the Helsinki Opera. Students of the Azerbaijan weekend school also impressed guests with performances in Azerbaijani and Finnish.

The meeting included discussions on further developing cooperation between the diasporas of the two countries.

The former president was gifted with Azerbaijani literary works translated into Finnish by writer and translator Tahira Jafarova, as well as special handmade items crafted by students of the Azerbaijan House.

Meanwhile, 32 Azerbaijan Houses currently operate in 20 countries around the world

Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel
News / National

by Staff reporter

A total of 202 schools in Bulawayo are operating without registration, raising concerns over compliance and education standards, according to an Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) report compiled by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education last year.The report shows that 171 primary schools and 31 secondary schools in the city are not formally registered, despite the province having 252 registered primary schools and 99 registered secondary institutions.The findings come amid growing concern over the rapid expansion of schools, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas, where rising demand for education has outpaced regulatory processes.Nationally, Zimbabwe has 11 793 schools, including 8 308 primary schools (70.4 percent) and 3 485 secondary schools (29.6 percent). However, a significant proportion of these institutions remain outside the formal registration framework.At primary level, 6 045 schools are registered, while 894 operate as satellite schools and 1 369 are unregistered. At secondary level, 2 557 schools are registered, 697 are satellite institutions and 231 remain unregistered.Provincial data shows that Manicaland has the highest number of registered primary schools at 867, followed by Masvingo (814) and Midlands (774). Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West recorded 740 and 623 registered primary schools respectively.However, Manicaland also leads in unregistered primary schools at 349, followed by Mashonaland Central (226), Mashonaland West (160) and Midlands (155), highlighting widespread gaps in compliance.Despite being highly urbanised, Bulawayo (171) and Harare (137) also recorded notable numbers of unregistered primary schools. Analysts attribute this trend to population growth in peri-urban areas, where new schools are being established faster than they can be formally approved.At secondary level, Manicaland again tops the list with 343 registered schools, followed by Harare (340), Mashonaland East (338) and Masvingo (334), indicating a relatively balanced distribution nationwide.Unregistered secondary schools are fewer, suggesting stronger regulatory oversight at this level. Mashonaland East (42) and Mashonaland Central (39) recorded the highest numbers, followed by Mashonaland West (37), Manicaland (33) and Bulawayo (31).In contrast, Matabeleland North (2), Matabeleland South (6) and Masvingo (10) reported the lowest numbers of unregistered secondary schools, indicating near-universal compliance in those provinces.Education stakeholders say the findings underscore the need for government to streamline registration processes while ensuring that all learning institutions meet required standards to safeguard the quality of education.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Trade turnover at the Turkmen-Uzbek border trade center "Shabat" has shown a consistent upward trend, Trend reports via the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan.

According to information, from January through March, approximately 60,000 Uzbek citizens visited the center, resulting in exports of over 1,700 tons of goods from Turkmenistan. During the same period, more than 250 tons of goods were imported into Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan.

Turkmen exports through the center are predominantly composed of non-alcoholic beverages, confectionery, fresh tomatoes, household chemicals, and textiles. On the other hand, imports from Uzbekistan mainly consist of household goods, dried fruits, and textiles.

The "Shabat" border trade center, which began operations in November 2025, facilitates trade transactions that are exempt from customs duties and other levies.
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, April 13. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are expanding cooperation in the energy sector, Trend reports via the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan.

According to the statement, bilateral energy cooperation is entering a new stage, with both sides actively discussing a broad range of joint projects during ongoing mutual visits.

The discussions focus on initiatives related to mutual electricity supplies, as well as cooperation in oil refining and petrochemical industries.

The ministry noted that these projects are strategically important, as they open new avenues for industrial cooperation and further strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

It was emphasized that the current agreements represent only the initial step toward deepening the longstanding brotherly, good-neighborly, and allied relations between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

Meanwhile, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan earlier agreed on electricity supplies totaling 900 million kWh for the period from March to December 2026. The arrangement reflects growing coordination between the two countries to ensure stable power supply, particularly amid rising electricity demand and seasonal imbalances in the region.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. With the start of the subscription for shares under the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of PASHA Bank, the ratio of market capitalization to GDP in Azerbaijan is expected to approach 4%, Ruslan Khalilov, Chairman of the Board of the Baku Stock Exchange (BSE), said during a press conference dedicated to the launch of the sale of PASHA Bank shares, Trend reports.

He noted that the ratio of the market capitalization of listed companies to gross domestic product (GDP) in Azerbaijan is at a low level compared to many benchmark countriesless than 10% and close to approximately 3%.

Ruslan Khalilov added that with the start of the IPO subscription for PASHA Bank shares, this indicator is expected to approach around 4%. In his view, this increase is significant and commendable.

The BSE chairman also mentioned that the institution is actively working not only with PASHA Bank and other participants in the financial sector, but also with potential issuers, informing them about the advantages of the IPO process.
Photo: The press service of the Turkmen Government.

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Chairman of Turkmenistans Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov met with President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government.

The meeting took place in Vienna during Berdimuhamedovs visit to Austria to participate in the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum.

During the talks, the sides discussed prospects for strengthening political dialogue, economic cooperation, and cultural and humanitarian ties between the two countries.

Particular attention was paid to cooperation within international organizations, including interaction within the UN framework and support for international initiatives.

The parties also highlighted the development of interparliamentary dialogue and regular contacts between foreign ministries.

In addition, the sides discussed cooperation in education and culture, including academic exchanges and joint cultural initiatives.

At the end of the meeting, Berdimuhamedov invited the Austrian president to visit Ashgabat.

We had a good exchange on deepening our economic relations and our countries commitment to multilateral platforms. In geopolitically challenging times, upholding diplomacy and maintaining dialogue is key, President Van der Bellen wrote on his X account, following the meeting.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Turkmenistan has called for more effective use of existing potential to increase trade turnover with Austria, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government.

The statement was made by Chairman of Turkmenistans Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during his meeting with President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen, which took place in Vienna as part of Berdimuhamedovs visit to participate in the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum.

During the talks, Berdimuhamedov proposed holding the next meeting of the Turkmen-Austrian joint commission in June in Ashgabat.

He also highlighted the role of the commission as a key mechanism for advancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

For reference, Turkmen-Austrian relations are primarily focused on diplomatic and institutional cooperation, with an emphasis on political dialogue and multilateral engagement, particularly within the UN framework and international forums. At the same time, bilateral trade and economic ties remain relatively limited in scale compared to the level of political contacts.
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ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Turkmenistan has expressed interest in Austrian experience in developing green energy technologies, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government.

The issue was addressed by Chairman of Turkmenistans Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during his meeting with President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen, which took place in Vienna as part of Berdimuhamedovs visit to participate in the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum.

In addition, Turkmenistan also showed interest in expanding cooperation in digitalization and artificial intelligence, alongside Austrian expertise in urban infrastructure, water treatment technologies, and the banking sector.

The sides noted that cooperation in these areas could support the introduction of innovative solutions into the national economy, contribute to diversification, and ensure sustainable development.

For reference, Turkmen-Austrian relations are primarily focused on diplomatic and institutional cooperation, with an emphasis on political dialogue and multilateral engagement, particularly within the UN framework and international forums. At the same time, bilateral trade and economic ties remain relatively limited in scale compared to the level of political contacts.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. Azerbaijan's Chamber of Accounts has announced plans to conduct 45 audits in 2026, covering key sectors including education and healthcare institutions, investment projects in Karabakh and the water management sector, public procurement, targeted budget funds, and off-budget state funds such as the State Social Protection Fund (SSPF) and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), along with selected international events, said the Chairman Vugar Gulmammadov, Trend reports.

Speaking during a session of the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Entrepreneurship, Gulmammadov noted that the institution also presented its annual report on activities for 2025 and outlined its ongoing reform agenda.

"Modern public auditing is rapidly evolving through digitalization, adding that recent national strategies on digital development and artificial intelligence have further increased the importance of this transformation. The Accounts Chamber has already taken initial steps toward building a digital audit system aligned with international practices," he said.

The Chairman explained that the information system will enhance the efficiency of financial oversight by enabling the exchange and processing of legally defined reports and data, as well as scenario-based analysis to support budget oversight. He outlined several completed components, including the creation of a core technological platform, deployment within the government cloud, development of reporting and data access tools, implementation of a standardized approach, and integration of a unified login system with electronic signature authentication.

Gulmammadov further detailed upcoming developments for the current year, including the introduction of a risk and analytical module that evaluates over 120 criteria and provides results to institutions, the implementation of a data-driven decision-making model, integration of multiple state information systems into a unified analytical environment, and the use of analytical outputs in audit planning and risk assessment.

He added that the next stage of development of the Digital Audit Information System (DAIS) will focus on enhancing audit processes in a fully digital environment and transitioning toward artificial intelligence-based audit management. The goal, he said, is to reduce reliance on physical processes, ensure predominantly electronic data exchange between audit teams and audited entities, and enable structured management and traceability of audit evidence within a fully digital framework.

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ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Turkmenistan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) discussed expanding cooperation in nuclear medicine, radiation safety, and technical assistance programs, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government.

The talks were held during a meeting between Chairman of Turkmenistans Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, which took place in Vienna as part of Berdimuhamedovs visit to the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum.

The sides also reviewed ongoing cooperation aimed at improving Turkmenistans healthcare system through the introduction of modern diagnostic and treatment methods with IAEA support.

Particular attention was given to the preparation of a new Country Programme Framework for 2026-2030, which will define priority areas of technical cooperation. The possibility of holding a regional high-level forum in Ashgabat was also proposed to discuss issues of nuclear safety and international cooperation.

Further discussions included broader international issues, with emphasis on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, radiation safety, and sustainable development, as well as support for developing countries, including landlocked states, in accessing peaceful nuclear technologies.

Meanwhile, Turkmenistans engagement with nuclear technologies is primarily focused on peaceful applications, particularly in medicine, radiation safety, agriculture, and environmental monitoring, implemented in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Since joining the IAEA in 2016, Turkmenistan has been gradually expanding its legal and technical cooperation with the Agency, including participation in safeguards agreements and the development of national legislation on radiation safety and nuclear security.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Turkmenistan has called for the development of a Global Security Strategy, emphasizing the interconnectedness of energy, environmental, and other dimensions of international security, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government.

The statement was made by Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of Turkmenistan's Halk Maslahaty, during his address at the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, held at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria.

In his address, Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan, as a major energy producer, pursues a responsible policy aimed at strengthening international cooperation in energy security and climate stability.

The forum, organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Government of Austria, addressed key issues such as energy transition, green hydrogen, the digitalization of energy systems, and the climate-related challenges that accompany these shifts.

The initiative for a Global Security Strategy was first presented by Turkmenistan at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2023, where President Serdar Berdimuhamedov proposed the launch of international discussions under the auspices of the United Nations to create a comprehensive framework for global security.

This concept builds upon Turkmenistans longstanding diplomatic doctrine of permanent neutrality, which was officially recognized by the UN in 1995. It aligns with the countrys broader policy of promoting preventive diplomacy, fostering dialogue, and advocating for the indivisibility of security across political, economic, energy, environmental, and informational domains.

Since its introduction, Turkmenistan has consistently reaffirmed and championed the initiative in multilateral forums, presenting it as a holistic approach to global stability. This approach integrates both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, including energy security, sustainable development, and international cooperation, all within the framework of the United Nations.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Surging demand for United States dollar-denominated assets has pushed the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX) to a market capitalisation of US$3.85 billion, driven by sharp price gains, major listings and a continued shift in investor preference away from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE).According to stockbrokers IH Securities' March 2026 Monthly Snapshot, VFEX recorded an 11.9 percent increase in market capitalisation during the month, while its All-Share Index surged 14.5 percent to close at 249.86 points.In contrast, the ZSE remained largely subdued over the same period, highlighting a growing divergence between the two exchanges."This divergence reflects a structural shift in investor preference towards the VFEX, which offers hard currency trading, relatively stable valuations and exposure to export-driven earnings," IH Securities said.The rally on the VFEX has been largely driven by heavyweight counters, with Padenga Holdings emerging as a key contributor.Padenga's stock surged 44.07 percent during the month, rising to US112.56 cents from US78.13 cents, making it the top-performing stock on the bourse. The surge pushed the company's market capitalisation beyond US$1 billion, marking a significant milestone.Analysts attribute Padenga's strong performance to growing investor confidence in its strategic pivot towards gold production, positioning the company to benefit from firm global commodity prices and export earnings.The VFEX's growth trajectory has also been bolstered by the recent listing of Econet InfraCo, a US$1 billion infrastructure and digital assets entity that has significantly enhanced the exchange's depth.IH Securities described the listing as a pivotal development, noting that it introduces new sector exposure aligned with global investment trends favouring infrastructure, technology and data-driven businesses."Its inclusion not only deepens the market but also enhances the VFEX's appeal to a broader investor base seeking diversified USD-denominated opportunities," the firm said.Trading activity on the VFEX strengthened during the period, with total value traded rising 41 percent to approximately US$15.17 million, signalling increased participation in monetary terms.However, trading volumes declined by 27.07 percent to 23.99 million shares, suggesting that the rally is being driven more by price appreciation than broad-based accumulation.Market activity remained concentrated in select counters, with investors focusing on fundamentally strong companies offering earnings visibility and currency protection.Innscor Africa led in value traded at US$7.52 million, reflecting sustained institutional interest. The group recently expanded its agro-industrial footprint after acquiring a 27 percent stake in Tanganda Tea Company through its subsidiary, Rutanhi Beverages, following an US$8 million rights offer.Innscor's latest financial results show it invested more than US$62 million in capital expenditure as at December 31, 2025, underlining an aggressive expansion strategy across its operations.Analysts say such capital allocation signals long-term growth intent, reinforcing investor appetite for stocks with clear expansion plans and resilient earnings.The selective trading pattern on the VFEX aligns with a broader rerating trend, as investors increasingly pay a premium for high-quality counters anchored on hard currency revenues.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. Depository transactions with Kazakhstan will be fully automated, Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan's National Depository Center, Elchin Alizade, told Trend in an exclusive interview.

According to him, the main institutional and legal steps within the framework of cooperation with Kazakhstans central securities depository have already been completed

He noted that mutual accounts have been opened between the two depositories.

"This creates the technical capacity for the transfer and custody of securities. Currently, some operations may be performed manually. At the same time, technical work is continuing to ensure direct connectivity and integration between the depositories. The goal is to fully automate securities transactions and execute them in accordance with international standards via the SWIFT platform. The aim is to complete this technical work by the end of this year and transition operations from a manual process to a fully automated one, the official emphasized.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Turkmenistan has called for the complete depoliticization of the global energy sector and proposed the development of a United Nations-backed Energy Code to prevent political conditions from affecting energy cooperation, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government.

The initiative was put forward by Chairman of Turkmenistans Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during his address at the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, held at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria.

The proposal also includes the development of a universal international legal instrument under the UN framework governing energy production, transit, and consumption, as well as a draft UN General Assembly resolution on the role of reliable energy connectivity in sustainable development.

Berdimuhamedov noted that Turkmenistan is ready to take an active role in further consultations on the proposed initiatives.

The International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, previously known as the Vienna Energy Forum, is a solutions platform to accelerate low-emission, climate-resilient development around the world. The Forum highlights the action-oriented steps required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The solutions platform facilitates multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder, and inter-disciplinary dialogue to advance sustainable energy development. Initiated in 2008, the Forum is co-organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Austrian Government, and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Turkmenistan has proposed establishing a Global Program for Hydrogen Energy Transition with a ten-year timeframe under the auspices of the United Nations, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government.

The initiative was presented by Chairman of Turkmenistans Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during his address at the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, held at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria.

The proposal envisions practical cooperation with international partners on developing hydrogen energy based on natural gas, alongside expanded use of wind and solar energy, and the implementation of joint green energy projects.

Turkmenistan also confirmed its full commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement and highlighted plans to strengthen regional cooperation in climate technologies, including the upcoming launch of a UN Regional Centre for Climate Technologies in Ashgabat.

In addition, Turkmenistan stressed that developing countries, particularly landlocked states, must be guaranteed equal and non-discriminatory access to water resources and waterways, framing this as both a legal and moral obligation.

The country also reiterated its intention to further build on UN General Assembly resolutions it has initiated in the fields of energy security, environmental protection, and transport connectivity, and to continue coordinating multilateral efforts with the United Nations and UNIDO to achieve practical outcomes.

The International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, previously known as the Vienna Energy Forum, is a solutions platform to accelerate low-emission, climate-resilient development around the world. The Forum highlights the action-oriented steps required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The solutions platform facilitates multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder, and inter-disciplinary dialogue to advance sustainable energy development. Initiated in 2008, the Forum is co-organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Austrian Government, and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Turkmenistans parliament has adopted a number of legislative amendments aimed at digitalization of public services and improvement of administrative regulation, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government.

The decisions were made during the twelfth session of the Mejlis (Parliament) of the seventh convocation, attended by representatives of ministries, agencies, and the media.

Among the key measures were amendments to the migration law, which provide for the transition of procedures for the registration, extension of stay, and deregistration of foreign nationals to an electronic format. The changes are expected to streamline administrative processes and improve the efficiency of the State Migration Service.

Lawmakers also approved amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses, strengthening liability for a number of violations, as well as updates to legislation on industrial safety, accounting, and financial reporting in line with international standards.

In addition, deputies approved changes to environmental legislation regulating fisheries and the protection of aquatic biological resources.

During the session, the Mejlis also confirmed the mandates of newly elected deputies and introduced changes to the structure of parliamentary committees. All draft laws were adopted unanimously.
Premium Uzbekistan reports decline in trade with Germany

Uzbekistans trade with Germany showed a slight decline at the start of 2026, though longer-term dynamics point to continued growth and stable economic engagement between the two countries.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Turkmenistan has expressed concern over the escalating tensions in the Caspian region, advising against any military action there in light of the recent strikes on Iran's section of the Caspian Sea, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government.

The statement was made by Chairman of Turkmenistans Halk Maslahaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov during a briefing which followed his meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General, Rafael Grossi.

Berdimuhamedov recalled that the 2018 Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea defines the region as a zone of peace, excluding the presence of non-littoral military forces, which serves as a foundation for regional stability and economic cooperation.

Turkmenistan is concerned about the military strikes carried out on the territory of a neighboring Caspian state. Our country categorically rejects such actions. Military operations in the Caspian region are absolutely unacceptable, Berdimuhamedov stated, warning that it could pose risks to regional security and ongoing economic cooperation.

The country is currently reviewing a draft joint statement of Caspian states addressing the situation and may support the document.

Meanwhile, Caspian economic cooperation has intensified in recent years, with Turkmenistan playing as a key transit hub within the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor), linking China and Central Asia with Europe. Cargo volumes along the route reached around 4.5 million tons in 2024, demonstrating rapid growth, while capacity is expected to expand to up to 10 million tons annually by 2027.

A central element of Turkmenistans strategy is the Turkmenbashi International Seaport, whose capacity reaches up to 17 million tons annually. The port is a major logistics hub on the Caspian Sea coast, handling container, ferry, and general cargo, as well as facilitating multimodal transport between Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Europe.

Turkmenistan is also expanding cooperation with other Caspian states, particularly Azerbaijan, boosting cargo flows between Turkmenbashi and Baku and integrating them into East-West corridors such as the Middle Corridor and the Lapis Lazuli route. These routes are increasingly used for transporting energy resources, industrial goods, and agricultural products, reinforcing the Caspians role as a key trade and transit artery.
ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 13. Turkmenistan and the United Nations have discussed expanding cooperation in sustainable development, energy transition, and implementation of UN initiatives, Trend reports via the press service of the Turkmen Government.

The talks were held during a meeting between Chairman of Turkmenistans Halk Maslahaty (Parliament) and UN Assistant Secretary-General Rabab Fatima, which took place in Vienna as part of Berdimuhamedovs visit to the International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum.

During the meeting, the UN side emphasized the importance of Turkmenistans policy of positive neutrality in contributing to peace, stability, and sustainable development, noting its alignment with the core objectives of the United Nations, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Turkmen side highlighted the countrys active engagement with the UN and its specialized agencies, stressing that participation in international platforms, including the Vienna forum, reflects Turkmenistans commitment to advancing global cooperation on climate, energy, and development issues.

Particular attention was also given to the outcomes of the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, held in the Avaza National Tourism Zone in 2025, and to the further strengthening of multilateral cooperation in support of developing states.

The International Vienna Energy and Climate Forum, previously known as the Vienna Energy Forum, is a solutions platform to accelerate low-emission, climate-resilient development around the world. The Forum highlights the action-oriented steps required to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The solutions platform facilitates multi-sectoral, multi-stakeholder, and inter-disciplinary dialogue to advance sustainable energy development. Initiated in 2008, the Forum is co-organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the Austrian Government, and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. Baker Hughes has agreed to sell its Waygate Technologies business to global measurement technology leader Hexagon in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.45 billion, subject to customary closing adjustments, Trend reports via Baker Hughes.

Waygate Technologies, part of Baker Hughes Industrial & Energy Technology (IET) segment, is a leading provider of advanced non-destructive testing solutions used to inspect critical industrial assets without interrupting operations. The transaction includes its full portfolio of remote visual inspection, ultrasound, radiography, and imaging technologies, as well as all related assets, intellectual property, infrastructure, and personnel.

The divestment comes as part of Baker Hughes broader portfolio optimization strategy, following three recently completed transactions and ahead of its pending acquisition of Chart Industries. The company said these moves are aimed at strengthening earnings resilience, improving cash flow stability, and further solidifying its balance sheet through disciplined capital allocation focused on long-term value creation.

Hexagon, headquartered in Stockholm, employs around 24,500 people across 50 countries. The company is a global leader in precision measurement, positioning, and autonomous technologies, serving industries such as aerospace and defense, automotive, construction, manufacturing, and mining.

The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is acting as exclusive financial adviser to Baker Hughes on the transaction.
News / National

by Staff reporter

South Africa's Cabinet has approved sweeping reforms to its immigration system, introducing a points-based framework for visas and citizenship that prioritises skilled workers and economic contributors, a move that has sparked concern among Zimbabwean migrants living in the country.The new white paper on citizenship, immigration and refugee protection consolidates fragmented legislation into a single policy framework and marks a major shift in how applicants are assessed.Under the new system, both visa and citizenship applicants will be evaluated based on skills, qualifications, investment potential and broader economic contribution, replacing what government describes as an "arbitrary and inefficient" discretionary model.Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the reforms aim to introduce objectivity and merit-based decision-making."The general principle we want to introduce is one of objectivity, one of merit-based assessment, and using a points-based system is the clearest way to do that," Schreiber said.The white paper also introduces a stricter asylum regime under a "first safe country" principle, which will bar asylum seekers who have already passed through or received protection in other safe countries from applying in South Africa.Schreiber said the measure is intended to distribute responsibility more fairly across the region."What we've seen over many years is there is a phenomenon of people picking and choosing South Africa as the only destination where they want to submit a claim for asylum," he said.Deputy Home Affairs Minister Njabulo Nzuza said the points system will evolve over time based on national labour needs, particularly in high-demand sectors such as engineering and artificial intelligence.However, the reforms have raised anxiety among Zimbabwean migrants, particularly holders of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP), which has allowed thousands to live and work in South Africa for years.The ZEP was introduced as a temporary arrangement and has been repeatedly extended, leaving many families in long-term uncertainty.Chairperson of the Zimbabwean Community in South Africa, Nicholas Ngqabutho Mabhena, warned that the new system could disadvantage long-term residents who do not meet the skills-based criteria."You will have a Zimbabwean who has been here since 1994 who cannot become a citizen because they do not meet the necessary skills requirements," he said.He added that without special transitional measures, many ZEP holders could struggle to qualify for permanent residency under the new framework.Deputy Minister Nzuza acknowledged the concerns but stressed that the permit was never intended to be permanent."The exemption permit itself was meant to be a temporary arrangement," he said, adding that individuals must apply through standard legal channels and be assessed on merit.The reforms also introduce an annual citizenship application window, replacing year-round submissions, a change government says will improve efficiency and reduce administrative backlogs.Home Affairs officials say a new citizenship advisory panel will also be established to improve transparency and prevent abuse of the system, citing past governance failures."This will really bring that level of objectivity into the system," Schreiber said.Government maintains the overhaul is aimed at modernising immigration management and attracting scarce skills, while critics warn it could deepen uncertainty for long-settled migrant communities in South Africa.
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 13. Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Head of the Presidential Administration of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev will discuss the implementation of the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant with the World Bank Group during his working visit to Washington, D.C., Trend reports via the press service of the nation's Cabinet of Ministers.

Adylbek Kasymaliev has arrived in Washington to take part in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).

The visit program began with preparations for negotiations with senior World Bank management, including Managing Director for Operations Anna Bjerde and Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Region Antonella Bassani.

The sides are also expected to review the current portfolio of projects in Kyrgyzstan.

The visit will also include a political track, with bilateral consultations planned with representatives of the administration of President Donald Trump. The discussions will focus on strengthening interstate dialogue and expanding economic cooperation.

In parallel, Kasymaliev is expected to hold meetings with top executives of leading global companies, including Meta, Oracle, NVIDIA, and SpaceX.

Key topics will include digital transformation of public administration and the development of artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The visit is expected to last several days and conclude with the signing of a number of documents aimed at expanding Kyrgyzstans cooperation with international institutions.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 13. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Secretary General Taalatbek Masadykov discussed the situation in the Middle East and key regional security issues, Trend reports via the organization.

The sides exchanged views on a wide range of international policy and security matters, expressing serious concern over the ongoing developments in the Middle East. Particular attention was also paid to Afghanistan. In this context, Masadykov informed about the implementation of the CSTOs targeted interstate program aimed at strengthening the Tajik-Afghan border.

Among the key areas of current cooperation, the CSTO Secretary General highlighted preparations for upcoming meetings of the organizations statutory bodies, including the Councils of Foreign Ministers and Defense Ministers, as well as the Committee of Security Council Secretaries.

Masadykov also briefed on the implementation of decisions adopted at the CSTO Collective Security Council session held in November 2025 and on priority areas of activity during Russias chairmanship. He further noted preparations for a series of large-scale joint exercises scheduled for the second half of the year, including Rubezh-2026, which will take place at the Koktal training ground in Kazakhstan.

In addition, Masadykov congratulated Tokayev on the adoption of Kazakhstans new Constitution, expressing confidence that it will contribute to the countrys comprehensive development and strengthen its role in international affairs.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization was established on the basis of the Collective Security Treaty signed in Tashkent on May 15, 1992. It currently includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 13. The oil pipeline system of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium resumed operations on April 10, 2026, following a scheduled 72-hour shutdown, Trend reports via CPC.

During the downtime, planned maintenance works were carried out on various components of the pipeline system, including pumping stations and the marine terminal.

Such scheduled shutdowns are conducted no more than twice a year and are planned in advance in coordination with all shippers. The schedule is also taken into account by Kazakhstans Ministry of Energy when forming the annual oil transportation plan for the Tengiz-Novorossiysk pipeline, ensuring coordinated operations across production and transportation chains.

The CPC is a major international oil transportation project involving Russia, Kazakhstan, and leading global energy companies. The system includes a 1,500-kilometer main pipeline that transports crude oil primarily from western Kazakhstans Tengiz, Karachaganak, and Kashagan fields, as well as from Russian producers.

More than two-thirds of Kazakhstans export oil is shipped via this route. The crude is delivered to the marine terminal in Yuzhnaya Ozereyevka near Novorossiysk, where it is loaded onto tankers for export to global markets.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. In recent months, Kyrgyzstan has undertaken a series of initiatives aimed at advancing its educational infrastructure. New schools and state-of-the-art academic buildings are being inaugurated across the country, alongside the establishment of new colleges and the integration of digital solutions for streamlining educational management. These measures are designed to enhance the quality of education and ensure the development of a workforce that aligns with the needs of both the economy and society.

In particular, on April 10 in the city of Osh, during a working visit, President Sadyr Japarov took part in the ceremony of laying the foundations for 10 new schools funded by the Stabilization Fund, noting that the development of education remains one of the key priorities of the state and that the construction of new educational institutions is an important step in strengthening the countrys education system.

Across various regions, newly constructed schools feature modern classrooms, libraries, and cafeterias, thereby improving the learning environment. In the capital, the ongoing construction of Russian and Russian-Kyrgyz schools aim to deliver Russian-language curricula. These institutions will employ both Kyrgyz and Russian teachers, with 700 student quotas allocated for 2026, reflecting the increasing demand for Russian-language education.

A central aspect of the reforms is the digitalization of school management systems. The introduction of electronic systems for student transfers enables authorities to monitor available spots in schools while significantly reducing administrative workloads. These systems mitigate human error and minimize the risks of corruption. Furthermore, similar digital mechanisms have been implemented for first-grade enrollment, which serves as a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of digitalized management practices.

The Head of State also noted that the implementation of new school projects will significantly reduce the number of schools operating in three shifts, while some schools will be transitioned from two shifts to a single-shift system, directly improving the quality of education.

Simultaneously, discussions are underway regarding the integration of digital solutions into the tourism and cultural sectors. Plans are in progress to develop a unified digital platform that will amalgamate government services, business offerings, and educational opportunities. This platform aims to streamline coordination and improve access to services, while enhancing opportunities for educational and cultural engagement.

The further evolution of the educational system through digitalization may yield a variety of outcomes. These include an increase in the number of skilled professionals, expanded avenues for training and internships, greater transparency and efficiency in school management, and a heightened interest in foreign languages and international educational programs. The success and pace of these reforms will depend largely on the preparedness of educational institutions, the availability of necessary resources, and the establishment of sustainable financing mechanisms. These factors will ultimately determine the trajectory and impact of the proposed initiatives.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 12. The memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran was not signed in Islamabad due to the actions of the American side, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on his X page, Trend reports.

The minister noted that shortly before the signing of the Islamabad memorandum, the Iranian side encountered maximalism, shifting goalpots, and blockade from the American delegation.

He said Iran had negotiated with the US in good faith and sent the highest level representatives in 47 years to Islamabad.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. Domestic flights will soon start at some airports in Iran where flights are possible, Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh said after the detailed inspection of the work done at the Iranian Airports Company, Trend reports.

According to her, as a result of the efforts of the country's aviation industry workers, restoration work in this area is being carried out more quickly.

Sadegh noted that serious steps are planned to be taken to accurately investigate the damage to the country's airports and restore them.

Due to the lack of concrete results between the U.S. and Iran on the nuclear program, the U.S. and Israel launched military airstrikes against Iran on February 28, while Iran, on the same day, began striking Israel and U.S. facilities in the region with missiles and UAVs. Through Pakistans mediation, a two-week ceasefire agreement was reached between the sides on April 7. The U.S.Iran talks held in Islamabad on April 11 ended without reaching an agreement.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. Iran is prepared to engage in negotiations and reach an agreement with the United States based on logic and principles, said the Head of Irans Judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje, Trend reports.

Speaking at a meeting of the Supreme Council of the Judiciary, Mohseni-Eje stated that the Iranian side remains open to dialogue.

According to him, the Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, defended the countrys legitimate rights and achievements during previous discussions, but the talks did not succeed due to differing demands from the US side.

Mohseni Ejei emphasized that all branches of power in Iran, along with diplomats and citizens, are united in preserving the countrys achievements across all sectors.

Due to the lack of concrete results between the U.S. and Iran on the nuclear program, the U.S. and Israel launched military airstrikes against Iran on February 28, while Iran, on the same day, began striking Israel and U.S. facilities in the region with missiles and UAVs. Through Pakistans mediation, a two-week ceasefire agreement was reached between the sides on April 7. The U.S.Iran talks held in Islamabad on April 11 ended without reaching an agreement.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. The Israeli army has been put on high alert amid the start of a naval blockade of Iranian ports, the statement of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says, Trend reports.

In light of the expected imminent launch of a naval blockade of Iran by the U.S. military, the Israel Defense Forces remain on high alert for any developments, the statement reads.

In addition, it is noted that there are currently no changes to the Home Front Commands instructions for the civilian population, but the Israel Defense Forces are prepared to resume combat operations in Iran if necessary.

On February 28, the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran. Strikes were carried out against the countrys largest cities, including Tehran. The White House justified the attack by citing missile and nuclear threats emanating from the Islamic Republic. As a result of the strikes on Iran, the countrys Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other key figures in the leadership were killed. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation against Israel. Iran also targeted U.S. facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Syria with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.

The conflict has placed the regions energy infrastructure and maritime shipping under serious threat. Due to security tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices have surged.

Through Pakistans mediation, a two-week ceasefire agreement was reached between the sides on April 7. The U.S.Iran talks held in Islamabad on April 11 ended without reaching an agreement.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 14. The United States believes that the objectives of its military operation against Iran have been fulfilled, and it is now possible to move toward ending the conflict, U.S. Vice President JD Vance said, Trend reports.

I truly believe that we are in a situation where our goals have been achieved, he noted.

According to Vance, the preferred option would be to end the conflict through successful negotiations.

In addition, Washington continues to insist that Tehran eventually transfer all its stockpiles of enriched uranium to the United States.

We have said that we want this material to be removed from the country, and we would like to have it under our control, the vice president said.

He added that Irans nuclear program, despite Tehrans claims that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, remains a concern for the United States.

That is why we would like to completely remove this material from the country so that it is under the control of the United States, Vance emphasized.

Due to the lack of concrete results on the nuclear program between the United States and Iran, on February 28 the United States and Israel began military airstrikes on Iran. Since the same day, Iran has been firing missiles and drones at Israel and U.S. targets in the region. With Pakistans mediation, a two-week ceasefire agreement was reached between the parties on April 7. However, no agreement was reached during talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad on April 11.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Scores of buses remain stranded at the Beitbridge Border Post following intensified inspections by authorities targeting undeclared and commercial goods being transported through passenger vehicles.Officials from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimbabwe Revenue Authority) are conducting thorough searches, focusing on items such as furniture and other goods suspected to be commercial cargo being moved without proper declaration."These chairs and tables belong to one person. They are commercial goods and should be transported by trucks, not buses, and they were not declared," one ZIMRA officer told New Ziana.The operation has caused significant delays, with multiple buses reportedly held at inspection points as authorities verify cargo documentation.Bus operators say it is common practice for goods purchased or arranged in South Africa to be transported via passenger buses to recipients in Zimbabwe, particularly along the busy Beitbridge corridor."These chairs are going to Harare, but the owner is in Pretoria. This operation is slowing our business," said one bus driver.Truck operators, however, have welcomed the crackdown, saying buses have long undercut formal freight channels by carrying commercial goods without requiring the same permits and regulatory requirements."A bus is faster and does not require import permits or licences as is the requirement when goods are transported by truck as commercial consignments," said one transporter. "Clients prefer buses because of that."He added that freight businesses have seen declining demand as a result of the practice.Passengers travelling with small luggage have also been caught up in the delays, with some reporting long waiting times at the border."We arrived on Saturday evening, and our bus only reached the inspection bay today. I am exhausted," said one traveller.The operation is believed to involve the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission), working alongside ZIMRA to enforce regulations requiring all commercial goods to be properly declared and transported through appropriate channels.Officials are yet to issue an official statement on the ongoing operation, which has already disrupted cross-border travel and trade along one of Southern Africa's busiest routes.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. The ceasefire between Iran and the United States could break down at any moment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said ahead of a Cabinet meeting, Trend reports.

According to Netanyahu, U.S. Vice President JD Vance had briefed him on ongoing negotiations in Islamabad. He emphasized that Washington could not accept what he described as Irans open violation of the agreement as a precondition for talks.

The agreement was that they would cease fire, and the Iranians would immediately open the Strait of Hormuz, but (Tehran) did not do so. The Americans could not accept this, Netanyahu said.

He also pointed out that U.S. President Donald Trump supports the idea of a naval blockade of Irans ports.

On February 28, the U.S. and Israel launched military operations against Iran. Strikes were carried out against the countrys largest cities, including Tehran. The White House justified the attack by citing missile and nuclear threats emanating from the Islamic Republic. As a result of the strikes on Iran, the countrys Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other key figures in the leadership were killed. Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation against Israel. Iran also targeted U.S. facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Syria with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones.

The conflict has placed the regions energy infrastructure and maritime shipping under serious threat. Due to security tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, global oil prices have surged.

Through Pakistans mediation, a two-week ceasefire agreement was reached between the sides on April 7. The U.S.Iran talks held in Islamabad on April 11 ended without reaching an agreement.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 13. US President Donald Trump and his advisers are exploring the possibility of resuming strikes on the Islamic Republic after unsuccessful talks with Iran in Pakistan, Trend reports.

According to the information, strikes could be resumed on a limited scale to force Tehran to make concessions.

A resumption of full-scale bombing of Iran is reportedly not ruled out. However, this option is less likely for future US action, as it risks destabilizing the situation in the region and drawing Washington into a protracted armed conflict.
Liz Koontz to Lead UMBs UniverCity District Partnership

Liz Koontz to Lead UMBs UniverCity District Partnership

UDP to Drive University of Maryland, Baltimores Vibrancy Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Baltimore | April 13, 2026

Elizabeth (Liz) Koontz has been named the University of Maryland, Baltimores (UMB) director of UniverCity District Partnership (UDP). She is charged with bringing the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Vibrancy Initiative to fruition. The Vibrancy Initiative envisions strong collaborations with a wide array of key institutions to enhance the cultural and economic vitality of UMBs campus and the surrounding area, and to implement community engagement initiatives, including business roundtables, stakeholder workshops, and collaboration with local organizations.

Were delighted that Liz is leading the UniverCity District Partnership, says James L. Hughes, MBA, UMBs senior vice president for economic development. Liz is excellent at promoting Baltimore, building teams, and getting things done.

Liz Koontz

Koontz previously served as assistant deputy mayor for community and economic development for the City of Baltimore, where she led cross-agency initiatives and collaborative efforts such as DowntownRISE. Koontz steps into her new role just as UMB is moving forward with a key element of the Vibrancy Initiative  the transformational West Lexington Corridor Project.

People wont just walk through UMB to go to the Orioles game. They will live, they will work, they will stay, they will contribute to the businesses, UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, told the Maryland Board of Public Works at its March 18 meeting, adding, Its a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The boards approval is the final green light for the $263 million West Lexington Corridor Project, which will add 1,300 beds of market rate housing, 25,000 square feet of retail, indoor and outdoor gathering venues, and recreation facilities on sites now occupied by surface level parking on the north end of the UMB campus.

Baltimore is home, and I care deeply about its future. Im honored to lead the UniverCity District Partnership and build on the work already strengthening our Downtown, Koontz says. This is an opportunity to connect the energy of the University of Maryland, Baltimore with the creativity and resilience of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Prior to serving as assistant deputy mayor, Koontz was director of external relations at the Baltimore Metropolitan Council and held multiple leadership roles at Live Baltimore, including program director, where she helped launch Baltimores Birthday Bash and advanced resident recruitment and retention efforts.

In her role as director of UDP, Koontz will put that experience to use, creating an energized and interconnected urban district that enhances the Universitys appeal to students, faculty, businesses, and the broader community.

Together, she says, we can create a district where people feel welcome, connected, and proud to invest in Baltimores future.

For more information, contact Alex Likowski at alikowski@umaryland.edu.

About the University of Maryland, Baltimore

Founded in 1807, the University of Maryland, Baltimore is the states only public health, law, and human services university. UMB advances health, justice, and social impact through innovative education, pioneering research, and compassionate care. The University enrolls nearly 7,000 students in six nationally ranked professional schools  dentistry, law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work  and the interdisciplinary School of Graduate Studies.
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Hajj 2026: Pilgrims asked to confirm flight booking online



The Haj Committee of India (HCoI) has asked all pilgrims embarking to Makkah for Hajj 2026 to confirm online the flight booking allotted to them

Hajj 2026: The Haj Committee of India (HCoI) has asked all pilgrims embarking to Makkah for Hajj 2026 to confirm online the flight booking allotted to them.

In a notification released today, the Haj Committee of India said the pilgrims should confirm their flights before April 15, 2026.

All pilgrims proceeding for Haj2026 (1447 H) are required to confirm their allotted flight online on or before 15.04.2026, the Haj Committee of India said.

The Haj Committee further said, No request for change of flight shall be entertained.

The pilgrims have also been directed to confirm their booking through the HCoI portal or Haj Suvidha App.

Upon confirmation, a receipt will be generated, which must be retained and submitted (duly signed) along with the required documents at the time of collection of Haj Kit/travel documents at the respective Embarkation Point, the Haj Committee of India said.

The pilgrims must note that the confirmation of flight booking, which is subject to full payment of Haj amount and clearance of all dues, is mandatory for issuance of Haj Kit, boarding pass, and other travel documents.

The pilgrims should note that Hajj flight booking confirmation is for all pilgrims.

Hajj Flight Schedule 2026

The Haj Committee of India had earlier released the complete flight schedule for Hajj 2026 on its website which is also availabe via pilgrims' log-in.

The Haj Committee of India had earlier said there will be a total 18 Hajj Embarkations Points. The details of EPs are as under:

1. Srinagar, 2. Gaya, 3. Guwahati, 4. Indore, 5. Jaipur, 6. Nagpur, 7. Delhi, 8. Mumbai, 9. Kolkata, 10. Bengaluru, 11. Hyderabad, 12. Cochin, 13. Chennai, 14. Ahmedabad, 15. Lucknow, 16. Kannur, 17. Calicut 18. Vijayawada

The Haj Committee publishes details of first Haj flight from India and the first return flight from Saudi Arabia in advance along with the complete flight schedule. The Haj flight schedule should be published in due course.

The likely date of Hajj 2026 is May 24 to 29, 2026. The final date of Haj 2026 (1447), however, will be confirmed after Dhul Hijjah 1447 AH moon sighting.

Meanwhile, in an important advisory to pilgrims embarking to Makkah from Mumbai Embarkation Point, the Haj Committee of India said the reporting time for them has been reduced from the earlier 48 hrs to 24 hours.

"Accordingly, pilgrims proceeding to Haj from Mumbai Embarkation Point should report at Haj House in Mumbai not earlier than 24 hrs before their flight departure", the Haj Committee said.

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Outrage as Trump disguises himself as Jesus Christ, mocks Pope



A massive outrage erupted on Sunday April 12, 2026  the Orthodox Easter Day, after U.S. President Donald Trump disguised himself as Jesus Christ and mocked Pope Leo XIV.

[Donald Trump disguised as Jesus Christ in an AI generated image. (R) Pope Leo XIV]

A massive outrage erupted on Sunday April 12, 2026  the Orthodox Easter Day, after U.S. President Donald Trump disguised himself as Jesus Christ and mocked Pope Leo XIV.

"Fake Christians love fake Christian like you", a social media user wrote on Truth Social.

"I am in shock that Trump is depecting himself as divine. This certainly leaves me wondering about his mental state. It is concerning", another user wrote.

How it started?

It all started when US President Trump posted an AI generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ on Orthodox Easter Day this Sunday. This followed a long post where he criticised Pope Leo XIV for opposing war.

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about "fear" of the Trump Administration, but doesn't mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart", Trump wrote on Truth Social two days ago.

Pope Leo XIV is the first and, to date, only American Pope. But, Trump said, "I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn't!"

Criticising Pope for opposing Trump's war on Iran, the U.S. President wrote, " I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don't want a Pope who thinks it's terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country.

"And I don't want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I'm doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History", Trump wrote.

In more outrageous tone, Trump questioned Pope Leo's selection as Pope.

"Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn't on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican", Trump said in his Truth Social post.

Trump's post came after Pope Leo XIV slammed the U.S. President as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for their war mongering.

"ENOUGH WITH WAR. Enough with the idolatry of self and money. Enough with the display of power. True strength is manifested in serving life", Pope Leo XIV said in his Easter message.

Trump however is not convinced. He doubled down his attack on the Pope while talking to reporters Sunday.

"I dont think hes doing a very good job. He likes crime I guess. We dont like a pope who says its ok to have a nuclear weapon. We dont want a pope that says crime is ok. I am not a fan of Pope Leo", Trump said.

"Too much, Over the top"

Trump was instantly slammed by social media users who also included his supporters.

"This image is bad enough and you just had to do it right after trashing the Pope. Who do you think you are?" a social media user wrote.

"A lot too much...Trump supporter, but this is over the top", a Trump supporter wrote.

"You kill people... You false God", a social media user, who identified as "trumpisntagod", wrote.

Trump attacked the pope and then figured himself as Jesus--all in the same night.... This only a week after he spit on Christians for Easter.... Trump mocks Christians and Christianity at his masters' command", Prof Michael Rectenwald commented.

"This is not "satire". This is not "harmless". This is the normalization of blasphemy dressed as power.... Donald Trump portraying himself as Jesus Christ is not bold move by "an idiot"... It is a test: how far can deception and blasphemy go before believers push back? If you are a monotheist and especially a Christian and this doesn't shake you, then what will?" Marwa Osman, a Journalist, wrote.

Another social media user asked Americans to condemned their President. "Trump is committing the greatest act of blasphemy. If you love America, condemn this evil immediately", he wrote.

Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV commenting on Trumps's attack on him said he had no fear of the Trump administration.

"We are not politicians, we don't deal with foreign policy with the same perspective he might understand it, but I do believe in the message of the Gospel, blessed are the peacemakers", the Pope told reporters Monday.

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US-Iran: The Elusive Peace Deal

As expected, the United States and Iran failed to reach a peace deal after high-stakes talks in the Pakistani capital, with American Vice President JD Vance saying Tehran refused to accept Washingtons terms after 21 hours of talks in Islamabad, and Iran citing lack of American commitment to the talks.

[The Iranian delegation in Islamabad, Pakistan]

As expected, the United States and Iran failed to reach a peace deal after high-stakes talks in the Pakistani capital, with American Vice President JD Vance saying Tehran refused to accept Washingtons terms after 21 hours of talks in Islamabad, and Iran citing lack of American commitment to the talks.

The talks termed as  Islamabad Talks , lasted a full day of negotiations, which ended with a terse three-minute press conference  and without a deal. Talks between America and Iran began on Saturday afternoon and continued through the night, almost 21 hours in all. The sun had risen in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, by the time JD Vance emerged to brief reporters. We have not reached an agreement, the American vice-president said. Weve made very clear what our red lines are and they have chosen not to accept our terms.

The mood on the Iranian side was equally downcast. Esmaeil Baqaei, the foreign-ministry spokesman, said the talks took place amid mistrust and suspicion. State media blamed Americas excessive demands for blocking an agreement. The leaders of both delegations have now headed home without fixing a date for another meeting, The Economistreported.

Vance said Iran chose not to accept our terms, adding that the US needs to see a fundamental commitment from Tehran to not develop nuclear weapons.

More realistically, Irans Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday (April 12) that no one had expected that talks with the US would reach an agreement in one session.

Naturally, from the beginning, we should not have expected to reach an agreement in a single session. No one had such an expectation, ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

He said Tehran was confident that contacts between us and Pakistan, as well as our other friends in the region, will continue, Al Jazeera reported.

The US delegation led by Vance and the Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf had discussed how to advance a ceasefire already threatened by deep disagreements and Israels continued attacks against the Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In the negotiations, a key US demand from Iran was for a free passageboth unrestricted and cost-freefor merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Although Iran has often threatened to control the strait and use it as leverage, including during the Iran-Iraq war, this is the first time the issue has been formally raised at the international negotiating table.

The Iranian state media says talks failed over 'unreasonable' US demands. Unreasonable demands by the United States scuppered talks in Islamabad to end the war in the West Asia, Iranian state broadcaster IRIB said.

The Iranian delegation negotiated continuously and intensively for 21 hours in order to protect the national interests of the Iranian people; despite various initiatives from the Iranian delegation, the unreasonable demands of the American side prevented the progress of the negotiations. Thus, the negotiations ended, IRIB said on Telegram.

Talkathon

This was the first time that the American and Iranian political leadership and top diplomats sat across the table to thrash out the issues facing the two countries. The talks which were hosted by Islamabad, apparently came after the American nudge to Pakistan to act as a mediator, and for this they might get financially.

But the importance which America attached to the talks was evident from the behaviour of its negotiating team, which was at its best, as they knew they were dealing with astute Iranian diplomats. And this guardedness was evident in President Trumps posts on social media, which seemed more guarded.

However, Americas biggest ally in West Asia and partner in the current war against Iran, i.e. Israel claimed "historic achievements" in the fight against Iran, as the talks were underway for a potential ceasefire in Islamabad. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement on Saturday (April 11) that the "campaign is not yet over," but Israel has managed to foil Iran's nuclear ambitions.

This shows the Israeli attitude against Iran, which it wants to destroy at all costs, as it understands very well that whatever resistance it may across in the region against its expansionist and apartheid-like policies, will come from Iran.

The Israeli leader repeated that he spent much of his life ensuring that Iran wont achieve nuclear weapons, including by approving covert operations to delay it and also informing the world of the danger.

Meanwhile, Iran pointed to alleged external interference as a key reason for the breakdown. According to Iranian media, Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi claimed that a phone call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Vance during the negotiations derailed progress. If true, this shows Israels commitment to establish peace in the region is a charade, as at all cost it wants toe establish its supremacy in the region.

While the talks were on in Islamabad, Trump was forced to take a call on the reportedly alleged arms shipment from China to Iran.

A CNN report, citing US intelligence, said China may send weapons to Iran in the coming weeks. It also noted that Iran is using the pause in fighting as an opportunity to strengthen its air defence systems. Responding to the query, Trump said, If China does that, China is going to have big problems.

On its part, Beijing denied the claims that it has supplied weapons or military technology to Iran or plans to send new air defence systems to the country.Trump has threatened 50% tariffs against goods from countries arming Tehran, a move which could derail the delicate trade truce with China if he follows through. Beijing does not directly ship arms to Iran but provides it with dual-use technology.

By the end of the day, Donald Trump said the US would launch a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, following the failure of talks with Iran, as reported by Financial Times.

The US president also said he had asked the US Navy to interdict any ship that had paid a toll to Iran for passage through the strategic waterway for oil and gas shipments.

Overall, the manner in which the USs announcements came after the talks shows the intemperate American attitude towards the talks. Instead of treating the talks as the final negotiations, American administration should have chosen the Islamabad Talks as the start of a process directly interacting with its adversary to build confidence and show commitment to establish peace in the region. And then move forward to reestablish its relations with Iran.

[The writer, Asad Mirza, is Delhi based writer, journalist and author.]



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News / National

by Staff reporter

Zimbabwe has issued export quotas for lithium concentrates to two Chinese mining companies, months after suspending shipments of the key battery mineral as part of efforts to tighten oversight and boost local value addition.According to China Securities Journal, the quotas were granted to Chengxin Lithium and Sinomine Resource, both of which operate lithium mining projects in Zimbabwe.The development comes two months after authorities halted exports of raw minerals and lithium concentrates, citing alleged malpractice and revenue leakages in the sector.In February, Zimbabwe suspended all exports of unprocessed lithium products as part of a broader policy shift aimed at encouraging domestic processing and beneficiation. However, officials later indicated that a quota system would be introduced to allow limited exports while still enforcing local value-addition requirements.Earlier this month, authorities confirmed plans to roll out export quotas for lithium concentrate producers, requiring more processing to be done within the country before export approvals are granted.Zimbabwe is Africa's largest lithium producer, and the mineral has become increasingly important in global supply chains for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage systems.In 2025, the country exported 1.128 million metric tons of lithium-bearing spodumene concentrate to China, accounting for about 15 percent of China's total imports of lithium concentrate.A representative from Chengxin Lithium said the company's Zimbabwe operations have a production capacity of about 290,000 metric tons annually, adding that the quota allocated was sufficient for its operational needs.Sinomine Resource said it received a quota of 200,000 metric tons, roughly equivalent to its monthly output in Zimbabwe, according to the report.Market reaction in China was strong following the announcement, with shares of Chengxin Lithium hitting the 10 percent daily upper limit on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, while Sinomine Resource rose 6.6 percent.Meanwhile, Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, another major player in Zimbabwe's lithium sector, said it had not yet received any official notification from the Zimbabwean government.The quota system signals a continued balancing act by Zimbabwe between attracting foreign investment in its lithium industry and increasing domestic beneficiation of critical minerals.
News / National

by Court Reporter

The High Court yesterday postponed to today the hearing of the war veterans wrangle over the election of new leadership of the association.The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association (ZNLWVA) last week successfully sought an interdict blocking a splinter group from convening a special meeting to elect a new executive.Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister Mandi Chimene leads the splinter group as its interim chairperson.The order was granted against Cdes George Mlala, Charles Mpofu, Joseph Chinotimba, Esther Munyaradzi, Stephen Moyo and Robert Mukwena.Justice Joseph Musakwa last week deferred the matter to yesterday for further hearing and determination of the application in respect of the other seven a Cdes George Matenda, Patrick Nyaruwata, Future Piriyana, Wellington Chitehwe, Rueben Chikono, Thomas Matambe and Thomas Kunaka.But yesterday, the judge further deferred the hearing against the seven to allow them to file their opposing papers. They have also enlisted the services of Gweru lawyers Garikayi and Company to argue their case.The Chimene-led group is expected to convene a meeting to elect a new executive of the ZNLWVA.Addressing war veterans, Women's League and youths gathered at the Zanu-PF Headquarters recently, President Mugabe told the former freedom fighters to elect new leadership, if they so wish.In an urgent application heard before Justice Musakwa in the High Court yesterday, 13 members of the splinter group were listed as respondents.The call for new leadership in the ZNLWVA follows a vote of no-confidence on the Christopher Mutsvangwa-led executive.Mutsvangwa was consequently expelled from Zanu-PF after he was convicted of conduct that showed disrespect of the party leadership.The Mutsvangwa-led ZNLWVA executive went to court to stop the pending elections.Through their lawyer, Mr Rungano Mahuni of Mahuni, Gidiri Law Chambers, argued that the Constitution of the association does not provide for the removal of its leaders by vote of no confidence.He argued that the Chimene-led faction could not purport to act on behalf of the association in the absence of an election to bring them into the leadership of the association.But the Chimene faction argues that the Mutsvangwa-led executive was removed by a vote of no-confidence.ZNLWVA secretary-general Victor Matemadanda, spokesperson Douglas Mahiya, national commissar Francis Nhando and deputy chairperson Headman Moyo have since been expelled from Zanu-PF for indiscipline.The quartet appeared in court facing charges of attempting to subvert the constitutionally elected Government. They are all out on $300 bail each.They were arrested in connection with a damning communique last month urging President Mugabe to resign.
News / Regional

by Staff reporter

A Form Three pupil from a school in Matabeleland South yesterday withdrew rape charges against her alleged rapist who impregnated her.In an affidavit submitted before regional magistrate Chrispen Mberewere, the girl's grandmother asked the prosecution, led by Trust Muduma, to drop the rape charges against Notice Ndlovu, a herdsman.The girl reportedly implicated Ndlovu when her grandparents noticed her bulging tummy, leading to his arrest. "I wish to withdraw charges against Notice Ndlovu because he promised to take care of my granddaughter. He also promised to support his child by buying preparatory clothes before delivery," said the woman.The grandmother begged the court to consider her reasons and withdraw the charges. "He also apologised for what he did to my child and I pray the court understands these are the reasons that led me to withdraw the charges." Muduma consented to the application.Magistrate Mberewere, however, warned Ndlovu to stop committing sexual offences. "The fact that this matter has been withdrawn does not give you a licence to go around engaging in sex without consent. You spent months in custody and I hope that will deter you from committing sexual crimes," he said.Muduma said sometime in March, Ndlovu was left alone with the girl who was performing domestic chores while her grandmother was attending a meeting at a school. "At around 2:30pm, the two were resting in their bedrooms and Ndlovu called the girl to his room and the girl complied. He then inquired about the whereabouts of his catapult and the girl professed ignorance," said Muduma.Ndlovu allegedly asked the girl to enter his bedroom and when she refused, he grabbed her and threatened to assault her if she made any noise. "Ndlovu then raped the girl once and gave her 60 rand. The matter came to light when the girl's grandmother discovered that she was pregnant leading to Ndlovu's arrest."
The U.S. Department of Education published a press release on April 10 titled "Victories for American Taxpayers: Exposing COVID-Era Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Federal Education Programs", detailing three specific findings from its Office of Inspector General involving the misuse of pandemic-era education relief funds across Puerto Rico, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

The press release, framed as part of President Trump's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, focuses on a genuinely significant oversight challenge: what happened to the $190 billion in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds distributed across three federal relief bills  the CARES Act (2020), the CRRSA Act (2020), and the American Rescue Plan (2021)  when they went out the door with limited guardrails during one of the most disruptive crises in modern American education history.

The Three Cases

Puerto Rico  $3.9 Million in Improperly Used ESSER Funds

A recent OIG inspection found that the Puerto Rico Department of Education improperly used $3.9 million in American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds on services that were not delivered as required and failed to support student academic progress as intended. The inspection was issued March 17, 2026.

The finding is notable partly because Puerto Rico was among the states and territories that had received approved extensions to spend remaining ARP ESSER funds through March 30, 2026  a deadline the Trump administration later moved to rescind in a March 2025 action that was partially blocked by federal courts after 16 states and the District of Columbia sued.

West Virginia  $3.4 Million Fraud Scheme by School Maintenance Director

An OIG criminal investigation resulted in a guilty plea from a maintenance director at Boone County Schools in West Virginia, along with his parents and a contractor, who defrauded the school district out of $3.4 million. The scheme involved falsifying documents and overbilling for large quantities of janitorial and custodial products  either delivering far fewer products than billed, or billing for products that were never delivered at all.

The Boone County case is a clear example of criminal fraud  not disputed financial management or administrative misjudgment, but deliberate falsification of documents for personal gain. The Department of Justice's U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of West Virginia prosecuted the case.

Wisconsin  $20 Million to 184 Ineligible Nonpublic Schools

An OIG audit found that the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction improperly approved applications from nonpublic schools for funding under the American Rescue Plan Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools program (ARP EANS). More than $20 million in ARP EANS-funded services and assistance was provided to 184 schools that did not meet program eligibility requirements.

The ARP EANS program was designed to help private nonprofit schools that enrolled low-income students and were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. The Wisconsin OIG finding suggests the state agency failed to adequately screen applicants against eligibility criteria before approving and distributing funds.

The Broader Context: $190 Billion, Limited Guardrails, Ongoing Oversight

The three cases represent a small fraction of what was an unprecedented federal spending program. Congress distributed approximately $190 billion in ESSER funds  roughly three times the federal government's typical annual K-12 education spending  across three rounds between 2020 and 2021. The funds were designed to help schools reopen safely, address learning loss, support student mental health, expand broadband access, and retain educators during a period of extreme institutional stress.

The OIG has been auditing states' and districts' use of ESSER funds since 2020, with the mandate extended through at least 2025 and beyond. While earlier OIG audits found largely administrative issues  documentation gaps, inadequate review processes, weak internal controls  rather than outright criminal fraud, the OIG consistently warned that weak internal controls "open the door to fraud." The Boone County case is an example of that door being walked through.

A Government Accountability Office report confirmed that most ESSER spending went toward legitimate student needs, but flagged weak oversight at the state and district level as an ongoing concern. Independent education finance researchers found that nearly 50% of ARP ESSER funds went toward labor costs  hiring teachers, reading specialists, school counselors, and other staff  with remaining funds going to tutoring programs, technology, facilities improvements, and summer learning programs.

The Trump administration has pursued a dual approach to COVID education relief funds: on one hand, using the OIG to identify and publicize instances of fraud; on the other, rescinding more than $2.5 billion in approved spending extensions in March 2025  a decision that affected 41 states and territories that had contracted for specific school improvement projects and was partially blocked by a federal court in May 2025.

What Schools and Districts Should Know

For school districts and state education agencies that received ESSER funds, the OIG's ongoing audit work means that documentation of how funds were spent, contracted, and delivered remains important even years after the spending deadline. The OIG hotline  oig.ed.gov/oig-hotline  accepts reports of suspected fraud, waste, or abuse of federal education funds.

For the families and students whose schools received these funds, the press release's three cases represent genuinely troubling failures: money intended for learning recovery, safe reopening, and student mental health support that was instead stolen, mismanaged, or distributed to ineligible recipients. The total documented in this press release  approximately $27 million across three cases  is significant at the district and state level, though it represents a small fraction of the overall ESSER program.

The Department says additional crackdowns are expected throughout 2026, with the OIG continuing to audit how states and districts used ESSER funds across the full scope of the program.
MELBOURNE, Australia  The University of Melbourne retains its crown as Australia's premier medical school in 2026, topping both domestic and global subject rankings with exceptional research output, clinical training networks and international reputation, as demand for high-quality medical education surges amid national workforce shortages.

Global rankings released in early 2026  including the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings by Subject for Clinical and Health and the QS World University Rankings by Subject for Medicine  confirm a familiar hierarchy among Australia's elite institutions while highlighting strong performances from research powerhouses and innovative programs. With an aging population, rural health challenges and post-pandemic pressures on the health system, aspiring doctors are scrutinizing these schools more closely than ever for pathways that blend rigorous academics, hands-on clinical experience and research opportunities.

Here are the 10 best medical schools in Australia for 2026, ranked primarily by a synthesis of THE and QS subject rankings, research impact, clinical partnerships and employability outcomes. The list reflects consistent leadership from the Group of Eight universities, with standout strengths in specific areas such as rural medicine, innovation and global health.

1. University of Melbourne

Consistently ranked No. 1 in Australia and inside the global top 25 for medicine, the University of Melbourne's Doctor of Medicine (MD) program stands out for its graduate-entry model, world-class research facilities and affiliations with top hospitals including the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Its Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences excels in citations, industry income and international outlook, making it a magnet for high-achieving domestic and international students. The program emphasizes problem-based learning and early clinical exposure, with strong outcomes in specialty training placements.

2. Monash University

Monash University claims the second spot nationally, with its direct-entry Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (BMedSc/MD) pathway appealing to school leavers. The Melbourne-based program boasts exceptional research quality and industry links, particularly in translational medicine and public health. Monash's clinical schools span multiple states, offering diverse training sites from urban tertiary hospitals to regional settings. In 2026 rankings, it scores highly for research environment and citations per paper.

3. University of Sydney

The University of Sydney's Sydney Medical School maintains its position among the world's elite, with a graduate-entry MD program known for academic rigor and strong ties to major teaching hospitals such as Royal Prince Alfred. It leads in several metrics for academic reputation and employer reputation. The school's research output in areas like neuroscience, cancer and infectious diseases remains formidable, while its location in one of Australia's most vibrant cities enhances student experience and networking.

4. University of Queensland

Based in Brisbane, the University of Queensland's medical program combines a strong research focus with extensive clinical placements across Queensland and beyond. It performs particularly well in international outlook and research quality, benefiting from partnerships with hospitals in one of Australia's fastest-growing states. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate pathways and is noted for its contributions to tropical medicine and rural health initiatives.

5. UNSW Sydney

The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) delivers a highly regarded undergraduate medicine program with an emphasis on innovation, technology in healthcare and social accountability. Its Faculty of Medicine and Health benefits from proximity to leading Sydney hospitals and strong performance in employer reputation. UNSW continues to rank solidly in the global top 100 for medicine, with growing strengths in digital health and medical research translation.

6. University of Adelaide

The University of Adelaide's medical school, one of Australia's oldest, offers a graduate-entry MD with a reputation for producing well-rounded clinicians. It maintains solid research credentials and benefits from South Australia's collaborative health ecosystem. The program is particularly valued for its focus on primary care and rural medicine pathways, addressing national shortages in regional areas.

7. Australian National University (ANU)

Located in Canberra, ANU's medical program stands out for its research intensity and policy influence, given its proximity to federal government and health agencies. While smaller than some peers, it delivers high-quality graduate training with strong emphasis on evidence-based medicine and global health. ANU consistently ranks well in THE subject tables for medical and health sciences.

8. University of Western Australia (UWA)

UWA's medical school in Perth serves as a cornerstone for health education in Western Australia. Its program features robust clinical training across diverse settings, from metropolitan hospitals to remote Indigenous communities. Strengths include rural and remote medicine, with research contributions in areas like Indigenous health and population studies keeping it competitive nationally.

9. University of Newcastle

The University of Newcastle is renowned for its problem-based learning model and commitment to community-engaged education. Its medical program has a long track record of producing graduates who practice in underserved areas. While not always topping global lists, it earns praise for student satisfaction, innovative curriculum and focus on holistic doctor training.

10. Flinders University or Deakin University (tied in strength for specific metrics)

Flinders University in South Australia and Deakin University in Victoria both demonstrate rising profiles through innovative programs and strong regional impact. Flinders is noted for its rural and remote medicine pathways, while Deakin excels in interdisciplinary health education and simulation-based training. Both institutions offer accessible pathways and address workforce needs in growing population centers.

Broader Trends Shaping Australian Medical Education in 2026

Australia's medical schools face increasing pressure to expand intake while maintaining quality, as the nation grapples with doctor shortages projected to worsen in coming years. Many programs have introduced or expanded rural clinical school networks to encourage graduates to practice outside major cities. International students continue to form a significant cohort, drawn by high global rankings and English-language instruction, though competition for domestic places remains fierce via undergraduate ATAR scores or graduate-entry tests like the GAMSAT.

Entry pathways vary: some schools offer direct undergraduate entry for high school graduates, while others prefer the graduate MD route requiring a prior bachelor's degree and strong admissions test performance. Tuition for international students can exceed AUD 90,000 per year, while domestic students benefit from government-supported places.

Research remains a defining strength across the top tier. Australian medical schools contribute significantly to global knowledge in fields ranging from immunology and oncology to mental health and public health policy. Partnerships with hospitals provide students with early patient contact, a hallmark of Australian training compared to some international models.

Employability is high, with Australian medical graduates enjoying strong registration pathways and competitive specialist training positions. However, challenges persist, including mental health support for students during demanding clinical years and efforts to improve diversity in the medical workforce.

For prospective students, rankings offer one lens, but factors such as location, curriculum style, clinical exposure, research opportunities and cost of living play crucial roles in choosing the right fit. Schools in Sydney and Melbourne offer urban vibrancy and extensive hospital networks, while those in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth provide strong regional training with potentially lower living expenses.

As Australia invests in health infrastructure and addresses workforce gaps, its top medical schools remain globally competitive gateways to a respected and impactful career. Whether pursuing cutting-edge research at Melbourne or community-focused training at Newcastle, students entering these programs in 2026 join a tradition of excellence that continues to shape healthcare in Australia and beyond.

Originally published on ibtimes.com.au
News / Regional

by Fidelis Munyoro

Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission manager Ms Sukai Tongogara has written to the commission demanding reinstatement to her position of general manager (investigations), arguing her redeployment was victimisation and unfair labour practice.Ms Tongogara was reassigned to a new post of general manager (external relations and international conventions).The redeployment came after she was acquitted of two counts of improper conduct last July.Through her lawyer Mr Joel Mambara of J Mambara and Partners, Ms Tongogara is threatening legal action if the commission refuses to reinstate her.In a letter to the commission chairman, Mr Mambara accused the commission of victimising his client."It can easily be concluded that our client is being victimised for some unknown reasons," said Mr Mambara in a letter dated August 31, 2016."This constitutes an unfair labour practice. We have instructions to demand, as we hereby do, that our client be reinstated into her position of general manager (investigations) with immediate effect. We have further instructions to refer this matter to a court of law for an appropriate remedy."Ms Tongogara was cleared of charges of misconduct following a disciplinary hearing last month. She was accused of being part of the secretariat that formed a private company called Private Mortgage Company (PMC) without the knowledge or resolution of the commission.It was further alleged that Ms Tongogara and three others diverted $1,7 million from Treasury to buy individual shares in a private company. This was said to be tantamount to theft of public funds and making improper use of public funds.Ms Tongogara denied both allegations. In his scathing letter, Mr Mambara said his client was maliciously charged with certain acts of misconduct and unlawfully suspended from work.But a fully-contested hearing absolved her."Thus, automatically, she reverted to her position of general manager, Investigations. Despite her acquittal, your commission did not allow her to occupy her office and resume her duties."Last month, without any consultations with her, Ms Tongogara was handed a memorandum advising her that on August 2, 2016, the Commission resolved to reassign her to a newly created post of general manager (external relations and international conventions)."We would like to submit that this was never done in good spirit and with the intention to further our client's interests," said Mr Mambara."In any case, the purpose of the labour laws of this country, in particular as enshrined in Section 2A of the Labour Act (Chapter 28:01), is to advance social justice and democracy in the workplace by the promotion of the participation by employees in decisions affecting their interests in the work place."Ms Tongogara, said the lawyer, was not even involved in coming up with the scope of the job and the key result areas."All this was done without the participation of our client," he said."Your commission did not find it fit to call our client for a discussion of the new job."At the disciplinary hearing, Ms Tongogara was charged together with three others a Mr Christopher Chisango (general manager finance, administration and human resources), Mr Edwin Mubataripi (general manager, prevention and advocacy) and Mr Gibson Mangwiro a who was the chief accountant/finance manager.The three managers were convicted of engaging in corrupt activities that involved the former Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) chief executive Ngonidzashe Gumbo.Gumbo, a former senior assistant commissioner in the Zimbabwe Republic Police, was jailed for two years last year for defrauding the commission of $435 000.
Vietnam Briefing has developed into a premium source for insight on doing business in Vietnam. It publishes business news concerning foreign direct investment into Vietnam, including the most important tax, legal and accounting issues. The Vietnam Briefing Magazine was first published in 2009, and is contributed to by investment professionals based in Vietnam.
The first time anyone cruised Peter Hujar, he was 16. An older man was following him down Lexington Avenue one Friday night, when Peter swung around and asked, Are you following me? No, the man lied, but they made a date to see each other anyway. Peter was in love with him right then, he said later. All I could think about was how I was going to see him tomorrow.

When Peter showed up the next day, the man answered the door in a green and brown turtleneck and a pair of green shorts. He must have looked like an unripe squash, quivering at the sight of this beautiful boy standing outside his apartment. Peter thought he was handsome but didnt mistake his attraction for true love, only the beginning of a way for him to be in love. A fleeting moment with a man, the first of many, was often all he wanted or needed. For a time, they saw each other on Sundays, when he lied to his mother about going to church. Picking up guys and bringing them home became a lot easier when he moved to Thompson Street. Thats when his sex life kicked into gear.

By 1970, he guessed that he might have had sex with at least 15,000 people. If he had five minutes, Fran Lebowitz remembered, hed go somewhere to have sex. Peter wondered how his flings from Christopher Street might look when photographed. So far, his portraits of lovers had probed personality more than sexuality. Sexuality  and sexiness  was otherwise unimportant to a reading of his pictures; you didnt necessarily need to know what anyone got up to in bed, even if it helped to learn that the nude blond boy on the zebra was a lover.

There were few photographers who worked with gay male eroticism in any serious or direct way at the time. But by the mid-60s, Peter embraced the gay world rising to the surface. Already, he had captured such a range of his own experience, so gay men  gay men who lived unafraid as gay men  were an unavoidable subject for him, especially when he saw them everywhere. Inevitably, these men  their desires, their sexual practices  would find their way in front of his camera.

I do want some of my sexual pictures to be hot, Peter said. Im not doing them with the idea of doing artistic nudes. I want people to feel the picture and smell it. I want the picture to be seductive. I dont think about it, but it happens anyway. Yet I dont want the picture to be hot because thats too easy to do. Then it gets to be standard porno pictures of some guy doing whatever. I want to have the photo contain the same elements that could be found in any good portrait.

Sometime in late 1966, when Peter was 33 years old, he invited two leather queens, Jay and Fernando, both wearing tight pants, black shirts, and biker caps, into his studio. During the session, Jay and Fernando admire one anothers uniform, gold chains, gruff poise. At ease, turned on, they touch, taste, toy with one another. One guys cock is pierced. It rises from wiry pubic hair in several close-up shots. The younger of the two men strips. He poses with statuary confidence. Otherwise, they barely notice the camera. Nothing Peter had shot before was ever so explicit.

The contact sheets yielded no especially great images, but then it was probably an exploratory shoot, practice for the future. Shortly thereafter, Peter photographed another leather queen, the poet Kirby Congdon. Congdon poses against a wall, removes his shirt, then his pants. Peter shot him lying down, posing naked against the wall, ass facing the camera (we also see his ass in a tight shot). His erect penis is shown up close. These are better, Congdon a little warmer.

Mostly missing from these first hot pictures is that feel and the smell, the seduction. Jay, Fernando, and Kirby Congdon are still seen at an emotional distance, even when they draw near to the camera and bare it all. Their kink insists upon a performance of heightened masculinity and of a sexual theater that falls somewhat flat for Peters camera, with its keen sensitivity to raw and unvarnished individuality, his always seeking what lies behind the performance, backstage. If the success of Peters sexual photos depend on their possessing the elements of a good portrait  that blistering, blazing honestly directed towards the lens, as one of his sitters once described it  then these early hot pictures, especially of Jay and Fernando, somewhat miss the mark, except as an analysis of a sexual type. This would change quickly.

After the upheaval of the 1960s, no one was quite sure what would come next  and for a while, it felt like the 1970s hadnt started at all. The be-ins, the marches, and the riots had mostly subsided, leaving a strange quiet in their place. For many gay men, the new decade was a revolution of the body. It played out in bedrooms, on the piers, in clubs. After decades of repression, a whole generation suddenly felt free to explore what had been forbidden. In New York, that freedom erupted on the West Side, where sex was sportive, social, and unapologetically open.

For Peter, a summer day in 1975 might begin at the piers. By then, most of the waterfront was derelict, cut off from the city by the elevated West Side Highway, forgotten by the municipal authorities, and largely unpoliced. The piers isolation made them a popular cruising ground: concrete flatlands for sunbathing and, in the collapsing buildings that jutted onto the water, hidden alcoves for furtive encounters. On this urban beach, a hookup was as easy as a handshake or passing a joint. You might not even have to say anything. Eye contact alone could signal to someone he should follow you into the shadows.

What thrilled Peter about the piers was the feeling of someones eyes on the back of the head, that unwashed smell. He was a genius about sex, Lebowitz remembered. He strove to capture what he could of it in his photographs. He never brought his camera to the clubs or trucks  that would have violated their sanctity  but he did shoot Christopher Street and the piers, when the ruins turned into sprawling outdoor parties. In the mid-70s, he photographed all sorts of guys gathering on the waterfront, friends and lovers, many of them half-naked, in short shorts, talking among themselves or smiling for his camera. A young kid hanging from ship ropes like a makeshift hammock. Boys lying in each others laps. One 1976 photograph of Pier 42  taken on an astonishing tour of the city on Easter  is a fabulous tableau of this now-lost New York. A group of handsome men stand and sit on a wooden barrier, an ailing ship anchored behind them. A shirtless Black man in mirrored sunglasses stands beside a bearded white guy, hands in his pockets.

Almost every man in the picture is distracted by what is happening out of the frame  strangers walking by, cars slowing down to scope out the scene. Its a brilliant portrait of the piers at their height and an ode to photography itself. To cruise is to look and admire as much as it is to touch and be touched; these men were living cameras. Their eyes snap away.

As Peter immersed himself in the gay scene, his hot photographs grew more daring. One raunchy session from 1975 with a lover named Mike Karton begins with Peter worshipping Kartons jockstrap in his Second Avenue loft. Peter sits with Karton on his mattress, talking and laughing, before Peter mounts him. The camera catches the moment of penetration, Peters hand reaching back to adjust Kartons cock. Another man joins them; they fuck in pairs.

Someone pulls out a large double-sided dildo. Karton and Peter stand naked on a towel, their backs to one another, as they insert the dildo in their asses. It goes on.

His subject had become intimacy in all its raw forms. He photographed himself in the baths, a solitary cruiser, eyes lifted in anticipation of who might come through the door. He photographed himself having sex in the piers. He photographed lovers and friends naked and turned on. With his camera, he cruised their bodies, seeking their eroticism, their pleasure  bodies of all kinds, too, from chubby H.M. Koutoukas to the lithe performer Robert Levithan, Hujars lover in the mid-70s.

In the summer of 1976, he photographed Bruce de Ste. Croix sitting in a chair, admiring his own erection. The resulting triptych was exhibited in the backroom of the Marcuse Pfeifer Gallery for a 1978 group show focused on the male nude in photography. The New York Times famously sniffed that there was something to be said for old-fashioned prudery when the unclothed human body is a mans body. But The Village Voice singled out Peters photo as a highlight of the show, even if the gallery timidly hid it in a box. The Voice ran the image uncensored. Thanks for Le Temps Perdu, read the headline.

The session with de Ste. Croix was easy, intimate. Bruce followed Peters instructions as he would any choreographers, he later recalled. He stripped naked, masturbated on Peters mattress, sat in the chair, played with himself. In the photographs taken that day, Bruce has a spectral beauty, as if conjured out of the air. Only when he stares at his hard cock does he finally seem to come into focus; his gaze intensifies  and concentrates  his presence in the room. He dug through my nakedness and found an innocent part of me, de Ste. Croix said.

The photographs carry a mood of discovery, as if this were not only de Ste. Croixs first erection but the first erection of any man. The triptych  now one of Peters most beloved works  is an homage to male sexuality in its purest, most distilled form. It is deeply sexy. Nor was it merely erotic but part of an intellectual exercise, inspired by a conversation Peter had with de Ste. Croix about the disappearance of the erection from western art after antiquity. Peter remembered seeing a Caravaggio painting of a young boy  quite beautiful, quite sexual  and being struck by how subtle its eroticism was since Caravaggios boy is not fondling himself. It prompted a question in him: Why cant you have someone  touching himself and still have the same artistic considerations? With his camera, he wanted to restore the erection to its once-revered place. He liked breaking down barriers, de Ste. Croix said.

In the summer of 1974, Peter was invited to show some of his pictures of nightlife, the Catacombs, and Candy Darling on her deathbed at the Floating Foundation of Photography, a dingy barge filled with handmade furniture docked at the 79th Street Boat Basin. The Village Voice called Peters work outstanding, and his friends at Rock Scene declared by the end of the year that he had become New Yorks favorite photographer. After seeing his work on the barge, the gallerist Alex Coleman invited him to present a portfolio at her Foto Gallery in August. These shows marked a shift in Peters thinking about his work. He had wanted his pictures to be beautiful, even extraordinary  but he had not always allowed himself to think of them as art. The art thing was just an inkling, he said. That was changing. Nothing sold at the Foto. But the lack of sales didnt slow his momentum. In early 1975, he signed a contract with Samuel Mitnick of Da Capo Press for a book with a $3,000 advance. He thought Susan Sontags name would help with sales, and she agreed to write the introduction. I really would love to make money off it, he told Linda Rosenkrantz. And also to have it get around. You know Ive always had a star thing, wanting to be  a star.

If he had read any of Sontags recent essays on photography, her argument had not yet put him off, even if her ideas contradicted his own. She was still a few years away from publishing the divisive On Photography in 1977. At a moment when Peter was beginning to see his pictures as art, Sontag mostly refused to countenance photography as such because times relentless melt levels all pictures, professional or amateur, into mere objects of interest. There is something stupid and complicit about a photographer, she argued. She says the operator of a camera is akin to a magician who can only partly comprehend his trick. This is what Peter was up against, what all photographers were up against, even with friends. (Still, she was warmer and more gracious toward the idea of photographic artistry in her introduction to Peters Portraits: I am moved by the purity and delicacy of his intensions. If a free human being can afford to think of nothing less than death, then these memento mori can exorcise morbidity as effectively as they evoke its sweet poetry and panic.)

Reading On Photography now, you might be tempted to wonder whether Sontag had ever asked Peter about his work. There was so much she might have learned from him.

He was a teacher, his boyfriend Robert Levithan said. He taught me to trust my eye. One way Peter taught photography was by administering a test in his loft. On his dining table, he would lay out his pictures, hand you an eyepiece, and ask, What do you think? Which was the right image, the better print? He knew, but he was curious about your eye. When he asked John Erdman to judge some contact sheets early in their friendship, Erdman realized Peter was vetting him. Did he belong to his tribe? Membership didnt require any special expertise; usually you just got it intuitively. You understood his anger, his love, his desire, his humor  like how he might start calling fire hydrants hydrangeas. Coming from performance, Erdman knew what it looked like when someone came alive onstage or within a frame, enough for him to be a good judge of a portrait. How you look at photographs, not only the subject matter but the composition and the quality of the print  because there are serious differences here  says a lot about who you are, Peter thought. You had to reveal yourself to him in the act of looking at his work, Steve Turtell said.

Sontag should have asked Peter about the portrait he made of her for his book. That conversation might have changed her mind. In it, she is lying on his mattress, her hands behind her head, eyes gazing upward. So much of the meaning of this photograph was refined in the darkroom. Peter burned the background wall of his loft so it became a kind of sky, while rendering the undulations of the blanket more pronounced so the image is a kind of seascape with Susan drifting on his bed like some grand ship. He also adjusted her hair  much of the gray disappears from the negative in the final print, with only a few strands showing near her temple, a prophetic salute to the famous white streak of later years. She is more Susan Sontag than Susan Sontag ever was in 1975.

The portrait is a proficient and tender demonstration of Peters skills as a photographer and printer, and it flies in the face of the author who wrote that photographs exist out of a quasi-magical, quasi-accidental relationship between the camera and the subject. Peter said he assembled Portraits in Life and Death like a novel. The book is divided into two parts: 28 portraits followed, without a break, by 11 pictures from the Catacombs.

Many of the portrait subjects in the book would have been familiar to those living in the East Village. For the most part, they were Peters neighbors, the people he saw around town. Jose Rafael Arango from the Palm Casino, the director Charles Ludlam, the playwright H.M. Koutoukas, the composer Alan Lloyd, the actor Lola Pashalinski, the dancer and poet Edwin Denby, Ann Wilson, Bob Wilson. Others were already verging on national fame. John Waters  the first portrait in the book  was a sensation with Pink Flamingos (1972), and Sontag was almost a household name. John Ashbery, another subject, had just published his celebrated Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror. A lot of emotion went into picking people who are in the book and who arent, Peter said. The performer Bette Bourne summarized what Peter was looking for in a session: You had to reveal  blistering, blazing honesty directed towards the lens. No pissing about. No posing. No putting anything on. No camping around. Just flat, reveal-who-you-are  You must strip down all the nonsense until you get to the bone.

The key to the portraits is what Peter called their isolation. They share a lonely atmosphere, and aloneness is whats frightening. Most of the photographs were taken in a sudden burst in 1975, when Peter said he was feeling solitary  the beginning of another one of those depressions from which he had suffered his whole life, only this one would prove much deeper than the others, almost without bottom. He concentrated on the human face as if looking into his subjects eyes  and seeing death in those eyes  would steady him.

He was proud of Portraits. It encapsulated his achievement as a photographer and stood for something greater: the philosophical and artistic power of photography itself. The book did not sell well in his lifetime, though it eventually achieved cult status as a landmark photo book of the 20th century, mirroring the rest of Peters career: as someone who was always highly regarded by a small group of admirers and friends, all of whom knew what they had on their hands  even if it took the rest of the world time to catch on.

One of those admirers and friends was David Wojnarowicz, who was surprised when he slept with Peter in September 1981 that he was meeting the photographer of that special book. I knew it, knew it well, he wrote after that night, when Peter pulled a copy from his shelf to show David. At 28, David dreamed of creating work as powerful as those images. Maybe I want people to faint at the meaning of my work, he wrote in his diary the next day, echoing Peter, who once said, I want to be discussed in hushed tones.

An excerpt from the book The Wonderful World That Almost Was  2026 by Andrew Durbin, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on April 14th, 2026, and Granta Books on April 23rd, 2026.
DANVILLE, Ill. (WAND)  People incarcerated inside Danville Correctional Center are doing more than just serving time  they are earning degrees and redefining their futures.

The Eastern Illinois Degree Program gives incarcerated people the chance to earn a bachelor's degree while imprisoned.

Manuel Enrique, who is serving a sentence in the correctional center, said the EIU degree program has allowed him to grow as a student and a man.

"It made me start to evaluate who I am as a person, and I just wanted something different, because before that, I just wanted to give up," Enrique said.

Beyond the classroom, incarcerated people taking the degree program can also take part in the Community Anti-Violence Education (CAVE) Program. Students gather on Fridays for a session filled with open conversation.

"I've been incarcerated for 30 years, since 1997. CAVE was created to have a safe space where they could be separated from the cultural experience of what was happening in prison, to talk about your feelings, to acknowledge feelings because people will try to shame you for that," said Carlos Bowman.

More information on the programs offered by the Danville Correctional Center can be found on the Illinois Department of Corrections website.

Copyright 2026. WAND TV. All rights reserved.
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP)  A Nigerian Air Force strike targeting jihadi rebels hit a local market in northeastern Nigeria, killing over 100 civilians including children and injuring many others, a rights group and local media reported on Sunday. Officials confirmed a misfire without providing details.

Amnesty International cited survivors as saying that at least 100 people were killed in the airstrike on Saturday on a village in Yobe state, near the border with Borno state, which is the epicenter of the jihadi insurgency that has ravaged the region for over a decade.

We have their pictures and they include children, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International's Nigeria director, told The Associated Press, referring to the casualties.

We are in touch with people that are there, we spoke with the hospital, he said. We spoke with the person in charge of casualties, and we spoke with the victims.

A worker at the Geidam General hospital, in Yobe, said at least 23 people injured in the incident were receiving treatment. The worker spoke anonymously as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Such misfires are common in Nigeria, where the military often conducts air raids to battle armed groups who control vast forest enclaves. At least 500 civilians have died since 2017 in such misfires, according to an AP tally of reported deaths. Security analysts point to loopholes in intelligence gathering as well as insufficient coordination between ground troops, air assets and stakeholders.

The large, remote market located near the Borno-Yobe border is known to be often used by Boko Haram jihadis to buy food supplies.

Abdulmumin Bulama, a member of a civilian security group working with the Nigerian military in the northeast, said there was intelligence that Boko Haram terrorists had gathered very close to the market and were planning an attack on nearby communities.

The intel was shared and the Air Force jet acted based on the credible information, Bulama said.

The Yobe State Government confirmed in a statement that a Nigerian military strike was targeting a stronghold of the Boko Haram jihadi group in the area and that some people  who went to the Jilli weekly market were affected.

The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency also acknowledged that an incident had occurred resulting in casualties affecting some marketers and said it had dispatched response teams to the area.

Nigeria's military issued a statement saying it conducted a successful strike on a terrorist enclave and logistics hub belonging to jihadis in the area, killing scores of them as they rode on motorcycles. It did not provide any detail about a possible misfire, but noted that motorcycles remain prohibited in conflict hot spots and any such movements in restricted areas are therefore treated with the utmost seriousness.

Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the incident, adding that the military is fond of labeling civilian casualties as bandits

Nigeria, which is Africas most populous country, is battling a complex security crisis, especially in the north, where there is a decade-long insurgency and several armed groups that kidnap for ransom.

Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group and known as Islamic State West Africa Province. There is also the IS-linked Lakurawa group operating in communities in the northwestern part of the country that borders Niger Republic.



Shibayan reported from Abuja, Nigeria.
Meloni pays tribute to close ally Orban while Italy's centre-left opposition celebrates Magyar win.

The landslide victory of Peter Magyar and his Tisza party over Viktor Orban in Hungary's general election on Sunday prompted sharply divided reactions across the Italian political spectrum.

Orban, 62, conceded the "painful" defeat to pro-EU candidate Magyar, 45, who ousted the rightwing Hungarian prime minister after 16 years in power.

Meloni, who had been among Orban's most vocal European supporters, posted a statement on X congratulating Magyar on his "clear election victory."

She also paid tribute to her departing ally, saying: "I thank my friend Viktor Orban for the intense collaboration over the years," adding that Italy and Hungary are "bound by a deep bond of friendship."

Viktor Orban and Giorgia Meloni. Photo credit: Marco Iacobucci Epp / Shutterstock.com.

The response from Italy's opposition was considerably less diplomatic.

Elly Schlein, leader of the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD), speaking on La7, declared: "The time of sovereignisms and sovereignist right-wingers is over. Freedom, democracy and the desire for Europe have won. Orban lost, and with him Trump lost  and Meloni and [Italy's deputy premier Matteo] Salvini lost with their embarrassing videos supporting Orban and his autocracy."

Former prime minister Matteo Renzi described the result as evidence of a "reverse Midas touch" by Meloni, noting that the Italian prime minister had backed anti-European parties in Poland, Spain and Hungary - and seen her chosen side lose in all three elections.

Perhaps the most personal reaction came from MEP Ilaria Salis, the Italian activist and Green-Left (AVS) representative who was imprisoned in Hungary for 15 months after being arrested in Budapest in 2023.

Salis, who posted a photograph of herself on X holding a sign reading "Goodbye forever, Mr Orban," said the election result was "not a victory for the left, but at least a crushing defeat for the global far right and - hopefully - the end of a regime. Hungary and Europe will be better places without Orban."

Image: Peter Magyar. Photo credit: Istvan Csak / Shutterstock.com.
Two women in the province of Latina receive the first official rulings linking vaccination to serious cardiac and neurological damage

Two women from the province of Latina have become among the first in the Lazio region to receive official recognition that their serious health conditions were caused by Covid-19 vaccines, in a development that lawyers say could open the door to a wave of compensation claims against the Italian state and pharmaceutical companies. The medical and legal findings, notified in recent weeks, confirm a direct causal link between the administration of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines and the onset of serious cardiac and neurological conditions in both patients.

For the woman who received the AstraZeneca vaccine, a lifelong monthly compensation of approximately 850 euros has already been ordered, along with payment of backdated arrears. For the patient vaccinated with Pfizer, a further technical assessment will be required to determine the extent of the damage sustained.

The cases are being handled by lawyer Renato Mattarelli, who has been representing clients reporting a range of post-vaccination conditions including cardiac, haematological and neurological disorders. Mattarelli stated that these first findings open the way to significant health damage compensation claims against the Ministry of Health, the Italian Medicines Agency, and pharmaceutical multinationals, depending on the individual case.

The lawyer also stressed that, while significant, these first economic recognitions cannot fully compensate for the broader psychological damage suffered by those affected, pointing in particular to the anger felt by people who received a vaccine under state guarantees of absolute safety, and who would not have done so voluntarily otherwise. He noted that the formal notification of rulings confirming the causal link can itself trigger post-traumatic stress or adjustment disorders in patients coming to terms with lasting changes to their quality of life.

The Latina cases are not isolated. In recent years, a number of judicial and administrative rulings have recognised serious and permanent damage linked to the vaccination campaign. Last October, a court in Asti established a causal link between the Pfizer vaccine and a serious case of myelitis that left a 52-year-old woman permanently disabled, ordering the Ministry of Health to pay ongoing compensation. Similar rulings followed for women in Terni, La Spezia and Pescara.

Under Italian law, those who suffer irreversible harm following vaccination, whether mandatory or strongly recommended by the state, are entitled to seek compensation under legislation dating back to 1992. Legal experts argue that the Covid vaccine campaign, despite being officially voluntary for most of the population, carries the same weight of state endorsement that triggers compensation rights.

For the many other claimants whose cases are still pending, the Latina rulings represent a significant shift. What was once an uphill legal battle now has precedent behind it.
Trump's attack on Pope Leo has been roundly condemned in Italy, both on social media and among the country's top politicians. Here's what they are saying.

When US president Donald Trump launched a scathing attack against Pope Leo XIV on social media on Sunday night, he sparked widespread condemnation around the world, particularly in Italy.

Trump accused Leo of being "weak" and "terrible" in an unprecedented tirade against the first American-born pontiff, amid tensions over the US-led war against Iran, even claiming that he was personally responsible for Leo being elected pope.

Trump later doubled down on his criticism, telling reporters that he was "not a big fan of Pope Leo", before posting an AI-generated image of himself seemingly dressed as Jesus Christ in the act of healing the sick.

This sparked further indignation and upset around the world - from Catholics as well as those of other faiths and none - with many accusing Trump of blasphemy.

The outcry was particularly strong in Italy, a predominantly Catholic country whose capital hosts the pope's home in Vatican City.

In response to the attack, Pope Leo told reporters that he is not afraid of the Trump administration and will continue to speak out for peace, insisting that he would "not shy away from pronouncing the message of the Gospel."

Italian politicians react

Condemnation of Trump's actions came from across the political spectrum in Italy, including from within the rightwing government which has generally positioned itself as a close ally to the US president.

"If anyone is working hard on the issue of peace and resolving the conflict, it's Pope Leo" - deputy premier and rightwing Lega leader Matteo Salvini told Telelombardia, without mentioning Trump by name - "Attacking the pope, a symbol of peace and spiritual guide for billions of Catholics, doesn't seem like a useful or intelligent thing to do".

At the time of writing on Monday afternoon*, prime minister Giorgia Meloni has not addressed the issue directly - despite coming under pressure to do so - limiting herself to wishing Pope Leo well as he departed on his 11-day trip to Africa.

In a statement, she expressed the hope that "the Holy Father's Ministry may foster the resolution of conflicts and the return of peace, both internally and between nations, following the path traced by his predecessors, and may provide support and comfort to the Christian communities he will meet during his journey.

Likewise, Italy's president Sergio Mattarella stressed the theme of peace in his message to the departing pontiff, highlighting "the strong call for peace, so urgent in such troubled times, as well as the invitation to unity and fraternity."

Foreign minister and deputy premier Antonio Tajani of the centre-right Forza Italia party said he has "the greatest respect for the Holy Father", hailing him as "a strong, determined man" who has spoken of faith and peace since the day he was elected pope.

In a post on X, Rome's centre-left mayor Roberto Gualtieri expressed the Eternal City's closeness to its bishop, Pope Leo, describing Trump's attack against him as unacceptable.

Elly Schlein, leader of the opposition centre-left Partito Democratico (PD), expressed "full solidarity" with Leo, noting that "with his attacks and threats against the Pope, President Trump is taking the arrogance that has characterised him to this point beyond all tolerance."

Matteo Renzi, former prime minister and leader of the centrist Italia Viva party, stated: "Trump is attacking the Pope. Defending Leo XIV is now a duty not only for Catholics but also, and above all, for the laity. It's been centuries since we've seen such blatant aggression against the Roman Pontiff. He is, in fact, a "bridge builder," unlike Trump, a destroyer of relationships and civilizations."

Angelo Bonelli of the Green-Left Alliance and Europa Verde, accused Meloni of being "shamefully silent on Donald Trump's attack and blasphemy", stating: "As a Catholic I am outraged by a premier who refers to Christian values but lacks the strength and courage to condemn Trump's unacceptable blasphemy against the Pope and the Catholic world, which also involves the secular world with serious political consequences."

"Trump is now a president out of control, and it is legitimate to question whether he is capable of discernment" - Bonelli charged - "Trump, publishing images of himself dressed as the Pope and now as Jesus while offering his 'divine touch' to the sick, is proof not only of his blasphemy, but of the loss of all limits and balance."

*UPDATE: On Monday evening, under mounting pressure, Meloni addressed the issue directly:

"I thought the meaning of my statement this morning was clear, but I reiterate it even more clearly. I find President Trump's words toward the Holy Father unacceptable. The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, and it is right and normal that he calls for peace and condemns all forms of war."

Photo credit: Fabrizio Maffei / Shutterstock.com. Article first published 13 April at 15.33, updated 14 April at 04.29.
Italian Weekly's Depiction of a Settler Photographing a Palestinian Woman Prompts Diplomatic Protest and a Wider Debate on Press Freedom and Antisemitism

A single magazine cover has ignited a diplomatic row between Italy and Israel, reopened a bruising debate about the limits of press freedom, and put one of Italy's most venerable weekly publications at the centre of an international controversy.

The latest issue of L'Espresso, one of Italy's oldest and most widely read news magazines, carries a cover image titled "L'abuso"  The Abuse. It shows a man wearing a kippah and peyot, the side curls of Orthodox Jewish men, pointing a mobile phone at a woman wearing a patterned hijab. He is an armed Israeli settler. She is a Palestinian girl. What strikes the viewer most is not the religious or civilisational contrast but the dehumanising smirk on the settler's face as he films the Arab girl, whose expression is one of pain, one of the victims of the increasingly frequent raids in the West Bank.

The photograph is part of a documentary project by Italian photographer Pietro Masturzo. The cover article, written by Daniele Mastrogiacomo, examines the project of "Greater Israel," its biblical roots, and its collision with international law. A companion piece by Alae Al Said, accompanied by Masturzo's full reportage, describes what the magazine calls a campaign of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank following what it characterises as the genocide of Gaza

Israel's Response

The reaction from the Israeli side was swift and forceful. Israel's ambassador to Italy, Jonathan Peled, took to X to write: "We strongly condemn the manipulative use of the recent L'Espresso cover. The image distorts the complex reality Israel must live with, promoting stereotypes and hatred. Responsible journalism must be balanced and accurate."

The criticism did not stop at diplomacy. Moked, the main platform of Italian Jewish community life, described the cover as "a festival of stereotypes," arguing that depicting the Israeli soldier as ugly and menacing, with the particular aggravating details of the peyot and the IDF uniform, amounted to a form of essentialising negative characteristics onto an entire population. The platform questioned whether the cover's purpose was "to inform or to indoctrinate," and called on Italy's Order of Journalists to apply the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism, which the Order had formally adopted just days earlier, on 31 March, with a stated commitment to fighting antisemitism alongside all other forms of racism and discrimination.

The Magazine Stands Firm

L'Espresso has not retracted the cover or issued any apology. The editorial position is stated plainly in the magazine's own presentation of the issue. The image documents, in the magazine's words, "the daily abuses suffered by those who had the misfortune of being born in the territories that settlers claim to occupy in order to realise the dream of Greater Israel," describing settler crimes as continuous, backed by the Israeli army, and met with no meaningful condemnation from the international community.

The public response to the Israeli ambassador's intervention was overwhelmingly hostile to his position. The cover was widely reshared on social media by users who framed the diplomatic protest itself as an attempt to suppress legitimate photojournalism.

A Wider Debate

The row arrives at a moment when the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, amplified by the war in Iran and Israel's ongoing bombardment of Lebanon, is reshaping media debate across Europe with unusual intensity. Every image from the region now carries political weight that extends far beyond its immediate subject.

Critics of the cover argue that choosing a single image of a grinning Orthodox-looking soldier to represent an entire conflict, a country, and a military, risks reinforcing precisely the kind of collective negative characterisation that anti-discrimination frameworks are designed to prohibit, regardless of whether the underlying reporting is factually sound.

Defenders of the cover argue the opposite: that the photograph documents a real moment, that photojournalism's purpose is to make visible what power would prefer to keep hidden, and that discomfort with an image is not the same as evidence of bias.

The cover story itself connects the individual image to a broader pattern: the Israeli government has recently approved 27,000 new settlement units in the West Bank and 37,000 in East Jerusalem, despite UN condemnation, while settlers operate with what the magazine describes as total impunity, forcing Palestinian family after family to abandon their land.

Whether the cover is journalism or provocation, reportage or indoctrination, depends entirely on where the reader stands in a conflict where that question has become unanswerable by consensus. L'Espresso answered it with an image. The argument about that answer is unlikely to end soon.
Pontiff responds to scathing attack from Trump.

Pope Leo XIV on Monday declared that he is not afraid of the Trump administration and will continue to speak out on peace, in response to the US president's overnight social media attack.

"I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the church is here to do," the pope told reporters on his flight to Algiers, at the start of an 11-day trip to Africa.

Leo said he did not wish to enter into debate, and clarified that his statements condemning war and violations of international law "are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone."

However he said he would "not shy away from pronouncing the message of the Gospel."

He drew directly on scripture: "The Gospel is very clear, 'Blessed are the peacemakers,'" inviting people of all nations to seek "ways of building bridges for peace and reconciliation" and to avoid war.

The remarks came in direct response to a late-night post on Trump's Truth Social platform, in which the US president blasted the pontiff as "WEAK on crime" and "terrible for Foreign Policy."

The president also claimed Leo would not have been elected without him, stating: "If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican".

Trump later told reporters that in his view the pontiff wasn't doing a very good job, adding: "I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo."

Shortly after his rant against the pope, Trump posted an AI-generated photo of himself seemingly dressed as Jesus Christ, prompting accusations of blasphemy.

During his visit to Africa, Leo will visit Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

Photo credit: Rocco Pettini / Shutterstock.com
Trump launches scathing attack against American pontiff.

US president Donald Trump launched a stinging public attack on Pope Leo XIV on Sunday night, calling the first American-born pontiff "WEAK on crime" and "terrible for Foreign Policy" in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform.

The unprecedented attack has its roots in escalating tensions over the US-led war against Iran.

Last week the US president threatened that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran failed to reach a deal by a specified deadline - remarks that drew swift condemnation from the Vatican.

Pope Leo denounced the threat, telling reporters it was "truly unacceptable," and called on all people of goodwill to "search, always for peace and not violence."

In recent weeks, Leo had sharpened his public rebukes, moving from prayers for peace to a rare condemnation of the president's rhetoric.

The pope also highlighted the wider consequences of the conflict, warning that attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law and that the ongoing instability in the Middle East was "provoking more hatred throughout the world."

Trump's response

In his Truth Social post, Trump said he didnt think that Pope Leo is doing a very good job, describing him as "a very liberal person, while suggesting the pontiff should stop catering to the Radical Left.

Trump also made the extraordinary claim that he was personally responsible for Leo's elevation to the papacy. "Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn't on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn't in the White House, Leo wouldn't be in the Vatican," Trump wrote.

Trump criticised Leo for meeting with David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, writing that Leo should "stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician."

Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, he said: "I don't think he's doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess. We don't like a pope that's going to say that it's OK to have a nuclear weapon. I'm not a big fan of Pope Leo."

Vigil for peace

The president's comments came one day after Leo, during a prayer vigil for peace at St Peter's, denounced what he called a "delusion of omnipotence" in the conduct of the war, without mentioning the US or Trump by name.

On the same weekend, Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington DC, gave a homily declaring the war with Iran "immoral" and urging the faithful to speak out, drawing applause from the congregation.

Pope Leo departs on Monday for an 11-day trip to Africa, during which he will visit four countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, Equatorial Guinea.

The Vatican did not immediately respond to media requests for comment on Trump's outburst.

Photo credit: noamgalai / Shutterstock.com
A Special Fundraising Concert at AUR's Auditorium on 16 April Brings Together Music, Community and a Cause Worth Supporting

The American University of Rome is hosting a fundraising concert on Thursday 16 April, featuring the Amazing Grace Choir under the direction of Professor Timothy Martin. The evening is dedicated to raising funds for student scholarships and academic and campus enhancements at the university, with proceeds going directly toward making education more accessible for AUR students.

The concert takes place at the AUR Auditorium on Via Pietro Roselli 4, in the Trastevere neighbourhood. Doors open at 6:30 PM for an aperitivo, with the performance beginning at 7:30 PM and running until 8:30 PM.

The Amazing Grace Choir is a well-established musical ensemble at AUR, known for its warmth and community spirit as much as its musical quality. Professor Martin and the choir are donating their performance to support a cause that sits at the heart of the university's mission: ensuring that students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to pursue higher education in Rome.

Tickets are priced at 25 for general admission and are available through the AUR Donorbox page. This is a ticket-only event and places are limited.

For anyone looking for an evening that combines good music with genuine purpose, this is a rare opportunity to enjoy a live choral performance in one of Rome's most charming neighbourhoods while directly contributing to student opportunities at one of the city's international universities.

Details

When: Thursday 16 April 2026. Aperitivo 6:30 PM, Concert 7:30 PM. Where: AUR Auditorium, Via Pietro Roselli 4, Rome (Trastevere). Tickets: 25 general admission, available at donorbox.org.
Race for the Cure raises awareness and funds for breast cancer.

The 2026 edition of the Komen Race for the Cure will take place on the streets of central Rome on Sunday 10 May to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer.

The Rome event, which celebrates 27 years, is divided into three categories: a non-competitive 5-km run; a 2-km walk; and a competitive 5-km race.

The main event on 10 May is preceded by a three-day festival of health and fitness workshops, family activities and free medical screening at the Race Village in the Circus Maximus, from 8-10 May.

The money raised goes towards funding educational and early detection programmes to help fight breast cancer.

To participate in the event - which is open to men, women and children - runners need to register online with a minimum donation of 15.

Every year, Italy's culture ministry supports the event by offering participants free entry to state museums and archaeological sites in Rome over the weekend of the event.

The Race for the Cure begins at the Circus Maximus at 10.00, taking in landmarks including the Colosseum and the Baths of Caracalla along the way, bfore finishing back at the starting point.

Thanks to the funds raised by the Race for the Cure, over the last 27 years Komen Italia has been able to invest more than 30 million in research, prevention and support projects for women with breast cancer.

The charity sporting event in Rome will be followed by races in Bari, Bologna, Brescia, Matera and Campania.

Full information about the Rome event, including how to donate, can be found on the Race for the Cure Italia website.

Photo credit: Angelo Cordeschi / Shutterstock.com
High Court Reporter

A development company, which sued the Minister for Justice over the shelving of a plan to convert an industrial unit in Dublin into refugee accommodation, has settled the action, the Commercial Court heard.

On Monday, Stephen Byrne, for the Palmerstown Temporary Accommodation (PTA) Ltd company, said that following mediation, a settlement had been reached between his client and the minister, and the matter could be struck out with a form of order for costs on an enhanced basis.

Judge Mark Sanfey struck out the proceedings.

In its claim, PTA said it spent 17 million on converting number 64/65 in the Cherry Orchard Industrial Estate in west Dublin which was to accommodate 456 individuals.

It would bring in some 26.6 million in State payments, based on an 80 per person per day fee, over an initial two-year period, it said.

PTA's parent is Tailored Projects Ltd, with a registered office at The Box, Chapel Lane, Killarney, Co Kerry, which bought the unit for around 3.5 million in early 2024.

In February 2024, it said South Dublin Co Council issued a "declaration of exemption for planning" which meant the 32,000 sq/ft building did not require planning permission to turn it into accommodation.

PTA signed a contract in July 2024 with the Minister for Children to carry out the conversion.

In May 2025, responsibility for the accommodation of international protection applicants passed to the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.

PTA was later told the property was being removed from consideration as an accommodation centre.

PTA sought a declaration the defendant has repudiated the contract as well as damages for a number of matters, including alleged negligent misrepresentation/misstatement and breach of duty.
James Cox

Here, we have a look at the issues likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.

Support package

The only topic this week will be the fuel protests.

The cost of a litre of petrol or diesel will fall by 10 cent from midnight on Tuesday after the Cabinet agreed a 505 million support scheme.

The Carbon Tax increase planned for the May 1st has also been deferred until the budget in October.

Separate packages have been confirmed with the agriculture and haulage sectors - with hauliers to receive graduated payments for three months depending on the size of the business.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin has said the measures will be paid for from the national surplus - but it may mean less can be done in the budget.

Criticism

This will be far from the end of the controversy for the Coalition.

Sinn Fein is due to table a motion of no confidence in the Dail, although it will be largely symbolic as it would need the support of government-supporting Independents, which is unlikely.

Independent Ireland said the measures "are too little too late".

Cork TD Ken O'Flynn said the Government has failed to listen, and failed to address the concerns of people across Ireland.

He said the discontent around the country is not solely about fuel prices but reflects broader concerns - with a growing sense that taxpayers money is not being used effectively.

The Labour Party said the Government has abandoned PAYE workers with the package of supports announced tonight.

The party's finance spokesperson Ged Nash said the chaos of the last few days has seen the Governments authority drain away.

The Green Party has reacted by calling on the Government to urgently clarify the impact of the delay in carbon tax increases.

Party leader Roderic OGorman said while they welcome the targeted measures to assist farmers, fishing and the haulage sector - the delay in the carbon tax increase announced today means there's going to be a gap between what the Government has promised to spend, and what it's expected to take in.

Abroad

President Donald Trump on Sunday said the US Navy would immediately start blockading the Strait of Hormuz and awould also interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.

Trump made ahis remarks in a Truth Social post hours a after US - Iran peace talks ended without a deal. Trump said athe meeting "went well, most points were agreed," but added the two sides a had not aagreed on Iran's anuclear programme.

Hungary's veteran nationalist leader Viktor Orban conceded defeat on Sunday after a landslide election victory by the upstart opposition Tisza party, in a setback for his allies in Russia and US president Donald Trump's White House.

Results based on 46 per cent of votes counted showed the centre-right, apro-EU Tisza party of Peter Magyar winning 135 seats - or a crucial two-thirds majority - in the 199-member parliament, ahead of Orban's Fidesz party.
A report into the offending and the States handling of paedophile Bill Kenneally has been completed, and there are now calls to have it published without delay.

Kenneally is currently serving an 18-year sentence for abusing 10 boys in Waterford between 1984 to 1987.

It is understood that his offending may go as far back as the 1970s.

The case has been described as one of the most serious cases of paedophilia ever uncovered in Ireland by Mr. Justice Michael White.

Mr Justice White is a former High Court judge and Chairperson of the Commission of Investigation into Kenneally's crimes.

The Commission of Investigation was set up in 2018 to examine how State authorities, politicians and others dealt with the allegations of sexual abuse made by young teenage boys against Kenneally from the 1980s onwards.

Read More Reports: Notorious Waterford paedophile Bill Kenneally warned he may have foot amputated

A completed report from the commission has now been submitted to the Department of Justice.

In Waterford last week, Cllr Declan Clune brought forward a motion to the Council asking for the swift publication of the report.

Cllr Clune said: "This motion is about one thing and one thing only, helping to bring closure to survivors of the convicted paedophile Bill Kenneally.

Seconding the motion, Cllr Mary Roche said: "These men had their teenage years highjacked from them. They have had this for 40 years of their lives, and have been waiting 10 years since they began to campaign for this Commission of Investigation. I would ask the Minister to publish it with undue haste, but not before he speaks to the survivors themselves."

The motion was passed unanimously by all members of Waterford City and County Council.

(Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme)
Concerns have been raised that multinational pharmaceutical companies with sites in Waterford may be prioritising operations in Dublin or withdrawing from Waterford altogether.

West Pharmaceuticals, who employ over 1,400 people across its Dublin and Waterford operations, have announced the opening of a new 165,000 square foot expansion at its Dublin site, creating 330 new jobs in the capital.

Meanwhile, Amgen are due to close their operations in Waterford entirely, later this year.

Read More SETU hosts pharmacy education and networking event

To ensure that Waterford remains a competitive and attractive location for future global investment, has the Council Executive met with senior management of both Amgen and West Pharmaceutical to establish the specific reason behind their decisions? asked Cllr Donal Barry this week.

Establishing the reasons these two major companies choose Dublin over Waterford is vitally important for our local economy if we want to attract investment," he added.

In response to the query, Chief Executive of Waterford City and County Council, Sean McKeown, said: "A lot of these decisions are taken internationally from headquarters elsewhere and I dont believe its anything particular to Waterford. We work consistently and constantly with the IDA to ensure our client companies are happy here."

We have had very positive meetings in terms of their experience here and there are some minor issues that we will hopefully be able to address with West Pharma in relation to access, public transport and connectivity to their site.

(Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme)
Film buffs are in for a great night out this month when Waterford Film For All presents 'The Secret Agent' in Garter Lane.

The film, set in Brazil in 1977, will be screened in the centre on Tuesday, April 21, at 7.30pm.

Former university professor, Marcelo, is on the run from the countrys harsh military dictatorship.

He returns to his hometown of Recife, where he hopes to reunite with his young son.

A resistance group accommodates him in a safe house and sets him up with job in a government office responsible for issuing ID cards.

However, danger is never far away.

The film features an outstanding, award-winning performance from lead, Wagner Moura.

The film is the latest drama from veteran director Mendonca Filho ('Aquarius', 'Bacurau') and is a tense, vibrant thriller.

Unfolding in three parts and over several timelines, 'The Secret Agent' allows its audience to relish in its reveals and intrigue, as the story unhurriedly plays out.

Those behind Waterford Film For All described it as "one of the must-see films of 2026".

The film won the Best Director and Best Actor awards at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

'The Secret Agent' also won Best Motion Picture Non-English language at this year's Golden Globes.

At the same prestigious awards ceremony the film also secured the award for the Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama.

The film also qualifies for the Friends Membership Film Pass.

'The Secret Agent' is in Portuguese with English sub-titles and was directed by Kleber Mendonca Filho.

The cast includes Wagner Moura, Gabriel Leone and Maria Fernanda Candido

Tickets for the screening are priced 9 and 7.50 (concessions) including booking fee.

The film is rated 15A.
In March, the National Transport Authority (NTA) were notified of Bus Eireanns decision to cease operation of Expressway Route 4 (Waterford to Dublin).

The removal of the service was met with significant opposition in Waterford and across the southeast region.

However, a report published this week by the NTA recommended the introduction of a Public Service Obligation (PSO) to protect the soon-to-be-scrapped service.

A PSO is an arrangement by which the NTA procures the service of a bus operator through a tendering process.

PSO is aimed at routes that are not commercially viable, but where there is a socially desirable advantage to transport being available.

Read More Local Link Waterford issue update amid reports of fuel shortages across the county

In their report, the NTA stated: 'The analysis demonstrates that the withdrawal of Route 4 will create gaps in service provision and will move the overall level of service further away from the service standards set out under the Connecting Ireland programme for this corridor.'

Meanwhile, at last weeks Plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council, Cllr Thomas Phelan (Labour) tabled an emergency motion, stressing the importance of maintaining the service.

Cllr Phelan said: It is beggars belief that our national bus company would terminate longstanding services between Waterford, the wider south east region, and our capital city, our largest international airport and our nearest ferry port.

"No other city or city region would be expected to tolerate such blatant disregard and disrespect.

The motion was passed unanimously by the Council.

(Funded by the Local Democracy Scheme)
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NationalWAEnergy security Opinion Singapores ties to Australia  and WA  run deep. But locals will always come first Russell Quinn Contributor April 13, 2026  9:22am

April 13, 2026  9:22am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

There was a noticeable scent of desperation from our fuel-hungry prime minister in Singapore on Friday, almost as strong as the infamous chilli crab from its local hawkers markets and bustling quays. Labelling his last-minute FIFO diplomatic mission to Singapore a success  be it a minor or unbridled one  will only be possible once fuel supplies to Australia are guaranteed, which they arent and never will be, based on latest local intel. Singapores ties to Australia - and WA - run deep. Russell Quinn Sure, theres merit in reaching out to a key energy trading partner amid our current fuel crisis, itself fuelled by the ongoing Middle East conflict. Similarly, the Cook governments overdue and somewhat expected response to the crisis this weekend is also welcome  strategic stockpiling of diesel above federal requirements purely for use in WA, the worlds second-largest state.

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It wasnt the first time Albanese (or many other world leaders) had recently contacted his counterpart, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. And with good reason, as more than a million Aussies visit Singapore annually and two-way trade was valued at $47.4 billion in 2024, making it Australias largest trade partner in South East Asia. Approximately one-quarter of Australias fuel is sourced from Singapores vital refineries  the worlds third-largest hub behind Houston and Rotterdam  and one-third of Singapores LNG is from Australia, the majority from WA. Various nations have sought time with Wong to secure some sort of assurance  or even a guarantee  that fuel supplies would be maintained amid ongoing uncertainty. Our PM is one of just two to secure a meeting since the war began, the other being with South Korea.

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And with regional fuel stocks diminishing and some key producing nations  including Malaysia, which also exports to Australia  already signalling moves to prioritise domestic needs, it was prudent of Albanese to leverage Australias status as a critical gas supplier to the island nation; its main source of power generation for its eclectic six million population. Related Article Letters The mutual back-scratching to be seen in PMs Singapore fuel deal But my recent trip to the Lion City  having missed Albo by a matter of hours as he jetted in privately and I returned from a family holiday  confirmed that no guarantees would be made. Locals and business leaders reiterated to me last week what many in the Indo-Pacific already knew for some time: domestic requirements would always remain the priority. Singaporeans, who are already paying more than $4 per litre at the bowser, will always come first. And most (if not all) locals are expecting fuel rations or restrictions to commence in the very near future.

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Toughening times in the clean, green and increasingly expensive city where a certificate of entitlement required to own and drive a car costs upwards of $200,000  the banks are making money hand over fist. Locals often refer to the plush, burgeoning urban paradise as the city of funds and fines with everything from littering and spitting, and even homelessness, deemed illegal with heavy infringements. Resorts World Singapore complex on Sentosa Island. There is huge development crammed in on 5 square kilometres. Rottnest Island is 19 square kilometres. Russell Quinn Times, and the burgeoning city state itself, have changed since I first visited almost 25 years ago as executive producer of Perths 96FM Breakfast program. We escorted a few dozen Perth punters whod won our competition with Visit Singapore to join us for an outside broadcast at the historic Shangri La Rasa Sentosa Resort, the first major hotel situated on the now uber-family friendly Sentosa Island.

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Clean and green are just the tip of the iceberg for this island paradise  sentosa means tranquillity in Malay, but it was formerly a brutal prisoner of war camp and pirate haven. Related Article Middle East at war Australia in no position to ease Asian gas crunch, data shows These days, think Disneyland on steroids, with the $6.8 billion Resorts World Sentosa complex housing Universal Studios Singapore, Harry Potter Experience, Oceanarium, Dopamine Land and Singapores only casino  all wrapped up in just 500 hectares, or five square kilometres. Rottnest Island is 19 square kilometres. Of course, all this takes enormous amounts of energy to build and maintain, largely from our LNG. Perth links abound, too, with the hotels marketing manager, Sean Soh, a UWA alumni who plans to holiday in WA with his wife and first child; his dad worked at the hotel when I came through more than two decades ago.

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After reminiscing, Sean kindly hooked us up with some tasty bites at Trapizza and family fun at the Palawan experience including electric go-kart Hyperdrive across a three-level indoor track  all off-site but owned, operated and marketed by Shangri La. Western connections continue in Singaporean high(er) places, with former Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA chief executive Paul Everingham among the plethora of expat locals in town as the highly regarded inaugural chief executive of the Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association  although after more than three years hes just taken up a new gig on the executive team at Chris Ellisons MinRes leading strategy and growth. Importantly, as many know, good connections go far, especially in the west and especially those with energy. Very importantly, Singapore produces no crude oil of its own. It imports about 70 per cent from the Middle East, with its refineries on Jurong Island (which the PM toured in hard hat and PPE) set up to process the regions heavy grades.

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This will only stoke fears further here in Australia at our dwindling bowsers, compounded by the ever-growing risk that these key refineries could scale back production, forcing more countries to impose export controls. But Singapore isnt standing still; its sprinting, with some incredibly exciting developments on foot while more than 75 per cent of the population resides in government housing, albeit predominantly high-rise apartments on 99-year leases. Marina Bay Sands Hotel  with Gardens by the Bays Supertree Grove. Russell Quinn The political positioning of Fridays jaunt from both sides was fascinating: Wong openly avoided making any guarantees about future supplies to Australia in pre-prepared statements and subsequent media Q&A. The joint statement released on Friday opens with the line: We  reaffirmed the strength of the relationship and the deep reservoir of strategic trust between our two countries.

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Interesting use of the word reservoir. And key word reaffirmed is cited five times in the statement of about a dozen stanzas. Although it does go (slightly) further than the agreement struck last month to maintain the flow of fuel and gas between the two nations, committing to maximum efforts to meet each others needs. Again, no guarantees. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Developing Telecoms spoke with Tim Daly, Business Development Director at Viasat, during Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2026.

Tim explains the companys approach to Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) and how its working with new partners to connect things and people across the world. Driven by standards-based innovation, the convergence of satellite and terrestrial networks will enable devices  from mobile phones to industrial machinery to vehicles  to connect to both networks and drive to a future where connectivity is nearly ubiquitous.

For further information please follow this link.
Story Highlights LDG Development is proposing a 199-unit apartment complex on a 7.5-acre lot near Ridgeway Avenue and Westport Road in St. Matthews, but many nearby residents oppose the project, citing building height, density and neighborhood fit.

Neighbors are especially concerned about traffic, congestion and privacy, while LDG says the revised plan is smaller than earlier proposals and a traffic study shows minimal impact.

The St. Matthews City Council will consider the project at a public meeting Tuesday night, where residents will be allowed to comment before any approval decision.

ST. MATTHEWS, Ky. (WDRB)  Signs reading "SAY NO TO LDG" can be found in nearly every yard of the homes along Ridgeway Avenue in St. Matthews.

Residents are opposing what LDG Development is proposing: a 199-unit market-rate apartment complex on a vacant lot where Ridgeway Avenue meets Westport Road. Plans include four buildings, along with amenities such as a clubhouse, pool and dog park.

The project would be built on roughly 7.5 acres of land the company purchased for $750,000 in 2022.

"Gilmans Point," according to LDG's website, "offers a sophisticated lifestyle that balances luxury with a deep commitment to the local community."

But most of the local community is saying no.

"We knew that, at some point, probably, something was going to come onto that vacant lot but not something to that extreme," said Lisa Schrenger, who has lived in her home on Ridgeway Avenue for 37 years.

Schrenger, among others, argued the development doesn't fit with the neighborhood.

"Part of the plan is for there to be some buildings that are four stories tall," she said . "... They would be overlooking people's backyards."

Other neighbors said the size and scale of the project, along with potential traffic impacts, are among their biggest concerns.

"What they plan on putting there is going to be a nightmare," said Sandy Grant, who lives directly across the street from the lot where the apartments are being proposed.

Grant is one of many surrounding neighbors who worry about the impact to traffic. Many believe the area is already difficult to navigate due to local schools and Shelbyville Road traffic.

LDG has pushed back against those claims, however, citing a traffic study that revealed "a minimal impact to existing traffic, and current neighbors are not expected to notice additional traffic impact."

"There's already a lot of traffic here, especially during school time," Grant said. "There's plenty of times I couldn't even get out of the driveway in the morning to get to work."

The plans originally called for up to five-story buildings and access from both Westport Road and Ridgeway Avenue. Those plans were altered when LDG requested a zoning change in 2022 and heard concerns from the public.

"The first version of this plan, which elicited significant community feedback, was nearly 300 units," LDG said in a statement. "But, after hearing from the community, LDG decided to reduce the size of the development, increased the open space, and increased traffic and drainage improvements. The current plan complies with the zoning on the property, too, but at a lower density."

The property is currently zoned for commercial and multi-family use. LDG just needs approval for the development from the St. Matthews City Council.

Councilmembers will consider the proposal Tuesday.

"This is our home," said Charles Todd, who lives directly adjacent to the lot. "This is our lives. You know, this is something that, when (LDG) leaves, we're gonna have to deal with."

The public will be allowed to comment at Tuesday's meeting. It's happening at 7 p.m. at the Arterburn on 310 Ten Pin Lane.

Copyright 2026 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.
The ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan, have ended without an agreement. After 21 hours of negotiation, Vice President and lead negotiator JD Vance said, we've had a number of substantive discussions with the Iranians. That's the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement.

Vice President Vance said this is bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America.

We've made very clear what our red lines are, said Vice President Vance, what things we're willing to accommodate [the Iranian regime] on, and what things we're not willing to accommodate them on.

We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, said Vice President Vance.

[A]nd they have chosen not to accept our terms.

A fundamental part of a ceasefire with Iran was the promise to fully open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. But they knowingly failed to do so, said President Donald Trump in a social media post. This caused anxiety, dislocation, and pain to many people and Countries throughout the World. They say they put mines in the water, even though all of their Navy, and most of their mine droppers, have been completely blown up. They may have done so, but what ship owner would want to take the chance?

In response, President Trump ordered U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, to implement a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports starting April 13. The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Notably, CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

The U.S. navy will begin destroying any mines the Iranians laid in the Strait. President Trump also instructed the navy to seek and interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas, declared President Trump, honoring an American commitment to freedom of the seas that goes back to President Thomas Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates.

President Trump warned that any Iranian who fires at the United States navy, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!

As President Trump made clear. The ultimate goal remains the same: Iran will NOT have a nuclear weapon.
By Grainne Ni Aodha, Press Association

The vote of no confidence to be tabled against the government is a big test for independents who are part of the coalition, a TD has said.

Sinn Fein, the country's largest opposition party, are tabling the motion of no confidence in the Government on Tuesday.

It criticises the government for not reconvening the Dail last week and not engaging directly with the protesters, while also calling on the government to take the maximum action necessary to cut fuel prices.

The Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, and Independent Ireland have said they would back the motion.

It is unclear how several independents who have supported the Fianna Fail-Fine Gael coalition government will vote.

People Before Profit TDs Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy said government-supporting independents will need to decide which side they are on.

Its a big test now, isnt it? Boyd Barrett said at a press conference held in Dublin about energy costs.

Are the so-called independents just Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in disguise or are they actually representing the interests of ordinary people? So its a big test for them.

We certainly believe that people out there who want action on the housing crisis, who feel Fianna Fail and Fine Gael failed to deliver that should put maximum pressure on these so called independents to decide which side they are on.

Murphy said Independent TD for Kerry Danny Healy-Ray needed to decide if he was on the side of protesters or is he on the side of his brother, who is a government minister.

I think there is a real question for the independents.

I think the independents have to recognise that if they vote confidence in this government, they are likely to pay a very, very serious price at the next general election.

Murphy added: Well see how the numbers pan out in the next day, the next 24 hours as to whether its possible to get a general election.

If it isnt possible, well, we do know that theres going to be by-elections very, very shortly, the end of May, very early June, at the very, very latest.

That poses a particular opportunity to voters in Dublin Central and Galway West to revolt at the ballot box, to send the strongest possible message to the government that we want you gone, we want meaningful action on cost of living.

Murphy and Boyd Barrett were speaking at a press conference proposing a 5 billion emergency plan on energy.

The measures include a cap on the price of fuel: a cap of 1 per litre of home heating oil, of 1.75 per litre of petrol and diesel, and of 1 per litre of green diesel.

They said the governments package of 505 million was insufficient to grapple with rising energy costs caused by the US and Israeli war in Iran.

Boyd Barrett, Murphy, and the partys Dublin Central candidate Eoghan O Ceannabhain said the protests could mark a new phase of protests against the government.

The Affordable Ireland Coalition are due to meet this week to discuss its next phase of protest in the wake of the fuel protests.

Boyd Barrett said: What the protests over fuel prices and by the hauliers and farmers really underline, in a fairly dramatic way, (is) the abysmal failure of the government to address the cost of living crisis that is absolutely crushing ordinary people, householders, workers and small businesses and small farmers across the country.

The government have absolutely failed to heed the warnings of the opposition and the crushing impact that its having on working people.

Most people, most working people, most householders, have got little or nothing from the package that the government are proposing, 10 cents on petrol and diesel against the background where diesel prices are off the charts, petrol prices are still dramatically higher than they were before the outbreak of Trumps war.

Asked whether the new phase of protests should include blockades, he said it was a discussion that has to be had democratically among trade union groups and workers.

Certainly we are in favour of robust tactics that really force the cost of living crisis into the face of this government, he said.

The ideal sorts of action would be industrial action by workers, which would involve hundreds of thousands of workers who have been given nothing by this government but are being hammered with cost of living crisis.

The exact tactics have to be discussed by workers and by that wider movement, but we need protest because the government is not listening to ordinary people.

Councillor Kay Keane said: I fully support the right to protest, and there is justifiably anger out there because of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, which is actually the second one that were trying to deal with now.

However, throughout this crisis, the governments mantra of everything is under review is just insulting to the ordinary workforce and households.

When I go shopping, when I go to pay my bills, the same as many of my constituencies, we cant put that under review.
Eva Osborne

The Port of Cork Company kicked off its 2026 cruise season on the same day that Shannon Airport helped United Airlines celebrate its 100th anniversary.

The arrival of AIDAluna at the Port of Cork saw the 2026 cruise season get underway. It is the first of 93 vessels and over 175,000 passengers scheduled to visit between April and November.

The Port of Cork Company said it highlights Corks continued appeal as a leading destination for cruise tourism internationally. Bantry Bay Harbour will also welcome 11 cruise liners this year, beginning on April 26th.

AIDAluna, which carries more than 2,000 guests and over 600 crew, is one of six vessels making their maiden call to Cork this year.

The 2026 schedule features a diverse mix of ships from the United States, Canada, Germany, and across Europe.

Meanwhile, Shannon Airport hosted a special event on Monday recognising its longaestablished partnership with United Airlines.

This week the airline celebrated its centenary year, having first taken to the skies in 1926.

Passengers travelling on the nonstop ShannonNewark/New York service joined the celebration, enjoying refreshments and music at their departure gate.

United Airlines has served Shannon Airport since 1998. The partnership has grown over the years to include seasonal nonstop services to Chicago OHare.

More than 2.5 million passengers have travelled on United services to and from Shannon via Newark/New York and Chicago.
A unique event dedicated to celebrating bats and promoting their conservation will take place in the TF Hotel, Castlebar, on Thursday, April 16th, at 7pm.

Supported by Mayo County Councils Biodiversity Office, and led by Bat Conservation Ireland and Mayo Bat Group, the event aims to raise awareness about the vital role bats play in our ecosystem and to showcase ongoing efforts to protect these fascinating and often misunderstood mammals.

The event will feature an educational talk, offering attendees a rare opportunity to learn about Mayos bat species and the work of the Mayo Bat Group.

Bats are an essential part of our natural heritage, yet they are frequently misunderstood, said Karen Healy, Projects Co-Ordinator at Bat Conservation Ireland. This event is about bringing people closer to nature, inspiring curiosity, and encouraging communities to take part in protecting local bat populations and their habitats. We also want to highlight the amazing work done by volunteers of the Mayo Bat Group.

"Bat groups are an important link in the chain of bat conservation in Ireland. Bat groups are made up of individuals from all walks of life with a common interest in bats. They give up their free time to attend events, answer queries, take part in volunteer surveys, and some bat groups rescue grounded and injured bats. We would encourage anyone with an interest in nature to come along to this special event and find out how they can get involved.

Mayo Biodiversity Officer, Sheila Murphy, said: Mayo supports fantastic habitats for bats form our hedgerows, tree-lines to our watercourses and woodlands. This event aims to promote the importance of bats in our landscape; raise awareness on what interesting mammals they are and what we can do to help protect and record them in Co. Mayo.

Admission is free, and all are welcome to attend.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

There might be an early shower; otherwise, mostly cloudy. .

Tonight

There might be an early shower; otherwise, mostly cloudy.
Stewardesses interact with passengers aboard train No. D86 from Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, to the Lao capital Vientiane, July 18, 2025. (Photo by Yang Zixuan/Xinhua)

VIENTIANE, April 12 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos Railway cross-border passenger service is set to mark its third anniversary, representing a significant milestone in regional connectivity and cultural exchange. Linking Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan province with the Lao capital Vientiane, the railway enables same-day travel between the two cities, significantly reducing journey time while bringing the people of China and Laos closer together.

Over the past three years, the service has transformed cross-border mobility. According to the Laos-China Railway Co. Ltd. (LCRC), which operates the Lao section of the railway, the train service has handled over 800,000 cross-border passengers trips as of April 12.

The opening of the cross-border passenger service has effectively shortened the travel time between Kunming and Vientiane from several days by road to less than 10 hours, significantly improving travel efficiency.

"It used to be so difficult to study in China," Manisa from northern Laos' Oudomxay province recalled her past journey to study in China. Manisa's home is located in the mountainous region of northern Laos, about 100 kilometers from the Laos-China border, but the journey to China was not smooth.

"You either had to pay expensive airfares or endure long, winding journeys by road with multiple transfers, which were bumpy and tiring."

"It's completely different now. The cross-border train passes through my hometown, and I can board the train directly and arrive in China in just a few hours. It's time-saving and comfortable," Manisa said happily.

An aerial drone photo shows a bullet train running on China-Laos Railway in Jinghong City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 22, 2025. (Photo by Li Yunsheng/Xinhua)

For 32-year-old Lao resident Soulinda, the launch of the cross-border train has transformed international travel from a luxury into a normal part of life.

"Before, I could only travel to China by bus, which was inconvenient, so I rarely went. Even when I did go, it was only for medical treatment; I almost never traveled to China for tourism," Soulinda recalled.

Now, every one or two months, she takes the China-Laos Railway to places like Jinghong and Mengla in southwest China's Yunnan province, and she also makes a special trip to China every year for a medical check-up.

"It's so convenient to take the train to China now. You can charge your phone and order food on the train, and the service is very attentive. It's much more comfortable than taking a bus," Soulinda said with a smile.

"The more times I've been to China, the more I understand Chinese culture and the more interested I become. Every time I come back from China, I can't wait to share my interesting experiences with my friends."

Soulinda added that the launch of the cross-border train has led to a continuous increase in exchanges between the people of the two countries. "Now more and more Lao people are going to China, and it's common to meet friends or relatives on the train."

Staff members work at the Luang Prabang Station of the China-Laos Railway in Luang Prabang, Laos, Oct. 11, 2025.(Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

According to figures from both China and Laos, during the nine-day Spring Festival holiday this year, which lasted from Feb. 15 to Feb. 23, the China-Laos Railway handled 12,900 cross-border trips, representing a significant year-on-year increase of 41.8 percent.

"When the train first started operating, there weren't many passengers and not much luggage," said Koua Moua, a 25-year-old Lao conductor on the train.

"But things changed quickly. More and more Lao students studying in China returned to Laos during their holidays and then went back to China before the start of the semester. They would bring a lot of luggage, and we would help them arrange it neatly."

The influx of Chinese tourists is particularly noticeable. "The number of Chinese tour groups has risen significantly compared with the early days of the service. I often run into familiar tour guides on the train as well," Koua Moua said.

Koua Moua is frequently surrounded by Chinese tourists asking, "I've heard Luang Prabang is a lot of fun, can you recommend some attractions?" "What are some places worth visiting here?" Koua Moua and fellow staff members often enthusiastically recommend popular Lao attractions.

The change in passenger flow is also reflected in the number of carriages. Koua Moua said, "Previously, there were only three cross-border carriages. Now, we have expanded to four to accommodate the growing number of passengers."

Over the past three years, the China-Laos Railway cross-border passenger service has evolved into more than just a transportation link. It has become a vital bridge connecting people, cultures, and opportunities. This steel artery has made exchanges and mutual learning between the two sides an accessible part of daily life.

"As I work on the train, I often feel that the hearts of the people of our two countries are getting closer," Koua Moua said. As the wheels roll, the friendship grows stronger. With each whistle, the train carries the common expectations of the people of both countries for development, embarking on journeys of people-to-people connectivity and writing a new chapter of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

Editor: WSH
TIANJIN, April 12 (Xinhua) -- As spring returns, large numbers of migratory birds are stopping over at the Qilihai Wetland in north China's Tianjin Municipality on their northward journey, a testament to years of dedicated restoration work.

Flocks of rare species, including oriental storks and Baikal teals, have been recorded at the site, a crucial stopover on the East Asian-Australasian flyway, one of the world's major migratory bird routes.

"I often spot geese and swans flying overhead, along with some birds whose names I don't know," said Yu Yanting, 34, a resident of Jiefang Village located just over 700 meters from the wetland's core area in Ninghe District.

Wetlands, which cover about 6 percent of the Earth's land surface, play a critical role in supplying water resources, maintaining biodiversity and mitigating climate change.

However, wetlands have been shrinking globally, with 22 percent having disappeared since 1970, according to the Global Wetland Outlook 2025.

The Qilihai Wetland also suffered damage in the past. Reed cutting and aquaculture by surrounding villages led to water pollution and ecological degradation.

"Back then, villagers lacked ecological awareness. Fishing boats crisscrossed the wetland and fish feed was dumped directly into the water, which harmed the water environment," said Yu Wendong, Party chief of Jiefang Village.

Local authorities launched a large-scale wetland restoration campaign in 2017, demolishing illegal buildings, reducing human activities and reconnecting water systems.

The campaign came at a cost. Yu Yanting's family, who made a living harvesting water fleas in the wetland, lost their primary income when fishing boats were banned from entering the wetland, leaving them deeply uncertain about the future.

"At first, we couldn't understand why the government cut off our livelihoods," she said. "But village officials explained that protecting the environment would bring us better lives in the long run."

Notable progress has been made. By 2025, grassland, forest and water areas accounted for 46.63 percent of its wetland reserve, while water and air quality improved significantly, with high levels of negative oxygen ions.

"We now live at a natural oxygen bar. The air is extremely fresh here," said a villager named Wei Yilai.

The improved environment has helped to attract more wildlife. By the end of 2025, the number of bird species in the wetland had increased to 308, and that of wild plant species had risen to 183. Each migration season, between 500,000 and 600,000 birds make a stopover at the reserve.

The restoration has also helped to boost local livelihoods with booming tourism and sales of local agricultural products.

In 2022, Jiefang and its neighboring villages leveraged historical, cultural and ecological resources to create a 3.8-km study tour route.

Jiefang Village alone receives more than 20,000 visitors a year on average, generating about 2 million yuan (about 290,000 U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue and creating more than 6,000 local jobs, according to the village Party chief.

Yu Yanting is among those who have benefited. Once a stay-at-home mother facing financial pressure, she successfully secured a job as a guide for the tourism project.

"The job not only provides me with a steady income but also helps me find my own value," she said.

The benefits extend far beyond Jiefang Village. Thanks to cleaner water and richer soil in the wake of ecological restoration, local agricultural products like sweet potatoes, rice and crabs reported bumper sales, said Tian Xiujing, director of the Tianjin Qilihai Wetland nature reserve management committee.

Qilihai Wetland offers just a glimpse of wetland conservation efforts in China. According to China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the country has consistently strengthened the ecological conservation and restoration of its wetlands in recent years, with the country's total wetland area now ranking first in Asia and fourth globally.

The country is home to 22 accredited international wetland cities, the highest number globally. Additionally, 903 national wetland parks have been established, with approximately 90 percent offering free admission to the public, attracting around 320 million visitors annually.

More protection efforts are still underway. In March 2026, China's national legislature passed the country's first Ecological and Environmental Code. As China's second formal statutory code following the adoption of the Civil Code in 2020, the legislation aims to protect the ecological environment and promote green development through the strictest systems and the most rigorous rule of law.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China will further improve its legal and regulatory framework regarding wetlands, strengthen monitoring and early warning systems for wetland protection, and accelerate the establishment of mechanisms to realize the value of wetland ecological products.

"Now we enjoy cleaner air, sweeter water and fuller wallets, all gifts from the Qilihai Wetland. A good ecological environment is a true blessing for us," said Yu Yanting.

Editor: Xiong Jian
CAPSI celebrates 10 years

The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI), based at Wits Business School (WBS), marks its 10-year anniversary in 2026.

At a time when Africas development trajectory is being reshaped by its rapidly growing youth population, rising inequality, and shifting global funding landscapes, CAPSI is celebrating a decade of advancing African-led knowledge, leadership, and practice in philanthropy and social investment.

Established in 2016 as a Chair in African Philanthropy, CAPSI has grown into a first-of-its-kind, Pan-African centre dedicated to the study and advancement of philanthropy and social investment on the continent. Over the past decade, the Centre has built a reputation as a leading platform connecting research, teaching, policy, and practice, while amplifying African perspectives in global development conversations.

More recently, CAPSI has led continent-wide research, convened leading voices from across Africa and beyond, and built partnerships supporting large-scale initiatives focused on philanthropy, youth, women, sustainable development, social investment, and systems change, among others.

Housed within WBS at the University of the Witwatersrand, one of Africas leading research-intensive institutions, CAPSIs work aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Unions Agenda 2063, contributing to a vision of inclusive, sustainable, and self-determined development across Africa.

At its core, CAPSI is not only a research centre, but a platform for reimagining how Africa mobilises its own resources, knowledge, and leadership to drive development on its own terms.

From an academic chair to a continental platform

Over the past ten years, CAPSI has evolved into a multi-dimensional hub of influence, integrating:

Academic and short course programmes spanning masterclasses through to doctoral studies in African philanthropy and social investment

Groundbreaking research, including a landmark multi-country study on dignified and fulfilling work for youth across 17 African countries

Flagship convenings, such as the African Philanthropy Conference (APC), now one of the continents leading platforms bringing together funders, scholars, policymakers, and practitioners

Strategic partnerships, including major collaborations with numerous funders, alongside a growing network of African and global institutions

Through this integrated approach, CAPSI has contributed to shaping the broader ecosystem of philanthropy in Africa, influencing how knowledge, funding, and leadership intersect across the continent.

Research that moves beyond the page

A defining feature of CAPSIs work is its commitment to translating research into real-world impact. Its flagship research initiative on dignified and fulfilling work for Africas youth, conducted across 17 countries in partnership with African-led research networks, represents the most comprehensive study of its kind on the continent. The research highlights both the potential of the non-profit sector to create meaningful employment pathways, and the structural barriers young people continue to face.

Importantly, CAPSI has extended this work beyond traditional academic outputs. Initiatives such as the pan-African youth competition, with a significant prize sum allocated to the winners, invite young people to translate research into creative formats, from digital storytelling to podcasts, ensuring that knowledge is accessible, relevant, and shaped by youth voices themselves.

With Africas youth population projected to double by 2050, the question of dignified and fulfilling work is not only developmental, it is existential to the continents future.

Advancing inclusive and African-led leadership

CAPSIs impact is reflected not only in its research, but in the leaders it helps to develop.

Through its academic and executive programmes, the Centre has built a growing global network of alumni across government, civil society, philanthropy, and the private sector, equipped with systems thinking, ethical grounding, and a deep understanding of African development contexts.

Programmes such as Ady (Love in Action) further extend this impact by advancing womens leadership in African philanthropy, amplifying often under-recognised contributions across communities, institutions, and the diaspora.

A trusted platform for dialogue and influence

Over the past decade, CAPSI has also established itself as a convening force and thought leadership platform, hosting high-level dialogues and public engagements with leading African and global voices.

Through initiatives such as the Conversations on African Philanthropy podcast, public lectures, and partnerships with major organisations, CAPSI continues to shape critical conversations on philanthropy, development, and social investment.

Voices from CAPSI leadership

Reflecting on the milestone, Professor Bhekinkosi Moyo, Director of CAPSI, said:

Over the past decade, CAPSI has helped to reframe African philanthropy, not as an act of charity, but as a powerful expression of agency, solidarity, and systemic change. As we look ahead, our focus is on deepening this work and ensuring that African voices continue to shape the future of development on the continent.

Professor Jacob Mati, Academic Director at CAPSI, added:

Our work sits at the intersection of research, teaching, and practice. Over the past ten years, we have built a body of knowledge that is both academically rigorous and deeply rooted in African realities. The next decade will require even greater integration across these domains.

Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, Vice-Chancellor, University of the Witwatersrand said:

CAPSI represents the kind of African-led, globally relevant scholarship that defines Wits Universitys mission. Over the past decade, it has established itself as a leading centre of excellence, not only on the continent but increasingly in global conversations on philanthropy, development, and social investment.

Looking ahead: The next decade

As CAPSI enters its second decade, its focus is firmly on shaping the future of philanthropy and social investment from an African perspective, positioning the continent not only as a recipient of development, but as a global thought leader in how giving, investment, and impact are understood.

Key priorities include:

Expanding its Pan-African reach and partnerships

Deepening its work on youth livelihoods and the future of work

Advancing womens leadership in philanthropy

Exploring the role of artificial intelligence and ethics in development and social investment

Strengthening Africas position as a global thought leader in philanthropy and social investment

A platform for Africas future

From its origins as an academic Chair to its current position as a continental platform and Centre of research excellence, CAPSIs journey reflects a broader shift towards African-led knowledge, collaboration, and innovation.

As it looks ahead, the Centre remains committed to shaping a future where philanthropy and social investment are not peripheral, but central to building inclusive, resilient, and self-determined societies across Africa, and to ensuring that African voices, knowledge systems, and leadership are at the forefront of global development conversations.

About the Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI)

The Centre on African Philanthropy and Social Investment (CAPSI) advances social change across the continent by generating knowledge, fostering partnerships, and driving innovation in philanthropy and social investment.

CAPSI is committed to developing the next generation of African researchers, practitioners, and leaders through its academic programmes, short courses, research, publications, and convenings.
This photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows Tianluokeng Tulou cluster in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 10, 2026 shows Eryilou in Zhangzhou City, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows Heguilou in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows tourists visiting Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows Huaiyuanlou in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

An aerial drone photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows Huaiyuanlou in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Tourists pose for a photo at Yunshuiyao ancient town in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 9, 2026. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Tourists visit Yunshuiyao ancient town in Nanjing County, southeast China's Fujian Province, April 9, 2026. Tulou, the unique residential architecture of Fujian Province, was inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2008. In recent years, local authorities has continued promoting Tulou protection, revitalization, and integration with tourism. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan)

Editor: Zhang Zhou
Weather Alert

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 172 REMAINS VALID UNTIL 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN ILLINOIS THIS WATCH INCLUDES 4 COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS ALEXANDER JACKSON PULASKI UNION IN KENTUCKY THIS WATCH INCLUDES 6 COUNTIES IN WESTERN KENTUCKY BALLARD CARLISLE FULTON GRAVES HICKMAN MCCRACKEN IN MISSOURI THIS WATCH INCLUDES 11 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEAST MISSOURI BOLLINGER BUTLER CAPE GIRARDEAU CARTER MISSISSIPPI NEW MADRID PERRY RIPLEY SCOTT STODDARD WAYNE THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF BARDWELL, BLOOMFIELD, CAIRO, CAPE GIRARDEAU, CARBONDALE, CHARLESTON, CLINTON, DONIPHAN, HICKMAN, JACKSON, JONESBORO, MARBLE HILL, MAYFIELD, MOUND CITY, MURPHYSBORO, NEW MADRID, PADUCAH, PERRYVILLE, PIEDMONT, POPLAR BLUFF, SIKESTON, VAN BUREN, AND WICKLIFFE.

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT CARLISLE...NORTHEASTERN HICKMAN...SOUTHEASTERN BALLARD...SOUTHEASTERN MCCRACKEN AND GRAVES COUNTIES THROUGH 545 PM CDT... At 454 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a cluster of strong thunderstorms along a line extending from near Mayfield to 6 miles east of Towosahgy State Historic Site. Movement was east at 35 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph and penny size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Minor hail damage to vegetation is possible. Locations impacted include... Mayfield, Clinton, Bardwell, Reidland, Lovelaceville, Arlington, Lowes, Fancy Farm, Blandville, and Symsonia. This includes Interstate 69 in Kentucky between Mile Markers 16 and 33. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch remains in effect until 900 PM CDT for western Kentucky...and southeastern Missouri. && MAX HAIL SIZE...0.75 IN; MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH
Lufthansa aircraft are parked at the airport as Lufthansa pilots are on a two-day strike, in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, March 12, 2026. [AP Photo/Michael Probst]

A new strike by Lufthansa pilots today and Tuesday demonstrates the flight crews strong determination to fight. It is part of the growing mobilisation of the European and international working class.

Already on 10 April, around 19,000 Lufthansa cabin crew members walked out, bringing flight operations to a standstill. On this final day of the Easter holidays, 580 out of a total of 1,350 scheduled flights were cancelled in Frankfurt. In Munich, the figure was over 400; and flights also had to be cancelled or rescheduled in Leipzig/Halle, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart, Hanover and Bremen.

The UFO union (Unabhangige Flugbegleiter Organisation, or Independent Flight Attendant Organization) called on cabin crew at Lufthansa and its subsidiary CityLine to take part in the strike. The strikers had voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action. At Lufthansa, where the aim is to fend off massive cuts in the collective agreement, 94 percent voted in favour of strike action, while at CityLine the figure was as high as 99 percent of members.

At CityLine, the crews are not only faced with the Lufthansa Executive Board and CEO Carsten Spohr continually delaying workers long-overdue pay rises, but the airline is also facing liquidation by the end of this year, 800 jobs in the cockpit and cabin crew are under immediate threat.

At the same time, the (almost identically named) newest Lufthansa subsidiary, City Airlines, is being further expanded as a low-cost carrier in order to undermine the wages and conditions of the older airlines. City Airlines, based in Munich, is set to take over the regional and feeder flights previously operated by CityLine, while Discover is to increasingly take over Lufthansas long-haul flights.

For years, new airline subsidiariesGermanwings, CityLine, Discover, CityLine and City Airlinehave been established to force employees at the older airlines to accept poorer conditions.

Lufthansa is putting such brutal pressure on its crews that it is even jeopardising the safety of its flights. The aviation portal aero.de reported on this a few months ago under the headline: Cityline pilots are making more mistakes than usual. The report, which quotes from an internal memo from CityLines flight safety department, states:

During this period of upheaval, the flight safety department has recorded an increase in atypical errors in Cityline cockpits...For several months now, Lufthansa Citylines flight safety department has been documenting an increase in pilot errors which, according to the crew members concerned, are directly linked to high emotional stress resulting from the changes within the company....The memo on Cityline highlights incidents that occurred whilst crews were under increased workloads.

Provocatively, in the midst of Fridays strike, Lufthansa reached a collective agreement for City Airlines with the Verdi union, whose employees had previously been working without any collective agreement. The agreement is set to run for three years, carrying with it also a multi-year strike ban.

The Lufthansa Executive Board has denounced the strikes as irresponsible, particularly as the company is currently grappling with a sharp rise in fuel prices as a result of the war in Iran. Jens Ritter of the Lufthansa Airlines Executive Board complained bitterly about the strike on Friday. We already offer the best conditions in the industry, claimed Ritter. Demanding even better working conditions and, on top of that, going on strike at a weekend with Easter return traffic, is completely incomprehensible and unacceptable.

Ritter had previously commented on the pilots demands in an interview: Our economic capacity simply does not allow for any additional burdens. Lufthansa does not have anywhere near the money for this.

However, Lufthansa is one of the DAX-listed companies that continues to pay out generous dividends while attacking workers jobs and conditions. Although the Lufthansa Group has been pursuing a strict restructuring course (turnaround) for two years and is currently cutting one in five jobs in administrationaround 4,000 postsit will pay out around a quarter of a billion euros in dividends to its shareholders at the Annual General Meeting on 12 May.

In reality, Lufthansa managed to significantly increase its profits last year. In his Letter from the Board in February 2026, CEO Carsten Spohr wrote that profit had risen by 4 percent to 1.1 billion in the 2025 financial year. Overall, all our airlines were profitable in the 2025 financial year, he said.

To ensure this continues, Lufthansa is putting increasing pressure on its cabin and cockpit crew. While Lufthansa workers are not, as is the case with CityLine, under immediate threat of redundancy, they are fighting to prevent massive cuts to the terms of their collective agreements and a constant increase in their workload. Lufthansa has made it harder to plan shifts, shortened notice periods and increased the number of working hours per month.

59-year-old flight attendant Katja T. told state broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk on Friday: I do believe that aeroplanes belong in the sky and should be flown, but when working conditions are deteriorating so blatantlyand this really is a catalogue of horrorsthen there is no other option. We have to fight back against this. Her greatest personal frustration, she said, is the feeling that they are fighting against us. They simply see us as a cost factor.

The pilots, too, have been strung along by the board for months. They have been fighting for years against the deterioration of their transitional allowances and company pensions, which are vital for pilots. Very few of them are able to continue in the profession until the statutory retirement age, given the incessant time differences, changes in climate and constantly varying working hours. For a long time, Lufthansa pilots aged 55 and over were able to retire with a fixed transitional allowance. This was changed in 2017with the agreement of the Vereinigung Cockpit union.

Widespread dissatisfaction with the situation is what prompted the VC union to call pilots out on strike this week. This is the third strike this year, following a one-day strike on 12 February and a two-day strike in mid-March. This time, the strike includes pilots from Lufthansa AG and Lufthansa Cargo, as well as CityLine and (on Monday only) Eurowings. There are currently further disputes involving Lufthansas ground staff, where 20,000 workers are fighting for their wages and conditions.

The latest pilots strike is now the fourth major strike against Lufthansa within ten weeks. These industrial disputes are part of a growing mobilisation of the working class across Europe.

Last weekend, thousands in Ireland protested against high fuel prices; in Corsica, French fishermen brought the port to a standstill, forcing several cruise ships, among others, to turn back; in Belgium, there were strikes in prisons, and, in Lisbon, metro workers brought public transport to a standstill. Mass strikes and protests in Italy, Greece and Spain have taken place against the genocide in Gaza. In the US, new sections of the working class are going on strike one after another: military and civilian Boeing workers, nurses, teachers and car workers, while millions take to the streets against Trump.

However, to prevail in the conflict with the oligarchs and shareholderswho are on a warpath, dictating attacks on workers in the economythe working class needs a new perspective and leadership capable of rising to the challenge.

The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) calls on all workers to build a global movement of the working class against war and social attacks. Aviation workers in particular will play a decisive role in this. They are locked in a struggle against global corporations. Not only will they jointly defend their rights, wages and conditions worldwide, but they will also help to stop all weapons for war and genocide, protect immigrants, refugees and migrants from deportation, and unite the working class internationally.

This struggle must be directed not only against the oligarchs and imperialist governments, but also against trade union bureaucracies of all stripes. They essentially represent the interests of the respective national corporations and governments. They divide workers along the lines of workplaces, sectors and nations. Even sectoral unions such as VC or UFO are no exception, let alone the service sector union Verdi, which quite openly colludes with the corporation against the strikers.

The trade unions are not fighting against mass redundancies. Worse still, they are helping to carry out the job cuts. A telling example of this is UFO, which has responded to the winding-up of CityLine merely by demanding a redundancy plan. UFO states as its strike demand: Conclusion of a collective agreement on a social plan with the contents listed below, and then lists points in the appendix such as notice periods of up to a maximum of 18 months, severance pay and entitlements in the event of a transfer to another airline.

All of this presupposes the winding up of CityLine. In other words: UFO has accepted the closure.
Kennedy Orwa and his 13-year-old son.

Kennedy Orwa, a PhD student in the University of Washingtons (UW) Information School researching AI applications in health systems, was detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on April 7 and deported the following day along with his 13-year-old son. Orwa is a member of the United Auto Workers (UAW).

Orwa, who is originally from Kenya, was returning to the United States when CBP officers directed him to retrieve his luggage from a location separate from baggage claim and then detained him. According to a GoFundMe set up to support Orwa and his son, CBP told both that they needed to return to Kenya and reapply for an F-1 visa. Neither was allowed to speak with a lawyer or their family and were put on a Delta Airlines flight the next day.

According to UAW Local 4121, CBP claimed that during the inspection process, Orwa disclosed information about previously working without work authorization in violation of our laws, and that he and his son subsequently withdrew their application for admission and departed voluntarily.

The claim that anyone could voluntarily deport after being detained is absurd. Whatever the legal fiction invented by the Trump administration, Orwa was clearly intimidated by immigration officers into leaving the country, no doubt knowing that he and his son would likely be thrown into one of the many immigrant concentration camps in the US.

For its part, UW issued a statement saying it was aware of the incident and had no reason to believe this questioning or re-entry status to the U.S. is related to the students academic program at the UW. The administration said it had connected Orwas family with legal resources, the states federal delegation and contacts at relevant embassies and consulates. It declined to comment further.

Seattles mayor, self-proclaimed socialist Katie Wilson, has said nothing about the deportation of Orwa. Both Wilson and UW have long ties to the Democratic Party, which has played an integral role in Trumps deportation campaign. Under both Obama and Biden, the deportation infrastructure was massively expanded, and the Democrats have collaborated with Trump at every turn.

Will Lehman, a Mack Trucks worker from Macungie, Pennsylvania and candidate for president of the United Auto Workers, issued a statement denouncing both the actions of the Trump administration to deport Orwa and the inaction of the UAW national leadership.

The statement calls on all UAW membersin auto plants, parts plants, and on campusesto mobilize in opposition to this assault on immigrant workers and democratic rights. It notes that the UAW International and President Shawn Fain have issued not a word to defend Orwa, oppose the deportation, or mobilize the membership against this assault on immigrant workers, connecting this to the UAW apparatus accommodation to Trump and his economic nationalist agenda.

The deportation of Orwa and his son is part of a broader and accelerating series of attacks by immigration officials against the working class in Washington state. According to data from the Deportation Data Project, immigration arrests in Washington jumped from 318 in the first quarter of 2025 to 744 in the same period of 2026, a 134 percent increase. Nearly half of those arrested had no criminal records, and nearly two-thirds of arrests took place in neighborhoods and workplaces rather than through jail transfers.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Boeing Field have emerged as central infrastructure for these operations. An analysis of Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) flight records by local television station KING 5 found more than 200 ICE-related flights arriving or departing Boeing Field in 2025 alone, with flights occurring roughly every two days. Transfers increased by nearly 240 percent over the course of the year. In January and February 2026, 26 ICE-related flights were recorded, compared to 16 in the same period of 2025.

KING 5 also reported that Ivan Guzman, a Shoreline father arrested in January while driving his toddler to daycare, was deported to Mexico within six days of his arrest. His employer raised more than $40,000 to retain an attorney, but by the time legal help was secured, Guzman had already been transferred to El Paso and then deported.

Civil rights attorney Jennie Pasquarella of the Seattle Clemency Project described the situation to the news outlet, When there is no transparency on where the person is, you dont want to file a [habeas petition] and have it kicked out because it turns out the person was already sent to Texas or some other state.

ICE is paying contractor CSI Aviation $673 million this fiscal year to operate deportation flights nationwide. Some of its subcontractors include GlobalX, Eastern Airlines, Omni Air International and iAero/Swift Air. And new contracts are estimated to be worth $1.5 billion.

Orwa is among the many graduate students being targeted by the Trump administration. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student and permanent resident, was arrested by ICE and subjected to deportation proceedings. Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University PhD student, was arrested and detained. Cornell graduate student Momodou Taal was forced to leave the United States under threat of deportation after suing the Trump administration. None of these students has been accused of criminal conduct. All are being targeted for voicing their opposition to the policies of the American government, including the ongoing immigration dragnet and US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza.

While many academic workers are members of the UAW, the union bureaucracy has refused to take action to defend then. At Columbia University, where student workers voted 91.5 percent to authorize a strike, UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla moved to block the action, threatening the local with receivership if members refused to abandon demands protecting non-citizen workers and restricting campus police collaboration.

At the University of California, UAW Local 4811 kept 40,000 academic workers on the job for nearly three weeks after their contract expired, defying a clear strike mandate, before forcing through a concessions agreement.

In his statement, Lehman called for the unity of all workers against the attack on immigrants. Immigrant workers are not our enemies, he said. They are our coworkers, neighbors and fellow workers. They are people driven across borders by war, exploitation and social devastation, all of it produced under both Democratic and Republican administrations. The persecution of immigrants is a warning to every worker: The same state powers being tested against the most vulnerable will be used against all workers as the class struggle intensifies...

Lehman concluded by calling on workers, students and educators at the University of Washington, and all workers in the UAW and beyond, to oppose the deportation of Kennedy Orwa and his son. My campaign calls for the formation of rank-and-file committees in workplaces and campuses to cut across the isolation imposed by the bureaucracy, linking immigrants and US-born workers in united action against raids, deportations and all forms of repression.
Photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in Zrariyeh, southern Lebanon. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)

BEIRUT, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Sunday that Lebanon is making efforts to halt the ongoing war and stressed the need to safeguard national unity and rebuild the state, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

Salam made the remarks while commemorating the anniversary of the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War on April 13, 1975.

The objective is not only to prevent a return to civil war, but also to build a just, strong, and unified state for all, he said.

He highlighted the importance of fully implementing the Taif Agreement, calling for rectifying any misapplications that violate its letter and spirit.

The Taif Agreement, negotiated in Saudi Arabia in 1989 and approved later that year, ended a 15-year-long civil war in Lebanon and reasserted the Lebanese government's authority in the south.

Hezbollah entered the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict on March 2 by launching rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire on Nov. 27, 2024, prompting Israel to carry out an intensified military campaign targeting multiple areas across the country.

Iran and the United States agreed to a ceasefire on Wednesday. Israel said it would abide by the truce but argued the agreement does not apply to Lebanon. That assertion was rejected by Iran and by mediator Pakistan.

The Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed 2,055 and wounded 6,588, according to a statement by Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operation Center on Sunday.

Editor: WSH
Lead candidate for the European Commission, current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, right, applauds as party president Manfred Weber speaks during an event at the European People's Party headquarters in Brussels, Sunday, June 9, 2024. [AP Photo]

The European Union is once again tightening its migration and asylum policy, and far-right parties are setting the pace. With deprivation of liberty and deportations to third countries, the fundamental rights of people seeking protection who have reached Europe are being violated.

At the end of March, the new Return Regulation was passed in the European Parliament as part of the tightened EU asylum policy (Common European Asylum SystemCEAS). In essence, it undermines the rights of migrants seeking protection who have found their way to the countries of the European Union. If they come from supposedly safe third countries, they are to be denied access to a fair asylum procedure. They will face detention, faster and harsher deportation against which they cannot effectively defend themselves and internment in countries with which they have no connection whatsoever.

Arbitrary detention

In the future, EU member states will be able to place migrants considered obliged to leave the country in deportation detention for up to 24 months. Previously, six months was the maximum period for the detention of rejected asylum seekers deemed to be prone to absconding. New criteria are being introduced that establish a risk of absconding or a security risk much more quickly. They thus are deemed to justify deportation detention. This will apply, for example, to people who have used forged documents during their flight, or who, in the opinion of the authorities, do not cooperate sufficiently in obtaining travel documents or verifying their identity.

The maximum deportation detention of two years can be extended indefinitely if it is judged that a refugee poses a security risk. No criminal conviction is required for this. The categorization of a refugee as a security risk can be based solely on the determination of the authorities.

This opens the door to arbitrary state action and represents a significant violation of the basic rights of asylum seekers in Europe. It is a clear breach of Article 6 of the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights, which grants everyone the right to liberty.

Pro Asyl, the largest German-based immigration advocacy organization, commented:

Overall, it is to be feared that with the planned expansion of deportation detention, a great many people will be deprived of their liberty for a disproportionately long timeand solely because they do not currently have a valid residence permit.

Indeed, the freedoms and fundamental rights of all peoplenative-born or immigrantare deeply threatened when representatives of the state can arbitrarily detain vulnerable groups or unpopular individuals. Such a practice is characteristic of dictatorships.

Deportation to third countries

With the new Return Regulation, the EU is also establishing legal grounds for the creation and operation of so-called Return Hubs in third countries outside Europe. At a meeting in Cyprus in January, EU interior ministers agreed on a concept of safe third countries. Rejected asylum seekers are to be deported more easily to these countries in future, even if there is no personal connection whatsoeverfor example through family, friends or previous staysand even if the country was not on the flight route of those seeking protection.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (Christian Social Union, CSU) is a strong supporter of this idea and has formed a core group involving EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner (Austrian Peoples Party, OVP) and member states the Netherlands, Denmark, Greece and Austria to get these camps for deportees on other continents underway. Which countries are currently involved in negotiations is unknown, but various African countries have already been brought into play. The Netherlands concluded an agreement with Uganda in 2025 for the establishment of a return hub. NBC News reports that discussions with Kenya are underway to accept rejected asylum seekers from Afghanistan and Syria. Dobrindt has announced the commissioning of return hubs before the end of 2026.

The Return Regulation does not prescribe concrete standards for the detention or provision of care for the affected people in third countries. Formally, only third countries are supposed to be considered where international human rights standards and the ban on deportation under international law are upheld. The so-called non-refoulement principle bans deportation to states where persecution threatens. But the formal declaration is unlikely to be worth the paper it is written on. The EU has been cooperating for years with states that are internationally criticised for their disregard of human rights standards, such as Tunisia, Niger, Egypt and Libya.

The draft version of the Return Regulation initially stipulated that minors, accompanied and unaccompanied, should not be deported to such third countries. The European Parliament and the member states have altered the regulation and created the possibility for children and their families to be deported to the return hubs. This is a clear breach of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which places the best interests of children and their protection at the centre, grants them freedom and rights and explicitly forbids punishment based on the status of their parents.

Test run for a coalition of CDU/CSU and the far-right AfD in Germany

The vote in the European Parliament on the Return Regulation was more than just approval of a legal framework for systematic human rights violations. It was also a test run for the direct cooperation of the conservative parliamentary group in the European Peoples Party (EPP) with the openly far-right parties, such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The parliamentary positions on EU migration laws, which were decided in the context of the new CEAS in recent weeks, were negotiated between the EPP and extreme right-wing faction groups in online chats and personal meetings, according to research by the DPA news agency. Accordingly, the EPP and the right wing formed a voting majority for the previously tightened version when the Return Regulation was passed.

Right-wing factions in the European Parliament cheered frantically when the new rules were passed, celebrating their success in pushing through a regulation that tramples on the rights of people seeking protection. They also celebrated their de facto coalition with the EPP, which raises the prospect of entering government in influential EU member states such as Germany.

The party and faction leader of the EPP, Manfred Weber, is simultaneously deputy chairman of the CSU and, like his party colleague Alexander Dobrindt, stands for a policy of utmost severity against migrants. As early as 2018 he pleaded for cooperation with Hungarys Prime Minister Viktor Orban to achieve the final solution to the refugee question at the EU level. In December 2025, looking ahead, he defended a future joint vote with far-right members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on immigration policy in a press interview, declaring, We will not let anyone stop us from halting illegal migration and securing our prosperity.

Weber had already overseen a similar collaboration between the EPP and the extreme right in October 2024 with the decision to upgrade the EUs external borders, as well as in November 2025 with the watering down of the European supply chain law. The EPP report on the current Return Regulation names the MEPs who collaborated on the documentincluding AfD MEP Mary Khan for the extreme right-wing faction Europe of Sovereign Nations. Thus, the European Parliament provides the forum in which a possible future German government coalition of CDU/CSU and AfD is already taking shape.

The working class must defend migrants and refugees

Migration policy is an indicator of the transition of bourgeois governments into authoritarian regimes. The EU likes to commend itself in Sunday speeches for being democratic and liberal, but in its asylum policy it openly shows its reactionary face.

The EU systematically disregards the human rights of refugees and accepts mass deaths at the external Mediterranean border and elsewhere, even promoting them through pushbacks and similar practices. It cooperates openly with criminal organisations like the Libyan coastguard in refugee deterrence. The treatment of vulnerable groups such as refugees is an indicator of how far governments are departing from officially recognized human rights and guaranteed freedoms.

A parallel to Trumps treatment of migrants in the US is obvious and not accidental. The mass detention and deportation of people considered irregular migrants is the political lever with which Trump and his henchmen are dismantling fundamental rights. Trump relies on a network of compliant autocratic regimes, such as El Salvador, to deport migrants to third countries. The brutal murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, committed by Trumps ICE immigration police, have shown the global public that such terror serves to intimidate the entire population.

In Europe and worldwide, the ruling class is increasingly resorting to forms of authoritarian rule, as war and the destruction of welfare state structures inevitably lead to resistance in the population. Governments are preparing to take off the gloves against their own populations in the current and upcoming struggles for raw materials and markets, and to suppress the demands of the working class for its share of the social wealth.

The working class must defend refugees and migrants in Europe and worldwide not simply out of pity, but out of a common interest. Any division along national and ethnic lines weakens the working class. It can effectively defend its democratic rights, social standards and freedoms only if it is united and fights for global equality, i.e., for an international socialist alternative to exploitation and oppression.
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The New York Times building in Midtown Manhattan, NYC [Photo by Credit: Wikimedia Commons/Ajay Suresh / CC BY-SA 4.0

On Sunday, the New York Times editorial board published a statement under the headline Trumps War Is Weakening America. It is a programmatic intervention, produced at a moment of acute strategic crisis for American imperialism, whose purpose is to define the political conditionsdomestic and internationalunder which the war against Iran can and must be resumed, reorganized and prosecuted to a conclusion consistent with the fundamental objectives of the United States ruling class.

The Times proceeds from a premise that the failure to achieve the wars objectives would constitute a strategic catastrophe for American global power.

The war against Iran, launched on February 28 during active diplomatic negotiations that Iran had indicated a genuine willingness to conclude, has produced a cascade of strategic failures whose full consequences are only beginning to be visible. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed to most commercial traffic. On Sunday, Trump announced the breakdown of talks in Pakistan and the imposition of a blockade of all ships entering or exiting the strait. Global oil prices have exceeded $100 per barrel.

The NATO alliance structure has been severely strained, with Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada and most of Western Europe declining to participate directly in the war or assist in reopening the strait. The military stockpile of critical weapons systems has been drawn down to levels that the Pentagon acknowledges will take years to restore. Iran, far from collapsing under the weight of American military power, has demonstrated that a country spending one-hundredth of the American military budget can impose strategic paralysis on the worlds largest economy through the asymmetric leverage of a single geographical choke point. The Islamabad negotiations have now failed after 21 hours of talks.

In these circumstances, the Times outlines what it considers essential for the success of next phase of the war: congressional authorization to provide domestic legitimacy; allied support to reconstruct the appearance of international consensus; strategic planning for the Strait of Hormuz; and coherent objectives for ending Irans nuclear program.

The New York Times speaks in this crisis with the authority of an institution whose commitment to American imperialism is an organic identity. It provided the fabricated intelligence on Iraqi weapons of mass destruction that prepared American public opinion for a war of aggression that killed over a million people. It supported the NATO destruction of Libya and the regime change operations in Syria. It served as the primary media legitimator of a drone assassination program that killed hundreds of civilians across seven countries, for none of whose deaths it ever demanded criminal accountability. When it has criticized American wars, it has done so in precisely the terms it employs hereas failures of planning and executionand has never, in its institutional history, characterized an American war of aggression as a crime requiring prosecution or reparations.

The Democratic Party, whose strategic perspective the Times articulates, is the historic party of American imperialism in its most institutionally sophisticated and far-sighted form. The architecture of postwar American hegemonythe United Nations, the Bretton Woods financial system, the network of military alliances, the doctrine of collective securitywas constructed under the auspices of the Democratic Party.

Democratic administrations launched the Cold War, divided Korea, escalated Vietnam into a catastrophe that killed 3 million people, imposed the sanctions on Iraq that killed half a million children, and developed the doctrine of humanitarian interventionism as ideological cover for wars of regime change across three decades.

Trump threatened, in language that can only be described as a declaration of genocidal intent, to erase Iranian civilization and bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong. His Secretary of War Pete Hegseth publicly threatened no quarter, no mercya direct statement of intent to commit war crimes under the Geneva Conventions, which explicitly prohibit the denial of quarter to combatants.

The war itself was launched during active diplomatic negotiations, in circumstances that constitute a fundamental violation of the principles under which negotiations between states are conducted. The assassination of a head of state during peace talks is a violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, and it also clashes with the head of states personal inviolability and immunity from foreign state interference.

Against this record, the Times reaches for the word carelessness. Trumps conduct of the war has been marked, it tells its readers, by a failure of careful military planning, by reliance on gut instinct and wishfulness. His threats to annihilate Iranian civilization are characterized as irresponsibility.

By portraying Trumps conduct as managerial failure rather than criminal responsibility, the Times preserves the possibility of the bipartisan coalition of Republicans and Democrats it is working to constructa coalition that cannot be built if Trumps conduct has been characterized as criminal and must therefore be prosecuted rather than incorporated into a shared strategic framework.

The Times declaration that Irans regime deserves no sympathy must be examined in the full context of what this war has done to human beings. The war opened with the assassination of Ali Khamenei in a strike that killed him alongside family members in his residence, as well as senior military commanders and government officials, in a country engaged in active negotiations. The strikes simultaneously inflicted mass casualties on civilian populations, including, by credible accounts, more than 100 children. The wives and family members of targeted officialspeople whose sole connection to the regime was the accident of familial relationship to those who held political powerwere killed in the same strikes.

The Times editorial, surveying this reality, informs its readers that the regime deserves no sympathy. Had Iran launched a comparable preemptive strike on Washingtonkilling the president, his officials and family members during active negotiations, while simultaneously killing over 100 American childrenthe Times and the entire political establishment would have responded with a fury that would have made the reaction to September 11 appear measured. The demand for accountability would have admitted no qualification.

The Iranian dead receive none of this. The children among them are unacknowledged. The widows of assassinated officials generate no moral consideration. The no sympathy formulation erases them from the moral universe within which the editorials readers are invited to evaluate the wara universe in which Iranian lives constitute a categorically different order of existence from American lives, one that imposes no obligations of acknowledgment or accountability on those who have taken them. This is not incidental to the editorials politics. It is their moral foundation, designed to ensure that Phase Two can be organized and prosecuted with the same indifference to Iranian human life that characterized Phase One.

The sentence that most precisely reveals this editorials political purpose is the following: It is also a mistake for any Americans, including Mr. Trumps critics, to root for this country to fail.

This country does not refer to the American working class, which bears every cost of this war. It refers to the American imperialist state and the system of capitalist power whose global dominance that state exists to maintain. To fail means to suffer strategic defeat at the hands of a nation exercising its fundamental right to defend its sovereignty.

The sentence is addressed specifically to Mr. Trumps critics, and its political content is unambiguous: Genuine opposition to this war that acknowledges Irans right to resist, demands the wars immediate termination and the withdrawal of all US military forces from the region, refuses to subordinate its analysis to the framework of American national interests, and welcomes the defeat of Americas criminal military operation falls outside the boundaries of permissible political discourse.

Rather, the permissible opposition must confine itself to criticizing Trumps methods and supporting the bipartisan pro-war coalition the Times is constructing. The warning targets the opposition that names the war as a crime and connects the fight against it to the fight against the capitalist system that produced it.

The call for Trump to involve Congress and seek help from Americas allies is a signal to the Democratic Party leadership about the role it is expected to play. Congressional authorization means the Democratic Party formally co-owning the war, providing it with the domestic political legitimacy that Trumps unilateral action has denied it, and transforming what is presently his political liability into a shared national commitment backed by both parties. Allied support means the reconstruction of the NATO relationship for the specific purpose of Phase Twoto reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force if necessary and present a unified Western front.

The Times editorial exposes the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and every pseudo-left organization and tendency that has oriented toward the Democratic Party.

The major political function of the DSA and the leading political figures associated with itsuch as Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdaniis the systematic preemption of genuine socialist and working class opposition to American imperialism.

By channeling the energy of workers and young people radicalized by war and inequality back into the framework of the Democratic Party, they perform the indispensable service of ensuring that radicalization never reaches the point of organizational and political independence from the ruling class. They are the mechanism through which the boundaries drawn by this editorial are enforced within the left itself. They are the guarantors that opposition to Trumps style never becomes opposition to the imperialist and capitalist interests his administration serves.

Sanders voted for every military appropriations bill that funded the weapons now deployed against Iran. His domestic program has never extended to a serious challenge to the financial architecture of American global dominance. Ocasio-Cortezs political trajectory has demonstrated that at every decisive confrontation between radical-sounding rhetoric and the partys imperialist practice, the rhetoric yields. Mamdani, the DSA mayor of New York, has met with Trump twice in the White House, including three days before the invasion, to advance a partnership with the fascist president.

When the Times warns Mr. Trumps critics not to root for American failure, it does so with the confidence of an institution that has watched these figures accommodate themselves to the Democratic Partys imperialist commitments at every previous moment of decision. The DSAs politics does not reflect a tactical error correctable through internal debate. It reflects the essential role of this organization as a political accomplice of imperialism.

What this editorial represents, in its fullest significance, is the response of the most politically sophisticated section of the American ruling class to a strategic crisis without precedent in the postwar period. In the space of six weeks, American imperialism has suffered a major and unforeseen military and strategic setback. Even more significant than the failure to achieve its military objectives is the staggering blow to its political and moral standing. The United States is now seen by billions of people around the globe as a criminal force. The threat made by its president to exterminate Iran will never be forgotten.

But the policies of the United States are not determined by moral considerations. The Times understands that Iran cannot be perceived to have won, that the Strait of Hormuz cannot remain under effective Iranian leverage, that the demonstration of American strategic failure cannot become the permanent new reference point against which every other power calibrates its relationship to Washington. Phase Two, under more competent and institutionally grounded direction, is what this editorial serves to prepare.

As the bourgeoisie prepares the next phase of the war, so the working class must consciously prepare its own response. The ruling class is organizing for renewed escalation. The working class must organize for revolutionary opposition.

The struggle against war requires the complete political independence of the working class from all the parties and institutions of the ruling class. That means a decisive break with the Democratic Party, which no less than the Republicans represents the interests of American imperialism. The development of an anti-war movement is impossible except on the basis of the independent mobilization of workers, in the United States and internationally, against the capitalist system that is the source of war. This independenceorganizational, political and ideologicalis not an abstract principle. It is the concrete political task posed by the present crisis with immense historical urgency.

What is required is the building of a political movement capable of opposing imperialismnot from within the framework of its institutions, not under the leadership of those whose function is to preempt and suppress genuine opposition, but on the basis of the independent historical interests of the working class and the socialist program that alone corresponds to those interests in the present crisis.

This is the perspective that guides the work of the Socialist Equality Party. We call on all workers and young people who agree with this perspective to contact and join the SEP.
Among the highlights of this years Berlinale were the two feature films Enjoy Your Stay, by Dominik Locher, and I Understand Your Displeasure (Ich verstehe Ihren Unmut), by Kilian Armando Friedrich.

Both films uncover a hidden world of misery. The first film focuses on migrant workers without rights who keep the Swiss luxury tourism industry going, while the second addresses precarious working conditions in the German cleaning industry.

Enjoy Your Stay

There is no shortage of money in Swiss director Lochers Enjoy Your Stay. Young children at a plush hotel toss wads of large bills around as part of their play. Why play with Monopoly money when your parents can provide the real thing?

The film is set in the winter resort town of Verbier in the Swiss Alps. Luz (Mercedes Cabral), an undocumented Filipino migrant, works as a cleaner in a hotel. She has to perform every kind of menial task to avoid being fired. Like millions of other casual workers in Europe, she has no residence papers.

Her boss, Thibault (Alexis Manenti), instructs her to use the back entrance designated for cleaning staff, which perfectly reflects her low status. Luzs sole goal is to earn enough money to be reunited with her daughter Sofia in the Philippines. Luz has separated from her husband, who has turned their custody battle into a public spectacle via a video broadcast.

Enjoy Your Stay casts a ruthless, unsentimental gaze on the human cost of Europes exclusive tourism industry. While guests ski down pristine slopes and enjoy their comfortable lives, Luz and her colleagues live in a parallel world marked by precariousness, surveillance and exploitation. No matter how hard she works, Luz can never earn enough to solve her problems. Her only way to make more money is to recruit other women into the same exploitative conditions she herself endures.

Enjoy Your Stay heads toward a quiet but devastating denouement: after a series of abuses, including an assault on a colleague, the women leave the resort. There is no liberating catharsis, no justice, no material improvement in their situation. Luz leaves just as she arrivedeconomically trapped, socially invisible and still unable to secure her future or that of her child.

Global capitalism depends on a transnational underclass whose labor is deliberately kept out of sight. The deluxe resort serves as a microcosm of this system: a place where wealth and leisure are made possible only through the extreme exploitation of migrant workers, whose legal and economic vulnerability ensures their subjugation.

The title Enjoy Your Stay is marked by biting irony. It is both a polite gesture toward the guests and a cruel reminder of the asymmetry at the heart of the narrative. For those who can afford leisure, the system runs smoothly. For those who sustain it, the experience is one of personal self-sacrifice and erasure.

It is impossible to watch the film without recalling that just a few months ago, the global capitalist elite gathered in the sumptuous hotels of another Swiss resort town, Davosfour hours awaywith the aim of further widening the already vast gap between the super-rich and the broad masses of the population. And 90 minutes away lies the resort town of Crans-Montana, where earlier this year a fire in a discotriggered by cost-cutting measures in the pursuit of profitclaimed the lives of over 40 young people and left more than 100 with severe burns.

I Understand Your Displeasure

Kilian Armando Friedrich and co-director Tizian Stromp Zargari previously presented the documentary Nuclear Nomads (Nomades du nucleaire) at the 2023 Berlinale. It depicted French migrant workers who maintain and clean nuclear facilities at the risk of their lives.

I Understand Your Displeasure, the title of Friedrichs debut feature film, is what Heike (Sabine Thalau), 59, manager of a small German cleaning company, often says on the phone as she rushes from site to site in her car, attempting to placate dissatisfied customers who expect top quality at discount prices. The clients are supermarkets, construction sites, schools, kindergartens, retirement homes and so on. Turnover among the cleaning companys international workforce is high, leaving little time for training. Mistakes are not uncommon.

Sabine Thalau in I Understand Your Displeasure (Ich verstehe Ihren Unmut)

Although the company pays union-rate wages, cost pressures force it to collaborate with a subcontractor, Vadim, who pays below-minimum wages. An industry-wide strike means stress for the boss. Heike and her Bosnian colleague Taja (Nada Kosturin) hand out vouchers to discourage the workers from joining the walkout. Despite her supervisory position, Heikes job is just as precarious as everyone elses.

When she tries to help an African asylum seeker employed by the subcontractor who needs a legal job, her boss tells her that if Vadim pulls out of their dealings because of her attempt to poach the African, he will no longer need her as site manager. To appease Vadim, who persistently demands new contracts, Heike fires a Bosnian colleague, accusing him of a theft she herself fabricated.

A highlight of the film is the confrontation between Heike and a daycare center director who terminates the companys cleaning contract. Heike had asked her roommate Detlef to clean at the daycare center out of necessity (a worker had suddenly fallen ill). Detlef did everything wrong. Heike and the daycare directortwo managers in different industries, who both want to do a good job but suffer from the same lousy working conditions, especially staff shortagesyell at each other in frustration.

The job is also destroying Heikes personal life. Unable to switch off after work, she snaps at Detlef, as soon as she comes home, telling him to clean up. It annoys her when he lies relaxed on the couch reading after she has been working hard all day. Detlef has his own problems.

When social services representatives come to check whether the two might still be a couple, he suddenly falls to the floor, gasping for air. The daycare incident has also taken a toll on his nerves, and when Heike one day unexpectedly and disappointedly asks him why he took money from her without asking, he silently moves out.

When the boss learns that Heike is diluting cleaning supplies (she and Taja use the profit to supplement their meager wages), this is the last straw. Heike quits. The boss wants to overlook her offencehe needs her. But Heike is deeply hurt because, of all people, Taja betrayed her. Just recently, Heike had helped her with money for her sick mother in Bosnia.

The film captivates with its detailed portrayal. The non-professional actress playing Heike, Sabine Thalau, is a cleaner herself, and director Friedrich also worked in the cleaning industry for a time. Heike breaks down under the pressure of work and an unsolvable inner conflict: in a system where only efficiency and profit count, it is impossible for her to act in the interests of her colleagues and the company at the same time. She drives her colleagues relentlessly.

I Understand Your Displeasure presents no easy solution to Heikes dilemma. At a farewell party, she gives an emotional speech about the need to stick together and do something on their own. When, to everyones surprise, she announces plans to start her own cleaning company where there are no bosses and workers decide their own working hours, the reaction is muted. The state employment office brings Heike back down to earth. The case worker strongly advises against starting any experiments at her age. In a few years, shell be able to enjoy her benefitsi.e., a minimum pension.

Throughout I Understand Your Displeasure, theres a touching, unspoken solidarity among the co-workers from all over the world, who are prepared to forgive and forget. All of them show up at the farewell party hosted by the rather unpopular Heikeincluding the Bosnian worker who had lost his job because of her, and the asylum seeker disappointed by Heike, but who now hopes to be hired by a construction company after his probationary period.

Previously, Taja had sharp words for Heike. As a German, she argued, Heike couldnt understand what it meant for someone coming from a war zone (the former Yugoslavia) to build a life here. In the end, they stand on a balcony, and Taja pulls out a small birthday cake, sticks a candle in it: Make a wish! Heike, too, is on the verge of forgiving the betrayal. Taja wasnt herself when the boss put her under immense pressure.

Both films resist portraying the respective behavior of Luz or Heikeborn of desperate situationsas a matter of individual failure or moral weakness. Instead, they underscore a central truth: under capitalism, personal decisions can be so severely restricted that they become almost irrelevant. The problem is not that Luz or Heike make wrong decisions, but that the social structure itself offers no viable path to dignity or security.

Concluded
25 years ago: Ethiopian Special Forces massacre 41 university students

On April 18, 2001, Ethiopian Special Forces remorselessly massacred 41 university students and unemployed young people at Addis Ababa University (AAU). Several hundred students sustained appalling injuries. Nearby homes of workers were ransacked, with police bludgeoning women and children. Those fortunate enough to escape were hunted down in churches and mosques and dragged into military vehicles. Police imprisoned many thousands of students at a police training building in the village of Sendafa, 38 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of the capital Addis Ababa. Distressed parents travelled to the village seeking life and death answers, but government officials stonewalled any discussion.

Two days before the bloodbath, student leaders met with Genet Zewdie, the Minister of Education and president of the University Senate. Zewdie set an ultimatum, either return to classes by noon on the April 18 or face an act of voluntary withdrawal from the university and outright banning. Peaceful demonstrations grew and spread throughout the city to additional universities, drawing in unemployed young people. Police and university officials responded with brute force, foreshadowing mass repression and killing.

The central point of contention was the democratic rights of university students. AAU administration had outlawed the student council and proscribed its newspaper. In response to this blatant act of censorship, students organized boycotts, demanding freedom of association, the removal of armed police stationed throughout the campus, the reinstatement of the student council and the right to publish the student newspaper.

The University of Addis Ababa, in the Ethiopian capital city

The suppression of dissent at AAU mirrored a much broader political attack on oppositional parties and organizations, and even poor people. Ethiopians ruling coalition government of the Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the dominant Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) scoured the streets of Addis Ababa for homeless people to lock up. Around 15,000 political opponents of the regime were rounded up and put behind bars. Heavily criticized by the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) for human rights violations, TPLF forged ahead with more repression, accusing EHRCO of promoting anarchy and laying the foundation for silencing any criticism of the regimes political crackdown.

Social unrest and political repression were symptoms of a two-year war with neighbouring Eritrea that left over 100,000 dead, devastated the economy and pauperized the Ethiopian masses. The country ranked 171 out of 174 in the Human Development Index with one in ten of the population needing food assistance to survive and 6.2 million people labeled food insecure.

When the government reopened AAU, only allowing two days for course registration, students courageously refused to reenter until the police freed their comrades from jail cells and detention camps.

50 years ago: India and China announce restoration of diplomatic relations

On April 15, 1976, the Indian government announced the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China. This move ended a 15-year period of hostilities during which neither of the two most populous nations in the world had maintained an ambassador in the others capital.

In a statement to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of the Indian Parliament), External Affairs Minister Y.B. Chavan announced the appointment of K.R. Narayanan as the new Ambassador to Beijing. Addressing the chamber, Chavan explained that the decision to elevate Indias representation back to the ambassadorial level was rooted in the governments broader security and economic interests in normalizing relations with its neighbors and easing regional tensions.

The Chinese government reciprocated the move shortly thereafter. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing welcomed the development, noting that the exchange of ambassadors was a positive step toward the improvement of relations between the two countries.

Indian ambassador to China K. R. Narayanan

The Stalinist bureaucracy in the Soviet Union viewed the move with apprehension, fearing a weakening of the Indo-Soviet treaty agreements. Immediately after the announcement, a high-level Soviet delegation was sent to New Delhi carrying an urgent invitation for Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to visit Moscow later that summer to reaffirm the pact between the two countries.

Following the victory of the Chinese Revolution, the new Maoist-led Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and recently independent India initially sought to establish friendly relations. India was among the first outside the Eastern Bloc countries to recognize the PRC in 1950, and the two nations sought to build an anti-colonial alliance under the slogan of Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai (India and China are brothers).

However, by 1960 these relations had already broken down as the Indian ruling elite shifted to align with the United States and accepted billions of dollars in economic aid, while maintaining its military ties to the Soviet Union, at odds with China in what became the Sino-Soviet split. The Indian government allowed the CIA to stage operations against China from within India, including, most notably, orchestrating and supplying arms to the failed 1959 Tibetan Uprising.

Long-standing disagreements over the 2,000-mile India-China border began to militarize. In October 1962, Chinese forces launched a series of offensives across the disputed territories, decisively overrunning Indian positions. Although China declared a unilateral ceasefire and withdrew to its 1959 lines of control, India responded by ending formal relations.

By 1976, the world political situation had again dramatically changed. The US defeat in Vietnam and recent agreements with Beijing opened the door for India to follow in normalizing relations. India, facing a massive internal crisis and ruling through emergency dictatorial powers to suppress working class opposition, was eager to find an agreement with China that could help add some stability to bourgeois rule.

For Chinas part, the reestablishment of relations signaled that the Maoists in the Chinese Communist Party approved the suppression of the Indian working class. They had long abandoned a program of internationalism and instead looked for any arrangement that would advance the position of their own bureaucratic apparatus.

75 years ago: European Coal and Steel Community founded with the Treaty of Paris

On April 18, 1951, the Treaty of Paris was signed to form the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), an early precursor to the European Union. The six countries that formed the ECSC and which signed the Treaty were France, West Germany, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

In addition to the ECSC, the Treaty of Paris established key executive and legislative bodies including the High Authority and the European Parliamentary Assembly. These institutions would later be reorganized into the European Commission and the European Parliament, respectively, of the present-day European Union.

The ECSC emerged from the Schuman Plan, proposed almost a year earlier by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman to organize free movement of coal and steel between France and West Germany by placing their production under the control of a single body. The plan, later expanded to include the other four countries which signed the Paris Treaty, was part of the post-war reconstruction of European capitalism, in an attempt by the ruling class to sustain economic development without leading to another imperialist war between the major powers.

The formal document of the Treaty of Paris, establishing the ECSC [Photo by Marc Barronet / CC BY-SA 4.0

The United States supported this initiative at the time, funneling billions of dollars in aid via the Marshall Plan to rebuild the European economies which had been devastated by war. Besides ensuring that American capitalism had a European market to receive its exports, the US also supported European integration for the purpose of creating a political bloc against the Soviet Union.

While the ECSC was officially in force for 50 years, it was superseded by the European Economic Community in 1957, and later by the European Union (EU) in 1993. Despite the rhetoric of peace and international cooperation, the EU has functioned as an enforcer of austerity and war ever since its formation two years after the dissolution of the USSR.

100 years ago: Martha Graham premieres first dance pieces in New York

On April 18, 1926, choreographer Martha Grahams first independently produced modern dance pieces, Novelette and Chorale, set the music of Cesar Franck and Robert Schumann respectively, premiered at the 48th Street Theater in New York City.

These early works represent Graham in a state of artistic transition. She was beginning to shed the decorative, exotic style of her mentors in the Denishawn school of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shaw but hadnt yet fully realized the stark modernism that would later define her work.

Reviews were favorable. The New York Herald Tribune noted: Miss Graham gave a successful performance, showing ability to present a mood or a picture, with the assets of grace, agility, effective poses and well-chosen costumes.

The program for Martha Grahams first public dance performances in New York City

Denishawn performances were spectacles that used elaborate costumes (sometimes including silk and jewels) with heavy lighting effects, incense and intricate sets. They projected dance as a religious expression.

The starker Martha Graham that was fully to emerge in a few years would reflect, as she saw it, the harshness of the American landscape, and the inner world of fear, grief, rage or sorrow.

Graham developed a mode of dance in which the center of the body was the pelvis and the gut, moved by contraction, a sharp exhalation that curves the spine, that looks like a gasp of pain, followed by a release, an inhalation that expands the body. Her angular, weighted dance became a hallmark of modernism.

Earlier that month Graham founded the Martha Graham School of Dance at a small studio in Carnegie Hall where she worked and lived, an accommodation with no kitchen and no bathroom.

While she was not known as a political activist, like much of the American artistic intelligentsia, she opposed fascism. She is famous for her refusal to dance at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games on the invitation of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda.

Grahams statement of refusal read: I would find it impossible to dance in Germany at the present time. So many artists whom I respect and admire have been persecuted... that I should consider it impossible to identify myself... with the regime that has made such things possible.
Oil tankers and cargo ships line up in the Strait of Hormuz as seen from Khor Fakkan, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. [AP Photo/Altaf Qadri]

U.S. Central Command announced Sunday that American warships will begin blockading all maritime traffic entering or exiting Iranian ports on Monday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The guided-missile destroyers USS Michael Murphy and USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. entered the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

The blockade follows 21 hours of negotiations in Islamabad between Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibafthe highest-level face-to-face meeting between American and Iranian officials since the 1979 revolution. Iran refused to accept US demands that would effectively reduce it to a colonial protectorate: the dismantlement of all nuclear enrichment facilities, the handover of nearly 1,000 pounds of enriched uranium, the withdrawal of support for Hezbollah and Hamas and the unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Vance called the US proposal our final and best offer and left without scheduling further talks.

US President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Truth Social Sunday, declaring: Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz. He called Irans control of the waterway WORLD EXTORTION and ordered the Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.

Trump added: Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL! He concluded: Our Military will finish up the little that is left of Iran!

In a Fox News interview Sunday, Trump threatened to destroy Irans remaining civilian infrastructure. The only thing left, really, is their water, which would be very devastating to hit, he said. I would hate to do it, but its their water, their desalination plants, their electric generating plants, which are very easy to hit.

On April 1, Trump delivered a prime-time address vowing to send Iran back to the Stone Ages and threatened to destroy each and every one of their electric generating plants. On Easter Sunday, he posted a profanity-laced threat signed Praise be to Allah. By April 7, Trump announced a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan. The ceasefire lasted five days.

Oil surged above $100 a barrel on the blockade announcement. Dow futures dropped 517 points. Gasoline stands at $4.13 a gallon nationally, up 38 percent since February 28, with five states above $5. More than 600 vessels remain trapped in the Gulf. Goldman Sachs has called the closure of the Strait the largest oil supply shock in recorded history and raised the probability of a US recession to 30 percent. The Philippines has declared a national energy emergency. A third of global fertilizer supply normally passes through the Strait; urea prices have jumped 32 percent in a single week.

The Strait is 21 miles wide at its narrowest point. The shipping lane is two miles wide in each direction. The Iranian coastline flanking the waterway is lined with anti-ship missile batteries, coastal artillery and drone launch sites. Iran possesses an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 naval mines and has claimed to have lost track of where they were planted. More than 60 percent of its fast-attack boats remain intact.

US warships operating at close range inside this waterway are exposed to missile and drone attacks from the Iranian coast and from the islands Iran controls within the Strait. Any exchange of firea warning shot, a mine strike, a drone hit on a destroyerwould produce significant American military casualties and create the conditions for a massive further escalation of the war. Thirteen US service members have been killed since February 28. The loss of a warship, or a mass-casualty event involving sailors, would transform the political dynamics of the conflict overnight.

Over the past six weeks, leading figures in the US political establishment have called for a ground invasion of Iran, including the seizure of Kharg Island, through which 90 percent of Irans oil exports are processed. Marines from three Marine Expeditionary Units and a combat brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division have arrived or are en route to the Persian Gulf. More than 50,000 US service members are deployed across the region.

Irans Revolutionary Guards warned Sunday that any military vessel approaching the Strait under any title or pretext would be considered a ceasefire violation and would meet with a severe response. Mohsen Rezaei, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, said Iran had large, untouched levers to counter any blockade.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X Sunday that Iran had engaged with US in good faith to end the war. But when just inches away from Islamabad MoUa memorandum of understanding that would have formalized the ceasefire termswe encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade.

Five days ago, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the United States and Iran along with their allies have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere, including Lebanon and elsewhere, effective immediately. He invited delegations to Islamabad on April 10 to negotiate a permanent settlement.

Each ceasefire Trump has announced in this conflict has preceded further military action. After the June 2025 ceasefire that halted Operation Midnight Hammer, the US resumed and expanded the war eight months later with the full-scale assault that began on February 28. The strategic objectives of the United States have not changed. Washington launched this war to impose direct control over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and to eliminate Iran as an obstacle to American global hegemony. The blockade is the next phase of that project.

The Democratic Party, while criticizing the way Trump is waging the war, agrees with its basic aims. Senator Tim Kaine told ABCs This Week on Sunday: They are a regional threat. The regime is bad actors for sure. We need to make sure that Iran doesnt get a nuclear weapon, while criticizing Trumps waging of the war without congressional authorization.

The New York Times editorial board, speaking for the same political orientation, called Trumps conduct glaring incompetence Sunday and urged him to involve Congress and seek help from Americas allies.
The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka call on plantation and other workers, students, teachers and residents of the Central Hills district to attend an important public meeting in Hatton to oppose the criminal US-Israeli war against Iran.

This war is not a distant regional dispute. It is a predatory offensive by American imperialism, backed by its Israeli ally to seize control of energy resources and reassert US global hegemony in a period of capitalist breakdown. The assault on Iran is part of the US drive to establish its hegemony in the Middle East at the expense of its rivals, especially China and Russia. The European imperialist powers are supporting the US despite their tactical differences with Washington.

The socalled ceasefire announced by Trump is a fragile, tactical pause to rearm, reposition and prepare for renewed aggression. Within hours it was exposed as a sham when Israel continued bombing Lebanon and Washington signaled it was loading up the ships for further attacks. The pause changes nothing: the imperialist objectives remain, and the ruling elites will use any lull to consolidate military advantage.

Workers will pay the cost. War abroad means austerity, price rises and attacks on wages at home. Sri Lankan workers are already suffering from surging fuel and food costs driven by the conflict, and the plantation and export sectorsthe backbone of Hill Country livelihoodsare immediately vulnerable.

The JVP/NPP government, while posing as neutral and calling for restraint, has not condemned the US and Israeli aggression against Iran. The government and all bourgeois parties are aligned with US imperialism.

Only the international working class has the social power to halt the war machine. The SEP insists that the fight to stop imperialist war must be rooted in an independent, socialist and internationalist movement of workers.

At the Hatton meeting we will discuss: the real aims of the US-Israel offensive; how war and austerity are linked; the role of Sri Lankas capitalist parties and pseudoleft tendencies in misleading workers; and the concrete steps for building an international antiwar movement based on the working class and a socialist program.

Date: Sunday, April 26

Time: 10:30 a.m.

Venue: Town Hall, Hatton
Thousands of people joined demonstrations across New Zealand on April 11 to oppose the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran and Lebanon, and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

In Auckland, hundreds marched from Aotea Square to the US consulate, while in Wellington about 400 people marched to parliament. Rallies were also held in Christchurch, Dunedin and the regional centres of Blenheim and New Plymouth.

Protesters marching towards parliament in Wellington, April 11, 2026

The corporate media blacked out the protests. Since the US-Israeli bombing campaign began, NZ media outlets have highlighted small pro-war demonstrations by far-right Iranian supporters of Reza Pahlavi, the son of the former US-backed Shah whose brutal regime was overthrown by the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Protesters condemned the National Party-led governments alliance with Washington and its silence on US and Israeli war crimes. Last week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters travelled to Washington to meet Secretary of State Marco Rubioa visit which coincided with President Donald Trumps threat that a whole civilisation will die unless Iran surrendered.

Asked by Radio NZ to respond to Trumps genocidal statement on April 8, Peters said Im not going to comment. He also falsely claimed that the NZ government had never expressed support for the war. In fact, on March 1, Peters and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon issued a statement that endorsed the US-Israeli bombing of Iran and condemned Irans retaliation.

The World Socialist Web Site spoke with several people taking part in the Wellington demonstration.

Niamh called the governments position spineless. They dont really take a stance, and in not taking a stance they become complicit in whats happening. She added, We can be in opposition to the US-Israeli war and also oppose the authoritarian regime in Iran, and be in solidarity with the people who are affected.

Hamed, a student from Iran, told the WSWS: America and Israel bombed my cousins house in the west of Tehran. They are all living with my aunt now. Everyone knows why America and Israel attack countries like Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq, or Venezuela. They just attack them for money, they want the oil.

Alison

Alison said she did not think the ceasefire deal announced by Trump on April 7 would hold. Its not even really a ceasefire, because the first thing that happened is Israel bombed Lebanon: 100 bombs in 10 minutes. Pointing to the danger of further escalation, she said I certainly wouldnt put it past Israel to drop a nuclear bomb, adding that Trump was also capable of doing so.

People are becoming more aware of how horrific the foreign policy of most Western governments is. Its all tied in with capitalism and, for the last 40 years, neoliberalism. It is becoming clear that theyre just out to grab the oil. Not just that, they want to destroy and pulverise any other civilisations.

Asked whether she thought workers should strike to stop the production and shipment of weapons for the war, Alison noted that this had only happened on a few occasions, including a strike by Italian dock workers against the Gaza genocide. She said: I think in New Zealand the unions are very conservative, theyre not doing their jobs.

The unions have not organised any industrial action against the governments support for Israeli and US wars.

Joshua, a US citizen, condemned the US support for Israel as it brazenly violated the so-called ceasefire. If any other country were to do what Israels doing, attacking their neighbours all the time, they would be condemned.

He said the US Democrats were no alternative: No matter who wins the election, US imperialism wins. In any of these wars, the average person I dont think is in favour. Of course theyre the people who actually bear the cost. The people in power, theyre not sending their sons and daughters to go fight, theyre not losing their livelihood.

Sara

Sara said, As an American and a New Zealand citizen I feel particularly disgusted about what the US has done over recent years, and especially since February 28. I would like our [NZ] government to make a more vocal stand against the war. I would like the ceasefire to turn into something a lot more lasting. I dont know how hopeful I am right now.

She described the condemnation of Irans missile strikes by the Luxon government as one-sided, adding that the bombing of Iran was likely to strengthen its theocratic and repressive regime.

Im so appalled and sick of everything coming out of the White House, Sara said, including the blatant lies used to justify the war. She said the war was being driven by greed on the part of Trump and his allies, and was also an exercise to keep [Israeli PM Benjamin] Netanyahu out of prison.

Sara drew a connection between the wars abroad and rising domestic repression in the US, including the massive, obviously fascist funding and expansion of supposed immigration policing, which is inflicting massive suffering on immigrants.

Several people told the WSWS that they hoped after the November election a new government led by Labour and the Greens would distance NZ from the US and Israel. The Wellington rally organisers, including Peace Action, the union bureaucracy, and various middle class activist groups, focused on denouncing the government and said little about the opposition parties.

At the Auckland protest, the pseudo-left Socialist Aotearoa leader Joe Carolan said: If we want to get rid of this right-wing government, were going to need Labour. Thats why its good to see them as part of this movement.

After this warm welcome, Labour MP Phil Twyford told the crowd, The US-Israel war against Iran is an illegal war of aggression. Green Party MP Ricardo Menendez March said: You simply cannot achieve freedom, peace or justice by committing genocide. He said the Greens would push for NZ to leave the Five Eyes, the US-led intelligence-sharing alliance, to hold the United States to account and to sanction Israel for its war crimes.

The WSWS warns that these capitalist parties do not represent any alternative to militarism and war. The 2017-2023 Labour-led coalition governmentwhich included the Greens and, in its first three years, the right-wing NZ First Party led by Winston Petersstrengthened ties with US imperialism. It sent troops to the UK to train Ukrainian conscripts for the US-NATO proxy war against Russia. In October and November 2023, the Labour government defended Israels genocidal assault on Gaza.

Labour and the union bureaucracy support the current governments plan to double military spending, which is aimed at integrating NZ into US-led war preparations, particularly against China.

If it was in office now, NZ Labour would behave similarly to the Labour governments in Britain and Australia, which are providing diplomatic backing and military-intelligence support for US imperialism in the Middle East and around the world.
Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell, who had been the leading Democrat in the election for governor of California, announced late Sunday that he was ending his campaign as a result of allegations of sexual misconduct made by several women, including a former staff member.

California gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California appears at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. [AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli]

In a statement posted on X, he wrote:

I am suspending my campaign for Governor. To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been madebut thats my fight, not a campaigns.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi both urged Swalwell to end his gubernatorial campaign after the San Francisco Chronicle published a lengthy account Friday of claims made by the former staff member, who said that Swalwell had raped her.

CNN published more details of allegations by other women, and by Saturday there was a full-scale media feeding frenzy on the issue, with demands that Swalwell resign his seat in Congress as well as ending his campaign for state governor.

A statement issued by Jeffries and other House Democratic leaders called for a swift investigation as well as the end of his current campaign. This is unacceptable of anyonecertainly not an elected officialand must be taken seriously, they said.

This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability, Pelosi said in a statement. As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.

Two co-chairmen of the Swalwell campaign, Democratic congressmen Jimmy Gomez and Adam Gray, immediately revoked their endorsements after the Chronicle story was published.

Swalwell launched his campaign for governor last November, forgoing reelection from the 14th Congressional District, which includes portions of the Bay Area east, including all or parts of the cities of San Leandro, Hayward, Union City, Fremont and Livermore. He only emerged as the leading Democratic candidate in a poll published last month, ahead of billionaire Tom Steyer, who has already spent $110 million on his own campaign, and former Representative Katie Porter.

Under the jungle primary system used in California, all candidates of all parties will appear on a June 2 primary ballot, with the top two candidates, regardless of party, advancing to a November runoff. The leading Republican in the race, right-wing talk-show host Steve Hilton, was just endorsed by President Trump. He is polling slightly behind Swalwell. The current governor, Democrat Gavin Newsom, is term-limited and will leave office at the end of this year.

The rush to drive Swalwell out of the gubernatorial race and out of Congress comes before any of the allegations against him have been seriously investigated. The Democratic-controlled Manhattan district attorneys office has taken the lead in the case, since the Swalwell aide says that he attacked her in a hotel room there. The Manhattan DAs office urged survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact its Special Victims Division.

The reference to survivors and the demands that Swalwell resign his seat immediately are typical of the anti-democratic attacks on due process and presumption of innocence that have characterized the #MeToo scandal-mongering campaign since its inception.

There is no reason to believe or disbelieve the allegations made by Swalwells former staffer until her testimony has been tested against other evidence. That Congress and the two capitalist parties that control it are both rife with political, financial and moral corruption is hardly a secret.

Any charges against Swalwell would likely be referred to the House Ethics Committee, which is already investigating Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida on financial corruption charges and Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas for sexual misconduct that allegedly contributed to the suicide of a former aide.

Most of Swalwells current campaign and congressional staff signed a statement supporting the former staffer and urging the congressman to end his gubernatorial campaign and resign from his seat immediately. Writing that they were horrified by the allegations, they said, We stand with our former colleague, and the other women who have come forward. We believe you should stand with them, too.

The timing of the Chronicle expose is certainly politically motivated, since it comes barely two weeks after Swalwell appeared to separate himself from the other Democratic contenders, in large measure because he has postured as an aggressive opponent of Trump and the fascistic operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The article was published after the deadline passed for any new candidate to enter the race, and less than three weeks before the first of two televised debates scheduled for the primary campaign.

Besides Steyer and Porter, the other prominent Democrats in the race include former Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra; former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan; California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond; and former State Controller Betty Yee. None of these candidates has topped five percent in recent polls.

The moves to oust Swalwell were a major topic of discussion on several Sunday television interview programs. Representative Eugene Vindman of Virginia, a Ukrainian-born former Army officer who played a role in the first impeachment of Donald Trump, called on Swalwell to resign from Congress as well as drop out of the governors race.

Representative Pramila Jayapal, chair of the House Progressive Caucus, said she would vote to expel both Swalwell and Republican Tony Gonzales from the House (neither has been criminally charged, let alone convicted). I do think that both of them need to step down from Congress, let these investigations happen, she said. I think that this is very important that we believe women, and that we show people across the Capitol and across the country that we will not accept this kind of behavior.

The believe women slogan raised by the #MeToo campaign amounted to convicting accused men based on accusation alone, rejecting the need for evidence or the legitimacy of any form of challenge or cross-examination, even for the most dubious and flimsy allegations.
Ulas Sevinc, leader of the Sosyalist Esitlik Partisi  Dorduncu Enternasyonal, Turkish section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, released a video statement on X Saturday, condemning the arrest of independent union leader Basaran Aksu. Below, we are publishing the English translation of this speech.

Basaran Aksu, leader of Umut-Sen and Independent Mining Workers Union, was unlawfully arrested on Thursday, April 9th.

As the Sosyalist Esitlik Partisi  Dorduncu Enternasyonal (Socialist Equality Party - Fourth International), we insist that this arrest is aimed at intimidating to the entire working class and we reject this attack.

We call on all workers to defend Basaran Aksu, the imprisoned BIRTEK-SEN leader Mehmet Turkmen, the imprisoned Akbelen Forest protester Esra Isk, and all other working-class prisoners, and to demand their release.

If one of the main slogans of workers on the upcoming May Day is No to the imperialist war against Iran, then another must be Freedom for the prisoners of the working class!

Basaran Aksu, like Mehmet Turkmen, was arrested as part of a deliberate offensive by the ruling class against the working class.

They were arested because they exposed the brutal exploitation of the working class, the ill-gotten wealth derived from this exploitation, and the structures of class rule designed to preserve and perpetuate these capitalist exploitative relations. They were arrested because of the role they played in the emerging independent workers movement against this exploitative system.

Unlike the dominant union bureaucracy, these labor leaders do not act as extensions of the state and corporations. Because they are leading the initial stages of the resurgent labor movement, they are viewed as a threat. By turning a blind eye to these attacks, union confederationsincluding DISKare effectively condoning them and are complicit.

The intensification of this wave of arrests and repression in recent months is no coincidence. During this period, there has been a significant rise in class struggles, including wildcat strikes. Migros warehouse workers, textile workers in Gaziantep, and Polyak miners in Izmir have waged significant struggles. In these struggles, Basaran Aksu and Mehmet Turkmen played a role that was deeply troubling to the ruling class.

During the same period, Turkiyes NATO ally, the United States, launched an imperialist war of aggression against Iran alongside Israel. The overwhelming majority of the population in Turkiye, facing rising living costs and economic hardshipover 90 percent according to pollsopposed this unjust war. However, the government adopted a stance completely contrary to the will of the population and even condemned Irans right to defend itself against the aggression.

The working classs stance toward imperialist war and the capitalist oligarchys increasing exploitation and enrichment is diametrically opposed to the governments stance on these issues. It is precisely this class antagonism that lies behind the growing assault on the working classs independent organization and actions, and on democratic rights.

The solution is not to call on the government to reform and change its policies, or to elect another government in the next election that also represents the capitalist oligarchy, which is inextricably linked to imperialism.

The entire political establishment, by their very nature, cannot solve the urgent social and democratic problems of the overwhelming majority of the population. It requires a frontal attack on the wealth, power, and ties of the capitalist oligarchy to imperialism. It requires a struggle for workers' power and international socialism. Join the Sosyalist Esitlik Partisi in this struggle!
US-European conflicts have exploded in the weeks leading up to the sudden US cease-fire with Iran announced by Donald Trump last Tuesday. Trump repeatedly lashed out at European regimes and in particular at French President Emmanuel Macron, accusing him of being very unhelpful in Iran.

Trumps outbursts, delivered alongside genocidal threats to bomb Iran back to the Stone Age, aim to cloud, not to illuminate the situation. The French government, as its other European counterparts, remains deeply complicit in the US war. However, the ranting of Americas fascist president points to the irreconcilable conflicts between the major imperialist powers underlying US imperialisms war of aggression against Iran.

On March 30, Trump denounced Macron on Truth Social as very unhelpful for refusing to let US planes overfly France to transport cargo to Israel. On March 31, he told the UK and French navies that if their countries lacked fuel, they should build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait [of Hormuz], and just TAKE IT. On April 1, he mocked Macron over the televised slap Macron received from his wife on a visit in Vietnam, claiming Macron is still recovering from the right to the jaw.

Trump was aiming at more than just Macrons denial of US overflight rights or his refusal to allow French warships to leave the Mediterranean and face Iranian anti-ship missiles in the Persian Gulf. His outbursts reflected explosive inter-imperialist conflicts building up in the NATO alliance. As Trump spoke, Paris was preparing a definite, though limited outreach to Irans allies, in particular China, that cuts across basic objectives of US foreign policy.

On April 2, France joined Russia and China in blocking a UN Security Council resolution, sponsored by the Persian Gulf oil sheikdoms, authorizing the use of force against Iran. This was the outcome of back-channel talks between French and Chinese officials since shortly after the war began. The Chinese and French foreign ministers, Wang Yi and Jean-Noel Barrot, had a call on March 2, and Wang continued talks with French officials, including a March 20 discussion with Macron advisor Emmanuel Bonne.

On April 3, after the French vote alongside Russia and China at the United Nations, the container ship Kribi, owned by French shipping corporation CMA CGM, became the first European vessel to transit the Hormuz Strait. The prospect emerged that, despite the US war on Iran, Europe might continue receiving critical Persian Gulf energy supplies.

Just before announcing last weeks cease-fire, as he threatened Iran with extermination, Trump denounced his European allies. Declaring himself very disappointed with NATO, he claimed Europes failure to assist in the Iran war is a mark on NATO that will never disappear. After the cease-fire began, the Wall Street Journal reported that top US officials are planning punishment for European NATO countries they deem unsupportive of the Iran war.

In Trumps hysterical denunciations of France and its European allies, there is a large element of exaggeration and posturing. In reality, France, like other leading European powers, has played a key role in enabling US military aggression against Iranabove all, in Frances case, relying on its military presence in the Persian Gulf region.

France deployed its Rafale fighter jets on March 2, three days into the war, to protect US-backed Persian Gulf oil sheikdoms from Iranian military retaliation. It authorized US supply flights to Iran to use Istres airbase in southern France. Even more significantly, on March 5, it granted the US access to French airbases in the region: Al Dhafra in the UAE, Prince Hassan/H5 in Jordan, and Base Aerienne 188 in Djibouti. These bases are used to refuel US bombers, who travel to attack Iran from very long range, and who therefore rely critically on refueling near Iran.

Trumps denunciations of France have an enormous element of political posturing. While Europe provides Trump with a scapegoat for the disastrous outcome of his initial attack on Iran, his remarks help the French ruling elite hide its complicity in a war of aggression and extermination that is overwhelmingly unpopular among French workers. This complicity is active and ongoing. Even in their talks with their Chinese counterparts, French officials intervene not to denounce US aggression, but to try to isolate and weaken Iran.

On April 2, as France voted alongside China and Russia in the UN Security Council, French Admiral Nicolas Vaujour unsuccessfully pressed China to threaten Iran to abandon its policy of blocking the Straits of Hormuz in response to the US war. We have not seen Chinas navy step in to reopen the strait, Vaujour said, adding: China will probably have to engage more directly in the debate and show its impatience with the fact that the strait remains closed.

But while Washington and Paris both pursue a neocolonial policy against Iran, Trumps criticisms of Europe above all reflect objectively-rooted conflicts over markets, profits and strategic position that twice in the 20th century exploded into world wars. Last year, Trump imposed unilateral tariffs on European exports to the United States, as US capitalism sought to claw back market share in key industries from its European competitors.

This March, during the Iran war, US officials threatened to cut off US liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports to Europe if the European Union (EU) tried to renegotiate the tariffs. With the EU having cut off its imports of Russian gas at US prompting after the outbreak of the Ukraine war, and Persian Gulf gas exports cut off by the US war of aggression against Iran, the meaning of this was clear. Washington is threatening an energy blockade of the EU that could shatter Europes economy.

In previous epochs, imperialist states have responded to attempted blockades of essential raw materials with declarations of war. After the Trump administration threatened to invade the Danish-held territory of Greenland earlier this year, the potential for a catastrophic breakdown of US-European relations, escalating into a direct military clash, is ever more evident.

European outreach towards Chinaa country targeted by US imperialism as its main economic competitorno doubt causes enormous concern in US foreign policy circles, however arrogant and unsuccessful French negotiations with China may be. Indeed, after the recent breakdown of US-Iranian talks amid the ceasefire, Trump again threatened a blockade of the Persian Gulf. European officials are no doubt asking themselves whether such a blockade could lead to orders being given to US warships to seize European oil or gas.

Negotiations are breaking down between major world powers because these conflicts are too deep, and involve capitalist interests too fundamental, to be resolved diplomatically. The capitalist system is plunging ever deeper into a global war, driven by the contradiction between the global character of economic production and the nation-state system. This means that workers and youth cannot try to effect progressive change on a perspective of pressuring capitalist governments to change policies.

How war drives the collapse of democratic forms of rule was starkly demonstrated only three years ago in France, in the struggle against Macrons utterly unpopular pension cuts. Ruling against the people, Macron slashed pensions to free up tens of billions of euros for the military budget. Three-quarters of French people opposed the cuts, but he rammed them through the parliament without a vote. He then sent riot police to assault protesters and strikers and bystanders, preparing war abroad by waging class war at home.

Stopping further war escalation depends on unifying workers struggles in an international, socialist anti-war movement in the working class on both sides of the Atlantic and internationally.
Polish companies Grupa Azoty and Anwil have become key suppliers of mineral fertilizers to the Ukrainian market, effectively replacing Russian products after the start of Russias full-scale invasion, WNP.pl reported.

According to the report, Polish producers have benefited the most from Russias forced withdrawal from the Ukrainian market. Polish exports are currently growing despite significant damage to Ukrainian industry. At the end of last year, only two of the countrys six major plants were operating due to gas supply problems.

"The growing interest in Polish fertilizers is no coincidence. The war forced Russia to withdraw from the market, and our largest producers  Grupa Azoty and Anwil  benefited the most. We are beating the Russians in this area," the analysts noted.

The publication emphasized that the stable demand for fertilizers is due to the high share of the agricultural sector in Ukraines economy. The country holds 25% to 40% of the worlds black soil reserves, making crop nutrition critical for maintaining wheat, corn, and barley yields.

Demand for fertilizers for grain and oilseed crops in Ukraine will remain high. This strengthens the position of Polish exporters in the medium term, WNP.pl noted.
Accordbank becomes 16th bank accredited by UEEX to provide guarantees for participation in electricity auctions

Accordbank has joined the list of banks accredited by Ukrainian Energy Exchange (UEEX) LLC and authorized to provide bank guarantees for participation in auctions for the sale of electricity under bilateral agreements.

"The accreditation of new banks is ongoing. Given the interest of other banks and their clients in collaborating with UEEX in this market segment, a counter-guarantee system is being implemented," the Exchange announced on its website on Monday.

UEEX noted that up to 50% of the security deposit amount securing the fulfillment of obligations may be provided in the form of a bank guarantee.

Currently, the list of accredited banks entitled to provide bank guarantees in accordance with the exchange requirements, in addition to Accordbank, includes Ukreximbank, Tascombank, Oschadbank, FUIB, Pivdennyi Bank, Sens Bank, Ukrgasbank, Credit Agricole, PrivatBank, Kredobank, MTB Bank, Credit Dnipro Bank, VST Bank, Raiffeisen Bank and OTP Bank.

"Bank guarantees provide auction participants with greater financial flexibility and simultaneously enhance the reliability of fulfilling obligations. UEEX will continue to expand its cooperation with the banking sector," noted UEEX CEO Oleksandr Kovalenko.

UEEX continues to work to expand the use of bank guarantees to make this instrument accessible to a wider range of market participants, the Exchange added.
The ninth meeting of the ministerial roundtable on support for Ukraine will take place on Wednesday, April 15, as part of the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) in Washington.

The meeting agenda notes that the World Bank Group will co-host the event with the Government of Ukraine and will co-chair it with the IMF.

Unlike previous roundtables, this time the program does not include a brief description of the event, but as usual, it will be opened by World Bank Governor Ajay Banga and IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

European Investment Bank President Nadia Calvino and European Commissioner for Growth and Productivity Valdis Dombrovskis have already announced their participation in the ninth roundtable, and he also announced his meeting in Washington with Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is also expected to attend.

Furthermore, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos will attend the IMF-World Bank spring meeting. Among other things, she plans to discuss the EU's ongoing financial support to Ukraine under the Ukraine Facility program and meet with IMF Managing Director Georgieva.

The first meeting of this roundtable took place at the spring meeting of the IMF and the World Bank on April 21, 2022, the second at the autumn meeting on October 12 of the same year, and in subsequent years they took place every six months at similar events of these leading international financial organizations.

In the first, the head of the IMF pointed to Ukraine's monthly need for $5 billion in 2022 to finance the state budget deficit in the context of the war unleashed by Russia. In the second, Zelenskyy proposed that the global financial community take three urgent steps to support Ukraine: create a "financial Ramstein," ensure economic recovery and aid to Ukrainians, and create a mechanism to support investment and insure them against war risks.

At the third meeting, Zelenskyy asked the IMF and the World Bank to approve a $14.1 billion support program to cover priority Rapid Recovery projects, and also called for the development of specific mechanisms for using frozen Russian assets to compensate for the damage caused by Russia.

This year, during the IMF's annual meeting, which is taking place from April 13 to April 18, the Ukrainian delegation will discuss with the Fund the implementation of the new four-year Extended Fund Facility (EFF) worth $8.1 billion, which was approved at the end of February this year and is part of the total external financing in 2026-2029 amounting to $136.5 billion under the baseline scenario.

The program's first structural milestones were already overdue, as they sparked internal debate in Ukraine, particularly regarding the taxation of individual entrepreneurs with value-added tax.

As reported, the new EFF program for Ukraine, totaling $8.1 billion, replaced the previous four-year $15.6 billion program, launched in March 2023, which received nine tranches totaling $10.6 billion due to the protracted war. The first tranche of the new program, totaling $1.5 billion, was received by the Ukrainian state budget in early March of this year.
Melissa Gilbert is standing firmly by her husband, Timothy Busfield, as he faces serious legal allegations, reportedly putting her career and personal life on hold to support him.

The embattled director has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges linked to alleged incidents involving minors that occurred on a TV set between 2022 and 2024.

Melissa Gilbert has also publicly defended her husband, describing the situation as deeply traumatic, while legal proceedings in the case are ongoing.

Melissa Gilbert Backs Timothy Busfield Amid Legal Battle, Sources Claim She Is Shutting Out Critics

Jordan Hinton/Image Press Agency/MEGA

According to insiders, the Little House on the Prairie star has taken on significant financial and personal strain, helping to cover astronomical legal costs while putting many of her career plans on hold to be by her husband, Busfields side.

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She is also said to be cutting anyone in their world who questions her or dares to suggest that she might want to take a step back and allow Timothy to fight his own battle.

This goes beyond loyalty, the source told a news outlet. Its like shes totally brainwashed by the guy, and God forbid how shell react if he doesnt get cleared of these charges.

Busfield, known for his work on The West Wing, has pleaded not guilty to allegations tied to incidents said to have occurred between 2022 and 2024 involving minors on the set of The Cleaning Lady, where he served as a director and executive producer. His trial is not expected to begin until May 2027.

Melissa Gilbert Defends Timothy Busfield And Calls Legal Battle Most Traumatizing Experience

ravis Wade/WENN.com Newscom/ MEGA

Despite the seriousness of the accusations, Gilbert has publicly defended her husband, recently stating in an interview that he is the last person in the world who would hurt a child.

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In a recent appearance on Good Morning America with George Stephanopoulos, she spoke candidly about the emotional toll the situation has taken, describing it as the most traumatizing experience of her and Busfields lives.

She admitted the allegations have dramatically altered their future, saying their previous plans and aspirations have been upended.

Our life as we knew it is done, she said. We are grieving what we had  all of our plans, all of our dreams, all of our ideas, all of our projects.

Gilbert continued, For Tim, its done. Hes canceled. Even if hes exonerated, he will always be that guy. [Hes] the last person in the world who would hurt a child. And believe me, if I thought for a second that Tim Busfield hurt a child, hed have a lot more to worry about than prison.

Timothy Busfield Pleads Not Guilty After Grand Jury Indictment In Child Sex Abuse Case

MEGA

Busfield, 68, turned himself in to authorities on January 13 after an arrest warrant was issued over allegations linked to his time directing the TV series The Cleaning Lady.

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According to details from the warrant, two 11-year-old twins accused Busfield of inappropriate behavior on set, including claims that he asked them to refer to him as Uncle Tim.

One of the children alleged an incident occurred while they were alone in a room, involving inappropriate touching over clothing. The report also noted that medical professionals later suggested the children showed signs consistent with grooming.

Following a grand jury indictment on multiple charges, Busfield has pleaded not guilty and continues to deny the allegations. Meanwhile, the Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office, led by Sam Bregman, has emphasized its commitment to protecting children and pursuing justice.

Timothy Busfields Lawyer Disputes Charges

Newscom/ MEGA

In a statement following the indictment, Busfields attorney, Stanton Larry Stein, said the charges were anticipated but strongly disputed their validity.

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He argued that the case lacks solid evidence and claimed key weaknesses had already been revealed during earlier proceedings, suggesting the prosecution is not grounded in facts or law.

Stein added that Busfield intends to fight these charges at every stage and looks forward to testing the States case in open court  where evidence matters  not behind closed doors.

The Actor Has Been Released Under Strict Court Conditions

Bernalillo County/MEGA

After his release on his own recognizance, Busfield was ordered to comply with several conditions.

These include attending all court appearances, avoiding contact with the alleged victims and witnesses, and refraining from possessing weapons or using alcohol or illegal substances.

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He is also prohibited from unsupervised interaction with minors and will remain under pretrial supervision in New Mexico, though he has been permitted to travel.

The Melissa Gilbert Reportedly Cutting Anyone In Her Life Who Questions Her Support For Embattled Husband, Timothy Busfield first appeared on The Blast
Nancy Guthries disappearance may have come to a sad end. A former FBI agent is weighing in on the case, with investigators still searching for the mother of Today Show host Savannah Guthrie. Online, Jennifer Coffindaffer shared her beliefs about the 84-year-old from Tucson, Arizona, saying, Nancy sadly died. That is purely her speculation while investigators continue to hunt down clues in this matter.

It has been over two months since Nancy was last seen by anyone. The former federal agent thinks that this case is not as complex as we may think.

Jennifer Coffindaffer says this was a kidnapping for ransom case

Nancy Guthrie



LE said they know the motive for the abduction of Nancy and they have known it from the beginning.



Abduction 2/1



Ransom note to local media 2/2



Ransom note to TMZ 2/3



Kidnapping for Ransom. Nancy sadly died. The kidnappers didn't care and tortured the family pic.twitter.com/oAb75YnkpP  Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) April 13, 2026

The belief that Nancy is still out there, alive and well, may be nothing more than false hope. Thats the suggestion Jennifer is giving in her analysis of this investigation. She believes that her abduction came down to one thing: money. On her X account, she adds that the kidnappers didnt care and tortured the family with 2 notes.

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Jennifers theory contradicts what another former FBI agent believed. Harry Trombitas said in March that he doesnt think Nancy was kidnapped for cash. For him, an abduction for purely financial reasons is far too dangerous.

According to Jennifer, the kidnappers sent a pair of ransom notes to news agencies with the knowledge that the FBI wouldnt recommend paying. Like most cases, this one is simple, but everyone wants to make it complex, said Jennifer.

Investigators have had their share of tips on this case but have yet to find a suspect or Nancy. There were drops of blood on Nancys front porch early in the investigation. Meanwhile, a suspect description was released based on doorbell camera footage. The disturbing video shows a masked man lingering outside Nancys home the night she went missing.

In the past, many experts believed the ransom notes were real. Jennifer, however, believes this was a deliberate strategy by the kidnappers. Savannah has previously shared her fears that Nancy may have been targeted for financial reasons.

TELL US  DO YOU BELIEVE NANCY GUTHRIE IS STILL ALIVE?

The post Nancy Guthrie Sadly Died, Claims Former FBI Agent appeared first on Reality Tea.
Hi, friends. I'm Crystal, and I write the That Got Dark newsletter, BuzzFeed's weekly roundup of all things creepy, macabre, and horrible AF. And if you looooove this kind of content, you should subscribe !!!!!

Here's what the newsletter is covering this week:

Warning: Graphic content ahead, including stories of murder.

1. Backrooms  and its already racked up millions of views. But the story behind it is arguably more unsettling than anything the movie might show. If youve been wondering why The Backrooms is suddenly everywhere, its because A24 just released a trailer for an upcoming film, and its already racked up millions of views. But the story behind it is arguably more unsettling than anything the movie might show.

It all began in 2019 with a single anonymous post on 4chan : an image of empty, yellow-tinted office rooms stretching endlessly under buzzing fluorescent lights. Alongside it was a simple idea: that if you glitch out of reality, you might end up there, trapped in a maze of identical spaces with no exit and something possibly lurking just out of sight.

Related: "I Replied, 'Pastor?...'": People Are Spilling The Forbidden Secrets They Accidentally Discovered, And I'm Grabbing Popcorn For These Real-Life Plot Twists

What makes The Backrooms so disturbing isnt just the setting, but the feeling it creates. The rooms are familiar in the worst way. Like a place youve been before but cant quite remember, empty yet wrong. The constant hum of the lights, the lack of windows, the sense of being watchedit taps into a quiet, creeping kind of dread rather than outright fear. The internet ran with it, turning it into a full-blown horror myth, and now its going to be a feature film. And, TBH, I cant wait.

2. In 2011, a law student named Stephen McDaniel was being interviewed by a local news station about his missing neighbor, Lauren Giddings, who had suddenly disappeared from her apartment complex in Macon, Georgia.

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During the interview, the reporter casually mentioned that a body had just been found. McDaniel, who had been speaking calmly just seconds before, immediately froze, started breathing heavily, and looked like he was about to pass out on camera, which isan intense reaction for someone whos supposedly just a concerned neighbor. And that's because he was, in fact, the killer.

(You can watch that interview right here, if you're interested):

Investigators later determined that McDaniel had become fixated on Lauren, stalking her and secretly recording her without her knowledge. There was no evidence of a real relationship between them  just a one-sided obsession that escalated over time.

Macon Telegraph / Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Related: 37 Tweets That Made Me Laugh So Hard I Temporarily Forgot About The Crushing Weight Of Existence

After his arrest, investigators found overwhelming evidence tying McDaniel to the crime, including tools used to dismember Lauren Giddingss body and surveillance footage showing him watching her. He was charged with murder and initially pleaded not guilty, but in 2014, just before his trial was set to begin, he accepted a plea deal and changed his plea to guilty, avoiding the death penalty.

Macon Telegraph / Tribune News Service via Getty Images

As part of that deal, he gave a full confession admitting he'd used a master key to break into her apartment, then attacked Lauren in her sleep. He also said he strangled her, then dismembered her in the bathtub with a hacksaw before taking "some of her body" to a dumpster and leaving her torso elsewhere. McDaniel was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years (in 2041).

Macon Telegraph / Tribune News Service via Getty Images

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3. The chilling missing persons case of Laureen Rahn , a 14-year-old girl who disappeared from her apartment in Manchester, New Hampshire, in April 1980, while her mother was out for the night.

On the night she disappeared, Rahn had been hanging out with friends, but at some point, she vanished, leaving behind all her belongings. There were no signs of a struggle, despite strange details like all the hallway lightbulbs being unscrewed and doors left open.

In the months after she disappeared, her mother received mysterious phone calls traced to motels in California, including one linked to a help hotline for teens, but it was never confirmed if Laureen made them. Despite sightings and various leads over the years, her case remains unsolved, with investigators suspecting foul play.

Shaunl / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Related: 19 Wild, Shocking, And Unbelievable CIA Documents That Have Actually Been Declassified

What makes Laureens disappearance even more unsettling is the possibility that someone may have been watching her in the days leading up to it. Reports suggest that an unknown man had been seen lingering near the apartment complex, and some believe he may have gained her trust before that night. The unscrewed lightbulbs raise questions about whether her disappearance was carefully planned, possibly to avoid detection in the darkened hallway.

Jose Amorim / Getty Images/iStockphoto

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Decades later, the mystery still lingers, with no definitive answers about what happened to Laureen Rahn. Her case remains one of New Hampshires most haunting disappearances, marked by cryptic clues and unanswered questions. Whether she ran away, was abducted, or met with foul play, the truth has never been uncovered.

4. The grim Wikipedia page about the death of Hedviga Golik in Zagreb, Croatia.

Xbrchx / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Golik was a nurse who died alone in her apartment sometime in the 1960s. But what makes her story so disturbing is that no one noticed for over 40 years. In 2008, workers clearing out her building for renovations entered her attic flat and discovered her skeletal remains sitting exactly where she had died.

Pabbles / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Authorities later determined she had likely died of natural causes. Allegedly, neighbors had long assumed shed simply moved away, and because she lived such a quiet, isolated life, no one ever questioned her absence. She was eventually given a proper burial decades after her death.

Claire Bock / Getty Images

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5. Finally, the gruesome story of serial killer Stephen A. Nash

Bettmann / Bettmann Archive

Related: 29 Rare Photos The Average Person Has Never, Ever Seen Before

Nash was an American thrill killer who murdered at least 11 men and boys across California between 1955 and 1956, driven by a desire for violence rather than a clear motive. Known for his extreme brutality, his victims included 10-year-old Larry Rice, whom he stabbed more than 30 times under the Santa Monica Pier. Nash was captured in 1956 after a would-be victim escaped his hotel room and alerted police.

Bettmann / Getty Images

During his trial, he showed no remorse and even boasted about his crimes, prompting a judge to call him the most evil person to appear in his courtroom. His lack of empathy and apparent enjoyment of the violence disturbed both investigators and the public, reinforcing the perception that his actions were driven purely by impulse and cruelty rather than any understandable motive.

University Of Southern Californi / Corbis via Getty Images

He was executed in Californias gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison on Aug. 21, 1959.

Bettmann / Getty Images

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His last meal: Ham sandwiches, hamburgers, pie, steak, and a gallon of milk.

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Also in Internet Finds: "'You Dont Remember Us, Do You?'": People Are Sharing The Most Mind-Blowing Things They've Witnessed In Real Life, And I'm Questioning Everything I Thought I Knew

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NASA's Artemis II mission has inspired equal parts awe, joy and and fascination among those who spent days captivated by the historic journey around the moon.

Now, the first human lunar mission since the Apollo era  which came to an end April 10 with a California water landing  has also inspired parody.

"Saturday Night Live" spoofed the trailblazing Artemis II mission in its April 11 episode, hosted by actor Colman Domingo. In the sketch, an increasingly exasperated NASA pilot Victor Glover (Domingo) tries in vain to deliver a moving reflection on the mission while aboard the Orion spacecraft, but is constantly thwarted by the rest of his crewmates.

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Here's a look at the "SNL" Artemis skit.

'SNL' Artemis II skit

The "SNL" Artemis II skit, part of an episode recorded and aired April 11, 2026, featured "Euphoria" star Colman Domingo as NASA astronaut Victor Glover attempting to record a video for Earth.

But Glover's introspective message is constantly interrupted by the rest of the crew and their sophomoric shenanigans as boredom sets in nine days into the mission. A floating wayward Pringles can, Sarah Sherman as a sleeping NASA mission specialist Christina Koch and more enter the frame, undermining Glover's attempts to wax philosophic about space and the fragility of life on Earth.

Marcello Hernandez as Canadian mission specialist Jeremy Hansen and Mikey Day as commander Reid Wiseman also get up to no shortage of antics in the skit, including a rather gross moment when Wiseman shows off the aftermath of a sneeze in microgravity.

Watch 'Saturday Night Live' parody of Artemis II

What did Artemis II accomplish? What was NASA's moon mission?

After launching April 1, 2026, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA's 10-day Artemis II moon mission came to an end April 10 with a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean near California.

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During the mission, Wiseman, Glover, Koch and Hansen traveled farther in space than any humans ever have while performing a flyby of the moon's far side, where they collected observations and data for scientists back on Earth.

The mission, the first human lunar venture in more than 50 years, served as a test flight setting the stage for a moon landing planned during Artemis IV in 2028. Up next, though, NASA will test out one or both commercial lunar landers being developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin by having Artemis III astronauts dock with them in Earth during in 2027.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@usatodayco.com. Subscribe to the free Florida TODAY newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: 'SNL' skit parodies NASA's Artemis II moon mission. Here's how
Long-term unemployment reached 1.9 million workers as of February 2026, up from 1.5 million a year earlier. Ironically, even though 70-80% of companies use job boards or online postings, only about 20% of roles are actually filled as a direct result of those postings. Roles are filled through investor conversations, recruiters, leadership transitions, and strategic pivots long before candidates ever see a posting. As companies become more selective about who they hire and when they hire them, career mobility increasingly depends on access to information most professionals never receive.

Thats where recruiter and career strategist Deepali Vyas, known professionally as The Elite Recruiter, has built her influence. After reviewing more than one million resumes and conducting over 50,000 interviews across finance, data, AI and private markets, she has developed a reputation not just for placing talent, but also explaining to candidates how hiring decisions are actually made. Her direct and honest insights have gone viral time and time again as she helps professionals navigate a tough job market.

Vyas attributes growing to over a million followers across platforms to her take on corporate truths. These are dynamics that are shockingly apparent once you see them, but rarely spoken openly: power plays, promotion politics, performance being table stakes, and visibility driving advancement. In reality, I was decoding the corporate game in public. Many of my peers in the industry would never say these things publicly, let alone post them on LinkedIn, Instagram, or TikTok. There is an unspoken rule in executive search that you stay neutral, polished, and careful. I chose clarity instead. Professionals recognized themselves in those truths. They were not looking for motivation. They were looking for validation and strategies, she shared. There is also something interesting about the medium. I live in peoples pockets. During their BlueJean moments, when they are scrolling between meetings or decompressing after work, I am there on their phone. Over time, consistency builds trust. They watch, learn, and connect the dots. What surprised me most was realizing who else was watching. Many of my own clients were seeing the content too. CEOs and senior executives would call me and say, I saw you on TikTok. The irony was that I thought I was building an audience quietly, almost in hiding.

Known as the Elite Recruiter, Deepali Vyas, has garnered millions of followers for her valuable recruiting advice. Courtesy of Deepali Vyas

Vyas approach to identifying talent began long before her time as a recruiter. She grew up in her parents 18-room motel in Lakewood, Colorado, interacting with people from across socioeconomic backgrounds, an experience she credits with sharpening the emotional intelligence that later shaped her recruiting career. I learned how to read tone, posture, insecurity, ambition, and confidence before I ever stepped into corporate America, she said. That emotional intelligence became my unfair advantage. Ive reviewed more than 1 million resumes and conducted over 50,000 interviews. When you operate at that scale, you start to see what actually predicts success versus what simply looks impressive.

The Best Roles Are Often Invisible

One of the most common misconceptions candidates hold, according to Vyas, is believing opportunity lives inside application portals. At the executive level, roles are rarely posted. Theyre constructed, she said. Many mandates come from private conversations: board transitions, growth capital events, leadership gaps, AI strategy pivots or underperformance that hasnt been announced publicly. Top talent is also rarely actively looking. The best candidates are usually performing well and fielding inbound interest.

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Successful placements depend on more than capability alone. The match happens at three levels: capability, context, and chemistry. Most recruiters focus only on capability, while Vyas focuses on strategic timing and alignment.

Positioning Now Matters More Than Performance

In a slower hiring environment, strong execution alone is no longer differentiating. That positioning begins with how candidates communicate impact. Executives think in outcomes, Vyas explained. Your resume should speak in results, not responsibilities. She also encourages professionals to rethink how they use LinkedIn. I always say the About section is your open love letter to recruiters and hiring managers, she said. Its not a bio. Its a narrative. Signal where youre going, not just where youve been. Direct outreach, warm referrals and targeted conversations dramatically outperform volume applications. Mass applying feels productive, but it rarely produces leverage."

Some of the best roles are often not posted on job boards but rather shared through relationships. getty

Another tip is using voice notes on LinkedIn, Vyas added. Almost no one is doing this. A concise 3045 second voice note to a hiring manager or recruiter can also be effective. Very few candidates do this level of preparation. That is precisely why it works. Offers go to candidates who feel inevitable, not merely impressive.

Treat Interviews Like Business Development Conversations

Another shift Vyas encourages candidates to make is reframing the interview process itself. Treat interviews as a business development cycle, not an audition, she says. You are not there to perform. You are there to diagnose, position and close. Candidates who succeed across multiple interview rounds position transformation rather than responsibilities. What was broken? What did you change? What improved because of you? she explained. Decision-makers invest in outcomes, not activity. My biggest differentiator is having candidates present a structured 30-60-90 day business plan, she said. When you reference the companys real priorities and align your execution plan to that vision, you stop sounding like a candidate and start sounding like a future executive.

Interviews should be treated like a business plan rather than a Q&A. getty

Vyas provided a 4-step framework to use during a multi-interview process:

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Step 1: Diagnose before you impress.

Strong candidates resist the urge to immediately showcase credentials. Instead, they ask precise and strategic questions to uncover the real business pain. Most candidates talk too much and listen too little. The offer usually goes to the person who understands the problem most clearly.

Step 2: Sell transformation, not tasks.

Do not recite responsibilities. Frame your experience as a before-and-after story. What was broken? What did you change? What improved because of you? Decision-makers invest in outcomes, not activity.

Step 3: Control the narrative across rounds.

Multi-step processes test consistency. Your story should compound with each conversation, not shift. Every round should deepen confidence, reinforce alignment, and build inevitability.

Step 4: De-risk yourself proactively.

Address concerns before they surface. If you lack direct industry experience, explain how adjacent experience transfers. If you are stepping into a larger scope, articulate how you have already been operating at that level informally. Remove doubt before it forms.

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My biggest differentiator is having candidates present a structured 30-60-90 day business plan. Illustrate a clear short-term roadmap and extend it into a thoughtful one-year vision. Think at the enterprise level. Anchor your plan in what the business and organization actually care about. Listen to earnings calls. Read investor reports. Study press releases and strategic announcements. Connect the dots, she shared.

Even in uncertain hiring environments and job markets, employers remain clear about what weakens candidate positioning. Vyas suggests avoiding generic language, blaming prior employers, misunderstanding the companys strategy, and resisting new tools. In todays market, employers are looking for accountability, adaptability, and AI fluency.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com
In addition to beautiful vistas and opportunities to explore nature, Indiana's land offers an abundance of gifts for the dinner plate.

As the cold weather breaks and parks and trails become more enticing, various plants produce leaves and flowers and roots that can be ethically and legally harvested and taken home to be eaten or used in other ways.

Morels and other mushrooms, wild raspberries and hickory nuts are just the start. Several Indiana plants that you might not even think of as food can become a part of a meal.

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Foraging, however, can mean different things for different people.

Emmitt Bog started foraging in high school. Now 25, Bog recently started offering group foraging tours in his hometown of Fort Wayne. Bog works with mutual aid groups to share his foraging knowledge.

I feel like the origins of foraging have been food sovereignty or access to food in areas like food deserts, Bog said. That is especially important because it really comes from community and survival and mutual aid, which is the communal practice I appreciate.

How to forage thoughtfully in Indiana

Foraging novices should start out slowly, says Carrie Vrabel who has taught for the Indiana Master Naturalist program and is writing a book about foraging in Indiana.

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[Beginners should] just take it one plant at a time, Vrabel said. Really understand you are learning a new skill and being able to identify plants without help from a phone is a skill."

Before Hoosiers set out to forage, however, Julia Angstmann, executive director of Butler Universitys office of sustainability, said people should understand the careful balance required when harvesting. Foragers should also ensure they are knowledgeable about the state and local laws governing foraging.

Because Indianas industrial history has left pollution in some soil, Angstmann recommends choosing a foraging location away from potential contamination. This means avoiding areas near heavily trafficked roads as well as former Brownfield or industrial sites.

After finding a clean foraging area, make sure to correctly identify the plants. One of the most toxic plants in North America, poison hemlock, looks deceptively similar to Queen Annes Lace, noted Angstmann, who has a background in plant ecology.

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I always tell people to go out with someone experienced at first so they can learn, Angstmann said.

Indianas abundant plant life provides sustenance for diverse wildlife populations, so Angstmann and Vrabel ask foragers to be mindful of how much they harvest.

Take only about 10 to 20 percent of the plants population where you are harvesting, Angstmann suggests  unless you're taking nonnative and invasive species in which case you should indulge freely.

What plants to forage this spring

Here are some recommendations from Bogs and Vrabel for what to forage now.

One of Bogs favorite springtime delicacies is a nice raspberry or blackberry (Rubus spp).

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Theyre prolific here, easy to identify and the fruits and leaves distinct, Bog said. Its one thing I like to help people learn first.

Springing up in yards and meadows, common violets (Viola sororia) also crop up on Bogs list. The leaves can be cooked or eaten raw and added to salads or even pesto. The plants flowers are great for making teas, syrups or jelly, Bog said.

Cleavers (Galium aparine), a harbinger of spring, are great to crush up and add to water for a cucumber-like flavor, Bog said. The plants are only found in the early spring, since they dont do well in temperatures above 80 degrees.

Shagbark hickory trees (Carya ovata) yield hickory nuts in the fall. In the spring the distinct bark of these trees can be harvested and boiled into syrup with an oaky flavor almost like brown sugar or molasses, Bog said.

Morels and more

While spring may be synonymous with morels for Indianas mushroom hunters, the dryads saddle (Cerioporus squamosus) is a tasty consolation prize, Vrabel said. The best time to harvest these is when the fungi is young and tender and the pores tiny.

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Indiana also has a lot of young mustards popping up, Vrabel said. Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsute) is a nonnative mustard that tastes like Dijon that's good as a salad green or on a sandwich. Other native mustard varieties like Pennsylvania bittercress (Cardamine pensylvanica) and limestone cress (Cardamine douglassii) are also popping up now.

Spring ephemerals, flowering plants that appear for a short period after winter, can also be tasty, Vrabel said. The two most common are spring beauties (Claytonia virginica) and cutleaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenate).

Spring beauties, sometimes called fairy spuds, have grasslike leaves with pinkish flowers. Foragers can dig up the root and eat it raw or cooked. Cutleaf toothwart, a native mustard, is found all over the woods and everything about it is edible, just like the spring beauty.

How to forage legally in Indiana

Indiana has laws governing what can be harvested from state-owned land, such as state parks, reservoirs or fish and wildlife areas.

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One of the best ways to determine if a property will allow foraging is to simply call and ask the park office. State park maps will often tell you where foraging is prohibited to help protect habitats that are nature preserves.

Local laws and ordinances differ from location to location so reach out to a city or county park office to determine what is allowed on those locally owned properties.

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @karlstartswithk or BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Springtime foraging in Indiana: morels, raspberries, violets and more
As spring emerges and people slither over to Wisconsin's waterways, coming across any of the state's snakes has become a renowned and common experience.

So it might not come as a surprise then that, according to World Atlas, two Wisconsin regions are home to some of the countrys most snake-infested waters: Door County and the Mississippi River.

Lush foliage and changing water levels create a fantastic environment for snakes and their behavior, the Atlas said. The diverse Wisconsin ecology means there are many types of snakes as well, from watersnakes and garters to rattlesnakes and hog-noses.

An eastern massasauga is among the venomous snakes at the Milwaukee County Zoo's Aquatic and Reptile Center. Of the Zoo's 18 snake species a few are endangered Wisconsin natives, including two timber rattlesnakes and two eastern massasauga snakes.

Which snakes call Door County home?

Two of Wisconsins snakes can be found in parts of northern and central Wisconsin but have a special presence in Door County.

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The eastern ribbonsnake is a semi-aquatic endangered snake native to eastern North America. In true Wisconsin fashion, ribbonsnakes hibernate from November to March.

Ribbonsnakes are a generally uncommon sight in Wisconsin but, when seen, are usually found in bogs or right inside other water features.

Northern ring-necked snakes are the other slithery creature with an inclination to environments like Door County.

Northern ring-necks are not endangered or threatened and thus more widespread than other snakes in Wisconsin. They prefer moist ecosystems with deciduous plant life.

What snakes live around the Mississippi River?

According to the Wisconsin DNR, these snakes are more exclusive to the Mississippi River and its adjacent floodplains:

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Within the Mississsippi River, Lake Pepin is also renowned for its snake population. Watersnakes and gartersnakes are especially common in Lake Pepin.

What snakes live everywhere Wisconsin?

These snakes can be found all across Wisconsin, including the waters of Door County and the Mississippi River:

Are any Wisconsin snakes dangerous?

The chances of coming across a dangerous snake in Wisconsin are rare. There are only two venomous snakes that call Wisconsin home, and theyre both endangered, according to the Wisconsin DNR.

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The timber rattlesnake and the eastern massassauga are Wisconsins only rattlers and carry immobilizing toxins in their bites. With modern medicine, bites are still an emergency but rarely fatal anymore.

Both snakes are also timid and live in more remote parts of their habitats like blufflands or deep bogs.

If anything, youre more likely to run into an impersonator than an actual venomous snake. The Wisconsin Herpetological Association reports that for the two actual dangerous snakes, there are six different species commonly mistaken for their venomous counterparts.

The eastern foxsnake, eastern milksnake, northern watersnake, bullsnake, eastern hog-nose snake and DeKays brownsnake are all commonly mistaken as Wisconsins rattlers due to their coloring or hissing behaviors.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Some of the most snake-infested waterways in the US are in Wisconsin
Every graduating senior heading off to college faces the same question: What should I major in?

For decades, the answer has been shaped less by curiosity and more by caution. Students are told to be practical. Parents emphasize stability. Schools reinforce paths that appear predictable.

But the modern economy no longer rewards predictability in the same way.

A 2024 analysis from FlowingData shows that while industries have transformed dramatically since 1970, the distribution of college majors has remained surprisingly concentrated. At the same time, new labor data suggests that many of the fastest-growing roles today did not exist a decade ago, according to the World Economic Forums Future of Jobs Report 2025.

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That gap reveals that students are still choosing majors based on outdated assumptions, while the market is shifting faster than traditional pathways can accommodate.

What The Data Really Shows

The FlowingData analysis highlights long-term structural patterns in higher education:

Business degrees consistently account for the largest share of bachelors degrees. Since 1980, business degrees have remained dominant because they offer perceived versatility. Students view it as a path to roles in finance, marketing, management, or entrepreneurship. But that flexibility is precisely what makes it crowded. As more students choose business for optionality, the degree itself becomes less distinctive, forcing graduates to rely heavily on internships, networks and specialized skills to stand out.

Health professions have surged, particularly since the early 2000s. This growth reflects both demographic and cultural shifts. An aging U.S. population has driven demand for healthcare workers, while the pandemic has further elevated the visibility and perceived stability of medical careers. Degrees in nursing, public health and allied health fields are increasingly seen as recession-resistant. However, many of these paths require additional certifications or graduate education, meaning the bachelors degree is often just the first step rather than a direct entry point into high-paying roles.

Social sciences remain a major category despite fluctuations. Fields like psychology, sociology and political science continue to attract students because they align with interests in human behavior, society and impact. They are also widely accessible across institutions. The challenge is that these degrees are less directly tied to specific job pipelines, requiring graduates to translate their skills into adjacent roles or pursue further specialization.

Education degrees have declined sharply since the 1970s, with the biggest decline starting in 2010. This drop reflects structural challenges within the teaching profession, including lower relative pay, burnout and policy pressures. According to NCES data, fewer students are entering teacher preparation programs even as K12 systems face shortages. The decline is about perceived trade-offs. Students are making pragmatic decisions based on compensation and working conditions.

STEM growth is real, but concentrated in specific areas like engineering and computer science. While STEM is often discussed as a unified category, the data show uneven growth. Computer science and engineering have expanded rapidly due to demand from the tech sector, while fields like mathematics and physical sciences have grown more modestly.

As of 2025, business remains the most popular undergraduate major in the U.S., accounting for approximately 18.6% to 19% of all bachelor's degrees conferred, more than any other field. Health-related fields have nearly doubled their share since 2000.

Why Student Choices Lag Reality

Three forces explain this persistence:

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1. Information delayCareer advice often reflects what worked five to 10 years ago. By the time students act on it, demand has shifted.

2. Risk aversionA recent study by American Student Assistance states that interest in traditional college pathways is steadily declining, while alternative education routes are gaining momentum. In 2024, just 45% of teens say a two- or four-year college is their most likely next step, a sharp drop from 73% in 2018. At the same time, interest in vocational schools, apprenticeships and technical bootcamps has surged, with participation more than tripling from 12% to 38% over the same period.

3. Social proofStudents tend to follow established paths. If business or psychology worked for older peers, it feels like a safer bet.

Students selecting college majors today are navigating a disconnect between longstanding education trends and emerging workforce demands. getty

The Hidden Risk Of Safe Majors

The idea of a safe major is deeply embedded in career guidance. But the data suggest that safety is often an illusion.

1. Oversaturation

When large numbers of students cluster into the same fields, competition intensifies.

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The 2025 Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that underemployment rates for recent graduates in majors like business, communications and psychology range from 48% to 53%, meaning many are working in jobs that do not require a degree.

2. Reduced Signaling Power

A degree ensures capability, but only when it differentiates.

When nearly one in five graduates holds a business degree, the credential alone carries less weight. Employers increasingly look beyond majors to skills, experience and applied work.

3. Slower Adaptability

Fields with rigid career paths can limit flexibility.

By contrast, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that roles in data science, AI and renewable energy will grow significantly faster than average through 2032, yet these are not the dominant undergraduate choices.

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The result is a widening gap between where students cluster and where opportunity expands.

What Smart Career Planning Looks Like NowA More Strategic Framework

For todays students, the question is no longer just about choosing a major. Its imperative to build a portfolio of capabilities. According to NACEs 2026 Job Outlook survey, 70% of participants report using skill-based hiring, up from 65% last year.

1. Pairing, Not Picking

The most effective students combine disciplines. Examples include:

Business and data analyticsBusiness provides context, strategy and operations, while data analytics adds decision-making power.

Biology and computational skillsThis pairing reflects where life sciences are heading. Fields like genomics, drug discovery and healthcare innovation are now deeply data-driven.

Psychology and UX designThis is a strong but often misunderstood pairing. Psychology combined with UX, product or human-centered design becomes highly valuable in tech, marketing and digital product development.

2. Credential Stacking

Degrees are only a small part of the equation. Students also need:

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Internships

Real-world projects

Certifications

3. Market Awareness

Students who track emerging trends gain an edge. The fastest-growing job categories, according to the World Economic Forum, include:

AI and machine learning specialists

Sustainability professionals

Data analysts and scientists

These roles reward adaptability more than traditional degree paths.

As industries shift and new roles emerge, students are rethinking how to balance stability, skills and long-term career flexibility. getty

What Needs To Change

1. Shift from majors to skillsDegrees should be framed as platforms, not endpoints.

2. Introduce career exploration earlierStudents should experiment before committing, through internships, dual enrollment or project-based learning.

3. Normalize nonlinear pathsCareers today are iterative. Students should expect to pivot.

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Leadership, in this context, means helping students make decisions in the face of uncertainty, not pretending certainty exists.

The most important insight from this data is that student decision-making has not kept pace with economic change. While industries evolve in real time, education choices often reflect outdated assumptions about stability and success.

For this years graduating class, the advantage will not come from choosing the most popular college major. It will come from understanding the system behind those choices and choosing differently.

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This article was originally published on Forbes.com
One person is dead and several others are injured after gunfire erupted at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in New Jersey.

The deadly shooting happened around 9 p.m. on Saturday at a Chick-fil-A on Route 22 in Union.

Upon arrival, responding officers found seven victims, one who was subsequently pronounced dead. Six others suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

While no arrests have been made, the shooting is believed to be a targeted incident stemming from a drug or gang dispute. The one fatality is believed to be the target of the shooting and the other victims are believed to be bystanders and/or employees of the Chick-fil-A.

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On Sunday afternoon, New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill issued a statement responding to the shooting, saying in part, "We now know that last night's shooting in Union Township tragically claimed one life and left six others injured."

"Our hearts go out to the victim's loved ones, and we are hoping for the full recovery of those who were injured."

We now know that last nights shooting in Union Township tragically claimed one life and left six others injured.



Our hearts go out to the victims loved ones, and we are hoping for the full recovery of those who were injured.



The preliminary investigation reveals this does not  Governor Mikie Sherrill (@GovSherrillNJ) April 12, 2026

All Chick-fil-A locations are closed on Sundays.

Eyewitness News spoke to a father of one of the Chick-fil-A workers on Saturday night. He says that his son called him in a panic, saying that multiple suspects wearing masks entered the establishment. He also says several of his co-workers were injured in a shooting.

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The father says he drove to the eatery and described what he called a "warzone."

A Lyft driver named Martin said he was finishing a trip nearby and heard more than seven shots.

"I finished my trip over there, in the return zone. I heard the shots. When I finished the trip I go to Chick-fil-A to buy two burgers -- I see the police, I heard the shots very close," he says.

The Union County Prosecutor's Office says it is an ongoing investigation.

The names of the victims have not been released.

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Tropical Cyclone Vaianu rambled towards New Zealand over the weekend, bringing with it wild weather, large waves, and moments of brilliance for surfers.

Officials in charge even issued evacuation warnings for thousands of Kiwis, due to the threat of storm damage and potential flooding.

Before the storm hit, however, there were a few windows of waves for surfers. But then, once the storm neared the North Island, it was victory at sea. One buoy even read a wave reaching 11 meters (32.8 feet). See below for the chaos.

Surfline New Zealand reported:

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TC Vaianu is having severe impacts into the BOP region now. This is Mount Maunganui just a few hours ago.



Swell is peaking through midday with recorded heights of 11m. This is also coinciding with an approaching high tide.



Storm surge over the next few hours will be significant. Be sure to adhere to local weather warnings.

Prior to the chaos, as mentioned, there were a few openings for surfers to score waves (see the photo above, and the clip below). But it was not for the faint of heart.

As Surfline captioned in another update, featuring 8-12-foot waves:

Buoy readings have hit 11m from Tropical Cyclone Vaianu. Mangawhai Heads is lighting up right now and is the cam to watch.



This is not your average day. Serious energy in the water. Know your limits.

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Previously, the storm forced evacuations of surfers on Tavarua Island in Fiji. They sheltered in place on the main island as the storm passed, and by the looks of it, the damage was minimal. But back on New Zealand, officials are taking no chances.

Related: Surfers Flee Island as Tropical Cyclone Brings Wicked Conditions to Fiji (Video)

On Saturday, the Civil Defense issued this warning:

"Prepare now. Have a plan to shelter at home, deal with potential power outages, or evacuate if necessary.

"Follow forecasts and do not wait for official warnings.

"Wind damage, flooding and landslides can occur at any time."

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Stay safe, and stay tuned.

Related: Forecast: Hawaii Braces for More Flooding Rain

This story was originally published by Surfer on Apr 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Surfer as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/peter.magyar.102

The Hungarian opposition Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar, will form a constitutional majority and control more than two-thirds of the votes in parliament following election results.

According to preliminary data from the National Election Commission of Hungary after counting 98.42% of the ballots, three political forces enter parliament. The opposition Tisza party receives 53.5% of the vote. The current ruling Fidesz party gains 37.8%, while the far-right pro-Russia Mi Hazank has 5.8%.

Meanwhile, percentages do not translate into parliamentary mandates proportionally, as Hungary operates under a complex mixed system where the majority of deputies are elected in single-member constituencies, alongside a redistribution of votes from districts to national lists.

Ballot counts indicate that Tisza receives a guaranteed constitutional majority. Specifically, according to current data, Tisza will receive 138 mandates, the Fidesz faction will have 55 deputies, and Mi Hazank will have 6.

To form a constitutional majority, 133 votes are sufficient.
Over 50 people gathered on the Old Lee County Courthouse lawn in Dixon holding up blue pinwheels, the national symbol for child abuse prevention, at the fourth annual Hands Around the Courthouse on Friday afternoon.

No child should ever have to experience child abuse, but the reality is, it happens, Dixon Deputy Police Chief Aaron Simonton said at the event. We see you, we stand with you and we will not stop fighting for you.

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Dixon Deputy Police Chief Aaron Simonton speaks to a crowd Friday, April 10, 2026, during a Hands Around the Courthouse event hosted by Shining Star Childrens Advocacy Center to raise awareness of child abuse. (Alex T. Paschal)

The event is held annually in April during Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month by Shining Star Childrens Advocacy Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving those in Lee and Ogle counties. Simonton was one of four local and state officials who spoke, raising awareness about child abuse and how to prevent it.

Shining Star works with area law enforcement, prosecutors and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services to investigate allegations of child abuse and, particularly, child sex abuse.

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I have seen firsthand the devastating impact child abuse has, Simonton said. He added that these are difficult cases to work on that stay with the people who do.

Every child deserves to grow up feeling safe, valued and loved, Trisha Howard, executive director of CASA of the Illinois 15th Judicial Circuit, said.

CASA of the 15th Judicial Circuit trains volunteers to act as advocates for abused and neglected children in the court system in Carroll, Lee, Ogle, and Stephenson counties. Those volunteers gather information and talk to children and professionals to make recommendations to judges to ensure the best interests of the child are met, Howard said.

CASA is the eyes and ears for the judge, Howard said.

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State Sen. Li Arellano, R-Dixon, said in April he visited the seven advocacy centers he works with across the 12 counties he represents.

In the state of Illinois we are not doing enough to prevent and address child abuse, Arellano said, adding that he was genuinely shocked by that when he was first elected as a senator.

This is an easy thing to overlook in our daily lives, Arellano said, and urged people to take action and educate themselves.

Its not fun to talk about child abuse but it is imperative, Lee County Associate Judge Matthew Klahn said.

We can help break the cycle, Arellano said.

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In Illinois there are 40 CACs, including Shining Star, that also provide referrals to mental health services, medical exams, courtroom preparation, victim advocacy and more. At Shining Star, the agency has a full-time counselor who will provide individual counseling, as well as two support groups for teenagers and the childs parents or caregivers.

One of many services Shining Star provides is conducting forensic interviews with a child whom they suspect has been abused. The interview is designed so the child only has to tell their story once to a forensic interviewer who knows the right questions to ask in a way that does not retraumatize the child. Law enforcement professionals who need to see the interview can watch on a monitor in a separate room, said Jessica Cash, director of Shining Star Childrens Advocacy Center.

Cash noted that all of the centers services are completely free to the children and their caregivers. Its entirely funded through federal and state grants, as well as donations and fundraisers.

Shining Star is hosting its first Ogle County Hands Around the City event at noon April 17 outside Rochelle City Hall at 420 N. Sixth St. Like the Dixon event, it will include guest speakers to raise awareness about child abuse.

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Cash said there are a lot of places holding fundraisers for Shining Star in April, which is great because that also helps spread the word.

Scale House Lounge at 407 Lincoln Highway in Rochelle is holding a bingo event from 7 to 9 p.m. April 18. In Dixon, Society Boutique at 91 S. Hennepin Ave. will be donating 15% of all in-store and online sales made from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 24.

For information, visit shiningstarcac.com or call 815-284-1891.

Suspected child abuse can be reported to the DCFS Hotline at 1-800-25-ABUSE.
AbbVies Elahere has shown a 62.7% objective response rate (ORR) in patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer (PSOC) in a Phase II trial.

In the IMGN853-0420 study (NCT05456685), Elahere (mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx), a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), was investigated in combination with carboplatin, followed by maintenance treatment with Elahere monotherapy, in patients with folate receptor alpha (FR)-expressing, recurrent PSOC.

By the end of the induction phase, confirmed ORR was 62.7% in the FR 50% subgroup and 62.4% in the overall population.

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81% of the 125 enrolled patients showed no disease progression and continued treatment with Elahere alone. Among patients who transitioned to Elahere monotherapy, ORR was 68%.

Median duration of response (DoR) was 11.2 months across the overall population. The safety profile of Elahere remained consistent with previous studies.

Dr Daejin Abidoye, vice president, therapeutic area head, oncology, solid tumour and haematology at AbbVie, said: Despite being considered chemotherapy-responsive, PSOC remains challenging to treat. With each recurrence, responses to standard platinum-based chemotherapy often diminish, and patients may experience cumulative toxicities.

Data from the trial was presented in an oral session at the 2026 Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting, which took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, between 10 and 13 April 2026.

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AbbVie is running a Phase III trial (NCT05445778) of Elahere in combination with bevacizumab versus bevacizumab alone as maintenance therapy for patients with FR-expressing PSOC.

Elahere gained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for use in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) in March 2024 and in November of the same year from the European Commission (EC).

GlobalData analysis predicts that Elahere will generate sales of $2.6bn in 2032. GlobalData is the parent company of Clinical Trials Arena.

The value of the ovarian cancer market for the seven major pharmaceutical markets (7MM; US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, and Japan) is projected to reach a valuation of $4.1bn in 2032, up from $3.3bn in 2022, according to GlobalData.

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"AbbVies Elahere succeeds in Phase II platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer trial" was originally created and published by Clinical Trials Arena, a GlobalData owned brand.




Wisconsin will officially allow DACA status holders to obtain an occupational license under a bill Gov. Tony Evers signed into law last week.

AB 759, now 2025 Wisconsin Act 240, allows DACA status holders to apply for and obtain professional credentials from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS).

Evers said in a statement that it was the right thing to do to help Dreamers pursue their higher education and career goals to give back to the communities that raised them and to help the Wisconsin economy by ensuring smart, talented and capable people can join our workforce in high-need areas. He signed the bill while surrounded by advocates at the Nuevo Mercado El Rey in Milwaukee.

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Here in Wisconsin  whether its restrictions on obtaining a drivers license to operate a vehicle or certain work-related credentials  unnecessary barriers are holding hard-working people, as well as our workforce, economy, and communities, back, Evers said in a statement. Immigrants play a critical role in our economy and our communities in every corner of our state  and they have for generations. In Wisconsin, weve always believed that if you work hard, obey the law, pay taxes, and play by the rules just like everyone else, you should have a fair shot at pursuing the American Dream, including having the opportunity to join our professional workforce.

The bill made it through Wisconsins Republican-led Legislature and to Evers at a time when the federal government has been cracking down on immigrants, detaining more than 260 DACA recipients and deporting more than 80.

Proponents of the legislation got it over the finish line using the tag line, This is not an immigration issue; this is a workforce issue.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), adopted in 2012 under President Barack Obama, provides temporary protection from deportation and work authorization to certain undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The program does not provide recipients with legal status, a path to permanent residency or citizenship.

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According to a September 2025 report by the Migration Policy Institute, there are about 505,000 active DACA recipients from close to 200 different countries of birth in the U.S, about 5,100 of whom reside in Wisconsin.

DSPS issues thousands of licenses for more than 200 types of jobs in the health, business trades and other fields each year in Wisconsin. Nurses, real estate agents, cosmetologists, plumbers, dentists and emergency medical technicians all receive licenses through DSPS.

Without the change in state law, DACA recipients have been ineligible to apply, limiting the types of jobs they can do in Wisconsin.

Under the law, workers will still be required to have a valid, unexpired employment authorization document issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and as long as the federal work authorization is renewed, their Wisconsin credentials may continue to be renewed.

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Under the law, the bill will only apply to DACA recipients under the original DACA program. President Donald Trump rescinded the DACA program in September 2017. The provision in the state law means that should DACA be reopened to new applicants, they would not be eligible for occupational licenses.

Erika Colon, who has been a nurse for more than 30 years, told the Examiner that the legislation could help relieve the nursing shortages in Wisconsin. Colon, who spoke to the Examiner in her personal capacity, is the president of the Milwaukee Chapter of the Hispanic Nurses Association.

Ive never worked in a hospital where we were fully staffed, and it wasnt because the hospitals didnt want to hire. Its just that the people didnt exist, Colon said.

According to a 2024 Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) report, the state faces a projected deficit of 12,000 to 19,000 registered nurses by 2040.

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In her work with the Hispanic Nursing Association, Colon said that she has met students pursuing nursing who were DACA holders, but had to relocate out of the state to practice. She noted that the shortage issue is a nationwide trend.

In the big picture, it does help that they became nurses, and theyre helping other states, but theyre from here. They lived here many years. Their families are here. Their roots are here, and essentially we need them here, Colon said. We have so many job openings to fill that people could be filling easily, and unfortunately, because of the licensure barriers, they have to pick up everything and move out.

Advocates worked hard to push through the new policy allowing DACA recipients to work in Wisconsin, instead of moving and taking their skills to other states.

A bill allowing DACA recipients to get occupational licenses was first proposed in 2023 by former Rep. John Macco, a Republican from Brown County. He worked on a package of bills, including one to allow DACA recipients to become police officers and one to allow DACA recipients to be eligible for in-state tuition at Wisconsins universities, with Rep. Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D-Milwaukee). He had heard from local law enforcement in Green Bay that one of their employees was not eligible to become a police officer due to his status. The bills did not advance that session and Macco opted not to run for reelection in 2024.

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For me, it was a jobs bill, Macco told the Examiner in an interview. We are graduating nurses They went to grade school here, high school here, college here, and then they have to leave the state of Wisconsin to get a license and to sit for their nursing boards and practice somewhere else. Its the dumbest thing youve ever seen. They cant even be a barber in the state of Wisconsin.

This session, Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) signed on as lead coauthor this session alongside Sen. Jesse James (R-Thorp) and Ortiz-Velez. The lawmakers intentionally decided to focus their efforts on just the occupational license bill.

Ortiz-Velez told the Examiner that getting the bill done was a team effort. She said the recent national environment surrounding immigration was in the background as lawmakers and advocates worked on the bill.

People have such negative images, and they automatically assume that this is gonna promote illegal immigration and where they dont understand is this is a finite group of people, Ortiz-Velez said. It took a lot of us explaining and educating people and being very precise in the messaging that we were using to make sure that people understood. This is not an immigration bill.

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There were obstacles to getting committee hearings. Rep. Shae Sortwell (R-Two Rivers), the chair of the Assembly committee where the bill got a hearing, is a staunch supporter of Trumps immigration agenda. He ended up speaking in favor of and voting for the bill, but some Republicans who share his views on immigration were opposed to the measure from the beginning. When it came to the final floor session, the bill was not initially listed on either the Assembly or Senates calendars.

Ortiz-Velez said it was helpful to keep the conversation focused on Wisconsin, rather than federal immigration policy.

As a state, we have to put Wisconsin first, and regardless of whats going on at the federal level, we have job openings that we have, and we have people that are qualified I think for Republicans that was important to them  the idea of losing workforce, Ortiz-Velez said.

Ortiz-Velez said it was unclear during the Assemblys last week in session whether the bill would get a vote. But in the end, Republicans and Democrats spoke in favor of the bill and it passed in a bipartisan voice vote.

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Macco remained involved in the effort to get the legislation over the finish line including in the Senate.

My point to the Legislature was, look, conservative Republicans can walk and chew gum at the same time, Macco told the Examiner in an interview. We can both be against illegal immigration and breaking the laws and criminals coming into our country at the same time, we want to make a path for citizenship to all of those DACA recipients, and Congress needs to do that.

Macco testified at the committee hearing on the bill. He also made calls to his former Republican colleagues.

I called a bunch of them. I remember calling [Senate President] Mary [Felzkowski] and she called me back, Macco said. I had that conversation with her on how this is so important while I was riding on a ski lift My request to her was, would you be willing to waive the 17 rule or go to a voice vote.

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The rule of 17 is an informal rule sometimes invoked by Republicans in the state Senate, who have insisted that only bills that have the support of the majority of the Republican caucus should be allowed to come up for a vote. This informal rule has stymied bipartisan efforts that could have passed with votes from members of both parties. With an 18-15 Republican majority, any two Republican senators can block a bill from getting a floor vote under the rule of 17.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg), who is retiring at the end of his term, broke the rule to pass a handful of bills during the Senates final floor session this year.

On the last day of the Senate floor session, the DACA licensing bill was still not on the calendar. Ortiz-Velez said that was a purposeful maneuver to avoid any amendments on the bill that could have killed it.

The bill passed in the Senate 31-2. The only opposing votes came from Sens. Andre Jacque (R-New Franken) and Steve Nass (R-Whitewater).

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After the vote, Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) said in a statement that it was a great accomplishment for the state.

Dreamers came to our nation as children, brought by their parents because America has long held itself to be the land of opportunity, Carpenter said. That is the same reason that many proud Americans live freely in our great nation today, because our ancestors once had that same dream of building a better life for their children.

Colon said her members wrote to lawmakers and Evers as a part of their advocacy efforts and worked to educate and win support of people who wouldnt be directly affected. Before they heard about the bill, she said, a lot of people didnt know that DACA recipients could not obtain the license.

We need this. Licensed professionals are highly needed in the state. Its not like theyre taking other peoples jobs, Colon said.

Colon said she knew of at least two nurses who would be able to move back from Illinois.

This will be able to bring two people back to the workforce here and to care for our communities that greatly need it, Colon said.

Ortiz-Velez said she is hopeful the success of the law could open the door to additional legislation for DACA recipients. She said in-state tuition is one of her top priorities. She said she also hopes that working with others on these issues could also reinvigorate a conversation about a path to citizenship for DACA recipients, so that they can be fully members of our society.

Macco said that he would like to see the state take more action to address the barriers that DACA recipients face, however, he also called them Band Aid approaches.

Macco said he wants to see the federal government allow DACA recipients to apply for a green card. He said that he plans to speak with Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson and Rep. Tony Wied about the issue.

[It] doesnt mean theyre going to get it. It just allows them to apply, and so if [the federal government] would just simply do that, to me, I think thats a win, Macco said.

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Did the loud noise from your phone startle you this morning?

An Amber Alert April 13 let Florida residents know about a "kidnapped child" out of Santa Rosa County in Florida's Panhandle.

The 15-year-old girl was last seen April 7 in Milton.

Here's what you should know and how you can help.

Amber Alert issued for teen from Santa Rosa County

An Amber Alert was issued April 13, 2026, for a 15-year-old girl last seen in Santa Rosa County, Florida.

An Amber Alert was issued April 13 for a missing 15-year-old girl out from Santa Rosa County.

Adriana Hernandez, 15, was last seen in Milton on April 7. She may have a reddish-brown tint in her hair, is 5 feet 1 inch tall with brown eyes, and weighs about 130 pounds.

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Adriana may have traveled to Georgia, the FDLE said.

Where is Santa Rosa County in Florida?

Santa Rosa County is located in the western tip of the Florida Panhandle.

Milton, where Adriana Hernandez was last seen, is about 21 miles northeast of Pensacola or 160 miles west of Tallahassee.

Where is Milton, Florida?

Milton is a city and county seat of Santa Rosa County, Florida.

The Naval Air Station Whiting Field is located near the city, and was described as "the busiest Naval Air Station in the world."

Who to call if you have information about a missing person

If you have any information about Adriana Hernandez, call:

FLDE Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse: 1-888-FL MISSING (1-888-356-4744)

or Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office: 850-983-1190 or 911

What is an Amber Alert?

Florida's Amber Alert program was established in 2000 to "broadcast critical information of an abducted child as quickly as possible to the media and general public."

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The alerts are intended to inform the public across a much larger area than just the immediate location where a child disappeared.

AMBER is an acronym standing for "America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response."

Why is it called AMBER Alert? Floridas Amber Alert system: What to know about states plan when a child goes missing

How is the public notified of an Amber Alert?

The Florida Amber Plan is implemented via "radio, television, highway message signs, lottery machines, missingchildrenalert.com, and other resources that have been made available when a child abduction occurs," according to the state's website.

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The program also sends alerts via email and free text messages.

The plan is meant to alert the public across a much broader area than where an abduction took place.

How does Florida's Amber Alert process work?

Per the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the investigating local law enforcement agency contacts FDLE's Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse.

The local law enforcement agency and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement decide what information will be broadcasted and the areas in which to broadcast.

How is an Amber Alert activated in Florida?

There are five criteria that have to be met before an Amber Alert can be issued in Florida:

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The child is under the age of 18.

Law enforcement has a well-founded belief a kidnapping has occurred.

Law enforcement believes the child is in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.

There is a detailed description of the child and/or the abductor and possible vehicle to broadcast to the public.

The law enforcement agency of jurisdiction recommends the activation.

See all active Amber Alerts in Florida

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement maintains a list of all active Amber Alerts.

Can your turn Amber Alerts off on your cellphone?

Yes, on the iphone:

Go to Settings, Notifications

Scroll to the bottom of the screen

Under Government Alerts, turn the alerts off or on.

On an Android phone, go to:

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Settings, Safety & Emergency

Wireless emergency alerts

Toggle Amber alerts on or off

How do you sign up for Amber Alerts?

If an alert is active in your area, it should automatically appear on your phone, unless you've turned it off. You can also sign up for social media accounts that will notify you when an Amber Alert is issued:

On Facebook : Visit www.facebook.com/AMBERAlert and Like the page to receive Amber Alerts in your newsfeed. Facebook also automatically notifies users near the location of an Amber Alert.

On Instagram : If an Amber Alert is activated by law enforcement and you are in the designated search area, the alert will appear in your Instagram feed.

On X, formerly known as Twitter: Follow @AMBERAlert to receive rapid Amber Alert notifications on your Twitter feed and share the alert with your followers.

Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Floridas best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://tallahassee.com/newsletters.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Amber Alert issued for girl missing from Santa Rosa County.
By Francesco Guarascio

HANOI, April 13 (Reuters) - Vietnam is increasingly edging closer to China's model of governance, tightening state control while embracing Chinese technology and regulation as its most powerful leader nL6N40Q04Y in decades heads to Beijing this week, according to internal documents, public policy plans and sources.

The two Communist neighbours have swung between conflict and cooperation over centuries. Now, Vietnam is leaning more openly toward Beijing, as China-friendly security figures rise in Hanoi under party chief To Lam, a former public security boss.

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Lam will meet China's leader Xi Jinping on Wednesday on his first overseas trip since becoming state president on April 7, a move that formally unites two of Vietnam's most powerful roles, echoing Xi's own concentration of authority and breaking from Vietnam's traditional emphasis on collective leadership.

"Vietnam-China relations have entered a new stage, marked by higher political trust, more substantive defence and security cooperation, deeper and more practical cooperation across sectors," Lam said in a joint statement with Xi after they last met in April 2025.

This week's visit is expected to yield dozens of cooperation agreements, people briefed on the plans said. While such documents are often non-binding, the relationship is becoming more tangible: China's exports to Vietnam are at record highs https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/how-china-inc-is-marching-into-vietnam-amid-us-tariffs-2025-12-10/, and Chinese investment in manufacturing south of the border is booming.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic.

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Vietnam is still hedging geopolitically, analysts say, keeping doors open to Washington and others. But at home, it is moving closer to China's governance model - particularly control-driven regulation despite Western misgivings, underscoring how China's influence is deepening as Lam reshapes the state.

Vietnam has "a dual approach of actively learning from the Chinese model while selectively resisting its influence," said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute.

Alexander Vuving of the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in the U.S., said that closer ties with China without adequate guardrails "will have a negative impact not only on Vietnam's security, prosperity, and autonomy, but also on its relations with the U.S. and the West."

Vietnam's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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TECH AND CONTROL

Technology has emerged as one of the clearest markers of warming ties.

Vietnam has dropped earlier concerns about the use of Chinese equipment in its 5G network nL6N3X40OM, while the country's largest internet provider FPT announced investments in an undersea cable https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/inside-us-push-steer-vietnams-subsea-cable-plans-away-china-2024-09-17/ to be built by a Chinese vendor that the U.S. considers linked to sanctioned telecom giant Huawei. A telecom company under Vietnam's public security ministry is in talks https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/vietnam-eyes-new-5g-deals-with-chinese-tech-firms-sources-say-despite-us-2026-03-06/ with Chinese companies for additional 5G deals.

Chinese firms are simultaneously exploring investments in Vietnamese data centres, a strategic asset, according to people familiar with the discussions.

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"Chinese interest in Vietnam's data-centre market has increased noticeably over the past 18-24 months," said Mickael Driol, head of investment advisory firm Mekong Partners. He said much of that is driven by manufacturers who moved operations to Vietnam from China.

Hanoi is prioritising state control in data regulation, similar to China. Western tech companies and the U.S. government have repeatedly raised concerns https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-tech-firms-warn-vietnams-planned-law-hamper-data-centres-social-media-2024-11-04/ over data protection rules drafted by Vietnam's security ministry that limit cross-border data transfers.

Draft documents seen by Reuters show Vietnam plans to establish state-run data-trading exchanges overseen by the public security ministry - mirroring China's centralised data model and expanding the state's ability to deploy information for surveillance and strategic goals. In Western markets, such platforms are typically privately run.

Vietnam is also expanding a national electronic identification system, enabling authorities to identify individuals through AI camera networks that are being rolled out nationwide - another parallel with China's surveillance architecture.

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"The police's rising power (in Vietnam) may partly explain a growing interest in Chinese-style social control tactics," said Giang.

MODELLING CHINA'S ECONOMY

Unencumbered by public opinion that has grown less critical https://www.reuters.com/world/china/menacing-cool-how-views-china-have-shifted-vietnam-2025-10-14/ of China, the Vietnamese Communist Party is also advancing a more China-style economic model centred on subsidies https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnams-push-chip-to-ship-conglomerates-raises-red-flags-2025-11-05/, public investment and large infrastructure projects, sometimes in direct cooperation with Beijing on sensitive projects including high-speed rail links https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-use-chinese-loans-83-billion-railway-linking-both-countries-2025-02-13/.

The shift has been reinforced by TikTok's popularity in Vietnam, where positive narratives about China often dominate, and by Hanoi's increasingly muted criticism of Beijing's actions in the disputed South China Sea.

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Vietnam remains more open than China to foreign investors and still depends heavily on external capital. But China's share of total investments is rising, and Chinese brands are gaining popularity at home.

China's influence is also visible in finance. Vietnam relies on unconventional monetary policy tools such as lending mandates to banks reminiscent of China's policy, maintains tight foreign ownership caps in key sectors, and is grappling with a property bubble that echoes China's experience.

Now Hanoi is considering deeper intervention in equity markets. Proposed measures https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vietnam-plans-stock-market-support-measures-due-iran-war-turmoil-documents-show-2026-04-02/ include a government-backed stabilisation fund to buy stocks during downturns - an idea explicitly modelled on China.

"China created one and succeeded in reassuring investors," said an internal security ministry document reviewed by Reuters.

(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio in Hanoi; Additional reporting by Clare Jim in Hong Kong, Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen in HanoiEditing by Shri Navaratnam)
(NEXSTAR)  If youve used an Android mobile device since 2017, you may qualify for part of a $135 million class action settlement.

The possible payout stems from a lawsuit filed against Google, accusing the company of causing Android mobile devices to send a variety of information to the internet giant without the users permission. This, the lawsuit alleges, consumed the cellular data on those devices.

Google has denied wrongdoing, but agreed to the $135 million settlement. A similar lawsuit for only California residents resulted in a $350 million settlement.

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Some impacted customers have reported receiving emails  with some going to spam folders  notifying them that they qualify for the settlement.

2026 Atlantic hurricane season forecast: Somewhat below-average activity

To qualify, settlement administrators say you must be a U.S. resident who used an Android mobile device with a cellular data plan from a mobile carrier at any time since November 12, 2017. You do not qualify if you were among the class members of the aforementioned California settlement.

Its estimated that there are 100 million people who may qualify for this settlement, which still requires court approval. According to the settlement site, administrators aim to pay each qualifying member the same amount from the $135 million fund.

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That could work out to slightly more than $1 per claimant, since the settlement fund is also used for notice and administration costs, taxes, and other fees approved by the court. Should there be any leftover funds, the administrators say they would send payments to members who were previously paid, up to $100 per person.

Lawsuit filed against energy drink distributor over Texas cheerleaders death

To receive payment, youll need to use the notice ID and confirmation code you received via email to complete a payment election form online. If you fail to select your preferred payment method, administrators say they will still attempt to send you a payment, but you run the risk of not receiving a payment  if those attempts are unsuccessful.

If you would like not to receive a payment, you can opt out. You have until May 29 to do so.

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A final approval hearing in this case is set for June 23.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
This story was originally published on K-12 Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily K-12 Dive newsletter.

Dive Brief:

The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday resumed parts of a sweeping anti-LGBTQ+ Iowa education law that had been temporarily paused by a federal district court.

The appeals ruling in two separate but related cases means that the Iowa statute limiting LGBTQ+ materials applies only to mandatory parts of the educational curriculum." That means it "does not require schools to prohibit student expression of LGBTQ+ identity nor does it limit the sponsorship or promotion" of Gay-Straight Alliances according to a statement from Thomas Story, senior staff attorney with ACLU, one of the organizations challenging the law.

The decision deals a blow to free speech and LGBTQ+ civil rights advocates' efforts to stop such laws in Iowa and elsewhere that restrict curriculum and, in some cases, other LGBTQ+-inclusive measures like using students' preferred pronouns.

Dive Insight:

At least 12 states restrict LGBTQ+ discussions in all school curriculum, and four other states limit discussion of "homosexuality" to specific curricula, such as sex education, according to the Movement Advancement Project, which tracks the issue. At least 19 states have one curriculum restriction related to LGBTQ+ issues, according to MAP.

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The sweeping Iowa law passed in 2023 includes:

A ban on all K-12 books containing descriptions or depictions of a sex act.

A provision that prohibits any program, curriculum, test, survey, questionnaire, promotion or instruction in K-6 relating to gender theory or sexual orientation.

A provision requiring teachers and school staff to report students' gender identity accommodations, such as pronoun usage differing from those used at birth, to their parents or guardians.

The law was challenged in two cases: one by major publishers including Penguin Random House and another by advocacy organization Iowa Safe Schools.

Parts of the law were blocked in federal district court in 2024 as a result of litigation.

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"Throughout the litigation, the State has insisted that this statute applies only to mandatory parts of the educational curriculum," wrote appeals court Judge Ralph Erickson in the April 6 opinion. "Reading the plain language, we cannot say the States assertion is wrong."

The ruling also requires that schools report to parents or guardians if a student specifically requests a school accommodation for the stated purpose of affirming a gender identity different from their registration forms.

"Even though the statute does not define 'accommodation,' it is not vague," the circuit judge wrote. "The law is clear enough that a person of ordinary intelligence can reasonably understand it. The district court erred when it found otherwise."

Lawsuits hoping to stop Iowa's law and those challenging laws in other states are doing so partly on the grounds that they are vague, broad or both, leading educators to overcomply and self-censor out of fear.

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"This ruling is a setback, but it is not the end of this fight," said Nathan Maxwell, senior attorney at Lambda Legal's midwest regional office, which filed one of the two lawsuits in Iowa.

With multiple other similar lawsuits working their way through the courts nationwide, the issue of book restrictions is expected to eventually make it to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Last year, the high court declined to hear a similar case out of Llano County, Texas, that reached the Supreme Court after the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed state and local government restrictions on books to stand.

The case, Little v. Llano County, turned on whether book removal decisions  which have swept across public schools and libraries in the past few years  are subject to the First Amendments free speech protections.

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The case would have been the first on book bans to be heard in the Supreme Court since 1982, according to PEN America.

The Iowa and Texas cases are part of a flurry of lawsuits resulting from book removal decisions by schools and libraries in recent years.

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The man accused of starting the massive fire that destroyed a sprawling warehouse in Ontario, causing an estimated $500 million in damage, pleaded not guilty to charges in court Monday.

Chamel Abdulkarim, a 29-year-old resident of Highland, is facing several arson charges in San Bernardino County. He's also been charged in a federal criminal complaint because the items stored in the warehouse were set to be sold and shipped across state lines. He faces several years in prison if convicted as charged on local and federal charges.

Chamel Abdulkarim, a 29-year-old resident of Highland, appears in court on Monday, April 13, 2026.

"In a phone call to one witness, the defendant compared himself to Luigi Mangione," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said at a Friday morning news conference, referring to the murder suspect charged in the death of Brian Thompson, the CEO of the United States' biggest health insurer. "Look, America is founded on free enterprise and capitalism. Anyone who attacks our values, our way of life, our system, which provides the best goods and services to the most people, we're gonna come after aggressively."

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The inferno erupted around early Tuesday morning last week, destroying the 1.2-million-square-foot warehouse and paper products inside.

"Arson to me is a real head-scratcher," said San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson." I do not understand somebody who is suspected of arson does something where they get no value out of it, other than to displace people from their jobs, to ruin commerce, to get in the way of labor, to put people in physical harm. We want to be certain at least for our residents, as sensitive as we are to arson in this county, particularly in Southern California, that these crimes are taken very, very serious."

A warehouse employee arrested on suspicion of starting a massive fire that destroyed the building in Ontario, has been charged with felony arson.

Authorities said Abdulkarim was working at the Kimberly-Clark Distribution Center through a third-party company at the time of the fire. No one was injured in the blaze.

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Investigators say they are reviewing the video posted to social media, which appears to show cases of toilet paper being set on fire inside a warehouse. In the video, a person repeatedly says he is not paid enough to live on.

A co-worker of the suspect told reporters he had just met Abdulkarim moments before the fire broke out and said there was initially no suspicion that he was involved.

"There was no suspicion that it was him, actually he was missing. So everyone was trying to find him. Everyone was blaming the robots at first. We were almost 100% sure it was the robots until the action in the video of course," said Alex Montero of San Bernardino.

Abdulkarim's next court appearance is May 6.
In early April 2026, the Artemis II mission captivated me and millions of people watching from across the world. The crews courage, skill and infectious wonder served as tangible proof of human persistence and technological achievement, all against the mysterious backdrop of space.

People back on Earth got to witness the mission through remarkable photos of space captured by astronauts. Images created and shared by astronauts underscore how photography builds a powerful, authentic connection that goes beyond what technology alone can capture.

As a photographer and the director of the Rochester Institute of Technologys School of Photographic Arts and Sciences, I am especially drawn to how these photographs have been at the center of the publics collective experience of this mission.

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In an era when image authenticity is often questioned and with the capabilities of autonomous, AI-driven imaging, NASAs choice to train astronauts in photography has placed meaning over convenience and prioritized their human perspectives and creativity.

Capturing space from the crews perspective

Photography was not originally placed as a high priority in NASAs Apollo era. The astronauts only took photographs if they had the chance and all their other tasks were complete.

The Blue Marble view of the Earth as seen by the Apollo 17 crew in 1972. NASA

Thanks largely in part to public response to those images from Apollo, including Earthrise and the Blue Marble being widely credited for helping catalyze the modern environmental movement, NASA shifted its approach to utilize photography to help capture the publics imagination by training their astronauts in photographic practices.

The Artemis II missions photographs have helped cut through the increasing volume of artificially generated images circulating on social media. NASAs social media releases of the crews photographs have garnered thousands of shares and comments.

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This excitement could be explained by the novelty of photos from space, but these images also distinguish themselves as products of astronauts experiencing these sights and interpreting them through their photographs. These differences require an important distinction around where technology ends and humanity begins.

NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman watches the Moon from one of the Orion spacecrafts windows. NASA

Human perspective versus AI tools

Photography has long integrated AI-powered software and data-driven tools in a variety of ways: to process raw images, fill in missing color information, drive precise focus and guide image editing, among others. These modern technological assists help human photographers realize their vision.

Artificial intelligence is also increasingly capable of operating machinery competently and autonomously, from cars to drones and cameras.

And AI can generate convincing, realistic images and videos from nothing more than a text prompt, using readily available tools.

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Researchers train AI to mimic patterns informed by millions of sample images, and the algorithm can then either take or create a photograph based on what it predicts would be the most likely version of a successful, believable image.

Human-created photos are rooted in direct observation, intent and lived experience, while AI images  or choices made by AI-driven tools  are not. While both can produce compelling and believable visuals, the human photographs carry emotional power because the photographer is drawing from their experiences and perspective in that moment to tell an authentic story.

Artemis II photographs resonate, not only because they are historic, but because they reflect the deliberate choices and intent of a human being in that specific moment and context. The exposure, camera setting, lens choice and composition are all dictated by the astronauts vision, skill, perspective and experience. Each image is unique in comparison with the others. These choices give the images narrative power, anchoring them in human perspective.

NASAs Earthset photo captured by the Artemis II crew. NASA

Images to tell a story

Photographers choose what to include in the final version of their image to tell a story. In the Artemis II images, this human perspective comes out. In the Earthset photo, you see a striking juxtaposition of the Moons monochromatic, textured surface in the foreground against a slivered, bright Earth.

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The choice to include both in the frame contrasts these objects literally and figuratively, inviting comparison. It creates a narrative where Earth is contrasted against the Moon  life is contrasted against the absence of it.

Another photo shows the nightside of the whole Earth, featuring the Suns halo, auroras and city lights. The choice to include the subtle framing of the window of the capsule in the lower left corner reminds the viewer where and how this image was captured: by a human, inside a capsule, hurtling through space. That detail grounds the photograph in the human perspective.

Both photos are reminiscent of Earthrise and the Blue Marble. These past images hold a place in the global collective consciousness, shaped by a shared historical moment.

The Artemis II photographs are anchored in this collective moment of lived human experience, yet also shaped by each astronauts viewpoint. The crews unique perspectives exemplify photographys transformative power by inviting viewers to engage emotionally and intellectually with their journey. These photographs share the astronauts awe and wonder and affirm the value of human creativity and its ability to connect us in a captured moment.

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This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Christye Sisson, Rochester Institute of Technology

Read more:



Christye Sisson has received funding from the US government for research in media forensics.
An ICE agent was struck by a vehicle during a targeted arrest attempt.

The Department of Homeland Security says this was a targeted ICE arrest that quickly took a turn when the person was pulled over and ended up speeding off instead.

DHS spokesperson says driver attempted to hit agent during vehicle stop in Quincy

Two men approached me rather briskly, and I didnt know what was going on, Daniel Geddes told Boston 25.

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Geddes lives close by and witnessed the aftermath of what happened early Friday afternoon near Bigelow Street in Quincy.

And then they had said that an officer was struck out front, I noticed there were a couple other vehicles kind of posted up on opposite corners, yeah, it looked like some kind of operation going on, he explained.

The Department of Homeland Security released the following statement to Boston 25.

Just after 11:00 a.m. on Friday, ICE law enforcement officers attempted a targeted arrest of an illegal alien who violated our nations laws on Bigelow Street in Quincy. After conducting a targeted vehicle stop, special agents exited their vehicle to make the arrest. The illegal alien, in an attempt to evade arrest, weaponized his vehicle and nearly crushed a special agent. Thankfully, the agent jumped out of the path of the illegal aliens vehicle. The vehicle struck the special agents door, briefly pinning the agent. The illegal alien sped off and remains at large. The special agent received minor injuries and will be evaluated at the hospital. DHS Spokesperson

State police are now assisting with the investigation and have released a description of the vehicle that is believed to be a silver Ford Fusion with Massachusetts plates.

Its really terrible to be honest with you. Its scary stuff, too. I hope that they can maybe get some Ring camera footage or something from the area and get the guy because its worrisome having people like that out there, Geddes said.

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If you have any information, youre asked to call the police right away.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Citizens of Hungary clearly and decisively said "no" to attempts to return their country to Moscows orbit and confirmed their commitment to democracy, freedom, and European values, Prime Minister of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko stated.

"What a victory! Congratulations to @MagyarPeterMP and the TISZA party on their convincing victory!" she wrote on the X social network.

Svyrydenko noted that the people of Hungary clearly and decisively said "no" to any attempts to return their country to Moscows orbit. On Sunday, Hungary confirmed its commitment to democracy, freedom, and European values.

"Russia attempts to undermine our unity have failed. We remain confident that Ukraine and Hungary will continue to strengthen our partnership and promote a shared European future. We look forward to deepening our cooperation for the benefit of both our countries and the stability of our region," the Prime Minister emphasized.
An unidentified male died early Monday after being shot in the Central Park Heights neighborhood of Northwest Baltimore on Sunday night.

Baltimore Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 4900 block of Park Heights Avenue around 8:50 p.m. Sunday, when they found the victim, the department said in a news release.

A preliminary investigation found that the victim was shot in the 4900 block of Palmer Road and ran to nearby Park Heights Avenue, where he was found by police.

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The victim was taken to Sinai Hospital, and in a Sunday night release from the department, he was reported to be in stable condition at the hospital.

Baltimore City Homicides

A police spokesperson confirmed that the victim died overnight at the hospital. Police have not yet identified a suspect or motive for the shooting, and have not released the identity of the victim.

This shooting marks Baltimore Citys 32nd homicide in 2026 to date, compared with 35 during the same time span in 2025.

Northern District detectives are asking anyone with information to contact them at 410-396-2455 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.

Have a news tip? Contact Lily Carey at LCarey@baltsun.com.
April 13 (Reuters) - Gym operator Basic-Fit has suffered a data breach involving around 1 million members with 200,000 in the Netherlands alone, a company spokesperson said on Monday.

Basic-Fit owns gyms serving over 4.5 million customers across six European countries including France, Germany, and Spain. It also runs a franchise model in six other countries, which uses a separate system and was not affected by the leak.

 Breach involves members' bank account details, names, birth dates and contact information

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 Basic-Fit says the unauthorised access was detected by its system monitoring tools and was stopped within minutes

 Members whose data is involved have been informed, Basic-Fit says

 The company noted it does not hold members' identification documents and no passwords were accessed, adding that the main risk for affected members would be potential phishing attempts

(Reporting by Jakob Van Calster in Gdansk; Editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak and Joe Bavier)
Beckman Coulter Diagnostics has obtained a European CE mark for the use of its laboratory test designed to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections within 20 minutes.

The Danaher companys regulatory approval, granted under the European Unions (EU) in vitro diagnostics regulation (IVDR), validates MeMeds Access MeMed BV (MMBV) test for use with Beckmans DxI 9000 and Access 2 immunoassay analysers.

The EU designation is the latest development in a partnership between Beckman and MeMed, the tests original developer, which was expanded in May 2024 for Beckman to become the authorised distributor of Access MeMed in the US and Europe. MMBV received US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval in 2021.

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Bacterial and viral infections commonly present with overlapping symptoms such as fever, cough, fatigue, and sore throat. Early distinction between bacterial and viral can mitigate inappropriate patient management or unnecessary antibiotic use.

Various clinical trials of MMBV have demonstrated the tests ability to improve clinical decision-making and ensure that appropriate care pathways are taken. MeMeds test translates the levels of three host proteins  TRAIL, IP-10, and CRP  into a score that indicates the likelihood of bacterial or viral infection. Processed with Beckmans immunoassay analysers, results can be available within 20 minutes.

The JUNO trial (NCT05762302) demonstrated that MMBV optimised antibiotic prescriptions without increasing emergency care centre visits or hospitalisations in adult patients exhibiting symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI).

Melissa Naiman, medical and scientific affairs at Beckman Coulter, commented: By delivering rapid, highly reliable bacterial and viral differentiation on routine immunoassay systems, we're empowering care teams with the timely insights they need to guide appropriate treatment decisions, while optimising laboratory efficiency using existing workflows.

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According to real-world studies conducted by MeMed across 6,000 patients, clinicians face uncertainty about antibiotic prescribing in approximately 1629% of cases. Meanwhile, following receipt of MMBV results, physicians report that the test supported or changed clinical decision-making in 8287% of cases.

Various analyses of MMBV also highlight the tests ability to bring cost savings to healthcare institutions. Research on MMBVs integration in the UKs National Health Service (NHS) found that the test reduced total NHS costs by 134,018 ($180,000) for adults, and 105,750 for children per 1,000 patients with suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).

According to broader economic data from MeMed, with MMBV now available on Beckmans install base across Europe, healthcare systems could potentially realise cost savings of up to 80m ($93.5m) in avoidable costs annually due to reductions in unnecessary admissions and diagnostic testing.

"Beckman Coulter obtains CE mark for bacterial-viral differentiator test" was originally created and published by Medical Device Network, a GlobalData owned brand.




For months, Rep. Eric Swalwell was leading the prediction market odds for governor of California.

He dropped out of the race on Sunday amid sexual misconduct allegations.

Now, billionaire Tom Steyer is the odds-on favorite, with 55% on Kalshi and Polymarket.

There's a new favorite to be the governor of California.

Tom Steyer, a billionaire philanthropist and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, is now favored by prediction markets to win the gubernatorial election in the country's largest state in November.

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Traders on both Kalshi and Polymarket put Steyer's odds of winning at roughly 55%, well ahead of any of his competitors.

Steyer's rise in the prediction markets began over the weekend amid allegations of sexual misconduct against Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, which broke on Friday.

Swalwell has denied those allegations, which include inappropriate and nonconsensual sexual conduct with younger staffers. But the congressman faced an avalanche of calls to withdraw from the race, and on Sunday, he opted to do so.

Ironically, Swalwell had touted his own odds on Kalshi multiple times throughout his campaign.

I didnt pay for a Super Bowl ad, but boy are people betting on my campaign tonight. @Kalshi



My bet is on Californians. pic.twitter.com/HDGhIpFvLX  Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) February 9, 2026

Steyer, a philanthropist and climate activist, made his fortune running the hedge fund Farallon Capital. He is estimated to be worth $2.4 billion, according to Forbes.

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He has largely self-funded his gubernatorial campaign, pouring a whopping $121.6 million into his bid as of mid-April.

Steyer is one of three billionaires running for governor across the US right now. The other two are Republicans  Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio, and Rick Jackson in Georgia.

Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois is currently the only billionaire serving in a governor's mansion. Other recent billionaire governors include Doug Burgum of North Dakota and Jim Justice of West Virginia, both Republicans.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Bostons first recreational marijuana dispensary has abruptly shut down leaving workers without jobs, answers, or even access to their belongings.

Employees at Pure Oasis in Dorchesters Grove Hall said they were getting ready to go to work last Wednesday, only to receive an email that the business had suddenly shut down and their jobs were gone.

Rolando Alvarez, who worked at Pure Oasis for over a year, said they were never notified ahead of time. In fact, screenshots from their scheduling app show many were still expected to be on shift days after the shop had already closed.

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The email said, effective immediately were shutting down, we tried everything, our accounts froze, and we dont know when youre going to get paid, Alvarez recounted. Im devastated. Its just one of those things where its like, the economy right now isnt the best.

Kim Rodriguez, who worked at the shop for over a year, said theyre struggling to get unemployment benefits because they claim the company isnt responding to state requests to verify their employment.

My family depends on me, I have kids, I have rent and now I have a baby due anytime soon this month. It could be today, tomorrow, any day, Rodriguez said.

The employees also explain theyve been unable to retrieve personal belongings left inside the store after repeated attempts to contact management went unanswered.

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At least I want to get my belongings and my personal stuff, but were not allowed to go inside the building and theres been no answers from management, Rodriguez explained.

Financial troubles may have been building behind the scenes. Court filings indicate the dispensary was sued over alleged missed payments to vendors. The company is facing six lawsuits filed against them in the past year. The latest judgement ordered against them for over $2.2M.

Lynnz Bransfield, who worked security at the front desk, said those issues were apparent on the job, recalling calls from cannabis suppliers asking when theyd be paid.

I dont think they really had any desire to pay their debts. I feel like were getting the short end of the stick when we did nothing but show up and show out while we were here, Bransfield said.

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Pure Oasis made history as Bostons first recreational cannabis shop back in 2020, but now, its abrupt closure is leaving workers searching for accountability, and their next paycheck.

Even customers, like Davel Matthews, are being left in the dark.

I just drove here to come inside, and I cant even go inside, Davel said. Im very surprised and now theyre saying its permanently shut down.

Boston25 reached out to Pure Oasis to address these claims.

Owner Kobie Evans provided the following statement:

This has been an incredibly difficult situation for us, and our first priority right now is our team. Were deeply saddened by how quickly things unfolded and the impact this has had on our staff, many of whom have been with us for years.

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Like many small, locally owned cannabis businesses, weve been facing significant financial pressure due to broader economic conditions. A combination of declining consumer spending, increased competition, and ongoing cost pressures made it increasingly difficult to sustain operations at this location.

We understand how frustrating and unsettling this has been for our employees. We want to be clear that staff are able to successfully file for unemployment, and we are actively communicating with team members to support them through that process.

Access to the building has been more limited than usual due to the regulatory requirements associated with cannabis operations. As a controlled substance, there are strict compliance protocols we must follow regarding access, inventory, and security even during a closure. We are working as quickly as possible to coordinate safe and compliant access for employees to retrieve their personal belongings.

At the same time, we are actively exploring potential solutions that could allow us to reopen in the near future. While nothing is finalized, we remain committed to doing everything we can to return and continue serving the community.

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This is not an outcome we ever wanted, especially in a community we care deeply about. Were grateful for the support Grove Hall has shown us over the years and remain committed to handling this transition as responsibly as possible."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
By Fabio Teixeira

RIO DE JANEIRO, April 13 (Reuters) - Brazil's secretary of labor inspection was fired for adding https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/sustainable-finance-reporting/brazilian-government-blacklists-chinese-automaker-byd-labor-violations-2026-04-07/ Chinese automaker BYD to a registry of employers accused of subjecting workers to conditions described by the government as similar to slavery, two people close to the matter told Reuters.

Luiz Felipe Brandao de Mello disobeyed an order from Labor Minister Luiz Marinho to leave the electric vehicle maker off Brazil's so-called labor abuse "dirty list," said the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss the matter.

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His dismissal, made official in Monday's official gazette, is the latest flashpoint in a crisis between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government and the traditionally independent inspectors who target serious labor abuses. Marinho has previously been accused of interfering in their work nL5N3V51F9 to keep big companies off the list.

Brazil's Labor Ministry and Mello did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

'POLITICAL INTERFERENCE'

Brazil's national association of labor inspectors, Anafitra, criticized the firing, adding that it weakens Brazil's fight against labor abuses and undermines the impact of the list, considered a powerful tool in such cases.

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"The dismissal of the secretary signals an escalation of political interference in labor inspections," Anafitra said in a statement.

The focus on BYD follows a 2024 case https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/workers-found-slavery-like-conditions-byd-construction-site-brazil-2024-12-23/ in which 163 Chinese workers employed by a contractor were found building the automaker's flagship factory in Brazil under what Brazilian officials described as "slavery-like" conditions.

The scandal hurt BYD's reputation and delayed construction for months in Brazil, the company's largest market after China.

BYD did not reply to a request for comment. It has previously said it had no knowledge of any violations until reports by Brazilian media in late 2024.

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ORDER DISOBEYED

Under government rules, the labor abuse list must be updated every six months, with the latest deadline occurring on April 6.

Marinho told Mello to hold off adding BYD's name, without citing any technical justification, the sources said.

Two days later, a court granted BYD an injunction nL1N40S0PO removing it from the list. A final ruling is pending.

BYD has boasted strong ties to Brazil's leftist government, with Lula attending an inauguration of its factory in October, despite the ongoing labor abuse case at the time.

Beyond reputational damage, firms added to the list are barred from getting certain kinds of loans from Brazilian banks.

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Last year, Marinho made unusual final reviews of labor inspectors' investigations to bar the inclusion of some firms, including a division of Brazilian meatpacker JBS https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/brazilian-minister-intervenes-jbs-slave-labor-investigation-2025-09-18/.

Mello had expressed opposition to those decisions by Marinho, one source said, adding that the refusal to obey orders in the BYD case was seen as a final straw.

(Reporting by Fabio Teixeira; Editing by Brad Haynes and Paul Simao)
A jury sentenced former Missouri City, Texas, police officer Blademir Viveros to 15 years in prison for causing a deadly crash while on duty in 2024. Prosecutors said he was driving 107 miles per hour without using his lights or sirens when he slammed into another car, killing a mother and her teenage son. A third person, who was handcuffed in the back of Viveros' police car, was partially paralyzed in the crash and later died. The verdict came after the jury previously found Viveros guilty on three counts of aggravated assault by a public servant.

The post Brickbat: Too Fast for Conditions appeared first on Reason.com.
Over the weekend, the budget committee made the majority of its decisions on which legislation to fund this year outside of the budget, including a first-in-the-nation ban on large data centers.

Weve pretty much done the bulk of the work that we have to do, said committee co-chair Sen. Peggy Rotundo (D-Androscoggin) as the committee wrapped its work around 12:20 a.m. Sunday.

The Legislatures Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee voted about 60 of the 253 bills off of whats called the appropriations table, where bills not otherwise funded in the budget  which the governor signed Friday  are put to vie for remaining dollars.

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Many of those votes were partisan, including the decision to fund the data center moratorium.

Republican budget lead Rep. Jack Ducharme of Madison made his opposition to the underlying policy clear.

We are a state that is looking for opportunities where we can have investment, Ducharme said, and by doing this, we are putting up a closed sign on the big green bridge in Kittery. I fear that this is just one more business that will find another place to locate.

Some decisions had the support of both parties, including a measure to allow the judicial system to borrow for renovations and construction for court facilities in four counties  Cumberland, Franklin, Penobscot and Sagadahoc.

Lawmakers amended most of the bills they moved off the table, often reducing or stripping them of appropriations entirely, which means that in the coming days theyll need the approval of both the Maine House of Representatives and Senate.

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While lawmakers didnt change the judicial system measure, they did change the funding source for the data center ban.

Along with banning centers larger than 20 megawatts until November 2027, the bill would convene a council to provide input and coordinate state planning for data center opportunities. The measure originally called for $95,000 from the general fund but the committee changed that to an account maintained by the Maine Public Utilities Commission instead.

In other cases, the committee reduced how much the state would contribute to various proposals, such as a grant program to help houses of worship and other nonprofits improve security in an attempt to address heightened attacks and uncertain federal funding. The legislation initially sought $1.5 million but the committee reduced that to $200,000.

A bill to increase county jail funding initially sought ongoing funding, but the budget committee amended it to a one-time appropriation of $4 million, which will be paid for using interest from the Budget Stabilization Fund, otherwise called the rainy day fund.

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Lawmakers also amended legislation that initially sought to increase retirement benefits for former state employees, teachers and their beneficiaries by raising the cap on cost-of-living adjustments.

But the version the committee passed would only create a fund but not put money into it  aside from the needed $500 to start the fund.

Why not just adjust the cap? Rep. Ken Fredette (R-Newport) asked.

Committee co-chair Rep. Drew Gattine (D-Westbrook) responded, Because the one-time cost of doing that is just very expensive right now, explaining that itll cost over $1 billion. This is something I think can only be addressed by building up enough money.

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Another bill the committee amended was a proposal to ensure the already required curricula of Wabanaki studies is taught in Maine schools.

The funding that bill initially sought to continue employing a Wabanaki Studies specialist was included in the supplemental budget, so the version the committee passed reduces the cost and only includes the policy component, requiring the state board of education to adopt rules that require a Wabanaki studies component for teacher certification.

Bills that the committee voted off the table without any changes will only head back to the Senate, where theyre awaiting final enactment before they can reach the governors desk.

That includes a bill to expand death benefits to the families of Department of Transportation workers after two employees were killed on the job in January, and a proposal to provide Indigenous people free access to state parks, which lawmakers placed on the table last year.

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Even with these decisions over the weekend, most of the bills that have been placed on the table still sit there.

For example, the committee has yet to touch a bill that would prevent immigration agents from entering public schools, state libraries and hospitals without a judicial warrant.
Hampton Roads Transit will unveil a new bus route next month aimed at helping the workers at the new Amazon fulfillment center in Virginia Beach with their commute.

Starting May 10, the new Route 981 will run from the Downtown Norfolk Transit Center on St. Pauls Boulevard to the fulfillment center along Dam Neck Road, with stops along the way at the light rail stations on Ballentine Boulevard and Newtown Road, and at Tidewater Community Colleges Virginia Beach campus. Stops will be coordinated to serve the morning and evening shift changes, following the same path in both directions, according to HRT.

The city and Amazon requested the route to serve roughly 1,000 employees at the 3.2 million square-foot facility, which opened last fall. The $195,577 cost of Route 981 is fully funded through the Hampton Roads Regional Transit Fund, requiring no city money.

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The stop locations were identified using employee zip code data and shift times provided by Amazon to determine the feasibility of providing service directly to the new facility, according to an HRT spokesperson.

This route is similar to Route 980 which already serves the Amazon facilities in Chesapeake and Suffolk. It will not operate on Amazon company holidays, according to a news release.

The route stops at key locations for transit connectivity within employee home locations utilizing our existing bus stops for other routes, the spokesperson said in an email.

HRT President and CEO William E. Harrell said in a statement that Route 981 shows that HRT and local governments can together to develop transportation solutions that benefit everyone in our region.

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We look forward to launching this service with the full support of a partnership that recognizes how transit supports jobs, recruitment and the economy, Harrell said.

The morning bus will leave the transit center in downtown Norfolk at 6:06 a.m. each day, arriving at Amazon by 7 a.m. The evening bus will leave Norfolk at 4:58 p.m. for a 6 p.m. arrival at Amazon. The return trip leaves the Dam Neck Road facility at 5:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., arriving at the Downtown Norfolk Transit Center at 6:26 a.m. and 7:28 p.m., respectively, according to HRT.

Getting to work shouldnt be a barrier to opportunity, Virginia Beach City Manager Patrick Duhaney said in a news release. This new route helps connect people to jobs, supports our local economy and reflects our commitment to working with partners to deliver practical solutions that meet the needs of our community.

Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com
Northern Ireland business leaders have urged the executive to delay major reforms to workers' rights.

They say there will not be enough time to properly scrutinise the employment law changes before next year's assembly election.

In a letter to ministers they also raised the potential negative impact on job creation and investment.

The Good Jobs Bill, first announced in 2024, would give workers a range of enhanced rights including an effective ban on zero hour contracts.

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The bill is a major priority for the Economy Minister, Caomihe Archibald.

She has described it as necessary to "help families meet the demands of modern life, support well-being and allow parents and carers to remain in the workforce".

It is understood that businesses are most concerned about changes aimed at enhancing the role of trades unions.

Currently unions can only start the process of seeking recognition in a workplace if there are at least 21 employees.

'Unintended consequences'

The new law would cut that threshold to 10 employees.

The most controversial proposal is to give unions greater rights to meet a workforce.

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Currently, unions generally only have a right to enter a workplace if they are already recognised by the employer.

The bill would give unions a "right to request" access to meet with workers for recruitment and representation.

Access would not be automatic, but employers would not be permitted to "unreasonably" withhold it.

In January, the senior official at the Department for the Economy (DfE), which is responsible for the bill, told MLAs that a Code of Practice was being developed to define what would be "reasonable".

In their letter, the business groups said: "We are increasingly concerned that we are running out of time to ensure that full and proper scrutiny can be given to the bill, or indeed, any potential amendments.

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"The risk of unintended consequences is now so significant that all consideration should be given to deferring the Bill.

"The stakes for workers, employers, and the wider economic recovery are simply too high."

Even before this intervention there were growing doubts if there would be enough time for the proposed law to be made before the Assembly election.

The finalised bill was expected to be introduced in January, it was then pushed to March and is still yet to appear.

The DUP has also expressed some scepticism about the Bill with its Upper Bann assembly member, Jonathan Buckley, recently calling it a "ham-fisted piece of legislation".

'Time-wasting exercise'

The Irish Congress of Trades Unions (ICTU) described the intervention as a "cynical attempt to block positive change that people understand and want."

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The organisation added: "Most firms being represented by these 20 lobby groups are practicing already many of these proposed improvements.

"The only firms who will benefit from the Good Jobs Bill being stalled are those who are undercutting good employers.

"This is a time-wasting exercise."

A spokesperson for DfE said the minister "appreciates the constructive engagement" from businesses and representatives.

"It is regrettable that we have lost two years of the mandate, which has made legislative timeframes more challenging," it continued, adding that the bill's text would soon be published.

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"This is a significant piece of legislation and careful consideration of the detail of the bill will therefore be important.

"The minister is committed to continuing to work collaboratively with business representatives, trade unions, and the economy committee and MLAs, throughout the scrutiny process."

Analysis: Fight shows depth of concern

It is rare for Northern Ireland business groups to get into a public disagreement with the economy minister.

The leaders of these groups also know they will now be painted as fat cats opposed to workers rights.

So that they have chosen this fight now shows the depth of concern among their members.

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The minister is adamant she wants these changes in law by the time of the next assembly election.

The business groups say that would be a damaging mistake. Who will prevail?
Photo: https://eurosolidarity.org/2025/11/26/poroshenko-12/

Petro Poroshenko, MP and leader of the European Solidarity party, congratulated Peter Magyar, leader of Hungarys Tisza party, on his victory in the parliamentary elections.

"I congratulate the democratic choice of the Hungarian people and the victory of the Tisza party and its leader Peter Magyar from our political family of the European Peoples Party," he wrote on X.

Poroshenko noted that it was a very competitive, dramatic, emotional and dynamic campaign that had raised genuine concern among many about its conduct. "The choice has been made, so now is the time to lower the temperature of pre-election rhetoric and return to pragmatic work in the interests of the state, its citizens and Europe," he stressed.

Politician added that Ukraine would like to see Hungary as a good friend, important partner and reliable neighbour. "After all, our common future lies in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance. And so it shall be!" he concluded.
A caregiver, hired to take care of a woman, is now accused of hiding the woman's death and then stealing more than half a million dollars from her bank account.

Investigators said the caregiver even had the woman's body cremated without her family's permission.

Heather Carmichael, 48, is accused of stealing from 79-year-old Patricia Carberry.

Investigators said her arrest is a warning for families with older relatives.

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"They isolate them to keep them away from other people, so that they should only trust them, that these are the only people who care about them," Capt. John Schmitt with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said. "Which is why they're there with them all the time."

Capt. Schmitt said the sheriff's office was first alerted to a possible problem when Carberry's sister called.

She told investigators nobody had notified her that her sister had died, and when she got to her home a week after her death, she said the locks had been changed.

"She realized that Patricia's vehicle had been taken, she noticed some credit cards were missing, and her cell phone," Capt. Schmitt said. "She later found that Heather had made arrangements to transfer Patricia's body to Port Arthur. She basically portrayed her to be Patricia's daughter and was able to take her there and had arrangements for her to be cremated."

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Neighbors said Carberry died during the 2025 freeze.

Businesses were closed, and streets were difficult to get through.

"They discovered that Heather had basically withdrawn over $520,000 within a week after Patricia's death. That money was transferred to her account," Capt. Schmitt said.

ABC13 reached out to Carmichael on the phone, but she did not want to respond to any questions.

If found guilty, she faces anywhere from five to 99 years in prison.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals could soon have a slim majority in the House of Commons if the party is able to make gains in three by-elections being held on Monday.

The outcome of the races - two in the Toronto area and one near Montreal - could solidify his hold on power, staving off a federal election until as late as 2029 and giving his party the ability to pass legislation without relying on support from opposition benches.

Liberals currently hold 171 of the 343 seats in the House, one shy of a technical majority.

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The likely power shift comes a year after Carney became prime minister and follows a series of defections by opposition members of parliament to the Liberals.

The Liberals are widely expected to win the two Toronto ridings, or constituencies, of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale.

The seats were previously held by former defence minister Bill Blair - now Canada's ambassador to the UK - and Chrystia Freeland, who served as deputy prime minister under Justin Trudeau and is now an adviser to Ukraine.

The race in Terrebonne, a Montreal suburb, is considered a toss-up between the Liberals and the Bloc Quebecois.

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The Liberal candidate won by a single vote in last year's federal election in April. In February, Canada's top court nullified the result over a clerical error involving a postal ballot by the federal election agency, Elections Canada.

Wins in Toronto will be enough for Carney to clinch a narrow majority. But the prime minister has already been able to shore up his bench with five defectors - four former Conservatives and one member of the left-wing New Democratic Party.

While it's not unusual for legislators to occasionally defect in Canadian politics, the recent rate of party-switching was "extraordinary", said Semra Sevi, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto.

"Carney has built a big tent, attracting members of parliament who would not normally be associated with the Liberal party," Sevi told the BBC.

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"The complication, however, is that the tent may now be so big that there isn't a lot of ideological coherence in it."

Carney has been forced to defend the most recent floor-crosser, Marilyn Gladu, who was once seen as more socially conservative and who is "personally pro-life", though she said she supports access to abortion services.

Gladu has said she will vote in line with the Liberals on such issues, and Carney has said the party's "values" have not changed.

Polls suggest the Liberals are about 10 to 15 points ahead of the Conservatives, the official opposition, with Carney himself maintaining strong support among Canadians.

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The Liberals have taken a more politically conservative shift under Carney, especially compared to Trudeau, making the party more attractive to right-of-centre MPs.

He has ended a number of signature Trudeau policies, including a consumer carbon tax, and is pushing to make Canada an "energy superpower" and reduce the public sector workforce.

The wave of defections has angered Conservatives, who have accused the Liberals of "backroom deals".

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has called the floor-crossings "undemocratic" and has said that, by poaching MPs from other parties, Carney is telling those who elected them that "your vote does not count".

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But they have also raised concerns about frustration within the Conservative caucus under Poilievre, who just over a year ago was in serious contention to become the next prime minister before Carney surged ahead in the polls amid concerns about US-Canada relations under the Trump administration.

There is dissatisfaction with Poilievre's leadership style and how remote the prospect has become that Conservatives will ever form a government under him, said Sevi.

Canadian media have reported in recent days that a handful of other MPs are also being courted by the Liberals to cross the floor.

On Saturday, as Liberals gathered in Montreal for a party convention, Carney closed out the event with a speech in which he pitched unity at a time the country faces a number of crises.

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"Canada's founding insight is that unity does not require uniformity," he said.

More from Canada
A small Massachusetts private Catholic college may not have sufficient resources to keep operating and continue educating students this year and next, according to a warning from state officials on April 10.

The Massachusetts Department of Higher Educations notice to Anna Maria College in Paxton is part of a series of notices the department has made when colleges are at risk of closure in order to make it a less volatile process for the college community.

The April warning isnt the first sign of difficulty at Anna Maria. The colleges accreditation agency, the New England Commission of Higher Education, issued a letter in March 2025 saying that it was in danger of not meeting institutional resources. The agency questioned whether the steps it was taking to build enrollment and reduce expenses would be sufficient for its viability.

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The college has also been late on payments to the Paxton Police Department, according to recent reporting from the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Anna Maria isnt alone. More than two dozen Massachusetts colleges have closed over the past decade, many of which were religiously affiliated or small like Anna Maria. Those institutions, like Anna Maria, struggled with enrollment and their finances.

Anna Maria College President Sean Ryan and the board of trustees said in a statement that they accept the responsibilities of accreditation and regulatory oversight and welcome the departments monitoring of its financial health. Ryan was named president last March.

The Colleges leadership acknowledges the serious financial pressures that reflect both longstanding structural challenges in the higher education sector and the particular impact of enrollment declines on a small, tuition-dependent institution, the college said.

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The college said it has taken steps to address its financial challenges, including reducing staffing and operating costs. Other measures will be needed, including further cost cutting, the college acknowledged.

However, the college pointed to signs of hope with its deposits for Fall 2026 ahead of the same period in prior years.

The College is mindful that early-cycle data has limitations and will continue to monitor these trends closely, the college said.

The Department of Higher Education said it is working with Anna Maria leaders and its board of trustees to explore all reasonable options and leveraging all available resources to support a long-term plan that prioritizes the best interests of students, faculty and staff.

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State law requires the school create contingency planning in the event the college does close over the next 18 months.

The board, which has been meeting bi-weekly to review the colleges financials, will continue to evaluate all options, the college said.

More Higher Ed

Read the original article on MassLive. Add MassLive as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Cheboygan residents near the community's dam on the Cheboygan River remained on stand-by to evacuate Monday, as water levels remained precariously close to spilling over the dam and potentially causing a dam failure  as ominous weather news provided no relief.

According to a Monday, April 13 Facebook post by the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office, water levels reached the "ready" mark, of emergency managers' "ready, set, go" warning system. The "ready" designation means residents should:

Prepare a go-bag (medications, important documents, etc.) and review your family plan.

Secure outdoor items and move valuables to higher levels.

Avoid riverbanks and low-lying areas.

Monitor official updates and be ready to act.

An aerial view of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex on Monday, April 13, 2026. Cheboygan residents near the community's dam on the Cheboygan River have been put on stand-by to evacuate due to rising water levels. An aerial view of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex on Monday, April 13, 2026. Cheboygan residents near the community's dam on the Cheboygan River have been put on stand-by to evacuate due to rising water levels. An aerial view of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex on Monday, April 13, 2026. Cheboygan residents near the community's dam on the Cheboygan River have been put on stand-by to evacuate due to rising water levels. Water levels cause for concern at Cheboygan dam 1 of 3 An aerial view of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex on Monday, April 13, 2026. Cheboygan residents near the community's dam on the Cheboygan River have been put on stand-by to evacuate due to rising water levels.

The ready, set, go safety approach includes these steps:

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Ready: When water is 12 inches below the top of the dam with levels rising 3 inches a day or more. Plan and/or pack in the event an evacuation becomes necessary.

Set: When water reaches 6 inches below the top of the dam, with water levels rising at a rate of 3 inches per day or levels rising 3 inches per day and predicted to top the dam within 48 hours. Prepare by packing and preparing your family, pets and vehicle for potential departure.

Go: When water levels are 1 inch below the top of the dam with a high probability of topping it, with the potential for failure occurring. Follow evacuation orders; roadblocks may be installed around the perimeters.

Officials say if an evacuation is ordered, residents will receive an IPAWS (Integrated Public Alert and Warning System) emergency alert on their phone.

Latest updates: Cheboygan Dam and water levels as residents prepare to evacuate

The sheriff's office later Monday afternoon posted to Facebook a map showing a "cautionary zone" of potential flooding downriver from the dam that shows potential flooding areas along both riverbanks extending into North Main Street and North Huron Street on the river's northwest bank, and into South A Street on its southeastern bank. The Cheboygan River flows northeast through the city before ending at northern Lake Huron.

The Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office on Monday, April 13, released this map showing potential areas that could be affected by flooding in a spillover of the Cheboygan Dam on the Cheboygan River. Heavy rains and extensive snowmelt have the dam near the overtopping point.

"Water levels remain unpredictable," sheriff's officials stated, adding that the cautionary zone shown along the river "is the target area for potential flooding.

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"Please avoid this area if possible. Community members within this area should be prepared with a go bag and secure valuables. The Cautionary Zone will be updated as the situation evolves."

Residents outside the cautionary zone should still maintain high awareness and monitor the Cheboygan County Sheriffs Office Facebook page for updates, sheriff's officials said.

The Michigan State Police Emergency Management & Homeland Security Division also established a webpage at which to receive the latest information, michigan.gov/cheboygandam.

Cheboygan County Sheriff Todd Ross encouraged residents to get their information on the evolving dam situation from official channels.

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"There's a lot of misinformation going around right now about people that could be affected by this that aren't going to be," he said.

An aerial view of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex on Monday, April 13, 2026. Cheboygan residents near the community's dam on the Cheboygan River have been put on stand-by to evacuate due to rising water levels. (Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the state's Emergency Operations Center on Friday, April 10.

The Michigan Department of Transportation also raised the U.S. 23 bascule bridge in Cheboygan on Monday, April 13 and closed it to roadway traffic as a preventative measure while officials continue monitoring water levels at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.

According to MDOT, the bridge closure is intended to protect against potential damage from debris flowing down the Cheboygan River and to keep vehicle occupants and pedestrians safe. During the bridge closure, traffic will be detoured south to the Lincoln Avenue Bridge.

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MDOT officials said there is no timeline for reopening the bridge, which will need to be inspected before it can be re-opened. An operator from the Cheboygan County Road Commission will be on site and will be ready to open the bridge in an emergency if needed.

Efforts focus on allowing more water flow-through at dam

A large mechanical crane was used overnight into Monday morning to remove gates on the dam to allow more water to flow through, and agencies including the DNR, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Consumers Energy were working Monday to activate deactivated hydroelectric turbines on the dam, allowing further water flow-through.

According to Michigan State Police, water levels stood at 13.75 inches from the top of the dam as of Monday afternoon, having risen 2.25 inches from the day before. Water levels spilling over a dam, known as overtopping, are considered dangerous due to the potential for structural damage and failure.

Meteorologist: Series of weather events have caused the crisis

Jim Keysor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord, said the Cheboygan Dam is facing an onslaught of spring water far beyond the usual.

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"We had a lot of late season snowfall in that area, particularly in in March, where some of that area as you head towards Cheboygan received up to two feet of snow with a lot of water in that snow, on the order of three or four inches," he said.

"You had a combination of a lot of water sitting in a snowpack that was late-season, and now in the last few weeks we've also had well above normal rainfall across that area as well. Everything came together to result in too much water all at one time."

An aerial view of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex on Monday, April 13, 2026. Cheboygan residents near the community's dam on the Cheboygan River have been put on stand-by to evacuate due to rising water levels. (Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

The short-term forecast doesn't look good for relief.

"We have several systems that are going to bring rain to the area over the next several days, and so some of these areas that are already waterlogged may receive at least another two or three inches of rain over this next week," Keysor said. "And of course, there's just no place for it to go right now."

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Some of the ground in the area also remains frozen, he said, which means that instead of being absorbed, rainfall is running off more quickly into tributaries and eventually the Cheboygan River.

Cheboygan dam goes back to the 1800s

The Cheboygan Lock and Dam, originally completed in 1869, is over 150 years old. The current dam structure, used for hydroelectric power, was completed in 1922. It is a 21-foot high, 580-foot long dam that raises or lowers recreational boats by approximately 1516 feet, connecting Lake Huron with the Inland Waterway, a 38-mile-long series of rivers and lakes in Emmet and Cheboygan counties that includes Crooked Lake, Crooked River, Burt Lake, Indian River, Mullett Lake and the Cheboygan River.

More: State activates emergency center amid risk Cheboygan Dam could overtop

A dam breach would not only cause immediate flooding impacts downstream in the Cheboygan area, but water level and other impacts throughout the connected waterways. Heather Huffstutler, executive director of the nonprofit Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council, said she and her staff don't have the engineering or hydrology data to estimate potential impacts.

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"The Cheboygan River watershed is an important watershed in northern Michigan, for biodiversity, recreation and local economies," she said. "The watershed is the largest in the Tip of the Mitt region, encompassing over 900,000 acres." That's about the same size as Wayne and Oakland counties combined.

"This means that over six river systems and more than six inland lakes all drain into the Cheboygan River system, culminating at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam facility," Huffstutler said.

Local residents alarmed: 'It's uncharted territory'

Kathy Eustice lives on the Cheboygan River about two miles upstream from the dam.

"We are used to all the water that comes this way in the spring," she said. "But weve never run into something like this. Its uncharted territory."

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Eustice attended her yoga class on Monday as usual  "life goes on," she said. But she also began taking precautions, throwing items into her car, filling up her gas tank on the way home, parking the car outside the garage in case the power went out.

"I have anxiety; its something thats out of my control," she said. "Theres a lot of anxiety out there, and people with misinformation, I think."

Further upriver, Indian River Marina co-owner Michael Ryan is sandbagging around his riverfront snack shop, where water has risen to flood the floor.

"Ive owned the marina for about 13 years, and even speaking with the locals who have been here much longer than I have, weve never seen it at levels this high before," he said.

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"Most of our docks are either underwater or within 6 to 12 inches of being under water."

Ryan said he is pumping water away from the shop and off his property  but that's putting it back into the river. "It's a losing battle," he said.

More: Latest on Cheboygan Dam, water levels as residents prepare to evacuate

About the Cheboygan lock and dam

The Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex is comprised of the Cheboygan Lock and Dam, as well as a privately owned hydroelectric facility, the DNR noted. The complex is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Here are some key details on the Cheboygan Dam, according to Dams of the World:

Watershed: about 1,455 square miles.

River: Cheboygan River

Primary Purpose: Hydroelectric

Type: Timber crib earth

Commissioned: 1922

Dam Height: 21 feet

Dam Length: 580 feet

Dam Capacity: 83,000 acre feet

Oversight: regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Jalen Williams, Jared Greenleaf, Jillian Fellows and Sarah Moore contributed to this report. Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Cheboygan Dam teeters near spillover as tensions escalate
A Chelmsford firefighter is slowly improving after falling 40 feet last week at the Mass. Fire Academy in Stow.

28-year-old Nick Spinales condition was recently upgraded from critical to stable, according to the Chelmsford Firefighters IAFF Local 1839.

Spinale landed on solid concrete and suffered significant internal and external injuries which required transport via UMass Memorial Life flight.

Chelmsford Firefighters IAFF 1839 will be hosting a blood drive on May 4 in Nicks honor with the American Red Cross and the Massachusetts Fire Academy.

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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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The Nigerian Air Force says it has launched an investigation after dozens of civilians were reportedly killed in an airstrike on a market on Saturday.

The strike happened at Jilli market, along the border between Borno and Yobe states, as military aircraft were hunting Islamist militants. Local residents and Amnesty International say more than 100 people lost their lives.

Authorities have yet to confirm the death toll, but some hospitals in Yobe state say they are treating those injured.

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In a statement, the Nigerian Air Force said it had sent a team "to immediately proceed to the location on a fact-finding mission on the allegation".

One of those receiving treatment at hospital said he had gone to the market to buy animals when he was hit.

"I was with about 30 people and we all fell down after being struck," he told Reuters news agency.

Nigeria's military on Sunday confirmed the strike in a statement, saying it had targeted a location in Jilli "long identified as a major terrorist movement corridor and convergence point for Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists and their collaborators".

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Describing it as "a carefully, well-coordinated planned and intelligence-driven operation", the military said it had "successfully conducted a precision air strike on a known terrorist enclave and logistics hub located near the abandoned village of Jilli".

It said "scores of terrorists" were killed in the strike, but did not mention any civilian casualties.

Citing a councillor in Yobe's Geidam district, Lawan Zanna Nur Geidam, as well as three residents and an official from an international humanitarian agency, Reuters said up to 200 people might have been killed.

"It's a very devastating incident," said Zanna Nur Geidam, who said the injured had been taken to hospitals in Yobe and Borno.

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Ahmed Ali, a 43-year-old market trader, told Reuters he was injured in the blast.

"I became so scared and attempted to run away, but a friend dragged me and we all lay on the ground," he said.

Amnesty International said on X that there were "more than 100 dead" and 35 people seriously wounded.

"We have their pictures and they include children," Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International's Nigeria director, told the Associated Press.

"We are in touch with people that are there, we spoke with the hospital," he said. "We spoke with the person in charge of casualties, and we spoke with the victims," he said.

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Local councillor Zanna Nur Geidam, however, said "the total casualties, dead and injured, is around 200".

Many were taken to hospitals in nearby Geidam and Maiduguri, he added, where at least eight more of the wounded had died on Sunday.

"We are talking of dozens dead but it is difficult to give a specific toll," he said.

Nigeria's northeast has seen several incidents in recent years in which military air operations against Islamist insurgents have mistakenly hit civilians, including in villages, camps for displaced people and markets.

More about Nigeria from the BBC:
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  Colombian officials on Monday authorized a plan to cull dozens of hippos roaming freely through a region in the center of the country, where they threaten villagers and displace native species years after notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar brought in the first ones.

Environment Minister Irene Velez said previous methods to control their population have been expensive and unsuccessful, including neutering some of the animals or moving them to zoos. Velez said up to 80 hippos would be affected by the measure. She did not say when hunting would begin.

If we dont do this we will not be able to control the population, Velez said. We have to take this action to preserve our ecosystems.

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Colombia is the only country outside of Africa with a wild hippo population. The hippos are the descendants of four brought to the country in the 1980s by Escobar as he built a private zoo in Hacienda Napoles, a gigantic ranch in the Magdalena River valley with a private landing strip that served as his rural abode.

A study published by Colombias National University estimated that around 170 hippos were roaming freely in the country in 2022.

Recently, hippos have been spotted in areas that are more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of the ranch.

Environmental authorities in Colombia say the mammals pose a threat to villagers who have encountered them in farms and rivers. They also compete for food and space against local species such as river manatees.

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Despite the challenges, the hippos have also become a tourist attraction, with residents of villages surrounding Hacienda Napoles offering hippo spotting tours and selling hippo-themed souvenirs.

The hippos are also one of the main attractions at the Napoles ranch, which was confiscated by Colombias government as it seized Escobars properties. It now functions as a theme park, featuring swimming spools, water slides and a zoo that includes several other African species.

Animal welfare activists in Colombia have long opposed proposals to kill the hippos, arguing they deserve to live. They say that addressing the problem through violence sets a poor example for a country that has gone through decades of internal conflict.

Andrea Padilla, a senator and animal rights activist who helped draft a law against bullfights in Colombia, described the plan to cull the hippos as a cruel decision, and accused government officials of trying to take the easy way out.

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Killings and massacres will never be acceptable, Padilla wrote on X. These are healthy creatures who are victims of the negligence of government entities.

Over the past 12 years, spanning three presidential administrations, Colombia has tried to neuter some of the hippos in a bid to reduce their population. But the initiatives have had limited scope due to high costs that come with capturing the dangerous animals and performing surgeries on them.

Because Colombias hippos come from a limited gene pool and could carry diseases, taking them back to their natural habitat in Africa has been considered unfeasible.

___

Follow APs coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (KDVR)  Colorado has become the first state to pass a law banning an arrest based solely on a colorimetric drug test, a common tool used by police to identify suspected narcotics in the field.

The tests, which rely on chemical reactions that change color when certain substances are present, are widely used by police because they are fast and inexpensive. Officers can test a sample and receive results within minutes, but experts say the tests can produce false positives, leading to wrongful accusations and arrests in drug possession cases.

Denvers only lesbian bar announced it was closing, then the community stepped in

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Research from the University of Pennsylvanias Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice estimates that about 30,000 people each year are falsely implicated and arrested due to inaccurate field test results.

One of those cases involved Holly Bennet, a 65-year-old woman from Commerce City, who said she was wrongly accused of possessing cocaine in 2022 while recovering from surgery in a hospital. She said when she woke up, an officer accused her of having cocaine in her purse.

I realized what he was saying, and I said, I dont do cocaine, Bennett said.

The substance in question was later identified as her legally prescribed Ritalin, and she believes some of her pills may have broken apart in her purse to look like a powder. A colorimetric test had incorrectly indicated that the pills were cocaine.

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Bennett said she felt pressure to accept a plea deal despite knowing she was innocent, partly because of the cost and difficulty of fighting the charge in court.

Part of you kind of feels guilt like, well, maybe something is wrong or maybe Ive done something wrong somehow, she said. Its really tough to be accused of something you didnt do.

Bennett fought the charge in court, and her record was expunged, but advocates said that isnt always the outcome of a false accusation.

Jeanne Segil, assistant director of the Korey Wise Innocence Project, said many defendants accept plea deals to avoid prolonged detention or legal expenses.

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If somebody is held pretrial, its often so much easier to plead guilty to time served and walk out than to fight this case, Segil said. And because people plead, confirmatory testing never happens.

Colorimetric tests are not admissible as evidence in court, due to their known risk of false positives, but the test was previously enough evidence for an officer to make an arrest.

They can be detained, and the impact that that can have on a persons life is just horrific, said Segil. The ripple effect where somebody could lose housing if theyre in jail, they could lose their job, they could lose custody rights.

Colorados new law changes that. For municipal or misdemeanor drug possession charges based solely on a colorimetric test, officers can now only issue a court summons instead of making an arrest.

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The law also requires courts to inform defendants that colorimetric tests can produce false positives and that they have the right to request confirmatory testing by a forensic laboratory before accepting any plea deal.

Segil, who helped craft the legislation, said the measure is intended to ensure defendants understand their rights and the limitations of field tests.

Mestaaehehe Pass closed for motorcycle crash on Sunday

For somebody whos innocent, they will say, Im not alone in this. Now I understand why this happened, she said. And you know what? I would like the confirmatory testing.

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The bill passed unanimously through the state Legislature and was signed into law on March 26 by Gov. Jared Polis.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver.
Over 300 acres of stunning land in New York have been permanently preserved thanks to a generous contribution from Phyllis and Martin Korn.

The Adirondack Land Trust announced that the couple's gift will ensure 321 acres in Schroon, Essex County, are conserved for the future. This donation consists of two portions: 177 acres designated as Beech Hill and 144 acres known as the Townsend Road property.

"We treasure the beauty of the forest and value the habitat it provides for wildlife," Phyllis Korn said. "It means so much to us to know it is protected in perpetuity."

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The couple granted conservation easements on their land, allowing them to maintain control while establishing specific restrictions on its use, including a ban on development. Both protected areas are next to sections of Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest in the state's Forest Preserve.

The Beech Hill property is known for a 2,194-foot peak of the same name and is completely forested. The easement bans development and commercial forestry that could both threaten the forest and nearby water quality as well as worsen erosion.

The Townsend Road property encompasses forests, wetlands, tributaries, and natural shorelines. The donation will permit sustainable timber harvests and allow existing snowmobile trails to continue to be used. It forbids any further development.

The Korn family's donation is just one of many generous moves by like-minded individuals. The Cox family in South Carolina donated a whopping 4,400 acres of land in the Lowcountry to safeguard local wildlife.

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This can help ward off threats to nature such as deforestation and overdevelopment. As the news release noted, chopping down forests can remove a valuable ally against erosion and impact water quality for the worse, as American Forests explained.

While it's unlikely many readers have a few hundred acres to give, donating to conservation causes is a way to make a difference just like the Korn family did.

The Adirondack Land Trust is now in charge of ensuring that conservation goals are met annually. For their part, the Korn family hopes that others decide to replicate the gift in the future.

"The wild forests and the views bring us great joy and enrich our lives," Martin Korn said. "We hope our actions today inspire future generations to embrace these values and perpetuate what we have preserved."

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
By Nolan D. McCaskill

WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - A growing number of Democrats on Monday called on U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell of California to resign from Congress or risk being expelled amid sexual misconduct allegations that upended his campaign for governor.

A congressional ethics committee is investigating whether Swalwell violated rules in the House of Representatives, the panel said Monday.

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Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/some-swalwells-fellow-democrats-urge-him-quit-congress-amid-sexual-assault-2026-04-12/ on Sunday, apologizing for "mistakes in judgment" while vowing to fight allegations he described as serious but false. Four women have accused Swalwell of sexual assault.

"The allegations against him are serious, credible, and demand accountability," Representative Andrea Salinas of Oregon said in a statement on Monday calling for Swalwell's resignation. "The halls of power must not be a place where predators are shielded by inaction."

FOUR MEMBERS UNDER FIRE

Swalwell is one of four members - two Democrats and two Republicans - facing increasing pressure to resign or be expelled from Congress.

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Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, ended his reelection campaign last month https://www.reuters.com/world/us/texas-republican-representative-gonzales-not-seek-re-election-2026-03-06/, dropping out of a May 26 runoff against Republican gun activist Brandon Herrera. Gonzales allegedly had an affair with a former staffer who later died by suicide.

"At a minimum, it is clear that Reps. Swalwell and Gonzalez have betrayed their constituents, staff, and their oath of office," said Representative Nellie Pou, a New Jersey Democrat. "At worst, it appears they may have committed abhorrent, outrageous, and potentially criminal acts. They should resign immediately; if they refuse, the House should debate their removal through expulsion."

EXPULSION IS RARE AND HAS A HIGH THRESHOLD

Expulsion is the most severe form of punishment in the House and requires a two-thirds vote for removal. Only six members have ever been expelled from the House - most recently former Representative George Santos, a New York Republican, in December 2023.

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Republicans hold a narrow 217-214 majority over Democrats, meaning any expulsion would need to be bipartisan.

Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, said she will file legislation to expel Swalwell. Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez, a New Mexico Democrat, said she would introduce a measure to expel Gonzalez, which Luna pledged to support.

"Its past time to get rid of predators in Congress who prey on women - especially their own staff," said Representative Addison McDowell, a North Carolina Republican. "Women working in the halls of Congress deserve to know that, as an institution, we have their backs and that we condemn this behavior at the highest level."

Democratic Representative Yassamin Ansari of Arizona said she intends to vote to expel both men if they don't resign, and Representative April McClain Delaney of Maryland, also a Democrat, called their behavior "beyond inexcusable" and potentially criminal. "Both should be expelled," she said, if an investigation confirms "the facts are true."

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A group of Democrats in battleground districts that will determine control of the House in November's midterm elections urged congressional leaders to expedite investigations into members' potential misconduct.

"Public confidence in Congress is at a historic low, but it can be earned back through public accountability," the members wrote. "We must demonstrate that no one is above the law and that serious misconduct will result in serious consequences. We respectfully request that you work together in a bipartisan manner to ensure these investigations proceed swiftly, that findings are made public, and that action is brought to the floor for a vote."

Representative Nydia Velazquez of New York went a step further than her Democratic colleagues, suggesting Florida Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Democrat, and Cory Mills, a Republican, join Swalwell and Gonzales in resigning or facing expulsion. The U.S. Department of Justice charged Cherfilus-McCormick with stealing $5 million in federal disaster funds and using the money in her congressional campaign. Mills is accused of sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations.

"Congress should not tolerate representatives who abuse staff, betray public trust for personal gain, and generally violate their oath of office," Velazquez said. "Americans deserve better and Congress must hold our members accountable."

(Reporting by Nolan D. McCaskill; Additional reporting by Richard Cowan. Editing by Michael Learmonth and Alistair Bell)
Photo: pexels

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is lifting its previous recommendation for Ukrainian citizens to avoid travelling to Hungary following the conclusion of the election campaign in that country, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said.

"The election campaign, which was unfortunately rife with manipulation regarding Ukraine, is now behind us. And so the heightened risks of provocations that prompted these restrictions have also subsided. We expect that in the political dimension, not only the consular one, the election results will lead to a normalisation of relations. Ukraine is ready to work towards that goal. The choice of the Hungarian people showed our neighbours aspiration to live in peace, security and prosperity - to live in a truly independent Hungary that is part of a united and free Europe, rather than a zone of Moscows influence, a space of lawlessness and intimidation," he wrote on Facebook.

Sybiha noted that the Hungarians choice also marked the defeat of a policy of blackmail and anti-Ukrainian propaganda.

"This is symptomatic. Hungarians said clearly: enough. This will have consequences for other parties and movements in Europe that promote similar rhetoric. I also want to set Ukrainians expectations at a realistic level. Ahead lies painstaking, pragmatic and measured work to find common ground, restore mutual respect and advance shared pragmatic interests. Our peoples deserve for us to travel this path, and we will work to restore good-neighbourly relations in the interests of our two countries and Europe as a whole," the minister concluded.
California Democrat Eric Swalwells decision to suspend his campaign for governor on Sunday, even as he denies allegations from four women who accuse him of sexual misconduct and assault, did not end the pressure he faces.

One sexual assault allegation against Swalwell, alleged to have been committed in New York in 2024, prompted the Manhattan district attorneys office to open a criminal investigation on Saturday. Members of Congress from both parties said on they could vote to expel Swalwell, as well as a Republican US representative, Tony Gonzales, also accused of sexual misconduct.

On Sunday afternoon, his troubles deepened when the US Department of Homeland Security announced an investigation into allegations the US representative hired a Brazilian national as a nanny without lawful work authorization.

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The claim that Swalwell and his wife might have violated immigration law by employing a Brazilian woman who did not have a work permit to care for their children was detailed in a 68-page complaint filed with federal immigration officials in February by Joel Gilbert, a California film-maker who calls himself the conservative Michael Moore.

Gilbert, who mailed a conspiratorial documentary about Barack Obama to voters in swing states before the 2012 election, and has made films attacking Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton and Al Gore, and others celebrating Donald Trump, denied that he is a Republican political operative. I just kind of follow the truth where I see it, he said in an interview.

Gilberts work, however, has a clear partisan aim, and he was accused of violating campaign finance law in 2012 in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission that cast his direct-mailed documentary, Dreams from My Real Father, as a kind of campaign contribution meant to aid Mitt Romney. The film promoted the baseless conspiracy theory that Barack Obama had lied to conceal that his father was not Barack Obama Sr, but Frank Marshall Davis, a communist activist, and that his mother, Ann Dunham, had posed for pornographic images taken by Davis.

With the help of the prominent conservative lawyer Cleta Mitchell, Gilbert fended off the FEC complaint by convincing the three Republican commissioners on the six-person panel that his Obama film was a form of permissible journalism, not subject to donor disclosure, which led to a 3-3 split decision.

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Mitchell is such a force in rightwing legal circles that she took part in Donald Trumps infamous call to the Georgia secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, after the 2020 election, when the president asked local officials to find him enough votes to change the states presidential results.

Gilbert, who is not a lawyer, said Mitchell did not help him with the complaint against Swalwell.

The New York Times reported in late 2012 that a group of well-financed conservative activists had asked the Republican pollster Frank Luntz to screen Gilberts anti-Obama film, and another by Steve Bannon, for focus groups, to test which one would tarnish the then president more. Bannons film, produced by conservative advocacy group Citizens United, tested best and was broadcast on cable TV before an Obama-Romney debate.

Focus groups were revolted by Dreams From My Real Father, with its conspiracy theory paranoia and dubious evidence, the Times reported; their findings did not surprise Luntzs clients. Their thinking, Luntz told the Times, was: I want to know if its as bad as I think it is.

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Gilbert  whose deep dive into the public records and social media profiles of the Swalwells and their nanny also led him to file separate complaints with the Federal Election Commission in February and the labor department last week  did acknowledge that the targets of his investigations are all people Trump defines as enemies, and that his research has earned him invitations to discuss his claims to Infowars and the radio show of Roger Stone, the veteran Trump adviser.

Gilbert said he frequently writes for the conspiratorial website the Gateway Pundit and his recent investigations led him to scour the mortgage records of the Swalwells, as well as Letitia James, Jerome Powell, Chuck Schumer and Maxine Waters.

Gilbert took credit for inspiring the criminal referral filed last year against Swalwell for alleged mortgage and tax fraud from Bill Pulte, the openly partisan head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who is known as Little Trump in Republican circles.
Washington  The Department of Homeland Security has ordered thousands of furloughed employees back to work, according to internal emails obtained by CBS News, even as most of the agency technically remains shut down and unfunded by Congress.

The directive, which was issued to employees at DHS agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, marks a significant shift in how the administration is managing the funding lapse, effectively blurring long-standing distinctions between furloughed employees and those who remain on the job during a government shutdown.

"All DHS employees  are being returned to a work and paid status," DHS Chief Human Capital Officer La' Toya Prieur wrote in an April 10 notice to staff, adding that employees are to report "on your next regularly scheduled duty day."

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A separate internal message to FEMA personnel states more bluntly: "All FEMA employees will be placed in exempt status and are expected to report in person to their normal duty station."

Historically, during lapses in federal funding, only "excepted" employees  those deemed necessary for the protection of life and property  continue working, usually without pay. Non-excepted workers are typically furloughed and barred from performing their duties.

DHS' move upends that framework. Under the new guidance, the department said it has determined that employees' roles "advance the purpose of available appropriations," which allows them to resume "normal duties" despite the funding gap.

DHS acknowledged in its notice to employees that it is relying on limited funding streams. "DHS is using available funds to ensure employees are paid," the notice stated, saying that a new status update will be issued if those funds run out.

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Paying DHS employees

The directive comes on the heels of a presidential memorandum issued April 3 that directed the department to find a way to provide back pay for DHS workers since the start of the shutdown, which began on Feb. 14. More than 35,000 DHS employees began receiving paychecks last Friday, the first time they had been paid in weeks.

As CBS News first reported last week, newly confirmed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that most department employees would see money covering recent missed pay periods in their accounts by Monday.

"The majority of everybody will be paid by then," Mullin told CBS News while on his first official visit as DHS secretary in Chimney Rock, North Carolina.

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But the secretary warned that future checks for DHS employees  outside of law enforcement officials  would depend entirely on lawmakers.

"Going forward, we've got to wait on Congress. This was kind of a rifle shot," he said, noting the high cost of covering DHS' payroll every two weeks. The department told employees this week that they would not be paid again until the congressional impasse over funding the agency ends.

The timeline for a resolution on Capitol Hill is unclear. The Senate struck a deal last month to fund DHS with the exception of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. House Republicans initially balked at the plan, but GOP leaders and the president have since coalesced around a strategy that would fund DHS through the normal appropriations process while funding ICE and CBP through budget reconciliation, which would not require Democratic votes.

Some House Republicans have said they won't support the broader DHS funding bill until progress is made on passing the reconciliation package. President Trump has stated he wants a reconciliation bill on his desk by June 1.

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Legal and operational questions

Recalling thousands of furloughed staffers to work despite the ongoing shutdown raises immediate legal and budgetary questions, particularly around the Antideficiency Act, which restricts federal agencies from obligating funds that are not appropriated by Congress.

By issuing the return-to-work notice, the Trump administration appears to be invoking emergency authorities or reinterpreting what qualifies as "excepted" work, expanding it to cover a broad category of homeland security operations.

The administration has framed the move as necessary to maintain national security and disaster readiness.

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Emails obtained by CBS News reference the president's order "directing the immediate payment and recall of all furloughed Department of Homeland Security employees."

For DHS employees, the recall brings a return to normalcy but also uncertainty.

While the department promised to pay workers using "available funds," it cautioned that those funds may be temporary. "Should the Department exhaust currently available funds you will receive a new notification of your work status," the email stated.

Employees were also warned that failure to report could result in discipline: "Failure to report for duty as directed may result in administrative or disciplinary action."

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Implications for disaster response

For FEMA, the change could have immediate operational benefits  at least in the short term.

With hurricane season approaching and spring flooding already underway in parts of the country, bringing back the full workforce allows the agency to resume some level of planning, training and logistical coordination that would otherwise stall during a shutdown.

However, the constraints remain significant. Recalled employees are barred from overtime, a key tool during disaster response, and must limit their work to "excepted" functions.

Additionally, while disaster response and recovery can continue through a shutdown, the money within the Disaster Relief Fund is running low as the shutdown drags on. The stalled DHS appropriations bill would replenish the fund with more than $26 billion.

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Pope Leo responds to Trump following his criticism over the Iran war

Swalwell accusers detail their accusations and share why they were afraid to speak out

Swalwell accusers describe how they see justice as the Democratic rep. says he'll resign
President Donald Trump posted an illustration of himself apparently as Jesus Christ on April 12.

The image posted on Truth Social shows Trump in a white tunic and a red shawl with a shining light in his left hand. Trump is blessing a man in a hospital bed with his right hand on the man's forehead in the image. Upturned faces look at Trump, including one woman with her hands in prayer, positioning Trump as god-like. It evokes imagery of Jesus healing the sick.

The post comes as Trump and Pope Leo XIV are publicly at odds over the war in Iran. Pope Leo has directly criticized Trump's harsh language, like last week's threat that "a whole civilization will die tonight." Trump, just before posting the apparent-AI picture of himself as Jesus, called Pope Leo "WEAK on Crime," and took credit for Leo's selection to the papacy.

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The White House did not immediately respond to questions about the picture. By midday April 13, the post appears to have been deleted. Links to it lead to a "not found" message, and it is no longer appearing on Trump's Truth Social profile.

Here is what to know:

'Gross blasphemy.' Image depicting Trump as Jesus figure removed after uproar

What did Trump say about the Pope?

Trump took to Truth Social to criticize Pope Leo in a lengthy post on April 12. Pope Leo, the first American Pope, has been outspoken about some of the Trump administration's policies since being elected to replace the late Pope Francis in May 2025.

Today, as we all know, there was this threat against the entire people of Iran, and this is truly unacceptable, Pope Leo said while addressing journalists outside his residence on April 7 in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, after Trump's threats against Iran included the "whole civilization."

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Leo praised the ceasefire Trump announced later that week, but over the weekend, as peace negotiations failed in Pakistan, Pope Leo said in a prayer service, "Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life."

Pope Leo also reportedly met with Democratic strategist David Axelrod, which Trump mentioned in his post.

"Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy," Trump's Truth Social post stated. "I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do ... If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican."

The Pope responded while answering questions from reporters, calling Trump's platform name itself "ironic."

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"I have no fear with neither the Trump administration, nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel," he said. "I do not look at my role as being political, or politician. I dont want to get into a debate with him. I dont think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. And I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace."

Read Trump's full post about the pope here:

See AI-picture of Trump as Jesus

Screenshot of an AI-generated image President Donald Trump posted on his social media account.

Contributing: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Antonio Fins, Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY Network

Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at KCrowley@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X (Twitter), Threads, Bluesky and TikTok.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump posted picture, meme as Jesus Christ. What he said about Pope Leo
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt called a press conference Friday to push back against reports about a U.S. citizen who claimed last month that she was detained by federal immigration agents and held at the Dodge County Jail. Schmidt announced he is filing a civil lawsuit against the woman who made the allegations, saying, it is important that we correct the facts, so today were here to talk about the fact vs. the fiction in the Sundas Naqvi allegations that were made.

In early March, Naqvi, 28, of Skokie, Illinois, claimed that she and her co-workers had been detained by federal immigration authorities at the OHare airport in Chicago after returning from a work trip abroad. Naqvis family and Kevin Morrison, a Cook County commissioner, said that Naqvi had been taken to the Broadview Detention Facility and was then transferred across state lines to the Dodge County Jail, then released without aid or transportation in the pre-dawn hours.

Schmidt said during his press conference Friday that these allegations are false. They gained significant attention, but they have not been supported by any  any  verified evidence at all, he said. Schmidt noted that Morrison, a candidate in the Democratic primary for a U.S. House seat, held a press conference to air the Naqvi allegations in the leadup to a the election, which he lost.

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Naqvis alleged detention took place against a backdrop of news reports and widespread public outrage over the Trump administrations immigration crackdown, which targeted Chicago and Minneapolis.

Research conducted by the Deportation Data Project found that 1,300 arrests made by federal immigration agents were listed as collateral, meaning they were not the intended targets of the enforcement, the Minnesota Reformer reported. The Dodge County Sheriffs Office has also been criticized for assisting in detaining and transporting people arrested by federal immigration agents.

Schmidt said that the initial claims about Naqvis arrest were coordinated messaging designed to generate outrage and media attention. He showed a picture posted to social media showing Naqvi being reunited with her family after her alleged detention.

Schmidt said that there is no record of booking, there is no record of detention, there is no record of release, no contact with the individual, no transfer to any federal agency. He also blasted media outlets that covered Naqvis allegations as factual, repeatedly saying those kinds of stories hurt the reputation of law enforcement.

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Media coverage has impacts, said Schmidt. What you publish has impacts on more than just those readers and viewers. It has impacts on real human beings. Schmidt showed hate mail the Dodge County Sheriffs Office received after the Naqvi allegations surfaced, and revealed the names of the people who sent the messages. These are the types of things that we as elected officials, that public officials get when media put out information that is not verified. And many times, its false information that goes out and we get these regularly. And I dont think that the media understand the impact that these kinds of stories have on real people every single day.

Schmidt stated that Naqvi had been briefly detained by Customs and Border Protection until 11:42 a.m. at Chicagos OHare International Airport, after which she left and checked in at a Hampton Inn and Suites hotel in Illinois at 1:17 p.m, just minutes from the airport. While investigating the allegations, Schmidt made contact with a man he calls both a witness and a victim, who provided corroborating evidence refuting Naqvis story.

The witness  who Schmidt refused to identify citing Marsys Law  allegedly received texts from Naqvi telling him that shed arrived to her hotel room, and asking to use his credit card to buy some food. Records from the hotel confirm when Naqvi checked in, and that she was not at the Dodge County Jail when she claimed. Naqvi also asked to use the witnesss card to pay for a spa treatment during this time. Now I dont know about you, and my staff have never recorded one, there is no spa at Broadview in Chicago Illinois, said Schmidt. I can also tell you there is no spa lady in our jail here in Dodge County.

Schmidt said that on the morning Naqvi claimed she was released from custody, shed actually asked the witness to drive her to Wisconsin to help her sister with car trouble. The witness allegedly told Schmidt in a recorded interview that he thought she was going to the Kenosha area, but it turned out Naqvi wanted to go to another hotel in Beaver Dam. Schmidt showed images and played video of Naqvi at a gas station with the witness, wearing the same striped black and white shirt she wore in a social media post that purportedly showed her being reunited with her family. Schmidt called the witness a true gentleman for holding the door open for Naqvi as they left the gas station.

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It was around this time, Schmidt said, well-past 5:00 in the morning, that Naqvi claimed she was being released from the Dodge County Jail. The witnesss vehicle was also captured by several Flock cameras along the journey, Schmidt said. The sheriff wanted to check whether the timeline of events he believed occurred tallied with what the witness was saying. So I put those times into A.I. and I said what time would he have left? The softwares results lined up with what the witness described, Schmidt said.

Later, Schmidt played video of Naqvi at another location taking selfies. At 6:50 a.m. on the morning she was allegedly released, Naqvis sister and others arrived in a silver SUV to pick her up. The unnamed witness told Schmidt that he was then asked by Naqvi to pose for media as one of the coworkers who allegedly went with her on the overseas work trip, and who were allegedly detained with her upon returning to the country. Schmidt said that none of this happened, and that the witness refused to make those claims to the media, but did claim to be one of the coworkers to Naqvis attorney.

Schmidt said that the witness paid for Naqvis trip to Turkey, and that the trip was not related to or paid for by an employer. In fact, later media coverage reported that the company where Naqvi claimed to work denied that she worked there. Schmidt said that while Naqvi was overseas, she wanted to get a medical procedure for which the witness took out a $3,000 loan. Schmidt said that Naqvi spent about $25,000 of the witness money, maxing out his credit card. The witness did all of this, Schmidt said, because he believed he might be able to have a long term relationship with Naqvi.

The sheriff also discounted the images of Naqvis phone location showing her at Broadview and Dodge County. Im here to tell you that in the world of A.I., in the world of technology that they live in, things like this can be spoofed very easy, he said. I could do it on my phone in only a matter of minutes. Schmidt noted that one of the screenshot images actually had two different time stamps. Schmidt also highlighted Naqvis past disputed allegations, including an accusation of sexual misconduct against a professor that the professor denied.

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In 2019, Schmidt said, Naqvi made a report to the Skokie police that she was violently sexually assaulted. Although officers observed injuries, took forensic evidence and arrested an ex-boyfriend of Naqvis, they later determined the report was false, Schmidt said. Another 2020 report with the Skokie police made by Naqvi accused a driver of being impaired in a Walmart parking lot. The driver showed no signs of impairment, and claimed he met Naqvi on a dating app and was waiting for her to come out of the Walmart. The report was classified as disorderly conduct and categorized as not made in good faith, Schmidt said.

Schmidt said he has not had any success getting other law enforcement agencies interested in following up on what he regards as Naqvis bad acts, none of which are likely to be charged as crimes in the state of Wisconsin. He added that he does not know the status of any investigation the FBI may be doing, and the state police he reached out to in Illinois never got back to him. Schmidt said that he was told by local law enforcement officers that while they would like to act, that they cant because Cook County prosecutors dont take on cases of this nature. Later, Schmidt claimed that upon hearing this the witness allegedly said it sucks to live in a blue state.

Schmidt is filing a lawsuit in an attempt to hold Naqvi and anyone else involved in her allegations accountable, he said. This is not a misunderstanding or a minor discrepancy, said Schmidt. This is not a violation of the constitutional or civil rights of Sundas Naqvi or those allegedly with her. The timeline claimed is not physically possible based on the evidence that we have, and that matters. He also condemned the media and politicians for spreading false reports, saying they damaged respect and trust in law enforcement.

Let me be clear, said Schmidt, ICE is not the enemy. Law enforcement is not the enemy. Schmidt said that he wont stand by while false narratives are used to portray law enforcement as something it is not. He added, I take it personally when my staff are called liars. These are men and women who do the job the right way every day and those accusations are simply not supported by facts.

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Schmidt said that a criminal investigation is ongoing, in addition to the federal civil lawsuit hes filed, which seeks $1 million in damages. He wouldnt comment on whether any phones were forensically downloaded as part of this investigation, which Schmidt said he used a lot of his own time to pursue.

In a statement provided over email, Morrison said that he understands that a lawsuit has been filed, and that while he has not seen it, he cannot comment on pending litigation. Morrison did not comment on whether he has been in contact with Naqvi or her family. The Examiner reached out to the office of attorney Robert Held, who represented Naqvi and her family when the allegations were first made, but no comment has been forthcoming.

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A man whose two dogs mauled his 3-year-old daughter to death kept them in a cage that had a broken latch  near where the girl was sleeping, prosecutors said in opening statements April 13.

He failed to secure those pitbulls and the inevitable happened, Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Elyse Deters said.

Two dogs attacked and killed Kingsley Wright, 3, while she was staying at her father's home on Dec. 27, 2024

Warren Houston, 46, faces charges including involuntary manslaughter and child endangering in the December 2024 death of his daughter, Kingsley Wright.

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A bench trial before Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Virginia Tallent began April 13.

Houstons attorney, Tad Brittingham, told Tallent that the dogs had never escaped from the cage previously, and there was no prior aggression from these dogs.

This was a tragic accident  just that, an accident, Brittingham said.

Kingsley, who lived with her mother in Wilmington, was visiting Houston at his Roselawn apartment for the first time. Earlier that year, Houston found out through a paternity test that he was her father, according to Brittingham.

The night of Dec. 26, Kingsley went to sleep on a couch in a living room, several feet away from the cage where Houston kept the two dogs. Prosecutors described them as pit bull terriers that weighed approximately 37 pounds and 52 pounds.

Dog attack seen on security video

In the early morning hours of Dec. 27, the dogs got out of the cage and attacked the girl.

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Deters said the cage had two latches, and the bottom one was defective.

She said Houston had a security camera in the apartment. Video showed Kingsley asleep on the couch when she was attacked. She can be heard screaming and crying in the video, Deters said.

Warren Houston sits at the defense table during his trial in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.

The dogs were walked only once a week and at least one was fed inside the cage, Deters said.

One, named Chevy, was more aggressive than the other, she said. It was a rescue dog that had been found in a park. Houston assumed it had been used as a bait dog because of its wounds, Deters said.

She noted that Houstons girlfriend, who was staying at the apartment when the attack happened, kept her own dog in a separate room, away from the caged pit bulls.

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In testimony on April 13, one of the first police officers on the scene became emotional as he described what he saw in the apartment.

Officer Bobby Kidd, a 27-year veteran of the department, said when he first saw Kingsleys body on the floor of a room that had been decorated for Christmas, he thought it was a doll. Her hair had been ripped out, he said. Prosecutors have previously said she suffered mutilating injuries.

I didnt know she was a human, the officer said. I thought she was a Christmas toy.

'Blood everywhere'

In bodycam video, Houston can be heard saying that he believed the dogs had been in the cage the entire night. After waking up, he said he went to check on Kingsley, and I found her like this.

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It was blood everywhere, Houston said.

I dont know what Im going to tell her mom, he later said.

Brittingham said that when Houston woke up that morning, the dogs were in the cage. He said Houstons girlfriend, around 1:30 or 2 a.m., had put them back in the cage.

The trial is expected to continue through the week.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Trial begins for man whose dogs killed his 3-year-old daughter
Donald Trump has issued a warning to China amid the ongoing war between the United States and Iran. The US and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran in February. After a month-long war, the two countries reached a two-week ceasefire deal. However, the recent ceasefire talks between the US and Iran, which took place in Pakistan, are reported to have not reached an agreement.

Donald Trump sends a warning to China over tariffs

Donald Trump recently sent a tariff warning to China amid reports that suggest that the latter might supply military weapons to Iran amid the war. The comments were made by Trump after he threatened that any country helping Iran with weaponry would have to deal with tariffs.

When asked whether the threat would apply to China too, in a televised phone interview with Fox News, Trump said, I hear news reports about China giving [Iran] the shoulder missiles whats called the shoulder missile, anti-aircraft missile. I doubt they would do that, but if we catch them doing that, they get a 50% tariff, which is staggering.

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His comments arrive after a report by CNN suggested that US Intelligence has a lead regarding China trying to send weapons to Iran. However, there is no confirmation regarding this. The report also cited two sources who claimed that China might attempt to transport this shipment of weaponry through other countries to bypass the United States.

However, in the interview with Fox News, Trump denounced the reports and stated that they dont mean much to me, because theyre still fake. The sources further noted that the shipment China is preparing to send to Iran is MANPADs, which are an anti-air missile system.

On Saturday, Trump spoke to CNN reporters, who asked him about the aforementioned. In his reply, the President said, Well, if China does that, China is going to have big problems.

Originally reported by Ishita Verma on Mandatory.

The post Donald Trump Sends a Warning to China Amid Iran War appeared first on Reality Tea.
Eric Swalwells money has become toxic  fast.

As a rising star in the Democratic Party, the California representative donated widely to battleground campaigns across the country. Now, amid Swalwells resignation from Congress following sexual misconduct allegations, many are rushing to distance themselves from him.

Rebecca Cooke, who is hoping to flip a critical House seat in Wisconsin, has renounced Swalwell's endorsement of her campaign. So, too, did Jordan Wood, who's running in Maines swingy 2nd District. And former Gov. Roy Cooper, who's making a bid for the North Carolina Senate seat that could swing control of the chamber, rejected an endorsement from Swalwells Remedy PAC.

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In all, a dozen Democrats in top Senate and House races told POLITICO they plan to donate the campaign contributions theyve received this cycle from Swalwell and his PAC to various charities.

Their discomfort with Swalwell comes as the party grapples with how to address the sexual assault and misconduct allegations that have felled the seven-term representatives career in the House and gubernatorial campaign, spurred criminal and House ethics investigations and prompted a GOP-led push to expel him from Congress.

Republicans are already working to make Democratic candidates ties to Swalwell a pain point, hammering them in statements and on social media over the money hes given in recent years.

Most of that has gone toward battleground districts, as well as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, according to a POLITICO analysis of federal campaign finance filings. So far this cycle, Remedy PAC has given a total of $26,500 to 23 Democratic candidates; in the 2024 cycle, the group gave nearly $170,000 to more than 60 Democratic members and candidates.

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Swalwell has also donated more than $2,000 to House members this cycle from his own campaign account. His team did not respond to a request for comment, but the lawmaker has repeatedly vowed to fight what he has called serious, false allegations of sexual misconduct reported by the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.

I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past, he wrote Monday in announcing his decision to resign.

Cooke wrote on X that she was appalled by the allegations against Swalwell and is donating the $5,000 she received from Swalwells PAC across her 2024 and 2026 congressional campaigns to five charities, including several food pantries. Wood, who previously was chief of staff to former Rep. Katie Porter, one of Swalwells rivals for California governor, said he is donating the $1,000 he received to a food bank.

Coopers campaign told POLITICO that it has donated the $1,000 it received from Remedy PAC to the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Another one of Democrats star Senate recruits, former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, donated the $1,000 he received from Remedy to a shelter for victims of domestic violence, according to his campaign.

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Other Democrats in hotly contested races who confirmed they plan to donate Swalwells contributions include: Rep. Haley Stevens, who is running for Senate in Michigan; Rep. Angie Craig, whos vying for Senate in Minnesota; Reps. Dan Goldman in New York, Yassamin Ansari in Arizona and George Whitesides, Derek Tran, Dave Min and Adam Gray in California.

A growing number of House lawmakers, including Craig and Ansari, have called on both Swalwell and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas)  who admitted to a sexual relationship with a staffer who later died by suicide  to step aside or be expelled from the chamber.

There's a larger pattern here. For too long, Washington politicians have abused their power and preyed on young staffers. I refuse to be silent. It must stop, Craig said Monday.

Gray was a co-chair of Swalwells gubernatorial campaign but withdrew his support and called for Swalwell to drop out after the allegations went public. Min and Tran were both early endorsers of Porter in the California governors race, and Swalwell had previously backed one of Mins opponents in 2024.

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Min said in a statement he had only learned of the contribution to his campaign this week.

Given the seriousness of the allegations made against him, I am not comfortable with this, so I have donated this contribution to Waymakers, an Orange County non-profit that assists survivors of sexual assault, Min said in an X post.

Swalwells political career swiftly imploded after the allegations surfaced. Democratic Party leaders yanked their support and urged Swalwell to drop out. Staffers from his congressional office and campaign released an unsigned statement saying they were horrified by the allegations. Then, more than 50 former staffers called for him to resign and drop out of the governors race. By Sunday, he had exited the race. By Monday, he stepped down from his seat.

Republicans are determined to wield Swalwell as a campaign cudgel. The National Republican Congressional Committee told POLITICO its closely tracking Democrats whove accepted contributions from Swalwell and have other ties to him. The campaign arm is pressuring the candidates who have yet to issue public statements to ditch the lawmakers donations.

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Every single vulnerable House Democrat must return the filthy creep cash or own the rot theyre protecting," NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella said in a statement.

The NRCC and Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), who Cooke is again trying to unseat, needled the Democrat over the weekend to return the donations. After she did, Van Orden suggested she did so out of political convenience.

I find it appalling that Rebecca Cooke would wait to renounce the endorsement from the disgraced Rep. Eric Swalwell until she received tremendous heat from the media, Van Orden said in a text message Monday, referring to coverage from a local conservative outlet. This is not leadership, this is political convenience for her.

Some Democrats accused Republicans of hypocrisy for not taking accountability for the actions of their own members. They cited Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.)  who is facing myriad misconduct allegations and is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee  as well Gonzales, who dropped his reelection bid last month amid pressure from House GOP leadership.

The hacks at the NRCC who are currently defending Cory Mills and spent six-figures just last month to protect Tony Gonzales should sit this one out, Viet Shelton, a DCCC spokesperson, said in a statement. Its Democrats who are actually standing up and calling for accountability in Congress  consistently and independent of party.
For most of the 20th century, the story of Eastern Kentuckys population loss was a story about young people leaving. The mines mechanized. The jobs disappeared. Families packed up and headed north to Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit and Akron in search of work. The Hillbilly Highway, as the route up U.S. 23 came to be called, ran thick with people who loved the mountains and left them anyway.

The new Census data tells a different story. A harder one.

The U.S. Census Bureaus Vintage 2025 population estimates, released in March, show that 29 of Eastern Kentuckys 30 Appalachian Regional Commission-designated coalfield counties are now experiencing natural decrease  more people dying each year than are being born.

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Only Whitley County, and by a margin of just 16, registered more births than deaths in the most recent estimate year. Outmigration is still happening, but net domestic migration across all 30 counties is actually slightly positive: more people are moving in from other states than are moving out. The decline has largely passed from the hands of the young people who leave to the actuarial tables of an aging population that is simply dying faster than it reproduces.

That shift matters enormously for policy. You can try to create jobs to keep young people home. You cannot undo the demographic arithmetic of a region whose median age has climbed steadily for four decades.

The deep coal core: Tracking ahead of worst-case projections

The University of Kentuckys population projections, published before the Vintage 2025 data was available, forecast that Harlan County would lose nearly 45% of its population by 2050 and that Breathitt County would lose 39%. Those numbers were alarming when reported. What the new data shows is that both counties are already tracking at the front edge of those projections  and may be running ahead of them.

Breathitt County has declined 8.5% since the 2020 census, reaching an estimated 12,558 residents as of July 2025. At that annual rate, it reaches the 39% projected loss threshold well before 2050. Harlan County, once home to more than 75,000 people at its mid-20th century peak and now down to an estimated 24,725, has lost 7.8% of its population in five years. Pike County  the regions largest at 54,721  shed 3,946 people since 2020, the largest absolute loss of any county in the entire 60-county Central Appalachian region and a five-year rate of decline of 6.7%. In the single year from 2024 to 2025, Pike County recorded 427 more deaths than births.

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The table below shows Eastern Kentuckys hardest-hit counties alongside the broader 30-county totals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, CO-EST2025-alldata (Vintage 2025 Population Estimates), released March 2026. Nat. Chg = births minus deaths in the 2025 estimate year (July 2024July 2025). Dom. Mig = net domestic migration, same period. Authors computation.

Across all nine counties shown, natural decrease  the deaths-over-births column  is the dominant driver. Domestic outmigration compounds the loss in the deep coal core, but it is the graying of the population, not the departure of the young, that now runs the numbers.

The transfer payment economy

The population decline does not occur in an economic vacuum. As I have reported in earlier work for the Daily Yonder and the Kentucky Lantern, federal transfer payments  Social Security, black lung and disability benefits, Medicare and Medicaid, and nutrition assistance  have quietly become the dominant income source across much of the Eastern Kentucky coalfields. In several deep coal counties, transfer payments now account for more than half of all personal income. The coal economy that once sustained wages, tax bases and local institutions has contracted to a fraction of its former scale, and the federal governments safety net has moved in to fill the void.

That dependency is not a character flaw of the regions people. It is the predictable outcome of a century of resource extraction that left communities without diversified economies, followed by a coal collapse that removed the one large employer that remained. What the Vintage 2025 data suggests is that the transfer payment economy will deepen further as the population ages. More Social Security recipients, more Medicare and Medicaid spending, fewer working-age taxpayers. The fiscal math of that trajectory is not sustainable at the county level, and the federal programs that underwrite it face their own budgetary pressures in Washington.

The counter-narrative: A different kind of Eastern Kentucky

Not every county in the 30-county sub-region is declining. Eight counties registered net population growth between 2020 and 2025, and their stories are instructive about what drives population stability  and what does not.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, CO-EST2025-alldata (Vintage 2025 Population Estimates). Growing counties sorted by 5-year percentage gain. Note: Even most growing counties show natural decrease  their growth is driven entirely by domestic in-migration.

The most important number in the growing-counties table is the natural change column. Seven of the eight growing counties still have more deaths than births. Their population growth is entirely the product of domestic in-migration  people choosing to move there from elsewhere in the country. Pulaski County, home to Somerset, is the clearest example: natural decrease of 229 people in 2025 alone, but net domestic in-migration of 593. Somerset has built itself into a functioning regional health care, retail and service hub. People are moving toward services, not toward coal.

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Menifee and Morgan counties, both growing above 5%, reflect a different dynamic: smaller communities in the Cumberland foothills that have become relatively attractive to domestic migrants, possibly drawn by lower housing costs, outdoor recreation and access to the regional economy around Morehead and the Mountain Parkway corridor.

Whitley County  the one county with a natural increase, however marginal  is anchored by Williamsburg and the University of the Cumberlands. It illustrates what institutional anchors can do for demographic stability even in the coalfield region.

One data point from beyond the 60-county coalfield region is worth noting for context. Madison County  home to Richmond and Berea and part of the broader ARC Appalachian Region though not the Central Appalachian coalfield sub-region  grew 9.7% between 2020 and 2025, and the Richmond-Berea micropolitan area ranked among the nations fastest-growing micro areas by raw numbers in the most recent year alone, adding 2,049 residents, according to the Census Bureau.

Madison County is not a coalfield county. It sits at the edge of the Bluegrass, anchored by Eastern Kentucky University and Berea College, with easy access to Interstate 75 and the Lexington economic orbit. Its trajectory illustrates precisely the divide that now runs through ARCs Appalachian Kentucky: Counties with institutional anchors and metropolitan connectivity are growing; counties defined by coal and cut off from those corridors are not.

The regional frame: Kentucky in the Central Appalachian context

Kentuckys 30 coalfield counties lost 16,265 people between 2020 and 2025, a decline of 2.5%. Within the broader 60-county Central Appalachian region, that places Kentucky in the middle of the four-state picture: better than West Virginias 16-county sub-region (down 5%) and roughly comparable to Virginias seven-county sub-region (down 4% percent). Tennessees seven former coal counties, benefiting from proximity to Knoxville and Oak Ridge, were the outlier  growing 4.2% collectively.

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West Virginias numbers deserve particular attention as a warning of where Eastern Kentuckys trajectory leads at scale. McDowell County in southern West Virginia had nearly 100,000 residents in 1950 and now stands at 16,878  a loss of more than 80% over seven decades. It has declined 11.7% in just the five years since the 2020 census. Not one of West Virginias 16 Central Appalachian counties registered population growth over the period. Eastern Kentuckys deep coal core is following the same arc, at a pace that the Vintage 2025 data confirms is on schedule or ahead of it.

Across the 60-county region, the combined loss since 2020 is approximately 49,000 people. At that rate, the region reaches the 15 to 20% population loss that state university demographers projected for 2050 by roughly 2040. The projections are not being outrun. They are being confirmed.

A growing presence in a shrinking region

Against the persistent backdrop of decline, one demographic trend in Appalachia as a whole points in a different direction. The regions Hispanic community is now the fastest-growing demographic group in Appalachia, estimated at 5% to 6% of the total regional population  up from a negligible presence in the 1980s. In Eastern Kentucky, the numbers remain small in the deep coal counties, but the broader regional pattern is real and accelerating, driven primarily by employment in food processing, construction and agriculture in Southern and Transitional Appalachia.

The question of what draws Hispanic families to communities that the broader national narrative portrays as failing is one that neither demographers nor economic development practitioners have fully answered. But the pattern is consistent enough to warrant serious attention from anyone thinking about the regions demographic future.

What the numbers mean for Kentucky

The University of Kentuckys projections, the Weldon Cooper Centers Virginia numbers, and WVUs West Virginia data all pointed to the same regional catastrophe when published. The Vintage 2025 actuals confirm the direction. The harder question  the one the numbers cannot answer  is whether anything in the current policy environment is commensurate with the scale of the crisis.

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The Appalachian Regional Commission was established in 1965 with a mandate to close the gap between Appalachia and the rest of America. After six decades of highway-building, vocational training and infrastructure investment, the 30 Eastern Kentucky coalfield counties are losing people at a rate that will eliminate roughly 1 in 8 residents within a generation if current trends hold. The federal governments role has shifted from economic development to income maintenance  from investing in the regions productive capacity to sustaining the people left behind by its collapse. I have proposed that a modernized Appalachian Homestead Act is one way to reverse the population decline.

John Whisman, the Appalachian Regional Commissions first states co-chair, once said that addressing Appalachian poverty required bribing the governors  making federal investment so compelling that states had no choice but to match it. His framing acknowledged what the data now confirms: the region cannot solve this alone. But the bribes are not being offered, the investment is not arriving at scale, and the deaths are outpacing the births in 29 of 30 counties.

That is not a forecast. It is last years number.

Data note

All population figures are drawn from the U.S. Census Bureaus CO-EST2025-alldata file (Vintage 2025 Population Estimates), released March 2026.

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Five-year change figures compare the July 1, 2025 estimate to the April 1, 2020 census base.

All computations are the authors own. County definitions follow the ARCs original 1965 Central Appalachia designation.

An Excel workbook with county-level data for all 60 ARC Central Appalachian counties, with separate state tabs, is attached.

data PDF E. KY.

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Eight Australians who stepped in to protect strangers during the deadly Bondi Junction stabbing will be recognised for their bravery.

The tragedy, which killed six people and injured 10, took place exactly two years ago in a crowded Sydney shopping centre. The attacker, Joel Cauchi, was suffering a psychotic episode when he walked into the centre armed with a knife.

Among those who will be recognised are a police officer who shot Cauchi, as well as two Frenchmen and a security guard who also tried to disarm him.

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Two victims - a mother who saved her baby in her dying moments and a security guard who was fatally stabbed on his first day shift - will receive posthumous awards.

The six who died in the April 2024 attack were Dawn Singleton, 25, Yixuan Cheng, 27, Jade Young, 47, Ashlee Good, 38, Faraz Tahir, 30, and Pikria Darchia, 55.

Ten others were injured before New South Wales (NSW) police inspector Amy Scott shot Cauchi dead after he lunged at her with a knife. Cauchi, who was first diagnosed with schizophrenia in his teens, was unmedicated and homeless at the time of the attack.

Scott will receive one of six bravery medals as part of the Australian Bravery Decorations honours list, recognising those who put themselves in danger during the tragedy.

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"From different parts of Australia, and around the world, these Bravery honourees are characterised by their selfless, courageous, and determined response in unspeakable and horrific circumstances," Australia's Governor-General Sam Mostyn said.

"Every one of them showed strength, and profound courage, as they placed the safety of others above their own, demonstrating ultimate care for others."

Another bravery medal award will go to Ashlee Good, who was stabbed by Cauchi from behind as she pushed her baby daughter in a pram.

When Cauchi started to attack her baby, Good shoved him away but was stabbed again. The mother managed to get her injured baby to safety but later died.

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Security guards Faraz Tahir and Muhammad Taha were patrolling one of the levels of the crowded centre when they heard "code black" on their radios before heading towards the stabber to investigate.

Tahir, who was closer to Cauchi, was fatally stabbed in the stomach. Taha was also stabbed but survived. Both will also receive bravery medals.

"It means a great deal to me," Taha told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

"It gives me a lot of strength, and it's not only for me, it's for everyone who stood strong on that day."

Six people were killed and ten injured during the 2024 attack [EPA]

Frenchmen Silas Despreaux and Damien Guerot will also receive bravery awards after they armed themselves with metal bollards and tried to stop Cauchi.

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Noel McLaughlin, husband of victim Jade Young, and Catherine Ann Molihan, a nurse who helped people, will receive awards for brave conduct.

McLaughlin was running towards his injured wife after receiving a call from his daughter when he saw Cauchi with the knife, shouting at others to get back. With nothing to defend himself, he was forced to retreat and went to give first aid to his wife, who later died.

Molihan, an experienced nurse, had sought refuge in a shop but left it to help the two security guards who had been stabbed.

"I held just [Tahir's] head and patted his beard and I told him he would be OK," she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

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The eight recipients will receive their awards at Government House in NSW.

Earlier this year, a coroner's inquest referred the psychiatrist who treated Cauchi for many years before the attack to health investigators.

The coroner raised concerns that the doctor may have missed opportunities to put Cauchi back on medication after he was weaned off.

The coroner also made 23 recommendations including urging the NSW government to improve its mental health outreach services and provide short-term housing for people with mental health issues.
Emory University students, faculty, and workers gathered on campus Friday waving signs, beating drums, and chanting to pressure the institutions administration to end AI-powered surveillance on its campus.

Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based surveillance tech company with tens of thousands of its cameras located in cities across the country, is at the heart of the Emory communitys protest. Students are calling for the institution to end its contract with the company, alleging that around 12 of Flocks cameras are located around the campus and hospital. The university says the cameras have been on campus for the past two years.

I think its just a gross invasion of peoples ability to just be on their campus and not feel like theyre being spied on, said Ezi, a graduate student at the protest who declined to give their full name. Theres a distinction between security cameras and cameras that have these further network capabilities to recognize people and to be used by outside agencies.

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The private company uses automated license plate reader cameras to gather data on vehicles, and that information is then used to apprehend those suspected of committing crimes. Law enforcement agencies that have contracts with Flock Safety can choose to opt into both a national and state search network that allows them to access data from other cameras within Flocks system to find suspects across jurisdictions.

Students raise concerns about who can access the data and information from the companys cameras located on their campus, as reports have come out about Flocks camera logs being accessible by federal law enforcement such as U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The company has also come under fire for its cameras having security vulnerabilities.

We, the undersigned students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members oppose Emory Universitys installation of Flock Safety Automated License Plate Readers on and around campus, states a petition from the The DeFlock Emory Coalition, a combined group of student organizations.

Flocks technology has been used in ways that raise serious concerns, including immigration-related searches, tracking individuals across state lines, monitoring protest activity, and erroneously flagging people as targets for law enforcement that have led to wrongful stops and detentions, the petition says.

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In addition to ending the contract with Flock Safety, the students are also calling the administration to remove all license plate readers from campus and to initiate a community-led review of campus surveillance practices.

We really want them to acknowledge their contract with Flock and explain why they have these cameras on campus, said Amaris Christian, a first-year Emory student. They keep hinting that the cameras are only accessible by the Emory Police Department, and that theyre doing Flock right, but I dont know if that exists.

Amaris Christian, a first-year student at Emory, laid out concerns she and others have with Flock cameras. (Alyssa Johnson/Capital B)

University officials told Capital B Atlanta that data from their Flock cameras is only available to Emory Police Department officers and that the information from the cameras is accessible for 30 days.

EPD uses LPR information to identify and reduce potential threatening activity and to assist with any incident or investigation involving a vehicle, said Laura Diamond, assistant vice president of university communications. Emory does not share footage with the federal government unless law enforcement officials present a valid criminal warrant or specific court order issued by a federal judge. The university follows rules regarding access to the footage and how that information may be shared.

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Students contend that the universitys statements are inaccurate based on information they gathered through records requests from other Georgia law enforcement agencies. Students shared records with Capital B Atlanta that show at least seven different police departments in the state have access to Emorys Flock camera network.

In an email to Capital B Atlanta, a student with the DeFlock Emory Coalition said the following:

Through open records requests filed by organizers in the DeFlock Georgia network, we have obtained audit data from outside agencies. They confirm that at least seven other police departments have access to Emorys Flock data through Flocks sharing network: Powder Springs PD, Hiram PD, Kennesaw State University PD, Smyrna PD, Dunwoody PD, Cobb sheriffs, and Paulding County PD. We were not able to obtain records directly from Emory (the university denied our request) so the actual number could be higher. But seven is the floor, and it is already more than only EPD officers.

And while the university said they do not share footage with immigration enforcement officials, the Atlanta Police Department made similar statements in 2025. Earlier this year, the Atlanta Community Press Collective reported that Atlanta police officials had conducted at least 15 searches using the citys Flock license plate readers to assist in federal immigration operations.

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Students say that Black and brown community members remain at risk while Flocks tech is in use at Emory.

Its not just an immigrant rights issue, its a marginalized issue. Its a Black issue, its a brown issue. A lot of people are being affected by this. So I just hope that, along with Emory, listening to us and being transparent, I hope it also brings people together  theres power to the people when we can all stand together on one issue, said Anayancy Ramos, a doctoral student at Emory.

In an email to Capital B Atlanta, Flock Safety spokesman Josh Thomas said the company does not have a direct relationship with ICE, but those contracted with Flock can decide who they choose to share their information with.

Emory University, like all Flock customers, owns their data and they determine who they share it with  not Flock, Thomas said.

Flocks controversy

Co-founded in 2017 by three Georgia Tech graduates, Garrett Langley, Matt Feury, and Paige Todd, Flock Safety specializes in software to connect video, audio, and drone technology into public and private security systems.

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According to the companys website, as of 2026 it has contracts in over 5,000 cities and communities across the country, including with multiple metro Atlanta law enforcement agencies.

Flock Safety cameras are reportedly also in use by Georgia State University police.

Over the past year, cities like Austin, Texas, Santa Cruz, California, and Denver have terminated their contracts with Flock Safety over resident privacy and security concerns. Local police departments have still been able to maintain some digital surveillance in these communities, however, by utilizing alternatives or loopholes.

In Denver, the city ended its plate reader contract with Flock Safety and signed a new contract with Axon, another surveillance tech company, best known for manufacturing the body cameras worn by police officers across the country. After the Austin Police Department lost access to its plate readers on city roads, it began accessing Flock data in neighboring communities.

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While the Santa Cruz City Council voted 6-1 to terminate the citys Flock contract, it left the door open for the city to seek a replacement.

The DeFlock Emory Coalition is one of many student-led opposition movements to Flock cameras at public and private and public institutions, including Indiana University and Cornell University.

Beyond residents concerns about Flock assisting in immigration enforcement, others have raised alarm around the general vulnerability of the camera network. Last year, Benn Jordan, a YouTuber in Cobb County, exposed a potential security flaw when he posted a video of the live feeds from Flock camera networks he had gained access to without permission.

Ending Flock at Emory

Emory University students say they found at least 12 Flock cameras around campus. (Alyssa Johnson/Capital B)

Students told Capital B Atlanta that the university denied their records requests to get information about the contract with the surveillance company.

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At the protest, students highlighted the risks that undocumented and international students face with Flock cameras present on campus.

Ramos shared with the crowd of protestors that she is undocumented, and that ever since learning about the cameras she has continued to feel unsafe on campus while trying to finish her Ph.D program.

Im scared, Im not gonna lie to you. My hands are shaking right now, Ramos said into the microphone. But I am more scared of a future where I stayed quiet, where some other undocumented grad worker wakes up next year at Emory and asks the same question I asked myself this morning, Is it safe for me to go to work today?

Christian, the Emory first-year student, said shes worried about how this surveillance could impact her and other Black students, as advocates say AI, facial recognition, and other surveillance tools have targeted and criminalized Black and brown people.

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I think being a Black woman who came from the Bronx, Ive already had my own issues when it comes to high criminalization within my area, Christian said. Ive been misidentified [by police] since I was in middle school, so I can really speak to the unfortunate bias that a lot of law enforcement has.  If law enforcement can misidentify you, then AI definitely can misidentify you, and I think thats really a big issue here.

Emory students said that as of Friday, almost 1,000 people have signed the petition. They have given university officials a handful of days to respond to their questions and demands.

We think the community has every reason to push for hard answers rather than accept reassurances, the Emory DeFlock Coalition said in an email to Capital B Atlanta.

Read More:

The post Emory Students Protest AI Surveillance on Campus appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta.
Photo: Maria Kolmakova

Signals regarding possible contacts at the level of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Tisza party leader Peter Magyar have been conveyed to the Hungarian side, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said.

"We believe we received the right European news from this country, which opens up new opportunities for us and gives us a chance to begin a new good-neighbourly chapter in our mutual history. The people deserve such open relations. We want to  and have already conveyed signals of relevant contacts at the level of the President of Ukraine and Mr Magyar respectively," Sybiha told journalists at the opening of an updated defence solutions exhibition marking Ukrainian defence industry workers day on Monday.

"We expect this contact and are of course interested. We are waiting for a response," the minister added.

According to him, a wide range of issues needs to be resolved with the Hungarian side, from border infrastructure to cooperation on the European track.

"Speaking broadly - this means lifting Hungarys block as a country on the path to our EU membership. This also covers the 20th sanctions package, the EUR 90 billion loan and the formal opening of clusters," Sybiha said.

He assured that Ukraine is also ready to implement the highest Council of Europe and EU standards regarding national minorities.
California Rep. Eric Swalwell announced that he is resigning from Congress, where he faced potential expulsion after several women accused him of sexual assault and misconduct.

In an April 13 statement posted to X, he said he was aware of an "immediate expulsion vote against me."

"Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it's also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties," Swalwell said

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He has repeatedly denied the allegations and vowed to fight them, saying they are "absolutely false." His resignation comes one day after the Democratic representative dropped his bid for governor due to the allegations.

Several prominent Democrats withdrew their support for the congressman and called on Swalwell, then the Democratic front-runner in the polls, to drop out of the race.

California gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell speaks during the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco, California, U.S., February 21, 2026. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo

House exits: Rep. Tony Gonzales announces resignation from Congress

What are the allegations against Swalwell?

Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN reported that a woman who had worked in Swalwell's district office accused him of two nonconsensual sexual encounters.

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The former staffer, who worked with Swalwell for almost two years, alleged that she had multiple sexual encounters with the representative while working for him. She also says that he sexually assaulted her twice, and she "was too intoxicated to consent," the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) speaks during the House Intelligence Committee hearing on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election on Mar. 20, 2017. Swalwell was first elected to Congress in 2012, representing a northern California district in the San Francisco Bay Area after working as a prosecutor in Alameda County. (L-R) House Oversight and Government Reform ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Senate Foreign Relations ranking member Ben Cardin (D-MD), Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) hold a news conference to call for an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate foreign interference in the 2016 presidential election at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 9, 2017 in Washington, DC. Accusations of Russian computer hacks of Democratic National Committee servers and emails have lead to calls for an investigation. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), left, and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) hold a news conference discussing new legislation on U.S. policy toward Russia April 5, 2017 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. House Intelligence Committee member Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) (C) speaks a news conference about the Trump-Putin Helsinki summit in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. Past and present members of the committee were very critical of U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about Russia's work to interfere with the 2016 presidential election. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) holds his daughter Kathryn as the U.S. House of Representatives meets for the start of the 116th Congress inside the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 3, 2019. Congressman Eric Swalwell (D-CA) bids on a pie during desert auction at the Monroe County Democrats spaghetti supper at the First Christian Church on Feb. 17, 2019 in Albia, Iowa. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and former Maryland congressman John Delaney, who are vying for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president, also attended the event. A informational flier for U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., sits on a chair at a house party hosted by the "Potluck Insurgency" group, Sunday, April 28, 2019, at a home in North Liberty, Iowa. U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., speaks to a group at a house party hosted by the "Potluck Insurgency" group, Sunday, April 28, 2019, at a home in North Liberty, Iowa. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-CA, sits down for an interview at Chrome Restaurant and Catering on Monday, April 1, 2019, in Algona. Swalwell was born in Iowa and has made several trips to the state while eyeing a run for president. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who announced that he is running for president in 2020, speaks during town hall on gun violence at the BB&T Center on April 9, 2019 in Sunrise, Florida. Rep. Swalwell held the town hall not far from Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, which was the site of a mass shooting in 2018. Democratic presidential candidate Eric Swalwell speaks during the 2019 California Democratic Party State Convention at Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. on June 1, 2019. Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) looks on as Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) speaks during the second night of the first Democratic presidential debate on June 27, 2019 in Miami, Florida. A field of 20 Democratic presidential candidates was split into two groups of 10 for the first debate of the 2020 election, taking place over two nights at Knight Concert Hall of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, hosted by NBC News, MSNBC, and Telemundo. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) is trailed by reporters as he walks to a closed-door deposition on Capitol Hill, Oct. 29, 2019 in Washington, DC. Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council, Is being deposed as part of the impeachment inquiry against President Trump, led by the House Intelligence, House Foreign Affairs and House Oversight and Reform Committees. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) speaks during a House Judiciary Committee hearing considering reforms to national policing practices June 17, 2020 in Washington, DC. The Democrat-led panel is pushing sweeping proposals that would ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, and make prosecuting officers easier by limiting immunity and establishing a national database of police misconduct. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) (R) and Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark (D-MA) (L), alongside House Impeachment Managers (from L) Representatives Joe Neguse (D-CO) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA), look on as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) prepares to sign the article of impeachment during an engrossment ceremony after the US House of Representatives voted to impeach the US President Donald Trump at the US Capitol, Jan. 13, 2021, in Washington, DC. Donald Trump on January 13 became the first US president to be impeached for a second time, when a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives voted to charge him with inciting last week's attack on the US Capitol. In this screenshot taken from a congress.gov webcast, Impeachment Manager Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) speaks on the second day of former President Donald Trump's second impeachment trial at the U.S. Capitol on February 10, 2021 in Washington, DC. House impeachment managers will make the case that Trump was Osingularly responsibleO for the January 6th attack at the U.S. Capitol and he should be convicted and barred from ever holding public office again. Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, speaks during a House Intelligence Committee hearing about worldwide threats, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, April 15, 2021. Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-RI) speaks with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) during a House Judiciary Committee mark up hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on June 02, 2022 in Washington, DC. House members of the committee held the emergency hearing to mark up H.R. 7910, the "Protecting Our Kids Act" a legislative package of gun violence prevention measures, in response to a string of mass shootings in cities across the United States including in Buffalo, Uvalde and most recently in Tulsa. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) questions Attorney General Merrick Garland as he testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Sept. 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. The committee is holding an oversight hearing on the U.S. Department of Justice. Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) speaks during a press conference with other Democratic members of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and House Judiciary Committee during a break in the closed-door deposition of Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, in the O'Neill House Office Building on Feb. 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. The meeting is part of the Republicans' impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Washington, D.C., U.S. - Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) displays a counter referring to committee chairman Rep. Jim JordanOs subpoena during a House Judiciary Committee hearing entitled OOversight of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)," to examine how the DOJ has become politicized and weaponized, on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) reacts to a committee's tweet utilizing A.I. generated imagery of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Southern U.S. Border on September 10, 2024 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The hearing is to examine the effects of the Biden-Harris Administration's open borders policies on American families and communities. Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-23) poses on a go-kart at the Paid Leave for All event in conjunction with the Dads Caucus at the Race the District at Union Market on Sept.19, 2024 in Washington, DC. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) speaks during FBI Director Kash PatelOs testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., on Sept.17, 2025. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) departs the U.S. Capitol Building after a series of votes on March 05, 2026 in Washington, DC. The House held a series of votes including a vote on funding for the Homeland Security department and a War Powers resolution on Iran. See Eric Swalwell, Democrat from California, and his career in Congress 1 of 25 Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) speaks during the House Intelligence Committee hearing on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election on Mar. 20, 2017. Swalwell was first elected to Congress in 2012, representing a northern California district in the San Francisco Bay Area after working as a prosecutor in Alameda County.

CNN also reported on three other women who accused the congressman of sexual misconduct.

Swalwell is now reportedly under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

The office urged possible victims and "anyone with knowledge of these allegations to reach out to the Special Victims Division on April 11, according to The New York Times.

Reactions to Swalwell resignation announcement

House members on both sides of the aisle approved of Swalwell's resignation on social media.

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Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Florida, said that Swalwell had "made the correct decision" to resign.

"Eric, you did the right thing by resigning. However, dont you dare say there werent grounds for your expulsion because there absolutely were," Luna wrote on X.

New Mexico Democratic Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez said on X shortly after Swalwell's resignation that "every member who sexually harasses or abuses their staff needs to go" before threatening to bring up an expulsion vote against Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales.

Gonzales admitted to having an affair with a former staffer who died by self-immolation. Shortly after Fernandez's post, Gonzales announced that he would also resign from Congress.

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"We have successfully drained part of the swamp this week with the resignation of two very corrupt members of Congress," Luna wrote on X after Gonzales' announcement.

David McCuan, a veteran political science professor at Sonoma State University, told USA TODAY that Swalwell was "too much of a distraction" as key votes approached. "The wheels on his political bus didnt just fall off, they literally blew apart at warp speed," he said.

Swalwell was a rising star on the national stage who had a good chance to become Californias next governor, said Melissa Michelson, a political science professor at Menlo College in Silicon Valley.

But the congressman wasnt going to be able to rebound after so many of his Democratic peers in the House called for a probe related to his alleged misconduct, she said.

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That so many Democrats called on him to resign, despite the razor-thin margins in the House should tell you the signal this sends above the power of one more Democratic vote (in the chamber), Michelson said.

This story has been updated to add new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eric Swalwell to resign from Congress amid sexual misconduct claims
US Congressman Eric Swalwell will resign from Congress, after dropping out of the California governor race following growing pressure over sexual misconduct allegations.

"I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgement I've made in my past," the Democrat said in a letter posted on X.

"I will fight the serious, false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make."

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Four women accused him last week of misconduct ranging from sexual harassment to rape. In comes as Congress opens an ethics inquiry into Swalwell, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 2012 to a district near San Francisco.

Moments after Swalwell's announcement, another congressman facing an ethics inquiry - Texas Republican Tony Gonzales - posted on X that on Tuesday he will "file my retirement from office". Over the weekend, several House lawmakers suggested expelling both Swalwell and Gonzales, who had already dropped his re-election bid after admitting having an affair with an aide.

Swalwell, a married father of three who frequently criticises President Donald Trump, has repeatedly denied the allegations against him.

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Within hours of the accusations surfacing on Friday, he lost the backing of prominent supporters for his gubernatorial run and many of his staff members resigned.

Prosecutors in Manhattan then said they were opening a probe into his conduct. On Capitol Hill, the House ethics committee began its own investigation, while Republicans vowed to expel him from the chamber.

In his resignation letter, Swalwell said it would be wrong for fellow lawmakers to expel him "without due process, within days of an allegation being made".

He added: "But it's also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore I plan to resign my seat in Congress."

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Swalwell said he plans to "work with my staff in the coming days to ensure they are able, in my absence to serve the needs of the good people" in his district, which stretches east of San Francisco and north of San Jose.

Congress is returning from recess on Tuesday, with the ethics committee planning to take up inquiries into both Swalwell and Gonzales.

Gonzales has admitted to an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide.

Posting on X on Monday, he wrote: "There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all.

"When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas."

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No clear leader has yet emerged in the highly-watched California governor's race from the crowded Democratic field, which risks splitting the vote for the party's candidates in the state's primary in June. Among Democratic candidates, Swalwell had been projected to be one of the frontrunners, according to two opinion polls.

Unlike many states, California holds an "open" primary, meaning voters can select candidates from any party. The top two vote-getters in the primary move on to the 3 November general election regardless of party preference.

That has raised a terrible prospect for Democrats, who currently control the state legislature and governor's mansion: they could be frozen out of November's general election if the two Republican candidates finish ahead of them in June's primary.

On Monday, California election officials confirmed that it is too late to have Swalwell's name removed from voter ballots.

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With reporting from Kayla Epstein
Washington  Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell said Monday he will resign from Congress as he faces allegations of sexual assault and other misconduct from several women.

"I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members," he said in a statement. "Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But it's also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress."

Swalwell's political career imploded as multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct, including rape and unsolicited explicit messages and nude photos. The congressman ended his campaign for California governor on Sunday as he hemorrhaged support.

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In his resignation announcement, Swalwell again apologized for past "mistakes in judgment," but vowed to fight the "serious, false allegation." The statement seemingly referred to the claims made by a former staffer, whose story was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday.

"However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make," Swalwell said in his statement.

The woman accused Swalwell of having sex with her when she was too intoxicated to consent in 2019 and 2024. Three other women also detailed Swalwell's alleged sexual misconduct to CNN.

The bipartisan House Ethics Committee announced earlier Monday it was investigating Swalwell. Swalwell's resignation is all but certain to end the ethics investigation as the committee only has jurisdiction over current members and staff.

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Swalwell's resignation follows some of his closest allies in Congress distancing themselves from him in the wake of the allegations. Minutes before Swalwell's announcement was posted, Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said his friend was "no longer fit" to serve in Congress and should be expelled.

"I trusted someone who I believed was a friend, but it is now clear that he is not the person I thought I knew," Gallego said.

Swalwell did not give a date for his resignation, saying he would work with his staff in the coming days to ensure they are able to continue serving his constituents once he steps down.

The House was expected to vote in the coming days on whether to expel Swalwell, though it was unclear whether it had the two-thirds majority support it needed to successfully remove him from office. In the past, lawmakers have cited Ethics Committee investigations as reason to hold off on making any judgment until the panel has concluded its work. The House has expelled just six members in its history.

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Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, who was leading the expulsion effort, said Swalwell made the right decision to resign ahead of the vote to remove him.

"He made the correct decision, but there still needs to be a full-fledged criminal investigation," Luna said.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office confirmed to CBS News on Sunday that it is investigating allegations against Swalwell.

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Update: Rep. Eric Swalwell said Monday, April 13, that he plans to resign from Congress.

Washington  The bipartisan House Ethics Committee announced Monday it is investigating Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, who faces several allegations of sexual misconduct.

The committee said it is looking into whether Swalwell "violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation, or other applicable standard of conduct in the performance of his duties or the discharge of his responsibilities, with respect to allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision."

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A spokesperson for Swalwell did not respond to a request for comment from CBS News.

Swalwell ended his campaign for California governor and is facing possible expulsion from the House after a former staffer accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was too intoxicated to consent on two occasions in 2019 and 2024. Her story was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle last Friday. Three other women also detailed Swalwell's alleged sexual misconduct to CNN.

Swalwell has denied the allegations of sexual assault, calling them "flat false," and has vowed to fight them.

"I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I am a saint. I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past, but those mistakes are between me and my wife," he said in a video on Friday, two days before he ended his gubernatorial bid.

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Swalwell is also facing pressure to resign from the House. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican, has threatened to force a vote as soon as this week to expel Swalwell. Several Democrats have said they would back the effort.

The Ethics Committee, which conducts its investigative work in secret, is not known to move quickly, and lawmakers could use the investigation as cover to avoid expelling Swalwell immediately.

Luna told CBS News she intends to move forward with an expulsion resolution regardless of the the Ethics Committee's announcement.

"I'm still doing the resolution," Luna said. "I think we have the votes. It's nice that congressional Ethics is doing that. However, my issue with Ethics in the past is that people will use it as an off-ramp to get out of voting for expulsion."

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Luna added that she will officially give notice of her intent to file a privileged motion on Tuesday, starting the clock for leadership to schedule a vote within two legislative days. Luna said she hopes a vote could be held Wednesday.

"I've been talking to leadership for a while on some of my concerns with some of the members that we currently have serving and they have not asked me to back off," she said.

More than a dozen House Democrats in battleground districts wrote a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, urging them to "expedite" Ethics Committee investigations as several members face allegations of misconduct and possible expulsion votes.

"As the House returns to session this week, we urge you to take immediate action," said the letter, which was led by Democratic Rep. Susie Lee of Nevada. "We respectfully request that you work together in a bipartisan manner to ensure these investigations proceed swiftly, that findings are made public, and that action is brought to the floor for a vote."

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Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who was close with Swalwell and is seen as a possible presidential candidate in 2028, said Monday that the California congressman should be expelled.

"I support the ethics committee's investigation and believe Eric Swalwell is no longer fit to be a Member of Congress. He should be expelled from Congress," Gallego said in a statement.

Gallego said he had "no knowledge" of the allegations against Swalwell, adding "it is now clear that he is not the person I thought I knew."

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Viktor Orban, who has ruled Hungary as a self-described "thorn" in the European Union's side for 16 years, conceded defeat to conservative Peter Magyar in the country's parliamentary elections on Sunday.

Here are the main reactions from Europe.

- France -

"France welcomes this victory for democratic participation, for the Hungarian people's commitment to the values of the European Union, and for Hungary in Europe," President Emmanuel Macron posted on X after speaking with Magyar.

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French far-right National Rally party chief Jordan Bardella paid tribute to Orban, calling him a "great patriot".

- Germany -

"I am looking forward to working with you," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on social media.

"Let's join forces for a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe," he added.

- United Kingdom -

"This is an historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy," Prime Minister Keir Starmer posted on X.

- Italy -

Though Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated Magyar on this "clear electoral victory", but also made a point of thanking her "friend Viktor Orban for intense collaboration" over the years.

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- Spain -

"Today Europe wins and European values win," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X, congratulating Hungarian citizens on "historic elections".

- European Union -

"Hungary has chosen Europe," wrote Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission on X in English and Hungarian.

"Europe's heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight," she said.

- Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Magyar on his "resounding victory", pledging to work with the country's new leadership.

"We are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as peace, security, and stability in Europe," Zelensky said in a post on X.

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"The people of Hungary have delivered a clear and resolute 'no' to any attempts at pulling their country back into Moscow's orbit," said Ukraine's Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko.

- Estonia -

Estonia's Prime Minister Kristen Michal welcomed "a historic choice for a free and strong Hungary in a united Europe, rejecting forces that ignore their interests".

- Ireland -

"I look forward to working with Prime Minister elect Magyar to strengthen bilateral relations between Ireland and Hungary based on our shared membership of the European Union and our commitment to shares values," said Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.

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- Croatia -

"I look forward to further strengthening cooperation between Croatia and Hungary, both bilaterally and at the European level," said Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic after a phone call with Magyar.

bur/cls/bfi/roc/tc
April 13 - EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed Hungary's election https://www.reuters.com/world/hungary/elections/ as "a victory for fundamental freedoms", and compared the ousting of nationalist Viktor Orban to the country's 1956 anti-Soviet uprising and its 1989 break with communism.

Hungarians were waking up nL8N40W0GT to a political earthquake after a landslide victory for the centre-right opposition reverberated everywhere from Washington to Kyiv, sending local markets surging and turning Budapest into a party zone.

"I really want to say to the Hungarian people, you've done it again!" von der Leyen told reporters in Brussels on Monday.

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"Again against all odds, like you did in 1956 when you courageously stood up, like you did in 1989 when you were the first to cut the barbed wire that was dividing our continent."

Orban was Russian President Vladimir Putin's main ally in the European Union, and regularly played an adversarial role in the bloc, frustrating its efforts to aid war-torn Ukraine.

His exit after 16 years as prime minister could move Hungary more towards the mainstream in the EU, analysts have said.

Hungary's 1956 uprising against the Soviet Union was brutally crushed by the Red Army.

On the 50th anniversary https://www.reuters.com/article/world/fifty-years-on-revolution-still-divides-hungary-idUSNOA032208/ of the revolt, Orban's Fidesz party sought to align itself with the rebels' anti-communist ideals, to the outrage of the left, liberals and some on the right.

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Orban, a fiery anti-communist youth leader during the Cold War, was a patriotic hero to supporters, but critics at home and abroad accused him of taking Hungary on an authoritarian path.

(Reporting by Mathias de Rozario, editing by Bart Meijer and Andrew Heavens)
A former Nigerian oil minister accused of being treated to luxury home stays and lavish spending sprees in the UK in exchange for granting government contracts has denied asking for or taking bribes.

Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, told Southwark Crown Court on Monday that she had "tried to push back on corruption" in a country plagued by it since the days it was a British colony.

Several Nigerian businessmen are alleged to have bankrolled huge spending sprees, including more than 2m at luxury store Harrods and 4.6m on refurbishing homes in London and Buckinghamshire.

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But the ex-minister said that the cost of services laid on for her while on official duties was later repaid.

"I can state categorically that at no point did I ask for, take or receive a bribe of any sort from these persons and did not abuse my office," Alison-Madueke told the court.

"I always sought to act impartially".

She said money spent on her behalf was reimbursed by the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), adding that a service company in London was used to handle the logistics because the financial structure of the NNPC was in a mess.

"They paid for all my hotels, chauffeurs... to allow me to perform the job that I did," she said.

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The prosecution's case is based on allegations that Alison-Madueke was given access to a "grand" home in Buckinghamshire, a 2.8 million home in Marylebone, and multi-million pound homes overlooking Regent's Park, and allegedly benefited from renovations valued at 4.6m.

The court heard how she and her extended family spent five days over Christmas 2011 at a house in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, because her ex-husband required hospital treatment and could not fly back to Nigeria.

She said she was not involved in the arrangements for the stay.

A second visit, she said, was over two weeks when she and 10 to 12 officials wrote a book praising the Nigerian president's championing of women.

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"I took it upon myself to put together that book to showcase what he did for women," she said.

Alison-Madueke said another property overlooking Regent's Park was used for "discreet" official meetings, while she said another property she is accused of using was "completely gutted" for renovations and unusable when she saw it.

The court had previously heard how Alison-Madueke and her mother stayed in two apartments in St John's Wood with the rent being covered by Nigerian businessman Kolawole Aluko. He is one of several Nigerian businessman involved in the case who are not on trial.

Alison-Madueke said she had suggested this was much cheaper than continuing to hire 2,000-a-night suites in expensive hotels like the Savoy and Dorchester.

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In court on Monday, the former minister said she was not aware at the time that one of her chauffeurs had delivered 100,000 in cash to her, adding that the money had had nothing to do with her.

The court heard how Alison-Madueke had risen quickly through the ranks at Shell, becoming the first senior female executive in its Nigerian operation.

This was despite her not wanting to work for the multinational company because of its treatment of her father, she said, who had once also been a senior employee.

"I found the job uncomfortable to put in mildly, " she said, explaining that her father, who was a tribal leader, had once unsuccessfully taken legal action against Shell "for apartheid practice in West Africa."

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She told the court how when she worked at Shell, the company was having big problems dealing with oil spills in the Niger delta area where her family was from. She didn't believe the company had done enough "to make good on the devastation that they had caused".

Asked about concerns with her own security, she said Nigeria was a "very patriarchal society" so to have a "woman sitting at the helm was a major no no."

She added that she was "under dire threats of kidnap" and that members of her family had been seized.

The court also heard how in 2015, Alison-Madueke was elected the first female head of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), a group of oil-exporting countries which meets to decide how much crude oil to sell on the world market.

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Alison-Madueke denies five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Also on trial, oil industry executive Olatimbo Ayinde, 54, denies one count of bribery and another count of bribing a foreign public official.

Meanwhile, Alison-Madueke's brother, former archbishop Doye Agama, 69, denies conspiracy to commit bribery.

The trial continues.
By Ted Hesson

April 18 (Reuters) - At least 17 immigrants have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody from January 2026 through early April, according to ICE. That follows 31 deaths last year, a two-decade high.

Aled Damien Carbonell-Betancourt

Died: April 12 at a federal detention center in Miami

Nationality: Cuban

Age: 27

A federal officer discovered Carbonell-Betancourt in what ICE described as an apparent suicide attempt at the detention center, according to a statement from the agency. The officer called a medical emergency, staff began cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and City of Miami Fire Rescue personnel continued resuscitative efforts after they arrived, ICE said. Miami Fire Rescue pronounced Carbonell-Betancourt dead about an hour after he was discovered, ICE said.

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Alejandro Cabrera Clemente

Died: April 11 at the Winn Correctional Center in Winnfield, Louisiana

Nationality: Mexican

Age: 49

Cabrera was found unresponsive at the detention center, ICE said, and staff attempted to resuscitate him. He was taken to a local hospital where, after further life-saving efforts, he was declared dead, according to ICE.

Tuan Van Bui

Died: April 1 at the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana

Nationality: Vietnamese

Age: 55

Bui was found unresponsive and declared dead at the scene, ICE said. The cause of death remains under investigation.

Jose Guadalupe Ramos

Died: March 25 at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Los Angeles

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Nationality: Mexican

Ramos was found unconscious and unresponsive in his bunk by security staff, ICE said. The staff called on-site medical personnel and he was transferred to an area hospital where he was declared dead, ICE said.

Royer Perez Jimenez

Died: March 16 at the Glades County Detention Center in Moore Haven, Florida

Nationality: Mexican

Age: 19

Perez Jimenez's death was a presumed suicide, ICE said, while the official cause of death was under investigation after he was found unresponsive in the early hours. The detention center's staff unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate him for nearly 10 minutes after he was found, according to ICE.

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Mohammad Nazeer Paktiawal

Died: March 14 at the Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas

Nationality: Afghan

Age: 41

Paktiawal, an Afghan immigrant who previously worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan and later sought asylum in the U.S., died in ICE custody less than 24 hours after being detained in Texas, a U.S. veteran-led advocacy group said.

In a statement, ICE said Paktiawal was eating breakfast when medical staff noted that his tongue had become swollen, prompting a medical response. He was declared dead only after multiple attempts at resuscitation, the agency said.

Emanuel Cleeford Damas

Died: March 2 at a hospital in Scottsdale, Arizona

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Nationality: Haitian

ICE took Damas into custody after he was arrested on assault and battery charges in September 2025 in Boston, ICE said. Damas was transferred to the Florence Detention Center in Florence, Arizona. ICE said he reported shortness of breath on February 19 and was sent to a local hospital and then transferred to a Phoenix hospital and placed in an intensive care unit.

He was intubated on a ventilator the following day and died on March 2, with the cause unknown, ICE said. In an interview with the Associated Press, his brother said he had died due to an untreated toothache and related infection.

In response to a request for comment, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security referred to ICE's public statement, which did not mention any dental issue.

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Pejman Karshenas Najafabadi

Died: March 1 at a hospital in Natchez, Mississippi

Nationality: Iranian

Age: 59

ICE took Karshenas into custody in April 2025 after he was convicted of fentanyl possession, the agency said. He had several chronic health conditions but remained detained and was transferred in October 2025 to the Louisiana ICE Processing Center, a facility opened under the Trump administration, according to ICE.

On February 20, 2026, ICE health staff evaluated him again and he was then transferred to a hospital for long-term care, where he went into cardiac arrest on March 1. He was transferred to the Merit Health Hospital in Natchez, Mississippi, where he was pronounced dead, ICE said.

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Alberto Gutierrez Reyes

Died: February 27 at a medical center in Victorville, California

Nationality: Mexican

Age: 48

Gutierrez was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents in Los Angeles in January, ICE said. He reported feeling faint on February 25 and was admitted to Victor Valley Global Medical Center for chest pain and shortness of breath, ICE said. He became unresponsive and died on February 27, ICE said.

Los Angeles City Council member Eunisses Hernandez said in a statement that her office had been in touch with his family and that he had been denied medical care while in ICE custody.

In response to a request for comment, the Department of Homeland Security said comprehensive medical care is provided to everyone in ICE detention.

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Jairo Garcia Hernandez

Died: February 16 at a hospital in Miami

Nationality: Guatemalan

Age: 27

ICE took Garcia into custody after he was encountered by local police near Rochester, New York, on January 21, 2025, the agency said. ICE said he was immunocompromised and was "already in ill health" when he was detained. On February 16, 2026, more than a year after he was taken into custody, he collapsed unexpectedly and died, according to ICE.

Lorth Sim

Died: February 16 at the Miami Correctional Facility in Miami County, Indiana

Nationality: Cambodian

Age: 59

Sim entered the U.S. as a refugee in 1983 but had been ordered deported following several convictions, ICE said. He was detained after arriving at an ICE office in Boston on December 30, 2025, and then transferred to the Indiana detention center, the agency said.

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ICE staff found Sim unresponsive in his cell on February 16 and he was pronounced dead by staff and emergency personnel, ICE said. It said that the incident was under investigation.

Victor Manuel Diaz

Died: January 14 at Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas

Nationality: Nicaraguan

Age: 36

Staff at the detention center, which is located on the grounds of Fort Bliss, found Diaz unconscious and unresponsive in his room on January 14 and he was pronounced dead shortly after, ICE said. ICE said the incident was under investigation but that he died of "presumed suicide."

Heber Sanchaz Dominguez

Died: January 14 at the Robert A. Deyton Detention Center in Lovejoy, Georgia

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Nationality: Mexican

Age: 34

Sanchaz was detained by ICE after being arrested in Georgia for driving without a license, ICE said. He was found "hanging by the neck and unresponsive in his sleeping quarters" and later pronounced dead at an area hospital, ICE said. The agency said the incident is under investigation.

Parady La

Died: January 9 at a hospital in Philadelphia

Nationality: Cambodian

Age: 46

ICE said La was being detained at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia after a January 6 arrest and was being treated for "severe drug withdrawal" when he was found unresponsive in his cell. He was transferred to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where he was diagnosed with brain and organ failure and declared deceased on January 9, ICE said.

Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz

Died: January 6 at a hospital in Indio, California

Nationality: Honduran

Age: 68

Beltran was arrested by federal immigration officers in Newark, New Jersey, in November, according to ICE. At some point, he was moved to the Imperial Regional Detention Facility in Calexico, California. On January 4, he complained of chest pain and was transferred to a hospital where he died two days later, ICE said.

Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres

Died: January 5 at a Houston-area hospital

Nationality: Honduran

Age: 42

Nunez was arrested during an immigration operation in Houston on November 17, 2025, ICE said. He was eventually taken to the Joe Corley Processing Center in Conroe, Texas.

He was transferred to HCA Houston Healthcare in Conroe "due to an exacerbation of congestive heart failure" on December 23, 2025, ICE said. After "multiple life-threatening medical emergencies," he was pronounced dead on January 5, ICE said.

Geraldo Lunas Campos

Died: January 3 at Camp East Montana detention center in El Paso, Texas

Nationality: Cuban

Age: 55

Lunas died on January 3 in Camp East Montana, a detention site opened by the Trump administration on the grounds of Fort Bliss in Texas, according to ICE. The agency initially said he experienced "medical distress" and that they were investigating the incident.

The Washington Post reported later that month that the local coroner would likely rule the death a homicide. The Post also interviewed a detainee held at the Camp East Montana site who said he saw guards choking Lunas when he refused to enter solitary confinement.

After the report, the Department of Homeland Security issued a new statement, saying Lunas attempted to take his own life while detained at the detention site.

DHS said the security staff "immediately intervened to save his life" but that Lunas "violently resisted" them.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson and Stephen Nellis; Editing by David Gregorio, Rosalba O'Brien, Rod Nickel and Tomasz Janowski)
A new type of mortgage fraud comes as mortgage rates ticked down last week, following a spike caused by the Iran war.

As Channel 2s Lori Wilson explains, the fraudsters targeted a married couple.

When you buy a home, wiring money is standard. But it almost cost one couple everything.

The couple received an email, with escrow misspelled - that almost cost the couple hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Scott and Lynette, who asked that we not use their last names, had been renters in southern California for years before they cobbled together enough to buy a home.

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We got instructions by Secure Portal to wire the money for a pretty significant down payment, Scott said.

They were about to wire hundreds of thousands of dollars when a second email arrived with slightly different instructions.

It was an exact duplicate of any correspondence that we had with the company before, he said.

Scott and Lynette sent the money.

The next day, though, their mortgage broker told them he received nothing.

It was identical but for one keystroke, Scott said.

So instead of escrow.com, it was escro v-v.com, Lynette said.

Those two vs instead of a w meant they were communicating with and sending money to someone other than their broker.

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The reality just slowly sets in, like this could not possibly have happened to us, Lynette said.

We consider ourselves technologically literate. But we knew at that moment that we were over our head. We literally stopped and we prayed. And then we called the police, Scott said.

Orange County has one of southern Californias only cybercrime units.

The quicker you recognize it and then take immediate action is key. the likelihood of recovering that money is almost zero after about 72 hours

Investigators were able to trace what happened to Scott and Lynettes money and started trying to get it back.

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Its called a financial kill chain. You find it, you freeze it, you stop it, Sheriff Don Barnes said.

The National Association of Mortgage Brokers says communicating the old fashioned way may help protect you and your money.

Before you send anything, pick up the phone, call your mortgage broker, call your realtor. Trust and verify, and this situations trust, verify, verify and verify, Kimber White said.

It took months but police were able to recover most of what scammers stole from Scott and Lynette.

About 10% of the money that apparently had gotten translated into Bitcoin, and that was gone, gone. But close to 90% of our funds came back to us. And it was it was like a dream.

Experts say doublecheck everything and follow up after every step.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

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The body of a 20-year-old man missing since April 6 when a car he was riding in crashed into the Willamette River has been brought home, one of the mans parents said on social media.

The parents message followed an announcement Sunday by the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office that it had recovered a body in the river, near where four people in a Toyota Corolla drove into the water last week. The sheriffs office did not disclose the identity of the person, however, and still has not as of Monday morning.

The parent of the missing man said on Facebook that her family had been working with Bend-based nonprofit Oregon Rescue Divers to search for his body. That outfit told KATU news on Sunday that it had found a body in the river on Sunday morning, matching the description of the last missing person from the vehicle crash.

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The parents Sunday social media post thanked the outfit for finding him and bringing him home.

A 17-year-old who was in the car survived. Divers recovered the bodies of two others, 19 and 17, last week. All three were from Beavercreek.

Read the original article on oregonlive.com. Add oregonlive.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Photo: National Police

Residents of the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk in Donetsk region were killed and one more was wounded in Russian shelling on the previous day, April 12, Donetsk regional military administration head Vadym Filashkin said.

"Kramatorsk district. In Sloviansk, 2 cars were damaged. In Kramatorsk, 1 person was killed and 1 wounded, 3 private houses were damaged. In Druzhkivka, a person was killed and a non-residential building and a car were damaged," Filashkin wrote on Telegram on Monday morning.

In addition, a house was damaged by Russian shelling the previous day in Riznykivka of Siversk hromada in Bakhmut district, with no casualties reported.

In total, on Sunday April 12 - when eastern-rite Christians in Ukraine celebrated Easter - Russians shelled settlements in Donetsk region five times, Filashkin said. Some 280 people, including 55 children, were evacuated from front-line settlements during the day.

As reported, on April 11 Russian occupiers shelled settlements in Donetsk region 23 times, wounding 15 civilians with no fatalities. On April 10, occupiers shelled the regions settlements ten times, killing one and wounding three civilians. On April 9, occupiers shelled Donetsk regions settlements 23 times, wounding seven residents with no fatalities.

On April 11, 353 people including 74 children were evacuated from the front line over the course of the day; on April 10 - 424 people including 86 children; on April 9 - 370 people including 72 children.
The death of a South Jersey woman is drawing international attention as her family searches for answers about what happened in the Zanzibar region of Tanzania.

Ashly Robinson's parents spoke to Action News from Delaware. They say they have not received clear information from officials in Tanzania or from her fiance about what happened to her.

"My daughter Ashly, she's no longer here with us, and we're trying to find out why," said her mother, Yolanda Denise Endres.

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"Uncertainty. Mystery. Anger. Sadness. It's like a part of me has been taken," said her father, Harry Robinson.

Ashly Robinson Instagram / @ashleejenae

According to her family, Robinson - an influencer and content creator known online as Ashlee Jenae - was celebrating her 31st birthday in Zanzibar on April 5. She was traveling with her boyfriend of one year, who proposed two days earlier.

"She was starting the next chapter of her life. She called us to FaceTime us to share with us her travel and her vacation," Endres said.

Less than a week later, she was dead. Her mother said Robinson called on April 8 to say she and her fiance had argued and were moved to separate rooms.

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The next day, Endres said she received a call from the fiance.

"He told me that Ashly did something to herself and she was being taken to the hospital, and he told me she was stable," Endres said. "I said what happened, and he told me, it had been 11 hours prior."

Hours later, the hotel where the couple was staying notified the family that Robinson had died.

According to a hospital medical report, Robinson had an unidentified mark around her neck. The report states that her fiance "found she hung herself on the door."

"Sometimes Joe went back to the room with security, and that's how they found her," said the woman's father.

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Robinson was later taken to a second hospital, which listed her cause of death as cerebral hypoxia by strangulation and suffocation.

"She's never done anything that would ever ever lead me to believe that she would do something to harm herself like that. She was happy," Endres said.

The family says they have contacted police, the consulate, and the embassy, but have not received additional information beyond confirmation that the death remains under investigation. They have also requested surveillance footage from the resort.

"She was loved. She was not just going to be discarded and forgotten about," Endres said.

The family says they are considering traveling to Zanzibar to seek answers. Attempts to contact Robinson's fiance, the resort and the embassy were unsuccessful.
The Maine farm funding bill has stalled in the Legislature again with only days left to secure a spot on the November ballot, putting small farms  including many in Washington County  at risk if Congress does not advance farm funding soon.

Unstable weather and economic conditions are a real concern for farmers if funding falls short, said Lisa Hanscom, a Washington County wild blueberry grower who coowns and manages Welch Farm in Roque Bluffs with her father.

I feel like its getting harder to be a farmer, Hanscom told Monitor Local.

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She said it takes five years for the farm to recover from a drought  five years of smaller crops and less revenue to put toward equipment, repairs and other improvements.

Her familys farm has been operating since the early 1900s, but she worries how much longer it can withstand tariff hikes and extreme weather. She applied for a healthy soil grant, and if it falls through, she said she is not sure how the farm will keep running.

Concerns like hers have brought farmers to the State House in Augusta twice in the past month to rally for the bond measure.

Despite support from a majority of Maine lawmakers, the bond has twice failed to reach the twothirds House supermajority needed for enactment. As of Monday morning, April 13, it is awaiting Senate concurrence.

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Sen. Marianne Moore, R-Calais, said the debate centers on budget and borrowing concerns.

The bill, which began with a narrow focus on agriculture and forestry, has expanded in recent weeks to include  and then drop  an omnibus package with multiple bonds aimed at broader rural issues.

The added proposals  including housing and environmental protections  temporarily pushed the bond package to more than $200 million, alienating Republican lawmakers who raised concerns about fiscal responsibility.

It is our job as legislators to prioritize where taxpayer funds are allocated, Moore said, and I strongly believe a responsible supplemental budget should have included these agricultural priorities.

Moore split from her party to support the agriculture bond once the omnibus package was removed in early April, returning the proposal to its original $45 million.

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In Maine, bonds must receive a twothirds supermajority to pass. Approval would have allowed the Senate to send the pareddown bill back to the House for reconsideration, but it failed the roll call despite Moores vote.

While I support the agricultural programs due to my longstanding support for Washington County farmers, I am concerned about proposals to max out our state's debt limit through numerous bond issues, Moore said.

Moore backed an amendment Wednesday to the supplemental budget to fund agriculture through the general fund. The proposal, introduced by Sen. Scott Cyrway, RBenton, would support critical agricultural programs, with the money distributed once the budget takes effect this year.

Simeon Allen of WR Allen Inc. received a federally funded grant from the Agricultural Infrastructure Investment Program in August 2022 for his Midcoast blueberry farm in Orland.

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Allen, who produces quickfreeze, packaged blueberries, said the $465,000 grant upgraded a 30yearold optical sorter, replacing it with a stateoftheart laser sorter. The new equipment produces more highquality berries per hour, he said, helping the company maintain the highestgrade frozen blueberries.

In addition to grants, the bond funds lowinterest loans, said Eric Venturini, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine, adding that access to those loans helps Maine farmers grow with less debt.

Infrastructure grants are great, but lowinterest loans could help, Allen said, adding that lowinterest loans make equipment more affordable for farmers.

Hanscom said she does not think anyone should rely solely on grants, but if funding is not accessible in these increasingly competitive conditions, she fears what Washington County stands to lose.

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The wild blueberry in Maine goes back 10,000 years, she said, adding that without financial support, small farms like hers  a bastion of the countys longstanding history of wild blueberry farming  could soon be a relic of the past.

Melissa S. Razdrih is a Community Reporting Fellow receiving training through the Journalism New England Career Lab to do civic reporting that provides people in towns across New England with the information they need to be engaged in their community.
On Oct. 27, 2025, more than 100 people packed into the pews at Bible Baptist Church for a meeting of the Conewago Township Planning Commission.

Among those in the church was Jim Rexroth. The rest of the crowd, it seemed, was there to talk about him. Specifically, they were there to oppose the notion that his 541 acres of farmland on Bowers Bridge Road could one day be the site of a massive data center, believing that the noise and environmental damage caused by the facility would change the character of the rural area and that its massive power consumption would cause their electricity rates to skyrocket.

Rexroth, who farms some 5,400 acres in York County, was there to explain that the property was not prime farmland, that it was challenging to even break even on the corn, wheat and soybeans grown there, that in the future nobody is going to farm that land just to break even, and that it was inevitable that it would be developed.

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In fact, when he bought the land 17 years ago, there was a plan to develop a 540-home subdivision on the acreage.

Rexroth wanted to tell them that, when he was approached by developers of data centers, he looked into it and was proceeding with caution. He'd previously worked with a company that proposed a solar farm on the hilltop between the Conewago Creek and the Little Conewago, a deal that fell apart.

Jim Rexroth talks about the suitability of his 541 acres of farmland in Conewago Township for a data center. Multiple electric transmission lines run through the property with close ties to the former TMI plant and Brunner Island. The land isn't intersected by roads and has fiber optic and natural gas nearby.

He wanted to tell them he wanted to make sure that whatever was built there would benefit the community, preserve the environment and not cause undue hardship. He wanted to tell them that a data center would have less impact on the community than a giant warehouse or housing development. He wanted to tell his neighbors that he shared a lot of their concerns.

He never got a chance.

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The meeting got out of hand, he said, mentioning that at one point a speaker recited a poem about the rural nature of the area. It went on for more than four hours.

Rexroth wanted to tell his side of the story, but he left the meeting without speaking.

Now, hes going to get his chance to present his side of the story.

A map shows power transmission (red) lines where power from the former TMI generating station, Brunner Island Steam Electric Station, and the York Haven Hydro Electric Project (marked with yellow push pins) cross Jim Rexroth's farm on Bowers Bridge Road in Conewago Township.

On the agenda April 27

The Conewago Township planning commissions next meeting is scheduled for April 27, and Rexroth has asked to be put on the agenda to answer questions about his land and data centers.

He recalls the controversy over erecting cell phone towers in the 1980s and 1990s and the opposition to it. Everyone has forgotten that craziness, he said. Now nobody even thinks about them. I see this as similar.

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People might not like data centers, he said, but were going to need them.

Im not a data center advocate, he said. I dont really have a side. A lot of the conversation about data centers is hyperbole and hysteria. We need to have a rational discussion about it.

A dirt road through the 541 acres of farmland in Conewago Township owner Jim Rexroth argues is suitable for a data center. Multiple electric transmission lines run through the property connected to former TMI and Brunner Island power plants. The land isn't intersected by roads and is lower quality soil for farming than soil south of Route 30, he said.

Surrounded by Rexthroths farm

The commission meetings are typically low-key affairs with few attending. The October 2025 meeting was different. It had to be moved to the church to accommodate the large crowd; the townships meeting room was much too small.

Commission Chairman Daryl Hull introduced the matter that attracted the huge crowd  the possibility that the township could be the site of a massive data center.

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Hull told the crowd that the township had received a request from a company called Elysian Partners, a privately held real estate company from Boca Raton, Fla., and Rexroth Farms, the family-owned farming organization that farms some 5,400 acres in York County, to allow a data center to be built in the township. Specifically, they were asking the township to amend its zoning law to allow a data center to be built on Rexroths 541-acre parcel on Bowers Bridge Road.

Two dozen residents spoke during the meeting, all opposing the proposal. They cited environmental concerns, the loss of farmland, the noise a data center would produce, and the effect such a facility would have on wildlife and the quality of life in the rural community. They were worried that the massive amount of power required by a data center would cause huge increases in their electricity bills. They were concerned, for the most part, about how such a facility would dramatically and fundamentally change the townships rural nature, a factor that attracted many of them to that corner of northern York County in the first place.

They wanted to know what steps the commission would take to protect surrounding landowners and preserve the townships rural character.

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One homeowner, Bill Taylor, whose Bowers Bridge Road home is surrounded, literally, by the Rexroth farm, told the commission, When we found this place, we couldn't believe it. It is a true slice of heaven.

He told the commission that he and his wife, Jennifer Lynn Frey, have put a lot of money into the property since moving there in 2024. An avid outdoorsman, Taylor mentioned the abundance of wildlife in the area  deer, wild turkeys, bald eagles and osprey, in addition to the minks and otters in the Conewago Creek, which runs in front of their home.

This location is priceless to my entire surrounding community, not just my family, he said. The whole reason we moved here was to get away from industrial complexes, lights, noise - the list goes on. Now, there's a chance that it all could be right in my backyard.

Jim Rexroth talks about the suitability of his 541 acres of farmland in Conewago Township for a data center. Multiple electric transmission lines run through the property with close ties to the former TMI plant and Brunner Island. The land isn't intersected by roads and has fiber optic and natural gas nearby. A dirt road through the 541 acres of farmland in Conewago Township owner Jim Rexroth argues is suitable for a data center. Multiple electric transmission lines run through the property connected to former TMI and Brunner Island power plants. The land isn't intersected by roads and is lower quality soil for farming than soil south of Route 30, he said. Brunner Island power plant can be seen in the distance from the 541 acre plot of land in Conewago Township. Electrical transmission lines from the plant run though the property. Anti-data center signs on a property at the intersection of Bowers Bridge Road and Conewago Creek Road near the potential site in Conewago Township. A 2009 photo of the 1833 stone farmhouse on the property before Jim Rexroth won the propery at auction in that year. The house has since been renovated. A deteriorating barn and silo on the Conewago Township property in 2009 before Jim Rexroth won it at auction. The structures are no longer there. Jim Rexroth talks about the suitability of 541 acres of his farmland in Conewago Township for a data center. Multiple electric transmission lines run through the property with close ties to the former TMI and Brunner Island. The land isn't intersected by roads and has fiber optic and natural gas nearby. See photos of a possible data center location in Conewago Township 1 of 7 Jim Rexroth talks about the suitability of his 541 acres of farmland in Conewago Township for a data center. Multiple electric transmission lines run through the property with close ties to the former TMI plant and Brunner Island. The land isn't intersected by roads and has fiber optic and natural gas nearby.

Zoning plans

Several York County municipalities  mostly in rural areas  are grappling with how to handle zoning for proposed data centers.

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The county is attractive to data center developers because of its low real estate prices and access to electricity, with the county leading the state in power generation with its mix of hydro, coal and gas-fired power plants.

The York County Planning Commission has provided local governments with a model law to govern the development of data centers, but many municipalities are devising their own, writing the ordinances in an attempt to balance the effects of these huge developments with the quality of life in their communities and the possibility of massive increases in tax revenue the centers would generate.

Manchester Township, for instance, has drafted a proposed ordinance that is more restrictive than the model provided by the county. Others are still working on the laws, trying to account for community concerns while not eliminating the possibility of hosting a data center.

Conewago Township is still working on its ordinance. Some residents are concerned that the township is banking on the future tax revenue from a data center to offset costs incurred from the Freedom Square development off Canal Road, a 460-acre complex of more than 2,000 homes, retail space and hotels. Residents believe that the township underestimated how the development would impact its budget.

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Township officials did not immediately respond to questions about it. (Township Supervisor Brian Klinger, who owns property that may be affected by the ordinance, has recused himself from any discussions or votes on the matter, township officials have said.)

A barn and silo on Jim Rexroth's Conewago Township property in 2009 before he won it at auction. The structure is no longer there.

Over half of Rexroth's acreage preserved

Im a farmer, said Jim Rexroth, a slim, energetic man who seems younger than his 55 years. I love farming.

His family began farming in York County in 1945 when his grandparents, Charles and Sarah Rexroth, purchased a 50-acre farm in Windsor Township. Jims father, Ken, was one of their 12 children and grew up raising dogs, rabbits and swine.

Having grown up during the Great Depression, sustained by day-old bread and butcher-shop scraps, Charles and Sarah instilled a sense of frugality and how to make the most of limited resources, a trait that has been handed down. Jim Rexroth drives a 25-year-old Chevy Yukon.

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When his father died in 1963, Ken bought the family homestead and grew potatoes and tomatoes and raised cattle, delivering his goods to market himself. He diversified into dairy in 1973, phasing out the vegetable operation.

Rexroth learned about farming by working alongside his father.

After high school, he enrolled at Virginia Tech and, in 1992, earned a degree in dairy science with a minor in ag economics. In 1993, he and his father became business partners.

While at Virginia Tech, Rexroth studied with David Kohl, a distinguished professor of agricultural economics. During his career, he has advised Canada and other nations and the Federal Reserve on how to create financially sustainable agriculture.

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Studying with Kohl, Rexroth said, was a game changer.

I came back to the farm with the mindset that you have to make money, that its just not a lifestyle or tradition, he said. Its a business.

He and his father expanded the farming operation, acquiring other farms. Today, the family owns farms throughout York County, the operation stretching from southern York County to Hill and Shelley islands in the Susquehanna near Goldsboro. The islands have prime soil and are very productive, even if it requires Rexroth to transport equipment and crops via barges launched at Goldsboros boat launch.

His operation practices environmentally sustainable methods, and as vice chair of the York County Conservation District, Rexroth advocates for other farmers to follow suit. Such practices are not only beneficial for the environment  reducing the amount of farm pollution that flows into the Susquehanna and, eventually, the Chesapeake Bay  they are economically sound. Preserving the soil, he said, makes fields more productive, and that in turn increases how much each acre can earn.

He and his family are also dedicated to preserving farmland. More than half the land Rexroth Farms owns is preserved, meaning those acres can never be sold for development.

In 2009, he had an opportunity to expand his holdings in Conewago Township.

Jim Rexroth talks about the suitability of 541 acres of his farmland in Conewago Township for a data center. Multiple electric transmission lines run through the property with close ties to the former TMI and Brunner Island. The land isn't intersected by roads and has fiber optic and natural gas nearby.

'My phone started ringing off the hook'

The 437 acres atop a hill in rural northern York County had once been a dairy farm, owned by Big Edward Brothers Sr.

Big Edward sold the tract to his son, Edward Jr., who ran a trucking business from the farm on Bowers Bridge Road. The trucking business didnt pan out, and the farm fell into debt and disrepair.

The barn, filled with truck parts and barrels of motor oil, was falling down. The fields, which hadnt been farmed for more than 15 years, were overgrown and filled with brush and invasive species of plants. The stone farmhouse, built in 1833, was uninhabitable and in serious need of extensive renovation. Not far from the house was another dilapidated farmhouse, surrounded by a scrapyard filled with junk cars, trucks and farm equipment.

The bank had foreclosed on the farm and was looking to sell it to recoup the debt.

On its face, it appeared to be a lucrative tract of land, a wide-open space, three-quarters of it bordered by the Conewago Creek and the Little Conewago.

In 2008, a developer submitted plans to Conewago Township to build a 540-house development, but the 2008 financial crisis  fiscal chicanery causing a collapse in the housing market and sparking a worldwide recession  scratched the deal.

On Aug. 20, 2009, the land was put up for auction. Among the 13 bidders was Jim Rexroth.

The other bidders were developers, but Rexroth won, paying $1.875 million for the land, about $4,290 an acre.

Speaking at the auction, Rexroth said: Farming this land would be my only intention.

The land needed help. It was an eyesore, Rexroth said. Everything was falling down.

Rexroth cleaned up the land. He removed trees that had grown in the field.

He later bought an adjacent parcel owned by the Glen-Gery brick company, land that came available after the company closed its York facility on Boundary Avenue, now the site of an Amazon distribution center. That increased the hilltop farm to its current 541 acres.

The land turned out to be more challenging than Rexroth had thought. The soil was bad, a thin layer of topsoil over clay and shale, he said. When it rained, he said, you could see the topsoil running off like chocolate milk. It was, simply, bad farmland.

He made a go of it, augmenting the soil with biosolids, processed waste supplied by the Springettsbury Township wastewater treatment plant.

It all changed when Constellation Energy announced it planned to restart the shut-down Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island, reaching a deal with Microsoft to sell its 835 megawatts to power data centers.

Not long after that, Rexroth said, My phone started ringing off the hook.

Developers of data centers wanted his land.

Rexroth didnt know squat about data centers. He knows soil and weather and the myriad of skills needed to operate a modern agricultural operation. And he knows the economics of farming. But data centers?

Most of the callers were speculators  opportunists, as Rexroth describes them  who, after viewing his farm on a map, believed it was the perfect site for a data center. High-tension power lines from the Brunner Island power plant and from TMI crisscross his farmland. The site atop the hill is also attractive for installing solar panels to provide for some of the power needs of a mega-data center.

He was wary.

Revenue for the township

But the more he learned about the issue, the more he thought it might be a good idea. The land, he said, isnt going to be farmland going into the future  the economics work against it. My goal is to hold onto it until I can be sure (whatever is built there is) the right thing for the community, he said.

A data center, he believed, would provide needed revenue for the township. Its impact on the community would be minimal, as his property is fairly isolated and not surrounded by residential development. And of the options for the land, a data center would have less impact on the environment or the quality of life in the community than a giant warehouse or a sprawling housing development.

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It just made sense to him. It looked like it was the best thing for the community and the future, he said.

But it didnt make sense to others.

When word got out that data center developers were looking at Rexroths farm  and another farm in the township  the opposition was fierce.

Rexroth became a pariah.

The roads leading to his property are dotted with yard signs opposing data centers, the words data center under a red circle with a line through it, a symbol for no.

And he has attracted a lot of vitriol online. In person, he said, people tend to be more polite. You dont know what its like to have people giving you the finger as you go to church, he said.

He just wants people to understand. He doesnt want to do anything that would harm his community. He doesnt want to do anything that would endanger the environment. He believes the data center would provide needed revenue to the township and Northeastern School District, easing the burden of property taxes for his neighbors. He would only sell the farm if he had assurances that the new owners would be good stewards of the land and would build the facility so that it had minimal impact on his neighbors. It has, he believes, the potential to do a lot of good if its done right.

Somebody, he said, is going to profit from the data center boom.

Why shouldnt it be Conewago Township?

Blindsided

Jennifer Lynn Frye believes otherwise.

The home she shares with her husband, Bill Taylor, is a small rancher tucked into a one-acre lot carved out of the Rexroth farm, at the end of a lane off Bowers Bridge Road. The house used to be referred to as the cops house because a cop lived there years ago.

She first learned of the idea that she could become a neighbor of a massive data center in October 2025, less than a year after she and Taylor moved into the house. She heard about the possibility of a data center being developed in neighboring East Manchester Township and went to a meeting to learn more about it. At that meeting, someone mentioned to her that her home township was considering a similar proposal.

She looked into it and was surprised to learn that the proposal was in her backyard.

The thought that they could rezone the land surrounding me was pretty shocking to me, she said. I began digging immediately.

She did some research, and when she attended the planning commission meeting at Bible Baptist  speaking to express her objections  she was prepared. She listed her objections  the environmental concerns, the quality-of-life issues and other matters  and suggested that a data center would be better suited to an area already zoned for industrial use rather than an agricultural district. Thats where it belongs, not on agricultural land, she said. Obviously, wed love to see the land stay farmland. If thats not an option, a park, something to serve the community. A pipe dream, perhaps.

The planning commission meeting, Frye recalled, was pretty ... pretty heated. A lot of people spoke out of grave concern. People felt blindsided.

She is concerned for the community. A lot of us live in a rural area for a reason, she said. We like the quiet and the connection we have with our neighbors. To put a data center there, that doesnt make sense. It seems to be a poor choice. Even a housing development would be better. Wed have more neighbors instead of a data center.

She believes the township looks at us as collateral damage to fix a mistake they made, referring to the Freedom Square development. Im sorry if they made a mistake, she said. But we shouldnt have to pay for that mistake.

And she and her husband are concerned for their home. If a data center is developed on the land, she said, We may lose our home.

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Still farmland ... for now

For now, the 541 acres off Bowers Bridge Road is still farmland. The fields are covered with winter wheat, planted last fall and destined to be harvested around the Fourth of July. Then, Rexroth will plant corn in the fields.

And hope to make a small profit.

Columnist/reporter Mike Argento has been a York Daily Record staffer since 1982. Reach him at mike@ydr.com.

(This story was updated to change or add a photo.)

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Rexroth explains why data center is perfect for his Conewago Twp. land
The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has appealed to the Stormont Executive and the government for financial support amid the ongoing crisis over rising fuel prices.

Fuel costs have soared globally as a result of the US-Israel war with Iran.

Earlier in April the first and deputy first ministers wrote to the prime minister asking for a package of measures to support those under pressure in Northern Ireland.

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On Monday, UFU president William Irvine said farmers were facing a "crunch" situation with fuel, energy and fertiliser costs all facing a hike.

"Five European countries and the Republic [of Ireland] have all come up with plans to support agriculture in this situation and there are various options available," he said.

"All that's playing out here will eventually land with the consumer, they will pay the ultimate price and it's trying to avoid that as best we can," he added.

The Republic of Ireland's government announced support after demonstrators blocked major roads and fuel distribution sites in protest.

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Mr Irvine met political parties at Stormont earlier, ahead of travelling to Westminster to make his case to government officials.

The Alliance Party, which holds the agriculture and environment brief in the Stormont Executive, has said the communities and economy ministers are responsible for financial support schemes in this area.

Its deputy leader Eoin Tennyson said Westminster also had a responsibility around VAT and fuel duty, as Stormont had limited powers to intervene.

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"I don't accept that it's an either/or - we need to see both of those levels of government working together very strongly," he said.

In April the government announced 17m in home heating oil support for Northern Ireland, but it has not yet begun to be delivered.

"People have watched on as the DUP and Sinn Fein have bickered with each other about who's responsible for delivering these schemes," said Tennyson.

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) - the official opposition at Stormont - said the executive could not simply expect the government to manage the crisis, and that the executive had "firepower" available it could use at this time.

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Leader Claire Hanna suggested public transport fares should be reduced for those who can find an alternative to using their car, as well as extending rural fuel duty relief to Northern Ireland.

She accused the executive of "deliberately" trying to absolve itself of responsibility by insisting the duty lies on Westminster to solve the problem.

"The same people will not be shy to be standing at photo ops, when money is handed out it'll be their faces on the graphics all social media... they have power and the SDLP is determined to hold them accountable for their failure to use it."

Lyons' proposal

Democratic Unionist Party leader Gavin Robinson said his party's Communities Minister Gordon Lyons planned to bring a proposal to the executive later in the week about distributing the 17m fund.

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He said he understood the minister wanted the executive to add more to that funding pot, so that Lyons could "go beyond the restrictive nature of that support".

He said he hoped other parties would support the DUP in that, acknowledging the levers at the executive's disposal.

First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she was not apologetic for "banging on the door of Westminster" for more financial support.

She said all executive parties took the view that London had greater levers to manage the crisis, and the public understood Stormont's constrained financial position.

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She said the UK government had the ability to help households and businesses through this, but had made a choice to prioritise a "militarisation agenda over people".

Asked if her party, Sinn Fein, would back Lyons' proposals for allocating 17m of home heating support, she said: "Yes, I will help Gordon Lyons to ensure we get that limited amount of money to those who need it most."

She said she had yet to see his latest proposal, but hoped the executive could get it over the line when it met on Thursday.

Ulster Unionist Party deputy leader Diana Armstrong said MLAs needed to "take a stand" and ensure Westminster made a meaningful intervention to ensure affordable pricing.

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"We have resources that could help offset this but we lack the necessary control to fully secure ourselves," she added.

"Many in this chamber will choose to point fingers... but none of that matters at this moment in time. Our economy and people's livelihoods are at stake."
A Texas man has been charged with traveling to California to allegedly throw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's house, according to court records unsealed on Monday.

INITIAL REPORT: 20-year-old arrested after throwing Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman's San Francisco home, OpenAI says

The suspect, Daniel Moreno-Gama, was allegedly caught on video surveillance outside the CEO's home in San Francisco, according to court records.

A suspect was allegedly caught on video surveillance outside Sam Altman's home in San Francisco on April 10, 2026. Court Documents

Around 4 a.m. Friday, the suspect allegedly "threw an incendiary destructive device" at Altman's house, which sparked a fire on an exterior gate, San Francisco police said. No one was injured, police said.

The suspect was arrested about an hour later outside OpenAI's headquarters, where he was allegedly threatening to burn down the building, according to police.

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Moreno-Gama, who allegedly had kerosene in his backpack, was seen trying to hit the building's glass with a chair, according to court documents.

MORE: SF home of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman struck by gunfire, days after Molotov cocktail attack: Police

Federal prosecutors said they also found a document in which Moreno-Gama allegedly expressed anti-AI-executive sentiments.

He allegedly had a list of names and addresses of apparent board members and chief executive officers of AI companies and investors.

"MORENO-GAMA stated he 'killed /attempted to kill' Victim-1," court documents said. "MORENO-GAMA also wrote, 'Also if I am going to advocate for others to kill and commit crimes, then I must lead by example and show that I am fully sincere in my message.'"

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Moreno-Gama is charged with attempted damage and destruction of property by means of explosives and possession of an unregistered firearm, according to court documents.

In a separate incident, two people have been arrested for allegedly firing shots at Altman's house on Sunday morning, police said.

In a separate incident, two people have been arrested for allegedly firing shots at Altman's house on Sunday morning, police said.

If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for wooded lowland areas along the Wisconsin River in Portage County, according to a community announcement.

Rivers in the area are expected to remain high due to recent rainfall and snowmelt, according to a community announcement. Several rivers are above bankfull, and a few will remain in minor flood stage.

Rising rivers and snowmelt prompted a flood warning April 13 for the Wisconsin River, with dangerous conditions expected for wooded lowland areas along the river in Portage County.

According to the National Weather Service, flood stage below the Stevens Point dam is 1,076 feet. As of the morning of April 13, the river was exceeding that benchmark.

What residents need to know

Flooding is expected in wooded areas adjacent to the river. According to the announcement, floodwaters may approach homes in low-lying areas on Park Drive west of Plover. Drivers are advised to avoid roadways covered in water, as most flood-related deaths occur in vehicles.

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Boating on the Wisconsin River is also strongly discouraged due to the dangerous conditions.

Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks.

Anyone needing assistance is asked to contact the Portage County Communications Center at 715-346-1400 or dial 911 in case of emergency.

This story was created by reporter Nida Tazeen, NTazeen@usatodayco.com , with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Flood warning issued for lowland areas along WI River in Portage County
Florida gas prices dropped almost 20 cents a gallon over the past week, welcome news for motorists trying to fill up.

But will prices start going up again after talks between Iran and the U.S. failed, which prompted President Trump to order a blockade in the Strait of Hormuz?

Oil prices have already jumped to more than $100 a barrel as of Monday morning, April 13.

 Live updates: US to blockade Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices rise.

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Gas prices dropped to an average of $4.124 a gallon across the U.S. Monday, April 13, with Florida motorists paying less than the national average, $4.016.

The price drops came before a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz begins at 10 a.m. ET April 13, according to U.S. Central Command.

Here's what you should know.

US Navy to blockade Strait of Hormuz after talks fail

After peace negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad failed over the weekend, President Donald Trump said the U.S. Navy will start blockading the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump posted on TruthSocial "the United States will interdict every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran to pass through the critical shipping route. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas."

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"The blockade will be enforced impartially (starting 10 a.m. April 13) against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports," according to U.S. Central Command.

A fragile two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran began April 7.

Trump: 'Gas prices could be same 'or a little higher' before midterms

Trump said Sunday the price of oil and gas could remain elevated before the midterm elections in November.

"It could be the same or maybe a little bit higher, but it should be around the same," Trump told Fox News on April 12.

How much have gas prices gone up? Record set

Gas prices increased by a record 21.2% in March.

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That's the largest monthly increase since record collection began in 1967, according to a report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on April 10.

Over the year, gas prices were up 18.9%.

Will it cost more to fly as Iran war continues?

Airlines havent done a lot in the way of adjusting ticket prices as a result of higher oil prices so far, but major U.S. carriers recently announced plans to raise their checked bag fees, citing higher operating costs.

 Fifth airline announces baggage fees going up

Airlines that have made cuts in the United States so far have mostly done so on routes with multiple flights each day.

Track Florida gas prices this year

Florida gas prices rose sharply after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran Feb. 28.

Florida gas prices drop 18 cents over past week

AAA posted the average price in Florida on April 13 was $4.016, down 18 cents from a week ago. Florida prices also fell below the national average of $4.125.

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The highest price in Florida continues to be in Monroe County, where the average price was $4.335 April 13.

 As gas prices skyrocket, can Florida residents do anything to save money?

Here's a comparison of the daily average price of a gallon of regular in Florida, as provided by AAA:

April 13: $4.016

April 6: $4.198

March 30: $3.954

March 23: $3.934

March 16: $3.729

March 9: $3.494

March 2: $2.883

In comparison:

Month ago average: $3.716

Year ago average: $3.107

National gas prices remain above $4 a gallon

The national average for a gallon of gas remained above $4 a gallon Monday, April 13, sitting at $4.125, according to AAA.

Here's a look at gas prices per gallon of regular provided by AAA as of April 13:

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April 13: $4.125

April 6: $4.119

March 30: $3.990

March 23: $3.956

March 16: $3.718

March 9: $3.478

Compare to:

Month ago: $3.630

Year ago: $3.189

When was the last time Florida saw gas prices over $4 a gallon?

The last time a gallon of regular was over $4 a gallon in Florida was in 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

According to data going back to May 2003, Florida motorists paid more than $4 a gallon:

June 2022: $4.723

May 2022: $4.346

July 2022: $4.249

March 2022: $4.249

July 2008: $4.028

April 2022: $4.02

Contributing: USA TODAY

Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida's service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Floridas best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://herald-tribune.com/newsletters.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: What are Florida gas prices now? Will they go up?




Tom Thumb announced plans to close a store in Allen last year. Now, the site set for a new grocer.

Enson Market, which includes Asian-focused food, is set to take over the site on McDermott Drive near 75, according to its website. Signage at the store said its coming soon while also touting global flavors and local freshness.

The Cincinnati-based chain has locations in Indiana and Florida, according to its website. It also lists stores coming soon in other parts of the country and Texas.



The project to renovate the store covers more than 60,000 square feet and is scheduled for completion before the end of the year, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Details in the departments filings are preliminary and subject to change without notice.

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Retail, amid some setbacks, is attracting investments and new names  including grocers that are focused on Asian flavors. For example, SaveGo Wholesale, which provides options for Asian food, opened in Plano earlier this year, and H Mart launched a store in Dallas in 2025.

Enson Market features everything from bok choy and napa cabbage to ground pork and green tea, according to its website. Its modern grocery shopping for Asian and Western living, the company said on its website.

Tom Thumb, part of Albertsons, said last year it was closing the site in Allen and later revealed it was shuttering another store in Plano, even as it has invested in other North Texas locations.
The Fort Smith Board of Directors will use its April 14 study session to tackle a mix of policy, infrastructure, and public input issues, with the most significant discussion centered on potential financial relief for senior residents.

Senior water rate freeze

The board will take up a proposal to freeze water and sewer rates for residents aged 65 and older, an idea previously requested for further discussion. City staff will present data on the number of residents who could qualify and the potential financial impact. Similar programs in cities like Springdale and Rogers cap the freeze at a limited monthly usage amount. If the board shows interest, staff will develop more detailed options for a future vote.

Public comment rules under review

Also drawing attention is a review of the rules governing the Citizens Forum. Board members are expected to discuss whether residents should be allowed to comment on items appearing on the same study session agenda. Current rules prohibit that, reserving those comments for regular meetings. The discussion could signal a shift in how  and when  the public can engage directly in board deliberations.

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Military news: Command shifts at Fort Chaffee as Brack takes over role

Stormwater project amendment

A key infrastructure item involves a proposed amendment to the ACME Brick stormwater mitigation ponds project. The change would add up to $464,860 in engineering costs, bringing the total contract to more than $931,000. The project is designed to reduce flooding in the May Branch drainage basin and includes revisions to avoid costly rock excavation and evaluate alternative pond designs. While the price tag is significant, the work ties into broader flood control and federally mandated sewer improvements.

Alternative revenue idea to be presented

The session will also include a presentation from a local resident proposing a frontage levy as a new way to fund water infrastructure. The concept would base charges on property frontage rather than water usage, aiming to create a more stable funding model. City staff note there is no precedent for such a system in Arkansas, and its legality remains unclear.

Board approves agenda

The board approved all items on the April 7 agenda by unanimous vote, except for one.

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The board split 4-1 with two abstentions to approve and authorize a public service agreement with 65.6 Downtown (Main Street Fort Smith) to administer the Levitt AMP Music Series Grant for 2026. The agreement is to provide $20,000 over the next three years to support the concert series held at the AMP next to the river.

Directors Jarred Rego, Andre Good, Lee Kemp, and Kevin Settle voted to approve the agreement. Neal Martin voted against it, and both George Catsavis and Christina Catsavis abstained.

Water leak report

The City of Fort Smith Public Works released the latest report about the number of leaks and repairs done in March.

City crews repaired 183 leaks in March, bringing the total to 523 for the first three months.

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The city reported that 170 new leaks had been confirmed, and as of April 2, 43 were active.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Senior water rate freeze tops agenda for Fort Smith board
A woman has been found competent to stand trial for the murder of 5-year-old Darnell Taylor after being previously deemed incompetent.

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A recent report prepared by psychologists found Pammy Maye to be competent to stand trial, our news partners at WBNS in Columbus reported.

As News Center 7 previously reported, Maye faces charges of aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse in connection with Taylors death.

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On February 14, 2024, police received a call from a man claiming his wife told him that she had just killed our foster child. Maye and the child left the home, prompting authorities to search for a Jeep Cherokee, which was later found in Brooklyn, Ohio.

Brooklyn police detained Maye after receiving reports of her suspicious behavior near a business on Tiedeman Road.

Detectives learned from Maye that Taylors body was placed in a sewage drain in Franklin County, where it was later discovered.

The Franklin County Coroners Office reported that the boy died from asphyxia by smothering with cervical neck compression.

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As previously reported, Maye was found incompetent to stand trial last August and began receiving treatment to restore her competency.

Mayes attorney told WBNS that she plans to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

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Russian occupiers struck the outskirts of the village of Ryasne in Bohodukhiv district of Kharkiv region with three guided aerial bombs at around 8:30 on Monday, wounding two local women, both of whom were hospitalised.

"At least four private residential properties were damaged as a result of the shelling. Two people sustained bodily injuries. An elderly woman suffered shrapnel wounds and was hospitalised in serious condition. Her daughter was also wounded - she was diagnosed with multiple injuries and taken to hospital," the Kharkiv regional prosecutors office press service said.

In addition, at around 9:50, Russian drones, preliminarily identified as Molniya-type, attacked Tsapivka in Bohodukhiv district. Houses, outbuildings and an ambulance were damaged. No casualties were reported.

Pre-trial investigations have been launched into the commission of war crimes under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
France and the United Kingdom plan to hold a conference in the coming days on a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X on Monday.

The gathering would bring together "countries ready to contribute alongside us to a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait," he said.

"This strictly defensive mission, which is separate from the warring parties, is to be carried out as soon as the situation allows," Macron said.

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Macron recently said that about a dozen countries wanted to take part in such a mission in the strait.

France initially did not say exactly who would attend the conference or when it would take place.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints for global oil trade.

US forces are set to begin a blockade of Iranian ports on Monday in order to pressure Tehran to concede more ground in negotiations to end the Iran war.
A French court on Monday fined the cement group Lafarge over $1.3 million and sentenced its former boss to six years in prison for paying protection money to the Islamic State group and other jihadists to maintain its business in war-torn Syria.

The ruling follows a 2022 case in the United States in which the French firm pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to US-designated "terrorist" organisations and agreed to pay a $778 million fine, the first time a company had faced the charge.

The Paris court found that Lafarge -- now part of the Swiss conglomerate Holcim -- paid nearly 5.6 million euros ($6.5 million) in 2013 and 2014 via its subsidiary Lafarge Cement Syria (LCS) to jihadist groups and intermediaries to keep its plant operating in northern Syria.

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It ruled that Lafarge must pay the maximum fine of 1.125 million euros ($1.31 million) sought by prosecutors during the trial.

It also sentenced the company's former CEO Bruno Lafont to six years in prison for financing "terrorism", which a judge ordered him to start serving immediately -- even though a lawyer confirmed that Lafont would appeal the ruling.

"This method of financing terrorist organisations, and primarily IS, was essential in enabling the terrorist organisation to gain control of Syria's natural resources, allowing it to finance terrorist acts within the region and those planned abroad, particularly in Europe," said the presiding judge, Isabelle Prevost-Desprez.

The company established a "genuine commercial partnership with IS", she added, saying the amount paid to jihadist organisations -- which was "never disclosed" -- contributed to the "extreme gravity of the offences".

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Lafarge had finished building a $680 million factory in Jalabiya in 2010, just before Syria's civil war erupted in March the following year amid opposition to then-president Bashar al-Assad's brutal repression of anti-government protests.

IS jihadists seized large swathes of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a cross-border "caliphate" and implementing their brutal interpretation of Islamic law.

While other multinational companies left Syria in 2012, Lafarge evacuated only its expatriate employees and left its Syrian staff in place until September 2014, when IS jihadists seized control of the factory.

In 2013 and 2014, Lafarge paid intermediaries to access raw materials from the Islamic State organisation and other groups and to allow free movement for the company's trucks and employees.

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It paid jihadists including the Islamic State group and Syria's then Al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.

- 'Single aim: profit' -

The defendants included the company, five former members of operational and security staff, and two Syrian intermediaries.

The court found all eight former employees guilty of financing "terrorist" organisations and issued sentences ranging from 18 months to seven years behind bars.

Firas Tlass, a Syrian ex-member of staff who made the payments to the jihadist groups, was sentenced in absentia to seven years in jail.

Former deputy managing director Christian Herrault was handed five years in jail.

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Herrault had argued that the decision to keep the factory open was made out of concern for local staff.

"We could have washed our hands of it and walked away, but what would have happened to the factory's employees?" he said.

Prosecutors said 69-year-old Lafont "gave clear instructions" to keep the plant operation, a decision they called "staggering in its cynicism".

The French national counterterrorism prosecutor's office (PNAT) said in its closing argument in December that Lafarge was guilty of funding "terrorist" organisations with "a single aim: profit".

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- Second case ongoing -

Holcim, which took over Lafarge in 2015, has said it had no knowledge of the Syria dealings.

A second case, concerning allegations of complicity in crimes against humanity, is ongoing.

Kurdish-led Syrian fighters, backed by US airstrikes, defeated the IS "caliphate" in 2019.

An inquiry was opened in France in 2017 after several media reports and two legal complaints in 2016, one from the finance ministry for the alleged breaching of an economic sanction and another from non-governmental groups and 11 former Lafarge Syria staff members over alleged "funding of terrorism".

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In the US case, the Justice Department said Lafarge sought the Islamic State group's help to squeeze out competitors, operating an effective "revenue sharing agreement" with them.

Lafont, who was chief executive from 2007 to 2015, at the time denounced the inquiry as "biased".

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April 13 (UPI) -- Cuba's fuel shortages are disrupting the distribution of humanitarian aid managed by the Catholic Church and international organizations as the island's basic services continue to deteriorate.

The crisis has particularly affected Caritas Cuba, one of the country's main social assistance channels, which relies heavily on local transportation networks to deliver food and hygiene supplies to vulnerable communities, according to CiberCuba.

Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski told USA Today in an interview Sunday that aid shipments are being distributed through improvised means with almost no motorized transport because of gasoline shortages.

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Wenski, who has coordinated aid shipments from South Florida for three decades, said Cubans have told him the island is approaching "ground zero" of humanitarian collapse.

Organizations linked to Caritas say more people are turning to soup kitchens for food, underscoring worsening food insecurity among vulnerable populations, digital outlet CubitaNow reported.

Cuba has faced increasingly frequent blackouts, chronic shortages of food and medicine and a transportation system largely paralyzed by fuel scarcity in recent years.

The arrest of Nicolas Maduro by the United States interrupted Venezuelan oil shipments of between 25,000 and 35,000 barrels per day that had supplied most of Cuba's fuel needs, worsening the energy crisis. Mexico also suspended shipments following sanctions imposed by Trump administration.

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According to United Nations reports, about 170 containers of essential goods valued at $6.3 million remain stranded at ports because of the fuel shortage.

Francisco Pichon, the U.N. resident coordinator in Cuba, warned that the country's humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate as the energy crisis compounds damage caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Despite limited fuel deliveries, including a recent Russian oil shipment, Pichon said "humanitarian needs in the country remain very urgent and persistent."

He said more than 96,000 surgeries have been postponed, including 11,000 involving children. Another 32,000 pregnant women face heightened risk because of unstable prenatal care access, while 3,000 children are experiencing vaccination delays.

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Nearly 500,000 children and teenagers are attending shortened school days.

About 1 million people have been affected by water shortages because they depend on trucked water deliveries.

Pichon noted that Cuba has the oldest population in Latin America, increasing the vulnerability of elderly residents amid the crisis.

The United Nations system and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have proposed a $94.1 million plan to import fuel specifically for humanitarian use and sustain essential services that include healthcare and water access.
The U.S. Navy will begin a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning.

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As reported on News Center 7 at 11:00, the War with Iran has now entered its seventh week.

U.S. Central Command announced that the blockade on all Iranian ports will begin at 10 a.m. on Monday, according to the Associated Press.

The blockade could impact oil and gas prices across the country.

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News Center 7s Malik Patterson says the average price of gas is between $3.82 and $3.90. People are worried that gas prices could increase even higher.

Marie Carpenter is feeling the economic impact of the war. She does not know what will happen with the upcoming blockade.

I would hope that the prices would steady and go low, but I really sincerely believe theyre going to go up before they go down again, she said.

Carpenter further explained her concerns.

Im a home caregiver, so I drive all day, so that impacts me significantly. You know, when Im having to fill up every day, she told Patterson.

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Patterson also spoke with Jared Pincin, an associate professor of economics at Cedarville University. He said there is still a lot of uncertainty.

The market is not anticipating this to be like a disaster response, in the sense of lots of things going wrong, but more of were uncertain of whats happening, said Pincin.

He also told Patterson that the United States Navy crossed the Strait of Hormuz for the first time this weekend.

This is the key part of ships that they can make their way through without any sort of danger; well see oil prices and gasoline prices fall.

Carpenter said she hoped that the U.S. and Iran would come to terms on a deal this weekend. She also knows that this will take time.

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I dont really think itll be an overnight fix. Its going to be something thats going to take some time.

News Center 7 will continue to update this story.

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A campaign ad from Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson pledging that unauthorized immigrants committing violent crimes will end up deported or departed has inundated streaming services and social media in Georgia for weeks.

I dont care if youre a Muslim or a Mongolian, you dont have the right to force your culture on our country, the Jackson ad begins. Too often, criminal illegals commit sick, violent crimes, victimize our children and get away with murder. So heres my guarantee to them: do that when Im governor, and youll end up deported or departed. Any questions?

The ad, which taps imagery of the murderer of college nursing student Laken Riley in a Willie Horton-esque turn, typifies the tenor of the contest facing Republican voters two weeks before early voting begins in Georgia.

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Pledging fealty to Donald Trump and arguing that his wealth insulates him from politics, Jackson has been flooding Georgias media markets  broadcast, social media and streaming  with campaign advertisements.

In one ad, the billionaire and CEO of a medical staffing firm pledges to criminalize reverse discrimination in Georgia. While federal law prohibits discrimination in housing and employment, Georgia is notably one of only a few states that does not have a comprehensive state-level law banning private sector employment racial discrimination against any race, a problem that civil rights activists have wanted to change for generations.

Related: Eric Swalwell quits California governor race after sexual assault allegations

In another, he describes gender-affirming care for transgender children as mutilation, irreversible while showing a child on a gurney being wheeled down a hospital hallway flanked by doctors and nurses. Those who would change a childs gender to alter their sex wont just face the administrative fines of today. As governor, Ill put them in jail.

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Gender reassignment surgery cannot legally be performed in Georgia to someone under 18 years old, nor can puberty blockers be administered, under a state law passed in 2023.

Jackson entered the gubernatorial race relatively late, announcing in February that he would spend $30m to win the nomination. His entry derailed expectations, particularly for lieutenant governor Burt Jones, who had Trumps endorsement and a lead in polls at the time.

Jones briefly drew notice in the Trump criminal case for his involvement in the so-called fake elector scheme, and served as Trumps chief campaign lieutenant in Georgia in the 2024 election.

The campaign has turned ugly between the two Republicans. On the last day of the legislative session last week, Jones pushed a bill to bar anyone with healthcare contracts with state government from running for public office, directly targeting Jackson. Jones has accused Jackson of profiting from state contracts worth $1bn and that one of his firms, Locum Tenens, profited by recruiting for Planned Parenthood and helping doctors perform transgender procedures on minors.

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In February, Jackson filed a lawsuit challenging a state law that allows Jones to chair a leadership committee that can raise and spend unlimited contributions for his gubernatorial campaign, while Jackson remains bound by traditional fundraising caps. After Jones began attacking Jacksons healthcare businesses, Jackson filed a defamation lawsuit, describing Joness accusations as a lie.

The two are set to debate on 27 April before the primary election on 19 May.
Two leading Glasgow restaurateurs and their accountant have admitted involvement in a large scale VAT fraud.

Antonio Carbajosa, 41, Kevin Campbell, 44, and Khalid Javid, 67, were arrested after a HMRC probe.

Carbajosa and Campbell ran a group of venues in Glasgow that included Cranside Kitchen, Pickled Ginger and Halloumi.

The duo pled guilty to fraudulent evasion of VAT totalling 682,882 between November 2011 and October 2016 and were sentenced to three years each for their crimes.

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Javid also admitted recklessly making a statement which was false by submitting VAT returns for two companies.

Details of the case could not be reported until Javid's case has been resolved. He had been due to stand trial before also pleading guilty.

The court heard Carbajosa and Campbell were associates who ran a number of restaurants and takeaways across Glasgow.

The firms between them included Cyprus Leisure, Rotunda Leisure, Lookoil, Catering 58, Beachfront, Seaside 41, South Promenade and La Reguera.

It was stated that the pair "acted together in a co-ordinated way", suppressing the true value of sales for their limited companies.

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The accountant's KA Javid & Co were instructed by Carbajosa and Campbell, creating the firms' VAT returns and dealt with other matters such as PAYE, corporation tax and annual returns to Companies House.

Four year HMRC investigation

Prosecuting, Wojciech Jajdelski told the court Carbajosa and Campbell had been able to profit in the long term by not accounting for all of the VAT due to HMRC.

"The companies were able to finance their commercial activities, including payments of staff wages, out of the sales income part of which ought to have been accounted for HMRC," he said.

Despite some of the businesses selling sushi takeaway food that required no VAT, most of the supplies were in fact subject to 20% tax.

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HMRC investigators noticed initial discrepancies in returns from two of the businesses.

A forensic accounting report was prepared between August 2012 and October 2016, which stated the fraudulent evasion of tax by the two men amounted to 682,882.

Jajdelski said all the relevant companies had an annual VAT turnover which was "significantly" in excess of that year's registration limits. Three of the companies were not registered for VAT and did not pay tax on sales generated.

He said HMRC made a total loss of 136,576 from Javid's actions.

"In relation to two of the companies, Mr Javid recklessly made statements in the relevant VAT returns which were false," he said.

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This included failing to give the correct sales and output VAT. It was also said a 20% reduction to all sales figures without a "proper factual basis" was carried out.

Sentence was deferred on Javid pending background reports until next month at the High Court in Glasgow. He was granted bail by the judge, Lord Young.
At least six gray whales have died in San Francisco Bay from mid-March to early April 2026. These deaths follow a pattern over the past few years, and they are raising concerns among marine biologists like us that 2026 is becoming another dangerous year for a struggling population.

The majority of eastern North Pacific gray whales migrate closely along the California coastline from their winter breeding grounds in Baja California, Mexico, to their summer foraging grounds in the Arctic.

These whales, which can grow to 90,000 pounds and over 40 feet in length, havent stopped over in San Francisco Bay consistently throughout history. When they have, it has coincided with years when their food supply in the Arctic was low.

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Over the past few years, however, we have documented large numbers of gray whales in the waters of San Francisco Bay  and an alarmingly high mortality rate.

Scientists with the Marine Mammal Center talk with beachgoers about a dead juvenile gray whale that washed up on the shore north of San Francisco. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Whats killing the whales

San Francisco Bay is a busy urban waterway, with high-speed ferries, cargo ships, commercial fishing vessels and recreational watercraft. That makes it a dangerous place for slow-moving whales.

To monitor the gray whales, we conducted research surveys and collected photographs from whale-watching naturalists and community members who spotted whales in the bay. Gray whales have unique mottling patterns and markings on their sides and tails, some of which theyre born with and others they have accumulated over time.

Whales have unique markings, including some scars. This whale, known as Denali, was spotted lifting its rostrum above the water near San Franciscos Crissy Field. It later died after being struck by a vessel. Darrin Allen  The Marine Mammal Center

We found that from 2018 to 2025, 114 individual gray whales visited San Francisco Bay for varying lengths of time, but very few of these whales were repeat visitors from year to year. This may be due, in part, to the high mortality rate in the bay.

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At least 18% of the whales that we documented alive in San Francisco Bay from 2018 to 2025 later died in the area, and evidence suggests the mortality rate is actually higher.

Of the 70 dead whales included in this study, 30 of them had evidence of trauma associated with being hit by ships, but many other whales that died there couldnt be reached to be examined. We also documented several living whales with injuries caused by vessels. Those injuries have the potential to affect a whales ability to thrive.

A gray whale known as Ladybug swims in San Francisco Bay. The whale was later found dead there. Josephine Slaathaug  The Marine Mammal Center

The whales arent recovering this time

Since 2016, the overall eastern North Pacific gray whale population has fallen by more than half, likely driven by the decline in the food the whales rely upon. Rising ocean temperatures and diminishing levels of sea ice are affecting both the quality and availability of the gray whales prey, which include crustaceans they scoop up as they dive along the seafloor.

When the eastern North Pacific gray whales suffered major die-offs in the past, including in the 1990s and early 2020s, the population rebounded. But the extremely low numbers of calves in recent years suggest the gray whales arent recovering as quickly this time, and that worries scientists.

Some subgroups of eastern North Pacific gray whales, including the Pacific coast feeding group and North Puget Sound whales, known as the Sounders, feed in alternative areas south of the Arctic. The Sounders capitalize on very specific prey  ghost shrimp  in Puget Sound. When food is more scarce in the Arctic, they stay longer there and are often joined by other whales from the general population. While some researchers initially believed the whales entering the bay were from these groups, we found that wasnt the case.

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Vessel strikes also arent unique to San Francisco Bay. Two gray whales were found dead on the Oregon coast in April 2026, both malnourished and one with evidence of a ship strike. A malnourished young gray whale also died after swimming about 20 miles up the Willapa River in Washington state, reflecting the struggle as this population of gray whales searches for food across their migratory range.

What can be done to help the whales?

Other large whale species facing similar threats have been helped by management strategies, such as seasonal slow-speed zones during migration periods that go into effect when whales are present.

When vessels slow down to speeds of 10 knots or lower, studies show that can reduce the risk of vessel strikes by allowing more time for whales to get out of the way, or for captains to detect them and alter their course.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has in recent years issued requests for ships to voluntarily reduce their speed to 10 knots in the Pacific Ocean off Monterey and San Francisco, but the limits havent been mandatory and typically havent started until May 1. The Port of Oakland also encourages shipping companies to keep their speed under 10 knots, but its also a recommendation, not a requirement.

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More education to help boat operators learn how to avoid hitting whales, along with tools such as thermal cameras, could help reduce vessel strikes in San Francisco Bay.

As the population struggles to adapt to environmental changes, San Francisco Bay may look like an attractive feeding ground to nutritionally stressed or hungry whales. We hope our research and data from across the region will help marine resource managers and policymakers find ways to protect the whales that share this busy urban waterway.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Josie Slaathaug, Sonoma State University and Daniel Crocker, Sonoma State University

Read more:



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Primary funding for the study was provided by the National Science Foundations Graduate Research Fellowship Program, and secondary funding from California State Universitys Council on Ocean Affairs, Science, and Technology. Necropsy fieldwork was supported by John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grants. Survey fieldwork was supported through funding and resources obtained by The Marine Mammal Center.

Daniel Crocker receives funding from Office of Naval Research.
Henderson County broke ground April 13 on a $101 million project to expand the county courthouse, set to be the largest capital project in the countys history.

Were very proud of the project, its been a long time coming. This board has worked on it actively for over seven years with architects and contractors in order to obtain not only an efficient and value engineered project but one which will serve the citizens well for many, many years to come, Board of Commissioners Chair Bill Lapsley said at the groundbreaking.

It represents a commitment by the county commissioners on behalf of the citizens of our county to the judicial system  we want to make sure everyone is treated fairly and correctly, he said.

Henderson County Board of Commissioners Chair Bill Lapsley at the groundbreaking for a project to expand the county courthouse, April 13, 2026.

The new space will house new District Court and Superior Court courtrooms as well as offices for the Clerk of Courts and Register of Deeds, he said.

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The Board of Commissioners voted to approve a guaranteed maximum price of around $101 million in a March 16 meeting, the Times-News previously reported.

The construction cost for the four-story, 90,000-square-foot building is set to be $84.2 million, Chris Albro from the Jacksonville, Florida, construction company Haskell Cooper told the board March 16.

Architects fees, groundwork, furnishings and closing costs make up the other roughly $16 million, county staff said.

The project could be finished as soon as fall 2028, Albro said. The question of how to pay for the project was left unanswered.

We cut and twisted and did everything we could possibly think of to manage the cost. It is what it is. We cant (lower it any more) unless you want to change the whole concept, Lapsley told the Times-News in March.

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The board plans to hold a public hearing on a financing contract for the project at its next meeting April 15.

Lapsley said that once property revaluations are done in 2027, the board will have more clarity about where the funding will come from.

Commissioners and other officials break ground on a project to expand the Henderson County Courthouse, April 13, 2026.

Growing needs

The Detention Center and Courthouse complex was designed for a county population of 85,000, compared to a current population of around 125,000, County Manager John Mitchell told the Times-News in the fall, when the county broke ground on a sister project to expand the detention center.

Youve got former conference rooms being used as magistrate courts, he said.

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The existing courthouse was completed in 1995.

When the county broke ground in October on a parallel project to expand the adjoining detention center, officials said they didn't expect either project to rely on a tax increase. That's now on the table, though not a foregone conclusion, with commissioners saying they still hope to avoid it.

One option, a potential 5-cent property tax increase, would be about $200 more a year on a $400,000 home, and would generate $12.5 million a year, commissioners and staff said.

Rendering of planned additions to the Henderson County Detention Center and Courthouse, officially underway as of Oct. 7.

Other options include drawing from the countys fund balance; putting a referendum on the ballot to enact a .25-cent sales tax to generate $5 million a year; or to reallocate as much as the entire $6.9 million yearly Henderson County Public Schools and Blue Ridge Community College Maintenance, Repair, Technology and Security fund, County Manager John Mitchell told the board in March.

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The county's fund balance was just shy of $100 million around the time the county adopted its FY 2026 budget in the summer of 2025, with $82 million restricted or assigned to specific uses and the remaining $18 million appropriated for the operating budget, county spokesperson Mike Morgan told the Times-News in March.

Henderson County's policy is to keep an amount equal to 12% of the yearly budget in reserve, but if the board lowered that to 10%, it could free up $4 million to $5 million a year to fund the expansion project, Mitchell said.

We have a year to determine what we need to do (to pay for the project). My personal preference would be to extend the time of the loan starting out and then refinance later on, Commissioner Rebecca McCall told the Times-News in March.

Together, the detention center and courthouse projects will cost around $174 million, the Times-News reported.

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More: Hendersonville moves to codify guidelines to preserve downtown character

More: Ecusta Trail leads to biking boom as GO Bond to fund more infrastructure

George Fabe Russell is the Henderson County Reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Tips, questions, comments? Email him at GFRussell@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Henderson County begins $101 million courthouse construction project
Henderson County Emergency Management is pursuing a plan to install nine mountaintop cameras for early detection of wildfires, a proof of concept for a larger regional system.

The county hopes to use a $500,000 grant from the Dogwood Health Trust and is asking the Board of Commissioners to approve the first step towards applying, according to county documents.

The nine cameras could improve response time by hours and allow for better and quicker containment, Henderson County Emergency Services Director Jimmy Brissie told the Times-News April 13.

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Tropical Storm Helene damaged 800,000 acres of forest land across 19 Western North Carolina counties, according to the U.S. Forest Services website.

Tropical Storm Helene in 2024 flattened large swaths of trees in western North Carolina. The accumulated debris increases the risk for wildfires and makes forest roads and logging roads impassable.

That landscape is now littered with timber thats fallen over, large trees, its harder to get the heavy machinery in there  its taking longer to get those containment lines in, Brissie said.

It also added a huge amount of fuel thats likely to worsen wildfire risk for up to 20 years, he said.

In the month leading up to April 9, around 242 fires burned approximately 1,379 acres in North Carolina, not counting contained fires or those on federal land, according to the North Carolina Forest Services website.

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(Cameras) will be able to alert state and local authorities of the potential of a wildfire quicker, particularly in more remote areas  the deep forest, areas where theres limited or no cell service, he said.

An automated, computerized system would watch for smoke and alert dispatchers, who could also view the camera feeds themselves.

Wildfire smoke from the Bee Rock Creek Fire fills a valley in the Pisgah National Forest.

The cameras would be stationed in Henderson and two other counties, which Brissie said he wasnt at liberty to name because the plan was in preliminary stages.

Upon completion (of the nine-camera pilot program), the NC Forest Service has received a commitment from the US Forest Service to continue to regional build-out of the network using federal funds, according to an agenda packet for the Board of Commissioners April 15 meeting.

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The first step is to submit a letter of intent to Dogwood Health Trust, which is the item up for approval at the April 15 Board of Commissioners meeting.

Dogwood Health Trust will evaluate letters of intent and invite a subset to submit formal applications, Brissie said.

The county will likely find out by the end of the summer whether it can submit an application for the grant, Brissie said. The project would take around six to nine months from the time that the grant application is approved.

More: Pisgah Conservancy gets $8M grant for Helene trail, bridge repairs

More: Controlled fires, parking lot closures in DuPont State Forest

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George Fabe Russell is the Henderson County Reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Tips, questions, comments? Email him at GFRussell@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Cameras could help response to wildfires, made harder by Helene
BEIRUT (AP)  The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah will not abide by any agreements that may result from the direct Lebanon-Israel talks in the United States, negotiations it firmly opposes, a senior Hezbollah official said Monday.

Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of Hezbollah's political council, spoke on the eve of the talks expected in Washington between Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the U.S. It will be the first time in decades that envoys from Lebanon and Israel, which do not have diplomatic relations, meet face-to-face in direct talks.

As for the outcomes of this negotiation between Lebanon and the Israeli enemy, we are not interested in or concerned with them at all," Safa told The Associated Press.

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"We are not bound by what they agree to, he added in a rare interview with international media. He spoke next to a cemetery as an Israeli drone buzzed overhead.

Historic negotiations at a sensitive time

Lebanese officials are looking to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war in the U.S. talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, has said the goal is Hezbollah's disarmament and a potential peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesperson for Netanyahu said Monday that there will be no ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Separately, in U.S.-Iran peace talks held last weekend in Pakistan, Iran has sought to include Lebanon in any ceasefire deal of its own with the U.S. Israel and the U.S. have insisted Lebanon would not be a part of it.

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Hours after Tehran and Washington announced a truce last Wednesday, Israel launched more than 100 strikes across Lebanon, including in densely packed residential and commercial areas of central Beirut.

And though the U.S.-Iran talks broke up without an agreement, Safa said Hezbollah has been informed that Iran was able to obtain a cessation of attacks" in the entire administrative region of Beirut, Lebanon's capital, including Beirut's southern suburbs  a Hezbollah-strong area known as Dahiyeh.

Israeli strikes on Beirut and its southern suburbs have halted since Wednesday but intense fighting has continued in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah's entry into the war

Israel and Hezbollah have fought multiple wars since the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group was formed in the 1980s as a guerrilla force fighting against Israels occupation of southern Lebanon at the time.

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The latest round began on March 2, two days after Israel and the U.S. launched a war on Iran. Hezbollah entered the fray, firing missiles across the border into Israel. Israel responded with aerial bombardment and a ground invasion.

Since then, the war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon and killed more than 2,000, including more than 500 women, children and medical workers. Many Lebanese have blamed Hezbollah for pulling Lebanon into the war, accusing it of acting on behalf of its patron, Iran.

Safa said Hezbollah's actions were preemptive because its leaders believed Israel was preparing for a second battle with Lebanon with the aim of destroying Hezbollah.

It was an appropriate moment for Hezbollah ... to rebuild a new equation and restore deterrence against Israel, he said, denying any prior deals with Tehran that Hezbollah would enter the war if Iran was attacked.

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After a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted the last Israel-Hezbollah war in November 2024, Israel continued to carry out near-daily strikes in Lebanon that it said aimed to stop the group from rebuilding. Hezbollah wants to avoid a return to that status quo, Safa said.

Black Wednesday

Israel has claimed that its strikes on Lebanon last Wednesday killed more than 250 Hezbollah militants. More than 100 women and children were among the over 350 people killed, according to Lebanons health ministry.

That would mean that, according to Israels assertion, every adult male killed that day was a Hezbollah member.

None of our officials or cadres was killed in Beirut," Safa said. Those who died in Beirut are 100% civilians." He did not deny that members of the group were killed outside of the Lebanese capital.

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Israel claimed to have killed Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem's secretary who was also his nephew, Ali Yusuf Harshi, as well as some high-level commanders.

Safa said Kassems secretary was not killed, although maybe a relative of his was.

He also confirmed for the first time that he was wounded during the earlier, 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war, after being targeted by two Israeli strikes in Beirut, "but God granted me survival.

Later Monday in a televised address, Kassem himself urged Lebanon to pull out of direct talks with Israel, calling the negotiations a free concession to Israel and the U.S.

Souring relations with the government

Relations between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah  which is not just a militant group but also a political party with a parliamentary bloc  have grown increasingly tense.

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The government last year approved a plan to remove all weapons that are not property of the state  its security forces or military  and later said it had largely completed the task south of the Litani River, where Hezbollah militants are now fighting with Israeli forces.

After March 2, the government went further, declaring Hezbollah's armed wing illegal.

Safa said Hezbollah is currently not directly speaking with President Joseph Aoun or Prime Minister Nawaf Salam but that all its communications are going through Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the head of the Hezbollah-allied Amal party.

Safa said that if there is a ceasefire and a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon, Hezbollah  which calls itself a resistance movement against archenemy Israel  is ready to negotiate with the Lebanese government about the fate of its weapons.

The issue of resistance weapons is a Lebanese matter that has nothing to do with Israel or the United States, he said.
SBU serves in absentia suspicion notice on Russian general who organised torture of Yahidne residents in 2022

The Security Service of Ukraine has assembled an evidence base against Russian Major General Denys Barila, who was involved in the mass torture of civilians in Chernihiv region at the start of the full-scale war.

"As the investigation established, in March 2022 the suspect commanded the 55th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade of the 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District of Russia," SBU said on Telegram on Monday.

According to the security service, the Russian generals unit took part in the occupation of the village of Yahidne in Chernihiv district. "After seizing the community, Russian forces under Barilas command, threatening to shoot them, imprisoned 369 civilian residents in the basement of the local school, including 69 minors, among them infants," the statement said.

It was established that the victims were held in unsanitary conditions in the underground facility, where less than half a square metre of space was allocated per person. In addition, the basement had no ventilation, lighting, water supply, sewage or sleeping places.

The agency noted that victims were forbidden from going outside for fresh air, were denied medical assistance and were kept without sufficient water and food.

"As a result, 10 civilians died. For a long time their bodies remained in the basement among the living," the statement said.

On the basis of the evidence gathered, SBU investigators served Barila an in absentia suspicion notice under Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violations of the laws and customs of war). Comprehensive measures are ongoing to find and prosecute him.

The investigation was conducted by SBU officers in Chernihiv region under the procedural supervision of the regional prosecutors office.
A two-day strike by pilots at German airline Lufthansa began on Monday, causing major disruption for travellers as a dispute over pay heated up.

More than 1,100 take-offs and landings in Frankfurt, Lufthansa's main hub and Germany's biggest airport, were cancelled across Monday and Tuesday, with 710 flights scrapped in Munich.

The walkout by pilots at Lufthansa's core brand, as well as Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa CityLine, began shortly after midnight on Monday and will last for 48 hours.

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The strike marks the fourth wave of industrial action at the group this year. Last week, a one-day cabin crew walkout forced hundreds of cancellations at Germany's largest airline.

The pilots' strike, organized by the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union, centres on pay disputes, including the company pension scheme and remuneration at the regional subsidiary CityLine.

Lufthansa criticized the strike notice, saying it represented a new level of escalation while describing the union demands as "absurd and unworkable."

Each day of industrial action weakens the airline, said Lufthansa executive board member Michael Niggemann on Monday.

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He warned that the core Lufthansa airline is already no longer competitive on many routes, meaning that costs cannot be raised further.

While the Lufthansa core brand is responsible for the lion's share of the Group's operations, it is the least profitable among its airlines, due to high salaries and inflexible rosters, according to Executive Board.

To bring down costs, Lufthansa has spun off some of its operations into subsidiaries Discover and City Airlines, where wages are negotiated by different unions.

Lufthansa will continue to stick to its strategy and only deploy aircraft on routes that are profitable, meaning subsidiaries outside the core brand are set to grow, according to Niggemann.

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"These strikes will not affect our strategy," he added.

But labour representatives for cabin crew made no sign of backing down, instead calling a rally for Wednesday, when Lufthansa marks 100 years since its founding.

The pilot's union also called on members to join the protest outside a new visitors centre at Frankfurt Airport, where German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected to attend festivities.

Union leader Andreas Pinheiro said Lufthansa was responsible for the latest strikes, slamming the company for failing to make another offer even though the strikes had been deliberately scheduled for after the Easter holiday, one of the busiest periods for travel of the year.

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"During this period, there was neither a response nor any discernible willingness to engage in dialogue on the part of the employers," he said.

Despite the industrial actions, around half of Lufthansa's planned long-haul flights were scheduled to lift off on Monday, alongside about a third of medium- and short-haul flights, Niggemann said.

About three out of four flights operated by other Lufthansa-owned carriers including SWISS and Brussels Airlines are expected to be on schedule, he added.

Flights to selected Middle Eastern destinations have been excluded from the strike action.

About 40% of flights operated by holiday airline Eurowings were expected to be affected.
Budapest  After nearly two decades in power, Hungary's far-right prime minister Viktor Orban could be ousted as leader in the country's parliamentary elections on Sunday.

The latest polls indicate that Orban, a key international ally of President Trump, and his ruling Fidesz party are trailing the opposition center-right Tisza Party and its leader Peter Magyar in an election that will be closely watched by observers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Independent watchdogs and European Union officials have accused Orban's government of launching a sustained assault on the country's democratic institutions and rule of law since he took office in 2010. In the 16 years since he took office, the country has descended to the rank of most corrupt country in the European Union, according to the U.K.-based anti-corruption group Transparency International.

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Orban has used his party's current supermajority in Hungarian parliament to undermine the independence of the judiciary, crack down on independent media, demonize migrants and discriminate against LGBTQ people, Human Rights Watch has said. Orban has also become known for making publicly xenophobic and racist statements, calling refugees "Muslim invaders" and saying Hungarians do not want to become a "mixed race."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks at a rally in Budapest on April 7, 2026. / Credit: Jonathan Ernst / POOL /AFP via Getty Images

Freedom House, a democracy-oriented U.S.-based nonprofit, has designated Hungary as only "partly free," citing issues with less-than-free-and-fair elections and a stifling of independent institutions under Orban's leadership.

Despite concerns over Democratic backsliding in the country, a Thursday poll conducted by the independent pro-democracy research group the IDEA Institute showed that Orban's Fidesz party had the support of only 37% of decided voters. The center-right Tisza party has the support of 50% of decided voters, according to the poll.

Could Trump lose a key ally?

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Orban has been one of President Trump's closest global allies since Mr. Trump was first elected as U.S. president in 2016. He was the only European Union leader to publicly endorse Mr. Trump's first successful bid for the presidency, and the relationship has deepened between the two men over the past decade.

On Thursday, Mr. Trump gave a full-throated endorsement of the Hungarian leader on Truth Social.

"Highly Respected Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, is a truly strong and powerful Leader, with a proven track record of delivering phenomenal results," Mr. Trump wrote. "Viktor works hard to Protect Hungary, Grow the Economy, Create Jobs, Promote Trade, Stop Illegal Immigration, and Ensure LAW AND ORDER!"

The partnership between the Trump administration and Orban was on full display Tuesday when Vice President JD Vance publicly campaigned alongside the Hungarian leader in Budapest.

Vice President JD Vance and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at a rally on April 7, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary. / Credit: Jonathan Ernst-Pool / Getty Images

"Will you stand for sovereignty and democracy? Will you stand for Western civilization? Will you stand for freedom, for truth and for the God of our fathers?" Vance asked attendees at an Orban campaign rally. "Then my friends, go to the polls on the weekend, stand with Viktor Orban because he stands for you and he stands for all these things."

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The relationship goes wider than just public displays of support. Orban's policies have been hailed by some American conservative policy experts as a blueprint for how the U.S. should be governed. Dr. Kevin Roberts, president of the influential Heritage Foundation think tank, described Orban's leadership as a "model for conservative governance" in 2024.

As CBS News has previously reported, pro-Orban conservative think tank the Danube Institute also agreed to host visiting researchers from The Heritage Foundation to study Hungarian policies in various fields in 2023. Heritage and Danube signed an agreement that involved no financial transactions by either party.

"I am proud to call Viktor Orban a friend and ally, and I am proud of the strong relationship between Heritage and The Danube Institute," Roberts told CBS News at the time.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump at the

Orban also attended the launch of Mr. Trump's "Board of Peace" in Davos and its inaugural meeting in Washington, D.C. In February, the United States and Hungary signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement.

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Budapest has also played host to global far-right leaders and MAGA influencers at the international version of the Conservative Political Action Conference for the past four years.

"I do think it's good that we are collaborating with each other," CPAC Founder Matt Schlapp, a former White House political director, told CBS News last year, regarding bringing the conference to Hungary.

"I think (Hungary's) policies on the border and on immigration have changed the whole conversation in Europe," Schlapp said. "It's certainly between Orban and Trump that have normalized this idea that you don't just have to take an unspecific number of illegal migrants because some global institution tells you that you must."

Ukraine and Russia also monitoring Hungary election

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The election may hold significant implications for Europe's largest conflict since World War II. Orban has consistently dissented from European Union support for Ukraine and boasts warm relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. While Magyar has criticized both of these positions, experts say that deeper support for Ukraine's western integration will prove easier than untangling Hungary's deep reliance on Russian oil.

Hungary's dependence on Russian fossil fuels has deepened since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. A report from the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), a European public policy institute, states that in 2025, Hungary imported 93% of its oil from Russia, up from 61% in 2021.

In recent months, a spat over one specific oil pipeline has chilled relations between Budapest and Kyiv. In February, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced that Hungary would block an EU loan worth 90 billion euros for Ukraine until Kyiv resumed oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs from Russia through Ukraine to Hungary. Orban has threatened to break what he called Ukraine's "oil blockade" by force, and in March, Hungary's parliament adopted a resolution rejecting Ukraine's accession to the European Union and opposing further financial or military aid to Kyiv

Ukrainian officials say that Hungary is using the pipeline as an excuse to carry out Russia's interests. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that the pipeline was damaged in a Russian drone attack and must undergo repairs before reopening. He has also launched personal attacks against Orban. During a cabinet meeting in March, Zelenskyy alluded to giving the Hungarian prime minister's address "to our Armed Forces - our guys can call him and speak to him in their own language."

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This feud has made Zelenskyy a central fixture of Orban's so-called "anti-war" campaign. Fidesz campaign billboards feature the Ukrainian president begging for money and representing the "pro-war lobby" in Brussels.

As tensions escalate between Budapest and Kyiv, Russia has deepened cooperation with  and support for  Orban's government. Leaked phone calls in recent weeks between Hungary's top diplomat Peter Szijjarto and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reveal the Hungarian official coordinating actions with his Kremlin counterpart. And Russia's intelligence services have planned operations to boost Orban's popularity, including staging a fake assassination attempt, according to the Washington Post.

During his visit to Budapest this week, Vance said that these reports did not amount to substantial attempts to interfere in the elections  but that Ukraine's alleged withholding of energy supplies might.

"The Ukrainians shut down pipelines, causing suffering among the Hungarian people in an effort to influence an election, that's allegedly not foreign influence," Vance said. "It doesn't pass the smell test."

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Within hours of becoming Hungary's prime minister-elect, Peter Magyar pledged on Monday to usher in a "new era" after defeating long-time nationalist leader Viktor Orban in an election seen as a blow to hard-right populism.

Orban, a self-described "thorn" in the European Union's side, who was backed by US President Donald Trump and maintained close ties to Moscow, was ousted in Sunday's ballot after 16 years in power in the EU and NATO member.

Hungarians fed up with corruption handed the conservative Tisza party of former government insider Magyar a decisive victory, with a two-thirds majority in parliament. The vote saw a record turnout and Magyar's achievement received widespread international praise.

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Magyar, 45, said he would do "everything in our power" to ensure the "beginning of a new era". Hungarians "didn't vote for a mere change of government, but for a complete regime change," he declared.

He began by promising on Monday to limit the prime minister's mandate to two terms, "a total of eight years" or half the time that Orban had spent at the helm.

In power since 2010, Orban has transformed the central European country of 9.5 million people into a model of "illiberal democracy", making wide-ranging reforms that restricted civil rights and the independence of the judiciary, media and academia.

Orban, 62, frequently clashed with Brussels, which has frozen billions of euros in funds over rule-of-law concerns.

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- 'No time to waste' -

Magyar said he was "willing to take on" reforms, including anti-graft measures, to seek to unlock the funds.

He urged President Tamas Sulyok, an Orban ally, to convene parliament "as soon as possible".

The president has 30 days, until May 12, to call a session. And Sulyok said he had invited party leaders to a meeting on Wednesday.

"Our country has no time to waste. Hungary is in trouble in every respect. It has been plundered, looted, betrayed, indebted and ruined," Magyar told reporters.

Many EU leaders welcomed Magyar's win. The Kremlin said it hoped for "pragmatic" relations with Hungary's new government, while China -- which Orban also courted -- congratulated Magyar.

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Magyar thanked Moscow and Beijing for "being open to pragmatic cooperation, just as Hungary is."

Orban conceded defeat on Sunday, saying the message was "painful but unambiguous".

Magyar was a longstanding supporter of Orban and his Fidesz party before becoming his most serious challenger.

He stepped into frontline politics just two years ago, promising to fight corruption and offering better public services.

He garnered support against a backdrop of economic stagnation and despite an electoral system skewed in favour of Orban's Fidesz.

Ahead of the vote, US Vice President JD Vance, a fervent supporter of far-right parties in Europe, visited Hungary last week to attend a rally with Orban.

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Vance said Monday he was "sad" that Orban had lost, but promised Washington would work with his successor.

Trump had promised to back Hungary with the United States' "economic might" if Orban won a new term.

Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said it was "a significant defeat for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, for Trump and for the forces of authoritarianism around the world".

- 'Weight lifted off' -

The election "could mark a real turning point for Donald Trump's culture war in Europe", said Pawel Zerka, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

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It gave "confidence (to) pro-European forces across the continent" and meant that association with Trump's culture war was now becoming "more of a liability than an asset", he said.

Orban, who repeatedly blocked EU moves to help Ukraine fight Russia's invasion, made Ukraine a central campaign issue, portraying Kyiv as "hostile" to Hungary.

Like Orban, Magyar opposes sending EU military aid to Ukraine or offering Ukraine a fast-track route to join the 27-nation bloc.

He reiterated that stance on Monday, saying: "We are talking about a country at war. It is completely out of the question for the European Union to admit a country at war."

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On election night, jubilant supporters poured into the streets to celebrate in the capital, Budapest.

"At long last it feels so good to be Hungarian. It's like a weight lifted off our shoulders," Csilla Bekesi, 25, told AFP.

burs-jza/yad/rh/cms
Leaders from across Europe rushed to celebrate Peter Magyars landslide election victory in Hungary.

Mr Magyar is the first new prime minister for 16 years, unseating Viktor Orban, seen as the EUs most autocratic leader and a persistent thorn in its side.

Brussels might be expected to be cock-a-hoop about the fall of Europes most pro-Russian strongman.

The European Commissions Ursula von der Leyen, the European Councils Antonio Costa, Natos Mark Rutte and other leaders have publicly celebrated Mr Magyars victory, hoping the election will mark an end to their frustrations with Hungary.

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But are they expecting too much from the man who will replace Mr Orban?

Diplomats and insiders who spoke to The Telegraph before and after the election were cautious about the prospect of wholesale change.

Peter Magyars Tisza party is on track to secure a two-thirds majority in parliament - Akos Stiller/Bloomberg

I know the guy, one EU diplomat told The Telegraph weeks before the election. Ten years ago, he was in the Hungarian embassy. We used to call him Baby Orban.

A second EU diplomat said on Monday: I dont believe in magic, especially in politics.

Mr Magyar campaigned on a promise to reset relations with the EU and Nato, but those on the inside do not see him as a pro-Brussels trailblazer.

Hes at pains to avoid being seen as pro-EU and is at pains to avoid being seen as pro-Ukraine. Hes a conservative guy. We should not expect some kind of prodigal son if he wins, the diplomat added.

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In his victory speech, Mr Magyar promised that Hungary would become a strong ally in the EU and Nato.

The acid test for this pledge will if he unlocks a planned 90bn (67bn) loan from the EU to Ukraine, much of which is reserved for buying weapons to oppose the Russian invasion.

Mr Orban was a close ally of both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin - John McDonnell/AP Photo

Mr Orban vetoed the loan in a row over halted shipments of Russian oil via a pipeline that crosses Ukrainian territory.

Mr Magyar has not yet said whether he is ready to reverse Hungarys opposition.

The prime minister-to-be instead claimed only that he was ready to clarify all outstanding issues with our neighbours.

Nick Sergeef, a senior analyst at S-RM, said: Many EU politicians will be celebrating Tiszas victory as a significant erosion of the powerful anti-Ukrainian camp in the bloc.

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However, Magyar has pledged to continue to champion the interests of Hungarians in the EU, which could complicate Hungarys contribution to the EUs support for Ukraine.

Much of Mr Magyars success has come from the fact that his campaign presented him as a leader not simply looking to throw Orbans policies on the bonfire.

Instead, Mr Magyar promised an end to the corrupt oligarchy he claimed Mr Orban had used to make himself rich via the public purse.

1404 Composition of Hungary's National Assembly after 2026 election

He pledged to hold such abuses to account, and promised to create an office for the recovery and protection of national assets, to reclaim what he said were the ill-gotten gains of Mr Orbans allies.

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Mr Magyar also campaigned heavily on a promise to bring home billions of euros in EU funding for Hungary that have been frozen over corruption and rule-of-law concerns under Orban.

He pledged to introduce the euro to Hungary by 2030  something Mr Orbans government long resisted.

Bulcsu Hunyadi, an analyst at Political Capital, the Budapest-based think tank, said Mr Magyars government would be under tight pressure from the EU to quickly carry out reforms in order to get access to the frozen funds that are badly needed by Hungarys faltering economy.

There are deadlines in terms of unfreezing the funds. They will have to deliver certain laws and reforms by August this year, which is only a few months away, he said.

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But the landslide victory is unlikely to mean an end to the war on woke or a shift from cheap Russian fossil fuels.

The new prime minister is a former member of Mr Orbans Fidesz movement. His ex-wife, Judit Varga, was once a justice minister.

In the lead-up to the election, Mr Magyar refused to speak about the controversial ban on pride marches introduced by his political rival.

And once again, much like with the Ukraine loan, the incoming prime minister did not wholeheartedly address the issue in his victory speech.

Instead, he claimed Hungary would become a country where no one is stigmatised for loving someone differently than the majority.

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Donald Tusk, Polands prime minister, had success in unlocking billions of euros in EU funding after scrapping laws perceived to be anti-LGBT introduced by his predecessors in Warsaw.

Mr Magyar was able to win by pledging to reverse Hungarys faltering economic performance, not its democratic backsliding.

Dismay over the cost of living and the poor performance of public services were much more poignant issues at the ballot box.

Entrenched power structures

Mr Magyar might have declared his rivals regime is over, but that does not mean wholesale change is on the horizon.

There is also the risk that Mr Orban makes a comeback at the next election, particularly if Mr Magyar doesnt follow through with his campaign promises.

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Liberals would be ill-advised to rejoice too quickly, said Dr Raphael Girard, from the University of Exeter Law School.

First, Magyar is a centre-Right figure, a former Fidesz insider who remains a bit of a dark horse. Second, recent history has shown that many populists  from Donald Trump in the US to Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel and Andrej Babis in Czechia  have been able to regain power following an electoral defeat.

Time will tell if Magyar will be able to avoid the fate of predecessors elsewhere in the world whose early promise ultimately failed to dismantle entrenched power structures, he added.
Hungarys election winner, Peter Magyar, has announced that his country will no longer offer protection to two former Polish government officials wanted on suspicion of corruption.

Polands former justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, and his former deputy, Marcin Romanowski, would "not be staying with us much longer," Magyar said. Hungary will not be a dumping ground for internationally wanted criminals.

Both politicians fled to Hungary last year and were granted political asylum by the now-defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Ziobro and Romanowski belong to the right-wing conservative PiS party, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023.

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Polands Office of the Prosecutor General is investigating Ziobro on 26 counts, including suspicion of founding and membership of a criminal organisation and suspicion of embezzlement amounting to the equivalent of 35 million. According to investigators, he faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

Ziobro has described the allegations as reckless and believes he is being persecuted for political reasons. The Polish parliament lifted his parliamentary immunity in November.
Iran executed at least 1,639 people last year, the highest number recorded there since 1989, two non-governmental organisations say.

The total represents an increase of 68% compared to 2024, when 975 executions were recorded, according to a report by Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (EPCM).

Most of those hanged were convicted of drug-related offences or murder, they say. But at least 57 were convicted of security-related charges, including two protesters.

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The NGOs warn that Iranian authorities could use executions even more extensively this year in the wake of January's protests and the war against the US and Israel.

Since the start of the conflict on 28 February, seven people have been executed in connection with the protests, when thousands of demonstrators were killed and tens of thousands detained during an unprecedented crackdown by security forces.

Six people convicted of membership of the exiled opposition group Mujahideen-e Khalq (MEK) have also been executed, along with one person convicted of spying for Israel.

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Iran has long been the world's second most prolific executioner after China, where the exact number of people put to death remains a state secret but is believed by human rights activists to be in the thousands.

However, last year saw the highest number of recorded executions in the Islamic Republic for 36 years, with an average of four per day, according to the report by IHR and EPCM.

They say 795 of the 1,639 people hanged were convicted of drug-related offences, a 58% increase compared to 2024, and that 747 were convicted of murder, which was a 79% increase. Another 37 people were convicted of rape.

At least 48 women were executed, which was a 55% increase compared to 2024 and the highest number recorded in more than 20 years.

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The NGOs say ethnic minorities and other marginalised groups were disproportionately represented among those executed.

And just over half of the executions were based on sentences handed down by Revolutionary Courts after what the NGOs describe as "grossly unfair trials and without due process".

IHR and EPCM warn that, if the Islamic Republic "survives the current crisis, there is a serious risk that executions will be used even more extensively as a tool of oppression and repression".

At least 16 people sentenced to death in connection with the 2022 "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests remain at risk of execution, the NGOs say.

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Twenty-seven others have been sentenced to death over the protests at the start of this year, while hundreds more are facing charges carrying the death penalty.

Raphael Chenuil-Hazan, executive director of ECPM, said the question of abolishing the death penalty had to be "at the heart" of any talks between the US and Iran on ending their war, according to AFP news agency.

IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam noted that there was "no mention of the Iranian people's rights" at the negotiations over the weekend, and said a death penalty moratorium and the release of all political prisoners should be "demand number one".
Irans judiciary warned on Monday it will continue to operate under a wartime footing in the handling of alleged "enemy collaborators," despite a two-week ceasefire with the United States and Israel.

The statement came as a human rights organization reported a sharp rise in executions that advocates say underscores the authorities reliance on capital punishment as a tool of repression.

Judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei said cases involving suspected collaboration with enemy forces would be processed "decisively and swiftly," according to the Mizan news agency, which is affiliated the judiciary.

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He added that the judiciary would remain in a "war-oriented posture" until further notice when dealing with such cases. The announcement suggests that courts may continue to issue verdicts through expedited procedures.

Since the start of the conflict, the judiciary has carried out numerous executions, prompting criticism from human rights advocates, who say some trials are unfair and allege that confessions are sometimes extracted under torture.

The Norway-based group Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) said on Monday that at least 1,639 people were executed in Iran in 2025, the highest number in 35 years and a 68% increase from the previous year.

The surge follows a trend that began after the nationwide protests in 2022 that demanded increased rights for women.

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According to the group, around 3,000 critics have been arrested since mass protests earlier this year, with hundreds at risk of receiving death sentences. An ongoing internet shutdown in Iran has limited the flow of information to the outside world, it noted.

Rights groups say the death penalty is disproportionately applied to marginalized ethnic communities.
The US has not officially taken responsibility for the strike.

An aircraft belonging to Mahan Air was damaged during US strikes on Mashhad Airport in Iran on March 30, Iranian officials told Asian News International (ANI).

The airplane was stationed at Mashhad International Airport and was reportedly scheduled to fly to New Delhi as part of a humanitarian aid operation. The aircraft was expected to arrive in New Delhi in the days after the strike to facilitate the transportation of medical equipment and assistance.

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The US has not officially taken responsibility for the strike.

Mahan Air is a private airline in Iran that operates flights across Asia. It has frequently been at the center of international scrutiny, with the US Department of the Treasury officially designating it as a Specially Designated National (SDN) in 2011 for its material support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) Quds Force.

Being designated as an SDN imposes strict sanctions that freeze the designated group's assets and prohibit US persons from dealing with them, thereby blocking them from the US financial system.

An Airbus A340-600 airplane of Mahan Air is seen at Simon Bolivar International Airport outside Caracas, Venezuela April 8, 2019; file photo. (credit: REUTERS/CARLOS GARCIA RAWLINS)

Iran suffered extensive economic losses as part of war

This is not the only instance of damage to Iranian passenger airlines. Maariv reports that Iran Air and Zagros also sustained damage in the strikes, with the Wall Street Journal adding that 20 passenger planes in Iran were completely destroyed and a further 40 sustained damage.

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Seven airports in the country were attacked several times during the war as part of the joint effort from the US and Israel to damage aviation infrastructure across the country.

Iran has suffered extensive economic losses estimated between $140 billion and $145 billion following six weeks of war with Israel and the United States, according to open-source intelligence assessments.

Reports suggest that the loss of revenue for Irans airlines due to the cessation of operations is approximately $600 million.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's remarks came just a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sharply escalated rhetoric by threatening possible military action against the Jewish state.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Monday that Israel was seeking a new enemy and could soon set its sights on Turkey, remarks that came just a day after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sharply escalated rhetoric by threatening possible military action against the Jewish state.

"After Iran, Israel cannot live without hostility," Fidan said during an extensive interview with the Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu. The Turkish minister accused Jerusalem of fostering "a new rhetoric" to justify its aggression in the region and declare Turkey an enemy.

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The official further argued that this trend extended not only to Netanyahus administration but also to certain figures within the Israeli opposition, though he did not specify whom he was referring to.

While Israeli politicians have voiced differing views on the war with Iran and have criticized the governments conduct, the vast majority of decision-makers across the political spectrum have expressed support for the war, with most criticism focusing on Israel not fully achieving the goals it set out at the outset.

Fidan warned that Israeli military activity could next extend to Syria, where the IDF operated last year, in what it said were efforts to protect the Druze minority in the south. He cautioned that such actions could create broader risks across the region. Because of the ongoing war in Iran, [Israel] is not doing certain things right now, he said. Later, when the time comes, it may want to act.

Turkey escalates rhetoric amid growing regional ambitions

Fidan's comments follow remarks made on Sunday by Erdogan, suggesting that Ankara could soon choose to engage militarily with Israel.

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Addressing the International Asia-Political Parties Conference in Istanbul, the Turkish president accused Israel of committing atrocities against Palestine and Lebanon before suggesting Ankara could choose to invade Israel. "We must be strong to prevent Israel from doing this to Palestine," he said. "Just as we entered Karabakh, just as we entered Libya, we will do the same to them."

The escalating rhetoric comes amid a recent decision by a Turkish court to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 35 other Israeli officials for their role in the naval interception of the October 2025 Sumud Gaza flotilla.

According to Ben Menachem, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, Erdogan may be seeking to establish a new Sunni bloc in the Middle East while positioning Turkey as a regional power, effectively trying to fill a potential vacuum caused by the weakening of the Iranian regime.

Earlier this year, Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Saudi Arabia, underscoring deepening ties between the Sunni-majority powers and highlighting the expanding regional ambitions of both Ankara and Riyadh.

Maariv online contributed to this report.
By Laila Bassam, Steven Scheer and Jana Choukeir

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM, April 13 (Reuters) - Israeli troops launched an attack on Monday to seize a key town in south Lebanon from Hezbollah fighters holed up there, pressing the war on the Iran-backed group on the eve of rare talks nL1N40T0XP between Israeli and Lebanese government envoys.

With the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to the United States set to meet on Tuesday in Washington, Lebanon's foreign minister said Beirut would use face-to-face negotiations to press for a ceasefire in the war, which has complicated wider diplomacy to halt the conflict in the Middle East nL6N40V09S.

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But the outlook for the meeting - an unusual, face-to-face encounter between countries formally in a state of war - is uncertain. Israel has said it will not discuss a ceasefire, while Hezbollah has objected to negotiations with Israel, reflecting sharply worsening political tensions in Lebanon.

In a televised speech on Monday, Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said the Lebanese government should cancel the Tuesday meeting, describing it as "pointless" and saying his group would continue confronting Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

On the ground in south Lebanon, the Israeli military completed its encirclement of the town of Bint Jbeil just over the border and had begun a ground assault there, an Israeli military spokesperson and Lebanese security sources said.

The Lebanese sources said Hezbollah fighters holed up inside were ready to fight to the death, citing the strategic and symbolic significance of Bint Jbeil, a Hezbollah stronghold, provincial capital, and gateway to surrounding villages.

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ISRAEL SEEKS TO SECURE BORDER STRIP

An Israeli military official said full operational control of Bint Jbeil would be achieved within days, and that only a small number of militants remained in the area.

On Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross said there had been a strike on a Red Cross centre nL8N40W0YF in southern Lebanon's Tyre. Lebanon's state news agency said one person was killed in the strike. It did not identify the person.

Israel's military said it carried out a strike on a "Hezbollah terrorist" in Tyre and was investigating reports the strike had caused damage to a Red Cross centre. The military did not further identify the individual it said that it had killed.

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Israel's military separately said a Hezbollah rocket struck the northern Israeli city of Nahariyya. The country's fire service said it hit a three-storey residential building, while the ambulance service said a woman was lightly injured by glass shattered in the blast.

The Israeli military also said that it had intercepted more than 10 drones and rockets launched at Israel from Lebanon since the morning.

A foreign security official based in Lebanon said seizing Bint Jbeil would give Israel better control over the entirety of Lebanon's southeastern border strip, leaving just the western area of the border zone, which is largely forest and harder to clear.

Hezbollah opened fire on Israel in support of Tehran on March 2, igniting an Israeli offensive that Lebanese authorities say has killed more than 2,000 people and displaced more than 1 million.

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Israel says it aims to occupy south Lebanon up to the Litani River, which meets the Mediterranean about 30 km (20 miles) from Israel's border.

SHI'ITE GROUPS OPPOSE TALKS WHILE PEOPLE BEING KILLED

Israel and the U.S. have said the campaign against Hezbollah was not part of a fragile Iran-U.S. ceasefire, though Pakistan's prime minister had said the truce would include Lebanon.

While fighting in Lebanon has not stopped, Israel has launched no airstrikes on Beirut since Wednesday, when it pounded the capital during an onslaught that killed hundreds.

The U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, Michel Issa, will host Tuesday's Washington meeting between Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and his Lebanese counterpart Nada Hamadeh Moawad.

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Lebanese Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh, speaking on Sunday, said seeking a ceasefire was the only substantive issue that Moawad had been authorised to discuss.

Israel's embassy in Washington last week said the talks would constitute the start of "formal peace negotiations" and that Israel had refused to discuss a ceasefire with Hezbollah.

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, a member of the staunchly anti-Hezbollah Lebanese Forces party, said Lebanon was trying to reach a ceasefire through direct negotiations that "effectively established the separation between the Lebanese file and the Iranian track".

A senior Lebanese political source said the talks were taking place without any national consensus because both Hezbollah and its Shi'ite Muslim ally, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, opposed negotiations before a ceasefire.

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Another source familiar with their position said Lebanon should not sit at the table with Israel while "our people are being killed".

(Additional reporting by Maya Gebeily in Beirut, Rami Ayyub in Jerusalem and Alexander Cornwell in Tel Aviv; Writing by Tom Perry, Editing by William Maclean, Aidan Lewis and Keith Weir)
Zelenskyy: Ukraine has requests for security cooperation from Iraq and African states, new agreements in Europe possible this week

Photo: https://t.me/V_Zelenskiy_official/

Ukraine is in communication regarding the development of security cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, and has also received relevant requests from Iraq and African countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"We have requests regarding cooperation with Iraq. Today we discussed the potential for joint work with the states of the Caucasus, as well as East and Southeast Asia. There are substantive requests from African states," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram following a briefing by National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov on the results of the first phase of work with partners in the Middle East and Gulf region.

The president also said that the groundwork was being laid "for deeper security agreements in Europe as well." "We expect to achieve results as early as this week," Zelenskyy added.

He said he had instructed Umerov "to finalise the drafts of several new security agreements and prepare them for signing."

"It is important that Ukrainian military expertise is being recognised, and the combat experience of our soldiers is becoming a strong part of partners defence. Every nation deserves security, and we are ready to promptly and effectively support those who support our state and independence. This concerns protection against strike and other types of drones in the sky, as well as addressing security tasks at sea - Ukraines experience in the Black Sea can be applied to other globally important sea lanes," Zelenskyy wrote.

As reported, the Ukrainian president made a series of visits to Middle Eastern countries in March. The Presidential Office highlighted the head of states diplomatic activity in the Middle East following the outbreak of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

"In Jeddah, an agreement on defence cooperation was signed between the defence ministries of Ukraine and Saudi Arabia. The document lays the groundwork for further contracts, technological cooperation and investment In Abu Dhabi, the presidents of Ukraine and the UAE agreed on cooperation in the field of security and defence In Doha, the President of Ukraine and the Emir of Qatar agreed on a mutually beneficial partnership in the defence sphere for at least 10 years. The chiefs of general staff of Ukraine and Qatar signed a defence cooperation agreement In Amman, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and King Abdullah II discussed a possible security partnership," the Office said.

On March 30, Zelenskyy announced agreements he described as historic  between Ukraine and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

As of early April, work with Jordan was also ongoing, along with contacts with Turkey, Kuwait, Iraq and Bahrain, and interest in Ukrainian capabilities had been reported from other countries outside the Middle East.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog warned of a worldwide rise in anti-Semitism, urging leaders to take decisive action, as Israel marked the start of Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day.

"I call on all world leaders: Empty words will not mask inaction," Herzog said in an address at the Yad Vashem museum and memorial site in Jerusalem on Monday evening.

"Now is the time for courageous action. You must fight anti-Semitism with all means and everywhere, before it is too late."

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Referring to the Holocaust carried out by Nazi Germany as "the darkest and most heinous chapter in human history," Herzog said the Jewish people had built a national home in Israel in its aftermath.

"There are those who still seek to destroy this home we have built," he added, referring to the war with Iran and its allies. "For two and a half years, the State of Israel has been at war, since that terrible day, the massacre of October 7."

Warning over internal divisions

Amid deep political tensions within Israel, Herzog called for national unity.

"History repeatedly teaches us the heavy price of strife and internal division," he said. "A family may argue  but it must not break apart. We did not rise from the ashes of the crematoria to burn in the fire of internal conflict."
Democrat Janelle Stelsons campaign announced on Monday that the former broadcast journalist hauled in more than $2.1 million in the first quarter of fundraising this year as she eyes a rematch against Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) this November, according to figures first shared with The Hill.

Stelsons campaign said it has received contributions from 9,000 unique donors; she starts off the second quarter with more than $3 million in the bank for one of the most competitive House races of this cycle.

Perry has not yet announced his fundraising numbers for the first quarter. Candidates have until Wednesday to file their fundraising reports.

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Hardworking Central Pennsylvanians from every corner of our community are rallying around Janelles campaign to unseat career politician Scott Perry because theyre ready for something different, Stelson campaign manager Alma Baker said in a statement.

We are grateful for the outpouring of support, along with the backing of leaders ranging from Governor Shapiro, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, State Senator Patty Kim, and more than a dozen labor unions, Baker added. Janelles message of rooting out Washington corruption and fighting to make life more affordable is driving the momentum behind our campaign.

The congressman, who represents the states Harrisburg-based 10th Congressional District and was a subject of interest in the Justice Departments probe around efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, is seen as one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the House.

The district went for President Trump by just over 5 points in 2024.

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Stelson, a former anchor for WGAL, came within several thousand votes of unseating him in 2024  losing to him by just more than a percentage point. Stelson is facing several Democrats in the May 19 primary to take on Perry again.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Prominent trial attorney, businessman and political activist John Morgan announced on social media that he will not run for governor of Florida, ending months of speculation even as he renewed his plans to establish a new political party in the state.

Morgan, founder of the law firm Morgan & Morgan and a key backer of two successful Florida constitutional amendments  the legalization of medical marijuana and the increase of the states minimum wage to $15 per hour  said he made his decision after a period of reflection during the winter at his home in Maui.

For about the last year and a half, people have been asking me to run for governor, Morgan said in a recorded statement on X. Its been an honor, but Ive decided Im not going to do it.

Today I have an announcement to make... pic.twitter.com/S2sZ5UFUMW  John Morgan (@JohnMorganESQ) April 13, 2026

Citing his past advocacy work, Morgan said he felt his efforts in passing both amendments had already delivered more for working Floridians than many administrations had.

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Most things that happen in Tallahassee benefit the top one percent, he said, adding that his campaigns were aimed at helping the people, echoing his law firm catchphrase, "For the People."

Morgan, who recently turned 70, explained that his decision was partly personal, noting that the demands of campaigning no longer appeal to him: Im not the kind of guy that can campaign door to door or cut yellow ribbons, he said, joking that he enjoys his gummies and wouldnt want to give them up during hurricane season.

Name a new third party in Florida. Win $100,000?

While ruling out a run for governor, Morgan signaled he isnt done with politics.

He revealed plans to file paperwork to create a Florida-based third political party, distinct from the national No Labels movement, and will host a public contest to name it. The winner get a $100,000 prize.

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I believe what ails us is the two-party system, Morgan said. Most of us agree on most things, but if you put the D up and the R up, nothing gets done.

His call for a new political party isnt new, however.

He has floated the idea for more than a year, saying in February 2025 that he had a "lawyer drafting the paperwork" to start the organization. At one point, he said he was leaning toward the name, "Capitalist Party."

I am forming a new political party for those of us stuck in the middle.



Our two party system is broken due to Gerrymandering and divisive issues both sides.



No labels is not an option. Everyone wants a team or tribe.



Ron Myers is my lawyer drafting the paperwork.



Stay  John Morgan (@JohnMorganESQ) February 26, 2025

Since then, he's said in interviews and on social media that the major parties no longer represent the broad middle of Florida voters.

Morgan ended his announcement on a personal note, saying he looks forward to spending more time with his family and relaxing in Hawaii.

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Mother Time is getting away from me, he said. I do like living in Hawaii. I do like my marijuana. And I do like spending time with my grandchildren.

The Orlando attorney leaves the door open for other independent candidates to enter the 2026 gubernatorial race but hopes his new party can kickstart a real third-party movement in the United States, launched in Florida.

Floridas 2026 governors race has already drawn a familiar cast of political heavyweights, with U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and former hedge fund manager James Fishback among the leading Republican contenders to replace term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings and former Pinellas County congressman David Jolly have emerged as the most prominent Democratic candidates. Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats in Florida by about 5.5 million to roughly 4 million, with no-party- and other-party-affiliated voters at 3.8 million combined.

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Jim Rosica is a member of the USA TODAY Network  Florida Capital Bureau. Reach him at jrosica@tallahassee.com and follow him on Twitter/X: @JimRosicaFL

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: John Morgan won't run for Florida governor
When I had my first conversation with Melody McCurtis, deputy director and lead organizer at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, I made sure she knew one thing about me at the outset: I grew up on the northwest side of Chicago in a neighborhood just like Metcalfe Park.

Hermosa, a neighborhood made up of mostly working-class Mexican and Puerto Rican families, experienced many of the same challenges I now see in my new beat in Milwaukee.

To start, we, too, lost our only full-service grocery store after the local Jewel-Osco closed when I was a kid. The neighborhood carried a reputation for gang violence. And like Metcalfe Park, it often felt overlooked by city officials and the media.

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Illegal dumping is a completely new concept to me  Hermosa did not have that problem. But litter? That was as constant in my childhood neighborhood as it is in Metcalfe Park.

Its one of the first things people notice, and one of the easiest ways a neighborhood can start to feel neglected  even when the people who live there care deeply about it.

It sends the wrong message to passersby, subconsciously granting people permission to treat the area like a dumping ground, as Metcalfe Park resident and NID board candidate Charlicia Brown said during an interview last month.

Brown is not the only person raising concerns about illegal dumping and litter. In fact, its come up in nearly every conversation Ive had with residents.

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Neighbors like Ida Penix and Larry Rogers regularly clean up their blocks even when it feels like a losing battle, because if not them, who?

There are things I cannot do as a reporter.

For example, I cannot reopen the Pick n Save on North 35th Street  though I have covered its impact on local businesses, examined the available grocery options in the neighborhood and used publicly accessible data to question rhetoric surrounding the reason for the closure.

But what I can do is make sure residents stories are heard, whether they are good or bad. And I can ask my editor  as I did last fall  if the newsroom could volunteer to help Metcalfe Park make their streets clean again.

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So, the answer, I think, is us.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is joining Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and The Big Clean for a neighborhood-wide clean-up and walk audit on Saturday, April 25, at 3401 W. Center St., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This month, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Big Clean are partnering to host a neighborhood-wide clean-up.

The 2026 Metcalfe Park Big Clean will take place on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Together, well meet up at Metcalfe Park Rising (3401 W. Center St.) and break into groups to clean up from North 27th to North 39th streets and from West Center Street to West North Avenue.

The cleanup isnt the only thing well be doing.

Well also be taking a deeper look at Metcalfe Park by surveying trees, illegal dumping sites and sidewalk access to help build a safer, greener and more connected community.

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Afterward, well gather at Metcalfe Park Rising for barbecue, good music and a chance to celebrate our work.

The event is free and open to all residents, families and friends.

You can register for the event via Eventbrite.

We hope to see you there.

April Quevedo covers Metcalfe Park for the Journal Sentinels Neighborhood Dispatch. Contact: aquevedo@usatodayco.com.

Neighborhood Dispatch reporting is supported by Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Journal Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: JS Community Journalism) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.

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The JS Community-Funded Journalism Project is administered by Local Media Foundation, tax ID #36-4427750, a Section 501(c)(3) charitable trust affiliated with Local Media Association, and EnMotive, a subsidiary of USA TODAY Co.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why this Metcalfe Park reporter is rolling up her sleeves for a neighborhood clean-up
Former vice president Kamala Harris faced backlash for her usage of a mob boss accent while mimicking Donald Trump as she criticized his administrations handling of international relations. She claimed that Trumps America First mindset suggests stepping back from long-standing international relationships and partnerships. These remarks come amid rising tensions between the US and Iran, with Trump recently threatening to block the Strait of Hormuz after both sides failed to reach a deal.

Kamala Harris uses mob boss accent for Donald Trump, faces backlash

During a conversation at a forum with the National Action Network, Harris shared her stance on how Trump approaches foreign policy while impersonating him in another accent. She said, You know, the way that hes thinking of foreign policy, it seems, is when he talks about America First, its to withdraw from these relationships and these connections.

Harris further described Trumps approach as that of a mob boss, saying it rejects the idea of cooperation and suggests division of major regions among powerful countries. And then he kind of acts like a mob boss. So, then hes kind of like, Oh, well, you know, you take Eastern Europe, and Ill take the Western Hemisphere. And then you over there, you, you get Asia, and well just divide it up, right? she added.

? Kamala Harris calls Trump a "mob boss" and then tries to do a monster accent. ???? pic.twitter.com/vr7k85JQ53  Gary M (@gman5180) April 13, 2026

Her comments received massive backlash as several users took to social media to share their thoughts. One user wrote, Add mafia boss to Kamala Harris list of embarrassing accents. Another mentioned, Jesus Christ her voice makes me want to swear into traffic.

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Other reactions also included, Why do all her accents sound like someone who just took a drag of a funny cigarette, This is embarrassing even for her, and Every speech feels like Kamala is auditioning for a new character instead of running for office.

This month, Harris also spoke out against Trump when he took to Truth Social to issue a final warning to Iran as his 48-hour deadline approached. He threatened them with ending the whole civilization. The former VP took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn his post.

She wrote, The President of the United States is threatening to commit war crimes and wipe out a whole civilization  all because he started a disastrous war of his own making and had no plan and no strategy for how to end it. The politician added that Americans dont support such acts before criticizing him over putting brave service members lives at risk and making life unaffordable for citizens.

Originally reported by Shazmeen Navrange on Mandatory.

The post Kamala Harris Faces Backlash For Donald Trump Impersonation appeared first on Reality Tea.
A Louisville constituent filed an official ethics complaint against a Republican state senator who is alleged to have pocketed more than $80,000 from her own non-profit, Kentucky Strong.

Emily Brook Benningfield, of Louisville, filed an ethics complaint last week against Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, after it was reported Adams made money from the non-profit which is funded largely by interests lobbied in the General Assembly.

The information regarding Adams funds was first reported by the Kentucky Lantern last week.

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Since 2015, Adams has served as the executive director of Kentucky Strong Inc., a non-profit dedicated to training Republican women to seek and hold public office, according to tax returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service.

Adams has received $80,500 since 2023, according to The Kentucky Lantern. During that same time, Kentucky Strong was funded exclusively by General Assembly interests, including $50,000 from Revolutionary Racing, which operates Sandys Racing & Gaming in Ashland; $25,000 from Churchill Downs; $15,000 from Charter Communications; and $15,000 from LG&E and KU Energy.

But Adams told The Lantern she received nominal compensation from the non-profit, which averaged out to roughly $7,300 a year. In Benningfields complaint, she claims Adams underreported and did not disclose properly the funds she received.

In a Facebook post April 8, Adams denied any wrongdoing.

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What is being alleged is grossly misconstrued. Im the Executive Director of an 11-year old organization I founded to help Republican women be successful in winning elections and staying in office, Adams said. Its small, its a support thats there for those who need it and everything has been properly disclosed with the IRS.

In Benningfields ethics complaint, she alleges Adams committed the following violations:

Accepting compensation for performance of legislative duties

Accepting value from legislative agents and employers

Use of official position to obtain financial gain

Conflict between personal interest and public duty

Conflict of interest vote prohibition

False or misleading financial disclosure

Benningfield is a constituent of Louisville who regularly made donations to the Jefferson County Democratic Party, according to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance database.

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She also made donations to Democratic Senator Gary Clemons. In 2025, Benninfield made $390 worth of donations to the Democratic Party and Clemons.

The Democratic candidate for Adams district, Sarah Cole McIntosh, issued a statement Friday condemning the allegations.

My opponent Julie Raque Adams has funneled into her own pocket over $80,000 in corporate donations and contributions from lobbyists, while serving as chair of a committee with authority over these groups. Kentuckians deserve answers, and I look forward to a thorough investigation from the Ethics Commission, McIntosh said.

The Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission is an independent authority within the Legislative Department of state government. It is charged with the enforcement of the state ethics code and is composed of nine citizen members. The code regulates conduct by legislators, lobbyists and the employers of lobbyists.
Four students from a private Christian school in metro Atlanta were involved in a car crash during their spring break.

The crash happened last week as the group was driving along Highway 65 in Franklin County, Florida. Three of the students - Charlotte Martin, Jaylyn Fehr and Jackson Mobley - died in the crash. Mobleys sister, Jamison, survived the crash but is in critical condition.

All four students attended Horizon Christian Academy in Forsyth County. Each student was active in his or her community and they all had big plans for their futures. Horizon Christian Academy paid the following tributes to the students on Wednesday night.

Charlotte Martin, 16

Martin attended Horizon Christian Academy for most of her life starting in kindergarten.

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Horizon Christian officials said the junior excelled in the classroom with her AP and dual-enrollment courses and on the court as a volleyball player for the school and her club team.

Martin was also a member of Forsyth County Student Government, National Honor Society, Health Occupations Students of America and Youth Leadership Forsyth.

Charlotte approached everything she did with discipline, humility and a genuine heart for others, the school wrote in a tribute. While her achievements were many, what defined Charlotte most was her faith, her kindness, and the way she loved others.

A GoFundMe has been set up here if you wish to donate to the Martin family.

Jaylyn Fehr, 17

Fehr had attended Horizon Christian Academy since the first grade. The school said the junior was a honor roll student who wanted to pursue a law career.

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Fehr competed for the Horizon Christian and A5 Gwinnett club volleyball teams. She was also active with her church and youth group.

The school wrote that everyone was drawn to Fehr and that she loved when everyone got together.

She was smart, funny, witty, compassionate, and empathetic. She loved the beach, her friends, and her cats, the school wrote in a tribute. While her passing leaves an immeasurable void, her impact will continue to be felt throughout the many lives she touched.

A GoFundMe has been set up here if you wish to donate to the Fehr family.

Jackson Mobley, 18

Jackson Mobley and his sister, Jamison Mobley, started attending Horizon Christian Academy in middle school.

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The school wrote that Jackson Mobley was known for having the best one-liners and putting his family above everything else.

The void Jack will leave behind is insurmountable. We know the last thing his soul did earthside was to help save his sister, HCA officials wrote.

Jackson Mobley planned to attend Chattahoochee Tech in the fall and wanted to start his own HVAC company.

Jamison Mobley, 17

Jamison Mobley survived the crash that killed her brother and two best friends. She remains in critical condition after a witness pulled her from the car.

Mobley is known for her love of music, volleyball and performing in the school musical.

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You can find her writing songs, playing the guitar or piano, baking in the kitchen, laughing with her two best friends or being part of a youth group with several churches, the school wrote.

Officials said Mobley has a long road to recovery.

We know God has big plans for her & part of that plan is to never allow the memories & all Jackson, Jaylyn and Charlotte stood for to fade, they wrote.

A GoFundMe for the Mobley family has been set up here if you wish to donate.

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By Andrew Osborn, Dmitry Antonov and Jan Lopatka

MOSCOW, April 13 (Reuters) - Russian hardliners cast Viktor Orban's defeat in Hungary as a serious blow that would unlock EU funds for Ukraine to fight on against Russia for another year, but the Kremlin played down the outcome, saying it was ready for talks with Orban's successor.

Orban, Hungary's veteran nationalist leader who lost power on Sunday nL1N40V01B to upstart centre-right rival Peter Magyar after 16 years in office, was a welcome guest in Moscow, where he held talks with President Vladimir Putin as recently as November.

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Orban ensured that Hungary continued to buy Russian oil and gas despite Moscow's war in Ukraine https://www.reuters.com/world/ukraine-russia-war/, allowed Russia to start work on building a new nuclear power plant south of Budapest, and often spoke out against sanctions on Russia while flatly opposing Kyiv's bid to join the 27-nation bloc.

He also blocked a 90-billion-euro ($105-billion) EU loan to Ukraine after accusing it of sabotaging Russian oil deliveries to his country by dragging its feet over repairing a damaged pipeline, something Kyiv denied.

Magyar is more of an unknown quantity for Moscow. He has combined pro-EU and pro-NATO rhetoric with a public recognition that he will need to hold talks with Putin and continue to buy Russian oil and gas for now despite talk of diversifying and reviewing contracts.

The Kremlin made clear, though, that it was ready to quickly turn the page if he was. Making no mention of Orban by name, it said it respected the choice of the Hungarian people and was ready to do business with Magyar.

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"We look forward to continuing our highly pragmatic engagement with Hungarys new leadership," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"We noted Magyars statement regarding his willingness to engage in dialogue. Naturally, this will be beneficial for both Moscow and Budapest," Peskov said.

Peskov later told state TV it wasn't yet clear what the stance of the new Hungarian leadership would be, and that the Kremlin would not be congratulating Magyar on his win due to Hungary's formal designation as an "unfriendly country".

UNLOCKING OF EU FUNDS?

Hardliners and war bloggers inside Russia were almost unanimous, however, that Orban's defeat was bad news for Moscow.

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"Orban's defeat in the elections will have one consequence for us here in Russia. But it is a very significant one," said Andrei Medvedev, a blogger and journalist with a large following.

"Now ... Ukraine will receive EU funds, and with them, the resources to wage war for at least a year. It goes without saying that the Ukrainian armed forces and numerous contractors will focus on further developing their drone systems and missile capabilities," he said.

Ramzai, another influential blogger, was equally gloomy.

"It is clear that Hungary will soon cease to block the adoption of anti-Russian sanctions and the EUs multi-billion-euro support for Ukraine. Russias contracts for the completion of the Paks (II) nuclear power plant and for the supply of gas and oil will also be called into question," he said.

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Oleg Ignatov, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, said Hungary's close ties with Russia were unlikely to vanish overnight but would likely narrow to the strictly pragmatic.

Ultimately, though, he said future ties would be determined by how Magyar decided to deal with the issue of Russian oil and gas supplies, which the EU as a bloc wants to phase out.

"If Hungary works with the rest of the EU to enable this (a phase-out) to happen, then Hungarys role as a more Moscow-friendly outpost within the EU will indeed be over," Ignatov said.

"If it does not, things stand to be rather more complicated."

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SLOVAKIA'S FICO AS NEW ORBAN?

Orban's loss is also a blow for his ally, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Fico has warm relations with Russia, is keen on buying Russian oil and gas, and has warned that Bratislava may block the EU's 90-billion-euro loan to Kyiv if Budapest withdraws its own objections.

But diplomats, opposition politicians and analysts believe that Fico - whose fractured ruling coalition is hanging by a wafer-thin parliamentary majority - may struggle to reprise Orban's role as the EU's disruptor-in-chief. Bratislava, they say, is heavily dependent on EU funding.

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The fact that it is half the size of Hungary means it also carries less political weight, Miroslav Wlachovsky, a former Slovak foreign minister, said.

"I believe Fico will not shift further east now. He will be looking for someone not to be completely isolated in Brussels," said one EU diplomat, who declined to be named due to the matter's sensitivity.

Tomas Strazay, director of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association, said he believed Fico would however continue his pro-Russian rhetoric and criticism of EU policies because that is what his voters wanted to hear. "Given his internal position towards Russia, he will need to manoeuvre, and I believe that Russia's interest in Slovakia will increase," Strazay said.

($1 = 0.8559 euros)

(Reporting by Andrew Osborn and Dmitry Antonov in Moscow and Jan Lopatka in Prague; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones and Andrew Heavens)
In 2026, it's becoming increasingly normal to hear about unprecedented weather conditions on every end of the spectrum.

As the Flathead Beacon reported, Montana's Flathead Lake is one more part of the world contending with historic conditions. High temperatures and record-setting rainfall mean the lake is a foot away from being completely full, disrupting annual traditions like polar plunges, KPAX reported.

"We're fuller now than we've ever seen, than I've ever seen in my entire life at this time of year," Energy Keepers Inc. CEO Brian Lipscomb said, per the Flathead Beacon. EKI maintains the Selis Ksanka Qlispe' dam, which is responsible for overseeing the top 10 feet of the lake.

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Those 10 feet hold 1.2 million acre feet of water, and recent conditions are complicating matters for residents concerned about flooding and dock damage. Nearly all of EKI's storage filled up in December.

"We received 238% of our normal precipitation, much of it falling as rain on existing snow," Lipscomb noted. "This sent inflows into Flathead Lake soaring to over 300% of normal."

While EKI did its best to control things, windstorms and the high water levels damaged the docks and boat lifts of locals.

"I know we can't predict Mother Nature and there was flooding downstream, but we can't keep having damage like this," resident Larry Menghini said, per the Flathead Beacon.

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Conditions were driven by an atmospheric river and subtropical air. It's notable that while areas like Flathead Lake might be dealing with too much water, other areas like the Great Salt Lake are suffering from crippling drought.

Ski areas in Oregon and Idaho suffered a major snow drought with concerning implications for wildfires and water sources later this year. That is at the same time that many areas of the Northeast were battered by snowfall and extreme cold. Extreme weather is getting increasingly intense and unpredictable.

As for EKI, it has to be mindful of not just Flathead Lake, but how much water it sends to the Columbia River. If too much water goes there, areas near population centers like Portland are at risk for devastating flooding.

The long-term forecast indicates low precipitation in the future, and ironically, Lipscomb will have to make sure EKI doesn't let too much water go.

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"We'll just continue to draft through the next three months until we get to the lowest point," he told the Flathead Beacon. "By then, we'll check the snow levels and make sure we have enough to refill."

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices  and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said negotiations between the United States and Iran ended early Sunday without a peace deal after the Iranians refused to accept American terms to not develop a nuclear weapon.

The high-stakes talks in Pakistan ended after 21 hours, Vance said, with the vice president in constant communication with U.S. President Donald Trump and others in the administration.

But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon, Vance told reporters.

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The war that has killed thousands of people and shaken global markets entered its seventh week.

The U.S. delegation led by Vance and the Iranian delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf had discussed how to advance a ceasefire already threatened by deep disagreements and Israels continued attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Here is the latest:

Vance leaves Pakistan after impasse in negotiations with Iran

Vice President JD Vance boarded his government plane at 7:08 a.m. local time in Islamabad, planning to depart Pakistan after he said that Iran declined to back down on developing a nuclear weapon.

Thats according to a reporter traveling with Vance.

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The war with Iran started at the end of February and the extensive talks ended after 21 hours. The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on April 7 for negotiations.

Vance spoke for about 3 minutes, took 3 questions

U.S. Vice President JD Vance spoke at a podium in front of a pair of American flags, with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to his side. He spoke for one minute before taking three questions from reporters.

His entire remarks lasted just more than three minutes. He offered thanks and walked away without taking additional questions.

Vance says talks with Iran ended without agreement

Vice President JD Vance said negotiations between the U.S. and the Iranians have ended without a peace deal after the Iranians refused to accept American terms to not develop a nuclear weapon.

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The high-states talks ended after 21 hours, Vance said, with the vice president in constant communication with President Donald Trump and others in the administration.

But the simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon, Vance told reporters. That is the core goal of the president of the United States. And thats what weve tried to achieve through these negotiations.

US and Iran delegations will continue talks in Pakistan after break

A third round of ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran in Pakistan concluded before dawn Sunday local time, and discussions between the heads of the delegations will resume after a break, two Pakistani officials said.

Some technical personnel from both teams are still meeting, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press.

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The U.S. delegation is led by Vice President JD Vance and the Iranian delegation by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.

 Munir Ahmed

Trump downplays Iran negotiations, says deal makes no difference

Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Saturday, Trump claimed military victory against Iran and downplayed the importance of ongoing ceasefire negotiations involving Vice President JD Vance because regardless what happens we win.

Lets see what happens  maybe they make a deal maybe they dont, the president said. It doesnt matter. From the standpoint of America, we win.

Trump acknowledged very deep negotiations with Iran. But he also said the U.S. military was searching for mines in the Strait of Hormuz, which still remained effectively closed to most freighters carrying oil and natural gas out of the Persian Gulf.

Qatar to fully resume maritime navigation activities

The countrys Ministry of Transport announced Saturday the full resumption of maritime navigation activities effective Sunday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., extending the decision to all categories of marine vessels and transport modes.

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The ministry urged operators in a statement to comply with safety protocols.

It was not immediately clear whether the decision meant that Qatari vessels would be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz, which remained effectively closed as of Saturday.

Iran denies claims that US vessels entered the Strait of Hormuz, state media say

A spokesperson for Irans joint military command denied an earlier claim by the U.S. that two Navy destroyers transited the waterway, adding that initiative over the passage of any vessel rests with the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to Irans state media.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which 20% of all oil and natural gas traded once passed, is expected to be one of the most challenging points of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, currently taking place in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.

Thousands attend anti-war demonstration in Tel Aviv after wartime restrictions eased

The protesters filled Tel Avivs Habima Square on Saturday evening, holding up signs calling for an end to Israels eternal war and chanting more suffering in Lebanon will not bring us security.

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At a smaller protest held there the previous weekend, amid missile attacks from Iran and Yemen, police dispersed the protesters using force and arrested at least 17, citing security restrictions.

Ifat Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer Kalderon was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza and released last year, told the Associated Press she came to the protest to call for Israel to put an end to its wars in Iran, in Lebanon and in Gaza.

She said the war with Iran had achieved no positive results. The reality is the same as before, perhaps even worse. We need to translate everything into agreements, we cant keep living constantly in war.

US says talks with Iran and Pakistan continuing

As of 10:21 p.m. local time in Islamabad, the trilateral in-person talks were ongoing, a senior White House official told reporters traveling with Vice President JD Vance.

More than 2,000 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon during the Israel-Hezbollah war, according to health officials

The death toll in Lebanon from Israeli strikes in the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah has risen to 2,020, the Lebanese health ministry said Saturday.

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The death toll from nearly six weeks of war includes 248 women,165 children and 85 health workers, the ministry said. Another 6,436 people have been wounded. Nearly 100 people were killed in the past 24 hours.

The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group fired missiles into Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. A tentative truce is now in place in Iran, but the U.S. and Israel say the agreement does not apply to Lebanon, while Tehran says it does. The question is likely to be one of the thornier points in the U.S.-Iran ceasefire negotiations now underway in Pakistan.

2 destroyers transit Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine-clearing operation, US military says

The U.S. military on Saturday prepared for mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz as two Navy destroyers transited the waterway through which 20% of the worlds oil normally flows, U.S. Central Command said in a news release.

The destroyers are part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, CENTCOM stated.

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Irans state media said earlier on Saturday that it had forced a U.S. military ship that was attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz to turn around.

The strait has been effectively closed to most oil and gas freighters since the U.S. and Israel began to strike Israel on Feb. 28. ceasefire talks are now underway in Pakistan.

Pope Leo XIV blasts delusion of omnipotence fueling the US-Israeli war in Iran

In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the delusion of omnipotence that is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.

Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peters Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held.

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Historys first U.S.-born pope didnt mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leos tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Leo demanded. Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!

Talks between US and Iran officials resume after a break

U.S. and Iranian officials resumed a second round of talks Saturday night in Islamabad after a break, with both sides backed by technical experts, two Pakistani officials said.

They added that Pakistans top political and military leadership is encouraging both sides to resolve their differences to ensure durable peace in the region, and the talks were progressing.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The officials declined to share further details, saying they hoped for a win-win solution.

-By Munir Ahmed

Trump says he has no idea how talks will go with Iran

Trump confirmed in a phone interview with NewsNation that talks among the U.S., Iran and Pakistan had begun, though he does not know how successful they could be.

When asked how negotiations would go, Trump said: I have no idea.

The U.S. president said he would know shortly if he felt Iran was acting in good faith about resolving the war.

Trump added that the U.S. knew where mines had been placed in the Strait of Hormuz and that the military was bringing equipment to remove them.

Saturdays negotiations mark rare face-to-face meeting between US and Iranian leaders

Saturdays face-to-face talks in Pakistan that are being led by Vance and Qalibaf mark a rare instance of high-level engagement between American leadership and the Iranian government.

Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the highest-level direct contact had been when President Barack Obama, a Democrat, in September 2013 called newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Irans nuclear program.

Its a high-stakes political task for Vance, who has been a reluctant defender of the U.S. war with Iran, and has little previous diplomatic experience. Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are joining Vance at the table, also are relatively new players in international diplomacy.

The White House said it sent a full suite of U.S. experts on relevant subject areas to join the negotiators in Islamabad, and said other experts were supporting the team from Washington.

In Jerusalem, thousands of Orthodox Christians gather in Church of Holy Sepulchre after restrictions lifted

Thousands of worshippers took part in the annual Holy Fire ceremony on Saturday in Jerusalems Church of the Holy Sepulchre, an Orthodox Christian ritual that dates back more than 1,200 years.

The ceremony, held the day before Orthodox Easter, symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus, where the Greek Orthodox Patriarch brings out candles reportedly lit by a miraculous, non-burning flame from the tomb, which is then passed to thousands of worshippers.

Holy sites across Jerusalems Old City, including Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Western Wall, remained closed for 40 days under Israeli security restrictions following the war on Iran, but reopened on Thursday as a fragile, two-week ceasefire between Iran, Israel, and the U.S. appeared to hold.

Just two days ago there was absolutely no one in the Old City, it felt like an orphaned town, said Fr. Antonious Al-Orshalemy. But now we see wedding-like celebrations on every level. Everyone is happy, and everyone is joyful.

Thousands protest Lebanese planned negotiations with Israel

Amid the protests, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Saturday he had postponed a planned trip to Washington in light of the current internal circumstances.

Ahead of his announcement, an adviser to Irans supreme leader on international affairs warned against sidelining Hezbollah, saying in a social media post: Mr. Nawaf Salam must know that ignoring the unparalleled role of the Resistance and the heroic Hezbollah will expose Lebanon to irreparable security risks.

President Joseph Aoun said Friday a first meeting will be held Tuesday at the U.S. State Department to discuss a ceasefire and launch U.S.-mediated Lebanon-Israel negotiations, following a call between the two countries ambassadors in Washington with the participation of the U.S. ambassador to Beirut.

Protesters burned portraits of Salam in downtown Beirut near the Grand Serail, calling him a Zionist as they carried Hezbollah flags.

It was not immediately clear whether Salam was joining the delegation on Tuesday or what his decision meant for the talks.

Qatari official says Iranian attacks have decreased but not stopped

Qatars Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that attacks against any Gulf state constitute an attack on all of them, denying that Qatar pays Iran to stop attacks against its territory.

Qatar does not pay in exchange for stopping attacks on it, said Majed al-Ansari in a televised interview with Al Jazeera, adding that Qatar intercepts the Iranian attacks.

Al-Ansari added Iran had also attacked civilian and industrial targets, despite Irans claim that it was only targeting military sites.

Pakistani official says talks progressing well

I cannot say whether they are sitting in the same room or in separate rooms, but talks have started and are progressing well, the official with knowledge of the peace efforts said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

-By Munir Ahmed

Face-to-face negotiations have begun between the United States and Iran in Pakistan

The White House said that delegations from the United States, Iran and Pakistan are holding face-to-face meetings on Saturday.

The start of the meeting represents a significant test as to whether the ceasefire, which has already shown strains, is durable enough to resolve the Iran war.

President Donald Trump ahead of the meeting has engaged in provocative social media posts, suggesting that the U.S. energy sector will benefit from Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz to oil and natural gas tankers.

Energy prices have risen sharply since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February, with the stated goals of stopping its development of ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.

Vice President JD Vance is leading the U.S. delegation, along with Steve Witkoff, the special envoy, and Jared Kushner, who is President Donald Trumps son-in-law.

US releases names of delegation in talks with Iran and Pakistan

The White House provided a list of the U.S. officials involved in negotiations for ending the Iran war, including Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trumps son-in-law.

Also participating are Andrew Baker, the national security adviser to the vice president, and Michael Vance, the special adviser to the vice president for Asian affairs.

Difficult issues for the talks

Foremost is Irans nuclear program, especially the status of its enriched uranium after last years U.S. and Israeli strikes on nuclear sites. Tehran has not allowed the U.N. nuclear watchdog to inspect since then.

Before the war, Irans ballistic missile program was another main issue, especially for Israel, along with Irans support for armed proxies in the Middle East including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Houthi rebels in Yemen and Hamas in Gaza.

Now other issues have emerged, notably Irans grip on the Strait of Hormuz, a major waterway for Middle East oil, natural gas and related products like fertilizer.

Iran now wants an end to attacks, compensation for earlier ones and a guarantee that no more will occur. It wants U.S. military forces to leave the region.

Tehran also wants longtime sanctions lifted.

Israel says it struck over 200 Hezbollah targets in the last 24 hours

The Israeli military said its air force hit infrastructure of the Iran-backed militant group in Lebanon and was continuing to support its ground forces operating in southern Lebanon.

The statement came as Teheran was pressing for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah in three-party talks that began Saturday afternoon between Iran and the US in Pakistan.

Earlier Saturday, the Lebanese state-run news agency reported at least three people killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon. There were no reported strikes in the afternoon hours.

In Israeli communities along the border with Lebanon sirens continued to warn of drone and rocket attacks from Lebanon throughout the day Saturday. There were no reports of injuries.

Trump says he opposes higher fertilizer costs for US farmers

The U.S. president posted on social media that he is monitoring fertilizer price and will not accept any increase in costs for farmers.

Fertilizer costs have increased globally because of natural gas supplies being stranded due Irans control of the Strait of the Hormuz. Iran has used the strait as strategic leverage in its ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel.

But Trumps post was targeted at a domestic audience.

I am watching fertilizer prices CLOSELY during our FIGHT FOR FREEDOM in Iran, he posted. The United States will not accept PRICE GOUGING from the fertilizer monopoly! American Farmers, we have your back!

US revokes green cards of more Iranian born relatives of current and former Iran officials

The Trump administration has revoked the green cards of more long-term Iranian residents of the United States who are related to current or former senior Iranian officials.

The State Department said Saturday it had taken action against Seyed Eissa Hashemi, a Los Angeles-area psychology teacher, his wife and son, all of whom were Iranian born lawful permanent residents of the US.

The department said in a statement released as talks to end the war with Iran were getting underway in Pakistan that they had been taken into custody by immigration authorities and are slated for deportation.

Hashemi, it said, is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar who served as a spokeswoman for the attackers who took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and was later promoted to be Irans first female vice president.

Just last week, the State Department revoked the green cards of the niece and grand-niece of former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Baghdad in early 2020.
The Specialised Environmental Prosecutors Office of the Office of the Prosecutor General has filed a claim with the Kyiv region commercial court seeking the return to the state of three land plots in the exclusion zone with a total area of over 190 hectares, the Office of the Prosecutor General said.

"These lands are located in Vyshhorod district - in the exclusion zone and the mandatory resettlement zone affected by the Chornobyl disaster," the prosecutors office said on its Telegram channel on Monday.

According to the agency, the plots were held by the state body responsible for managing the exclusion zone. "However, state registrars unlawfully changed their status and transferred them to communal ownership. After that, land use rights were groundlessly registered in favour of a private company," the prosecutors office explained.

As a result, since 2020 all these territories have been used for growing agricultural crops, including wheat and maize, without a special permit, posing a risk to human life and health.

According to the statement, the investigation established that the basis for the registration actions was a decision of the Poliska district council that does not in fact exist. "State land certificates issued to the former collective enterprise Svitanok, which is in the process of liquidation and has no successors, were also used," the prosecutors office specified.

The prosecutors arguments are supported by gathered evidence, including expert conclusions.

The court has already opened proceedings in the case and scheduled a preparatory hearing. The investigation is ongoing.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Funding to continue the operation of Oklahomas mental health crisis hotline for another year is included in a budget agreement as federal funding is set to end this fall.

Senate Bill 1164 directs $5.96 million of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services legislative appropriation to a separate account earmarked for the operation of 988.

Federal funding for the hotline, which is only $1.16 million of the $5.76 million operating cost, is set to end Sept. 30, an agency spokesperson said.

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The funding is included in a $12.8 billion budget deal announced by Republican leaders April 1 and sent to the governors desk Thursday for consideration.

The 9-8-8 Lifeline Revolving Fund would be created by Senate Bill 1369 and any dollars in the account would be used for the purpose of sustaining and expanding operations of a 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline.

The state appropriation would be transferred to this fund.

The bill has advanced through the Senate but still needs to be approved by the full House. A similar House-version of measure, House Bill 4092, was already passed by the chamber.

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Rep. Kevin Norwood, R-Owasso, one of the bill authors, previously said 988 has been a lifesaving and incredibly valued resource for Oklahomans.

The hotline had at least 57,000 phone calls and 11,000 texts between January and November of 2025.

The funding bill, SB1164, must be passed by the full House and Senate before being sent to Gov. Kevin Stitt.

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A legal brief filed late last week seeks to have a Dane County judge declare that an 1897 law banning the practice of fusion voting is unconstitutional because it restricts the rights to a free government, equal protection and freedom of speech through a law that was passed to explicitly create a partisan electoral advantage.

The motion was filed on Friday in a lawsuit brought last year by United Wisconsin, a nascent centrist political party hoping to offer voters an alternative to the duopoly of the Democratic and Republican parties. The group is represented by the voting rights focused firm Law Forward.

Fusion voting is a practice through which multiple political parties can nominate the same candidate to the ticket. Under the system, a minor party such as United could choose to nominate its own candidate, but more often the party would endorse one of the major party candidates. Voters would be able to cast their votes for the same preferred candidate under either party line.

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At a conference on fusion voting hosted at UW-Madison last year, political scientists and proponents of the system said that in theory it can give minor parties more influence. A third party candidate under the current system is unlikely to win, but a minor partys policy preferences are harder to ignore if the party has just enough sway to swing an election result in either direction.

The brief describes a hypothetical congressional race in which United cross-endorses the Democratic candidate, given the name Olson. After the hypothetical votes are counted, the Republican candidate has earned 48.2% of the vote on the Republican ticket while Olson has earned 45.9% of the vote on the Democratic ticket and 4.9% on the United line. When added together, this gives Olson the win with 50.8% of the total vote.

In Wisconsin, where elections are often decided by single digit margins, this could result in meaningful considerations of the desires of the minor party voters  rather than the current system under which third party candidates, such as Ralph Nader in the 2000 presidential election, are seen as spoilers who can pull enough support away from the closest ideological major party candidate to help the other side win.

That is fusion voting in action. United Wisconsin will claim, with merit, to have helped her over the finish line, the brief states. No doubt Olson will be more attentive to her home party, but if shes a competent politician, she wont ignore the priorities of the moderates and centrists in the United Wisconsin Party. If she does, United Wisconsin, and its key bloc of voters, might cross-nominate her opponent in the next election.

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Fusion voting is often considered alongside ideas such as ranked choice voting and multi-member congressional districts as a reform proposal that could help prevent the country from sliding into an authoritarian government.

Fusion offers the opportunity to create meaningful new political identities, the legal brief states. It allows voters of all ideological stripes to vote for their values without having to support a rival or opposing party with a mostly intolerable program.

In the 19th century, fusion voting was used across the country. The practice was phased out in most of the country but exists currently in New York and Connecticut. The brief, which includes as many examples from history and political science as it does legal citations, states that Wisconsins fusion voting ban was enacted by the Republican Party in 1897 as it surged to become the states dominant political force in a direct effort to limit the ability of the Democratic Party and other minor parties to win.

History shows the ban was enacted as a form of invidious political discrimination, the brief states.

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The lawsuit argues the state has no direct interest in maintaining the power of the Democratic and Republican parties, so the law must be put under strict scrutiny for fundamentally restricting the speech of Wisconsinites.

When political parties cannot nominate their candidates of choice, they cannot effectively organize, campaign, advance priorities, or exercise political power, the brief states. They are relegated for perpetuity to a spoiler role, whereby any electoral effort they make is not only futile in advancing their own candidate and platform, but also seriously risks helping their least-favored major-party candidate win the race and get to govern. While the ban still allows political parties to nominate most candidates, it prohibits them from nominating the only candidates who can win; and while it allows political parties some degree of speech, it constrains their speech in the context for which political parties exist  the ballot.

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Local election officials are expressing grave concerns about federal interference into their work, as the fall midterms kick into high gear and experts fret over President Donald Trumps push to assert greater control over voting.

Fifty percent of local election officials are either somewhat or very worried about political leaders interfering with their work, according to a survey by the Brennan Center for Justice published on Monday, with just 28 percent saying they have no concerns about the prospect. And 45 percent of respondents expressed concern with being targeted by politically motivated investigations.

The numbers arent all that surprising, said Lawrence Norden, the Brennan Centers vice president of elections and government.

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I think since at least 2020, when you had threats against election officials reach unprecedented levels and a lot of controversy around being able to address Covid and of course, Jan. 6  after that, I think this is just a reality that election officials have been living with, he said. So unfortunately, I'm not really surprised by those numbers.

What is new, said Scott McDonell, clerk in Wisconsins Dane County, is that the threats are coming from the occupant of the White House on down.

Now, the calls are coming from upstairs, he said. It's, it's not good. It's very challenging.

Trump mused in February that the GOP should nationalize elections, telling former deputy FBI director Dan Bongino on his podcast that the Republicans should say, We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least 15 places.

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The White House drew fierce backlash after FBI officials raided an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, in January. A letter the Justice Department sent to Minnesota pushing for access to its voter rolls raised yet more fears that the White House could look to exert greater influence over state-run elections.

Democratic attorneys general across the country are strategizing about how to handle potential scenarios in November, ranging from confiscated ballots to the administration sending federal agents to polling places to intimidate voters. Norden called for preparation and pushback in the election community.

I don't think theres any question that they're under threat, Norden said. And if there isn't a concerted effort to push back and to be ready, then I'm worried.

Safety concerns also rank high in the minds of election officials. Thirty-two percent reported experiencing threats, harassment, or abuse due to their job. And 52 percent said they are concerned about the safety of colleagues.

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The message is that the red, the anti-democratic rhetoric that's coming out of the White House is really dangerous to our democracy, to those who work in our democracy, elected officials, poll workers, all of them, it's taking a toll, said McDonnell. And it needs to stop.

The Brennan Center poll was conducted by survey between Jan. 27 and Feb. 26, with a random sample of 834 election officials. The margin of error for the poll is plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Flight attendants at Germany's Lufthansa have been called to strike on Wednesday and Thursday, the UFO union announced, marking the fifth wave of industrial action at the group this year.

The strike applies to Lufthansa's core brand as well as Lufthansa CityLine, UFO said on Monday.

The walkout is set to take place directly after a two-day strike by Lufthansa pilots on Monday and Tuesday, the first day of which resulted in hundreds of cancelled flights and hardened the positions between the negotiating parties.

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On Monday, Lufthansa's chief human resources officer, Michael Niggemann, warned UFO and the Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) pilots union against continuing their confrontational course, saying each day of industrial action weakens the airline.

Cabin crew already walked off the job last Friday for a one-day strike, forcing hundreds of cancellations at Germany's largest airline.

UFO expert Harry Jaeger said the high turnout for the previous strike shows that the cabin crew will not be taken for a ride. "We are dealing here with an employer that has adopted a hardline stance, whilst constantly proclaiming that it is 'ready to negotiate at any time,'" he said.

Niggemann referred to UFO's new call for industrial action as a "coercive strike."

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"The renewed call for strike action by the sectoral trade union UFO demonstrates in a distressing manner that they are completely indifferent to the fate of our passengers and the future of Lufthansa," he said.

High-profile rally planned

The unions have planned a rally outside the company's headquarters at Frankfurt Airport to coincide with Lufthansa celebrations marking 100 years since its founding, at which German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is expected.

UFO chairman Joachim Vazquez Burger said the rally should send a signal to politicians.

"When management joins forces with federal politicians to celebrate 100 years of Lufthansa, we will make it clear right there under what conditions the employer operates  and at whose expense current decisions are being made."

Pilots strike forces large-scale cancellations

Pilots at Lufthansa's core brand, as well as Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa CityLine, began their walkout shortly after midnight on Monday.

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More than 1,100 take-offs and landings in Frankfurt, Lufthansa's main hub and Germany's biggest airport, were cancelled across Monday and Tuesday, with 710 flights scrapped in Munich.

The pilots' strike, organized by the VC union, centres on pay disputes, including the company pension scheme and remuneration at the regional subsidiary CityLine.

Lufthansa described the union demands as "absurd and unworkable."

Niggemann meanwhile warned that the core Lufthansa airline is already no longer competitive on many routes, meaning that costs cannot be raised further.

While the Lufthansa core brand is responsible for the lion's share of the Group's operations, it is the least profitable among its airlines, due to high salaries and inflexible rosters, according to Executive Board.

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To bring down costs, Lufthansa has spun off some of its operations into subsidiaries Discover and City Airlines, where wages are negotiated by different unions.

Speaking to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, chief executive Carsten Spohr made it clear that the group did not intend to back down in the face of the strikes.

"Better a few days with a strike-related reduction in the Lufthansa Group's services than, at some point, a permanently significantly reduced core brand," he said.

Despite the industrial actions, around half of Lufthansa's planned long-haul flights had been scheduled to lift off on Monday, alongside about a third of medium- and short-haul flights, Niggemann said. A similar situation is expected on Tuesday.

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About three out of four flights operated by other Lufthansa-owned carriers including SWISS and Brussels Airlines are expected to be on schedule, he added.

Flights to selected Middle Eastern destinations have been excluded from the strike action.

About 40% of flights operated by holiday airline Eurowings were expected to be affected.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) on Saturday said she would file a motion to expel California Rep. Eric Swalwell from office, after the Democrat was hit with sexual assault allegations.

I am filing a motion to expel Eric Swalwell from Congress, the Republican lawmaker wrote on social platform X.

A former staffer of Swalwell accused the House member and California gubernatorial candidate of sexually assaulting her twice when she was too drunk to consent in a new report from The San Francisco Chronicle published on Friday. CNN reported three additional allegations from women that the congressman sent them inappropriate messages and nude pictures.

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Swalwell has firmly denied the sexual assault allegations amid mounting calls from Democratic leaders and others for him to end his bid for governor. The lawmaker called the sexual assault claims flat false in a video posted on X late Friday.

They are absolutely false. They did not happen, he said. They have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have. They also come on the eve of an election where I have been the frontrunner candidate for governor in California.

Expulsion is the most serious consequence a member of Congress can face, and it requires a two-thirds majority vote in the House. Only 6 members of the House of Representatives have been expelled in U.S. history  with former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) being the most recent, after an ethics review found he misused campaign funds and falsified his background.

The Hill has reached out to Swalwells congressional office for comment.

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Luna worked jointly with Republican and Democratic lawmakers to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, and she has been a staunch advocate for victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

She has also led calls to expel another Democrat, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), from office. The House Ethics Committee found in March that the Florida Democrat committed dozens of ethics violations related to campaign finance activity  allegations she has denied.

Sheila McCormick will be expelled by the end of the month if she does not resign now, the Florida Republican wrote in a separate X post on Saturday. The vote will be called. Resign.

Luna also pressed for Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) to be censured and stripped of his committee assignments after text messages, said to be extracted from a staffers phone, appeared to show him trying to solicit sexual material from her. Gonzales has pushed back on the characterization, while acknowledging that the affair was a mistake.

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Critics are putting President Donald Trump on blast after he attacked Pope Leo XIV in a Sunday night rant.

In a lengthy Truth Social post that ran more than 300 words, Trump slammed the pope for being WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.

Politics: Trumps DoorDash Stunt Accidentally Highlights His Biggest Political Problem

Trump griped in part:

I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History.

Trump also took credit for the Chicago-born popes election, claiming the College of Cardinals selected the first-ever American pontiff last year because they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

President Donald Trump railed against Pope Leo while speaking with reporters at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

He repeated his grievances a little later when he spoke to reporters as he returned to Washington from Miami on Sunday night.

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I dont think hes doing a very good job, Trump said. He likes crime, I guess.

Politics: Pope Leo Says He Has 'No Fear' Of Trump, Pledges To Keep Speaking Out 'Loudly Against War'

He also called the pontiff a very liberal person and a man that doesnt believe in stopping crime.

Im not a fan of Pope Leo, he added.

Trumps attack came after the pope repeatedly called for peace amid the ongoing war with Iran.

He did so again on Saturday.

Politics: 'Dehumanizing': Catholic Leaders Bashed White House, Trump's Iran War Before Pope Leo Attack

Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Leo said during an evening prayer service, according to The Associated Press. Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!

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The pope did not mention Trump by name as he described the delusion of omnipotence as a threat to global stability, but the comments apparently triggered the president.

On Monday, the pope told Reuters he wasnt going to get into a debate with Trump, but said he would continue to speak out loudly against war.

Trumps critics fired back on X:

I doubt Pope Leo XIV will lose any sleep over this, before he begins his pilgrimage to Africa tomorrow. But the rest of us should. Because it is unhinged, uncharitable and unchristian. Is there no bottom to this moral squalor? pic.twitter.com/XRr9lpv4ZF  James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) April 13, 2026

This man is not well. https://t.co/Qybj20pMWh  Rep. Melanie Stansbury (@Rep_Stansbury) April 13, 2026

Hey @GOP, you good with your guy directly attacking the Pope now?



We know the leadership of the Republican Party is on their knees (not praying!) but if anyone over there still has a spine, this is an easy one! https://t.co/lSsZHk6tvQ  Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) April 13, 2026

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The bottom line is that Trump doesnt want a Christian pope. He wants a pope that idolizes and worships Donald Trump. pic.twitter.com/qfQeRCJd6V  Justin Amash (@justinamash) April 13, 2026

Americans stand with Pope Leo XIV. pic.twitter.com/nqUCLAcG6O  Christopher Hale (@ChristopherHale) April 13, 2026

Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost.

Unhinged.absolutely insane https://t.co/slIWsZhNky  Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) April 13, 2026

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As a Catholic, I find it abhorrent that the President of the United States would publicly attack the Successor of St. Peter. Donald Trump is flailing. His war in Iran has led to the death and injury of American servicemembers and the death of Iranian children. He will attack pic.twitter.com/fl5d1G2QVP  Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) April 13, 2026

I try and focus on policy and ignore all the grotesque nonsense Trump spews on a daily basis but as a Catholic I can't stay silent. This must be condemned by every Catholic, every Christian, indeed by everyone who follows any faith. Trump is an abomination https://t.co/XtxrFuNxMC  Chris Vance  (@Chrisvance123) April 13, 2026

Conservative Catholics said Joe Biden was a bad Catholic because he was liberal on abortion.



They wont say a **** thing about this. https://t.co/rLxJ8Bb8ve  Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) April 13, 2026

This will end well.



Some genius in Trumpland decided, Hey, the best thing we can do now is to go to war with the Holy Father. pic.twitter.com/zYG3IuNivB  Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) April 13, 2026

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Demented. In its claims, and in the tone it strikes toward the Vicar of Christ, the spiritual leader of 1.4 billion. https://t.co/8k8FhEb1vm  Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) April 13, 2026

POTUS arguing about having the greatest stock market versus a Pope and wondering why Republicans are on path for the worst midterms ever https://t.co/Oxyk7F19p5  Peter Schorsch (@PeterSchorschFL) April 13, 2026

Reminder this is because the pope said war is bad and we should help poor people https://t.co/hZRqkSBqMs  evan loves worf (@esjesjesj) April 13, 2026

Ah yes, the Pope. The known vigilante crime fighter and nuclear weapons dismantler. Hes not doing his job https://t.co/UZbJKNLCDW  Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) April 13, 2026

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Trump doesn't realize what an absolute shitstorm he's unleashing by acting so unhinged toward the Pope.



More then a few Catholics have obvious disagreements and dissentions from the Church, but just like when a nation or family is attacked by an outsider, a lot of us are going https://t.co/Jgxt4j1ZRH  Robert Kearney (@Robkearney1981) April 13, 2026

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The manhunt continues on Monday for the gunmen in a deadly shooting at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in New Jersey over the weekend.

The incident left one person dead and at least six others injured. The victim who died has been identified as Malek Shepherd, 23, of New York City.

It happened around 9 p.m. Saturday at the Chick-fil-A on Route 22 in Union.

While no arrests have been made, the shooting is believed to be a targeted incident stemming from a drug or gang dispute.

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Video appears to show people running away from the restaurant, but it is not yet clear how many gunmen were involved.

Video shows people running away from the restaurant.

Shepherd, who was a customer, is believed to be the target of the shooting and the other victims are believed to be bystanders and/or employees of the Chick-fil-A.

One of the injured victims is a high school student who was working there that night trying to earn money for prom and college.

Her mother says one of her happy places has turned into a lifelong fight against trauma and she is now cringing at the thought of even stepping outside.

Eyewitness News spoke to a father of one of the Chick-fil-A workers on Saturday night. He says that his son called him in a panic, saying that multiple suspects wearing masks entered the establishment. He also says several of his son's co-workers were injured in the shooting.

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Witnesses say they heard at least seven shots piercing into the crowd.

Jean Derilus, a DoorDash driver, said Monday that the masked suspects were behind the counter and firing shots into the dining area.

Derilus said Saturday nights draw a lot of other delivery workers due to the high volume of orders. He said he was in the restaurant 15-20 minutes before the shooting happened.

Longtime customers said they are shaken by the violence.

"That's what's terrifying, being a father or a parent, you have to always be vigilant and keep your head on a swivel and make sure that you're paying attention to your surroundings and try to avoid getting yourself into a situation and unfortunately coming to a Chick-fil-A at dinner time is apparently a situation you may have to avoid now a days," customer Christopher Devido said.

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The other victims were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The Union County Prosecutor's Office says it is an ongoing investigation.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  A majority of U.S. Catholic voters supported Donald Trump in his 2024 presidential victory. Yet across the broad Catholic political spectrum  even among conservative-leaning bishops  there is dismay over Trumps unprecedented verbal assault on Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead their church.

Leo says he is sharing a Gospel message and not directly attacking Trump or anyone else with his appeals for peace and criticism of attitudes fueling the war.

Criticism of Trump came from Archbishop Paul Coakley, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and from Minnesota-based Bishop Robert Barron, who only a few days ago was applauding Trump as an Easter guest at the White House. Barron called the presidents remarks entirely inappropriate and disrespectful and urged him to apologize.

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The dismay extended into an even more solid base of Trump support  conservative Christian evangelicals. Many were appalled that Trump followed his Truth Social attack on Leo by posting an image depicting himself as a Christ-like savior.

TAKE THIS DOWN, MR. PRESIDENT, posted David Brody, a prominent Trump-supporting commentator with the Christian Broadcasting Network. Youre not God. None of us are. This goes too far. It crosses the line.

By midday Monday, the image had been taken down from Truth Social. And speaking at the White House, the president claimed that he never intended to liken himself to Jesus when he posted the picture.

How did they come up with that?" he asked. Its supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. I make people a lot better."

Trump: No apology needed

On his clash with the pope, Trump was equally defiant: Theres nothing to apologize for. Hes wrong.

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The president's feud with American religious communities comes just six months before voting begins in this fall's midterms as Trump grapples with low approval ratings and dissension from his MAGA base over the war with Iran. But few groups of voters have been more loyal to Trump  and important to his political success  than those on the religious right.

For now, some Trump allies are optimistic that the dispute will soon be forgotten.

There is a deep reservoir of appreciation for the president and his faith-based policies that transcends and eclipses any disagreement over a social media post, Ralph Reed, who sits on the presidents faith advisory board, told The Associated Press.

Through American history, numerous U.S. presidents have had policy differences with various popes. But experts on the Vatican and religious history could recall no exchange comparable to the back-and-forth between Trump and Leo over the popes condemnation of America's role in the Iran war.

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This is unprecedented criticism of a Pope from a US president, David Campbell, a political science professor at the University of Notre Dame, said via email.

As to whether it will have a big effect on how US Catholic voters regard Trump, that is an open question, Campbell added. Given that attitudes toward the president are driven largely by peoples party preference  which is hard to move  it probably will not have a huge impact on Catholics attitudes toward Trump.

David Gibson, director of Fordham Universitys Center on Religion and Culture, noted that many lay Catholics have been standing by Trump in recent weeks and have been critical of their bishops who critique the president.

If this attack on the pope does not shift that dynamic in a marked way it will truly be a watershed moment ... with American Catholics choosing a Catholic-baiting president over their own pope, Gibson said.

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Looking far back into world history, Trumps attempt to strong-arm Pope Leo isnt anything new, said Kathleen Sprows Cummings, a professor of American Studies and History at Notre Dame.

Emperors, monarchs, and despots have long threatened popes in an effort to force them to bend to their will, she said via email. In an American context, however, Trumps invective does represent a historic reversal.

For most of this countrys history, Americans viewed the pope as war-mongering, money-grubbing, anti-democratic menace who had designs on the White House, she added. Today, the menace is in the White House, and the pope is the one defending the ideals of liberty and human dignity.

At a prayer service Saturday, the pontiff denounced the  delusion of omnipotence  that he said was fueling the war with Iran. Without citing Trump or the U.S. specifically, the pope said: Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!

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On Monday, he was specific in responding to the presidents criticisms, saying I have no fear of the Trump administration.

Vance suggests Vatican should stay out of politics in some cases

Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert who occasionally has sparred with church leaders over their criticism of the Trump administrations immigration crackdown, said in an interview on Fox News Channel on Monday night that the presidents social media post with the Jesus-like image was a joke."

"Of course, he took it down because he realized a lot of people werent understanding his humor, Vance said.

He repeatedly dismissed the focus on the presidents fight with the pope, saying it isnt particularly newsworthy" and there will be disagreements from time to time with the Vatican.

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But Vance also suggested the pope should stay in his lane.

I certainly think that in some cases, it would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of whats going on with the Catholic church, and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy," Vance said.

Catholics Vote Common Good, a nonprofit group that generally supports progressive causes, urged Vance to speak out on the rift.

At a moment when the Holy Father is being attacked and the dignity of the Church is being undermined, silence is not neutrality. It is complicity, said Denise Murphy McGraw, the organizations national co-chair.

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Some vocal evangelical supporters of Trump criticized the meme depicting him as healer apparently resembling Jesus, even while maintaining support for Trump himself.

It isnt hard to condemn this outright, said Willy Rice, a candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida.

Many Christians appreciate the Presidents administration and have supported him in meaningful ways, but this is wrong, Rice posted on X.

Also weighing in was Doug Wilson, co-founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a staunchly conservative Calvinist denomination with an outsized influence in the current administration. Its churches members include Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

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I was very grateful to see how many conservative Christians immediately denounced the blasphemous Jesus/Trump image, Wilson posted on X.

Megan Basham, a conservative evangelical commentator, posted that she agreed with Trumps criticisms of Leo as Weak on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. But she assailed his meme as OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy and urged Trump to ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God.

A look at the numbers for religious blocs as election nears

Such public dissension against Trump from evangelical leaders is rare.

In 2024, white evangelical Protestants were a significant component of Trumps winning coalition, according to AP VoteCast. About one-third of Trump voters, 34%, identified as white evangelical or born-again Christians, compared with only 8 percent of Harris voters. White evangelicals made up about 2 in 10 voters that year, and the vast majority, 79%, voted for Trump.

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A February AP-NORC poll found that about two-thirds of white born again Protestants approve of how Trump is handling his job as president, while about one-third disapprove.

Catholics were much unhappier with Trumps performance in that poll. Only about 4 in 10 approved of his handling of the presidency, similar to Americans overall.

William Barbieri, a Catholic University ethics professor, said Trumps remarks seemed aimed more at his political base than at Leo himself.

Pope Leos response has been calm and measured, in a way that creates a contrast unflattering to the President, Barbieri said via email.

He is opposing resorts to lethal force ... and expressing solidarity with suffering people in many countries, said Barbieri, contrasting the start of Leos pastoral journey to Africa this week with Trumps appearance at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event on the weekend.

__

This story has been corrected to attribute a quote to David Gibson of Fordham University, not to David Campbell of Notre Dame.

___

Crary reported from New York and Smith from Pittsburgh. Associated Press writers Amelia Thomson DeVeaux and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Representatives from Maverik, The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation and J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation announced $10 million donations each to Great Salt Lake Rising on Monday, in an effort to stop the lake from further decline.

The donations follow President Donald Trumps $1 billion funding request to Congress to aid the lake on April 3.

More than 53% of the Great Salt Lakes lake bed is exposed, and to pull it out of its currently-labeled serious adverse effects status, it needs an additional 261 billion gallons of water (800,000 acre-feet).

Josh Romney, board chair of Great Salt Lake Rising, center, speaks with Timothy Hawkes, interim executive director of Great Salt Lake Rising, left, and Ben Abbott, executive director of Grow the Flow, right, at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center in Farmington on Monday, April 13, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Josh Romney, the son of former Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and the founder of Great Salt Lake Rising, opened the event  held at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center in Farmington  by explaining the lakes current levels, which have fallen significantly since the high water year of 1983.

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Without intervention, we could see dramatic, irreversible effects of the Great Salt Lake, Romney said. The good news is 80% of the cause of decline is human caused. The reason thats good news is because we can fix that.

Gail Miller, left, looks on during an event announcing donations to Great Salt Lake Rising from Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, Maverik and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center in Farmington on Monday, April 13, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

The Great Salt Lake is one of more than 100 terminal, saline lakes around the world facing decline.

Karen Marriott, representing the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, posed the lakes decline as an opportunity to do something unprecedented.

We have the opportunity to become the first place in the world to reverse the decline of an inland sea, to restore it, and in doing so, protect our health, our snow, our water, our wildlife and our economy.

Is the lakes dust a public health risk?

Drew Maggelet, the son of Maveriks chairman, announced the Salt Lake City-based gas stations donation, describing it as the most important investment any business in the state of Utah can make right now.

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More water in the lake means fewer employees sick days from dust, retained property values and a Wasatch Front that not only keeps the best talent home, but attracts the best and brightest from beyond our mountains, he said.

Representatives from the Utah Department of Natural Resources, Great Salt Lake Rising, the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, Maverik and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation pose for a photo at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center in Farmington following an event announcing donations to Great Salt Lake Rising on Monday, April 13, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

Many Utahns worry that harmful materials like arsenic in the Great Salt Lakes bed will pose a health threat if exposed.

However, the current dust monitoring stations have not provided direct evidence that arsenic from the lake is increasing the arsenic concentrations in the surrounding communities, as the Deseret News previously reported.

To better assess the risk, the state has approved funding to expand its monitoring infrastructure to include 23 stations.

What can be done?

One of the biggest and most pernicious myths thats out there is that the lake is beyond our control. Were just at the mercy of Mother Nature, and the lake will come and go, said Tim Hawkes, the board chairman of Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Cooperative.

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He continued, The reality is this, that 80% of lake declines are driven by human use. Its driven by the way that we all collectively use water. Each one of us has an impact on the lake.

Joel Ferry, director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, center, points towards the Great Salt Lake as he walks with Timothy Hawkes, interim executive director of Great Salt Lake Rising, left, and Greg Miller, trustee of Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, right, onto the observation deck for a photo opportunity at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center in Farmington on Monday, April 13, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

As the states recent legislative session directed its attention, the nonprofit organization focused its conservation suggestions on outdoor water use.

Since in Utah, 65% of residential water use is expended outdoors, Great Salt Lake Rising suggested the following actions to conserve water.

Water your yard less  but better. Keep grass at 3-4 inches to retain moisture and skip watering when temperatures are below 65 degrees.

Reduce lawn where you dont use it.

Upgrade to smart irrigation. Make sure youre not irrigating sidewalk.

Fix leaks immediately.

Choose plants designed for Utah.

Use water when it matters most. Let non-essential turf go dormant during peak heat.

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Joel Ferry, the Utah Department of Natural Resources executive director, said the state needs to learn how to live within its water budget.

Joel Ferry, director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources, speaks during an event announcing donations to Great Salt Lake Rising from the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation, Maverik and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation at the Eccles Wildlife Education Center in Farmington on Monday, April 13, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

We need to live within our means, and we need to use the water thats available in an appropriate manner, he said. There is sufficient water if were smart about how we use it.

Ferry also thanked Maverik, the Larry H. Miller Foundation and the Marriott Foundation for their donations.

The combined $30 million in investments help us significantly because they allow us to go out and do some things that we couldnt do otherwise, he said.
A Massachusetts State Trooper pleaded not guilty in Plymouth District Court on Monday following his arrest for an alleged high-tech surveillance campaign against his estranged wife.

Michael G. Gagnon Jr., 36, is charged with unlawful wiretapping and violating an abuse prevention order through what investigators describe as a pattern of coercive control and digital surveillance.

Gagnons court appointed lawyer disputed the allegations during the hearing, arguing theres no proof Gagnon engaged in wiretapping.

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The investigation began in March 2026 when Gagnons estranged wife reported a drone hovering over her home while her brother was assisting her children off a school bus.

A specialized State Police Cybercrimes unit then conducted a sweep of her home.

During that sweep, a State Police K9 trained to detect electronic devices helped investigators locate two Ring cameras that were warm to the touch and appeared to have been accessed very recently.

Although the victim believed these cameras were deactivated, police discovered that Gagnon had maintained control of an Amazon family account and had upgraded the camera subscription plan.

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This access allowed him to program specific recording schedules and receive motion alerts on his phone without the victims knowledge, according to court documents.

Evidence gathered by Plympton Police showed that the heaviest periods of camera access directly correlated with significant dates in ongoing legal battles Trooper Gagnon is involved in.

On several occasions, Gagnon reportedly used information gathered from secret recordingsincluding details of private conversations between the estranged wife and her fatherto file motions in court or influence domestic proceedings.

If there were days that they were in probate court or were otherwise coming before the court, there was a number of activities on this defendants specific profile accessing the cameras at her home, Essex County Prosecutor Alyssa Fournier told the Judge.

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A Plympton Police Detective stated in the affidavit that Gagnon demonstrated a level of knowledge about the victims movements and private life that would have been impossible without frequent electronic monitoring.

Gagnon was already on administrative leave from State Police following a November 2025 arreston for domestic assault and battery on a child and witness intimidation.

Gagnons bail was revoked on his November charges, and he was taken into custody following the hearing.

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Mine action operators in March 2026 cleared 572 hectares of agricultural land under the state compensation program and received UAH 35.4 million in payments, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine reported.

According to the statement, six contracts were executed during the month, with the average cost of clearing one hectare amounting to UAH 59,000. In addition, under two new contracts, work was launched on more than 85 hectares through the Humanitarian Demining Center, with a total value of UAH 5.8 million.

The ministry noted that relatively low activity in the first quarter was caused by a revision of the "Humanitarian Demining" budget program, which temporarily suspended the review of applications from farmers. Processing of applications has now been fully resumed.

"In March, the government adopted a resolution simplifying participation in the program for agricultural producers. They now only need to submit an application for clearing a specific land plot, and the Humanitarian Demining Center will verify its compliance with legal requirements," the ministry said.

Currently, work is ongoing under 37 contracts covering approximately 8,000 hectares. A total of 82 contracts have already been completed, allowing 14,600 hectares to be returned to use. The total cost of this work amounts to nearly UAH 854.5 million.

According to published infographics, the sectors technical capacity currently includes 134 certified operators and 298 demining machines. Since the launch of the program, demining has been initiated on 22,700 hectares (121 agreements) with a total value of UAH 1,408.0 million. Clearance has actually been completed on 15,200 hectares under 88 agreements, for which UAH 889.9 million has been paid.

The compensation program for farmers is financed under the Ukraine Facility plan with support from the European Union. In March, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a draft law to strengthen support for those affected by mines and to further define the functioning of the National Mine Action Authority after the end of martial law.
Massive Attacks Robert Del Naja has been arrested at a mass Palestine Action demonstration in central London.

Del Naja, also known as 3D, was among hundreds of demonstrators who took to Trafalgar Square on Saturday 12 March to protest the ban on Palestine Action  a British pro-Palestinian direct action network which was founded in 2020. It is currently proscribed in the UK as a terrorist group, making membership or support for it a criminal offence.

The Metropolitan Police said that 523 people had been arrested, with ages ranging from 18 to 87.

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Del Naja sat with demonstrators with a sign that read "I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action", before he was carried away by officers.

In footage of his arrest, Del Naja can be seen being approached by police officers who tell him he is being put under arrest, before carrying him away from the demonstration.

Before his arrest, Del Naja told the Press Association he wanted to attend the protest despite the consequences a potential arrest could have on his career.

He said: Being a musician, obviously, there was a lot of trepidation around how we might not be able to travel and get visas, adding: But I thought this is ridiculous and then the police making that U-turn to arrest people again, I thought that is even more ridiculous. So Im going to hold a sign today.

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If I get arrested, I feel very confident that if I stand up in court with the right guidance and say, This was an unlawful arrest and, therefore, I dont accept it.

He concluded: I think that the actions of Palestine Action were highly patriotic because they were pretty much protecting our country from getting involved in serious war crimes and breaking international law. How much more patriotic can you be than that?

Robert Del Naja on stage - 2024 - AP Photo

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The English trip-hop band, formed in Bristol in 1988 and currently consisting of Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, have been steadfast supporters of Palestine and last year joined more than 400 artists in backing the No Music For Genocide campaign. They have boycotted performing in Israel since 1999.

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Massive Attack are due to play a series of European shows this summer, including in Helsinki, Finland; Copenhagen in Denmark; Berlin, Germany; Brussels, Belgium; and Lyon, France.

It remains to be seen whether these EU dates will be affected by Del Najas arrest, which could impact the bands travel.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Counties and schools could lose millions under a constitutional amendment lawmakers put on the Aug. 25 ballot.

Currently, the state is required to reimburse counties and schools for the five-year ad valorem property tax exemption that qualified manufacturers receive for moving or expanding into counties.

The Senate on Thursday passed House Joint Resolution 1087 by a vote of 38-7 that would let voters decide how much if any is reimbursed by the state. The measure passed the House in March.

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It would ask voters to approve an amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution, which contains the five-year manufacturing exemption. It was approved by voters in 1985.

The exemption has become very, very expensive for lawmakers, said Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle.

Paxton and House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, are the authors.

In tax year 2024, the state paid $93 million in reimbursements. The reimbursement was its highest in tax year 2019 when it hit $161 million, according to the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

Mayes, Tulsa and Oklahoma counties are the top three counties receiving reimbursement, according to the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

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Right now, there could be a manufacturing company  about to move into Oklahoma and we know nothing about it, Paxton said. Then all of a sudden, we get hit with a very large property tax reimbursement that we have to absorb that takes away from other things.

The measure would allow the Legislature to work with counties to determine the reimbursement amount, Paxton said.

He said the change would give the Legislature more control.

Dewey County Assessor Jennifer McCormick, who serves as an officer with the County Assessor Association of Oklahoma, said shes not opposed to the idea.

I have some concerns regarding it, she said.

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McCormick said one of those concerns is that the state uses a portion of the state income tax to make the reimbursements. But the state is on a path to eliminating that tax, she said.

Tulsa County Assessor John Wright, a former member of the Oklahoma House, said he defers to the Legislature to set policy.

It is an economic development tool used to keep counties whole, Wright said, adding that he understands the constraint on the state budget.

Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman, voted against the measure saying she couldnt make the math work.

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Jacqui Heinrich was visibly puzzled while reporting from the White House lawn on Thursday. The Fox News senior White House correspondent was trying to make sense of a bizarre on-camera press statement First Lady Melania Trump had just given, a move that was, in Heinrichs words, out of left field.

After summoning the White House press pool, Trump strode to a podium bearing the presidential seal and, unprompted, declared that the lies linking her to Jeffrey Epstein had to end. She called on Congress to hold hearings featuring survivors of the convicted sex offenders alleged abuse. Trump did not mention her husband. And she did not address why now, after a year of sustained media attention, she suddenly felt the need to speak.

The bewilderment that followed was real  both inside and outside the White House. I didnt know what the statement was, the president admitted to the New York Times, but I knew she was going to make a statement. Reporters for mainstream and right-wing outlets alike admitted they had no idea why the first lady chose that particular moment to go on the record about her relationship with the deceased financier.

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Why is Melania Trump speaking out about Epstein now? the BBC wondered. What on Earth is Melania Trump thinking? the Guardian asked. On Fox & Friends, co-host Ainsley Earhardt bluntly asked why now at the start of an interview with the first ladys top adviser the next day. As Shawn McCreesh wrote at the New York Times, the spectacle braided two narratives that officials in this White House always approach with utmost caution: the deeply private first lady and the deeply poisonous Epstein saga.

But the question of why now? doesnt begin to illuminate what motivated the first lady to reignite a controversy the White House had been trying to contain for months with a demand that Congress investigate a scandal her husbands own administration has spent 14 months trying to bury. Her intervention brought renewed focus to the first couples friendship with Epstein, which Trump described as superficial and noted that overlapping in social circles is common in New York City and Palm Beach. (That attention continued on Monday when a federal judge dismissed the presidents $10 million defamation lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch, publisher of the Wall Street Journal, for the papers report on a 2003 birthday letter the president supposedly sent Epstein that featured a drawing of a naked woman and Trumps signature below her waist.)

Investigative journalist Vicky Ward, who has reported on Epstein for decades, captured the absurdity plainly. If Melania Trump had done this at the start of the crisis a year ago, Ward noted, it might have felt meaningful. Instead it arrived after the administration spent months managing the political fallout of its own failure to deliver the goods it had promised to MAGA voters.

The first ladys statement came just days after the president fired Pam Bondi who, as attorney general, went on Fox News in 2025 to boast that she had Epsteins client list sitting on my desk right now to review, and then presided over a year of broken promises and theatrical releases of already-public documents. During his first press conference as acting attorney general, Bondis replacement, Todd Blanche, said, I think that to the extent that the Epstein files was a part of the past year of this Justice Department, it should not be a part of anything going forward. His sentiment was so naive it led Fox News Jesse Watters to remark, Im not sure you totally get what people feel about that.

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Over the past year, the Epstein files have metastasized into a defining symbol of elite impunity. Each partial release, redaction or bureaucratic delay has reinforced the idea that there is one system of accountability for ordinary people and another for the powerful. By early 2026, large majorities of Americans believed the government was withholding key information about Epstein and his alleged accomplices, and dissatisfaction with the pace and transparency of disclosures was overwhelming. In that context, Melania Trumps recent intervention looks less like a random act and more like the performance of transparency.

Want more sharp takes on politics? Sign up for our free newsletter, Standing Room Only, written by Amanda Marcotte, now also a weekly show on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

Recall what the Trump administration promised and what it delivered. During his 2024 campaign, Trump vowed multiple times that he would probably declassify Epstein files if elected. Then-vice presidential candidate JD Vance added to the chorus, saying on a podcast, We need to release the Epstein list. During Kash Patels Senate confirmation hearing to become FBI director, he was asked whether he would help expose those who worked with Epstein in building his alleged sex trafficking ring and replied Absolutely.

Within weeks of taking office, the administrations commitment to transparency began revealing itself as something else entirely. In February 2025, the White House released what it called Phase 1 of the Epstein files to MAGA influencers, who walked out of the West Wing carrying binders bearing the seal of the Justice Department. Journalists and analysts who examined those binders found they were largely made up of documents that had already been made public. Months later, the Wall Street Journal reported that Bondi and other Justice Department officials told Trump in May that his name is among many in the Epstein files. In July, the FBI and Justice Department announced they had found no evidence of any client list kept by Epstein or that he blackmailed prominent figures, and concluded that no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted.

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Democrats in the House, along with a handful of Republicans, moved to force a vote to require the Justice Department to release the documents through a discharge petition. Files released by the Justice Department showed that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who had been Epsteins literal next-door neighbor on East 71st Street in Manhattan, visited the financiers island in 2012  four years after Epstein had pleaded guilty to procuring a person under 18 for prostitution. Lutnick had previously told the New York Post he decided in 2005 that Epstein was disgusting and that he had wanted nothing more to do with him after making an inappropriate remark while hosting Lutnick and his wife. For her part, Bondi, who was subpoenaed to testify before Congress this week, has successfully used her removal from office to avoid appearing before the House Oversight Committee.

For a year now, the Epstein files have exposed not just individual connections but systemic weakness. By calling for hearings, Melania Trump attempted to position herself on the side of transparency and accountability, even as the real power to act lies with the executive branch, which is of course led by her husband. When Marc Beckman, Trumps senior media adviser, was asked by Fox News what led her to make the statement, he said, To be honest, its a combination of legacy media, social media, different corporate entities, and personalities.

Like Beckmans comment, the Trump administrations relationship to the Epstein story has never been coherent. The first ladys speech fit that pattern. The past year of media coverage has followed that pattern. Each attempt to close the book has instead turned the page. Each effort to minimize the story has amplified it. Each declaration that there is nothing more to see has convinced millions that there must be.

The post Melania Trumps Epstein announcement deepens a year of confusion appeared first on Salon.com.
A New Mexico Environment Department board on Monday voted to increase fees for developers seeking air quality permits in a move that environmental advocates said would boost much-needed funding for state inspections, monitoring and enforcement.

State law requires developers to apply for air quality permits if they plan to build something that emits pollutants above certain thresholds. Advocates say the current fee structure is partly responsible for a backlog among the states environmental officials  recent enforcement actions focused on complaints filed more than three years ago, Citizens Caring for the Future organizer Haley Jones said in a statement. The new fees are scheduled to go into effect June 1.

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The departments Environmental Improvement Board approved the measure after three days of hearings on the matter. Last month, more than two dozen state lawmakers co-signed a letter urging the board to update the fees in light of the state Air Quality Bureaus documented funding crisis.

Communities across our state  in the Permian Basin, the San Juan Basin, and beyond  live with flaring, odors, and air pollution from oil and gas operations that contribute to asthma, respiratory illness, and reduce our quality of life, the lawmakers wrote, adding that permit and emissions fees hadnt been meaningfully updated in decades. Meanwhile, the general construction permit registrations for oil and gas projects have increased by roughly 2,100%.

The lawmakers raised concerns about whether the states hotbeds for oil and gas operations are being properly monitored. For instance, they wrote that Lea and Eddy counties, which have thousands of oil and gas wells, each have just one ozone monitor. Some major production areas dont have any, they wrote.

Environmental advocates praised the decision Monday and said that it was fair and proper for polluting industries to be responsible for costs upfront in the form of permit fees. Keeping the fees as they are places an unfair burden on taxpayers down the road, they said.

New Mexicos air quality permit fee structure has been flat for about 20 years, meaning that each year, the Environment Department has had to perform its increasingly complex public health and safety duties with fewer and fewer resources, Western Environmental Law Center attorney Morgan OGrady said in a Monday statement. It is fair and proper for industry applicants to bear the true cost to ensure their enterprises do not endanger the communities in which they operate.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA)  Deputies confirmed Sunday night that they have found the body of a boater who went missing in St. Petersburg.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office, deputies responded at 11:35 a.m. Saturday morning to a call for service at 6701 Sunshine Skyway Lane South.

It was reported that Tony Le, 63, had fallen into the water from a vessel near channel marker 18.

Detectives learned Le was boating with his family, sitting at the rear of the boat, while they were cruising at about 10 mph.

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Once Les family realized he had fallen overboard, deputies said they immediately turned the boat around and entered the water, along with other nearby boaters, but could not find him.

Detectives said Le has medical impairments and was wearing a life jacket at the time of launch, but appeared to have removed it before entering the water.

PCSO, along with the United States Coast Guard, multiple Fire Rescue Units, Eckerd College, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, responded to assist in the search.

Crews suspended primary search efforts at nightfall and continued the search Sunday morning.

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PCSO Dive Team members entered the water in the channel at 3:27 p.m. After several recovery dives, crews found Les body at an approximate depth of 19 feet, according to the sheriffs office.

Deputies said the incident appeared to be accidental. The investigation is ongoing.

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YORK COUNTY, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS)  The York County Sheriffs Office is asking for the publics help in locating a missing 31-year-old woman last seen in Clover.

Deputies said Kathryn Hardy was last seen on April 8 in the area of West Highway 55 in Clover. Investigators said she had been staying in that area before her disappearance.

Deputies said Hardys vehicle had been towed two days before she was last seen, and she is believed to be on foot.

Photo: Kathryn Hardy via YCSO

Hardy is described as 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighing approximately 130 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. Her last known address is listed as Keone Circle in Williamston, South Carolina.

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The York County Sheriffs Office is urging anyone who may have seen Hardy or has information about her whereabouts to come forward.

Anyone with information is asked to call 803-628-3059 or 911.

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The first-year cost of a House-passed proposal to eliminate the Missouri income tax ballooned to $4.2 billion under revisions made in the state Senate that were called drafting errors Monday during a committee debate.

Despite the potential costs, and misgivings of some Republican members of the Senate Fiscal Oversight Committee, the bill passed Monday afternoon on a 6-3 party-line vote. The proposal would place a constitutional amendment on a ballot later this year asking voters if they want to give lawmakers the power to increase and expand sales taxes to replace the income tax.

The committee debate was a preview of what is expected when the bill reaches the full Senate. Democrats focused on maintaining services like public schools, while Republicans focused on the growth of state government.

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It is not hyperbolic to say we are going to be in tight straits, said state Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern, a Kansas CIty Democrat. I do not know how we are going to pay the bills.

Families will find it easier to pay the bills without a state income tax, said state Sen. Rick Brattin, a Republican from Harrisonville.

It is incumbent on us to make the tough decisions that every single family has to make every single day, Brattin said.

Eliminating the income tax is Republican Gov. Mike Kehoes top priority for the year. It has generated opposition from a wide-spectrum of advocacy organizations, including business groups like Associated Industries of Missouri and the Missouri Association of Realtors.

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When the proposal left the Missouri House, the only potential cost for the coming fiscal year was the $9 million estimated to be the price for adding it to a statewide ballot. If approved, the potential cost for the following fiscal year was $49 million as provisions take effect, with the first big hit  up to $1 billion  on the $13.4 billion in annual general revenue receipts would come in the year ending June 30, 2029.

The cost exploded under the Senate version because the first tax cut would take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, as revenue in the first six months of the fiscal year is compared to the revenue from the entire previous year. The result would be an immediate reduction in the top income tax rate from 4.7% to 3.1% and the loss of $4.2 billion.

By the end of fiscal 2029, the income tax would be almost eliminated and the reduction in general revenue would be approximately $8.5 billion.

State Sen. Rusty Black, a Republican from Chillicothe who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, called the language that compares a half of a year of revenue to a full year of revenue a drafting error that will have to be fixed, in order for this to be passed.

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The intent, he said, is to allow lawmakers time to write a new sales tax law that would raise the revenue necessary to replace the income tax.

I do not want to be in charge of the appropriations committee thats losing $8 billion dollars, and I dont believe thats what the plan is, Black said.

Under the language that will go to the full Senate for debate, the top income tax rate would be cut by one-one-hundredth of a percentage point for every $20 million of revenue that the state received in a base year that was in excess of the revenue received in the following six months of a new fiscal year.

The maximum rate cut of 1.6 percentage points would occur when the difference is $3.2 billion or more.

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When the measure passed the House, it included a three-year window for lawmakers to write new tax laws that raise revenue to replace the income tax. It would exempt the new law from constitutional provisions prohibiting sales tax on real estate transactions, goods and services currently not subject to the sales and that taxes on gasoline and diesel must be spent on highways.

The exemption that would allow a sales tax on fuel purchases  the first time in Missouri that fuel has been taxed by price instead of volume  was also called a drafting error by House sponsors but the provision was not removed.

To obtain the revenue raised by the income tax without adding new items to tax, lawmakers would have to increase the sales rate  currently 3% for general revenue  by as much as 8.5%. To maintain the sales tax rate at the current level, lawmakers would have to expand its coverage to find another $300 billion of economic activity to tax.

Democrats on the committee warned that the immediate revenue reduction under the Senate version would result in devastating cuts to services while at the same time taxing Missourians for every marketplace transaction.

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This will create the most massive tax increase in the states history, said Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck, a Democrat from Affton. It will shift the burden to the middle class and the lower middle class and those who cant afford it.

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Dispatches from Ukraine. Day 1,511.

New Hungarian Leadership and Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbans 16-year rule came to an end on April 12 in a historic election marked by record-breaking turnout. Speaking on Monday afternoon, Peter Magyar, whose party won the elections on Sunday with a landslide, described Moscow as a security risk. While Magyar said his government would not support Ukraines fast-track entry to the EU, he did crucially signal that he was happy with the 90bn EU loan deal to Kyiv, raising hopes the money could finally be disbursed. But he stressed the need for an opt-out that would exempt Hungary from contributing to the loan, saying his country was in a very difficult financial situation.

Ukrainian Photographer Wins European World Press Prize

Ukrainian photojournalist Evgeniy Maloletka was named the European category winner of the World Press Photo 2026 contest. The winning image shows a 65-year-old woman seated near her home in Kyiv, moments after a missile wiped out a building across the street last April in one of the deadliest Russian attacks on the city.

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In 2023, Maloletka received the World Press Photo of the Year for his coverage of besieged Mariupol. The work captured an injured pregnant woman being carried from a maternity hospital in Mariupol after a Russian airstrike smashed it into pieces.

Maloletka's recognition comes with global recognition of Ukrainian photojournalism. Earlier this year, Associated Press photographer Yefrem Lukatsky was honored in the AP Photo Contest for a series on Kyivs Veterans Theatre, capturing performers living with amputations, burns, and vision loss as they prepared for the stage; Lukatsky has been a correspondent since 1989.

Ukraines Battlefield Logistics

Ukrainian developers have developed platforms like the Ayudah-12, a heavy multicopter drone designed to carry injured troops, while commercial systems such as the DJI FlyCart 100 hint at how cheaply such capability can be fielded; at under $17,000, these machines cost a fraction of the cost of passenger aircraft.

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With the scaling up of drone use by both sides, the front line is now under round-the-clock surveillance by drones, which severely restricts the movement of infantry and military equipment. The constant drone presence has also turned the grey zonea drone-saturated belt stretching for miles behind the frontinto a hazardous area, making ground evacuation slow and dangerous. Compared to the risks associated with traditional vehicle evacuation under drone observation, drone-based extraction may offer improved safety for wounded personnel, even though these methods do not yet meet civilian safety standards. The impact extends beyond evacuation: drones can also facilitate the rapid deployment of assault units directly to the front, reshaping tactical mobility and logistics.

In a statement on April 9, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraines military Oleksandr Syrskyi said that in March, Ukraine struck more than 150,000 enemy targets. It is a 29% increase compared with February, but these figures cannot be independently verified.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com
Some colleges and universities are introducing three-year bachelors degree programs. They often promise better employment opportunities after graduation, while allowing students to pay less tuition. Heres what to know.

Universities are moving away from the traditional 4-year bachelors degree

Some institutions have started to offer degrees that can be completed in three years  an alternative to traditional four-year degrees or two-year associate degrees. Although some three-year programs have existed, the difference is that universities are now requiring fewer credits than the usual 120 credits needed to graduate.

In February, Ensign College in Utah announced it would convert all of its bachelors degrees into three-year programs. Loma Linda University in California added several options in global health. About 60 universities and colleges are reportedly planning to launch similar programs, according to The Los Angeles Times.

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There are small groups of institutions saying that the old game doesnt work and has to change, Bob Zemsky, an emeritus professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, told the news outlet.

Were trying to be responsive to the needs of employers and, frankly, the desire of students who do want to work their way through school as quickly as possible, Kevin Black, who chairs North Dakotas State Board of Higher Education, added.

Although the state allowed universities to test bachelor of applied science degrees for fewer than 120 degrees, it also voted to reassess the decision in four years.

Why are universities introducing 3-year degrees?

First, these new degrees are being called applied or career-focused and are supposed to fast-track students employment after graduation. Elective courses that are traditionally required for students to take have been taken out of most three-year programs, according to The Los Angeles Times.

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Last semester, Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island introduced three-year degrees in criminal justice, computer science, hospitality management and design.

For students, it allows them to pay for a year less in tuition. It is also improving dropout rates, according to Johnson & Wales University.

Are 3-year programs as good as 4-year programs?

As these degrees are being newly introduced, it is not known if they allow for better or worse employment opportunities for students after graduation. Some experts note that not all disciplines can benefit from a conversion into a three-year degree.

There are certain career paths where, at least for the foreseeable future, a four-year degree is still going to be a requirement, Nate Bowditch, the provost at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire, said. If you want to go to medical school or be a rocket scientist at NASA, youre going to need a four-year degree.

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Next fall, Plymouth State University will offer three-year degrees in robotics, outdoor adventure leadership and other fields.

Some experts are concerned about these new options potentially creating a tier system in which affluent students complete four-year degrees. Others, like the North Dakota Student Association, contend against three-year programs because they do not teach critical thinking and how to form and answer questions using a variety of intellectual approaches that different disciplines require.

Although these degrees are newly being introduced in the United States, they are the norm in several other countries. Most European countries such as France, Italy and Germany, as well as the UK, India, New Zealand and more typically offer three-year bachelors degrees for most disciplines.







The post More Colleges Are Changing Bachelor Degree Programs From 4-Year To 3-Year appeared first on Blavity.
Middle East expert Yoni Ben Menachem warns that behind Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans statements lies a structured plan to build a new Sunni axis that could replace Irans regional role.

Ben Menachem, a researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, cautions that Turkey is emerging, in his view, as an increasing strategic threat to Israel. He argues that the policies led by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan go far beyond public rhetoric. According to him, Turkey is the new Iran.

He claims that Ankara is quietly working to establish a new Sunni bloc in the Middle East, based on the assumption that the Iranian regime will weaken or even collapse. Such a development, he says, would create a regional vacuum following the decline of the Shiite axis. Turkey, he adds, aims to fill this vacuum alongside Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Pakistan, in a move intended to reshape the regional balance of power.

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Ben Menachem's assessment corresponds to steps taken by Ankara in recent years to position itself as a regional leader, partly by taking an active role in defending the Palestinian cause and opposing Israeli interests in the region.

On Sunday, Erdogan accused Israel of carrying out atrocities against Palestine and Lebanon and threatened potential military action against the Jewish state, similar to its past interventions in Karabakh and Libya.

People take part in a rally in support of Palestinians and to condemn Israeli forces' interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla vessels aiming to reach Gaza and break Israel's naval blockade, in Istanbul, Turkey, October 5, 2025. (credit: DILARA SENKAYA/REUTERS)

Ankara has so far been cautious about approaching southern Syria, due to concerns over a direct confrontation with Israel

These latest comments, along with the already strained relations between Ankara and Jerusalem, could lead the two regional powers to sever ties completely, as MK Amichai Eliyahu suggested in his response to Erdogan on Sunday.

Alongside the diplomatic front, Turkey is also strengthening its military presence in Syria, in coordination with Ahmed al-Sharaa. However, Ben Menachem notes that Ankara has so far been cautious about approaching southern Syria, due to concerns over a direct confrontation with Israel.

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Ben Menachem believes these steps reflect far broader regional ambitions that extend beyond Syria or Iran alone. According to him, Turkey seeks to expand its influence across the Middle East, including around the issue of Jerusalem and in the international arena, developments that Israel must take into account already now.

Regarding Turkeys leadership, Ben Menachem described Erdogan as the most dangerous figure from Israels perspective and also identified Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as another key power player in Ankara. He noted reports of tensions between the two, linked to Fidans alleged ambitions to eventually succeed Erdogan, though he added it remains unclear whether such a scenario will materialize.
For the first time in history, the 1st NGU Corps Azov and the 7th Rapid Response Corps of the Air Assault Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine conducted joint command-staff exercises with the support of the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U), National Guard commander Oleksandr Pivnenko said.

"The importance and necessity of such exercises is driven by the adjacency of the corps areas of responsibility at the front. That is why during the sessions, command officers paid maximum attention to synchronising joint efforts and practising joint planning," Pivnenko said in a Facebook post.

He noted that during the exercises the units worked through issues of joint action planning and synchronisation of efforts taking into account areas of responsibility, conducted wargaming, and practised NATO-standard decision-making procedures, including MDMP and IPB.

Particular attention was paid to the speed of decision-making and adaptation to a changing situation.

"At this point, effectively every three months it is already a different war, a different character of combat operations. One needs to learn quickly, adapt and be flexible in implementing experience and innovations. This format of training allows not only to work through interaction algorithms, but also to form a shared vision of conducting operations, which is critically important in current conditions," Pivnenko stressed.

He also commended the contribution of Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U) instructors, who ensured high-quality preparation and a modern approach to the training process.
LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT)  Moulton officials told News 19 that three people have died in a wreck on Saturday near the intersection of Highway 157 and Highway 24.

The wreck happened around 11 a.m. and involved an SUV and a truck, News 19 was told. First responders at the scene said there was confirmed entrapment.

The three people who died were inside the SUV.

Coroner Scott Norwood confirmed that Ashley Hagood, 33, the driver of the SUV, died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

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Bryant Ballew, 13, and Bryleigh Pledger, 7, were both pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Bentley Pledger, 10, and Brynleigh Pledger, 7, were both taken to the hospital in critical condition.

The driver of the truck had minor injuries and was taken to the hospital.

Download the WHNT News 19 App to stay updated on the go.

Sign up for WHNT News 19 newsletters to have news sent to your inbox.

After hours of delays the intersection of Highway 157 and Highway 24 is now back open.

Moulton Mayor Ryan Jolly released the following statement:

We would ask the publics cooperation and your patience in allowing our law enforcement officers to complete their investigation thoroughly. We would ask the community find alternate routes in and around the city during this time. More importantly, I want to ask the community for prayers. I want to ask you for prayers for the families of those involved, but also prayers for our first responders who valiantly raced to an emergency scene not knowing what they were going to encounter when they got there, but being able to provide and render aid to those in need at their time of need.

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I would just ask the community to continue to lift up our first responders; responding to these scenes are very difficult. They take a mental and physical toll on our first responders. The next few weeks and months will be very difficult for our first responders as they navigate through this process. We have committed to provide the necessary resources to assist our first responders in dealing with this incident. Again, I would just ask our community to come together, hug each other a little tighter, and continue to pray for one another.

State Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, whose district includes Lawrence County, released the following statement:

Our hearts sorrow with those impacted today in the terrible wreck in Moulton today. Multiple fatalities and precious ones flown to UAB Childrens. May God have mercy on all impacted and on those who responded with compassion and bravery to the scene. Lord, help us in our time of need.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com.
By Michel Rose and John Irish

PARIS/LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) - NATO allies said on Monday they would not get involved in U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to blockade Iranian ports, proposing to intervene only once fighting ends, in a move likely to anger Trump and increase strains in the alliance.

Trump said the U.S. military would eliminate any Iranian ships that came near the blockade nL4N40W08K that began on Monday, after weekend talks failed to reach an agreement to end the six-week conflict with Iran https://www.reuters.com/world/iran/.

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Trump initially said the U.S. would work with other countries to block ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. military later specified that the blockade would only apply to ships going to or from Iranian ports.

Since the war started on February 28, Iran has largely blocked the waterway for all ships but its own. It has been seeking to make its control of the strait permanent and possibly collect levies from ships that use it.

"The Blockade will begin shortly. Other Countries will be involved with this Blockade," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday.

But NATO allies, including Britain and France, said they would not be drawn into the conflict by taking part in the blockade, saying instead they were working on an initiative to open the strait, through which a fifth of global oil supplies normally passes.

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Their refusal to participate is another point of friction with Trump, who has threatened to withdraw from the military alliance and is weighing pulling some U.S. troops from Europe nL1N40S0YV after several countries denied U.S. military planes use of their airspace for attacks on Iran.

CONSIDERABLE PRESSURE

"We're not supporting the blockade," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the BBC.

"My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure, and there's been some considerable pressure, we're not getting dragged into the war," he said.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told European governments nL6N40S0SC that Trump wants concrete commitments in the near future to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats told Reuters last week.

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NATO could play a role in the strait if its 32 members could agree on the formation of a mission, Rutte said on Thursday.

Several European countries have said they are willing to help in the strait, but only once there is a durable end to hostilities and an agreement with Iran that their ships will not be attacked.

France will organise a conference with Britain and other countries to create a multinational mission to restore navigation in the strait, French President Emmanuel Macron said on X on Monday.

"This strictly defensive mission, distinct from the belligerents, will be deployed as soon as the situation allows," Macron said.

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The initiative aims to establish rules for safe passage and the coordination of military vessels to escort tankers, Starmer said in parliament on Monday.

"Let me be very clear, this is about safeguarding shipping and supporting freedom of navigation once the conflict ends. Our shared aim here is a coordinated, independent, multi-national plan," he said.

A meeting to draw up plans for the mission involving about 30 countries, including Gulf countries, India, Greece, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, could happen as soon as Thursday in Paris or London, a French diplomatic source said.

The military ships would provide reassurance without being belligerent, the source said, adding that Iran and the U.S. would be informed of the mission but play no direct part.

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Another European diplomatic source questioned whether Trump would welcome a mission now that he had ordered the blockade.

"Since Trump is now using the strait as his own leverage, does he even want a mission there?" the source said.

The Strait of Hormuz should be reopened by diplomacy, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday, adding that creating an international force to oversee it would be complicated. He called for NATO to reset its ties with Trump at a summit in Ankara in July.

(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, John Irish, Michel Rose and Andrew MacAskill; Writing by Charlie Devereux; Editing by Keith Weir, Peter Graff, Andrew Heavens, Rod Nickel)
MADRID (AP)  Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is in China again this week, his fourth trip in just over three years to the worlds second-largest economy as Spain seeks to strengthen its political and commercial ties with Beijing.

His visit comes at a complex geopolitical moment as European leaders try to influence an end to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, and as Spain's relationship with the U.S. has been strained by Sanchezs vocal disapproval of the conflict.

On Monday, Sanchez urged China to assume a larger role in a multipolar world, speaking at Beijings Tsinghua University a day before he is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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China can do more. For example, by demanding ... that international law be respected and that the conflicts in Lebanon, Iran, Gaza and the West Bank and Ukraine cease, Sanchez said.

Heres what to know about the Spanish leaders visit.

Sanchez is back in China, again

Spain says it wants to diversify its political relations with the worlds large powers, including Beijing.

Spanish officials have said the government wants to shore up more Chinese investment, and boost exports to the country, even though trade policy is conducted by the European Union on behalf of all 27 member states.

The southern European nation, which generates more than half its electricity from renewable sources, needs Chinese critical raw materials, solar panels and green technologies  similar to other European countries transitioning away from fossil fuels.

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Politically, the trip comes as Spain has stuck its neck out in Europe as the continents loudest critic of the U.S. and Israel's military actions in the Middle East, with the Sanchez government recently declaring its airspace closed to U.S. planes being used in the Iran war, and refusing the U.S. the use of jointly operated military bases in southern Spain.

Given the increased frictions with the U.S. administration, these annual meetings have taken on an increased importance, said Eric Sigmon, a Madrid-based political analyst and a former U.S. national security adviser, about Sanchezs latest trip to China.

Sanchez is in China through Wednesday, and will hold talks Tuesday with Xi, Premier Li Qiang and Chinas top lawmaker, Zhao Leji, the third-ranking leader of its ruling Communist Party.

A friendlier Spain seeks to balance trade with China with limited success

Spain, the eurozones fourth-largest economy, has been less adversarial toward China than other EU countries in recent years. It has sought to reposition trade relations with China, whose exports to Spain are far greater than those of the Iberian nation of 49 million people. China has a population of more than 1.4 billion people.

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Sanchez's government has had little success, with China accounting for about 74% of Spain's overall trade gap.

This repeated annual pilgrimage by Sanchez  his fourth in four (calendar) years  highlights an increasingly one-sided and unbalanced relationship, said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at the French investment bank Natixis.

For China, Spain serves as a relatively soft, conciliatory partner that advocates for dialogue over tougher EU measures, Garcia-Herrero said.

Sanchez, speaking in Beijing on Monday, said the EU had done its part, however slow-moving, to balance trade, and urged China to follow suit.

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We need China to do the same. To open up so that Europe doesnt have to close itself off, he said.

Spain wants stronger ties with major global powers

As a midsize political power, Spain under Sanchez has said it wants to develop stronger bilateral ties with the worlds large powers and economies, including China and, increasingly, India, in addition to the U.S.

Spains King Felipe VI also made an official visit to China last November, the first time in 18 years that a Spanish monarch did so, demonstrating the nations interest in bolstering its relationship with Beijing.

Sanchez's last visit to Beijing ruffled feathers in Washington and took place shortly after the Trump administration announced sweeping global tariffs. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the time warned Spain about cutting your own throat.

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On Monday, Sanchez encouraged China to play a larger role alongside the EU to fight climate change, promote global health and control the development of responsible artificial intelligence as well as nuclear weapons.

Especially now that the U.S. has decided to withdraw from many of these fronts, Sanchez said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has congratulated Hungary's opposition leader Peter Magyar on his election victory, while simultaneously expressing "deep appreciation" for his "dear friend" Viktor Orban.

In a post on X, Netanyahu described the outgoing right-wing Hungarian prime minister as "a true friend of Israel" who had stood firmly by the country "in the face of unjust international vilification" and supported Israeli soldiers in what he called a "just war of self-defense against brutal terrorists."

He added that "the people of Israel will remember this forever."

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Netanyahu wished Magyar "success in leading Hungary forward, while strengthening the strong ties between our nations."

"I look forward to continuing our cooperation for the benefit of both our peoples," he said.

Relations between Netanyahu and Orban are particularly close.

The Hungarian leader was the only European head of government to host Netanyahu last year, marking the Israeli premier's first such visit since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him for actions taken in Gaza.

Both leaders share similar views favouring strong executive power with fewer constraints from institutional checks and balances. They have also been critical of independent judiciaries and media outlets that report critically on their governments.

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Orban repeatedly backed Netanyahu's controversial handling of the war in Gaza. As a member of the European Union, Hungary on several occasions blocked EU resolutions calling for ceasefires and greater consideration for Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

During the campaign, Magyar pledged to more firmly anchor Hungary within the EU. However, Israeli analysts do not expect a major shift in Hungary's relations with Israel.
The king and queen of the Netherlands began a three-day diplomatic visit to the United States on Monday with a stop in Philadelphia, where they toured historic sites and spent time with students at Kensington Creative and Performing Arts High School.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima arrived at Independence Hall alongside Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and first lady Lori Shapiro. The visit marked the start of a trip aimed at strengthening ties between the United States and the Netherlands.

"It means a lot to us to be visiting the United States in the year you celebrate your 250th anniversary, and where better to start than here in Philadelphia," King Willem-Alexander said.

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Shapiro noted the longstanding relationship between the two nations.

"The Dutch supported America's fight for independence. It was the second country to formally recognize the new United States," he said.

After touring Independence Hall and viewing the Liberty Bell, the royal couple shifted their focus to the city's young artists and performers. Students at Kensington CAPA greeted them with a song and presented original artwork before performing a dance routine.

"It was like really nervous because I was right in their ear," said 12th grader Jaaniyah Ford.

The king and queen posed for photos with Mayor Cherelle Parker and shared lighthearted moments with students, including a laugh over accents.

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"She was like, ' What's my accent?' I was like, 'It kind of gives British.' And the majesty was like, 'Well, I've never heard that before!'" one student said.

For many at the school, the visit offered a rare cultural exchange.

"It's definitely a proud experience that I can move forward on," said senior Zaakira Mason.

Principal Patricia McDermott said she hoped the encounter broadened students' perspectives.

"I hope that the kids see that the world is so much bigger than their block, their neighborhood or Philadelphia," she said.

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The royal couple also visited the Cira Center, where officials discussed opportunities to expand trade between Pennsylvania and the Netherlands.

Students answered an emphatic "yes" when asked if they would dream of one day performing in the Netherlands. The king and queen planned to end Monday evening in Washington, D.C., with dinner at the White House.

Their diplomatic tour of the U.S. will also take them to Miami.
Former President Barack Obama rubbed the Trump administrations nose in its own failure in the wake of the Hungarian election.

President Donald Trump dispatched Vice President JD Vance to Europe to whip up support for autocrat Viktor Orban, whose 16 years in power came to an end with a landslide victory for rival Peter Magyar on Sunday.

The victory of the opposition in Hungary yesterday, like the Polish election in 2023, is a victory for democracy, not just in Europe but around the world, Obama wrote in the wake of Vances mission to central Europe. Most of all, its a testament to the resilience and determination of the Hungarian peopleand a reminder to all of us to keep striving for fairness, equality and the rule of law.

Barack Obama/ X

In Polands 2023 election, pro-NATO, pro-EU candidate Donald Tusk became prime minister by defeating the right-wing, populist-nationalist Law and Justice party. Sundays emphatic result in Hungary dealt a similar blow to its populist-nationalist movement, which Trump champions.

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Many in Hungary had been desperate for change, and the divorced father of three, Magyar, and his Tisza party promised to give it to them, pledging to improve ties with historic ally Poland and to smooth relations with Europe.

Under Orban, 62, Hungary occupied a unique place in world politics. A member of the European Union, it frequently opposed the bloc and was a regular thorn in the side of Brussels.

Vances trip to Hungary did not have the desired effect on Hungarian voters, who ousted Viktor Orban (left) after 16 years. / Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS

Orban also had the backing of Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader had promised ahead of the election to ensure that Hungarys fuel imports remained stable, despite global uncertainty about stock levels stemming from the war in Iran.

The Fidesz leaders ties to the Kremlin have been a frequent headache for Hungarys European Union partners. Budapest has moved to block sanctions against Moscow, slow EU aid packages for Kyiv, and frame Ukraine and its leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, as the aggressor in Ukraines war against Russian invaders.

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Trump, meanwhile, sent his possible successor, Vance, to personally sell the Hungarian people on the merits of Orban and his philosophy of illiberal democracy under which they have lived for three terms.

Vance tried and failed to turn the election in Orbans favor. / Jonathan Ernst / REUTERS

My Administration stands ready to use the full Economic Might of the United States to strengthen Hungarys Economy, as we have done for our Great Allies in the past, if Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the Hungarian People ever need it, Trump, 79, wrote on Truth Social on Sunday, ahead of the vote.

We are excited to invest in the future Prosperity that will be generated by Orbans continued Leadership!

The pair have been close since Orban became the first and only EU leader to endorse him in 2016, the BBC reports.

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On Saturday, Hungarys long-time leader seemed buoyed by Washingtons support. America stands with us. Hungary is proud to be a great ally, he wrote on X.

During 41-year-old Vances visit, he spoke to crowds in English about the danger of foreign election interference.

Sitting on stage with Orban, he said Hungary had faced, one of the worst examples of foreign election interference that I have ever seen or ever even read about because they hate this guy, pointing at Orban.

He added that theinterference thats come from the bureaucracy in Brussels has been truly disgraceful.

Vance flew from the U.S. to express his disappointment over foreign interference in Hungarys election. / Bernadett Szabo / Bernadett Szabo/REUTERS

At a later rally, Vance said, We want you to make a decision about your future with no outside forces pressuring you or telling you what to do. Im not telling you exactly who to vote for but what I am telling you is that the bureaucrats in Brussels, those people should not be listened to.

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He also pulled a bizarre stunt, calling Trump from the lectern and putting him on speakerphone. The call succeeded on the second attempt, after the first went to voicemail.

This has been a week to forget for Vance. His next stop was Pakistan, where his attempts to negotiate a peace deal with Iran fell apart.

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House and Vances office for comment.
Family members and Westlake police dispatchers couldn't contact a 91-year-old woman who on April 9 didn't answer her daily phone call from the Cleveland's suburb's "Are You Okay?" program.

Officers sent to the woman's house for a welfare check didn't get an answer at the door, Beacon Journal news partner News 5 Cleveland reports, so they used a code to access the garage and found her car. Then they entered the house, where they found the woman trying to set a new high score in a game.

"We're here with her," an officer told Westlake dispatchers. "She's playing video games in her bedroom."

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Westlake Police Capt. Jerry Vogel said the woman was thankful officers checked on her.

"Everyone got a good laugh out of it," Vogel told News 5.

See bodycam footage from the welfare check

To protect the identity of the woman, Westlake police did not release her name. Nor did they release the entire bodycam video from the welfare check. The video ends as the officer enters the house through the garage.

What is the 'Are You Okay?' program?

News 5 reports that the Are You Okay? program allows residents to sign up for a daily phone call to check in and make sure all is well.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ohio police called when gamer grandma, 91, ignores phone. See video
Monday's weather forecast in Oklahoma includes a marginal risk of thunderstorm formation, but any that do form could turn severe.

According to the National Weather Service in Norman, the atmosphere over Oklahoma is becoming more favorable for the creation of thunderstorms, but there are several things working against it.

For example, the dryline will drive any storm formation on Monday, April 13, but meteorologists weren't yet sure Monday morning the dryline would end up. The main source of lift on any storm will be the dryline, but wind direction won't be ideal for the formation of thunderstorms.

Severe weather possible Monday afternoon

The thing to watch out for Monday afternoon and into evening will be wind direction and heating.

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"All hazards would be in play for any isolated storm that develops this afternoon," the NWS forecast noted.

Despite the threat for a tornado, most computer models don't have storms initiating this afternoon.

"The storm potential is once again conditional on the mesoscale environmental details that will be closely monitored through the day today," the forecast stated.

Oklahoma wildfire risk higher on Monday

Meteorologists are more confident in the risk of fire weather on Monday. The areas most affected will be in northwest and far western Oklahoma. Now under a red flag warning, these areas of Oklahoma will experience temperatures in the 90s or near-90s, low humidity and strong winds.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma weather: Storms possible, fire risk includes red flag warning
Two years after school officials prohibited electric scooters from campus, Princeton University is banning all electric bikes.

The new policy released Monday goes into effect June 1 on the Ivy League campus.

Graduate students, faculty and staff who live off campus and commute will still be able to ride an e-bike to school, according to a new policy. However, the commuters will need to park in designated locations and not ride e-bikes on the main campus.

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E-Bike users have increasingly been observed violating safety rules, including riding on sidewalks and pedestrian pathways, failing to yield to pedestrians, and carrying multiple riders on a single device, according to an email sent to the Princeton community announcing the new policy.

The campus Environmental Safety and Risk Management Committee said the new e-bike ban will apply to all students, faculty, staff and visitors.

Charlie Yale, an opinion writer for the Daily Princetonian, the campus newspaper, advocated for the e-bike ban in December.

E-bikes weave through pedestrians, are parked in the middle of pedestrian pathways, and are definitely driven faster than 10 miles per hour, Yale wrote.

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While he empathized with students who need to traverse the campus on a regular basis, the dangers e-bikes pose warranted a ban, he wrote.

On social media on Monday, some members of the Princeton University community said they were frustrated the school is banning all e-bikes instead of punishing riders who break the rules.

Why punish the offenders when we can simply ban everyone instead, said one commenter on Reddit.

Princeton Universitys main campus includes about 190 buildings on 500 acres, campus officials said. Nearly 98% of undergraduates live on campus.

The ban comes as New Jersey is tightening e-bike regulations statewide.

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In January, former Gov. Phil Murphy signed a law that expanded license, registration and insurance requirements to e-bike users who own a bike that is pedal-activated. The law goes into effect July 1.

The Princeton University ban goes beyond just banning e-bike riding. Students also must remove their e-bikes from campus.

Any ebike found on campus after June 1 will be considered abandoned property and will be subject to confiscation, with no expectation of return," said the campus message sent out Monday.

Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
COTONOU, April 13 (Reuters) - The sole opposition candidate in Benin's presidential election, Paul Hounkpe, has conceded defeat to Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni following the vote in the West African country, state television reported on Monday.

A 49-year-old former Deloitte executive, Wadagni nL8N40M0M5 is the chosen successor of outgoing President Patrice Talon and had the backing of the ruling coalition in Sunday's election, which took place four months after the government was nearly toppled in a coup attempt nL6N3XE0R9.

The opposition candidate, Paul Hounkpe of the Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin party, acknowledged his defeat in a statement on Monday before provisional results were announced, according to a social media post by the state television network.

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Wadagni was the overwhelming favourite after the main opposition party, The Democrats, failed to get enough lawmakers to sponsor a candidate of its own and did not back Hounkpe.

SECURITY AND POVERTY ARE KEY CHALLENGES

Wadagni will come under pressure to bolster the country's defences in the north, which faces a growing threat from jihadist groups based in the central Sahel.

The disgruntled soldiers who staged the December coup attempt said they were partly motivated by deteriorating security conditions there.

"A stable transition in Benin is important not only for the country itself but also for the broader West Africa region, given the political instability caused by successive coups in the Sahel," said Heni Nsaibia, senior West Africa analyst for Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a conflict monitoring group.

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"It is therefore especially necessary to focus efforts on stabilizing the north, preventing further upheaval, and demonstrating a model of stability for the broader region."

Wadagni has also vowed to deliver on bread-and-butter issues like expanding access to clean water, expanding social security programmes and guaranteeing emergency healthcare regardless of ability to pay.

On the campaign trail, Hounkpe said high-profile tourism projects and impressive GDP growth under Talon and Wadagni had not improved the lives of most people.

He has also decried what he described as a climate of fear as political space for the opposition shrinks, with the ruling coalition holding every seat in the National Assembly.

(Reporting by Pulcherie Adjoha; Writing by Robbie Corey-BouletEditing by Bate Felix and Keith Weir)
Cherkasy region police detained a former bank employee who misappropriated over UAH 1 mln in payments intended for the grandmother of a fallen serviceman.

"While serving as the chief economist of a bank branch, the woman misled and subsequently induced a 78-year-old bank client to open another account and transfer funds to it that were accrued in connection with the death of her grandson in the combat zone in the Kharkiv direction," according to a report on the National Police website on Monday.

Subsequently, the suspect secretly gained access to the victims newly created account and seized the womans funds through systematic cash withdrawals at city ATMs. Police conducted searches at the residences and former workplace of the perpetrator.

Currently, the woman has been notified of suspicion for theft committed on an especially large scale, unauthorized interference in the operation of automated (information) systems, legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means, and misappropriation of an official document (Part 5 of Article 185, Parts 1 and 2 of Article 361, Part 1 of Article 209, Part 1 of Article 357 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

"A preventive measure in the form of detention has been chosen for the suspect. She faces imprisonment for a term of up to 12 years with confiscation of property," the National Police said.
Crews have begun an around-the-clock recovery effort after demolishing a partially collapsed parking garage in Grays Ferry on Sunday.

Within minutes of the structure being torn down Sunday evening, search teams entered the debris field with a cadaver dog, looking for the men who have been missing since Wednesday's collapse.

"We are at the point we have been waiting for," said Dominick Mireles, director of the city's Office of Emergency Management.

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The demolition marked a critical step following the deadly partial collapse of the garage, which had been under construction for CHOP.

Crews spent the weekend knocking down the unstable structure piece by piece, using a wrecking ball to bring down the remaining sections. The final wall fell shortly before 7 p.m., clearing the way for recovery teams to move in.

STREAMING LIVE: Live camera shows site of Philadelphia parking garage collapse

Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson said the demolition phase was completed without further harm.

City officials give Friday update on parking garage collapse

"We were able to do it safely without any injuries," Thompson said. "We achieved our goal of demolishing the remainder of the parking garage structure, so we've made this scene safer for our members to continue and to move onto the next phase."

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That next phase, he said, is the recovery effort.

"The next phase of this operation is the recovery phase," Thompson said. "It's going to start with removing the larger pieces of concrete that are down, after which we will bring in our technical rescue specialist who will methodically de-layer the area where we believe the lost souls are."

Search crews are now carefully combing through the debris, working through tight slabs of concrete as a cadaver dog assists in detecting scents.

Thompson said the effort will continue uninterrupted until the victims are found.

"We will work 24 hours a day, starting overnight, we are going to work continuously until we can bring those lost souls home to their loved ones," he said.

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City officials warned that the overnight operation will bring noise to the surrounding community, and nearby businesses will remain closed.

"We will be in 24 hour operations, there will be noise tonight," Mireles said. "We know it will be an impact to our community, we're sorry for that but we are working as clear eyed as we possibly can and as dedicated as we can to return those ironworkers."

WATCH: Video shows moment Philadelphia parking garage partially collapses

Video shows moment Philly parking garage partially collapses

Family members gathered near the site Sunday, watching as crews began the painstaking search.

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Among them was Brian Forstater of Cape May, New Jersey, whose cousin, Matthew Kane, is one of the missing workers and is presumed dead.

"He was a good father, a good person. I'm gonna miss him," Forstater said.

He said Kane had worked as an ironworker for more than 20 years and leaves behind a wife and two children. Forstater traveled from the Jersey Shore to be with his aunt, Kane's mother, as they awaited news.

"My aunt Meg, his mom, she's shaken up. It's rough for her," he said.

Friend mourns worker killed in Philadelphia parking garage collapse

Forstater described his cousin as someone known for his personality on job sites, including dancing while he worked.

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As crews continue their overnight operation, families remain at the scene hoping for closure after days of uncertainty.

Officials said work will continue nonstop until both men are recovered and returned to their loved ones.
Downtown Ace worker stabbed in head with broken cane, suspect hits K-9 with cane

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI)  The San Diego Police Department confirmed a 25-year-old Ace employee in downtown San Diego was stabbed in the head with a broken cane handle on Sunday afternoon.

The incident happened around 3:42 p.m. near K Street and 13th Street, near an Ace parking lot, also known as the Tailgate Padres Parking Lot.

According to SDPD, the victim was sitting on an electrical box when a man allegedly began striking him on the top of the head with a broken handle from a wooden cane.

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Results released from Chula Vista DUI checkpoint over weekend

The victim reportedly received two lacerations on his head and was transported to UCSD Hospital. His injuries were considered non-life-threatening, according to SDPD.

Video taken of Keovongsa hitting K-9 with a wooden cane (Photo courtesy ADVTR_TIME).

The suspect, who was identified as Lathapoun Keovongsa, 20, was later located by authorities near Park Boulevard, and he was allegedly holding a 6-foot wooden stick.

According to SDPD, Keovongsa was uncooperative and refused to obey officers commands. Authorities reportedly deployed non-lethal weapons on the suspect, but they were ineffective. Officers then used a K-9 to apprehend him.

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When the K-9 was released, a witness video shows Keovongsa violently hitting the K-9 multiple times with the wooden object. The K-9 then bit Keovongsa on his arm, and he was taken into custody.

Keovongsas charges include Resisting Arrest, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Vandalism, Resisting an Officer and Harming a Dog. He is being held on $50,000 bail, and his first court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday.

FOX 5/KUSI reached out to police for an update on the K-9, but has not heard back.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News.
Former Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) raked in nearly $9 million across her authorized committees over the first three months of the year, a staggering sum for Alaska that reflects how critical national Democrats believe the race is to their chances of retaking the Senate majority.

Peltolas $8.9 million haul represents the largest first-quarter raise of any Senate candidate in the states history, according to her campaign, which shared its numbers first with POLITICO. Its quadruple the amount her rival, GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan, raised over the same period.

"Alaskans know DC isnt working for them, and theyre ready for change," Peltola said in a statement. "Im so grateful for the support weve received from every single borough and census area across our state, and its that support that will bring us to victory this November.

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Sullivans campaign said last week he had raised $2.1 million across his authorized committees and had $7.5 million in cash on hand. Peltolas campaign declined to provide her amount of cash on hand, raising the possibility that she spent a lot to raise that much. Her team noted that 95 percent of the contributions she received since launching her Senate bid in mid-January were $100 or less, meaning she can go back to those small-dollar donors for more money in future months.

Sullivans campaign argues that hes well-positioned for reelection.

This historic support sends a clear message: Alaskans know that Dan delivers, Sullivan campaign spokesperson Nate Adams said in a statement Thursday announcing the senators haul. From bolstering our Alaska-based military and Coast Guard, unleashing Alaskas resource economy, and securing historic investments in Alaskas healthcare system, Senator Sullivan has a proven record of results.

Sullivan has survived being outraised before. He trounced his last opponent, independent Al Gross, by 13 percentage points in 2020, even though Gross raised roughly twice as much cash and benefited from millions of dollars in outside spending from Democratic groups. And cash advantages havent saved Peltola in the past; she lost her House seat to Republican Nick Begich in 2024 despite outraising him nearly five to one.

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Alaska remains an uphill climb for Democrats. President Donald Trump won the state by 13 points in 2024. A pending Supreme Court ruling that could ban states from counting late-arriving ballots could also scramble the race by potentially disenfranchising thousands of voters across rural regions of The Last Frontier  particularly Alaska Natives who are a key constituency for Peltola.

But Peltola is a household name in Alaska who has won two statewide bids, and has led Sullivan in the few public polls of the Senate race. The latest, a mid-March poll from Alaska Survey Research, showed her up by 5 percentage points.

National Democrats need to net four seats to reclaim the majority. They view Peltola as a major recruiting win and Alaska as a linchpin to their plans that involve holding a slate of open seats and flipping others in competitive states.

Outside groups are already spending heavily in the relatively cheap state  a sign of how high stakes both sides view the race. Democratic-aligned super PACs have already plunked down over $3 million in ad buys, according to tracking firm AdImpact. The GOPs top super PAC, Senate Leadership Fund, has made over $6 million in reservations in the state and pledged last week to pour $15 million into the race  a sign Republicans do not see Sullivans reelection as a sure thing.

Peltolas haul puts her in league with other Democratic candidates without primaries in far more expensive states. Former Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a historically prolific fundraiser and another top recruit of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, raked in $12.5 million across his authorized committees in his bid against GOP Sen. Jon Husted.
Presidential elections in Peru are likely to be decided in a run-off vote after no candidate appeared to have achieve an absolute majority in a first round of voting, according to initial results on Monday.

Peruvians voted on Sunday for a new president and Congress, with all 60 Senate and 130 lower house seats up for grabs, in elections held against the backdrop of a deep political crisis.

Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former president Alberto Fujimori, led the presidential race at about 17%, according to preliminary results released after roughly half of the votes were counted.

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Fujimori, whose father was convicted of human rights abuses, is running for the conservative People's Force party and is seeking the presidency for the fourth time.

She was trailed by ultra-conservative former Lima mayor Rafael Lopez Aliaga with nearly 15%, among 35 candidates vying for the top job.

If no candidate manages to garner an absolute majority, the two leading contenders are due to face off in a run-off vote on June 7.

Rising crime has been the dominant issue in the campaign, with the murder rate in Peru having doubled since 2019. Extortion and gang-related crime have also increased significantly.

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Perus political landscape remains highly unstable, marked by ongoing tensions between parliament and the executive. Incumbent President Jose Maria Balcazar only took office in mid-February and is already the countrys eighth head of state in less than a decade.

The last Peruvian president to complete a full five-year term was Ollanta Humala, who served from 2011 to 2016.

Some polls were reopened on Monday after some voters were unable to cast their ballots in Sunday's elections.

The National Election Board (JNE) said there had been delays in the installation of polling stations in several voting centres, with voting extended until Monday evening in those areas.

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Some 15 polling stations were unable to open in Lima on Sunday after ballot papers had failed to be delivered, affecting some 50,000 voters. Two consulates in the US, where Peruvians living abroad were able to cast their ballots, also reported irregularities.

The JNE said it could "guarantee" the transparency and legality of the election.
MANILA, April 13 (Reuters) - The Philippines discovered cyanide on Chinese boats operating around a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, security officials from the country said on Monday.

Authorities said laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the highly toxic substance in bottles seized by the Philippine navy in operations at Second Thomas Shoal last year.

Officials warned that the cyanide could have had serious consequences for marine life and weakened the reef supporting a warship that Manila grounded on the atoll to reinforce its maritime claim.

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"We wish to underscore that the use of cyanide in Ayungin Shoal is a form of sabotage that seeks to kill local fish populations, depriving Navy personnel of a vital food source," Cornelio Valencia, National Security Council spokesperson, told a press conference using the Philippines' name for the atoll.

Valencia added that cyanide could damage the reef and "ultimately compromise" the warship's stability.

The Chinese foreign ministry dismissed the Philippines' assertions, calling them a "stunt".

"The Philippine side illegally harassed the Chinese fishing boats conducting normal fishing, grabbed the fishermens living supplies, and staged this so-called cyanide stunt. There is no credibility whatsoever to their story," foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday.

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The shoal is within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone and located 1,300 km (808 miles) off mainland China, which refers to it as Renai Reef.

The Philippines has accused China of disrupting resupply missions to troops on the vessel, including a June 17, 2024, incident that turned violent and resulted in a Filipino sailor losing a finger. China has denied allegations of aggressive conduct during such encounters and accused the Philippines of trespassing in its waters.

The June confrontation later led to a provisional understanding for resupply missions to the grounded ship.

China and the Philippines held high-level talks last month over the South China Sea, exploring preliminary steps towards oil and gas cooperation nL1N40V02J, and confidence-building measures at sea, including communication between their coast guards.

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The Philippine foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday the scope of the coast guard cooperation would be limited, and "does not contemplate cooperation in sensitive operational areas," adding that there had been no discussions on joint patrols.

China claims nearly all the South China Sea, including areas claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

A 2016 ruling by an international arbitral tribunal found Beijing's sweeping claims had no basis under international law, a decision China rejects. More than $3 trillion in annual ship-borne commerce travels through the waterway.

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
Two people were killed April 13 after a small plane that departed from Knoxville's Downtown Island Airport crashed around 1:10 p.m. in nearby New Market.

The Beechcraft Baron 58 twin-piston airplane went down near Burchell Road, according to the New Market Fire Department.

The plane was bound for Landing At River's Edge Airport in Blaine, Tennessee, according to FlightAware.

Both people on the aircraft were pronounced dead at the scene. Their bodies have been sent to the University of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Center for identification, according to NMFD Captain Sammy Solomon.

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The plane ignited a one-acre brush fire when it crashed, according to the New Market Fire Department. The fire took about 15 minutes to control.

The scene near where a plane crashed off Burchell Road in New Market on April 1, 2026. The scene near where a plane crashed off Burchell Road in New Market on April 1, 2026. Emergency vehicles are parked near the area of a plane crash in New Market, Tenn. on April 13, 2026. Plane crashes in New Market after leaving Island Home Airport 1 of 3 The scene near where a plane crashed off Burchell Road in New Market on April 1, 2026.

The fire department advised people to stay clear of the area. Investigators from the Criminal Investigation Division were on scene on April 13, plus Investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. Jefferson County Emergency Management officials were back at the crash site April 14.

Allison Kiehl covers trending and breaking news from Knoxville for the Tennessee Connect Team. Email: allison.kiehl@knoxnews.com

Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: New Market, Tennessee, plane crash kills 2 people
Oklahoma City police are investigating after a 39-year-old woman died in an alleged hit-and-run incident.

Police said Taisha Dale, 39, had been in an argument early Sunday, April 12, with another woman in the 11300 block of NW 104th St. At some point during the argument, according to a police incident report, Dale began walking down the street when the other woman intentionally ran over Dale with a vehicle. The other woman fled the scene, according to police.

More: 'They threw a baby,' dispatch said. OKC officers play April Fool's joke

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Dale received aid before being transported to a local hospital, where she died as a result of her injuries, police said.

Police said a suspect was located and taken into custody on a first-degree murder complaint.

The Oklahoman is not naming the suspect, as they have not yet been formally charged.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKCPD arrest suspect in weekend hit-and-run death
A man is dead following a shooting in Philadelphia's East Mount Airy neighborhood.

Police were called to the 6300 block of Chew Avenue near East Duval Street just before 1:30 p.m. Monday for reports of a shooting.

Upon arrival, they found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

He has been identified as 22-year-old Syree Boyd.

Boyd was rushed to Albert Einstein Medical Center, where he later died.

So far, no arrests have been made and no weapons have been recovered.

Investigators are still working to figure out what led up to the shooting.
A SWAT deputy, who appeared to be a sergeant, was spotted swiping through a dating app during an active standoff in Riverside County. CBS LA caught the deputy in the act through SkyCal, prompting the Riverside County Sheriffs Office to initiate an internal investigation.

MotorBiscuit reported the incident from Wednesday that led to the SWAT standoff. It all began when a wanted suspect in a white Cadillac CT5 evaded police near Pats Ranch Road and Limonite Avenue, prompting a pursuit.

Patrol vehicles chased the suspect, who was armed with a handgun, through Jurupa Valley before moving on to the eastbound 10 Freeway and the 15 Freeway.

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After an hour into the chase, deputies engaged in a standoff near Jurupa Valley High School, prompting the school to go into lockdown as a safety measure.

Read More from MotorBiscuit:

group of police in the middle of the road

The suspect was asked to surrender. However, failing to comply with police orders, the suspect fled, running over a spike strip.

A patrol vehicle armed with a grappler device at the front pursued the Cadillac. The device is designed to slow down or stop a car by wrapping a tether strap around the rear wheel or axle. The patrol vehicle positioned itself right behind the rear wheel of the CT5 and deployed the grappler.

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However, the device failed to stop the car. Instead, the suspect lost control of his vehicle and crashed at high speed into a concrete wall behind a residence on Antigua Drive. Sensing movement inside the Cadillac after the crash, the deputies got into position for another standoff.

Deputy Distracted by Dating App?

In addition to the numerous patrol vehicles, two armored vehicles with SWAT teams pulled up behind the heavily damaged Cadillac. It was at this point that SkyCal spotted the deputy scrolling through a dating app.

A video released by CBS LA on Instagram shows how close the deputy was to the suspects Cadillac, behind the cover of the barricade, using the dating app. Meanwhile, his colleagues figured out ways to extract the suspect, who was reportedly alive and armed at that point, from the car.

The reporter in the video said that the letters SGT on the deputys vest suggested he was a sergeant, present in a supervisory capacity with the Riverside County Sheriffs SWAT team.

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He appeared to swipe left on a womans profile before scrolling through two other profiles. The Riverside County Sheriffs Office has released a statement after footage of the deputy using the dating app went viral. It read:

This behavior does not reflect the standards, expectations, or policies of our department. We have initiated an internal investigation and will take appropriate action based on the findings. The Sheriffs Office remains committed to professionalism and holding our employees accountable.

Speaking of the standoff, the suspect likely moved to the rear seat of the Cadillac. As a result, deputies used a drone to see inside the vehicle.

A battering ram was then used to break the rear window, and a tear gas canister was thrown into the Cadillac to force the suspect out. Eventually, deputies opened the rear door to find the suspect dead.
RICHMOND, IN  A Richmond woman is accused of striking her husband in the head with a beer bottle and making death threats.

Amanda Branson, 49, was charged in Wayne Superior Court 1 on Friday, April 10, with domestic battery with a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony with a maximum six-year prison term, and intmidation, a Level 5 felony carrying up to 30 months in prison.

Richmond police said they were sent to Branson's home, in the 1500 block of Idlewild Drive, on the evening of April 9 after her husband texted a co-worker with a request that they call 911 dispatchers.

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The man reported Branson had "cracked him in the head" with a bottle, according to an affidavit.

Officers reported Branson's husband was "still relatively discombobulated," apparently from both the blow to the head and consuming alcohol, when they arrived. However, he said his wife had attacked him and told him she intended to kill him, along with his ex-wife and adult daughter.

More: Richmond man accused of menacing acquaintance with machete

The man also said while he was at work earlier in the day, Branson had sent him a next message, indicating she had taken his knife and traveled to Hamilton, Ohio, where she said she had killed a male acquaintance.

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Police contacted that man in Hamilton, about 40 miles southeast of Richmond. He was said he was unharmed, although he had encountered Branson as he left work that day.

Police said they found Branson in a bedroom, where she had apparently climbed under a bed and tried to use plastic totes to create a barricade.

She was taken to the Wayne County Jail, while her husband was driven by ambulance to Reid Hospital.

Branson was released after posting a $15,000 bond. An initial hearing in her case is set for April 28.

Court records reflect no prior charges against the Richmond woman.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Richmond woman charged with battery with a deadly weapon, intimidation
Serbia provides Ukraine with humanitarian, financial, and material assistance during the full-scale war, Ambassador of Ukraine to Serbia Oleksandr Lytvynenko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

"Over 4 years, they have provided up to EUR 60 million in non-military aid in the energy sector and in the field of emergency situations. Recently, EUR 2 million was allocated for energy and up to EUR 700,000 for medicine. For such a small country with 6.5 million people, this is serious money. And we are sincerely grateful to them for this," Lytvynenko said.

He emphasized that Serbia "is quite active in helping Ukraine compared to other Balkan countries, of course, if Romania is not taken into account."

As reported, last year Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated at the 4th Ukraine-South-East Europe Summit in Odesa that Ukraine can always count on Serbias humanitarian aid, political support, and support for the countrys territorial integrity.




A woman whose body was found on fire along a greenway trail on San Antonio's Northwest Side last week died by suicide, police said Monday.

The 27-year-old was discovered around 9 a.m. on April 10 after witnesses called 911 to report a fire off the trail in the 7500 block of Prue Road, near the entrance to the Leon Creek Greenway. First responders extinguished the flames and found the woman's body. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Authorities have not publicly identified the woman.

San Antonio police said their preliminary findings show no evidence of criminal activity. The case was ruled a suicide, but the investigation remains ongoing, police told MySA on Monday.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office is expected to determine the official cause of death.

Anyone who is experiencing a mental health crisis should contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for support.
Muhammad Daud Ali, a former Indian army technician, recently discovered that he was no longer a voter in his home state of West Bengal.

His name - and those of his three children - had been struck off the electoral rolls despite valid documents, including his passport and service records. Only his wife remained on the list.

Ali, 65, and his children are among nine million voters - about 12% of West Bengal's 76 million electorate - who have been removed from the 2026 rolls as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Voting to elect a new state government will take place later this month in this eastern Indian state.

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Of these nine million, more than six million names were struck off as absentee or deceased voters, while the fate of another 2.7 million - including families like Ali's - remains undecided and will be determined by tribunals.

Thirteen states and federally-administered territories have undergone the SIR process so far, but West Bengal is the only one where it was followed by an additional layer of special adjudication.

India's Election Commission says the revision is meant to weed out duplicate or outdated entries and add genuine voters. But the exercise has been mired in controversy and faced legal challenges ever since it was first held in the state of Bihar last year.

It has become particularly contentious in West Bengal, where the ruling Trinamool Congress party (TMC) is locked in a bitter standoff with the poll body.

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Gyanesh Kumar, the chief election commissioner, has said the revision exercise's aim is to ensure a "pure electoral roll" with no eligible voters excluded and no ineligible persons included.

The tensions have been fuelled by remarks from political leaders, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who have suggested in campaign speeches that the clean-up is aimed at identifying so-called "illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators" - a term the TMC says is being used to refer to Muslims. However, many Hindu voters have also been left out from the list.

India shares a 4,096km (2,545-mile) largely porous and partly riverine border with Bangladesh and a significant stretch of it runs through West Bengal. This has added a fraught political edge to debates over migration and voter rolls in the state.

West Bengal is also home to India's second-largest Muslim population, accounting for roughly 14% of the country's 172 million Muslims, according to the 2011 census.

Nine million voters - about 12% of West Bengal's 76 million electorate - have been removed from the 2026 rolls [NurPhoto via Getty Images]

Home to more than 70 million voters, the state has been governed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's TMC since 2011, with Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as its main challenger.

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With the fourth-highest number of India's parliamentary seats, West Bengal remains a key prize the BJP has yet to win. In the 2021 assembly polls, it secured about a quarter of the state's 294 seats.

Banerjee's party alleges the roll revision exercise has disenfranchised millions - particularly Muslims - to benefit the BJP, a charge both the party and the Election Commission deny.

After repeated legal challenges, the Supreme Court allowed the Election Commission to proceed with the April polls without settling all disputes over the deletions. As a result, the fate of 2.7 million voters remains undecided.

Their cases lie at the heart of the controversy.

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These voters had submitted enumeration forms linking them to the 2002 electoral roll - widely regarded as the last "clean" list.

Yet the poll panel used a new, AI-driven process to flag what it called "logical discrepancies" in their records, treating them as doubtful voters.

Despite subsequent re-verification, people like Ali were excluded.

Constituency-wide data compiled by political parties suggests that around 65% of the 2.7 million in limbo are Muslims.

Overall, Muslims account for 3.11 million - about 34% - of the nine million removed, significantly higher than their 27% share in West Bengal's population, according to the 2011 census.

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Ali and his children must now approach a tribunal set up on the Supreme Court's direction. But with the rolls frozen and elections due later this month - on 23 and 29 April - they see little chance of restoring their voting rights in time.

"I am dumbstruck. I feel deeply hurt and insulted. How can they conduct the elections without solving our disputes? I simply have no idea who to seek justice from," Ali told the BBC.

People queue up to submit papers during the revision exercise in Birbhum district [BBC]

The deletion of such a large number of names has sharpened concerns over errors, exclusion risks and the criteria used to determine "valid" voters.

"There is no example of an election happening in India with voters' rights remaining suspended," said political scientist Sibaji Pratim Basu.

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He says leaving out 2.7 million voters is such an "absurd proposition".

"This is a shame for democracy," he added.

But federal minister Sukanta Majumdar, a BJP leader from the state, says the revision exercise was necessary in the national interest.

"The constitution says only Indian citizens can choose prime ministers and chief ministers. Therefore, purging non-citizens was important," he told the BBC.

Asked about elections taking place while the status of 2.7 million voters remains unresolved, Majumdar blamed the state government, alleging it had "slowed the process" by taking the matter to the Supreme Court. He also dismissed allegations that the poll panel was favouring the BJP.

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The impact of the overall revision has been uneven, with sharp cuts in some urban pockets in the state.

In the state capital, Kolkata city, nearly 29.6% of voters were struck off the rolls in the north and 27.5% in the south - among the highest rates in the state.

Paschim Bardhaman district saw the second-highest drop, with the electorate shrinking 16.9%. About 80% of those deleted are Hindus, many from Hindi-speaking communities with roots in northern India.

Border districts with Bangladesh - North 24-Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Malda, Uttar Dinajpur and Cooch Behar - also saw heavy deletions.

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North 24-Parganas alone lost 1.26 million voters (15%), with most deletions mirroring its Hindu-majority profile.

Murshidabad, India's most Muslim-populous district, saw 749,000 names (13%) struck off, broadly reflecting its demographics.

These border districts have become the epicentre of the controversy, where most exclusions occurred in the final phase - under the "logical discrepancy" category.

Muslims bore the brunt in districts like Murshidabad and Malda, while Dalit Hindus - especially from the Bangladeshi migrant Matua community - were hardest hit in North 24-Parganas and Nadia.

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In the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, too, large numbers were flagged under "logical discrepancy". But with no elections due until 2028, voters there have more time to resolve their status.

The issue has since eclipsed almost every other campaign theme.

At her election rallies, Banerjee said she would petition the Supreme Court of India again.

"How can the elections start without solving the cases of 2.7 million voters?" she asked.

On Friday, the court said they would hear the case on 13 April, offering a narrow and uncertain window for relief.

Mamata Banerjee alleges the roll revision exercise has disenfranchised millions - particularly Muslims [NurPhoto via Getty Images]

Mukulika Banerjee, an anthropologist at the London School of Economics, says the pattern of exclusion in West Bengal indicates that certain categories of the population may have been "selectively targeted".

Banerjee says voting is not just a procedural right but a deeply meaningful act - especially for marginalised communities.

"By denying them their right to vote, one takes away one of their fundamental rights, and one that is hugely meaningful to them and allows them to assert their voice."

She recalls a voter in West Bengal's Sundarbans telling her: "If we don't vote, no-one will even bother to remember that poor people exist."

In Harishchandrapur, a constituency in Malda district along the Bangladesh border, 35-year-old Hasnara Khatun is furious.

"I am very angry," she says, adding that her father, grandfather and great grandfather have been voters.

Now, five of the seven members of their family have their voting rights suspended.

"We have been effectively turned into non-citizens. Who knows what comes next?

"The system can't be trusted anymore. Therefore, the legal battle will go on, but we won't stop protests either," says Khatun.

Snigdhendu Bhattacharya is a Kolkata-based independent journalist
Pope Leo hit back at President Donald Trumps attack on him over the war in Iran as Trump deleted a social media post depicting himself as a Christ-like figure that many found offensive.

I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, the pope said Monday. (That) is what I believe I am here to do.

The first American-born pontiff told reporters his appeals for peace are based on the Bibles message and not a political attack on Trump.

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I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems, he said. I think someone has to stand up and say theres a better way.

Asked directly about Trumps derisive statements and posts on his social media site, the leader of the worlds 1.4 billion Roman Catholics suggested Trump should steer clear of spiritual matters.

Its ironic, Leo said. Say no more.

The war of words erupted as Trump posted, then later deleted, an image of himself depicted as a Christ-like figure healing the sick.

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Trump said didnt intend to compare himself to Jesus, but sought to take credit for unspecified steps to improve peoples health.

I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor, Trump told reporters at the White House. It had to do with the Red Cross ... which we support.

It was supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, he added.

Trump blamed the media for twisting the meaning of the post.

The decision to delete the photo from his feed marks a serious climb down for the social media-savvy leader. When Trump drew criticism for a meme that depicted former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as apes, he blamed the offensive post on an unnamed underling and deleted it but refused to apologize.

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Even some MAGA loyalists suggested the post, apparently generated by artificial intelligence, was blasphemous or tasteless at the very least.

Does he actually think this? wrote Riley Gaines, a prominent Trump supporter. God shall not be mocked.

The popes comments came in response to Trumps remarkable attacks on him over Iran and other issues like crime and undocumented immigration.

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy, the president wrote on his social media site, adding, I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.

Trump told reporters the pope is not doing a very good job, while also suggesting the pontiff should stop catering to the radical left.

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Im not a fan of Pope Leo, he added.

Trump refused to back down or say sorry to the spiritual leader.

Pope Leo said things that are wrong, he said. Theres nothing (for me) to apologize for.

The feud between two of the worlds most powerful leaders erupted as the pope has repeatedly called for an end to the U.S.-Israeli war in the Middle East.

The conflict has led to widespread devastation in Iran and Lebanon, where Israel has launched massive attacks at what it says are targets linked to Hezbollah.

The Trump administration has taken the unusual step of invoking the Christian faith as backing the war against Iran.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regularly invokes the name of Jesus Christ and says Christian prayers to extol the supposed virtues of the attacks which have killed thousands of civilians in Iran, Lebanon and across the Middle East.

White House officials framed as an Easter miracle the rescue of two American airmen whose fighter jet was shot down in Iran.

The U.S. military includes service members of all faiths along with those who dont believe in God at all, and top brass have in the recent past sought to avoid imposing any one faith on the ranks.

_____
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Algeria on Monday at the start of an 11-day tour of Africa, the longest trip so far of his papacy, which began less than a year ago.

The head of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics is due to visit Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea after his stop in Algeria.

In a meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, both sides underlined their willingness to strengthen cooperation between Algeria and the Vatican.

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Tebboune described the papal visit as "historic," according to state news agency reports.

The president highlighted dialogue, peace and tolerance as shared values, and pointed to Algeria's commitment to social justice.

Referring to international conflicts, particularly in the region, he called for an end to violence, greater humanitarian support for civilians and recognition of a Palestinian state, stressing the importance of peace and cooperation in addressing global crises.

Leo was also scheduled to visit the Great Mosque in the capital Algiers.

No pope has previously visited Algeria, a predominantly Muslim country of nearly 47 million people, of whom only about 9,000 are Catholic.

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But the country holds special significance for Leo, as St Augustine of Hippo was born there in the 4th century. The pope has been a member of the Augustinian order for almost 50 years and previously served as its global head.

On Tuesday, Leo is due to travel to Annaba, formerly known as Hippo, where Augustine served as bishop.

From Algeria, the pope will continue to Cameroon from Wednesday to Saturday, followed by Angola until April 21 and Equatorial Guinea until April 23.

Africa has been a frequent destination for recent popes. John Paul II visited the continent 15 times, while Francis made five trips.

The continent is home to around 290 million Catholics  more than in Europe  and accounts for about 20.3% of the global Catholic population, making it one of the fastest-growing regions for the Church.
Pope Leo XIV begins an 11-day swing through the African countries of Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea on Monday when he embarks on the longest trip to date in his papacy that began less than a year ago.

No pope has ever visited Algeria, which is home to just 9,000 Catholics among a largely Muslim population of almost 47 million.

Algeria holds special significance for Leo, as St Augustine of Hippo was born in the region in the 4th century. The pope has been a member of the Order of St Augustine for almost 50 years and served as its head between 2001 and 2013.

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On Tuesday, Leo will visit Annaba, formerly Hippo, where Augustine was bishop.

From Algeria, Leo travels to Cameroon between Wednesday and Saturday, followed by Angola until April 21 and Equatorial Guinea until April 23.

African migration to Europe is likely to be a central issue during the trip, as it will be when Leo visits Spain, where many African migrants arrive by sea, in June.

Leo undertook his first trip as pope after being elected in May last year to Turkey and Lebanon. In March, he visited Monaco.

Africa has been a popular destination for recent popes. The continent is home to around 290 million Catholics, 20.3% of the world's Catholics, and is one of the world's regions where the church is growing.

John Paul II, pope from 1978 until 2005, made the journey 15 times. Pope Francis, Leo's predecessor, was there five times.
Pope Leo XIV wants to "turn the world's attention to Africa", according to a senior Vatican official, as he embarks on a significant tour of the continent addressing themes of peace, migration and dialogue between religions.

The 11-day trip, which started on Monday, is Pope Leo's second major foreign visit since being elected to the papacy in May last year, and is a reflection of Africa's increasing importance to Catholicism.

More than a fifth of the world's Catholics are in Africa, some 288 million people, according to figures from 2024. It is one of the fastest-growing regions for the Church.

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The Vatican says its latest survey shows a "remarkable increase" in the number of baptised Catholics on the continent.

Little wonder then that the trip is regarded as a personal priority for Pope Leo.

The wide-ranging tour will include stop-offs in 11 cities in four countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea. In all, the Pope will travel nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles), clocking up most of the distance on 18 flights.

All but one of the countries have large Catholic populations, but he has chosen a non-Catholic country - Algeria - as his first stop, as it holds deep significance for him.

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It is the birthplace of St Augustine, and Pope Leo XIV is the first pontiff from the order that follows his teachings.

The ideas of the 4th Century North African theologian, such as community and humility, have helped shape the current leader of the Catholic Church.

The Pope will go to the region where St Augustine was a bishop - formerly known as Hippo, now called Annaba - where he will celebrate Mass.

This marks the first visit by any pope to Algeria. During a speech in capital city Algiers, Pope Leo told political leaders that he had travelled to Africa "as a witness to the peace and hope that the world so ardently desires", news agency Reuters reported.

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Shortly before embarking for Africa, Pope Leo had been strongly criticised by Donald Trump, who said the pontiff was "bad for foreign policy". The rebuke came after Pope Leo criticised Trump for threatening Iran.

In his address to Algeria's political leaders on Monday, the leader of the Catholic Church condemned "continuous violations of international law and neocolonial tendencies".

He also stated: "Africa knows all too well that people and organisations that dominate others destroy the world."

A black Madonna statue stands inside the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers - the inscription behind says: "Pray for us and the Muslims" [BBC]

While in Algiers, Pope Leo visited the Martyrs' Memorial, where he paid tribute to the victims of Algeria's independence war against France.

Dialogue with the Islamic world has been a key focus, with the Pope visiting the Great Mosque of Algiers and the Basilica of our Lady of Africa - a place of pilgrimage and prayer for both Muslims and Christians.

Behind the statue depicting a black Virgin Mary - venerated in both religions - are the words "pray for us and pray for the Muslims".

"Pope Leo will encourage us in our faith to build a world where there is peace and where people live together in harmony", Source: Father Peter Claver Kogh, Source description: Rector, Basilica of Our Lady of Africa, Image: A head and shoulders shot of Father Peter Claver Kogh

The Rector of the Basilica, Father Peter Claver Kogh, told the BBC that he expected Pope Leo would "encourage us in our faith and in our mission to build a new world.

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"A world where there is peace and where people live together in harmony."

But the trip comes as rights groups express their concern over Algeria's treatment of religious minorities.

Algeria has a predominantly Sunni Muslim population. In the past, courts in the North Africa nation have imprisoned Christians and Ahmadi Muslims for what had been described as "unauthorised worship" or offence to Islam.

Pope Leo met the Rector of the Great Mosque of Algiers, Mohammed Al-Mamoun Al-Qasimi Al-Hassani, on Monday [Reuters]

After Algeria, Pope Leo will go on to Cameroon, where the conflict in its two anglophone regions will provide a backdrop.

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The UN estimates at least 6,000 people have been killed and over half a million forced from their homes in the violence that has spanned nearly a decade, sparked by tensions between English-speaking separatists and the francophone-dominated government.

Bamenda, the capital of Cameroon's North-West region, has been at the centre of the conflict.

It is here that the Pope will hold a Mass for peace and justice at the airport. Local residents hope it might act as a catalyst for reconciliation.

Ernestine Afanwi, a 45-year-old woman who fled Bamenda after her house and shop were destroyed, told the BBC that because the Pope was God's representative on earth, "I know that everything will be solved".

"If I was face-to-face with the Pope, I would tell him all my problems [and ask] him to anoint the land"", Source: Ernestine Afanwi, Source description: Displaced person living in Yaounde, Image: A head and shoulders image of Ernestine Afanwi

For the last three years, she and her six children have been living with other internally displaced people at a ramshackle old feed processing plant in the capital, Yaounde.

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"If I was face-to-face with the Pope, I would tell him all my problems [and ask] him to anoint the land," she told the BBC.

The impact of conflict will also be a focus of the stop in Angola, a country which experienced decades of bloody civil war between the mid-1970s and 2002. A key theme will be peace and reconstruction.

In addition to meeting bishops, the pontiff will celebrate Mass with some 200,000 faithful, in a country where between 40% and 55% of the population identify as Catholic.

The presence of the Catholic Church in Angola dates back to the late 15th Century, when Portuguese explorers and missionaries arrived along the Angolan coast.

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In Equatorial Guinea, the last country on the tour, more than 70% of people identify as Catholic.

Previous papal visits, such as this one by Pope Francis to South Sudan in 2023, have been greeted enthusiastically [AFP via Getty Images]

Social justice is among the issues that the Pope is expected to address in a country whose president has been in power for almost 50 years, making him one of the world's longest-serving heads of state.

Critics say President Teodoro Obiang Nguema's government is one of the most oppressive in the region, and accuse the regime of human rights abuses - allegations which the government denies.

In addition to meeting authorities, Pope Leo is expected to visit a psychiatric hospital and a prison, as well as meeting young people.

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While this will be his first pastoral visit to Africa since assuming the leadership of the Catholic Church last year, the Pope is no stranger to the continent.

Pope Leo is the first pope to visit Algeria [AFP via Getty Images]

As Cardinal Robert Prevost, he visited several countries including Kenya and Tanzania.

The 70-year-old pontiff will deliver around 25 speeches, as well as meeting political leaders, local Catholic communities and holding interfaith events.

The intensity of the tour is an indication of how the Vatican is prioritising its broader engagement with the continent.

By selecting Africa for this extensive itinerary, says the Vatican, Pope Leo will reinforce the continent's role in global Catholic life, showcasing it as a place of faith, resilience and future growth.

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Additional reporting by Ager Oueslati in Algiers

[BBC]

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[Getty Images/BBC]

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

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Hero Diner, an Alabama restaurant chain known for its doughnuts, burgers and sandwiches, has closed its Hoover location.

The popular company, formerly known as Hero Doughnuts & Buns, now has five locations in the state, as well as two in Georgia, according to its website.

The Hoover restaurant, 1013 Marble Terrace at Stadium Trace, had a sign on its door Monday morning that said, As of April 12, 2026, this Hero location has permanently closed. We invite you to visit us at our Homewood location. Thank you for your continued support  we look forward to serving you there.  The Hero Team"

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The Hoover location, which opened in June 2023, has been deleted from the Hero website. No reason was given for the restaurant closing.

Heros Hoover location, which is part of the Pihakis Restaurant Group, is the second Pihakis restaurant to announce its closing on Monday.

Tasty Town Greek Restaurant and Lounge, founded in Birmingham in 2022, served its final meals on Sunday, April 12, after four years in business.

Pihakis Restaurant Group, a hospitality powerhouse, has teamed with chefs for several restaurants in the Birmingham area, including the Hero chain, Little Donkey, Joyland, Rodney Scotts BBQ and more.

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Heros menu offerings  which include several types of doughnuts along with cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches, kolaches and breakfast burritos  can still be found at its location in Homewood, 1726 28th Ave. South. Other Alabama locations are in Birmingham, 1701 First Ave. South; Trussville, 314 Main St.; Chelsea, 1008 Dunnavant Valley Road; and Montgomery, 350 N. Perry St.

The restaurants, open daily 7 a.m.-4 p.m., are best known for their French brioche doughnuts, made with extra eggs, milk and butter for soft and fluffy dough.

Customer favorites among the flavors have included cereal milk, maple sea salt, strawberry, vanilla glazed, blueberry cake and more.

Wil Drake and business partner Jason Wallis founded Hero Doughnuts in March 2016, launching the company at a pop-up event at Seasick Records in the Crestwood neighborhood of Birmingham. Hero opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Homewood the following year.

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Heros reputation grew along with its fan base, and the company earned national kudos on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2021. These are incredible. Hero Doughnuts is amazing, Barrymore said. The actress tried the doughnuts for a Battle of the Bites segment.

Hero rebranded after partnering with the Pihakis Restaurant Group, and expanded its menu to include a variety of lunch and breakfast fare. AL.com ranked the Hero cheeseburger as one of the top five burgers in Birmingham in 2023, recommending that diners go for the gusto and order it stacked with a second beef patty.

Hero also experimented with dinner hours at some locations in 2024.

More stories about dining in Alabama

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The medal is awarded to those who have made an exceptional contribution to Israel or humanity through their talent, service, or other means, the President's Office said.

President Isaac Herzog will award Argentinian President Javier Milei with the Presidential Medal of Honor during his upcoming visit to Israel, the President's Office announced on Monday.

The medal is awarded to those who have made an exceptional contribution to Israel or humanity through their talent, service, or other means, the President's Office said.

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Milei will be awarded the high civilian honor in "recognition of his consistent and outspoken commitment to Israel since assuming office in 2023," the statement read.

"Milei has demonstrated unwavering support for Israel on the international stage, stood alongside the families of Gaza hostages, and expressed a deep connection to the Jewish people and its heritage," the statement added.

Milei's policies have "positioned Argentina as a key ally of Israel, including through clear diplomatic and security measures and his decision to relocate the Argentine Embassy to Jerusalem, reflecting a profound commitment to Israel's security and its standing in the international community," it continued.

The Presidential Medal of Honor; illustrative. (credit: Presidents Office Spokesperson)

Milei has 'deep personal commitment to Israel, fight against antisemitism'

Milei acts "out of a deep personal commitment to Israel and the fight against antisemitism, and will light a torch during the Independence Day state ceremony, as well as inaugurate the Argentine Embassy in Jerusalem" during his visit, the President's Office noted.

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"As early as the beginning of 2024, just a few months after the October 7th massacre, President Milei chose to make his first state visit as president to the State of Israel while a war was still underway. Together, we toured Kibbutz Nir Oz and wept at the sight of the destruction. Faced with the profound grief and trauma experienced by all of Israeli society, the president of Argentina offered courageous friendship and genuine partnership at some of the most difficult moments we have ever known," Herzog said.

"At a time when one campaign follows another and turning ones back on Israel has become more prevalent than ever, President Milei represents bold leadership and pursues a clear and unequivocal policy of standing with the State of Israel, as an ardent Zionist, through thick and thin. He holds a warm place in his heart for the people of Israel, and I have therefore seen fit to honor all of his efforts on our behalf," Herzog added.
Ask doctors their No. 1 frustration. Many will immediately say prior authorization. Its a process required by insurance companies for many recommended, necessary treatments before patients can receive them. For physicians and their office staff, it commonly involves endless loops of forms, faxes and phone calls. Now, for the first time in decades, prior authorization reform is happening.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently proposed sweeping new rules expanding prior authorization reform to prescription drugs to speed up and simplify the approval process. The rule will be open to comments until mid-June, then if approved could be finalized by the end of the year. It builds on a 2024 rule that set new timelines and transparency requirements for prior authorization for medical services.

Together, these rules are the most significant federal intervention in the prior authorization process in a generation.

Why Is There Prior Authorization For Doctor-Recommended Care?

Prior authorization began as a targeted cost-control mechanism for high-cost, low-evidence interventions. Insurers wanted a review step for say, expensive, experimental cancer treatments. It has since expanded into a system-wide administrative process that intentionally adds friction to everyday medical care.

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Heres how it works in practice. When getting a treatment approved requires jumping through prior authorization hoops, fewer treatments get delivered. Physicians become less likely to order services they know will trigger a lengthy approval process. And when patients or doctors push back, insurers can simply wait them out: bury the request in paperwork, require more documentation or schedule a peer-to-peer review. Many give up before the treatment is ever approved.

This happens because of how the system incentivizes the insurer. Insurers collect fixed premiums regardless of how much care they pay for. Every denied or delayed treatment is money saved.

According to a 2024 AMA survey, physicians now complete an average of 39 prior authorization requests per week. This has grown steadily over the past decade, consuming more than 13 hours of physician and staff time. Thats roughly one and a half full workdays devoted not to patients but to convincing insurers that recommended treatments are necessary.

The AMA survey found that 94% of physicians report prior authorization delays patient care. More than 1 in 4 said it has led to a serious adverse event in their practice, including hospitalization, permanent impairment or death. Another 82% report patients simply abandoning recommended treatment after running into authorization barriers.

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Greater than a third of physicians employ staff members exclusively to handle prior authorization requests. A study published in Health Affairs Scholar found that prior authorization accounts for $35 billion in annual U.S. healthcare administrative spending. A substantial portion of this generates no direct clinical value.

What the 2024 CMS Rule On Prior Authorization Reform Changed

The 2024 CMS Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule (CMS-0057-F), took effect Jan. 1, 2026. It was a significant toward prior authorization reform. It applies to non-drug medical services (such as surgeries or radiation for cancer treatment) in Medicare Advantage plans, state Medicaid agencies, managed care plans, Childrens Health Insurance Programs and Affordable Care Act marketplace plans. Those entities are now required to respond to expedited prior authorization requests within 72 hours and standard requests within seven calendar days. Previously, standard timelines could stretch to two weeks or longer.

It also requires payers to provide a specific reason for every prior authorization denial. It ostensibly ends the era of generic rejections that gave physicians no actionable basis for appeal. Additionally, payers now must publicly report their prior authorization metrics. This includes approval rates, denial rates and appeal outcomes. By 2027, they must connect with providers through electronic systems, replacing the fax-era workflows that still define most prior authorization interactions today.

What the CMS Prior Authorization Reform Proposal For Drugs Would Change

The 2024 rule explicitly excluded prescription medications. This left in place some of the most burdensome authorization requirements. This particularly affects Part B drugs administered in clinical settings, biologics and specialty medications central to managing chronic disease.

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If approved, CMSs newly proposed rule would close that gap. For urgent drug requests, payers would face a 24-hour decision deadline. For standard requests, the window would be 72 hours. This is a substantial compression from current timelines that can stretch days or weeks. The rules would apply across Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, CHIP and ACA marketplace plans. Compliance dates could begin in October 2027.

The proposal also modernizes the technical plumbing underlying drug prior authorization. CMS is proposing to shift from paper and phone-based approvals to real-time electronic systems. This would enable automated submission of clinical documentation and dramatically reduce the back-and-forth that currently defines most drug authorization interactions.

Transparency provisions would be expanded as well. Payers would be required to publicly report drug-specific prior authorization metrics. This would create accountability that currently does not exist for pharmaceuticals, allowing consumers to assess this information before choosing a health plan.

How New AI Processes Complicate Prior Authorization Reform

Health insurers have moved aggressively to use AI to process authorization requests to get to faster decisions and reduce administrative burden. Yet what may be happening on the ground does not appear to be achieving these goals.

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An AMA survey earlier this year found that 61% of physicians believe payers use of AI is actually increasing denials. This is amplified by reporting that some systems were rejecting claims at high volume without adequate clinical review.

Beginning in 2026, CMS requires payers to provide a specific reason for every AI-assisted denial and to publish aggregate approval data. This is designed to prevent scaled, algorithmic black boxes from overriding clinical judgment. Yet, whether these guardrails prove sufficient will depend heavily on enforcement.

The bipartisan Improving Seniors Timely Access To Care Act, reintroduced in the current Congress, would codify real-time electronic prior authorization in Medicare Advantage and add further protections. Several states, following Connecticuts lead, are moving to bar insurers from making coverage decisions with AI alone.

Heres How Prior Authorization Reform Could Play Out

Much of the press coverage of prior authorization has not reported on how all of this is working in practice. This is because key provisions of the 2024 rule only took effect this January. Three months into implementation, no peer-reviewed outcome studies have been published. Transparency reporting that will generate the first real-world data on payer performance only became due in March 2026.

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CMSs own $15 billion savings projection is also just a regulatory impact estimate. During rulemaking, pilots were not conducted before the 2026 compliance dates.

The technology backbone of the rule is also still being built. Electronic prior authorization systems are not required until January 2027. One industry analysis found that only 35% of health plans were using full electronic prior authorization systems as of 2024. This means that a substantial portion of the industry may be still operating on legacy infrastructure. Faster decision deadlines on paper do not automatically translate to faster decisions in practice if the underlying systems havent changed.

The gap between mandate and reality is something CMS leadership has acknowledged directly. There should be no human working on prior authorization, period," Chris Klomp, CMS Director of Medicare, told physicians at the AMAs National Advocacy Conference in February 2026. We have the technology to effectuate appropriate clinical care based on your judgment, your decisions, very, very quickly, and thats what were driving for."

What Doctors, Health Systems and Patients Should Do Now About Prior Authorization Reform

The most immediate practical implication of the 2024 rule thats already in effect is the new timeline for non-drug prior authorization appeals. If an insurer fails to meet the 72-hour urgent or seven-day standard deadlines, its a compliance issue, not simply a delay. Physicians or health systems that experience consistent violations should document them and report to CMS or their state insurance commissioner.

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Additionally, as data on insurer-level prior authorization denial and appeal rates become publicly available, doctors and their professional societies should monitor it closely. This will help shine a light on the worst-performing plans and build the case for further reform.

For patients, the proposed rule for drugs is an area thats been conspicuously missing from the 2024 reforms: protection at the pharmacy and infusion center. If finalized as proposed, the new rule would mean that when your doctor prescribes a medication that requires prior authorization (e.g. a specialty medication, a biologic for a chronic condition or cancer drug), insurers would face hard legal deadlines for response. Additionally, each denial would require a specific, actionable reason. This would end the rejections without clear reason that give patients and physicians no basis for appeal.

On the drug side, the proposed rule will go through a public comment period before finalization. The comment period is open until June 15, 2026. Medical societies  particularly those managing high prior authorization burden in oncology, rheumatology and psychiatry  should submit comments advocating for the strongest possible implementation, including shorter timelines and tighter AI guardrails.

Ultimately, prior authorization reform is here. The proposed drug rule, if finalized and enforced, would extend protections being those implemented now to the medication space. The faster decisions, mandatory denial explanations and public accountability data represent a real change in a broken system where insurers had the ability to create tremendous friction and delays in treatment.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com
In the letter, Zamir vowed to remember the communities that were erased from the face of the earth; the voices of the boys and girls, the elderly and the young, who were led to the crematoria."

Israel was created as an act of defiance, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen.Eyal Zamir said in his Monday order of the day, ahead of Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day.

In the letter, Zamir vowed to remember the communities that were erased from the face of the earth; the voices of the boys and girls, the men and women, the elderly and the young, who were led to the crematoria and shot into killing pits; and the partisans and underground fighters who struggled and rose up even when all hope seemed lost.

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We will remember the acts of bravery, the resistance, and the uprisings, the preservation of Jewish identity in the face of attempts to erase it; the final embraces and parting words - etched into memory and transformed into a living testament," he added.

Moreover, Zamir described the creation of the State of Israel as an act of defiance against the oppression of the past, and praised the IDF for [acting] with determination and strength against Iran and its proxies, striking back and acting against those who for decades have called for the destruction of our state and its erasure from the Middle East.

Today, out of the harshest inferno, the Jewish people stand alive, free, and sovereign in their land," he wrote. "This is our clear answer to the world: no longer a people dependent on the mercy of others, no longer a defenseless people, but a free nation in its land that fights for its freedom and its future."

96-year-old Holocaust survivor, Sarah Weinstein, met two female IDF soldiers from the Home Front Command's Rescue and Evacuation Brigade (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

Now it is our turn to be a vital link in the chain of defenders who came before us; to stand guard over the homeland, to defend our home, and to ensure that the memory of the past serves as our compassand that never again.

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Israels Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorates the six million Jews murdered by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during the Holocaust.

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Since 1951, the day has been marked on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nissan. The date differs from the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which occurs on January 27, the day Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated in 1945.

In Israel, Holocaust Memorial Day opens the evening prior with a state ceremony in Jerusalem and is followed the next morning by a two-minute siren at 10 a.m., allowing the public space and time to reflect.
Ukraine has too little trade turnover with Serbia and has currently returned to negotiations on creating a joint free trade area, which will promote the development of economic ties and could be a positive step in the context of the European integration of both countries, Ambassador of Ukraine to Serbia Oleksandr Lytvynenko notes.

"We have a very small trade turnover. Both countries are following the path of European integration, and this is extremely positive. In this situation, it is advisable to launch a free trade area. Now we have returned to negotiations with the Serbs on creating such a area. I hope that in some time we will reach a common understanding," Lytvynenko said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

When asked about the most promising sectors, he named machine building"primarily agricultural machinery."

"There are also simpler things that I think we need to do. Ethnic style is very popular here, all sorts of handicraft items. There is an Ethno-Network here patronized by President Aleksandar Vucic. Why shouldnt we try to sell our souvenirs, the same vyshyvankas, which the Serbs have in a different form? Our traditions are very close; they are different, but the roots are the same," the diplomat said.

At the same time, when asked what else could be done to develop bilateral relations, the ambassador replied that, in his opinion, now is "not the time to force events."

"We must gradually strengthen our presence. First of all, we need to strengthen our role in the information space. Increasing cultural and information exchange so that we know more about Serbia, and in Serbia they know more about Ukraine not from Russia television, but first-hand," Lytvynenko said.

The ambassador believes that it is necessary to "bring Ukrainian experts and artists to Serbia, hold exhibitions, especially since there is something to show."

At the same time, he noted that the lions share of economic ties between the USSR and Yugoslavia in the 1960s-80s "were, in fact, ties with Ukraine, but the Serbs are unaware of this, and there is much of that."

When asked about the prospects of organizing a direct passenger rail link between Kyiv and Belgrade, Lytvynenko said: "Let them first launch Belgrade-Budapest. When that happens, then we can look into it."
Republican Rep. Warren Davidson added to backlash against a recent social media post from Donald Trump, marking the Ohio congressman's latest clash with the president.

Davidson called an AI-generated picture depicting Trump as a Jesus-like healer "madness" and "troubling." The image, which drew criticism across social media, was shared to Trump's Truth Social account on April 12.

The Ohio Republican, who represents much of Hamilton and Butler counties in Greater Cincinnati, first reacted to Trump's post by sharing a Bible verse on X. On April 13, he posted about the image again, this time sharing his feelings more directly.

For the simpletons: This is a call for repentance. While there may be a method to the madness, this Truth Social post can only be described as madness. Very troubling... https://t.co/UO2aDeim5V  Warren Davidson  (@WarrenDavidson) April 13, 2026

"For the simpletons: This is a call for repentance," he wrote. "While there may be a method to the madness, this Truth Social post can only be described as madness. Very troubling..."

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The post is an AI-generated image that draws from another AI photo depicting Trump as a Jesus-like healer, posted earlier this year by a conservative influencer.

Trump posted the image April 12 after calling Pope Leo XIV "weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy" on social media. The president deleted the image the next day after fellow conservatives criticized it online. Trump confirmed to reporters at the White House that he did post the image, but said he thought it depicted himself as a doctor, not as Jesus, CNBC reported.

More: Trump's post depicting him as Jesus is blasphemous | Opinion

Davidson split with Trump on Iran war, Epstein investigation

Davidson, a Republican congressman who's served since 2016, has often backed Trump. But this year, he's publicly rebelled against the administration twice.

Rep. Warren Davidson, an Ohio Republican, called a controversial post on President Donald Trump's Truth Social account "madness."

Davidson was one of two Republican congressmen who voted for the failed war powers resolution, which would have stopped military action in Iran unless Congress approved it. In an emailed statement to The Enquirer, Davidson said he had not seen evidence that there was an imminent threat from Iran when the United States launched its attacks in February.

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On social media earlier this year, Davidson also criticized former Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice over its handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Republican congressman calls Trump's AI Jesus painting 'madness'
April 13 (UPI) -- U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell resigned from Congress Monday amid accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse that are being investigated by a House committee and the Manhattan district attorney's office.

The California representative and former gubernatorial candidate said he would work to make sure his staff can continue to serve his constituents after he leaves office amid investigations into the accusations against him.

More than 50 of his staffers and dozens of his colleagues in Congress had been calling for him to resign over the weekend.

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"I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members," Swalwell said in a statement posted on X. "Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong.

"But it's also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties," he said in the statement. "Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress."

The House Ethics Committee also announced Monday that it will investigate the accusations against Swalwell.

The Democratic congressman has over the last week faced a growing number of accusations of sexual misconduct and assault from several women, including a former staffer.

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Swalwell on Sunday suspended his campaign for California governor as the accusations against him grew and the Manhattan district attorney's office said it was investigating them.

"The committee ... has begun an investigation and will gather additional information regarding the allegations that Rep. Eric Swalwell violated the Code of Official Conduct" or any other law or rule that applies to standard of conduct while performing his job as a member of Congress, the House committee said in a statement.

The committee said it is investigating the "allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including toward an employee working under his supervision," but that the investigation "does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred."

"To my family, staff, friends and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I've made in the past," Swalwell said Sunday night in a social media statement announcing his campaign's suspension.

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"I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made -- but that's my fight, not a campaign's."

In response, several members of Congress, including Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., called for him to resign -- which Swalwell noted in his resignation statement.

Allegations of sexual misconduct, including rape, by four women against Swalwell, were first reported Friday by CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle. One accuser, a former staffer, alleged she was raped by the 45-year-old congressman while she was drunk in 2024. She said she was left bruised and bleeding after trying to resist.

On Saturday, the Manhattan district attorney's office confirmed to The Washington Post that it had opened an investigation into the allegations.

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Swalwell refuted those allegations in a weekend video statement, framing them as political.

"For nearly 20 years, I have served the public -- as a prosecutor and a congressman -- and have always protected women," he said. "I will defend myself with the facts and, where necessary, bring legal action."

The suspension of his campaign came after a series of high-profile resignations and rescinded endorsements.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., resigned as his campaign's co-chair, while Rep. Adam Gray, D-Calif., his other co-chair, said he withdrew support for Swalwell.

Sen. Adam Schiff, a veteran Democratic lawmaker from California, also withdrew his endorsement, as did Sen. Ruben Gallego from Arizona.

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On Sunday, more than 50 former Swalwell staffers signed a letter stating the allegations against the House member were "serious, credible and demand accountability," while demanding that he suspend his gubernatorial campaign and resign from Congress.

"The people of California's 14th Congressional District, and the people of this country, deserve representation from someone whose conduct reflects the values of public service," the staffers said.

"Remaining in either role while these allegations hang unresolved is an insult to every person who has ever worked for him, reported to him or placed their trust in him."

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., had said she would file a motion to expel Swalwell from Congress if he did not resign first.

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"You have 24 hours to announce you are resigning," she said late Sunday in a social media statement.

Swalwell was a leading Democratic candidate ahead of June's gubernatorial primary election to replace incumbent Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited from running for a third time in the blue state. The gubernatorial election is scheduled Nov. 3.
The new headquarters is said to now serve as a hub for civic and political activity in the city and will operate an assistance command center for residents of northern Israel.

The Reservists Party on Sunday launched its headquarters in the northern city of Kiryat Shmona, saying it would directly support residents under attack from Hezbollah after a lack of sufficient government response.

The northern city and surrounding communities bordering Lebanon have remained under ongoing rocket fire from Hezbollah, despite the ceasefire with Iran that began last week.

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The Reservists are once again [available] where the state disappears, party leader and former communications minister Yoaz Hendel said at the opening of the new headquarters.

He criticized the government for not doing enough to aid the North while it was under attack, and called on ministers to take action.

If government ministers do not understand how significant this place is, we will be here in their stead. During the week, on weekends, and on holidays. This is the decisive front in the battle for public consciousness in this war, Hendel said.

Government ministers, this is a call to you: Follow our lead. Move your offices here. Opposition leaders, come here, set up headquarters, be present, stay here.

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This is our test. All parties that seek to lead Israel must show up here.

Hendels party comprises reserve soldiers, their families, wounded IDF veterans, bereaved families, and civilian volunteers. It was established in September 2025, ahead of the upcoming elections scheduled to take place no later than October.

The party positions itself as a response to the leadership vacuum that followed the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, and calls for universal conscription.

The new headquarters is said to now serve as a hub for civic and political activity in the city and will operate an assistance command center for residents of northern Israel.

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Activities the party says it will initiate include meetings with local residents, support for those who remained in the city, and briefings. Party members are expected to maintain a continuous presence at the site.

Hendel said that if other politicians and ministers were to be located in the North as well, proper budgets would be directed to the area. This would also draw further media coverage, bringing more journalists to the area.

The party leader also said that rather than halting the IDFs military action in Lebanon, the Reservists were coming to help those under attack in Kiryat Shmona so that the IDF could continue fighting.

We are going against the current. We are renting an apartment here [in Kiryat Shmona], expressing confidence in a city from which more than half the residents have left. Many of them do not intend to return.

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We are coming to help where needed, with a continuous presence of party members.

Hendel noted that most members of the Reservists Party were still currently serving in reserve in Lebanon and Gaza.

Shlomi Damari, one of the partys leaders, said he had just completed a round of reserve duty in Lebanon last week.

We know the price paid by residents and the price paid by the soldiers, he said.

Opening the headquarters in Kiryat Shmona is a clear statement: Those who serve the country will also lead it, he added.

Kiryat Shmona mayor warns of city's neglect

The headquarters opening event was attended by Hendel and party members, who then met with heads of local northern authorities. Among them was Kiryat Shmona Mayor Avichai Stern, who has sharply criticized the governments conduct toward the North during the war, saying last month that it failed to aid the city.

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Stern had warned that Kiryat Shmona was being neglected by the state and that he felt the government had been working against him.

He said that he wakes up every morning feeling that the State of Israel is fighting me  not Iran, not Lebanon, not the enemies  me.

He warned that the city was simply disappearing.

Today, about 10,000 residents remain. If this continues for another month, there will be 10 left, only those who cannot leave, he said.

Stern also said that not enough government funding had reached the city.

Communities along the northern border were already severely affected following the October 7 massacre and throughout the ensuing war.

During that period, hundreds of thousands of residents were forced to leave their homes as the area came under sustained rocket fire. The area had not recovered from that earlier damage when Operation Roaring Lion began in February.
On the edge of Providences Federal Hill and West End neighborhoods is a former industrial building still filled with old machinery and abandoned pallets.

Its the very spot a group of entrepreneurs had envisioned for a cannabis dispensary run by a diverse worker cooperative. PVD Flowers secured the location in October in order to qualify for the states retail license application pool by the deadline last December.

Applications like theirs were being screened with the intention of moving toward a lottery as soon as May to award a limited number of licenses. But then came the April 8 ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose temporarily halting Rhode Island cannabis regulators from awarding any new licenses or even continuing to screen and review the 97 applications vying for one of 20 licenses up for grabs.

We just have to sit here and wait now, Andre Dev, one of the listed owners for PVD Flowers and founder of the Community Cannabis Network of Rhode Island, said in an interview outside the building Monday afternoon.

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He was joined by other applicants who assembled to voice their concerns about Duboses licensing injunction and call on expedited action from the states Cannabis Control Commission, which scheduled an emergency closed-door meeting Tuesday morning on the ruling.

State regulations require all would-be cannabis retailers to either own property or have a lease agreement before they even apply for a license. Thats on top of the $7,500 application fee prospective pot shop owners had to pay to be considered for the license lottery, which also requires the approval of local zoning officials.

Asher Schofield, co-owner of the Frog & Toad gift shops in Providence, revealed hes spent at least $100,000 in his bid to open a workers cooperative a little over 2 miles away on Allens Avenue.

Its been incredibly difficult to navigate the process for both myself and other small-scale operators aspiring to win licenses, and its not sustainable, he said. This is no way to be a friend of independent commerce.

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Dev declined to state just how much PVD Flowers has spent on its rent, noting only that its been thousands since last fall.

Asher Schofield, an applicant looking to open a workers cooperative cannabis retail shop in Providence, speaks at a press conference on Monday, April 13, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current)

The commission is the defendant in three federal lawsuits filed by out-of-state entrepreneurs over the states requirement that 51% of a cannabis company must be owned by a Rhode Island resident.

Plaintiffs in each case argued the residency requirement violated the dormant commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits states from engaging in protectionist practices against other states.

Similar lawsuits were filed in other states including Maine, which did away with its residency requirement in 2020 following a legal challenge. New York regulators in 2023 agreed to settle a similar lawsuit challenging its licensing rules.

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The dormant commerce clause lawsuit was completely foreseeable, Dev told reporters. It should have been dealt with.

For a time it was, after Judge Melissa DuBose initially dismissed the complaints in February 2025 since final regulations were not yet approved by the commission. But when the governing rules came out last May, the residency requirement was still in place.

The residency requirement is established in statute, and the commissions role is to implement the framework as enacted by the General Assembly, Charon Rose, spokesperson for the Cannabis Control Commission, said in an emailed statement to Rhode Island Current. As a regulatory body, we do not have the authority to ignore or alter statutory requirements through the rulemaking process.

Rose acknowledged similar legal challenges in other states, saying DuBoses decision reflects the constantly evolving landscape of cannabis regulation.

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While the outcome is not the one we would have hoped for, our focus now is on carefully reviewing the ruling and determining a path forward that is both legally sound and consistent with the commissions policy goals, Rose said in an email.

Lawmakers in the General Assembly are considering completely eliminating the residency requirement from the Cannabis Act. Legislation in the House and Senate were heard by the respective committees they were assigned to on March 12 where they were held for further study, as is standard practice for a first look at a bill.

Senate and House attorneys are reviewing the decision and will be working with the Cannabis Control Commission staff to consider next steps, Larry Berman and Greg Pare, spokespeople for House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Valarie Lawson, said in a joint email to Rhode Island Current.

Its been incredibly difficult to navigate the process for both myself and other small-scale operators aspiring to win licenses, and its not sustainable. This is no way to be a friend of independent commerce.

 Asher Schofield, applicant looking to open a workers cooperative cannabis retail shop in Providence

In the interim, prospective retailers are calling on the commission to issue emergency regulations that set a clear licensing timeline.

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If the CCC fails to act quickly, the cycle of the rich getting richer will only multiply, said Tre Miller, vice chair of the nonprofit Co-op Rhody and founding worker-owner of a cooperative license applicant.

As it stands, eight shops are selling recreational cannabis in Rhode Island after being grandfathered in from the medical marijuana program. They netted a collective $120 million in sales in 2025.

Schofield described the states rollout to grant 20 additional licenses as slow as molasses.

Rhode Island had the opportunity to be at the vanguard of the workers cooperative cannabis industry, the first in the nation, and instead, were smothering it, Schofield said. Due to poor planning, lack of foresight, and favors to existing operators, we are about to have another significant delay.

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The Cannabis Control Commission is set to discuss the recent ruling behind closed doors at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. The panels next regular open session meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday.

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PRINCE FREDERICK, Md. - The local commissioners were 90 minutes into their meeting when they turned to the matter that had drawn dozens of residents and nearly a thousand more watching online: a vote that could delay the arrival of two massive data centers in Southern Maryland, including one on land intended for a public park.

Commissioner Mike Hart urged his Calvert County colleagues to not be seduced by the promise that the data centers would deliver tens of millions of dollars in fresh tax revenue, a pot large enough to pay for a wish list of items such as turf playing fields, a new sheriffs headquarters and a property tax cut.

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A more pressing need, Hart contended, is what communities elsewhere are considering as they seek to slow the spread of data centers - a moratorium allowing officials time to study how the tech warehouses that make online activity possible would affect the area, including whether they would generate intolerable levels of noise.

What I know about a data center fits in this pinkie, Hart told his four fellow commissioners, all of whom, like him, are Republican. The responsible thing to do is to buy time and get the right people in place to help us through this.

Over the past two decades, data centers have emerged as a robust economic engine for local governments across the country, a welcomed technological innovation that serves as the infrastructure to a faster, easier life. But the proliferation of the energy-hungry facilities, fueled by an explosion in digital demand during the pandemic and the advent of artificial intelligence, is provoking fierce opposition as concerns mount over strained electrical grids and soaring utility rates.

The backlash was evident last month in a Pew Research Center poll finding that more Americans believe data centers adversely affect the environment and quality of life, even as they are more likely to see the facilities potential economic benefits.

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In Virginias Loudoun County, home to about 200 data centers, the countrys highest concentration, officials have said they dont want more. In Maine, legislation to ban most data centers until 2027 is advancing in the State House, while New York lawmakers have proposed a three-year pause. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) recently introduced a bill that would impose a nationwide moratorium on new AI data centers.

Opposition has been expanding along with the intensity, said Miquel Vila of Data Center Watch, an AI security firms research project that tracks resistance to the facilities. During a three-month period in 2025, communities around the country blocked or delayed 20 projects, a number greater than the total opposition over the previous two years, according to the group.

The backlash took a violent turn in Indianapolis last Monday, when a gunman fired shots into the home of a local council member who voted to rezone an area in his district to allow for a data center. The shooter left a handwritten note that read, NO DATA CENTERS, said the council member, who was not harmed.

It was the next day when Calverts commissioners convened and considered Harts proposed two-year moratorium.

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Were moving too fast, he warned his colleagues, who were silent as the crowd applauded.

Like a three-alarm fire

A 50-mile drive south of Washington, Calvert is Marylands smallest county, with a population of 92,000 on a strip of land bounded by the Chesapeake Bay on one side and the Patuxent River on the other.

The county is home to no data centers at the moment. But explorations by two developers, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), has roiled residents, who now find themselves attending data center protests for the first time, researching esoteric subjects like sound reverberations, and glued to commissioners hearings as if theyre the latest episode of a hot series streaming on Netflix. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post).

Theyre worried that someone is putting something over on them and they dont know what it is, said Len Zuza, 83, a retired federal budget examiner who has lived in Calvert for 20 years. This could change the character of the community. Its the unknowns that are making people nervous.

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Calvert residents learned about the data center plans in ways that only intensified their worries. In one case, chatter spread on social media after someone spotted an online AWS job listing for a data center construction manager in the county. At an early March public meeting, an AWS official acknowledged that the company was interested in building a data center campus - as many as eight buildings - on 2,000 acres adjoining the countys nuclear power plant.

It was at that meeting that a commissioner, Earl Buddy Hance, referred to a nondisclosure agreement he had signed with AWS, a statement he later recanted, saying he had misspoken and had made that arrangement with another data center company no longer involved with the county.

Nevertheless, for weeks, many residents were left with the impression that the discussions with AWS were secret - an impression that was amplified when they learned that the county had a confidentiality agreement with another developer, Natelli Holdings, which also is exploring building a data center in Calvert.

What the heck is proprietary about a data center? asked Valerie Pasch, 52, a nurse who grew up in Calvert and still lives there. Its not like its Grandmas crab cake recipe. I think the proprietary information is all the bad stuff they dont want us to know.

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Natelli Holdings wants to build a data center on 133 acres that it hopes to purchase from the county and then turn over to a tech company it has not identified. That land was donated to the county by the Dominion Energy utility in 2018 for the purpose of building a park, a project Calvert officials say they have not been able to fund. As part of a proposed deal, Natelli Holdings has pledged to spend $30 million building a park on another parcel a couple of miles away if Calvert officials approve its data center plan.

The offer has not impressed many residents who are still awaiting the park they were promised. If you want to build a park, great, but dont do it as a trade-off, said Carol Hall, 81, a retired federal contractor who has lived in Calvert since 1974. I just dont see the benefits. If we have to pay higher property taxes, so be it. I dont trust any officials - I dont care who they are - to make a decision that impacts every family in this county.

The suspected secrecy and rapid-fire developments have left residents scrambling to understand the scope of potential change to their landscape.

Steve Coleman, 64, an engineer, felt compelled to seek answers at a recent commissioners meeting - his first - where he introduced himself during the public comment period as someone who doesnt do Facebook, Twitter, nothin.

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Im not attached to these phones and all this stuff that these people are, he said.

Still, Coleman said, he hasnt been able to escape the pervasive speculation. This has gone from a small flame to a three-alarm fire," he said. I cant keep up.

Were not schmooz-able

Hart, the commissioner who proposed the moratorium, moved to Calvert as a child in the 1970s, when his father retired from the Air Force and built a house. The countys population was just over 30,000 in those years, or roughly a third of what it is today.

There were so few people, said Hart, 57, a liquor store owner, that as a 10-year-old, he could drive his dads pickup truck on county roads without being detected and filled his time fishing, crabbing and hiking in the woods. Four decades later, he said he wants to preserve, as much as possible, what it felt like in Calvert back then.

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I know Im a dinosaur, he said. But whats so broke about Calvert County that you have to fix it?

He does not share other commissioners worries about Calverts tax revenue, which budget officials say is not growing at the same pace as expenses. In the 1970s, county officials say, the opening of the nuclear power plant - also opposed by residents at the time - delivered new revenue that helped Calvert transform its poorly performing schools.

Now county officials view data centers as a way to meet future financial demands. Costs are going up high, said Hance, the commissioner and a fourth-generation Calvert farmer. The state is pushing more costs on us. The question is, where is that money going to come from?

The possibility of data centers in Calvert has drawn support from the Maryland Tech Council, a trade association, and labor leaders who say that the construction would create thousands of jobs for local workers.

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John McGuffin, 57, a retired schoolteacher, is that rare Calvert resident who has publicly embraced the data centers, saying they would generate enough revenue to preserve the countys rural character and reduce the financial pressure to attract more residents and housing.

I dont mind it being in my backyard, he told the commissioners recently. Id rather have that than 5,000 more homes.

At another meeting in late March, a Natelli Holdings executive, Tom Natelli Jr., sought to allay concerns about the data center his company hopes to develop, saying its location - an industrial zone, next to a landfill and a thousand feet from the nearest home - would minimize its intrusion on daily life.

He promised to host a community meeting, at which his team would answer all questions about potential noise, utility rates and whatever else anyone wanted to know.

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From the dais, Catherine Grasso, a commissioner, warned Natelli that the countys residents are not dummies.

Nobody is going to schmooze us, she said. Were not schmooz-able.

A boisterous meeting

On the night of his community meeting at a local high school, Natelli passed a boisterous pack of protesters outside, many of them holding signs that read No Data Centers.

He was ready for the pushback. His plan was to make introductory remarks, then direct the crowd to different tables to ask his team about various issues. Breaking up the audience, he said in an interview prior to the meeting, would help him avoid the pitchfork mentality that can take over large gatherings.

I want to have constructive conversations, he said. Im not here to be yelled at.

The yelling began nonetheless, moments after he introduced himself to the more than 150 people assembled in the gym.

No data center! someone shouted.

Youre in the wrong place, buddy! another man called out.

Guys, are you gonna let me get through this presentation? Natelli asked.

When he mentioned the park he wants to build, a woman in the bleachers said the community already had land reserved for that and all of a sudden were told its not what is happening now.

Natelli declined to take questions from the crowd and pointed people to the information tables. Then he headed to his own table, and answered questions for more than an hour.

In two years, were gonna have robots in the house cleaning up - the worlds a circuit board, Dennis Bowling, 72, a retired technician, told him. There are benefits, but no one wants it in their backyard.

I know, the developer said. But change is coming.

Like a freight train, Bowling said.

The board votes

The next day, the commissioners vote on the moratorium occurred so quickly that people in the audience could be heard saying, What? when the boards president announced it had been defeated by a 3-2 vote.

Why? someone in the audience asked.

Explain your vote! someone else shouted.

Hart and Grasso supported the moratorium. Hance and two other commissioners, Todd Ireland and Mark Cox, voted no. The county, they said, could review the data centers environmental impacts once the developers formally submit their plans.

Until you have an actual project, what do you study? Hance asked.

When the public was invited to speak, Myra Gowans, 76, a retired developer, marched to the microphone and waved to the commissioners who voted against the moratorium.

She was saying goodbye, she said, predicting that voters would defeat them when they seek reelection in the Republican primary in June.

Youre not going be here anymore, she promised, as the crowd applauded. Youre out. Youre gone.

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The outcome of Hungary's elections will not affect the war in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, one day after Viktor Orban, considered the most Kremlin-friendly EU leader, was ousted after 16 years in power.

"These are clearly separate processes, so I don't see any connection here," Peskov said about a possible link between the seismic Hungarian vote and Russia's war on Ukraine.

Orban has repeatedly vetoed EU funds for Ukraine and continued to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin even after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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In the lead-up to Sunday's elections, allegations surfaced that Hungary has passed on internal EU information to Russia, with some outlets describing Orban's defeat as a blow to Moscow.

Orban's successor Peter Magyar is expected to take a less confrontational stance over aid for Ukraine, having pledged to repair Hungary's relations with the European Union and its Western allies.

Peskov stressed Moscow's interest in maintaining good relations with Budapest.

The Hungarians had made their choice, which Russia accepted, said Peskov. "We have heard the statements regarding a willingness to engage in dialogue. This is undoubtedly beneficial for both Moscow and Budapest."

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However, it remains to be seen how the new leadership under Magyar will act once it takes office, Peskov added.

Moscow does not intend to congratulate Magyar on the victory, according to Peskov. "We do not send congratulations to unfriendly countries," Kremlin-aligned journalist Alexander Yunashov quoted the spokesman as saying.

In 2021, the Russian government began compiling a list of "unfriendly states," which includes the European Union as a union of countries.
Saudi Arabia has announced the restoration of full oil pumping capacity through its East-West pipeline to approximately seven million barrels per day (mbbl/d).

The announcement follows recent assessments of damage to its energy infrastructure amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, reported Reuters.

According to Saudi Energy Ministry, the energy facilities and the pipeline impacted by the attacks have regained their operational capacity following the conflict.

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The Iranian attacks struck one pumping station on the EastWest pipeline, a Saudi Energy Ministry source told the Saudi Press Agency.

The 750-mile pipeline system has long been an economic lifeline, linking Red Sea terminals in the west to Gulf facilities in the east. It also provides an alternative route, as it did when Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz during the war.

The official said the Iranian strikes also hit sites in Riyadh, the Eastern Province and the industrial hub of Yanbu, including oil and gas production, transport and refining assets, as well as petrochemical and power infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia previously reported that the attacks reduced its oil production by around 600,000bpd and decreased throughput on the East-West Pipeline by around 700,000bpd.

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This pipeline served as Saudi Arabias sole crude export route due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

According to the news agency, Iran targeted the pipeline shortly after a ceasefire was agreed upon.

The ministry stated that it has recovered volumes from the Manifa oilfield, where output had been cut by approximately 300,000bpd.

Restoration efforts were continuing at the Khurais facility after attacks cut Saudi production capacity by an additional 300,000bpd, the ministry said.

The ministry added that the rapid recovery would strengthen the reliability and continuity of supplies to local and global markets.

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"Saudi resumes full 7mbbl/d capacity on East-West pipeline " was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.




The post Scientists Finally Catch Sperm Whales Headbutting on Camera appeared first on A-Z Animals.

Quick Take

Scientists conducting research off the coasts of Spain and Portugal captured rare footage of sub-adult sperm whales headbutting each other.

This is the first known instance of the behavior being recorded.

Scientists are unsure why young sperm whales headbutt.

The classic novel, Moby Dick, was inspired by a real-life sperm whale attack that caused a whaling ship to sink in 1820 near the Galapagos Islands.

When sperm whale researcher Rui Prieto shouted head ramming! during a routine day of research off the coast of Spain, the scientific team on board was understandably excited. After all, this type of whale behavior is rarely witnessed, let alone documented.

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But the behavior, first captured on video by drones and then witnessed by the ships research crew, lent credibility to centuries-old sailor lore. Many 19th-century ship captains wrote accounts of whales using their heads to push and strike objects, sometimes even sinking ships. The tales were so compelling that they inspired one of literatures greatest masterpieces .

Now the researchers who witnessed this unique sperm whale phenomenon have released their findings in a study published on March 23, 2026, in the scientific journal Marine Mammal Science.

What Did the Study Find?

Between 2020 and 2022, researchers conducting marine fieldwork around the Azores and Balearic Islands deployed drones as part of the routine monitoring of sperm whales active in the region. The scientists were focused on the whales physical condition, not behavioral patterns.

But when drone footage captured some of the whales headbutting each other, the researchers attention shifted. The drones recorded three instances of sperm whales engaging in head ramming behavior. This marked the first time scientists had ever documented this long-reported behavior on video.

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The first instance involved a male sperm whale headbutting a similar-sized female in the Balearic Islands off the Spanish coast. Later, in the Azores off the coast of Portugal, the crew captured even more drone footage, this time of two sperm whales colliding head-to-head while audio of patterned clicking was also recorded by in-water sensors attached to the boat.

Lead author Dr. Alec Burslem, who carried out the research while at the University of St. Andrews in collaboration with researchers at the University of the Azores and Asociacion Tursiops (an NGO based in the Balearic islands), said in a press release, It was really exciting to observe this behavior, which we knew had been hypothesized for such a long time, but not yet documented and described systematically.

The Biggest Surprise? Its the Kids!

For decades, researchers studying sperm whales hypothesized that any headbutting behavior was done by large, adult males as a way to compete for resources and mating access. Across marine species, it is typically the largest, most physically developed animals that use their head as a weapon.

However, the sperm whales captured on drone footage were all sub-adults. This calls into question the long-held belief that only adult male sperm whales engage in this behavior. For the scientists involved in this study, these findings raise questions about the actual purpose and function of this behavior. Researchers say that more observationsespecially using drones to capture these encountersare needed to better understand how headbutting fits into sperm whales overall social dynamics.

Sailors Lore vs. Reality

Sperm whales using their heads to sink boats has long been a part of sailing lore. The most famous example is the sinking of the whaling ship Essex near the Galapagos Islands in 1820. Dramatic first-hand reports from sailors on the Essex note that the boat was sunk by two head-on strikes from a large bull sperm whale.

The whaling ship Essex, the inspiration for the novel Moby Dick Moby Dick , was sunk by a sperm whale in 1820. Thomas Nickerson  Original / License

Other accounts citing sperm whales as the cause of ships sinking in the 1800s, including the Ann Alexander and Kathleen, also exist.

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Those tales were supported by dramatic first-hand accounts but lacked scientific video documentation. This new drone footage provides the first direct evidence of headbutting behavior in sperm whales, lending further legitimacy to the sailors stories.

What Researchers Think the Headbutting Means

According to the studys authors, some of the interactions between the young sperm whales could have simply been a form of rough play. Other characteristics typical of whale play activity, like rolling and open jaws, were simultaneously observed.

One hypothesis proposed by the studys authors is that headbutting may be a reason young males are driven out of whale family groups, which are always led by a matriarch. While females stay with the same group for life, males eventually leave. The researchers think the headbutting could be part of the reason. This behavior may simply annoy the matriarch enough to prompt her to drive the young males away.

Sperm whales form social groups, led by a matriarch. wildestanimal/Shutterstock.com

Once males are no longer part of a group, they only have brief interactions with other whale groups. They temporarily join a group when seeking a female to breed with, then depart afterward.

Does Headbutting Hurt the Whale?

A sperm whales head anatomy seems designed to absorb much of the impact from headbutting. The head is quite long and makes up about 40 percent of the full body length.

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The cranium containing the whales brain sits in the far back of the head. The majority of the rest of the head is filled with fluid, muscles, and soft tissue. There is also something called the spermaceti organ, located just in front of the whales brain. This organ is filled with oil and acts as an additional cushion.

A sperm whales head makes up about 40 percent of its overall body length. wildestanimal/Shutterstock.com

Other whale experts who have viewed the recordings dont believe the whales were hurting themselves when headbutting. While the impacts were impressive, they werent likely powerful enough to cause damage. Typically, injuries sustained from intense headbutting behavior occur among adult males competing for access to females that are ready to breed.

How Technology Is Changing Marine Research

The addition of drones to marine biologists research toolkits is proving to be a game changer, as demonstrated by the sperm whale behavior captured during these routine observation trips. This kind of footage isnt limited to scientific researchers, either. Virtually anyone operating a drone could capture rare wildlife interactions. Researchers want to see that footage, too.

As Dr. Burslem noted in the press release accompanying the studys publication, This unique overhead perspective for observing and documenting near-surface behaviour is just one of the ways drone technology is transforming the study of wildlife biology. Its exciting to think about what as-yet unseen behaviours we may soon uncover, as well as how more headbutting observations may help us to shed light on the functions the behaviour may serve. If there are people out there with similar footage, we would be very keen to hear from them.

The post Scientists Finally Catch Sperm Whales Headbutting on Camera appeared first on A-Z Animals.
The post Scientists Thought This Was the Oldest Octopus Until They Found Something Hidden Inside appeared first on A-Z Animals.

Quick Take

Synchrotron imaging of Pohlsepia mazonensis revealed it is a nautilus relative , not the worlds oldest octopus.

Octopus origins are now placed much later, in the Jurassic , rather than 300 million years ago .

The fossil is considered the oldest recorded evidence of nautiloid soft tissue preservation ever discovered.

Scientific knowledge is constantly updated, revised, or reshuffled as new insights emerge. One particular fossil was thought to be the worlds oldest octopus. But it turned out to be a completely different animal. Researchers discovered this case of mistaken identity after using synchrotron imaging to look inside the fossil.

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Whatever the researchers expected to find, it certainly wasnt the remains of a completely different animal. Indeed, researchers found tiny teeth deep inside the fossilized rock that proved Pohlsepia mazonensis was not an octopus, but rather an animal related to a modern Nautiluscomplete with multiple tentacles and an external shell. First shared on April 8, 2026, in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the results solve a long-standing puzzle regarding the timeline of octopus evolution. They also provide a breakthrough in the form of evidence for the oldest nautiloid soft tissue preservation ever found. Lets learn more about this startling (re)discovery.

A Reidentified Fossil

Synchrotron imaging helped scientists find tiny teeth hidden within the fossil structure. Tib-nature/Shutterstock.com

The now-reidentified fossil was first found in the Mazon Creek fossil beds near Morris, in Grundy County, Illinois. The first analysis of the fossil, published in 2000, suggested that the fossil showed eight arms, fins, and other features typical of an octopus. This pushed back the known history of octopuses by around 150 million years. However, doubts about this specific identification have been raised by scientists for years. The only problem was that scientists previously lacked clear methods to test the identificationuntil now.

The new study used innovative synchrotron imaging, which uses high-intensity light beams, to scan for structures beneath surfaces that are invisible to the eye. This revealed hidden details inside the fossilized rock that had eluded scientific analysis in the early 2000s. Scientists involved in the new study compared the process to a modern forensic examination.

Synchrotron imaging helped scientists find a radula in the fossil. This is a ribbon-like feeding organ with rows of teeth found exclusively in molluscs. The fossil in question showed 11 tooth-like elements per row, which ruled out an octopus entirely. This is because octopuses have seven or nine tooth-like elements per row, compared to 13 in nautiloids. Instead, researchers matched the teeth with a fossil of nautiloid Paleocadmus pohli.

Revised Records

While the nautilus is a creature still alive in the modern day, its ancient origins make some people consider it to be a living fossil. This fossil, initially mistaken for an octopus, is part of a collection of Paleocadmus fossils found at the Mazon Creek site in Illinois. Furthermore, it now represents the oldest known nautiloid soft tissue in the fossil record. That beats the previous record by around 220 million years.

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So, while the fossil was not an octopus as originally thought, the revised findings completely change our understanding of octopus evolution. They suggest that octopuses appeared later, during the Jurassic period. This reinforces the scientific consensus that the split between octopuses and squids occurred during the Mesozoic era instead of hundreds of millions of years earlier.

Dr. Thomas Clements, lead author and Lecturer in Invertebrate Zoology at the University of Reading, considered the discovery to be a blessing in disguise. He told the University of Reading, Its amazing to think a row of tiny hidden teeth, hidden in the rock for 300 million years, have fundamentally changed what we know about when and how octopuses evolved.

Final Thoughts

The worlds most famous octopus fossil turned out to be a completely different animal. Osman Temizel/Shutterstock.com

The teeth found through synchrotron imaging matched those of the Paleocadmus pohli fossil, which was already known from the same site in Illinois. This led researchers to conclude that the nautilus relative partially decayed before fossilization occurred, causing it to look quite different from its true form. When asked about the results, Dr. Clements expressed surprise.

He told the University of Reading, It turns out the worlds most famous octopus fossil was never an octopus at all. It was a nautilus relative that had been decomposing for weeks before it became buried and later preserved in rock, and that decomposition is what made it look so convincingly octopus-like.

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Even though scientists mistakenly identified the fossil as an octopus 26 years ago, it took modern technology to finally crack the case. As Dr. Clements said, We now have the oldest soft tissue evidence of a nautiloid ever found, and a much clearer picture of when octopuses actually first appeared on Earth. Sometimes, reexamining controversial fossils with new techniques reveals tiny clues that lead to really exciting discoveries.

The post Scientists Thought This Was the Oldest Octopus Until They Found Something Hidden Inside appeared first on A-Z Animals.




Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico said Monday he wants to end tax breaks for billionaires, including abolishing write-offs for the purchase of luxury items and restricting the use of offshore bank accounts to avoid federal taxes.

"A lot of these billionaires have used our infrastructure, they have benefited from our public schools," Talarico told reporters near a private jet hangar at Hobby Airport in Houston. "They have used the productivity of our workers to build (their businesses). All I'm asking is that they chip in to ensure that there is a ladder behind them for more working Texans to move up in this economy, to thrive and succeed."

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READ MORE: Is there any meat to 'vegan' attack on James Talarico? Record suggests charge is half-baked.

Talarico, who in November will face either incumbent John Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after a Republican runoff, used the hangar as a backdrop to highlight tax breaks for the purchasing of private jets. And the event was timed ahead of Wednesday's deadline for Americans to file their income tax returns.

The Democrat, who has spent four terms representing part of Austin in the Texas House, launched his Senate campaign last year targeting the influence billionaires can exert on political figures at every level of government. He said closing loopholes such as the "carried interest loophole," whereby businesses such as hedge fund and venture capital managers are able to treat earnings as capital gains rather than ordinary income, would bring billions of dollars into the federal treasury.

Zach Kraft, a regional spokesman for the Republican National Committee, said that while billionaires might be a tempting target, the Republican-led 2025 legislation nicknamed the "big beautiful bill" also provided tax cuts to working-class Americans.

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"Talking about taxes is a losing fight for James Talarico," Kraft said. "President Trump and Republicans just delivered the largest middle class tax cut in history with no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, and no taxes on Social Security."

Talarico said the bill benefited the most wealthy Americans far more for adding tax breaks for the purchase of "yachts, cars, racehorses and private jets."

"I want an economy that creates fewer trillionaires and more millionaires. I want people to succeed," he said. "Call me crazy, but I think your average working Texan should pay less in federal income taxes than your average billionaire."
The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine supported an initiative to annually hold a thematic lesson in general secondary education institutions on April 13 dedicated to the Day of the Defense-Industrial Complex Worker of Ukraine.

"The idea of the event is to explain to schoolchildren in simple language who is behind the technologies that help Ukraine defend itself today, and to show that behind every complex solution is the work of engineers, scientists, and specialists who create security. The initiative, proposed by the Ukrainian Defense Industry Joint Stock Company, appeared as a response to the demand of the times: today the country needs not only technology but also the people who create it. And this choice begins in school," the ministry said in a statement.

It is noted that within the framework of the initiative, a concept of educational materials has been prepared for various age groupsfrom primary classes to high schooldesigned to speak to students in accessible language: without complex technical details, but with an emphasis on science, safety, and responsibility.

Specifically, for younger schoolchildren, this involves introduction to professions and basic safety rules; for middle classesunderstanding how technology helps save lives; for high schoolersa conversation about the future: engineering, technology, and responsibility for their use.

"This is not just about one lesson. This is about forming interest in technical professions, about the connection of education with the real needs of the country, and about the first steps towards a conscious professional choice. After all, forming such interest today is an investment in the future of Ukraine, its resilience, and victory," the report says.
A 16-year-old is charged with sexual abuse and first-degree murder in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister who died while the family vacationed on a cruise ship.

The teen, identified in court records as T.H., was indited as an adult by a federal grand jury for the death of Anna Kepner on or about Nov. 6 or 7, according to a statement released April 13 by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. The stepsiblings were with other family members aboard the Carnival Horizon when T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner in international waters.

Kepners body was found Nov. 7 under a bed in her cabin by a staff member cleaning the room. Once the ship docked in Miami, her body was transported to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiners Office, who determined she died by mechanical asphyxiation.

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Our hearts go out to the victims family during this unimaginable loss, said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quinones for the Southern District of Florida. A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters. We will present the evidence in court and pursue this case with professionalism and care. As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Stepbrother originally charged as juvenile in death of stepsister Anna Kepner

T.H. was originally charged as a juvenile in February and the case remained sealed.

U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered it transferred for adult prosecution, resulting it becoming public. If convicted, the 16 year old faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.

According to court documents, the stepbrother was hospitalized after the incident and then taken to live with maternal relatives near Hernando County. He had been mentioned as a suspect in Kepners death during court hearings regarding his parents custody case.

Who was Anna Kepner?

Kepner, an A student at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, was described by family in her obituary as "pure energy: bubbly, funny, outgoing."

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She received her boater's license before she could drive and had plans to join the U.S. Navy after her high school graduation next year, with long-term plans to become a K9 officer. A lifelong gymnast, Kepner was active on her school's cheerleading team.

Hundreds of people showed up for her celebration of life on Nov. 20. In the days after her death, loved ones turned her car into a makeshift memorial with flowers, balloons and messages.Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the networks Rapid Response reporter, she covers Floridas breaking news. You can get all of Floridas best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Anna Kepner's stepbrother charged with sex abuse, murder in teen's death
The suspected gunman behind a shooting at the Elko Regional Airport Monday is dead, with one child injured and the airport temporarily closed, according to police.

Elko, Nevada, Police Lt. Shane Daz said someone called about an active shooter at the airport at about 12:30 p.m. Initially, police said two people were found shot and killed, but later confirmed just one person  the alleged shooter  was dead.

The injured person is a juvenile, according to police, but the age was not disclosed.

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As of Monday afternoon, Daz said there is no threat to the community. The shooting remains under investigation. He said the airport was closed Monday afternoon, delaying inbound flights. Police are hoping to open the facility sometime Monday night.

This story may be updated.
What if I told you the right size for the Washington Bridge was the size it currently is? After all, everyone who needs to cross it can get where they are going, it just might take a little longer. Plus, most of the time, the bridge isnt full.

If you have to wait in bridge traffic with any regularity, youre probably upset after just reading this.

The state of Rhode Island offers this same experience to those riding Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority (RIPTA) buses every single day. State leadership has talked repeatedly about right-sizing RIPTA. After all, cutting buses doesnt stop people from getting where they are going, it just might take a little longer. Besides, the buses arent always full.

If you were upset at being told that the Washington Bridge is the right size after its capacity was reduced, how can you ask bus riders to accept this after this past years cuts?

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How can you ask a high school student to be 90 minutes late for school after their bus just passed their stop without stopping because it was full and now they have to wait for the next one? Or ask them to wait an extra hour after school because not all the students waiting to board would fit onto their bus home?

How can you ask someone heading to their early morning job, or home from their late night gig, to pay expensive ride share prices because the service cuts reduced the daily span of service on the routes they use to get to and from their home?

How can you ask someone who commutes to their job on a fishing boat in Galilee to lose their weekend income because the bus they need to get to their boat now sees reduced weekend service?

How can you ask a single father whos put his life back together after a period of homelessness to do without the bus that provides a safe, easy and affordable route to his new job?

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How can you ask a high school student to be 90 minutes late for school after their bus just passed their stop without stopping because it was full and now they have to wait for the next one?

These are just some examples of the ways RIPTAs new size after the service cuts is not big enough for everyday Rhode Islanders.

A special legislative commission was convened in 2006 to address issues with transportation funding. The members strongly opposed decreasing RIPTA services or limiting RIPTAs growth

potential. Their conclusions, issued the following year, found a sustainable source of money was needed to fund RIPTA operations. Several additional studies done in the years following have offered the same finding.

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In 2024, RIPTA was again directed to undergo an efficiency study by Gov. Dan McKee as a condition of getting its budget allocation for fiscal 2025. When it was released in the spring of 2025, the results told us the issue is not waste: RIPTA was found to match or outperform its peers. Instead the issue is that, as we have found before, Rhode Island continues to underfund its bus system. Rather than expanding transit service as was envisioned by the bold Transit Master Plan adopted in 2020, last year McKee and the General Assembly shrank the entire system by more than 15%. The results: job and income losses, dramatically longer travel times with longer waits for connections, reduction in educational opportunities, and more. At the same time, our neighbors continue to invest in their transit systems, providing a direct comparison of what is possible.

The right size for RIPTA is the size where a bus comes when you need it, and promptly delivers you to the place you need to go. The right size for a vision for Rhode Island is one that dreams big, and delivers, not one that tells people just to wait a little longer.

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By Jack Kim

SEOUL, April 13 (Reuters) - South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sparked a diplomatic row with Israel and criticism at home after comparing Israeli military actions against Palestinians to the Holocaust in a post on social media platform X.

The controversy began on Friday after Lee said "wartime killings" by the Israel Defense Forces were "no different from the Jewish massacre" by the Nazis in World War Two, and reposted footage with a caption that said it showed Israeli troops had tortured and thrown a Palestinian from the roof of a building.

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Israel's Foreign Ministry said in a post on X on Saturday that Lee "for some strange reason, chose to dig up a story from 2024." It said the incident occurred during an IDF operation against what it called "terrorists" and had been thoroughly investigated.

The ministry accused Lee, who had said that he needed to verify the footage, of the "trivialization of the massacre of Jews on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel," saying his remarks were "unacceptable and warrant strong condemnation."

Israel marks Yom HaShoah on Monday remembering the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis.

The Israeli military said in 2024 it was investigating the incident https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-investigates-after-videos-show-soldiers-pushing-bodies-off-west-bank-roof-2024-09-20/ in the videos and described the actions as serious and not in keeping with its values.

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Friday's comments are a rare instance of Lee discussing international politics on social media and come as his government navigates a surge in energy prices following U.S. and Israeli strikes nL6N40S1FU against Iran. Tehran has closed the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic and South Korea is one of the world's largest importers of oil and gas.

Lee did not mention the Iran war in his posts but said that South Koreans were today feeling "immense pain and national hardship."

The president later on Saturday said it was "disappointing" that Israel criticised his comments and that it was natural to feel sorry if someone was suffering.

South Korea's foreign ministry later said it was regrettable Israel "misunderstood" Lee's remarks, which were about universal human rights.

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Lee's comments also proved controversial at home.

South Korea's conservative party hit out at Lee for failing to speak more prudently and said he was showing double standards for his silence on human rights abuses in North Korea, while Lee's Democratic Party praised him for speaking out on the universal value of human dignity.

The mainstream Joongang Ilbo newspaper said on Monday Lee would be well advised to recognise the weight of a president's remarks and the risk of misunderstanding from unfiltered comments on social media, especially in sensitive global disputes.

(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Ed Davies and Kate Mayberry)
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has joined seven other governors in the PJM Interconnection territory in pushing the regional grid operator to adopt policies and regulations that help shield ratepayers from shouldering the cost of increased power demand largely driven by data centers.

Members of the governors staff met with PJM representatives March 27 to discuss how to achieve power reliability while also ensuring efficiency of the energy infrastructure already in place and savings for customers.

Balancing both affordability and reliability are foundational to PJMs very existence, the governors wrote following the meeting.

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PJM has faced recent criticism for delays in bringing power generators onto the grid, largely clean energy sources. The grid operator has been working through policy changes to speed up that process and manage the skyrocketing price of the capacity energy auctions.

The governors letter lays out different ways that PJM can adopt policies that ensure that costs are borne by high-load customers that are driving the grid strain, and not residential customers.

One of their recommendations is that new data centers should have to pay for backstop capacity costs. Virginia is one of the few states that has created a specific rate class for high-load customers like data centers. Dominion Energy now has specific payment requirements for these customers that are aimed at protecting residential ratepayers.

Every year, PJM holds a capacity auction so companies can be prepared to provide the estimated power demand in future years.

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PJM calculates how much power will be needed on high use days and adds some in reserve. Then, energy providers can bid to provide that power until PJM meets the target estimation. Those funds paid to the bidders come from consumers through their utility bills. In recent years the capacity auction prices have reached record levels.

The state executives also suggested ensuring that if data centers default or PJM over-projects for capacity needs, customers wont be on the hook for those costs.

This is in keeping with the White House Ratepayer Protection Pledge, which we strongly support, where participating data centers have agreed to pay the full costs associated with building new power supply and delivery infrastructure, whether they use these assets or not, the letter reads.

The 13 states and Washington D.C. that make up the PJM territory are all testing legislative strategies to manage rising utility costs. Spanberger has already signed a handful of bills that are intended to offer short-term and long-term cost relief.

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Her messaging reflects some of the demands that her predecessor Gov. Glenn Youngkin had expressed alongside the same governors in PJM, such as lowering costs and ramping up bringing power onto the grid.

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The wife of Spain's leftist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to go on trial after an investigating judge proposed bringing charges against her on Monday.

Judge Juan Carlos Peinado concluded his investigation and recommended that Maria Begona Gomez Fernandez be charged with corruption, influence peddling, misappropriation of funds and trademark violations.

Prosecutors typically follow such judicial recommendations. No date has yet been set for the trial. The 55-year-old denies the allegations.

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During the investigation, prosecutors had called for the case to be dropped, citing what they described as weak evidence.

Gomez's defence accused Peinado of acting on political motives and harming the reputation of the judiciary, El Pais reported. The government rejected the allegations and described the case as part of a politically motivated campaign.

The probe was launched following a complaint by the far-right group Manos Limpias, which accuses Gomez of using her proximity to the prime minister to secure economic advantages, including in public funding programmes, sponsorship deals and state-backed loans.

Sanchezs left-wing minority government has been under pressure for some time due to a raft of corruption investigations. Last June, the prime minister publicly apologized to citizens for the scandals within his Socialist Party.
MADRID, April 13 (Reuters) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez begins his fourth visit to China in as many years on Monday, underlining his determination to steer an independent course that has riled U.S. President Donald Trump https://www.reuters.com/world/us/donald-trump/.

Spain has been one of Europe's loudest proponents of expanding trade and treating China as a strategic ally rather than the economic and geopolitical rival that Trump sees it as.

The repeat visit highlights Sanchez's determination not to align himself nL8N40S0AA with Trump  who has heavily criticised Spain for denying landing rights to U.S. forces in the war with Iran and for its relatively low defence spending - and threatened to punish nL1N40R0WB uncooperative NATO military allies.

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Sanchez's approach is popular with voters, but has unnerved firms and opposition politicians who fear that friction with the U.S. administration could be costly for Spain.

FOCUS ON GEOPOLITICS RAISES EYEBROWS IN SPAIN

A government source who was not authorised to speak to the media said Tuesday's meeting with President Xi Jinping would focus on geopolitics, and that Spain sees China as a stabilising force.

Yet Ramon Gascon Alonso, Asia-Pacific coordinator of Spain's Exporters' and Investors' Club, said this focus could further harm trade burdened by Trump's tariffs on imports from the European Union, and "make our already precarious situation much worse".

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"The United States is the leading foreign investor in Spain," he said. "We have a significant volume of trade with the United States in sectors that are central to our economy  absolutely vital."

Sanchez stands out among European allies as an outspoken critic of the U.S. and Israeli military campaigns.

A senior opposition source advised against any further criticism while Sanchez is in China, accusing Sanchez of tangling with Trump for domestic reasons and putting at risk NATO unity and the U.S. military presence in Spain.

Chinese ambassador to Spain Yao Jing said warm relations had encouraged Chinese companies to invest.

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"Spain is more reasonable in dealing with China," he said. "It has its own judgment, its own interests, it wants access to Chinese markets. So we do business."

CHINESE INVESTMENT IN SPAIN SURGES

Chinese firms invested 643 million euros in Spain in 2025, up from 149 million a year earlier, data from the Economy Ministry shows, bringing the total to 9.7 billion euros between 2010 and 2025, primarily in extractive industry and the energy sector.

Xi will this time fete Sanchez and his wife Begona with a formal banquet, while he will also meet with China's premier, Li Qiang, and top legislator Zhao Leji during the three-day visit.

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On day one, Sanchez will visit the headquarters of tech giant Xiaomi and host a forum for Spanish and Chinese energy, infrastructure, bioscience and technology firms. He will also meet with international relations specialists and make a speech at Beijing's Tsinghua University.

Madrid hopes the visit will help narrow a trade deficit that has more than doubled in four years to nearly $50 billion in 2025, looking to boost agricultural and manufacturing exports to offset high volumes of Chinese imports.

Still, Sanchez is not taking a business delegation with him this time, and no major deals are planned.

Officials do, however, hope to sign a regionalisation agreement for Spanish poultry exports affected by bird flu outbreaks. A similar deal for the pork industry is credited nL8N3X40GP with staving off a major blow to one of Spain's most lucrative exports during a recent African swine fever outbreak.

(Reporting by Aislinn Laing, David Latona and Charlie Devereux; Writing by Aislinn Laing; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Sir Keir Starmer has refused to join Donald Trumps blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Telegraph revealed on Sunday night that Britain would not send warships to close off the crucial shipping lane to oil tankers, after Mr Trump said the US Navy would be helped by other countries.

On Monday, Sir Keir confirmed he would not assist, declaring: Were not supporting the blockade.

Britain will instead deploy minesweepers to clear the waterway, which has been controlled by Iran since the war began.

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On Sunday evening, the US president announced a naval blockade of any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz after negotiations to end the war collapsed.

It will come into effect at 10am US eastern standard time (3pm BST) on Monday, the president confirmed on Monday morning.

A vessel waiting in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday - Reuters

Asked whether Britain would help the US, Sir Keir told BBC Radio 5 Live: What weve been doing over the past few weeks is bringing countries together to keep the straits open, not shut.

And that isnt a remote issue. All the time the strait is shut ... that means oil and gas is not getting to market, that means prices are going up, that means everyone listening to this is facing higher energy bills. And I dont want that to happen.

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Were not supporting the blockade. And all of the marshalling, diplomatically, politically and capability, we do have minesweeping capability ... thats all focused, from our point of view, on getting the straits fully open.

We want to get energy prices down as quickly as possible. Im very concerned about the impact this war is having on people in the UK.

Islamabad talks

JD Vance, the US vice-president, who led the US delegation in Islamabad, said the two sides failed to reach an agreement after 21 hours because Tehran refused to give up its nuclear programme.

Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Irans foreign minister, said Iran had negotiated with the US in good faith to end the war.

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But ... we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade, he added on X. Zero lessons earned. Good will begets good will. Enmity begets enmity.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Irans lead negotiator, said Washington had failed to earn his trust.

Reacting angrily to the breakdown in negotiations, Mr Trump said America would stop ships from entering or leaving the key oil and gas shipping lane. Without naming them, he said other countries would help.

0603 Minehunter

The blockade  designed to stop Iran from profiteering by charging ships a fee to pass  triggered a sharp rise in oil prices when markets opened on Monday morning.

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Speaking to journalists as he disembarked Air Force One on Sunday night, Mr Trump said Iran was in a very bad shape and that other nations were working together to ensure Tehran would not be able to sell oil.

The president then took aim at Nato saying: Im very disappointed in Nato. They werent there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for Nato and they werent there for us...

Now they want to come up, but theres no real threat any more... I think thats going to be under very serious examination.

Earlier in the day, in his first public remarks since the peace talks failed, the US president criticised Nato members, including Britain, for their refusal to support offensive operations against Iran, calling the defensive alliance shameful.

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Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social network: So, there you have it, the meeting went well, most points were agreed to, but the only point that really mattered, nuclear, was not.

Effective immediately, the US navy, the finest in the world, will begin the process of blockading any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.

On Monday, a British minister failed five times to state whether the Government agreed with Mr Trumps blockade.

Olivia Bailey, an education minister, told Sky News: We wont be taking any part in it and we want to see free navigation of the Strait of Hormuz.

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She repeatedly declined to say whether she agreed. When challenged for a fifth time, she responded: I hope Im being clear that we will not be taking part in it. We think that freedom of the Strait of Hormuz is really important.

Downing Street said Britain was urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation after a phone call between Sir Keir and Emmanuel Macron, the French president.

Britain has mine-hunting systems in the region that could be used to help clear the strait of naval mines laid by Iran, but this is likely to take place once fighting has stopped.

On Sunday, Mr Trump again compared Sir Keir to Neville Chamberlain, whose premiership was defined by his 1930s appeasement of Nazi Germany.

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Look at the UK, Mr Trump told Fox News. PM Starmer said: Well send the equipment after the war is over.

I said: You dont need equipment when the war is over. You need the equipment before the war starts, or during the war. He made a public statement that we will send equipment after the war is over  thats a Neville Chamberlain statement.

The US military said two destroyers had sailed through the strait ahead of mine-clearing operations.

Sir Keir has repeatedly ruled out direct British involvement in the war, saying: This is not our war. We will not be drawn into this conflict. That is not in our national interest.

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Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, branded Sir Keir pathetic for insisting the conflict in the Middle East was not Britains concern, suggesting the UK should offer its support to the US as a quid pro quo for securing greater American backing for Ukraine.

I think Donald Trump has a very, very good point about Nato, and we should be there to help, Mr Johnson said.

Just to say this is not our war is absolutely pathetic. The main reason its pathetic is because the Iranians can see that the West is just divided, and thats a massive blessing for Vladimir Putin and everybody else in Ukraine.

Nato members including Britain have been reluctant to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 per cent of the worlds oil and liquefied natural gas usually travels.

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Tehran has throttled the strait in retaliation for the month-long US-Israeli campaign against it, causing global oil prices to soar. Since the war began, Tehran has charged ships roughly $1 per barrel, payable in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, for safe passage.

By enforcing a blockade on the blockade, Washington is trying to reduce Irans leverage over the strait, but the policy will also have ramifications for countries that trade with Iran, including India and China.

Half of Chinas seaborne oil imports pass through the strait. Mr Trump is aiming to pressure Beijing into pushing Iran to give up its nuclear programme and accept a deal.

1004 Hormuz tankers redirected

In response to Mr Trumps naval threat, Iranian state media reported it had deployed navy special forces along its southern coastline in preparation for an American land invasion.

Janiv Shah, the vice president of oil markets at Rystad Energy, said the blockade could put some upside on prices as we see conflict increasing once more, combined with the peace talks not resulting in any deal.

Kirill Dmitriev, Russias economic envoy, suggested on X that oil could soon reach $150 a barrel.

However, Neil Wilson, an investment strategist at Saxo UK, said markets were fatigued by Mr Trumps declarations and the effect might be more limited. He said: We and markets know Trump threatens to escalate in order to negotiate.

Mr Wilson said many investors were still committed to the Taco trade  Trump Always Chickens Out. In other words, investors will bet on limited oil price rises on the belief the US president will ultimately back away from his threat to blockade the strait.

In Israel, a different view took hold, as the Israel Defense Forces were ordered to move to a heightened state of readiness and prepare for a return to war.

Try full access to The Telegraph free today. Unlock their award-winning website and essential news app, plus useful tools and expert guides for your money, health and holidays.
By Amina Niasse

NEW YORK, April 13 (Reuters) - The Trump administration's new law https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/trump-sign-major-tax-cut-spending-bill-into-law-friday-2025-07-04/ that Americans must work or volunteer to qualify for Medicaid healthcare benefits, set to take effect next year, has left states waiting for details on how to comply and with limited funding promised, according to six industry experts.

The $200 million set aside for states to implement the work requirements in President Donald Trump's https://www.reuters.com/world/us/donald-trump/ 2025 tax cuts and spending bill https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tax-bill/ is expected to fall short of many states' needs, the industry experts said.

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In addition, detailed guidance to states and insurers who manage Medicaid benefits about who is exempt and what volunteer work qualifies, is not expected until June.

Unlike Medicare for those ages 65 and older, which is fully funded by the federal government, costs of Medicaid for low-income Americans are shared between the states and the U.S. government.

With the law going into effect on January 1, some states may seek extensions and partially launch their systems, industry https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trumps-spending-bill-will-likely-boost-costs-insurers-shrink-medicaid-coverage-2025-07-14/ and policy experts said.

Matt Salo, CEO of health consultancy Salo Health Strategies, likened the rollout of the system to "a soft opening of a restaurant."

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"You're not going to see people get kicked off immediately," said Salo, a former executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

About 68 million people are enrolled in Medicaid plans, and nearly half are at risk of losing coverage https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/trump-officials-back-steeper-medicaid-food-stamp-work-requirements-2025-05-15/, according to health policy firm KFF.

The plans are managed by insurers such as UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health's Aetna, Elevance, Centene and Molina.

The launch may be messy for insurers, but the impact of the new policy on companies should even out over time, two investors and one analyst said.

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A spokesperson for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the government has been distributing funds and is working with states on implementation.

"CMS has provided significant support to states," they said, and "will continue to provide additional guidance through the interim final rule and ongoing engagement with states."

Half of the funding is divided evenly across the 50 states - about $2 million per state - while the other half is dependent on how many state residents are subject to the work requirements, the spokesperson said.

IOWA, UTAH AND GEORGIA ARE PREPPING

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A spokesperson for Iowa's Department of Health and Human Services said the state has begun working on implementation and expects its technology costs to exceed the federal funding received. It is one of half a dozen states that have filed implementation plans with the government.

In Utah, which has also filed its plan, a state health department spokesperson said it expects the funding to be adequate but that it is still waiting on specific guidance from the government.

Georgia, which has had its own work requirements since 2023, is assessing whether the $5 million in funding it has received is enough as it waits for the final rule's details on community engagement requirements, a spokesperson for Georgia's Department of Community Health said.

Georgia's state requirement applied to people receiving additional benefits through the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion.

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FLYING BLIND WITHOUT FINAL RULES

The government's final rule is expected to define documentation and verification requirements, provide specifics on who qualifies for exemptions and outline reporting mechanisms, the six industry experts said.

The law generally says enrollees must regularly document and verify they are working or volunteering 20 hours a week. Exempt enrollees include people with disabilities, pregnant women and children.

States can independently carry out verifications by connecting to external groups like employment data brokers or other state agencies tracking employment status, but compiling volunteer hours may be challenging.

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There is little clarity on what role volunteer organizations play in verifying volunteer hours and little information on how states will automate that reporting in their systems, said Ali Gardner, policy expert at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, calling the situation "really concerning and problematic."

INSURERS TO HELP KEEP PEOPLE ENROLLED

Insurers, who want to keep costs and enrollment steady, are likely to play a major role in managing communication with enrollees as they tend to have advanced infrastructure and are already in direct contact with members, industry and policy experts said.

Aetna is connecting some Medicaid members with job opportunities and waiting for state and federal government guidance, a spokesperson said. Aetna operates Medicaid plans in 15 states.

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"Most states with which we work are still in the planning phase of these new requirements, and we are in close communication with them about how we can support their implementation," the spokesperson said.

Gardner said without the details from the federal government, insurers have not been able to launch effective engagement programs.

And work that should be done by electronic systems would need to be done manually, which could increase errors and cause people to be disenrolled, Gardner said.

There's not enough time built in."

(Reporting by Amina Niasse; editing by Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot)
The final phase of Sterlings ongoing Second Street reconstruction project is on hold, waiting on action from Union Pacific Railroad.

The sections of the 160-foot pedestrian bridge that will link the multi-use path along Sterlings riverfront over Illinois Route 40 have been delivered. But when the pedestrian bridge will be installed depends on action from Union Pacific Railroad regarding a single ComEd utility pole.

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Pedestrian bridge spans sit in a parking area in Sterling Monday, April 6, 2026. (Alex T. Paschal)

The existing pole is on the Union Pacific right of way. It needs to be lifted to clear the new bridge span for construction and the crane placing the bridge span. The pole was apparently put in before modern UP requirements. To increase the height would require putting in a modern pole and to do that, the Union Pacific wants it off their right of way, Scott Shumard, Sterling city manager, told the council April 6.

If the pole is moved off the right-of-way, that process could mean that the pedestrian bridge still could have a lengthy wait before it is installed.

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They have to find a new location for it and still get all the approvals. Then you have to have a flagger around when you move the pole, which requires a 30-day notice at the minimum. Once they approve the plans (to move the pole), its still 30 days out before the Union Pacific will have a flagger in place to allow them to move the pole, Shumard said.

The pedestrian bridge will be installed over Route 40 behind the Plainwell Brass building. The bridge will connect a multi-use path on East Second Street from First Avenue to Broadway Avenue.

Mayor Diana Merdian has been in talks with the two sides to prompt action and a resolution so that the pedestrian bridge can be installed. The permit request to move the pole was made by ComEd to Union Pacific.

We are getting conflicting stories. I am trying to work with Union Pacific and ComEd to try and bring them together so they can just get the job done, Merdian told the council.

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In an earlier council meeting, Jim Wise, alderman at large, asked if the Illinois Commerce Commission should be made aware of the situation and if the ICC could step in and help bring a resolution.

We did bring up the ICC and whether to get the FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) or anybody else involved and they thought they had a good enough relationship that it would only do harm to drag oversight in and get somebody else to force Union Pacific to make that movement, Shumard said.

In answer to a question from Wise on when the city could expect a resolution so the pedestrian bridge could be installed, Shumard said he did not know.

Well give them 90, 120, 180 days to figure this out? Or when do we do something? Wise asked.

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That goes back to the fact that its not our permit, Shumard said.

Matthew Cole, standing in for Tim Zollinger, city attorney, said legal action to force a decision isnt advised.

It only gets worse if you get legal counsel involved because theyll clam up and require their own legal counsel in any conversations you have. It just slows the process down immensely. So staying the course, unfortunate as it is, is probably the best, Cole said.
Based on evidence from military counterintelligence and State Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) investigators, an FSB informanta drug addict from Sumy detained by the SBU in September 2025has received a real prison sentence.

In a Telegram message on Monday, the SBU reports that the suspect hitchhiked across three regions of Ukraine to track locations of the Defense Forces, which Russia targeted for aviation, drone, and artillery strikes.

"According to the case files, the Russia task was carried out by a drug addict from Sumy, who came to the attention of the FSB while looking for money for a dose in Telegram channels," the report says.

Initially, the perpetrator tracked the combat positions of Ukrainian air defense in his region, and later Russia "dispatched" him to Pavlohrad in Dnipropetrovsk region.

"There he rented two apartments: in one he stayed during reconnaissance sorties, and in the other he set up an observation post. Following FSB instructions, the informant installed a video camera with remote access for Russia intelligence services on the apartment windowsill," the SBU notes.

The agency clarifies that by using the online broadcast, Russia hoped to record the movement of AFU military equipment toward the front line.

Following this, according to the report, the accomplice was tasked with marking geolocations of checkpoints and fortified areas in the Pokrovsk direction.

It is documented that the suspect arrived via hitchhiking at a settlement near the line of combat contact, where he recorded the positions of Ukrainian troops during walking tours over two days.

SBU officers detained him at his place of residence in Sumy, where he had returned to prepare a "report" and send it to the FSB via messenger.

Based on SBU materials, the court found the informant guilty under Part 3 of Article 114-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (dissemination of information on the location of the AFU under martial law).

"Taking into account cooperation with the investigation, the perpetrator received 8 years of imprisonment," the SBU informs.

The investigation was conducted by SBU investigators in Sumy region under the procedural guidance of the regional prosecutors office.




A super typhoon is bearing down on American islands in the Pacific.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku intensified into the strongest storm on the planet this year Sunday, packing sustained winds of 180 mph and gusts as high as 220 mph as it tracked toward a chain of U.S.-held islands in the Western Pacific. For the roughly 50,000 people living on Rota, Tinian and Saipan, the next 48 hours could be catastrophic.

Enhanced infrared satellite image of Super Typhoon Sinlaku at sunrise Monday. (NOAA)





The Northern Mariana Islands are an unincorporated U.S. territory about 6,000 miles west of San Francisco, closer to Tokyo than to Honolulu. The people who live there are American citizens, and they are about to take a direct hit from a storm equivalent to a strong Category 4 or Category 5 hurricane.

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Typhoon Sinlaku is probably near its peak intensity as of Sunday evening Pacific time. Some weakening is expected before closest approach, but models still project sustained winds of 155 to 160 mph when the storm reaches the Marianas late Monday into Tuesday.

Forecast guidance has shifted the storm farther north over the past 24 hours. The latest models show a passage near or directly over Tinian, between Rota and Saipan. Small shifts in the final track will determine which islands take the eyewall and strongest winds.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku's forecast track shows a direct hit on the Northern Mariana islands, Rota and Tinan on Tuesday morning. A shift in the forecast track takes the worst impacts north of Guam. (CIMSS)





Typhoon warnings are in effect for Rota, Tinian and Saipan, while Guam, home to major U.S. military installations, is under a tropical storm warning. United Airlines and regional carrier Micronesian Air Connection have canceled flights through midweek. Schools and government offices across the islands are closed, and shelters opened Sunday.

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The hazards extend well beyond wind. The National Weather Service expects 15 to 20 inches of rain for Guam and Rota, with 8 to 15 inches for Tinian and Saipan from Monday through Thursday.

Sinlaku is a big storm and could span 400 miles wide, meaning heavy rain will fall far from the center. Flash flooding, rapid runoff and landslides are possible, particularly where rain bands stall over mountainous terrain. Hazardous surf is expected to build to around 15 feet across exposed reefs, with storm surge adding coastal inundation and beach erosion into the second half of the week.

This article originally published at Strongest storm on planet bearing down on U.S. islands in Western Pacific.
Sudan's civil war has triggered the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with around 11.6 million refugees and internally displaced people, according to the United Nations.

About 4.5 million people have fled Sudan to neighbouring countries, but a lack of prospects and uncertainty over an end to the three-year conflict are pushing many to move on, Mamadou Dian Balde, regional director of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Nairobi, said.

"People are arriving in Greece. They are arriving into Italy. They are arriving into Spain," Balde said.

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So far, nearly 14,000 Sudanese refugees have reached Europe via the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean, while more than half a million are currently in Libya, he added.

"We need to ramp up, we need to increase the support to refugees," he said, including the countries hosting them.

"If people think that this conflict can continue like this and that it is not going to affect the stability in the region, it's just a big, big, big mistake."

Balde spoke ahead of the third International Sudan Conference on Wednesday in Berlin, which seeks to put the war back on the international agenda.

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He said that major funding gaps in aid programmes for Sudanese refugees must be addressed. Countries seeking to limit arrivals should invest more in host nations and refugee accommodation, he said.

Given the scale of suffering among refugees inside and outside Sudan, as well as widespread violence  particularly against women and girls  humanitarian assistance must be urgently scaled up, he stressed.

"I have never witnessed something like this for my 27 years working in this field," Balde said.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP)  More than 1,000 workers organized a protest Monday in Haitis capital to demand a higher minimum wage as the conflict in Iran deepens, driving up oil prices.

Workers at the state-owned Metropolitan Industrial Park, informally known as Sonapi, gathered outside its gates in Port-au-Prince and shouted, When we are hungry, we dont mess around!

Employees noted that they havent had a raise since 2023, and that they can no longer afford basic goods given that Haitis government increased diesel prices by 37% and gasoline prices by 29% earlier this month.

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A gallon of gas is higher than our minimum daily wage, said Marc Jean Jean-Pierre, a 47-year-old father of two children.

He works at a factory making jeans, earning 685 Haitian gourdes ($5.23) a day, while a gallon of gasoline costs 850 gourdes ($6.49).

You can see what were going through, he said.

Jean-Pierre used to take public transportation to get to work, but now he walks for an hour to save money since the round-trip fare has increased by 100 gourdes (76 cents).

We will be in the street until the government hears our voice, he said.

Joining Mondays protest was Maxime Excellence, a 49-year-old factory janitor, who worried about rising transportation prices, among other things.

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On top of it, I have to eat. I cant spent the whole day not eating, he said. God knows what Im going to have to eat when I get home.

Excellence said the workers demands are fair.

We can barely make ends meet with what were living on," he said.

He said that he would continue to protest until their demands are met and would resort to violence if necessary.

James Cardichon, a 37-year-old factor worker who makes T-shirts, echoed those sentiments.

We need a revolution for them to understand, he said, adding that the factory conditions also need to improve. We are leaving our sweat behind.

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He said that workers are seeking a better salary so their children dont have to experience the same problems.

We are tired, he said. Our country is infested by gangs. The bus charges more because they have to pay the gangs to get through, and we end up paying for everything.

Cardichon also said he was upset about the ongoing promises by government officials to improve the countrys situation.

We are tired of promises, he said. We want them to take action, and quickly.

Some Haitians who joined the protest dont work at the industrial park but wanted to express their frustration at Haitis spiraling crises, with gang violence surging and poverty deepening.

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Garry Jean Paul, 35, who sells cellphones on the street, said that rising oil prices are worsening the countrys situation.

Some days I make a couple hundred of gourdes, some days I have to go home with nothing, he said. Families are doing things they are not supposed to be doing. They are begging.
Athena Strands stepmother thought she was simply hiding when the 7-year-old disappeared from their home in rural Texas on November 30, 2022. Now, a former delivery driver has admitted to kidnapping young Athena and then killing her.

Tanner Horner pleaded guilty in a Tarrant County, Texas, courthouse on April 7 to aggravated kidnapping and capital murder in Strands death. His trial is ongoing, and Horner now faces either life in prison or the death penalty.

The prosecution has now rested its case, and jurors will consider court testimony and evidence as they weigh Horners fate. Heres what we know about Strands murder and whats happened in the case so far.

Who Is Tanner Horner?

Horner was 31 at the time of his arrest, placing his current age around 34, according to NBC 5. Little is known about his early life.

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According to police, Horner resided near Lake Worth, Texas, and didnt appear to have any criminal history. He was an independent contractor working with FedEx as a delivery driver at the time of Strands disappearance and murder.

Horners attorney, Steven Goble, told jurors in court he suffered from various mental illnesses throughout his life. Goble also claimed Horners mother drank alcohol while she was pregnant with him, and that Horner was exposed to a massive amount of lead during his life.

The defense team argues these factors should contribute to a life sentence in prison for Horner, rather than the death penalty he is eligible for after pleading guilty to Strands killing.

How Did Tanner Horner Kill Athena Strand?

Horner delivered a Christmas present meant for Strand, a box of You Can Be Anything Barbie dolls, when he kidnapped the 7-year-old from her home in rural Paradise, Texas, on November 30, 2022. Strand was staying with her father, Jacob Strand, and stepmother, Ashley Strand, at the time.

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Strand was reported missing, setting off a large search involving 200 community members.

Two days later on December 2, Strands nude body was found. Police arrested Horner and he was charged with aggravated kidnapping and capital murder.

According to an arrest warrant obtained by the Associated Press, Horner initially told authorities he accidentally hit Strand with his delivery vehicle. Although she wasnt seriously hurt, he claimed he panicked and placed her in the van before trying to break her neck. When that didnt work, he strangled her with his hands, killing her. Prosecutors said he then disposed of her body in the Trinity River.

Horner led police to where he left Strands body, according to the warrant.

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However, Wise County District Attorney James Stainton alleged during the trial that Horners explanation is largely untruthful. A still image shown during testimony showed Strand inside the van with Horner, seemingly unharmed.

The first thing Tanner Horner says to Athena when he picks her up and puts her in that truck, he leans down and he says: Dont scream or Ill hurt you. He says that twice, Stainton said, per AP.

What Have We Learned During the Trial?

Getty Images

Proceedings began on April 7, and the first week of testimony focused on examination of Horners mental state at the time of the murder, with a lead investigator claiming Horner spoke of an alter ego.

Texas Ranger Sgt. Job Espinoza testified that Horner referenced an alternate identity he called Zero and answered questions about Strand through this persona during interviews with police, according to CBS News. His demeanor, physical demeanor changes, Espinoza said of Horners behavior. His head goes into a sideways motion. His eyes roll into the back of the head, and he pretends to turn it to Zero.

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On Day 3, jurors watched video of Horners interrogation from December 7, 2022. In the footage, Horner asked Espinoza for his release from jail for one month so that he could spend one final holiday with his family. All I want is to spend one last Christmas with my son, and Ill tell you everything [about Strand], he said, according to Fox 4.

Additionally, Espinoza testified that Horner initially lied about the location of Strands clothes, saying he dumped them on the highway because he thought it would be funny. He eventually admitted to taking the childs pants and claimed they were in a backpack in the trash. Investigators did find articles of Strands clothing at Horners residence.

Espinoza previously testified that Horner continuously lied during questioning and talked about concern over losing his job and wanting to see his own child, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

The second week of testimony focused less on Horners actions in Strands death and more on his background and mental health history, according to Fox 4. Still, on April 16, jurors watched video footage and heard audio of Strands abduction captured inside the delivery van. The materials havent been released to the public. According to WFAA, Strand is heard asking Horner if he is a kidnapper and crying for her mother. Courtroom attendees were warned of the disturbing footage and given an opportunity to leave, while some jurors openly sobbed, per NBC 5.

What Did Tanner Horners Mother Reveal During the Trial?

On April 22, Horners motherwho has been identified as Melissa Horner, but requested to have her identity blurred while on cameratestified about her relationship with Tanner, as well as her own history of drug abuse and alleged sexual assault.

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According to NBC 5, Melissa alleged her stepfather abused her and attempted to have sex with her when she was only 4 years old. At age 14, she was went to rehab for marijuana use and soon dropped out of school. She began working at strip clubs and admitted to drinking heavily and using drugs including meth and heroin. She testified she drank alcohol and used drugs in the weeks prior to learning of her pregnancy with Tanner, and she continued to smoke and use marijuana during the pregnancy.

Melissa stated that Tanner was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome and bullied in school, prompting him to begin hitting himself on the head. I mean, he wanted to get along with people, but they just weren't interested in having conversations with him. It was hard to watch. Very sad. They didn't like him at all, she said.

Regarding Strands killing, Melissa claimed that Tanner had told her he backed into a girl by accident and panicked, leading him to strangle her. But when asked if she believed a different sequence of events now, she replied, Yes, I do. She also became emotional and apologized to the court, saying she didnt want to go to jail.

I dont know what to say. Im so sorry, she said.

What Happens Next in Tanner Horners Trial?

Horner pleaded guilty to both the capital murder and kidnapping charges on Tuesday, April 7. After roughly two weeks of court testimony, prosecutors rested their case on April 16.

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Jurors must decide whether Horner is sentenced to death or life in prison. Released body camera footage showed Horners arrest.

Meanwhile, new information about an alleged past crime has come to light, according to ABC 8. About two months after Horners arrest, a woman reported an alleged sexual assault to police, claiming he was the perpetrator. The victim stated she was 16 at the time of the incident. The Tarrant County District Attorneys Office chose not to prosecute Horner for the alleged crime, as he is already being tried for Strands murder.

According to WFAA, two women accused Horner of sexually assaulting them during trial testimony, alleging they were 16 years old at the time.

Check back with Biography.com for additional updates from the case.

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The largest manufacturer of electric vehicles in the United States is suing the state of North Dakota in its quest to open a pair of car dealerships in Bismarck and Fargo.

The case, filed by Tesla, is in the hands of South Central Judicial District Judge Bonnie Storbakken after a hearing on Monday.

North Dakota law prohibits vehicle manufacturers from owning car dealerships and requires them to sell their products to franchised dealerships for resale to consumers. Tesla, unlike producers of conventional vehicles like Ford or Chevrolet, operates its own car dealerships and sells directly to consumers.

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Tesla is asking the court to declare the company does not fall within the definition of manufacturer contained in state law. The term is defined as a person who assembles or imports a motor vehicle and sells it to dealers in the state for resale.

If the court disagrees and Tesla is determined to be a manufacturer under state law, the company is asking the court to determine whether an exception in the statute applies to their case.

Tesla just wants to be able to sell its vehicles in North Dakota, and not force customers who would wish to purchase a Tesla vehicle to have to drive to Minnesota or another state to do it, said Ari Holtzblatt, one of Teslas attorneys in the case.

Court documents filed by the company said there are more than 800 Tesla vehicles registered in North Dakota. Those vehicles were purchased elsewhere, in one of the more than 30 states Tesla is licensed to operate as a dealer, because they are unavailable for sale in North Dakota.

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Assistant Attorney General Michael Pitcher argued Tesla is asking the court to create a third category of entities, beyond car manufacturers and franchised dealerships that sell to consumers, that the Legislature never intended when it wrote the law.

Teslas interpretation would allow any manufacturer to avoid the statute simply by choosing not to franchise its dealers, Pitcher said. That would defeat the whole regulatory structure that the Legislature has adopted.

Teslas business model of selling directly to consumers is a voluntary decision by the company, Pitcher said. The attorney argued that practice is barred by North Dakota law, and Tesla has the power to change how it operates in order to comply with North Dakotas rules.

Tesla can operate in North Dakota the same way that every other manufacturer does. They can appoint dealers, they can enter into franchise agreements, and they can sell through that, Pitcher said. So the statute is not taking away Teslas ability to do business. Its just regulating the distribution model of vehicles.

A Tesla electric vehicle charging station sits ready for use in Bismarck on Feb. 19, 2024. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)

Tesla would not automatically receive licenses for its two proposed dealerships if the company prevails in the case. Holtzblatt said a favorable ruling by the court would allow the company to reapply and give it the opportunity to convince the North Dakota Department of Transportation it meets all the other legal requirements for a dealership license.

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Even if the court disagrees with Teslas reading of the law, Holtzblatt said it would be helpful to have a resolution on this situation sooner rather than later. The company had initially applied for the two dealership licenses on Sept. 19, 2024.

Were kind of anxious to get resolution on those legal questions. Obviously we believe that the statutes favor the interpretation weve offered, Holtzblatt said. Honestly, if the court disagrees, we just as soon like to get that answer so we can try to move the process forward.

North Dakota has lagged behind other states in adopting electric vehicles and building the necessary infrastructure. There are five supercharger locations for Tesla vehicles in North Dakota, according to the companys website. The U.S. Department of Energys website lists 277 charging ports for electric vehicles at 108 locations in the state, primarily along the Interstate 94 and U.S. Highway 2 corridors traveling east-west.

Storbakken took the matter under advisement and did not provide a timeline for when she may issue a decision.

North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge can be reached at jorledge@northdakotamonitor.com.

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The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a crash that claimed the life of a 3-year-old girl in Marion County.

Troopers responded shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday to a residence along NE 35th Street in Ocala. On scene, they determined a car struck the child in the driveway.

Investigators said the girl was behind the car and the driver struck her as he was backing out of the driveway.

The driver, 21, of Silver Springs, remained on scene following the collision.

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FHP said the toddler died shortly after the crash, which remains under investigation.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
A routine traffic stop ended with the Twiggs County Sheriffs Office seizing multiple drugs and an arrest.

Two TCSO deputies were assisting a detail in Wilkinson County and performed a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Traverse.

During the stop, deputies searched the car and seized a large quantity of suspected marijuana, including infused products, edible items, and multiple pre-rolled marijuana cigars believed to be intended for distribution.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The driver was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Wilkinson County Jail. Deputies also seized the car in connection with the investigation.

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This substantial seizure prevented a significant amount of illegal drugs from reaching our communities. Actions like this highlight the vigilance, training, and dedication our deputies demonstrate each day in their commitment to public safety, Twiggs County Sheriffs Office said.

TCSO says this investigation is ongoing. Additional charges or arrests may follow.

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This story was originally published on HR Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily HR Dive newsletter.

A transgender workers discrimination claim can move forward after an Alabama district court determined she provided enough information to suggest sex discrimination, according to a court opinion filed Wednesday in Travis v. Federal Injury Center of Birmingham, LLC.

The worker, a physical therapist assistant at Federal Injury Center of Birmingham, allegedly informed the office manager that she was transgender on May 28, 2024, after one year and eight months of employment. She was fired less than one week later for bringing morale down, according to the opinion.

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Federal Injury challenged the workers claims on three grounds, arguing that the complaint was served in an untimely fashion, that it was a shotgun pleading and that it failed to state a claim. The court shot down all three arguments, denying Federal Injurys motion to dismiss.

In one of the more relevant findings for HR professionals, Judge Harold Mooty III found the worker adequately stated a claim.

Federal Injury argued the worker needed to plead each element of her discrimination case as set out in the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework, including identifying the existence of a comparator. This is not so, the judge said; at the pleading stage, the plaintiff must only show enough factual matter (taken as true) to suggest intentional race or sex discrimination.

In Travis, the plaintiff has alleged that she disclosed her protected status, which was previously unknown to her employer, she suffered an adverse employment action  her termination  just a few days later, and the justification given for her termination was vague, subjective, and had never before been raised with [her] as an issue, Mooty wrote.

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Although temporal proximity is more often discussed in retaliation cases  due to their having, by definition, a protected activity followed by an adverse employment action  courts may consider suspicious timing, along with other circumstantial evidence, in determining whether a plaintiff has plausibly alleged discriminatory intent, the opinion continued.

The judge similarly threw out Federal Injurys failure to serve argument, which suggested the worker did not affect service within 90 days, in part because the worker said the employer listed the wrong address for service on the Secretary of States website. Additionally, Federal Injurys argument that the case was a shotgun pleading in that it was disorganized and confusing did not hold up, the judge said, as the complaint contained only twelve fact paragraphs, each one of which is obviously connected to the single cause of action.

Eric Artrip, an attorney for the plaintiff, said he was pleased with the judges decision to deny Federal Injurys motion.

We look forward to continuing on [the plaintiffs] behalf and ultimately to seeing what a Northern District of Alabama jury will do with the case, he said. Were proud to work on behalf of this young woman, and its fairly clear that she was discriminated against just because of her status as a male-to-female transgender person.

Attorneys for Federal Injury did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

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President Donald Trump followed a bizarre rant against Pope Leo XIV with an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ.

The image, posted to Truth Social late Sunday night, depicts Trump as Christ, laying his hand on a patient in a hospital bed, seemingly healing him.

He is surrounded by other figures, including a nurse, a soldier, and a praying woman. Also present in the image is the U.S. flag, several bald eagles, the Statue of Liberty, and the Lincoln Memorial.

Donald Trump Truth Social post comparing himself to Jesus. / Donald Trump/Truth Social

The 79-year-old posted the image less than an hour after his attack on the pope, who he condemned as weak on crime, and terrible for foreign policy.

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He also claimed credit for Leos success, arguing that he was selected because the Catholic Church believed an American pope would be well-positioned to deal with Trump.

Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. Its hurting him very badly and, more importantly, its hurting the Catholic Church! Trump wrote in his rant.

The president doubled down on his critiques later that evening, telling reporters at Joint Base Andrews that he didnt think the pope was doing a very good job.

We dont like a pope whos going to say its ok to have a nuclear weapon, Trump said, referring to the popes repeated appeals for peace to prevail in the Middle East.

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We dont want a pope that says crime is ok in our cities. I am not a fan of Pope Leo, he continued, adding, Hes a very liberal person, and hes a man who doesnt believe in stopping crime.

The reception to the presidents Sunday night posts was frosty, with several prominent MAGA figures condemning Trumps decision to compare himself to the son of God.

On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trumps war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus, former MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X.

This comes after last weeks post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization. I completely denounce this and Im praying against it!!!

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In a post on her personal account, Greene, who has previously identified as a proud Christian nationalist, added, Its more than blasphemy. Its an Antichrist spirit.

Marjorie Taylor Greene/X

Right-wing influencer Milo Yiannopoulos also criticized the image, writing on X, Oh hell no. We tolerated this kind of meme against our better judgment because he promised to save America and only when it was clear he didnt actually think he was the Messiah.

Why do I feel like Paula White did this to him, and to us? he added, referring to the televangelist who serves as Senior Advisor to the White House Faith Office. Pray for his soul. Pray for us all, he added.

The presidents bizarre posts came just hours after 60 Minutes broadcast an interview with three American cardinals who criticized several Trump administration policies, including his war in Iran and his immigration policies.

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Pope Leo himself has routinely criticized warmongering and called for justice and peace to prevail in countries targeted by Trump, including Venezuela and Iran, telling worshippers in Rome that Jesus does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.

Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from his cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons! Remember that you are brothers and sisters! the Chicago-born pontiff said during his Palm Sunday address last month.

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Faced with growing backlash, US President Donald Trump appears to have removed a controversial Truth Social post depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure.

The AI-generated image, which showed Trump appearing to heal a sick man in a hospital bed, sparked fierce backlash from both sides of the US political spectrum, including from some of Trump's most ardent supporters.

The post came just hours after Trump posted a lengthy message criticising Pope Leo XIV, a vocal critic of the US and Israeli military operation in Iran.

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Trump acknowledged posting the picture, telling reporters he thought it was "me as a doctor".

The now-deleted image showed Trump, wearing a white robe, with a glowing hand on the forehead of a sick man, which critics said was similar to religious paintings showing Jesus healing the infirm.

The background of the images included the Statue of Liberty, a large US flag fluttering, fighter jets and an eagle, as well as a nurse, a woman praying and what appeared to be a soldier in uniform.

Speaking to reporters several hours after it was removed, Trump said he believed the image depicted him as a doctor next to a Red Cross worker.

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"It's supposed to be as a doctor making people better," he said. "And I do make people better. I make people a lot better."

He later told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that he removed the image because he "didn't want to have anybody be confused. People were confused".

Criticism of the image came swiftly, including from figures considered close to Trump and the administration.

"This should be deleted immediately," wrote Sean Feucht, a Christian activist who is working on a series of faith-based events to mark the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence this year.

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"There's no context where this is acceptable," he added.

Riley Gaines, a prominent conservative activist, wrote that "God shall not be mocked".

Much of the criticism also came from faith-based US news outlets.

"This goes too far. It crosses the line," wrote David Brody, a journalist with the Christian Broadcasting Network. "A supporter can back the mission and reject this."

The controversial image was posted less than an hour after a separate post from the US president in which he criticised the pope, calling him "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy".

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Pope Leo - the first American Pope - has repeatedly condemned the war in Iran, saying it has led to "absurd and inhuman violence".

The pope said on Monday that he has "no fear" of the Trump administration or "speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do".

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump did not apologise.

"Pope Leo said things that are wrong," he said. "He was very much against what I'm doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result."

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The AI-generated image is far from the first time Trump's Truth Social has led to criticism.

In February, a racist clip depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes was posted to his account and later removed.

The White House initially defended the clip as an "internet meme video" and told critics to "stop the fake outrage".

But after fierce criticsm, including from several Republican senators, the post was removed and a White House official said that a staffer had "erroneously" made the post.

[BBC]

Follow the twists and turns of Trump's second term with North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher's weekly US Politics Unspun newsletter. Readers in the UK can sign up here. Those outside the UK can sign up here.
Photo: https://www.facebook.com/Klymenko.me

Following the victory of the Tisza party led by Peter Magyar in the parliamentary elections, the unblocking of a 90 billion loan for Ukraine can be expected, however one should not count on a radical change in Hungarys policy toward Kyiv, deputy head of the Voice faction Yulia Sirko has said.

"Magyars victory is very symbolic for Hungarians, for us, and for Europe. First of all, EU unity will return, and Hungarys policy will cease to be anti-European and pro-Russia. Therefore, we should expect normalization of EU operations and the unblocking of the EUR 90 billion loan. But also, one should not expect a radical change in policy toward Ukraine, since in Hungary even democratic forces are not great supporters of supporting Ukraine," Sirko told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

The MP emphasized that Magyars victory is very positive for the future of Hungary and Ukraine, "but one should not expect a miracle."
Washington  President Trump on Monday defended his decision to post an AI-generated image appearing to depict him in the likeness of Jesus, insisting the image shows him as a "doctor."

The post on Sunday night sparked intense backlash, even from some of the president's most vocal supporters, and the image was deleted from the president's Truth Social account by Monday morning.

"I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor," the president told reporters in an impromptu press conference outside the Oval Office. "And it had to do with Red Cross. There's a Red Cross worker there, which we support. And only the fake news could come up with that one."

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He continued: "So I  I just heard about it. And I said, 'How did they come up with that?' It's supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, and I do make people better."

The image, a slightly altered version of one posted months ago by right-wing influencer Nick Adams, shows the president in a white robe and red sash with a ball of light in one hand and the other hand extended in healing. The president's post was interpreted as sacrilegious even by those who usually support him.

Asked why took down the photo, Mr. Trump told CBS News senior correspondent Norah O'Donnell, "Normally I don't like doing that, but I didn't want to have anybody be confused. People were confused."

President Trump posted this AI-generated image of himself on Truth Social on Sunday, April 12. / Credit: TruthSocial/@realDonaldTrump

The post came on Orthodox Easter, exactly one week after other Christians in the U.S. and around the world celebrated Christ's resurrection on Easter Sunday.

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"Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he'd post this," responded Riley Gaines, the conservative activist who has been the administration's voice on the topic of transgender athletes in women's sports. "Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this? Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked."

"Blasphemy from the Oval Office is not a funny troll," conservative media figure Cam Higby posted to X.

"I assume someone has already told him, but it behooves the president both spiritually and politically to delete the picture, no matter the intent," wrote conservative author and podcaster Michael Knowles.

"I know he's trying to be funny, but it was a foolish post," said GOP Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who has been a critic of some of the president's policies. "I saw a lot of Republicans commenting in it last night. Some saying he's just trolling, and others saying it's anti-Christian. When you divide your own party it is self destructive. To me it was a gaudy and juvenile post."

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"It's inappropriate and embarrassing. It's offensive," wrote Ari Fleischer, a Fox News contributor and former White House press secretary in the George W. Bush administration.

Former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has become increasingly critical of the president after leaving office, wrote on X: "On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trump's war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus. This comes after last week's post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization. I completely denounce this and I'm praying against it!!!"

Conservative Christian commentator Allie Beth Stuckey posted a meme in response:

She added: "That image is what happens when Paula White is your personal pastor and people around you are continually comparing you to Christ. Trump desperately needs to understand the bad news that precedes the Good News: you are a helpless sinner in desperate need of a Savior, as we all once were."

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"The media is paying attention to podcastistan breaking with Trump over Iran," conservative podcaster Erick Erickson wrote on X. "What they really should be paying attention to are the Christian Trump supporters who have stood with him through Iran, who are waking up to his blasphemy."

When O'Donnell asked Mr. Trump in a phone interview whether he took the post down because of Gaines' and others' criticism, the president said no. "I didn't listen to Riley Gaines. I'm not a big fan of Riley, actually," he said.

The president's post came shortly after another post in which he lashed out against Pope Leo XIV, who has been critical of the United States' war efforts in Iran.

"I will not shy away from announcing the message of the Gospel," the pope said in response. "Of inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges for peace and reconciliation, of looking for ways to avoid war anytime that's possible."

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When Adams initially posted the image of Mr. Trump, he wrote: "America has been sick for a long time. President Trump is healing this nation." Mr. Trump in March selected Adams to serve as special presidential envoy for American tourism, exceptionalism and values.

Pope Leo responds to Trump following his criticism over the Iran war

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President Donald Trump went absolutely scorched earth on Pope Leo XIV in a Sunday night social media post, slamming the pontiff for his recent criticism of the Iran war and on a number of topics spanning from crime to COVID-19.

Trump  in a lengthy post on Truth Social  told the pope hes had enough of his denunciations.

The president said Pope Leo had terrible thoughts on foreign policy and was WEAK on both crime and nuclear weapons. He also took credit for the Chicago-born pope becoming the first American pontiff last year.

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I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History, the president said. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise.

Trump continued, he wasnt on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican.

The president then pulled the popes family into the beef.

Trump said he liked Leos brother Louis Prevost much better because he was all MAGA  echoing what he said last year, when he applauded Prevost for being a major MAGA fan.

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The president ended his rant by telling Pope Leo to use Common Sense and to stop catering to the Radical Left.

You can Trumps full post below:

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about fear of the Trump Administration, but doesnt mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesnt! I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I dont want a Pope who thinks its terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History. Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasnt on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leos Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested. Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. Its hurting him very badly and, more importantly, its hurting the Catholic Church! President DONALD J. TRUMP

Trumps post comes after Pope Leo ramped up his criticism of the Iran war last week.

The pope condemned Trumps threat to wipe out a whole civilization in Iran if its theocratic leaders did not make a deal, calling it truly unacceptable. He then spoke out against the war three days later, saying God does not bless any conflict.

Those comments followed the pope ripping the Trump administrations extremely disrespectful treatment of illegal immigrants last year.

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Shortly after his Truth Social post, Trump doubled down on his anti-Leo comments while speaking to reporters in front of Air Force One on Sunday night.

We dont like a pope thats going to say its okay [for Iran] to have a nuclear weapon, Trump said.

He added, I am not a big fan of Pope Leo. Hes a very liberal person, and hes a man that doesnt believe in stopping crime.

Watch Trumps comments above via NewsNation.

The post Trump Goes On a Jaw-Dropping Tirade Against Pope Leo: I Dont Want a Pope Who Criticizes the President of the United States! first appeared on Mediaite.
President Donald Trump is not receiving the support from other countries that he prematurely said he would.

The United Kingdom, a key U.S. ally, has said it will not take part in the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that Trump, 79, announced on Sunday in a series of threatening posts on Truth Social.

We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home, a UK government spokesperson said, as reported by the BBC.

The United Kingdom is refusing to help Trump in his blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. / Carl Court - Pool/Getty Images

The Strait of Hormuz must not be subject to tolling, the spokesperson added, directly contradicting Trumps claim that he instructed the U.S. Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran, following failed peace talks between the two countries on Saturday.

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The statement comes as Trump has reportedly been growing increasingly frustrated with NATO allies for not supporting the United States after it launched a surprise war on Iran in coordination with Israel on Feb. 28.

During an appearance on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, Trump launched into a tirade against countriesincluding the UK and Germanyfor not being there for the U.S. while also claiming that he thinks numerous countries are going to be helping us with the newly announced blockade.

Since the start of the conflict, the president has demanded that NATO allies help reopen the Strait, which was effectively closed after Iran placed mines throughout much of the waterway, bringing a critical passage for roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments to a standstill.

Yet, some top NATO allies have rejected the presidents calls for help in the region.

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In an interview for ITVs Talking Politics podcast, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he was fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down... because of the actions of Putin or Trump.

In March, UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told the BBC that the country was exploring any options to help reopen the Strait, but government officials were reportedly wary that sending ships or aerial minesweepers to clear the waterway could escalate the crisis, according to The Guardian.

The president threatens Iran after negotiations fail. / @realDonaldTrump/ TruthSocial

We are urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation, the UK spokesperson said on Sunday, as the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the White House is considering measures against allies that do not back its war with Iran, including the possible withdrawal of American troops from NATO states.

On Saturday, the president claimed that the US was clearing out the Strait as a favor to Countries all over the World, with U.S. Central Command later confirming the mission.

Incredibly, they dont have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves, the president posted on Truth Social.

The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump refused to apologize to Pope Leo XIV on Monday after criticizing the pontiff for his opposition to the war in Iran  and he sought to explain away a now-deleted social media post depicting himself as Jesus by saying he had thought the image was of him as a doctor.

Trump was asked about his comments toward the U.S.-born head of the Catholic Church, as well as the post depicting himself as a saint-like healer, in a hastily called question-and-answer session with reporters at the White House.

He was very much against what Im doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result, Trump said, adding, I think hes very weak on crime and other things, so Im not going to apologize.

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He went public," the Republican president added. "Im just responding to Pope Leo.

That response followed Leo pushing back on Trumps broadside against him the previous evening, telling reporters that the Vaticans appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel and that he doesnt fear the Trump administration.

To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is, Leo told The Associated Press aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria. And Im sorry to hear that, but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.

The back-and-forth between the world's two most influential Americans served to deepen a burgeoning schism as the U.S. war in Iran stretched into its seventh week.

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Historys first U.S.-born pope stressed that he was not making a direct attack against Trump or anyone else with his general appeal for peace and criticisms of the Iran war and other conflicts around the world.

Im not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for," said Leo, who said he had a different perspective on foreign policy than elected officials.

I will continue to speak out strongly against war, seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems, he said.

Trump speaks to his much-criticized social media post

The image posted by the president Sunday night showed Trump wearing a biblical-style robe and laying hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers  while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly. The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images.

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I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with the Red Cross, Trump said. Its supposed to me as a doctor, making people better. And I do make people better. A lot better.

He blamed the fake news for any confusion over the image, though it drew criticism from a wide range of people, including some of Trump's own evangelical supporters, who objected to the notion that Trump was likening himself to Christ. Even Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, assailed the desecration of Jesus" while also speaking up to defend the pope.

The post was deleted from Trump's account late Monday morning. Trump didn't provide details on how that happened.

Trump had charged that Leo is not doing a very good job

The president criticized the pope in a lengthy social media post while flying back to Washington from Florida on Sunday night. He kept up the denunciation after deplaning, telling reporters, Im not a fan of Pope Leo."

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Leo said Saturday during an evening prayer service at St. Peters Basilica that a delusion of omnipotence was fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. The comments came the same day that the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire.

The talks were being led on the U.S. side by Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic who recently released a book about his faith. Asked about Trump's post depicting himself as Jesus on Monday evening, Vance told Fox News Channel that it was a joke and said its a good thing that Trump likes to mix it up on social media and is not filtered.

Of course, he took it down because he realized a lot of people werent understanding his humor, Vance said of the post.

The pope's Saturday criticisms meanwhile, followed him earlier naming Trump directly and expressed optimism that the president would seek an off-ramp in Iran. An even stronger condemnation came after Trump warned of mass strikes against Iranian power plants and infrastructure, writing on social media that an entire civilization will die tonight. Leo described that as a threat against the entire people of Iran and said it was truly unacceptable.

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While its not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross purposes, its exceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticize a U.S. leader  and Trumps stinging response is equally uncommon.

Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy, the president wrote in his post, adding, I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."

Leo's opposition to war irked Trump

Leo, who began an 11-day trip to Africa on Monday, has previously said that God does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them. He's also referred to an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that even though you make many prayers, I will not listen  your hands are full of blood.

Still, in his comments on Monday, as in his Sunday night social media post, Trump went far beyond the war in Iran in criticizing Leo.

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I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do." His post also claimed that Leo was only elected pontiff because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican, Trump wrote, adding, Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. Its hurting him very badly and, more importantly, its hurting the Catholic Church!

In his comments to reporters after stepping off Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said of Leo, I dont think hes doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess, adding, Hes a very liberal person.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also said he was disheartened by Trumps comments.

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Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician," Coakley said in a statement. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.

___

Winfield reported from aboard the papal plane. Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.
Donald Trump has said the US will begin blockading the strait of Hormuz in an attempt to take control of the strategic waterway from Iran in the aftermath of failed peace negotiations between the countries in Pakistan.

The US president also threatened to bomb Irans water treatment facilities as well as its power plants and bridges, repeating an earlier threat, if Tehran did not agree to abandon its nuclear weapons programme  the key sticking point between the two sides.

Trumps surprise announcement of a blockade came after 21 hours of face-to-face peace negotiations between the US and Iran in Islamabad collapsed on Sunday morning.

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JD Vance, the vice-president and head of the US team, said Iran had refused to give up the possibility of developing nuclear weapons, while the Iranian delegates said Washington needed to do more to win their trust.

Trump says US will blockade strait of Hormuz as Iran peace talks fail

Risking another increase in oil prices, Trump said he had instructed the US navy to begin blockading any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the strait of Hormuz  and accused Iran of extortion with its own scheme of charging tolls to tankers.

Irans Revolutionary Guards responded by declaring that if any warships approached the strait to enforce a blockade  usually considered an act of war  it would be considered a breach of the current ceasefire and would be strongly dealt with. They insisted the strait remained under Iranian control.

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US lawmakers split on party lines over negotiations failure to end Iran war

The failure of negotiations to end the US war with Iran has unleashed a barrage of starkly partisan political responses, with leading Republicans making hawkish calls for Donald Trump to finish the job while top Democrats warned that it would be disastrous for the president to resume hostilities.

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Donald Trump and Marco Rubio watch UFC fights in Miami as peace talks with Iran fail

Donald Trump and US secretary of state Marco Rubio attended a UFC event in Miami on Saturday night as peace talks with Iran failed on the other side of the world.

The Secretary of State skipped the Iran negotiations in Pakistan to attend a UFC fight. So did the Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, while Pakistan has no confirmed U.S. ambassador, the House Democrats Foreign Affairs Committee wrote on X. Tens of thousands of Americans are in harms way. Gas prices are rising. This is not serious leadership. Its amateur hour.

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Ex-CIA director calls for ousting Trump: 25th amendment was written with him in mind

The former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan has added his name to growing calls for the president to be ousted on grounds that he is unfit for the job, arguing that the US constitutions 25th amendment addressing involuntary removal from office was written with Donald Trump in mind.

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Hungarian opposition ousts Viktor Orban after 16 years in power

Hungarys opposition Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar, has won national elections, bringing an end to Viktor Orbans 16-year grip on power, in a result that is likely to rattle the White House.

Days before the election, JD Vance had travelled to Budapest, with the US vice-president saying that he had come to help Orban. Donald Trump had also repeatedly endorsed Orban, most recently on Friday when he vowed to bring US economic might to the country if Orban was re-elected.

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What else happened today:

Representative Eric Swalwell, the Democratic frontrunner in the fiercely contested race to be governor of California , has suspended his campaign amid a series of sexual assault and misconduct allegations by a former staff member and at least three other women.

Still marveling over their moon mission, the Artemis II astronauts received a thunderous welcome home on Saturday from hundreds who took part in setting a record for deep space travel during the US space agency Nasas lunar comeback.

Catching up? Heres what happened Saturday 11 April.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States "may stop by Cuba" after it is finished in Iran.

He told reporters that many US nationals of Cuban origin have been "treated very badly" and that many of their family members have been killed or beaten up.

"And Cuba is a failing nation," Trump continued, adding that the Caribbean island was "horribly run for many years" by the communist revolutionary Fidel Castro.

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Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Sunday warned Washington against escalating the conflict between the two countries with military confrontation.

"If that happens, there will be fighting," Diaz-Canel said, adding that the country does not want a war.

Trump has threatened on several occasions to take tougher action against Cuba and has spoken openly about the possibility of "taking" the island.

Cuba confirmed in March holding talks with the United States aimed at easing the strained relations.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins appeared clueless Monday about the closures of forest research facilities she directed.

During a press conference at Michigan State University, a reporter asked Rollins whether the U.S. Forest Service offices would close in the state, as part of a so-called commonsense restructuring that would result in the mass closure of 57 regional offices across the country.

I dont have those talking points in front of me, but let me tell you this: the misinformation in the media, Rollins said. There is no closing of the Forest Service. We are moving it out of Washington, D.C. We are re-headquartering it in Salt Lake City, where it can be closer to the forests that it actually serves, and the people that those forests serve, most importantly.

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Rollins claimed it made no sense to have thousands upon thousands of USDA employees based in Washington, but made no mention of the dozens of regional facilities she was planning to shutter.

BROOKE ROLLINS: That's incorrect. There's no one in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that's getting reassigned to the East Coast



REPORTER: There's a Forest Service office that's closing in Houghton, Michigan



ROLLINS: I don't have that one in front of me. Any offices that are pic.twitter.com/q7ll8aOnOh  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 13, 2026

Another reporter pressed Rollins about whether USDA employees in the Upper Peninsula would be potentially reassigned to the East Coast. The U.P. is home to two national forests, the Ottawa and Hiawatha National Forests, that account for nearly two million acres of land.

Thats incorrect. There is no one in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan thats getting reassigned to the East Coast, Rollins said.

There is an office thats closing in Houghton, Michigan, the reporter said.

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So, any offices that are closing, I dont have that one in front of me, but any offices that are closing, its usually because they are, the rent is way too high, and there is so much work that needs to be done, Rollins said.

But in Houghton, rent has nothing to do with the closure.

This particular facility is paid for, MTU College of Forestry Professor Evan Kane told TV6 Upper Michigan Source. We rent the land from Michigan Tech for a dollar a year. It doesnt cost the forest service very much in comparison to some of the other units that did get shuttered.

Thats not the only part of Rollinss logic that doesnt add up. If the Trump administration wants the Forest Service to go where theres a forest, why wouldnt Rollins relocate to Alaska, which has approximately 21.9 million acres of forest, the most of any state? Or how about California, which has the highest number of individual forests? Or why dont they keep a number of research facilities in forests across the country instead of cutting short years of research to consolidate thousands of workers to a single site in Colorado?

Steve Lenkart, executive director of the National Federation of Federal Employees, has alleged that the dramatic reshuffling was actually illegal because congressional funding for the fiscal year 2026 included a stipulation that funds could not be put toward relocating offices or employees, or reorganization.
President Donald Trump lashed out at Pope Leo XIV on social media over the pontiffs criticism of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, calling him "weak" on crime and "terrible" for foreign policy.

I dont want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because Im doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday, April 12. Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician."

Hours later, the pope responded to Trump's comment, saying he was not "afraid" of the administration and said the name of the president's social media platform  Truth Social  was "ironic."

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The president also said the pontiff, the first American-born pope, wouldnt be in the Vatican if he were not in the White House.

"Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise," Trump wrote. "He wasnt on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump."

The pope has been vocal about his opposition to the war for weeks. During a prayer service at St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican on April 11, he called out the "delusion of omnipotence that surrounds us and is becoming increasingly unpredictable and aggressive."

"Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life," the pope continued.

The pope addressed Trump's comments hours later, speaking to reporters on a flight from Rome to Algeria.

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"I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do," he said. "I do not look at my role as being political, a politician. I dont want to get into a debate with him. I dont think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing."

Asked for his thoughts on the president's Truth Social comments, the pontiff said: Its ironic  the name of the site itself. Say no more.

Pope Leo XIV presides over a service at the Vatican on April 11, 2026.

Apart from the criticism of the war, a recent closed-door meeting the Chicago-born pontiff had with David Axelrod, a Democratic strategist and adviser to former President Barack Obama, appears to have irked Trump.

"Leos Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left," Trump wrote.

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In his message on Easter Sunday, the pope implored, Let those who have weapons lay them down! Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace!

Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. You can follow her on X @SwapnaVenugopal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump slams Pope Leo as 'weak.' Pontiff says he's 'not afraid'
ANKARA, April 13 (Reuters) - Turkey said on Monday that NATO allies should use their July summit in Ankara to reset ties with U.S. President Donald Trump and prepare for a potential reduction of U.S. involvement in the alliance.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey believed Trump would attend the NATO leaders' summit on July 7-8 due to his "personal respect" for President Tayyip Erdogan, but added he understood Trump was otherwise reluctant come to the meeting.

Trump has criticised NATO for years and last week threatened to pull the United States out nL1N40K0UD of the alliance over European members' refusal to send ships to unblock the Strait of Hormuz near Iran. That compounded friction within the bloc over his earlier plans to acquire Greenland.

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Fidan told the state-owned Anadolu news agency that allies had long considered Trump's criticisms to be rhetoric, but were now planning around the possibility of reduced U.S. involvement and ramping up their own defensive capacities.

"NATO countries need to turn this Ankara Summit into an opportunity to put ties with the United States on a systematic basis," he said.

"If there will be a U.S. withdrawal from some NATO mechanisms, there needs to be a plan and programme to phase this out so nobody is left in the open," he added.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said he understood Trump's frustrations with the alliance, but that the "large majority of European nations" had been helpful to Washington's war effort in Iran.

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A senior White House official told Reuters last week that Trump, as part of frustration with NATO, had also considered the option of removing some U.S. troops nL1N40S0YV from Europe.

(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Jonathan Spicer, Aidan Lewis)
A twice-deported Guatemalan national who prosecutors said had two missing 14-year-old girls in his Dorchester apartment, with one of the girls found nude and intoxicated, has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography and unlawfully reentering the country.

Miguel Gomez-Lopez, a/k/a Miguel Hernandez, 32, of Guatemala, was sentenced to 13 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Monday. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley handed down his sentence on Thursday.

Gomez-Lopez is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of the imposed sentence.

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In December 2025, Gomez-Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien and two counts of possession of child pornography.

He was arrested and charged in June 2023 and has remained in custody since.

A second person was also charged in the case and deported from the United States, Foley said.

In June 2023, Boston police officers conducted a well-being check on a 14-year-old girl who was believed to be in danger at Gomez-Lopezs apartment in Dorchester, prosecutors said.

When officers arrived, they found not one, but two, missing 14-year-old girls at Gomez-Lopezs apartment. Prosecutors said one of the minors (minor victim 2) was exiting the apartment with Gomez-Lopez as police were arriving.

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The other minor (minor victim 1) was eventually found in a bedroom in Gomez-Lopezs apartment. Prosecutors said the girl appeared intoxicated and was naked from the waist down.

A search of Gomez-Lopezs phone revealed nude photographs and videos of minor victim 2. Prosecutors said a second person was charged with crimes against minor victim 1 and has since been deported.

After his arrest, authorities determined that Gomez-Lopez was a citizen of Guatemala who was in the U.S. illegally, prosecutors said.

Gomez-Lopez was first ordered removed from the U.S. in September 2017.

Just six weeks later, in October 2017, Gomez-Lopez was again encountered by U.S. Border Patrol and subsequently deported from the U.S. a second time, prosecutors said.

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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said a number of problems had been identified in the implementation of the right to biological fatherhood and motherhood under martial law.

"We have identified problems, namely: these services are available mainly in private facilities and are completely absent in ten regions. Also, the legislation does not allow one spouse to exercise the right to biological fatherhood or motherhood if the other spouse is missing," he said last week at a meeting of the parliamentary committee on national health, medical care and medical insurance, while presenting the ombudsmans annual report for 2025.

Lubinets pointed to "a huge number of our citizens, servicemen and civilians, who are legally considered missing in special circumstances."

"According to our information, as of today there are already more than 104,000 such persons in the register. But legally, until a person is declared dead, this right cannot be exercised. We ask that attention be paid to this. Perhaps legislative changes are needed," he said.




MANSFIELD - Two pets died in a house fire on Browns Road Saturday morning, an official said.

In a post on Facebook, Mansfield Town Manager Ryan Aylesworth said fire and emergency services were dispatched to the road at 1:15 a.m. for a report of a structure fire.

Aylesworth said arriving units found a 1.5 story, wood framed home with fire showing from the front and side of the building. He said command staff quickly raised the incident to second alarm to bring additional resources to the scene due to the severity of the conditions.

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"Firefighters faced significant operational challenges, including the absence of a nearby hydrant system, which required the establishment of water shuttle operations to sustain firefighting efforts," he said. "Crews worked under intense conditions, with high heat, heavy smoke, and a substantial fire load, particularly on the second floor of the residence."

Aylesworth said both residents were safely outside when emergency personnel arrived, adding no people were injured in the incident. He said two family pets died due to smoke exposure.

Firefighters did protect several animals housed in a nearby shelter, Aylesworth said, and the Animal Control Department responded to assist with their care and temporary placement. The American Red Cross is assisting the residents displaced by the fire, he said.

"This response was made possible through strong mutual aid partnerships. We extend our sincere thanks to our colleagues from the Willimantic Fire Department, the University of Connecticut, and the towns of Coventry, Columbia, Willington, and Tolland, whose personnel played a critical role in fire suppression and water supply operations," he said.

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Aylesworth said the cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Mansfield Fire Marshal's office in coordination with the Connecticut State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit.

This article originally published at Two pets killed in Mansfield fire on Browns Road, official says.
By Daniel Wiessner

April 13 (Reuters) - After a key setback in the first trial of its kind before a federal jury, Uber is expected to return to court on Tuesday to face a second woman's claims that she was sexually assaulted by a driver she booked through the app.

The jury trial in Charlotte, North Carolina federal court, which is expected to last about three weeks, will help determine whether a recent $8.5 million verdict https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/uber-ordered-pay-85-million-key-trial-over-driver-sex-assault-claims-2026-02-05/ in Arizona was a fluke or a sign of real trouble for Uber as it faces more than 3,300 similar lawsuits that have been consolidated in federal court.

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Both cases are so-called "bellwethers," or test cases for that litigation, and the verdicts could help determine the value of the remaining lawsuits for any potential settlement or resolution of the cases en masse.

The anonymous plaintiff claims that upon arriving at her destination in Raleigh, North Carolina, just before 2 a.m. in March 2019, her Uber driver grabbed her inner thigh and asked if he could keep it with him," prompting her to flee from the vehicle.

Uber, which has faced numerous safety controversies, has not denied that the incident took place, but claims in court filings that it is a software company and not a "common carrier" such as a taxi service that has a legal duty to protect passengers under North Carolina law. Even if the plaintiff proves otherwise, Uber argues, the company is not liable for the actions of an independent contractor.

The question of whether drivers are Uber's employees or contractors, which has a range of legal implications, has dogged the company https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/fearing-endless-loop-mistrials-judge-tosses-uber-driver-classification-case-2024-07-30/ for most of its existence in the U.S. and abroad https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/uber-talks-with-french-social-security-agency-after-driver-status-dispute-2026-02-02/. A deluge of lawsuits and scrutiny by policymakers has not yielded a consensus.

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The North Carolina trial will be presided over by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who normally sits in San Francisco and is overseeing the mass litigation against Uber.

In a statement Friday, an Uber spokesperson said the incident in the North Carolina trial was never reported to the company or to law enforcement and only came to light when the plaintiff filed a lawsuit.

"Sexual assault is a horrific crime that we take incredibly seriously. We remain focused on investing in the technology, policies, and partnerships that strengthen safety, help prevent harm, and support survivors," the spokesperson said.

Lawyers for the plaintiff did not respond to a request for comment.

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The plaintiff in the first case https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/uber-faces-sexual-assault-trial-arizona-that-puts-its-safety-record-under-2026-01-12/ to go to trial, an Oklahoma resident, claimed an Uber driver in Arizona harassed and then raped her during a ride in 2023.

A jury in February found that the driver was an agent of Uber, holding the company responsible for his actions. They awarded the woman $8.5 million in compensatory damages but declined to award punitive damages. Attorneys for the plaintiff had sought more than $140 million in damages. Uber has asked Breyer, who also presided over that trial, to throw out the verdict or order a new trial.

Uber is also facing more than 500 additional cases making similar claims in California state court. The company in September won the only trial https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/uber-found-not-liable-first-us-trial-over-driver-sexual-assault-claims-2025-10-01/ to take place thus far in the state court cases, when a jury found that it had failed to put measures in place to protect the plaintiff's safety, but that its negligence was not a substantial factor in causing her harm.

(Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and David Gaffen)
Ukraine has lifted its travel warning for neighbouring Hungary after the election victory of Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar.

"The election campaign, which was unfortunately shaped by manipulation against Ukraine, is behind us," Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in a statement on Monday.

He said the reason for the travel warning - the risks of increase provocations against Ukraine - have now fallen away.

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Sybiha said he expected Hungary, under a Magyar administration, to normalize relations with Ukraine.

"Ukraine is ready to work towards achieving this goal," he said, adding that the victory over Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who had implemented many anti-Ukraine policies, "is telling.

"Hungarians have clearly said: enough."

On March 6, Kiev advised its citizens against travelling to Hungary. Previously, the government in Budapest had seized cash-in-transit vehicles belonging to Ukraine's Oschadbank on their way from Austria to Ukraine and detained seven escorts.

Orban built his election campaign on rejecting aid for Ukraine and against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
JUBA, South Sudan (AP)  The U.N. has expressed concern over violence in the strategic town of Akobo in South Sudan s Jonglei State, which was retaken by opposition forces after they ousted government troops.

Fighting started over the weekend and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army-in-Opposition spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel said on Monday that opposition fighters captured the town and took military vehicles and weapons. Government troops, which seized the town in March, withdrew.

The public service minister, Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, called the attacks senseless and unjustified, saying the opposition forces had put civilians in harms way. He said the army would provide more details on what transpired, but the army spokesperson refused to comment.

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The South Sudanese government has been fighting opposition forces since a 2018 peace deal broke down about a year ago. Akobo is one of the last strongholds of the opposition, led by Riek Machar, South Sudans detained vice president.

Last month, the army issued an evacuation order in Akobo to pave the way for a military operation against the opposition forces. Thousands fled the town, which borders neighboring Ethiopia.

Videos circulated on social media showed opposition fighters in key locations, including near the airstrip and the administrative headquarters, suggesting the group had established a presence in central administrative areas.

The U.N. Mission in South Sudan, or UNMISS, on Monday warned of worsening humanitarian conditions and called for a cessation of hostilities.

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We are engaging intensively with all parties at all levels to help prevent further escalation and restore calm, a statement from the UNMISS spokesperson, Priyanka Chowdhury, said.

UNMISS is due to close its base in Akobo following a reduction in humanitarian budgets.
United Nations experts have reiterated calls for an end to Israeli attacks on displaced Palestinians in Gaza as well as forced displacement measures in the occupied West Bank.

In a statement issued on Monday by the UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR), the experts detailed several incidents in March in which Israeli air strikes set tents of displaced Palestinians in Gaza on fire, killing many.

This cycle of displacement, terror, and targeted attacks serves an ultimate purpose: to make life unbearable for Palestinians and permanently force them from their land, the panel said.

Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, was one of the experts [Gregorio Borgia/AP]

The vast majority of Gazas population has already been displaced multiple times which amounts to forcible transfer, the panel said, adding that targeting areas known to shelter displaced civilians is a grave breach of international humanitarian law.

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The experts noted that civilians in tents and makeshift shelters are already experiencing grave health risks, including hunger, freezing, flooding, and a lack of basic services. The panel said that women and children bear a disproportionate share of deprivation.





The panel also criticised the sharp escalation in forced displacement across the occupied West Bank, driven by the Israeli army and what the experts called State-backed settler terrorism. This includes daily attacks resulting in killing, injury, and harassment of women and children, and the widespread destruction of Palestinian homes, farmland and livelihoods.

More than 36,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced amid expanding illegal settlement activity in 2025, according to a report by the UN Human Rights Office.

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The experts said that the scale and pattern of these actions shows once again the ongoing broader policy of ethnic cleansing across the occupied Palestinian territory.

They urged Israel to end all ongoing forced displacement in the West Bank and to facilitate the safe return of displaced Palestinians.

States must bring Israels unlawful occupation to an end, they said, urging countries to remember their legal obligations, call for investigations, and avoid assisting Israel while its occupation of Palestinian territory continues without accountability.

The panel of 13 experts was made up of UN special rapporteurs, including on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, the rights of internally displaced persons, Paula Gaviria Betancur, the right to food, Michael Fakhri, and on the violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem.
Washington boasts 221 housing-related programs across 30 state agencies.

But despite all of these initiatives, Lt. Gov. Denny Heck thinks the state is still going in the wrong direction developing affordable housing.

Were not doing a very good job at all, because the hole is getting deeper, Heck said last week.

Heck is part of a group of elected officials, state agency staff, tribal members, local government advocates and developers tasked with devising ideas for Washington to set up a new state Department of Housing.

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State Sen. Jessica Bateman, D-Olympia, agreed with Hecks assessment, arguing that the states programs arent excellent.

Because if they were working excellently, we would be achieving the goal of making sure we have abundant housing everywhere, said Bateman, chair of the Senate Housing Committee. Were not, which is why were here.

Gov. Bob Ferguson got the ball rolling on this new agency in December with an executive order. The order lists key roles for the department, which he sees as a problem-solving hub for all things housing. It includes expanding the supply of all levels of housing, building paths for people to escape homelessness and unifying state and local work on land use and permitting reform.

The idea for the department comes after a 2024 state report found Washington needs a projected 1.1 million more homes by 2044 as the population grows.

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The task force is set to deliver a report by Nov. 15 with recommendations on establishing the new cabinet agency. The goal is for lawmakers to then consider those ideas in the 2027 legislative session. Heck, a Democrat, has been a key housing adviser to Ferguson. He cautioned his colleagues that this process is going to take time.

In 2024, the Legislature approved spending $250,000 for third-party recommendations for how the state should study building a Department of Housing, which were delivered later that year.

The new consortium has met twice in recent months, including last week.

The task force is currently running a survey for the public to give input to help shape the potential agency. Its open until April 26.

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Preliminary takeaways based on the first roughly 2,000 responses are unsurprising.

The top priority of the agency for renters and homeowners, as well as government and affordable housing industry respondents, is ensuring everyone can find safe, stable and affordable homes. The primary goal for the private housing industry has been removing regulatory barriers to expand supply.

Like Heck, Bateman thinks the states current programs fall short. For example, she notes dozens focus on homelessness and housing stability, while a potential solution to that problem in land use policy is getting less attention.

What you see is a really administratively heavy set of programs, the senator said. Its not really responding, and its not equipped, capacity-wise, to address the underlying problem, which is, were not building enough housing.

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The values participants most want to see the department embody are transparency and accountability. And theyll see it as a success if fewer people live on the streets, a wider variety of housing is built across income levels and development and permitting becomes more efficient.

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Last week, the task force discussed what the agencys vision statement should be. They worked off a placeholder: Ensure housing supply meets demand for all Washingtonians across all income levels and communities, with clear accountability for progress and outcomes.

Curtis Steinhauer, policy coordinator for the Washington State Association of Counties, said it should perhaps specifically call out people experiencing homelessness as the group most hurt by the housing crisis. Heck pushed back on getting more specific, saying he could make arguments for the paramount importance of starter homes because the lack of them is rippling across the housing market.

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There was also disagreement on the departments chief responsibility. To Ferguson deputy policy director and former Democratic state Sen. David Frockt, its role will be to partner, such as with the private sector and human service providers, instead of solely regulating. Bateman wants it to be more action-oriented, more like a think tank looking at innovative solutions.

The group is expected to hold monthly meetings through the fall. The next is scheduled for May 13.
The union representing staff at the Indiana State Teachers Association have filed multiple unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging ISTA management intimidated and retaliated against staff.

The Indiana Professional Staff Organization represents unionized professional staff employed by the ISTA  itself a labor organization for thousands of Hoosier educators.

The charges allege ISTA management retaliated against three PSO members for protected union activity as they sought to bargain with management about a restructuring plan.

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The plan included major changes to frontline staff roles and responsibilities and was developed without meaningful transparency, bargaining or broad input from ISTA members and local leaders, according to a news release from PSO.

When PSO objected, the union alleges ISTA management retaliated against several members and refused to provide requested information or bargain with the union.

Those changes directly affect our members working conditions and, more importantly, the support ISTA members receive in the field, PSO President Rick Scalf said in a news release.

ISTA management did not respond to a request for comment from the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

PSO leaders disciplined

Scalf is one of three employees PSO says were disciplined by ISTA.

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The unfair labor practice charges allege ISTA placed Scalf and PSO Vice President Anita Vernon on administrative leave on Feb. 23, as the union sought information about the restructuring plan.

Two weeks later, ISTA placed UniServe Director Kim Fidler, who works with local teachers unions on behalf of ISTA, on administrative leave.

ISTA then notified Scalf and Vernon of its intent to terminate them on March 16, according to charges filed with the NLRB.

A hearing on their employment status is expected this month.

The irony is that these are exactly the kinds of unjust actions PSO members fight against every day on behalf of ISTAs own members, Scalf said in the release. When an employer retaliates against workers for union activity, it isnt just wrong, its illegal. And when that employer is itself a union, repeated violations point to deeper failures of leadership and integrity.

Allegations of deeper conflict

The union says it attempted to resolve conflict with management privately before pursuing grievances and legal remedies through the NLRB, which investigates unfair labor practices.

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PSO contends its conflict with ISTA management extends beyond the alleged retaliation against Scalf, Vernon and Fidler, as the union is concerned about ISTA leadership, transparency and the organizations direction.

This is not just about staff, Scalf said. It is about whether ISTA is operating in a way that reflects the values it asks educators and local leaders to fight every day. Staff should be able to support members and advocate for the union without fear of retaliation.

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UM System President Mun Choi said he was responsible for the universitys funding cuts to several multicultural student organizations, citing concerns over Department of Justice investigations into other universities in a Wednesday faculty meeting.

It wasnt an easy decision, but I decided that I needed to protect the institution, so thats the decision that I made, Choi said in the meeting.

On April 3, university administration informed leaders of student organizations that all multicultural umbrella associations will lose direct funding from the University of Missouris Division of Student Affairs. These organizations will be reclassified as Registered Student Organizations, or RSOs, starting in July.

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Affected groups include The Legion of Black Collegians, Association of Latin American Students, Asian American Association, Queer Liberation Front, Four Front and Filling in the Space. LBC also lost its student government status.

At the faculty meeting, Choi cited a July 2025 memo from the DOJ that said universities must follow Title VI, Title IX and the 14th Amendment in order to receive federal funding. He said an internal investigation indicated that previous Mizzou funding was not in accordance with these policies.

In discussing with our team, including our general counsels office, our initial review indicated that we are not in compliance with Title VI because were providing specific benefits to certain groups based on demographics, Choi said.

Choi also referenced DOJ investigations into Columbia University and the University of California System over allegations of Title VI violations, adding that Columbia lost $400 million in funding following an investigation.

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In response to the funding cuts, students gathered for a town hall meeting on April 6 to express their concerns about the decision. Allen Auditorium in the Arts & Science building reached capacity with attendees, and over 400 people tuned into the livestream on Instagram.

Funding for RSOs comes from requests to the Organization Resource Group. Under the new funding model, these organizations will face a single event cap of $1,500 and a yearly cap of $3,000, though Choi said there may be an opportunity for this cap to be raised.

All of these funding changes are part of a larger update to the Division of Student Affairs student organization classification system.

In the audio recording shared at the town hall, Angela King Taylor, vice chancellor of student affairs, provided examples of the three new classifications.

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Most of Mizzous 600 student organizations will be classified as RSOs, meaning their funding comes from requests to the ORG office.

The second classification is Sponsored Student Organizations, including groups affiliated with the university. These organizations operate through students but have guidance from the organizations assigned university administrator. King Taylor pointed to the Graduate Professional Council and the Missouri Students Association as examples of Sponsored Student Organizations.

The last classification is University Programs, which includes organizations created by the university for the benefit of the students and the institution, according to Mizzous Get Involved website.

So think Welcome Week leaders, Campus Activities Programming Board  So true university programs, King Taylor said.

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The university said in an email that most organizations will not change classifications, and those who will change are being contacted.

This story was originally published by KOMU. It can be republished in print or online.
MANILA, April 13 (Reuters) - The United States and Australia joined the Philippines for their second joint maritime exercises in the South China Sea this year, amid tensions with China in the disputed waterway.

The four-day drills from April 9 to 12 brought together warships, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft in a series of coordinated operations to strengthen maritime defence capabilities, the Philippine military said on Monday.

The exercises underscored the "deepening defence cooperation among the three nations and their shared commitment to regional security", it said in a statement.

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The Philippines deployed its FA50 fighter jets, while Australia contributed P8A Poseidon aircraft and the United States the USS Ashland, a dock landing ship.

The drills came ahead of the April 20 opening of the annual large-scale war games called Balikatan - or "shoulder-to-shoulder" - between Manila and Washington, which for the first time will include Japan as a full participant rather than an observer, alongside Australia.

Japan and the Philippines signed a Reciprocal Access Agreement in 2024, among the growing number of troop pacts Manila has signed with like-minded partners.

On March 26, the Philippines signed a similar military deal with France. France's embassy in Manila said on Monday that it will send a reduced contingent of 15 to 20 troops to the Balikatan exercises, down from 150, after rerouting a major naval deployment in Asia back to Europe due to the Middle East crisis.

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Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner has said that there would be no downgrading of its annual war games with the U.S. and its allies despite the ongoing Middle East conflict.

The Philippines and China have traded accusations of responsibility over a series of encounters in the South China Sea, including a recent incident in which Manila accused Beijing of firing flares nL4N40S0OJ at a Philippine Coast Guard aircraft.

Beijing, which has maintained that its actions in the South China Sea have been lawful and professional, has routinely opposed Manila's joint military activities with its allied partners, saying such drills heighten tensions in the region.

(Reporting by Nestor Corrales, additional reporting by Beijing Newsroom and Jessie Pang in Hong Kong; Editing by Kevin Buckland)
There's no doubt the US military has the capability to mount a blockade of vessels moving in and out of the Gulf. The question is: to what end?

"I do think it's doable," retired US Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery told the BBC this morning. "And it's certainly less risky than the alternative, which would have been to forcibly push back the Iranians and create the conditions for a convoy."

Some of the options floated by President Trump in recent weeks  the seizure of Kharg Island or militarily escorting convoys through the Strait of Hormuz  would have proved hazardous and potentially costly.

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US forces involved would have exposed themselves to attack from Iranian missiles, drones and fast boats. The possible presence of mines in the water would have added another layer of danger.

By contrast, a blockade allows US warships to loiter safely, far offshore in the waters of the Gulf of Oman, track vessels emerging from Iranian ports and interdict them at will.

"There's less risk in this than there is in the very confined area of the Strait," Admiral Montgomery said.

With special forces, helicopters and its own fast boats all available, the US navy has all the assets it needs for such an operation.

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Recent blockades of Venezuela and Cuba have demonstrated the capability. In early January, the seizure of the Russian oil tanker, the Marinera, far out in the northern Atlantic, showed that such operations can be carried out almost anywhere.

US Central Command (Centcom) says the latest blockade "will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas," but that vessels using non-Iranian ports will not be stopped.

Ships carrying humanitarian supplies, Centcom says, will be permitted, but "subject to inspection."

But will it work?

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The logic seems clear. Since the war began, Iran has successfully continued to export its own petrochemicals through the Gulf, earning billions of dollars while preventing other Gulf countries from exporting their own hydrocarbons.

A successful US blockade could halt that flow, robbing the Iranian regime of badly needed revenue and weakening its economy still further.

But Iran, which has already shown enormous resilience in the face of more than a month of attacks by the US and Israel, may well feel that it can weather yet another storm. Especially as any fresh blockade is likely to push up oil prices still further.

"They believe they can outweigh this," David Satterfield, a former US special envoy for Middle East humanitarian affairs, told the BBC, "that the US will feel pain from oil prices and that the Gulf states will pressure the US, ultimately, to get the Strait open again."

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Washington, he says, has failed to take account of Iran's steely determination.

"They think they've won," he said. "The Iranians believethat they can absorb more pain for a longer period than their opponents can."

Shipping experts are watching the trickle of vessels emerging from Iranian ports and passing through the Strait of Hormuz to see what impact the US blockade will have.

"I'm literally looking at ships that are going through now," says maritime intelligence analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann.

"If I was a seafarer, I'd be very worried."

"We saw a few U turns in the wake of Trump's original announcement last night," says Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloyd's list.

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According to Meade, the previous 48 hours saw the busiest period of traffic moving through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began at the end of February, with about 30 traceable transits (in other words, vessels sailing with their automatic identification equipment switched on).

"It looked like a flurry of vessels trying to get out," he says.

With very little currently moving, it may be some time - if at all - before we see the US navy intercepting vessels sailing in or out of Iranian ports.

With a ceasefire still in place, the Iran war has for the time being morphed into a battle of two competing blockades, with the global economy caught in the middle.

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With China reported to have played a role in persuading Iran to participate in this weekend's lengthy diplomatic discussions in Islamabad, Washington may be hoping that its latest move will translate into further pressure from Beijing.

China is the world's largest importer of Iranian oil. Despite holding vast strategic reserves, it can ill afford a protracted interruption in supply.

Donald Trump's latest move is a gamble. Its impacts could soon be felt.
The system of medical care in Ukraine's penitentiary institutions is a cause for concern, Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said.

"We conducted 13 visits to medical facilities in the penitentiary system. A worrying trend is evident in systemic violations of patients' rights: inpatient hospitalization is decreasing, while the number of referrals to psychiatric institutions is increasing. There is a serious staff shortage, difficult access to doctors, and the requirements of the Istanbul Protocol are being ignored when documenting bodily injuries," he said last week at a meeting of the parliamentary committee on national health, medical care and medical insurance, while presenting the ombudsman's annual report for 2025.

Lubinets also pointed to a critical decline in treatment for people with hepatitis C and violations of isolation requirements for tuberculosis patients.

At the same time, he noted positive trends in expanding substitution maintenance therapy programs and the start of integrating penitentiary medical institutions into the unified medical space.

"Special thanks for the fact that the Health Ministry supported our position and from January 1, 2027, this system will already be part of the general healthcare system," he said.
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Parisa Hafezi

WASHINGTON/DUBAI, April 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. military began a blockade of Iran's ports on Monday, President Donald Trump said, and Tehran threatened to retaliate against its Gulf neighbors' ports after weekend talks in Islamabad on ending the war broke down.

A U.S. official said there was continued engagement with Iran, and forward motion on trying to get to an agreement. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also said efforts were still under way to resolve the conflict.

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But oil prices climbed back to $100 per barrel, with no sign of a swift reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to ease the biggest ever disruption in supplies and broader concerns over the durability of a two-week ceasefire agreement reached last week.

Trump said nL6N40W11B Iran had been in touch on Monday and wanted to make a deal but that he would not sanction any agreement allowing Tehran to have a nuclear weapon.

"Iran will not have a nuclear weapon," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We can't let a country blackmail or extort the world."

Since the United States and Israel began the war on February 28, Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz to all vessels except its own, saying passage would be permitted only under Iranian control and subject to a fee.

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Trump has said Washington would block Iranian vessels and any ships that paid such tolls and that any Iranian "fast-attack" ships nL6N40W0W0 that went near the blockade would be eliminated.

Brigadier General Reza Talaei-Nik, a spokesperson for Irans Ministry of Defense, warned that foreign military efforts to police the strait would escalate the crisis and instability in global energy security.

NATO allies including Britain and France said they would not be drawn into the conflict nL8N40W0OM by taking part in the blockade, stressing instead the need to reopen the waterway, through which about one-fifth of the world's oil normally passes.

The talks between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan, the first direct meeting in more than a decade and the highest-level discussions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, ended on Sunday without an agreement.

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Despite that, Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation, told Fox News on Monday the U.S. "made a lot of progress" by communicating to Tehran where the U.S. "could make some accommodation" and where it would remain inflexible.

He said Trump was adamant that any enriched nuclear material must be removed from Iran and a mechanism must be established to verify that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons.

Tehran "moved in our direction, which is why I think we would say that we had some good signs, but they didn't move far enough," Vance said, without disclosing details.

CEASEFIRE UNDER STRAIN

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The ceasefire that halted six weeks of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes looked in jeopardy, with only a week left to run.

The U.S. military's Central Command said the blockade would be "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations" entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

"The blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations," Central Command said in a note to seafarers seen by Reuters nL1N40W0DH on Monday.

An Iranian military spokesperson called any U.S. restrictions on international shipping "piracy," warning that if Iranian ports were threatened, no port in the Gulf or Gulf of Oman would be secure. Any military vessels approaching the strait would violate the ceasefire, Iran's Revolutionary Guards said.

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Trump said Iran's navy had been "completely obliterated" during the war, adding that only a small number of "fast-attack ships" remained.

"Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal," Trump said on social media.

He was apparently referring to the U.S. strikes carried out against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. The strikes, which began in September, killed more than 160 people. The U.S. military has not provided evidence that the vessels were ferrying drugs.

LEBANON FACES ATTACKS

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Trump has also lashed out at U.S.-born Pope Leo https://www.reuters.com/world/pope/, who has spoken out against the war, denouncing him as "terrible" in a rare direct attack by a U.S. president on a pontiff.

With the war unpopular at home and rising energy prices causing political blowback, Trump paused the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign last week after threatening to destroy Iran's "whole civilisation" unless it reopened the strait.

In a letter to the United Nations, Iran's UN delegation on Monday asked for reparations from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan, alleging they have allowed their territory to be used in the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Israel has continued to bombard Lebanon and on Monday Israeli troops launched an attack nL8N40W0RU it said was intended to seize a key south Lebanon town from Iran-backed Hezbollah. Israel and the U.S. have said the campaign against Hezbollah was not part of the ceasefire, while Iran has insisted it is.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Peter Graff, Keith Weir and Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Ros Russell and Cynthia Osterman)
(Refiles to fix formatting with no other change to text)

JAKARTA, April 13 (Reuters) - Indonesia and the United States are discussing a proposal to give U.S. military aircraft access over Indonesian airspace, Indonesia's defence ministry said on Monday, adding that no deal has yet been reached.

The U.S. is seeking "blanket overnight access" for American military aircraft through Indonesian airspace, several media outlets reported on Sunday, adding that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had approved the proposal.

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Responding to the reports, the defence ministry said in a statement that the two countries are still discussing the "Letter of Intent", and that there is only a preliminary draft that is being discussed internally. The draft is neither final nor binding, the ministry added.

Control over Indonesian airspace belongs to Indonesia, the ministry said, adding that deals with other countries will protect Indonesia's sovereignty and adhere to Indonesian law.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to meet with his Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin later on Monday, according to an advisory released by the U.S. government.

(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Writing by Stanley Widianto; Editing by David Stanway)
By Jonathan Saul and Arathy Somasekhar

LONDON/HOUSTON, April 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Monday detailed the boundaries of its Strait of Hormuz blockade, saying it would extend east to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, while ship-tracking data showed two ships turned around in the strait as the blockade went into effect.

In a note to seafarers about the blockade that seeks to take control of the strait away from Iran, the U.S. Central Command said: "Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture."

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"The blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations."

The blockade began at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) on Monday.

Data from the MarineTraffic tracking service showed the tanker Rich Starry, which departed Sharjah anchorage off the coast of Dubai on Monday heading for China, turned back minutes after approaching the strait as did a second vessel, the Ostria. Those tankers can carry oil and chemicals.

However, two oil tankers linked to Iran exited the Gulf nL1N40W09N on Monday via the strait ahead of the planned U.S. blockade, shipping data from Kpler and LSEG showed.

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The tanker Aurora is laden with Iranian oil products, while the New Future tanker is carrying diesel loaded from the Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates, Kpler data showed.

They were among at least eight ships that transited the strait on Monday before the blockade.

According to Kpler, an oil products tanker that loaded in a United Arab Emirates port and three dry bulk ships that left from Iranian ports exited the strait while two Pakistani oil products tankers and two dry bulk ships entered the strait.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade following the breakdown of weekend talks https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-iran-talks-pause-now-disagreements-remain-2026-04-11/ to end the six-week-long war between the U.S. and Iran, sending oil prices back above $100 a barrel.

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The blockade adds to uncertainty https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-blockade-iran-will-be-major-military-endeavor-experts-say-2026-04-13/ around how ships will transit the crucial waterway, used to move one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies.

The U.S. military note said the blockade would include all of Iran's coastline but humanitarian shipments including food, medical supplies, and other essential goods would be permitted, subject to inspection.

"The immediate effect will be a sharp drop in fresh fixture activity for any voyage with Iran exposure, and a broader hesitation even for non-Iran cargoes moving near the Strait," said Shohruh Zukhritdinov, a Dubai-based oil trader.

International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told reporters the U.S. blockade would extend a halt to ship traffic in the strait since the conflict began. Dominguez said 20,000 seafarers and around 1,600 vessels were stuck in the Gulf.

(Reporting by Jonathan Saul and Arathy Somasekhar, editing by Jason Neely, Keith Weir, David Gaffen and Cynthia Osterman)
The first 24 hours of the US naval blockade of Iran's ports have been notable for their inconsistency, writes our security correspondent - possibly because American forces were not yet ready for it
The United States said "the ball is in the Iranian court" on ending the Mideast war, as diplomats accelerated efforts on Tuesday towards a new round of peace talks after weekend negotiations failed to produce a deal.

US Vice President JD Vance had left talks hosted by Pakistan on Sunday, saying he had handed Tehran the "final and best offer".

Iran has blamed Washington for making maximalist demands, but its leaders have in the last hours not dismissed efforts by world leaders to get both sides back to the negotiating table.

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Crucially, a fragile two-week truce agreed last Wednesday to give time to find a lasting ceasefire remained in place, even though a US naval blockade of Iranian ports began at the Strait of Hormuz, which had been effectively closed by Tehran.

The standoff at the strait, through which one-fifth of global oil transits, failed to dampen optimism at global markets, with Asian equities rallying while oil continued a downward slide.

President Donald Trump insisted Iranian representatives had called Washington since a US delegation returned empty-handed from negotiations in Islamabad.

"I can tell you that we've been called by the other side. They'd like to make a deal. Very badly, very badly," Trump told reporters outside the Oval Office.

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Diplomatic efforts were also accelerating elsewhere, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov landing in Beijing on Tuesday, hours after Iran's state news agency reported that he had spoken about the crisis in a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Abbas Araghchi.

Moscow has offered to hold Iran's enriched uranium safely as part of any deal.

Trump has insisted that an agreement must include stopping Iran from ever getting its hands on a nuclear weapon, having launched the war under the pretext that Tehran was developing an atomic bomb -- which it denies.

During weekend talks, the United States reportedly sought a 20-year suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment program, according to media reports on Monday.

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Iran in turn proposed to suspend its nuclear activity for five years, which US officials rejected, according to The New York Times.

- 'Full efforts' underway -

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that "full efforts are underway" to reach an agreement to stop the fighting and that US-Iran ceasefire was "holding".

Iranian state TV reported on Monday that Tehran "will continue to talk only within the framework of international law" in a phone call to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.

"We have clearly announced the terms of the ceasefire and we will adhere to it," Pezeshkian said, according to IRIB.

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"I really think the ball is in the Iranian court, because we put a lot on the table. We actually made very clear what our red lines were," Vance said in an interview with Fox News on Monday.

Washington has "no flexibility" on US control of Iran's enriched uranium, and a verification mechanism to ensure it does not develop a nuclear weapon in the future.

"It's one thing for the Iranians to say that they're not going to have a nuclear weapon. It's another thing for us to put in place the mechanism to ensure that's not going to happen," Vance said.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed the United States for the impasse in the talks during a call with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

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"Unfortunately, we witnessed the continued excessive demands of the American side in the negotiations, which led to the failure to achieve a result," his ministry quoted him as saying.

- Freedom of navigation -

The push for new talks came as a US naval blockade began around Iranian ports, an action announced by Trump on Sunday and slammed by Iran as a "grave violation of its sovereignty".

Iran had already closed the Strait of Hormuz to what it regards as enemy shipping, allowing only vessels serving countries it deems friendly -- such as China -- to cross.

With his blockade of Iranian ports, the US president was trying to starve Iran of funds but also pressure Beijing, the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, to lean on Tehran to reopen Hormuz, according to analysts.

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In a social media post, Trump said the bulk of Iran's navy had already been destroyed during the war, but that if any of what he said were Tehran's few remaining "fast attack ships" approach the blockade "they will be immediately ELIMINATED."

Qatari Foreign Minister and Premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani urged both sides to guarantee freedom of navigation and refrain from using maritime routes "as a tool for pressure," encouraging Tehran and Washington to remain in touch with mediators.

Beijing criticized the blockade, with foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun emphasizing the strait's importance to trade and saying that "maintaining its security, stability, and unimpeded flow is in the common interest of the international community."

UN chief Antonio Guterres also called for freedom of navigation to be respected and pointed to the 20,000 mariners trapped in the Gulf.

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US Central Command said the blockade included "vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman."

US forces would not impede vessels transiting the strait to and from non-Iranian ports, it added.

Iran's military command issued a statement branding the blockade an act of piracy, and warned that if the security of its harbors "is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea will be safe".

French President Emmanuel Macron said that France and Britain would host a conference with countries prepared to join a "peaceful multinational mission" to secure the strait, but it would be "strictly defensive" and only operational once circumstances permit.

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Vice President JD Vance waded into Hungarys election to help a friendly candidate, but his attempt to tip the scales appears to have blown up in his face.

Vance suffered a stinging embarrassment Sunday as voters ousted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbanan ally of President Donald Trump and an icon of the global rightdespite the vice presidents on-the-ground campaigning blitz last week.

Orbans Fidesz party is on track to receive just 54 seats with over half of the votes counted, while his challenger Peter Magyars Tisza party is set to win 138 seats in the 199-seat parliament, The Guardian reports. Orban, 62, has conceded defeat.

After JD Vance visited Hungary last week to campaign for Orban, prediction markets trimmed the odds of an Orban win. / Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS

Hungarians went to the polls in record numbers on Sunday, pushing turnout to 78 percent, the highest in any election in Hungarys post-Communist history.

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The stunning defeat of the European Unions longest-serving leader comes just days after Vance traveled to Hungary to campaign for Orban, who has close ties with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

Vance, 41, participated in a MAGA-esque rally to hype up Orban, whom he called one of the only true statesmen in Europe.

During the rally, Vance railed against what he referred to as European Union bureaucrats, who had tried to destroy the Hungarian economy because they hate this guy.

Will you stand for sovereignty and democracy, for truth and for the God of our forefathers? Vance asked the Hungarian voters. Then, my friends, go to the polls this weekend, stand with Viktor Orban, because he stands for you, and he stands for all these things.

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Vance also called Trump into the rally, and while the president didnt pick up the call the first time, he eventually connected to the crowd to say, I love Hungary, and I love Viktor. Im telling you hes a fantastic man.

After Vances visit, prediction markets trimmed the odds of an Orban win.

The Daily Beast has reached out to Vances office for comment.

Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, speaks during the closing rally of his electoral campaign. Magyar, 45, is a former Orban loyalist who broke from the Fidesz party in 2024. / Marton Monus/REUTERS

In a speech on Sunday, Orban said the election result is painful for us, but clear, according to The Guardian. The responsibility for and the opportunity to govern were not given to us.

Over the last 16 years, MAGAs European darling clamped down on press freedoms and consolidated power to the executive branch as he has dismantled many checks and balances within the countrys government.

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But it was Orbans close ties to Moscow, along with a languishing economy, that emerged as a major campaign issue in the election.

It's been a rough week for Vance, who also failed to reach a peace deal with Iranian leaders in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday. / Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS

On the morning of Vances trip last week, Bloomberg reported that Orban had called Putin in October 2025 to offer help to Moscow in any way to win the war in Ukraine.

Magyar, 45, a former Orban loyalist who broke from the Fidesz party in 2024, ran on an anti-corruption and pro-EU platform.

If his Tisza party secures the supermajority it is currently projected to win, it would allow Magyar to dismantle key features of Orbans illiberal democracy, Politico reports. Orbans defeat also removes the EUs chief internal disruptor from its 27-member bloc.
Three top aides to Vice President JD Vance have decamped to high-priced and well-connected lobbying shops in the past two months, building out his Washington apparatus of policy and fundraising connections that could help fuel a potential 2028 campaign.

Sean Cooksey, the vice presidents former chief legal and policy adviser, left for BGR Group. Jim Durrett, former deputy chief of staff for operations, went to Invariant. Wesam Hassanein, former special adviser on the Middle East, went to Continental Strategy. Cooksey worked for Vance since the start of the second term. Durett and Hassanein joined his office last May.

The moves widen Vances connections in the lobbying and fundraising worlds that are typically needed in a presidential run. Should he decide to run for president in 2028, the network of former Vance aides who still feel loyal to the vice president could provide fundraising expertise and policy chops that can expand by working with clients and relationships with the private sector.

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The vice presidents outside network is small, but they are experienced and fiercely loyal, said a person close to Vances team, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive topics. Whatever he does, you can expect Vance alumni to jump into action to support him.

Vance is a relative newcomer to Washington, having arrived a little more than three years ago as a freshman Ohio senator with little inside-the-beltway political network. Strong presidential candidates typically have circles of people from their D.C. internal government staff, home-state connections and a D.C. political network.

Your D.C. political network [is] movers and shakers, people who can introduce you to Super PACs, people who can get you in front of the financiers and the titans of business, said GOP lobbyist Stewart Verdery, founder and partner of Monument Advocacy. The Vice President has already made that jump. He doesn't need some of that stuff, but the fact that some of his aides are moving into private sector positions just moves them from one circle on the chart to the other.

The vice presidents office declined to comment.

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When former President Joe Biden ran in 2020, he had a massive network of lobbyists , who worked for him during his lengthy political career, from the Senate to the vice presidents office. By contrast, when Kamala Harris  another former vice president with a relatively short Washington career  became the Democratic nominee in 2024, lobbyists rushed to get to know her world.

Biden could capitalize on and benefit from a network of staffers who cycled through the revolving door from his Senate staff, the committee staffs, his campaign and consulting teams, or his VP office, into the private sector. There are layers upon layers of former aides-turned lobbyists, consultants, think tankers, lawyers, CEOs, ambassadors, and even elected officials whom he could, for the most part, count on for support, expertise, and financial backing, said Michael LaRosa, former Biden special assistant, who left the White House shortly before the 2022 midterms.

Vance has not announced what he will do next but President Donald Trump is term-limited and has called Vance fantastic.

There are, of course, financial incentives to leave government work for K Street.

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It does make sense to try to use some of the time between now and then to make some money and to help him from a different seat, knowing that you might be called to go back in at a lower government salary if he was to win, Verdery said.

As 2028 speculation swirls around the vice president, the recent moves downtown is a way for some in his orbit to stay close.

Unlike Kamala Harriss team, staff leaving Vances office have only positive things to say. Theyre staying close to the White House and want the administration to succeed, the person close to Vances team said.

Harris aides departures made headlines the first year of the Biden administration and insiders described, at the time, a tense office atmosphere mired by chaotic moments.

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Vice President Vance has been in politics for several years, but is very new to Washington and has a very young staff. His connective tissue and relationships are still being nurtured and cultivated, said LaRosa, a partner at the bipartisan but Trump-connected lobbying firm, Ballard Partners. The plane is still being built in-flight, which is not dissimilar to the path his boss charted when he first ran.

Trumps Washington outsider role in 2016 and his pledge at the time to drain the swamp caused a scramble on K Street to make connections once he became the GOP nominee. But, his second administration has seen the so-called revolving door in motion, with senior aides heading to government affairs gigs .

Vance has a similar outsider background, which includes fundraisers, influencers, and strategists that go beyond the perimeter of Washington. His inner circle during the 2024 race included Ohio strategist Jai Chabria and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, as well as strategists and pollsters considered a part of Trumps inner circle.

GOP lobbyist Bruce Mehlman, a partner at Mehlman Consulting, argued that the network beyond D.C. is essential for a potential campaign.

In an era of populist politics where trust in Washington is historically low, running an inside-the-beltway campaign visibly powered by famous swamp fixers is counterproductive and brand destructive, Mehlman said.
As Artemis II astronauts return home, the historic journey of NASAs first Black lunar pilot is inspiring a new generation to see themselves in space and beyond

When the Artemis II astronauts touched down and returned to Johnson Space Center Friday evening, it marked more than the end of a nine-day mission. For many Black Americans, it felt like the continuation of a promise, one generations in the making.

At the center of that moment is Victor Glover, the first Black astronaut to travel this far into deep space and pilot a spacecraft around the moon. His presence aboard Artemis II did more than make history. It shifted perspective.

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Standing before a cheering crowd in Houston, still fresh from a journey that carried him more than 250,000 miles from Earth, Glover didnt lead with statistics or milestones. He led with gratitude.

When this started, I wanted to thank God in public, and I want to thank God again, he said. The gratitude of seeing what we saw its too big to just be in one body.

Then he widened the moment even further.

I love you not just those five beautiful cocoa-skinned ladies right there, he said, nodding to his wife and daughters. All of you.

Home, again! Mission complete. I hope we glorified God, humanity, our families and our terrific teams a @NASA and @csa_asc. Time to share the good news! pic.twitter.com/uyfyu0hlks  Victor Glover (@AstroVicGlover) April 12, 2026

It was a reminder that while Glover made the trip, the impact belongs to a much larger community.

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Long before this mission launched from Kennedy Space Center, the seeds were planted in places like churches, classrooms and community spaces.

For aerospace engineer Naia Butler-Craig, that spark came from seeing Mae Jemison on the wall of her church as a child. That image turned into a goal and eventually a career, she told Reuters.

Years later, she met Glover and told him she was following in his footsteps. His response, Make the choice right, stayed with her.

Now, watching him complete a historic lunar mission, she sees something even bigger than inspiration. She sees validation.

To see him live all of those facets of identity at the same time is incredibly validating, she said. It just makes me feel like hes paved the exact road for someone like me.

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That road, however, was built over decades.

Glover is part of a lineage that stretches back to pioneers like the Tuskegee Airmen, who broke barriers in the sky long before space travel became a possibility for Black Americans. Even now, Black astronauts make up only a small fraction of those selected by NASA.

Still, the visibility of this moment is undeniable.

The Artemis II crew, Glover, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, did more than orbit the moon. They experienced something few humans ever have.

They watched a solar eclipse from behind the moon. They saw Earth suspended in darkness. They traveled farther than any crew in history, surpassing even Apollo 13.

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For all the technical achievements, the emotional weight carried just as much significance.

Koch described Earth as a lifeboat in the vast blackness of space. Glover carried his faith with him, both literally and spiritually, throughout the mission. When the crew returned home, the reunion with their families grounded the experience in something deeply human.

Because for all the talk of Mars and lunar bases, this mission also brought things back to what matters most: connection, purpose and perspective.

The return of Artemis II comes as conversations around diversity, equity, and access continue to shift across the country. In that context, Glovers journey lands with even more weight.

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It is proof of possibility in a time when pathways can feel uncertain.

It is a reminder that Black excellence exists in every space, including the ones we were once told we didnt belong in.

NASA plans to build on this mission with future lunar landings and eventually human exploration of Mars. But for many watching, especially young Black dreamers, theyve now seen someone who looks like them go past limits and come back home to tell the story.

More must-reads:
Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton warned that President Donald Trump wants to model himself after Russian dictator Vladimir Putin as she hailed the electoral loss of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a defeat for the unholy alliance of autocrats and wannabe autocrats.

Orban, whose re-election bid drew endorsement from Trump, conceded defeat in Hungarys prime ministerial race, bringing an end to his partys 16-year hold on power on Sunday.

The vote followed a late push from Washington to bolster Orbans campaign that saw Vice President JD Vance travel to Budapest last week. Orbans defeat marked a significant moment for both the Trump administration and Moscow, which had viewed the Hungarian leader as a key strategic ally.

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For Trump, Orban had served as a reliable Eurosceptic voice within the bloc, while for Russia, his tenure proved consequential in shaping the EUs response to the war in Ukraine, where he repeatedly delayed sanctions packages and financial aid measures.

Calling into MS NOWs Morning Joe on Monday, Clinton hailed the defeat as one shared by Putin and Trump, arguing it was a wake up call for American voters:

What we have here is this really unholy alliance among autocrats and wannabe autocrats. And, you know, Viktor Orban morphed from an anti-communist, anti-Russian young student leader in Hungary into a toady for, you know, Vladimir Putin. And, you know, this isnt the first election that Putin interfered in, as I know very well, and it wont be the last. But this was a resounding defeat for Putin. And what it should tell us is that given the chance, people will not tolerate the kind of oppression that Orban was imposing on them.

Clinton argued that Orban was dominating the government and judiciary in Hungary, as well as strangling the free press and taking over the universities.

Arguing a parallel with Trump, she added:

Some of that may sound very familiar to your viewers, and what we should be learning from this is that you cannot allow one man rule, because one man rule leads to corruption, it leads to oppression, it leads to reckless adventures like were seeing with Trump in Iran. It leads to a kind of destruction of democratic institutions. And so I think this is a wake up call for Americans. I dont care what you call yourself politically, if you are an American, you care about American democracy here in our 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, then we want to be independent of the kind of behavior that you see coming from Trump, which is an effort to model himself on Vladimir Putin.

Viktor Orban learned that the Hungarian people wouldnt put up with that. And I certainly hope that we see that in the midterm and the next presidential election from American voters, she concluded.

Watch above via MS NOW.

The post Wake-Up Call for Americans: Hillary Clinton Warns Trump Wants to Model Himself After Vladimir Putin first appeared on Mediaite.
Wauwatosa Ald. Sean Lowe, who won re-election April 7 after running unopposed in the newly drawn District 6, announced on Facebook he will resign as alderman effective April 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

A Wauwatosa alderman plans to resign less than a month after Election Day due to his plans to move to a Wauwatosa home in a different district than the one he serves.

Ald. Sean Lowe, who won re-election April 7 after running unopposed in the newly drawn District 6, announced on Facebook he will resign as alderman effective April 30 at 11:59 p.m.

Lowe and other newly elected Wauwatosa Common Council will be sworn in before the public April 28, according to Eva Ennamorato, city communications manager.

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"I campaigned, filled out nomination papers, received signatures, voted, and will be sworn in-all while still living in the 6th District as of today," Lowe said in the post April 10.

Lowe announced his resignation two days after Tosa Forward News, a local news website, reported April 8 that he and his wife finalized a mortgage on a $375,000 four-bedroom home in District 12.

District 12 is a couple of miles northwest of Lowe's current District 6, which includes the Pasadena and Tosa East Towne neighborhoods.

Wauwatosa residents will vote in the April 2026 general election on the alderpersons to represent the 12 districts in the city.

Lowe intended to serve out his term while living in his district, he said on Facebook, but his Realtor found he and his wife a home "that we couldnt pass up outside the district but still in Wauwatosa."

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"I had every single intention of buying a home in my district until March," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, adding that Wauwatosans are likely well-aware of the city's competitive housing market.

Lowe said he didn't violate any laws by continuing to run for election, and that he called the Wisconsin Ethics Commission and the Wisconsin Election Commission to check.

The Common Council has seen vacancies before, and city's municipal code spells out what the alderperson and the city must do when someone declares their intent to resign.

According to municipal code, an alderperson who moves from the district in which they were elected into another Wauwatosa district "may serve in a de facto capacity until their successor is appointed."

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Lowe said he decided resigning, rather than serving in a de facto capacity, would be the "cleanest way to avoid further controversy" after hearing feedback from residents.

"It still didn't sit well with the fact that I was going to live five minutes away in a different district," he told the Journal Sentinel.

When an alderperson announces their resignation, it's typical for a committee of five current council members to assess replacement applicants and recommend one to fill the vacancy, according to code.

Lowe met with city staff April 8 to discuss he's moving at the end of the month, and emailed staff about his resignation April 10, Ennamorato, the communications manager, confirmed to the Journal Sentinel.

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Ennamorato told the Journal Sentinel city staff and attorneys are reviewing the ordinance and situation to determine the next steps. The ordinance itself has been under discussion for changes since well before Lowe's resignation announcement due to the city's new council size and amount of aldermanic districts, Ennamorato said.

It's not his happiest moment to depart this way, but Lowe said he's proud of what he accomplished as an alderman, particularly as the first Black man ever elected to Wauwatosa's council. Lowe introduced and passed the city's first ordinance to prohibit discrimination. He also crafted the resolution that helped push Wisconsin lawmakers to adopt CROWN Act.

He told the Journal Sentinel he hopes the council continues to support more affordable housing in the city.

"I look forward to many more victories from the Common Council in this city," he wrote on Facebook. "We will all continue to make Wauwatosa a better place together."

Polling place at Currie Park in Wauwatosa during the first hour of voting on Tuesday, April 7.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wauwatosa alderman Sean Lowe resigning weeks after re-election
Ukraine is not selling off its weapons or emptying its stockpiles, but is offering long-term and profitable security partnership, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

"But we are building new weapons cooperation with partners not the way it was done in the 1990s or 2000s, when Ukrainian weapons and strength were sold off like on Black Friday. We are not holding a fair of our weapons and not emptying our warehouses. We are offering security partnership that is long-term and profitable for Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in an address marking Ukrainian Defense Industry Worker's Day.

He said Ukrainian interceptors are already operating in the Middle East and Gulf countries, and a strong integrated sky protection system involving many components is being created.

"Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have their own air defense against ballistic and other missiles, but together with our military expertise they have a solution to defend themselves against Shahed UAVs, to detect this threat and respond at scale. Ukraine knows how to provide all of this - radar coverage, the necessary electronic warfare systems, communication between air defense components and the interception itself," the head of state said.

He also said Ukraine is in contact with Kuwait, Oman, Turkey and Syria, while countries in Asia and Africa are also interested in Ukraine's experience.

"Ukraine is a global producer of strength and security. That is how it is and that is how it will be. And all this is not a gift from Ukraine. Long-term security agreements in the Middle East mean money for our state every year. It is fuel for Ukraine in conditions of global instability," Zelenskyy said.

He also announced talks with Europeans on creating a joint sky protection system.

"I am sure that either Ukraine will become an integral part of the European security system, or some in Europe risk becoming part of the Russian world," Zelenskyy said.

According to him, Ukraine also has the most up-to-date experience in ensuring maritime security.

"No one else has carried out the kind of tasks Ukrainians performed in the Black Sea. When people talk about security in the Strait of Hormuz, these are often theoretical discussions. Those holding them have not carried out similar operations themselves," the president said.

"We fought an enemy fleet, air strikes and sea mines. We have gone through all of this. And if partners offer us equal cooperation, Ukraine can help," he said.
The whale stranded off Germany's Baltic coast is visibly deteriorating, the state Environment Ministry said on Monday, after another failed attempt to get the animal swimming over the weekend.

"Our scientific advisers now believe that water is accumulating in the whale's lungs," said Till Backhaus, environment minister in the coastal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

This indicated that the whale's organs have been severely damaged, Backhaus explained.

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The sick humpback whale has been in the Bay of Wismar in the Baltic Sea since March 31, after becoming stranded multiple times in the preceding weeks. Authorities suspended major rescue operations on April 1 due to the animal's state of health, in order to let the whale pass away in peace.

Over the weekend, whale songs were played underwater to try to encourage the mammal to free itself.

The whale has captured the hearts of many in Germany and several private initiatives regarding possible rescue measures for the animal have been submitted to the local administrative court. These have all been denied so far.

People have also tried to reach the whale on several occasions in recent days, including a woman who jumped into the water from a ferry wearing a wetsuit, according to a spokesman for the state Environment Ministry.

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He said around 50 demonstrators gathered near the cordoned off entry to the water around the Bay of Wismar on Monday. Some of them entered the restricted area and were pushed back by police, the spokesman added.
Philadelphia got a visit from European royalty Monday, as the king and queen of Netherlands met with Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro to discuss economic ties between state and country.

"Pennsylvania and the Netherlands have stood together for centuries, dating back to when William Penn first founded our Commonwealth," Shapiro said in a statement on X Monday.

In a streamed press conference including the Dutch royalty, Shapiro said, "We just concluded a very enjoyable and productive bilateral meeting behind us at Independence Hall alongside the National Park Service"
US partners in the Middle East are looking to Ukraine's air defense expertise.

The tech Ukraine has developed can be very useful, but they can't copy the strategy wholesale.

Coastal geography can put limits on layered defenses.

The US and its allies in the Middle East are now facing a drone threat similar to what Ukraine has been fighting, but geography limits how closely they can replicate Ukraine's defenses.

Amid the war with the US and Israel, Iran has launched Shahed drones and missiles at targets across the region. The countries in the crosshairs have been turning to Ukrainian air defense expertise to counter the threat.

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Ukraine has experienced one of the most intense air defense fights in decades, including battling Shaheds and the homemade Russian versions. It has developed new skills and weaponry to deal with these threats.

Ukraine says its expertise and technology have been used in recent weeks in the Middle East to down Shaheds and advise partners on strengthening air defenses. Companies that make interceptor drones  low-cost drones designed to stop attack drones  report a surge of interest.

The playbook isn't likely to completely translate, though, defense experts explained. Ukraine's drone defense works well because it has space for layered defenses. Gulf states don't, so they require a somewhat different setup.

One of the ways that those states differ from Ukraine is that "there isn't a large area of land within which you can put lots of UAV interceptor teams," Justin Bronk, an airpower expert with the UK's Royal United Services Institute think tank, told Business Insider.

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"Ukraine is able to use its large territory to attrit waves of Russian UAVs before they get to places like Kyiv, in many cases," he said.

Ukraine is a large country, with more than 233,000 square miles, where missiles and drones often fly long distances over land before reaching targets.

The geography has allowed Ukraine to build layered air defenses, from cheap interceptor drones to advanced surface-to-air missile systems, positioned at different ranges to engage threats well before they reach cities. Mobile units can also reposition to intercept attacks.

Ukraine has developed mobile fire groups to target drones as part of its layers of air defense. Andriy Dubchak/Frontliner/Getty Images

That model breaks down in the Middle East.

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US partners there are far smaller  the United Arab Emirates is less than 32,000 square miles, and Kuwait is under 7,000  and many of their most valuable targets, such as major cities, airports, and air facilities, are near the coast.

"A lot of the targets that many of the Gulf states are most keen to protect are right on the coast," Bronk said, meaning "you can't really use Ukrainian-style UAV interceptors in belts several tens of kilometers thick with lots and lots of mobile defense teams in order to attrit them before they get to the coast."

Instead of deep defensive belts, threats arrive almost immediately.

US partners in the Middle East are much smaller than Ukraine and have many of the places that they want to protect close to the coast. FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

That limits the role of shorter-range systems like interceptor drones and makes air and naval defenses more critical.

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Allies are interested in interceptor drones because they are cheaper than traditional air defenses and better matched to low-cost drone threats. Most interceptors in Ukraine cost around $6,000 or less, compared to roughly $50,000 for a Shahed drone and about $3.7 million for a Patriot interceptor missile.

But experts say those systems are only part of the answer.

Douglas Barrie, an air power expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, also told BI that the Middle East likely needs a different mix of air defense layers than what Ukraine uses. Cheaper interceptors are still very useful for those countries, he said, but countries need to decide their air defense mix based on "the nature of your geography."

Some countries, like Saudi Arabia, are larger and have many valuable sites farther from the coast than countries like the UAE.

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Having a large landmass can give militaries "a helpful reaction time." Instead, the coastal geography means "the threat is pretty much on your doorstep quite quickly." There is an advantage in debris management to being able to shoot down targets over the sea rather than on land, but the reduced reaction time is a challenge.

There are other challenges for countries seeking to adopt Ukraine's style of air defenses as well. Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy and industry representatives have warned that just buying interceptors isn't enough.

Countries readying for modern air defense battles need strong support systems, good integration, and training. Zelenskyy said it's something Ukraine can help with. He said some countries had bought Ukrainian interceptors and then returned to Ukraine to ask for help because they lacked the broader support system.

Ukraine has developed low-cost interceptor drones to stop enemy drone attacks, and allies, including in the Middle East, are interested. Nikoletta Stoyanova/Getty Images

Supply is another constraint.

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Agris Kipurs, the CEO of Latvia-based Origin Robotics, which produces interceptor drones used by Ukraine, told Business Insider that before the Iran war, he struggled to convince militaries to adopt interceptor drones. Now, demand is booming.

Ukrainian systems have found success in the region. Zelenskyy shared last week that Ukrainian personnel had shot down drones in multiple countries using domestically made interceptors.

The future of the Iran war is unclear, with a temporary and fragile ceasefire in place; however, the demand for air defenses is unlikely to abate. Ukraine had already demonstrated the need, prompting NATO to make air defense a priority. Now, there's even more urgency for militaries to be ready for both current and future conflicts.

Read the original article on Business Insider
In a packed concert venue on Sunday, New York City's youngest mayor in over a century took the stage to tout his achievements during his first 100 days in office.

Thousands gathered at the Knockdown Center, a former factory in Queens, some carrying signs that said "Pothole Politics" and "Childcare for All".

"Nothing is too big for New York City to take on," Mamdani told them. "And over the past 14 weeks, we have proved that there is no task too small either."

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He claimed a number of accomplishments, including securing $1.2bn (891m) for childcare and fixing 100,000 potholes. But several items from his lofty agenda have yet to be accomplished.

"He's picking some of the stuff that he thinks he can most easily build support with, trying to find issues that have a broad base of support behind them instead of picking potentially divisive issues to start with," said Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, public policy professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

From tackling a turbulent relationship with President Donald Trump to making city buses faster and free, here's where Mamdani stands in four key areas - and the challenges he faces next.

1. Navigating relationship with Trump

Trump praised Mamdani during their first meeting, saying he thought he'd do well as mayor [Getty Images]

For months leading up to Mamdani's election, the self-proclaimed democratic socialist and the Republican president traded insults. Trump called the rising star a "communist", while Mamdani promised crowds he would not back down from Trump.

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But since Mamdani took office, the relationship has proven less antagonistic.

The two met a couple of times, with Trump saying he would be "cheering" for Mamdani. They discussed the affordability crisis in America's most expensive city and smiled side by side for a photo op.

In fact, Trump at times has seemed "mesmerised" by Mamdani, said Lincoln Mitchell, with Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

"What he's managed to do is thread the needle of not getting Trump's direct ire, and at the same time, not giving in to him."

Perhaps because of the unlikely pair's cordiality, Mamdani has avoided Trump making good on threats to withhold federal funding from New York City, which already operates with a deficit.

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And Trump has yet to launch in New York an immigration crackdown like the one in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier this year, which led to heightened conflict between federal and local leaders.

2. Free childcare pledge

One of Mamdani's biggest campaign pledges - at the heart of his affordability agenda - was providing universal childcare for New Yorkers.

Free childcare - a costly goal - is not a reality yet. But he promised $1.2bn, some of which would be used to provide 2,000 free spots for two-year-olds by fall 2026 in several lower-income communities, including Canarsie, Brownsville and Ozone Park.

The goal is to grow to 12,000 children by fall 2027 and to reach "full universality" within four years.

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New York state Governor Kathy Hochul has committed to fully funding the first two years of the programme - though funding after that is unclear.

3. Battling historic New York blizzards

[Getty Images]

During the mayor's first two months in office, America's largest city saw two of its worst snowstorms in recent years.

Starting on 25 January, the city recorded 13.5in (34cm) of snow in the Bronx, the highest total snowfall of all the boroughs.

Then, on 23 February, almost 20in was recorded in Central Park as another blizzard hit the city.

Mamdani faced criticism after at least 18 people died during the first storm and ensuing cold snap.

In February, he took further steps during the harsh weather, freeing up hotel rooms, placing 1,400 people in homeless shelters, and sending another 150 outreach workers to the streets.

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During the January storm, Mamdani said thousands of sanitation workers helped clear the streets and melt 23 million pounds of snow at eight snow-melting sites.

4. City-owned grocery stores

At the Sunday rally, Mamdani announced plans to open a city-owned grocery store in East Harlem by the end of his first term, another component of his affordability campaign. He said he plans to open five, total.

The store will be in La Marqueta, a market started by then-New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia in 1936, Mamdani said.

It's expected to cost $30m, according to the New York Times.

New York City already rents properties to private grocery vendors for lower rates and covers operational costs to provide more access to lower-cost food.

Tough challenges await next

[Getty Images]

Mamdani still has a host of other goals he highlighted on the campaign trail - some easier to accomplish than others.

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"Anybody who thought he would wave a wand and get his big-picture promises done quickly, of course, that was never going to happen," said Mitchell.

Mamdani hasn't yet made progress on lowering rent or increasing taxes to help fund his expensive plans.

In March 2026, for example, the median rent rose to $5,000 a month in Manhattan and $4,150 in Brooklyn, according to a report from real estate firm the Corcoran Group. Mamdani also said he would freeze rent hikes for about 2 million who live in rent stabilized apartments. The mayor does not set this policy, but Mamdani has appointed six of the nine members on the city's Rent Guidelines Board, which decides the issue. Members hear from landlords, tenants and others before a vote on the matter, expected in June.

De Benedictis-Kessner said that process could yield some sort of compromise rather than a total rent freeze.

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"Everything is trade-offs in politics and in governing," he said, adding that after hearing from landlord groups and others, Mamdani's policy might look "slightly different" than what his supporters imagined.

Mamdani's plans for a new department of community safety - to rely on social workers rather than police for non-criminal emergencies - also have proven harder to achieve. Instead of a separate agency with a $1.1bn budget, Mamdani has a mayoral office on community safety with two staff members.

Another cornerstone of his campaign was faster and free buses - but so far that plan seems to be limited to pilot programmes.

Mamdani has long said raising taxes on the wealthy could provide as much as $9bn for his agenda, along with increasing the corporate tax rate from 7.25% to 11.5%.

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But the mayor needs the support of the state to make tax changes. Hochul - making her own political calculations as she runs for re-election this year - has indicated she wants to avoid raising taxes.

"That's going to be the challenge," Mitchell said. "Because if she doesn't [raise taxes], he's really limited in what he can do."
Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.

UPDATE (April 13, 6:00 AM EST):

The storm delivered as forecast. I-80 over Donner Pass was held in both directions Sunday afternoon after multiple spinouts forced Caltrans to stop eastbound traffic at Applegate and westbound traffic at the Nevada state line.

Chain controls expanded to R-2 from Gold Run to the Nevada state line, a significantly wider zone than Saturday's screenings. By Sunday evening, I-80 reopened under continued R-2 chain controls, but the road remains hazardous with snow-packed surfaces and overnight refreezing expected.

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NWS confirmed widespread accumulations of 1 to 2 feet above 4,500 feet and 2 to 5 feet above 6,000 feet, with wind gusts reaching 80 to 90 MPH on exposed ridges.

Highway 50, routes near Yosemite, and Lassen Park corridors all saw closures or severe restrictions through Sunday.

Conditions are expected to improve Monday, but drivers should check Caltrans QuickMap before attempting any Sierra crossing, as overnight refreezing will keep surfaces dangerous into Monday morning. Chain controls are likely to remain in place through at least Monday midday.

--

The Sierra Nevada storm originally reported by Autoblog on Friday has escalated significantly. What started as a Winter Storm Warning for Mono County and the Donner Pass area has expanded into warnings covering every major mountain corridor in California, from Lassen County south through Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks. Snowfall totals have been revised sharply upward. Wind forecasts have increased. And the worst of it is arriving now.

What Has Changed

The original forecast called for up to 28 inches above 7,000 feet near Lake Tahoe and up to 4 feet at the highest peaks, with crest winds of 70 to 80 mph. Those numbers have moved.

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NWS Sacramento issued a Winter Storm Warning at 10:34 AM Friday for the West Slope Northern Sierra and Western Plumas County, calling for 1 to 2 feet of snow above 4,500 feet and 3 to 4 feet at the highest peaks, with snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour from Saturday afternoon through Sunday. That Warning runs through 11 PM Sunday.

NWS Reno upgraded the Lake Tahoe Basin to a full Winter Storm Warning, with 6 to 10 inches at lake level, 12 to 28 inches above 7,000 feet, and crest gusts now forecast at 90 mph Saturday afternoon with 20 to 35 mph sustained winds for communities around the lake.

Mono County remains under a Warning with 70 to 80 mph crest gusts and up to 24 inches along the Sierra crest. And NWS Hanford reissued a Winter Storm Warning at 7:34 PM Friday covering Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks through Sunday night, with 10 to 30 inches of snow above 7,000 feet. NWS Hanford is describing conditions as potentially life-threatening.

The net effect: the original story's top-end forecast of 4 feet has been revised by NWS Sacramento above 6,000 feet to 5 feet, and the wind ceiling has jumped from 80 to 90 mph at the crest. The Warning footprint has expanded from two zones to the full 300-mile length of the Sierra.

Chain Controls Are Already Active

As of Saturday afternoon, Caltrans has chain screenings active on I-80 in both directions. Eastbound trucks are being screened at Applegate in Placer County. Westbound trucks are being screened at Overland Trail Road in Truckee and at Mogul, 5 miles west of Reno.

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Drivers must have maximum chains in their possession to proceed, and permit loads are prohibited. A high wind advisory is also in effect on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, where travel is not recommended for campers, trailers, or permit loads.

These are the early stages. Snow levels are still dropping. By Saturday evening, they will fall to 6,000 to 7,000 feet, and by late Saturday into Sunday morning, they will crash to 4,000 to 4,500 feet. When that happens, the chain controls will tighten, and closures become likely. In February, a similar system shut down a 60-mile stretch of I-80 from Colfax to the Nevada state line and stranded hundreds of drivers for hours. The same scenario is on the table tonight.

The Highways

I-80 over Donner Pass. Already under chain screenings. With 12 to 28 inches forecast at pass elevation, 90 mph crest winds, and snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour, a full closure Saturday night through Sunday is the most likely outcome. When I-80 closes over Donner Summit there is no practical detour across the Northern Sierra.

Highway 50 to South Lake Tahoe. Echo Summit sits at 7,382 feet, squarely in the heavy snow zone. Highway 50 has the same closure risk as I-80 and fewer plowing resources. When both routes close simultaneously, as they did in February, there is no realistic alternative across the central Sierra.

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Highway 395 (Eastern Sierra). The Warning names 395 with gusts to 40 to 45 mph and 2 to 6 inches of snow. Higher terrain west of 395 faces 6 to 12 inches. Side roads to Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain will be treacherous at best.

Highway 88 through Carson Pass (8,574 feet) and Highway 89. Both exposed to heavy snow and high winds with limited plowing resources. These are typically the first routes to close and the last to reopen.

Yosemite corridors (CA-120, CA-140, CA-41). With 10 to 30 inches above 7,000 feet and NWS Hanford warning of visibility below a quarter mile, expect closures and severe restrictions across all Yosemite approach routes through Sunday evening.

The Worst Window

Saturday night through Sunday morning. This is when the stronger second system arrives, snow levels crash to 4,000 to 4,500 feet, crest winds peak at 90 mph, and snowfall rates hit their maximum. If you are on a mountain highway during this window, you are likely to be stopped, stranded, or turned around. The heaviest accumulation runs from late Saturday morning through midday Sunday.

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Sunday afternoon onward the storm weakens, but do not assume roads reopen quickly. Clearing multiple feet of heavy, wet spring snow off a mountain highway takes hours even after the snow stops, and overnight refreezing Sunday into Monday morning will keep surfaces hazardous.

What To Do Right Now

If you are on the California side of the Sierra and need to get to Nevada, or vice versa, your window has likely closed. Chain controls are active, conditions are deteriorating, and by tonight the passes will be in full storm mode.

If you are already committed to a crossing, Caltrans will require chains on most vehicles above 4,000 to 5,000 feet, and AWD with snow tires may still need chains under R-2 and R-3 controls. Carry chains and know how to install them before you need to. Pack a blanket, flashlight, portable phone charger, water, food, a folding shovel, and cat litter or sand for traction. Fill your tank before entering the mountains. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle, run the engine for heat in 15-minute intervals, crack a window for ventilation, and wait for road crews.

For a full breakdown on preparing your vehicle for winter conditions, Autoblog's winter car readiness checklist covers everything from tread depth to emergency kit essentials. Our guide to best practices for driving in snow, ice, and rain is worth reviewing before you attempt any Sierra crossing this weekend. And if this storm is a reminder that your vehicle is not set up for mountain driving, Autoblog's list of the best cars and SUVs for snow and winter driving can help you think about what matters when the roads turn ugly.

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The safest decision is to wait. Monday midday offers the earliest realistic window for a Sierra crossing once crews have had time to clear and treat the passes. Check Caltrans QuickMap or call 511 before committing to any mountain travel.

Track Conditions

Check Caltrans for current highway conditions, live traffic cameras, and chain controls. NWS Sacramento and NWS Reno forecast pages have the latest zone-level details. For Nevada road conditions, visit 511 Nevada.

This story was originally published by Autoblog on Apr 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ukraine faces the task of making the defense industry the backbone of a new economy, bringing "new jobs, technology, engineering, investment, exports and new industrial weight for the country," President's Office Head Kyrylo Budanov said in congratulating defense industry workers on their professional holiday.

"The war is sustained not only on the frontline, it is sustained by machine tools. Not everyone sees your work, and that is how it should be. But everyone is glad to read about repelled offensives, about the roar far beyond the front line, about lives saved. Over these years, Ukraine's defense industry has done what in peacetime would have been stretched over decades," he said on Telegram on Monday.

He said Ukraine has already passed the stage "when it simply had to hold on."

"Not only the enemy, but the whole world has seen what our defense industry is capable of: MAGURA, Neptune, Vilkha, Liutyi, Leleka, Bohdana and others impress everyone, especially the enemy," Budanov said.

"Now the task is bigger: to make the defense industry the framework of Ukraine's new economy. Localization and a full production cycle of our own weapons mean jobs, technology, engineering, investment, exports and new industrial weight for the country," he said.

"That is why defense industrialization of the economy and reindustrialization are not theory. It is a practical question of survival and strength. At the same time, it is a question of what Ukraine will be like after the war. I thank everyone working for this result," he said.
Photo: https://kyivcity.gov.ua/

Kyivblahoustrii utility company has demolished a retail outlet on Holosiivsky Avenue after reviewing the legality of its placement. According to law enforcement authorities, the site was part of a scheme for the illegal production, storage, transportation and sale of liquids for electronic cigarettes, Kyiv City State Administration said.

"City services, together with law enforcement agencies, are inspecting facilities used for illegal trade. In particular, the department reviewed a request from the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine regarding the legality of a retail outlet on Holosiivsky Avenue. According to law enforcement, illegally manufactured excisable goods, including liquids for electronic cigarettes, were sold there," the administration said on Telegram on Monday.

According to the statement, the inspection found that the facility had been installed without the required documents. The city had not issued permits for its installation, so the structure was subject to demolition. The work was carried out by Kyivblahoustrii.

The Bureau of Economic Security said the outlet was part of a scheme for the illegal production, storage, transportation and sale of liquids for electronic cigarettes manufactured outside state control. As part of the pretrial investigation, detectives carried out more than 70 searches in Kyiv and the surrounding region. Equipment, ingredients and finished products were seized, with an estimated value of about UAH 30 million. According to preliminary estimates, the budget may have lost about UAH 20 million in excise tax due to the sale of these products.
Photo: MFA of Ukraine

An updated exhibition of Ukrainian weapons, drones and military equipment opened at Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on Monday, April 13, to mark Ukrainian Defense Industry Worker's Day, the ministry's press service said.

Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said the renewed display at the ministry demonstrates the growing capabilities of Ukraine's defense industry and its contribution to global security. According to him, each exhibit is proof that Ukraine is already developing modern technological solutions that not only help defend the country, but also demonstrate their effectiveness globally, including in the Gulf region.

A separate part of the event was a tour of the updated exhibition, moderated by Ihor Fedirko, executive director of the Ukrainian Council of Gunsmiths. Participants included state-owned enterprises of JSC Ukrainian Defense Industry and private manufacturers presenting their products.

Among the best-known examples of Ukraine's new defense showcased at the exhibition were the Neptune cruise missile, which struck the Moskva cruiser on April 13, 2022, the Arey drone missile, the Magura V7 naval drone, the Stuhna-M anti-tank missile system, the Korsar light anti-tank missile system, the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile, the Bulava loitering munition, Sting, P1-SUN and OCTOPUS interceptor drones, and the Ratel M, Liut and TerMIT ground robotic systems. Drones including Buntar, Hor, Sichen, SOVA-150, Horobets, Linza 3.0 and Vampire, as well as the Mirage electronic warfare station, were also displayed.

According to Fedirko, each exhibit represents teams, production cycles, engineering solutions and constant work for results that often remain out of the public eye. He said Ukraine's defense industry has proven its ability to rapidly create, improve and scale solutions for modern warfare, while also building an integrated production ecosystem whose effectiveness has been confirmed on the battlefield.

Ukraine already produces more than half of the weapons used on the front line, and more than 400,000 people work in the defense industry.

Those attending the event included Deputy Defense Minister Lieutenant General Ivan Havryliuk, Deputy NSDC Secretary Davyd Aloian, presidential strategic affairs adviser Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukrainian Defense Industry JSC CEO Herman Smetanin, representatives of the diplomatic corps, and Ukrainian and foreign manufacturers.
Vodafone Ukraine increases its net profit by 18% in 2025, with revenue growing by 14%

Ukraines second-largest mobile operator, Vodafone Ukraine (VFU), increased its revenue in 2025 by 14% compared to the previous year, reaching UAH 27.8 billion, while its net profit grew by 18%, reaching UAH 4.18 billion.

According to a press release from Vodafone Ukraine on Monday, OIBDA increased by 15% to UAH 14 billion, despite a significant increase in network power supply costs, and OIBDA margin increased from 50.1% to 50.4%.

The ARPU indicator increased by 19% compared to 2024, reaching UAH 144.8, and the number of clients has remained stable over the past four years at 15.4 million, the document states.

"The company demonstrated strong financial discipline, successfully completing a $400 million bond restructuring and partially repurchasing Eurobonds. Throughout the year, the company continued to repurchase Eurobonds, which allowed it to reduce its debt burden and strengthen its financial position," the mobile operator said.

It is noted that the mobile operator increased its investment in the development and support of critical infrastructure in Ukraine by 41% in 2025, reaching UAH 8.7 billion, and launched 7,500 new 4G base stations. An additional 20,000 new batteries were installed, and the number of generators exceeded 7,000.

Among other achievements last year, the company noted a 1.5-fold increase in the number of users of energy-efficient GPON technology, infrastructure preparation for the implementation of 5G, including the launch of pilot projects in Lviv, Borodianka, and Kharkiv, and the launch of a network modernization program in collaboration with its European partner Nokia.

Furthermore, in 2025, Vodafone Ukraine announced the construction of a new submarine cable system, Kardesa, in the Black Sea in partnership with Vodafone Group. This will create a digital corridor between Europe and Asia with access points in Ukraine, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Turkey, significantly improving the reliability of the global internet.

As reported with reference to the National Commission for State Communications regulator, the top three leaders in telecommunications revenue for 2025 in Ukraine were mobile operators by a significant margin: PJSC Kyivstar  UAH 44.2 billion, Vodafone Ukraine  UAH 25.6 billion, and Lifecell LLC (lifecell TM) from the DVL Group  UAH 15.7 billion. Compared to 2024 figures, Kyivstars revenue increased by 20.3%, Vodafone Ukraines by 13.1%, and Lifecells by 19.1%.
Hungary's Tisza party wins parliamentary elections as 98.13 pct votes counted: NEO

Xinhua) 08:27, April 13, 2026

Peter Magyar, leader of Hungary's opposition party Tisza, casts his ballot at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. Hungary's parliamentary elections kicked off at 6:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) on Sunday, with about 8.1 million eligible voters, according to the National Election Office. (Photo by David Balogh/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's opposition party Tisza, led by Peter Magyar, defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition by securing a majority in Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results released by the National Election Office (NEO).

With 98.13 percent of votes counted by the NEO, Tisza had won 53.62 percent of the vote and was projected to win 138 of the 199 parliament seats, exceeding the two-thirds threshold. Orban's ruling Fidesz-KDNP alliance received 37.79 percent and was projected to win 55 seats.

The far-right Our Homeland Movement won 5.89 percent and is projected to take 6 seats. Other parties failed to clear the 5-percent threshold required to enter parliament.

Preliminary statistics showed that turnout reached about 77.8 percent among roughly 8.1 million eligible voters, marking a record high.

Tamas Sulyok, President of Hungary, speaks during an oath-taking ceremony for the upcoming Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 24, 2026. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

On social media, Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok expressed his congratulations to "the winning party of the elections and to all the candidates of the parliament."

Addressing supporters in Budapest, 45-year-old Magyar hailed his party's "decisive victory," saying it was a win seen "from every Hungarian window." He added that Hungary will once again be a strong ally in the European Union and NATO.

Orban, 62, conceded defeat. "The election results, though not yet final, are clear and understandable; for us, they are painful but unambiguous," he told reporters, adding: "We have not been entrusted with the responsibility and opportunity to govern. I congratulated the winning party."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (R) and his wife Aniko Levai cast their ballots at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. Hungary's parliamentary elections kicked off at 6:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) on Sunday, with about 8.1 million eligible voters, according to the National Election Office. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

The victory of the center-right Tisza party signals the imminent end of Orban's 16 consecutive years in power. Orban served as Hungary's prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and has remained in office since returning to power in 2010.

During the campaign, Tisza focused on anti-corruption and institutional reform, calling for the restoration of the rule of law and transparent governance. It also advocated repairing relations with the European Union and urged Hungarians to unite in building a sovereign, civic, modern and European Hungary.

Under Hungary's electoral law, parliamentary elections are held every four years. Hungary's parliament has 199 seats, including 106 elected directly in single-member constituencies and 93 allocated among parties that enter parliament.

People queue outside a polling station to cast their ballots in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. Hungary's parliamentary elections kicked off at 6 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) on Sunday, with about 8.1 million eligible voters. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
China's horse-face skirt gains popularity overseas

People's Daily Online) 13:29, April 13, 2026

Photo shows exquisite horse-faced skirts, known as mamianqun in Chinese. (Photo courtesy of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Caoxian County Committee)

"At the start of this year, orders for mamianqun received by our factory were about 10 times higher than the previous year," said Hou Guodong, head of a clothing factory in Caoxian county, east China's Shandong Province. Mamianqun, also known as the horse-face skirt, is a traditional Chinese pleated skirt.

"In the past, we simply produced what foreign clients requested. Recently, we've started blending international fashion elements into our Hanfu designs, which has sparked new demand from customers," said Hou, referring to the traditional Chinese clothing style.

Over the past few years, the company has broadened its reach by participating in international Hanfu exhibitions, launching cross-border e-commerce platforms, and introducing mamianqun to an expanding global audience.

In 2025, Caoxian's Hanfu sales surpassed 13 billion yuan ($1.89 billion), with more than 2,800 Hanfu businesses and nearly 100,000 people engaged in the sector.

"From original design and pattern making to embroidery, printing, material supply, online marketing and after-sales service, we cover the entire supply chain within a 5-kilometer radius," said Liu Xia, deputy director of the county's e-commerce service center.

Caoxian's supply chain advantage supports efficient production and fuels the sector's expansion in global markets.

Ma Xiaomei, chairwoman of a clothing company in Kenya, said that after years in the clothing manufacturing industry, she has registered a Caoxian Hanfu trademark tailored to the Kenyan market and has positioned Hanfu as festive and stage wear.

Chen Xiangguang, general manager of a Brazilian cultural media company, is exploring deeper collaborations with local distributors to showcase Caoxian mamianqun alongside European and American luxury brands in the same stores, highlighting the unique appeal of mamianqun in the global fashion market.

As the industry continues to expand internationally, Caoxian mamianqun is steadily making its way into wardrobes worldwide.

"I first came across Caoxian mamianqun at a Hanfu runway show in Milan. The intricate gold-woven patterns on the skirt's hem strikingly echoed the craftsmanship of Italian haute couture," said Li Ming, head of China operations under the Association for Industrial Design, Italy.

In his view, Caoxian mamianqun is not just a museum piece to be admired, but a "living" fashion system.

In 2025, Caoxian Hanfu, led by mamianqun, reached markets in 32 countries and regions, including Japan, Italy and Australia. The county is now expanding its global presence by promoting Hanfu runway shows and establishing overseas Hanfu communities, steadily increasing its share in the international market.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Hungary stands at what could be a defining political turning point, as voters head to the polls in one of the most competitive elections the country has witnessed since Viktor Orban consolidated power in 2010.

Following almost a decade of hegemony in Hungarian politics, Orban now finds himself facing a credible challenge to his rule, spearheaded by Peter Magyar, a rising star who embodies the changing political climate.

Viktor Orban is more than just another national leader fighting for his position in the upcoming elections. Indeed, he has become an icon of opposition to centralization. Viktor Orban has become the icon of patriotism in the face of the federalism of von der Leyen Unlimited. This is why a victory by Viktor Orban will have consequences outside Hungary.

Indeed, the von der Leyen Commission is pushing to the limits the notion and idea of cooperation between European nations. Powers established under the treaties are being grossly abused. Indeed, the Union is now not only a military alliance but the abuse of competencies is evident in areas like education, health care, and social housing.

However, this upcoming election is unlikely to be characterized solely by normal election-related factors. Instead, there is an emerging trend towards a cyber battleground where disinformation, including the spread of fake news narratives and advanced use of technology such as AI-driven deepfakes, has played a prominent role.

Adding even more uncertainty is the issue of foreign interference. Sources suggest that certain Russian-linked groups are using social media to promote the spread of narratives that divide the electorate, especially those seeking to undermine pro-European views. However, the geopolitical aspect cannot be confined merely to Russia. It would seem that the United States is also interested in this election result and that there are some factions in Washington that support Orban and his policies.

The unusual intersection of the two, the fact that both Russia and certain US parties agree, although for different reasons, is another issue to consider in relation to Europe.

Importantly, Peter Magyar has sought to position himself carefully within this complex landscape. Rejecting accusations from opponents that he represents a pro-war agenda, Magyar has instead emphasized a pragmatic approach, one that does not radically depart from Hungarys current stance of non-intervention in external conflicts. Rather, his campaign has focused heavily on domestic concerns, including corruption, governance standards, and economic management, signaling continuity in foreign policy caution while promising change at home.

In an interview with AzerNEWS, Sebastian Schaeffer, Director at the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM), shared his insights on the political climate, the risks posed by disinformation, and the wider geopolitical implications of Hungarys pivotal vote:

- What do the Hungarian elections mean for EU-Hungary relations, and consequently for US-EU relations?

- These elections are less about a sudden "turning point" and more about whether an entrenched pattern continues or begins to loosen. Under Viktor Orban, EU-Hungary relations have been defined by persistent friction over rule of law, media pluralism, and Hungary's positioning on Russia. That would not disappear overnight even with a change in government, but it could become more manageable. If the current government remains, we should expect continued transactionalism. Budapest will keep leveraging veto power where possible, particularly on Ukraine-related decisions, while the EU will continue using conditionality instruments. That is a stable but dysfunctional equilibrium. For US-EU relations, Hungary has become a small but symbolic fault line. The idea that Washington and Brussels are aligned on Central Europe is no longer automatically true. However, I would be cautious about overstating this. Hungary is not the axis around which transatlantic relations turn. It is rather a stress test of how much divergence can be absorbed without broader fragmentation.

- How should we interpret the apparent US political interest in Hungary's electoral outcome?

- We should separate rhetoric from structural policy. There are clearly political actors in the US who view Viktor Orban as an ideological ally, particularly on questions of sovereignty, migration, and cultural politics. That creates the impression of "support." But there is a deeper strategic interest at play: the US under the current administration needs Orban to win. A Magyar victory would shatter the narrative of an unstoppable victory march of the far right across the West, and that myth has real political value in Washington's domestic politics. It is also worth naming the contradiction openly: the same actors who accuse the EU of interfering in sovereign democratic processes are actively campaigning for a specific outcome in a member state election. That double standard is not incidental. It is part of the playbook. That said, US policy is not monolithic. Institutional Washington has often been far more critical of Budapest than political messaging suggests. So rather than a coherent "US strategy" backing Orban, what we see is a fragmented picture. Hungary has become part of US domestic political signalling as much as foreign policy. That matters, but it should not be mistaken for a fully aligned geopolitical position.

- Does US support for Orban signal a deeper divergence between Washington and Brussels on democratic governance?

- There is some divergence, but it is uneven and often overstated. The EU's relationship with Hungary is shaped by legal mechanisms and financial conditionality, which gives Brussels a very concrete toolkit. The US operates more through political signalling, diplomatic pressure, and selective engagement.

Where divergence does exist is in emphasis. The EU treats democratic backsliding as an internal structural issue that affects the functioning of the Union. The US, depending on the political constellation, may treat it more selectively or instrumentally. But here is the critical lesson regardless of Sunday's outcome: the EU cannot afford to lean back if Magyar wins, the way many did when Biden defeated Trump in 2020, assuming the problem is solved and returning to business as usual. A change in government in Budapest is an opportunity, not a resolution. The EU must use it to overhaul its instruments, starting with Article 7 of the TFEU, which has proven essentially inoperable as a mechanism for addressing systematic rule-of-law breaches. That reform conversation needs to happen now, not after the next backsliding crisis.

The core transatlantic consensus on Russia, NATO, and security in Central Europe still largely holds. Hungary is an outlier within that consensus, not evidence of its collapse. But outliers, if left unaddressed, have a way of becoming templates.

- What would a Magyar victory mean for Hungarian foreign policy, on the EU and Ukraine?

- A victory by Peter Magyar would likely lead to recalibration rather than rupture. Expectations of a rapid "return to Brussels" are probably too optimistic. Magyar's political appeal is strongly rooted in domestic governance issues: corruption, economic management, institutional integrity. That suggests continuity in parts of foreign policy, at least in the short term. Hungary's cautious stance on direct involvement in the Ukraine war is unlikely to shift dramatically overnight. Magyar has been consistent in rejecting the "pro-war" label, and he means it. His approach is pragmatic non-intervention with a different diplomatic texture, not Orban's systematic obstruction, but not unconditional support for Kyiv either. On Ukraine's EU accession and sanctions, this could translate into less obstruction and more constructive ambiguity. Not a fully aligned Western position, but also not the consistent spoiler role we have come to expect from Budapest in the Council. In other words, the key difference in the first phase would not necessarily be policy substance, but political intent and credibility. And in EU politics, where trust, predictability, and good-faith engagement matter enormously, that alone can make a substantial difference.
A soldier released from captivity is transferred to a hospital for medical treatment in northern Ukraine on April 11, 2026. (Photo by Peter Druk/Xinhua)

KIEV, April 11 (Xinhua) -- A total of 182 Ukrainians returned home Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia ahead of Orthodox Easter, Ukrainian authorities said.

Those released included 175 service members -- among them 25 officers -- as well as seven civilians, the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement.

The agency said the freed individuals range in age from 22 to 63, with most having been held in captivity since 2022. 

A soldier released from captivity is transferred to a hospital for medical treatment in northern Ukraine on April 11, 2026.

A total of 182 Ukrainians returned home Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia ahead of Orthodox Easter, Ukrainian authorities said.

Those released included 175 service members -- among them 25 officers -- as well as seven civilians, the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement.

The agency said the freed individuals range in age from 22 to 63, with most having been held in captivity since 2022. (Photo by Peter Druk/Xinhua)

People wait for their relatives released from captivity at a hospital in northern Ukraine on April 11, 2026.

A total of 182 Ukrainians returned home Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia ahead of Orthodox Easter, Ukrainian authorities said.

Those released included 175 service members -- among them 25 officers -- as well as seven civilians, the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement.

The agency said the freed individuals range in age from 22 to 63, with most having been held in captivity since 2022. (Photo by Peter Druk/Xinhua)

People wait for their relatives released from captivity at a hospital in northern Ukraine on April 11, 2026.

A total of 182 Ukrainians returned home Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia ahead of Orthodox Easter, Ukrainian authorities said.

Those released included 175 service members -- among them 25 officers -- as well as seven civilians, the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement.

The agency said the freed individuals range in age from 22 to 63, with most having been held in captivity since 2022. (Photo by Peter Druk/Xinhua)

A released Ukrainian prisoner hugs with his relative at a hospital on the border area in northern Ukraine on April 11, 2026. A total of 182 Ukrainians returned home Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia ahead of Orthodox Easter, Ukrainian authorities said.

Those released included 175 service members -- among them 25 officers -- as well as seven civilians, the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement.

The agency said the freed individuals range in age from 22 to 63, with most having been held in captivity since 2022. (Photo by Peter Druk/Xinhua)

Released Ukrainian prisoners arrive at a hospital on the border area in northern Ukraine on April 11, 2026. A total of 182 Ukrainians returned home Saturday as part of a prisoner exchange with Russia ahead of Orthodox Easter, Ukrainian authorities said.

Those released included 175 service members -- among them 25 officers -- as well as seven civilians, the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said in a statement.

The agency said the freed individuals range in age from 22 to 63, with most having been held in captivity since 2022. (Photo by Peter Druk/Xinhua)
Stewardesses interact with passengers aboard train No. D86 from Kunming, capital city of southwest China's Yunnan Province, to the Lao capital Vientiane, July 18, 2025. (Photo by Yang Zixuan/Xinhua)

VIENTIANE, April 12 (Xinhua) -- The China-Laos Railway cross-border passenger service is set to mark its third anniversary, representing a significant milestone in regional connectivity and cultural exchange. Linking Kunming in southwest China's Yunnan province with the Lao capital Vientiane, the railway enables same-day travel between the two cities, significantly reducing journey time while bringing the people of China and Laos closer together.

Over the past three years, the service has transformed cross-border mobility. According to the Laos-China Railway Co. Ltd. (LCRC), which operates the Lao section of the railway, the train service has handled over 800,000 cross-border passengers trips as of April 12.

The opening of the cross-border passenger service has effectively shortened the travel time between Kunming and Vientiane from several days by road to less than 10 hours, significantly improving travel efficiency.

"It used to be so difficult to study in China," Manisa from northern Laos' Oudomxay province recalled her past journey to study in China. Manisa's home is located in the mountainous region of northern Laos, about 100 kilometers from the Laos-China border, but the journey to China was not smooth.

"You either had to pay expensive airfares or endure long, winding journeys by road with multiple transfers, which were bumpy and tiring."

"It's completely different now. The cross-border train passes through my hometown, and I can board the train directly and arrive in China in just a few hours. It's time-saving and comfortable," Manisa said happily.

An aerial drone photo shows a bullet train running on China-Laos Railway in Jinghong City, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Feb. 22, 2025. (Photo by Li Yunsheng/Xinhua)

For 32-year-old Lao resident Soulinda, the launch of the cross-border train has transformed international travel from a luxury into a normal part of life.

"Before, I could only travel to China by bus, which was inconvenient, so I rarely went. Even when I did go, it was only for medical treatment; I almost never traveled to China for tourism," Soulinda recalled.

Now, every one or two months, she takes the China-Laos Railway to places like Jinghong and Mengla in southwest China's Yunnan province, and she also makes a special trip to China every year for a medical check-up.

"It's so convenient to take the train to China now. You can charge your phone and order food on the train, and the service is very attentive. It's much more comfortable than taking a bus," Soulinda said with a smile.

"The more times I've been to China, the more I understand Chinese culture and the more interested I become. Every time I come back from China, I can't wait to share my interesting experiences with my friends."

Soulinda added that the launch of the cross-border train has led to a continuous increase in exchanges between the people of the two countries. "Now more and more Lao people are going to China, and it's common to meet friends or relatives on the train."

Staff members work at the Luang Prabang Station of the China-Laos Railway in Luang Prabang, Laos, Oct. 11, 2025.(Photo by Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua)

According to figures from both China and Laos, during the nine-day Spring Festival holiday this year, which lasted from Feb. 15 to Feb. 23, the China-Laos Railway handled 12,900 cross-border trips, representing a significant year-on-year increase of 41.8 percent.

"When the train first started operating, there weren't many passengers and not much luggage," said Koua Moua, a 25-year-old Lao conductor on the train.

"But things changed quickly. More and more Lao students studying in China returned to Laos during their holidays and then went back to China before the start of the semester. They would bring a lot of luggage, and we would help them arrange it neatly."

The influx of Chinese tourists is particularly noticeable. "The number of Chinese tour groups has risen significantly compared with the early days of the service. I often run into familiar tour guides on the train as well," Koua Moua said.

Koua Moua is frequently surrounded by Chinese tourists asking, "I've heard Luang Prabang is a lot of fun, can you recommend some attractions?" "What are some places worth visiting here?" Koua Moua and fellow staff members often enthusiastically recommend popular Lao attractions.

The change in passenger flow is also reflected in the number of carriages. Koua Moua said, "Previously, there were only three cross-border carriages. Now, we have expanded to four to accommodate the growing number of passengers."

Over the past three years, the China-Laos Railway cross-border passenger service has evolved into more than just a transportation link. It has become a vital bridge connecting people, cultures, and opportunities. This steel artery has made exchanges and mutual learning between the two sides an accessible part of daily life.

"As I work on the train, I often feel that the hearts of the people of our two countries are getting closer," Koua Moua said. As the wheels roll, the friendship grows stronger. With each whistle, the train carries the common expectations of the people of both countries for development, embarking on journeys of people-to-people connectivity and writing a new chapter of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
Peter Magyar, leader of Hungary's opposition party Tisza, casts his ballot at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. Hungary's parliamentary elections kicked off at 6:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) on Sunday, with about 8.1 million eligible voters, according to the National Election Office. (Photo by David Balogh/Xinhua)

With 98.13 percent of votes counted by the NEO, Tisza had won 53.62 percent of the vote, projected to win 138 of the 199 parliament seats, while Orban's ruling Fidesz-KDNP alliance received 37.79 percent and was projected to win 55 seats.

BUDAPEST, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's opposition party Tisza, led by Peter Magyar, defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition by securing a majority in Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results released by the National Election Office (NEO).

With 98.13 percent of votes counted by the NEO, Tisza had won 53.62 percent of the vote and was projected to win 138 of the 199 parliament seats, exceeding the two-thirds threshold. Orban's ruling Fidesz-KDNP alliance received 37.79 percent and was projected to win 55 seats.

The far-right Our Homeland Movement won 5.89 percent and is projected to take 6 seats. Other parties failed to clear the 5-percent threshold required to enter parliament.

Preliminary statistics showed that turnout reached about 77.8 percent among roughly 8.1 million eligible voters, marking a record high.

Tamas Sulyok, President of Hungary, speaks during an oath-taking ceremony for the upcoming Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 24, 2026. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

On social media, Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok expressed his congratulations to "the winning party of the elections and to all the candidates of the parliament."

Addressing supporters in Budapest, 45-year-old Magyar hailed his party's "decisive victory," saying it was a win seen "from every Hungarian window." He added that Hungary will once again be a strong ally in the European Union and NATO.

Orban, 62, conceded defeat. "The election results, though not yet final, are clear and understandable; for us, they are painful but unambiguous," he told reporters, adding: "We have not been entrusted with the responsibility and opportunity to govern. I congratulated the winning party."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (R) and his wife Aniko Levai cast their ballots at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. Hungary's parliamentary elections kicked off at 6:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) on Sunday, with about 8.1 million eligible voters, according to the National Election Office. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

The victory of the center-right Tisza party signals the imminent end of Orban's 16 consecutive years in power. Orban served as Hungary's prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and has remained in office since returning to power in 2010.

During the campaign, Tisza focused on anti-corruption and institutional reform, calling for the restoration of the rule of law and transparent governance. It also advocated repairing relations with the European Union and urged Hungarians to unite in building a sovereign, civic, modern and European Hungary.

Under Hungary's electoral law, parliamentary elections are held every four years. Hungary's parliament has 199 seats, including 106 elected directly in single-member constituencies and 93 allocated among parties that enter parliament.
MOSCOW, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The intensity of shelling and combat operations by the Ukrainian forces during the Orthodox Easter ceasefire decreased during daylight hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said Monday, accusing the Ukrainian forces of 6,558 violations of the truce.

The ministry said that despite the announcement of the Easter ceasefire, Ukrainian forces continued to launch strikes using drones and artillery against Russian positions, as well as against civilian infrastructure in the border areas of Russia's Belgorod and Kursk regions.

Despite the truce, the Ukrainian armed forces carried out 694 attacks on Russian military positions, and a Ukrainian drone damaged a gas station in the city of Lgov in the Kursk region, the ministry added.

With the ceasefire's expiration, the Russian Armed Forces resumed the special military operation, the defense ministry added.

Both Russia and Ukraine reported continued hostilities despite the ceasefire. 
Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 marked a turning point not only for Europes security order, but also for Russias long-term geopolitical trajectory. More than four years into the war, the Kremlin continues to project resilience. Yet beneath that posture, structural constraints are increasingly visible. Even in a scenario where active hostilities were to end in the near term, Russia would not easily revert to its pre-war economic or political position. The combination of sanctions, capital restrictions, and technological isolation has reshaped its development path in ways that are unlikely to be quickly reversed.

The most immediate effect has been economic recalibration. Cut off from much of Western investment and advanced technology, Russia has become more dependent on a narrower set of partners and markets. Growth has not collapsed, but it has become less dynamic and more uneven. Over time, this has contributed to a broader erosion of Russias attractiveness as a destination for skilled labor and regional migration. Historically, Russia functioned as a key labor magnet for workers from Central Asia and the South Caucasus. That role is now increasingly contested, with labor flows diversifying toward Turkiye, parts of the Gulf, and, where possible, the European Union. This shift carries long-term geopolitical implications, since labor migration has also been one of Moscows quieter instruments of regional influence.

Iran, meanwhile, has suffered its own strategic setback. The confrontation with the United States and Israel reached its most dramatic stage in February 2026, when Supreme Leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike. His death created a leadership vacuum that was quickly filled by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, but the regimes stability remains uncertain. Irans military and civilian infrastructure suffered heavy blows, and its ability to project power beyond its borders has been severely curtailed. For a country already under sanctions and international isolation, the prospect of recovery is distant.

In the South Caucasus, Irans leverage has diminished considerably. Its attempts to block the opening of the Zangezur corridor through military exercises along the Aras River now appear unsustainable. The destruction of Irans naval assets in the Caspian Sea further weakens its capacity to obstruct regional energy and transit projects. Tehrans traditional role as a spoiler in regional geopolitics is fading, leaving countries in the region in a stronger position to advance their strategic interests.

The weakening of Russia and Iran opens new opportunities for the South Caucasus states. Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia find themselves in a changing geopolitical landscape where traditional pressures are easing. For Azerbaijan, the prospects of expanded energy exports and deeper integration with Turkiye and Europe are particularly promising. The possibility of trans-Caspian energy projects, long obstructed by Moscow and Tehran, now appears more feasible. Georgia, though still grappling with unresolved territorial disputes, may find new openings as Russias grip loosens. Armenia faces the delicate task of reconciling with Azerbaijan while redefining its foreign policy orientation in a less Russia-centric environment.

The resolution of the Karabakh conflict has already reshaped the regional security environment. Russias inability to obstruct the process, distracted by its war in Ukraine, accelerated this outcome. Georgias territorial integrity remains unresolved, but Moscows weakening position may eventually create openings for progress, even though it still retains significant influence. Iran, meanwhile, finds its regional role diminished. Once adept at leveraging border tensions, sectarian ties, and economic channels to exert pressure in the South Caucasus, Tehran now struggles to maintain relevance. The destruction of its naval assets and the severe damage to military and civilian infrastructure have curtailed its ability to intervene meaningfully in Caspian energy projects or to act as a spoiler in regional negotiations. Where Iran once sought to counterbalance external actors and project itself as a decisive player, its reduced capacity leaves it increasingly sidelined in shaping the future of the South Caucasus.

The South Caucasus remains a region of unresolved challenges. Armenia and Azerbaijan have yet to finalize a peace treaty, Georgia continues to grapple with its occupied territories, and trans-Caspian energy projects face logistical and political hurdles. Yet the weakening of Russia and Iran alters the balance of power in ways that could favor regional stability and growth. Regional countries can diversify partnerships, reducing dependence on Moscow and Tehran, and pursue new strategies that align more closely with Western and Turkish interests.

Russia and Irans decline in influence is reshaping the South Caucasus. Their economic stagnation, military setbacks, and political vulnerabilities create openings for regional states to pursue new strategies. While risks remain, the erosion of Moscow and Tehrans traditional levers of power offers the South Caucasus a rare opportunity to redefine its place in the global order. The extent to which these countries can seize the moment will determine whether the region moves toward lasting stability or remains trapped in cycles of uncertainty.

*Image is generated by Artificial Intelligence
BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- As population aging accelerates in China, Parkinson's disease is emerging as an increasingly common chronic condition among older adults, prompting Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University in Beijing to launch the country's first AI-powered digital doctor platform for the disease.

Built on clinical data and medical literature, the platform is designed to reduce repetitive consultations and provide patients with easier access to reliable information.

Led by the hospital's Parkinson's disease research team, the AI system incorporates more than 20 years of Xuanwu Hospital's clinical research, including medical records, studies, reports and educational materials, along with peer-reviewed literature.

According to Chen Biao, director of the hospital's Parkinson's disease clinical research and treatment center, the AI can address up to 90 percent of routine patient inquiries, freeing doctors to focus on more complex patient care.

Using their smartphones, patients can ask the AI doctor questions about Parkinson's disease and receive science-based answers. While the system effectively handles general questions, it does not provide specific treatment advice, ensuring that clinical decision-making remains with doctors. The platform also offers direct links to Xuanwu Hospital's online hospital for appointment bookings and prescription services.

Looking ahead, the platform is set to integrate with wearable devices to support medication guidance, rehabilitation training, daily care and psychological support, building a comprehensive, long-term care partnership between patients and doctors, Chen added. 
BAGHDAD, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) announced Monday that the country's crude oil exports plummeted to about 18.6 million barrels in March, a sharp decline from 99.8 million barrels in February, due to the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

According to an official statement by SOMO, the revenues generated from these exports in March exceeded 1.95 billion U.S. dollars, a massive drop from the over 6.8 billion dollars recorded in February.

The statement elaborated that total exports from oil fields in central and southern Iraq, which are most affected by the maritime blockade, amounted to only about 14.5 million barrels in March.

To mitigate the impact of the Gulf shipping disruption, Iraq used its northern corridor, with exports from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region via the Turkish port of Ceyhan totaling about 1.27 million barrels.

Typically, Iraq exported around 100 million barrels of crude oil monthly. However, this volume has been severely reduced since the outbreak of the Mideast conflict on Feb. 28, which subsequently led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global energy supplies.

Iraq's economy relies heavily on crude oil exports, which account for about 90 percent of the country's revenues. 
BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of the Turkmen side, from April 15 to 17, Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang will visit Turkmenistan, and attend the ground-breaking of the fourth phase of the Galkynysh gas field as Chinese President Xi Jinping's Special Representative, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Monday.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, will jointly chair with the Turkmen side the seventh meeting of the Chinese-Turkmen intergovernmental cooperation committee as the Chinese co-chair, according to the spokesperson. 
PARIS, April 13 (Xinhua) -- France and Britain will work to bring countries together for a meeting in the coming days on pooling efforts to restore free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.

The meeting is expected to gather countries willing to contribute to a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring free navigation in the Strait, Macron said on his official X account.

He noted that the planned mission would be strictly defensive in nature and separate from parties involved in the ongoing regional conflict in the Middle East, adding that it is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit.

Diplomatic efforts must be intensified, with no effort to be spared, to swiftly reach a strong and lasting settlement to the regional conflict, he said.

The French president made the remarks after the United States and Iran failed to reach any agreement in their talks over the weekend, the first of its kind since Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint military strikes on Iran.

The regional conflict has led to Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway typically transporting roughly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.

According to Macron, any sustainable settlement to the conflict should provide a robust framework enabling all countries in the region to live in peace and security.

He added that core issues must be addressed through lasting solutions, including Iran's nuclear and ballistic programs, its regional activities, the restoration of free and unimpeded navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and ensuring Lebanon's return to peace with full respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Macron also reaffirmed France's readiness to play its full role, as it has consistently sought to do since the conflict began. 
These may look like ordinary tractors, but they have a special feature: they are all powered by new energy. As these China-made hybrid tractors operate in Xinjiang, let's take a look at their strengths.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds talks with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2026. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Monday that China is ready to further play a constructive role and contribute to the restoration of peace and tranquility in the Gulf region.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Beijing, noting that since the conflict in Iran broke out, China has been in close communication with relevant parties and actively committed to promoting peace and ending the war.

Li hoped that the UAE will continue to take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in the country. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds talks with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2026. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)
HELSINKI, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The Swedish government on Monday announced additional relief measures to help households cope with rising electricity and fuel costs amid uncertainty in the Middle East.

Under the package, the government proposed tax measures to lower petrol price by 1 krona (about 11 U.S. cents) per liter through September, and diesel by 0.40 krona (about 4 U.S. cents) per liter. Owners of passenger cars and small houses would also receive a lump-sum payment of 1,500 kronor (about 140 U.S. dollars) in July as compensation for electricity and fuel costs.

The new measures follow the government's decision to cut value-added tax on food to 6 percent from April 1 through the end of the year.

Speaking at a press conference, Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson said Sweden was well-positioned to cope with a worsening situation, citing the country's low level of public debt. "Sweden is also less dependent on oil and gas than many other countries," she added.

Svantesson also noted that Sweden has applied to the European Commission for permission to levy fuel taxes below the EU minimum level.

She acknowledged, however, that Sweden remains in a period of weak economic activity.

According to the government's updated economic forecast, Sweden's gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by 2.8 percent in 2026 and 2.5 percent in 2027, while unemployment is projected at 8.4 percent in 2026 and 7.8 percent in 2027.

Commenting on uncertainty surrounding the recent U.S.-Iran tensions, Svantesson said U.S. policy had been difficult to predict, adding that she wished it could be as regular and foreseeable as Sweden's annual moose migration.

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran at the end of February, disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has pushed up global oil prices, adding to pressure on energy markets and raising concerns over fuel and electricity costs in import-dependent economies. 
JERUSALEM, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel supports the U.S. plan to impose a naval blockade on Iran later today.

"We support President Trump's firm stance to impose a naval blockade on Iran," Netanyahu said at the start of a weekly cabinet meeting.

The U.S. military said the blockade would apply to all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas, raising fears it could further escalate tensions amid a fragile two-week truce.

"We are in constant coordination with the United States," Netanyahu said.

He said he had spoken on Sunday with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who, according to Netanyahu, was calling from his plane returning from Islamabad after leaving negotiations with Iran.

According to Netanyahu, Vance said the main issue in the talks has been the removal of all enriched material and the assurance that there will be no further enrichment.

Netanyahu also confirmed Israel was establishing a deeper security buffer zone in Lebanon along the Lebanon-Israel border.

"We are not talking about five posts, we are talking about a solid, deeper security zone that both prevents the threat of invasion and pushes away the anti-tank missile threat," he said.

He accused Hezbollah of establishing what he called "terror villages" in southern Lebanon, where the group had set up military positions. "Every terrorist position, and there are many, has simply been flattened," he said. "You need to see it -- it is a huge change."

Hezbollah entered the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran on March 2 by launching rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire on Nov. 27, 2024, prompting Israel to carry out an intensified military campaign targeting multiple areas across the country.

A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took effect on Wednesday. Israel said it would abide by the truce but argued the agreement does not apply to Lebanon. That assertion was rejected by Iran and by mediator Pakistan. 
TEHRAN, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has blamed the U.S. maximalist demands and naval blockade threats for the two countries' failure to reach an agreement in their recent peace talks in Pakistan.

He made the remarks in a post on X early Monday, stressing that Tehran and Washington were only "inches away" from reaching an agreement in their negotiations in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, on Saturday on easing tensions in the Middle East.

"In intensive talks at highest level in 47 years, Iran engaged with U.S. in good faith to end war. But when just inches away from 'Islamabad MoU,' we encountered maximalism, shifting goalposts, and blockade," Araghchi said.

"Zero lessons earned. Good will beget good will. Enmity begets enmity," he added.

In reaction to the talks' failure, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Sunday post on Truth Social that the U.S. Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's Navy Commander Shahram Irani on Sunday described Trump's threat of imposing a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz as "very ridiculous and laughable," the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

He added Iran's naval forces are monitoring all movements by the U.S. army in the region.

Also on Sunday, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said in a statement that any military vessels that intend to approach the Strait of Hormuz under any title or pretext will be considered a ceasefire violation and will be dealt with severely. 
LONDON, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Britain will not be involved in a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, British media reported on Sunday.

The reports came after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait, after peace talks with Iran failed to reach an agreement.

"We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home," Sky News quoted a government spokesperson as saying.

"We are urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation," the spokesperson added.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said "numerous countries are going to be helping us" with the Strait, adding Britain and other nations were sending minesweepers.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said urged the United States and Iran to "find a way through" in a phone call on Sunday.

Discussing the U.S.-Iran talks over the weekend, the two leaders agreed that a continuation of the ceasefire is vital, and all parties should avoid any further escalation, according to a Downing Street readout. 
Prices of precious metals in Azerbaijan recorded an upward trend over the past week, according to data released by the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.

The price of one troy ounce of gold (31.1034768 grams) increased by 168.4955 manats (approximately $99.1) or 2.1 percent during the week. The average weekly price rose by 123.5764 manats (around $72.7) or 1.6 percent compared to the previous week, reaching 8025.5164 manats (about $4,721).

Silver also posted gains, with the price of one troy ounce rising by 5.7497 manats (approximately $3.38) or 4.7 percent. The average weekly price increased by 2.67738 manats (around $1.57) or 2.2 percent, totaling 126.54988 manats (about $74.4).

Similarly, platinum prices increased by 140.505 manats (approximately $82.7) or 4.2 percent over the week. The average weekly price climbed by 119.308975 manats (around $70.2) or 3.6 percent, reaching 3429.8826 manats (about $2,018).

Palladium prices also rose, with a weekly increase of 70.8475 manats (approximately $41.7) or 2.8 percent. The average weekly price went up by 102.574175 manats (around $60.3) or 4.1 percent, amounting to 2601.5678 manats (about $1,530).

The Central Bank noted that due to the Novruz holiday on March 30, which was a non-working day, no indicators were disclosed for that date.
MADRID, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose a naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz is "senseless."

In an interview with Spanish national television RTVE, Robles warned that the blockade would be "another step" in an escalating crisis that has already caused heavy casualties and economic damage.

She called the ongoing war between the United States, Israel and Iran "absurd," adding that no one knows why it began.

"This is a situation that is affecting not only Iran, but also Lebanon and other countries in the region," she said.

Robles reiterated that Spain opposes illegal wars, rejects human rights violations, and supports diplomatic solutions, calling for urgent de-escalation.

She also voiced "deep concern" over the stalled diplomatic efforts, stressing that "any conflict must be resolved through diplomatic channels," despite the difficulties.

She also underscored that respect for international law is "essential and fundamental," stressing that neither Trump nor Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can impose their own rules on the international community. 
CANBERRA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that he wants to see a resumption of peace talks between the United States and Iran, and an end to the conflict in the Middle East.

He made the remarks in a television interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation when asked about U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement regarding the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Albanese said he wants to see "that peace has broken out on a permanent basis, that we have de-escalation, that we have an end to civilian loss of life, we have an end to loss of civilian infrastructure, and that importantly, the Strait of Hormuz is about to be open with freedom of navigation."

He added that Australia has not been asked to join the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and wants to see freedom of navigation resume in the critical trade route. 
SEOUL, April 13 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's exports logged a double-digit growth in the first 10 days of April due to soaring demand for locally-made semiconductors, customs office data showed Monday.

The outbound shipment totaled 25.21 billion U.S. dollars in the April 1 to 10 period, up 36.7 percent compared to the same period of last year, according to Korea Customs Service.

The daily average export surged 36.7 percent to 2.97 billion dollars in the cited period.

Semiconductor exports spiked 152.5 percent to 8.57 billion dollars due to strong demand for chips used in artificial intelligence (AI).

Oil products shipment jumped 38.6 percent, but automotive export reduced 6.7 percent.

Shipment for steel products, ships and mobile devices advanced in double figures, but those for auto parts, precision machinery and home appliances declined in the 10-day period.

The Asian country's imports expanded 12.7 percent from a year earlier to 22.11 billion dollars in the first 10 days of April, sending the trade surplus to 3.10 billion dollars.

Imports of chips, semiconductor equipment, natural gas and coal increased in double digits, but those for machinery, oil products and mobile devices fell by single digits. 
DAR ES SALAAM, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Drug Control and Enforcement Authority seized nearly two tonnes of illicit drugs and arrested 77 suspects in March, Commissioner General Aretas Lyimo said on Monday.

During the nationwide operations, authorities confiscated about 1,983 kg of narcotics, 17,960 liters of precursor chemicals, and destroyed 55.5 acres of cannabis farms.

Khat accounted for 64 percent of the total seizures, totaling 1,267 kg. Lyimo attributed the rise to a shift toward rural operations after disrupting industrial-scale networks.

Notably, more than 100 kg of khat was found concealed in a bus traveling from Kenya to Tanzania's Dar es Salaam. Additional seizures occurred in the coastal, Lake Zone and northern regions.

Lyimo also reported the interception of controlled medicines, including fentanyl and tramadol, and warned against cannabis distribution near student residences. He urged communities to cooperate with law enforcement to safeguard educational institutions. 
TEHRAN, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Iran's main military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has said that if the security of Iranian ports in the country's southern waters is threatened, no port in the Gulf or the Sea of Oman will be safe, according to the official news agency IRNA.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the headquarters' spokesman, issued the warning on Monday, one day after U.S. President Donald Trump, in reaction to the failure of the peace talks between the Iranian and U.S. delegations in Pakistan, said in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.

Zolfaghari said the Iranian armed forces announced "explicitly and decisively" that the ports' security in the Gulf and the Sea of Oman is ensured either for everyone or no one.

Zolfaghari said Iran's armed forces consider defending Iran's lawful rights a "natural and legal duty," adding that exercising Iran's sovereignty over its territorial waters is among the Iranian nation's "natural" rights.

He noted that Iran's armed forces will decisively continue to ensure security in the country's territorial waters with determination, stressing that, as announced repeatedly, the "enemy-affiliated" vessels do not and will not have the right to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Zolfaghari added that other vessels will continue to be allowed to pass through the waterway in compliance with the Iranian armed forces' regulations.

On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded with waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. assets in the Middle East, and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz by restricting passage by vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States.

A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took effect on Wednesday, followed by the holding of lengthy talks between the Iranian and U.S. delegations in Pakistan's capital Islamabad, which failed to lead to an agreement. 
BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese foreign minister, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will pay an official visit to China on April 14 and 15, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson announced on Monday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing that during this visit, the foreign ministers of the two countries will exchange views and coordinate positions on the development of bilateral ties, cooperation in various fields, and international and regional issues of mutual concern.

Noting that China and Russia are comprehensive strategic partners of coordination for a new era, Guo pointed out that in recent years, the two countries have steadily deepened their permanent good-neighborly friendship, expanded comprehensive strategic coordination, adhered to mutually beneficial cooperation, and maintained close communication and coordination in international and regional affairs.

"The two sides have made important contributions to promoting an equitable and orderly multipolar world, reforming and improving global governance, and safeguarding international fairness and justice," said Guo.

"Relevant information will be released in a timely manner. Please stay tuned," he added. 
This photo taken on April 11, 2026 shows the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

People visit the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan, on April 11, 2026. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

People visit the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan, on April 11, 2026. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

This photo taken on April 11, 2026 shows the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

People visit the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan, on April 11, 2026. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

People visit the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan, on April 11, 2026. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

This photo taken on April 11, 2026 shows the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

People visit the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan, on April 11, 2026. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

People visit the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan, on April 11, 2026. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

A man visits the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan, on April 11, 2026. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

This photo taken on April 11, 2026 shows the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

People visit the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan, on April 11, 2026. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)

This photo taken on April 11, 2026 shows the Chilpik monument near Nukus, Uzbekistan. Located more than 40 kilometers south of Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan, the Chilpik monument was an ancient Zoroastrian archaeological site and later served as a signal tower. Nowadays, It becomes one of the region's key cultural symbols and attracts crowds of visitors from home and abroad. (Xinhua/Li Renzi)
The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a policy briefing about the measures on accelerating the development of the tiered medical service system in Beijing, capital of China, on April 13, 2026. (Xinhua/Pan Xu)

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China will step up efforts to strengthen community-level medical and health services and expand rehabilitation care, in a bid to make healthcare more accessible and convenient for the public, according to the National Health Commission (NHC).

Jiao Yahui, an NHC official, made the remarks at a press conference held by the State Council on Monday, explaining newly issued measures to accelerate the development of a tiered diagnosis and treatment system.

The tiered diagnosis and treatment system is designed to ensure that common and frequently occurring illnesses are treated at local clinics, while more complex and severe conditions are handled by higher-level hospitals, the NHC said.

Currently, more than 1.1 million medical and healthcare facilities nationwide serve both urban and rural communities, and over 90 percent of residents can reach the nearest healthcare center within 15 minutes. The network of primary healthcare services is being steadily enhanced, according to the press conference.

To further boost the capacity of community-level medical services, efforts will focus on developing specialized departments at the grassroots level, particularly for common and chronic diseases, improving the supply and coordination of medicines, and exploring the use of technologies such as AI-assisted diagnostics and pre-prescription review systems in primary care, Jiao said.

Officials at the press conference also stressed the need to strengthen the management and support of patient referral services. 
This photo taken in August, 2025 shows a view of the Cener Tech Tianjin Offshore Equipment Intelligent Manufacturing Base, operated by the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Energy Technology & Services Limited, in Tianjin, north China. (Xinhua)

TIANJIN, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Manufacturing has long been synonymous with a heavy carbon footprint, but across China's industrial landscape, some factories are attempting to rewrite that equation.

The Cener Tech Tianjin Offshore Equipment Intelligent Manufacturing Base, commissioned in June 2025 in northern China's port city of Tianjin, has been certified by local authorities as a "zero-carbon factory," a tag that would have seemed improbable for a heavy equipment plant until recently.

The facility, operated by the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Energy Technology & Services Limited, mainly produces oil casing pipes -- steel tubes ranging from several to a dozen meters in length that support wellbore walls.

Traditionally, their manufacture has been energy-intensive. At this facility, however, the process has been fundamentally reengineered.

At the heart of the transformation is a digital twin system, a virtual replica of the 20,000-square-meter plant that draws real-time data from every machine. A wall-sized screen in the oil casing workshop tracks each pipe's location, processing status and energy consumption as it moves through production.

"The system reads equipment parameters around the clock," said Shen Guohua, who leads the intelligent manufacturing project. "Remote diagnostics cut downtime. Real-time bottleneck identification improves efficiency. Both contribute to reducing emissions."

QR codes on every pipe enable automated tracking at each processing stage. Consequently, the entire workshop runs with just six workers monitoring screens and responding to emergencies.

Zhang Weiming, project manager, said that technological innovation, structural adjustments and management optimization are the three main mechanisms for achieving the facility's zero-carbon status.

An "energy cockpit" serves as the control center, analyzing data to recommend efficiency improvements. Solar panels blanket the roof, feeding clean power into the grid alongside green electricity purchased through market trading.

Dozens of smart lamp posts harvest wind and solar energy while monitoring temperature, humidity and air quality. They save an estimated 19,000 kWh annually and feed data into an intelligent climate system that makes dynamic adjustments instead of relying on fixed-temperature heating and cooling, cutting energy use by roughly 30 percent. Rainwater collection follows the country's "sponge city" principles.

For the small share of residual emissions that cannot be eliminated, the factory purchases certified voluntary emission reductions through carbon markets to achieve its zero-carbon status.

The project comes as China accelerates its broader push toward a green transition. In early 2026, five ministries issued guidelines to promote the development of zero-carbon factories across industrial sectors.

China's current Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) targets a 17 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP. The country has also vowed to reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10 percent from peak levels by 2035.

In March, the country's top legislature passed the landmark Ecological and Environmental Code. It is designed to advance carbon reduction, pollution control, green expansion and economic growth in a coordinated way, ensuring that development and conservation are no longer in competition, but in harmony.

Driven by this national momentum, Chinese enterprises are transforming carbon reduction from a compliance burden into a competitive edge.

"Low-carbon is not an addition to costs but a multiplier of efficiency," Zhang said. "The zero-carbon design was planned, implemented and delivered alongside production upgrades."

He added that the investment in high-efficiency equipment and digital infrastructure reflects long-term strategic planning for sustainable, high-quality growth. 

This photo taken in March 2026 shows staff members communicating at the smart oil casing workshop of the Cener Tech Tianjin Offshore Equipment Intelligent Manufacturing Base, operated by the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Energy Technology & Services Limited, in Tianjin, north China. (Xinhua)
CANBERRA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister (PM) Anthony Albanese said on Monday that he will travel to Brunei and Malaysia for talks focused on securing the supply of fuel and fertilizer.

Albanese said in a statement that he and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong will visit Bandar Seri Begawan and Kuala Lumpur from Tuesday through to Friday to discuss the supply of fuel and other critical goods.

He said that engaging with critical regional partners would help ensure the security of Australia's energy supply during global uncertainty caused by the conflict in the Middle East.

"We are taking every step to reinforce relationships and engage with key partners to keep our fuel supply flowing," Albanese said.

Brunei and Malaysia account for a combined 21 percent of Australia's fertilizer-grade urea imports and Malaysia is Australia's third-largest source of refined fuel.

The visit follows Albanese's trip to Singapore earlier in April, where he and the Singaporean PM struck an agreement to make "maximum efforts" to keep fuel and liquefied natural gas flowing between the two countries. 
Akbar Novruz



PASHA Bank plans to distribute a minimum of 3040 percent of its profits as dividends to investors on an annual basis, according to the banks Chief Financial Officer, Murad Suleymanov, AzerNEWS reports.

Speaking at a press conference dedicated to the launch of the banks initial public offering (IPO), Suleymanov noted that while final dividend decisions rest with shareholders, the bank is committed to maintaining a strong payout policy.

We have paid dividends of about 60 percent in the last 23 years. Our promise to shareholders is a minimum of 3040 percent, he said, adding that the next dividend payments are expected in JuneJuly this year.

The IPO subscription officially began today at 11:00, marking the first time PASHA Bank shares are being offered to the public.

A total of 932,926 ordinary registered shares representing 5 percent of the banks capital are available to investors. The initial offering price has been set at 55 AZN (approximately $32.4) per share. No maximum purchase limit has been ??????????, while a minimum purchase threshold applies.

During the subscription period, which runs from April 13 to May 12, 2026, investors will also receive an annual return of 5 percent on advance payments.

The share placement is being conducted through the Baku Stock Exchange, with participation available via PASHA Banks own platforms, the Birbank Invest app, and leading underwriters including PASHA Kapital, ABB Invest, Unicapital, and Leobank.

Investors can also participate physically through branches of PASHA Bank, Kapital Bank, and Unibank, as well as at the PASHA Kapital office.
BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) has released a new video diary offering a detailed look at the daily work of the three Shenzhou-21 astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station, with a focus on a series of advanced aerospace medical experiments conducted 160 days into their mission.

In the video released on Sunday, astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang can be seen conducting a variety of in-orbit tasks. Wearing blue short-sleeved polo shirts, they move with practiced ease between equipment racks, handling samples and inspecting hardware.

The crew members remain in good physical condition and continue to work with high coordination and motivation, the CMSA said.

The astronaut trio has completed a series of cognitive function and emergency decision-making tests, as part of ongoing efforts to monitor how long-term spaceflight affects human performance in isolation and microgravity, according to the CMSA.

In the video, a key highlight is the crew's use of a space Raman spectrometer to analyze the metabolic components of urine samples. The data collected will help refine metabolic indicator systems and evaluation criteria for astronaut health during long-duration spaceflight.

The three astronauts also collected and froze saliva samples, which will be analyzed on the ground to help researchers study gut flora and digestive function.

The astronauts completed blood sample collection according to experimental plans covering bone metabolism regulation, integrative omics and sleep rhythms in space. They used a centrifuge to process the samples before storing them for return to Earth.

In the field of microgravity physical sciences, the crew replaced samples in the fluid physics experiment cabinet, exchanged burners and gas cylinders in the combustion science cabinet, and cleaned samples from the containerless experiment chamber.

The astronauts were also seen maintaining their health by exercising on a treadmill and using resistance bands in the microgravity environment.

The Shenzhou-21 manned spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Oct. 31, 2025. The Shenzhou-21 crew completed their mission's first series of extravehicular activities (EVAs) on Dec. 9 last year and the second on March 16. 
BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China opposes any groundless smears or malicious linkage, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday in response to reports claiming that China plans to send weapons to Iran.

China has always taken a prudent and responsible approach to the export of military products, and strictly controls such exports in line with its domestic laws, regulations and international obligations, Guo told a regular press briefing. 
Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds talks with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2026. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Monday that China is ready to further play a constructive role and contribute to the restoration of peace and tranquility in the Gulf region.

Li made the remarks when holding talks with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in Beijing. Li noted that since the conflict in Iran broke out, China has been in close communication with relevant parties and actively committed to promoting peace and ending the war.

Li hoped that the UAE will continue to take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in the country.

Noting that China and the UAE are comprehensive strategic partners, Li said that the two countries have a profound traditional friendship and have long supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests.

In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-UAE relations have continued to deepen and develop, and cooperation in various fields has achieved fruitful results, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries, Li added.

He said that China is willing to continue to walk hand in hand with the UAE on the path of common development, enhance communication and coordination, consolidate political mutual trust, and promote China-UAE relations and cooperation to continuously reach new heights.

Li pointed out that China stands ready to work with the UAE to consolidate the foundation of energy cooperation, expand cooperation in areas like energy storage, hydrogen energy, new energy vehicles and power batteries, and promote the green transformation of the two countries.

Both sides should create more growth points for trade, Li said, adding that China is willing to import more high-quality products from the UAE and welcomes the UAE to actively participate in the "Big Market for All: Export to China" activities, and make good use of platforms like the China International Import Expo and the China International Fair for Trade in Services to enhance product promotion.

Noting that China and the UAE have broad prospects for cooperation in the field of innovation and development, Li said that China welcomes the UAE to increase investment in China in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital economy, advanced manufacturing and life sciences.

He said that China supports the universities, research institutions and enterprises of the two countries in strengthening joint research and talent cultivation, and in jointly fostering and expanding emerging and future industries.

The two sides can also enhance cooperation in areas including connectivity and finance, and continuously promote trade and investment facilitation, the premier added.

For his part, Sheikh Khaled said that China is an important comprehensive strategic partner and trusted friend of the UAE, and bilateral relations are based on mutual trust, mutual respect and common interests.

He said the UAE attaches great importance to and prioritizes the development of relations with China in its foreign policy, and is willing to further intensify high-level exchanges with China, expand exchanges and cooperation in trade, investment, energy, scientific and technological innovation, education, culture and other fields, to better serve the development of the two countries and the interests of the two peoples.

Noting the current severe situation in the Middle East, the crown prince said China has always been committed to peacefully resolving disputes through political means and promoting harmonious coexistence among regional countries, which is highly appreciated by the UAE and other regional countries.

The UAE looks forward to China continuing to play an important role in promoting regional peace and security, and is ready to take all necessary measures to safeguard the safety of Chinese citizens in the UAE, he added.

After their talks, Li and Sheikh Khaled witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in such areas as agriculture, science and technology, investment and traditional Chinese medicine. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds talks with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2026. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)
TEHRAN, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The spokesperson of Unified Command of Iranian Armed Forces said Monday that U.S. restrictions on vessels in international waters is "illegal and constitutes piracy."

The spokesperson added that Iran will decisively implement a permanent mechanism to control the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. threats. 
PHNOM PENH, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia attracted fixed-asset investment projects worth 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter of 2026, said a press release from the Council for the Development of Cambodia on Monday.

The kingdom approved a total of 146 investment projects from January to March, generating approximately 82,000 jobs, the press release added.

"Those licensed projects include special economic zones, a wind power plant, an electric vehicle assembly plant, a motorcycle assembly factory, a car tire plant, and a five-star hotel," it said.

Top foreign investors in the Southeast Asian country are from China, Malaysia, Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, and the United States, the press release said. 
The State Council Information Office (SCIO) holds a policy briefing about the measures on accelerating the development of the tiered medical service system in Beijing, capital of China, on April 13, 2026. (Xinhua/Pan Xu)
South Africa is looking to deepen cooperation with China in key areas such as artificial intelligence, clean energy and youth exchanges, Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation Blade Nzimande has said. #GLOBALink
Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Gerry Brownlee, speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2026. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji held talks with Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives Gerry Brownlee in Beijing on Monday.

Noting that China-New Zealand relations have maintained a good momentum of development, Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that China is willing to work with New Zealand to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and promote the development of the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership.

Zhao called on the two sides to deepen understanding and mutual trust, promote win-win results with a cooperative orientation, and respect each other's core interests and major concerns. China is willing to deepen cooperation with New Zealand in traditional fields like agriculture, forestry, mechanical and electrical products, and explore the strengthening of cooperation in emerging fields such as digital economy, green transformation and artificial intelligence, to create more growth points for cooperation that meet the development needs of the two countries, he added.

Zhao said the two sides should deepen friendly exchanges between the two peoples, especially the younger generation, and promote local exchanges. He also called on the two sides to strengthen communication and coordination under multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

China's NPC is ready to work with the New Zealand parliament to maintain multi-level and multi-field exchanges and provide legal guarantees for practical cooperation between the two countries, Zhao said.

Zhao introduced the outline of China's 15th Five-Year Plan and its Ecological and Environmental Code, and welcomed more New Zealand enterprises to expand in the Chinese market. China is willing to carry out experience exchange and practical cooperation with New Zealand in eco-environmental legislation, green and low-carbon development, and climate change response, he said.

Brownlee said New Zealand attaches great importance to developing cooperation with China, adding that New Zealand adheres to the one-China policy.

Noting that both countries are committed to making people's lives better, Brownlee said New Zealand is glad to see the tremendous achievements China has made in its development. The two countries have achieved fruitful cooperation in areas including economy and trade, new energy, education, youth and climate change, he added.

Brownlee said the New Zealand parliament is willing to enhance friendly exchanges with China's NPC, deepen communication in areas such as legislation, strengthen mutual understanding and people-to-people friendship, and make positive contributions to promoting practical cooperation between the two countries. 

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Gerry Brownlee, speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, April 13, 2026. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)
Photo taken on April 9, 2026 shows buildings destroyed in Israeli airstrikes in Zrariyeh, southern Lebanon. (Photo by Ali Hashisho/Xinhua)

BEIRUT, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Sunday that Lebanon is making efforts to halt the ongoing war and stressed the need to safeguard national unity and rebuild the state, Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

Salam made the remarks while commemorating the anniversary of the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War on April 13, 1975.

The objective is not only to prevent a return to civil war, but also to build a just, strong, and unified state for all, he said.

He highlighted the importance of fully implementing the Taif Agreement, calling for rectifying any misapplications that violate its letter and spirit.

The Taif Agreement, negotiated in Saudi Arabia in 1989 and approved later that year, ended a 15-year-long civil war in Lebanon and reasserted the Lebanese government's authority in the south.

Hezbollah entered the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict on March 2 by launching rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire on Nov. 27, 2024, prompting Israel to carry out an intensified military campaign targeting multiple areas across the country.

Iran and the United States agreed to a ceasefire on Wednesday. Israel said it would abide by the truce but argued the agreement does not apply to Lebanon. That assertion was rejected by Iran and by mediator Pakistan.

The Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed 2,055 and wounded 6,588, according to a statement by Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operation Center on Sunday.
People learn about robot products during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

People visit the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

People visit the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

This photo taken on April 13, 2026 shows a product of Chinese motorcycle maker ZXMOTO during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

A visitor learns about an agarwood product during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

This photo taken on April 13, 2026 shows the booth of Huawei during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

People visit the booth of a Russian cosmetics company during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

People visit the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)

People try massage chairs during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

People learn about Malaysian products during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

People promote products via livestream during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

A woman promotes products via livestream during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)

People learn about a VR device during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

People visit the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

Panda dolls are pictured at the booth of Sichuan Province during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

A man walks past a display sign of the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

A woman learns about robot products during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)

People learn about Huawei products during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

People promote products via livestream at the booth of Malaysia during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

A woman promotes products via livestream during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

This photo taken on April 13, 2026 shows the booth of Rokid, a Hangzhou-based technology company, during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)

Porcelains are pictured during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)

A man shakes hands with a robot during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)

People visit the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

People interact with an installation outside the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center, main venue for the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)

People learn about an agarwood product during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

This photo taken on April 13, 2026 shows the booth of video-sharing platform Bilibili during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Xin Yuewei)

People learn about agarwood products during the sixth China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, April 13, 2026. Jointly hosted by China's Ministry of Commerce and the Hainan provincial government, the sixth CICPE marks the first edition of the event since the Hainan Free Trade Port fully launched island-wide special customs operations.

This year, the expo has attracted over 3,400 brands from over 60 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)
The Azerbaijani Embassy in Iran resumed its operations on April 12, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, AzerNEWS reports.

In the initial phase, the diplomatic mission will function with a limited staff, including the ambassador and a small number of diplomatic and administrative personnel. The ministry noted that operations will be gradually expanded, taking into account security and organizational considerations.

The reopening comes shortly after the cessation of hostilities in the region and the announcement of a temporary ceasefire, signaling a move toward stabilization.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the decision to resume embassy activities underscores the importance Azerbaijan places on its relations with neighboring and friendly Iran.
A man looks at a damaged residential building after a massive drone and missile attack by Russia, in Kiev, Ukraine, Jan. 9, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Dongxu)

MOSCOW, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Russia and Ukraine on Sunday accused each other of violating an Orthodox Easter ceasefire, as both sides reported continued hostilities despite a declared 32-hour truce.

The Russian Ministry of Defense accused Ukrainian forces of violating the ceasefire 1,971 times from 4 p.m. Saturday Moscow time until 8 a.m. Sunday.

Ukrainian forces launched three nighttime attacks on Russian troop positions in two settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk region, it said, adding that Russian forces also thwarted four attempts to advance on their troop positions in the Sumy and Donetsk regions.

According to the ministry, Ukrainian strikes also targeted border regions, injuring civilians.

On the same day, Ukraine also accused Russia of violating the truce.

"As of 7:00 a.m. on 12 April, 2,299 ceasefire violations were recorded," said the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook.

It added that Russia launched dozens of airstrikes and shelled populated areas, positions of Ukrainian troops, and border regions.

Russian troops' shelling in the border region of Sumy has resulted in casualties, the Ukrinform news agency reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced an Orthodox Easter ceasefire with Ukraine from 4 p.m. local time Saturday until the end of Sunday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Ukraine intends to honor the ceasefire and will respond "strictly in kind." He added that the possibility of extending the ceasefire beyond Easter has been communicated to the Russian side.

In an interview with state television released on Sunday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia will continue its special military operation after the ceasefire expires unless Zelensky "musters the courage" to make peace.

Orthodox Easter is one of the most important religious holidays for Eastern Orthodox Christians. A similar Easter truce declared last year also saw both sides accusing each other of violations, and the ceasefire was not extended following its expiration. 
JUBA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's opposition Sudan People's Liberation Army-in-Opposition (SPLA-IO) said on Monday that it has recaptured Akobo County.

The strategic county, located on the border with Ethiopia, was retaken barely a month after the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) first seized control of the area.

SPLA-IO spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel said that their forces had recaptured Akobo headquarters and inflicted heavy losses on the SSPDF, which on March 11 announced the capture of Akobo from opposition forces.

"Several small- and medium-range weapons were also captured in good condition. The human losses on the government's side are higher than those in the Yuai and Pajut clashes combined. The SPLA-IO regrets the loss of lives caused by these provoked clashes," Gabriel said in a statement.

Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, minister of public service and human resource development, confirmed the opposition's takeover of Akobo County, saying that the attack had lasted for two consecutive days starting Sunday.

"For two consecutive days, April 12 and 13, 2026, the people of Akobo have endured senseless and unjustified attacks by the SPLA-IO and the White Army. These actions have not only targeted SSPDF peace forces, who are lawfully deployed to safeguard peace, security and territorial integrity, but have also placed innocent civilians in harm's way," Gatkuoth said in a statement.

He condemned the violence against civilians, the disruption of essential services, and attempts to destabilize communities, warning that it deepens suffering.

Since March 7, the SSPDF and the SPLA-IO have engaged in intense clashes in and around Akobo County, following a 72-hour evacuation order issued by the SSPDF on March 6, which directed civilians, United Nations peacekeepers, and humanitarian agencies to vacate the area ahead of offensive operations. 
ANKARA, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Turkiye's ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Monday called for continuous peace talks between Iran and the United States.

"Our position here is that peace talks must continue. To achieve this, the ceasefire must absolutely be maintained and continued," AK Party spokesperson Omer Celik told a press conference.

He noted that the Iran-U.S. talks in Islamabad should stop just after one round. "Expecting a result in one round on such a serious issue is not realistic anyway," he said.

Celik said the issue has multiple dimensions, including the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's nuclear program, and human losses and compensation from the recent war.

Turkiye will continue "to contribute to the holding of second and third rounds of talks," he added.

He also criticized the United States and Israel for their "unjust, unlawful, unfair, and illegitimate" attacks, saying they have had "very serious consequences for both regional and global security."

Delegations from Iran and the United States held extended negotiations in Islamabad on Saturday and early Sunday to ease tension in the Middle East. The talks, which failed to produce an agreement, took place after a ceasefire was announced on Wednesday between Iran, the United States, and Israel, following 40 days of fighting. 
JERUSALEM/BEIRUT, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said it has intercepted more than 10 drones launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon toward northern Israel since early Monday.

Some of the drones were also directed at Israeli troops engaged in a ground offensive in southern Lebanon, it said, adding that the Air Force continued to "remove threats" in southern Lebanon and further degrade Hezbollah's capabilities.

Israel's national emergency service Magen David Adom said a woman in her 60s was lightly wounded by shattered glass in northern Israel following a rocket attack from Lebanon.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Public Health Ministry said Monday in a statement that the cumulative death toll from Israeli strikes on Lebanon since March 2 has reached 2,089, with 6,762 others wounded.

In a statement released Monday by Lebanon's official National News Agency, the International Committee of the Red Cross voiced deep alarm over the ongoing harm to aid workers in Lebanon, including the killing and injury of personnel while carrying out life-saving missions.

It renewed its urgent appeal for compliance with international humanitarian law, stressing the need to respect and protect humanitarian workers, medical facilities, ambulances, and hospitals, and to ensure safe, unimpeded access to those in need.

The development came amid further escalation between Israel and Hezbollah after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an unauthorized visit to southern Lebanon on Sunday, where he said: "The war continues."

Earlier on Monday, the Israeli military said Israel expanded its ground offensive in Lebanon, whereas Netanyahu confirmed the country is establishing a deeper security buffer zone in Lebanon along the border. Hezbollah said it fired a rocket barrage at northern Israel in response.

Hezbollah entered the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran on March 2 by launching rockets from southern Lebanon toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire on Nov. 27, 2024, prompting Israel to carry out an intensified military campaign targeting multiple areas across the country.

A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took effect on Wednesday. Israel said it would abide by the truce but argued the agreement does not apply to Lebanon, an assertion rejected by Iran and mediator Pakistan.

Israeli and Lebanese officials are due to begin rare direct talks in Washington on Tuesday. 
South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana (C, front) arrives at the parliament to deliver the 2026 Budget Speech in Cape Town, South Africa, Feb. 25, 2026. Godongwana has not been accredited by the United States to attend the upcoming Group of Twenty (G20) finance chiefs meeting, local media reported on Monday. (Photo by Xabiso Mkhabela/Xinhua)

CAPE TOWN, April 13 (Xinhua) -- South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has not been accredited by the United States to attend the upcoming Group of Twenty (G20) finance chiefs meeting, local media reported on Monday.

Both he and South African Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago will not be attending the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting scheduled for April 16 in Washington, Godongwana said on Sunday at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, as he travelled to the United States to take part in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

"We are members of the G20," he was quoted as saying. "However, the U.S. has not accredited us, which means that South Africa will not be part of the G20 for the whole of this year."

The United States assumed the G20's annual rotating presidency from South Africa in late 2025, and will hand it over to Britain next.

"We have taken a view that for us it is a holiday from the G20 this year," Godongwana added. "We are beginning in November with the U.K. presidency."

South Africa's Ministry of Finance spokesperson Mfuneko Toyana confirmed the development to Xinhua later on Monday. "Neither the minister nor any South African officials will be attending," he said.

On Nov. 26, 2025, Trump said in a social media post that South Africa would not be invited to the G20 summit 2026 to be held in Miami.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement the following day that South Africa would "continue to participate as a full, active and constructive member of the G20," and called on the bloc's members to uphold multilateralism and ensure equal participation of all members. 
NAIROBI, April 13 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) have launched an initiative worth 5.2 million U.S. dollars to transform Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, into a hub for climate resilience, nature-positive growth and circularity.

Funded by the Global Environment Facility, the five-year project will pilot integrated green neighborhood approaches in the Kamukunji suburb, aiming to improve living conditions for more than 85,000 residents.

The initiative, titled "Supporting the shift toward Integrated, Low-Carbon and Nature-Positive Neighborhoods in Nairobi," will be implemented by UNEP, UN-Habitat and Kenyan state agencies.

"This initiative shows how integrated, neighborhood-level action can deliver cleaner air, restored ecosystems and better lives for urban residents, while accelerating the transition to a low-carbon future," UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said in a statement.

During its implementation, the project will showcase practical solutions such as climate-resilient infrastructure, green public spaces, ecosystem restoration, renewable energy, sustainable mobility and waste management.

In addition, the project will focus on mobilizing finance to scale impact and engaging public and private partners, alongside local communities, to develop incentives for replicating green neighborhoods across Nairobi and other Kenyan cities.

UN-Habitat Executive Director Anaclaudia Rossbach said the project demonstrates how cities can lead through integrated planning, innovative design and targeted investments to deliver inclusive, resilient and thriving urban communities.

Alice Wahome, Kenya's cabinet secretary for lands, public works, housing and urban development, said the initiative aligns with the country's goal of building cities that are more inclusive, resilient and future-ready. 
TOKYO, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Japanese opposition parties on Monday called for mandatory advance notification to the parliament of arms exports that exceed a certain monetary threshold, local media reported.

Senior officials from the Centrist Reform Alliance, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and Komeito submitted proposals on revising the implementation guidelines of the Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology in writing to Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, Jiji Press reported.

The opposition move comes as the government is planning to revise the implementation guidelines' provisions as early as April, further easing restrictions on arms exports. Under the proposed changes, the government will notify the parliament of arms exports only after the fact instead of seeking prior approval, which has drawn strong criticism within Japan.

At the meeting with the opposition officials, Kihara said that the government would consider the proposals if its plan is inadequate.

The opposition forces also emphasized the necessity of "visualizing the process and impact" of abolishing the current restrictions that limit defense equipment transfers to five noncombat purposes, the report said. 
SYDNEY, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Two people have died, and eight more have been hospitalized, including five with life-threatening injuries, after three major traffic collisions within 24 hours in the Australian state of Queensland.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) said in a statement that two people, who have not been identified, were killed when a vehicle lost control and crashed on a highway near the small town of Cryna, 60 km south of Brisbane, around 5:40 p.m. local time on Sunday.

Earlier, emergency services were called to a collision involving two cars and a motorcycle at Mount Tamborine, 20 km east of Cryna, shortly after 10:30 a.m. local time on Sunday.

The drivers of both cars, along with three passengers and the motorcyclist, were all taken to the hospital, the QPS said.

Local media reported that the motorcyclist, a man aged in his 50s, was airlifted to the hospital in a life-threatening condition.

A man and woman in their 70s and another man in his 20s also suffered life-threatening injuries.

In a third incident, police said that a truck flipped onto its side after colliding with a sedan at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast, 70 km southeast of Brisbane, around 4:20 a.m. local time on Monday.

The female driver of the sedan was trapped in the vehicle before being extricated and taken to the hospital with life-threatening head injuries. The male truck driver was hospitalized in stable condition.

The QPS has commenced investigations into all three incidents.

According to official data, as of Sunday, there had been 86 deaths on Queensland roads so far in 2026, up from 73 at the same time in 2025. 
ISLAMABAD, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran remains intact, adding that Pakistan will continue efforts to facilitate dialogue and promote lasting peace in the region.

"Today, the ceasefire still stands. Efforts are underway to resolve outstanding issues," Sharif said in a televised address to the federal cabinet.

He described the recent Islamabad Talks as a "historic moment," saying they offered an opportunity to turn "looming clouds of war into lasting peace."

Referring to the Islamabad talks, he said the Iranian and U.S. delegations held direct, face-to-face negotiations for 21 hours, calling it a significant step forward in diplomatic engagement. 
In Khankendi, the Surb Hakob Church, which some sources describe as an architectural monument associated with the Armenian community, was dismantled in 2007.

In Armenia and among parts of the diaspora, this event has been met with emotional reactions and regret, viewing the demolition as a loss of cultural heritage.

On the other hand, the Azerbaijani position is that the structure was built during a period when the territory was not fully under Bakus control, and that its legal status was not properly formalized under the applicable national legislation.

The situation surrounding the site reflects the broader and complex disputes over heritage, property rights, and historical interpretation in the Karabakh region.

Overall, the case once again highlights the sensitivity of cultural heritage issues in the region and the importance of dialogue and a legal framework in addressing such matters.
BEIJING, April 13 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and Vietnamese president, will pay a state visit to China from Tuesday to Friday.

Born on July 10, 1957, To Lam is of Kinh ethnic group and hails from Hung Yen Province. He holds a PhD in law. From 1974 to 1979, he studied at People's Security University, now known as People's Security Academy.

To Lam started working at the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security in 1979 and held positions such as deputy director of the General Security Department and director of the General Security Department I. In August 2010, he was appointed deputy minister of the Ministry. In September 2014, he was promoted to Senior Lieutenant-General.

In January 2016, To Lam was elected as a member of the Politburo of the CPV Central Committee. In April, he was appointed minister of public security. In January 2019, he was promoted to the rank of General of the People's Public Security. In January 2021, he was re-elected as a member of the Politburo.

In May 2024, To Lam was elected as president of Vietnam. In August of the same year, he was elected as the general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. In October, he ceased to hold the concurrent role as the president of Vietnam.

In January 2026, he was re-elected as the general secretary of the CPV Central Committee. In April, he was re-elected as the president of Vietnam. He served as a member of the 11th, 12th and 13th Central Committee of the CPV, and is serving as a member of the 14th Party Central Committee. 
NEW DELHI, April 13 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 people were killed and 11 others injured Monday in two separate road accidents in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, police said.

In the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, six people were killed and seven others were injured after a head-on collision between a bus and a truck on the Dhaulana-Gulawati road in the Hapur district.

According to police, the victims were returning from a wedding ceremony.

In a separate accident in the western Indian state of Gujarat, seven people were killed and four others were injured when a goods truck ran over Hindu devotees on the Lakhtar-Viramgam highway near Chharad village in Surendranagar district.

The devotees were part of a religious procession.

Police have registered cases and ordered investigations into the accidents. 
Peter Magyar, leader of Hungary's Tisza Party, attends a victory rally in Budapest, Hungary, April 12, 2026. Hungary's opposition party Tisza, led by Peter Magyar, defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition by securing a majority in Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results released by the National Election Office (NEO). (Photo by David Balogh/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's opposition party Tisza, led by Peter Magyar, defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition by securing a majority in Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results released by the National Election Office (NEO).

With 98.89 percent of the votes counted by the NEO, Tisza won 53.21 percent and was projected to win 138 of the 199 parliament seats, exceeding the two-thirds threshold. Orban's ruling Fidesz-KDNP alliance received 38.26 percent and was projected to win 55 seats.

The far-right Our Homeland Movement won 5.85 percent and is projected to take 6 seats. Other parties failed to clear the 5-percent threshold required to enter parliament.

Preliminary statistics showed that turnout reached about 77.8 percent among roughly 8.1 million eligible voters, marking a record high.

On social media, Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok expressed his congratulations to "the winning party of the elections and to all the candidates of the parliament."

Addressing supporters in Budapest, 45-year-old Magyar hailed his party's "decisive victory," saying it was a win seen "from every Hungarian window." He added that Hungary will once again be a strong ally in the European Union (EU) and NATO.

Orban, 62, conceded defeat. "The election results, though not yet final, are clear and understandable; for us, they are painful but unambiguous," he told reporters. "We have not been entrusted with the responsibility and opportunity to govern. I congratulated the winning party."

The victory of the center-right Tisza party signals the imminent end of Orban's 16 consecutive years in power. Orban served as Hungary's prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and has remained in office since returning to power in 2010.

During the campaign, Tisza focused on anti-corruption and institutional reform, calling for the restoration of the rule of law and transparent governance. It also advocated repairing relations with EU and urged Hungarians to unite in building a sovereign, civic, modern and European Hungary.

Under Hungary's electoral law, parliamentary elections are held every four years. Hungary's parliament has 199 seats, including 106 elected directly in single-member constituencies and 93 allocated among parties that enter parliament.

A number of European leaders congratulated Magyar on his election victory, expressing expectations for closer cooperation and Hungary's renewed engagement with Europe.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola congratulated Magyar, saying Hungary has "chosen Europe" and lies "at the heart of Europe."

European Council President Antonio Costa said Hungary's "record turnout" reflected a democratic spirit and expressed readiness to work closely with the new leadership to make Europe stronger and more prosperous.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has also extended congratulations, according to Magyar.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the result "a historic moment" for both Hungary and European democracy, voicing hope for working with Hungary for shared security and prosperity.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that France welcomed the Hungarian people's commitment to EU values and Hungary's commitment to Europe, saying, "Let us build a more sovereign Europe, for the security of our continent, our competitiveness, and our democracy."

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he had spoken with Magyar by phone and was ready to work together for "a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe."

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store described the result as of great importance to Europe, expressing hope for close and constructive cooperation with Magyar in advancing peace and stability, democracy and the rule of law. 
Photo taken on April 13, 2026 shows Chinese illustrator Cai Gao winning the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award on the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Bologna, Italy. Chinese illustrator Cai Gao won the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award, with the announcement made on Monday at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy. The award was established in 1956 by the International Board on Books for Young People, a leading international organization dedicated to promoting children's books. It is presented biennially to a living author and illustrator whose work has made a lasting contribution to children's literature. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)

BOLOGNA, Italy, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese illustrator Cai Gao won the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen (HCA) Award, with the announcement made on Monday at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy.

Shereen Kreidieh, president of HCA Jury, revealed the result at the annual press conference of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) during the fair.

Kreidieh told Xinhua that Cai's works demonstrate exceptional quality, artistry and emotional engagement. "The way she sees the world is beautiful," she added.

Cai is the first Chinese illustrator to win the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the highest international honor for writers and illustrators of children's literature. In 2016, Chinese author Cao Wenxuan became the first Chinese recipient in the writer category.

Born in 1946 in Changsha, China, Cai has worked in publishing and children's book creation since the 1970s, remaining deeply committed to the development of children's illustration in China. Her works, including "The Land of Peach Blossom" and "Bao'er," have gained popularity both at home and abroad.

The award was established in 1956 by the IBBY, a leading international organization dedicated to promoting children's books. It is presented biennially to a living author and illustrator whose work has made a lasting contribution to children's literature. 

Photo taken on April 13, 2026 shows books illustrated by Cai Gao on the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Bologna, Italy. Chinese illustrator Cai Gao won the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Award, with the announcement made on Monday at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy. The award was established in 1956 by the International Board on Books for Young People, a leading international organization dedicated to promoting children's books. It is presented biennially to a living author and illustrator whose work has made a lasting contribution to children's literature. (Xinhua/Wang Kaiyan)
BUDAPEST, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Hungary's election winner Peter Magyar said on Monday that he does not support Ukraine's accelerated accession to the European Union (EU), while indicating he will not block the EU's planned financial assistance to Kyiv.

Speaking at his first international press conference after the Tisza party's victory in Sunday's elections, Magyar said it will not be feasible for the EU to admit "a country at war," stressing that all candidates must follow the full accession process. He added that any future decision on Ukraine's membership will be subject to a referendum in Hungary and is unlikely in the near term.

On the EU's proposed 90-billion-euro (105 billion U.S. dollars) loan package for Ukraine, Magyar said Hungary had already secured an opt-out under a December European Council decision, practically meaning that he will not maintain Hungary's previous blocking stance.

He said Hungary should remain outside the scheme due to its difficult economic situation and stressed that the country's priority is to secure EU funds already allocated to it, rather than take on additional debt.

Magyar also addressed energy policy and relations with Russia, signaling a pragmatic approach. He said that once the conflict in Ukraine ends, Europe may reconsider its sanctions, as "it is not in Europe's interest to procure resources at a higher cost," warning that such policies will harm competitiveness.

He added that Hungary will seek to diversify its energy sources, aiming to procure oil and gas "from as many places as possible."

The opposition party Tisza, led by Magyar, defeated Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling coalition by securing a majority in the parliamentary elections, paving the way for the formation of a new government. 
People visit the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

A fire clock is pictured at the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

People visit the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

A visitor views an exhibit at the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

People visit the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

A visitor views exhibits at the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

A visitor views exhibits at the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

A visitor views exhibits at the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

People visit the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

People visit the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

People visit the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

A pair of pocket watches specially made for export to China are pictured at the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

People visit the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, April 12, 2026. The MIH houses the collection devoted to the history of time measurement spanning from the 16th century to the present.

La Chaux-de-Fonds and neighboring Le Locle were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009 for their urban planning shaped by the watchmaking industry. In 2020, the craftsmanship of mechanical watchmaking and art mechanics, jointly submitted by Switzerland and France, was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)
PARIS, April 13 (Xinhua) -- An adolescent was shot dead on Monday in Villefranche-sur-Saone, a commune in the Rhone department in eastern France, located 25 km north of Lyon, several French media reported.

The victim, a boy about 12 years old, was shot in the head around 13:15 local time (1115 GMT), according to French newspaper Liberation.

"He died at the scene despite resuscitation attempts," said Laetitia Francart, the city prosecutor of Villefranche-sur-Saone, in a press release issued mid-afternoon.

The city prosecutor's office also announced the arrest of two minors, aged 15 and 12, "who were at the scene." The 15-year-old has been taken into police custody, while the 12-year-old has been placed in pretrial detention, a measure applicable to minors under 15, the prosecutor's office added.

According to France's BFM TV, the victim was inside a commercial center when he was shot. The weapon used in the shooting has not been found.

BFM TV reported that a murder investigation has been opened. The prosecutor's office excluded any hypothesis at the moment. 
HELSINKI, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Finland's economy is expected to grow by 1.0 percent, down from 1.5 percent from the previous forecast, as the tensions in the Middle East and its fallout are slowing the pace of recovery, OP Pohjola, Finland's largest financial group, said in a press release on Monday.

Finland's economy began to recover at the end of last year, and the rebound continued in January and February. However, the crisis in the Middle East is weighing on the recovery, the press release said.

The forecast is based on the assumption that oil prices will begin to ease and fall to 70 U.S. dollars per barrel by the summer.

"The war in the Middle East and its consequences will inevitably weaken Finland's economic development. Finland's economy will weather the short-term spike in oil prices and heightened uncertainty, but it will still take a hit," said Reijo Heiskanen, chief economist at OP Pohjola.

Heiskanen warned that a prolonged and escalating crisis in the Middle East could push Finland back into recession, especially amid rising uncertainty.

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran at the end of February, disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has pushed up global oil prices, adding to pressure on energy markets and raising concerns over fuel and electricity costs in import-dependent economies. 
WASHINGTON, April 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump is looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran in addition to the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz "as a way to break a stalemate in peace talks," The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday.

Citing officials and people familiar with the situation, the report said that limited strikes are among the options that Trump was considering on Sunday, hours after negotiations with Iran collapsed in Pakistan.

Officials said that "a full-fledged bombing campaign" was less likely given the prospect of further destabilizing the region and "the president's aversion to prolonged military conflicts."

Trump could also seek a more temporary blockade "while he pressures allies to take responsibility for a prolonged military escort mission through the strait in the future," the report added.

Earlier in the day, Trump announced that the U.S. Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Sunday that U.S. forces will begin implementing a blockade of "all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports" on Monday at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. 
WASHINGTON, April 13 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Monday that the U.S. military will "eliminate" any Iranian ship if it comes close to the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

"Iran's Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated -- 158 ships. What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, 'fast attack ships,' because we did not consider them much of a threat," Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social.

"Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea," Trump said.

Military analysts have previously said Iran's naval forces include a mix of conventional vessels and smaller, fast-moving craft designed for asymmetric operations in confined waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz. 
Akbar Novruz Read more

Azerbaijan is set to deepen its international defense alliances, as a draft law approving a bilateral agreement on military cooperation with Ethiopia has been submitted to the Milli Majlis, AzerNEWS reports.

According to reports, the document provides for the ratification of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Defense between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The draft will be reviewed at a meeting of the parliaments Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Relations scheduled for April 14.

The move comes as Azerbaijan continues to expand its defense diplomacy and modernize its armed forces. In recent years, the country has significantly increased military spending, allocating over $3 billion annually to defense and security, with a focus on advanced technologies, unmanned systems, and modernization of its armed forces following the 44-day war.

Azerbaijans defense industry has also grown steadily, with rising domestic production of military equipment and expanding cooperation with international partners, particularly in areas such as training, logistics, and joint exercises.

For its part, Ethiopia, one of Africas largest military powers, has been actively seeking to modernize its defense sector and diversify partnerships beyond traditional allies. Ethiopia has the largest military budget in East Africa and 5th on the Continent with a defense budget of $3.7 billion
CPA Australia has criticised the federal governments draft reforms on foreign resident capital gains tax (CGT) rules.

In a statement, the accounting body said the move could erode confidence in the tax system by retrospectively reopening transactions.

The proposed law would retrospectively apply from 2006, meaning past transactions could be reexamined and taxed differently from how they were originally understood under the legislation and guidance in place at the time.

CPA Australias tax lead, Jenny Wong, said the measures represent a material policy shift rather than a technical tidyup.

Wong said: This is not mere clarification  it is a policy change. Retrospective tax changes of this scale fundamentally undermine certainty in the tax system.

Applying new interpretations of the law back to 2006 sends a clear signal that the rules can change after the fact, and that makes Australia a less attractive place to invest.

CPA Australia is concerned that taxpayers could be confronted with additional tax bills years after transactions have settled, potentially accompanied by penalties and a general interest charge.

Wong also cautioned that the current proposal mirrors earlier episodes of tax reform that, in CPA Australias view, led to drawnout disagreements and long periods of uncertainty.

The professional body has also taken issue with the short consultation period, describing it as insufficient given both the technical complexity and reach of the retrospective changes.

It argues that the time frame restricts proper evaluation of the impact on historical arrangements, longterm investments and established corporate structures.

According to Wong, backdating the rules is likely to fuel disputes and increase compliance demands, raising costs for affected taxpayers as well as for the Australian Taxation Office.

CPA Australia noted the governments plan to offer transitional concessions for some renewable energy projects, but Wong said this does not resolve the core policy objections.

Tax integrity depends on trust, certainty and fairness  once those are damaged, they are hard to rebuild. This proposal puts all three at risk, Wong added.

CPA Australia said it will continue to engage with the Treasury, while maintaining that any eventual changes must both safeguard revenue and preserve investor confidence.

"CPA Australia raises alarm over foreign resident CGT changes" was originally created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand.




The European Unions Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is set to reshape e-commerce packaging practices, introducing a maximum empty space limit aimed at reducing packaging waste and transport emissions across the supply chain.

Under the new EU packaging regulation, companies involved in e-commerce, logistics and distribution will need to ensure that no more than 50% of a packages internal volume is empty space by 1 January 2030.

The measure forms part of broader efforts to improve packaging sustainability and reduce unnecessary material use in online retail.

Early discussions around the PPWR included a stricter 40% threshold, a figure still widely referenced in industry debate. However, the final framework centres on a 50% cap, with implementation beginning in August 2026.

Empty space rules defined

The regulation introduces a clear definition of empty space in e-commerce packaging. It includes any unoccupied volume inside a package, including filler materials such as air cushions, bubble wrap, foam and paper padding.

This means common void-fill solutions will be treated as empty space rather than protective material. As a result, oversized boxes filled with air pillows or paper will no longer meet compliance standards.

The PPWR also targets packaging designs that create a misleading impression of volume. Double walls, false bottoms and similar structures are restricted. The aim is to prevent what regulators describe as packaging that gives a false impression of volume.

The European Commission is expected to publish harmonised methods for calculating empty space ratios by February 2028, providing a standard approach for compliance across EU markets.

Impact on e-commerce packaging operations

The new packaging waste regulation applies to a wide range of economic operators, including online retailers, fulfilment centres and logistics providers handling transport packaging.

For many businesses, the rules will require a shift towards right-sized packaging. Technologies such as 3D scanning and automated box-making systems are expected to play a growing role in matching packaging size to product dimensions.

The restriction on empty space is likely to reduce reliance on traditional void-fill materials. Companies will need to redesign packaging processes to minimise unused volume rather than compensate for it with fillers.

Industry analysts note that while initial investment may be required, right-sizing can lower shipping costs by reducing dimensional weight. It can also cut material use, supporting both cost efficiency and sustainability targets.
Union members who staged a strike at a JBS meatpacking plant in the US have reached a wage agreement with the company after a new round of negotiations.

In a statement yesterday (12 April), JBS USA said it has agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement with labour union UFCW Local 7, adding the deal is expected to allow the facility in Greeley, Colorado, to return to normal operations after weeks of uncertainty.

The strike at the plant began on 16 March after workers walked out. Last week, employees agreed to end the industrial action as talks with the company resumed.

The new agreement runs through April 2028 and, JBS said, is based on the same economic framework as the companys last, best and final offer made during negotiations leading up to the strike.

Under the deal, base wages will rise by $0.70 at ratification, followed by $0.40 in July 2026 and $0.40 in July 2027. The agreement includes no provision for retroactive pay.

The package also includes a $750 one-time bonus payment at ratification and a further $500 one-time payment in April 2027, with eligibility requiring workers to be employed at ratification and at the time of payment.

However, JBS said the deal does not include a pension benefit that it said had featured in a national agreement negotiated last year between the company and UFCW International covering other US sites.

Expressing its disappointment, JBS said Local 7 leadership opted instead to redirect money that would have gone into a pension into higher short-term wage increases.

The meat giant added that workers at other JBS beef facilities across the country have already accepted and are benefiting from the historic pension and other enhancements negotiated in partnership with UFCW International.

Under the Greeley agreement, the employees will remain on the plants existing 401(k) plan, with no pension included.

As part of the agreement, Local 7 will also withdraw seven alleged unfair labour practice (ULP) charges.

In the statement, JBS said: The companys goal has always been to provide a strong, competitive package that supports families today while protecting retirement security for the future.

JBS USA remains committed to the long-term viability of the Greeley facility and to the team members who contribute to its success every day.

"JBS workers reach wage agreement at US beef plant" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand.




This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter.

Dive Brief:

Maryland lawmakers passed accounting licensing reform legislation last week that is poised to add an alternative path to becoming a certified public accountant that doesnt require 150 hours of college credit, typically five years of post secondary education, according to the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Like some states, Maryland is maintaining its existing CPA licensing path which requires the completion of 150 college credit hours, one year of relevant professional experience and passing the CPA exam. But under the new bill candidates could substitute more experience for the extra schooling, with the new path requiring a bachelors degree, two years of professional experience, and passing the exam. House Bill 643, which must still be signed by Gov. Wes Moore, is poised to go into effect Oct. 1.

This is a tremendous victory for Marylands CPA profession, MACPA CEO Rebekah Olson, said in a statement in the release. This new pathway will open doors for more CPA candidates while helping employers address critical talent needs. It strengthens the pipeline without compromising the rigor and trust that define the CPA credential.

More from Yahoo Scout Which states still need governor approval for reforms? How many states have eased CPA education requirements? Why are states reducing CPA educational requirements? What are Maryland's new CPA licensing requirements?

Dive Insight:

Since early last year about 39 states as well as Puerto Rico have passed laws or put new licensing rules on their books easing educational requirements for getting certified, according to Robert J. Pawlewicz, an assistant professor of accounting at the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond in Virginia, who has been tracking the nationwide licensing changes.

We're chugging right along, and I expect more before the summer legislative recess in other states, Pawlewicz told CFO Dive in an email.

Maryland joins New Hampshire and Colorado among the states that have passed their legislation but the bills are still awaiting their respective governors signatures, according to the website of the Minnesota Society of CPAs. Once passed by legislatures, CPA bills have typically been approved by their respective governors but it has sometimes taken months, as was the case in New York..

Despite the national momentum behind the drive, a small number of states licensing reform efforts have been slow moving. For example, in Florida last month a licensing reform bill got tied up with an anti-regulatory push to eliminate the Florida Board of Accountancy, according to a March 13 blog post on the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants website.
After most workers went fully remote when the world "shut down" during the pandemic, there's been a push to get them back into the office over the past few years. But, those return-to-office (RTO) efforts have not been entirely successful.

In one survey (1), 8 out of 10 business leaders admitted to losing talent as a result of RTO mandates. And 41% of hybrid workers said they would start looking for another job if their company mandated five days in the office, according to a December 2024 Stanford-led survey (2).

Must Read

Employees at Superhuman, which offers AI assistant apps including Grammarly, dug in their heels when a two-day in-office mandate was introduced last April. It was met with "negative energy and sentiment," chief people officer Kenny Mendes told Business Insider (3).

So, the San Francisco-based company moved from mandates to financial incentives. Now, a third of Superhuman employees who live near one of its offices come in four or five days a week.

"I've been really shocked at how well it's working," Mendes said (4).

How they sweetened the deal

As Superhuman's CPO explained to Business Insider, employees who "opt in" to work from the office two days a week get $500 each quarter in the form of a wellness stipend, which can be used for things like child care, gym memberships, grocery delivery and cleaning services.

It's a more for more model so, if employees choose to bump up their in-office days to five a week, they get up to $2,000 in quarterly stipends.

Mendes says they went from "pulling teeth to get people in two days a week" to employees showing up 85% of the time they committed to.

Although he noted that the company also worked on improving office culture, introducing daily lunch and social hours, the benefit of improving someone's bottom line can't be discounted.

According to a report (5) by Care.com (6), families, on average, spent $323 a week, or $4,199 a quarter, on child care last year. That means, Superhuman employees who pay for day care could knock off about half of their bill simply by coming into the office each work day (a cost they'd likely incur even if they work from home).
Some couples fight about money because they're stretched thin. Others argue even if they're financially secure. When one person is a saver and the other is a spender, it's almost inevitable there will be some heated arguments about shared finances.

Take the hypothetical case of Ashley and her husband Matthew, who are both in their mid-30s. The bills are paid on time each month, and they have no major debts. They've built up a substantial emergency fund and consistently put aside a portion of their income into retirement savings and investments.

Must Read

Yet, there's tension brewing under the surface. Matthew earns three times more than Ashley, who recently reduced her hours at work to raise their two small children.

Last year, they moved into a new fixer-upper home to accommodate their growing family. Matthew wants to pay a contractor to do the work, and they have the money for it. But Ashley prefers a DIY approach, feeling they can do most of the work themselves, such as painting and installing new flooring. They could then take the money they've saved on a contractor and put it aside for their children's education.

Ashley, who likes to shop around and look for deals, feels they could be more intentional about their savings, so they can invest more, save for future goals, and potentially retire earlier. But constantly arguing about money with her husband is putting a major strain on their relationship  and she's now wondering if her marriage is in danger.

Money and marital strife

Disagreements over money can be damaging to a relationship. While financial compatibility is important to nearly all (98%) Americans in a 2025 LendingTree survey, for some it's a deal-breaker. Nearly one in four (23%) respondents said they had ended a romantic relationship because of financial incompatibility, while another 34% said they would consider doing so.

But the survey also found that those currently in a financially incompatible relationship tend to blame the other person for the problems. Reasons range from overspending (38%) to poor money management (34%) to not saving enough (30%). Almost one in five (18%) said they have different long-term financial goals. Only 13% blamed this incompatibility on their partner's debt (1).

So, whether your household is struggling financially or doing just fine, the issue isn't about the baseline numbers. It's about different money mindsets.

Some people are savers; others are spenders. This mindset is influenced by various factors, such as how you were raised, your cultural background, and your past financial experiences. Whether you view money through a scarcity or abundance lens can influence how you spend, save, and invest.

Different money mindsets can lead to different coping mechanisms, such as impulse shopping, racking up large amounts of debt, or hiding a secret bank account from a romantic partner.

While couples don't necessarily need to discuss every single financial transaction, one Bankrate survey found that almost one in 10 Americans in committed relationships keeps a financial secret from their partner, such as major debt, expenses, or even income (2).

"Thinking about how money was handled in the household you grew up in will help you understand the foundation for your beliefs about money," writes financial expert Rachel Cruze in a blog post (3). And, if you're in a relationship, "This can also help you get to the root of financial stress and money fights."

For example, Ashley grew up in a household where money was tight. Her dad worked seasonal jobs, with bouts of unemployment in between, so every penny mattered. Her parents often fought about money, and she had to rely on a combination of scholarships, grants, and loans to pay for college.

As a result, Ashley feels that spending money on experiences, conveniences, and luxuries is irresponsible. Matthew, on the other hand, is a spender who doesn't feel he needs permission to spend his hard-earned money.

Different money mindsets are hard enough during the best of times  but financial disagreements can be exacerbated during times of economic uncertainty, when pressures such as ballooning debt or job instability can intensify those disagreements.

Read More: How to apply Dave Ramseys 7 Baby Steps to your own life

Meeting in the middle

Just because you have different money mindsets doesn't mean your marriage is doomed. Rather than confronting your partner about money matters, consider setting up regular money dates  low-pressure conversations where you discuss your budget, as well as short- and long-term financial goals, while taking each person's priorities into account.

And if you're the saver in the relationship, resist the urge to take over the meeting; it should be a two-way discussion that fosters a team-oriented approach.

It could also help to talk about your money mindsets. For example, Ashley has always been too embarrassed to tell Matthew about her parents' financial hardships. But explaining why she's anxious about money could help Matthew feel more compassionate (instead of resentful).

It could also help Ashley understand where Matthew is coming from. He works long hours and always feels short on time. His job is also mentally draining, so by the time the weekend comes around, he'd much rather pay someone else to paint the house, install new flooring, and remodel the kitchen  and they can afford it.

By understanding each other's viewpoints, Ashley might be willing to pay a contractor to do the bulk of the work, but Matthew  understanding Ashley's anxiety around money  may be willing to give her the reins in vetting various contractors to find the best deal. They could do some of the easier tasks themselves.

While some couples choose to merge all of their finances, some keep separate accounts or take a hybrid approach. There's no right or wrong way, but if you choose to keep your accounts separate, it's important to come up with a strategy for shared expenses  such as splitting expenses proportionally based on income levels.

For couples who can't seem to meet in the middle, it may be worth bringing in a neutral third party. Financial counseling can help couples better understand their differing money mindsets and develop practical strategies to manage their finances going forward.

Aja Evans, president of the Financial Therapy Association, told the American Counseling Association that many of her clients experience shame and guilt around past financial mistakes (4).

That's where financial counseling can help  and "It really doesn't matter how much money you have," Evans said. "People can feel this way with a surplus of money, too."

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Article Sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.

LendingTree (1) ; Bankrate (2) ; Ramsey Solutions (3) ; American Counseling Association (4)

This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: My husband wants to spend thousands on home renos, while I prefer to DIY. How can we save money and our relationship?

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Chances are, if youre out for dinner with a handful of friends, at least one person will ask you if youre watching HBOs medical drama The Pitt.

Despite its ubiquity in the current television zeitgeist, however, Patrick Ball  one of the show's main actors, portraying the character Frank Langdon  was facing financial ruin not long ago.

Must Read

In a recent interview with Cultured (1), Ball told writer Sophie Lee about how booking the show changed his life: I paid off my student loans like three months into The Pitt, and that was a really profound moment cause I thought I was gonna die with it. Its a huge burden to carry, and a lot of people carry it. I was $80,000 in debt he said.

From debt to debut

The Pitt is Balls breakout television role, and now he is making his broadway debut in Becky Shaw.

But it hasnt always been bright lights and big cities. Like many Americans, Ball struggled with carrying student debt.

According to the Education Data Initiative (2), the outstanding federal student loan balance was $1.693 trillion as of February 2026. Its data also showed that the average federal student loan debt balance was $39,547 and the total average balance (including private loan debt) could be as high as $43,333.

Ball told Cultured: I had been through a series of failed relationships where my financial insecurity was a real problem. I had just thought that was going to be my life forever, and that is a really heavy thing to live with. Paying off those student loans and getting back to zero, I remember being like, Man, if this show works, great. If it doesnt work, they cant take that away from me. I am out of debt.

While you may not be an aspiring actor with your big break just an arms length away, that doesnt mean paying off large debts  whether student loans or otherwise  is impossible.

Read More: How to apply Dave Ramseys 7 Baby Steps to your own life

Can you do the same?

If your student debt is feeling especially burdensome, there are some things you can do to optimize your repayment process.

Consolidate. If you have federal student loans, you can consolidate them through the Direct Consolidation Loan program offered by the U.S. Department of Education (3). This allows you to consolidate loans at a fixed rate rather than paying off multiple loans of variable rates. As a result, you will only have to focus on a single bill for your loans, which can give you some added peace of mind when it comes to managing your finances. You can choose from multiple repayment plans with various terms to repay your consolidation loan.
If we look at global soybean production over the past several years, it continues to set record, after record, after record, Hart said. Theres been just large supplies globally, and that has led to depressed prices.

But U.S. soybean farmers, who typically also grow corn, have been facing financial issues for years even before the onset of the Iran war. Soybean prices have been persistently low in recent years. The global market has been awash in soybeans, driven in part by Brazil, which surpassed the U.S. as the worlds largest soybean producer years ago.

Soybeans, which are used for livestock feed, food and biofuels, are among the top U.S. agricultural exports. That hasnt always been the case. Before the 1960s soybeans werent a major crop in the U.S, according to Chad Hart, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University. It wasnt until the 1990s that soybean production accelerated due to international demand  primarily from China  and soybeans and corn are now dominant in U.S. agriculture.

A lot of producers are pretty nervous going into this year, said Justin Sherlock, a soybean farmer and president of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association. It looks like were going to have another year of negative returns.

Barteks concerns are shared by many Midwest soybean producers. Costs, such as equipment, have crept up over time while soybean prices have stayed low. Tariffs levied by the Trump administration last year and the resulting monthslong trade war with China only made things worse, they say. Then the Iran war bottled up shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, restricting global fertilizer supplies and sending fertilizer prices sky high . A ceasefire deal announced April 7 raised hope that bottlenecks in the strait would abate, but the future of the agreement was uncertain.

Our biggest struggles are our inputs, be it fertilizer, seed, chemical, parts, Bartek said. There has been so much drastic markup in all of these. And I just kind of feel like the farmers kind of painted in the corner.

The high cost of fuel, equipment, and fertilizer  compounded by the Iran war  and also tariffs, perceived price gouging by suppliers, and low soybean prices driven by a global supply glut. All of it weighs on Bartek, who is chairman of the Nebraska Soybean Association.

WAHOO, Neb. (AP)  Strong winds whipped around Doug Bartek, a fifth-generation farmer, as he headed into a grain bin to shovel soybeans onto a conveyor chute. The 60-year-old was anxious at the onset of the spring planting season, rattling off the long list of issues affecting his familys livelihood at their 2,000-acre farm near Wahoo, Nebraska.

Story Continues

Meanwhile, Midwest soybean farmers costs have risen. Overall farm production expenses, including seed and pesticide, have increased over time, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Operating costs for soybean production have stayed elevated since 2020 and are projected to increase again in 2026, according to the agency.

The cost of land also is a major issue for farmers, experts say. Midwest crop land values have increased. And most regional farmers rent some of their land, according to Joana Colussi, research assistant professor in the department of agricultural economics at Purdue University.

Bartek, who rents three-quarters of his land, said landowners are increasing rents, causing further financial strain.

Theres a lot of what I call absentee landowners that have absolutely no idea what goes on on the farm, he said. All they know is their taxes went up and you get to make up the difference, some way, somehow.

Theyre very concerned about negative margins driven by low prices and high cost, said Paul Mitchell, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, of farmers. Theres just a liquidity cash crunch for a lot of them and theyre just trying to figure out how to deal with everything.

The number of farms in the U.S. has shrunk over time and consolidation in farming is a long-term trend, though farmers financial pressures wrought by high input costs and low commodity prices have contributed, Hart said. Larger farms tend to be more competitive and depend on large, expensive machinery.

The financial reserves need(ed) on a farm are much greater than they used to be, Hart said. Were a bit more sensitive to the financial conditions these days because so much capital is being utilized within the farm business.

Tariffs, trade war have lasting impacts

Market forces arent the only issue weighing on farmers. Sweeping tariffs levied by President Donald Trump in April 2025 exacerbated a trade war with China, the top buyer of U.S. soybeans. China responded with retaliatory tariffs and effectively boycotted U.S. soybeans, cutting off a major export market for Midwest farmers and driving the price of soybeans even lower.

When that was announced and soybean prices basically collapsed, if you could afford to hold on to your beans and wait for better times, you were OK, said Mike Cerny, a soybean, and winter wheat corn farmer in Sharon, Wisconsin. If you had a mortgage due or payments due or cash flow needs and you had to sell at that point, you were taking it pretty rough.

The U.S. and China eventually reached a deal in late 2025. Beijing committed to buying 12 million metric tons of soybeans by January and at least 25 million metric tons annually for the next three years. China has since met its initial soybean purchase goal and the Trump administration also rolled out a $12 billion temporary aid package in December to boost farmers affected by the trade war.

But the damage is already done, experts and farmers say. While Chinas renewed purchases and the federal payments are helping, its not enough to recover farmers losses. Even after federal assistance, farmers still lost almost $75 per harvested acre of soybeans in the 2025 crop, according to the American Soybean Association. And the trade war further pushed China toward competing soybean exporters, such as Brazil  accelerating a trend of declining U.S. soybean exports to China.

When China decided to stop purchasing, we couldnt find enough other markets to replace those sales, Hart said. Were still feeling the impacts today. When you look at where soybean exports are today versus where we would normally expect them to be, were still running anywhere from 15% to 20% behind normal.

Joseph Glauber, former chief economist at the Department of Agriculture between 2008 and 2014, said global competitors to U.S. soybean farmers gained from the trade war.

When China has put on tariffs against the U.S. theyve tended to buy then from Brazil or Argentina, largely Brazil, Glauber added. Were not nearly as dominant in the world as we used to be in terms of the global export market for soybeans.

Iran war drove up fuel, fertilizer costs

After the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, a severe slowdown in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz sent the price of oil soaring. The shipping disruption also largely stopped the export of nitrogen fertilizers manufactured in the Persian Gulf and limited access to key fertilizer ingredients. The price of urea, the most widely traded nitrogen fertilizer, skyrocketed.

Soybeans dont require nitrogen fertilizer, but its vital for corn and most soybean farmers also grow corn. About half the global supply of urea comes from the Middle East, and Qatar and Saudi Arabia are two of the top sources of U.S. fertilizer imports, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

The U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire last week that included reopening the strait of Hormuz, but traffic remained slowed amid disagreements over Israeli attacks in Lebanon, and the price of urea remains elevated.

Many Midwest farmers bought their fertilizer well in advance of the spring planting season. But some farmers who didnt buy early face elevated prices. Dave Walton, a corn, soybean, and hay farmer in Iowa and vice president of the American Soybean Association, said in March that some of his neighbors didnt have cash on hand last fall to buy fertilizer and were struggling to budget for fertilizer due to high prices.

The war also caused gasoline and diesel prices to surge, causing further headaches for farmers. Oil prices dropped following the ceasefire announcement, but the war and the closure of the strait will have lasting impacts on farmers, said Seth Goldstein, a senior equity analyst at Morningstar, an investment research company. Facilities in the Middle East that are critical for exporting chemicals, oil and other commodities were damaged or destroyed during the war and it will take time for supply chains to recover, he said.

Facilities have been hit, like liquid natural gas plants, Goldstein added. You are also looking at a big supply crunch in commodity chemicals, which are the inputs for crop chemicals.

We burn a lot of diesel fuel, said Chris Gould, a corn and soybean farmer in Maple Park, Illinois. Its hard to say if Im gonna come out ahead or behind on this whole deal. But I suspect Im gonna come out behind.

Concerns about the future

Farmers financial problems are showing up in some measures. Farm bankruptcies, while still relatively low, continued to climb in 2025, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation. In a survey of 400 farmers conducted by researchers at the Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture in late March, almost half said their farm operation is financially worse off than it was a year ago.

Goldstein, the Morningstar analyst, said farmers high costs and low revenues contributed to the spike in bankruptcies between 2024 and 2025. If costs rise faster than crop prices going forward, he added, that would strain farmers again and likely lead to more bankruptcies.

After 43 years of farming, Bartek said the smell of fresh dirt still gets him excited for spring planting. But hes also heard of farmer suicides, bankruptcies and retirement sales where farmers are forced to auction off their operations due to financial problems. Bartek compares farmers to gamblers who put millions of dollars in the dirt hoping for returns.

At times, Bartek doubts his own decision to go into farming. Hes also worried about his son, who purchased a farm a few years ago.

Bartek wonders: Did I do the right thing helping him get into farming?

___

Kelety reported from Phoenix.

___

This story is a collaboration between Lee Enterprises and The Associated Press.
(Bloomberg) -- After upending global supply chains that move critical fuels and fertilizers, the war in Iran has pushed prices of a popular nut grown in the country - pistachios - to an eight-year high.

Iran is the worlds second-largest producer of pistachios, which are eaten by themselves and are also a common ingredient in ice cream, chocolate and beverages. The conflict is crunching supplies in an already constrained market at a time when consumer appetite is surging.

The countrys pistachio trade was already complicated by sanctions and geopolitical frictions prior to the war, said Nick Moss, a nut market analyst at Expana Markets. A smaller-than-expected 2025 crop and communications blackouts in January during a government crackdown on civil unrest, which limited export coordination, further crimped supply.

The outbreak of war in late February made matters worse, compounding an already constrained situation and resulting in a shrinking pool of pistachios thats increasingly difficult to deliver to global markets, Moss said. Pistachios are certainly sensitive to disruptions in the Middle East given the regions role as a major producer, transit hub, and destination.

Consumption has surged globally since pistachio-filled Dubai chocolate bars went viral on TikTok and Instagram in late 2023, supercharging demand across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Major food brands like Haagen-Daz and Tache added the nut to ice cream and plant-based milk ranges, and Starbucks popularized pistachio-flavored coffee. Prices climbed about 30% in the two years from the end of 2023, according to Expanas benchmark prices for US pistachios.

Iran accounts for about a fifth of global pistachio production and a third of exports, according to the US Department of Agriculture, and the US for around 40% of output and about half of shipments. With the war in Iran squeezing supplies and choking trade, pistachio prices reached $4.57 a pound in March, the highest since May 2018, Expana data show.

The war has triggered shipping lines to cancel all fresh bookings starting March 2 for shipments to the Middle East, said Gyana Ranjan Das, business head of edible nuts and pulses at Crown Point Ltd., a US-based company specializing in supplying pistachios to food processors. The conflict has also disrupted supply chains, including pistachio shipments to India, which imports about $9 billion a year of edible nuts, he said.

While its too early to assess whether military attacks have damaged Iranian orchards, which are located mainly in the countrys northeast, logistics and shipping routes to trading hubs in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey have been disrupted, Moss said.
Midwest soybean farmers have faced persistent financial headwinds in recent years, which were compounded by tariffs and the war in the Middle East, reporting from Lee Enterprises and The Associated Press found.

Farmers' costs, such as equipment, have crept up over time while soybean prices have stayed low. Tariffs levied by the Trump administration last year and the monthslong trade war with China only made things worse, soybean producers say. Then the Iran war bottled up shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, restricting global fertilizer supplies and sending fuel and fertilizer prices soaring. A ceasefire deal announced April 7 raised hope that bottlenecks in the strait would abate, but the future of the agreement was uncertain and experts say it will take time for global supply chains to recover.

More from Yahoo Scout Why have soybean prices remained persistently low recently? How did the Iran war impact agricultural supply chains? What drove up fertilizer and fuel costs for farmers? How did tariffs and trade wars affect soybean farmers?

The AP and Lee Enterprises interviewed experts and soybean farmers across multiple Midwest states.

Here are key takeaways from the report:

Rising costs, low soybean prices have hurt farmers' margins

Soybeans, which are used for livestock feed, food and biofuels, are among the top U.S. agricultural exports. But soybean prices have been persistently low in recent years. The global market has been awash in soybeans, driven in part by Brazil, which surpassed the U.S. as the worlds largest soybean producer years ago.

If we look at global soybean production over the past several years, it continues to set record, after record, after record, said Chad Hart, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University. Theres been just large supplies globally, and that has led to depressed prices.

Meanwhile, Midwest soybean farmers costs have risen. Overall farm production expenses, including seed and pesticide, have increased over time, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Operating costs for soybean production have stayed elevated since 2020 and are projected to increase again in 2026, according to the agency.

The cost of land also is a major issue for farmers, experts say. Midwest crop land values have increased. And most regional farmers rent some of their land, according to Joana Colussi, research assistant professor in the department of agricultural economics at Purdue University.

The U.S.-China trade war in 2025 has lasting impacts

Sweeping tariffs levied by President Donald Trump in April 2025 exacerbated a trade war with China, the top buyer of U.S. soybeans. China responded with retaliatory tariffs and effectively boycotted U.S. soybeans, cutting off a major export market for Midwest farmers and driving the price of soybeans even lower. The U.S. and China eventually reached a deal in late 2025. Beijing committed to buying 12 million metric tons of soybeans by January and at least 25 million metric tons annually for the next three years. China has since met its initial soybean purchase goal and the Trump administration also rolled out a $12 billion temporary aid package in December to boost farmers affected by the trade war.
Libyas two rival legislative bodies have approved the countrys?first unified state budget in more than a decade, its central bank said in a statement on Saturday, AzerNEWS reports, citing Arab News.

The oil-producing North African country has been divided since a 2014 civil war that spawned two administrations in the west and ?east. Its last ?unified national budget ?was ?agreed in 2013.

The ?central bank said the approval of the budget by the two rival legislative chambers could help strengthen financial stability, marking an important move toward ending years of financial division.

The two legislative chambers are the eastern-based House of Representatives (HoR) that was elected ?in 2014 ?and the High Council of State ?in the west ?which was formed as part of ?a 2015 political agreement and whose members were drawn from a parliament elected in 2012.

The agreement approving the budget was signed by ?Essa Aribi, a representative of the Benghazi-based HoR, and Abduljalel Shawesh a representative of the High Council of State in Tripoli where the internationally recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) is also based.

This is a clear declaration that Libya is capable of overcoming its differences when a unified vision for its future is forged, said central bank Governor Naji Issa, who supervised the signing ceremony at ?the banks headquarters ?in Tripoli.
If you're not sure how much of an allocation cryptocurrency deserves in your portfolio, you're in the right place. The world's biggest asset managers have published a few frameworks addressing exactly that issue over the past year, and their proposals converge pretty tightly.

Here's what they suggest.

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Image source: Getty Images.

What the heavyweights recommend

BlackRock, an asset manager that manages over $12.5 trillion in funds, advises a 1% to 2% Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) allocation within a standard 60/40 stock-and-bond portfolio. Its logic is that a 2% position contributes roughly the same portfolio risk as any single Magnificent Seven stock, but going beyond that causes crypto's risk contribution to balloon disproportionately.

The bank Morgan Stanley suggests an allocation of up to 3% to crypto for moderate-growth investors and 4% in aggressive portfolios. That overlaps neatly with Fidelity's research, which suggests a 2% to 5% range, noting that even a modest allocation can enhance retirement spending potential.

Therefore, for most people, a 1% to 5% allocation to Bitcoin is a wise addition to a diversified portfolio. If your risk tolerance is on the lower end, 1% can still give you meaningful exposure without causing you to lose sleep.

Altcoins deserve extra caution

Bitcoin earns those allocations because of its decent track record. Other crypto majors like Ethereum and Solana are good investments too, but they carry volatility that dwarfs even Bitcoin's.

So unless you're deliberately constructing a dedicated crypto portfolio and comfortable with riding out 50% or greater drawdowns, keeping exposure to the non-Bitcoin crypto majors to below 1% to 2% of your total portfolio value is a sensible approach. Smaller altcoins, if you dabble in them at all, should probably not exceed a 1% allocation at most, even as a group.

Remember that crypto's volatility will drift your allocation higher in bull markets and shrink it during downturns. Be sure to rebalance regularly.

Should you buy stock in Bitcoin right now?

Before you buy stock in Bitcoin, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now and Bitcoin wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) posted their strongest weekly inflow since February last week, drawing more than $786 million.

Data from SoSoValue showed that the US-listed funds' performance last week narrowly trailed the roughly $787.31 million recorded during the last week of February.

BlackRock and Morgan Stanley's New MSBT Fund Drive Interest

The inflows followed a softer stretch for the products amid broader market volatility and geopolitical tension, which weighed on risk appetite.

SoSoValue data shows that the flow pattern was uneven through the week. The funds opened with a sharp $471.32 million intake on Monday, then slipped into outflows midweek before recovering on Thursday and Friday.

US Bitcoin ETFs Weekly Performance. Source: SoSoValue.

The turnaround left the group with its best weekly result in nearly two months and suggested buyers returned as Bitcoin regained momentum.

BlackRocks iShares Bitcoin Trust remained the main driver of demand. The fund brought in about $612 million during the week, accounting for almost four-fifths of total net inflows across the category.

The concentration underscored how heavily new institutional allocations continue to favor the largest and most liquid product in the market.

Meanwhile, Morgan Stanleys newly launched MSBT fund added another point of interest for the market. The fund raised roughly $46 million over its first three trading days, giving investors a fresh entry point as demand across the ETF group picked up again.

Its early flows were modest compared with BlackRocks scale, but the launch carries broader significance because of Morgan Stanleys distribution reach. The banks network of roughly 16,000 financial advisers oversees trillions of dollars in client assets, giving it access to a channel few Bitcoin ETF issuers can match.

The improvement in fund flows came alongside a strong week for the underlying asset. Bitcoin climbed from around $67,000 to above $70,000 during the period and was trading near $73,411 by the end of the week, a gain of about 9%.

The move marked one of the tokens strongest weekly advances in recent months and helped restore momentum after a period of weaker price action.

Read the Original story US Bitcoin ETFs Log Biggest Weekly Inflow Since February by Oluwapelumi Adejumo at beincrypto.com
By Tom Wilson

LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) - A major investor in U.S. President Donald Trump's World Liberty Financial crypto venture has claimed that the firm "secretly" implemented a tool to unilaterally freeze and restrict private holdings of its WLFI token.

In posts on social media platform X on Sunday, crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun said, without offering evidence, that World Liberty had embedded what he described as a "backdoor blacklisting function" in the blockchain-based contracts used for the tokens.

More from Yahoo Scout What is Justin Sun's investment history with World Liberty Financial? What backdoor tool did Justin Sun allege World Liberty Financial implemented? How much has World Liberty Financial generated for the Trump family? How do other crypto companies handle token freezing capabilities?

The move, Sun wrote, gave World Liberty "unilateral power" to "freeze, restrict, and effectively confiscate the property rights" of any token holder, without cause and without recourse.

Reuters was unable to establish if World Liberty has such a tool or is using it. The news agency was also unable to ascertain any specifics about Sun's trading activities.

The official World Liberty account on X posted a reply to Sun's allegations on Sunday: "We have the contracts. We have the evidence. We have the truth. See you in court pal."

Contacted for comment, a spokesperson for the company directed Reuters to its posts on X. Sun did not respond to a message from Reuters on Telegram and a spokesperson for him did not reply to a Reuters request for comment.

World Liberty is the most prominent of several lucrative crypto businesses co-founded by the Trump family. At its 2024 launch, the crypto company said it would give power over financial flows to small investors via a "decentralised finance" app, which remains unlaunched.

It generated more than $460 million in income for the Trump family during the first half of 2025, according to a Reuters analysis https://www.reuters.com/investigations/inside-trump-familys-global-crypto-cash-machine-2025-10-28/ published last year.

Sun in late 2024 became the largest publicly known investor in the then-fledgling World Liberty, spending tens of millions of dollars on the WLFI token and being named as an adviser to the firm. He later upped his holdings to at least $75 million of the tokens, according to his social media posts from January 2025.

In 2024, Sun told a New York Times reporter his investment was a vote of confidence https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/us/politics/trump-crypto-world-liberty-financial.html in what he called the Trump family's "excellent project".

In March, the Securities and Exchange Commission settled a 2023 lawsuit against Sun https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/justin-sun-settles-sec-fraud-case-10-million-2026-03-05/ for $10 million. The lawsuit had alleged fraud, selling unregistered crypto securities and hiding payments to celebrities to promote his products. Sun made no admission of wrongdoing.
Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Palantir Technologies (NASDAQ: PLTR) has been one of the most explosive AI and data infrastructure plays in recent years. Since breaking out of the $20 range, the stock surged to a 52-week high of $208 before cooling off to current levels near $130. Missed the initial run? Dont worry. Theres still a smart way to potentially profit from Palantirs long-term trajectory, with a built-in margin of safety and returns far better than cash or bonds. With enterprise AI adoption accelerating and its defense software deeply embedded in modern military operations, investors may be pricing in too much, too soon. But what if you could get in at a 40% plus discountsay, around $75 a share? Now were talking.

If that price sounds like a bargain and youve got some dry powder, heres a clever trade to consider.

The Trade: 12% Annualized Yield At 40% Margin Of Safety, By Selling Put Options

The strategy to achieve this involves generating a 12.5% annualized yield alongside that 40% margin of safety by selling put options. Specifically, you can sell a long-dated put option expiring on March 19, 2027, at a strike price of $75. Executing this trade allows you to collect roughly $595 in upfront premium per contract (which covers 100 shares). That premium alone equates to an 8.5% annualized yield on the $7,500 in capital you are setting aside for the possibility of buying the stock. Furthermore, by parking that cash collateral in a savings or money market account earning an estimated 4.0%, your total annualized yield is boosted to roughly 12.5%. Ultimately, you are getting paid a double-digit yield while remaining positioned for the chance to acquire Palantir at a deeply discounted $75 per share.

And heres the kicker. Youre agreeing to buy Palantir stock at $75, a roughly 40% discount to the current market price, only if the stock drops below that level by the expiration date. Selling cash-secured puts is an established options strategy, but it requires investors to be fully comfortable with the downside exposure of being assigned the stock, and for the right long-term investors, it may be just right.

What if PLTR drops more than 40%  isnt there some risk?

Of course, there is risk. Because there are two ways this could unfold:
JNK distributes monthly, with recent monthly payments running in the $0.52 to $0.56 per share range. The fund's dividend yield sits near 6.6%, and its expense ratio of 0.4% is competitive for the category. Over the past year, total return, including price appreciation, reached just under 12%.

The portfolio is genuinely diversified across the economy. Consumer cyclical bonds make up about 17% of the fund, followed by communications at roughly 14% and energy at about 13%. Capital goods, consumer staples, and technology round out the next tier. The most important thing to know is that no single sector dominates, so risk is spread across the business cycle rather than concentrating it in any one industry.

SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF ( NYSEARCA:JNK ) provides direct access to the U.S. high yield corporate bond market at scale. The fund tracks the Bloomberg High Yield Very Liquid Index, which screens for bonds with above-average liquidity, making it cleaner than broader junk bond indices that include harder-to-trade paper.

With the 10-year Treasury yielding around 4.3% and the Fed funds rate at 3.75% after three cuts over the past year, income investors face a tension: Treasuries offer reasonable rates, but meaningful yield requires reaching further out on the risk spectrum. Four ETFs span that spectrum in distinct ways, from investment-grade-adjacent high yield bonds to energy infrastructure partnerships to small-cap dividend stocks, each with different income engines and tradeoffs.

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With the 10-year Treasury at 4.3% and Fed funds at 3.75%, income investors are choosing between credit risk in high-yield bonds, leverage risk in BDCs, tax complexity in MLPs, and distribution sustainability in small-cap dividend stocks.

SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF (JNK) yields 6.6% with monthly distributions of $0.52-$0.56 and 12% total return over the past year through diversified exposure across consumer cyclical, communications, and energy sectors. VanEck BDC Income ETF (BIZD) yields 13.94% through leverage-amplified private credit exposure but declined 9% year-to-date with a 1.3% expense ratio. Global X MLP ETF (MLPA) yields 7.1% from fee-based energy infrastructure with strong 13% year-to-date price gains and 24% over the past year. Invesco S&P SmallCap High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (XSHD) yields 5.5% but faces distribution declines and liquidity concerns with only $72M in assets.

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The tradeoff is credit sensitivity. High-yield bonds widen sharply during recessions or periods of credit stress, and JNK's NAV moves with spreads. Investors collecting that 6.9% yield also take on meaningful drawdown risk when credit conditions deteriorate. The fund's liquidity focus helps during dislocations but does not eliminate them.

BIZD: Tapping Private Credit Through Listed BDCs

VanEck BDC Income ETF (NYSEARCA:BIZD) takes a different path to high-yield income. Business development companies (BDCs) are publicly traded vehicles that lend to small and mid-size private businesses, functioning similarly to private credit funds but with the liquidity of a listed stock. BIZD aggregates that exposure into a single ETF, offering access to a corner of the credit market that most retail investors cannot reach directly.

The fund holds 34 positions, anchored by large, established BDCs. Ares Capital Corp represents about 13% of the portfolio, followed by Blue Owl Capital at roughly 8% and Main Street Capital at about 7%. The remaining positions spread across BDCs managed by Golub Capital, Blackstone, FS KKR, Goldman Sachs, and others. Diversification across managers matters because individual BDC performance varies considerably with portfolio credit quality and leverage.

The yield is the fund's headline feature. BIZD's dividend yield runs near 13.94%, meaningfully above JNK. The most recent quarterly distribution of about $0.48 per share was the highest in the fund's recorded history, though distributions have fluctuated between $0.40 and $0.43 throughout 2025.

The tradeoff is a more complex risk profile. BDCs use leverage, which amplifies both income and losses. BIZD is down about 9% year-to-date and roughly 4% over the past year, a reminder that the high yield comes with real price volatility. The fund's expense ratio is notably higher than JNK's at about 1.3%, reflecting the complexity of its underlying holdings and its use of total return swaps to gain index exposure.

MLPA: Pipeline Income Insulated From Oil Prices

Global X MLP ETF (NYSEARCA:MLPA) holds master limited partnerships, a structure specific to U.S. energy infrastructure. MLPs own the pipelines, terminals, and processing facilities that transport hydrocarbons, earning fee-based revenue tied to throughput rather than commodity prices. A pipeline operator collecting tolls on natural gas flowing through its system generates income whether gas is at $2 or $4.

The fund allocates nearly 97% to energy, with positions concentrated in large midstream operators. Enterprise Products Partners and Energy Transfer each represent about 13% of the portfolio, with MPLX, Plains All American, and Western Midstream filling out the top five at roughly 10% each. The top five holdings collectively represent more than half the fund.

That concentration in established operators is a feature of the strategy. These are the largest, most liquid MLPs with long-term contracts and stable cash flow visibility. MLPA's dividend yield is near 7.1%, paid quarterly, with the most recent distribution of $1.00 per unit, up from the $0.935 quarterly payments that ran through most of 2025. On a price return basis, MLPA has gained about 13% year-to-date and roughly 24% over the past year, the strongest price performance among the four funds covered here.

The tradeoff involves tax complexity. MLPs pass through income as partnership distributions rather than qualified dividends, generating K-1 tax forms and potentially unrelated business taxable income in retirement accounts. Investors holding MLPA in an IRA should understand the tax implications before committing capital.

XSHD: Small-Cap Dividends With a Volatility Filter

Invesco S&P SmallCap High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (NYSEARCA:XSHD) occupies a different corner of the income landscape. The fund selects the highest-yielding stocks from the S&P SmallCap 600 index and filters for low historical price volatility, producing a portfolio of small companies that pay above-average dividends without the extreme price swings typical of small-cap equities.

The resulting portfolio is heavily weighted toward income-producing sectors. Real estate makes up around 44% of the fund, Utilities make up 11%, Industrials make up 10%, and Consumer Defensive makes up roughly 9.85%. The fund holds roughly 50 positions, with the largest single holding at about 3.5% of assets. There is essentially no exposure to technology, reflecting the strategy's focus on yield-paying businesses rather than growth companies.

The yield of approximately 5.5% is the highest among these four funds on a trailing basis, with monthly distributions. One notable trend: monthly payments have stepped down from the $0.085 to $0.093 range seen in early 2025 to around $0.053 and $0.063 in early 2026, a decline worth monitoring. The fund's expense ratio of 0.3% is competitive. On price, XSHD has gained about 15% over the past year, though the five-year total return is negative at roughly -20%, reflecting the difficult period small-cap value stocks endured during the rate-hiking cycle.

The fund's small asset base is the primary practical concern. Net assets are around $72 million, making XSHD one of the smaller funds in this group and introducing liquidity risk for larger position sizes. The declining distribution trend also deserves attention before assuming the headline yield is sustainable.

Which Fund Fits Which Investor

Each fund's yield comes attached to a distinct risk: credit spread widening for JNK, private credit leverage for BIZD, K-1 tax complexity for MLPA, and distribution sustainability questions for XSHD. The right choice depends on which of those tradeoffs an investor is best positioned to absorb.

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Tesla (TSLA) overcame a big hurdle in the European Union, with the Netherlands becoming the first EU country to approve its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. The approval could be an opening to get its crucial growth product in the hands of more customers on the continent.

FSD Supervised has been approved in the Netherlands & will begin rolling out in the country shortly, Tesla said in a post on X late on Friday, which was first noted by Reuters.

The Dutch motor authority RDW confirmed signing off on FSD.

RDW has issued a type approval for Teslas driver assistance system, FSD Supervised, the agency said, adding that FSD has been extensively examined and tested for more than one and a half years on our test track and on public roads.

RDW noted that Tesla is not the first automaker to get approval for this type of system; BMW (BMW.DE) and Ford (F) have also received approval for supervised self-driving software like FSD.

Under the terms of the approval, Tesla drivers in the Netherlands can take their hands off the wheel in appropriate conditions. However, they must remain fully attentive and ready to intervene at any moment  phone use and reading are prohibited while the system is engaged.

More from Yahoo Scout How does Tesla's FSD pricing work in Europe? Where is Tesla expanding its robotaxi service currently? What approval did Tesla receive in the Netherlands? What are Tesla's cost advantages in autonomous driving?

Per Teslas Dutch website, FSD Supervised is priced at 99 euros per month, similar to US pricing, or via an outright purchase option of 7,500 euros. In the US, Tesla no longer allows buyers to purchase FSD outright; its now available only as a subscription.

The Netherlands green light is expected to open the door across Europe, though not without possible complications. RDW said it can submit an application for permission across the EU via the European Commission, but all member states must vote on the application, and approval requires a majority of votes in the committee.

The interior of the new Tesla Model 3 with Full Self-Driving activated. (Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images)  NurPhoto via Getty Images

Nevertheless, the positive Dutch development is a boost to Tesla's autonomy push beyond the US, just as Wall Street is increasingly bullish on the company's self-driving trajectory.

Last month, Bank of America analyst Alexander Perry reinstated Tesla with a Buy rating and $460 price target. "We view [Tesla] as the current leader in consumer autonomy," Perry wrote, predicting the company would "quickly become a leader in robotaxi services, given its ability to scale more profitably than competitors.

Perry's thesis rests partly on Tesla's cost advantage. While rivals like Waymo rely on expensive LiDAR-laden sensor arrays  BofA estimates a Waymo robotaxi costs roughly $150,000 to build  Tesla's vision-only approach brings that figure down to around $40,000 for a Model Y.
Stocks in the $10-50 range offer a sweet spot between affordability and stability as theyre typically more established than penny stocks. But their headline prices dont guarantee quality, and investors should exercise caution as some have shaky business models.

These dynamics can cause headaches for even the most seasoned professionals, which is why we started StockStory - to help you separate the good companies from the bad. Keeping that in mind, here is one stock under $50 that could 10x and two that may have trouble.

Two Stocks Under $50 to Sell:

Old Republic International (ORI)

Share Price: $40.86

Founded during the Roaring Twenties in 1923 and weathering nearly a century of economic cycles, Old Republic International (NYSE:ORI) is a diversified insurance holding company that provides property, liability, title, and mortgage guaranty insurance through its various subsidiaries.

Why Are We Hesitant About ORI?

Net premiums earned expanded by 4.2% annually over the last five years, falling below our expectations for the insurance sector Earnings per share lagged its peers over the last two years as they only grew by 9.4% annually Capital trends were unexciting over the last two years as its 1.9% annual book value per share growth was below the typical insurance firm

Old Republic International is trading at $40.86 per share, or 1.7x forward P/B. To fully understand why you should be careful with ORI, check out our full research report (its free).

Employers Holdings (EIG)

Share Price: $41.79

With roots in Nevada and a strong concentration in California where 45% of its premiums are generated, Employers Holdings (NYSE:EIG) is a specialty provider of workers' compensation insurance focused on small and select businesses engaged in low-to-medium hazard industries across the United States.

Why Should You Sell EIG?

Net premiums earned expanded by 2.7% annually over the last two years, falling below our expectations for the insurance sector Costs have risen faster than its revenue over the last five years, causing its pre-tax profit margin to decline by 19.4 percentage points Incremental sales over the last five years were much less profitable as its earnings per share fell by 21.9% annually while its revenue grew

Employers Holdingss stock price of $41.79 implies a valuation ratio of 0.9x forward P/B. If youre considering EIG for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.

One Stock Under $50 to Buy:

SM Energy (SM)

Share Price: $28.36

Operating across three key regions with over 328,000 net acres under its control, SM Energy (NYSE:SM) explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids primarily from shale formations in Texas and Utah.
The compensation of CEOs leading the many privately held giants focused on wealth management may be more interesting to advisors than that of publicly traded firms that usually derive much of their business from banking or other financial services, according to Jess Polito, founder of M&A advisory company Turkey Hill Management. Outside of a company like LPL that is devoted entirely to wealth management, the pay for a firm's CEO isn't a "particularly relevant" figure to advisors, Polito said.

Similarly, experts say that financial advisors care to varying degrees about how much the CEO of any firm receives in compensation, beyond any human's understandable curiosity about the size and recipient of the largest paychecks in their industry. To Jason Diamond, the president of advisor recruiting firm Diamond Consultants, the numbers appear as "almost like a Rorschach test" to teams that may be happy to see the chief get paid well for the overall growth of the firm or, alternatively, agog with the big dollars and units accruing to the distant leader of a company they're going to be happy to leave, he said. Some advisors may not think about it at all, either.

The list ranks the total 2025 pay for the CEOs of LPL Financial, UBS, Raymond James, Charles Schwab, Edward Jones, Ameriprise, Merrill parent firm Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase and the other four firms based on the "summary compensation tables" in their annual proxy statements. So the numbers tying in the value of restricted units and stock options under Securities and Exchange Commission rules may differ from figures cited elsewhere.

As shown below, those four megabanks rewarded their chiefs for the firms' solid earnings with giant one-time grants of stock and other forms of pay designed to retain them and further tie their financial interest to the companies' success.

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Past performance  and future results?



Regardless, the rising asset values of last year fueled a very healthy year for the industry . Across Schwab, Raymond James, Ameriprise, Stifel Financial and LPL, pretax profit margins rolled in at an average of 24% in 2025 as their client assets soared by 19% year over year to record levels due to "constructive equity markets, continued advisor recruiting and sustained net new asset growth," according to a periodic issuer review released last week by Fitch Ratings.

Those five firms have "strong, reflecting diversified funding sources, well-staggered debt maturities and adequate liquidity buffers to support growth and meet near-term obligations," according to the note by Fitch directors Henry Ye and Brian Jarmakowicz. Stock volatility, low consumer sentiment and technology pose possible challenges to their bottom lines, though.

"AI-enabled advisory tools represent a medium-term competitive consideration for wealth managers, though Fitch does not view AI adoption as a near-term credit driver for the rated firms," they wrote. "While technology advancement may compress demand for certain back-office wealth management functions over time, the peer group's credit profiles are underpinned by scale advantages, diversified revenue streams, established client relationships and the enduring importance of advisor-led relationships in complex wealth planning. Fitch expects firms to continue investing in AI and technology infrastructure while maintaining the human advisory relationships that differentiate their value propositions."

To see which publicly traded wealth management firm paid the highest compensation to the CEO in 2025, scroll down the page. For last year's list, click here . And follow these links to see previous CEO pay packages in 2023 , 2022 and 2021 .

Note: To use a standard method of measuring each CEO's salary, bonus, stock awards, nonequity incentives and other forms of compensation, Financial Planning is, in most cases, using the "summary compensation table" for named executive officers that appeared in each firm's annual proxy statement. For UBS and Edward Jones, the numbers come from the firms' annual reports.

goldman357.jpg

Goldman Sachs

CEO: David Solomon

2025 total compensation: $118,891,684

2024 total compensation: $31,290,110

2025 vs. 2024: +$87,601,574 (increase of 280%)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $160,667

CEO to employee pay ratio: 740 to 1



Remark: "The grant of [$80 million worth of] retention [restricted stock units] reflected the board's desire to retain the current CEO and [president and chief operating officer John Waldron] as a senior leadership team, sustain the strong momentum they have demonstrated in executing on our firmwide strategic priorities, help promote stability and continuity in our senior leadership and maintain a strong succession plan for the future of the firm," according to Goldman Sachs' proxy statement. "The retention RSUs are 100% stock-based awards, and therefore further enhance Messrs. Solomon and Waldron's alignment with long-term shareholder value creation. The retention RSUs were not and are not part of Messrs. Solomon and Waldron's annual compensation."



READ MORE: Goldman Sachs boosts CEO Solomon's pay

Citi

Citi

CEO: Jane Fraser

2025 total compensation: $95,757,800

2024 total compensation: $31,127,500

2025 vs. 2024: +$64,630,300 (increase of 208%)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $73,145

CEO to employee pay ratio: 1,309 to 1



Remark: "On October 22, 2025, the Compensation Committee awarded Ms. Fraser a one-time equity award consisting of restricted stock units (RSUs) with an approved value of $25 million and 1.055 million Citigroup stock options with an approved value of $35 million," Citi proxy report said. "The Compensation Committee presented the proposal to Citi's entire Board, excluding Ms. Fraser, and it was unanimously supported. The special award was principally made, designed and timed to recognize Ms. Fraser's performance since she was appointed CEO in 2021, for retention purposes, for competitive reasons, in light of similar actions taken by most of Citi's core peers over the last few years and to incentivize Ms. Fraser's continued focus on Citi's strategy and performance."

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo

CEO: Charles "Charlie" Scharf

2025 total compensation: $94,522,642

2024 total compensation: $30,313,559

2025 vs. 2024: +$64,209,083 (increase of 212%)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $82,044

CEO to employee pay ratio: 1,152 to 1



Remark: "Since joining Wells Fargo in October 2019, Mr. Scharf has delivered exceptional leadership and transformative impact," according to the firm's proxy statement. "Under his direction, the company has achieved strong financial performance and created substantial shareholder value  including while operating under the asset cap  while positioning Wells Fargo for additional growth opportunities ahead. He successfully advanced our risk and control infrastructure, and led efforts that resulted in reaching critical regulatory milestones, including the termination of 14 consent orders and the removal of the asset cap announced in June 2025. In addition, Mr. Scharf has built and maintained a strong executive team, creating stability and fostering a committed group of top talent. As the Company made significant progress toward these milestones, the [Human Resources Committee]  in consultation with its independent consultant, Meridian  engaged in extensive deliberations throughout 2025 to determine how best to reward this outstanding performance and encourage long-term retention. The HRC concluded that a special equity award [a one-time special equity grant consisting of $30 million in restricted share rights and 1,046,000 stock options] would best achieve these objectives and recommended the final design and amount to the independent directors of the Board for approval in July 2025."

BNY Ahead Of Earnings Figures

BNY

CEO: Robin Vince

2025 total compensation: $83,472,970

2024 total compensation: $23,296,027

2025 vs. 2024: +$60,176,943 (increase of 258%)



Other notable executive compensation: Jose Minaya, global head of BNY investments and wealth ($19,200,734)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $81,987

CEO to employee pay ratio: 1,018 to 1



Remark: "Recognizing Mr. Vince's bold, long-term vision for the company, and the peer-leading shareholder value creation during his tenure to date, the independent members of the board determined it is in the best interests of the company and its shareholders to ensure that Mr. Vince continues to lead the Company for a significant number of years," BNY's proxy statement said. "To reinforce the importance of leadership continuity amid a highly competitive landscape for executive leadership talent, as well as peer company market developments regarding CEO compensation, in December 2025, the [Human Resources and Compensation Committee] approved, and the independent members of the board unanimously supported, a one-time CEO long-term transformation and retention award [of $25 million and 869,263 stock options], as disclosed in our Form 8-K filed on December 9, 2025. The board also recognized the exceptional value of Mr. Vince in building a strong executive team and reinvigorating the company's culture, which has enabled the company's multi-phase transformation and improved financial performance while making meaningful investments in the long-term success of the company. .. Since becoming CEO in 2022 and as of the date of this proxy statement, Mr. Vince has not sold any BNY stock, demonstrating his alignment with long-term stockholder value creation."

jpmorgan

JPMorgan Chase

CEO: James "Jamie" Dimon

2025 total compensation: $40,632,724

2024 total compensation: $37,683,462

2025 vs. 2024: +$2,949,262 (increase of 8%)



Other notable executive compensation: Mary Callahan Erdoes, CEO of the asset and wealth management division ($29,528,934)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $111,905

CEO to employee pay ratio: 363 to 1



Remark: "In 2025, the firm achieved strong business results and maintained its fortress balance sheet principles," JPMorgan's proxy statement said. "Results reflect execution on long-term strategic initiatives, years of investment, a favorable market backdrop and selective deployment of excess capital.  Throughout 2025, the firm continued to invest in data, technology, and AI research and capabilities, people and products and corporate responsibility, positioning it for future success. The firm also opened its new global headquarters building at 270 Park Avenue in New York, enabling the firm to create enhanced collaborative work environments for employees, serve clients locally and globally and contribute to local economies."



READ MORE: JPMorgan boosts Dimon's pay for 2025

Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley

CEO: Edward "Ted" Pick

2025 total compensation: $37,187,657

2024 total compensation: $24,881,032

2025 vs. 2024: +$12,306,625 (increase of 49%)



Other notable executive compensation: Andrew "Andy" Saperstein, co-president and head of wealth management and investment management ($28,462,554); Daniel Simkowitz, co-president and head of institutional securities ($28,389,563)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $136,396

CEO to employee pay ratio: 273 to 1



Remark: "Under Mr. Pick's leadership, for 2025, the Firm achieved strong financial performance across revenues, net income and EPS, and delivered a record year for Morgan Stanley , reflecting prudent investments for growth and operating leverage," according to the firm's proxy statement. "Multiyear investments for growth in each of Wealth Management, Institutional Securities and Investment Management via talent, clients, resiliency, technological innovation, the integration of acquisitions and the execution of the integrated firm were supported by ongoing disciplined prioritization of our expense base."

Bank of America sign

Bank of America

CEO: Brian Moynihan

2025 total compensation: $33,711,521

2024 total compensation: $28,738,702

2025 vs. 2024: +$4,972,819 (increase of 17%)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $123,990

CEO to employee pay ratio: 272 to 1



Remark: "In 2025, we delivered strong earnings growth and higher returns on equity with net income of more than $30 billion and diluted earnings per share (EPS) growth of 19% compared to 2024," according to Bank of America's proxy statement. "These results reflected strong organic growth, operating leverage, and a 41% increase in the amount of capital returned to shareholders through common stock repurchases and dividends. We maintained our focus on responsible growth aided by our diverse operating model and risk management focus amid an evolving operating environment."

Ameriprise

Ameriprise

CEO: James "Jim" Cracchiolo

2025 total compensation: $30,828,468

2024 total compensation: $28,144,215

2025 vs. 2024: +$2,684,253 (increase of 10%)



Other notable executive compensation: Joseph Sweeney, president of advice and wealth management products and service delivery ($6,655,933); William Truscott, CEO of global asset management ($8,789,211); William Davies, global chief investment officer ($4,318,739)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $133,001

CEO to employee pay ratio: 232 to 1



Remark: "In 2025, Ameriprise delivered record financial and strong business results , continuing our track record of generating shareholder value across economic and market cycles," according to the firm's proxy statement. "This reflected our ability to remain focused on helping clients achieve their goals, as well as consistently executing our strategic priorities with excellence. We maintained our focus on serving clients, motivating and engaging employees and advisors, and supporting our communities. Our proven track record of outperformance with our strong foundation allowed us to continue making substantial investments in the business while returning capital to shareholders at a differentiated rate. These strong results and how they were achieved drove the compensation decisions described in this section."



READ MORE: Ameriprise CEO gets big raise to cap record revenue year

Edward Jones

Edward Jones

CEO and managing partner: Penny Pennington

2025 total compensation: $28,042,008

2024 total compensation: $29,061,944

2025 vs. 2024: -$1,019,936 (decrease of 4%)



Other notable executive compensation: Kenneth Cella, head of external affairs ($21,695,052); David Chubak, head of wealth management and field management ($19,037,606)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $123,918

CEO to employee pay ratio: 226 to 1



Remark: "The partnership's compensation program allocates net income to general partners, including executive officers, primarily based upon their general partner ownership interests in the partnership," according to the annual report for Edward Jones' parent firm, The Jones Financial Companies. "As general partners, executive officers benefit annually from the net income of the partnership through current cash distributions from short-term results and from having an opportunity to continue to share in the long-term profitability of the organization. By owning general partner interests, executive officers are encouraged to balance short-term and long-term results of the partnership as they have a significant amount of capital at risk. Also, by sharing in any annual operating loss of the partnership, all general partners, including executive officers, have a direct incentive to manage risk and focus on the short- and long-term financial results of the partnership.



READ MORE: Edward Jones CEO pay dips 3.5% after mixed year for firm

Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab

CEO: Richard "Rick" Wurster

2025 total compensation: $18,755,222

2024 total compensation: $12,549,487

2025 vs. 2024: +$6,205,735 (increase of 49%)



Other notable executive compensation: Walter "Walt" Bettinger II, co-chairman ($6,261,234); Charles Schwab, co-chairman ($8,540179)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $131,480

CEO to employee pay ratio: 143 to 1



Remark: "2025 was a record year for Schwab," according to the firm's proxy statement. "Our clear purpose and unabated focus on serving our clients led to growth on all fronts. Our client focused framework centered on four pillars: offering new products and tools to meet the unique needs of our clients, executing brilliantly on the basics, seeking continuous improvements to scale and efficiency and attracting talent and empowering that talent to best serve our clients. Our results demonstrate the success of this collective dedication. Doing more for our growing client base bolstered Schwab's diversified revenue model. Clients are conducting more of their lives at Schwab, with record engagement across wealth management, trading and banking. The combination of our business momentum, strong engagement and favorable equity markets drove the strong performance results we achieved in 2025."

Raymond James

Raymond James

CEO: Paul Shoukry

2025 total compensation: $17,277,875

2024 total compensation: $7,071,716

2025 vs. 2024: +$10,206,159 (increase of 144%)



Other notable executive compensation: Paul Reilly, former CEO ($21,070,760); Scott Curtis, chief operating officer ($5,907,697); Tashtego "Tash" Elwyn, president of the Private Client Group ($6,624,677)



Median annual total compensation of all employees (other than CEO): $123,007

CEO to employee pay ratio: 153 to 1



Remark: "The firm's strong performance in fiscal 2025 was driven by record revenues in the Private Client Group segment and record revenues and pre-tax income in the Asset Management segment. The results highlight the strength of our business model and reinforce the value of our diverse and complementary businesses," according to the firm's proxy statement.



"As part of a planned leadership transition, Mr. Reilly and Mr. Shoukry each served in the CEO role during a portion of fiscal 2025. The board's Compensation and Talent Committee carefully considered the compensation arrangements for both executives with the goal of ensuring that total compensation paid appropriately reflects their service during this transition period. CEO total compensation for 2025 reflects the dollar value of the combined compensation for Mr. Shoukry, our CEO since February 2025 , and Mr. Reilly, our CEO prior to such date.



READ MORE: Paul Shoukry steps into CEO-level compensation at Raymond James

UBS

UBS

CEO: Sergio Ermotti

2025 total compensation: $14,921,193

2024 total compensation: $14,939,967

2025 vs. 2024: -$18,774 (decrease of less than 1%)



Remark: "The [board] recognizes Mr. Ermotti's continued excellent performance and exemplary leadership throughout 2025," according to the UBS annual report. "He delivered strong financial results and continued to focus the firm on helping clients navigate an unpredictable market environment. Under Mr. Ermotti's leadership, UBS made great progress on one of the most complex integrations in banking history . In particular, we achieved all of our very ambitious 2025 integration milestones, including migrating ~85% of 1.1 million client accounts booked in Switzerland and reducing the size and operating expenses of our non-core and legacy division. In addition, Mr. Ermotti successfully positioned UBS to deliver further sustainable, long-term growth and efficiency gains, as we complete the integration, leverage the benefits of our global scale, interconnected franchises and regional expertise and take advantage of the structural trends that are shaping our industry."



*As a foreign company, the wirehouse's parent doesn't file annual proxy statements with the SEC that include the same information available about other publicly traded firms.

lpl

LPL Financial
What a fantastic six months its been for Gorman-Rupp. Shares of the company have skyrocketed 53.4%, hitting $69.01. This was partly due to its solid quarterly results, and the run-up might have investors contemplating their next move.

Following the strength, is GRC a buy right now? Or is the market overestimating its value? Find out in our full research report, its free.

More from Yahoo Scout Is Gorman-Rupp's current valuation justified at 29.8 P/E? What drove Gorman-Rupp's 53% stock price surge? What are Wall Street's revenue projections for GRC? How strong is Gorman-Rupp's historical revenue growth?

Why Does Gorman-Rupp Spark Debate?

Powering fluid dynamics since 1934, Gorman-Rupp (NYSE:GRC) has evolved from its Ohio origins into a global manufacturer and seller of pumps and pump systems.

Two Positive Attributes:

1. Skyrocketing Revenue Shows Strong Momentum

A companys long-term sales performance is one signal of its overall quality. Any business can experience short-term success, but top-performing ones enjoy sustained growth for years. Luckily, Gorman-Rupps sales grew at an exceptional 14.4% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years. Its growth beat the average industrials company and shows its offerings resonate with customers.

Gorman-Rupp Quarterly Revenue

2. Outstanding Long-Term EPS Growth

We track the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) because it highlights whether a companys growth is profitable.

Gorman-Rupps remarkable 13.9% annual EPS growth over the last five years aligns with its revenue performance. This tells us its incremental sales were profitable.

Gorman-Rupp Trailing 12-Month EPS (Non-GAAP)

One Reason to be Careful:

Projected Revenue Growth Is Slim

Forecasted revenues by Wall Street analysts signal a companys potential. Predictions may not always be accurate, but accelerating growth typically boosts valuation multiples and stock prices while slowing growth does the opposite.

Over the next 12 months, sell-side analysts expect Gorman-Rupps revenue to rise by 5%. Although this projection indicates its newer products and services will spur better top-line performance, it is still below average for the sector. At least the company is tracking well in other measures of financial health.

Final Judgment

Gorman-Rupps merits more than compensate for its flaws, and after the recent rally, the stock trades at 29.8 forward P/E (or $69.01 per share). Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our full research report, its free.

Stocks We Like Even More Than Gorman-Rupp

ALSO WORTH WATCHING: Top 5 Momentum Stocks. The best time to own a great stock is when the market is finally noticing it. These aren't just high-quality businesses. Something is happening with them right now. Elite fundamentals meeting near-term momentum  both boxes checked at the same time.

Find out which stocks our AI platform is flagging this week. See this week's Strong Momentum stocks  FREE. Get Our Strong Momentum Stocks for Free HERE.

Stocks that have made our list include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
As European markets experience a rally, buoyed by the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and resulting boost in investor sentiment, attention turns to potential opportunities within this optimistic environment. Identifying undervalued stocks during such periods can be beneficial, as these stocks may offer value through strong fundamentals that are not yet fully reflected in their current market prices.

Top 10 Undervalued Stocks Based On Cash Flows In Europe

Name Current Price Fair Value (Est) Discount (Est) Teleste Oyj (HLSE:TLT1V) 3.50 6.96 49.7% SP Group (CPSE:SPG) DKK386.00 DKK764.12 49.5% Qrf Comm. VA (ENXTBR:QRF) 11.10 22.13 49.8% Multiconsult (OB:MULTI) NOK164.60 NOK326.08 49.5% Mare Group (BIT:MARE) 3.40 6.73 49.5% Maps (BIT:MAPS) 2.46 4.91 49.9% Gabriel Holding (CPSE:GABR) DKK228.00 DKK453.95 49.8% Continental (XTRA:CON) 65.16 128.87 49.4% B&S Group (ENXTAM:BSGR) 5.85 11.66 49.8% Airbus (ENXTPA:AIR) 169.50 336.10 49.6%

Click here to see the full list of 182 stocks from our Undervalued European Stocks Based On Cash Flows screener.

Let's dive into some prime choices out of the screener.

Overview: Ratos AB (publ) is a private equity firm that focuses on buyouts, turnarounds, add-on acquisitions, and middle market transactions, with a market cap of SEK11.29 billion.

Operations: The company's revenue is segmented into Consumer (SEK4.53 billion), Product Solutions (SEK5.31 billion), Industrial Services (SEK5.12 billion), and Construction & Services (SEK3.93 billion).

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 24.8%

Ratos AB is trading at SEK 34.22, significantly below its estimated future cash flow value of SEK 45.49, indicating it is undervalued by over 20%. Despite a challenging year with a net loss of SEK 1,743 million in Q4 2025, Ratos's revenue growth is expected to outpace the Swedish market at an annual rate of 2.5%. However, its dividend yield of 4.09% isn't well-supported by earnings, and return on equity remains modest at a forecasted 8.2%.

OM:RATO B Discounted Cash Flow as at Apr 2026

Overview: Vitrolife AB (publ) is a company that offers assisted reproduction products across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas with a market cap of SEK13.10 billion.

Operations: Vitrolife generates revenue from its assisted reproduction products across various regions including Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and the Americas.

Estimated Discount To Fair Value: 48.8%
United States Vice President JD Vance announced that his country did not reach a deal with Iran on its nuclear status, as the other side decided not to accept Washington's terms, AzerNEWS reports.

Speaking at a brief press conference after the two sides' meeting in Islamabad, Vance praised the fact that a negotiation round took place, while voicing regret that there was no breakthrough. Still, he also insisted that "that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the United States of America." The vice president said that the US team conveyed Washington's "red lines," insisting that, for a deal to be reached, Iran must provide proof that it will not develop a nuclear weapon.

Furthermore, Vance noted that "we go back to the United States having not come to an agreement," leaving unclear whether there would be more talks on Sunday.

United States President Donald Trump hinted that he could introduce a naval blockade of Iran after the latest round of negotiations between the two countries did not result in a deal.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump attached an article by Just News, in which the outlet noted that the president could execute such a move if Iran does not agree to a deal, similarly to what was done in Venezuela.

Previously, US Vice President JD Vance announced that the two parties did not reach a deal as Iran failed to provide clear evidence that it will not develop a nuclear weapon.
But the recent stretch tells a different story. The stock is down about 2.75% over the past 52 weeks, with a sharper drop of nearly 27.42% in the last six months. In 2026 alone, shares have fallen roughly 23.31% year-to-date (YTD. In fact, on March 30, MSFT was hovering near its 52-week low.

Microsofts journey over the years has been built on steady growth. Over the years, its chart has moved in a fairly consistent upward direction, driven by its strong grip on cloud through Azure and its growing push into AI. That steady climb made it a core name in most tech portfolios.

A name almost everyone recognizes, Microsoft has become the backbone of modern digital life. What started as a software company has evolved into a tech giant, boasting a market capitalization of $2.75 trillion. Windows still powers much of the worlds PCs, but today Microsoft goes far beyond that  spanning Azure cloud, Microsoft 365, enterprise tools, and gaming. Over time, it has shifted from selling software to building subscription and AI-driven ecosystems.

For investors looking to tap into Project Glasswing, MSFT, AVGO, and NVDA could be top-rated stocks to buy now.

Wedbush believes this signals a major shift. Cybersecurity, currently about 5% of IT budgets, could double as AI-driven threats rise, making it the enforcement layer of the AI era. That also means companies involved in Project Glasswing stand to benefit directly as demand for AI-driven security infrastructure scales up.

Glasswing is not a solo play. It brings together a deep bench of partners, including Microsoft Corporation (MSFT), Broadcom (AVGO), and NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA), alongside other cybersecurity leaders and tech giants. The model has already uncovered thousands of high-severity flaws across major systems, highlighting both the risks and urgency behind this push. Anthropic is committing up to $100 million in credits, with access limited to select participants through platforms like cloud and API integrations.

Anthropic, the company behind the Claude family of models, is stepping into a more critical role in the artificial intelligence (AI) race  one that goes beyond building intelligence to securing it. Its latest initiative, Project Glasswing, is a cybersecurity-focused effort powered by its most advanced model, Claude Mythos Preview, built to detect and even exploit software vulnerabilities at a level that rivals top human experts. The goal is to use AI offensively to strengthen defenses before bad actors can catch up.

Story Continues

Concerns around heavy AI spending, rising competition, and a more cautious near-term outlook have weighed on sentiment. After its January earnings, the stock even saw a sharp 10% one-day fall  its steepest since 2020  and now sits near a 10-month low.

Technically, rising volumes suggest investors are actively repositioning, while the 14-day RSI has climbed from oversold levels to 38.82, hinting that selling pressure may be starting to ease.

www.barchart.com

Valuation-wise, Microsoft is not exactly cheap. MSFT is priced at around 22.67 times forward adjusted earnings and 8.4 times forward sales, a premium to the broader tech sector averages. But compared to its own history, it is actually a bit more reasonable, reflecting quality rather than overpricing.

On top of that, Microsoft has been steady with shareholder returns, growing its dividend since 2003. It now offers about $3.64 per-share dividend annually with a comfortable payout ratio that supports future increases.

Microsoft released its Q2 earnings report for fiscal 2026 in January, generating revenue growth of 17% year-over-year (YOY), with the top line coming in at $81.3 billion. Non-GAAP EPS climbed 24% annually to $4.14. Both exceeded Wall Streets projections. Growth was driven by strength in Azure, productivity tools, and expanding AI services.

One standout was Microsofts investment in OpenAI, which delivered a $7.6 billion gain, flipping from a loss last year. Still, management kept the focus on core operations. Margins stayed solid, with the operating margin at 47%, even as the company continued heavy AI spending.

Cloud revenue crossed $50 billion in a quarter for the first time, up 26% YOY, while commercial bookings rose 23%. Remaining performance obligations surged to $625 billion, showing strong future demand. Yet, despite all this, the stock slipped as investors grew cautious about rising AI capex, which hit nearly $30 billion.

From a financial standpoint, Microsoft remains on a strong footing, with a hefty cash pile, manageable debt, robust cash flow generation, and billions returned to shareholders through dividends and buybacks.

Microsoft is all set to publish its fiscal 2026 Q3 financial results after market close on Wednesday, Apr. 29. The management estimates Q3 revenue between $80.65 billion and $81.75 billion, implying mid-teens growth. Azure is expected to remain a key driver, with growth projected to accelerate to around 37% to 38%, even as demand continues to run ahead of available capacity.

In the near term, margins may come under slight pressure as Microsoft continues investing heavily in AI infrastructure. However, management expects margins to improve over the full year as spending stabilizes and scale benefits kick in.

Meanwhile, Wall Street analysts are equally bullish on Microsoft. EPS is expected to be about $4.04 per-share profit, up 16.8% YOY in Q3, while revenue is projected to be around $81.4 billion, signaling that growth across cloud and AI remains steady.

Looking further ahead to fiscal 2026, confidence builds further. EPS is estimated at $16.46 for the year, marking roughly 20.7% annual growth, and another 13.9% jump annually to $18.74 in fiscal 2027. That kind of steady expansion keeps the long-term story intact.

Overall, analysts are upbeat on MSFT, with a Strong Buy consensus. Of the 49 analysts tracking the tech stock, 41 have a Strong Buy, four advise a Moderate Buy, and the remaining four are on the sidelines with a Hold rating.

MSFT has an average price target of $589.95, implying roughly 59% upside potential from current levels, implying the momentum still has room to build. On the bullish end, the Street-high target of $678 points to even sharper gains of 82.8%, suggesting belief in Microsofts durable AI and cloud momentum.

www.barchart.com

www.barchart.com

Stock #2: Broadcom

Broadcom, founded in 1961 and based in Palo Alto, has evolved into one of the most powerful names in global tech, with a market cap of $1.76 trillion. Its semiconductors may not be consumer-facing, but they quietly power cloud infrastructure, AI data centers, smartphones, broadband, and industrial systems. Alongside this, Broadcom has built a strong infrastructure software business rooted in long-term enterprise relationships, creating a durable edge through high-margin chips and sticky, mission-critical software.

Broadcom stock has been on a powerful run, and investors have clearly rewarded its AI-led playbook. Over the past 52 weeks, AVGO has surged 115.64%, driven by strong AI networking demand, a successful VMware integration, and steady high-margin software earnings. Along the way, the stock notched 44 new highs, even touching a peak of $414.60 on Dec. 10, before cooling off and currently sitting about 10.38% below those levels.

Still, the recent pullback does not signal weakness, but looks more like a pause. Momentum is starting to pick up again, with shares up 7.35% so far in 2026 and jumping by a sharp 18.12% over the past five days. Technically, the 14-day RSI sits near 70.88, suggesting improving strength but now in overbought territory. At the same time, rising volume points to renewed buying interest.

www.barchart.com

Broadcom trades at a premium, with the stock currently priced around 35.83 times forward adjusted earnings and 16.81 times forward sales  both above the sector averages. That may seem expensive, but it also reflects confidence in its strong cash flow, scale, and steady earnings outlook.

Additionally, AVGO's strength shows up in shareholder returns. The company recently raised its quarterly dividend to $0.65 per share last year, bringing the annual payout to $2.60 per share and extending a 15-year streak of increases. With a payout ratio of about 34.1%, Broadcom still has room to reinvest while rewarding investors consistently.

Broadcom started fiscal 2026 on a strong note, keeping the momentum going from last year. In its Q1 report released on March 4, the company delivered revenue of $19.3 billion, up 29% YOY, surging past Streets projections, while non-GAAP EPS rose 28% to $2.05, marking its ninth straight quarterly earnings beat.

Its Semiconductor Solutions segment revenue jumped 52% annually to $12.5 billion, driven largely by booming AI demand. Big partnerships with players like Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL) and Anthropic are fueling this growth. AI revenue alone came in at $8.4 billion, more than doubling annually and beating expectations, thanks to strong demand for custom AI chips and networking solutions. Meanwhile, its Infrastructure Software business added another $6.8 billion in revenue, providing steady support.

Financially, Broadcom looks solid. Cash flow from operations rose 35% to $8.3 billion, while free cash flow climbed 33% to $8 billion. The company also ended the quarter with $14.17 billion in cash and cash equivalents and approved a new $10 billion buyback program, easing concerns around funding needs.

Looking ahead, management guided for Q2 revenue of around $22 billion, implying 47% growth, with AI semiconductor revenue expected at $10.7 billion. With expanding AI deals with Anthropic and Google, Broadcom appears well-positioned to push past its long-term targets.

Wall Street sees Broadcom riding the AI wave in a big way, with revenue expected to reach about $104.6 billion in fiscal 2026. Earnings are projected to jump 76% YOY to $9.91 per share, with another strong 61.2% annual growth to $15.97 in 2027.

Analysts are confident, with AVGO stock having an overall Strong Buy rating. Of the 42 analysts tracking the stock, 35 back it with a Strong Buy, three have a Moderate Buy, while four sit on the sidelines with a Hold" rating.

AVGOs average target of $467.64 suggests an upside potential of 25.86% from the current price levels. The Streets highest $630 price target hints the stock could rally as much as 69.56%.

www.barchart.com

www.barchart.com

Stock #3: NVIDIA

Founded in 1993 and based in Santa Clara, California, NVIDIA has become a pioneer in GPUs and AI-driven computing. From gaming to data centers and automotive tech, its innovations have reshaped industries, powering the AI revolution. Beyond technology, Nvidia champions energy-efficient designs and diversity initiatives, combining cutting-edge innovation with responsibility, cementing its role as a cornerstone of modern high-performance computing. It currently boasts a market cap of about $4.6 trillion.

Shares of NVIDIA have moved in a start-stop pattern over the past year, rising sharply and then pausing before the next leg up. The stock hit new highs 44 times in 52 weeks, peaking at $212.19 in October before pulling back about 11%. Even with that dip, the stock is still up roughly 75.36% over the past 52 weeks.

In 2026, things have been less smooth, with slight declines as concerns around AI spending and rising competition weighed on sentiment. That said, sentiment has already shown signs of turning, with recent geopolitical easing helping the stock bounce back.

Technically, momentum is stabilizing again, with rising volumes and 14-day RSI improving  suggesting this may be a pause, not a trend break.

www.barchart.com

From a valuation standpoint, NVDA does not look as stretched now. It trades around 23.76 times forward adjusted earnings, below its historical levels and even the sector average, with room to ease further if AI growth holds strong. Its price-to-sales ratio has also cooled to 12.41 times. Plus, NVIDIA has steadily paid dividends for over a decade  small, but backed by strong cash flows.

When we look at NVIDIA's financials, it suggests just how strong the business is running. Its fiscal Q4 2026 numbers, released in February, made that clear. Revenue jumped 73.2% YOY to $68.1 billion, while adjusted earnings climbed 82% annually to $1.62 per share  both beating the Streets estimates. The real engine remains its data center segment, where revenue soared roughly 75% YOY to $62.3 billion as companies continue pouring money into AI infrastructure. Even gaming held up well, growing 47% YOY.

All this strength shows up clearly in its financials. NVIDIA is sitting on over $62 billion in cash with relatively low debt, and it generated massive free cash flow of nearly $96.6 billion for the full year. That kind of cash gives it serious flexibility, whether its investing in future tech or rewarding shareholders. In fiscal 2026 alone, it returned $41.1 billion through buybacks and dividends, with another $58.5 billion still authorized.

Looking ahead, the runway still looks long. At its GTC event, management projected up to $1 trillion in revenue from its Blackwell and Vera Rubin AI platforms between 2025 and 2027. Management expects a strong start to fiscal 2027, guiding for first-quarter total revenue of around $78 billion, which is another sign that momentum remains firmly intact.

Analysts are even slightly more optimistic, forecasting about $78.8 billion in revenue, with earnings jumping 120.8% YOY to $1.70 per share. Looking further ahead, EPS is projected to climb 69.4% annually in fiscal 2027 to $7.74, followed by another 31.8% growth in fiscal 2028 to $10.20, pointing to sustained, high-growth ahead.

Overall, analysts are upbeat about the chip giants growth potential, giving the stock a consensus rating of Strong Buy. Of the 49 analysts covering the stock, 44 advise a Strong Buy, three suggest Moderate Buy, one recommends a Hold, and the remaining one has a Strong Sell.

The average analyst price target for NVDA is $268.80, indicating potential upside of 42.5%. The Street-high target price of $380 suggests that the stock could rally as much as 101.5% from here.

www.barchart.com

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On the date of publication, Sristi Suman Jayaswal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
Investor-backed Italian bakery producer Fornaio del Casale has struck three add-on acquisitions for Castelfood, Figuli and Dolciaria Ponte Vecchio.

Financial terms of the transactions were not disclosed.

In a statement, private-equity firm and Fornaio del Casales owner Aksia said the acquisitions represent the first milestone in a buy-and-build strategy aimed at creating a leading group in the premium sweet and savoury snack market.

Aksia acquired a majority stake in Fornaio del Casale from Riello Investimenti and the founding Gecchele family in a transaction announced in August.

Under that deal, Riello and the family reinvested and retained minority stakes, and are now partnering with Aksia on the latest acquisitions.

The three newly acquired businesses were bought from their entrepreneurial owners and are all family-run companies, Aksia told Just Food.

The founders of the acquired businesses  Gianni Rizzato of Castelfood, Filippo Albertini and Fabio Sartori of Figuli, and Andrea Puccioni of Dolciaria Ponte Vecchio  will also reinvest and stay involved operationally, according to the statement.

Fornaio del Casale and the three newly acquired businesses will be brought together under a new entity, Equipe Del Casale Group.

Aksia said the combined business will enable the creation of a scalable and diversified industrial platform, with significant opportunities for cross-selling and commercial development.

Fornaio del Casale, founded in 1969 and based in Casale sul Sile near Treviso, produces under the Gecchele and Antico Casale brands.

It will act as the industrial and commercial base for the enlarged group, with the three acquisitions each adding a distinct category.

Castelfood is active in cereal-, rice- and vegetable-based snacks and has a strong international footprint.

Figuli specialises in organic and natural baked goods, with a strong positioning in health-focused and gluten-free products.

Dolciaria Ponte Vecchio focuses on traditional baked goods, particularly cakes and doughnuts.

In response to Just Food's request for more details, Aksia said the three businesses mainly supply retail customers and also produce private-label products.

Their main markets are Italy and the UK, with Italy the largest market.

Filippo Anichini, an Aksia partner, said: The group is now embarking on an integration and consolidation process aimed at fully capturing the commercial and production synergies arising from the combination of the different businesses.

We intend to further enhance the strength of the Gecchele and Figuli brands, alongside the development of new brands and an expansion of our presence in target markets.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is one of the 10 Stocks That Will Skyrocket When Oil Prices Fall. On April 2, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) introduced its latest AI model, Qwen3.6-Plus, with a focus on stronger agentic capabilities and advanced coding performance. According to the company, the model delivers improved coding abilities and can handle more complex development tasks, while also offering better multimodal capabilities, including document understanding, decision-making, and visual analysis.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) is one of the 10 Stocks That Will Skyrocket When Oil Prices Fall.

Qwen3.6-Plus is available through Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) Clouds Model Studio API and can be integrated with third-party coding tools. This makes it easier for developers to use in real-world applications. The release builds on feedback from the earlier Qwen3.5-Plus series launched in February, with improvements aimed at delivering a more reliable and stable platform. As highlighted by the company:

"By directly addressing community feedback from the Qwen3.5-Plus deployment, this release offers a highly stable and reliable foundation for the developer ecosystem, delivering a truly transformative vibe coding experience."

The launch reflects the companys continued investment in AI as it faces growing competition in China from companies such as ByteDance, DeepSeek, and Baidu.

Earlier, on March 25, Alex Yao of J.P. Morgan reiterated a Buy rating and set a price target of $205 on Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA). The firms price target implies a further 61% upside from the current levels.

Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA) operates as a technology infrastructure and marketing solutions provider. It operates both within the Peoples Republic of China and internationally. The company was founded by Chung Tsai and Yun Ma in June 1999 and is headquartered in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

While we acknowledge the potential of BABA to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BABA and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

While we acknowledge the potential of BABA as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If youre looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.
American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) is included among the 15 Cash-Rich Dividend Stocks to Invest in Right Now.

American Express Company (AXP) - One of the 15 Cash-Rich Dividend Stocks to Invest in Right Now

On April 10, RBC Capital lowered its price recommendation on American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) to $415 from $425. It reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares. The update came as part of its Q1 preview for consumer finance names. The firm expects seasonal trends to lead to lower loan balances, while credit metrics remain stable or improve year over year. It also said upcoming conference calls will likely focus on consumer sentiment and overall financial health, especially with recent macro volatility. Even so, RBC believes that fundamentals remain healthy.

A day earlier, on April 9, Wells Fargo also reduced its price objective on American Express to $415 from $425. It maintained an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm said that as war-related risks ease, attention is shifting toward concerns around AI and job security, where investor sentiment appears cautious. Wells noted that credit trends and card spending are holding up well, and said stimulus effects are expected to outweigh pressure from gas prices. The firm also expects banks to maintain a constructive tone toward the consumer in the coming week.

American Express Company (NYSE:AXP) operates as a global payments and premium lifestyle brand supported by technology. Its card-issuing, merchant-acquiring, and network businesses serve a wide range of customers, including individuals, small businesses, mid-sized firms, and large corporations worldwide.

While we acknowledge the potential of AXP as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 13 NASDAQ Stocks with Highest Dividends and 15 Best Cheap Dividend Stocks to Buy

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B&M interim CFO and executive director Helen Cowing has left the UK discount retailer with immediate effect, less than five months after starting in December 2025.

Cowing took on the temporary finance post after the departure of former CFO Mike Schmidt.

The business has named its current group financial controller, Peter Waterhouse, as interim CFO. It added that he will assume the post immediately and will stay in place until a permanent appointment is made.

Waterhouse joined B&M in 2013 and became group financial controller in 2020.

He has held senior finance positions at Johnson Service Group and Logica.

In a separate board update, B&M appointed Peter Pritchard as a non-executive director, effective immediately.

Pritchard was group CEO at Pets at Home from 2018 to 2022 and has previously worked at Asda and Wilko.

He is currently a senior independent director and chair of the remuneration committee at AO World.

Pritchard commented: I am excited to be joining the board of B&M at an important point in its development. B&M is a highly differentiated business with a strong value-led proposition, disciplined operating model and a clear opportunity to drive further growth.

B&M also said Jennifer Lawrence will join as group people director on 5 May 2026, leading a newly created group human relations (HR) function covering B&M UK, B&M France and Heron.

Lawrence has more than 25 years of HR experience, including roles at Boots Opticians and Costcutter, and most recently served as executive people and transformation director at Card Factory.

The retailer added that its FY26 preliminary results for the 52 weeks to 28 March 2026 are due on 3 June 2026.

B&M CEO Tjeerd Jegen said: It is fantastic to have Jennifer join B&M in this new expanded role. Alongside our customers, our people are vital stakeholders in our business. Jennifer's appointment will help us serve them better while deepening the diversity of talent we are building across our leadership.

I am equally pleased we can draw on Peter's considerable experience and expertise as our interim CFO. I look forward to working closely with him in his new role. I would like to thank Helen for leading our finance team on an interim basis in recent months. We wish her well for the future.

"B&M interim CFO Helen Cowing exits" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand.




Earlier this year, Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) stock got a big boost after reporting some strong earnings numbers. The company's growth was better than expected, resulting in some renewed bullishness around the stock. As a result, it's up 12% this year, which is a nice change of pace from previous years when it has struggled to attract investors.

In a couple of weeks, on April 27, the company is scheduled to release its next earnings report, covering the first three months of 2026. Should you buy Verizon stock before those numbers come out?

Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue 

Image source: Getty Images.

The pressure will be on Verizon to prove Q4 wasn't a fluke

When Verizon released its most recent earnings numbers on Jan. 30, the highlight was that its net adds for the quarter were the highest since 2019, at more than 1 million. New CEO Dan Schulman said the company was "exiting 2025 with strong momentum, delivered by a team that is intensely

focused on winning through healthy volumes and fiscally responsible growth."

The big test will be whether the company can indeed prove that it has gotten back to growth, or if it was a one-off boost from the holiday shopping season. Verizon has also been struggling in recent years to generate much growth, and thus, it may also have been overdue for a strong quarter like the one it experienced in Q4. If the company follows up with similarly impressive numbers in Q1, however, that could be an excellent sign that management's strategy is working effectively.

Why the stock may be worth buying anyway

Even if Verizon falls short of expectations in its upcoming quarter, the stock still makes for a compelling buy. Not only is it cheap, trading at just nine times its estimated future earnings, but it also pays a dividend that yields 6.2%, which is well above the S&P 500 average of 1.2%. It's a fairly safe payout that investors can rely on for the long term. Plus, with the company recently closing its acquisition of Frontier, its long-term growth prospects look better than ever, with Verizon significantly expanding its fiber network.

Although the stock is doing well this year, I'm confident that Verizon's shares may have even more room to run higher in the long run. For buy-and-hold investors, this may be one of the better dividend stocks to buy right now, as not only does it possess some attractive upside, but it can be a great source of recurring income for years to come.
In March, Dana Inc. held its capital markets day to outline its Dana 2030 plan, emphasizing sustainable growth, higher-margin business, and operational efficiency, while targeting up to US$2.00 billion in total share repurchases by 2030 on top of the US$765 million already completed.

An interesting takeaway for investors is how this long-term repurchase goal, paired with a sharpened focus on cost discipline, signals managements confidence in the companys ability to generate cash and support shareholder returns over time.

Well now examine how Danas long-term Dana 2030 plan, especially its sizeable buyback ambition, may reshape the companys investment narrative.

Find 58 companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value.

Dana Investment Narrative Recap

To own Dana, you need to believe the company can turn its focused Light Vehicle and electrified driveline portfolio into steadier profits despite cyclical auto demand and concentration in North America. The Dana 2030 plan and expanded buyback target from the recent capital markets day reinforce cash generation as a key near term catalyst, while execution on cost savings remains the biggest current risk. Overall, the March update does not materially change those core issues.

The most relevant development to this news is Danas February decision to lift its share repurchase authorization to US$2.0 billion through 2030, on top of US$650.15 million already spent. That capital return commitment now underpins the Dana 2030 message, tying investor expectations more tightly to Danas ability to sustain free cash flow, hit its US$310 million cost savings goal, and manage through potential softness in North American Commercial Vehicle demand.

Yet behind the sizeable buyback plan, investors should still be aware of...

Read the full narrative on Dana (it's free!)

Dana's narrative projects $8.3 billion revenue and $366.9 million earnings by 2029. This requires 3.5% yearly revenue growth and a $436.9 million earnings increase from -$70.0 million today.

Uncover how Dana's forecasts yield a $39.57 fair value, a 9% upside to its current price.

Exploring Other Perspectives

DAN 1-Year Stock Price Chart

Two fair value views from the Simply Wall St Community span about US$39.57 to US$49.82 per share, showing how far apart individual assessments can be. When you weigh those against Danas heavy reliance on a more concentrated Light Vehicle and North American customer base, it underlines why checking several viewpoints on the companys future resilience may matter.

Explore 2 other fair value estimates on Dana - why the stock might be worth just $39.57!
(Bloomberg) -- Nvidia Corp. denied a report from website SemiAccurate that it was seeking an acquisition of a large company that would reshape the PC landscape.

The website said Nvidia had been negotiating a deal for more than a year. The report sparked a rally Monday in the shares of PC makers Dell Technologies Inc. and HP Inc.

The media report is false; Nvidia is not engaged in discussions to acquire any PC maker, a company spokesperson told Bloomberg News.

Dell and HP are among the top PC vendors in the world. HP, based in Palo Alto, California, has 19% of the global market in the first quarter, trailing just Lenovo Group Ltd., which had a share of almost 27%, according to Gartner Inc., an industry research firm. Dell, based in Round Rock, Texas, had about 17% market share, the firm said.

Nvidia, the worlds most valuable company, is the biggest maker of chips to power artificial intelligence work. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang has been a leading advocate for the use of AI across the economy, urging companies to experiment with how the emerging technology can help their businesses.

The company invested $70 billion in partners and customers in the fiscal year that ended in January to help further AI.

Dell also manufactures AI servers that use Nvidia chips, and predicted it will generate about $50 billion in revenue from that business in the current fiscal year, which ends in January 2027.

Dell shares fell 3.4% in extended trading after Nvidias comments. Earlier, the stock jumped 6.7% to close in New York at a record high of $189.79. HP stock also declined more than 3% in extended trading after gaining 5.3% during the day to close at $19.23.

Dell and HP didnt respond to requests for comment.

--With assistance from Brody Ford.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com

2026 Bloomberg L.P.
The Cheesecake Factory recently rolled out a new mobile app and Cheesecake Rewards promotion offering members a complimentary slice with any purchase through April 30, while also securing a new unsecured US$400 million revolving credit facility maturing in 2031 to support general corporate uses, including dividends, buybacks and acquisitions.

These moves, alongside a strong fiscal 2025 with record revenue of US$3.75 billion and continued restaurant expansion, highlight how the company is pairing digital engagement and capital flexibility to reinforce its position in casual dining.

Next, well examine how the new app-driven rewards push could influence Cheesecake Factorys investment narrative built around experience and expansion.

We've uncovered the 11 dividend fortresses yielding 5%+ that don't just survive market storms, but thrive in them.

Cheesecake Factory Investment Narrative Recap

To own Cheesecake Factory, you have to believe its experience led casual dining model can keep attracting guests even as digital and off premise options grow. The short term catalyst now centers on whether the new app based Cheesecake Rewards push can stabilize traffic after recent comparable sales softness, while the biggest risk remains sustained pressure on dine in visits that higher engagement and promotions may not fully offset. The new US$400 million credit facility does not materially change that near term equation.

The most relevant recent announcement here is the launch of the new Cheesecake Factory app and enhanced Cheesecake Rewards offer, which directly targets that traffic and engagement risk. The free slice promotion through April 30 is a clear test of how effectively the brand can use digital tools and loyalty to lift visit frequency and check size, an important piece of the broader expansion and experience story investors are watching.

But while the new app might boost engagement, investors should still watch how persistent dine in traffic pressure could affect...

Read the full narrative on Cheesecake Factory (it's free!)

Cheesecake Factory's narrative projects $4.5 billion revenue and $254.6 million earnings by 2029. This requires 5.9% yearly revenue growth and about a $106 million earnings increase from $148.4 million today.

Uncover how Cheesecake Factory's forecasts yield a $64.44 fair value, a 9% upside to its current price.

Exploring Other Perspectives

CAKE 1-Year Stock Price Chart

While consensus sees steady growth, the most bearish analysts were modeling revenue of about US$4.4 billion and earnings near US$260 million by 2029, and view digital loyalty momentum very differently from those who see Cheesecake Rewards as a key margin and traffic driver, so this latest app news could shift either narrative once the numbers start to show up.
Aquila Part Prod Com S.A., operating in distribution and logistics, has shown a reduction in its debt to equity ratio from 171.8% to 30.7% over five years, indicating improved financial health. Despite a decrease in net profit margins from 3.1% to 1.4%, the company's debt remains well covered by operating cash flow at 23.5%. With short-term assets exceeding both short and long-term liabilities, Aquila maintains a stable financial position. Recent earnings reported sales of RON3.47 billion for 2025, yet net income decreased to RON49.91 million from RON90.12 million the previous year, reflecting challenges in profitability growth amidst market volatility.

Operations: The company's revenue is derived from three main segments: Distribution, generating RON3.30 billion; Logistics, contributing RON111.87 million; and Transport, adding RON61.43 million.

Overview: Aquila Part Prod Com S.A. operates in the distribution and logistics sector across Romania, Moldova, Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, and other international markets with a market cap of RON1.85 billion.

As European markets rally following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, investor sentiment has improved, with major indexes like Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 posting significant gains. Amidst this backdrop of cautious optimism, penny stocksoften smaller or newer companiescontinue to present intriguing opportunities for investors seeking growth potential. While the term "penny stocks" might seem outdated, their relevance persists as they offer a unique blend of affordability and financial strength in today's market landscape.

Story Continues

Overview: Nanoform Finland Oyj provides nanotechnology and drug particle engineering services to the pharma and biotech industries in Europe and the United States, with a market cap of 47.12 million.

Operations: The company generates 5.02 million in revenue from its expert services in nanotechnology and drug particle engineering.

Market Cap: 47.12M

Nanoform Finland Oyj, with a market cap of 47.12 million, is navigating challenges typical for penny stocks in the biotech sector. The company reported revenue of 3.55 million for 2025 but remains unprofitable with a net loss of 17.9 million, though this marks an improvement from the previous year. Recent regulatory feedback on its nanoenzalutamide product necessitates exploring alternative approval pathways in Europe, potentially delaying submissions initially planned for May 2026. Despite these hurdles, Nanoform's proprietary technology shows promise in transitioning biologics to subcutaneous delivery, which could enhance patient convenience and healthcare efficiency.

HLSE:NANOFH Debt to Equity History and Analysis as at Apr 2026

Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: 

Overview: Pricer AB (publ) offers in-store digital solutions across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Americas, and Asia and Pacific, with a market cap of SEK507.43 million.

Operations: There are no specific revenue segments reported for this company.

Market Cap: SEK507.43M

Pricer AB, with a market cap of SEK507.43 million, is experiencing volatility typical for penny stocks. The company's short-term assets exceed liabilities, indicating solid liquidity, yet its earnings have declined over the past five years. Recent financial results show a decrease in both sales and net income compared to the previous year. Pricer's partnership with Carrefour remains significant despite reduced contributions to gross profit as Carrefour diversifies its suppliers. The company continues to innovate with offerings like Pricer Avenue and maintains opportunities for growth through franchise partnerships within Carrefour's ecosystem in Europe.

OM:PRIC B Debt to Equity History and Analysis as at Apr 2026

Key Takeaways

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Companies discussed in this article include BVB:AQ HLSE:NANOFH and OM:PRIC B.

This article was originally published by Simply Wall St.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
Voting polls in the Hungarian parliamentary election opened on Sunday at 6:00 am CET, AzerNEWS reports.

The vote to elect all 199 members of the National Assembly will last until 7:00 pm CET. In the previous election, held in 2022, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's party Fidesz won 135 seats in the parliament.

The election comes at a moment when Hungary is blocking the European Union's proposed aid for Ukraine after Kiev halted the transport of Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline. Also, United States President Donald Trump voiced his support for Orban and promised that his country will use its "full economic might" to help Hungary under the latter's "continued leadership."
Quick Read

Goldman Sachs (GS) stock fell to $871 even though the company crushed earnings: record $5.3B equity trading revenue (+27%), EPS beat $17.55 vs. $16.34 estimate, and net earnings up 19% to $5.6B.

A main bearish catalyst for Goldman Sachs is a top lawyers resignation over Jeffrey Epstein ties.

Goldmans FICC division missed expectations: revenue fell 13% YoY to $4B, down $855M vs. analyst expectations.

The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks. Get them here FREE.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) stock is down 4% in early Monday trading, sliding from a prior close of $907.80 to $870 despite reporting impressive Q1 2026 results. The firm posted record equity trading revenue, a 19% profit jump, and beats on nearly every major metric before the bell. So what's going on?

The short answer is that good earnings aren't always enough. Three distinct headwinds are hitting Goldman Sachs simultaneously this morning: a high-profile legal resignation tied to Jeffrey Epstein, a meaningful miss in its fixed income division, and broad investor caution ahead of a packed bank earnings week. Together, they're overwhelming what would otherwise be a celebratory trading day.

READ: The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks

Quarterly Results Delivered

Let's start with what Goldman Sachs actually delivered. Net earnings rose 19% to $5.6 billion, and EPS came in at $17.55 versus the $16.34 consensus estimate, a meaningful beat by any measure. Total revenue rose 14% to $17.23 billion, beating the FactSet estimate of $16.99 billion.

The standout was equity trading. Equity trading revenue jumped 27% to a record $5.3 billion, surpassing Goldman Sachs 's own prior Wall Street record set last quarter by $1 billion. M&A dealmaking fees rose 48% to $2.8 billion, and M&A advisory revenue surged 89% year-over-year. CEO David Solomon called it out directly, saying, "Goldman Sachs delivered very strong performance for our shareholders this quarter, even as market conditions became more volatile."

The prediction market agreed well in advance. Polymarket priced a 100% implied probability of a Goldman Sachs earnings beat before the announcement, with the market resolving on a $17.55 actual EPS against a $15.95 Street consensus fixed at market creation. When the crowd is that confident, the stock needs to do more than just beat to move higher.

Epstein Resignation Clouds the Headline

The most disruptive element this morning has nothing to do with the income statement. Goldman Sachs's top lawyer has resigned over ties to Jeffrey Epstein, creating a significant reputational and governance headline at the worst possible time. For investors who already had the earnings beat priced in, this is the kind of news that shifts the calculus.
Quick Read

Williams-Sonoma (WSM) shares gained 2% to after Goldman Sachs upgraded the stock to Buy from Neutral with a $218 price target.

Williams-Sonoma trades at 21x forward P/Ea discount versus two months agoafter beating Q4 EPS ($3.04 vs. $2.89 consensus) despite revenue miss driven by calendar timing.

The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks. Get them here FREE.

Williams-Sonoma (NYSE:WSM) stock is up roughly 2% in early Monday trading, touching $192 after Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) stock upgraded the shares to Buy from Neutral this morning. The catalyst is a fresh price target of $218, raised from $185, implying roughly 14% upside from current levels.

The upgrade follows a roughly 12% pullback from the February 2026 high of $214.03. Goldman's research note views that retreat as an opportunity, citing the company's "one of the strongest portfolios of brands in retail and the opportunity for sales growth acceleration from both unit and comp growth" portfolio spanning Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Williams Sonoma.

Goldman Sachs Upgrade Signals Dip as Buying Opportunity

Goldman's core argument is straightforward: the pullback has made a fundamentally sound business meaningfully cheaper. The firm cites Williams-Sonoma stock's 14% pullback from the February highs as the primary rationale for the upgrade. At a forward P/E ratio of 21x, Williams-Sonoma stock trades at a discount to where it was two months ago.

READ: The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks

The most recent earnings report, filed March 18, gave investors a mixed but resilient picture. Williams-Sonoma's diluted EPS came in at $3.04, beating the $2.89 consensus estimate, even as revenue of $2.357 billion missed the $2.417 billion estimate. The revenue shortfall was largely a calendar issue: the quarter ran on a 13-week basis versus a 14-week comparison period a year earlier.

On a comparable brand revenue basis, the underlying business held up well. Williams-Sonoma's Q4 comparable brand revenue grew 3% on the 13-week basis, and Q4 operating margin came in at 20%. CEO Laura Alber framed the quarter with confidence: "We are proud of our strong finish to 2025. In Q4, our comp came in at +3.2%, and we delivered an operating margin of 20.3% with earnings per share of $3.04."

Brand Portfolio Strength Underpins the Thesis

Brand-level performance heading into FY2026 shows broad momentum with one soft spot. The Williams Sonoma brand led all divisions with a 7% comp in Q4, while West Elm posted 5% and Pottery Barn Kids and Teen grew 4%. Pottery Barn posted a -2% comp, though it remains the largest revenue contributor at $838.1 million for the quarter.
Investors have plenty of ways to play the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. Software, hardware, cloud computing, energy, and data center companies all offer growth potential. But one key player is often overlooked: the company that manufactures most of the chips powering data centers.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM) delivered strong results in 2025, and management expects sustained demand for cutting-edge AI processors for years to come. With a dominant market share, a broad customer base, and high margins, it stands out as a top pick-and-shovel play on the AI infrastructure buildout. If you have $1,000 available to invest, you might want to put it toward this AI stock. Here's why.

Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue 

Image source: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing.

Why TSMC is built for growth

A large share of data center spending goes into chips, with the total spending for data centers expected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2030, according to Dell'Oro Group. That suggests an addressable market for chips in the hundreds of billions.

As the leader in chip manufacturing for leading tech companies, TSMC should benefit. The company has posted double-digit revenue growth, sending its stock soaring over the past few years.

The stock is down 5.7% from its high amid this year's broader tech sell-off, partly reflecting worries that AI spending could cool. The chip industry is also cyclical, which is always a risk. That showed up in late 2022, when demand softened, and the stock fell 58% from its high.

While investors should expect the industry to experience occasional ups and downs, management still sees tremendous long-term demand for advanced process technologies. TSMC works closely with customers who share their long-term plans, which is reflected in management's guidance. The company is calling for more than 50% annualized growth in AI chips through 2029.

One reason TSMC maintains such close relationships with customers is its massive scale. The company's annual production capacity now exceeds 17 million 12-inch-equivalent wafers, up from 16 million in 2023. That manufacturing muscle supports $122 billion in annual revenue, making TSMC one of the largest semiconductor companies by global revenue, according to The Motley Fool's research.

Why buy TSMC stock?

Despite its dominance, TSMC isn't the only chip foundry. It faces competition from Samsung, which has a deal to make chips for Tesla, and Intel, which has recently received U.S. government backing. Even so, TSMC's market share has been rising, reaching 72% in the second half of 2025, according to Counterpoint Research. It generates a stellar 45% profit margin, underscoring its customer relationships and scale advantage.
Price noted that Q4 revenue would have been higher but for a shipping-timing issue tied to Costcos revenue recognition terms. He said roughly CAD 1 million of product shipped in late December arrived at customer warehouses after year-end, and because Costco does not treat risk as transferred until receipt at its warehouse, the revenue shifted into Q1. Price said this timing issue was one of the reasons why we amended our guidance for Q1.

Chief Financial Officer Hilton Price said fiscal 2025 revenue rose to CAD 32.9 million from CAD 27.3 million in the prior year, a 20% increase and a company record. Fourth-quarter revenue was CAD 11.0 million , up from CAD 10.5 million a year earlier.

Beevis said iFabric is aiming to bring its proprietary technology, clinically proven technology to market by pairing treatments with finished products, describing the model as chemistry to checkout.

Giancarlo Beevis, COO of iFabric and CEO of its Intelligent Fabric Technologies unit, described the company as operating two divisions: Intelligent Fabric Technologies, which develops textile performance chemistries and treatments (including antimicrobial protection, moisture management, cooling, and UV protection), and Coconut Grove Intimates, which distributes solution-driven intimate apparel and accessories through major retailers in North America and select markets in Europe and the U.K.

Executives at iFabric (TSE:IFA) highlighted record fiscal 2025 results and issued strong first-quarter fiscal 2026 revenue guidance during an investor call, while also addressing margin headwinds tied to tariffs and a temporary pause in intimate apparel shipments.

Strategic shifts and growth initiatives : the company ended the Maidenform license to remove royalties and expand product flexibility, expanded its "Doctors Choice" scrubs to ~1,367 Walmart stores while pursuing hospital channels, diversified sourcing, and is lodging a ~USD 600,000 refund claim for disputed tariffs.

Q1 FY2026 guidance of CAD 2527 million is supported by an inventory build to CAD 21 million, and management expects margin recovery as intimate apparel resumes under iFabrics own brand, targeting blended gross margins of ~3537% and adjusted EBITDA margins of ~15% in 2026 (up to 20% in 2027).

Record fiscal 2025 revenue of CAD 32.9 million (+20%) but profitability weakenedgross margin fell to 32% (Q4: 26%) and adjusted EBITDA dropped to CAD 1.9 millionmainly due to tariffs and a temporary pause in intimate-apparel shipments.

Story Continues

Gross margin was a central theme. Price said margins declined to 32% in fiscal 2025 from 41% the prior year, and in Q4 fell to 26% from 40% in the year-ago quarter. He attributed pressure primarily to tariffs affecting about CAD 17 million in U.S. sales, and to the companys decision to temporarily stop shipping intimate apparel in Q4 following the non-renewal of the Maidenform license agreement. Price emphasized intimate apparel is the companys highest-margin business, meaning the absence of those shipments had an outsized impact on blended gross margin.

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Price added that the company had not been able to fully reprice goods previously due to committed pricing. Instead, management chose to share tariff costs with suppliers, saying iFabric ate half and our suppliers ate half, but he said that approach is expected to change as the company reprices to recover a new 10% tariff level that he described as far more manageable than the prior IEEPA tariff regime. He also said iFabric is lodging a refund claim for illegal tariffs of about $600,000 (about CAD 800,000) and expects to recognize the amount upon receipt.

Adjusted EBITDA was CAD 1.9 million in fiscal 2025 compared with CAD 2.7 million in 2024, which Price said was mainly due to lower gross margin. Selling and administrative costs rose about CAD 1 million, which Price said reflected variable royalties tied to higher sales and approximately CAD 200,000 in one-time costs related to implementing a new ERP system. Price said most ERP costs were incurred in 2025, and implementation has been delayed into Q2 fiscal 2026 due to staffing bandwidth during a massive quarter.

Intimates brand change: no royalties, broader product flexibility

Management said the company has already resumed intimate apparel shipping in Q1 fiscal 2026 under its own brand, and expects margin improvement as higher-margin intimate sales return. Price said that when the mix normalizes, management expects blended margins to return to a normal range of around about 35%-37%.

Beevis told investors the company has launched the new intimate apparel brand at two major retailers and has another intimate apparel program launching at another major retailer under private label. He said early performance is strong, with some programs 100%, 200% over what we planned.

CEO Hylton Karon said moving away from the Maidenform license provides more than just royalty savings. He said the prior license restricted what the company could sell because Maidenform marketed traditional lingerie, but under iFabrics own branding it is now open season for us to pursue additional lingerie products. Karon characterized the shift as very dynamic and very strategic for the long term.

Q1 fiscal 2026 outlook: CAD 25 million to CAD 27 million revenue guidance

Price reiterated managements Q1 fiscal 2026 revenue guidance of CAD 25 million to CAD 27 million, which he said is supported by inventory built ahead of the quarter. Inventory increased to CAD 21 million at fiscal year-end 2025 from CAD 10.1 million the prior year, which Price described as inventory brought in to support the quarters expected shipments.

Beevis said the Q1 outlook is driven by a nice mix of all programs across both divisions, including fulfilling additional Walmart stores, the new intimates brand rollouts, and an expanded leak-proof underwear program at Walmart with additional styles and store count. He said Q1 includes only part of the companys CAD 8 million Roots-related contract shipments, with some shipped in Q4 and some in Q1.

On seasonality, Beevis said Q1 and Q4 are typically strong quarters for the company, while also indicating management expects expansion activity in Q3 and solid performance in Q2, though not necessarily at the Q1 revenue level. Price said Q4 fiscal 2026 wont be as strong as Q1, but itll be significant, while adding that potential new wins could impact timing.

Price also shared profitability goals, saying he is trying to get to 15% in 2026 and hopefully as high as 20% in 2027 for adjusted EBITDA margin, citing a cost structure with meaningful fixed costs and relatively low incremental costs as revenue scales.

Scrubs rollout, hospital pathways, and supply chain flexibility

Beevis discussed the companys Doctors Choice scrubs program, saying it began as a test in about 367 Walmart stores and expanded by an additional 1,000 stores, bringing the total to roughly 1,367 locationsabout 20% of Walmarts U.S. store base, which he said is roughly 4,400 stores. He described the scrubs as the only offering in-store touting full clinically proven technologies. He also said the program is a 52-week replenishment business, with weekly replenishment after initial store sets, and that additional store expansions can create shipment spikes when new doors are added.

On selling scrubs directly to hospitals, Beevis said iFabric is pursuing multiple routes, including buying groups, a relationship involving iFabric, Walmart and a hospital group that could route purchasing through a Walmart B2B portal, and outreach to nursing unions to pursue endorsement. He said management expects progress to become clearer within the next 12 months.

Regarding scaling and working capital, Beevis said Walmart store additions do not require significant headcount increases and that factory partners have ample capacity. Price said the balance sheet is very under-leveraged, with capacity to take on debt and access to potential expanded bank lines backed by EDC guarantees, while noting the company could also consider raising capital if needed.

On sourcing and tariffs, Beevis said iFabric has begun diversifying supply chain options since early last year and can make products in multiple countries including Vietnam, Bangladesh, and India, while Karon argued that fabric sourcing is heavily dependent on China across the industry.

Beevis also provided a brief update on the companys EPA kill claim efforts, saying iFabric is still working on a leaching study and expects that achieving the claimcombined with its clinical trial resultscould support continued growth.

About iFabric (TSE:IFA)

iFabric Corp is engaged in the business of women's intimate apparel. It has three business segments. The Intimate apparel segment is involved in the design and distribution of women's intimate apparel, and accessories. Its Intelligent fabric segment develops and distributes innovative products and treatments that are suitable for application to textiles, plastics, liquids, and hard surfaces as well as finished performance apparel. The other segment engages in the leasing of property to group companies, related parties, and third parties.

The article "iFabric Q4 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat.
On market size, Kinsella referenced McKinsey estimates of a $130 billion quantum computing market by 2040 and a $30 billion sensing market by 2040, while suggesting sensing could be larger given performance improvements. He said the companys sensing products can provide 10x-1,000x improvements in precision and resilience versus classical systems, with applications such as GPS-denied navigation and contested RF environments.

He argued the same componentsphysics, photonics, engineering, and softwaresupport multiple product lines, which the company views as a leveraged operating model. Kinsella highlighted Infleqtions scale in talent and intellectual property, citing more than 160 PhD physicists and engineers, over 235 patents issued and pending, and hundreds of sensors and cores deployed in the field.

Kinsella described a commercialization approach that targets nearer-term sensing and timing opportunities while continuing to build toward fault-tolerant, gate-based quantum computing. He compared the strategy to NVIDIAs early focus on multiple GPU markets while building toward large-scale AI, saying Infleqtion is pointing our powerful neutral atom core at near-term markets like timekeeping and sensing while building toward fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Infleqtion (NYSE:INFQ) used its full-year 2025 results call to outline its strategy as a newly public company and to frame its neutral-atom technology as a shared foundation across quantum computing, sensing, and timing. Chief Executive Officer Matt Kinsella said the company is pursuing a broad platform across computing, sensing, and timing, all tied together with software, emphasizing that its systems operate at room temperature and are designed for real-world deployment.

Financially, Infleqtion reported 2025 revenue of $32.5 million , narrowed GAAP loss to $35.3 million , exited 2025 with $63 million cash andafter February 2026 financings and the NYSE listinghas a pro forma cash balance in excess of $550 million , while guiding roughly $40 million revenue for 2026.

Infleqtion is commercializing a roomtemperature neutralatom platform across computing, sensing, and timing, prioritizing nearterm sensing/timing markets (e.g., GPSdenied navigation, contested RF) while using the same physics, photonics, engineering, and software stack for longerterm faulttolerant quantum computing.

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Computing roadmap highlights logical qubit milestones and hybrid workflows

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Chief Technology Officer and General Manager of Quantum Computing Pranav Gokhale said Infleqtion remains on track for 100 logical qubits in 2028, after reporting 2 logical qubits in 2024 and 12 logical qubits in 2025. Kinsella also reiterated the companys target of 30 logical qubits in 2026. Management positioned logical qubits as a key measure of progress toward reliable, scalable systems.

Gokhale pointed to several technical and application milestones the company has published, including record commercial neutral atom gate fidelity, the first ever material science application powered by logical qubits, and what he called the worlds first execution of Shors algorithm for decryption using logical qubits. He said Infleqtion has been emphasizing urgency around migration to post-quantum cryptography, adding that developments in the broader field reinforce how quickly the timeline may be advancing.

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Gokhale also emphasized hybrid computing approaches. He said a March application involved biomarker discovery on the companys Sqale quantum computer for Wellcome Leap Q4Bio, highlighting the hybrid interplay between GPU and QPU. He noted Infleqtions presence at NVIDIAs GTC conference, where NVIDIAs booth showcased Infleqtion hardware and its hybrid approach using NVQLink.

In Q&A, Gokhale discussed the tradeoff between scaling qubit counts and improving error rates, saying quantum error correction enables a trade quality with quantity. He said the companys preferred path now is to focus on quantity, citing a commercial neutral atom record for number of qubits, 1,600 qubits, and expressing confidence in scaling to multiple thousands of physical qubits. He also discussed pathways to reduce the physical-to-logical ratio, mentioning known architectures around 24:1 and work using a software package called QLDPC that shows a pathway to as few as 3 to 4 to 5 physical qubits per logical qubit.

Sensing and timing traction includes Safran partnership and field deployments

Beyond computing, Kinsella highlighted demand signals in timing, RF, and inertial sensing. He pointed to a partnership with Safran that integrates Infleqtions tiqker optical atomic clock with Safrans White Rabbit and SecureSync systems, calling it the first partnership of its kind anywhere combining quantum precision with mission-critical timing infrastructure in a deployable offering.

He also described field deployments across government, maritime, and space. Kinsella said Infleqtion has sold and delivered two quantum computers: one installed at the U.K. National Quantum Computing Center and a 500-qubit system delivered in Japan to the Institute for Molecular Science. He added that the companys technology has operated on the International Space Station since 2018, and that NASA selected Infleqtion to develop the quantum core for the Quantum Gravity Gradiometer (QGG) Pathfinder mission.

Kinsella described a recent Royal Navy Excalibur trial where Tiqker was deployed on an underwater autonomous vehicle for GPS-free navigation, and said Infleqtion is the only quantum company to bring a single quantum platform to operate across sea, sky, land, and space.

Defense opportunities and Golden Dome positioning

Kinsella highlighted defense-related opportunities, including Infleqtions selection as one of a limited number of quantum technology companies eligible to compete under the Missile Defense Agencys SHIELD program, which he described as an IDIQ contract vehicle with targeted spend up to $151 billion. He tied the opportunity to a Golden Dome style missile defense architecture, where picosecond-level synchronization is critical for distributed sensing and fire control.

In response to a question on geopolitical events and radar demand, Kinsella said awareness has increased for quantum capabilities. He used quantum RF as an example, contrasting it with traditional radar that emits a signal and can be detected, while quantum RF could receive signals without emitting, and therefore not be detected.

2025 financial results, balance sheet, and 2026 outlook

Chief Financial Officer Ilan Hart reported 2025 revenue of $32.5 million, which he and Kinsella said was 100% organic and entirely from quantum. Hart said approximately 70% of revenue came from the U.S., 13% from the U.K., 11% from APAC, and 4% from the rest of the world. He noted that geographic mix may vary based on contract timing and program wins.

Hart said GAAP loss from operations narrowed to $35.3 million in 2025 from $53 million in 2024. On a non-GAAP basis, operating loss improved to $28.1 million from $35.7 million, with adjustments including stock-based compensation and certain one-time items. He reported cash burn of approximately $36 million in 2025 and net cash used in operating activities of $24.1 million, improving from $32.5 million in 2024. Capital expenditures were described as a few million dollars, and Hart said the company expenses R&D as incurred with no capitalization.

Infleqtion exited 2025 with $63 million of cash and cash equivalents and no debt, according to Hart. He added that including net proceeds from February 2026 financings, the company has a pro forma cash balance in excess of $550 million. Kinsella said the company raised $516 million in net proceeds in connection with listing on the New York Stock Exchange, with virtually no redemptions.

For 2026, Kinsella guided to revenue of approximately $40 million and reiterated the company is on track to deliver 30 logical qubits in 2026. On margins, management said it would not emphasize a product-versus-services split; Kinsella suggested looking to historical gross margins in the ballpark going forward, while Hart said the long-term model is best-in-class semiconductor gross margin. On seasonality, Hart said the business does not have traditional semiconductor-like seasonality, though contract timing can create variability.

In discussing KPIs, Kinsella told investors to focus on two primary measures: execution against revenue guidance and progress in logical qubits. Looking ahead on spending, Hart said the company expects a modest increase in cash burn in 2026 as it invests selectively across R&D and go-to-market, and Kinsella emphasized an ROI-driven approach to capital deployment.

About Infleqtion (NYSE:INFQ)

We are a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Islands exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, which we refer to throughout this prospectus as our initial business combination. We have not selected any business combination target and we have not, nor has anyone on our behalf, initiated any substantive discussions, directly or indirectly, with any business combination target.

The article "Infleqtion Q4 Earnings Call Highlights" was originally published by MarketBeat.
Beyond the Google deal, Intel is benefiting from a broader geopolitical shift in how governments and corporations think about chip supply chains. Concerns over semiconductor concentration in Asia, combined with ongoing investment tied to domestic chip production initiatives, have positioned Intel as a strategic national asset. Intel has secured $8.9 billion in U.S. Government funding under the CHIPS Act supporting its domestic manufacturing footprint.

For Intel, landing a deep integration contract with one of the world's largest cloud operators validates its manufacturing roadmap and signals that hyperscalers are willing to bet on Intel's next-generation silicon. For Google, the partnership provides a path toward a more balanced and efficient data center architecture as AI workloads continue to grow in scale and complexity. The INTC stock sentiment score on this partnership news registered at 0.47, the highest bullish reading for Intel in the news feed.

The headline driver of Monday's move is Intel's expanded AI infrastructure partnership with Alphabet 's ( NASDAQ:GOOGL ) Google. The multiyear collaboration focuses on integrating Intel Xeon processors and custom-developed Infrastructure Processing Units into Google Cloud, with the goal of enhancing system utilization and energy efficiency by offloading networking, storage, and security functions from main CPUs.

The rally is drawing intense debate. The Intel stock bulls see a company finally executing on a long-delayed manufacturing comeback, backed by powerful new partnerships and government support. Meanwhile, the bears warn that the parabolic climb has stretched valuations and that any stumble in execution could trigger a sharp pullback.

Intel ( NASDAQ:INTC ) shares are advancing 5% on Monday, continuing one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the semiconductor sector. INTC shares gained from $62.38 to $65 and change in active trading, extending a run that has seen the shares gain 69% year to date.

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Intels transformation under CEO Lip-Bu Tan gained credibility with the 18A process node ramped to high-volume production and $8.9B in CHIPS Act funding, though the bears note that the analyst consensus sits at $47.23, implying 28% downside.

Intel (INTC) stock surged Monday as the chip giant announced an expanded AI infrastructure partnership with Google to integrate Xeon processors and custom IPUs into Google Cloud.

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A Middle East ceasefire has also contributed to easing geopolitical tensions, creating additional optimism across the semiconductor sector and lifting names like Intel alongside the semiconductor sector as a whole. The investor community tracking INTC shares has been actively debating how much of this geopolitical premium is already priced in and how durable it will prove if trade policy priorities shift.

CEO Lip-Bu Tan and the IDM 2.0 Transformation

Under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, Intel has pursued an aggressive manufacturing-first strategy labeled IDM 2.0, which aims to restore the company's position as both a leading chip designer and a world-class third-party manufacturer. The successful launch of Intel's 18A process node, ramped to high-volume manufacturing in Arizona and Oregon, has been a critical proof point.

Intel is already targeting its next manufacturing milestone with the 14A node, intended to push the company further toward the cutting edge of semiconductor physics. Tan stated, "Our conviction in the essential role of CPUs in the AI era continues to grow... The introduction of our first products on Intel 18A marks an important milestone."

Industry observers tracking the "great silicon resurgence" narrative, including commentary in Intel's most recent earnings report, have pointed to these developments as evidence that Intel's transformation is real. However, yield stability and production ramp timelines remain key execution risks.

The Bulls vs. the Bears: Where Does INTC Stock Go From Here?

The central question for Intel investors right now is whether the stock's move toward all-time high territory reflects genuine fundamental improvement or a momentum-driven overshoot. Trading activity has taken on a life of its own, with technical buyers piling in alongside fundamental investors.

It's worth noting that the analyst consensus target price for INTC stock sits at $47.23, implying meaningful downside from current levels, while the prediction market is pricing a 56% probability that Intel beats its upcoming quarterly earnings. That divergence between Wall Street consensus and crowd sentiment is a tension worth watching closely.

The next major test arrives in 10 days. Intel is scheduled to report Q1 2026 earnings after market close on April 23. Management has guided for Q1 2026 revenue of $11.7 billion to $12.7 billion, and the report will give investors their clearest look yet at whether manufacturing progress and partnership momentum are translating into financial results. For context on how quickly macro forces can override even compelling company stories, our recent coverage of AST SpaceMobile and Rocket Lab dropping 6% as geopolitical fears overshadowed company-specific catalysts is a useful reminder that momentum cuts both ways.

Monday's 5% gain keeps Intel firmly in momentum territory. Whether it becomes a lasting recovery or a historic bull trap will depend on what the company delivers when it reports on April 23.

The analyst who called NVIDIA in 2010 just named his top 10 AI stocks

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IperionX recently reported progress at its Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus, securing the final US$4.6m under its IBAS award and prototype orders from American Rheinmetall and Carver Pump as it works to commercialize its mineral sands processing technologies.

These developments highlight a pivotal phase where government backing, early customer trials, and proprietary processing technology must translate into reliable, repeat commercial output to support the companys long-term ambitions in high-purity titanium and zirconium supply chains.

Well now examine how this push toward repeat commercial output at the Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus shapes IperionXs broader investment narrative.

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What Is IperionX's Investment Narrative?

To own IperionX, you have to buy into a very specific idea: that its Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus can move from funded build out and prototype work to reliable, repeat commercial production in high purity titanium and zirconium. The recent completion of the final US$4.6m IBAS funding tranche and new prototype orders from American Rheinmetall and Carver Pump speak directly to the near term catalysts investors are watching, because they sit at the intersection of government support, customer qualification and process scale up. At the same time, the business is still loss making with less than one year of cash runway, volatile trading, and meaningful insider selling, so the core risk is execution under financial pressure. In that sense, the latest news is helpful, but not decisive.

However, one key funding related risk could quickly change how investors see that runway. IperionX's shares have been on the rise but are still potentially undervalued. Find out how large the opportunity might be.

Exploring Other Perspectives

ASX:IPX 1-Year Stock Price Chart

Nine fair value views from the Simply Wall St Community span from single digits to almost A$100, underlining just how far apart investors are on IperionX. Set that against a company still loss making, reliant on external funding, and racing to prove repeat output from Virginia, and you can see why it pays to compare several viewpoints before forming your own.

Explore 9 other fair value estimates on IperionX - why the stock might be a potential multi-bagger!

Form Your Own Verdict

Don't just follow the ticker - dig into the data and build a conviction that's truly your own.
On March 30, 2026, JPMorgan Chase (JPM), the biggest bank in the U.S., introduced the American Dream Initiative (ADI), a long-term plan aimed at creating more economic opportunity in communities across the country. The market liked it right away, with JPM shares rising 3.6% in afternoon trading.

The move follows the banks $1.5 trillion Security and Resiliency Initiative, launched in Oct. 2025, a 10-year effort focused on sectors tied to U.S. economic strength, including supply chains, advanced manufacturing, defense, energy, and frontier technology. In that sense, the ADI looks like the community-facing part of a much bigger plan.

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Furthermore, JPMorgan is heading into this with earnings coming up. The bank is due to report Q1 2026 results on Apr. 14, and analysts expect earnings of $5.46 a share, up 7.69% from a year earlier. As Jamie Dimon stated, The American Dream is alive, but it's slipping out of reach for too many people. The ADI is built around six areas: small business growth, housing affordability, financial health and wealth, jobs and skills, healthcare, and local institutions.

So the real question is simple: with $1.5 trillion already tied to Americas economic strength and a new community push now added on top, is JPMorgan building something that can drive growth over time, or just selling a strong story? Lets find out.

A Look at the Numbers

JPMorgan Chase's portfolio includes consumer banking, corporate lending, asset management, and capital markets. So it sits in the middle of almost every part of the financial system. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock is up 36.44%, but down 3.83% year-to-date (YTD).

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Its shares are not cheap versus peers, trading at a forward P/E of 14.24 times compared with about 10.49 times for the sector, but that premium lines up with how the market views JPMorgans earnings strength and durability.

The income story is solid too. The stock yields 1.92% annually, with a quarterly dividend of $1.50 paid on Apr. 6, a forward payout ratio of 26.26%, and 15 straight years of dividend increases.

On the earnings side, Q4 CY2025 revenue came in at $46.77 billion with adjusted EPS of $5.23, a 7.7% beat, supported by $25 billion in net interest income and a tangible book value of $107.56 per share, up 11.8% year-over-year (YOY). With a market cap of $831 billion, it is still the reference point for profit and balance-sheet strength in U.S. banking.
With cutting-edge High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and energy-efficient server solutions, Micron is effectively supplying the critical backbone for large language models (LLMs), positioning itself to capitalize on the accelerating wave of global generative AI investment. Currently boasting a market capitalization of roughly $474.3 billion, Micron is enjoying a powerful run on Wall Street, with its shares delivering impressive gains. And its not just the recent SiMa.ai investment driving the momentum.

Headquartered in Idaho, Micron Technology stands as a key force in the global semiconductor industry and is known for its advanced memory and storage solutions. As one of the worlds largest chipmakers, the company focuses on DRAM and NAND technologies that underpin modern computing systems. In recent years, Micron has sharpened its strategic focus on enterprise and data center markets, stepping away from its consumer-facing Crucial brand to concentrate on higher-growth opportunities tied to AI infrastructure.

SiMa.ai has already launched System-on-Modules powered by Micron memory, signaling early commercialization and real traction in the market. With this investment, Micron is expanding beyond its traditional memory business and strengthening its position in the rapidly evolving Physical AI space, opening up a new avenue for long-term growth. Given this latest development, is MU stock a buy now?

The goal is to boost the production of advanced AI solutions designed for real-world use cases such as robotics, autonomous systems, and industrial automation. This partnership combines SiMa.ais powerful Modalix MLSoC architecture with Microns LPDDR5X memory, delivering faster performance, higher bandwidth, and lower power consumption. These advantages are critical for efficiently running complex workloads such as Large Language Models (LLMs) and Vision Language Models (VLMs) at the edge.

After a stellar run over the past year, fueled by the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, leading semiconductor giant Micron Technology (MU) is leaning even further into the trend, and investors are paying close attention. On Apr. 8, Micron shares jumped 7.72% after the company announced a strategic investment in SiMa.ai, a fast-growing player in Physical AI.

Story Continues

A wave of bullish analyst calls has reinforced confidence in Microns AI-driven growth story, while improving macro sentiment, particularly with the ceasefire in the Middle East. It has sparked a broader risk-on rally across the semiconductor sector. Together, these tailwinds are amplifying investor optimism and helping fuel Microns continued surge.

After delivering a staggering 500.4% rally over the past year, Micron has carried that momentum into 2026, with the stock climbing another 47.36% year-to-date (YTD). In comparison, the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) rose 29.4% last year and has edged marginally lower so far this year, making Microns outperformance even more striking. Micron hit a record high of $471.34 on March 18, and even after a modest pullback, the stock is still hovering just 10.8% below its peak, highlighting the strength of its ongoing AI-driven rally.

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Inside Microns Q2 Earnings Report

Microns fiscal 2026 second-quarter earnings report, released on March 18, was nothing short of historic, characterized by triple-digit growth that effectively shattered Wall Streets expectations. The company smashed records across revenue, gross margin, EPS, and free cash flow, fueled by surging demand, tight industry supply, and flawless execution. During the quarter, Micron reported a record-breaking revenue of $23.86 billion, a staggering 196.4% increase year-over-year (YOY) and a 75% jump from the previous quarter.

Of course, that remarkable top line figure blew past Wall Streets expectation of $19.61 billion. The strength was broad-based. Quarterly revenue nearly tripled from a year ago, with DRAM, NAND, HBM, and every business unit hitting record highs. DRAM led the charge with $18.8 billion in revenue, soaring an eye-popping 207% YOY and accounting for 79% of total sales. NAND wasnt far behind, generating roughly $5 billion, up 169% annually.

This powerful top line growth translated into even stronger profitability, as Microns shift toward high-margin AI products paid off in a big way. On the bottom line, Micron posted adjusted EPS of $12.20, an explosive 682% YOY jump, crushing expectations of $8.80. Gross margins more than doubled to 74.4%, compared to 36.8% a year ago, highlighting tight supply conditions and the companys ability to command premium pricing for its advanced memory products.

Cash generation remained equally impressive. During the quarter, Micron invested about $5 billion in capital expenditures while still delivering $6.9 billion in adjusted free cash flow. The company exited the quarter with $16.7 billion in cash, marketable investments, and restricted cash, alongside total liquidity of $20.2 billion, underscoring its strong financial position. Looking ahead, the momentum shows no signs of slowing.

For fiscal Q3 2026, Micron expects revenue of $33.5 billion, plus or minus $750 million, with gross margins projected to climb further to 81%. Non-GAAP EPS is forecast in the range of $18.75 to $19.55. To meet surging demand, the company now plans to ramp fiscal 2026 capital spending above $25 billion, including approximately $7 billion in Q3 alone, while still generating significantly higher free cash flow on the back of stronger operating cash flow.

How Are Analysts Viewing Micron Stock?

Wall Streets confidence in Micron is only getting stronger. On Apr. 8, UBS raised its price target to $535 from $510 while maintaining a Buy rating, citing improving pricing trends across both DRAM and NAND, especially in HBM, where demand remains red-hot. Industry checks point to active negotiations with hyperscalers and OEMs, involving long-term deals, volume commitments, pre-payments, and structured pricing.

Notably, major players like Micron, SK Hynix, and Samsung are looking to rebuild premium HBM pricing through 2027, signaling confidence in sustained demand and stronger margins ahead. Also, UBS is far more bullish than the broader Street, forecasting Microns EPS to hit around $135 in 2027 and $120 in 2028, well above consensus estimates. The firm believes memory companies are prioritizing long-term visibility over short-term gains, reinforcing the durability of the current upcycle.

With potential supply shortages, particularly in DRAM, extending into 2028, the setup remains favorable for continued pricing power. Meanwhile, analysts at BofA Securities see the AI infrastructure boom entering a more stable and scalable phase, with global investment expected to nearly triple to $1.4 trillion by 2030. They highlight a steady capital spending intensity of 25% to 30% as hyperscalers and governments upgrade systems for AI workloads. In this environment, Micron stands out as a key beneficiary, especially in HBM, which is critical for AI chips.

Overall, Wall Streets confidence in Micron remains overwhelmingly strong, with the stock commanding a consensus Strong Buy rating. Out of 41 analysts, a dominant 30 are firmly bullish with Strong Buy calls, while six more lean positive with Moderate Buy, and just five remain cautious with Hold ratings, highlighting how decisively sentiment tilts in Microns favor. The upside case is just as compelling.

The average price target of $493.24 implies a healthy 17.27% gain from here, while the Street-high target of $750 points to a massive 78.3% upside. For investors, it signals that despite its impressive run, Micron may still have plenty of fuel left in the tank.

On the date of publication, Anushka Mukherji did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Release Date: April 09, 2026

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

Nanalysis Scientific Corp (NSCIF) successfully navigated supply chain challenges, particularly with rare earth metals, resulting in lower-cost magnets for their products.

The company has shifted focus to selling proprietary products, enhancing potential value creation.

Nanalysis Scientific Corp (NSCIF) secured a $3.4 million equity raise, demonstrating strong shareholder support.

The company received a $1 million non-dilutive, non-repayable grant from government agencies to support business growth.

Significant progress was made in partnerships and investments, such as with Quad Systems, leading to contract wins and leveraging their technology in various fields.

Negative Points

Consolidated revenue for Q4 2025 decreased by 13% compared to the same period in 2024, primarily due to a drop in scientific equipment sales.

Gross margin percentage for product sales decreased from 60% in Q4 2024 to 56% in Q4 2025, impacted by earlier supply chain challenges.

Adjusted EBITDA for Q4 2025 was $1.2 million, down from $1.8 million in the comparative period of 2024.

The normalized net loss increased by $329,000 compared to the same period in 2024, reflecting challenges in the scientific equipment segment.

Security services gross margin decreased from 16% in Q4 2024 to 11% in Q4 2025, due to revenue variability and cost structure dynamics.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you elaborate on the reasons behind the revenue decrease in the scientific equipment segment? A: Heather Curry, Interim CFO, explained that the revenue decrease of $1.6 million, or 13%, was primarily due to macroeconomic uncertainty and the shedding of third-party resale businesses. The company is now focusing on selling proprietary products rather than representing others.

Q: How did supply chain challenges impact the company's gross margin? A: Heather Curry noted that the gross margin percentage for product sales decreased from 60% to 56% due to earlier supply chain challenges, which required the use of higher-cost labor. However, the company has since improved its manufacturing processes, resulting in a 4% increase in gross margin for the full year.

Q: What steps has the company taken to address supply chain issues, particularly with rare earth metals? A: Sean Krakowski, CEO, stated that the company navigated supply chain challenges by finding alternative suppliers and addressing material sciences challenges related to magnet composition. This resulted in lower-cost magnets that still meet their requirements.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Sunday that Russian forces suffered significant losses over the past 24 hours, including 1,070 troops, as fighting across multiple fronts continues, AzerNEWS reports.

According to figures shared on social media, Russian losses also included 2,081 tactical drones, eight tanks, and 73 artillery systems, underscoring the continued intensity of battlefield operations despite recent calls for de-escalation.

Cumulative data released by the General Staff indicates that since the start of Russias full-scale military campaign, total personnel losses have reached approximately 1,311,180.
Nova Ljubljanska banka (NLB) has revealed plans to make a voluntary public cash offer for Addiko Bank, seeking control of the lender through the purchase of all issued shares at 29 each on a cum dividend basis.

The move follows a recent announcement by Austrias Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), which has also launched a voluntary takeover offer for all issued and outstanding Addiko shares.

RBI has offered 23.05 in cash for each Addiko share, valuing the bank at 449.5m ($524.2m).

NLB said it does not currently own any Addiko shares and is aiming to secure a significant majority stake through the proposed offer.

The bank said the offer stands 25.8% above the six-month volume-weighted average share price of 23.05 recorded at the close of trading on 8 April 2026.

It added that the proposed price is 11.6% above the closing market price on the same date and 25.8% above the price referred to in Raiffeisens announcement last week.

NLB said the deal would be expected to add materially to earnings from the second full year after completion, while the effect in the first year would be broadly neutral.

At the end of 2025, Addiko had risk weighted assets of 3.9bn, which NLB said fits within its indicated acquisition capacity of around 4bn.

NLB also said it plans to combine Addikos banking subsidiaries with its own businesses in the five markets where both groups operate.

For subsidiaries outside the European Union, the bank said it would assess the costs and benefits of integration.

If it decides that any such unit should be sold, it said the sale price would be no less than fair market value.

The offer would depend on NLB obtaining a significant majority holding in Addiko, receiving clearance from banking and merger control regulators, and meeting other customary closing conditions.

NLB CEO Blaz Brodnjak said: We continue to believe that Addiko represents a compelling and strategic acquisition opportunity given its capabilities in the consumer finance and SME segments of the market, as well as due to its digital delivery framework  all of which is highly complementary to NLB Groups own universal banking model and could support our strategic priorities.

We have therefore decided to present Addiko shareholders with, in our opinion, a highly attractive offer, that is, furthermore, also in the interests of other stakeholders, including Addikos, customers, management, and employees.

"NLB sets out higher bid for Addiko after Raiffeisen offer" was originally created and published by Retail Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand.
Paramount Skydance Corp. is in talks to secure a massive $24 billion in equity commitments from three Gulf sovereign-wealth funds to support its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery Inc..

The Saudi Arabia-led consortium, which includes the Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabis Limad Holding Co., is expected to finalize the agreements by next Monday. Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund alone is set to contribute approximately $10 billion of the total amount, reported the Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

Don't Miss:

This financial backing is aimed at reducing the load for Paramount's David Ellison and RedBird Capital Partners, both of whom are also backing the deal. Paramount has confirmed that the equity syndication wont affect the transactions closure, with the Ellison family ready to cover the full amount if needed.

The Gulf investors, however, will not have voting rights in the new Paramount-Warner entity. The deal is unlikely to trigger mandatory reviews by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) or the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as each party will hold less than a 25% stake in the combined company.

Paramount Skydance did not immediately respond to Benzingas request for comment.

Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your Safe' Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time

Senate Flags Foreign Funding Concerns

This development comes amid several Senate Democrats calls for a rigorous FCC probe into the foreign funding from China and Gulf states behind the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger. They raised concerns that these foreign investors could still exert indirect influence over CNN's editorial direction and business strategy, despite Paramount's assurances that the investors would hold no governance rights.

Paramount had earlier mentioned about $24 billion from three sovereign wealth funds for its bid, but early backers Tencent Holdings and Affinity Partners, backed by President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, later withdrew and are no longer involved.

Read Next:

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

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Sodexo (ENXTPA:SW) has issued a profit warning and cut its 2026 financial targets.

The company has launched a broad review of its operations, including potential asset sales or restructuring.

New CEO Thierry Delaporte is taking direct control of the underperforming North American division and reshaping the leadership structure.

Sodexo shares trade at 38.62, with the stock down 14.7% over the past week, 12.4% over the past month, and 26.4% over the past year. Over a longer stretch, the share price shows declines of 35.0% over three years and 19.5% over five years. This helps explain why this reset under ENXTPA:SW is drawing close attention from investors.

The profit warning, reduced 2026 targets, and management overhaul mark a clear attempt to address operational issues, particularly in North America. Investors will likely be watching how the review of assets, cost base, and organisation translates into concrete decisions and whether those moves can stabilize performance and restore confidence in the equity story.

Stay updated on the most important news stories for Sodexo by adding it to your watchlist or portfolio. Alternatively, explore our Community to discover new perspectives on Sodexo.

ENXTPA:SW Earnings & Revenue Growth as at Apr 2026

4 things going right for Sodexo that this headline doesn't cover.

The profit warning and target cut sit against a weaker first half, where Sodexo reported sales of 12,017 million versus 12,475 million a year earlier and net income of 188 million compared with 434 million. Basic EPS from continuing operations was 1.29 versus 2.98, which means the earnings reset is already visible in the reported numbers, not just in guidance. For you as an investor, the key shift is that new CEO Thierry Delaporte is tying this earnings shortfall directly to operational missteps, especially in North America, and responding with a full review of contracts, assets, and the cost base. That level of scrutiny can lead to portfolio pruning, lower revenue from disposals, and potential restructuring charges, while also opening the door to a leaner business and different capital allocation priorities. In a sector where Sodexo competes with players such as Compass Group and Aramark, execution on large, low margin contracts is critical, so Delaporte taking direct control of North America and simplifying the leadership structure is a clear attempt to close that gap and tighten accountability around contract economics.
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The cut in the price target to CHF 7.90 from CHF 8.10 has sharpened the focus on what is already a finely balanced case for SoftwareOne Holding. Analysts link this adjustment to a tougher setup around vendor incentives and the ongoing Crayon integration, which are feeding into a more cautious stance on execution and valuation support at current levels. As you read on, you will see how to track these shifting inputs and what they might mean for your own view on the evolving SoftwareOne story.

Analyst Price Targets don't always capture the full story. Head over to our Company Report to find new ways to value SoftwareOne Holding.

What Wall Street Has Been Saying

 Bullish Takeaways

Deutsche Bank continues to publish research on SoftwareOne Holding, which signals ongoing institutional interest in the equity story and its potential to execute on its business model over time.

The revised price target of CHF 7.90 still sits above many trading scenarios investors may be considering. Some readers interpret this as indicating residual confidence in the companys ability to work through integration and incentive headwinds.

 Bearish Takeaways

Deutsche Bank lowered its price target by CHF 0.85, tying the move to a tougher setup around vendor incentives and the Crayon integration. This points to higher execution risk being built into models.

The cut in the target suggests reduced valuation support at current levels. Investors tracking the name may want to pay closer attention to evidence of integration progress and how vendor discussions evolve in upcoming updates.

Do your thoughts align with the Bull or Bear Analysts? Perhaps you think there's more to the story. Head to the Simply Wall St Community to discover more perspectives!

SWX:SWON 1-Year Stock Price Chart

We've flagged 4 risks for SoftwareOne Holding. See which could impact your investment.

What's in the News
SaxaVords spaceport in Unst in the Shetland Islands. It is controlled by Danish retail billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen

A spaceport owned by Scotlands richest man has defaulted on a key loan as it races to secure extra funds.

Saxavord, a rocket base on the Shetland Islands, reported a technical default on a 10m loan last year, which could allow its lenders to call in its debts.

The space facility, which is based on the island of Unst at a former RAF station, said in its accounts it had yet to receive a waiver from its lenders that they would not demand immediate repayment.

In a filing with Companies House, Saxavord said it was in the process of securing a fresh funding round, which it expected to close in the first half of 2026. It comes ahead of a series of planned rocket launches.

Saxavord said its lenders had indicated their willingness to waive the loan default. However, the companys auditors said the loan default raised significant doubt on the groups and parent companys ability to continue as a going concern.

While auditors raised concerns, Saxavords ownership suggests it is likely to be secure. The spaceport is controlled by Danish retail billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, who is worth an estimated 8bn. He is Britains biggest landowner, owning vast tracts of the Scottish Highlands, and is among the biggest shareholders in Asos.

Saxavord has received millions of pounds from the taxpayer to act as a base for what is hoped to be the first vertical rocket launch from UK soil, three years after the failure of a mission by Virgin Orbit.

It received 10m in 2024 in the form of a convertible loan, a type of debt that can convert into equity, from the UK government. Last month, the Government said it was preparing to spend a further 20m on space-launch infrastructure in Scotland.

In accounts filed this month, Saxavord disclosed it had lost 5.4m in 2024 on revenues of 2.5m. Saxavord said that all the infrastructure needed for its first launches was now complete.

The default disclosure comes just weeks after Orbex, a Scottish rocket start-up that had been planning a launch from Saxavord, filed for administration.

The spaceport is controlled by Danish retail billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen - Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP

Orbex had been building a rocket at a factory in Forres and had raised more than 138m. But it ran out of cash in February and was forced to file for administration with the loss of more than 160 jobs.

The business collapsed despite securing more than 26m in taxpayer funding from Labour last year.

A spokesman for FRP, which is handling the administration of Orbex, told The Telegraph it had entered into exclusive talks with a preferred bidder to potentially acquire some of the companys assets.

Three other rocket companies are hoping to launch from Saxavord in the coming months. German start-up RFA has said it is planning a launch later this year, as has Hyimpulse. Skyrora, another Scottish business, is also preparing to launch up to 16 sub orbital rockets per year from the base.
A Swiss court has removed UBS Group from a money-laundering case tied to the Mozambique tuna-bond scandal, a matter the bank inherited through its 2023 takeover of Credit Suisse.

Switzerlands Federal Criminal Court said UBS could not be held responsible for alleged misconduct connected to events that took place long before the emergency takeover of Credit Suisse.

Transferring criminal liability to UBS, coupled with its conviction and the payment of a fine as a criminal penalty, would violate the principle of culpability and run contrary to both the Swiss constitution and European Convention on Human Rights, the court said.

UBS said that it welcomes the courts recognition that it cannot be held liable in this matter, as such liability cannot be transferred to a legal successor through a merger.

In October 2023, UBS entered a separate settlement with Mozambique concerning Credit Suisses involvement in the affair.

That deal ended proceedings in London that had started about ten years earlier, when Credit Suisse helped fund a coastal patrol project and a tuna fishing fleet for Mozambique.

In 2021, Credit Suisse agreed to pay nearly $475m to settle several investigations in different jurisdictions over its role in the scandal.

Mozambique had accused the Swiss bank of overlooking warning signs and corruption involving its own bankers in transactions linked to roughly $2bn in bond deals.

Swiss prosecutors nonetheless pursued another case, which led to a December indictment against the bank.

It was accused of failing to stop suspected money laundering involving service fees related to the loans.

However, proceedings against a former Credit Suisse compliance officer, who was also charged in December, will continue, the court said.

Prosecutors said the individual knew that so-called running fees transferred from Mozambique into Credit Suisse accounts might be connected to likely bribes.

Instead of submitting a suspicious activity report to the Money Laundering Reporting Office of Switzerland, the person ended the business relationship, according to prosecutors.

Credit Suisse did not file a report until 2019, after the US Department of Justice said it had opened criminal proceedings related to the scandal.

The Attorney-Generals Office of Switzerland has 10 days to challenge the ruling by the federal criminal court.

"Swiss court drops UBS from Mozambique tuna-bond money-laundering case" was originally created and published by Private Banker International, a GlobalData owned brand.




When the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, travel stocks lost more than $22.6 billion in combined market value in a single session. Dubai and Doha airports closed for days, over 4,000 flights were canceled, and oil surged from roughly $72 per barrel to well above $100. The sector has been in a slow bleed ever since, with cruise lines, vacation operators, and experiential travel companies all taking the kind of damage that looks permanent on the surface but is rarely permanent in practice.

A two-week ceasefire was announced on April 8, and travel stocks bounced hard. But history and business fundamentals suggest the sell-off created a real entry point for long-term investors. Here are three names worth considering.

Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue 

Image source: Viking.

1. Viking

Viking (NYSE: VIK) is not your grandfather's cruise line. It is a premium, no-casino, destination-focused operator with a fleet spanning river, ocean, and expedition cruises. By mid-February -- before the conflict began -- Viking had already sold 86% of its 2026 capacity and held nearly $6 billion in advance bookings. The company posted a 62% return in 2025 and entered 2026 by guiding for 13% revenue growth.

After the April 7 ceasefire announcement, shares jumped 8.3% in a single session. Viking is not in the S&P 500, but its fundamentals speak for themselves. The company plans to expand its fleet through 2034, and its Mediterranean and European river itineraries -- the core of its business -- are exactly the routes that benefit most when geopolitical uncertainty fades.

2. Travel + Leisure Co.

Travel + Leisure (NYSE: TNL) is a vacation ownership company, not a cruise line or an airline, which makes it an unconventional travel pick. Its revenue comes primarily from members who have already committed to vacation spending through ownership contracts, giving it a more resilient revenue base than a company dependent on discretionary trip planning. The board raised its quarterly dividend by 7% to $0.60 per share in mid-March 2026, even as the broader travel sector was in turmoil.

Shares are in the S&P 500 and trade close to fair-value estimates, with analysts projecting a consensus price target of $86.50. That implies a 14% upside over the next year. That recurring membership model is genuinely different from the companies that got obliterated during the conflict, and it should help the company weather the current turmoil.
The recent earnings posted by Tuan Sing Holdings Limited (SGX:T24) were solid, but the stock didn't move as much as we expected. We believe that shareholders have noticed some concerning factors beyond the statutory profit numbers.

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SGX:T24 Earnings and Revenue History April 13th 2026

The Impact Of Unusual Items On Profit

Importantly, our data indicates that Tuan Sing Holdings' profit received a boost of S$52m in unusual items, over the last year. While we like to see profit increases, we tend to be a little more cautious when unusual items have made a big contribution. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. Which is hardly surprising, given the name. Tuan Sing Holdings had a rather significant contribution from unusual items relative to its profit to December 2025. All else being equal, this would likely have the effect of making the statutory profit a poor guide to underlying earnings power.

Note: we always recommend investors check balance sheet strength. Click here to be taken to our balance sheet analysis of Tuan Sing Holdings.

Our Take On Tuan Sing Holdings' Profit Performance

As we discussed above, we think the significant positive unusual item makes Tuan Sing Holdings' earnings a poor guide to its underlying profitability. For this reason, we think that Tuan Sing Holdings' statutory profits may be a bad guide to its underlying earnings power, and might give investors an overly positive impression of the company. But the good news is that its EPS growth over the last three years has been very impressive. At the end of the day, it's essential to consider more than just the factors above, if you want to understand the company properly. If you want to do dive deeper into Tuan Sing Holdings, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. To help with this, we've discovered 3 warning signs (2 are a bit concerning!) that you ought to be aware of before buying any shares in Tuan Sing Holdings.

This note has only looked at a single factor that sheds light on the nature of Tuan Sing Holdings' profit. But there is always more to discover if you are capable of focussing your mind on minutiae. Some people consider a high return on equity to be a good sign of a quality business. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks with high insider ownership.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Suja Life, the US cold-pressed juices and functional shots business, has filed for an IPO.

Set up in 2012, Suja Life is backed by Paine Schwartz Partners, the private-equity house that acquired the California-based firm in 2021. Another private-equity firm, Meaningful Partners, is a smaller shareholder.

The companys product range contains three brands: Suja Organic juices and shots, Vive Organic shots and Slice better-for-you sodas. Suja Life acquired Vive Organic in 2022 and Slice two years later.

In documents filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Suja Life did not disclose the number of shares to be offered nor at what price. Paine Schwartz Partners will continue to control the business after the IPO, the documents read.

Last year, Suja Life made a net loss of $23.3m, up from $20.8m in 2024. The company generated an adjusted EBITDA of $40.5m, which was down 4.1% on a year earlier. Net sales increased 26.1% to $326.6m. Some 78% of sales were generated by the Suja Organic brand.

The companys stockists include Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Costco and Whole Foods Market. It pointed to NIQ data that said its products were available in more than 37,000 stores, with ten items sold per outlet on average.

Suja Life is finalising its financial results for the first quarter of its current fiscal year, a period that ran to 30 March. The company estimates it made a net profit of $7-8.8m, versus one of $88,000 a year earlier. According to these assessments, the business says its first-quarter net sales will be $103.8-107.1m. In the first quarter of 2025, Suja Life made net sales of $87.4m.

The public markets will provide the resources and opportunity to accelerate our innovation agenda, broaden distribution and execute on strategic acquisitions  positioning us as a definitive leader in better-for-you beverages, CEO Maria Stipp said.

Stipp joined Suja Life in 2024 after almost three-and-a-half years as CEO of Stone Brewing, the US beer maker owned by Japans Sapporo Holdings.

"US juices-and-shots firm Suja Life readies IPO" was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand.




In early April 2026, Valeura Energy Inc. reported that its first-quarter working interest production before royalties averaged 22.3 mbbls/d, while also acquiring the Manora Princess floating storage and offloading vessel for US$15.5 million and ending the period with US$261.6 million in cash and no debt despite heavy investment.

The update underscores how Valeura is using its debt-free balance sheet and increased crude inventory, following no March liftings, to support future project acceleration and potential drilling expansion.

Next, well examine how this combination of on-plan production and a debt-free, cash-rich balance sheet affects Valeuras investment narrative.

We've uncovered the 6 dividend fortresses yielding 5%+ that don't just survive market storms, but thrive in them.

Valeura Energy Investment Narrative Recap

To own Valeura, you need to believe the company can turn its Gulf of Thailand asset base into durable cash generation while managing project and regulatory execution risks. The latest Q1 update, with production on plan and a sizable cash position, supports the near term growth narrative, while also highlighting short term sensitivity to lifting schedules and capital allocation. For now, it does not materially change the most important catalyst or the biggest execution risk.

Among recent announcements, the ongoing share buyback program is especially relevant here, as it sits alongside a debt free balance sheet and US$261.6 million of cash. When you combine that financial capacity with Q1s on plan 22.3 mbbls/d and the acquisition of the Manora Princess FSO, it sharpens the focus on how management may balance project acceleration, Wassana redevelopment execution, and returning capital to shareholders over the next few years.

But even with rising production and more cash, investors still need to be aware of...

Read the full narrative on Valeura Energy (it's free!)

Valeura Energy's narrative projects $587.5 million revenue and $59.1 million earnings by 2029. This assumes fairly flat yearly revenue growth and an earnings increase of about $36 million from $22.8 million today.

Uncover how Valeura Energy's forecasts yield a CA$16.50 fair value, a 20% upside to its current price.

Exploring Other Perspectives

TSX:VLE 1-Year Stock Price Chart

Before this update, the most optimistic analysts were assuming revenue of about US$575.9 million and earnings near US$13.0 million by 2028, which sits in sharp contrast to the risk that Valeuras maturing Thai fields could require ever higher sustaining capital. This new Q1 data might support that bullish cash flow story or instead highlight how field depletion and project execution could pull expectations back, so it is worth weighing both possibilities yourself.
European Union countries increased imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the first quarter of 2026, driven by reduced energy supplies from the Middle East, AzerNEWS reports.

According to available data, LNG deliveries from the Yamal LNG project in Siberia rose by 17 percent year-on-year to reach 5 million tonnes in the JanuaryMarch period. As a result, EU member states spent approximately 2.88 billion on gas from the facility.

The Yamal project accounted for the overwhelming majority of Russian LNG imports into the bloc. Out of 71 cargoes delivered to Europe during the first quarter, 69 shipments  or 97 percent  originated from Yamal.

Notably, 25 cargoes arrived in March alone, coinciding with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which disrupted traditional supply routes from the Gulf and tightened global energy markets.

By comparison, during the same period in 2025, the EU received 87 percent of 68 total cargoes from Russia, with the remainder redirected primarily to Asian markets.

Despite the increase in short-term imports, the EU has reiterated its long-term objective of phasing out dependence on Russian gas entirely by the end of 2027, as part of its broader energy diversification and security strategy.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Volkswagen AG (VWAGY) reported a softer start to the year, with global deliveries declining 4% to 2.05 million units in the first quarter, as pressure in China and the US continued to weigh on overall performance. Management pointed to a combination of a weakening Chinese market and tariff-related challenges in the US, with the impact appearing more pronounced in electric-vehicle sales across both regions. While Western Europe posted a 4.2% increase and South America rose 7%, those gains were not enough to fully offset declines in larger markets.

The underlying trend could reflect a broader shift in competitive dynamics, particularly in China, where local manufacturers are scaling rapidly. Mercedes-Benz Group AG recently reported a 27% drop in first-quarter sales in the country, suggesting that pressure on European automakers may be accelerating. For Volkswagen, domestic competitors such as BYD Co. (BYDDF) and Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. are introducing increasingly advanced models at more competitive price points, which could be reshaping demand and narrowing the company's historical positioning advantage.

In response, Volkswagen is taking steps to localize its strategy and better align with shifting consumer preferences. The company is working with Xpeng Inc. to strengthen its EV lineup, while its Audi brand has partnered with SAIC Motor Corp. to develop vehicles on a China-focused platform. At the same time, internal adjustments are emerging, with Skoda preparing to exit the market and Porsche seeing softer demand tied to weaker luxury spending. These moves could suggest Volkswagen's recovery in China may depend increasingly on localized execution rather than relying on legacy scale.
Gone are the days when most Wall Street bonuses went toward luxury cars, expensive dinners, or, yes, watches . According to Mark Malek, chief investment officer at Siebert, theres a distinct shift underway: Wall Street has gone from Rolexes to real estate, Malek said. For a long, long time, Rolexes were actually a good investment  But if you look at the trajectory of their growth, it cant top real estate. Real estate, theres still a lot of cheap real estate opportunities out there.

The combination of healthy market swings and strong upward trends enabled trading, advisory and investment banking teams to hit performance targets across the board in 2025.

An ideal year for Wall Street is when markets go up, but with volatility, Johnson explained. If it just goes up in a straight line, theres less opportunity to trade.

The New York City securities industrys profits surged more than 30% to $65.1 billion, according to the states estimate.

Overall, strong performance across investment banking, trading, hedge funds and private equity created a near-universal win last year, an unusual degree of uniformity in a world where compensation typically varies wildly by division.

While Wall Streets total bonus pool hit was an all-time high in nominal terms, 2006 still reigns as the industrys best year after inflation adjustments, according to The Wall Street Journal.

It was probably the best year since the financial crisis, Alan Johnson, founder of Johnson Associates, told The Daily Upside. Pay was up a fair bit for almost everybody.

This year, despite continuing turmoil in the private credit market, the payouts have been even more generous than usual, jumping 9% to a record $49.2 billion , according to an estimate from New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli published in late March. The average bonus climbed 6% to $246,900 as volatility triggered by tariff shocks translated into rising markets, creating ideal trading conditions for trading desks, dealmakers and wealth managers.

For most of the world, Christmas ends in the dead of winter. On Wall Street, it stretches into the spring, thanks to tens of billions of dollars in annual bonuses typically paid between January and April.

Concerned about an AI bubble? Sign up for The Daily Upside for smart and actionable market news, built for investors .

Story Continues

Malek described a range of investors benefiting from these payouts. Younger bankers who havent yet joined the Hampton investment class are increasingly targeting workforce housing and high-upside markets across the country, Malek told The Daily Upside.

Theyre looking all over the country  at what I would refer to as workforce housing  For a lot less, and theyre investing in a lot of them together  Theyll buy a house somewhere in Tennessee, in a great opportunity that they think theres upside.

Even beyond practical investing, Malek emphasized that these young professionals bring a Wall Street-level rigor to their choices:

These guys have to be able to do the analysis  they can put a value, they can underwrite it right  They recognize how to look at the cash flows, how to leverage their money and what the ultimate exit might be.

They also have access to a growing fractional real estate market, already valued in the low billions of dollars and supported by platforms from Arrived (backed by Jeff Bezos) to FundRise and CrowdStreet.

For those already in the upper tiers of wealth, bonus season has a clear and direct impact on high-end markets like the Hamptons. Brokers report that 2025s record payouts helped fuel demand for luxury East End properties, driving median prices higher and prompting a flurry of year-end deals.

This record Wall Street bonus  its in conjunction with limited inventory, which drives demand even more, Philip V. OConnell, managing director at Brown Harris Stevens Hamptons office, told The Daily Upside. You have many people with deep pockets competing for the same trophy properties.

In 2025, sales of properties priced between $5 million and $10 million rose 14% from 2024. And total dollar volume for Hamptons real estate exceeded $6 billion, surpassing even peak post-pandemic activity.

For many financiers, Hamptons estates have become the ultimate status-and-strategy purchase, a place to park capital that has been rigorously analyzed for potential appreciation.

From the Sunbelt to the Heartland

For younger, mid-level analysts, bonuses are increasingly flowing into less traditional markets. Sunbelt cities and smaller Heartland communities with strong job growth and relative affordability have become attractive targets. Its what industry observers call workforce housing investments, which are properties in markets where residents are working, renting or buying for the first time.

Malek said: Wall Street bankers and analysts are focusing on communities that are not necessarily upscale  Middle America. Theyre investing in workforce-type housing.

Not only are investment firms like TruAmerica Multifamily, JPI and Pinnacle Partners creating multimillion-dollar workforce housing funds, banks including JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have invested in the sector, too.

Alabama, which recorded $14.6 billion in new investments in 2025, is generating exactly the kind of job growth that makes workforce housing attractive to outside investors. According to the Alabama Department of Commerce annual report, nearly 9,400 new job commitments were made across the state last year. Major projects in bioscience, technology, metals, advanced materials, automotive, forestry and aerospace sectors contributed to Alabamas broad economic momentum beyond traditional industries.

In markets like Dallas, Tampa and parts of the Midwest, such properties offer lower entry prices and steady rental demand, appealing to investors focused on yield and downside protection rather than prestige.

Small groups of colleagues often pool bonuses through informal partnerships or more structured real estate syndications (forming LLCs with friends, co-investing alongside a sponsor in multifamily deals or, increasingly, using platforms such as Fundrise, CrowdStreet and Yieldstreet) allowing them to access larger portfolios than any one investor could manage alone.

The bonus boom extends beyond traditional banking. Commodities traders, hedge funds and private equity firms also benefit from strong cross-market performance, noted Johnson of Johnson Associates. He added that bonuses also apply to those involved in technology as banks are investing heavily in AI.

Betting on Wall Street South

Wall Street bankers are also putting money to work in Florida, which has become a major destination for Wall Street capital as well as talent, earning its nickname Wall Street South. Hedge funds, private-equity firms and asset managers, led by Citadels relocation of its headquarters to Miami, have expanded operations across South Florida. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has nearly doubled its Brickell office to accommodate hundreds of additional employees, while Blackstone and Goldman Sachs have increased their regional presence, signaling a long-term commitment to the state.

Taxes remain a powerful motivator. Executives and high earners relocating from New York and California retain a larger portion of their income, including year-end bonuses, by establishing residency in Florida, which has no personal income tax.

Taxes are number one  maybe one, two and three, said Johnson. The mindset has changed. People dont move until they do. The financial calculus, combined with the regions growing professional ecosystem, has accelerated the inflow of both personnel and investment capital.

Welcome to Miami: The effect on South Floridas real-estate market is immediate. In 2025, South Florida recorded 361 home sales priced at $10 million and above, the secondhighest total on record, underscoring sustained demand at the ultraluxury tier, according to the Miami Association of Realtors. More than half of the homes priced above $1 million in the Miami metro are purchased in all-cash transactions.

The good times may not last. Johnson Associates projects that headcount across Wall Street will fall by 10% to 20% over the next three to five years as AI reshapes the industry, with operational and entry-level roles most at risk. The firms message to those who remain: Most individuals and firms must evolve.

This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive razor sharp analysis and perspective on all things finance, economics, and markets, subscribe to our free The Daily Upside newsletter.
Consumers can't outrun high gas prices for much longer before pulling back on discretionary spending, Goldman Sachs projected.

"The hit to real disposable income from higher gas prices tends to weigh in particular on spending on cars and discretionary goods and services," Goldman Sachs economist Jessica Rindels wrote in a new note on Monday. "We expect most of the impact of the war on Gross Domestic Product [GDP] to come through consumer spending, and we have lowered our consumption growth forecast for 2026 year over year from just over 2% before the war to 1.2%."

Added Rindels, "We have lowered our 2026 Q4/Q4 GDP growth forecast by 0.5 percentage points to 2.0% to reflect higher oil prices and incoming Q1 tracking data, and we see the risks as tilted toward a larger hit to growth."

Consumer spending likely to take a hit because of higher oil prices.  Goldman Sachs

The backdrop for consumer spending this spring and summer remains mixed, at best.

Over the past five days, oil prices have undergone a volatile relief-and-retreat cycle as the market reacted to the shifting geopolitical landscape in the Middle East.

After peaking near $120 a barrel amid Operation Epic Fury, prices plunged sharply early last week. WTI crude (CL=F) fell about 13%, and Brent crude (BZ=F) dropped to approximately $94.26 by Friday night following the announcement of a temporary ceasefire.

More from Yahoo Scout What caused recent oil price volatility this spring? How low did consumer sentiment fall in April? How will higher gas prices impact consumer spending? Which retail stocks benefited from consumer weakness signs?

However, as of today, that downward trend is reversing again amid the collapse of high-level peace talks over the weekend.

Oil prices have spiked to $103 a barrel on Monday. Regular unleaded gas prices hit a national average of $4.16 a gallon on April 8, the highest since the summer of 2022.

Read more: How oil price shocks ripple through your wallet, from gas to groceries

"With the U.S. not coming to agreement or terms with Iran, it is likely that the Strait [of Hormuz] will remain under their control and that oil prices and thus gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices keep rising due to the likely continued closure of the Strait," GasBuddy head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan warned.

Consumer weakness has subsequently started to appear.

In early April, the University of Michigans Consumer Sentiment Index tanked to a record low of 47.6, down from 53.3 in March. This is the lowest reading since the survey began in 1952, with consumers calling out the Iran conflict and soaring gas prices as the main reasons for their pessimism.

Discount retail stocks such as Walmart (WMT) and Target (TGT) have traded higher amid signs of consumer weakness  Walmart is up 2% over the past month, while Target has added 1%. Costco (COST) has also gained 1%.
By Alex Lawler

LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) - OPEC on Monday lowered its forecast for world oil demand in the second quarter by 500,000 barrels per day, the producer group's monthly oil report showed in its first public assessment of the Iran war's impact on the market.

OPEC sees a smaller hit to oil demand from the war this year than some other forecasters, such as the U.S. government's Energy Information Administration nL6N40Q0XR. OPEC also made no change to its full-year outlook as it sees consumption rebounding in later months.

More from Yahoo Scout How did the Iran war impact OPEC's oil demand forecasts? What effects did the Strait of Hormuz closure have globally? What caused OPEC+ oil production to plunge in March? How does OPEC's demand outlook differ from other forecasters?

The war has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, the worlds most important oil route, shutting in millions of barrels of Middle East production and sending fuel prices soaring. The price surge is pressuring consumers and businesses across the globe, and triggering government action to conserve supplies.

Global oil demand is projected to average 105.07 million bpd in the second quarter, OPEC's report said, down from the 105.57 million bpd forecast in last month's report.

"The demand growth for the second quarter of 2026 is revised down for both the OECD and non-OECD, driven mainly by slight transitory weakness in oil demand growth, given ongoing developments in the Middle East," OPEC said, referring to countries inside or outside the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development grouping of industrialised nations.

OPEC+ OIL OUTPUT PLUNGES IN MARCH

OPEC kept unchanged its forecast that world oil demand will rise by 1.38 million bpd in 2026, in contrast to the EIA which halved its prediction in an April 7 report.

OPEC+, which includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus other producers such as Russia, had agreed to resume oil production hikes as of April, although the report highlighted how steeply output has fallen since the Iran conflict began at the end of February.

Crude oil output by OPEC+ averaged 35.06 million bpd in March, down 7.70 million bpd from February, citing secondary sources, the report showed, with Iraq and Saudi Arabia making the biggest cuts.

OPEC+ agreed nL6N40O02A on April 5 to raise its oil output quotas by 206,000 bpd for May, a modest rise that will largely exist on paper as long as key members are unable to raise production due to the effective Hormuz blockage.

(Reporting by Alex Lawler; Editing by Joe Bavier, David Goodman and Susan Fenton)
Bitcoin (BTC-USD) opened at $70,741.30 on Monday, 3.2% lower than Sundays opening price of $73,056.05. The price of bitcoin today as of 7:28 a.m. ET was $70,872.20.

Ethereum (ETH-USD) opened at $2,191.66 on Monday, 4.1% lower than Sundays opening price of $2,285.43. The price of ethereum today fell slightly after the open to $2,186.45 as of 7:28 a.m. ET.

Bitcoin and ethereum are under pressure after U.S.-Iran peace talks failed over the weekend. On Sunday, President Trump ordered a blockade of ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz to Iranian ports. Reportedly, ships traveling to the ports of U.S. allies will be allowed to navigate the waterway. The escalation of tensions with Iran, alongside rising prices according to Fridays CPI report, have weakened demand for cryptocurrencies and other risky assets.

Current price of bitcoin and ethereum

Bitcoin

The price of bitcoin this morning was 3.2% lower than Sundays opening price. Heres a look at how the opening bitcoin price has changed versus last week, month, and year:

One week ago: +2.5%

One month ago: +0.3%

One year ago: -17%

The all-time high for bitcoin was $126,198.07 on Oct. 6, 2025. The all-time low value for bitcoin was $0.04865 on July 14, 2010.

Ethereum

The price of ethereum this morning was 4.1% lower than Sundays open. Heres a look at how the opening ethereum price has changed versus last week, month, and year:

One week ago: +3.9%

One month ago: +5.7%

One year ago: +33.4%

The all-time high for ethereum was $4,953.73 on Aug. 24, 2025. The all-time low value for ethereum was $0.4209 on Oct. 21, 2015.

Bitcoin, ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies are rapidly evolving. Follow the latest developments from Yahoo Finance and others here.

How Bitcoin works

Bitcoin is a type of cryptocurrency, which is a currency that exists only in digital form and operates without government or banking oversight. By comparison, the U.S. dollar, the EU euro, the Canadian dollar, and other national currencies have paper versions and are issued by their respective governments.

Bitcoin relies on a public digital ledger that validates and records transactions and verifies bitcoin ownership. This ledger is called the blockchain, and it is globally distributed  that is, decentralized  across a broad, worldwide network of servers.

Decentralization is a fundamental aspect of cryptocurrencies. Decentralization facilitates peer-to-peer payments with no banking intermediary, enhanced security, and defends against manipulation attempts.

Learn more: What is Bitcoin, and how does it work?

How to buy Bitcoin in 2026

There are several ways to buy Bitcoin. You can go through a crypto exchange, a fintech app, or a traditional brokerage that will allow you to buy into a bitcoin ETF.

Before placing a trade, though, decide what you actually want: full ownership of your bitcoin and private keys  or easy price exposure inside a familiar, regulated system.

Whichever avenue you take, its important to remember that bitcoin remains a high-risk, highly volatile asset compared to many other investments. Prices can surge or drop quickly, sometimes without warning. If youre considering buying bitcoin, assume volatility is part of the deal.

Learn more: Is bitcoin's price volatility an investing opportunity? Here's how to buy bitcoin.

Bitcoin price chart

Whether youre brand new to tracking the value of bitcoin or a more seasoned crypto investor, Yahoo Finances price-of-bitcoin chart below shows a visual history of how the currency's value continues to move and evolve.

More on crypto from the Yahoo Finance team:

This embedded content is not available in your region.
Crypto payments are fast, hard to reverse, and easy to route across international jurisdictions. There are a lot of positives that come with those features, but they also make crypto useful in scams ranging from fake investments to impersonation fraud.

To stay safe as an investor, its crucial to understand what real-world risks exist so you can avoid them and keep your crypto safe.

Read more: How to invest in cryptocurrency: A beginner's guide

8 common crypto scams

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported consumers lost more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, with investment scams accounting for $5.7 billion. Meanwhile, the FBI reported 181,565 cryptocurrency-related complaints in 2025, totaling more than $11 billion in consumer losses.

Criminals find crypto enticing for several reasons. Transactions move quickly, cross borders easily, and, once sent, are often extremely difficult or impossible to recover.

Bad intentions arent the only problem  human error and investor ignorance play a role as well. Many consumers dont fully understand how wallets, exchanges, blockchain transactions, or token promotions work.

Con artists often exploit that knowledge gap. They lean on hype, fake urgency, and technical jargon to make bad deals look legitimate.

Here are some recent examples of the most common types of crypto scams and how they work.

1. Crypto rug-pull scams

A rug pull happens when the creators of a token or project hype it up, pull in buyers, and then drain liquidity. They dump their holdings or abandon the project, leaving investors holding the bag.

Its common in meme coins, NFT projects, and obscure tokens. A related tactic is the classic crypto pump-and-dump scheme, where insiders artificially hype a token they own, sell into the spike, and leave everyone else with the crash.

A recent example involves SafeMoon. In November 2023, federal prosecutors said the projects founders and executives misled investors about supposedly locked liquidity, then diverted and misappropriated millions of dollars for personal use. Prosecutors said SafeMoons market cap had grown to more than $5.7 billion before the alleged fraud unraveled.

2. Crypto pig butchering scams

Its a gruesome name for an often devastating financial crime.

In this scam, a fraudster spends days or weeks building trust via texts, dating apps, WhatsApp, Telegram, or social media, then steers the target toward a fake crypto investment platform. The phony platform will display fake gains, encourage bigger deposits, and ultimately block withdrawals unless the victim pays fake taxes or fees.

The SEC brought its first enforcement actions over these relationship investment scams in September 2024, alleging that fraudsters used fake crypto trading platforms called NanoBit and CoinW6 to lure investors through social media and messaging apps.

In October 2025, U.S. authorities confiscated nearly $15 billion in bitcoin tied to the case, a haul the Justice Department described as the "largest forfeiture action" in the department's history.

Prosecutors say scammers used forced labor at cyber scam compounds in Cambodia, where people were reportedly held captive and made to carry out pig-butchering romance scams.

According to prosecutors, one affiliated network alone targeted more than 250 victims in Brooklyn and Queens, stealing more than $18 million.

3. Fake crypto exchange scams

In the age of vibe coding and quick AI app development, its easier than ever for criminals to set up a website that looks like a reputable trading platform.

Victims create an account, deposit money or crypto, see fake profits, then hit a wall when they try to withdraw. Sometimes the site claims it needs more money first for verification, unlocking, or taxes.

You can avoid getting duped by this scam by sticking to large, well-established exchanges, such as Coinbase. At the federal level, you can search FinCENs MSB Registrant Search to verify a brokerage or exchange.

Read more: The 7 best crypto exchanges in 2026: Our top picks after hands-on testing

4. Bitcoin ATM scams

Bitcoin ATMs themselves arent scams.

However, criminals are increasingly directing victims to use these machines because theyre fast, widely available, and transactions carried out on them are hard to unwind after they go through.

The FTC reported losses involving bitcoin ATMs increased nearly tenfold from 2020 to 2023, topping $65 million in the first half of 2024 alone.

States have started cracking down in response. Californias new Digital Financial Assets Law limits kiosk transactions to $1,000 per day. Meanwhile, Florida lawmakers also advanced legislation in 2026 that would implement transaction limits for new users and, in some cases, refund-related protections.

5. Crypto phishing scams

Phishing is a form of fraud in which a scammer pretends to be a trusted company, platform, or person in order to trick you into handing over sensitive information.

When crypto is involved, scammers use phishing to gain access to your wallet, exchange login details, seed phrase, or signing approval.

The scam might come through email, text, Discord, Telegram, X, or even a real-life friends hacked account.

In December 2025, prosecutors indicted a Brooklyn man for allegedly stealing nearly $16 million from crypto investors through a phishing and social engineering scam. Authorities allege that the 23-year-old posed as a Coinbase representative and tricked roughly 100 users into moving their assets to wallets he controlled.

Thats the basic playbook: Get someone to trust the source, click fast, and approve something they dont fully understand.

6. Bitcoin recovery scams

This scam can be especially gut-wrenching because it targets people who were already victimized.

Someone claims they can trace your stolen or misplaced bitcoin and recover your funds  but only if you pay an upfront fee first.

The FBI warned in June 2024 that scammers are increasingly posing as lawyers and fake law firms to target people who have already lost money in crypto fraud. Victims reported losing just under $10 million to these recovery scams between February 2023 and February 2024.

Read more: How to recover a crypto wallet: A user's guide

7. Celebrity crypto endorsement scams

A celebrity mention or repost doesnt make a token legitimate. In fact, your favorite celeb or influencer might be getting a cut of the action from the scammers themselves.

In 2022, the SEC charged Kim Kardashian with unlawfully touting a fake crypto asset  EthereumMax  without disclosing that she was paid $250,000 for the promotion. She agreed to settle, pay $1.26 million, and refrain from promoting crypto asset securities for three years.

Crypto has attracted more shady celebrity and influencer hype in part because cryptocurrency operates under looser, patchier regulations than stocks, which face clearer disclosure requirements and more established enforcement.

Thats given crypto promoters more room to blur the lines between marketing and misconduct.

8. Fake crypto wallet scams and airdrop scams

Fake wallet scams usually involve a malicious wallet app, browser extension, or site that tricks you into entering your seed phrase or connecting your wallet.

Once you do, the scammer drains it.

Airdrop scams are getting more sophisticated too. In June 2025, the FBI warned that criminals were using fake NFT airdrops disguised as free rewards for Hedera users. The scam pushed users to click a link, connect their wallet or enter sensitive information, which then let attackers steal funds.

Read more: Hardware vs. software crypto wallets: Which is right for me?

How to avoid crypto scams and keep yourself safe

Staying safe from crypto scams often comes down to slowing down and asking a few simple questions. Scammers win when they rush you, isolate you, and get you to act before you can verify basic facts.

Social pressure and FOMO can also work against investors. A slick website, busy Telegram group, or celebrity mention doesnt prove something is credible.

In a fast-moving digital world and an evolving regulatory landscape, vigilance is key. Here are some of the best practices to keep you safe:

Dont send crypto to someone who contacted you first through text, social media, a dating app, or WhatsApp.

Theres no such thing as guaranteed returns or risk-free investments. The FTC says only scammers guarantee profits.

Never share your crypto wallet seed phrase or private key with anyone. No legitimate company will ask for it.

Dont click wallet links in unsolicited emails, DMs, texts, or airdrop messages.

Verify exchange registrations, licensing claims, and company details through government resources such as FinCENs MSB Registrant Search.

Before signing a wallet transaction, read what youre approving.

Report any platform that wont let you withdraw unless you first pay taxes or unlock fees.

If someone tells you to use a bitcoin ATM to fix a problem, avoid international payment hurdles, or pay the government, its a scam.

Use a hardware wallet to store larger balances, and keep software wallets updated.

Check software wallet permissions and revoke suspicious approvals.

Use multifactor authentication on exchanges and email.

Start with small test transfers first before moving larger sums of crypto.

Read more: How to keep your crypto safe

I think Ive been scammed. What can I do?

Realizing youve been the victim of a scam can be embarrassing  and financially terrifying.

However, there are legitimate resources out there that may be able to help. But youll need to act quickly.

Heres what you can do:

Gather all relevant information: Collect wallet addresses, transaction hashes, screenshots, usernames, emails, phone numbers, and the scam website.

Report the scam to the FTC at ReportFraud and, if identity theft is involved, use IdentityTheft.gov for a step-by-step recovery plan.

File an IC3 complaint with the FBI as soon as possible. Immediate reporting improves the chance that funds can be traced or frozen.

File a police report if an exchange, bank, insurer, or credit bureau asks for one. An FTC identity theft affidavit plus a police report can form your identity theft report.

If you think someone may open credit in your name, consider a fraud alert or a credit freeze. A fraud alert tells lenders to take extra steps to verify identity, while a credit freeze blocks most new access to your file altogether.

Forward scam texts to 7726 and report them to the FTC.

Notify the crypto exchange, wallet provider, or bank you used. In some cases, accounts can be flagged or restricted before more damage occurs.

Check the AARP Fraud Watch Network Scam-Tracking Map to see what scams are hitting your area, and report what happened to you. You can also call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360.

If tax identity theft is involved, the IRS says you may need to fill out Form 14039, Identity Theft Affidavit and submit it online per form instructions.

Two to four weeks after the scam occurs, pull your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport and look for accounts or inquiries you dont recognize. If you spot fraudulent credit activity, dispute it with the credit bureaus.

After contacting the proper authorities and protecting your accounts, dont expect a fast or guaranteed recovery. Sometimes law enforcement recovers funds, but unfortunately, crypto may be gone for good by the time victims realize what happened.

Still, reporting the crime can help investigators track patterns, warn others, and, in some cases, recover at least part of your money.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

BP (NYSE:BP) is making a quiet but meaningful move into Namibia's offshore energy space and it's taking control while doing it.

The company is picking up a 60% stake in a group of exploration licenses from Eco Atlantic, along with operatorship of the blocks. These include the Cooper, Guy, and Tamar areas, all part of a region that's been getting more attention lately as a potential new oil and gas hotspot.

For Eco Atlantic, this looks more like a strategic step than a step back. The company is keeping a 25% stake, so it still has exposure if things go well, but it's handing over the heavy lifting to a much larger player with more resources and experience.

From BP's side, this is pretty straightforward. It gets into a promising region and takes control of how the project moves forward, which matters a lot at the exploration stage.
Envision Energy has entered into a $500m (3.42bn yuan) vendor financing agreement with BBVA Corporate & Investment Banking (BBVA CIB) to fund its international business activities across Europe, Asia and Latin America.

The agreement provides the green technology company with access to various financing instruments, enabling early identification of funding opportunities and extending payment terms for its clients.

Through this arrangement, Envision Energy aims to facilitate capital management and support its customers engagement in large projects.

The agreement continues the collaboration between Envision Energy and BBVA CIB. It follows a $600m (513.18m) sustainability-linked syndicated loan agreement signed in Hong Kong earlier in the year where BBVA acted as a mandated lead arranger.

The new vendor financing arrangement allows Envision Energy to further its business in multiple regions and respond to demand from international financial institutions for green technology initiatives.

Envision Energy intends to use advisory services embedded in the programme throughout project stages to support expansion and address capital requirements. This financing structure aims to aid working capital flows and assist the companys clients in managing project costs efficiently.

Envision Energy senior vice-president and EU and LATAM Regions president Henry Peng said: This vendor financing programme with BBVA enables us to optimise working capital while supporting the faster deployment of our renewable energy technologies across strategic markets in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

By combining advanced clean energy technologies with innovative financial solutions, we are helping accelerate the transition toward a net-zero energy system and a new era of sustainable prosperity.

Both parties stated that the programme reflects ongoing confidence in Envision Energys project delivery and global growth plans.

BBVA CIB global transaction banking head Eva Rubio said: This agreement also strengthens our support for the international expansion of companies such as Envision Energy, leaders in the development of clean technologies.

In January, Envision Energy entered into an agreement with Vietnams REE Group to provide turbines for a 128MW nearshore wind project in Vinh Long Province.

"Envision Energy, BBVA sign $500m vendor financing agreement" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.




Ships head towards the Strait of Hormuz [Getty Images]

Oil prices had surged by more than 7% back above $100 a barrel on Monday after US President Donald Trump ordered the blockading of Iranian ports following the failure of peace talks between Washington and Tehran.

Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil prices, rose to $102.02 a barrel (75.91), before falling back to $98 during Monday afternoon trading in the US.

The cost of a barrel of oil had plunged well below $100 last Wednesday after the US and Iran struck a conditional two-week ceasefire deal that included opening the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for global oil and gas supplies.

However the failure of negotiations has raised concerns that the global energy crisis will deepen.

The strait, through which a fifth of the world's energy shipments pass, has become a flashpoint of the conflict after Iran retaliated against US-Israeli strikes by threatening to attack vessels that try to use the waterway.

Shipments have largely been at a standstill since the US-Israel war with Iran started on 28 February, leading to energy prices surging around the world and pushing up costs for consumers, in particular making petrol and diesel more expensive.

However, Iran has continued to export oil.

Windward, the maritime intelligence firm, said that since 1 March more than 58 million barrels of oil have left Kharg Island, Iran's main outlet for crude exports. It said more than 90% of these have been directed toward China.

On Sunday, Trump announced that "effective immediately", the US Navy "will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz".

US Central Command later said it would block all vessels entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas in the Strait from 10:00 EST (15:00 BST) on Monday.

It said the blockade would not apply to ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

On Monday, the Unified Command of Iranian Armed Forces said that US restrictions on vessels in international waters were "illegal and constitutes piracy".

It added that Iran would implement a "permanent mechanism to control the Strait of Hormuz following US threats".

China has called for restraint.

"The Strait of Hormuz is an important international trade route for goods and energy, and maintaining its security, stability and unimpeded flow is in the common interest of the international community," a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry said.

Neil Shearing, group chief economist at Capital Economics, said Trump's blockade may be "designed to pressure Beijing into playing a more active role in mediating a ceasefire and reopening full trade flows through the Strait".
Oil prices have risen sharply following US President Donald Trumps announcement of a naval blockade of Iran.

Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose more than 8 percent on Sunday to top $103 a barrel.

It was the first time the benchmark rose above the psychologically important threshold of $100 since Tuesday, when prices surpassed $111 a barrel.

Trump announced on Sunday that the US Navy would block all ships from entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz, following the collapse of ceasefire talks between US and Iranian officials over the weekend.

US Central Command said in a later statement that it would only block vessels travelling to and from Iran and that other traffic would not be impeded, in an apparent scaling back of Trumps threat to impose a full blockade.

The command said the blockade would take effect on Monday at 10am Eastern Time (14:00 GMT).

Oil prices have been a rollercoaster since US-Israeli strikes on Iran prompted Tehran to impose a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies.

After topping $119 last month, Brent fell below $92 a barrel last week after the US and Iran announced a two-week ceasefire following more than six weeks of war.

While Iran has allowed a limited number of ships to transit the waterway, subject to prior vetting and authorisation, traffic has been reduced to a trickle compared with peacetime levels.

Despite Washington and Tehrans fragile truce officially remaining in place until April 22, only 17 vessels crossed the strait on Saturday, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward, down from roughly 130 daily transits before the war.

Major stock markets in Asia opened lower on Monday as Trumps blockade threat stoked uncertainty on trading floors.

Japans benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.9 percent in morning trading, while South Koreas KOSPI dropped more than 1 percent.

US stock futures, which are traded outside of regular market hours, also fell, with those tied to the benchmark S&P 500 down about 0.8 percent.
The Armenian Apostolic Church has strongly condemned the ruling Civil Contract partys election programme, criticizing its support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans controversial Church reform agenda, AzerNEWS reports via OC Media.

In a statement, the Church described the provisions targeting its leadership as unacceptable, warning that the proposed measures amount to interference in religious affairs and a violation of constitutional principles.

Civil Contract unveiled its programme earlier this month ahead of Armenias parliamentary elections scheduled for June 7. The document backs Pashinyans proposed four-step reform plan, which begins with the removal of Catholicos Karekin II, followed by the appointment of a Locum Tenens, the adoption of a new statute governing Church leadership, and ultimately the election of a new Catholicos.

The reform agenda, initially introduced in January alongside several senior clergy members, has sparked widespread debate, with critics arguing it risks breaching Armenias constitutional separation between church and state.

The Church stated that such actions constitute a clear violation of the constitutional order, an encroachment on the Churchs right to self-governance, and a breach of fundamental international principles of freedom of conscience and religion.

It further accused the ruling party of pursuing an anti-Church agenda, warning that pre-election commitments to continue such policies demonstrate a broader ideological stance against the institution.

Emphasizing its autonomy, the Church stressed that the election of the Catholicos and internal governance matters fall exclusively within its jurisdiction and remain beyond the competence of political parties and state authorities.

The dispute comes amid deteriorating relations between the Church and the government since May 2025, when Pashinyan publicly criticized Church leadership over the management of religious sites. Since then, tensions have escalated, with the prime minister increasingly signaling his intention to remove Karekin II.

The Church also warned that the proposed reforms could undermine spiritual security, a claim mirrored by Civil Contract, which has used the same concept to justify its position.

In its programme, the party argues that the Churchs leadership has distanced itself from believers in recent decades, creating vulnerabilities that could be exploited by external actors. It maintains that the reform initiative aims to restore constitutional order by removing political influence from religious institutions, while reaffirming Armenias status as a secular state.
Oil prices jumped more than 7% back above $100 a barrel as the U.S. moved to block ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to throttle Iran's oil exports. Brent crude for June delivery was up 7.1% to trade at $101.64 per barrel at 8.05 am ET on Monday, while WTI crude for May delivery soared 7.3% to trade at $103.66 per barrel.

Following the collapse of peace negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan, President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the U.S. navy would begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with enforcement set to officially begin on Monday at 10 a.m. ET (14:00 GMT). In response, Iran threatened to retaliate against Gulf ports on Monday.

More from Yahoo Scout What triggered oil prices to surge above $100? Why did OPEC lower its oil demand forecast? Which countries faced the steepest oil production declines? How did the Strait of Hormuz blockade impact OPEC production?

Meanwhile, OPEC has lowered its world oil demand forecast for the second quarter by 500,000 barrels per day, citing the economic impact of the ongoing war in the Middle East, according to BloombergBNN. Global oil demand is now projected to average 105.07 million bpd for the second quarter, down from the 105.57 million bpd previously estimated in March. Downward revisions were applied to both OECD and non-OECD countries. However, OPEC has reiterated its forecast that global oil demand growth for the current year will clock in at 1.38 million bpd.

OPECs lower demand outlook comes at a time when the groups oil production has collapsed due to the ongoing war. OPEC's crude oil production plunged by a record 7.56 million barrels per day (bpd) in March to just 22 million bpd, good for a 25% decline. The crash was mainly triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the worlds most important maritime chokepoints, typically handling approximately 20% of global supply. Iraq recorded the group's steepest decline, with production falling by 2.76 million bpd to average just 1.63 million bpd. Saudi Arabia production dropped by 2.07 million bpd to 8.36 million bpd, though some losses were mitigated by alternative pipelines including the East-West pipeline. Meanwhile, UAE output fell by 1.44 million bpd to 2.16 million bpd.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Range Resources Corporation (NYSE:RRC) is among the 10 Most Profitable Natural Gas Stocks to Buy Now.

On April 5, Jefferies raised its price target on Range Resources Corporation (NYSE:RRC) to $42 from $39 while maintaining a Hold rating, reflecting updated mark-to-market estimates amid improving commodity pricing. The revision underscores the strengthening macro backdrop for natural gas producers, as tighter supply conditions and rising demand continue to support higher realized prices and improved earnings visibility.

On April 3, Freedom Broker initiated coverage on Range Resources Corporation (NYSE:RRC) with a Hold rating and a $48 price target, expressing a constructive long-term view on the companys positioning. The firm highlighted Ranges capital-efficient production growth and leverage to a structurally improving U.S. natural gas market, though it noted that much of this optimism may already be reflected in current valuations. Nonetheless, the companys disciplined operating approach and focus on high-return assets provide a solid foundation for sustained performance.

Range Resources Corporation (NYSE:RRC) is a pioneer of the Marcellus Shale and a leading U.S. natural gas producer, with operations concentrated in the Appalachian Basin. Headquartered in Texas, the company has streamlined its portfolio to focus on high-quality, low-cost assets. With strong margins and exposure to rising natural gas demandparticularly from LNG exports and AI-powered infrastructureRange Resources remains well-positioned to deliver steady cash flows, supporting a resilient investment profile with long-term upside potential.

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READ NEXT: 12 Cheap Penny Stocks to Invest In Now and 13 Cheapest Strong Buy Stocks to Buy Right Now.

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(Bloomberg) -- Three tankers  the first to attempt a transit of the Strait of Hormuz since the US announced a blockade  have successfully cleared the waterway. After sailing near the Iranian coast, the trio have now emerged into open waters.

Meanwhile, the blockade appears to be deterring others, with at least two ships abandoning their planned journeys.

Among the successful transits, the New Future, which has no clear links to Iran, and the US-sanctioned Auroura began moving northeast early Monday from waters off the United Arab Emirates, ship-tracking data show. The medium-range tankers appeared to have taken a route just south of Irans Larak island, a passage that Tehran has in recent days said vessels attempting an eastward transit should follow.

New Future has navigated the bend in the strait and is now off the coast of Sohar port in Oman. Auroura is near the exit of the waterway in the Gulf of Oman.

At the same time, a Vietnam-flagged and owned liquefied petroleum gas carrier approached the strait in the opposite direction to enter the Persian Gulf. The NV Sunshine began sailing northward from waters off Sohar in the Gulf of Oman late Sunday and is now inside the gulf signaling its headed to Sharjah in the UAE.

The transits come just hours before the US implemented a blockade of the areas around the Strait of Hormuz, after talks between Tehran and Washington fell apart over the weekend. The restrictions  which apply to all vessels entering or departing Iranian ports or coastal areas and kicked in at 10 a.m. New York time on Monday  follow the Islamic Republics tightening grip on the vital waterway since the start of the war, which has caused maritime traffic to plunge.

Pressure from the impending US naval blockade appeared to disrupt commercial shipping later on Monday. The US-sanctioned oil products tanker Rich Starry appeared to turn back during its outbound transit near Irans Qeshm Island, while the China-linked bulk carrier Guan Yuan Fu Xing made a sudden U-turn on its inbound passage on the opposite side of the waterway.

Ship transits are being closely watched as the US and Iran vie for control over the chokepoint, through which around a fifth of the worlds oil used to flow. Vessels have been targeted or attacked by Tehran in recent weeks for their links to Western countries or ownership. Trumps latest move is aimed at challenging the Islamic Republics control of the strait and depriving it of energy revenue.

The New Future is carrying more than 330,000 barrels of gasoil that was loaded at Hamriyah, a port in the UAE, in early April. The vessel entered the gulf shortly before the start of the war in late February.
Venture Global has closed a $1.75bn senior secured term loan B credit facility through its subsidiary Calcasieu Pass Funding, which indirectly oversees the Calcasieu Pass liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Louisiana, US.

This financing enabled the redemption of preferred equity interests previously held by Stonepeak Bayou Holdings II.

Goldman Sachs led the syndication as the left lead arranger and sole bookrunner. Barclays, Natixis and Wells Fargo supported the financing as right lead arrangers and joint bookrunners.

Venture Global was advised by Latham & Watkins and the arranger group was advised by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.

Venture Global CEO Mike Sabel said: We are very pleased to successfully close this $1.75bn secured credit facility, which represents a significant milestone for our company.

This transaction meaningfully reduces our overall cost of capital while further strengthening our balance sheet and liquidity position. Just as importantly, it demonstrates our continued ability to efficiently access the capital markets, even in a dynamic environment.

We believe this enhanced financial flexibility positions us well to execute on our strategic priorities and drive long-term value for our stakeholders.

Built at Cameron Parish, the Calcasieu Pass project began commercial operations in April 2025. The liquefaction and export facility is strategically located on the Calcasieu Ship Channel.

The project site benefits from access to deep waters, abundant gas resources and efficient transportation routes.

Calcasieu Pass, which covers 432 acres, is linked to major gas pipelines and directly connects to key gas basins in North America.

Its design includes 18 liquefaction trains split into nine blocks, capable of processing 626,000 tonnes per annum (tpa). In August 2025, the US Department of Energy authorised the project to increase its capacity from 12 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to 12.4mtpa.

Calcasieu Pass also offers three gas pre-treatment trains, two LNG storage tanks, each with a capacity of 200,000m, and two ship berths suitable for loading ships up to 185,000m.

The facility features a 720MW combined cycle gas turbine power plant and a 42in, 24-mile pipeline known as TransCameron.

"Venture Global closes $1.75bn term loan B for Calcasieu Pass" was originally created and published by Offshore Technology, a GlobalData owned brand.




Arch Insurance has named Mark McGrady as head of casualty for its UK Regional Division, with the change taking effect immediately.

McGrady will oversee efforts to grow the companys casualty business across its regional UK network and manage underwriting direction, product work and distribution for casualty offerings.

He is based in Glasgow, reporting to Stuart Danskin, director of underwriting for the UK Regional Division.

Danskin said: Marks promotion is testament to his proven leadership skills and strong technical expertise that have established him as a highly respected figure in the market. His appointment reflects our continued commitment to underwriting complex casualty business and he will drive the growth of our product-led liability portfolio, strengthening our presence by delivering innovative, customer-focused solutions.

McGrady, with close to 20 years of experience in the insurance sector, joined Arch in 2022.

Most recently, he served as liability underwriting manager for UK Regions.

Earlier in his career, he worked in commercial underwriting positions at Chapman and Stacey, LV= and Aviva.

Arch Insurance (UK) is part of Arch Insurance International.

The company writes casualty, commercial property, motor, personal accident, professional liability and travel insurance through its network of offices in the UK.

The move follows another recent hire by the Arch Insurance UK Regional Division.

Last month, the business appointed Henry Tinworth as senior property and casualty (P&C) underwriter.

Tinworths remit covers new business activity across the P&C account, with a regional emphasis on northern England. He is based in Leeds and reports to Martin Cleary, Leeds branch manager.

"Arch Insurance UK Regional Division names new casualty head " was originally created and published by Life Insurance International, a GlobalData owned brand.




The pharmaceutical sector has a reputation for offering high-growth opportunities, but is also known for being risky. However, there's more to that sector than meets the eye.

There are pharmaceutical companies that can fit into a value investor's portfolio. Broadly speaking, these companies look undervalued, with high dividend yields and the ability to generate steady revenue.

Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue 

A company that checks all three of those boxes at this moment is Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY).

Image source: Getty Images.

Why Bristol Myers Squibb looks like a value stock

Bristol's forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio -- based on estimates for earnings -- is around 9.5, which makes it look like a bargain compared to some other pharmaceutical stocks. For example, Johnson & Johnson has a forward P/E ratio of 21, while Merck's is 24.

Bristol Myers Squibb's dividend yield is an enticing 4.2%, which is notably higher than those competitors' yields. It has also increased its dividend payout for 17 consecutive years and has paid a dividend for 94 consecutive years.

In 2024, Bristol Myers Squibb reported $48.3 billion in revenue, followed by $48.2 billion in 2025. For 2026, Bristol expects revenue to fall between $46 billion and $47.5 billion. The slowing revenue is something to take note of, but what's also worth noting is that the 2026 outlook is still fairly similar to previous years, highlighting Bristol's consistency.

Just looking at the forward P/E, dividend yield, and stable revenue, on the surface, this seems like a strong value investment. Still, it's always important to ask: Why does this opportunity exist? What is the rest of the market missing?

What the rest of the market is worried about is slowing legacy revenue, patent cliffs, and acquisition costs.

The challenges that created a favorable valuation

In 2024, Bristol reported revenue of $25.7 billion from its "legacy portfolio," which fell sharply to $21.8 billion in 2025.

Eliquis, a blood thinner drug in that legacy portfolio that generated $14.4 billion in sales in 2025, faces an upcoming patent cliff. That's worrisome.

Some investors are also worried about Bristol's agreement to acquire Orbital Therapeutics for $1.5 billion, as the company is already sitting on more than $47 billion in debt.

When you add it all up, it's no surprise that the forward P/E suggests future expectations are low compared to those of similar pharmaceutical stocks.
Los Angeles spent more than $28 million in one year to make Hazel available to the countys 80 districts, according to GovSpend, a data company tracking payments to government agencies. It funded its deal with the company by tapping a $389 million statewide behavioral health care program . Between March 2022 and May 2024, 804 schools in the county referred 9,337 students for services, according to data Hazel provided to the county. Of those, 4,162 students received at least one visit, with students participating in an average of six visits. Fetterley said once a student is referred to Hazel, parents dont always follow through with a visit or may seek help elsewhere.

They were great to work with, said spokeswoman Onye Hollomon. Hazel served about 2,000 students in the district, which used COVID relief funds to pay for the program. Once that phased out, we had to make that cut.

In Missouri, the Ferguson-Florissant district, outside St. Louis, ended its business with Hazel last year.

There is a massive need to address student mental health and behavior issues, said Adam Newman, co-founder of Tyton Partners, a consulting firm focused on the education sector. Until the relief funds ran out, there were enough dollars in the system for schools and districts to find ways to underwrite these types of programs. But the risk has always been: Whats the durable funding model?

But according to internal memos, reported by a news outlet covering mental health, CEO Iyah Romm said the company was losing too much money to meet its goals. Since the expiration of the Los Angeles contract, the company has even, at times, absorbed the cost of services, Fetterley said.

Hazels leaders say they are restructuring the company to put it in a better position as it pursues more stable sources of funding, like billing Medicaid and private insurance, now that the federal relief funds some districts used have expired. Company spokeswoman Emilie Fetterley said no additional layoffs are expected at this time and that many states and districts plan to renew their contracts.

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The company lost one of its biggest customers, the Los Angeles County Office of Education, last year. It shortened its contract with the Chicago Public Schools because of challenges securing funding, a spokeswoman said. And several districts across the country have also either ended their business with Hazel or have contracts that expire later this year.

In February, the telehealth company let go of 135 staff members , including clinicians who worked directly with students and families, leaving about 500 employees.

Hazel Health, which once described itself as the largest K-12 mental and physical health provider in the nation, faces an uncertain future after enduring two rounds of layoffs since last fall and the loss of several lucrative contracts with school districts.

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In addition to taking a loss on services for some students since last year, Hazel has relied on billing insurance, including Medi-Cal, the states Medicaid program, and contracts with individual districts. Leaders are currently negotiating contracts with districts for next school year.

Hazel is also one of eight providers approved for a new program that allows 700 districts throughout California to be reimbursed for services by Medi-Cal or private insurers. It participates in a similar grant-funded program in Iowa, and in Nevada, the Clark County School District uses Medicaid funds to pay for Hazel services, but that agreement ends in June. A spokesperson said the board has not yet decided whether to renew it.

Made their mark

Telehealth programs, delivered through schools, were expanding long before the pandemic. They offer families convenient access to a remote doctor or therapist while preventing students from missing school for appointments that often turn into full-day absences. Hazel Health, founded in 2015 by health care executive Josh Golomb, was part of that growth.

Telehealth providers have made their mark in school-based health care, said Nirmita Panchal, a senior policy manager at KFF, a nonprofit focusing on health policy. They eliminate transportation barriers, where students may not be able to physically get to a provider.

During the pandemic, when learning and work suddenly went virtual, telehealth programs for schools grew substantially. A survey of school-based health centers showed that during the 2020-21 school year, more than 80% of respondents offered telehealth services, up from 19% in 2016-17.

The financial landscape has since changed. A lot of districts are now cutting budgets to close deficits. GovSpend, which doesnt capture all district spending, shows a decline in payments to Daybreak Health, a similar company, since 2023, while Cartwheel, another virtual mental health provider, saw a more stable influx of funds from 2024 to 2025.

Among providers, however, Hazel Health stands out. The company, which serves 6,000 schools in 21 states, initially focused on primary health care, with physicians prescribing over-the-counter medications for routine symptoms like stomach pain or headaches. In 2021, the company broadened its model to provide mental health services and respond to rising unmet student needs and limited access to care, Fetterley said.

In Floridas Duval County schools, Brittany Beimourtusting reached out to Hazel last school year when she was going through a divorce. Her middle child, she said, was having trouble adjusting.

It was a single-parent household all of a sudden, and I thought, How am I supposed to get him to get help because I think he could use therapy,  she said. The provider, she said, met with him about five times and helped him open up about what he was feeling. It was definitely worth it.

But when Superintendent Christopher Bernier looked for ways to save the district some money last year, a $1.4 million payment to Hazel was on the list.

Related

Tutoring Giants Sudden Demise Linked to End of Federal Relief Funds

A connected system

Four years ago, the startups future looked bright.

It attracted over $50 million from investors, including Fiore Ventures, founded by Walton family heiress Carrie Walton Penner. As recently as last year, Hazel was still eyeing growth. It made two acquisitions, including Little Otter, which offers family therapy, to further expand mental health services.

Together, we are building a connected system that supports children from their classrooms to their kitchen tables, wrote Andrew Post, then Hazels president, in October. But he has since resigned, writing on LinkedIn this month that it was time to turn to the next chapter in his career.

Hazels contract in Chicago was supposed to run through the end of 2027. Now it will end on June 30. Still, district officials said the layoffs have had no impact on the services students receive. In a pilot program that began in March 2025, the district made mental health services available to 84 high schools. As of January, 420 students had taken advantage of the program, the district said.

In December, Destiny Singleton, the honorary student member of the Chicago Board of Education, told members that students dont always feel comfortable talking to school counselors about personal issues because those staff members are often focused on academic performance and preparing for college. Thats why talking to an outsider can be helpful. But she added that students at the districts larger high schools are often unaware that Hazel is even an option.

Some Chicago parents, however, are wary of Hazel and say families dont always know what theyve agreed to when they consent to allowing their child to meet with a Hazel provider. In a letter to Chicago district leaders last year, student privacy advocates said they were concerned about whether Hazel properly secures students private information.

The companys acquisition of Little Otter, they said, raises red flags because Rebecca Egger, its CEO, formerly worked for Palantir, a federal contractor known for using AI to assist the Department of Homeland Security in its immigration crackdown.

In a response to Chicago officials, Romm, the CEO, wrote that Hazel does not sell, share, or use student data for any commercial purpose, and that it does not have any relationship with Palantir, commercial or strategic.

Fetterley, the company spokeswoman, also said Hazel is in the early stages of rolling out chatbots to simplify administrative tasks like scheduling for parents and clinicians, but that AI will never be a substitute for our human providers.

Related

Could AI Chatbots Solve the Youth Mental Health Crisis?

Even so, some districts see a much higher demand for in-person rather than virtual clinicians. In Broward County, Florida, where Hazel provides medical services, but not mental health support, 179 students completed a telehealth visit between August and December last year, according to district data. Over that same time period, more than 134,000 students visited a school clinic.

Parents want nurses, Cynthia Dominique, chair of the District Advisory Council and a parent in the district, told the school board in March. As a nurse practitioner, she questioned how a provider working remotely can diagnose and treat most common symptoms, like congestion or a sore throat.

I cant ask the registrar from the front desk, Can you look in the kids mouth and tell me what you see?  she told The 74. They dont know what theyre looking for.

For district leaders, however, Hazels ability to keep kids from missing school provided an effective selling point.

During a 2023 meeting, Duval County School Board Member Darryl Willie said the program had saved the district 4,000 classroom hours during the 2021-22 school year.

Were talking about making sure were focused on reading, writing and math, he said. The only way we can do that is if students are in school, in classrooms, sitting in seats.

Disclosure: Walton Family Foundation provides financial support to The 74.
So older adults, even, you know, if they're not getting a paid helper, so they're not paying someone to come in, or they're not in a facility that requires payment. Family members are often paying for medication, paying for somebody to come by and doing these things that cost money for them. They're paying out of their pocket because there's not a lot of support programs.

And so they're doing the bulk of it, but you know, I've done focus groups with caregivers in the community and I find that friends are pitching in, people from church are going to get groceries once in a while for someone. So it's really a family and community based event. And what they find is that about, you know, $7,000 out of pocket per year is spent on older adults care by family members or friends or other people.

Yeah. So family caregivers and friends and community members are providing a lot of care for older adults in our communities. We find that about 88% of care provided to an older adult is done by their family members.

Well done. We'll see you again next year. Well, Dr. Patterson, you know, obviously you do a tremendous amount of research in this area. I guess I, you know, I know just from anecdotally from talking to other guests that caregivers are under tremendous amount of stress. And oftentimes they're unpaid or they're paid a small amount of money relative to the work they're doing, but you've done a lot of research in this area. So let me ask you a baseline question.

Yeah, well, you have an important, we're going to talk about the research that you all do there. I mean, this is very, and a good segue. So congratulations to all the folks watching this at University of Michigan.

I also admittedly, I don't know if I can, but I also went to bed early.

And I do want to congratulate the University of Michigan on winning the national championship. I did not watch the game because it passed my bedtime. I'm sure you guys must be excited.

Joining me now is Dr. Sarah Patterson of the University of Michigan. Dr. Patterson, it's great to see you. Thanks for joining us this morning.

Broadcast Retirement Network's Jeffrey Snyder discusses the stresses caregivers face and who should pay for adult care later in life with University of Michigan's Sarah Patterson, PhD.

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Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Well, $7,000 to me seems like a lot of money. I would imagine just thinking about the average American income, that's a big proportion of someone's income. And let's not even account for, I'm not an economist, you're the professor and doctor, but there's opportunity loss when you're taking care of a loved one and you're not, probably not getting compensated.

So that's a lot of, that's a big out of pocket expense.

Sarah Patterson, University of Michigan

Yeah, I think it's a huge cost for people. And if an older adult needs more intensive care, so if they need to go to a nursing home, that can create even bigger costs. So locally here in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the cost to put an older adult in a nursing home that specializes in memory care starts at $12,000 a month.

And as you can imagine, that is a huge cost for many families, and often they're going it alone.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

So how do they, I mean, do you take a, and maybe you didn't look at this in the study, but do they take a reverse mortgage? I mean, how do you pay for something like that? Because $12,000 times 12 is $144,000.

I didn't learn my multiplication tables, but that seems like a lot of money and it's starting at that. How do they pay for that? I mean, does Medicaid, Medicare, long-term care insurance cover some of that?

Sarah Patterson, University of Michigan

Yeah, so it depends on what people have. If they have long-term care insurance that can help pay for it. If people are on Medicaid, that can also pay for it.

But I know that you've had other speakers on where they've talked about the fact that you have to spend down and you only have a certain amount of assets that you're allowed to have, which then creates other financial problems for families. But oftentimes families, there's not a lot of planning that goes into this often because people think it might not happen to them, or they're just not sure. There's a ton of information out there.

There's a ton of things that can happen. And so I think it's often hard to plan. And even people who make plans, things might come up, but really a lot of people, I think they either don't pay for those facilities or they scrape by somehow by taking out loans and things like that.

So that's what I would say, yeah.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Yeah. And I don't want to use the C word crisis because that's often overused. But it seemed to me in an aging society of which we're going to have more people that are age 65 than at any time.

I think they call it peak 65. We've got boomers. I'm Gen X, the millennials.

There's going to be a lot of people that are going to be needing care. Are we at a tipping point where we need to come up with a national or at least state level solution to some of these major challenges with, look, getting old is great. You want to live long, but this is part of the challenge.

Sarah Patterson, University of Michigan

Right. Yeah. So I think just based on the number of older adults that we have turning 65 each day, which is estimated to be about 10,000 people a day, there are more needs among older adults in the community for families to take care of them.

And so what this means is that we are reaching again, like you said, crisis, you know, gets thrown around a lot, but for many families, it can be a crisis. So having to take on this care can impact their ability to work, which then impacts their own ability to save and have safety nets for themselves later down the line. It can impact their health, their emotional wellbeing.

So it can have a huge impact on the family caregivers that are providing this. And I think what you see is that it's sort of a groundswell sort of situation where now there's, this is becoming much more common. So before, you know, parents didn't live that long, people are living much longer.

So we're enjoying these experiences with our parents much longer. But, you know, basically we're living longer with our parents and that's allowing people to extend their life course with their family members. So then that means more years together where they're needing care later in life, which is then putting that impact back on the caregivers.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

What about, you know, we have migration in this country where people move from, you know, I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. I live in Charlotte. My parents still live in Baltimore.

Now that's only a 45 minute or an hour or so flight, but there's a distance now. We don't have our families living. I mean, it may be in some communities that still occurs, but it used to be that the grandparents live with their children or one of their children, right?

So that creates, I think, another layer here.

Sarah Patterson, University of Michigan

Yeah. So in the US, you know, we're a nation of independence. People want to live in their own home by themselves or with their partner long into later life.

And so what that means is that families move away, like you said, which causes a distance between being able to just, you know, go across the street to take care of your parent one day if they need something. But what we find is that, you know, even if children or other family members live far away, they're still providing care for older adults in many ways. They're helping to manage their health care, either through participating virtually or making calls.

They're balancing their finances and tracking that they might be hiring somebody to come in and help take care of the older adult. So even if people are geographically dispersed, they're often still caregiving from far away. But it does raise the question of, you know, who can help with what?

Because, for instance, you can't help someone eat or bathe if you live a few states away. So it does create an issue for some families where there is, you know, a particular person who does that and then someone else does different tasks. But it does create an issue for older adults and caregivers.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Well, certainly, you know, if you look at your research, I think there's research by other academicians. There's, I think, AARP just put out something in the not-too-distant past about the cost of caregiving. Some were, you know, quantifying opportunity lost.

So are there answers? I mean, you said there's a groundswell of maybe, I'm paraphrasing you, but a groundswell of need or information. Is this where kind of the private sector and government, both state, local, federal, and, you know, try to work together to come up with solutions?

Because it seemed to me that, you know, you need to, if you're a, you know, Gen Alpha, you need to start saving now for these challenges down the road.

Sarah Patterson, University of Michigan

Yeah, yeah, it's for sure. And what we find in our research on people's attitudes towards who should be primarily responsible for paying for older adults care, we found that over time, more and more people are saying the government should primarily help pay for these caregiving, for caregiving for older adults. And I think the tricky thing about that is that they're not saying the government should do all of it.

People still really want their family to caregive for them. Families want to caregive for older adults. But really, I think it's more that the public is saying, we need a little help and we need a partnership between the government and families and these sort of social safety net programs and families in order to take care of all the older adults that are going to need care into the future.

And that can look a lot of different ways. So for instance, it could be tax credits. I think tax credits are increasingly gaining popularity.

In polling of people, of Americans, you find that they're highly supported. Both caregivers and the general public highly supports tax credits for caregivers. But there's other options, right?

We could technically pay family caregivers out of different programs. But really, tax credits have shown themselves to be widely popular, as well as a few states have implemented them with great success.

Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement Network

Yeah, I think you're right. Absolutely. I think this is going to continue to bubble up as we continue to get older.

This is going to be a strain, especially when there's affordability challenges going on now with the price of gas, food, etc. Maybe some of those prices will come down. But at the end of the day, if more people are getting older and we have fewer caregivers, the cost of caregiving could really skyrocket.

Dr. Patterson, we're going to have to leave it there. Great research. But look, we look forward to having you back on the program again very soon.

Sarah Patterson, University of Michigan

Great. Thanks. I look forward to joining again.

This story was originally published by TheStreet on Apr 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Retirement section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
April 13 (Reuters) - Electric vehicle company Slate Auto on Monday said it has raised $650 million in a Series C funding round, as the Jeff Bezos-backed firm gears up to deliver its first vehicles late this year.

The company has touted its pickup trucks as being affordable and hopes to capitalize on the lower price tag to draw in customers grappling with high cost of living.

Slate did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on its valuation.

The company will enter the EV market at an uncertain time; the loss of federal tax breaks https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-motor-vehicle-sales-drop-october-ev-subsidies-expire-2025-11-04/ has hit overall demand for battery vehicles, but higher gas prices due to the Middle East conflict are driving some people toward https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/fuel-crisis-powers-surge-ev-interest-asia-pacific-region-2026-04-01/ electric cars.

A "blank" Slate truck will cost in the mid-$20,000s range, and customers will be able to add features at additional cost.

The company, which has taken over 160,000 bookings, said it will produce trucks at a factory in Warsaw, Indiana, and is expected to invest nearly $400 million in the factory.

The funding round was led by investment firm TWG Global.

(Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)
Anthropic faces a different version of the same problem. The company's annualized revenue run rate surpassed $30 billion in April 2026, up from roughly $9 billion at the end of 2025 according to Bloomberg . More than 1,000 business customers now spend over $1 million annually on Claude services. That growth demands inference capacity at a scale Anthropic cannot build on its own. The company already runs workloads on AWS Trainium, Google tensor processing units and Nvidia GPUs. Adding CoreWeave's Nvidia-native clusters gives Anthropic another production-grade option for serving Claude to an expanding enterprise customer base.

The most likely explanation is that the binding constraint for Meta is not capital but time-to-capacity. Training and deploying large language models at Meta's scale requires clusters of tens of thousands of GPUs available in specific configurations at specific times. Building those clusters internally takes years. Renting them from a provider that has already secured the silicon and power gets workloads running in months.

Meta plans to spend between $115 billion and $135 billion on capital expenditure in 2026, a figure that dwarfs what most Fortune 500 companies generate in total revenue. The company operates its own gigawatt-scale data center campuses. It designs its own AI accelerator chip called MTIA. Yet none of that is sufficient. The $21 billion CoreWeave agreement builds on a prior $14.2 billion contract signed in September 2025 and according to CoreWeave will include early deployments of the Nvidia Vera Rubin platform.

The back-to-back deals highlight a counterintuitive reality for technology executives. Companies spending well over $100 billion a year building their own data centers still need external GPU capacity to match the pace of AI demand. The neocloud layer appears to be graduating from a temporary supplement into an increasingly important component of how the AI economy operates.

CoreWeave signed two landmark agreements in 48 hours that reshaped the artificial intelligence infrastructure landscape. On April 9, the neocloud provider announced a $21 billion expanded agreement with Meta to supply AI cloud capacity through December 2032. The following day it secured a multiyear deal with Anthropic to run Claude at production scale. The company says nine of the 10 leading AI model providers now run workloads on its platform, a claim that underscores how quickly the neocloud model has moved from niche offering to central infrastructure layer.

Story Continues

CoreWeave's Position And Its Risks

CoreWeave's numbers tell a story of explosive growth built on borrowed capital. The company went public in March 2025 at $40 per share and now carries a revenue backlog exceeding $66.8 billion. Management has guided for $12 billion to $13 billion in revenue for 2026. Its client roster includes OpenAI with a $22.4 billion contract, Meta with $35 billion in total commitments and now Anthropic at undisclosed terms.

That growth comes at a steep cost. Capital expenditure is expected to roughly double to between $30 billion and $35 billion in 2026. Net interest expense for full-year 2025 reached $1.2 billion according to company filings. At current guidance ranges, CoreWeave would be spending between roughly $2.3 and $2.9 for every dollar of revenue it earns. The business model depends on sustained demand growth to justify the debt financing required to build data centers ahead of customer need.

Customer concentration adds another layer of risk. Microsoft accounted for about 67% of CoreWeave's 2025 revenue. The Meta and Anthropic deals help diversify that base, but the company remains dependent on a small number of hyperscale clients whose spending commitments could shift if AI demand plateaus or if their own internal capacity catches up.

The Neocloud Market Gets Crowded

CoreWeave is not the only company capitalizing on the build-versus-buy tension. Nebius signed its own agreement with Meta earlier this month for $12 billion of dedicated AI infrastructure capacity over five years, with deployments also expected to feature the Nvidia Vera Rubin platform. The neocloud operator aims to reach up to 1,000 megawatts of connected data center capacity by the end of 2026. Lambda is preparing its own initial public offering after securing a deal with Microsoft and $1.5 billion in funding.

The hyperscalers are not standing still either. AWS continues scaling its Trainium chips. Broadcom and Google are collaborating to provide Anthropic with access to approximately 3.5 gigawatts of TPU-based computing capacity beginning in 2027, an arrangement that gives Anthropic a non-Nvidia path to scale. Meta is iterating on MTIA. Each of these custom silicon programs is designed to reduce dependence on Nvidia GPUs over time, which could erode the pricing advantage that neoclouds currently enjoy.

What CXOs Should Watch

The 48-hour sequence of deals reveals a shift in how the AI infrastructure market is organizing itself. Even as hyperscalers build custom silicon and expand their own data centers, they and the AI labs they serve are simultaneously signing multi-billion-dollar contracts with specialized GPU cloud providers. The result is a multi-sourcing model where neoclouds like CoreWeave supplement rather than replace in-house capacity.

For enterprise technology leaders evaluating their own AI infrastructure strategies, three dynamics merit close attention. The shift from training to inference as the dominant workload means production reliability and latency matter as much as raw compute throughput. CoreWeave's growing client roster suggests that specialized AI cloud providers are gaining significant leverage in the market, though it remains unclear whether this concentration will persist as hyperscaler alternatives mature. And the financial structure underpinning these providers, with capital expenditure running at multiples of current revenue, means the durability of the neocloud model remains an open question tied directly to whether AI demand continues to accelerate through the end of the decade.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Sunday ordered the army to enter heightened preparedness following the collapse of US-Iran talks in Pakistan, according to Israeli media outlets, AzerNEWS reports.

Military sources claimed that the army entered combat protocol, which had also been enacted before the beginning of Israel's attacks on Iran in June 2025 and February this year. At the same time, another source told Israel's Ma'ariv newspaper it remains uncertain whether the next round of negotiations between the US and Iran will be held, adding the White House might make decisions at "great speed."

Tehran had previously called for an immediate halt to Israeli attacks against Lebanon, insisting that the country was covered by the truce. The IDF, however, continued attacking Hezbollah, while the militant group responded with rocket and drone strikes against northern Israel.
SPAR Hungary has put more than 13.5m ($15.7m) into refurbishing six outlets nationwide, updating store layouts and services.

A key project within the programme is the reopening of a 4,000m INTERSPAR hypermarket in Veszprem, following a 7.26m renovation.

Work covered in-store equipment, the internal layout, and external elements such as the facade and entrance.

The site has added digital screens, electronic shelf labels, revised checkout options and a REpont return machine.

It employs 77 people. A SPAR toGo zone with fresh food and drinks, charging points and a terrace is due to open in June.

In Gyongyos, Spar upgraded an 820m supermarket via a 2.33m investment.

The refurbishment expanded fresh and convenience assortments and an updated payment infrastructure, with four staffed tills and six self-service checkouts.

A further 1.71m was allocated to modernising a 760m Spar supermarket in Gyor.

Changes include a reworked layout, updated service counters, and improvements to the bakery and fresh food areas, alongside revised checkout options.

In Budapest, a Spar supermarket received 738,600 of investment, adding larger fresh food and bakery sections, as well as express and self-service checkout facilities.

Elsewhere, Spar spent 785,000 refurbishing a 694m supermarket in Gardony.

In Zalaegerszeg, a 757,000 modernisation introduced a redesigned customer route through the store and broader fresh food ranges, including a self-service hot grill unit.

Spar said the programme is part of its ongoing store modernisation drive, aimed at improving customer experience, widening ranges and increasing energy efficiency.

Spar Hungary communications head Mark Maczelka said: Spar Hungarys goal is to serve customers in every region with a stable presence and ongoing development. We believe that reliable operations, support for local communities, and long-term investments not only create economic value but also provide security and stability.

"SPAR Hungary invests 13.5m in six store upgrades" was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand.




LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) - Tesco, Britain's biggest food retailer, has partnered with U.S. software group Adobe to deepen its use of artificial intelligence in analysing customer data, aiming to boost sales through more personalised marketing, the groups said on Monday.

Retailers are increasingly turning to AI in pursuit of revenue growth and cost savings, using the technology to offer more personalised shopping experiences.

More from Yahoo Scout What is Tesco's broader digital transformation strategy? What role does Clubcard data play in AI? How are retailers using AI for revenue growth? How will Tesco's Adobe partnership enhance customer personalization?

A central plank of Tesco's strategy is becoming more digital, stepping up personal engagement with customers and developing growth avenues such as Whoosh nL8N3Z21OE rapid delivery, its online platform Marketplace, and retail media.

PARTNERSHIP WILL USE AI WITH CLUBCARD DATA

Tesco's said its partnership with Adobe will combine AI with data from its Clubcard loyalty scheme, which provides lower prices for members and has been a key driver of market share gains in recent years, according to analysts.

The Clubcard scheme, which covers more than 24 million UK households, is one of the largest loyalty programmes in Britain and already provides some personalised offers and product recommendations.

Tesco, which has a 28% share of Britain's grocery market, said the partnership would accelerate personalised engagement with customers, helping the grocer better anticipate their needs and improve the relevance of content, offers and experiences across its channels.

Adobe engineers will work directly alongside Tesco personalisation and AI teams.

"Working with Adobe, we can be even more responsive to the needs of shoppers," Becky Brock, Tesco group customer digital transformation director, said.

Tesco is scheduled to publish annual results nL8N40Q16X on Thursday.

(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Jan Harvey)
After a social media pressure campaign and over a million kilometers of safe driving on European roads, Tesla FSD (Supervised) finally has its foot in the door in the EU, with the Netherlands approving its use on highways and city streets.

The approval paves the way for Tesla's ultimate goal of having the technology become legal across Europe, as the company needed at least one European Union member state to approve it before it could be tested and approved by the entire bloc.

Last year, Tesla gave its social media followers a call to action, encouraging them to inundate the Dutch transit authority, Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer (RDW), with messages to approve Full Self-Driving testing.

The electric vehicle maker explained that it has been trying to ship supervised Full Self-Driving tech to Europe for 12 months, and the best path forward for the company is through the Netherlands.

Our main path to success is partnering with the Dutch approval authority RDW to gain an exemption for the feature, Tesla said in a post on X (the former Twitter).

Current EU regulations, which Tesla referred to as outdated, render FSD illegal in its current form. Changing the system to comply with European rules would render FSD unsafe and unusable in many cases, according to the company.

Teslas call to action on X garnered 3.7 million views, 10,000 likes, 2,300 retweets, and nearly 800 comments in just two days.

The tactic worked: RDW was flooded with comments, forcing the agency to ask the X users to chill out.

We thank everyone who has already done so, and would like to ask everyone not to contact us about this. It takes up unnecessary time for our customer service. Moreover, this will have no influence on whether or not the planning is met, RDW said in a statement Nov. 24.

The agency said it would make a decision by February. However, after a short delay, it has approved Tesla FSD for use in the Netherlands.

Tesla receives Dutch approval for FSD technology

Tesla FSD (Supervised) has been approved for use by Dutch regulators after 18 months of testing and more than 1.6 million kilometers driven on EU roads.

But the European version of FSD is not the same software U.S. drivers use. The RDW's statement confirming its approval states that the software versions and functionalities in the U.S. and Europe "are therefore not comparable one-to-one."

Some of those differences include stricter hands-on steering-wheel requirements in Europe, more limited driving mode profiles, and stricter eye-tracking requirements, among others, according to Teslerati.
US and UK regulators are holding discussions with major banks about cyber security risks linked to Anthropic PBCs latest AI model, amid wider concern about potential threats to critical financial systems.

In Washington, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell convened senior Wall Street executives at the Treasury Department, Bloomberg reported, citing sources.

The meeting was aimed at ensuring large banks understood possible risks associated with Anthropics Mythos model - and similar systems that could follow - and that they were taking steps to protect their networks.

Some participants were already in the capital for a Financial Services Forum gathering, a group representing the largest US lenders.

The Treasury did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Bloomberg said. The Federal Reserve declined to comment.

Bloomberg reported that the banks invited are designated as systemically important, meaning disruption at any one of them could have broader consequences for the global financial system.

Some people familiar with the matter said Powells presence signalled the issue was being treated as a systemic concern, rather than being tied to the Trump administrations earlier disputes with Anthropic.

In the UK, the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority and HM Treasury are in urgent contact with the National Cyber Security Centre, and are also engaging with the countrys biggest banks on the issue, the Financial Times reported.

Two people briefed on the discussions told the Financial Times that major UK banks, insurers and exchanges would be warned within the next fortnight about cyber security concerns linked to Anthropics latest model, Claude Mythos Preview.

Anthropic has said Mythos is a more advanced model that can locate and exploit weaknesses across major operating systems and web browsers if instructed by a user.

The company has limited initial access to a small group of large technology and financial firms through Project Glasswing, which it says is intended to help secure critical systems before similar AI tools are released more widely.

Anthropic has also said it spoke with US officials ahead of the launch about its offensive and defensive cyber capabilities.

In one example cited by the companys security team, Anthropic said it breached a web browser in a way that could allow a malicious website to read information from another site, including e.g., the victims bank.

Bloomberg reported that those asked to attend the US meeting included Citigroups Jane Fraser, Morgan Stanleys Ted Pick, Bank of Americas Brian Moynihan, Wells Fargos Charlie Scharf and Goldman Sachs David Solomon.
Unfortunately, many diseases arent always straightforward and simple like we want them to be.

For starters, certain health conditions dont always present with symptoms. Even COVID-19, for example, can be asymptomatic, causing the number of cases to rise. Plus, illnesses can share symptoms. If youve ever googled how to tell if you have a cold, allergies or COVID, youre familiar with that.

Health: Doctors Warn Lying About These 6 Things During Your Office Visit Is Quite Dangerous

Along those lines, you might be surprised to hear that symptoms of certain health problems can be spotted in your eye, of all places  even if they arent eye diseases.

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Your eyes can reveal a lot about your overall health, often before you notice any changes yourself, said Dr. Yuna Rapoport, a board-certified ophthalmologist and the founder and director of Manhattan Eye.

HuffPost Life delivers practical, reliable advice to navigate lifes challenges and make informed decisions. Support journalism that empowers you  join our membership program today.

Ahead, she and another ophthalmologist share health concerns they can see in your eye, what treatment looks like, how often to see an ophthalmologist and when further medical attention is needed.

High Blood Pressure

While a health care provider typically uses your arm to check your blood pressure, your eyes provide information about it, too.

In fact, the blood vessels that help to serve the retina are the only microvasculature that can be observed in the body in a non-invasive fashion, according to Dr. Benjamin Bert, a board-certified ophthalmologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. But how?

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Basically, consistently high blood pressure can make the walls of the small arteries thick and stiff, leading to pinching and squeezing of the veins.

In severe cases, the arteries can squeeze against the veins so strongly that it causes a blockage, leading to a retinal vein occlusion, Bert continued. Hypertension can also be observed in the retina by the tortuosity, or the curving of the branches of the retinal microvasculature.

Health: I'm An Eye Doctor. Here's The 1 Product I'd Never Use On My Eyes.

In laymans terms, that might look like having blurry vision or noticing sharper curves in the eyes blood vessels.

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What treatment entails: The treatment here is pretty obvious: lowering and stabilizing blood pressure. Normalizing the blood pressure prevents further damage to the blood vessels and can help stop the progression of the disease, Bert said.

Some helpful habits for lowering blood pressure include exercising, eating more potassium, limiting alcohol, getting enough sleep, scheduling regular checkups and engaging in stress-reducing activities.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma, an eye condition that affects the optic nerve, is sneaky. Glaucoma is often referred to as a silent thief of sight because in early stages, patients dont typically notice any symptoms, Rapoport said.

Health: These 4 Sleep Problems Could Be Dementia Red Flags

It develops slowly, she continued, and by the time a person notices changes, permanent damage may have already occurred.

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However, early signs can be detected through eye exams, particularly when theres extra pressure, changes in the eyes color and shape, a thinning cornea or blind spots.

What treatment entails: Unfortunately, vision loss from glaucoma cannot be reversed, but early detection allows us to slow or stop the progression, Rapoport said. This is why regular eye exams (even when your eyes appear/feel healthy!) are so important.

Diabetes

Remember talking about the eyes retinal microvasculature (basically, the blood vessels)? Diabetes  or more specifically, elevated blood sugar  can affect it, too.

Health: Wearing Headphones Every Day Isnt Bad For Your Ears  But This Common Habit Might Be

The elevated blood sugar can damage pericytes, the little cells that are responsible for the integrity of the microvasculature in the retina, Bert explained. When these cells are damaged by elevated blood glucose, they disappear, leading to incompetence of the blood vessels.

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That can lead to microaneurysms and outpouching from the blood vessels, he continued, which look like red dots on the eyes.

In more severe cases, the blood vessels can leak, making even bigger dots and affecting vision.

What treatment entails: Controlling blood sugar and blood pressure is needed to prevent the progression of diabetes.

Health: 9 Things Eye Doctors Say You Should Never, Ever Do

If vision changes have occurred, know they arent always a sign of normal aging. Eye treatments may be necessary, Bert said, such as special injections containing a medicine that can make blood vessels less leaky, preventing the growth of new abnormal blood vessels.

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Like this article? Keep independent journalism alive. Support HuffPost.

Eye doctors can detect issues like demodex blepharitis and glaucoma during an eye exam. LaylaBird via Getty Images

Demodex Blepharitis

Prepare yourself: This one is pretty gross.

Demodex blepharitis (DB) is an eyelid disease that is caused by an overgrowth of Demodex mites  microscopic parasites that live in eyelash follicles, Rapoport said.

Even something as innocent and everyday as applying mascara can lead to it.

While you may experience symptoms that look like allergies, know that DB can be asymptomatic. Further, the disease wont just go away on its own.

Eye crust is a red flag. I can spot a patient with DB by analyzing the upper eyelid margin during an eye exam for the presence of crusties, otherwise known as collarettes, Rapoport said.

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What treatment entails: Good news: Theres a Food and Drug Administration-approved prescription eye drop that can treat and kill those pesky mites. Consider asking your ophthalmologist about it.

Brain Tumors Or Masses

This is clearly one of the most dangerous health concerns an ophthalmologist can spot. The mass can increase cerebrospinal fluid pressure, Bert said, causing papilledema, or a swelling of the optic nerve.

To be clear, papilledema doesnt automatically mean a person has a brain tumor or mass, but its something to check regardless.

What treatment entails: Ophthalmologists can test for this with an automated visual field test, which helps locate the abnormality. Then, after a diagnosis, your provider will order an MRI to assess the possible risk of a mass.

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This can often help to get patients earlier care and intervention with an oncology/neurosurgery/neurology team, Bert said.

Inflammation That Could Signal An Autoimmune Disease

Inflammation in the eye  whether the front or the back  can be a sign of various autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, syphilis or even lymphoma, according to Rapoport.

It can present with eye-related symptoms, for better or for worse, such as light sensitivity, eye pain, redness and decreased vision, that may be benign.

Again, routine visits to the eye doctor are vital, even for conditions that dont seemingly have to do with the eyes.

What treatment entails: Rapoport said she starts with topical steroid drops and, if needed, oral steroids. She also orders an autoimmune workup to see if theres an underlying condition, and coordinates care with an appropriate specialist if needed.

When Further Medical Attention Is Needed

As illustrated by those examples, and according to Rapoport, seeing an eye doctor can be valuable even if you dont have eye concerns. Not just once, either.

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It is advisable for everyone to see an eye doctor or surgeon once a year for routine monitoring, so that these issues can be identified in a timely fashion, Bert said.

Any extra regularity depends on each persons individual needs and health profile.

For example, if someone has the start of signs of diabetic retinopathy, they may need to be seen monthly, Bert continued. However, someone who has a known diagnosis of diabetes and has their blood sugar controlled with no signs of diabetic retinopathy may be able to be seen annually.

Experiencing eye or eyelid irritation, redness, swelling, inflammation or vision changes are other reasons to make an eye appointment ASAP, Rapoport added.

And of course, you may need to see other doctors if the ophthalmologist detects a non-eye concern. For example, a cardiologist for high blood pressure or an endocrinologist for signs of diabetes.

Dont wait, just go. Protect your body before any potential problem worsens.

Related...

Read the original on HuffPost
(HedgeCo.Net) In what may prove to be one of the most consequential developments in the evolution of the hedge fund industry, BlackRock is reportedly in advanced discussions to acquire a minority stake in Millennium Management, the multi-strategy platform founded and led by Izzy Englander. While details of the proposed transaction remain closely guarded, the implications are anything but subtle: if consummated, the deal would mark the first time in Millenniums 35-year history that the firm has accepted outside equity.

For an industry long defined by its insularity, secrecy, and fiercely guarded ownership structures, the potential partnership between the worlds largest asset manager and one of the most successful hedge fund platforms represents a tectonic shift. It is not merely a transactionit is a signal that the boundaries between hedge funds and institutional asset managers are rapidly dissolving.

The End of the Closed-Door Hedge Fund Model

For decades, elite hedge funds like Millennium have operated under a relatively simple premise: maintain tight control, avoid permanent capital, and prioritize performance above all else. Ownership stakes were closely held, often concentrated among founders and a small group of senior partners.

This model provided several advantages:

Flexibility in capital allocation

Independence from external shareholders

Strong alignment between risk-taking and reward

However, it also came with limitations. As firms scaled into tensor hundredsof billions in assets under management, the challenges of succession planning, infrastructure investment, and long-term continuity became increasingly pronounced.

Millennium, which has grown into one of the most formidable pod shop platforms in the world, exemplifies this evolution. The firms structurecomprising hundreds of trading teams operating under centralized risk managementhas delivered consistent, risk-adjusted returns. But it has also required massive investments in technology, data, compliance, and talent acquisition.

At a certain scale, even the most successful hedge funds begin to resemble institutions rather than entrepreneurial partnerships. And institutions, by definition, require institutional capital.

Why BlackRockand Why Now?

The involvement of BlackRock is particularly significant. With over $10 trillion in assets under management, BlackRock has spent the past decade systematically expanding beyond traditional equities and fixed income into alternatives, private markets, and technology-driven investment platforms.

A stake in Millennium would serve multiple strategic objectives for BlackRock:

1. Access to Elite Alpha Generation

Despite the rise of passive investing, the demand for uncorrelated alpha remains strong among institutional investors. Millenniums multi-manager model has consistently delivered steady returns with controlled volatilityan increasingly rare combination.

By acquiring a stake, BlackRock gains direct exposure to one of the most sophisticated alpha engines in the industry.

2. Expansion of Alternatives Platform

BlackRock has made no secret of its ambition to dominate the alternatives space, competing with firms like Blackstone, Apollo Global Management, and KKR. A partnership with Millennium would significantly enhance its hedge fund capabilities, complementing its existing offerings in private equity, infrastructure, and private credit.

3. Strategic Alignment with Institutional Clients

BlackRocks client basepension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and insurance companiesis increasingly seeking access to top-tier hedge fund strategies. Owning a stake in Millennium allows BlackRock to integrate these strategies more seamlessly into its broader product ecosystem.

Millenniums Perspective: Institutionalization Without Compromise

For Millennium Management and Izzy Englander, the decision to consider outside equity is not one taken lightly.

Millennium has built its reputation on discipline, risk control, and an almost obsessive focus on performance. Any external partnership must preserve these core principles.

So why consider a deal now?

1. Succession Planning

At the heart of the discussion is the question of long-term continuity. Englander, who founded Millennium in 1989, remains deeply involved in the firms operations. However, as with any founder-led organization, the issue of succession looms large.

Bringing in a partner like BlackRock could provide a framework for transitioning leadership while maintaining stability and investor confidence.

2. Capital for Growth

The modern hedge fund platform is capital-intensive. From data acquisition and AI-driven analytics to global trading infrastructure, the cost of staying competitive continues to rise.

An infusion of capital from BlackRock could accelerate Millenniums investment in these areas, ensuring it remains at the cutting edge of the industry.

3. Strategic Optionality

A minority stake structure allows Millennium to access the benefits of institutional partnership without relinquishing control. This balance is criticalpreserving the firms culture while positioning it for long-term growth.

Valuation and Deal Structure: The New Frontier

While specific terms have not been disclosed, market participants are already speculating about the valuation and structure of the potential deal.

Given Millenniums scale, performance track record, and strategic importance, any equity stake is likely to command a premium valuation. This raises several key questions:

How do you value a hedge fund platform?

What multiple applies to management fees versus performance fees?

How do you account for intangible assets such as talent and proprietary technology?

Unlike traditional companies, hedge funds do not fit neatly into standard valuation frameworks. Their earnings are inherently variable, tied to market conditions and performance outcomes.

As a result, the transaction could set a new benchmark for how hedge fund platforms are valued in the context of institutional ownership.

The Broader Trend: Convergence of Asset Management Models

The potential BlackRock-Millennium deal is not an isolated event. It is part of a broader trend toward convergence across the asset management industry.

Historically, the industry was segmented:

Hedge funds focused on alpha generation

Asset managers focused on beta exposure

Private equity firms focused on control investments

Today, these distinctions are increasingly blurred.

Firms like BlackRock are moving into alternatives. Private equity giants are launching hedge fund strategies. Hedge funds are exploring private market investments.

The result is a new hybrid modelone that combines elements of all three.

Implications for the Hedge Fund Industry

If the deal proceeds, its impact will extend far beyond Millennium.

1. Pressure on Other Platforms

Competitors such as Citadel and Point72 may face increased pressure to consider similar partnerships. The benefits of institutional capitalscale, stability, and strategic alignmentare difficult to ignore.

2. Shift in Talent Dynamics

Millenniums success has been built on its ability to attract and retain top trading talent. A partnership with BlackRock could enhance this advantage, providing additional resources and stability.

At the same time, it could also reshape compensation structures, governance models, and career pathways within the firm.

3. Redefinition of Independence

For many hedge funds, independence has long been a point of pride. But as the industry evolves, the definition of independence is changing.

Is it about ownership? Control? Culture? Or the ability to deliver consistent returns?

The answer is increasingly complex.

Risks and Potential Pitfalls

Despite its strategic appeal, the deal is not without risks.

Cultural Integration

Perhaps the most significant challenge is cultural alignment. BlackRock and Millennium operate under fundamentally different models. Integrating these cultureswithout disrupting Millenniums performance enginewill require careful execution.

Regulatory Scrutiny

Given the size and influence of both firms, regulators are likely to examine the transaction closely. Issues around market concentration, systemic risk, and governance could come into play.

Performance Sensitivity

Hedge fund earnings are inherently volatile. A downturn in performance could impact the perceived value of the investment and test the resilience of the partnership.

A Glimpse into the Future of Finance

At its core, the potential BlackRock-Millennium deal is about more than ownership. It is about the future structure of the financial industry.

We are witnessing the emergence of a new paradigm:

Scale is becoming as important as skill

Technology is becoming as important as talent

Institutional capital is becoming as important as entrepreneurial vision

In this environment, the traditional boundaries between hedge funds and asset managers are no longer sustainable.

Conclusion: A Turning Point for Institutional Capital

The reported discussions between BlackRock and Millennium represent a pivotal moment in the evolution of alternative investments.

If the deal is completed, it will:

Mark the end of an era of closed-door hedge fund ownership

Accelerate the institutionalization of multi-manager platforms

Redefine the competitive landscape for asset managers

For Izzy Englander, it could secure the long-term legacy of one of the most successful hedge fund platforms ever built.

For BlackRock, it could provide a powerful new engine of alpha in an increasingly competitive market.

And for the industry as a whole, it signals a future in which collaboration, scale, and integration are not just advantagesbut necessities.

In that future, the question is no longer whether hedge funds will institutionalize.

It is howand how quicklythey will adapt to a world where capital, technology, and strategy are more interconnected than ever before.
Iran has released updated figures on casualties from the recent conflict, with more than 3,300 deaths officially identified, according to the head of the Iranian Medical Expertise Organization, Abbas Masjedi, AzerNEWS reports.

Speaking to local media, Masjedi said that 2,875 of the identified victims are men and 496 are women. The highest number of fatalities was recorded in the provinces of Tehran, Hormuzgan, and Isfahan.

The breakdown of casualties also highlights the impact across age groups. Among the dead are 7 infants under the age of one, 255 children aged between 1 and 12, and 121 teenagers aged 13 to 18. The majority of victims fall within the working-age population, with 1,761 individuals aged between 19 and 40, while 907 were between 41 and 60 years old, and 223 were over 61.

Masjedi noted that while most of those killed are Iranian citizens, foreign nationals are also among the victims, including citizens of Afghanistan, Syria, Turkiye, Pakistan, China, Iraq, and Lebanon.

The figures come in the aftermath of escalating hostilities between Iran, the United States, and Israel. The conflict began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched airstrikes against Iran following stalled negotiations over Tehrans nuclear program. Iran responded with missile and UAV attacks targeting Israeli territory and US facilities in the region.

A temporary two-week ceasefire was reached on April 7 with mediation by Pakistan, though talks held in Islamabad on April 11 failed to produce a broader agreement, leaving uncertainty over the next phase of the conflict.
Build anywhere, deploy on ServiceNow  ServiceNow Build Agent skills open platform to every developer, from any tool.

AI, data, security, and governance are now in every ServiceNow offering  not a separate purchase

ServiceNow, the AI control tower for business reinvention, today announced that its entire product portfolio will be AI-enabled. Every ServiceNow product now includes AI, data connectivity, workflow execution, security, and governance built-in. This shift enables organisations to accelerate their AI ambitions and help ensure they get the most value from AI by bringing together the critical components required for enterprise-scale delivery: a conversational front door (EmployeeWorks), connected data for cross- enterprise context (Workflow Data Fabric), visibility and governance (AI Control Tower), and autonomous workflows that can move from assisting people to acting on their behalf. ServiceNow also unveiled Context Engine, an enterprise context solution that connects relationships, policy, and decision history behind every AI agent decision, and new ServiceNow Build Agent skills that open the platform so that developers can build from any tool they already use and deploy directly to ServiceNow.

The enterprise software landscape has a fragmentation problem. The average enterprise runs hundreds of applications, each with its own data model, security perimeter, and governance logic.Most providers are making it worse, bolting intelligence onto disconnected systems as a sidecar that can't execute across the enterprise with real context or accountability. ServiceNow is moving beyond a patchwork of AI add-ons towards a unified platform, combining intelligence that understands context with workflows that can act on it.

Most organisations spend months assembling the pieces for enterprise AI. By the time theyre ready, the goalposts have moved. ServiceNow brings it all together, so customers start with a complete AI-native experience across all products and packages, not a procurement project, said Amit Zavery, president, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Operating Officer at ServiceNow. "ServiceNow is redefining how companies realise value from AI, with the capabilities required for enterprise scale. From Context Engine's enterprise intelligence to data connectivity, governance, and execution, everything is included by default, all operating inside the flow of work, and open to the tools developers already use."

Context Engine: enterprise context for every AI decision

Every AI agent is only as good as the context it operates in. Context Engine gives ServiceNow AI andworkflows the context to sense whats happening across the enterprise, decide the right course of action, act with precision, and govern every outcome accountably. For example, it knows which asset is tied to a regulated process, which approval chain applies to a given cost threshold, and which vendor history should inform how a request is handled.

With 85 billion workflows and seven trillion transactions, ServiceNow is uniquely positioned to ground LLMs in an organisations specific strategy and make better decisions with AI. Context Engine compounds intelligence with every human and agent decision made, growing smarter about how a business works, not just about language. Built on ServiceNows Service Graph, Knowledge Graph, and data inventory, Context Engine draws from a breadth of enterprise signals, including identity relationships, asset dependencies, business intelligence, and data lineage that AI queries in real time.

ServiceNow SDK and Build Agent skills open ServiceNow to every developer, from any tool

On April 15, developers will be able to build with any tool they already use  including Claude Code, Cursor, OpenAI Codex, Windsurf, Antigravity, and others  and deploy directly to the ServiceNow AI Platform. The ServiceNow SDK and new Build Agent skills work across every major AI development environment, so developers stay in their preferred integrated development environment (IDE) while citizen developers describe a workflow in plain language. The result is a working app on ServiceNow in minutes, based on testing scenarios.

For teams developing on top of the companys prebuilt apps, ServiceNow Studio with embedded Build Agent delivers the deepest AInative development experience on one platform. Fully instanceconnected, it understands live data models, active scopes, table relationships, and business rules in real time, enabling it to surface the right fields, dependencies, and extension points as developers build.

Every custom app and AI agent is governed by AI Control Tower and App Engine Management Centre, and inherits the same identity framework. To get started, customers will receive 100 free Build Agent calls, and personal developer instances will include 25 free Build Agent calls.

AI, data, security, and governance now in every product offering for customers of any size

ServiceNow is releasing a new tiered offer model that spans AI assistance, agentic automation, and fully autonomous operations across the entire portfolio. For midsize companies that need enterprise-grade service management without months-long deployment, ServiceNow is introducing Enterprise Service Management (ESM) Foundation. ESM Foundation brings together IT, HR, legal, finance, procurement, and workplace services onto the ServiceNow AI Platform, which can be live in weeks. With AI-driven setup, AI assistance for employees, and automation to improve service team performance, organisations get fast ROI on a scalable foundation that grows with them.

ServiceNow AI deflects 70% of our employee requests before human intervention is needed  across IT, HR, and Legal. We reduced manual effort by 2,200 hours across 1,300 tickets monthly with AI embedded directly into our workflows, said Jay Hammonds, head of Technology Operations at Robinhood. And with ServiceNow's new AI-driven offerings, we can bring new teams and acquired entities live in weeks, not months. That is real speed-to-value."

Every ServiceNow customer now starts with a complete AI package  no separate purchase, no procurement project, and no integration required. From AI powered automation capabilities to more agentic AI features, customers can choose the level thats right for them. ServiceNow is model agnostic by design, giving customers the flexibility to leverage their preferred provider. Intelligence will keep getting cheaper. Trusted execution will keep getting more valuable.

Availability

ESM Foundation and the new packaging model are now available for all customers. Build Agent skills will be available to developers on April 15. Context Engine is available for preview with select customers, and full availability details will be shared at a later date.

About ServiceNow

ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is the AI control tower for business reinvention. The ServiceNow AI Platform integrates with any cloud, any model, and any data source to orchestrate how work flows across the enterprise. By unifying legacy systems, departmental tools, cloud applications, and AI agents, ServiceNow provides a single pane of glass that connects intelligence to execution across every corner of business. With more than 85 billion workflows running on the platform each year, ServiceNow helps organisations turn fragmented operations into coordinated, autonomous workflows that deliver measurable results. Learn how ServiceNow puts AI to work for people at www.servicenow.com.

 2026 ServiceNow, Inc. All rights reserved. ServiceNow, the ServiceNow logo, Now, and other ServiceNow marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company names, product names, and logos may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
Incidents of malware-enabled fraud and remote-access scams have surged alongside industrial-scale scam operations in Southeast Asia, with governments across the region issuing warnings in recent years. But connecting specific malware to the notorious compounds has been elusive  until now. In new joint research, Infoblox Threat Intel and Vietnamese non-profit Chong Lua Dao uncovered an Android banking trojan that is likely operated from multiple locations including the K99 Triumph City compound in Cambodia, a site previously flagged by the UN and others for large-scale scams and forced labour.

The team uncovered the operation after a spike in anomalous DNS traffic across Infoblox customer networks led to a previously undocumented malware-as-a-service platform. The service registers about 35 new domains every month to spoof banks, social-security agencies, tax authorities, utilities and law enforcement in at least 21 countries, with heaviest activity against users in Indonesia, Thailand, Spain and Turkiye.

Once victims install the fake government or banking app, operators gain full control of the device. The trojan can capture facial-recognition data during spoofed KYC checks, intercept SMS one-time passcodes and silently log in to mobile banking apps to move funds across borders  turning biometrics and OTPs from safeguards into attack surfaces for account-takeover fraud.

These arent random one-off scams. Theyre factory lines. For years we knew these scam compounds existed, and suspected malware distribution at the sites, but this is a firm confirmation, said Dr. Renee Burton, VP of Infoblox Threat Intel. We now know that beyond the social engineering associated with so-called pig butchering scams, the compounds are being used to run sophisticated operations that steal banking credentials and allow threat actors to spy on victims.

The research shows that unless banks, fintechs and governments harden their Android and mobile channels beyond SMS and basic biometrics, they should expect more coordinated cross-border raids on customer accounts  and tougher questions from regulators about the resilience of their mobile-fraud defences.

You can find the full research here: https://www.infoblox.com/blog/threat-intelligence/scams-slaves-and-malware-as-a-service-tracking-a-trojan-to-cambodias-scam-centers/

About Infoblox Threat Intel

Infoblox Threat Intel is the leading creator of original DNS threat intelligence, distinguishing itself in a sea of aggregators. What sets us apart? Two things: mad DNS skills and unparalleled visibility. DNS is notoriously tricky to interpret and hunt from, but our deep understanding and unique access to the internet's inner workings allows us to track down threat actors that others can't see. We're proactive, not just defensive, using our insights to disrupt cybercrime where it begins. We also believe in sharing knowledge to support the broader security community by publishing detailed research and releasing indicators on GitHub. In addition, our intel is seamlessly integrated into our Infoblox DNS Detection and Response solutions, so customers automatically get its benefits, along with ridiculously low false positive rates.

About Infoblox

Infoblox unites networking, security and cloud with a protective DDI platform that delivers enterprise resilience and agility. Trusted by over 6,000 customers, including the majority of Fortune 100 companies as well as emerging innovators, we seamlessly integrate, secure and automate critical network services so businesses can move fast without compromise. Visit Infoblox.com, or follow us on LinkedIn.
COMPANY NEWS: PMT Communication Systems has been recognised as an Elite Partner by Nextivity, following a recent visit to Australia by the companys global leadership team, reinforcing PMTs position as one of the countrys leading installers of advanced cellular coverage solutions.

The designation recognises PMT Communication Systems as one of the most experienced and capable installers of Nextivity technology in Australia, with proven expertise deploying in-building mobile coverage solutions across retail, commercial and enterprise environments nationwide.

Last month, senior executives from Nextivity visited Australia and met with PMTs communications team to discuss the growing demand for reliable indoor connectivity across Australian businesses, as well as the future roadmap for Nextivitys technology platforms.

During the visit, Michiel Lotter, Chief Executive Officer of Nextivity, met with the PMT team to discuss how organisations are increasingly relying on mobile connectivity as a critical operational platform.

Discussions also explored the evolution of the Nextivity QUATRA 4000e, which the company has enhanced from its current connectivity-only use to also act as an Internet of Things (IoT) connector for security, monitoring and building systems. Utilising Nextivitys new Smart Server Antenna Technology the QUATRA family systems may enable the collection and distribution of various types of sensor data to edge-based application servers, thus opening new opportunities for integrated communications and security deployments. As one of the largest integrated providers of security, communication and technology systems in Australia, PMT is well-placed to assist.

The Elite Partner recognition is awarded to partners who demonstrate exceptional technical expertise, deployment capability and consistent project delivery using Nextivitys cellular coverage solutions.

For PMT Communication Systems, the recognition highlights the companys ability to deliver large-scale connectivity projects nationally, particularly for organisations operating multiple sites across Australia. Current project successes include nationwide retailers, distribution centres, critical infrastructure and corporate buildings.

Sam Jamil, Communications Operations Manager at PMT Communication, said the recognition reflects the companys continued investment in engineering capability and national project delivery.

Being recognised as an Elite Partner by Nextivity is a strong endorsement of the expertise our team has developed delivering cellular coverage solutions across Australia, said Jamil.

As organisations continue to digitise operations, reliable indoor mobile connectivity has become essential for everything from payments and inventory systems to staff communications and customer engagement. Our partnership with Nextivity allows us to deliver these capabilities at scale.

PMT Communication Systems continues to expand its national footprint with new deployments across multiple retail and commercial environments.

The company has recently secured multiple Nextivity QUATRA sites in New South Wales, with additional sites across multiple states currently in the pipeline, and plans are progressing for a specialist QUATRA Commercial DAS deployment in South Australia.

Niyi Adedoja, Communications Solution Development Manager at PMT Communications, said the partnership ensures Australian organisations can access world-class connectivity technologies backed by local expertise.

Nextivitys technology enables organisations to deliver reliable cellular coverage inside buildings where traditional mobile signals often struggle, said Adedoja.

Our team has developed deep expertise installing these systems across retail and commercial environments, and the Elite Partner recognition reflects our ability to deliver complex projects for customers operating at national scale.

As part of the Elite Partner program, PMT Communication Systems will also benefit from priority technical support, closer collaboration with Nextivitys engineering teams, and enhanced competitive positioning through Nextivitys channel partner network.

With Australian organisations continuing to rely on mobile devices, cloud applications and connected systems, demand for reliable indoor connectivity is expected to grow rapidly across retail, logistics, commercial property and critical infrastructure sectors.

PMT Communication Systems partnership with Nextivity positions the company to help organisations deploy next-generation communications infrastructure that supports both connectivity and emerging IoT-enabled services.

About PMT Communication Systems

PMT Communication Systems is an Australian provider of communications infrastructure and connectivity solutions, specialising in cellular coverage, distributed antenna systems (DAS), wireless communications and integrated technology deployments. The company delivers solutions for national retailers, commercial facilities and enterprise organisations across Australia.

About Nextivity

Nextivity is the developer of the award-winning CEL-FI cellular coverage solutions, designed to improve indoor mobile connectivity for enterprises, public venues and commercial environments. Nextivity technology is deployed in thousands of sites in Australia and in more than 100 countries worldwide.
GUEST RESEARCH: Australia's architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector is emerging as one of the most digitally advanced markets globally. New research from Revizto, the leading global integrated collaboration platform for AEC, reveals Australia is now confronting a new generation of challenges around data governance, artificial intelligence (AI), regulation, and the capacity to implement new technologies at scale.

These are among the key findings from the 'Bridging the Gap', Revizto 2026 Digital Design and Construction Report, released today, surveying more than 2,000 industry leaders across major global markets, including 300 Australian respondents out of 2,006 globally, of which 90 are CIOs.

The research shows Australia is outperforming many global peers in areas such as project cost control and model-based digital workflows; however, organisations are now grappling with the next stage of digital transformation as technology adoption matures.

The survey reveals a sharp rise in concern around control of project information, with 64.4 per cent of Australian AEC organisations reporting they are "very" or "extremely" concerned about data ownership when selecting technology vendors, significantly higher than the global average of 37.8 per cent.

Notably, Australian respondents were far less likely to take a neutral stance on the issue, suggesting data governance is becoming a decisive factor in technology procurement decisions across the sector.

Jason Howden, chief innovation officer, Revizto and former construction industry practitioner specialising in digital construction and building information modelling, said, "These findings reflect a shift in priorities as digital collaboration becomes central to project delivery.

"Many organisations across the Australian AEC sector have already embraced digital tools to improve coordination and project outcomes. The challenge now is ensuring those technologies can scale across complex infrastructure and building projects while maintaining control of data, security, and governance. As projects become more collaborative and information-rich, ownership and visibility of project data is critical."

This challenge is echoed by Revizto customers addressing complex global projects. Ian Besford, global digital delivery leader at Mott MacDonald, commented: "The most successful projects I've been involved in have been those where, from day one, everyone has taken the time to fully understand the scope and requirements, the options and approach, and worked together to document not just the decisions but the rationale, too. And they maintained that continuity of knowledge through delivery. An informed team - from clients to consultants, contractors, and facilities - all on the same page and working together can avoid many issues at source."

AI opportunity recognised, yet governance slowing adoption

The research also found Australian AEC organisations recognise the potential value of AI in project delivery, with only four per cent of respondents saying AI lacks a clear use case, compared with 11 per cent globally.

However, governance concerns are slowing progress, with 32 per cent citing regulatory uncertainty in Australia as the biggest barrier preventing their organisation from gaining value from AI, the highest proportion of any country surveyed.

Jason Howden said, "The question is no longer whether AI can deliver value. Australia's AEC industry is grappling with how to deploy it responsibly and meet tightening governance and regulation requirements. The focus is on making sure teams retain control of their data and decision-making processes while still benefiting from the productivity gains AI can deliver."

The survey also found Australian AEC firms are feeling the financial squeeze from escalating software and cloud licensing costs, with 72.2 per cent reporting price increases over the past 12 months compared with 65.8 per cent globally. As digital platforms become increasingly central to project delivery, the findings highlight growing scrutiny from AEC firms around technology pricing, vendor dependency, and long-term control of project data.

Digital maturity delivers strong project performance

Despite the governance challenges, the survey highlights several areas where the Australian AEC sector is outperforming global peers, reflecting an industry entering a more mature stage of digital transformation.

Australian organisations reported lower average project budget overruns, with a mean overrun of 9.8 per cent compared with 11.6 per cent globally, while 19 per cent of respondents reported projects exceeding budgets by just zero to five per cent compared with eight per cent globally.

Australia's AEC industry is also further advanced in adopting model-based digital workflows, with 29 per cent of organisations reporting mostly or fully model-based workflows compared with 21.7 per cent globally.

At the same time, Australian AEC firms are investing in productivity improvements to address workforce and skills pressures. The survey found 46 per cent of Australian organisations are prioritising automation, and 46 per cent are investing in upskilling and training, both slightly above the global average. However, 39 per cent of Australian respondents say lack of time is the biggest barrier to adopting new technology, highlighting the operational pressure facing project teams across the sector.

Jason Howden said, "The findings highlight an Australian AEC sector that is moving beyond early digital adoption and into a new phase focused on governance, interoperability, and scalable collaboration.

"As the Australian AEC industry continues to digitise, the ability to manage project data, coordinate decisions, and maintain transparency across multiple stakeholders is becoming increasingly important. Organisations that can balance innovation with strong governance will be best positioned to deliver the complex infrastructure and building projects shaping Australia's future."

'Bridging the Gap', Revizto's 2026 Digital Design and Construction Report, shows that Australia's AEC industry is delivering some of the most complex infrastructure and building projects in the world currently.

Jason Howden said, "As projects scale in size and complexity, the ability for teams to collaborate effectively, manage information, and resolve issues early is critical to project success. Platforms such as Revizto let architects, engineers, contractors and owners collaborate in a shared 2D and 3D project environment, helping teams identify issues earlier and improve coordination across complex infrastructure and construction projects."

Revizto's technology is used by leading construction and engineering firms, including Arcadis, Laing O'Rourke, BILT, Stantec, and John Holland, to support the delivery of major infrastructure and building projects across Australia, from hospitals and commercial developments to nationally significant projects such as Snowy 2.0 and the Atlassian Tower in Sydney.

The full 'Bridging the Gap', Revizto's 2026 Digital Design and Construction Report, can be downloaded here.

About Revizto

Revizto enables the people behind the world's most important structures to do their best work. We connect architects, engineers, contractors and owners to deliver projects on time and on budget. By uniting teams in one shared 2D/3D space across the entire building lifecycle, we drive maximum collaboration and results. From airports to hospitals to data centers, Revizto empowers clients like Jacobs, AECOM, AtkinsRealis, Skanska, and Stantec to deliver critical infrastructure without risk or waste, for a world that's built to last.

Revizto's technology is built on a gaming engine, making it unbreakable for construction's toughest conditions and most complex projects.It works everywhere teams need it - in the office or on-site, across all devices. Backed by Summit Partners, Revizto is headquartered in Switzerland, where it has been recognized by Deloitte among Switzerland's Best Managed Companies in 2024 and 2025. Revizto has also been named among the FT1000: Europe's Fastest-Growing Companies 2025. The company has team members across the globe.
Multimillion-dollar alliance to deploy sovereign-ready AI infrastructure across key global markets, with Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore among the first

OneQode, in collaboration with Hitachi Vantara, the data storage, infrastructure and hybrid cloud management subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd. (TSE: 6501), and Cylix Applied Intelligence, today announced a Sovereign AI Factory initiative, a strategic alliance to deploy sovereign AI infrastructure across key global markets.

Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore are among the first markets selected for the initial phase, while the United States is targeted for future expansion. The initiative will enable governments and enterprises to deploy advanced AI capabilities while maintaining full control over data, infrastructure, and regulatory compliance.

Each partner contributes a key capability to this architecture:

OneQode delivers energy, facilities, telecoms and compute infrastructure - performance GPU compute, connected by their low-latency global backbone.

Hitachi Vantara brings Hitachi iQ, a validated AI infrastructure platform that integrates accelerated compute, networking and storage to keep data close to where its processed.

Cylix Applied Intelligence architects and operates the AI layer on top, from readiness assessments and RAG deployments through to fully managed production AI services.

Were genuinely excited to be working with Hitachi Vantara and Cylix on this, said Matt Shearing, CEO, OneQode. We cut our teeth on gaming and financial services, building infrastructure for firms where microseconds matter. Its given us a particular way of thinking about compute, networking and data centre operations, and theres real demand across the Global South for sovereign AI infrastructure built to that standard, and this alliance lets us deliver it.

Nathan Knight, Vice President and Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Hitachi Vantara, added, More than half of the enterprise tenders were seeing in Australia now specify sovereign-capable solutions, said Boards and management teams are now treating data sovereignty as a critical requirement alongside operational resilience and security. In the event of foreign ownership, control and intervention, the impact on critical infrastructure and intellectual property would be catastrophic. We applaud OneQodes decision to make Australia one of the first locations for its Sovereign AI Factory network, and were committed to supporting that ambition with infrastructure that meets the standard these workloads demand.

Ross DiStefano, Senior Vice President, HPC&AI, Cylix Applied Intelligence, said, Sovereign AI requires more than infrastructure; it requires the ability to operationalize AI at scale. At Cylix, we design and deploy Sovereign AI Factory architectures and deliver fully managed AI services on top of OneQodes sovereign infrastructure and Hitachi iQ platforms. This allows organizations to move from concept to production quickly, while maintaining full control over their data, compliance, and operational environment. Our role is to ensure AI workloads are not just deployed, but continuously optimized, governed, and delivering real business value.

Together, the three companies are building a turnkey sovereign AI platform  one that lets organisations train and deploy AI models securely, keep sensitive data within their own jurisdiction, and scale with confidence.
Sydney-headquartered customer experience and digital transformation company, Customer Science, has announced the appointment of James Johnstone as the companys inaugural Chief Operating Officer.

Based in Sydney, Johnstone will be responsible for translating Customer Sciences strategy into exceptional outcomes for clients, ensuring the business consistently delivers measurable, customerled value as it scales. He will lead the companys operations and gotomarket, integrating consulting, technology, people and products to help customers realise their CX, service and digital ambitions. With a strong focus on operational excellence, partnerships and sustainable growth, Johnstone will work closely with clients, partners and the market to ensure Customer Science remains a key advisor, innovator and execution partner

In addition, Johnstone will work closely with Customer Science CEO, Todd Gorsuch, to chart the companys expansion into the US and UK markets which the company views as tier one market opportunities for its services. Both share a sophisticated demand for high-end advisory services, a common 'service language' and present a significant opportunity to export Australian-grown CX innovation with considerable appetite for proven, scalable AI and human-centric design.

Johnstone joins Customer Science with more than 20 years of business development, consulting, sales, marketing and account management experience. Most recently, Johnstone was an Account Executive at Cisco where he led new business development for large opportunities introducing a new level of governance, stakeholder engagement, and partnerships that have positioned Cisco to achieve double-digit growth in the next year. Previously, he worked for more than nine years at Datacom in several CX technology and operations roles, including as Director  Specialist Sales, Associate Director  Managed Operations Presales, and Head of Project & Commercial Services.

Prior, he worked at HPE for more than five years in several roles, including as Support Manager during which time he was accountable for pricing, financial management, operational delivery, and strategy for technical support across seven different contracts for HPs South Pacific Communication & Media Solutions business. Earlier on in his career, Johnstone worked at Fujitsu as Problem Manager and at Microsoft as an Escalation Specialist.

Demand for Customer Sciences services is being driven by the demand for integrated service, AI and digital solutions. While many Australian organisations have a vision few have the internal mechanics to deliver and manage it. Customer Science has seen a record-breaking 24 months during which time it has doubled its specialist headcount and expanded its footprint across Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane to keep pace with a year-on-year surge in demand for CX technology transformation.

It is an exciting time for Customer Science enabled by our historic growth thanks to the market demand for optimising and transforming business customer services, says Todd Gorsuch, CEO, Customer Science.

James Johnstones appointment will now enable Customer Science to further scale sustainably and safely for our clients. His deep industry knowledge, innovative thinking and solution design will enable our clients to innovate, ensuring they have the best outcomes and ongoing benefits to their enterprises.

At the same time, our model of achieving results and transitioning IP and processes to organisations to lock and sustain benefits is working well. Adopting this model in other markets will enable us to expand these services globally. Indeed, weve now optimised service delivery for some of Australias largest institutions, affecting the daily experiences of millions of citizens and customers. Our plans for expanding beyond Australia isn't just growth for growth's sake, its a response to a market that is hungry for proven, independent expertise in an increasingly complex service tech landscape.

Our clients see us as an extension of their own leadership, the specialists who ensure that the processes weve built together continue to deliver measurable ROI year after year, says Gorsuch.

Customer Science now has more than 300 clients and been experiencing more than 50 per cent year on year growth. It also works with more than 50 industry partners to support service experience across the country helping in turn to improve safety, health, welfare, economic outcomes, and organisational competitiveness.

James Johnstone added, My long-standing partnership with Customer Science in my previous companies has shown me the immense value this team provides to Australian public and private sector enterprises. I am thrilled to officially join and lead the Australian operations at a time when the intersection of technology and human experience has never been more critical. With over two decades of experience leading complex transformations, I intend to provide our clients with more than just strategy. Im bringing a blueprint for whats next. My focus is on ensuring our customers don't just survive digital shifts but optimally navigate them to deliver world-class experiences that are both efficient and deeply human.

About Customer Science

Customer Science helps you deliver world leading services by bringing to life your vision for Customer and Digital Experience. Powered by a team of practitioners each with award winning deep experience, passionate about making a difference. They can take your vision & its benefits from idea, market research and service design through to operational delivery where we can lock in performance through management, people, process, and technology consulting & professional services. With our client commitment to delivering measurable results at a rapid return on investment and sustainability of solution, our clients enjoy great customer satisfaction levels that support their organisational objectives. For further information, please visit: https://customerscience.com.au
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Every year most Americans work hard, play by the rules, and diligently pay their taxes. The same can't be said of the dark-money billionaires funding the left's socialist crusade.

In February, the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing to investigate foreign actors who take advantage of the United States' tax-exempt status  typically reserved for nonprofit organizations  to spread discord, interfere in our elections, and peddle foreign government propaganda. The findings were alarming.

The hearing revealed "prolific" efforts to game our country's tax code  from loopholes that excuse political organizations from disclosing donors to social media campaigns meant to fuel protests manufactured by foreign-connected organizations. In at least one instance, a nonprofit lent its tax-exempt status to an entity designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Biden administration.

A recent Fox News expose further pulled back the curtain on these under-the-table dealings. The series details a sprawling network of nonprofits, shell companies and media holdings funded by tech mogul Neville Roy Singham to create a "propaganda machine" to advance Chinese Communist Party interests and Marxists ideals.

The network funneled $591 million through "concentric rings of an ideological pipeline" across five continents to spread pro-China propaganda. Singham  a self-described Maoist and "socialist benefactor"  and his organizations directly contributed over $400 million to fuel anti-American disinformation.

The ultra-wealthy  names like George Soros and John Arnold  have long pumped money into Washington to advance the left's agenda. But these latest efforts take dark money to a new level, and, worse, they do so by cheating the tax system. They are stealing from honest Americans to attack the pillars of our democracy and foist socialist doctrine on a reluctant public.

Americans have a right to protest, organize and advocate for their beliefs. But they deserve to know who's paying for it.

Singham's American smear campaign isn't only dishonest; it borders on illegal. He and his network routed money through shell companies and donor-advised funds to bankroll groups like the People's Forum and CodePink  organizations the U.S. State Department identifies as Chinese Communist Party proxies that "denigrate the United States and whitewash the violence of Marxist regimes."

No one would allow a business or individual to shield money from the government  much less to then use it to champion our adversaries  under the guise of a nonprofit or shell organization. How much worse when it's a person who admittedly loathes America and has no accountability.

Sadly, this is hardly a novel problem. The Soros network and Arnold Foundation have poured and continue to pour money into super PACs and 501c4s that promote Democrats' liberal agenda. Their causes read like the far left's dream policy platform: defunding the police, open borders, gun control and, of course, a slew of socialist candidates.

These shadowy characters' playbook isn't complicated. Nonprofits' and super PACs' nondisclosure status allows them to effectively launder money. The rich and foreign countries use them as vehicles to advance their political goals, and no one is the wiser.

As one witness testified during February's Congressional hearing, "It's unfortunately all too common that foreign billionaires and foreign charities seem to have their thumb on the scale of American politics."

The blind spot in our tax system is even more troubling set against the backdrop of foreign meddling. Foreign nationals are prohibited from contributing to political campaigns. But these same individuals and organizations can shirk the rules by channeling money through nonprofit organizations. It's a loophole for them to destabilize our country while leaving no fingerprints behind. And they are using it.

A report this year found that just six foreign entities alone directed more than $2.65 billion into American politics. Sadly, even supposedly well-respected institutions are complicit. For example, the University of Pennsylvania received over $15 million in anonymous Chinese donations in 2018, the same year it started the Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement.

Our system of government was designed to provide transparency. The Founders knew that secretive dealings undermine the power of the people. George Washington cautioned that "foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of republican government"  which might well be said of crooked internal influence too.

This glaring hole in our tax code must be addressed. But it also points to a larger truth: The rise of socialism in America isn't organic. It's well funded, organized and often orchestrated by foreign interests. Transparency is the best remedy, and Americans should demand it.

Comment by clicking here.

Ken Buck served in the United States House of Representatives from 2015-2024 representing Colorado's 4th congressional district. He now serves as a Fellow with the Independent Center.




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Pundits are already putting pencils to paper about who might be the Democrats' nominee for president in 2028 and how each might fare in media coverage. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore might be the next Obama model in the race, much like previous campaigns featured people posing like the new JFK, from Gary Hart to John Edwards.

Maxwell Tani, an alumnus of the leftist Daily Beast website, worried out loud about Moore in a story at Semafor that they headlined in an email "The Sinclair Sun vs. Wes Moore." Beware, Democrats: "Investigative journalists with The Baltimore Sun and the local TV station that shares the same owner are digging into Maryland Gov. Wes Moore's records  and keeping their owner in the loop."

Liberals worry about nonliberal outlets investigating Democrats  especially when the politicians make up details about their life story. Wait, that is the Obama model  he made up a bunch of details in his memoir "Dreams From My Father."

One funny Tani line suggests the Sun only recently became opinionated, that it made a "transformation from a well-known, fairly old-school, by-the-book regional newspaper to a new, more ideological local media hybrid."

More ideological? A few days before Barack Obama became president, the Sun posted a story headlined "Obama Traces Lincoln Steps on Way to Presidency." In 2019, the Sun was the toast of the liberal media by attacking President Donald Trump as "vermin" after he claimed no one wanted to live in Baltimore. In 2021, Sun media reporter David Zurawik suggested Fox News should be removed from the White House press corps. "Let's take them on the word, let's not let them on the plane. You want to let Proud Boys on Air Force One, no, I don't think so. These guys are doing the same thing."

Tani relayed the governor doesn't like reporters poking around about his dishonest biography: "Moore's team has complained both publicly and privately that the investigation is needlessly hostile and politically motivated." Democrats are used to reporters who are politically motivated to support their election prospects, especially in deep-blue Maryland. A conservative paper in Baltimore is as undesirable as a conservative congressman in Maryland (Andy Harris).

In a statement to Semafor, Moore's team lamented the scrutiny from "ultra-wealthy, right-wing media owners using their platforms to put their fingers on the scale and protect their power while hiding behind the credibility of legacy institutions ... this is right wing propaganda wearing the masthead of a formerly trusted news brand." Once again, liberal is "trusted," conservative is "propaganda."

Then Tani suggested that while the Sun's focus on accountability is "legitimate," it's not original. Moore's biographical claims were "the subject of serious stories several years ago by The New York Times and CNN," so "they're following reporting broken by the mainstream media."

In August of 2024, the Times reported that Moore claimed to have received a Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan, but he had not received the award. This came up at a very predictable time  when Moore was being considered as a running mate for Kamala Harris. Liberal outlets break out their investigative reporting when Democrats are shopping negative information on other Democrats. Moore then succeeded in having a friend and mentor (Lt. Gen. Michael Fenzel) push the Bronze Star paperwork again, so he obtained one  for his next campaign.

In the last few months, Moore has performed interviews with CBS, CNN and NPR, but none are like those "Sinclair Sun" people who pester Moore about his mangled biography. Semafor must think of them as "old-school, by-the-book" mainstream media.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
 At an escape room experience in Barcelona, Spain, participants are given 30 minutes to free themselves from a closed coffin, Reuters reports.

The puzzle, called Catalepsy (in reference to a medical condition that can be mistaken for death), requires gamers to collaborate with a partner in a neighboring casket to solve puzzles.

Game master Aurora Alvarino, who monitors the action via CCTV, calls the experience "a gym for the mind."

Players can customize their escapes, including choosing the type of casket or if they want to be "cremated" in a blaze of virtual fire and artificial smoke.

All for the low, low price of 44 euros for two people. [Reuters, 1/25/2024]
Greetings from Budapest - a town whose charms I've been enjoying for over half my life. I shall be here through Hungarian election, which is expected by the Eurocrats to be the pitiful last stand of their bete noire Viktor Orban. Or maybe not. We shall see. After that, I shall be off to Ukraine, to "fight the last war", as numerous correspondents accuse me of.

In between come the US/Iranian talks in Islamabad. Maybe. Tehran's lead representative, the parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, craftily waited until the 'plane of his opposite number at the negotiating table had taken off for Pakistan to tweet that the meeting may not take place because the Great Satan was already in breach of the agreement:

Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran's blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations. These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.    | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 10, 2026

Will Air Force Two turn around mid-air? The vice president's boss is not happy:

"We're loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made  even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart," he said. "But we're loading up the ships. We're loading up the ships with the best weapons ever made, even at a higher level than we used to do a complete decimation. "And if we don't have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively."

Bit tame by the standards of last weekend's threats, don't you think? So Mr Trump butched it up a bit an hour or two later:

The Iranians don't seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways. The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate! President DONALD J. TRUMP

I gather that his opposite number, Supreme Leader Khameini Jr, is not terribly active on social media: not much of a tweeter, no viral videos with the Easter Bunny, more generally not a lot of evidence for continued corporeal existence. And yet I occasionally find myself wondering what it would be like to live under such a rhetorically soothing system. So forget the menacing soundbites; what's actually happening?

Well, Iranian 'planes are (as I write) over Afghanistan and Pakistan-bound.

Meanwhile, as ceasefires go, there's not a lot of ceasing of fire:

1) Israel continues to fire on Lebanon; 2) the Houthis continue to fire on Israel; 3) Iran continues to fire on Israel and the Gulf monarchies; 4) Israel and the Gulf monarchies continue to fire on Iran.

So, as a practical matter, the only chaps who've ceased fire are the Americans.

Mr Vance could have negotiated that with himself, couldn't he? Rather than involving the man the President now calls his "favourite field marshal"?

Gee, it's almost as if those moron towelheads figured that, if you detoured the Great Satan on to the off-ramp and brought the price of oil below a hundred bucks, it'd be really difficult for him to talk himself back to the on-ramp for Shock'n'Awe II.

So is it, as my old friend Pete Hegseth says, a stunning military victory? Or is it, as I have argued more or less from the get-go, a profound Suez-sized strategic defeat? Or are concepts such as "winning" and "losing" now obsolescent and it is more accurate to speak of the "world's most powerful reset"?

In the geopolitical sense, "resets" are something I had hitherto associated with Klaus Schwab and HM The King. But, to reduce it to its parochial Beltway essentials, in the old days Iran would have been perceived as a definite loss because all the Administration bigshots are leaking to the media that it was nothing to do with them: "Yes, well, I was always a bit leery. Wasn't it your idea, old boy?" There aren't a lot of fellows going: "Actually, I came up with it. The President was a bit comme-ci-comme-ca, but I stiffened his spine: I said, 'Now is the hour. I know all the pantywaists are saying there's no exit ramp, but, if you need one, there's a Pakistani field marshal you're gonna love. But you won't need him because you'll be ribbon-cutting at our new base where the Qom madrassah used to be...'"

Instead:

The C.I.A. director used one word to describe the Israeli prime minister's regime change scenarios: "farcical." At that point, Mr. Rubio cut in. "In other words, it's bullshit..." General Caine was not a political loyalist, and he had serious concerns about a war with Iran... General Caine shared with Mr. Trump and others the alarming military assessment that a major campaign against Iran would drastically deplete stockpiles of American weaponry, including missile interceptors, whose supply had been strained after years of support for Ukraine and Israel. General Caine saw no clear path to quickly replenishing these stockpiles... He also flagged the enormous difficulty of securing the Strait of Hormuz and the risks of Iran blocking it. Mr. Trump had dismissed that possibility on the assumption that the regime would capitulate before it came to that... Ms. Wiles had told colleagues that she worried about the United States being dragged into another war in the Middle East. An attack on Iran carried with it the potential to set off soaring gas prices months before midterm elections that could help decide whether the final two years of Mr. Trump's second term would be years of accomplishment or subpoenas from House Democrats... Nobody in Mr. Trump's inner circle was more worried about the prospect of war with Iran, or did more to try to stop it, than the vice president... The figure inside the White House most opposed to a full-scale war described it as "a huge distraction of resources" and "massively expensive..." Beyond all of this was perhaps the biggest risk of all: Iran held the advantage when it came to the Strait of Hormuz.

Yes, I know there will be those who don't understand how a corrupt media works and will scoff, "Oh, well, that's just bollocks from The New York Times... But those quotes are in there because the people who uttered those words want to get them on the record. And, for what it's worth, they accord with the positions of those principals with whom I have some small acquaintance.

Oh, but surely some senior figure other than Mark Levin must have been in favour of the war?

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was the biggest proponent of a military campaign against Iran.

Which is why, as I noted three weeks ago, my old chum was being lined up as the designated fall-guy:

Trump suggests unpopular Iran war was Pete Hegseth's idea.

And also why at his "massive victory" press conference Pete was so eager to ensure that only this president could have been courageous enough to launch and see through the soi-disant "unpopular Iran war". Maybe Trump will find a fall-girl instead: last week he was said to be minded to dump Tulsi.

Mark's international bestseller America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It. If you haven't read the book during its first seventeen years, well, you're missing a treat. It's still in print in hardback and paperback. (Buy it at a 77% discount by clicking here or order in KINDLE edition at a 47% discount by clicking here. Sales help fund JWR)

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Mark Steyn is an international bestselling author, a Top 41 recording artist, and a leading Canadian human rights activist. Among his books is "The Undocumented Mark Steyn: Don't Say You Weren't Warned". (Buy it at a 49% discount by clicking here or order in KINDLE edition at a 67% discount by clicking here. Sales help fund JWR)
China on Saturday launched a Smart Dragon-3 (SD-3) carrier rocket from the sea, sending a test satellite into its planned orbit to promote satellite internet technology, AzerNEWS reprots via Xinhua.

The SD-3 rocket blasted off at 7:32 p.m. (Beijing Time) from waters off the coast of Yangjiang in south China's Guangdong Province.

This offshore launch mission was carried out by the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center
A recent news headline declared, "11,500 shootings occurred within 500 yards of US schools last year." The obvious implication is that American school children are under daily fire on school campuses nationwide. But, as with most gun control narratives in national media written by reporters who mostly don't understand the basics of firearms or criminal gun use, that narrative collapses under the slightest scrutiny.

The first glaring red flag in this story is that Hearst Television Data Visualization Journalist Susie Webb and the WCVB Get the Facts Data Team built their agenda-driven narrative by relying on gun control advocacy site The Trace's "School-Adjacent Shootings" dataset, which tracks Gun Violence Archive (GVA) incidents that fell within 500 yards of a K-12 school. Even that dataset warns that each row is a shooting-to-school match and must be deduplicated before anyone totals up the incidents, deaths or injuries. However, that was not done before Webb and WVTM's story went live on several news outlets, on social media, on Hearst Television's YouTube channel and was evenunsurprisinglypicked up by MSN.

This blatant error is not a trivial methodological footnote. It is the difference between measuring school-related crime and measuring a broad circle on a map. It's also a trick that's been seen time and again from the likes of Everytown's propagandist at The Trace and GVA. 
The developer, Sanchuan Zaixian (Hangzhou) Information Technology Co., Ltd. , indicated that the apps privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. This information has not been verified by Apple. For more information, see the developers privacy policy . To help you better understand the developers responses, see Privacy Definitions and Examples . Privacy practices may vary based, for example, on the features you use or your age. Learn More Data Used to Track You The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies: Identifiers

Data Linked to You The following data, which may be collected and linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes: Developers Advertising or Marketing Identifiers Device ID



Product Personalisation Identifiers Device ID



App Functionality Identifiers Device ID

Data Not Linked to You The following data, which may be collected but is not linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes: Analytics Usage Data Product Interaction



Diagnostics Crash Data Performance Data



Product Personalisation Identifiers User ID



App Functionality Location Coarse Location



User Content Photos or Videos



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Usage Data Product Interaction Other Usage Data



Diagnostics Crash Data Performance Data Other Diagnostic Data



Other Data Other Data Types



30
Intro

This is not a story of a 28-year-old successful serial entrepreneur, nor a work of personal development literature. It is rather an auto-dissection of a very regular and tired doctor who was arrogant enough to co-found a medical startup and become its chief executive officer (CEO) without having any qualifications for it whatsoever.

It is also not a story of great success (yet) merely because the journey is in its diapers and success is yet to be proven.

It is a diary, the chapters of which will be written across the lifespan of the startup. May it have a long and prosperous life.

It is also a self-trial in exposure. A genuine laparotomy of our journey, in an attempt to promote frank discussion and perhaps empower one or two physicians to pursue this path themselves, with the true belief that more medical companies and startups should be built and run by medical specialists.

Chapter 1: Tunnel vision

I am 44 now. Up until 3.5 years ago, my life was the perfect ride on an ultra-speed bullet train called medicine. Medical school, internship, radiology residency, interventional radiology (IR) fellowship, attending position at a large hospital, chief of IR service, private practice, a master of business administration (MBA) somewhere in the middle, and of course, meeting the love of my life and having three beautiful children, just to become an on-call dad.

There is a thing about very fast rides, especially in medicine, you can clearly see only what is directly ahead, while your peripheral vision is completely blurred. Most of the day you are on absolute autopilot, with rare moments of self-reflection only when you drive to and from the hospital. Even in those precious moments, your thoughts circle around the last procedure or the upcoming one, an annoying colleague, or whatever magic to pull out of the hat to finally convince management to approve the additional nurse position your unit so desperately needs.

This tunnel vision of a busy medical career is probably the worst soil for creative ideas to germinate. Even if these ideas manage to somehow emerge, they die extremely quickly, simply because there is no time to water them.

For me, this train ride would probably have continued until the final station, or a premature crash, and the speed and adrenaline of it would likely have kept me happy enough for the rest of the journey. Unless a strange thing happened.

Chapter 2: The burnout

It was a regular Tuesday in June 2022. The evening before, I had finished at my private practice around 11 p.m., got called to the hospital at 3 a.m. for a bleeder embolization, slept a little, performed several procedures during the morning shift, and scrubbed in for a dialysis fistula percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) as the first case of the after-hours shift. As I said, regular Tuesday.

After administering local anesthesia, out of the blue my vision blurred. Pre-syncope, chest tightness, hyperventilation, dear God. Of course I arrived at the inevitable, well-informed-by-medical-education conclusion: I am having a myocardial infarction (MI). What?! At the age of 41, with no risk factors? That is unlucky.

The next thing I knew, my team was rolling me in a wheelchair directly from our catheterization lab to the emergency room (ER). A ride of shame, me in scrubs, being wheeled through the corridors I had ruled just an hour before.

To my surprise, and as a blow to my self-diagnostic capabilities, I had not had an MI. Everything was normal. Electrocardiogram (ECG), troponin, echocardiogram, all labs, and even a cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA). I was 100 percent healthy, and yet I could not get out of bed for the entire two weeks that followed, which was a sufficient period of time to arrive at a more informed medical diagnosis: burnout.

Now, please understand, I come from a Jewish family with Russian origins. There is no such word in our lexicon as burnout. I was raised in an achievement-based belief system where taking a sick day was considered failure. Burnout?! (Please read the following lines with a heavy Russian accent.) What?! Great-grandfather was fighting Nazis with knife in his mouth, killed polar bear with his bare hands to survive while completing a doctor of philosophy (PhD) in theoretical physics! Grandmother survived blockade of Leningrad on one piece of bread per month, and you say burnout?! You are weak! Weak! Get up, jump in ice pool, slap yourself, and go to work! This is what my upbringing told me during those two weeks. And yet, I could not.

Although burnout is extremely common among doctors (above 50 percent, with a severe debilitating form in 10 to 20 percent of cases), we rarely speak about it and NEVER think it will happen to us, until it does. As I discovered myself, it was a very real thing. And frankly, quite frightening. At the peak of my career, with three young children at home, it was an unsettling revelation to realize that I am not Superman. Bummer.

Recovery took time and the support of my extraordinary life partner and my team at work. It was a journey of self-reflection that made me slow that train ride and expand my peripheral vision. I did not know it yet, but the peripheral vision was about to show me something I had never seen before.

Maxim Saksonov is a diagnostic and interventional radiologist with more than fifteen years of clinical experience spanning residency, fellowship, and senior attending roles, including service as chief of an interventional radiology division. Trained in both diagnostic and procedural medicine, he has worked at the intersection of imaging, intervention, and clinical operations throughout his career.

He also holds an MBA, earned alongside the demands of clinical practice and department leadership. What began as an effort to better understand the business side of medicine ultimately led him into entrepreneurship. Dr. Saksonov is now the chief executive officer and cofounder of WillyAI, an early-stage platform for personalized ambient medical documentation that is currently deployed across medical institutions in multiple countries.

He shares professional updates on LinkedIn.
Your hospital recently adopted a new piece of technology. Maybe it was an electronic health record (EHR) module. A patient monitoring upgrade. A documentation tool. A new device in the operating room (OR). Think about what happened next. Some of your colleagues embraced it. Others resisted. The nurses figured out workarounds within a week. The information technology (IT) department sent three emails about training sessions that nobody attended. Six months later, half the staff is using the new system and the other half found a way to keep doing things the old way. A year later, someone in administration is quietly evaluating whether the purchase was worth it.

If you have worked in a hospital for more than a year, you have lived through this cycle at least once. What you probably do not realize is that you just participated in the same evaluation process that venture capitalists use to decide whether to invest millions of dollars in a health care company. You just did it from the other end.

You are already evaluating health care products

Every time your hospital introduces a new technology, you unconsciously run an assessment that mirrors the core of health care venture capital diligence.

You evaluate clinical necessity. Does this product solve a problem I actually have, or is it a solution looking for a problem? You know within the first week of using a new tool whether it addresses a genuine pain point or whether someone in procurement was sold on a demo that looked better than it performs in practice.

You evaluate adoption feasibility. Will my colleagues actually use this? You watch the rollout and immediately identify who adopts and who resists, and more importantly, why. Is the resistance because the product is poorly designed, or because the training was inadequate, or because the switching cost is too high? These are the exact questions investors should be asking before they fund a health care company, and they are questions only clinicians can answer with authority.

You evaluate workflow integration. Does this fit into how I actually work, or does it add friction? You notice every extra click, every additional step, every moment where the new system forces you to break your clinical flow. The difference between a product that gets adopted and one that gets abandoned is often measured in seconds of added workflow time, and physicians are the only people who can feel that difference in real time.

You even evaluate reimbursement viability, though you may not call it that. When your hospitals value analysis committee rejects a product because the cost cannot be justified against existing reimbursement, or when a promising device gets shelved because there is no billing code for its use, you are watching the reimbursement gate in action. You see, firsthand, how payment dynamics determine which innovations survive and which ones die regardless of clinical merit.

The gap between the hallway and the boardroom

Physicians perform this evaluation constantly, automatically, and with clinical granularity no financial analyst can match. But it almost never reaches the people making investment decisions.

When a venture firm considers funding a health care startup, they analyze market size, competitive landscape, and revenue models. What they rarely do is ask a floor physician whether the product will actually be used. They do not poll nurses about workflow integration. They do not sit in on a value analysis committee meeting.

The result is a persistent disconnect. Investors fund products that look great in pitch meetings. Hospitals buy products that look great in procurement demos. And physicians find out about the product when it shows up on their unit with a mandatory training email.

Three questions to start asking differently

You cannot change how your hospital makes purchasing decisions overnight. But you can start translating your clinical evaluations into the language of health care investing, and in doing so, you will discover that you already have skills the investment world desperately needs.

The next time your hospital adopts a new technology, ask yourself three questions.

First: Would I have funded this? Based on what you know about the clinical problem and the adoption barriers you have observed, would you have put money behind this product? If the answer is no, that gap between your assessment and the investors decision is exactly the clinical insight health care funds need.

Second: What would have made this better? If someone had asked you before the purchase whether this product would be adopted, what would you have told them? If your answer would have changed the decision, your clinical judgment has investment-grade value. It just was not solicited.

Third: What problem in my daily practice still does not have a good solution? The workflow bottleneck you have been living with for years. The documentation gap nobody has fixed. Those unsolved problems are where the next generation of health care companies will be built, and you are the person best positioned to identify them.

From informal evaluation to formal impact

Physician-led investment networks are emerging that formalize what physicians have always done informally, applying clinical judgment to health care products and connecting that judgment to actual investment decisions. The same evaluation you perform when your hospital rolls out a new tool is the same evaluation that should happen before a venture fund writes a check.

Clinical diligence is only the first layer

Everything I have described so far, evaluating clinical necessity, adoption feasibility, workflow integration, represents the clinical diligence layer. It is the layer physicians are naturally equipped for, and it is the one most investors skip entirely.

But clinical validation alone does not make something a good investment. A product also has to survive the regulatory gate, navigating Food and Drug Administration (FDA) pathways for devices and drugs, or hospital IT security and compliance standards for health tech. Each pathway carries vastly different timelines, costs, and probabilities of success. And it has to survive the reimbursement gate, the question of who actually pays. Is there an existing billing code? Will insurers cover it? Will health systems absorb the cost?

A product can be clinically excellent, beloved by physicians, and still fail as an investment because the regulatory pathway takes five years longer than projected or because no payer will reimburse it at a price that sustains the business. A good product and a good investment are not the same thing. Learning to hold both evaluations simultaneously, clinical merit in one hand, commercial viability in the other, is one of the most important skills in health care investing. And it starts with the clinical layer that you are already performing every day.

You have been doing venture capital diligence your entire career

The skills are not new. The application is. And the physician who recognizes that their daily clinical evaluations are actually investment insights is the physician who starts shaping what gets built, not just what gets used.

You just did not know it had a name.

Harsha Moole is an internal medicine-trained physician-scientist with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, including work featured in the New England Journal of Medicine. After years of clinical practice and gastroenterology outcomes research, he made an unconventional transition from the bedside to the boardroom by founding PhysicianEstate, a health care-focused venture capital firm.

Over the past seven years, Dr. Moole has made 22 early-stage health care investments across digital health, medical devices, biotech, and therapeutics. He has also built a network of more than 200 physicians from institutions such as Johns Hopkins and Stanford who help source opportunities and provide clinical diligence before capital is deployed. His core thesis is that physician-scientists with firsthand clinical experience are uniquely positioned to identify health care investments that generalist investors often miss.

His research background is reflected in his publication record on Google Scholar, and he shares professional updates on LinkedIn.
United States President Donald Trump told Fox News on Sunday that NATO countries are now willing to help the US regarding Iran's blockade of the Hormuz Strait, AzerNEWS reports.

He also repeated what he wrote earlier today about imposing a naval blockade of Iran.

The closure of the waterway will "take some time," the US leader added. Trump clarified that NATO wants to help clear mines from the strait, while likening the impending blockade to the US military operation in Venezuela, but on a "higher level".

Additionally, Trump again declared that the main remaining problem in talks with the Iranians was their unwillingness to give up nuclear ambitions, reiterating that Washington would not allow it. Speaking about his post on social media, warning that a "whole civilization would die," the US president clarified the statement brought the Iranians to the negotiating table.
We turned pharmacies into the backbone of public health during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Then we went back to paying them like retail stores. The result is what I think of as the pharmacy paradox. We expanded their role without changing the economics that sustain them. Now, across the country, those same pharmacies are closing, quietly and disproportionately in the communities that need them most.

In 2021, the corner drugstore ceased to be simply a place to buy shampoo, gum, and blood pressure refills, and became a civic utility: a vaccination and testing site, and a source of reassurance during the COVID-19 emergency. By June 2021, nearly three-quarters of pharmacies nationwide were participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program. By early 2024, pharmacies were delivering more than 70 percent of COVID-19 boosters, including most bivalent doses. For a brief shining moment, they were the Camelot of the public health system. And then, with typical American brutality, the country moved on.

The collapse of an overbuilt retail system

Rite Aid entered final liquidation in May 2025, selling off its prescription files to competitors. Walgreens went private under Sycamore Partners in August 2025 after years of losses, prioritizing debt over store density. CVS, which had already closed about 900 stores between 2022 and 2024, shuttered another 271 in 2025. The hero of the COVID-19 crisis became, in scarcely half a decade, the distressed asset. What collapsed was not just a retail format. There was a tragic national misunderstanding: We treated pharmacies as part of the public health system without changing the business model that governs them.

The troubles did not begin with the pandemic. They are the inevitable unwind of an overbuilt system that mistook density for permanence. During decades of unchecked expansion highlighted by CVSs acquisition of Targets pharmacies in 2015 and Walgreens purchase of nearly 2,000 Rite Aid stores in 2018, chains were built for ubiquity and not restraint.

At peak saturation, multiple chains occupied the same block. This explains why data from hubs like New York can be deceptive: Pharmacy deserts there declined from 1.6 percent to 0.9 percent between 2015 and 2020. Across Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston, pharmacy deserts have remained concentrated in Black and Latino neighborhoods.

What we are therefore witnessing is not a uniform market correction. This is instead a form of medical redlining by algorithm. As retailers optimize their footprints, they are closing redundant stores and abandoning lower-reimbursement zip codes. In poorer urban and rural tracts, it eliminates the communitys last remaining pillar of care, and the clinical expertise embedded within it.

The broken economics of pharmacy reimbursement

To understand the paradox, you must stop picturing pharmacies as ordinary retailers. They are perhaps the only businesses where the seller does not set the price and the buyer does not pay it. Reimbursement is dictated by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), vertically integrated entities often aligned with insurers and mail-order competitors. This creates a perverse spread in which pharmacies dispense life-saving medications at a net loss while still carrying brick-and-mortar overhead. While the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026 recently began the long-overdue work of delinking PBM fees from drug prices, the retail community is still reeling from decades of clawbacks and underwater reimbursements.

For years, pharmacies survived through an internal subsidy: Prescriptions brought customers in, and front-end retail sales supported the business. That model has eroded as consumers shifted to online and big-box retailers. Front-of-store sales have declined, and the margin that once offset prescription losses has largely disappeared. Pharmacists now provide immunizations, counsel patients, manage chronic therapies, and navigate complex insurance systems.

Nearly one-third of U.S. retail pharmacies have closed since 2010. Today, an estimated 50 to 60 million Americans live in pharmacy deserts or limited-access areas, disproportionately affecting Black, Latino, and rural populations.

The clinical cost of pharmacy deserts

When a pharmacy closes, the effects are immediate. Patients lose not just access, but a layer of clinical expertise that operates quietly but critically: the pharmacist who catches dosing errors, flags drug interactions, and navigates insurance barriers in real time. Remaining pharmacies absorb higher volumes with fewer staff, increasing the risk of burnout and medication errors. Patients also lose the continuity of a familiar clinician who knows their medications and history.

These effects extend beyond patients. As physicians, we feel this loss immediately. When a neighborhood pharmacy vanishes, the pharmacists invisible work, including resolving insurance rejects, verifying dosages, and catching interactions, falls back onto clinic staff. The pharmacy closure becomes a workforce tax on the primary care physician.

Resolving the pharmacy paradox

The issue is not that pharmacies failed. It is that we asked them to do more without changing how we support them. During the pandemic, pharmacies were treated as essential health care providers, delivering vaccines, testing, and real-time patient guidance. But once the crisis passed, we returned to treating them as retail businesses, subject to the same reimbursement pressures that had already been eroding their foundation. We expanded their role without changing their economics. That is the pharmacy paradox. We have asked them to serve as the backbone of public health while treating them like expendable vending machines.

The pharmacy was never just a store. It was the front door to the health care system, where questions were answered, mistakes caught, and patients known by name. We asked it to become a clinic during the crisis. Then we sent it back to survive as a retailer.

Now that door is closing. And when it does, it will not just be pharmacies that disappear. It will be the easiest, most human point of access to care. The rest of the system will feel that loss, one missed medication, one delayed diagnosis, one overwhelmed clinic at a time. If we continue to treat pharmacies as retail instead of infrastructure, we should not be surprised when the front door to care continues to disappear.

Timothy Lesaca is a psychiatrist in private practice at New Directions Mental Health in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with more than forty years of experience treating children, adolescents, and adults across outpatient, inpatient, and community mental health settings. He has published in peer-reviewed and professional venues including the Patient Experience Journal, Psychiatric Times, the Allegheny County Medical Society Bulletin, and other clinical journals, with work addressing topics such as open-access scheduling, Landau-Kleffner syndrome, physician suicide, and the dynamics of contemporary medical practice. His recent writing examines issues of identity, ethical complexity, and patientclinician relationships in modern health care. Additional information about his clinical practice and professional work is available on his website, timothylesacamd.com. His professional profile also appears on his ResearchGate profile, where further publications and details may be found.
The recent record snowstorm in New England got me all in a deep wintery nostalgia. I contacted my friends back in Boston who have been living there for well over 40 years to get their perspectives, and it brought back memories of living on the East Coast and surviving the seemingly interminable long winters there before I moved to California in the late 1980s. Most prominently in my memory is being a medical intern at the Faulkner Hospital in Jamaica Plain, Boston, while on call on Monday, January 10, 1983, as it began snowing and didnt stop all night. I recall looking out a patients window at about midnight and seeing the glistening street light reflecting the falling snow going sideways in the howling wind pushing the bare tree branches to their limit. That night on call was not memorable for anything in particular as far as medical disasters are concerned. I was on the general medical floor and took care of patients that needed attention, and I probably admitted a few patients from the ER. Typical medical admissions back then included worsening congestive heart failure, pneumonia, GI bleeds, strokes, and other non-ICU stuff. I even got a few hours of sleep. However, in the morning I heard over coffee and breakfast in the cafeteria with the other interns and residents there would be no morning report. This was the daily ritual with the chief of medicine, Andrew Huvos, MD, each sleep-deprived young doctor giving a brief summary and discussion of the new admissions from the night before. Dr. Huvos and all the rest of the teaching staff were snowed in and couldnt make it to the hospital. It turned out that the nearly two feet of snow that fell the night before paralyzed the area. None of the streets in Boston were plowed, and no one was going anywhere while it still snowed lightly on the collections of huge snowdrifts.

I recalled wonderful snowstorms as a kid in New Jersey, where after we heard our school closures proceeded to spend the entire day outside sledding with our friends! This was different as we all hunkered down surrounded by a hospital full of sick people. We reviewed the admissions and the sicker patients with the senior resident, then went about doing rounds on all the patients. It became apparent sometime in the late afternoon after our first night in the hospital that our relief physicians were not going to make it to the hospital, and we couldnt drive home anyway, so the reality of spending another night on call sank in. This was also true of the hospital staff: The nurses, technicians, and kitchen and support staff who had come in the previous evening were all stuck in the hospital as well. It was an odd and unanticipated situation, but there was no choice but to accept fate. In retrospect, a hospital is not a bad place to be stranded. There is electricity, heat (hospitals have backup generators in case of blackouts), food (and even kitchen staff to prepare and clean up meals), and a place to sleep (the on-call rooms). We made up an arrangement for support staff to share all the available beds, and we hunkered down for another winter night in the hospital.

Actually, it was an easy night that had a certain bonding, coziness, and satisfaction that has lingered since. Because of hazardous driving conditions, the ER was essentially silent without ambulances or patients able to come in. By then, all the hospital patients were well known to us, and only abrupt changes in condition needed to be closely attended to, making our work almost routine. We chatted and gathered in the evening, and most of us got more sleep than usual for a night on call. The next morning life went back to usual; we had a brief morning report with Dr. Huvos thanking us vigorously for our valorous duties. We rearranged the call schedule to even out the nights, and I got to go home in the mid-afternoon, handing off my patients to the next intern for the night. One final strange thing, however: Being still sleep-deprived and disoriented in the parking lot of the hospital, I wandered around searching for my car for a good half hour before locating it. The roads were still quite snowy but drivable, especially with my old VW Beetle, which proved itself on many occasions to be able to get through any snowy battles in Boston! It was not the only winter night that snow forced an additional night in the hospital for our interns and residents over the three years of my residency. Fortunately, I only had to endure one of them.

I checked the hospitals response in Boston during the recent blizzard, and it seems a similar situation recapitulated itself in the modern hospital world. Weather can force life into adaptive survival mode for anyone anytime. Those times were intense and filled with adventures and learning, but Im enjoying the pleasant California these days!

George F. Smith is an internal medicine physician and author of Tales from the Trenches: A life in Primary Care.
At least 17 people have been killed and 30 wounded in an ambush by right-wing Lebanese forces on a bus carrying Palestinians in Beirut.

Reports are confused but it appears the Lebanese Phalangist gunmen attacked the bus, killing at least 14 and injuring about 20 more, as it drove through a Christian suburb of Beirut.

The trouble began earlier when Palestinian guerrillas, driving jeeps through the district of Ayn-al-Rummanah, reportedly opened fire on the congregation outside a Maronite Christian church.

Christian Phalangist leader, Pierre Gemayel, was attending Mass at the church and his Phalangist supporters on guard outside seized one of the jeeps and a scuffle broke out.

When the bus passed, the Phalangist gunmen who were staked out around the church raked it with gunfire. Most of the dead were Palestininan

Tension has been running high following the attempted kidnapping of Amin Gemayel, the son of Pierre Gemayel, leader of the most influential Christian group.

Pierre Gemayel founded the Phalangist militia to protect the Maronite Christian community, which has dominated Lebanese politics and leadership of the army since the formation of Greater Lebanon in 1920.

But the Christians have faced increasing resentment from the various Muslim groups, who have grown rapidly in numbers, but remain under-represented by the government.

Feelings among the Christians have been exacerbated by the arrival of Palestinian refugees, who have set up their headquarters under the leadership of Yasser Arafat in Beirut.

The leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation has tonight called on Arab nations to exert pressure on Lebanon to punish the Phalangists.

He sent a telegramme accusing the Phalangists of ambushing a civilian bus, killing many of its passengers including women and children.

Courtesy BBC News

In context

The final number of dead was 26. The clash marked the beginning of 15 years of civil war in Lebanon.

The Maronite Christian groups, led by Shaikh Pierre Gemayels Phalangists, had the backing of Israel, while the Muslim militias were mainly supported by Syria.

However, allegiances often switched and Syrias invasion in 1976 helped the Christian Maronites.

From 1978 Israel occupied a southern border or security zone. Then in 1982 it launched a full-scaled invasion, which led to the siege of Beirut.

The Syrians were forced to withdraw and the PLO moved its headquarters to Tunisia.

Following heavy losses, Israel ultimately withdrew in 1984, leaving the rival factions to fight it out among themselves.

The Taif Accord or Charter for National Reconciliation held out the prospect for constitutional reform in 1989.

It was only with the world focus switching to the Gulf states in the build-up to the war that Syria was able to re-occupy Lebanon and enforce the accord which guaranteed equal representation for the Muslim communities.

There have been growing calls for the Syrian forces to leave Lebanon since the assassination in Beirut in 2005 of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

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With a fragile ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran holding for now, China is calculating its role in helping find a durable endgame to the war in the Middle East.

After prodding China, which is more reliant on Persian Gulf oil than the U.S., to get involved in reopening the choked-off Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump told the French news outlet Agence France-Presse this week that he believed China played a part in encouraging Iran to agree to this weeks temporary truce.

Three diplomats who were familiar with Chinas behind-the-scenes efforts also confirmed that Beijing, the biggest purchaser of Iranian oil, used its leverage to urge the Iranians back to the negotiating table.

It was a major moment for Beijing, which had decried the U.S. and Israels war against its economic partner Iran as misguided before getting directly involved in the push to call off the fighting, including discouraging strikes by Iran. Talks between the sides are expected to begin in Pakistan this weekend.

With the precarious truce hanging in the balance, China will now need to make a careful calculation about whether it will tread deeper into the waters of diplomacy as its weighs the impact that a long-lasting war could have on the global economy. Middle East turmoil goes against Beijings interests, while its efforts may boost its global standing and strengthen its hand in negotiating thorny trade issues during Trumps visit to China next month.

Beijing is not in the business of expending its leverage as a favor to others or for the greater good, said Danny Russel, a former senior diplomat in President Barack Obamas administration.

Iran war puts pressure on Chinas economy

Mao Ning, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, told reporters this week that China has worked actively to help bring about an end to the conflict.

The Chinese economy is already feeling pressure from Irans effective shuttering of the Strait of Hormuz, where about 20% of the worlds crude normally flows. The blockade is having an enormous impact on Asia, a factor that seems to have informed the Chinese governments efforts to consult with Pakistan to help mediate a two-week ceasefire.

China does not appear interested in providing guarantees for Irans long-term security as part of a deal to end hostilities, something Tehran has hoped for and sees as critical to deterring the U.S and Israel from carrying out strikes in the future.

Irans ambassador to China suggested this week that its two closest allies  China and Russia  as well as the United Nations ensure the guarantee, which Tehran has sought before without success. Asked about that possibility, Mao would only say that we hope that all parties will resolve their disputes through dialogue and negotiation.

Still, Chinese officials are cognizant that a lasting war threatens to have real impact on Beijings bottom line. Premier Li Qiang announced last month that the government was projecting relatively modest 4.5% to 5% economic growth this year during a property slump and growing uncertainty around the globe. Its the lowest growth target since 1991.

Ultimately, Chinas foremost goal is growth and development, according to one of the diplomats familiar with Chinese deliberations on the war.

The diplomat, who like the others was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, added that a continued closure of the strait ran counter to that interest. It not only limits the flow of a significant supply of crude to China but also cuts off an important shipping lane for Chinese exports to the Mideast.

How Iran diplomacy could play into the Trump-Xi meeting

Trump will likely underscore that argument to Chinese President Xi Jinping during their much-anticipated Beijing summit next month. The talks, which were originally slated for this month, were pushed back so Trump could oversee the U.S. bombardment of Iran.

That the United States and Iran have at least temporarily edged away from the precipice of a catastrophic escalation owes in part to Chinas support for the ceasefire that Pakistan brokered, said Ali Wyne, a senior research and advocacy adviser for U.S.-China relations at the International Crisis Group. Even if short-lived, that breakthrough affords Beijing another opportunity to present itself as a stabilizing force and Washington as a reckless one.

To be certain, Chinas view is shaped by a heavy measure of skepticism.

Some in Beijing see Trumps decision to launch the Iran war, as well as the military operation in January to capture then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as being at least partially motivated by his strategy at containing China, diplomats say. Beijing was a major customer and investor in the South American countrys oil industry.

Privately, the Chinese have made clear that the U.S. and Iran would have to show compromise for a deal to coalesce. Beijing also is looking to press Trump to remove sanctions on Chinese companies doing business with Iran as part of a potential settlement, diplomats say.

The moment provides Xi some leverage at next months summit.

Trump was in a crisis, and China helped, said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Washington-based think tank Stimson Center. The optics of that alone helps to lighten the mood and sweeten the pot.

Russel, the former State Department official, says there are signs that Beijing sees Trump as weakened after the president didnt follow through on his threat to obliterate Iranian power plants and other critical infrastructure if Iran didnt end its blockade of Hormuz.

The hashtag #HeChickenedOut was trending on Chinese social media in posts about Trump, and Chinas state media was promoting the message that he blinked in the face of Iranian resistance, Russel said.

Xi, for his part, appears to be approaching the moment carefully.

Beijings calculation is wait-and-see, safeguard Chinese energy and commercial interests, avoid direct confrontation with the United States, stay on good terms with its important Gulf partners like Saudi Arabia and UAE, and work with whoever ends up running Iran when the dust settles, Russel said.

Steve Bannon, who served as a senior adviser to Trump during his first term, said Trump will need to press Xi to buy in if he hopes to seal an enduring peace agreement with Iran.

Who can actually make a deal and enforce a deal? I know one group of people who can do it, and they live in Beijing, Bannon said on his War Room podcast this week. He added, Lets just go to Beijing and sit down with a guy who can actually make a deal  Xi  and enforce a deal.

DIDI TANG, AAMER MADHANI and FARNOUSH AMIRI, WASHINGTON, MDT/AP

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The far-right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party is riding high in the opinion polls in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt and could win an outright majority in regional elections there in September, AzerNEWS reports via BBC.

It would be the first time a far-right party has held power in a German state since World War Two.

This weekend the AfD officially adopted what has been described as a "radical" and pro-ethnic German government programme for Saxony-Anhalt at a party conference in the central city of Magdeburg.

The AfD's leading candidate in the state, Ulrich Siegmund, a TikTok star who was given a standing ovation by the delegates, said it was an historic moment, not just for Saxony-Anhalt.

"The whole of Germany is watching this historic election," he told the conference.

"Parts of Europe are watching this historic election. Parts of the world are watching this historic election, because from here, finally, the political turnaround can also happen here in Germany."

He said his party had the courage to speak out about what was going wrong in Germany, "that we don't feel safe anymore, that we scarcely feel at home anymore, that we don't recognise our homeland anymore".

"Let's take back our country," he added.

The programme, which is more than 150 pages long, contains wide-ranging plans to overhaul Saxony-Anhalt, clamping down on immigrants and supporting large families of German origin.

It also wants to improve relations with Russia, directly contradicting the policies of the federal coalition government, which is a key supporter of Ukraine.

"We say yes to consistent deportations, we say yes to free childcare facilities, we say yes to remigration," Siegmund said.

Some of the proposals appear to be unworkable at a state level, requiring action by the federal government, but many others are feasible.

Eva von Angern, leader of the left-wing Linke Party parliamentary group in Saxony-Anhalt, earlier described the AfD's plans as a "nightmare scenario for Saxony-Anhalt and for our democracy".

She said the AfD was promoting an authoritarian state that would severely curtail fundamental rights.

Accusing the party of harbouring "inhuman fantasies of omnipotence", von Angern said the public must be made aware of the AfD's "ugly truths" and the "very negative consequences for them personally if the AfD were to govern".

Saxony-Anhalt, like much of the former Communist East Germany, is an AfD stronghold, but the party is doing well all over the country.

It came second in federal elections in Germany last year, winning a record 152 seats in the 630-seat parliament with 20.8% of the vote.

In 2023, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony-Anhalt classified the AfD branch in the state as a "far-right extremist organisation".
China said yesterday it would resume some ties it had suspended with Taiwan such as direct flights to cities across China and imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products as the islands opposition party leader concludes her visit.

The Taiwan Work Office under Chinas Communist Party issued a statement saying it would explore setting up a longstanding communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwans Kuomingtang Party, and facilitate the import of Taiwans aquaculture products, after it banned them in recent years.

Cheng Li-wun, the head of the Kuomingtang, and Chinas President Xi Jinping held a high-profile meeting Friday during which both called for peace without offering specifics. Taiwan is self-ruled but China claims the island as part of its territory.

Relations between China and Taiwan have been tense since 2016 when the Taiwanese public elected Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party as leader.

Since then, Beijing cut off most of its official dialogue with Taiwans government in the capital Taipei and started sending military planes and vessels towards the island on a daily basis.

The list of measures in the statement touches on ties that China had suspended in recent years as tensions increased.

China plans to resume direct flights for other mainland cities like Xian or Urumqi to Taiwan, the statement said, although it remained unclear how the measures will be implemented.

China banned individual trips by Chinese people to Taiwan in 2019. Taiwans rules now require Chinese visitors to hold a valid resident visa from another country, like the U.S. or the European Union, to apply for a visitor visa.

China also said it would work toward construction of a bridge that would connect to Matsu and Kinmen, Taiwanese islands that are closer geographically to China. The project is a longstanding proposal that Beijing has previously announced.

China banned the import of Taiwanese pineapples in 2021 and since then extended the import ban to products as varied as the grouper fish, squid, tuna and other fruits.

After the initial ban on grouper, Taiwans Ministry of Agriculture said it approached China about making adjustments to ensure it met import requirements. China replied with a limited list of individual companies that were allowed to sell to China, but without explanation.

Taiwan added it would continuously assist farmers and businesses in expanding into overseas markets in order to diversify risk, according to a statement it issued Saturday.

HUIZHONG WU, BANGKOK, MDT/AP

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The Chief Executive (CE), Sam Hou Fai, met with the president of the Portuguese Parliament, Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, at the government headquarters on Friday.

The meeting was part of Aguiar-Brancos visit to Macau and the mainland China last week.

During the meeting with the CE, the two sides exchanged views on further deepening the friendly and cooperative relations between China and Portugal, as well as continuing to leverage Macaus role as a bridge and link between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

As noted by the CE, Aguiar-Brancos visit to China had included meetings with the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Peoples Congress, Zhao Leji, and the Vice President of the Peoples Republic of China, Han Zheng, to renew the traditional friendship between the two countries and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation.

Sam remarked that the inclusion of Macau as a stop on Aguiar-Brancos visit to the Peoples Republic of China demonstrates the continued strengthening of the China-Portugal comprehensive strategic partnership, as well as Portugals strong ties of friendship with Macau.

At the same time, Sam noted that a delegation from the local government would visit Portugal later this month, stating that it will be the largest mission to engage with Portuguese officials, with the broadest scope of engagement to date.

The CE also expressed his gratitude to the Portuguese counterparties for their long-standing trust in and support for the One country, two systems principle, adding that the local government is committed to preserving the cultural traditions of those in Macau with Portuguese heritage.

Among these efforts, Sam mentioned promoting the teaching and dissemination of the Portuguese language, while ensuring a harmonious coexistence and mutual enrichment of Chinese and Portuguese cultures.

In turn, Aguiar-Branco stated that his visit to China is of great significance, underscoring Portugals high regard for the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. He noted that the two countries aim to continue making joint contributions to promoting friendly cooperation, building on a solid foundation of mutual trust and support.

Praising the achievements in the implementation of the One Country, Two Systems principle in Macau, Aguiar-Branco also commended Macaus efforts in safeguarding cultural diversity.

He emphasized that Portugal firmly adheres to the one-China principle while supporting Macau in its role as a bridge and link to help deepen cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.

Commenting on the upcoming visit by the local delegation to Portugal, he expressed hope that it would help both sides further elevate cooperation.

While in Macau, Aguiar-Branco also visited several local Portuguese-rooted institutions and met with several groups.

The tour included the Macau Portuguese School, the Consulate-General of Portugal for Macau and Hong Kong, the Holy House of Mercy, and the Portuguese Bookstore, among others.

During the visit to the Holy House of Mercy, the president of the Board of Trustees of the institution, Antonio Jose de Freitas, noted that it was the first time the institution had received a visit from the president of the Portuguese Parliament.

Among the professional groups that had a special meeting with Aguiar-Branco were local Portuguese lawyers and jurists.

Besides the CE, Aguiar-Branco also had the opportunity to exchange views with the president of the Legislative Assembly, Andre Cheong, the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Wong Sio Chak, and the director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes.

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Authorities will roll out around 1,000 internship placements this year for local graduates in Macau and mainland China, as part of wider efforts to ease employment pressure among young people, officials said.

The programme is coordinated by the Working Group for the Promotion of Employment and is designed to provide graduates with practical industry exposure across different sectors. It will be accompanied by large-scale job-matching events and targeted training schemes aligned with the peak graduation period.

Officials said most of this years graduates come from Humanities and Commerce disciplines.

Secretary for Economy and Finance and group coordinator Tai Kin Ip noted that the slight year-on-year increase in graduate numbers underscores the need to broaden job pathways beyond Macau.

He said opportunities will be expanded to include the GuangdongMacao In-Depth Cooperation Zone, other cities in the Greater Bay Area, and additional mainland locations.

In addition to the internship scheme, more than 2,000 vacancies are expected to be offered through upcoming recruitment fairs. A further 600 positions will be made available under an Employment plus Training programme developed in collaboration with private sector employers.

Data from the Statistics and Census Service showed unemployment rate for local residents remained steady at 2.2% for the December 2025 to February 2026 period, unchanged from the previous rolling quarter.

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Macau is exploring a new incentive to attract international visitors: covering transport costs for those flying into Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and traveling on to the casino hub. The move aims to counter a decline in long-haul flight connectivity caused by geopolitical tensions.

The proposal, unveiled on the opening day of the 14th Macau International Travel Industry Expo (MITE), aims to attract long-haul tourists amid a decline in direct flights to nearby Hong Kong.

We are considering covering transport costs for international guests arriving at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, so they can travel to Macau after arrival, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) said.

Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, lies approximately 150 kilometres from Macau.

Fernandes noted that the city already subsidizes transfers for international tourists landing at Hong Kong International Airport as part of a broader push to diversify visitor sources.

The proposed Guangzhou scheme, she explained, responds to a reduction of flights from the Middle East and Europe to Hong Kong due to the war in Iran. There are direct flights from Europe to Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou, she added.

Speaking at the same event, Macaus Secretary for Economy and Finance, Tai Kin Ip, acknowledged uncertainties in the international environment and geopolitics, and said the city hopes to broaden its visitor base accordingly. The MSAR Government will continue to diversify its range of tourism products, organise major events, improve supporting infrastructure, and strengthen publicity and promotion, he said.

The three-day expo at the Venetian Macau, themed Global Convergence, Future Horizons, featured over 130 activities, including tourism promotions and industry forums.

According to the MGTO, more than 700 exhibitors from national and international markets took part, including nine from Portuguese-speaking countries.

The event also highlights Macaus 1+4 economic diversification strategy, which aims to reduce reliance on gaming by bolstering the tourism and leisure sector alongside big health, modern finance, high technology, and conventions, exhibitions, trade, and sports.

Organizers stated that the initiative will help expand business networks and promote regional and international tourism exchange, as Macau seeks new growth engines in a developing global environment.

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Maisy Ho, executive director of Shun Tak Holdings and daughter of casino magnate Stanley Ho, has died at the age of 59. Her family confirmed that she passed away peacefully yesterday.

In a statement issued through Shun Tak, her siblings  including Pansy Ho, Josie Ho and Lawrence Ho  expressed gratitude for public condolences and requested privacy during their time of mourning. The company also conveyed deep sorrow over her passing.

We regretfully share that our beloved sister Maisy Ho passed away peacefully on April 12, 2026, surrounded by the family, the statement read. We appreciate your condolences and ask for privacy during this difficult time.

Ho was recognized for her dedication to public service. She held leadership roles in the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and contributed to civic bodies such as the Equal Opportunities Commission. In 2016, she was awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star in recognition of her service.

Just months before her death, Ho remained active in community initiatives, including charitable donations following a fatal residential fire in late 2025. She also served as founding president of the Hong Kong Federation of Liaoning Associations.

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MGM China has reaffirmed its commitment to community welfare by donating to the Macau Holy House of Mercys Welfare Shop for the 14th consecutive year, supporting its food hamper distribution program.

This year, MGM contributed MOP300,000, bringing its cumulative donations to MOP4.1 million. Established in 2013, the Welfare Shop provides essential food and daily necessities to families in need. The latest donation is expected to benefit nearly 400 local households.

Last week, MGM China CEO and executive director Kenneth Feng presented the donation cheque to representatives of the Holy House of Mercy during a ceremony attended by company executives and community partners.

Food hampers, prepared by MGMs Golden Lion Volunteer Team, were distributed to beneficiary families. Each package included staple food items and daily essentials, along with reusable handcarts, extending practical support and care to vulnerable groups in the community.

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* Hola Asia

 Spain courts Asian tourists, including those from Macau and mainland China, with expanded flights and cultural push

* Labor | Govt to offer 1,000 internships to step up youth employment support

* First overseas trip | Sam Hou Fai to lead 120-member delegation to Portugal

* Sam Hou Fai met Portugals parliamentary leader to discuss stronger China-Portugal ties and Macaus bridging role

* Transport sector is calling for targeted subsidies as fuel prices rise

* China said it will resume some suspended ties with Taiwan, including direct flights and aquaculture imports

DOWNLOAD PDF

Monday, April 13, 2026  edition no. 4928

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un voiced support for Chinas push to build a multipolar world and called for deeper ties between the traditional allies during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, state media said Saturday.

During the meeting Friday, Kim said his government will fully support Chinese efforts to achieve territorial integrity based on its one-China principle, a reference to Beijings official position that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinas territory, according to North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency.

Kim also outlined North Koreas position on unspecified regional and international issues of mutual concern and said sustained development of ties between the two countries has become more crucial in the current geopolitical environment, KCNA said.

Wang, on a two-day trip to North Korea, said the countries relations were entering a new phase following a summit last year between Kim and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Embracing the ideas of a new Cold War and a multipolarized world, Kim has sought to break out of international isolation and push a more assertive foreign policy by expanding ties with governments locked in confrontations with the United States.

While Russia has been Kims top foreign policy priority in recent years, sending thousands of troops and large weapons shipments to support its war against Ukraine, he has also been cozying up to China, the Norths traditional main ally and economic lifeline.

Kim joined Russian President Vladimir Putin at a World War II ceremony in Beijing in September and held his first summit with Xi Jinping in six years, moves that supported his efforts to portray North Korea as part of a united front against Washington.

North Korea and China last month resumed direct flight and passenger train services, which had been suspended since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Wang arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday in his first visit to North Korea in seven years. He earlier met with North Korean Foreign Minister Choe Sun Hui and discussed ways to facilitate further cooperation and exchanges and holding in-depth talks on international issues, state media from both countries said.

The state media outlets did not mention whether Wang and North Korean officials discussed issues related to the U.S. or the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Wangs trip to North Korea came before U.S. President Donald Trump travels to Beijing for a rescheduled summit with Xi Jinping in May. Some South Korean officials have expressed hope the Trump-Xi meeting could provide a diplomatic opening with Pyongyang.

Kim has suspended all meaningful dialogue with the U.S. and South Korea since the collapse of his diplomacy with Trump in 2019 during the American presidents first term. Kim has since taken a hard-line stance toward South Korea, which he now defines as his most hostile adversary, and rejected U.S. offers to resume talks, calling on Washington to drop its demand for North Koreas denuclearization as a precondition. KIM TONG-HYUNG, SEOUL, MDT/AP

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Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai will lead a 120-strong delegation of business leaders from Macau and mainland China on his first overseas visit since taking office, a four-day trip to Portugal from April 18 to 21 that signals a strong push for economic and commercial cooperation.

While political meetings are on the agenda, the visit will place heavy emphasis on deal-making and cultural diplomacy.

In an interview with TDM Canal, Sam noted that than 39 cooperation agreements are expected to be signed with Portuguese entities across sectors including trade, the Sino-Portuguese platform, education, culture, tourism, talent training, health, and advanced technology.

In addition to companies from Macau and Hengqin, more than 20 renowned firms from the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and other Chinese provinces will participate in the business delegation, underscoring strong regional interest in strengthening ties with Portugal.

Cultural diplomacy and student engagement

In the interview, Sam noted, The Macau SAR government will hold a photography exhibition showcasing the achievements of the One country, two systems principle, as well as a commercial and economic promotional event and a cultural exchange activity.

He added that he will meet with the University of Macau (UM) students studying in Portugal to encourage their academic efforts. The photography exhibition aims to continue the traditional friendship between China and Portugal, inviting figures who contributed to Macaus successful return to the motherland. A video featuring interviews with representatives recalling historic moments and sharing their perspectives for the future will also be screened.

Geneva and Brussels added to itinerary

Beyond Lisbon, Sam confirmed that Geneva and Brussels are also on the European itinerary, broadening the scope of the mission beyond bilateral relations with Portugal.

In Geneva, he is expected to meet with the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the ambassador of the Permanent Mission of the Peoples Republic of China to the WTO. Macau established its Economic and Trade Office to the WTO in 2003, which has since carried out substantial work. Sam indicated he will visit the office to greet and encourage staff to better promote exchanges and cooperation between Macau and the WTO.

Geneva represents an important window for Macau, strengthening its ties with global organizations and boosting cooperation, he said.

Turning to Brussels, Sam reaffirmed the importance of the European Union to Macaus external strategy. The European Union remains a key cooperation partner for Macau, whether through commercial collaboration or people-to-people exchanges, he said. The Macau SAR government attaches great importance to building ties with the EU.

In Brussels, he will meet with leaders at EU headquarters to review Macaus implementation of One country, two systems while reinforcing pragmatic cooperation with EU institutions.

Meetings with Portuguese leaders

While the detailed agenda in Lisbon has not been fully disclosed, TDM has learned that meetings are planned with key Portuguese leaders, including Antonio Jose Seguro, Luis Montenegro, and Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco. Sam will also meet with representatives of Portugals executive, legislative, and judicial branches to strengthen cooperation across multiple fronts.

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Spain is stepping up efforts to attract Chinese and Macanese travelers, highlighting expanded flight links, high-speed rail connectivity, and cultural and culinary offerings at a tourism promotion event in Macau.

Teresa Siles Suarez, Counsellor for Tourism South China, Hong Kong and Macau, pitched Spain as one of the most attractive European countries [] for tourism during the 2026 China-Spain-Portugal Tourism Product Presentation  Corporate Session at this years MITE expo at the Venetian Macaos Cotai Expo Hall.

The Friday presentation was hosted by the Macao Government Tourism Office, IPIM, and Turismo de Portugal. It positioned Macau as a key bridge for MICE, tourism, and trade between China, Spain, and Portugal amid booming inbound visitor arrivals and evolving global travel patterns.

Suarez opened her presentation by detailing Spains aviation strengths, framing the country as a strategic crossroads. It is in an excellent position between Europe and South America, with which it has an excellent cultural, historical, and commercial relationship [] together with its geographical location, has made Spain a crucial connecting point for travel between Europe and South America, she said.

Highlighting strengthening ties between China and Spain, Suarez noted excellent progress in their bilateral connections and detailed dramatic gains in air travel for Chinese travelers. This year, in 2026, there are already 61 direct flights between China and Spain, almost double the number there were in 2019, before Covid.

Mainly Chinese carriers link key hubs  Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou  directly to Madrid and Barcelona via weekly flights.

Once in Spain, getting around is equally seamless for tourists. High-speed trains, expansive road networks, buses, rental cars, and regional lines cover the country comprehensively.

Suarez explained, The transport network is not only made up of airports and high-speed trains, but also includes a very extensive network of bridges, a transit network, and other regional networks that have fast, comfortable, and very affordable transport options.

Europes longest network of high-speed railways is in Spain, where billions of euros have been invested into new railways radiating from Madrid over the last 30 years.

At 3,567 kilometers, its the second-longest high-speed rail network in the world.

China is first [in kilometers], she noted, but in relative terms, taking population into account, Spain ranks first in the world, she said.

Iberian shopping, culture, and gastronomy draw crowds

Turning to what she deems to lure Chinese and Macanese visitors most, Suarez spotlighted shopping, culture, and gastronomy as unbeatable draws.

Spain has very competitive prices compared to other European countries, she said, thanks in part to VAT refunds on purchases over 90 euros through tax refund services for tourists. Adding to the mix, digital payments make spending effortless, with Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express accepted almost everywhere, from boutiques to tapas bars.

On gastronomy, she urged visitors to savor tapas at local markets, dine at centennial restaurants, sample prized Iberian ham paired with fine wines, or even hunt for luxury fashion along vibrant urban streets. Spains gastronomic offerings are as rich as they are delicious, Suarez said.

There are many restaurants that are over 100 years old. There is only one official figure, but it is estimated that there are around 120 centennial restaurants in Spain. In Madrid, the capital of Spain, there are just 16 of these restaurants.

On Spains vibrant cultural scene, Suarez highlighted, there are more than 1,500 museums and museum collections, according to the Ministry of Culture [] there are approximately 760 cinemas and around 3,500 theaters, with a total of more than 700,000 venues. Complementing these cultural riches are 50 UNESCO World Heritage sites and 291 Michelin-starred restaurants, giving discerning travelers endless options.

On accommodation, she detailed over 330,000 tourist accommodations nationwide including 13,000 luxury hotels. The experience elevates further through the Paradores, which transform restored historic monasteries, castles, and fortresses into stays blending heritage with modern comfort.

The Paradores Nacionales are a Spanish public hotel network that manages hotels located in historic buildings and places of cultural, artistic, and natural interest, Suarez told the Times.

Data Challenges, Bright Prospects

Despite the promise, outbound tourism data from Macau remains murky, Suarez acknowledged in a sideline interview with the Times.

With the closure of a lot of tour agencies in Macau, a lot of Macau tours get routed through Hong Kong. Therefore, outbound tourists to Spain get grouped with Hong Kong numbers, so its hard to distinguish which of these tourists are from Macau and which are from Hong Kong, she said.

Still, the numbers signal vast potential. Mainland Chinese arrivals in Spain soared to 647,801 in 2024, a 66% jump, as the country targets a record 97 million visitors in 2025. Suarez views Macau as fertile ground for affluent independent and family travelers.

Family travel accounts for 27.8% of international visitors and 26.5% of spending, generating 35.676 billion last year. These groups prioritize sun-soaked beaches, shopping sprees, city explorations, and eco-friendly transport.

Under Spains Tourism Agenda 2030, sustainability drives campaigns such as Think You Know Spain? Think Again and Stay Longer, Discover More.

Mak Mak

MGTO launches IP licensing program for tourism mascot

The Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has launched the IP Licensing Program for Macao Tourism Mascot Mak Mak, opening applications for local enterprises and associations to use the mascot for commercial and non-commercial projects aimed at promoting Macau as a diversified tourism destination.

The program was officially introduced on Saturday at the 14th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo (MITE), where MGTO also showcased early product concepts developed by local businesses. Proposed items include travel souvenirs, daily goods, food products, and promotional materials, highlighting Mak Maks potential as a creative intellectual property (IP) brand.

MGTO director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said the initiative is designed to unlock Mak Maks value as an IP and encourage cross-sector collaboration. She invited businesses and community groups to participate and help strengthen the development of tourism + culture and creativity, while supporting destination branding efforts.

Under the program, eligible applicants include sole proprietors, companies, and associations legally registered in Macau. Applications will be accepted across four categories: merchandise, food products, promotional materials, and events. A judging panel will assess proposals based on suitability for commercial or non-commercial use.

Approved licensees will be allowed to use Mak Mak free of charge within the approved scope and period. They will retain profits generated from products or projects using the mascot, while MGTO will provide promotional support through official channels. Licensees may also receive priority participation in tourism-related promotions and exhibitions.

Applications open on April 20, and interested parties can apply via MGTOs official website.

Mak Mak, first selected in a 2017 design competition and adopted as Macaos tourism mascot in 2018, has since been widely used in local and international promotions. MGTO has previously introduced funding support to encourage cultural and creative industries to develop Mak Mak-themed products and experiences.

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The Chinese government has announced a 10-point policy package aimed at improving relations with Taiwan, outlining a range of measures to strengthen cross-strait cooperation, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China, the initiative is designed to enhance engagement between the mainland and the island across political, economic, and social spheres.

The package includes a proposal to establish a regular communication mechanism between the Communist Party of China and Taiwans main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), as well as the creation of a joint platform to promote youth exchanges.

Infrastructure and connectivity also feature prominently. Plans include sharing water, electricity, and natural gas between Chinas Fujian province and the nearby Taiwanese islands of Kinmen and Matsu, alongside the potential construction of a sea bridge linking the regions.

The policy package also ??????????????? the resumption of some cross-strait flights that were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as allowing residents of Fujian and Shanghai to visit Taiwan as tourists. A new airport in Xiamen, Fujian province, is expected to be opened for use by residents of Kinmen Island.

In the trade sector, the measures aim to simplify the registration process for Taiwanese food producers and establish mechanisms to ensure quarantine standards for agricultural and fishery products entering the mainland market.

Additional provisions include building infrastructure such as docks and bridges for Taiwanese fishing vessels, expanding opportunities for small-scale trade, and supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises from Taiwan seeking access to mainland markets.

Cultural cooperation is also addressed, with plans to support the screening of Taiwanese television programs, documentaries, and cartoons in mainland China, as well as enabling participation of Taiwanese citizens in microdrama productions.

The initiative reflects Beijings broader efforts to expand cross-strait ties through economic integration and people-to-people exchanges.
The critical note in some of the worlds most well-known perfumes is myrrh, a tree resin from the Horn of Africa that is under pressure from what experts say has been a historic drought.

Threatened by the lack of water and nibbled by starving livestock, the trees that once formed a dense forest in the Somali region of Ethiopia are in danger, locals say.

Earlier this year, researchers supported by the American Herbal Products Association, a trade group, and Born Global, a nonprofit, visited a source of the prized resin that makes its way to global markets from some of the most vulnerable places on earth.

Their goal was to ensure that those who harvest the resin get more of the direct profits instead of middlemen along the opaque supply chain.

Ethiopia is a major source of myrrh, which has been used in beauty, health and religious practices since at least ancient Egypt. Traditional harvesting in the region has not changed, which helps to protect the trees and produces the highest quality resin.

Myrrhs hand-harvested nature raises its price, but those doing the work see little of the profit. Collecting a kilogram of the resin brings as little as $3.50 and as much as $10.

Thats far from the prices for the perfumes it helps to create, which are marketed by well-known fashion brands like Tom Ford, Comme des Garcons and Jo Malone, and sold at prices as high as $500 a bottle.

Meanwhile, curiosity about myrrhs other potential uses is growing with increased global interest in natural remedies.

For now, most myrrh from this part of eastern Ethiopia is purchased by traders from neighboring Somalia. Ethiopia collects no taxes on the goods.

Local residents hope more visibility will help them as the climate crisis threatens their ways of life.

They expressed hope that a direct market would enable them to secure better prices, ensuring sustainable livelihoods, said Abdinasir Abdikadir Aweys, senior researcher with the Somali Regional Pastoral and Agro-Pastoral Research Institute and a member of the research team.

The researchers were led by Anjanette DeCarlo, an expert in sustainable supply chains and resins at the University of Vermont, and Stephen Johnson, resin expert and owner of FairSource Botanicals. They found that communities practice traditional harvesting by collecting resin from trees naturally occurring wounds instead of by making intentional cuts, which makes trees more vulnerable to pests and disease.

Traditional practice is in balance and protects trees. It should be celebrated, DeCarlo said.

But the drought worried the team. The annual rains have been failing over the past several years, interrupted in 2023 by devastating flooding.

The arid region has long seen droughts, but this one has been historic. Experts have blamed the changing climate.

Myrrh harvesting is threatened. While adult trees are generally healthy, they are producing less resin. And fewer young trees are surviving.

Villagers days are spent hauling water for themselves and their livestock. Herders travel over the parched, cracked earth as far as 200 kilometers to Sanqotor village, which has a rare well with water.

Guests water animals first, then the villagers, said local headman Ali Mohamed, watching hundreds of livestock crowd around the well.

But not everyone has livestock  the poorest residents rely solely on tree resin like myrrh for their survival. JULIANNE GAURON, Ethiopia, MDT/AP

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The United States and Iran ended face-to-face talks yesterday without an agreement to end the war, leaving a fragile two-week ceasefire in doubt.

U.S. officials said the negotiations collapsed over what they described as Irans refusal to commit to abandoning its nuclear program, while Iranian officials blamed the U.S. for talks breaking down without specifying the sticking points.

Neither side indicated what will happen after the 14-day ceasefire expires on April 22. Pakistani mediators urged all parties to maintain it. Both said their positions were clear and put the onus on the other side, underscoring how little the gap had narrowed throughout the talks.

We need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon, Vice President JD Vance said after the 21-hour-long talks.

Irans parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who led Iran in the negotiations, said Iran had made its position clear and it was time for the United States to decide whether it can gain our trust or not.

He did not mention the core disputes in a series of social media posts, though Iranian officials earlier said the talks fell apart over two or three key issues, blaming what they called U.S. overreach issues.

Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons but has insisted on its right to a civilian nuclear program. Experts say its stockpile of enriched uranium, though not weapons-grade, is only a short technical step away.

Since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, it has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,020 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states, and caused lasting damage to infrastructure in half a dozen Middle Eastern countries. Irans grip on the Strait of Hormuz has largely cut off the Persian Gulf and its oil and gas exports from the global economy, sending energy prices soaring.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said his country will try to facilitate a new dialogue between Iran and the U.S. in the coming days.

It is imperative that the parties continue to uphold their commitment to cease fire, Dar said.

There was no word on whether negotiations would resume, though Iran said it was open to continuing the dialogue, Irans state-run IRNA news agency reported.

US moves to shift status quo in Strait of Hormuz

The United States and Iran entered talks with sharply different proposals and contrasting assumptions about their leverage to end the war. Before negotiations began, the ceasefire was already threatened by deep disagreements and Israels continued attacks against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Irans 10-point proposal ahead of the talks called for a guaranteed end to the war and sought control over the Strait of Hormuz. It included ending fighting against Irans regional allies, explicitly calling for a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah.

Pakistani officials told The Associated Press in March that the U.S. 15-point proposal included monitoring mechanisms and a rollback of Irans nuclear program. Speaking on condition of anonymity as they werent authorized to discuss details, they said it also covered reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Indeed, Irans closure of the strait has proved its biggest strategic advantage in the war. Around a fifth of the worlds traded oil had typically passed through on over 100 ships a day.

During the talks, the U.S. military said two destroyers transited the critical waterway ahead of mine-clearing work, a first since the war began. Irans state media, however, reported the countrys joint military command denied that.

Were sweeping the strait. Whether we make a deal or not makes no difference to me, Trump said as talks extended into early Sunday morning.

Israel presses ahead in Lebanon

The impasse raises new questions about fighting in Lebanon. Israel pressed ahead with strikes after the ceasefire was announced, saying the agreement did not apply there. Iran and Pakistan claimed otherwise.

Lebanons state-run National News Agency reported six people were killed Sunday morning in an Israeli strike in Maaroub, a village near the southern coastal city of Tyre. Though Israels strikes over Beirut have calmed in recent days, its attacks on southern Lebanon have intensified alongside a ground invasion it renewed after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in the opening days of the Iran war.

Negotiations between Israel and Lebanon are expected to begin Tuesday in Washington, Lebanese President Joseph Aouns office has said, after Israels surprise announcement authorizing talks despite the lack of official relations between the countries. Protests erupted in Beirut on Saturday over the planned negotiations.

Israel wants Lebanons government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, much like was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades.

The day the Iran ceasefire deal was announced, Israel pounded Beirut with airstrikes, killing more than 300 people in the deadliest day in Lebanon since the war began, according to the countrys Health Ministry. MUNIR AHMED, SAM METZ & BEN FINLEY, ISLAMABAD, MDT/AP

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On 10 April, Easter Saturday, 1993, South African Communist Party (SACP) leader and chief of staff of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the African National Congresss (ANC) armed wing, Chris Hani, was assassinated. Hani was one of the most popular mass leaders of the revolutionary anti-apartheid movement, second only to Nelson Mandela. He was seen by many  especially amongst the black youth  as a radical counterweight to the moderate ANC leaders negotiating with the apartheid regime.

At approximately 10:20am Hani was returning to his home in Dawn Park, Boksburg after having gone to the shop to buy a newspaper. As he stepped out of his car, Janusz Walus, a Polish far-right anti-communist immigrant and member of the fascist Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) approached him and called for his attention: Mr Hani. Janusz shot him once in the body. As Hani fell to the ground, his assassin calmly walked towards him and shot him three more times in the chest and the head. He then walked back to his car and drove away. Hanis 15-year-old daughter, Nomakhwezi, was with him when he was killed.

Communist revolutionary

Martin Thembisile Hani (Chris was his party name) was born in 1942 in the village of Cofimvaba, Transkei. His father was a migrant worker and union activist who worked in the mines and in construction. He became exposed to radical and Marxist ideas through publications like Torch, the organ of the Non-European Unity Movement (NEUM), as well as the communist publications New Age and Fighting Talk. Originally, he was a member of the NEUM, but then, at the age of 15, moved on to join the ANC Youth League.

He went to University College of Fort Hare and it was there, in 1961, at the age of 19, that he joined the South African Communist Party. The next year he joined the ANCs military wing, uMkhonto weSizwe (the Spear of the Nation).

In an interview with Luli Callinicos, Hani described why he decided to join the South African Communist Party:

Why did I join the CP? Why was I not just satisfied with the ANC? I belonged to a world, in terms of my background, which suffered I think the worst extremes of apartheid. A poor rural area where the majority of working people spent their times in the compounds, in the hostels, away from their families. A rural area where there were no clinics and probably the nearest hospital was 50kms. Generally a life of poverty with the basic things unavailable. Where our mothers and our sisters would walk 3kms and even 6kms, whenever there was a drought, to fetch water. Where the only fuel available was going 5, 6kms away to cut wood and bring it back. This was the sort of life. Now I had seen the lot of black workers, extreme forms of exploitation. Slave wages, no trade union rights, and for me the appeal of socialism was extremely great. Where it was said that workers create wealth but in the final analysis they get nothing. They get peanuts in order to survive and continue working for the capitalists. So it was that simple approach, that simple understanding, which was a product of my own observation in addition to theory.

Having moved to Cape Town, he was arrested and sentenced to 18 months in prison for distributing political material. While on bail pending appeal, he escaped from the country. For the next 28 years, he organised the ANCs forces in exile, as well as fighting in Zimbabwe in 1967 against Ian Smiths racist Rhodesian regime.

The Hani Memorandum

In 1969, he was the first of five prominent members of the armed wing to sign the so-called Hani Memorandum, a scathing criticism of the bureaucratisation and bourgeoisification of the leadership of the ANC and MK. The memorandum started thus:

We, as genuine revolutionaries, are moved by the frightening depths reached by the rot in the ANC and the disintegration of M.K. accompanying this rot.

The criticism concentrated on the corruption and the lifestyle of the organisations leadership in exile, in contrast with the living conditions of the oppressed Black masses back home:

We are disturbed by the careerism of the ANC Leadership Abroad who have, in every sense, become professional politicians rather than professional revolutionaries. We have been forced to draw the conclusion that the payment of salaries to people working in offices is very detrimental to the revolutionary outlook is of those who receive such monies. It is without doubt that such payments corrupt cadres at any level and have the effect of making people perform their duties or fill offices because of money inducement rather than dedication to the cause

It also criticised the bureaucratic police methods used to weed out dissent:

The Security Department is internally directed. It is doing nothing against the enemy. It has achieved nothing of military importance. () In the prosecution of its internally directed activities the Security Department has become notorious. Those who serve in it have the central task of suppressing and persecuting dedicated cadres of M.K. who have nothing to lose by participating in the struggle except their chains.

Finally, it criticised the separation of the military organisation from the political organisation.

The criticisms raised in the memorandum expressed the frustration of a layer of genuine revolutionaries with their petit bourgeois leaders. However, their criticisms did not go far enough. The crucial political and strategic question was the two-stage theory, the rigid separation between the so-called National Democratic Revolution and the struggle for socialism, which had been imposed by the Stalinised SACP onto the ANC. In this rigid Stalinist scheme, the National Democratic Revolution, which had to be led by the ANC, was supposed to be the first phase, which would lead to the defeat of apartheid and the establishment of a bourgeois democracy. Only after that would the question of socialism be raised, and the SACP would somehow become the leading force.

The signatories of the memorandum were suspended, but the ANC leadership, headed by Oliver Tambo, was forced to call the 1969 Morogoro Consultative Conference, which issued a radical-sounding strategy and tactics document drafted by SACP leader Joe Slovo. The revolutionary youth wanted to inscribe socialism in the programme, but they were held back by the SACPs leaders. The document talked of the armed struggle towards the taking of power, but conceived it as part of a mythical National Democratic Revolution. A handful of references to socialism, the role of the working class and the complete political and economic emancipation of all our people were introduced as concessions to the radicals, and the suspended MK fighters were reinstated. A Revolutionary Council was established, which ensured the SACPs domination over the political line of the ANC.

In this whole episode, Hani showed his independence and loyalty to revolutionary principles, features which would help him solidify his image as a radical leader, closely in touch with the aspirations of the revolutionary rank and file of the movement.

He survived three assassination attempts. From 1974, he was a member of the ANC National Executive and was appointed head of uMkhonto weSizwe in 1987.

Revolution or negotiations?

From the mid-1980s, South Africa was in the throes of a revolutionary upsurge. The powerful COSATU trade union federation was formed in 1985, organising the ranks of the black proletariat. 1986 saw the Soweto uprising, which was drowned in blood by the apartheid state. In May 1987, over 2.5 million workers came out in a national stay-away strike for a living wage. That was followed by the historic 21-day strike by 340,000 mineworkers.

Finally, in 1989, a mass National Defiance Campaign saw hundreds of thousands take action, through strikes, boycotts, and mass demonstrations against the whole of the apartheid regime. This movement forced it to lift the ban on the mass organisations, including the ANC. It was at this point, with the unbanning of the ANC in 1990, that Chris Hani was able to get back to South Africa.

The ruling class was torn. They realised that their system could not be maintained through repression, as it would risk provoking a full-blown revolution which would have put an end to capitalism, and with it their power, wealth and privileges. At the same time, they were fully aware that one person, one vote meant a majority ANC government, and they feared that this could open the floodgates of a movement towards the expropriation of capitalism. The more far-sighted elements realised that they had to lean on and rely upon the middle-class leaders of the ANC to keep the masses in check and ensure the continuation of capitalism, by making substantial democratic reforms.

Back in South Africa, Hani dedicated himself to the mass revolutionary movement. In September 1992, he played a leading role in the campaign of mass mobilisations which led to the infamous Bisho Massacre. On 7 September, roughly 80,000 marchers, led by Chris Hani, Cyril Ramaphosa, and Ronnie Kasrils, marched toward Bisho (then the capital of the so-called Ciskei homeland, established by the apartheid regime). Their goal was to overthrow the puppet military authorities in the Bantustan and to reincorporate Ciskei into South Africa.

The leadership around Mandela was playing a delicate balancing act in order to keep the revolutionary rank and file under control / Image: UN Photo, Flickr

As marchers tried to bypass a razor-wire fence, soldiers of the Ciskei Defence Force (CDF) opened fire with automatic weapons and grenade launchers without warning. The massacre resulted in 28 deaths and over 200 injuries.

In these conditions, the leadership around Mandela  who sought compromise in order to preserve capitalism in South Africa  was playing a delicate balancing act in order to keep the revolutionary rank and file under control. The workers and the youth saw the struggle for democracy as part and parcel of the struggle for jobs, land reform, housing, etc. This pressure from below expressed itself in the more radical stances and speeches of some of the leading figures, who were closer to the revolutionary aspirations of the rank and file. Chris Hani was the most prominent of them.

Years later, WikiLeaks revealed a secret US diplomatic cable discussing the different characters of Chris Hani and Thabo Mbeki (who was to become South Africa's president in 1999).

3. If Mbeki and Hani (both 48) still have a close friendship, we would be surprised. () 4. Mbeki is the consummate diplomat who is believed to be largely responsible for choreographing the overall policy shift away from the armed struggle to negotiations in recent years. () 5. While Hani no doubt supports official ANC policy, he skirts very close to the edges when it comes to the role of uMkhonto weSizwe (MK). Many of his public remarks, which the SAG [South African government] considers inflammatory and contrary to the spirit of ANC-SAG agreements, could only complicate Thabo's job of moving talks forward expeditiously. () 6. Two political styles could hardly differ more than Mbekis and Hanis. Mbeki takes a dispassionate, reasoned approach to issues which he presents in understated terms. His authority to deal with SAG officials, captains of industry, white South African opinion leaders, foreign envoys, etc., is second only to Mandela's. () 8. Hani is more a man of the people. He generally stays out of the negotiating process (except as chair of the armed actions working group where he reportedly does a good job when he participates). He eschews contacts with diplomats, journalists, businessmen, etc., yet appears often on public platforms in the townships wearing quasi-combat fatigues and delivering fiery speeches that arouse and delight the audience. Hani may well cultivate this radical image to some extent, and wittingly allow himself to be used by the ANC as a foil against the PAC's [Pan African Congress] effort to win the soul of the township youth.

Clearly, Hani was firmly committed to the two-stage policy of the leadership of the SACP and the ANC, that is, the need for a national and democratic stage separate and apart from the struggle for socialism. He even spoke publicly about the need for a mixed-economy, while at the same time advocating nationalisation and land reform.

But he would also talk about socialism, class struggle and was the very visible leader of the SACP. Of the national leaders of the movement, he was one of those who was more under the radical pressure of the rank and file, and that was reflected in the tone of his speeches at mass rallies. He took over the leadership of the SACP at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, when half of the partys central committee members had resigned from their positions.

He refused to participate in the future Government of National Unity, perhaps because he had serious misgivings about the whole situation and the concessions being made:

The perks of a new government are not really appealing to me the real problems of the country are not whether one is in cabinet, or a key minister, but what we do for social upliftment of the working masses of our people.

Hanis murder

The killing of Hani in 1993 removed a figure who could have acted as a potential rallying point for a radical challenge to Mandela and Mbeki.

It led to a massive upsurge of anger and revolt, which for more than ten days, suspended the hated apartheid regime in mid-air. Capitalist apartheid could have been swept away had there been a revolutionary leadership able and willing to lead the movement to victory. As Ted Grant commented:

There were many instances in which the process [the attempt to reach a negotiated solution between the Apartheid regime and the leaders of the ANC, encouraged by US imperialism] seemed to be breaking down. One of them was after the assassination of Chris Hani when the black youth rioted and demanded action on the part of the ANC leaders. The only reply they got was maintain calm.

The leaders of the ANC could only contain the mass upsurge which followed his killing with great difficulty and using all of their authority. Mandela was allowed a live TV broadcast in which he called for calm and reconciliation, when the masses wanted struggle and revenge.

Six million came out on 15 April, 1993 in a huge protest general strike. An eyewitness described some of the scenes to Socialist Appeal (issue 12, May 1993):

Spontaneous actions the day after the assassination shoved Mandela out of the way. In Cape Town the tens of thousands of marchers outnumbered even the crowds who welcomed the release of comrade Mandela in February 1990. The African youth dominated the scene. As usual, the pace of the toyi-toying [a South African dance performed at protests] determined the militancy of the marchers. This time the toyi-toying was a fast sprint which only the youth could keep up. Marchers streamed into the centre of town from all directions. As they entered the city, their anger and militancy burst at the seams in explosions of spontaneous destruction.

The masses anger, particularly that of the youth, was also directed at the movements leaders who, instead of organising the struggle, kept calling for peace and negotiations:

While it was announced on radio and repeated in the press that the venue for the commemoration service would be St George's Cathedral, on arrival, the marchers were turned back and sent to the Grand Parade. In the meantime certain dignitaries and important people were being addressed in the Cathedral. The people then had to wait in the blazing sun for their leaders to arrive, including Muhammed Ali. After a long wait only the sound system arrived. By this time the people's patience had worn away to a point where a national ANC leader, Trevor Manuel, was assaulted by members of the crowd when he called for peace and order. In Soweto on the same day, Mandela was booed when he called for negotiations with the National Party to continue, an event without precedent. () In the Eastern Cape, the region which normally shows the way, there were attacks on police stations and municipal buildings.

Articles in the bourgeois media from the time describe the mood:

The national protest, one of the most violent in months, reflected deep-seated anger over Hanis assassination last Saturday, allegedly by a white extremist, and growing discontent with the slow pace of negotiations in townships still beset by crippling poverty and hungry for change The bloodshed indicated once again the inability of the South African police to control protests without the use of deadly force.... But the rioting and looting that accompanied dozens of marches, from Cape Town and Port Elizabeth to Durban and Johannesburg, also indicated the inability of ANC leaders to control their more radical, youthful supporters. Many of those followers have been suspicious of the ANCs decision to participate in constitutional negotiations with the white-minority government, and they have supported those talks only out of admiration for Hani, a popular ANC leader and key negotiator. () The angry mood in Soweto was evident even earlier, during Mandelas speech. Among the placards held aloft by the crowd were a few reading: De Klerk Must Be Assassinated for Hanis Death. Although Mandela was warmly welcomed onto the stage, he was booed and jeered when he made a friendly reference to expressions of sympathy for Hanis death from de Klerks ruling National Party. () "During a march in Cape Town, black youths looted dozens of stores during a two-hour melee in which a black youth was shot to death, a peace monitor was stabbed, a policeman was shot and wounded and an ANC official, Trevor Manuel, was assaulted by his own supporters when he attempted to restore order."

The New York Times also reported the anger of the masses, sometimes directed at the ANC leaders or in defiance of them:

Across the country, crowd-control marshals deployed by the African National Congress struggled to hold angry youths in check, and often failed. In Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg and other cities, rallies turned into rampages of looting, burning and clashes with the police. No peace! War! War!" rioters chanted in Cape Town, where two people were killed and a train was derailed. The scores of injured in Cape Town included a prominent black leader who was punched in the face as he tried to restrain rioters. for the Congress, it was an embarrassing display of the gap between the moderate, compromise-minded leadership and the unruly, disaffected young men of the townships. At a dangerously overpacked amphitheatre in Soweto, Nelson Mandela, the A.N.C. president, laboured to explain the need for discipline and nonviolence to a crowd that surged against the stage and rumbled impatiently throughout his speech. His rambling remarks were interrupted by the pop-pop of firecrackers meant to simulate gunfire and by jeers when Mr. Mandela mentioned his bargaining partners in the governing white National Party. We can all see that he's too old and he doesn't want to fight, Raseleti Komane, an unemployed 38-year-old from Soweto, said of Mr. Mandela, 74. We want to fight. () The African National Congress mobilized many hundreds of monitors who have in the past proven adept at channeling huge crowds away from trouble, and Mr. Mandela appeared repeatedly on television to implore the public to abjure violence.

Lacking a revolutionary leadership which could have harnessed that anger and the power of the South African proletariat in the struggle to overthrow not just apartheid but also capitalism, the outcome of Hani's assassination was to accelerate the transition towards a capitalist democracy.

Mandela and the ANC leadership used all their authority to hold back the movement and restart the negotiations with the regime. The result of those negotiations was that the economic wealth remained untouched, while state power was transferred into the hands of the ANC elites.

The ANC leaders had already committed themselves firmly to capitalism and, through the sunset clauses  which agreed to phase out apartheid through five years of power-sharing between the ANC and the old regime  they rejected even mild nationalisation and agrarian reform, which were an integral part of the Freedom Charter, the movements guiding document. At that point, Mandela told de Klerk that a date for democratic elections was needed in order to calm the masses.

Hani was killed by a Polish neo-Nazi, Janusz Walus, a card-carrying member of the notorious white supremacist gang AWB. But he did not act alone. The gun he used was given to him by Clive Derby-Lewis, who was the Shadow Minister for Economic Affairs for the Conservative Party. The gun had been stolen from a military facility. Both Walus and Derby-Lewis were sentenced to death, but then had their sentences changed to life imprisonment with the abolition of the death penalty.

Over the years, there has been a strong suspicion that they did not act alone, but this has never been fully investigated. Some point to the participation of Vlakplaas C10, the apartheid regime's secret service death squads, in the assassination. Certainly, the secret services had been part of several plots to assassinate Chris Hani before, in South Africa and in Lesotho.

Derby-Lewis was released on medical parole in 2016 and died shortly afterwards, unrepentant. He always maintained that he had acted in defence of my people, who were threatened with a Communist take-over.

Walus was released on parole in December 2022 to protests by Hani's widow.

Over 30 years after the assassination of Chris Hani, capitalist democracy in South Africa has not delivered for the black working class majority who fought through great sacrifice to achieve freedom. Thus, his words in defence of socialism remain relevant:
King Mohammed VI presided over a Council of Ministers at the Royal Palace in Rabat this Thursday 9 April 2026, during which the government unveiled a landmark new generation of integrated territorial development programs backed by an estimated investment of 210 billion dirhams over eight years.

The council also addressed an exceptionally strong agricultural season, adopted 15 international conventions, approved two organic bills, and made a series of senior appointments in the health sector.

The territorial development framework was presented by Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit. Its conceptual departure from previous approaches lies in its methodology: rather than projecting priorities downward from the capital, the new generation of programs is built upward from locally expressed citizens needs across all provinces and prefectures of the Kingdom. Diagnostic studies have been conducted territory by territory, measuring socioeconomic indicators and identifying gaps in access to employment, healthcare, education, water supply and infrastructure. The budget of approximately 210 billion dirhams will be deployed over eight years to close those gaps with precision.

The governance architecture is equally innovative. At the local level, committees presided over by provincial governors  composed of elected representatives and deconcentrated state services  will design and monitor their programs. At the regional level, the wali will harmonize programs across provinces. National coordination will be assured by a committee under the Prime Minister, responsible for securing financing and overall coherence. Regional Execution Agencies (AREP) will be transformed into public limited companies to combine governance rigor with management flexibility, and a digital platform will allow citizens to track implementation in real time.

The agricultural briefing that opened the session painted an exceptionally positive picture. Rainfall this season averaged 520 millimeters nationwide  54 percent above the 30-year mean  driving dam reserves to 12.8 billion cubic meters. Olive production reached a record 2 million tons, up 111 percent year on year; citrus output rose 25 percent to 1.9 million tons; and date production increased 55 percent to 160,000 tons. The King also received assurances that pasture regeneration is supporting the reconstitution of the national livestock herd.

The council adopted 15 international conventions, including bilateral agreements on air transport, judicial cooperation, customs and military training, and four multilateral accords  among them an agreement establishing a regional African cybersecurity incident response center in Morocco. Five directors general of territorial health groupings (GST) were also appointed, accelerating the governance reform of Moroccos primary care network across Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Sale-Kenitra, Fes-Meknes, Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and Souss-Massa.
Pope Leo XIV has embarked on a 10-day African tour from April 13 to 23, 2026, in a high-profile pastoral and diplomatic mission aimed at drawing global attention to Africas social, economic, and spiritual needs.

The pontiffs itinerary covers four countriesAlgeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guineaacross 11 to 12 cities, with an extensive programme of about 25 speeches and multiple official engagements. The journey spans nearly 18,000 kilometres and 18 flights, making it one of the most logistically complex papal visits in recent years.

Central to the mission is the Vaticans call to turn the worlds attention to Africa, where more than 20% of the global Catholic population resides, with the Church experiencing its fastest growth on the continent.

In Algeria, the Pope is expected to promote CatholicMuslim dialogue, meet political leaders, and visit the Great Mosque of Algiers as well as the ancient site of Hippo in Annaba, reflecting his Augustinian heritage.

The wider tour also carries a strong socio-political dimension, with planned discussions on peacebuilding, governance, natural resource exploitation, and interfaith relations, particularly in regions affected by conflict and instability.

Observers note that the visit underscores both Africas rising importance within global Catholicism and the Vaticans intent to elevate the continents voice in global discourse on development and peace.

In essence, the journey is framed not merely as a pastoral pilgrimage, but as a strategic engagementwhere faith, diplomacy, and global attention converge on a continent seeking both recognition and renewal.
Malawian Police have arrested former Finance minister Simplex Chithyola on Sunday April 12, on suspicion of money laundering and abuse of office.

Chithyola, now a leading opposition figure in Parliament, voluntarily handed himself over to authorities after learning he was being sought by investigators, according to his lawyer, George Kadzipatike, who confirmed the charges. Chithyola himself has not publicly commented on the allegations.

He served as finance minister from 2023 to 2025 under former President Lazarus Chakwera, whose administration was voted out in the September elections.

The arrest forms part of a broader wave of investigations targeting figures linked to the former Malawi Congress Party (MCP) government over alleged corruption and financial misconduct during its tenure.

Chithyola had previously attracted public scrutiny over conspicuous displays of wealth during his unsuccessful bid for the MCP secretary-general position.

According to an AFP tally, at least eight former cabinet ministers and senior officials from the previous administration have been detained or questioned. These include former presidential and cabinet secretary Colleen Zamba, as well as former ministers responsible for trade, local government, information and agriculture. Former Finance minister Sosten Gwengwe was also briefly detained before being released on bail.

Authorities have yet to indicate when Chithyola will appear before court.
At least five people have been killed and one injured following a violent attack on a village in the disputed Abyei region, local authorities have confirmed on Sunday, April 12. Officials say armed men suspected to be from Sudans Misseriya community launched a night-time assault on Maker Abioor village in Alal County on Friday, targeting civilians engaged in routine livelihood activities.

The victimsreportedly including women, children and elderly peoplewere said to be burning charcoal and cutting wood when the assailants struck. One survivor is currently receiving treatment at Abyei Hospital.

Abyeis Information Minister, Yohana Akol Ngor, condemned the attack, describing it as an assault on innocent civilians. What happened on Friday night, Misseriya militia from Sudan attacked civilians at Maker Abioor village in Alal County. Five innocent lives were lost and one person was wounded, he said.

The Alal County Commissioner, Nyang Adoldol, corroborated the incident, characterizing it as a cattle raid carried out by armed men who fled shortly after the assault, reportedly retreating towards Sudan. Local youth forces are said to have mounted resistance, eventually repelling the attackers.

The violence underscores the enduring fragility of the oil-rich Abyei region, which remains a contested territory between Sudan and South Sudan. The area has long been a flashpoint for clashes between the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya communities, often driven by disputes over land and grazing rights.

Efforts to resolve Abyeis status have stalled over the years, with a unilateral referendum previously held in the region failing to gain recognition from either country. No immediate response was available from Misseriya community leaders at the time of filing this report.
Iranian negotiators rejected a number of conditions laid out by the United States during the talks in Pakistan, including ending all uranium enrichment, AzerNEWS reports via Axios.

An unnamed US official said Tehran also did not agree to dismantle all enrichment sites on its territory and give up the highly enriched material. Contentious points include Iran's regional allies, as the authorities in Tehran are not ready to end the funding for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. Delegations could not agree on fully opening the Hormuz Strait or on Washington's releasing Iran's frozen assets.

Earlier during the day, US President Donald Trump said the talks went well for the most part, but the nuclear issue and the status of the strait remain unresolved. Trump announced the US would impose a naval blockade on Iran as a result.

According to the Jerusalem Post, an American official told the outlet that at the conclusion of talks in Pakistan that the gaps between the United States and Iran remained wide. They were really not close to an agreement, the official said.

Another source familiar with the details said members of Irans Revolutionary Guards, led by their commander Ahmad Vahidi, refused to allow the delegation to compromise on key issues.

On Sunday morning, US Vice President J.D. Vance announced that 21 hours of talks with the Iranian delegationheaded by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibafhad ended without an agreement. The bad news is that we did not reach a deal, and I think that is much worse news for Iran than it is for the United States.
Eha Tiwaskar, a 12-year-old girl from Nagpur, battled a serious congenital heart condition, endured four heart surgeries, and is now finally living a normal and healthy life. According to doctors, her case was both challenging and hopeful.



Ehas mother, Pallavi Tiwaskar, explained that the baby was blue at birth and had difficulty in nursing. Subsequent investigations revealed a serious heart condition  she was born with a complex two-chamber heart condition.



Dr. Shivprakash Krishnanayak, Director of Pediatric Cardiac Science at H.N. Reliance hospital, who has performed four surgeries on the girl, explained that the her heart did not have the typical four chambers, but instead only had two.



In such cases, blood circulation is impaired, and correcting this condition requires a three-stage surgery, medically known as the Fontan procedure, doctors explained.



Ehas first surgery was in 2013. This was followed by a second surgery (bi-directional Glenn) in 2014, and a third, the crucial Fontan surgery in 2017. A pacemaker was also implanted to regulate the heart rate.



Usually, complications do not arise after this procedure, but a few years later, a subaortic obstruction (a growth of flesh near the hearts main blood supply) became apparent, escalating the situation. Previously, treatment options for such cases were considered extremely limited, but we took the risk and recently performed a fourth, highly complex open-heart surgery to successfully remove the excess flesh. Now, thegirl can live a normal life for the next 40-50 years, just like other Fontan patients, the doctor said.



Pallavi explained that every surgery was a test for them, but their trust in the doctors and their daughters courage kept them going. Today, Eha is in sixth grade and living a normal life.



What is the Fontan procedure?



Fontan surgery is performed on children whose hearts are not fully developed at birth and only have one functioning ventricle.



This condition disrupts the normal flow of blood between the body and the lungs, leading to oxygen deprivation and the child becoming tired or turning blue. The procedure involves diverting impure blood from the body directly to the lungs, where it can be oxygenated and returned to the heart and then pumped back to the body.



This surgery is usually completed in three stages, and its goal is not to completely repair the heart, but to regulate blood flow so that the child can live a normal and healthy life.




Sacramento, CA  Some notable happenings related to the California governors race occurred over the weekend.

After receiving pressure from leading Democrats, Congressman Eric Swalwell, one of the frontrunners, suspended his campaign. He lost several endorsements and received calls to exit after news outlets reported allegations about him sexually assaulting a former staffer twice. Four women, total, have now come forward with related allegations against the sitting Congressman.

Prior to Swalwells Sunday announcement, 31 county democratic chairs in California called for Swalwell to withdraw from the race. The list included Tuolumne County Democratic Party Chair Mat Galvan.

The group put out a statement calling the allegations deeply disturbing, and acknowledged the brave women who came forward, adding, As leaders of county Democratic Parties, we are committed to creating safe spaces in our Party free of sexual harassment, intimidation, or abuse. We expect our candidates to set the standard of appropriate conduct, and we need candidates to be focused on our common cause of electing a Democratic Governor who will fight for Democratic values and to govern our state with integrity, strength, and grace.

Swalwell also lost endorsements from California Senator Adam Schiff, the California Teachers Union, and many others.

In other news surrounding the Governors race, at its party convention held over the weekend in San Diego, Republicans chose not to endorse a candidate for governor. The top two leading in polling are Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton.

Hilton was recently endorsed by President Donald Trump. The party faithful split their vote pretty evenly between the two, so no endorsement could be made. The final tally was 49% for Bianco and 44% for Hilton. 60% was required for an endorsement.

Hilton has been leading in fundraising so far, bringing in $6.6 million, compared to Biancos $2 million.

The primary election is coming up on June 2.
Mariposa, CA  Highway 140 is closed in Mariposa County between Bear Creek Bridge and Cedar Lodge due multiple rockslides that occurred on Sunday when a storm system passed through.

It is blocking access to Yosemite National Park for travelers on Highway 140. Caltrans reports that motorists need to find an alternate route for the time being. Yosemite can still be accessed via Highway 120 and Highway 41.

Cleanup and assessment efforts are ongoing, and there is no estimated reopening time.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for California governor on Sunday following sexual assault allegations that he continues to deny.

I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made  but thats my fight, not a campaigns, Swalwell said in a social media post.

Democrats quickly abandoned him after allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him, were published Friday in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN. The reports came as Swalwell began to emerge as a leader contender in the crowded race.

His exit from the race comes less than a month before ballots go out in advance of the June 2 primary and as Democrats have been engaged in a messy primary campaign. Swalwells Democratic rivals were among those who swiftly urged him to exit the race, but his support also cratered among allies in Congress and labor unions who had endorsed him.

Some Democrats also urged Swalwell to resign his seat in Congress, but he made no mention of that Sunday.

The 48-hour period marked a rapid reversal for a candidate who appeared to be gaining momentum in the packed field to replace Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who cant seek a third term.

Though Swalwell has denied the allegations, he has seemingly referenced infidelity in multiple statements.

To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past, he wrote. That followed a video post on Friday where he apologized to his wife.

Swalwells exit shakes up campaign

The accusations reordered a wide-open gubernatorial race that had Democrats fretting the partys large number of candidates could lead to them getting shut out of the general election in November. Thats because California has a top-two primary system in which two candidates advance regardless of party.

Swalwell had become a clear target for his Democratic rivals as he began to lock up institutional support. Some had seized on rumors of sexual misconduct that circulated on social media for weeks before the Chronicles report.

His departure from the race will leave his rivals scrambling to win over his supporters and donors. Other prominent Democrats in the race include billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter. The major Republican contenders are former Fox News host Steve Hilton, who has Trumps backing, and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

The San Francisco Chronicle spoke to a woman who alleged Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019, when she worked for him, and again in 2024. The woman said she did not go to police at the time of the assaults because she was afraid she would not be believed. In both cases the woman said she was too intoxicated to consent to sex. CNN reported on allegations that appeared to come from the same woman, and spoke to several other women who accused Swalwell of other sexual misconduct.

Neither outlet named the woman, and The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment.

The alleged 2024 incident occurred in New York, and the Manhattan District Attorneys Office said its investigating. That office urged anyone with knowledge to contact its special victims division.

House colleagues call for Swalwell to resign

As Swalwells campaign flailed over the weekend, fellow California Reps. Jared Huffman, Ro Khanna and Sam Liccardo said Swalwell should resign, as did Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez of New Mexico and Pramila Jayapal of Washington state.

This is not a partisan issue, Jayapal said Sunday. This cuts across party lines. And it is depravity of the way that women have been treated.

Some representative said they would support the rare step of expelling him should he refuse to step aside.

It all added to the mounting political pressure on Swalwell, which began with allies like Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez cutting their support. Gomez had helped run Swalwells campaign and said he was immediately ending his role.

With the House returning to session Tuesday, the question of whether to expel Swalwell could come to a head quickly. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said Saturday that she would be filing a motion to start the process.

Expulsion votes in the House are rare and require a two-thirds majority, but there is recent precedent for taking the step. Republican George Santos of New York in 2023 became just the sixth member in House history to be ousted by colleagues for his conduct.

Huffman, Jayapal and Leger Fernandez said they would vote to expel Swalwell from the House, though they said they also support expelling Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who admitted to an affair with a former staff member who later died by suicide.

Swalwell, who is originally from Iowa, was elected in 2012 and represents a House district east of San Francisco. He launched a presidential run in April 2019 but shuttered it a few months later after failing to catch on with voters. He is perhaps best known nationally as a House manager in President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial during his first term in early 2021.

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Associated Press journalists Sophie Austin in Sacramento, Calif., and Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Finley reported from Washington.

By BEN FINLEY and KATHLEEN RONAYNE

Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwells abrupt exit from the race for California governor  then his announcement he would leave Congress  left his rivals scrambling to lock down his former supporters in a crowded contest with no clear leader, injecting more turmoil into the campaign to lead the nations most populous state.

Swalwells decision to suspend his campaign Sunday followed allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him, that were published Friday in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN. While pulling out of the race he remained defiant in a post on the social platform X, saying, I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made  but thats my fight, not a campaigns.

On Monday, he posted a statement on X, saying he planned to resign from Congress but did not provide a date for his departure. He wrote it was unfair for his constituents to have him distracted from his duties.

For rival candidates in a wide-open race, the key issue is where Swalwells supporters will go. He was among the most prominent Democrats in the contest, with mail ballots scheduled to go to voters in early May in advance of the June 2 primary election. Most of the well-known candidates are expected to appear on stage together Tuesday during a forum in Sacramento.

Katie Porter, one of the leading Democrats, posted a line from a San Francisco Chronicle column on X, Democrats can pull victory from the jaws of defeat by coalescing around Porter. Billionaire hedge fund manager-turned-liberal activist Tom Steyer said he secured the support of a handful of lawmakers, including Rep. Jared Huffman, a Democrat whose coastal district runs north of San Francisco, not far from Swalwells home turf. Antonio Villaraigosa, the former Los Angeles mayor, pitched a new ad promising to lower gas and grocery costs in a state known for its punishing cost of living.

With seven established Democrats and two leading Republicans on a primary ballot with more than 50 candidates, the race remains fluid. While Swalwell has suspended his campaign, his name cannot be removed from the ballot.

Nobody has really caught fire, said Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta, who is not involved in the campaign. Swalwells supporters will scatter out to other candidates.

Shifting alliances with Swalwells departure

In Sacramento, a handful of state lawmakers quickly switched their support from Swalwell to Steyer. Democratic Assemblymember Nick Schultz said he believes Steyer will put in the work to form strong relationships with the legislature. Steyers business background  he has never held public office  means hell challenge the status quo, Schultz added.

Democratic Assemblymember Corey Jackson  who also shifted to Steyer  said he wanted to back a candidate who had a legitimate chance of winning. He said in a statement that he and Steyer shared a commitment to building an economy rooted in dignity for working people.

San Joses Democratic Mayor Matt Mahan, running for governor in his first statewide election, sought to distinguish his record from Steyer and another leading candidate, Republican Steve Hilton, who hosted a show on Fox News for six years and has Trumps endorsement.

With Swalwell out, now we have a field thats got a billionaire who made his fortune investing in private prisons, ICE facilities, oil and gas companies  and a MAGA-backed TV commentator on the other hand, Mahan said on MS NOWs Morning Joe.

California deserves so much better, Mahan said.

Many voters remain distant from governors race

Swalwell is perhaps best known nationally as a House manager in President Donald Trumps second impeachment trial during his first term in early 2021. But in a media environment dominated by Trump, the race remains distant from many California voters.

After the publicity about sexual misconduct allegations, I think there are probably more people who know who Eric Swalwell is than can articulate a Tom Steyer position paper, Acosta added.

Swalwell was considered a leading contender along with Steyer and Porter and two Republicans, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and Hilton. But Republican activists havent rallied around Hilton, despite Trumps support; at a California Republican Party convention over the weekend the party declined to endorse a candidate in the race.

Democrats have feared the partys large number of candidates could lead to them getting shut out of the general election in November. Thats because California has a primary system in which only the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party.

Swalwell had become a clear target for his Democratic rivals as he began to lock up institutional support. Some had seized on rumors of sexual misconduct that circulated on social media for weeks before the Chronicles report.

The San Francisco Chronicle spoke to a woman who alleged Swalwell sexually assaulted her in 2019, when she worked for him, and again in 2024. The woman said she did not go to police at the time of the assaults because she was afraid she would not be believed. In both cases the woman said she was too intoxicated to consent to sex. CNN reported on allegations that appeared to come from the same woman, and spoke to several other women who accused Swalwell of other sexual misconduct.

Neither outlet named the woman, and The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify her account and identity. Her lawyer declined to comment.

The alleged 2024 incident occurred in New York, and the Manhattan District Attorneys Office said its investigating. That office urged anyone with knowledge to contact its special victims division. The Alameda County District Attorneys office, which covers Swalwells California district, said no one has reached out to the office with allegations against Swalwell.

House colleagues call for Swalwell to resign

Swalwells swift downfall came amid rising pressure for him to leave Congress. He earlier lost the support of powerful labor unions that had backed his candidacy, along with one-time allies like California U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Jimmy Gomez.

Some representatives had said they would support the rare step of expelling him from the U.S. House should he refuse to step aside. The House Ethics Committee opened an investigation Monday.

Swalwell, who is originally from Iowa, was elected in 2012 and represents a House district east of San Francisco. He launched a presidential run in April 2019 but shuttered it a few months later after failing to catch on with voters.

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Associated Press writer Sophie Austin in Sacramento contributed.

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD

AP Political Writer
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP)  Hungarys Viktor Orban had such an outsize global influence that his crushing electoral defeat is resounding far and wide.

Heres how global leaders reacted, in their own words. There was no immediate comment from the Trump administration, which campaigned for Orban.

Ukraine has a lot at stake

Orban repeatedly blocked aid for Ukraine to fend off Russias full-scale invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy quickly reached out to incoming leader Peter Magyar in hopes of support.

It is important when constructive approach prevails. Ukraine has always sought good-neighbourly relations with everyone in Europe and we are ready to advance our cooperation with Hungary, he posted on social media.

We are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as peace, security, and stability in Europe, Zelenskyy said.

Russia and China played it safe

Orban was Russias closest ally in the European Union, and courted China. Both countries seemed to distance themselves from him after Magyars win.

Hungary has made its choice, and we respect that choice, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. We expect to continue our very pragmatic contacts with the new Hungarian leadership.

Asked about the impact of Hungarys vote on the conflict in Ukraine, Peskov responded that I dont think this has anything to do with the future of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said in Beijing that China attaches great importance to the development of China-Hungary relations and stands ready to work with Hungarys new government based on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit.

For many in Europe, a sigh of relief

Orban was constantly critical of the EU, even though his country enjoys billions in funding from the bloc.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a frequent target of Orbans pronouncements, said, Europe is Hungarian today.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz messaged Magyar: Lets join forces for a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe. Gratulalok, kedves Magyar Peter!

French President Emmanuel Macron said that France welcomes the victory of democratic participation, the Hungarian peoples commitment to the values of the European Union.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, traveling in South Korea, posted a video clip apparently showing him speaking to Magyar by phone while overlooking the Korean capital.

Oh, I am so happy. I think I am happier than you, you know, Tusk said in English.

In his victory speech, Magyar said that his first foreign stop would be to Poland, which has historically had friendly ties to Hungary.

Fellow populists chose their words carefully

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni thanked her friend Viktor Orban for their collaboration. I know that even from the opposition he will continue to serve his Nation.

Frances far-right National Rally, jockeying to replace Macron in the French presidency next year, supported Orban and tread cautiously after his defeat.

This result, respectfully welcomed by Viktor Orban, shows that the incessant accusations by European institutions in recent years against Hungarian democracy were unfounded, posted the partys president, Jordan Bardella.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for his part, offered his heartiest congratulations to Magyar on X.

I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation and to advance the vital India-EU Strategic Partnership for the shared prosperity and well-being of our peoples, he wrote.
Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has called out President William Ruto for his supposed inaction as political thuggery continues to mar political gatherings. Speaking during a rally in Kajiado on Sunday, the former deputy president cautioned the Head of State that failing to address this widespread unrest could push the nation toward civil conflict.

Gachagua issued a blunt ultimatum regarding the safety of political figures and the stability of the government.

Dont create a situation where we will remove you from office. If Matiangi, Kalonzo, Riggy, Eugene and other leaders are injured, you will be removed from office. Dont set this country into civil war, he said.

The DCP leader further asserted that high-ranking security officials, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, are obscuring the reality of political goonism in Kenya. He claimed these advisors are failing to provide the president with an accurate account of the escalating tensions.

We are just being truthful because people like Murkomen wont tell you the truth, he stated.

The DCP leader further cautioned that state-sanctioned goonism will consume the President if left unchecked. He drew grim parallels between the current domestic climate and international conflicts, suggesting that minor gangs often evolve into uncontrollable forces.

RSF war started this way, yet it is Murkomen now giving passports. The Haitian crisis began this way by their President These gangs walking around will be a problem later, Gachagua added.

The warnings followed a chaotic Saturday rally in Kikuyu, where the former deputy presidents event descended into a scene of teargas, gunshots, and the extortion of local citizens. Trouble began early in the day as groups blocked major transit routes, including the Southern Bypass, by lighting tire bonfires and placing heavy obstacles across the roadway.

These confrontations broke out despite Gachaguas prior attempts to involve law enforcement. He had previously written to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to request heightened security, alleging in his letter that certain factions planned to disrupt the gathering through orchestrated violence, business targeting, and the provocation of police.

However, Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichungwah dismissed these claims, instead placing the blame for the unrest squarely on Gachagua. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, Ichungwah asserted that the former deputy president was leading a deliberate campaign to destabilize the constituency by spreading hate speech and mobilizing criminal gangs.

Ichungwah rejected any suggestion that the unrest was accidental, describing the chaos as a deliberate and well-organized operation rather than a spontaneous outburst. The Kikuyu MP said the events followed a familiar pattern of calculated aggression he associates with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

It is not random chaos, he stated. In fact, it bore the hallmarks of similar coordinated political attacks seen when political interests overtook what had previously been peaceful protests in some cases.

Ichungwah went further and directly linked Gachagua to the alleged planning of the violence, claiming the former deputy president spent the past week coordinating the unrest to intimidate residents into supporting his political movement. He also accused Gachagua of pursuing a vengeance mission driven by ethnic propaganda and personal attacks.

Questioning both his motives and the repeated nature of such incidents, Ichungwah posed: Why does violence follow him wherever he goes? Why cant he visit peacefully and address the people of Kikuyu like former CJ Maraga did recently?
The Deputy Registrar of Companies has struck more than 1,300 firms from Kenyas official register, effectively dissolving them. This mass deregistration, formalized through Kenya Gazette Notices numbered 5212 to 5215, strips the affected businesses of all legal standing.

The official notice clarifies the immediate nature of this action: PURSUANT to section 894 (5) of the Companies Act, it is notified for the general information of the public that the following companies are dissolved, and their names have been struck off the Register of Companies, with effect from the date of this publication.

This sweeping move impacts virtually every corner of the Kenyan economy. The list of dissolved entities includes agribusinesses, livestock operations, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and forex bureaus, alongside freight companies and tech firms that previously operated across the country.

The purge heavily impacts the building and logistics sectors, with construction companies, property developers, hardware suppliers, and real estate entities losing their registration. Transport operators, including those providing freight, courier, taxi, and shipping services, also feature prominently across the four gazette notices.

Financial services did not escape the sweep, as the Registrar delisted several insurance companies, investment consultancies, and accounting practices. The hospitality and tourism industries also saw a significant reduction in numbers, with hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and car hire businesses included in the wide-ranging clean-up.

In addition to the firms already dissolved, the Registrar issued a separate warning to 289 other companies. These entities face imminent dissolution unless they provide a valid reason to remain on the register within the next three months.

The notice clarified the pending action: PURSUANT to section 894 (3) of the companies Act, it is notified for the general information of the public that at the expiration of three 3) months from the date of this publication, unless cause is shown to the contrary, the Registrar of Companies shall strike-off the names of the following companies from the Register of Companies and the companies shall be dissolved

The 289 firms currently facing the chopping block represent a diverse array of industries, including solar energy, biofuel, petroleum, and cement manufacturing. Companies specializing in water and sanitation, professional consulting, marketing, and auction services also risk losing their legal status if they fail to act.

Directors of these entities must now scramble to file formal objections or prove their companies are still operational before the three-month window slams shut. Under the law, a failure to respond triggers an automatic removal from the register without further warning.

For the shareholders, directors, and employees linked to these firms, the dissolution brings immediate legal and financial headaches. The move creates significant uncertainty regarding active contracts, frozen assets, and unresolved obligations. The Registrar utilizes Section 894 of the Companies Act to purge dormant or non-compliant firms, a strategy intended to protect the integrity of the national business register.

This mass dissolution comes at a precarious time for the Kenyan economy. The country continues to struggle with a massive youth bulge and a staggering unemployment rate of 67 percent, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) 2025 survey.
Polls have opened in Perus presidential and legislative elections, with no clear frontrunner amid years of political instability, AzerNEWS reports via Al Jazeera.

Since 2018, Peru has seen eight presidents, with a high turnover rate marred by impeachments and corruption scandals, leading to voter disillusionment with weak governments.

Some 27 million Peruvians are eligible to vote on Sunday to pick the countrys ninth leader in a decade, with polling stations across the country opening at 7am (12:00 GMT) and closing at 5pm (22:00 GMT), with preliminary results expected shortly afterwards.

With 35 candidates on the presidential ballot, Peruvians will choose from a wide range of potential leaders, including a comedian, a media baron, a political dynasty heiress, and a hard?line ex?mayor who likens himself to a cartoon pig.

However, all major candidates continue to poll well below the 50 percent needed to win the election, making a June 7 run-off appear likely.

A fruit seller in Lima told the Reuters news agency that she was still undecided on who to vote for.

Peru is a mess, and theres no candidate worth voting for, Gloria Padilla said.

Clothing merchant Maria Fernandez, 56, also shared the same sentiment.

I wouldnt vote for anyone. Im so disappointed with everyone in power, Fernandez told the AFP news agency.

Weve been governed by nothing but corrupt, thieving scoundrels, she added.

The most well-known candidate is conservative Keiko Fujimori, who will make her fourth presidential bid after reaching the run-off in all three previous races.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has sounded the alarm over a surge in political violence and impunity, accusing security agencies of standing by as supposed state-backed goons terrorize the public.

The commission warned that these organized groups are systematically disrupting political meetings, voter registration drives, and public events across the country. In response to the escalating chaos, the KHRC demanded the immediate resignation of the Inspector General of Police, alleging he has failed his constitutional mandate to maintain law and order and protect citizens.

In a scathing statement, the rights body documented a series of violent incidents that rocked Kikuyu, Kitale, Roysambu, and Kisumu over the past week. The commission linked these attacks to militia groups specifically targeting civic and political participation.

KHRC condemns the use of state-backed goons to violently disrupt lawful political activities and the ongoing voter registration drive, the statement read.

The commission highlighted a particularly volatile incident on Saturday in Kikuyu, where organized groups stormed a meeting convened by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. According to the KHRC, these same individuals later blocked sections of the Southern Bypass, where they reportedly attacked and robbed motorists.

Beyond political rallies, the violence has hampered essential democratic processes. In Kitale, the KHRC reported that attackers targeted officials and citizens during a voter registration exercise, forcing a temporary halt to the process. The commission noted that these disruptions effectively stripped eligible citizens of their right to participate in the upcoming elections.

The commission detailed how the violence spread throughout the week, noting a Friday incident in Roysambu where a group allegedly targeted political aspirant James Munene during a graduation ceremony. This followed an attack on Wednesday in Kisumu, where Vihiga Senator Geoffrey Osotsi sustained injuries in what the KHRC identifies as part of the same coordinated campaign of disruption.

The rights body heavily criticized the police for their perceived passivity, pointing out that officers failed to intervene effectively in the majority of these cases. While authorities eventually arrested three suspects following the Kisumu assault, the KHRC noted that no significant action occurred regarding the other incidents.

In all these incidents, police failed to intervene. The only exception was the later arrest of three suspects linked to the attack on Osotsi. No meaningful action has been taken in the other cases, pointing to the protection of these groups, the statement said.

Warning of a dangerous slide toward lawlessness, the commission argued that this pattern of attacks reflects a deep-seated culture of impunity. The KHRC linked the current unrest to a broader history of suppressed civic participation, drawing parallels to the violent crackdowns on Gen Z protesters in 2024 and 2025. It cautioned that allowing these groups to operate without consequence threatens the very foundation of democratic engagement in the country.

The commission warned that the governments tolerance of these groups cripples constitutional freedoms, destroys public trust in the police, and poses a direct threat to democratic participation. By allowing militias to interfere with lawful political and civic activities, the rights body argues that the state is effectively dismantling the countrys democratic foundations.

Directing its frustration at the top of the security command, the commission made its stance clear: The Inspector General of Police should resign for failing to uphold law and order and protect citizens during civic actions, stated the human rights body.

In its closing remarks, the KHRC demanded an immediate end to the states alleged reliance on hired muscle. The commission pressed authorities to move beyond rhetoric and ensure that every individual involved in orchestrating or executing these attacks faces full accountability under the law.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary and Jubilee Party leader Fred Matiangi has hit out at the government for what he terms misplaced priorities in managing political activities. He accused state agencies of obsessively targeting opposition figures while neglecting the actual security crises facing ordinary Kenyans.

Speaking during a church service at PEFA Works in Kajiado County on Sunday, April 12, 2026, Matiangi questioned why the police treat leaders engaging with the public as significant security threats.

He highlighted recent confrontations in Kikuyu, where police met United Opposition leaders with heavy force and tear gas. Matiangi argued that these aggressive tactics stifle democratic expression and spark needless tension nationwide. He urged the government to redeploy security resources toward genuine threats that affect citizens daily, rather than monitoring political tours.

Government should focus on the threat profile, not focus on us political leaders who are addressing supporters. If you want to come to Kajiado, just come; we are not eating Kajiado; we will leave it all here. You can come tomorrow and talk to the people of Kajiado if you want, Rigathi Gachagua na sisi wengine kuenda kikuyu, hatuendi kukula kikuyu, we will be out; you can go there tomorrow also, Matiangi said.

The former Interior CS also challenged the polices reliance on force during these engagements, describing the tactics as excessive and indefensible, particularly when leaders are merely holding meetings with citizens.

Why are you deploying police to throw teargas on us na kutupiga risasi? We dont understand what this is all about; tuko na shida kweli Kenya, but hatukufi moyo, Matiangi stated.

Looking ahead, Matiangi promised that an alternative leadership would anchor itself on respect, active listening, and the end of political harassment. He positioned himself and his allies as a team dedicated to rebuilding trust in the nations governance.

We will give Kenyans a trustworthy government that listens to them, a government that wont harass others; we will respect all leaders, Matiangi stated.

Drawing from his extensive background in the security sector, Matiangi urged the government to pivot its attention back to genuine crime and insecurity rather than pursuing what he described as political distractions. He argued that state resources would serve the public better if used to clear criminals from the streets instead of monitoring political rivals.

I was in security leadership, and I want to tell the government to focus on the countrys security threats profile. Im sure we are not among that list. Pull resources together and get pickpockets out of the streets of Nairobi, Matiangi stated.

He concluded by warning that using force against political figures and their supporters rarely produces lasting results. He cautioned the authorities to rethink their current strategy, suggesting that such tactics ultimately fail to sustain a governments survival.

Kututorosha kutoka kikuyu, hayo mambo ni temporary, yataisha tu, tumeona mambo mingi lakini sijawai ona serikali imetumia polisi vibaya and it survived, nothing, Matiangi said.
President William Ruto has pledged to fulfill his promise to the Akorino faithful with the immediate construction of a dedicated college for the denomination on a 6-acre site in Ruai, worth Sh120 million. Addressing a thanksgiving service at State House, Nairobi, on Sunday, April 12, the president confirmed that the government has already issued the title deed and secured the specific plot for the project.

Ruto promised a rapid timeline for the development, noting that groundbreaking will take place within the coming days. He projected that the institution would be fully operational within twelve months.

This week, we will begin construction of your college, and next year we shall hold this meeting at the completed college in Ruai, he stated.

Ruto acknowledged that while past political friction stalled the initiative, a new-found unity among stakeholders has finally cleared the path for the project to move forward.

There was a lot of politics before, but we thank God that today we are united as one team. The differences that existed before are no longer there, he added.

Ruto announced that the government will assign a contractor this week to break ground on the site. To manage the development, he plans to establish a trustee structure that unites all relevant parties to oversee the institutions growth.

This board of trustees will feature Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala, who will steer the colleges academic framework, and Attorney General Dorcas Oduor, who will offer legal counsel to navigate any potential disputes.

The president also revealed that the facility will house a music production studio to nurture talent within the Akorino faith while crews continue work on an access road to the site to ensure easy entry.

Rutos renewed vow to deliver the college comes nearly two years after he first pledged his support. During the Akorino National Prayers Conference in Nakuru on June 9, 2024, the president promised Sh50 million toward the establishment of the Akorino Africa Bible College (AABC) to serve as a hub for spiritual education and training. This project marks a historic milestone for the denomination, as it will become the first formal training school for the Akorino faith, offering specialized curricula in biblical studies and church leadership.

Beyond the physical infrastructure, the government intends to partner with the church to strengthen the Akorino Sacco. This initiative includes a commitment of millions of shillings to build internal capacity and foster financial independence within the community.

The President further expanded his support to the education sector by directing the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to reserve 50 teaching positions for Akorino faithful during the upcoming recruitment drive.

Akorino teachers are very sharp, and because of that, I am allocating 50 additional slots today for your children to be employed as teachers, Ruto said.
Akbar Novruz



US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will impose a blockade on ships entering or exiting Iranian ports, AzerNEWS reports.

In a post published on the Truth Social platform, Trump stated that the measure is set to take effect on April 13 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

The United States to Blockade Ships Entering or Exiting Iranian Ports on April 13 at 10:00 A.M. ET. Thank you for your attention to this matter! the president wrote.

No further details have been provided regarding the scope or enforcement mechanism of the reported blockade.

The announcement comes amid heightened tensions involving Iran and ongoing instability in the region.

As it stands, only UK will not participate in a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, according to local media, following US President Donald Trumps remarks about blockading the critical shipping route.

"We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home," said a government spokesperson, according to Sky News.

"The Strait of Hormuz must not be subject to tolling," the official added.

The official noted that London is "urgently working" with France and other partners to build a broad coalition to safeguard freedom of navigation.

Trump had earlier said that the UK was sending minesweepers to help clear the strait.

Other European countries are yet to make any decisions.
TP Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 13: Azent Overseas Education, a global education advisory platform helping students achieve their international education goals, has announced a Pan-India Virtual Education Fair scheduled for 9th May 2026. The event will bring together TOP leading international universities on a single platform, offering students across India the opportunity to explore global education opportunities and connect directly with university representatives. Priyanka Nishar, Founder of Azent Overseas Education said, "The future of global education will be shaped by how well we align ambition with opportunity in an increasingly intelligent, AI-driven world. We are moving toward an ecosystem where learning is no longer linear but dynamic, personalised, and deeply connected to real-world outcomes. The real shift lies in empowering individuals to stay goal-focused while continuously evolving--leveraging technology, global exposure, and mentorship to unlock their fullest potential." Through this virtual fair, students planning to pursue higher education abroad will be able to interact with admissions teams from participating universities, discuss academic programs, and receive personalised guidance based on their academic profiles and career aspirations. The event aims to simplify the study abroad journey by giving students direct access to university officials and academicians without geographical barriers. Participants will be able to explore different courses, understand admission requirements, and gain insights into campus life, scholarships, and post-study career prospects. The fair will also allow students to have one-on-one interactions with university representatives, enabling them to evaluate the right academic pathways and make informed decisions about their international education journey. By connecting students directly with global universities, Azent Overseas Education aims to make the study abroad process clearer, more transparent, and easier to navigate. The Azent Pan-India Virtual Education Fair will provide students with the chance to network with global institutions, receive expert insights, and gain a deeper understanding of international academic environments -- all from the comfort of their homes. Event Details Event: Azent Pan-India Virtual Education Fair Date: 9th May 2026 Format: Online Participating Institutions: Top Global Universities Eligibility: Students across India planning to study abroad Students interested in attending can register online here: https://www.azent.com/events-webinars/azent-study-abroad-fair-2026-09-May-2026-Pan to secure their spot and gain direct access to university representatives, expert guidance, and insights on studying abroad. About Azent At Azent Overseas Education Ltd, we have a strong commitment to education and career development. We are passionate about bringing global education to the doorsteps of students all over India. Integrity is essential to the admissions process and Azent is committed to the highest ethical standards. Our organization and our counselors pledge ethical and respectful behavior in our interactions with our students and their families. We aspire to become the world's leading global education advisory, unleashing potential, one student at a time. To learn more please visit https://www.azent.com/ Media Contact Jacqueline Patel 9967040369 jacquelinepatel@yahoo.com (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by TP. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)
PRNewswire Pune (Maharashtra) [India], April 13: Centered around the theme "Future-Ready Engineers: Skills, Attitude, and Industry Expectations," the symposium brought together distinguished industry leaders and academic visionaries to guide students as they prepare to step into the professional world. - "The future belongs to those who continuously learn, adapt, and evolve." -- a thought that resonated strongly throughout the HR Symposium 2026, held on 10th April 2026 at D Y Patil International University, Akurdi! The event was inaugurated with an inspiring address by Honourable Vice Chancellor, Prof. (Dr.) Manish Bhalla, who emphasized the need for a global outlook, continuous skilling, and the right mindset to succeed in an ever-evolving industry landscape. His message set the tone for a session focused not just on careers, but on building future-ready individuals. Addressing the students, Dean Placement, Ms. Jasmita Kaur highlighted that we are living in an era of rapid technological disruption, where engineers must go beyond technical knowledge and evolve into adaptable problem solvers. She emphasized that the industry today seeks professionals who are agile, collaborative, and committed to continuous learning. She further mentioned that DYPIU is actively working towards bridging the gap between academia and industry through practical and skill-based initiatives. Encouraging students to take ownership of their growth, she advised them to stay curious, build relevant skills, and become truly future-ready professionals. Addressing the students, Prof. Dr. Arun Sacher, Associate Dean-Corporate Relations & Placement, stated that as per the Future of Jobs Report 2025, nearly 170 million new jobs are expected to be created by 2030, while around 92 million may be displaced, highlighting the need for adaptability and continuous reskilling. He mentioned that roles in AI, big data, and software development are among the fastest-growing, making technological and analytical skills increasingly important. Referring to the India Skills Report 2025, he noted that graduate employability has risen to nearly 55%, with strong demand for engineering, management, and AI-related skills, particularly in states like Maharashtra. He further emphasized the importance of continuous learning, internships, and the development of both technical and soft skills to remain competitive. He concluded by encouraging students to take initiative, keep progressing, and actively work towards building their careers. The highlight of the symposium was an engaging panel discussion featuring eminent industry experts who shared practical insights and real-world perspectives. They also reflected on the institution's strong commitment to bridging the gap between academia and industry, creating meaningful opportunities for student growth. Mr. Girish Khilari highlighted the importance of innovation and a problem-solving mindset in the era of digital transformation, encouraging students to think beyond conventional learning.Mr. Umesh Ganjale offered valuable guidance on fresher hiring, stressing that adaptability and communication skills are as critical as technical knowledge.Mr. Vaibhav Abdeo provided clarity on what recruiters truly look for, emphasizing the importance of positioning oneself effectively in a competitive job market.Mr. Hardik Patel inspired students with his journey, underscoring the role of innovation and continuous learning in building impactful careers.Mr. Pritesh Shah spoke about leadership, global exposure, and the need to develop a long-term professional vision.Mr. Abhijit Puri further enriched the discussion with insights into evolving talent acquisition trends and industry expectations. The session, seamlessly moderated by Mr. Chetan Khairnar, was interactive, thought-provoking, and deeply engaging, leaving students with not just information, but direction. More than just a symposium, the event served as a reality check and a roadmap--reminding students that success lies in a blend of skills, attitude, and the willingness to grow continuously. An impressive turnout of 560 students enthusiastically participated in the HR Symposium, reflecting their keen interest and commitment towards becoming future-ready professionals. As the session concluded, one message stood clear: being degree-ready is not enough--one must be industry-ready. Objectives of the Event - To bridge the gap between academia and industry expectations- To make students aware of current hiring trends and skill requirements- To guide students on becoming industry-ready professionals- To provide insights into emerging technologies and career opportunities- To encourage continuous learning, adaptability, and professional growth- To create a platform for direct interaction with industry leadersKey Learnings for Students - Importance of technical skills combined with soft skills- Need for continuous upskilling and adaptability in a dynamic job market- Understanding of recruitment processes and employer expectations- Significance of communication, confidence, and professional attitude- Exposure to real-world industry challenges and solutions- Awareness of emerging trends like AI, digital transformation, and global operations- Importance of building a strong professional profile and long-term career visionAbout D Y Patil International University: D Y Patil International University (DYPIU), Pune, is a multidisciplinary institution delivering globally aligned, future-focused education through a strong blend of academic excellence, innovation, and industry integration. The university offers a diverse portfolio of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across Engineering & Technology, Management, Design, Media & Communication, Biotechnology & Healthcare, and Liberal Arts, with specialized pathways in emerging domains such as Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Digital Business, Branding & Advertising, UX/UI Design, and Entrepreneurship. With an emphasis on experiential learning, global exposure, and industry collaboration, DYPIU equips students with the skills, mindset, and agility required to succeed in a rapidly evolving global economy. Contact Details:D Y Patil International University enquiry@dypiu.ac.inContact: +91 86000 91180 Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2954551/DYPIU_HR_Symposium_2026.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Japan's military shift toward offensive capabilities undermines pacifist constitution

08:27, April 13, 2026 By Zhong Sheng ( People's Daily

Recent joint military exercises involving Japan, the United States, and the Philippines, held under the name "Salaknib (Shield)," have drawn widespread international attention.

For the first time since World War II, Japanese combat personnel have deployed to Philippine territory, with approximately 420 troops from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force participating in full-scale operations.

Under the guise of "multilateral cooperation," Japan is expanding its military reach. The Self-Defense Forces (SDF) are shedding the long-held posture of "exclusively defense-oriented" policy and accelerating a dangerous shift toward offensive capabilities.

In March 2026, the administration of Sanae Takaichi carried out a series of reorganizations of the SDF marked by clear offensive characteristics, laying bare its ambition for remilitarization.

In what Japanese media outlets have described as the largest restructuring in history, the Maritime Self-Defense Force abolished its Fleet Escort Force that had been in place for over six decades and established a centrally commanded "Fleet Surface Force," alongside a newly formed "Amphibious and Mine Warfare Group" with evident offensive functions.

The Ground Self-Defense Force has set up intelligence units, while the Air Self-Defense Force plans to rename itself the "Air and Space Self-Defense Force" by the end of fiscal year 2026.

Meanwhile, Japan's Ministry of Defense deployed long-range missiles with so-called "enemy base strike capabilities" in Kumamoto and Shizuoka prefectures. Terms like "war" and "combat operations" are appearing with increasing frequency.

Former SDF officer Makoto Konishi noted that Japan's defense posture is undergoing significant changes in terms of institutional arrangements, budget allocation, and actual deployment, deviating from the principle of "exclusively defense-oriented" policy and moving toward a military system capable of real combat.

This offensive shift increasingly jeopardizes Japan's pacifist constitution. The Constitution of Japan released in 1946 clearly stipulates that aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes, and that in order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained.

However, for a long time, right-wing forces in Japan have regarded these provisions as an obstacle and have never abandoned their ambition to rearm the country. Under the pretext of "reinterpretation" of the constitution, they have adopted a "salami-slicing" approach, gradually eroding constitutional red lines.

Defense spending has repeatedly hit record highs. Overseas deployments occur under peacekeeping and counterterrorism pretexts. The "civilian control" mechanism designed to prevent military runaway has been abolished.

Step by step, Japan has hollowed out the constitutional foundation of its "exclusively defense-oriented" policy. Today, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is openly seeking to write the SDF into the constitution, attempting to define it as a "fully capable organization" through constitutional revision.

In recent years, the rightward shift within the SDF has become increasingly alarming. At Japan's National Defense Academy, group visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Class-A war criminals, have become a so-called "tradition." A former senior SDF officer even became the shrine's chief priest.

What's more, right-wingers, posing as scholars, have openly delivered lectures on "historical perspectives" and "national views" within the SDF education system. Training materials used within the SDF are said to contain distortions and whitewashing of Japan's wartime aggression.

Recently, an active-duty SDF officer, influenced by extremist ideology, illegally broke into the Chinese Embassy in Japan with a knife, an incident that underscores the seriousness of the problem.

The accelerating offensive posture stems from Japan's failure to fully confront its wartime history. By deliberately downplaying past aggression, the government has allowed historical revisionism to permeate the SDF. This deficient historical consciousness, combined with expansionist ambitions, threatens regional peace.

Japan's recent actions mark a departure from its postwar identity as a "peaceful nation," reflecting the rise of a "neo-militarism." After World War II, Japanese society maintained a high level of vigilance against the dangers of militarism, shaped by painful historical lessons. A self-restraining security philosophy emerged, emphasizing that no action should be taken without legal authorization and upholding civilian control over the military.

However, under the influence of right-wing forces, Japan's perception of security threats has gradually shifted from internal to external. Right-wing politicians have actively hyped up so-called "surrounding contingencies" and "threats from neighboring countries," even attempting to link the Taiwan question with Japan's so-called "survival-threatening situation." These actions have stripped away the facade of "proactive pacifism," redirecting defense policy toward external military deterrence and bloc confrontation.

On Aug. 15, 1945, when Japan announced its surrender, Japanese scholar Jun Takami wrote in his diary: "The terrifying power of the military once controlled everything. Will a truly healthy democratic society emerge in Japan? Will it become a reality? Perhaps this is still only a fantasy."

The echoes of history's questioning remain, yet current developments are deeply concerning. In the face of Japan's increasingly risky and militaristic tendencies, countries in the region and the international community must remain highly vigilant and must not allow "neo-militarism" to once again push regional peace into peril.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People's Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Akbar Novruz



Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned that Israel could potentially shift its focus toward Turkiye after Iran, amid escalating regional tensions, AzerNEWS reports, citing his interview via Anadolu Agency.

According to Fidan, Israels broader strategic approach relies on maintaining a constant adversary. Israel cannot live without an enemy. Therefore, it may declare Turkey an enemy after Iran, he said.

His remarks come against the backdrop of ongoing conflict involving Iran and growing instability across the Middle East. Fidan has previously argued that Israels policies are driven by a need to continuously identify threats, warning that this approach risks prolonging regional conflicts.

The Turkish top diplomat has also repeatedly expressed concern over Israels military posture in the region, stating earlier that such actions could further destabilize the Middle East and expand the scope of ongoing confrontations.

He believes that if the US and Iran reach an agreement, an additional ceasefire lasting 45 to 60 days could occur.
VMPL New Delhi [India], April 13: A new wave of leadership is transforming India's business landscape. Young, dynamic, and forward thinking these leaders are creating lasting impact. They are not just chasing growth, but building value and trust. Across sectors, their vision is shaping the next decade. Meet the faces driving India's transformation. 1. Ishan Goyal - Director at Annex Paints Among India's new-age business leaders driving industry transformation, the Director of Annex Paints is emerging as a promising name to watch. At just 27, his seven-year journey reflects a strong blend of ambition, strategic thinking, and execution across key areas such as sales, marketing, dealer network expansion, and market development. With a clear focus on building Annex Paints into a trusted and respected brand, he has worked closely with teams and partners to strengthen dealer relationships, improve customer experience, and adapt to evolving market trends. His leadership style is defined by a hands-on approach--whether it is expanding into new regions, optimizing distribution channels, or enhancing brand visibility. What truly sets his journey apart is his belief that transformation goes beyond numbers. By fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and collaboration, he has helped build a dealer ecosystem that sees Annex Paints as a long-term growth partner rather than just a brand. Looking ahead, his vision is centered on driving innovation and scale--introducing advanced products, adopting modern technologies, and setting new benchmarks in quality and service. As he continues to lead from the front, his journey reflects the mindset of a new-generation leader committed to shaping the future of the industry. Website: https://www.annexpaints.com/ 2. Shankar Kohli - Founder at Mark Real Esstate In India's rapidly evolving luxury real estate landscape, Shankar Kohli has emerged as one of the most promising business leaders under 40, redefining how high-net-worth individuals approach property investments. As the Founder of Mark Real Esstate, he has built a strong niche in luxury real estate consulting in Gurugram, focusing exclusively on premium residences priced above 5 crore. Since 2013, Shankar has collaborated with some of India's most reputed A grade developers, including DLF Limited, M3M India, Emaar Properties, Godrej Properties, and Sobha Realty. His expertise lies in identifying high-potential luxury properties in Gurgaon, curating exclusive opportunities, and delivering tailored investment solutions for HNIs and NRI clients. What sets him apart is his comprehensive, end-to-end advisory approach ranging from identifying high return investment opportunities and negotiating the best deals, to managing documentation, assisting with financial structuring, and facilitating home loans. He further extends his services into portfolio and post-purchase property management, making him a trusted partner in the luxury real estate journey. Shankar also specializes in branded residences in India, a fast-growing segment within the luxury housing market. His portfolio includes prestigious developments such as Westin Residences, Elie Saab Branded Residences, and the iconic twin towers designed by Armani Casa by Signature Global, catering to clients who seek both elevated living and long-term value. With a clear vision to help clients secure the finest properties while maximizing returns, Shankar Kohli continues to set new benchmarks in high-end real estate consulting in Gurugram, positioning himself as a leader to watch in 2026. Website: https://shankarkohli.com/ 3. Deepak Thakur and Rakesh Thakur - Founders at Pioneer Elevators & Escalators In India's rapidly evolving infrastructure landscape, Pioneer Elevators & Escalators is emerging as a strong force in vertical mobility, driven by the dynamic leadership of Rakesh Thakur and Deepak Thakur. Together, they represent a new generation of business leaders blending technical expertise, corporate experience, and entrepreneurial vision. Founded in 2015 by Rakesh Thakur, an engineer with experience at ThyssenKrupp Elevators and international exposure at INVT, Pioneer was built with a clear mission--to bridge the gap between global quality standards and local service delivery. His hands-on leadership and deep technical understanding have enabled the company to establish itself as a dependable player in installation, maintenance, and modernization of elevators across Delhi NCR. Complementing this vision is Deepak Thakur, whose transition from the automobile industry--having worked with brands like Toyota, Hyundai, Ford, Mahindra, and Maruti Suzuki--brings structured processes, operational discipline, and customer-centric thinking into the business. His experience as General Manager at Pasco Automobile has further strengthened Pioneer's operational efficiency and service excellence. With a presence across Gurgaon, Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad, Pioneer offers a wide range of solutions, from residential and commercial lifts to specialized systems like hospital and automobile elevators. The company's focus on quality, safety, and customized solutions has earned it strong customer trust in a competitive market. As India's cities continue to grow vertically, leaders like Rakesh and Deepak Thakur are not just building a company--they are shaping the future of urban mobility with innovation, reliability, and vision. Website: https://www.pioneerelevatorsandescalators.in/ 4. Ajay Chauhan - Founder at Mahagan Bharat Private Limited In India's journey toward inclusive growth, Ajay Chauhan, Founder of Mahagan Bharat Private Limited, is emerging as a changemaker focused on empowering rural communities through e-governance and financial inclusion. With a clear mission to bridge the gap between government services and underserved populations, he is building a model that connects technology with grassroots impact. Mahagan Bharat operates at the intersection of digital access and public service delivery, enabling rural citizens to access essential government schemes, documentation, and welfare programs. By strengthening last-mile connectivity, the company plays a crucial role in ensuring that India's digital transformation reaches beyond urban centers. A key pillar of Ajay Chauhan's work is financial inclusion. Under his leadership, the organization has facilitated the opening of thousands of bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), bringing individuals into the formal financial ecosystem. Additionally, the company actively promotes social security schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJBY), extending financial protection to vulnerable communities. Beyond access, Mahagan Bharat is also creating livelihood opportunities by enabling local individuals to participate in the e-governance ecosystem, while investing in skill development to build long-term self-reliance. Ajay Chauhan's journey reflects the impact of purpose-driven leadership--where business growth aligns with national development. As India moves toward a digitally inclusive future, he stands out as a leader ensuring that progress reaches every corner of the country. 5. Amit Kumar Mishra - Founder & CEO at Amit Printer and Packagers In India's competitive printing and packaging industry, Amit Kumar Mishra, Founder of amit printer and packagers, is emerging as a dynamic entrepreneur redefining quality and reliability. With over seven years of industry experience, he has built a profitable venture that caters to the evolving needs of modern businesses through end-to-end printing and customized merchandising solutions. Beginning his career in corporate sales, Amit gained valuable insights into client expectations, vendor challenges, and the growing demand for high-quality, dependable printing services. Identifying a clear gap in the market, he took a strategic leap into entrepreneurship--transforming his experience into a business that prioritizes execution excellence and customer satisfaction. Today, amit printer and packagers serves a diverse portfolio of MNCs and large corporates, offering a wide range of services including brochures, catalogs, promotional materials, packaging solutions, and corporate gifting. The company has positioned itself as a one-stop solution for brands looking to enhance visibility and engagement through high-quality print and packaging. Amit's strength lies in his ability to combine creativity with operational efficiency while maintaining a strong focus on long-term client relationships. His customer-first approach and adaptability to market trends have enabled consistent growth and profitability in a highly competitive space. As he continues to scale the business, Amit Kumar Mishra represents a new generation of entrepreneurs--driven by experience, vision, and a commitment to delivering value, making him a noteworthy leader in India's evolving business landscape. Website: https://appasia.in/ (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)
OP Jindal University Sonipat (Haryana) [India], April 13: The Jindal School of Public Health and Human Development (JSPH), in collaboration with the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP), hosted a day-long celebration to mark World Health Day 2026 on the theme 'Together for Health, Stand with Science' at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU). The event brought together health practitioners, scholars and students to reflect on the role of science and evidence in advancing the agenda on public health and health equity. The event began with a welcome address by Professor Stephen P Marks, Dean, JSPH, who reflected on the shared commitment of NITI Aayog and JSPH towards evidence-based research, quoting the WHO theme for World Health Day - 'for more equitable access to health care.' Dr. Vinod K. Paul, Member (Health, Education and Nutrition), NITI Aayog, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. In his keynote address, he emphasised the range of efforts needed to advance the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in India and the critical role of science and interdisciplinary research in shaping effective health policy. He also congratulated JSPH on completing five years and acknowledged its growing contribution to interdisciplinary research in public health. Dr. Paul also underscored that science has consistently been central to India's health policy setting and health systems development, citing the early establishment of premier institutions such as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He noted the rapid expansion of medical education in India, with undergraduate and postgraduate medical seats increasing nearly three-fold over the past decade. He also highlighted significant achievements of recent healthcare initiatives, including Ayushman Bharat, with its dual focus on comprehensive primary healthcare through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (Health & Wellness Centres) and financial protection through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which now cover nearly 70-80 crore (700-800 million) people with health insurance support of up to 5 lakh annually. In his distinguished address, Professor (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice-Chancellor, JGU, observed that World Health Day has been celebrated annually on 7th April to mark the founding of the World Health Organization in 1948. He emphasised the need for democratisation of the healthcare system and the commitment to ensuring access to universal healthcare. Citing six milestones in the progress on science and technology in India, he underscored the university's commitment to bridging the gap between science and policy through evidence-based research at national and sub-national levels. Following the inaugural event, three panels illustrated the importance of the World Health Day theme 'Stand with Science.' The first panel on 'Advancing the One Health Dialogue: Research and Action,' featured distinguished scholars from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR), Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPHG). The panel recognised the interconnectedness of humans, animals, and the environment as being critical to the One Health agenda. Dr. Kanav Anand (Senior Consultant, Paediatric Nephrology and Renal Transplantation, SGRH) noted that children's health, particularly kidney-related conditions, can serve as early indicators of environmental and climate-related changes. Professor Rajib Dasgupta (Professor and Chair, Centre for Social Medicine and Community Health, JNU) stressed the importance of transdisciplinary and multisectoral approaches, while Dr. Kamini Walia (Scientist and Head of the Descriptive Research Division, ICMR) highlighted the need for strong sectoral surveillance systems. Dr. Sandul Yasobant (Assistant Professor, IIPHG) underscored the interdependence of health systems, drawing lessons from pandemics such as COVID-19 and stressing the need to harmonise data collection relating to animal and human diseases. Professor Abhiroop Chowdhury (Dean, Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability) emphasised the need for collaboration in order to strengthen research for One Health for better policy uptake, and the importance of SDG 17 on partnerships for climate action. A panel of early career researchers from JSGP deliberated on 'Healthcare in Haryana: Evidence from the Field,' sharing their findings from four districts in Haryana, highlighting key challenges related to healthcare access, utilisation, and health systems readiness. The event concluded with a student-led panel discussion on interdisciplinary health research, where PhD scholars, postgraduate, and undergraduate students shared their research work and perspectives, reflecting the importance of cross-disciplinary engagement in addressing complex health challenges. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by OP Jindal University. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 13: Sankey Tank Project, Koochie Global today announced the launch of India's first self-powered open-air outdoor fitness gym infrastructure at Sankey Tank Park in Bengaluru, marking a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country.

The project, executed in collaboration with Bangalore West City Corporation (BWCC), was inaugurated by C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. The fitness zone was formally unveiled with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Srihari Nataraj, India's Olympic Games swimmer, adding national sporting significance to the initiative.

Self-Powered Fitness Technology

The Krypton Cardio Series operates entirely on human kinetic energy, eliminating the need for electricity, batteries, or solar power. The equipment powers integrated digital displays that track calories, distance, time, and resistance in real time, while automatically adapting to user performance.

Full Gym Experience, Outdoors

The Titan Strength Series is designed to replicate the experience of premium indoor gyms, offering a complete strength training ecosystem through ergonomically engineered, durable, and weather-resistant equipment suitable for high public usage in outdoor spaces.

Public-Private Collaboration

The Sankey Tank open gym installation reflects a progressive public-private collaborative model between Koochie Global and BWCC, designed to elevate civic amenities and enrich community spaces.

National Rollout

Koochie Global plans to scale this initiative across India:

- Phase 1: 500 parks

- Phase 2: 1,000 parks nationwide

This rollout aims to significantly expand access to free, high-quality fitness infrastructure, supporting India's broader public health and "Fit India" vision.

Leadership Perspective

"This is infrastructure for a healthier nation. With Titan and Krypton, we are bringing elite fitness experiences into open public spaces, free access to all, powered entirely by human energy," said Mr. Roben Dass, Chairman, Koochie Global.

Inauguration Statement

Speaking at the inauguration, C. N. Ashwath Narayan said:

"We are delighted to see such world-class fitness infrastructure at Sankey Tank. We appreciate Koochie Global for bringing innovative, world-class technology-driven solutions that elevate public spaces and promote healthier lifestyles."

About Koochie Global

Koochie Global is a leading innovator in outdoor playground systems, outdoor fitness gyms, and safety flooring solutions, delivering world-class products that meet international safety and quality standards, including TUV certifications.

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)
Gurugram (Haryana) [India], April 13: Business Wire India, a trusted source for corporate news and press release distribution, is excited to roll out its redesigned website businesswireindia.com. With a cutting-edge design, improved functionality, and an intuitive interface, the upgraded platform is designed to deliver a faster, smarter, and more seamless experience for clients, journalists, and readers alike.

Trusted by the biggest names across industries to disseminate their news, Business Wire India is committed to delivering accurate, timely, and high-quality corporate news to national and global media as it blends a refreshed look with its established credibility.

"The new website is a significant step in our commitment to continuously improve the experience of our clients," said Gagan Talwar, MD, Business Wire India. "As the media landscape evolves, our goal is to ensure the smoothest possible path for news dissemination and discovery."

Key features of the new website include:

- Enhanced User Experience: A modern interface and improved navigation ensure quicker access to press releases and updates across industries.

- Powerful Performance: Improved backend infrastructure supports better performance and quick page load time.

- Advance Search Tools: Streamlined search and filters to find industry-specific or locally relevant news efficiently through upgraded tools and categories.

- Resource Access: New hub for industry news, top releases, educational content, and the BWI blog.

Business Wire India's redesigned website is an important leap in redefining corporate news distribution while reinforcing its position as a leader in press release services and media engagement. Visit businesswireindia.com to experience the upgrades firsthand.

(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
VMPL Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 13: In a landmark achievement for India's healthcare retail sector, Goel Medicos, led by renowned philanthropist and healthcare leader Dr. Basant Goel, has been honored with the prestigious titles of "Best Pharmacy of the World" and "World's No.1 Pharmacy" at the esteemed Business Excellence India Awards 2026. The grand ceremony took place at the iconic Taj Taal Kutir in Kolkata on Friday, April 10, 2026. The awards were presented by celebrated Indian badminton champion Saina Nehwal, Olympic medalist and former World No.1, who attended the event as the Chief Celebrity Guest. The ceremony brought together some of India's most distinguished business leaders and organizations, recognizing excellence, innovation, and impact across industries. A Historic Recognition for Goel Medicos This dual recognition marks a defining moment in the journey of Goel Medicos, reaffirming its position as a global leader in pharmacy retail and healthcare services. Being awarded "Best Pharmacy of the World" and "World's No.1 Pharmacy" highlights the brand's unwavering commitment to quality, trust, and customer-centric care. Over the years, Goel Medicos has built a strong reputation for delivering authentic medicines, exceptional service, and innovative healthcare solutions. Its consistent focus on excellence has enabled it to earn the trust of millions of customers, making it one of the most respected pharmacy brands not only in India but also on the global stage. Thousands of Awards, One Vision Adding to this remarkable milestone is the fact that Goel Medicos has already received thousands of awards and recognitions over the years for its outstanding contribution to healthcare and society. From industry accolades to community honors, these achievements reflect the brand's continuous pursuit of excellence and its deep-rooted commitment to serving humanity. Each award stands as a testament to the trust placed by customers, partners, and industry bodies in Goel Medicos. The recognition at the Business Excellence India Awards 2026 further strengthens this legacy, positioning the brand among the most celebrated healthcare organizations in the world. Leadership of Dr. Basant Goel At the core of this success story is Dr. Basant Goel, widely known as the "Blood Man of India" for his extraordinary humanitarian efforts, particularly in organizing large-scale blood donation drives and supporting critical healthcare initiatives. Under his visionary leadership, Goel Medicos has evolved from a trusted pharmacy brand into a symbol of reliability, compassion, and innovation. Dr. Goel's approach goes beyond business--he believes in creating a meaningful impact on society by making healthcare accessible and affordable for all. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Goel expressed his gratitude, stating,"This recognition belongs to every individual who has trusted Goel Medicos over the years. Our mission has always been to serve humanity with honesty and dedication. Receiving titles like 'Best Pharmacy of the World' and 'World's No.1 Pharmacy' inspires us to continue raising the bar and delivering excellence in healthcare." A Benchmark in Healthcare Retail Goel Medicos has consistently set new standards in the pharmacy retail sector by combining traditional values with modern innovations. The brand's commitment to authenticity, affordability, and customer satisfaction has made it a preferred choice for millions. From maintaining strict quality controls to ensuring the availability of essential medicines, Goel Medicos has established itself as a reliable healthcare partner. Its customer-first approach, supported by trained professionals and efficient systems, has been instrumental in building long-term relationships with consumers. Innovation and Future Growth In an ever-evolving healthcare landscape, Goel Medicos continues to embrace innovation to meet the dynamic needs of customers. The company is actively integrating technology into its operations, offering services such as digital prescription management, online consultations, and doorstep delivery. These initiatives are aimed at enhancing convenience and accessibility while maintaining the highest standards of care. With a forward-looking vision, Goel Medicos is focused on expanding its reach and strengthening its presence both nationally and internationally. Commitment to Social Impact Beyond business achievements, Goel Medicos remains deeply committed to social responsibility. Under Dr. Basant Goel's leadership, the organization has undertaken numerous initiatives, including free medical camps, health awareness programs, and blood donation drives that have benefited thousands of lives. This strong focus on community welfare has been a key factor in the brand's success, reinforcing its identity as not just a business entity, but a force for positive change in society. Celebrating Excellence The Business Excellence India Awards 2026 serves as a platform to recognize organizations that have demonstrated exceptional performance and contributed significantly to their respective industries. Goel Medicos' recognition at this prestigious event underscores its leadership and influence in the healthcare sector. The presence of eminent personalities like Saina Nehwal further elevated the stature of the event, making it a memorable occasion for all attendees. Looking Ahead With this remarkable achievement, Goel Medicos is set to embark on a new chapter of growth, innovation, and global recognition. The company remains committed to its mission of delivering high-quality healthcare solutions while continuing to earn the trust of its customers. Dr. Basant Goel's vision for the future is clear--to make Goel Medicos a globally recognized healthcare brand that not only excels in business but also contributes meaningfully to society. As Goel Medicos celebrates this historic milestone, it stands as a shining example of how dedication, integrity, and a strong sense of purpose can lead to extraordinary success. About Goel Medicos Goel Medicos is a leading pharmacy retail brand in India, known for its commitment to quality, trust, and customer satisfaction. Founded by Dr. Basant Goel, the company has earned numerous accolades and continues to set benchmarks in the healthcare industry. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)
VMPL Uttarakhand [India], April 13: V-Guard Industries Ltd., as part of its ongoing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts in healthcare, conducted a multi-speciality health camp across rural regions of Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand, in collaboration with Sewa International. Implemented over eight days, the initiative covered 22 Gram Panchayats across the Jaspur and Kashipur blocks, taking essential healthcare services closer to communities that often remain underserved. In these regions, access to timely and affordable medical care is frequently limited by social, financial and informational barriers. The camp sought to address these gaps by bringing care directly to where it was needed. Speaking on the initiative, Dr. Reenaa Mithun Chittilappilly, Director, V-Guard Industries Limited & V-Guard Foundation, said: "Healthcare inequity remains a critical challenge in rural India. At V-Guard, we are committed to bridging this gap by enabling access, supporting early intervention and strengthening local health ecosystems. This initiative is part of our sustained effort towards building inclusive and accessible healthcare for all." Supported by a team of over 25 healthcare professionals, including general physicians, specialist doctors, pharmacists and support staff, the camp provided medical consultations, basic diagnostic screenings and essential medicines. The approach focused not only on treatment but also on early identification and preventive care, improving access and awareness at the community level. A total of 1,726 individuals benefited directly from the initiative, including 778 men and 948 women. Key initiatives in healthcare by V-Guard include 'Cancer Shield', a free cancer screening camp, 'Edam', a dedicated counselling centre for women, and 'Swastha', which provides free dialysis support to the needy. Through initiatives such as this, V-Guard continues to invest in strengthening local health ecosystems, responding to immediate needs while contributing to long-term community well-being. The effort reflects a sustained commitment to making essential healthcare more accessible, equitable and closer to everyday lives. V-Guard's CSR efforts span diverse focus areas across the country, including education and skill development, women empowerment and the Build India & Relief initiative, with a strong emphasis on healthcare. About V-Guard The origin of V-Guard dates back to 1977, when Mr. Kochouseph Chittilappilly, with a burning passion to make a difference, set out to build a robust brand in the Indian electrical and electronic goods market. Within a short span of time, V-Guard grew rapidly to become a name synonymous with voltage stabilizers across South India. The company soon expanded its range of products to include Digital UPS, Inverter and Inverter Batteries, Electric Water Heaters, Solar Water Heaters, Domestic Pumps, Agricultural Pumps, Industrial Motors, Domestic Switch Gears, Distribution Boards, Wiring Cables, Industrial Cables, Induction Cooktops, Mixer Grinders, Fans, Gas Stoves, Rice Cookers, Modular Switches & Air Coolers. As a nationally responsible business concern with dedication to the country's spirit, V-Guard has been playing our part towards the financial development of India in our own humble ways. The most important activity in this line has been the introduction of the Build India & Relief programme. This is an integrated approach that aims to work with communities to facilitate access to basic services - a decisive step that would ensure their well-being and support them in the fulfilment of their economic, social, civil and political rights. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)
Calling the debut "nothing short of magical," Kher shared his post-show emotions on Instagram, describing the evening as more than just a premiere.

According to the actor, the performance evolved into an "emotional conversation" between the cast and an engaged audience, setting the tone for what he termed a "spectacular start."

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXDpXFEgtox/?img_index=1

The production brings together an accomplished creative team. The play is written and directed by Gajendra Ahire, while veteran composer Anu Malik makes his stage debut with the musical score.

Lyrics for the play have been penned by Kausar Munir, described by the team as both "heartbreaking and heart-lifting."

Adding further depth to the production is a strong musical lineup, with vocals by Shaan, Sukhwinder Singh, and Anandi, whose voices form the emotional core of the play.

A long-time advocate of theatre as the "purest form of storytelling," Kher expressed gratitude to his co-actors and technical crew for ensuring a seamless transition from rehearsals to the live stage.

He also acknowledged international promoter Rajender Singh, who travelled from Houston to attend the premiere.

The play has already drawn praise from within the film and theatre fraternity. Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit lauded Kher's performance, calling him a "rockstar," while actor Parvin Dabas described the production as "both entertaining and emotional." (ANI)
The makers have released the trailer of the much-awaited 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping', offering a glimpse into the death-prone battle of the Hunger Games. Based on Suzanne Collins' 2025 novel of the same name, "Sunrise on the Reaping" is set 24 years before the events of 'The Hunger Games.' The movie will follow the story of Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss Everdeen's mentor and fellow District 12 victor, beginning the morning of the reaping of the 50th Hunger Games. Since the 50th Games mark Panem's second Quarter Quell, which takes place every 25 years, each district of the dystopian country must send twice the amount of tributes to the Capitol. Instead of the standard 24 tributes, 48 children must fight to the death in the Hunger Games, reported Variety. The trailer begins with the participation of Joseph Zada as he is separated from the love of her life. He is mentored by Ralph Fiennes, who asks him to fight for his life. It is followed by the disputes between participants and the legendary Hunger Games in the movie. Lionsgate shared the trailer on their Instagram handle on Monday. https://www.instagram.com/p/DXEp-CcgvLL/ Joseph Zada stars as Haymitch, joined by Jesse Plemons as a young Plutarch Heavensbee; Ralph Fiennes as the villainous President Snow; Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle, a District 12 official; Kieran Culkin as the eccentric broadcast host Caesar Flickerman; Elle Fanning as a young Effie Trinket; Mckenna Grace as District 12 tribute Maysilee Donner; Maya Hawke as a young Wiress; Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove Baird, Haymitch's love interest; and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as a young Beetee Latier. 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' is directed by Francis Lawrence and is based on the screenplay by Billy Ray. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are the producers, alongside Lawrence. 'The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping' is in theatres on November 20. (ANI)
Actor R Madhavan has voiced his sharp stance, calling out the recent leak of Thalapathy Vijay's much-awaited film 'Jana Nayagan'. Reacting to actor Suriya's social media post against the leak, Madhavan described such instances as "heartbreaking and troubling." "I totally agree and this is extremely heartbreaking and troubling. How are people getting away with this. Please respect the hard work of all the people involved in this Film. Please do avoid watch it it on the pirated platforms," he wrote. https://x.com/ActorMadhavan/status/2043491378131525730 Suriya, in his post, had requested people not to share or engage with the leaked content, adding, "Heartbreaking and unfair -- an entire team's passion reduced to this. I request you all with honesty, please don't watch, share, or discuss the film here. Respect their work. I stand with my friends and condemn the act, it's unforgivable!" Many other celebrities also came forward and criticised the leak of the film prior to its release. Among them were Chiranjeevi, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, and Sonu Sood. Earlier, the makers, KVN Productions, had released an official statement asking people not to watch or share any leaked material. The production house said parts of the movie, and in some cases almost the full film, had been illegally circulated online. They also said strict legal action was being taken in the matter. 'Jana Nayagan' has already faced delays earlier due to certification issues. The film was originally expected to be released during Pongal on January 9. Fans are now waiting for a fresh update on its release. (ANI)
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate from Dindigul constituency IP Senthil Kumar on Sunday reaffirmed the state's firm stance on the two-language policy, asserting that Tamil Nadu will continue to resist the imposition of a three-language formula on students. Speaking to ANI, Kumar said, "For Tamil Nadu, the two-language policy alone is appropriate. The three-language policy is not suitable for the state. It is being imposed on Tamil Nadu students, but the state will not accept it." Kumar also launched a sharp attack on the opposition, asserting that the ground reality in the Dindigul constituency heavily favours the ruling party due to the successful implementation of the Chief Minister's welfare schemes. "I have accepted the decision taken by the leadership and am contesting in Dindigul. The ground situation is favourable, and the Chief Minister's schemes have reached the people. There is a good response from the public. Former AIADMK minister and senior leader Dindigul Srinivasan has not done anything for the people of Dindigul so far. Since he has nothing to claim while seeking votes, he is making personal criticisms against me. However, the people are aware of everything," said Kumar. The DMK candidate further asserted that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has no future in Tamil Nadu and defended the controversy surrounding the online release of Vijay's film Jananayagam, stating that responsibility lies with the film's production side. "There is no place for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Tamil Nadu. The Dravidian Model 2.0 will continue in the state. I have no opinion about the film Jananayagam starring Vijay. How could we have released that film online? All rights to the film remain with their side. When that is the case, how can we be responsible for releasing it online? It is Vijay's side that released the film online. All this is a form of politics; this is a political drama," Kumar stated. Kumar criticised Edappadi K Palaniswami for making defamatory remarks and suggested that Vijay's presence could shift AIADMK's voter base while affecting all parties in certain constituencies. He said, "Edappadi K. Palaniswami is making defamatory remarks against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leadership and is behaving like a fourth-tier leader. Vijay is likely to significantly dent the vote bank of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. He is attempting to pull the AIADMK's voter base towards his side, especially as the party appears to be in a weakened position. However, in certain constituencies, his presence may impact all parties. We are aware of these dynamics and are working accordingly on the ground." Tamil Nadu polls are scheduled to be conducted in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. (ANI)
Orthodox Christians living in Azerbaijan have celebrated Easter, one of the most important holidays in the Christian calendar, with night services held in the northern region of the country.

According to AzerNEWS, Easter services began on the night of Saturday to Sunday at the St. Nicholas the Wonderworker Orthodox Church in Khachmaz, drawing members of the local Christian community from across the northern regions.

Worshippers gathered to take part in religious services, listen to sacred hymns, and light candles as part of traditional Easter observances.

Archpriest Hieromonk Georgy Budagov of the church noted that the Orthodox community in the region celebrates Easter each year at a high level, with strong participation from local believers.

Easter, marking the resurrection of Jesus Christ, is considered one of the oldest and most significant Christian holidays. This year, it is observed on April 12 according to the Orthodox calendar.

Traditional celebrations include preparations beginning earlier in the week, with believers baking Easter cakes, preparing festive dishes, and bringing them to church on Saturday. The midnight transition from Saturday to Sunday is marked by a cross procession, symbolizing the beginning of the Resurrection feast.

On Easter Day, families gather around festive tables, exchange traditional foods, share decorated eggs, and greet each other with the words Jesus is Risen!
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) will hold a press conference on the "Long Range Forecast of Southwest Monsoon 2026" at Mahika Hall, Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi, on April 13. According to an official release, the press conference will focus on the long-range forecast of the Southwest Monsoon seasonal rainfall (June-September) for 2026 and will be held at the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Lodhi Road, in the national capital. "The India Meteorological Department will conduct a press conference on the Long- Range Forecast of Southwest Monsoon seasonal (June-September) rainfall during 2026 at the Mahika Hall, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 on Monday, the 13th April, 2026, at 1600 Hrs. IST. Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, MoES, will address the press conference in the presence of Dr. M. Mohapatra, DGM, IMD," the release said. It further added that representatives from print and electronic media have been invited to attend the briefing and provide wide coverage of the event. "All the print and electronic media colleagues are requested to make it convenient to attend the press conference and provide wide coverage of the event," the release stated. Earlier, the IMD had also forecast that two successive Western Disturbances are likely to affect northwest India during the week, with peak activity expected on April 3-4 and again on April 7. Hailstorms are anticipated across the northwest parts of the region, while isolated heavy rainfall is expected over the Kashmir Valley on April 3 and 4. A sudden cold wave has also gripped Rajouri and the wider Pir Panjal region following continuous heavy rainfall, leading to a sharp drop in temperatures and harsh weather conditions in the area. In view of the prevailing situation, the district administration has issued an advisory urging residents to remain cautious and avoid unnecessary travel, particularly in hilly and vulnerable areas. (ANI)
Union Minister Piyush Goyal offered prayers at the Arulmigu Aranganatha Swamy Temple in Srirangam in Tamil Nadu's Tiruchirappalli during the early hours of Monday as part of the sacred Viswaroopa Darshan. Piyush Goyal is currently in Tamil Nadu to campaign for the AIADMK-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which includes the BJP, as the state will hold polling for the Legislative Assembly elections on April 23. The Union Minister participated in the early morning rituals and had darshan of Lord Ranganatha. Temple authorities and officials had received him at the entrance and facilitated the visit. After offering prayers, Goyal briefly interacted with the temple Priest before leaving the premises. Security was tightened in and around the temple premises in view of the minister's visit, while devotees gathered in large numbers during the auspicious Viswaroopa Darshan, one of the first rituals performed at the temple every day. Goyal is the BJP's election in-charge in Tamil Nadu, and his Tiruchirapalli visit coincides with the ongoing poll campaigning. Earlier on Sunday, he led a road show in Thanjavur to rally support for the BJP candidate Karuppu M Muruganantham, ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections. Addressing a crowd, Goyal hailed Muruganantham as a dedicated public servant, calling him a "true son of the soil" who has "dedicated his whole life to serving society". The Union Minister also launched a sharp attack on the DMK-led state government, specifically targeting its impact on the farmers of Thanjavur. "Our hardworking farmers have suffered because of corruption, as the DMK did not provide storage facilities. It is time for a change. The Stalin government has only brought corruption and commission in the last five years to Tamil Nadu, the government which is supporting the liquor mafia, sand mafia, and land mafia," he claimed. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The main contest is between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance and the AIADMK-led NDA. Actor-turned-politician Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam has also thrown its hat in the ring in the hope of turning the elections into a triangular contest. (ANI)
Ahead of the upcoming West Bengal Assembly elections, Jadavpur Assembly constituency emerges as one of the key urban seats under close watch. The constituency is located primarily within Kolkata with a small portion extending into South 24 Parganas, and forms part of the Jadavpur Lok Sabha constituency, adding to its electoral significance at both the Assembly and parliamentary levels. The seat carries considerable historical and symbolic weight in Bengal politics as it was long represented by former West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, making it a prominent centre of Left Front influence for decades. In recent years, the constituency has evolved into a competitive political battleground, reflecting broader shifts in West Bengal's political landscape. Once a Left bastion, it is now closely contested, with changing voter preferences mirroring the decline of traditional Left dominance and the rise of new political forces, including the Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), and BJP. Beyond its political legacy, Jadavpur is known for its highly aware and engaged electorate. The presence of institutions like Jadavpur University contributes to a strong culture of student activism, academic discourse, and political debate. The constituency also reflects a diverse urban character, with a mix of middle-class neighbourhoods, educated professionals, and pockets of working-class populations, making it socially and economically varied. In the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections, Jadavpur constituency witnessed a multi-cornered contest with Debabrata Majumdar of the All India Trinamool Congress winning the seat, defeating Dr. Sujan Chakraborty of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The Bharatiya Janata Party also contested the seat and finished third, reflecting a three-way contest in the constituency. Debabrata Majumdar is contesting again from the constituency in the upcoming Assembly elections, setting up a repeat electoral contest in Jadavpur. As an urban constituency under the jurisdiction of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Jadavpur faces civic and infrastructure-related issues that include waterlogging during monsoon, drainage management, and maintenance of local roads and sanitation, alongside localised concerns around civic services and employment pressures. Development in the constituency has primarily focused on urban infrastructure such as drainage systems, road connectivity, and water supply systems, as reflected in municipal planning and budget allocations. The constituency includes both developed urban neighbourhoods and pockets where infrastructure upgradation is ongoing. In the 2021 Assembly election, the Jadavpur constituency recorded a total electorate of 2,85,342, with 2,12,689 votes polled and a turnout of 74.5%. The seat was won by TMC's Debabrata Majumdar, who secured victory with a margin of 38,869 votes (18.3%). The constituency was classified as a general category seat and is part of the South Twenty-Four Parganas district. At the state level, the 2021 elections saw 292 seats contested, with the All India Trinamool Congress winning 213 seats and a vote share of 48.5%, while the Bharatiya Janata Party secured 77 seats with 38.5% vote share. The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (then Left-led alliance) registered a vote share of 8.7% but did not win any seats. NOTA accounted for 1.1% of the total votes polled. West Bengal is set for two phases of assembly polls on April 23 and 29, with the results set for May 4. (ANI)
The debate between the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman continues as Stalin challenged the Finance Minister to put the letter sent to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, noting remarks of the discontinuation of paddy bonus, in the public domain. Taking it to X, Stalin said that the letter sent by the Finance Minister to the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu specifically mentions the consideration for the discontinuation of paddy bonus. "In the letter your Ministry sent to the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, it is clearly stated that since the State's additional bonus for paddy has led to bumper production, the State government should consider discontinuing the bonus. I have not stated anything that is not present in that letter. Nor is there any need for me to," he wrote. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister further highlighted that the letter clearly asked the State government to "review the existing bonus policy of the State Government and consider discontinuing the bonus on paddy. "While you have stated in your tweet that it is up to the State Governments to consider a bonus above MSP to paddy farmers and nobody has taken away such rights, the letter sent to us clearly asked us to review the existing bonus policy of the State Government and consider discontinuing the bonus on paddy," "If your current claim is true, will you place that letter in the public domain?" he asked. The remarks came in response to Sitharaman's dismissal of MK Stalin's allegations that the central government has asked the state to stop incentives for paddy cultivation, calling them "factually baseless" and a "deliberate distortion." Sitharaman said in a post on X that the Centre had merely suggested that states align their bonus policies with national priorities, such as encouraging crop diversification and achieving self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseeds. She emphasised that the declaration of a bonus over and above the Minimum Support Price (MSP) remains the prerogative of state governments. Sitharaman accused Stalin of creating diversions to serve his "narrow, self-serving political interests" and urged him to adopt a positive approach and work in the national interest. "The farmers of Tamil Nadu deserve a government that works for their prosperity, not one that weaponises their anxieties for votes," she said. Backing the Finance Minister's statement, the Ministry of Finance said that the communication sent to states was "an advisory to states and was not directive." (ANI)
Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Monday questioned the Centre's timeline for implementing the Women's Reservation Bill and alleged that the process is being altered for political reasons. His remarks come ahead of the special three-day session of Parliament scheduled from April 16, with a focus on the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill, along with a Delimitation Bill, expected to be introduced as Constitutional amendments. In a post on X, Tagore raised concerns over the sequencing of the key process, stating, "Why this sudden rush? The sequence is clear: Census Delimitation Women's Reservation. But the government is flipping it." Referring to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adbhiniyam passed in 2023, he noted that the law clearly mandates implementation only after the Census and delimitation exercises are completed. He further questioned the Centre's intent behind pushing delimitation ahead of the proposed 2027 Census. "So why push delimitation before Census 2027 is completed? Because the 2027 Census is expected to include OBC caste enumeration. That would reshape representation--and could bring over 150 OBC women MPs into Parliament by 2029," Tagore said. Raising suspicions over the move, he added, "Is this rush an attempt to prevent that shift? Under Narendra Modi, the timeline is being altered--not for reform, but for control. Women's reservation was never the issue. Representation and social justice are. #AntiOBC." The remarks echo similar criticism from Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "hypocrisy and deception" over the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill. Ramesh alleged that the government has taken a "U-turn" by attempting to delink the reservation from the Census and delimitation, despite earlier insisting on these prerequisites. He also claimed that the move is politically motivated and aimed at influencing voters in key poll-bound states. The Congress has reiterated its demand for a "quota within a quota" for OBC women, signalling that the issue will remain a major point of contention during the upcoming parliamentary session. The Centre is expected to introduce amendments to streamline the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which proposes 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. (ANI)
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday flagged concerns over the delimitation process before implementing 33 per cent women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures. Sharing an opinion piece, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi noted "risks and inequities" posed by a "rushed delimitation." "'Any delimitation involving an increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha must be politically, and not just arithmetically equitable.' Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi ji writes about how the real concern in the important process of women's reservation are the risks and inequities posed by a rushed delimitation," Rahul Gandhi wrote on X. Congress MP Manish Tewari called the delimitation an "arbitrary process for overturning settled principles." Manish Tewari wrote on X, "The Hon'ble Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party and the pioneer of Women's Reservation in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies, Sonia Gandhi, is absolutely prescient. The issue on April 16, 2026, is not women's reservation. It is arbitrary delimitation overturning all settled principles & processes since 1935." Sonia Gandhi had referred to the delimitation exercise to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha as an "assault on the Constitution" and questioned the Centre on the timing of introducing the amendment to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Penning an opinion piece in The Hindu, Sonia Gandhi alleged that the Opposition's call for an all-party meeting was turned down by the Centre, and called it Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "one-upmanship."She clarified that the Opposition does not stand against the idea of reserving 33 per cent seats for women MPs in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures; it is against the delimitation process before the 2027 census. Excerpt of her article shared by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge read, "Opposition leaders have written to the government not once but thrice requesting that an all-party meeting be convened after the last phase of elections is over in West Bengal on April 29, to discuss what the new proposals of the government are. But that perfectly reasonable request has been turned down. Instead, the Prime Minister has resorted to writing op-eds, making appeals to political parties, and organising sammelans. It is an underhand tactic that reflects the Prime Minister's one-upmanship and his 'my way or the highway' approach to decision-making." Sonia Gandhi pointed out that conducting delimitation based on information "unofficially available" will be "extremely dangerous." She asked the Central government to bring the Bill to amend the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, instead of the special session from April 16 to 18. "The monsoon session of Parliament will begin in mid-July. The heavens will not fall if the government were to call an all-party meeting after April 29 (after the polling in West Bengal) to discuss its proposals with the Opposition, allowing time for a public debate, and then have the Constitution Amendment Bills considered in the monsoon session. There is simply no justification, except narrative management during troubled times, for this tearing hurry to bulldoze extremely far-reaching changes to our polity. The process is deeply flawed and anti-democratic. Reservation for women is not the issue here. That has already been settled. The real issue is delimitation, which, based on the information unofficially available, is extremely dangerous and an assault on the Constitution itself," Sonia Gandhi wrote. This comes as the Parliament is set to meet for a three-day special session from April 16, with a focus on the Amendment Bill to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023. Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam tied women's reservation to the new census and delimitation. Due to census delays, the plan is to proceed with the 2011 census data. The Lok Sabha seats may increase from 543 to 816 post-amendment. The major concern around delimitation lies in the population disparity between northern and southern states. The Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Keralam, Telangana and Karnataka have flagged that the representation of the South Indian states will shrink in the Lok Sabha. The Government has planned two major amendments, including a separate Delimitation Bill. Both bills need to be passed as Constitutional amendments for women's reservation. Keeping up with the status quo, there is no provision for OBC reservation, and SC/ST reservation will continue. (ANI)
GE Aerospace on Monday announced a contract with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to establish an in-country depot facility for the F404-IN20 engines that power IAF's Light Combat Aircraft Tejas fleet. According to a press release, the facility will be set up by the IAF with technical inputs from GE Aerospace and is expected to help India's indigenous defence sustainment effort. Once operational, the facility will eliminate the need to depend on the overseas repair centres, significantly improving turnaround times. The depot facility will be owned, operated, and maintained by the Indian Air Force, with GE Aerospace providing technical inputs, training, support staff, and the supply of necessary spares and specialised equipment, the release said. This collaboration marks the next step in the four-decade-long partnership between GE Aerospace and the IAF. "Our commitment to supporting India's armed forces continues to guide our collaboration and partnership in expanding local sustainment capabilities of the Tejas fleet," said Rita Flaherty, Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Defence and Systems at GE Aerospace. "Through the upcoming depot facility, we will support the availability of the F404-IN20 engines for the Indian Air Force, ensuring they have ready access to cutting-edge technology to power their defence needs," she said. The release further stated that GE Aerospace is committed to developing India's aerospace ecosystem, spanning design, development, manufacturing, and sustainment for both commercial and military aviation. For example, 150 engineers have passed out of the company's local two-year Edison Engineering Development Program, which develops engineering leaders. Several skilling initiatives over ten years have helped train over 5,000 people with core manufacturing skills at the company's Pune factory. In September 2025, the GE Aerospace Foundation, in partnership with United Way, launched Next Engineers at Bengaluru, a four-year college and career readiness program that will help 4000 young engineering aspirants, the release said. Other than the Tejas, GE Aerospace engines also power the Indian Navy's P-8I maritime patrol aircraft and MH60R helicopters, as well as the Indian Air Force's AH-64 Apache helicopters, while LM2500 marine gas turbines provide the power for the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier and the P-17 Shivalik Class frigates. The release said GE Aerospace has been a partner to India's aviation industry for over 40 years. 1,400 GE Aerospace and partner engines are in service, powering major Indian airlines. GE Aerospace's defence engines and systems power the Indian Air Force's Light Combat Aircraft Tejas Mk1 and helicopters, and the Indian Navy's aircraft carrier battleships and frigates. Its Pune manufacturing facility and 13 local India partners are part of the company's global supply chain. Researchers and engineers at the company's 25-year-old India Technology Centre in Bengaluru are building the latest aviation technologies, it said. As per the release, GE Aerospace is a global aerospace propulsion, services, and systems leader with an installed base of approximately 50,000 commercial and 30,000 military aircraft engines. With a global team of approximately 57,000 employees building on more than a century of innovation and learning, GE Aerospace is committed to inventing the future of flight, lifting people up, and bringing them home safely. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Mylapore constituency, Tamilisai Soundararajan, on Monday launched a frontal attack on the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), saying that the party "cannot claim development at all" and has "always lied" to people. Ahead of the April 23 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, she accused the ruling party of failing to deliver on development promises and alleged widespread corruption. Speaking to ANI, she said, "They always lie. You can go and ask people. When did the MLA come here in the last 5 years, and what al problems were solved? It is not only Mylapore. It is there in all constituencies. So, DMK cannot claim development at all. There are corruption charges against more than 11 ministers...Everything should be curtailed and NDA should come to power. In Mylapore, there should be a change of MLA. I will be a sister of Mylapore." Soundararajan further asserted that governance deficits were not limited to Mylapore but extended across Tamil Nadu constituencies, reinforcing her party's pitch for a political change in the state. She expressed confidence of more than 200 seats in Tamil Nadu in the National Democratic Alliance's prospects in the state. During her door-to-door campaign in Chennai, Soundararajan said she had taken note of public grievances related to civic infrastructure and promised corrective action if elected. Soundararajan added, "Basic amenities are lacking in the centre of Chennai. You cannot imagine that there is such backwardness in the constituency... I have noted all the problems which they have faced and they will be rectified...We are expecting more than 200 seats in Tamil Nadu..." In response to Congress MP Manickam Tagore's remarks on the Women's Reservation Bill, she criticised the opposition leader, calling his comments unacceptable. Congress MP Manickam Tagore questioned the Centre's timeline for implementing the Women's Reservation Bill and alleged that the process is being altered for political reasons. She said, "If they say it is rush, after 75 years (of independence), what can they say? I strongly condemn this." Earlier on April 10, she kick-started her campaign for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly Elections 2026 by offering prayers at a temple in the constituency. Speaking to ANI, Soundararajan expressed confidence over the party's prospects, stating that the campaign is receiving a positive response from the public."It (campaigning) is going on very well. We are very happy. People are more receptive. Lotus will definitely bloom in Mylapore," she said. BJP Mylapore candidate's remarks come amid intensified campaigning in Tamil Nadu, which will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The main contest is the elections is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes the Indian National Congress, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also set to make his electoral debut with TVK, which may turn the contest into a three-way fight. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will offer prayers at the famous Dat Kali Mata Temple, located at the gateway to Uttarakhand, with school children chanting mantras during the ceremony. PM Modi is scheduled to visit Uttarakhand for the inauguration of the much-awaited Dehradun-Delhi Expressway on Tuesday. At the temple, where the Prime Minister will offer prayers, school children are currently rehearsing for mantra chanting. All the preparations, including decorations at the temple, the starting point of the expressway, and along the entire green corridor, have been completed. Murels have been put up, and tight security arrangements have been put in place across the area. Notably, this 210-kilometre-long, six-lane greenfield corridor has been built at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore and is expected to significantly reduce travel time. Once operational, the journey between Dehradun and Delhi will be cut down from around five hours to approximately two and a half hours. Earlier, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami carried out a detailed on-ground inspection from Jaswant Ground in Garhi Cantt to Maa Daat Kali Temple via road on Sunday in view of the proposed visit of PM Modi. During the inspection, the Chief Minister reviewed arrangements related to security, traffic management, parking, drinking water, power supply, sanitation, and other essential facilities. He directed officials to ensure that all preparations are completed in a timely manner and maintain high standards of quality so that the public attending the event does not face any inconvenience. Emphasising tight security arrangements, he instructed that all agencies work in close coordination. He also stressed the need for a well-planned traffic management system and the prompt availability of emergency services. While taking detailed inputs from officials regarding the stage, seating arrangements, and other necessary facilities at Jaswant Ground, the Chief Minister directed that all preparations should be in line with the scale and dignity of the event. He also instructed that cleanliness and beautification work be given top priority. (ANI)
Uttarakhand cadre Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi has donated all tour allowances due to him for 447 days of official field duties spanning nearly nine years to the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Relief Fund, amounting to more than Rs 3 lakh. In a letter dated April 4, addressed to the Head of the Uttarakhand Forest Department (HoFF) and endorsed to the Chief Minister's office, Chaturvedi mentioned in detail about his 447 days of official tours from December 17, 2016, to August 2025, against which he had never drawn any allowances. He requested that the entire amount be deposited into the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. In his letter, Chaturvedi cited the satisfaction drawn from serving Uttarakhand and conserving its precious flora and fauna as his biggest reward. As per government rules, whenever a government officer undertakes an official tour outside his headquarters, he is entitled to a daily allowance (DA) as well as establishment charges amounting to several thousand rupees per day, depending on the location and seniority of the officer, to compensate out-of-pocket expenses incurred during tours away from the place of residence. In his communication, Chaturvedi also detailed repeated visits and treks to the most inaccessible and difficult areas of the state, including Milam Glacier, Har ki Doon, Mana Pass, Devtaal, Nelong Valley, Barahoti Bugyal, Lapthal, Panchachuli Base Camp, Tapovan, Hemkund Sahib, Valley of Flowers, Jolingkong, Narayan Ashram, Niti Valley, and Lipulekh. He also mentioned the establishment of 25 plant conservation centres across the state and efforts for the reintroduction of highly endangered Himalayan plant species, including Himalayan Gentian, Himalayan White Lily, Golden Himalayan Spike, Takil Palm, Indian Spikenard, Doon Cheesewood, and Himalayan Arnebia. These conservation efforts were lauded by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, then Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar, and the then Director General of Forests. Chaturvedi also highlighted conservation work on threatened faunal species, including the Himalayan Marmot, Mountain Weasel, Flying Squirrel, King Cobra, and Finn's Weaver, and completion of high-quality working plans for 7 out of 28 forest divisions of the state. Earlier in September 2015, Chaturvedi donated his entire Ramon Magsaysay Award money for the treatment of poor patients at AIIMS Delhi and, after their refusal, donated the entire award money to Prime Minister National Relief Fund (PMNRF) in December, 2015.In February 2019, he donated his entire arbitration fee of around Rs 2.50 lakh to the fund established by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the welfare of families of CRPF personnel martyred in the Pulwama terror attack. In August 2019, he donated an amount awarded by the Uttarakhand High Court to him as costs imposed on the Central Government -- in a case where the High Court had termed the Central Government's attitude as "prima facie vindictive" against him -- to the PMNRF. In December, 2015, he also donated the entire award money of Rs 2.4 lakh, received in another anticorruption award, to a needy family.Notably, the Annual Immovable Property Return (IPR) of the officer shows NIL properties in his name and that of his family members. (ANI)




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Unserviceable and expired munitions will be safely destroyed at a military training center in Azerbaijans Aghdara district between April 13 and 17, AzerNEWS reports, citing the Ministry of Defense.





The disposal operations will be carried out in strict compliance with safety regulations at a designated facility in the region.





The ministry urged residents not to be alarmed by the sound of explosions during the specified period, emphasizing that there is no cause for concern.





We call on the public not to panic due to the explosion sounds and inform that there is absolutely no reason for worry, the statement said.





Authorities noted that the planned disposal is part of routine procedures aimed at ensuring the safe elimination of outdated and unusable military ordnance.
Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AUJP) Founder Humayun Kabir on Monday demanded an investigation into the allegations surrounding a purported "sting video" posted by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), saying that the truth should be brought out through a probe. Speaking to ANI in Murshidabad, Kabir said, "There is CBI, NIA and ED, and Mamata Banerjee has CID in West Bengal...All the machinery is in their hands. The allegations they are levelling against me should be investigated, and the truth should be brought out. I am ready to face it." This comes after a "sting video" posted on X by the TMC, in which the AJUP chief purportedly said that he had struck a deal of "Rs 1,000 crore". AIMIM said that it raised concerns regarding the "integrity of Muslims". Kabir, however, denied the allegations, claiming that the video is AI-generated. Earlier, Owaisi's AIMIM announced its decision to withdraw its alliance with the party headed by Kabir. The AIMIM declared that it "cannot associate with any statements where the integrity of Muslims is brought into question," and confirmed that it has officially ended the alliance with immediate effect. The AIMIM also used the occasion to highlight what it described as the continued socio-economic marginalisation of Muslims in West Bengal. The party stated that the community remains "one of the poorest, neglected and oppressed," despite decades of governance by parties claiming a secular political framework, including the All India Trinamool Congress and previous administrations. Meanwhile, TMC MLA Arindam Guin dismissed Humayun Kabir as a "traitor". He accused Kabir of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and dividing Muslim votes ahead of the upcoming West Bengal assembly polls. The polling for the 294-member assembly in West Bengal will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29, while counting of votes is scheduled for May 4. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday affirmed 2029 as the deadline for implementing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures, calling for collective efforts across party lines to pass the proposed amendment to the statute. Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam tied women's reservation to the new census and delimitation. Due to census delays, the Centre plans to proceed with the 2011 census data for delimitation and implementation of one-third reservation for women legislators. Amid opposition to the delimitation process in the Lok Sabha, PM Modi noted that Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was unanimously passed in Parliament in 2023, and it was opposition parties which demanded the implementation before 2029. Addressing the Nari Shakti Vandan Sammelan in the national capital, the Prime Minister said, "When the Nari Shakti Vandan Act was introduced in 2023, all parties had also passed it unanimously. There was also a unanimous demand that it should be implemented by 2029 at any cost. In particular, all our opposition colleagues had emphasised that it should be implemented by 2029. We are keeping the 2029 deadline in mind; a comprehensive discussion on this is going to take place in Parliament from April 16. It is our endeavour and our desire that this work be done with mutual cooperation and participation, this time too. With everyone's collective efforts, the dignity of the entire House will reach new heights. Every woman in the country will also be happy that every party has risen above politics and taken up this important task for their benefit." Further, PM Modi noted Panchayati Raj institutions as an example of reservation for women in governance. He said, "Panchayati Raj institutions are also an excellent example of women's leadership in our country. Today, more than 14 lakh women are successfully working in local government bodies in India. In nearly 21 states, their participation in panchayats has reached almost 50 per cent." He also noted that key positions, including the President, Prime Minister and the Finance Minister, have been held by women at different points in time. "In our country, women have established their own distinct legacy, holding esteemed positions from President to Prime Minister. Even today, key roles such as President and Finance Minister are being capably managed by women, further enhancing the nation's pride," the Prime Minister said. He affirmed the Centre's commitment to empower women. He said, "Since 2014, our government has introduced and successfully implemented schemes to support women at every stage of life. Today, from the moment a woman is born until her last breath, our government is dedicated to serving and empowering the women of our nation." The Parliament is set to meet for a three-day special session from April 16, to move the Amendment Bill to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 and a Delimitation Bill to implement the one-third reservation for women legislators. Through the delimitation process, the Lok Sabha seats may increase from 543 to 816 post-amendment. Both bills need to be passed as Constitutional amendments for women's reservation. Keeping up with the status quo, there is no provision for OBC reservation, and SC/ST reservation will continue. (ANI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday said it is conducting searches under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with a case involving Nashik-based astrologer Ashok Kharat and others over allegations of extortion, religious manipulation, and drug-facilitated assault on victims, including women. The case was registered at Sarkarwada Police Station in Maharashtra's Nashik district. As per the ED, preliminary enquiries have revealed that Ashok Kharat allegedly opened multiple bank accounts with two cooperative credit societies based in Nashik district in the names of different third parties. However, he reportedly remained the nominee for all such accounts and had linked his mobile number to them, thereby maintaining operational control over the so-called "bogus accounts". The agency further stated that Kharat allegedly sold ordinary items by projecting them as "blessed objects" with claimed divine healing powers, thereby defrauding victims and collecting substantial funds. These proceeds, along with money allegedly generated through extortion activities, were subsequently invested in various land parcels through chartered accountant Prakash Pophale and Kharat's sons, the ED said. The ED added that residential and commercial premises linked to Ashok Kharat, Prakash Pophale, and other relatives are currently being searched, along with respective branches of the cooperative credit societies involved in the case. "In this regard, five premises in Nashik, three premises in Pune and three premises in Shirdi are being searched under Section 17 of PMLA, 2002 since morning," the agency said. The case pertains to the arrest of Kharat, who has been accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 35-year-old woman over several years under the pretext of spiritual guidance. A Nashik court has remanded him to police custody till March 24. Police said the accused allegedly exploited the complainant between 2022 and December 2025 and used intimidation and manipulation to continue the abuse. Kharat, who is the chairman of the Shri Ishanyeshwar Temple Trust in Sinnar, was famed among several public figures. Meanwhile on March 30, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Chakankar resigned from the position of the party's Women's Wing's State President over allegations of her involvement in the Ashok Kharat case. Further investigation is still underway into the matter. (ANI)
Speaking to ANI, Hubli-Dharwad Police Commissioner N Shashikumar said the murder took place on April 10 and further arrests are likely.

"On April 10, a murder was committed of one person, Fairoz Pathan. In this case, nine people have been arrested. We are yet to arrest a few more people involved in this case," he said.

According to the police, unidentified assailants allegedly barged into Pathan's house in the Mehboob Nagar area and attacked him with lethal weapons late at night. He died on the spot.

Police said family members were not present in the house at the time of the incident.

Authorities have also seized two motorcycles and a Zen car linked to the accused.

On the motive behind the killing, the Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner earlier said that it is yet to be established.

"That is yet to be ascertained. But the complainant and the family members of the deceased say that they had a rivalry with the accused. We'll ascertain the exact cause," he said.

The motive behind the murder remains unclear, and further investigation is underway. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav chaired a cabinet meeting held at the Mantralaya on Monday, and the council of ministers approved approximately Rs 19,810 crore for public welfare and development works in the state. The cabinet also approved proposals related to the Public Works Department (PWD), irrigation projects, women and child development, the establishment of new medical colleges and the agriculture departments. Among key decisions, the council of ministers granted administrative approval of Rs 286.26 crore for the construction of the Midwasa Medium Irrigation Project in Sagar district. The project is expected to provide irrigation facilities to around 7,200 hectares of land across 27 villages in Sagar tehsil, benefiting local farmers. Similarly, the Cabinet approved Rs 10,801 crore for various development works under the Public Works Department, which includes Rs 150 crore for development and supervision of BOT roads, Rs 765 crore for payments upon completion of BOT projects, Rs 4,564 crore for annuity payments, and Rs 5,322 crore for the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation externally aided project. Additionally, under the Panchayat and Rural Development Department, approval of Rs 3,553.35 crore was granted to ensure the smooth operation and continuation of various schemes and programmes, including the Prime Minister Poshan Shakti and Mid-Day Meal schemes, for the period from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2031. The Cabinet further approved Rs 2,250 crore for the continued implementation of the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM) over the next five years. The initiative aims to promote farm mechanisation, establish custom hiring centres through rural youth, encourage crop residue management, and provide subsidies on manually and animal-operated agricultural tools for forest rights holders. Along with this, the council of ministers granted approval of Rs 1,674 crore for continuing the scheme of establishing new medical colleges in the state with assistance from the Government of India over the next five years. District hospitals will be linked with these medical colleges. In addition, approval of approximately Rs 1,005 crore was granted to continue health services under the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department until March 31, 2031. Apart from this, the Council of Ministers approved Rs 240.42 crore for the operation and continuation (2026-27 to 2030-31) of schemes under the Women and Child Development Department, including 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', One-Stop Centres and the Women Helpline-181. Furthermore, the Cabinet approved the operation of eight new One Stop Centres across the state, which include Maihar, Mauganj, Pandhurna, Manawar and Pithampur (Dhar), Lasudia and Sanwer (Indore) and Petlawad (Jhabua), aimed at providing support services to women in need. (ANI)
Earlier in the day, Nitin Nabin on Monday offered prayers at the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai.

Speaking to the media, Nabin said that having darshan of Goddess Meenakshi brings "unique strength and energy," adding that India's spiritual traditions continue to inspire thoughts, ideals and actions while wishing prosperity for all citizens.

He said, "Having darshan of Goddess Meenakshi, and given its history's unique place in Indian history, certainly brings a unique strength and energy... The place of our Hindu deities is reflected in our thoughts, our ideals, and our actions."

"I wish that all the people of Tamil Nadu and the entire country may have good luck and prosperity in their homes. Indians are proud that our history has contained such things that inspire our spiritual resolve to move forward," he said.

A day earlier, Nabin expressed confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) in Tamil Nadu will defeat the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government in the upcoming state Assembly polls, alleging that the state government is "the most corrupt in the country".

Tamil Nadu polls are scheduled to be conducted in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4.

The main contest is the elections is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes the Indian National Congress, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies.

Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also set to make his electoral debut with TVK, which may turn the contest into a three-way fight. (ANI)
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) General Secretary of Election Campaign Management, Aadhav Arjuna, on Monday claimed that a massive political wave in favour of party leader Vijay is currently sweeping through all 234 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. TVK candidate also announced that its election manifesto for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly polls will be released shortly. TVK's Villivakkam General Secretary of Campaign Management, Aadhav Arjuna, said, "Leader Vijay's wave is sweeping across all 234 constituencies, reaching every household. Candidates of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam are receiving a grand welcome in all constituencies they visit. People are eagerly waiting to vote for the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam as an alternative to the two major parties. Our election manifesto will be released soon. There is also a strong public uprising against Minister Nehru's family in Tiruchirappalli." On Sunday, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief and actor Vijay, who is contesting from Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies, held an election campaign rally in Kanniyakumari. He also rode a bicycle during his election campaign rally, drawing attention from supporters gathered along the route. Before leaving his residence in Neelankarai in Chennai, Vijay came out of his house and waved to the party cadres assembled outside. The supporters, filled with excitement, shouted "Thalapathy! Thalapathy!" and ran alongside his vehicle. He travelled by car from his residence to Chennai airport, and along the entire route, large crowds of people had gathered to catch a glimpse of him. Meanwhile, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay is making his electoral debut against sitting Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA RD Shekar. Actor-turned-politician Vijay's entry has made it an interesting battle to look out for as he faces a challenge against traditional politicians in North Chennai's Perambur. While many in Tamil Nadu compare Vijay's crowd-pulling ability to former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran, RD Shekar is no less popular in Perambur with his landslide victory in the last elections by a margin of 54,976 votes against AIADMK's NR Dhanapalan. Vijay, often referred to as 'Thalapathy', is not a new figure in households, as his film releases are a festival in Chennai. The youth-based fan clubs even render him the political support, similar to MGR. While he is new to elections, his films have always been political and based on the ideas of justice. (ANI)
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday assured residents that both domestic and commercial LPG supplies in the capital remain stable, adequate and under control, with no shortage of LPG or any other fuel. She urged people not to be influenced by rumours or panic, and to remain calm. Sharing an update on domestic LPG, the Chief Minister said that on April 12, a total of 1,11,766 bookings were recorded, while the three Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) delivered 1,30,094 cylinders, well above the number of bookings, according to the CMO. This indicates that pending backlogs are being cleared efficiently and the supply chain remains robust. The average delivery time has improved to 3.87 days from 4.24 days earlier, ensuring timely doorstep delivery, as stated in the release. On the commercial side, Delhi has been allocated 6,480 LPG cylinders (19 kg equivalent) per day. In comparison, the average daily offtake over the past week has been only 4,268 cylinders, including 5 kg Free Trade LPG cylinders, clearly showing that supply is exceeding demand. The Chief Minister appealed to all commercial LPG consumers, particularly users of 5 kg cylinders, to avoid unnecessary concern or stockpiling. She reiterated that the distribution system across the city is functioning smoothly and that adequate stock is available at all times. To facilitate access, a dedicated control room of the Food and Civil Supplies Department is operational. Commercial consumers facing any difficulty in obtaining LPG cylinders can contact 011-23379836 or 8383824659 between 9:00 am and 7:00 pm on any day of the week. The government has also encouraged consumers and institutions to opt for Piped Natural Gas (PNG) wherever available, as it provides a reliable and continuous fuel supply. Bulk users such as hospitals and educational institutions have been advised to shift to PNG at the earliest to enhance efficiency, safety and supply reliability. Additionally, consumers are being encouraged to consider electric or induction cooking as a medium to long-term alternative to ensure uninterrupted energy access. CM Gupta reiterated that the Delhi government is closely monitoring the situation on a daily basis and remains fully committed to ensuring uninterrupted LPG supply across the capital. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, accusing it of hampering the implementation of central government schemes, depriving the public of the benefits. Virtually addressing the party's booth workers in Tamil Nadu at the 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot Samvad' programme, PM Modi alleged that the DMK government failed to conduct proper surveys that resulted in eligible people being deprived of schemes like PM Awas Yojana and PM Mudra Yojana. "Under the Mudra scheme, millions of youth and small traders have received loans without a guarantee. A large number of women have also benefited from it. But it is unfortunate that due to the attitude of the DMK government, many poor families could not avail the benefits of the PM Awas Yojana. Proper surveys were not conducted, names of eligible people were not included... If this work had been done, then millions of families in Tamil Nadu would have received pucca houses." PM Modi said. The Prime Minister assured BJP workers that the government has always ensured that the benefits of schemes are availed by the people and has taken steps to cut out middlemen. He highlighted the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes, where people have received financial assistance directly to thier bank accounts. "Our approach has been to ensure that the benefits of schemes reach farmers directly, without any middlemen. In Tamil Nadu, thousands of crores have been transferred directly to farmers under PM Kisan. Under the Fasal Beema Yojana as well, claims worth thousands of crores have been settled, and that money has gone directly into farmers' accounts," he said. Tamil Nadu polls are scheduled to be conducted in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The main contest is the elections is expected between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), which includes the Indian National Congress, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by AIADMK with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as allies. Actor-turned-politician Vijay is also set to make his electoral debut with TVK, which may turn the contest into a three-way fight. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will visit Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh on April 14, his office said in a statement. At around 11:15 AM, the Prime Minister will visit Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh to undertake a review of the Wildlife Corridor on the elevated section of the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor. At around 11:40 AM, the Prime Minister will perform Darshan and Pooja at Jai Maa Daat Kali Temple near Dehradun. Thereafter, at around 12:30 PM, Prime Minister will inaugurate the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor at a public function in Dehradun and will also address the gathering on the occasion, as per the PMO. The 213 km long six-lane access-controlled Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor has been developed at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore. The corridor traverses through the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours at present to around two and a half hours, the statement said. Implementation of the project also includes the construction of 10 interchanges, three Railway Over Bridges (ROBs), four major bridges and 12 wayside amenities to enable seamless high-speed connectivity. The corridor is equipped with an Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) to provide a safer and more efficient travel experience for commuters, the statement said. Keeping in view the ecological sensitivity, rich biodiversity and wildlife in the region, the corridor has been designed with several features aimed at significantly reducing man-animal conflict. To ensure the free movement of wild animals, the project incorporates several dedicated wildlife protection features. These include a 12 km long wildlife elevated corridor, which is one of the longest in Asia. The corridor also includes eight animal passes, two elephant underpasses of 200 metres each, and a 370 metre long tunnel near the Daat Kali temple, his office said. The Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor will play a pivotal role in strengthening regional economic growth by enhancing connectivity between major tourism and economic centres as well as opening new avenues for trade and development across the region. The project reflects the vision of the Prime Minister to develop next-generation infrastructure that combines high-speed connectivity with environmental sustainability and improved quality of life for citizens, as per PMO. (ANI)
According to a press release, Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production), Ministry of Defence, inaugurated Prachand Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) structure assembly line and an Automated Storage & Retrieval System (ASRS) at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's New Helicopter Factory in Tumakuru, Karnataka. DK Sunil, CMD, HAL and Ms Manisha Chandra, Joint Secretary (Aero), were present along with HAL Directors and senior officers from HAL and MoD.

The New Helicopter Facility is a state-of-the-art greenfield facility established for the production of Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and Prachand LCH, and will support future programmes such as Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH) and Deck-based Multi Role Helicopter (DBMRH).

The Secy (DP) held a meeting with HAL management, reviewed ongoing projects and expressed satisfaction with the progress of the facility and the plans for the production of the helicopters. He also visited HAL's dedicated LUH production facility, LCH equipping hangar and ASRS facility.

Earlier this month, General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff, visited Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and undertook a sortie in the HAL Prachand Light Combat Helicopter.

During the visit, the Army Chief experienced first-hand the helicopter's performance, agility, and mission readiness. The Prachand Light Combat Helicopter is an indigenously developed platform designed for high-altitude operations and is a key addition to India's combat capabilities.

On March 29, Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi, witnessed the Integrated Air Defence Firepower at Army Air Defence College, Gopalpur, Odisha.

In a post on X, the Army said that the COAS complimented the personnel for their dedication towards the nation's defence while hoping for them to continue dominating in the battlespace.

"General Upendra Dwivedi, COAS, witnessed the Integrated Air Defence Firepower at Army Air Defence College, Gopalpur. The exercise showcased seamless synergy of multifarious Air Defence weapon systems operating in a networked environment, effectively validating the detection-to-engagement cycle against new-age hybrid aerial threats. The #COAS complimented the Air Defence Warriors for their relentless commitment towards strengthening India's defence and exhorted them to continue striving for excellence and dominance in the evolving battlespace," the public relations wing of the Indian Army wrote in the post. (ANI)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday arrested a notorious criminal from his hideout in Surat, a High Court-referred case pertaining to the abduction of two residents of Kolkata who are missing since July 7, 2014, the agency said in an official statement. The accused has been identified by the agency as Bhola Singh alias Amit Sharma. The agency stated that besides this case, the accused Bhola Singh is a wanted, criminal in 11 cases registered by Bihar Police pertaining to abduction, attempt to murder, murder and possession of illegal arms and explosives. "The accused Bhola Singh was absconding since inception of the investigation in 2015 and has been located hiding in Surat using fake identity documents in the name of Amit Sharma. Based on the identification of hideout, the accused Bhola Singh has been arrested today by the CBI from his hideout in Surat after a concerted operation," the agency said. The accused Bhola Singh is being produced before the local court at Surat on Monday for obtaining his transit remand to Kolkata, the agency said. He would be produced before the competent court at Kolkata tomorrow for obtaining police remand for custodial interrogation, the CBI added. (ANI)
The Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, on Monday visited the Eastern Portal of Zoji-La Tunnel to inspect the ongoing construction work during his visit to Drass, reviewing progress on one of the most significant infrastructure projects aimed at ensuring all-weather connectivity to Ladakh. According to the release, during the inspection, the Lieutenant Governor was given a detailed presentation on the project. He was informed that the tunnel, being executed by Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd at a sanctioned cost of Rs 6,808.69 crore, is expected to be completed by February 2028. It was further apprised that the breakthrough of the tunnel is anticipated by mid-2026. The project incorporates modern engineering features, including lay-bys at intervals of every 750 metres and three ventilation shafts to ensure operational efficiency and safety. The Lieutenant Governor was also briefed on the use of the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) from both the western and eastern portals for excavation. However, officials highlighted that poor rock quality in certain stretches has posed challenges, impacting the pace of progress, as stated in the release. Expressing satisfaction over the progress achieved so far, the Lieutenant Governor directed the concerned officials to further expedite the work to ensure the timely completion and early operationalisation of the tunnel, which will be crucial for ensuring year-round connectivity to Ladakh. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining the highest safety standards during construction and in the final structure, keeping in view the safety and security of commuters. Describing the Zoji-La Tunnel as one of the dream projects of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shri Saxena commended the dedication and resilience of the workforce engaged in the project, acknowledging their efforts in challenging terrain and harsh weather conditions. He observed that upon completion, the tunnel will not only ensure seamless connectivity between Ladakh and the rest of the country but will also significantly boost tourism in the region. Highlighting its strategic importance, he noted that the project would contribute to enhanced economic growth and socio-cultural integration between the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. The Lieutenant Governor further stated that the completion of the Zoji-La Tunnel would mark a transformative milestone for the region, opening new avenues for development and positioning Ladakh as a major destination for tourism. (ANI)
On this occasion, Minister of State Praful Pansheriya, Chief Secretary MK Das, In-charge Director General of Police KLN Rao, Air Marshal Mehtab Singh Deswal, GOC Gaurav Bagga, Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner GS Malik, and Ahmedabad Collector Sujeet Kumar, along with other senior officials, greeted and welcomed the President.

President Murmu graced and addressed the first convocation ceremony of AIIMS Rajkot at Rajkot, Gujarat on Monday, the President's Secretariat said in an official statement.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that several AIIMS have been established across the country to provide world-class tertiary healthcare at an affordable cost. "They are playing a pivotal role in providing quality medical education, fostering research and innovation, undertaking public health initiatives, and formulating national health policies."

She said that the commitment of AIIMS to advancing healthcare through innovative research and patient care is praiseworthy.

The President said that AIIMS Rajkot is a new institution. "It has a long journey ahead in the fields of medical education, research and service."

She urged the policymakers of the AIIMS Rajkot to incorporate into their objectives not only the core goals of AIIMS but also the resolution of the specific health challenges prevalent in this region. as per statement.

She underlined that good governance plays a pivotal role in the healthy growth of any organisation. "Steps taken right at the outset to ensure good governance and transparency will have a far-reaching impact on the development of this institution". (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday rejected Trinamool Congress' "outsider" allegations against the BJP, saying no one believes them and that the first Chief Minister of Bharatiya Janata Party in Bengal will be a person born in the state and educated in Bengali medium. Talking with ANI during a road show here, Amit Shah said the BJP government will drive out infiltrators not just from Bengal but from the entire country. "No one believes this. The first Chief Minister of Bharatiya Janata Party in Bengal will be a Bengali-speaking person, born in Bengal and educated in Bengali medium," he told ANI. He was anwering a query about the ruling Trinamool Congress' 'outsider' allegations against the BJP. Trinamool Congress had also accused the BJP of trying to add names of outsiders to the voter list. Amit Shah also said that a BJP Chief Minister will be sworn in in the state after the results are announced. "This time, the people of Bengal are definitely going to bring change in Bengal, and on 5th (May), BJP Chief Minister will be sworn in here," he told ANI. He was asked about the support the BJP is getting in the state. He hit out at Mamata Banerjee over her allegations concerning Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state and said while he can understand the Trinamool Congress leader's allegations against the Election Commission, she is now levelling allegations against the judiciary. "This is not a Hindu-Muslim issue. I understand Mamata Banerjee's allegations against the Election Commission, but now she is blaming the judiciary, because the entire SIR is being carried out under the judiciary," Amit Shah told ANI. He was asked about allegations from Trinamool Congress that the names of Hindu voters had also been deleted during the SIR exercise. Mamata Banerjee has been attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party over SIR."SIR is a huge scam. This is not SIR but an attempt to bring the BJP to power. This is a scam to delete names. Ninety lakh names have been deleted," she alleged while addressing in Keshiary in the state. She earlier said TMC will stand by those whose names were not there in the voter rolls following SIR and also made allegations about the removal of names of some people belonging to Matua community after the SIR exercise. Amit Shah, who earlier addressed rallies in Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum, accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of turning "Sonar Bangla into syndicate raj," and said "BJP will work on building Sonar Bangla" as envisioned by Guru Rabindranath Tagore Amit Shah accused Mamata Banerjee of turning the slogan of "Maa, Maati, Maanush" into "mafia, muscleman and money power gang"."BJP will work on building Sonar Bangla as envisioned by Guru Rabindranath Tagore," he said. He accused the Mamata Banerjee government of not giving the required land to complete border fencing. "BSF needs 600 acres of land to fence the border. However, Mamata Didi refuses to give land, which leads to infiltration. Mamata ji shelters infiltrators, and they, in turn, elect her. Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29 and votes will be counted on May 4. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday participated in the 'Sadbhavna Sammelan' programme on the occasion of Baisakhi at Rishikul Ground in Haridwar. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has extended greetings and best wishes to the residents of the state on the occasion of Baisakhi, according to the Chief Minister's Office, Uttarakhand. In his message on X, the Chief Minister's Office stated that Baisakhi is a festival of joy and jubilation, celebrated with enthusiasm and brotherhood. He noted that the festival, associated with the harvesting of the new crop, reflects the rich cultural traditions of the state as well as its strong farming and agricultural heritage. Dhami further stated that Baisakhi is also a symbol of popular faith and prosperity. He expressed his wishes for happiness, peace, and prosperity in the lives of the people of the state on this sacred occasion. https://x.com/ukcmo/status/2043690338540535954?s=20 Baisakhi, also known as Vaisakhi, marks the beginning of the Punjabi and Sikh New Year and is mainly celebrated in North India, especially in Punjab. It also signals the start of the harvest season. The day marks the anniversary of the founding of the Khalsa Panth by Guru Gobind Singh in the year 1699. On this day, Guru Gobind Singh abolished the distinction between higher and lower caste communities. The festival is widely celebrated with traditional music, dance, and community gatherings, with devotees visiting gurudwaras to offer prayers and express gratitude for a bountiful harvest season. On April 13, 1919, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre happened, which remains one of the darkest chapters in India's colonial history. The massacre marked a turning point in India's freedom struggle and is remembered as a symbol of courage and resistance. The massacre occurred in Amritsar, Punjab, where thousands had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh during the festival of Baisakhi. The gathering was also meant to peacefully protest against the Rowlatt Act and demand the release of leaders Dr Satyapal and Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew. (ANI)
President Droupadi Murmu graced and addressed the first convocation ceremony of AIIMS Rajkot at Rajkot, Gujarat, on Monday, President's Secretariat said in an official statement. Speaking on the occasion, the President said that several AIIMS have been established across the country to provide world-class tertiary healthcare at an affordable cost. "They are playing a pivotal role in providing quality medical education, fostering research and innovation, undertaking public health initiatives, and formulating national health policies." She said that the commitment of AIIMS to advancing healthcare through innovative research and patient care is praiseworthy, as per the statement. The President said that AIIMS Rajkot is a new institution. "It has a long journey ahead in the fields of medical education, research and service." She urged the policymakers of the AIIMS Rajkot to incorporate into their objectives not only the core goals of AIIMS but also the resolution of the specific health challenges prevalent in this region. She underlined that good governance plays a pivotal role in the healthy growth of any organisation. "Steps taken right at the outset to ensure good governance and transparency will have a far-reaching impact on the development of this institution" The President said that the medical profession is not merely a profession; it is also a commitment to the service of humanity. "This profession demands not only scientific knowledge but also sensitivity, patience and humility. She stated that the white coat that the doctors wear, symbolises the trust the society places in them during moments of illness and uncertainty. "The responsibility of upholding this trust rests upon the shoulders of doctors" The President said that technological advancements are occurring at an unprecedented pace in the medical field. "Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, precision medicine and digital health services are rapidly transforming the landscape and potential of the medical world" She advised graduating students to remain prepared to embrace these changes. She said that by adopting the latest technologies, they will not only be able to enhance their knowledge and skills but also treat diseases more effectively. However, the role of human empathy in medicine can never be replaced. "A doctor's gentle words, a reassuring smile, and the patience to truly listen can often heal in ways that medicine alone cannot." The President said that being a good doctor is a significant achievement. "However, being a doctor imbued with human values such as integrity, compassion, and a spirit of benevolence is an even greater one". She stated that skilled and socially conscious doctors have the power to bring about profound change in society. She advised them to play a vital role in nation-building by making constructive use of their position. The President said that the good health of the citizens is a crucial factor in achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat by the year 2047. "The Union Government has taken several steps to ensure access to quality healthcare services for its citizens. These efforts are already yielding positive results. However, these initiatives will gain greater momentum when all stakeholders move forward together in unison. In this context, the role of institutions of national importance, such as AIIMS, becomes even more critical. They are tasked with guiding the nation's healthcare sector by establishing new benchmarks in medical research and innovation" She expressed confidence that AIIMS Rajkot will set new benchmarks through its significant contribution towards realising the national objective of equitable and accessible healthcare. (ANI)
Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday that 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' was passed in Parliament in 2023 to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures and that the promise should be fulfilled at the earliest. Talking with ANI during a road show here, Amit Shah said the BJP will come to power in the assembly elections in West Bengal with an absolute majority. He rejected opposition criticism of the government's plans to bring the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill amid the assembly elections campaign by convening a special sitting of the budget session of Parliament and said the promise made to the women should be fulfilled as soon as possible. "It was passed in 2023. Now, the matter is of keeping the promise. The Parliament of this country has unanimously promised to give 33 per cent reservation to the women of this country in the legislatures. This promise should be fulfilled as soon as possible," Amit Shah told ANI. He was asked about allegations that the proposed bill was an "election stunt". The government has a special sitting of Parliament on April 16,17, 18 by extending the Budget session to get the proposed bill to amend the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam passed and implement the provisions from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls. Opposition parties have also voiced concerns over the proposed delimitation and the impact on the number of seats. They have said that the interests of states that have done well in terms of population control should be adequately protected. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Nari Shakti Vandan programme at Vigyan Bhawan today and said India is about to take one of the biggest decisions of the 21st century, "a decision dedicated to Nari Shakti." Describing the moment as historic, the Prime Minister said the nation's Parliament is close to creating a new history that will fulfill the visions of the past and the resolutions of the future. Emphasizing the importance of social justice, he stressed that the country envisions an egalitarian India where social justice is not merely a slogan but an integral part of the work culture. "The wait of decades, from state assemblies to the nation's Parliament, is coming to an end," he said. In his interaction with ANI, Amit Shah also rejected Trinamool Congress' "outsider" allegations against the BJP, saying no one believes them and that the first Chief Minister of Bharatiya Janata Party in Bengal will be a person born in the state and educated in Bengali medium. Amit Shah said the BJP government will drive out infiltrators not just from Bengal but from the entire country. "No one believes this. The first Chief Minister of Bharatiya Janata Party in Bengal will be a Bengali-speaking person, born in Bengal and educated in Bengali medium," he told ANI.He was anwering a query about the ruling Trinamool Congress' 'outsider' allegations against the BJP. Trinamool Congress has accused the BJP of trying to add names of outsiders to the voter list. Amit Shah also said that a BJP Chief Minister will be sworn in in the state after the results are announced. "This time, the people of Bengal are definitely going to bring change in Bengal, and on 5th (May), BJP Chief Minister will be sworn in here," he told ANI. He was asked about the support the BJP is getting in the state. Asked if BJP is coming to power in the state, Amit Shah said: "Yes, with an absolute majority, ahead of the halfway mark." He hit out at Mamata Banerjee over her allegations concerning Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state and said while he can understand the Trinamool Congress leader's allegations against the Election Commission, she is now levelling allegations against the judiciary. "This is not a Hindu-Muslim issue. I understand Mamata Banerjee's allegations against the Election Commission, but now she is blaming the judiciary, because the entire SIR is being carried out under the judiciary," Amit Shah told ANI. He was asked about allegations from Trinamool Congress that the names of Hindu voters had also been deleted during the SIR exercise. Mamata Banerjee has been attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party over SIR."SIR is a huge scam. This is not SIR but an attempt to bring the BJP to power. This is a scam to delete names. Ninety lakh names have been deleted," she alleged while addressing in Keshiary in the state. She earlier said TMC will stand by those whose names were not there in the voter rolls following SIR and also made allegations about the removal of names of some people belonging to Matua community after the SIR exercise. Amit Shah, who earlier addressed rallies in Paschim Bardhaman and Birbhum, accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of turning "Sonar Bangla into syndicate raj," and said "BJP will work on building Sonar Bangla" as envisioned by Guru Rabindranath Tagore. Amit Shah accused Mamata Banerjee of turning the slogan of "Maa, Maati, Maanush" into "mafia, muscleman and money power gang"."BJP will work on building Sonar Bangla as envisioned by Guru Rabindranath Tagore," he said. He accused the Trinamool Congress government of not giving the required land to complete border fencing. "BSF needs 600 acres of land to fence the border. However, Mamata Didi refuses to give land, which leads to infiltration. Mamata ji shelters infiltrators, and they, in turn, elect her." Elections to the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29 and votes will be counted on May 4. (ANI)
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed serious doubts on the bona fide (good intent) of the Ghaziabad police's conduct in investigating a gruesome rape and murder of a four-year-old victim that took place in Nandnagri, Ghaziabad, on March 17. A bench of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Jaoymalya Bagchi verbally remarked that the police have so far shown only reluctance in their probe. During there hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati representing Ghaziabad police informed the Court that a fresh chargesheet has been filed in the matter by the police where it has invoked the accusations of rape under the BNS (erstwhile IPC) and of aggravated penetrative sexual assault under the POCSO Act in compliance with the Court's earlier order where it had slammed the authorities for their mishandling and indifference in the probe. The ASG also asked the Court if it wanted the Ghaziabad police to carry out further investigation in the matter. However, the Court expressed serious doubts on the police officials' conduct in the matter and stated that it will examine the fresh chargesheet first, and then see what would be a fitting mode of investigation to be carried out in the matter. "No, no, the question is who will carry out further investigation. We have serious doubts on bona fide, but today we don't want to comment on anything, and if the chargesheet is valid, then it will be a problem, so we have to be careful what we say today. We will not comment on ACP. They are reluctant to file the FIR. They are reluctant to assist the Court," the CJI remarked. The ASG also informed the Court that the Ghaziabad ACP and the SHO of Nandnagri police station had appeared in person before the Court in compliance of courts earlier order. The Court, however, did not question the police officials and stated its indifference towards their appearance. The CJI said, "If they want to appear, it's fine. Even if they don't appear, it's fine. It is unfortunate. If they want to invite stricter orders, we will not hesitate", the Court said. Senior Advocate N. Hariharan, appearing on behalf of the deceased victims' father, argued that the investigation is incomplete and attempts to shield the hospitals involved. He pointed out that no notice has been served to the hospitals and crucial facts, such as whether the child was still breathing in the final hours, remain unverified. He stressed that available video evidence appears inconsistent with the police version. "If you see the status report, they are trying to shield the Hospitals - they have not served a hospital notice. Fact about child was breathing in the final hours is not confirmed. Police say something - the video on record shows something else", Hariharan contended. He contended that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) is necessary and that hospitals could be criminally liable for refusing treatment. According to him, timely medical aid might have saved the child's life and failure to provide treatment attracts penal consequences. "When child was alive, two hospitals had discretion to deny admission... Here, offences are committed against the hospital. Aid may have been given the child could have been saved. We have lost a life because medical intervention didn't happen. There are penal provisions..." the senior lawyer added. Hariharan further argued that serious offences like murder or culpable homicide could apply if there was deliberate inaction by the hospitals. He also highlighted delays in lodging the FIR and alleged harassment of the victim's father by the police. "Sections 302 - 304 would be attracted... they deliberately didn't try to save the child. The day report is trying to be lodged by the victim's father, but he gets beaten up by the police... He's receiving threats..." he said. The Court clarified that, at this stage, it is focused on examining the prosecution's case based on the fresh chargesheet filed. Justice Bagchi noted that alleged hospital liability is not presently part of the prosecution but acknowledged the seriousness of the issue. "That's not part of prosecution. It is quite distressing... denial by hospitals... but it would violate Article 21... that would be a tort," Justice Bagchi said. The bench assured that the issue of hospital negligence or liability would be examined separately, without prejudging it in the current proceedings. "We will examine that aspect separately -- now we are in prosecution", the bench expressed. The CJI noted that the Court will first scrutinise the fresh chargesheet, including the video evidence referenced in it, and then decide whether further investigation or an SIT is required. "Let us just examine the chargesheet. The law will never be able to fall short if the victims...If there are lapses, we'll think of SIT... if a chargesheet is already filed and another kind of probe is needed, then we will evolve that also", the CJI said. The Court also made it clear that it is not absolving the hospitals and will consider those concerns independently. "Do not think that we are exonerating the hospitals. We will examine those issues as well," the Court said. (ANI)
Tejas Singh Arora, son of an Army Brigadier, on Monday alleged assault and police inaction following an incident involving unidentified individuals in a residential society in the national capital. Speaking to ANI, recounting the incident, Arora said that around 10 PM, he and his father confronted a group of individuals who were allegedly sitting inside a Mercedes car and consuming alcohol in a residential area. "It was around 10 PM that night... Some unidentified individuals were sitting in their Mercedes car, drinking. Since this was within a residential society--and drinking in public places is illegal--my father and I confronted them... They retorted, claiming to be locals, and refused to leave... I called the PCR van. When the police vehicle arrived, the officer refused to record our complaint; furthermore, the man who had been drinking put the officer on a phone call with someone. After speaking with that person, the officer flatly refused to register our report... Subsequently, 7 to 8 goons arrived in two cars. In total, there were nearly ten people present at the scene... When we went to the police station, they refused to even listen to us for nearly half an hour. Eventually, they instructed us to undergo a Medico-Legal Case (MLC) examination first, stating that they would register the report based on those findings... After waiting for an hour, we decided to go to the Army's R&R Hospital, where our MLC report was prepared and subsequently forwarded to the police station... This afternoon, with the Indian Army's CMP (Corps of Military Police) and their support staff, the police initiated the process for filing an FIR... The individuals who were drinking in the car belong to Mehram Nagar and come from a business background", he told ANI. Nitasha, wife of the Army Brigadier, has alleged assault and police inaction following a late-night incident in the Vasant Vihar area of the national capital on April 11. Recounting the incident, she said that around 9:45 PM, her husband and son had stepped out for a walk when they noticed two individuals allegedly consuming alcohol inside a Mercedes car in a residential society. "On 11th April, around 9.45 PM, my husband and son went for a walk outside... They came back searching for his mobile and mentioned that two people were sitting in a Mercedes car and they were consuming alcohol. My husband and son tried to explain to them that this is a respectable society, and you are not supposed to do this. They started using abusive language and passing certain illicit comments, as I was also there. We called the PCR vehicle... The cop came, and he was about to take my statement. This individual, who was in the driving seat, made him speak on his mobile to someone. The cop came back, and he refused to write my statement... 7-8 goons came out from a cab, and started assaulting both my son and my husband. I went back to the cop who was sitting in the PCR van, requesting him for some assistance. But he refused... At around 10.45 PM, we went to the Vasant Vihar police station. There was a lady cop there who misbehaved with us, saying that we troubled them in the night... The PCR cop had reported to the police station the wrong vehicle number... We were not provided any medical assistance. Finally, we were able to give a written complaint to them at 2.13 AM", she said. Further details on the matter are awaited. (ANI)
Uttarakhand Police held a security rehearsal in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Dehradun district on Tuesday. During the rehearsal, all aspects related to the programme--including protocols, security arrangements, traffic management, and crowd control--were thoroughly reviewed and tested, a release said. Following the rehearsal, the Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, Deepam Seth held a detailed review and briefing with all gazetted police officers deployed on duty at the Police Lines, Dehradun, to finalize the security arrangements. He directed that all arrangements be ensured in a timely, coordinated, and error-free manner. The DGP instructed all officers to adopt a highly alert, vigilant, and sensitive approach in line with the current security scenario. He emphasized that all personnel deployed on duty must maintain a high standard of turnout and be thoroughly briefed in advance regarding their responsibilities. At the venue, entry points designated for the general public will be equipped with Hand-Held Metal Detectors (HHMD) and Door Frame Metal Detectors (DFMD), and every individual will be thoroughly checked before being allowed to take their seats at designated locations. "No unauthorized items will be permitted inside the venue. Adequate arrangements must also be made in advance for the safe and orderly dispersal of the crowd after the programme. For security reasons, the operation of drones will be completely prohibited in and around the venue," the release said. The DGP directed all officers to ensure that no laxity is shown during duty and to discharge their responsibilities with complete vigilance and dedication. PM Modi will visit Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh on April 14. At around 11:15 am, the Prime Minister will visit Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh to undertake a review of the Wildlife Corridor on the elevated section of the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor. At around 11:40 am, the Prime Minister will pray at the Jai Maa Daat Kali Temple near Dehradun. At around 12:30 PM, Prime Minister will inaugurate the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor at a public function in Dehradun and will also address the gathering on the occasion. The 213 km long six-lane access-controlled Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor has been developed at a cost of over Rs 12,000 crore. The corridor traverses through the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and will reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours at present to around two and a half hours, a release said. (ANI)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has indicated that Tehran remains open to reaching an agreement with the United States, provided Washington "abandons its totalitarianism" and respects the rights of the Iranian people. In a post on X, Pezeshkian said,"If the American government abandons its totalitarianism and respects the rights of the Iranian nation, ways to reach an agreement will certainly be found. I commend the members of the negotiating team, especially my dear brother Mr. Dr. Qalibaf, and say "God gives you strength." https://x.com/drpezeshkian/status/2043402196180722101?s=20 The remarks come amid renewed diplomatic engagement involving Iran and regional stakeholders, including discussions hosted in Pakistan under the framework of the "Islamabad Talks." Separately, Iran's Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghadam underscored the significance of the initiative, describing it as an evolving diplomatic process rather than a one-off event. https://x.com/IranAmbPak/status/2043389998045724993?s=20 "The Islamabad Talks is 'not an event but a process'. The Islamabad Talks laid the foundation for a diplomatic process that, if trust and will are strengthened, can create a sustainable framework for the interests of all parties. I would like to express my gratitude to the friendly and brotherly country of Pakistan, especially H.E. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, for their initiative of goodwill and good office for the talks." Moghadam noted that Iran's high-ranking delegation pursued the talks with "dignity, self-confidence and faith," while keeping in focus the concerns of its people and safeguarding national interests. "With the tireless efforts of all sectors in Pakistan, including the government, army, police and security forces to facilitate and manage the talks, talks were held in a dignified and befitting atmosphere for the guests in a calm, orderly and secure environment with equal logistic opportunities for both sides. The Iranian high-ranking negotiating team, with dignity, self-confidence and faith in Allah Almighty and attention to the concerns of the people, pursued dignified talks for the great Iranian nation to ensure and secure the national interests and legitimate rights of the people," he added. The remarks came after hours of negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad ended in a stalemate on Sunday. US Vice President JD Vance said that no agreement had been reached despite extensive discussions. He added that while the US delegation would return without a deal, the outcome was "bad news for Iran" more than for the United States. Addressing reporters in Islamabad, Vance said that negotiations lasted around 21 hours and included several substantive discussions but failed to yield a final conclusion. "We've had a number of substance agreements with the Iranians- that is the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. That is bad news for Iran, much more than it is bad news for the United States of America," Vance said. "We go back to the United States having not come to an agreement", he added. (ANI)
Iran's Supreme Leader's representative in India, Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, thanked the Indian government and people for their support and solidarity amid the West Asia conflict, highlighting participation by Indian officials and political leaders at an event marking 40 days since the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The event marked the Chehlum (40th day) of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes in February 2026. Speaking to ANI, Ilahi siad, "I am thankful to the governemnt of India. They supported us, they showed us their solidarity, and also they showed all this sympathy and today a lot of officials from governments and also different parties participated in this gathering, which is the 40th day of the martyrdom of Ayatollah Raisi. We are thankful to all of them." Addressing the gathering at the Iranian Cultural Centre in New Delhi, Ilahi said the occasion marked 40 days since the death of a leader who had "dedicated his life to humanity and justice." Highlighting the importance of the occasion, Ilahi remarked, "Today, on the 40th day of his martyrdom, we have gathered here not only to honour his memory but also to sincerely express our appreciation and gratitude to the Republic of India and to the noble, wise, and loyal people of India." He further suggested that the reaction from the Indian public reflected shared values and mutual commitment to justice. Reflecting on the solidarity shown over the past few weeks, the representative noted, "During these days, the great people of India have demonstrated a remarkable example of loyalty, wisdom, and commitment to justice." He pointed out that the significant turnout at memorial events illustrated a universal alignment with ethical causes, stating, "Their strong presence in commemorative gatherings, their heartfelt expression of sympathy, and their deeply human messages have shown that truth knows no boundaries and that awakened hearts always stand alongside justice." This period of remembrance follows the killing of 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28, an event that triggered a sharp escalation of tensions in West Asia. In the wake of the tragedy, Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. (ANI)
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence on Monday detected the presence of 7 PLAN vessels, 3 official ships operating around its territory. Sharing the details on X, the MND said that, "7 PLAN vessels and 3 official ships operating around Taiwan detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and responded. No flight path illustration is provided, as we did not detect #PLA aircraft operating around Taiwan during this timeframe." https://x.com/MoNDefense/status/2043494382255386625?s=20 China's claim over Taiwan is a complex issue rooted in historical, political, and legal arguments. Beijing asserts that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, a viewpoint embedded in national policy and upheld by domestic laws and international statements. Taiwan, however, maintains a distinct identity, functioning independently with its own government, military, and economy. Taiwan's status remains a significant point of international debate, testing the principles of sovereignty, self-determination, and non-interference in international law, as per the United Service Institution of India. China's claim to Taiwan originates from the Qing Dynasty's annexation of the island in 1683 after defeating the Ming loyalist Koxinga. However, Taiwan remained a peripheral region under limited Qing control. The key shift came in 1895, when the Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan after the First Sino-Japanese War, marking Taiwan as a Japanese colony for 50 years. After Japan's defeat in World War II, Taiwan was returned to Chinese control, but the sovereignty transfer was not formalised. In 1949, the Chinese Civil War resulted in the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland, while the Republic of China (ROC) retreated to Taiwan, asserting its claim to govern all of China. This led to dual sovereignty claims: the PRC over the mainland and the ROC over Taiwan. Taiwan has operated as a de facto independent state but has avoided declaring formal independence to prevent military conflict with the PRC, United Service Institution of India. (ANI)
KOSE is old established Japanese global cosmetic brand which has 80 years long history. Its representative person of global business Keita Matsunami executive officer disclosed global strategy especially paying attention to India. KOSE articulates its policy "Everyone's Lifelong Beauty Partner". This concept covers globally, genderless and every generation. Until now KOSE has developed global market USA, Europe and Japan. Currently its gaze is set to global south countries. Keita Matsunami executive officer explains strategy, "For KOSE the market occupancy of progressed countries are established, on the other hand global south will increase from 3% to 12% in 2030. Regarding India, in 2014 KOSE released skincare and makeup products fitting to India. In 2025 KOSE invested to Foxtale Consumer in Mumbai. It aims to deepen analysis and develop big market. Keita Matunami prospects that according to rise of GDP per capita, consumption of cosmetics will increase. And for example, in Mumbai 37% of woman work outside of home and young people occupies 66% of population. It is the evidence of promised market. Through cooperation with Foxtale, KOSE will aim to penetrate Japanese cosmetic technology. Indian people's skin has much melanin pigment. KOSE's permeate technology is adaptable to create beautiful skin." Beauty Consortium Plan is the base of management strategy. To realize Lifelong Beauty Partner, cooperation beyond border will be progressed covering medical supplies, iPS cell field, beauty appliances, antiaging treatment and so on. In addition, KOSE emphasizes its policy genderless and generation gapless. It is the declaration of "Everyone's Lifelong Beauty Partner". Keita Matsunami executive officer concluded "KOSE cultivated hospitality mind which is highly evaluated by inbound tourists. Based on its philosophy and solving some difficulty of Indian market, KOSE will support growing of beautiful India." (ANI)
President of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen on Monday said that Hungary chose Europe, after Hungary's long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat in the parliamentary elections. Von der Leyen said that the European Union has now become stronger. In a post on X, she said, "Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger. Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. A country returns to its European path. The Union grows stronger." https://x.com/vonderleyen/status/2043416848666906954?s=20 Earlier in the day, Hungary's partial official results indicated a decisive victory for Peter Magyar and his Tisza party, marking a significant political shift in the country after 16 years of continuous rule by Fidesz. With 97.35 per cent of precincts counted, official results reported by Al Jazeera showed that Magyar's centre-right Tisza party secured 138 seats in the 199-member parliament, winning 53.6 per cent of the vote. In contrast, Orban's nationalist Fidesz party managed to secure 55 seats with 37.8 per cent of the vote, reflecting a sharp decline in support compared to previous elections. Following the announcement of the early results, Orban accepted the outcome, effectively conceding defeat as it became clear that his party would not be able to form a majority government. The results are being widely seen as one of the most significant electoral reversals in Hungary's recent political history. In his victory speech delivered before thousands of supporters gathered in central Budapest, Magyar said his government would seek to reposition Hungary more firmly within the European mainstream and strengthen ties with Western allies. He emphasised that Hungary's future direction would be closely aligned with European institutions and values. "Hungary will once again be a strong ally representing Hungarian interests, because our country's place is in Europe," Magyar said, Euro News reported. Outlining his immediate foreign policy priorities, Magyar said his first official visits would include Warsaw and Vienna, followed by a trip to Brussels. There, he said, he would work to secure the release of billions of euros in suspended European Union funds. (ANI)
US President Donald Trump has taken his criticism of the Catholic Church and the Holy See to another level. Shortly afer launching an all out criticism of Pope Leo XIV he posted an AI Generated picture depicting himeslf performing a miracle. The picture largely symbolises one of the miracles of Jesus desribed in the bible where he is said to have raised Lazarus from the dead. The digitally created image shows Trump in flowing robes, placing his hand on a sick man. The scene is surrounded by patriotic and symbolic elements, including the American flag, military aircraft, and what appears to be angelic figures in the background. The post comes shortly after Trump criticised Pope Leo XIV, calling him "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy," and claiming that the pontiff''s position was influenced by political considerations. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that it wasn''t for him to be elected as the US President, Pope Leo wouldn''t be appointed as the next pontiff after the demise of Pope Francis. He further accused the pontiff of being "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy". The US President''s remarks came after Pope Leo''s recent criticism of Washington''s approach to global conflicts, including the ongoing tensions involving Iran, where the pontiff called for peace and dialogue. Trump, in his statement on Truth Social, also alleged that the Pope was soft on issues such as Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and US military actions abroad. He defended his administration''s policies, claiming he was elected "in a landslide" to enforce strong law-and-order measures and pursue an assertive foreign policy. "Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about "fear" of the Trump Administration, but doesn''t mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID when they were arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else, for holding Church Services, even when going outside, and being ten and even twenty feet apart. I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn''t! I don''t want a Pope who thinks it''s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. I don''t want a Pope who thinks it''s terrible that America attacked Venezuela, a Country that was sending massive amounts of Drugs into the United States and, even worse, emptying their prisons, including murderers, drug dealers, and killers, into our Country. And I don''t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I''m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History," the post read. "Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise. He wasn''t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn''t in the White House, Leo wouldn''t be in the Vatican. Unfortunately, Leo''s Weak on Crime, Weak on Nuclear Weapons, does not sit well with me, nor does the fact that he meets with Obama Sympathizers like David Axelrod, a LOSER from the Left, who is one of those who wanted churchgoers and clerics to be arrested," it added. He further criticised the Pope for engaging with political figures he described as "left-leaning," and urged the pontiff to "focus on being a great Pope, not a politician." "Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It''s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it''s hurting the Catholic Church," the post added. Later speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, the US President further intensified his criticism of the Pope, saying, " I don''t think he''s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess. We don''t like a pope who says it''s ok to have a nuclear weapon. We don''t want a pope who says crime is ok. I am not a fan of Pope Leo." The public attack marks a significant escalation in an already strained relationship between the two leaders. Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, has repeatedly voiced concerns over US policies and military interventions abroad, calling for diplomacy and humanitarian considerations. (ANI)
Global congratulations poured in on Monday after Peter Magyar's Tisza party secured a decisive victory in Hungary's parliamentary elections, with partial official results indicating a major political shift after 16 years of continuous rule under Viktor Orban's nationalist party Fidesz. In a post on X, French President Emmanuel Macron said he held a meeting with Magyar to congratulate him on the victory, describing it as a win for democratic participation and European values, adding that both countries would work towards a stronger and more sovereign Europe. "I just held a meeting with Peter Magyar to congratulate him on his victory in Hungary! France salutes a victory of democratic participation, of the Hungarian people's attachment to the values of the European Union, and for Hungary in Europe. Together, let us advance a more sovereign Europe, for the security of our continent, our competitiveness, and our democracy," Macron stated in his post. From Canada, the office of Prime Minister Mark Carney extended congratulations to Magyar and his Tisza Party, expressing optimism about future cooperation. The statement, posted on X, noted that Canada looks forward to working with the incoming government to strengthen bilateral ties and advance shared priorities, including economic prosperity and global security. "Prime Minister Carney congratulates Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party on their election victory in Hungary. Canada looks forward to working with the next government to strengthen bilateral ties and advance shared priorities on economic prosperity and global security," the post read. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also congratulated Magyar, while acknowledging outgoing leader Viktor Orban for his years of leadership. Meloni, in a post on X, said Italy values its strong relationship with Hungary and expressed confidence that cooperation would continue in a constructive spirit. "Congratulations on the clear electoral victory to Peter Magyar, to whom the Italian government wishes good work. I thank my friend Viktor Orban for the intense collaboration of these years, and I know that even from the opposition he will continue to serve his Nation. Italy and Hungary are nations bound by a deep bond of friendship and I am certain that we will continue to collaborate in a constructive spirit in the interest of our peoples and the common challenges at the European and international level," the post read. Magyar's victory is being widely seen as a turning point in Hungarian politics, potentially reshaping the country's domestic policies as well as its relations within the European Union. After conceding defeat in the parliamentary polls, Hungary's long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban congratulated Magyar, whose party won the election by a landslide. "Prime Minister Viktor Orban has just called to congratulate us on our victory," Magyar said in a post on X. According to Al Jazeera, with 97.35 per cent of votes counted, Peter Magyar's centre-right Tisza Party won 138 seats in the 199-member parliament, securing 53.6 per cent of the vote. In contrast, nationalist leader Viktor Orban's Fidesz obtained 55 seats with 37.8 per cent support, according Al Jazeera, citing official results. (ANI)
US President Donald Trump said that he was very disappointed with NATO, alleging that they did not help his country in its war with Iran. Trump said that the US spent trillions of dollars on guarding Europe against Russia. He said, "They're going to be coming up. But I'm very disappointed in NATO. They weren't there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO, and they weren't there for us. Now they want to come up, but there's no real threat anymore. But NATO was not there for us. We spent trillions of dollars on NATO to help it guard against Russia." Trump's disdain for the alliance stemmed even before his first term as the US President, as per Al Jazeera. It is visible from his nudge for Europe to spend more in the defence sector, and his threat to annex Greenland. Trump had called NATO's lack of support a stain on the alliance "that will never disappear," and said they were "paper tiger". Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany put it even more bluntly, later: The conflict "has become a trans-Atlantic stress test," Al Jazeera reported. However, as per Al Jazeera, Trump can't pull the US out of the alliance as per his wish. To formally do so, he needs a two-thirds majority in the US Senate or an act of Congress. But NATO still enjoys broad support among many legislators in both major American parties, so the scenario is unlikely. But there are other things Trump can do. The US has no obligation to come to the aid of allies should they come under attack. The treaty's Article 5 states members' collective-defence obligation, but it does not automatically force a military response. The US can also move the about 84,000 American troops spread across Europe out of the continent. As per the Wall Street Journal, Trump is mulling movement of US bases from countries he deems unhelpful during his war with Iran. (ANI)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed his military secretary, Major General Roman Gofman, as the next Director of the Israeli Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, Mossad, following approval from the advisory committee on senior appointments. In a post on X on Sunday, Netanyahu confirmed that he had signed off on Gofman's appointment after it was cleared by the committee chaired by retired Supreme Court President Asher Grunis. Praising Gofman's credentials, Netanyahu described him as an "outstanding officer--bold and creative," adding that he had demonstrated "impressive resourcefulness" and an ability to think outside the box, particularly during the ongoing war. "Major General Gofman has served as my military secretary for the past two years. He is an outstanding officer--bold and creative--who has demonstrated throughout the war a perspective outside the box and impressive resourcefulness. I wish Major General Gofman great success in his next role as Mossad chief, and I am confident that he will do much for Israel's security," Netanyahu stated in his post. According to a separate statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Gofman is set to assume office on July 2, 2026, for a five-year term. The appointment comes at a critical time for Israel's intelligence and security apparatus, with ongoing regional tensions and evolving security challenges. According to the Times of Israel, Roman Gofman is set to succeed outgoing David Barnea, whose five-year term as head of Mossad is due to conclude in June. Gofman is regarded as a close associate of Netanyahu, having served as his military secretary for nearly two years. In that role, he reportedly travelled on behalf of the prime minister on various assignments and helped oversee the implementation of Netanyahu's directives within the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), as reported by the Times of Israel. Born in Belarus, Gofman immigrated to Israel with his family in 1990 at the age of 14. He later rose through the ranks of the IDF Armoured Corps, eventually becoming a division commander before transitioning away from frontline combat roles. During the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, he was serving as commander of the Tzeelim training base. He reportedly rushed to the Gaza border and was seriously wounded in a firefight with militants at Sha'ar Hanegev Junction near Sderot, Times of Israel reported. Prior to becoming Netanyahu's military secretary in 2024, Gofman authored a controversial policy document recommending that Israel maintain military control over the Gaza Strip following the defeat of Hamas, a position that drew debate within policy circles. (ANI)
US President Donald Trump said that Trump said that the rescued airmen from Iran are in a good shape. He said, "They are in very good shape, and we're very proud of them." Trump had said on April 5 that the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations. He said, "WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Office Members, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is SAFE and SOUND!" https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2040644451513598220?s=20 The two crew members of the F-15E Strike Eagle, the first lost to enemy fire in the monthlong war, had both ejected from the cockpit on April 3 after Iran's military struck their plane. The jet's pilot was quickly rescued, but its weapons systems officer could not be found, setting off an urgent search with major consequences for Mr. Trump and the war that the United States and Israel launched on February 28, as per New York Times. Trump on April 6 said US authorities are actively searching for a suspected "leaker" who disclosed sensitive information about a second stranded American airman in Iran, warning of legal action against the media outlet involved. Speaking at the White House briefing, Trump said the leak had complicated an ongoing rescue effort. According to him, Iranian authorities were previously unaware of the second pilot's situation. Trump stated that US officials are attempting to identify the source of the disclosure. "We're looking very hard to find that leaker," he said. He further warned that the administration may take legal steps to compel cooperation from the media organisation that published the report. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Peter Magyar after the Tisza Party secured a decisive victory in Hungary's parliamentary elections, marking a major political shift after 16 years of rule by Fidesz. Congratulating Magyar in a post on X, the Prime Minister highlighted strong bilateral ties between India and Hungary, noting that he is looking forward to working closely with the incoming leadership to strengthen the relations between the two nations and advance the broader India-European Union strategic partnership for mutual prosperity. "Heartiest congratulations to Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party on your resounding election victory. India and Hungary are bound by deep-rooted friendship, shared values and enduring mutual respect. I look forward to working closely with you to further strengthen our bilateral cooperation and to advance the vital India-EU Strategic Partnership for the shared prosperity and well-being of our peoples," the prime minister stated in his post. Magyar's victory is being widely seen as a turning point in Hungarian politics, potentially reshaping the country's domestic policies as well as its relations within the European Union. After conceding defeat in the parliamentary polls, Hungary's long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban congratulated Magyar, whose party won the election by a landslide. "Prime Minister Viktor Orban has just called to congratulate us on our victory," Magyar said in a post on X. According to Al Jazeera, with 97.35 per cent of votes counted, Peter Magyar's centre-right Tisza Party won 138 seats in the 199-member parliament, securing 53.6 per cent of the vote. In contrast, nationalist leader Viktor Orban's Fidesz obtained 55 seats with 37.8 per cent support, according to Al Jazeera, citing official results. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also welcomed the result, calling it a victory for European values. "Today Europe wins and European values win. Congratulations to all Hungarian citizens for historic elections. Looking forward to working together, Peter Magyar, for a better future for all Europeans," Sanchez stated in a post on X. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz likewise congratulated Magyar, expressing optimism about future cooperation within Europe. "The Hungarian people have decided. My heartfelt congratulations on your electoral success, dear Peter Magyar. I am looking forward to working with you. Let's join forces for a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe," Merz stated in a post on X. The wave of international messages follows Hungary's parliamentary elections, where early results showed the Tisza Party winning a commanding mandate, signalling a dramatic shift in the country's political landscape. (ANI)
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan summoned the Ambassador of Iraq to Saudi Arabia, Safia AlSouhail on Sunday (local time). AlSouhail and Farhan talked about continued attacks and blatant threats against the nation. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ms. Safia AlSouhail, in response to the continued attacks and blatant threats against the Kingdom and brotherly Gulf states through drones launched from Iraqi territory. During the meeting, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs, Ambassador Dr. Saud Al-Sati, delivered a formal note of protest to the Iraqi Ambassador, stressing the Kingdom's strong condemnation and denunciation of the attacks originating from Iraqi territory against Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries," the statement said. https://x.com/KSAmofaEN/status/2043440019587641580?s=20 "The Deputy Minister emphasized the importance of Iraq addressing these threats and attacks with full responsibility, and reaffirmed the Kingdom's firm rejection of any violation of states' sovereignty and any attempts to undermine the region's security and stability. Ambassador Al-Saudi further stressed that the Kingdom will take all necessary measures to safeguard its security and protect its territory," the ministry added. The statement comes as the war has sent ripples across the region. As per Al Jazeera, Iran has lost part of its regional leverage, for example, when it comes to Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq. So now there is this new vantage point, a new idea about using this strait as a sort of leverage when it comes to the regional security context. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia released a statement on Sunday, saying it has restored the East-West pipeline to full capacity - around 7 million barrels of oil a day. It has also restored the Manifa oil facility on the east coast of the country, which pumps around 300,000 barrels a day, as per Al Jazeera. (ANI)
"Safeguarding the security, stability, and unimpeded passage in the Strait of Hormuz serves the common interests of the international community," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday, as reported by Xinhua.

When asked about Trump's tariff threats if China is found supplying arms aid to Iran, Guo said that tariffs have no winners.

"China's position is very clear: tariff wars have no winners," he said, as cited by Global Times.

The threats come at a critical time as Trump is anticipated to visit Beijing in mid-May for a high-stakes summit with President Xi Jinping. The diplomatic mission was initially planned for early April, but was delayed by the US President, who stated at the time that his presence was required in Washington "to oversee the Iran war."

Earlier on April 8, the Chinese government reaffirmed its commitment to regional stability following acknowledgements of its role in facilitating diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East, as reported by China Daily. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Beijing remains dedicated to fostering a peaceful resolution to ongoing tensions in the region.

The spokesperson's comments came as a direct response to international developments involving the United States and Iran. According to the report, Mao Ning addressed the media after US President Donald Trump credited Beijing with influencing the diplomatic shift, specifically noting that "China had helped bring Iran to the negotiating table."

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is scheduled to visit China to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

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In a post on X, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, "On April 14-15, FM Sergey Lavrov will pay an official visit to China & hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. They are expected to discuss a broad range of bilateral issues, along with pressing international & regional matters." (ANI)
Israel's Energy Minister Eli Cohen has called for expanding the country's military strikes on Lebanon to now include civilian infrastructure in Lebanon, arguing that the distinction between the Lebanese government and Hezbollah should no longer be maintained. He made these remarks first during an interview with Israeli journalist Ayala Hasson. Cohen stated his position, noting that current Israeli operations have largely focused on Hezbollah strongholds and specific targets, including areas such as Dahiya in Beirut. He argued that broader measures were necessary, calling for strikes on key national infrastructure, including Beirut's airport, seaports, and power stations. "I demanded to stop making the distinction between Hezbollah and the Lebanese government. We are constantly attacking Dahiya [a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut], Hezbollah, and specific targets. We need to strike the infrastructure of Lebanon itself: the Beirut airport, its port, sites, and power stations. A price must be extracted from the Lebanese government itself. This was the discussion, at least from my perspective," Cohen said. The Israeli energy minister noted that he raised these discussions during a recent meeting of the Israeli cabinet on Wednesday. Cohen reiterated his position in a post on X, stating, "We must stop distinguishing between Lebanon and Hezbollah! If the Lebanese government doesn't lift a finger to dismantle Hezbollah, it's time to target Lebanon's infrastructure as well." The remarks come amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon frontier and increasing concerns over potential escalation in the region. Earlier, Hezbollah's Islamic Resistance claimed responsibility for carrying out 43 military operations against Israeli positions and troop concentrations on Sunday, saying the strikes were in response to alleged ceasefire violations and continued Israeli military activity in Lebanon, Iranian State Media Press TV reported. According to Press TV, citing a statement from the militant group, the operations targeted Israeli military sites along the border as well as deeper inside occupied territories, including the occupied Syrian Golan Heights and northern Israel. The attacks included a drone strike on a communications facility at the Al-Alika barracks in the Golan Heights, which it said resulted in a "direct hit". The group also claimed a drone strike on an Israeli Merkava tank near a hospital in Mays al-Jabal in Lebanon. The group further said it launched coordinated drone attacks on Israeli troop gatherings in areas including Al-Bayyada, Yaroun, and Kfar Yuval, along with rocket fire targeting Kiryat Shmona, Nahariya, and the headquarters of Israel's 146th Division, as reported by Press TV. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces stated that its 98th Division has intensified operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, launching targeted ground actions in the Bint Jbeil area. According to a statement issued by the IDF on Telegram, troops from the Paratroopers, Commando, and Givati Brigades, operating under the 98th Division, have expanded ground operations aimed at dismantling Hezbollah's military infrastructure and strengthening Israel's forward defensive posture along the border. The Israeli military said that over the past week, its forces had surrounded key Hezbollah positions in the Bint Jbeil region and initiated focused ground engagements. The IDF claimed that more than 100 Hezbollah operatives were killed during the operations through a combination of close-quarters combat and aerial strikes. It also said dozens of infrastructure sites linked to the group were dismantled, and hundreds of weapons were seized, including arms allegedly stored in and around civilian locations. (ANI)
The Indian Consulate in Toronto in association with Virasat-e-Khalsa, celebrated Vaisakhi festival alongside Sikh Heritage Month. The event brought together an esteemed gathering of leaders and the Indian diaspora in a moment that spoke to the enduring bonds between India and Canada, and to the remarkable contribution of the Sikh community. In a post on X, the Consulate said, "High Commissioner Dinesh K. Patnaik, addressing the gathering, reflected on the diaspora as the living thread that weaves the two nations together. Consul General Mahaveer Singhvi underscored Vaisakhi's resonance across the world -- and of Sikh heritage whose legacy only grows with time." https://x.com/IndiainToronto/status/2043505354479218859?s=20 "The evening featured Bhangra and Gidda performances, soulful live music, and deeply moving renditions of Dhadhi Vaaran -- honouring the timeless Sikh values of courage, faith, and community," the Consulate added. Sikh Heritage Month 2026 is being celebrated in Canada with the launch of exhibition Baaghi ja Badshah, the official website of Sikh Heritage Month said. The exhibition discovers the historical phases in Sikh life in which the community has stood as both baaghi (rebels) and badshah (leaders), as they worked towards Halemi Raj, a vision of fair and ethical rule. In a similar vein, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri recounted how he had refused to remove his turban in the US during his time as Indian Ambassador. Puri reflected on Sikh culture and said that Dastar or turban is an article of faith and a symbol of pride and identity for Sikhs. https://x.com/HardeepSPuri/status/2043531845707698654?s=20 In a post on X, he said, "Dastar or turban is an article of faith & a symbol of pride & identity for us Sikhs. Greetings to the members of the Sangat on occasion of Sikh Dastar Diwas. I still remember how I had refused to remove my Dastar or let anyone touch it at an airport in the US in 2010. This eventually led to the current practice of self-pat check by Sikhs at international airports. Years later in 2021, I was deeply blessed to receive the three Holy Swaroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and perform Seva when they arrived in Delhi from Kabul." (ANI)
They discussed wide-ranging cooperation in information and broadcasting domain, including engagements between media and broadcasting institutions of the two countries. They agreed to enhance exchange visits of media delegations between the two countries to strengthen people-to-people relations and promote mutual understanding. High Commissioner proposed various capacity building initiatives for journalists and media professionals under ITEC programme of Government of India. As part of these initiatives, a special training course for women journalists from Bangladesh will soon be organised in India, Indian high commission in Dhaka said in a statement.

They also exchanged views on cooperation in films, including organization of film screening and film festivals in each other's country, as well as collaboration in production and post-production technological support.

High Commissioner reiterated India's willingness to work with the Government and people of Bangladesh to strengthen people-centric cooperation in all domains based on mutual interest and mutual benefit.

India and Bangladesh are furthering ties in several sectors.

Earlier on April 8, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri met Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday to discuss enhancing energy ties between the two nations, following the visiting dignitary's high-level talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar earlier in the day.

In a post on X, Puri noted the high-level participation from the Bangladeshi delegation during the meeting held in the national capital.

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"Pleased to receive the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, HE Dr. Khalilur Rahman. He was accompanied by HE Mr. M. Humayun Kabir, Advisor to Bangladesh PM on Foreign Affairs and HE M. Riaz Hamidullah, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India," the Union Minister stated. (ANI)
Iran's Parliament Speaker MB Ghalibaf on Monday took a "mathematical" route to portray how United States' President Donald Trump's "so-called" blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would trigger a sharper spike in oil prices. Ghalibaf warned that people will soon get "nostalgic" for the current gas prices. In a post on X, he said, "Enjoy the current pump figures. With the so-called 'blockade', Soon you'll be nostalgic for $4-$5 gas. DO_BSOH>0 = f(f(O))>f(O)" https://x.com/mb_ghalibaf/status/2043425869570416802?s=20 Here, BSOH means Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, and the formula showed that the ripple effect would mean increase in gas prices as the blockade continues. US military has said it will begin a blockade of all Iranian ports on Monday onwards after Trump announced that the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global crude supply normally passes, will be blocked by the American Navy. Meanwhile, Iranian Embassy in Sierra Leone today made a light hearted comment as Iran continues to juggle oil and water. In a post on X, it said, "You know you can't execute a blockade by posting on X, right? Like you have to actually bring your ships closer!" https://x.com/IRANinSalone/status/2043465951711056135?s=20 Earlier in the day, China called for unobstructed navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. "Safeguarding the security, stability, and unimpeded passage in the Strait of Hormuz serves the common interests of the international community," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday, as reported by Xinhua. When asked about Trump's tariff threats if China is found supplying arms aid to Iran, Guo said that tariffs have no winners. "China's position is very clear: tariff wars have no winners," he said, as cited by Global Times. The threats come at a critical time as Trump is anticipated to visit Beijing in mid-May for a high-stakes summit with President Xi Jinping. The diplomatic mission was initially planned for early April, but was delayed by the US President, who stated at the time that his presence was required in Washington "to oversee the Iran war. "Earlier on April 8, the Chinese government reaffirmed its commitment to regional stability following acknowledgements of its role in facilitating diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East, as reported by China Daily. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that Beijing remains dedicated to fostering a peaceful resolution to ongoing tensions in the region. (ANI)
For nearly two weeks, large-scale protests were held in Chilas, where demonstrators blocked the Karakoram Highway, a key transport and trade route. The agitation highlighted growing discontent among communities displaced or affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project.

Protesters alleged that despite repeated assurances, issues related to compensation, land settlement, and employment opportunities remained unresolved.

Addressing the gathering, Maulana Hazratullah, leader of the Haqooq Do Dam Banao Movement, called on authorities to clarify their stance. He said that if the government intended to proceed with the dam, it must grant the affected population their due rights, failing which authorities should withdraw from the region.

The blockade significantly disrupted passenger movement and trade, increasing pressure on the administration to engage with protest leaders. Following overnight negotiations with district officials, an agreement was reached between the two sides.

According to protest leaders, the administration has agreed to resolve multiple pending issues within a set timeframe. Maulana Hazratullah stated that key demands were acknowledged and assigned deadlines during the negotiations, which concluded early in the morning.

The ongoing protests in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) are fuelled by longstanding concerns over inadequate compensation, the absence of resettlement, and insufficient support for livelihoods.

These unresolved issues have left many communities in the region vulnerable and discontented.

Protesters are determined in their demands, insisting they will not relent until fair compensation is provided and accountability is upheld. The people of PoGB often face significant neglect in crucial areas, worsening their marginalisation. (ANI)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is confronting the most competitive first-round scenario of his electoral career, according to a latest Datafolha survey reported by Folha de S.Paulo. The poll places Lula at 39 per cent of voting intentions, just four points ahead of Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who stands at 35 per cent, reflecting a sharply polarized and tightly contested race ahead of the 2026 presidential election. Conducted between April 7 and 9 across 137 cities with 2,004 respondents, the survey carries a margin of error of two percentage points, underscoring the statistical fragility of Lula's lead. Compared to his earlier victories in 2002, 2006, and even 2022, the current figures reveal a significant erosion in his electoral advantage, as per the report of Brasil 247. Political analysts attribute this shift to a more fragmented electorate and heightened polarization. Experts note that while Lula previously capitalised on strong public sentiment--ranging from a desire for change in 2002 to anti-incumbency in 2022--he now faces a more consolidated opposition base. The absence of a defining flagship programme akin to "Zero Hunger" has also limited his broader appeal. High rejection rates further complicate the race. Lula's rejection stands at 48 per cent, closely matched by Bolsonaro's 46 per cent, leaving little room for either candidate to secure a decisive lead. Meanwhile, relatively lower rejection rates for regional leaders such as Romeu Zema and Ronaldo Caiado indicate potential alternatives, though their national reach remains limited. Experts also highlight the decisive role of undecided voters and the likelihood of strategic voting in a polarized environment. With economic performance, governance perception, and campaign dynamics still evolving, the election remains highly unpredictable. Despite retaining a narrow lead, Lula enters the pre-campaign phase facing a more challenging and uncertain political landscape than in any of his previous successful bids, signalling an intensely fought contest ahead. (ANI)
The Baloch National Movement (BNM) has intensified its global campaign highlighting alleged human rights violations and anti-Baloch policies by Pakistan in Balochistan, with its United States chapter conducting an outreach initiative to raise awareness. According to a statement shared by BNM on X, activists in the US distributed informational leaflets in public spaces, aiming to draw attention to what the group describes as ongoing injustices faced by people in Balochistan. The campaign seeks to inform the international community about alleged enforced disappearances, targeted violence, and collective punishment carried out against the Baloch population. The organisation claimed that, despite being in the 21st century, such actions continue in full view of the global community. It is alleged that Pakistan maintains control over Balochistan through systematic measures, including violence against civilians and suppression of dissent. BNM further alleged that individuals from various sections of society, including intellectuals, professionals, students, and civilians, have been subjected to violence. It also raised concerns over enforced disappearances, claiming that thousands of Baloch individuals are being held in undisclosed detention facilities. The group highlighted specific cases, including the reported abduction of family members of BNM Chairman Mohammad Bakhsh Sajidi Baloch in February 2026. It also referred to earlier incidents, such as the alleged disappearance of a young girl from a hospital in Quetta in 2025 and the killing of a journalist in Awaran district. Additionally, BNM alleged that members of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), described as peaceful human rights advocates, have been detained without due legal process, including a lack of access to legal counsel. The organisation also claimed that displacement has taken place in coastal and resource-rich regions of Balochistan, with military operations allegedly aimed at controlling natural resources. It asserted that such actions have led to widespread displacement and casualties over the years. As part of its awareness campaign, BNM activists conducted outreach activities across multiple locations in the United States, including Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, with events in Boston, Cambridge, Harvard University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as well as in Virginia, including Richmond and nearby areas such as Woodbridge, Lorton, and Alexandria. According to BNM, the campaign aims to engage public opinion in one of the world's leading democracies and draw attention to what it calls long-standing grievances and alleged human rights concerns in Balochistan. (ANI)
Pope Leo XIV on Monday underscored his commitment to spiritual advocacy over political friction, stating that he has no desire to engage in a confrontation with the US administration. When questioned by reporters during his flight to Algeria, the Pontiff remarked, "I think that the people who read will be able to draw their own conclusions: I am not a politician, I have no intention of entering into a debate with Donald Trump." He further asserted his resolve to focus on global harmony, adding, "Rather, let us always seek peace and put an end to wars. I am not afraid of the Trump administration." The Pope maintained that his message remains grounded in faith rather than statecraft. "I speak about the Gospel; I am not a politician. I do not think the message of the Gospel should be abused in the way some people are doing," he said. Emphasising his role as a global advocate, he stated, "I will continue to speak out loudly against war, to try to promote peace and multilateral dialogue between states in order to seek the right solution to problems." Reiterating the Church's stance, he noted, "The message of the Church is the message of the Gospel: blessed are the peacemakers. I do not see my role as that of a politician; I do not want to enter into a debate with him. Too many people are suffering in the world." The Pope described his journey to Africa as "truly a blessing for me personally, but I believe also for the Church and for the world." He noted the necessity of the mission, stating, "because we must always seek bridges to build peace and reconciliation." Highlighting the historical significance of the visit, Leo XIV spoke of St. Augustine, a native of modern-day Algeria, who he believes "serves as a vital bridge in interreligious dialogue and is deeply loved in his homeland, as we shall see." The Pope, who famously identified himself as "a son of St. Augustine" upon his election last May, is the first Pontiff to visit the saint's homeland. Characterising the 10-day African tour as "a precious opportunity to continue with the same voice and the same message," the Pope reaffirmed his objective to "promote peace, reconciliation, and respect and consideration for all peoples." The visit to Algeria marks the initial phase of his third international apostolic journey. In a nation where the Catholic community comprises only a few thousand individuals within a population of 48 million Muslims, the mission is expected to focus on the themes of fraternity and interfaith encounter. These calls for peace from the papal plane stand in sharp contrast to the domestic political climate in the United States. On Sunday (local time), the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) criticised President Donald Trump for his recent social media remarks targeting the Pope, asserting that the Pontiff is "not his rival" and should not be viewed through a political lens. In a statement, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, expressed dismay over the President's comments, describing them as inappropriate and divisive. He emphasised that the Holy Father is the "Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel." This ecclesiastical defence follows a series of escalating tensions triggered by a Truth Social post from the US President. Trump sharply criticised Pope Leo XIV over his stances on American foreign policy, specifically the Pontiff's recent calls for dialogue regarding the conflict with Iran. In a lengthy and provocative post, the President claimed that without his presence in the White House, the Pope would never have been appointed. He further accused the Pontiff of being "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy," alleging that the Vatican was soft on issues such as nuclear proliferation and US military actions in Venezuela. Trump also drew personal comparisons, stating he preferred the Pope's brother, Louis, for being "all MAGA," while alleging that Leo XIV's appointment was a tactical move by the Church to "deal with" his administration. He urged the Pontiff to "stop catering to the Radical Left" and focus on his religious duties rather than international politics. Despite this significant escalation in rhetoric from Washington, the first American-born Pope remains focused on his 10-day tour, continuing to advocate for diplomacy and humanitarian considerations over military intervention. (ANI)
Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has filed a formal protest after the head of Brazil's Commercial Office in Taipei stated in an interview that Taiwan is part of China, according to a report by the Taipei Times. Office Director Luis Claudio Villafane Gomes Santos, speaking to an online outlet in an interview published yesterday, said that Taiwan belongs to China and that Brazil does not recognise Taiwan as an independent state. The ministry expressed strong dissatisfaction with what it described as "false and inappropriate" remarks, adding that it had already communicated its firm protest and concerns to Santos, as cited in the Taipei Times report. The ministry noted that, under international law, diplomatic representatives are required to avoid interfering in the internal affairs of their host country. During the interview, Santos reiterated that Taiwan is part of China and that Brazil, like most countries, does not recognise Taiwan as an independent nation. He also stated that even the chairman of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) in Taiwan shares this perspective. MOFA said it had formally protested with Santos earlier the same morning. The Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent country and is not subordinate to the People's Republic of China, the ministry said. It added that this is a widely acknowledged fact and an objective reality, while strongly condemning Santos' remarks as false and inappropriate, the Taipei Times report noted. China's claim over Taiwan is a complex issue rooted in historical, political, and legal arguments. Beijing asserts that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China, a viewpoint embedded in national policy and upheld by domestic laws and international statements. Taiwan, however, maintains a distinct identity, functioning independently with its own government, military, and economy. Taiwan's status remains a significant point of international debate, testing the principles of sovereignty, self-determination, and non-interference in international law, as per the United Service Institution of India. China's claim to Taiwan originates from the Qing Dynasty's annexation of the island in 1683 after defeating Ming loyalist Koxinga. However, Taiwan remained a peripheral region under limited Qing control. The key shift came in 1895, when the Qing ceded Taiwan to Japan after the First Sino-Japanese War, marking Taiwan as a Japanese colony for 50 years. After Japan's defeat in World War II, Taiwan was returned to Chinese control, but the sovereignty transfer was not formalised. In 1949, the Chinese Civil War resulted in the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland, while the Republic of China (ROC) retreated to Taiwan, asserting its claim to govern all of China. This led to dual sovereignty claims, with the PRC over the mainland and the ROC over Taiwan. (ANI)
Sharing the details of the meeting in a post on X, the Indian Embassy in France said, "Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri called on the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs H.E. @jnbarrot. Discussions covered key areas of bilateral cooperation, ongoing global challenges including the situation in West Asia."

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Earlier during his visit to France, the Foreign Secretary also visited the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in Paris and saw the exhibition "L'Art de L'Inde: Aujourd'hui," which showcases 80 artworks by 40 Indian artists and highlights India's living artistic traditions.

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Misri is in Paris for the India-France Foreign Office consultations.

His visit follows French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India earlier in February and reflects the continued regular high-level exchanges between India and Europe.

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Misri's visit to France comes shortly after he was in the United States where he met key leaders and held discussions on further deepening India-US cooperation across the varied dimensions of the relationship.

Misri held talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg expressed pleasure over his meeting with Misri, highlighting discussions on trade, energy cooperation and advancing pro-innovation policies in artificial intelligence.

During his three-day visit to Washington, he also had a "productive" meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is scheduled to visit India next month.

The Foreign Secretary's itinerary included significant talks at the Pentagon with Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby. (ANI)
With the US military naval blockade against Iran officially commenced following the expiry of the deadline established by US President Donald Trump, mediators continue talks with the US and Iran to bridge gaps and reach a deal to end the war, Axios reported, citing a regional source and a US official. As per the report by Axios, Pakistani, Egyptian and Turkish mediators will continue talks with the U.S. and Iran in the coming days. The report noted that all parties still believe a deal is possible and the mediators hope that bridging the divide could enable another round of negotiations before the ceasefire expires on April 21. According to Axios, US President Trump is considering resuming strikes if a U.S. naval blockade doesn't make Iran change course, sources said. It mentioned that the targets could include infrastructure Trump threatened to attack before the ceasefire was announced. Citing a US official, Axios said that the blockade, like the U.S. decision to walk away from the talks in Pakistan, is part of the ongoing negotiations. The official claimed Trump wants to prevent Iran from using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in the ceasefire negotiations. "We are not in a complete deadlock. The door is not closed yet. Both sides are bargaining. It's a bazaar," the regional source said according to Axios. Meanwhile, the US President confirmed that the Naval Blockade of the Hormuz Strait has begun. "Iran's Navy is laying at the bottom of the sea, completely obliterated - 158 ships. What we have not hit are their small number of, what they call, "fast attack ships," because we did not consider them much of a threat. Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal. P.S. 98.2% of Drugs coming into the U.S. by Ocean or Sea have STOPPED! Thank you for your attention to this matter," he said in a post on X. The enforcement of the blockade at Iranian ports was also confirmed by the UK Maritime Organisation. (ANI) (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held a telephonic conversation with Kuwait's Foreign Minister Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. The two leaders discussed the latest developments in West Asia. Sharing details in a post on X, EAM said that the conversation also focused on the well-being of the Indian community. "A good conversation with FM Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah of Kuwait. It focused on the regional situation and the well being of the Indian community", he wrote on X. https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/2043664360934166679?s=20 In a statement by Kuwait's foreign ministry, it was noted that the conversation between the leaders revolved around the "latest developments in regional events and the efforts being made regarding them were discussed." https://x.com/MOFAKuwait/status/2043661422052196653?s=20 Jaishankar was earlier in the UAE, where his visit saw further deepening of ties and discussions on the broader geopolitical changes impacting the region. He told ANI, "We've had a very intense conflict in this region. Obviously, India has very major stakes and a big interest in the stability and security of this region. I'm very pleased to have an opportunity to come here, sit down directly, express our interests, and, incidentally, also share the feedback of the Indian community." Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot during his visit to Paris. The two leaders discussed, among other issues, the situation in West Asia. The talks come amid the backdrop of the latest developments in West Asia and the Gulf region. Since the deadlock in the US-Iran peace talks, UKMTO announced that maritime access restrictions are being enforced, affecting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including locations along the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz. This comes after the US said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports on Monday onwards after Trump announced the naval blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global crude supply normally passes. (ANI)
In a post on X, the External Affairs Minister highlighted the positive nature of the exchange while noting the primary focus of the dialogue.

"Always nice to speak to FM @VivianBala of Singapore. Our discussions were about the conflict in West Asia and its implications," Jaishankar stated.

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Expanding on this diplomatic outreach, Jaishankar also held a separate telephonic conversation with Kuwait's Foreign Minister Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

These discussions specifically addressed the latest developments in West Asia, with the External Affairs Minister sharing on X that the dialogue also focused on the well-being of the Indian community.

"A good conversation with FM Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah of Kuwait. It focused on the regional situation and the well being of the Indian community," he wrote.

Complementing this account, Kuwait's foreign ministry issued a statement noting that the exchange between the leaders revolved around the "latest developments in regional events and the efforts being made regarding them."

These high-level talks occur against a volatile backdrop in the Gulf region.

Following a deadlock in US-Iran peace talks, the UKMTO announced that maritime access restrictions are now being enforced.

These measures affect Iranian ports and coastal areas, spanning the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz.

The urgency of these diplomatic engagements is underscored by the commencement of a US-led blockade of all Iranian ports.

This follows President Trump's announcement of a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime artery through which a fifth of the world's global crude supply typically passes. (ANI)
As the security situation evolves in West Asia, the Israeli Defence Forces said on Monday that they intercepted over 10 aircraft launches from Lebanon. This comes as the IDF shared earlier in the day that over 250 Hezbollah commanders were eliminated in strikes across Lebanon. In a post on X the IDF shared visuals of aircraft interception and said that it would continue to safeguard Israeli civilians while degrading Hezbollah's capabilities. "WATCH: 10+ hostile aircraft launched from Lebanon to Israel were intercepted by the IAF. We will continue to remove the threats posed to the civilians of Israel, while further degrading Hezbollah's capabilities." https://x.com/IDF/status/2043694190148694408?s=20 In another post on X, the IDF said that Hezbollah commanders were eliminated across Beirut, the Beqaa and southern Lebanon, during the largest strike conducted in Lebanon. Among those eliminated were, "Hassan Mustafa Nasser - Responsible for smuggling and storing weapons in Lebanon. Ali Qassem, Abu Ali Abbas, and Ali Hijazi Responsible for gathering the intelligence assessment on Israel, including the development of a target bank for strikes and the collection of intelligence. Abu Muhammad Habib - Throughout the war, and particularly during Operation Northern Arrows, he was involved in launching missiles toward Israel." https://x.com/IDF/status/2043687789342896432?s=20 The developments come as IDF intensified its operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, expanding targeted ground actions in the Bint Jbeil area. In a statement shared on Telegram on Monday, the IDF said troops from its 98th Division, including soldiers from the Paratroopers, Commando, and Givati Brigades, have surrounded Hezbollah military infrastructure and initiated focused ground operations to strengthen Israel's forward defence posture along the border. According to the IDF, over the past week, its forces have carried out a series of operations targeting Hezbollah positions in the region and claimed that more than 100 Hezbollah operatives were killed through a combination of close-quarters combat and aerial strikes, while dozens of infrastructure sites were dismantled. "Over the past week, troops from the 98th Division have surrounded Hezbollah military infrastructure and begun targeted ground operations in the Bint Jbeil area. The troops struck and eliminated more than 100 Hezbollah terrorist operatives, both in close-quarters combat and through aerial strikes, dismantled dozens of terrorist infrastructure sites, and located hundreds of weapons in the area," the statement read. It also said that hundreds of weapons were recovered, including arms allegedly stored in and around civilian infrastructure. As part of the ongoing operations, IDF troops reportedly uncovered and dismantled an underground tunnel used by Hezbollah for planning and carrying out attacks against Israeli forces. The military said the tunnel was neutralised following searches and operational inspections. Reaffirming its stance, the IDF said it would continue operations against Hezbollah to protect Israeli civilians and prevent further attacks. This come amid ongoing cross-border hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, with rising tensions along the Israel-Lebanon frontier and increasing concerns over potential escalation in the region. (ANI)
In a move that has ignited significant controversy, US President Donald Trump has removed an AI-generated depiction of himself as Jesus Christ from his social media platform, Truth Social. The controversial image, which was shared without any accompanying text, has since been deleted from the President's official profile. The post, which appeared on Sunday night, featured the President in a traditional white robe and red sash. The digital artwork portrayed him performing a healing on a man, surrounded by a group of observers that included a soldier and a medical nurse. The background of the composition was filled with dense patriotic and religious symbolism, featuring an eagle soaring before the US flag. The imagery further depicted soldiers appearing to ascend toward a celestial light, flanked by another eagle and military fighter jets. The publication of the image sparked immediate outrage across various social media platforms. Despite the significant reaction and the subsequent removal of the post, no formal explanation has been provided on the President's account regarding why the image was taken down. The digitally created scene, which largely symbolises the biblical miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead, follows a significant escalation in the President's criticism of the Catholic Church and the Holy See. This move came shortly after Trump launched an all-out attack on Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff. In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that had he not been elected US President, Pope Leo would not have been appointed following the demise of Pope Francis. He accused the pontiff of being "weak on crime" and "terrible for foreign policy," specifically targeting the Pope's calls for peace and dialogue regarding ongoing tensions with Iran. "Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy. He talks about 'fear' of the Trump Administration, but doesn't mention the FEAR that the Catholic Church, and all other Christian Organizations, had during COVID," the post read. Trump further alleged that the Pope was soft on Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and US military actions in Venezuela. Defending his own administration's record-low crime numbers and economic performance, the President urged the pontiff to "focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician." He added that he preferred the Pope's brother, Louis, stating, "Louis is all MAGA. He gets it, and Leo doesn't!" The President intensified these remarks while speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, asserting, "I don't think he's doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess... I am not a fan of Pope Leo." This public offensive marks a historic strain in the relationship between the White House and the Vatican, as Pope Leo XIV continues to voice concerns over US military interventions and humanitarian issues abroad. Responding to these provocations on Monday, Pope Leo XIV underscored his commitment to spiritual advocacy over political friction, stating that he has no desire to engage in a confrontation with the US administration. When questioned by reporters during his flight to Algeria, the Pontiff remarked, "I think that the people who read will be able to draw their own conclusions: I am not a politician, I have no intention of entering into a debate with Donald Trump." He further asserted his resolve to focus on global harmony, adding, "Rather, let us always seek peace and put an end to wars. I am not afraid of the Trump administration." The Pope maintained that his message remains grounded in faith rather than statecraft, warning that the Gospel should not be "abused" for political ends. Emphasising his role as a global advocate, he vowed to continue speaking out against war and promoting multilateral dialogue. This message of reconciliation is central to his 10-day journey to North Africa, a mission he described as "truly a blessing" and a vital opportunity to build bridges. Highlighting the historical significance of the visit, Leo XIV spoke of St. Augustine, a native of modern-day Algeria, who he believes serves as a vital link in interreligious dialogue. The Pope, who identified himself as "a son of St. Augustine" upon his election last May, is the first Pontiff to visit the saint's homeland. This initial phase of his third international apostolic journey will focus on fraternity in a nation where the Catholic community is a small minority. However, these calls for peace stand in sharp contrast to the domestic political climate in the United States, where the religious community has begun to push back. On Sunday, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) criticised President Trump's remarks, with Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, describing the comments as inappropriate and divisive. He emphasised that the Holy Father is the "Vicar of Christ" and should not be viewed as a political rival. Despite the escalating rhetoric from Washington, including Trump's claims that the Pope's appointment was a tactical move to "deal with" his administration, the first American-born Pope remains focused on his diplomatic mission. As the White House urges him to "stop catering to the Radical Left," Leo XIV continues to prioritise humanitarian considerations and the promotion of "peace, reconciliation, and respect" for all peoples. (ANI)
According to BNP insiders, it is believed that the aim of this visit is to hold discussions with the Chinese Communist Party and, through high-level talks with the government, to "further strengthen bilateral relations."

This mission represents the most significant political outreach to Beijing since the BNP assumed power in February 2026.

Bangladesh typically maintains a balanced relationship with its powerful neighbouring countries and, in that regard, keeps a balance between India and China.

The departure of this major political delegation follows the recent return of Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman from an official visit to India.

The details of the mission were outlined in a letter sent by Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir to the Chinese Ambassador in Dhaka, Yao Wen.

According to a copy of the delegation list obtained by ANI, the group includes prominent figures such as Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, MP, Minister of LGRD and Co-operatives; Md. Ismail Zabihullah, Adviser to the Prime Minister, and AVM Altaf Hossain Choudhury, MP and former Minister.

The delegation also features several BNP Vice-Chairmen, Joint Secretaries, and Members of Parliament, alongside representatives from human rights and cultural wings, including Sanjida Tuly, Convener of the "Mayer Dak Human Rights Organisation."

Furthering this diplomatic engagement, Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is slated to visit China at the end of April for a three-day stay.

During the visit, he is set to hold important discussions with China's Foreign Minister and other senior leaders in Beijing. (ANI)
The details were shared by the Indian Embassy in France in a post on X.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri co-chaired the India-France Foreign Office Consultations with Secretary General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Martin Briens.

The discussions revolved around areas including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital cooperation, AI, innovation, and initiatives to strengthen people-to-people and cultural ties, the Indian Embassy said.

It also noted that the latest global and regional developments were also discussed.

https://x.com/IndiaembFrance/status/2043697984836100380?s=20

Earlier today, Foreign Secretary Misri also called on French Foreign Minister Jean-Nol Barrot during his visit to Paris.

"Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri called on the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs H.E. @jnbarrot. Discussions covered key areas of bilateral cooperation, ongoing global challenges including the situation in West Asia", the Indian Embassy said.

https://x.com/IndiaembFrance/status/2043667554753765725?s=20

Earlier, Misri also visited the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in Paris and saw the exhibition "L'Art de L'Inde: Aujourd'hui," which showcases 80 artworks by 40 Indian artists and highlights India's living artistic traditions.

https://x.com/IndiaembFrance/status/2043429576869900782?s=20

His visit follows French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India earlier in February and reflects the continued regular high-level exchanges between India and Europe.

https://x.com/IndiaembFrance/status/2043272509093462446?s=20

The Foreign Secretary was previously in the United States where he met key leaders and held discussions on further deepening India-US cooperation across the varied dimensions of the relationship.

Misri held talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg expressed pleasure over his meeting with Misri, highlighting discussions on trade, energy cooperation and advancing pro-innovation policies in artificial intelligence.

During his three-day visit to Washington, he also had a "productive" meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is scheduled to visit India next month.

The Foreign Secretary's itinerary included significant talks at the Pentagon with Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby. (ANI)
TOKYO, Apr 13 (News On Japan) - A man in his 40s was rearrested on suspicion of a hit-and-run on April 13th after allegedly fleeing on foot following a multi-vehicle collision involving a Bentley in Hachioji, Tokyo, leaving six people with minor injuries.

The incident occurred on March 23rd on a national highway in Hachioji, where a luxury Bentley rear-ended a series of seven vehicles stopped at an intersection, injuring six men and women in their 30s to 50s.

The driver of the Bentley fled the scene on foot immediately after the crash.

Approximately four and a half hours later, the man in his 40s was arrested at the scene on suspicion of trespassing after entering the yard of a nearby residence.

Following an investigation that included analysis of security camera footage, the Metropolitan Police Department identified the man as the driver of the Bentley and rearrested him on April 13th on suspicion of a hit-and-run.

Police said they will also examine whether the suspect is criminally responsible for his actions.

Source: TBS
OITA, Apr 13 (News On Japan) - A 58-year-old man arrested on suspicion of abandoning a body in a mountainous area of Bungoono, Oita Prefecture, has told investigators he met a missing teenage girl through the internet and had seen her in person, as police intensify efforts to identify the body and determine whether it is linked to the disappearance.

The suspect, Tadahumi Himeno, 58, of Motomachi in Oita City, was arrested and sent to prosecutors on suspicion of abandoning a body in the mountains of Bungoono around early March. Police continued searching his apartment for a second consecutive day on April 13th following an initial search on April 12th.

The case began after a teenage girl in Oita Prefecture went missing last month, with investigators now treating the incident as potentially linked to the discovered body. According to investigative sources, Himeno has made statements implying he may have killed the girl.

Investigators also revealed that Himeno told police he had become acquainted with the missing girl online and had met her in person, suggesting a possible connection between the two prior to her disappearance.

Based on his earlier statements, police searched a mountainous area in Bungoono on April 12th and found a body of unknown gender, which they believe Himeno transported to the site by car.

Authorities are working to confirm the identity of the body through forensic analysis, including an autopsy, while continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case.

Source: FNN
Authorities in Libya have renewed efforts to strengthen safeguards against financial crime, as the National Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing convened its first meeting of 2026 in Tripoli last week.

The meeting, chaired by Central Bank Governor Naji Mohammed Issa, brought together representatives from government, judicial, security and regulatory institutions to assess progress in implementing the national strategy.

Participants reviewed preparations for an upcoming mutual evaluation process, while raising concerns over the continued absence of a draft law on combating money laundering and terrorist financing. Officials warned that the lack of a comprehensive legislative framework aligned with international standards could expose the country to significant financial and economic risks. The absence of a legal framework compliant with international recommendations carries potentially serious repercussions for the financial system, the committee noted.

Despite these challenges, the committee said it is advancing measures to reinforce preventive controls and safeguard the integrity of the financial system, in line with broader reform efforts led by the Central Bank.

Several decisions were adopted at the meeting, signalling what officials describe as a coordinated push to align Libyas financial oversight regime with global compliance standards.
The World Bank has approved a $500 million financial package for Moroccos jobs creation and green growth development to enhance the Kingdoms efforts engaged for a more inclusive & resilient economy at an international juncture marked by geopolitical tensions and disruptions to energy supplies.

In a press release, the WB says this financing supports Moroccos commitment to expand employment opportunities through improved labour market policies, and back more dynamic firms, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) investment in clean energy, energy efficiency, and export-oriented pharmaceutical industries.

It aims to create more opportunities for youth and women by expanding active labour market programs, reaching over 330,000 job seekers by 2029, and better aligning education and training systems with the private sectors needs.

It will also support female labour force participation by boosting the availability of licensed childcare, adding over 40,000 new places and creating 1,200 direct jobs for women in the sector.

The WB funding will support Moroccos measures to improve the business environment as part of a broader effort to build a more inclusive and resilient economy. Morocco is making efforts to alleviate financial distress and strengthen credit guarantee mechanisms for SMEs through Regional Investment Centers.

As Morocco works to expand its renewable energy sector, this financing will prop up the growth of energy efficiency services and positions Moroccos pharmaceutical industry to expand its presence in international markets, with export targets growing nearly sevenfold by 2029.
Malis decision to withdraw its recognition of the self-declared separatist entity SADR and to support autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty in the Sahara under represents a major diplomatic development in the Sahel, carrying regional, historical and geopolitical significance.

The announcement was made on April 10 by Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop during an official visit by his Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, to Bamako.

With this move, Mali completes the alignment of its Sahel alliance (AES), Burkina Faso, in favour of Moroccos territorial integrity.

Malian authorities stated that the decision was taken in conformity with international legality, notably United Nations Security Council resolutions that identify autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty as the basis for a political solution.

Mali also indicated it would formally notify international and regional organisations of its withdrawal of recognition of the SADR, as well as inform diplomatic missions accredited in Bamako.

A Broader International and Regional Shift

Malis decision is part of a pro-Moroccan momentum that saw over recent years dozens of countries withdraw recognition of the SADR.

Meanwhile, major international powers, including the United States and France, have straightforwardly backed Moroccos sovereignty over the territory while former colonial power together with most of the EU in addition to the UK consider the autonomy plan as the most feasible solution.

Malis ally Russia has a fisheries deal with Morocco covering the Sahara waters.

At least 28 countries have reinforced this position by opening consulates in Laayoune and Dakhla, Moroccos two main cities in the Sahara, and by committing economic investments in the region.

Within this context, Malis move is seen as strengthening Moroccos diplomatic momentum in Africa while reinforcing cohesion within the AES at a time of strained relations between Sahelian states and Algeria.

Deep pre-colonial and religious ties

Beyond current diplomacy, Malis new found relationship with Morocco reflect longstanding historical ties between the two countries. Bilateral relations date back to precolonial times, when transSaharan trade routes connected Marrakech, Sijilmassa and Timbuktu, facilitating the movement of gold, salt, scholars and religious teachings.

There was a time when Timbuktu, Malis historical depth, pledged allegiance to Moroccan kings.

These exchanges fostered enduring religious links, particularly through Islamic scholarship and Sufi traditions. Moroccan religious influence played a key role in the development of Islamic learning in Malis historic centres, leaving a legacy that continues to shape bilateral relations today.

Economic Presence in Mali

Morocco has also built a significant economic presence in Mali. Moroccan banks operate widely in the Malian financial sector, while Moroccan firms are active in construction, telecommunications, insurance, fertilisers and infrastructure development.

Ties were cemented by a Royal visit by King Mohammed VI to Mali in 2014, which resulted in multiple cooperation agreements covering economic development, religious training, security and education, consolidating a strategic partnership between Rabat and Bamako.

Malis stance on the Sahara also aligns with its support for Moroccos Atlantic Initiative, which aims to provide landlocked Sahelian countries with access to Atlantic trade routes through Moroccan ports and logistics corridors. Malian officials view the initiative as offering practical economic benefits and helping reduce Malis isolation following disruptions to traditional trade routes.

For Morocco, Malis support is being presented as a major diplomatic success, reinforcing the international trend towards recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the Sahara and underlining Rabats growing influence in the Sahel region.
Libya and Sudan have reaffirmed on April 12 their commitment to advancing Africas economic architecture, with renewed efforts to operationalize the African Investment Bank positioned at the centre of their engagement.

Acting Libyan Foreign Minister Taher Al-Baour held talks in Tripoli with Sudans Foreign Minister Mohi El-Din Salem, focusing on regional developments and the strategic imperative of strengthening economic cooperation amid ongoing political and security challenges across parts of the continent.

At the heart of the discussions was Libyas drive to activate the African Investment Bank, a flagship continental institution it is set to host. The Libyan delegation underscored the banks potential as a catalytic financing vehicle to accelerate development projects and deepen African economic integration.

Al-Baour reiterated Tripolis commitment to bringing the initiative to fruition, framing it as a cornerstone for sustainable growth and a lever for unlocking cross-border investment flows. The Sudanese side welcomed the progress, noting that such institutional frameworks are vital for reinforcing collective economic resilience and stability across Africa.

Beyond the bank, both sides explored avenues to enhance bilateral coordination, particularly in economic and development spheres, while aligning on broader regional stability initiatives. The dialogue also reflected a shared intent to revitalize longstanding ties between Libya and Sudan through structured cooperation and policy synchronization.

The meeting concluded with a mutual pledge to sustain high-level consultations and translate diplomatic goodwill into tangible outcomes that advance both national interests and continental prosperity.
Libya has reached a significant milestone in its post-conflict recovery, with rival political institutions agreeing to adopt a unified state budget for the first time in over 13 years.

Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Naji Issa, announced over the week-end that the eastern-based House of Representatives and the Tripoli-based High Council of State had agreed to harmonize public spending through a single national budget framework.

The Central Bank described the deal as a unified development agreement, incorporating all four categories of state expenditure and grounded in the countrys actual financial capacity. The framework is expected to promote fiscal sustainability and ensure more balanced development across Libyas regions.

The unified budget is estimated at nearly 190 billion Libyan dinars (approximately $30 billion), according to Reuters. The agreement marks the first consensus on national spending since Libyas political fragmentation following the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi, which left the country divided between rival administrations in the east and west.

Presidential elections are scheduled for this April 2026, raising cautious optimism that the budget accord could support broader political stabilization.
Morocco arrived at the 14th edition of the Marche des Arts du Spectacle Africain (MASA) in Abidjan not merely as a participating nation but as guest of honor  and it made every minute of that distinction count. The biennial showcase, held in Abidjan under the theme performing arts as a tool of economic and social integration, opened on Saturday 12 April with a Moroccan presence carefully calibrated to project cultural depth, commercial seriousness and diplomatic intent in equal measure.

The Moroccan delegation included officials from the Ministry of Culture, who took their place at the opening ceremony, alongside the Ivorian Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. The audience was treated to a performance by the Aissaouia troupe under maestro Haj Said Berrada  a taste of what will unfold across the full MASA program running until April 18. The broader Moroccan artistic line-up features the Gnaoua troupe of Maalem Hassan Boussou and Ribab Fusion, a group whose electric reworkings of traditional Amazigh string music have built a significant following on the continental circuit.

Alongside the performances, Morocco set up a Tresors du Maroc exhibition stand, presenting the caftan designs of stylist Kaoutar Youssefi alongside Saharan leather crafts, Zellige tilework, traditional cuisine and calligraphy. The scenography was deliberate: by placing the leather goods of Moroccos southern provinces at the center of a professional arts market, the delegation wove the Kingdoms territorial narrative into a cultural and commercial package that speaks directly to the visitors, producers and international diffusers who constitute MASAs professional audience.

Youth and Culture Minister Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, addressing the ceremony remotely, framed the invitation as more than protocol. He recalled the longstanding friendship between Morocco and Cote dIvoire  one sustained by the impulsion of King Mohammed VI and President Alassane Ouattara  and signaled that the two countries cultural ministries are working toward deeper collaboration on cultural industries, with a focus on the sectors measurable economic dimensions.

The signal Morocco is sending at MASA 2026 is legible to the continent. In a professional market attended by 99 artists and groups from 51 countries, 39 of whom are selected for the festival program, occupying the guest-of-honor position with a dense, cohesive and commercially oriented presence is a statement about how Rabat now conceives its African cultural policy: not as aid or folklore, but as a mature export industry and a vehicle for structured partnerships that outlast the festival itself.
Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan inaugurated Monday, at the order of King Mohammed VI, the Mohammed VI Tower, a new architectural icon and emblem of modernity symbolizing the advent and influence of Rabat- Sale twin cities, under the Monarchs impetus.

On this occasion, the Crown Prince toured the various components of the Tower, located on the right bank of the Bouregreg river, notably the main lobby, where he was briefed on this outstanding structure and examined samples of the Moroccan artisanal materials used in its construction, the area designed to host conferences, as well as the library.

Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan also visited a model apartment, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, as well as the Rabat and Sale Heritage Observatory located atop the Tower, offering an exceptional view of Rabat and Sale where city walls, kasbahs and ancient gates tell the story of the twin cities rich past.

Rising to a height of 250 meters (55 stories), the new Towerwhich now redefines Rabats skylinecombines advanced engineering with elegant design, while meeting the most stringent environmental standards.

It is fully aligned with the objectives of the Bouregreg Valley development project, among the main components of the integrated development program for Rabat, City of Light, Moroccan Capital of Culture, initiated under the leadership of the King.

Developed by O Capital Group, this project features a luxury hotel, offices, residences, a Rabat and Sale heritage observatory, a conference hall, shops and restaurants, all served by 36 elevators.

The new impressive icon in the urban and economic, cultural and touristic landscape of Morocco, adopts ecological and sustainable design concepts.

The Tower actually rests on foundations 60 meters deep, designed to withstand earthquakes and river floodings. These foundations also ensure the structures long-term stability in a complex geotechnical environment.

Similarly, to counteract movements caused by wind and seismic vibrations, this architectural gem is equipped with an innovative harmonic damper system, ensuring comfort and stability for residents on the upper floors.

The new Tower, which features two facades one with dynamic lighting and the other equipped with photovoltaic panelsincorporates best practices of eco-construction and next-generation technologies that enhance energy efficiency, in line with Moroccos commitments to sustainable development.

Beyond energy efficiency, the Mohammed VI Tower incorporates advanced systems for energy recovery and rainwater harvesting. These features helped the new Tower obtain LEED Gold and HQE certifications, positioning this building among the most innovative and high-performance structures on the African continent.
Ruby Rose's allegations about Katy Perry relate to a past incident in Melbourne. Full story: https://t.co/JdZ4EzSBtt pic.twitter.com/Pq4GiVevQD  Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) April 13, 2026

Ruby Rose accused Katy Perry of sexually assaulting her at a nightclub in Melbourne, Australia, when she was in her twenties. Im now 40, she wrote. It has taken almost 2 decades to say this publicly. Though I am so grateful to have made it long enough to find my voice, it just shows how much of an impact trauma and sexual assault takes. Thank you for seeing me.[Katy] saw me resting on my best friends lap to avoid her and bent down, pulled her underwear to the side and rubbed her disgusting vagina on my face until my eyes snapped open and I projectile vomitted on her, she wrote in another reply.
The U.S. is inching forward: ARPA-E's SCALEUP Ready program has directed $40 million to two deep borehole disposal projects, including one from Deep Isolation, which calls it the biggest milestone in the company's history.

Global spent nuclear fuel stocks are set to surge alongside the nuclear energy renaissance, but as of 2024, the U.S. alone faces a $44.5 billion liability with no permanent storage solution in place.

Finland's Posiva is on the verge of receiving an operating license for the world's first permanent nuclear waste disposal facility, built 400 meters underground in 1.9-billion-year-old bedrock at a cost of 1 billion euros.

Nuclear energy is experiencing a resurgence in popularity on a global scale, thanks to a resurgence in energy security anxieties worldwide. The AI boom has majorly ramped up energy demand projections around the world at the same time that climate pledges are inching dangerously close with perilously little progress to show. Add to this a near-endless cycle of energy crisis and geopolitical conflict, and you're presented with a majorly heightened energy trilemma: how to source energy that is sufficient, affordable, and sustainable. To solve this puzzle, nuclear energy -- a reliable round-the-clock source of carbon-free energy production -- can no longer be ignored.

But a nuclear renaissance, while a no-brainer for energy security and climate goals, will also come with a major uptick in nuclear waste, posing a big problem for public health and safety, as well as for the taxpayers that fund its maintenance. Between the 1950s and 2022, it is estimated that nearly 400,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel were generated on a global scale. Of those 400,000 tons, one-third has been 'recycled' in a complex and costly process, and two-thirds remain in temporary storage, either in nuclear fuel pools on-site at individual nuclear energy plants or in dry cask storage sites.

However, neither of these storage options are considered to be permanent solutions, and the global quantity of radioactive nuclear waste is about to explode. In fact, the policy and science behind the storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel remains a critical liability at a global scale, and especially in the United States. As of 2024, it was estimated that the United States' spent fuel liability clocked in at a jaw-dropping $44.5 billion.

A report from the National Center for Energy Analytics published earlier this month blasts the United States, the world's biggest nuclear energy producer, for its kick-the-can-down-the-road approach to this critical issue, decrying that "Federal [nuclear waste] management has been a major black eye and policy failing for nuclear energy generation and technology."

However, the world is, at long last, currently making great progress toward establishing the world's first-ever permanent nuclear waste disposal site. In fact, a site on the West Coast of Finland is expecting to receive its license to begin operations in just a few months, an incredibly short stretch of time compared to the more-than two decades that the facility has been under construction. The facility will house canisters of spent fuel 400 meters underground in a remote region, housed in earthquake-resistant 1.9 billion-year-old bedrock.

"The solution that we have, it's the missing point for sustainable use of nuclear energy," said Pasi Tuohimaa, the communications manager for Posiva, the company responsible for the oversight of the project. The venture cost 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion USD) and will be capable of housing 6,500 tons of spent nuclear fuel. Posiva says that their specialized canisters will safely store the hazardous waste "long enough for the radioactivity of spent fuel to decrease to a level not harmful to the environment."

Over in the United States, despite a stop-and-go, pass-the-buck approach to managing nuclear waste, deep borehole nuclear waste storage is also inching forward. The U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready program has selected a project to fund for what it hopes will become the world's first commercial-ready deep borehole nuclear waste disposal venture. The federal program will funnel $40 million to support two deep borehole projects.

"Being selected for this award is the single biggest milestone in Deep Isolation's history," said Rod Baltzer, President and CEO at Deep Isolation, one of the companies selected for the federal funding.

"It validates years of pioneering work on the Universal Canister System and positions us to deliver the world's first full-scale, end-to-end, commercial-ready deep borehole disposal solution," he went on to say. "We are creating a deployable, regulatory-approved system that will transform how the world manages nuclear waste safely, efficiently, and permanently."

By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

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The legendary derivatives trading team at Vitol Group, the worlds largest oil trader, has reportedly lost hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars on oil bets that went very wrong as the war in the Middle East roiled global markets and trapped physical supply at the Strait of Hormuz.

Vitols star trader Yaoyao Liu found himself on the wrong side of bets on crude and fuel prices at the start of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, as prices soared in the worst disruption of global oil supply in history, the Wall Street Journal reports, quoting sources with knowledge of the matter.

Lius trades are reportedly a closely-guarded secret not only on the market but also within Vitol itself.

The oil trading giants derivatives trading team won a lot of money earlier this decade, especially with the previous period of soaring oil prices in 2022, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine sent oil prices above $100 per barrel.

Turnover and crude trades at the privately-held trading firm have held high ever since 2022, and prospects for additional profits looked even brighter at the beginning of this year. Following the U.S. seizure of Venezuelas oil, Vitol and another major trader, Trafigura, were picked by the White House to provide logistical and marketing services to facilitate the sale of Venezuelan oil.

About that time, the tensions between the U.S. and Iran started to simmer again, and U.S. President Donald Trump began sending more aircraft carriers and troops to the region. Related: Trump Signals High Gas Prices Through November Midterms

But even Vitols star trader was wrong-footed. Sources and other traders who spoke to the Journal suspect that the oil bets were that diesel prices would trade at a premium to jet fuel and that the price of Dubai crude would slump compared to Brent Crude prices.

These could have been winning bets if the war had been avoided.

Instead, the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and the subsequent de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent jet fuel and Dubai crude prices soaring to astronomical highs.

And Vitols oil bets went awfully wrong, with losses estimated in the hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars, according to the Journals sources.

Last month, Dubai crude prices soared to an all-time high of $169.75 per barrel. So violent were the market whiplashes in recent weeks that Asian refiners have started pricing their orders for U.S. crude oil against the ICE Brent benchmark instead of the typical pricing on Dubai crude.

The other oil market bet that reportedly wrong-footed Vitols trading team was that diesel prices would rise against jet fuel prices.

The war that cut off about 10 million barrels per day of crude oil supply from the Middle East reduced supply to Asian refiners, who had to curb output. Some Asian countries banned fuel exports to preserve domestic supply.

Of all crude and product markets, nowhere has the stress been more severe than in jet fuel cracks and prices. The specifics of producing and storing jet fuel compared to other fuels made the kerosene market the most vulnerable to the major shifts in physical supply seen over the past weeks, analysts say.

Jet fuel has very specialized tank storage requirements, and there isnt much of it stored globally, unlike many other products such as diesel and gasoline.

Airlines in Asia are already grounding flights, while European carriers start to fret about a true jet fuel scarcity going into May and beyond.

We don't expect any disruption until early May, but if the war continues, we do run the risk of supply disruptions in Europe in May and June, and we hope the war will finish sooner than that and the risk to supply will be eliminated, Ryanair CEO Michael OLeary told Sky News earlier this month.

The jet fuel situation will worsen in the coming weeks, with shortages in Europe arriving within weeks. Even if the Strait of Hormuz were to re-open unconditionally to all traffic today, it would take months for oil and fuel markets to return to some semblance of normality.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Being irreverently British, the first thing that sprang to mind when I heard the 7 April ceasefire announcement between the U.S. and Iran was lettuce. Specifically, the 2022 moment when The Daily Star newspaper ran a 24/7 livestream of a supermarket lettuce next to a framed photo of newly?installed Prime Minister Liz Truss to monitor whether the lettuce would last longer than Trusss premiership. The lettuce won after forty-nine days. In the case of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire  which is technically still in effect, despite the collapse of high-level peace talks in Islamabad over the weekend  forty-nine days feels wildly optimistic. However, it might just pan out sufficiently for Trump to claim a victory and exit sharpish, stage left. The question is, how would that work?

On the face of it, the chasm between the two ceasefire parties sets of plans looks insurmountable. Broadly speaking, the U.S.s 15-Point Plan that was delivered to Iran via Pakistani mediators on 25 March is simply a rewording of the original hard-line Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or colloquially the Nuclear Deal) drawn up by U.S. President Barack Obamas team between 2012 and 2014, as fully analysed in my latest book on the new global oil market order. The deal was softened due to concerns of France and Germany before it was fixed in the final version that was agreed in 2015. However, his successor, Donald Trump, believed that Iran had used the greater latitude of the softer JCPOA to continue to develop all the key operational areas that were key to its continued projection of power in the Middle East and beyond. These included persisting in its efforts to: build nuclear weapons; the ballistic missile capabilities and arsenal capable of delivering these over extended ranges; and using its military, economic and political proxies in attacks across the region and against Western and Western-aligned targets, including Israel. As with the specific points in the original tougher JCPOA, Trumps 15-Point Plan includes very specific measures aimed at ending each of these causes for concern. These include: zero nuclear enrichment permanently; handover of the enriched uranium stockpiles to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); and full IAEA monitoring and access to all nuclear infrastructure. It also features strict caps on the range and number of ballistic missiles, and an end to funding, arming, and directing its proxy terror groups, including (but not limited to) Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Hamas. It also now requires Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as a permanent free maritime zone. Related: US Oil, Gas Drillers Take the Foot Off the Gas As Prices Climb

Similarly, Irans 10-Point Plan is largely a reiteration of its counterpoints to Obamas original hard-line JCPOA version, with the same elements having also been used during the various on-again/off-again negotiations with Trumps first- and second-term teams. These were broadly aimed at retaining the right to enrich uranium (albeit for civilian purposes only), to develop its ballistic missile programme, and operate freely from a military, economic, and political perspective. All these were geared to preserving the Islamic regime in Iran, and the powers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, whose twin duties are to uphold the Islamic regime within Iran itself and to propagate the beliefs, ideas, and practices of Irans version of Islam around the world. In its 10-Point Plan currently on the negotiating table, alongside the U.S.s 15-Point Plan, Tehran has included demands for: all international sanctions to be lifted against it; the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from all bases and points of deployment within the Middle East; and continued Iranian coordination of the Strait of Hormuz, a new secure transit protocol and potential tolls for passing vessels.

Many of these points in the latest plans released by both sides are just starting points for public consumption, with the real points for negotiation remaining the same as they ever were, but there had been movement on the Iranian side on some of these just before Epic Fury [the latest U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign] began [on 28 February], a senior European Union (E.U.) security source who was closely involved with the negotiations of all previous versions of the JCPOA exclusively told OilPrice.com last week. Indeed, just 24 hours before the first strikes of Epic Fury commenced, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi declared that an historic breakthrough had been reached, with Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, underlining the points. According to the E.U. source, Iran had agreed to revert to a 3.67% cap on uranium enrichment (and they signalled they might go lower, he underlined), which was in line with the cap agreed in the 2015 JCPOA deal. He added that Iran had also granted the IAEA full powers (any time, any place) for nuclear site and weapons site inspections, including those about ballistic missiles, and indefinite weapons inspections, and to indefinitely freeze the activities of its proxies as a show of good faith. The basic point here is that there is enough common ground for a deal to be done -- with Iran also ready to reopen the Strait of Hormuz freely, and to drop its demand for U.S. troop withdrawal -- which was always a fiction, and the U.S. might quietly assure Iran that some parts of the current international sanctions might gradually be rolled back at some point in the next few months, he highlighted.

With gasoline now priced above US$4 a gallon in the U.S., the incentive for Trump to make such a deal and exit from his Iran adventure continues to grow. As Bob McNally, former energy adviser to former President George W. Bush, put it: Few things terrify an American president more than a spike in fuel [gasoline] prices. In this context, historical data highlights that every US$10 per barrel (pb) or so change in the price of crude oil results in around a 25-30 cent change in the price of a gallon of gasoline, and for every 1 cent that the average price per gallon of gasoline rises, more than US$1 billion or so per year in consumer spending is lost, so damaging the economy. The political importance of this is that since 1896, the sitting U.S. president has won re-election 11 times out of 11 if the economy was not in recession within two years of an upcoming election. However, sitting U.S. presidents who went into a re-election campaign with the economy in recession won only once out of seven occasions, as fully detailed in my latest book on the new global oil market order. The same pattern broadly applies to the re-election chances of candidates of any sitting presidents party in U.S. mid-term elections as well.

Trump may find a way to run again for President, but even if he does not, his Republican Party will want to optimise their chances for another of their members to be in the top job. And even if he does not particularly care how his party does, he is a man who is deeply cognisant of his legacy as president, according to several sources in Washington spoken to regularly by OilPrice.com. Trump was in his early thirties I think when [former U.S. President, Jimmy] Carter was humiliated by Iran in the Hostage Crisis [U.S. Embassy staff held hostage in Tehran for 444 days], and hes never forgotten it, and hed never want to go down like that, one of these senior Washington-based sources who works closely with the U.S. Treasury exclusively told OilPrice.com. Indeed, Trump has often highlighted Carters failure in Iran as a prime example of a weak presidency, how it ended his 1980 re-election bid, and how it has overshadowed the entire legacy of that presidency. If the deal [the one now being discussed] can be done without him [Trump] losing face -- and that is possible here -- then its very likely hell do it, concluded the E.U. source.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

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Ecuador, once a stable mid-tier oil producer in Latin America, is now facing a structural energy decline that is increasingly spilling over into regional instability. Production has fallen sharply in recent years, dropping to around 349,000 barrels per day in 2025, an 8.5% annual decline, while fuel imports have surged, further deepening external dependence.

This is not the result of resource depletion. Ecuador still holds very significant reserves and untapped potential. Rather, the countrys decline is the consequence of policy fragmentation, weak institutional execution, and a contracting investment environment.

The warning signs are clear. Oil output has been trending downward due to a lack of investment and exploration, compounded by infrastructure disruptions and operational inefficiencies. At the same time, pipeline failures, environmental risks, and security challenges have exposed the fragility of the system, forcing repeated production shutdowns and lost output.

The result is a paradox: a country rich in hydrocarbons is increasingly unable to meet its own energy needs.

The core issue lies in Ecuadors upstream model. Over the past decade, the shift toward rigid service contracts and limited private participation has constrained capital inflows, reduced operational efficiency, and discouraged risk-taking in exploration. Meanwhile, Petroecuadors declining operational capacity has accelerated the production drop, particularly in mature fields that require enhanced recovery techniques and sustained investment.

Related: Petrobras Strikes New Offshore Hydrocarbon Discovery In Brazil

A structural correction is still possiblebut it requires decisive policy action.

First, Ecuador must restore legal certainty and contractual stability. Investors require predictable fiscal terms and enforceable agreements to commit long-term capital. Without this, the country will remain sidelined in a competitive global investment landscape.

Second, the government should adopt a direct delegation model to private operators, like Peru and even Venezuelas recent pragmatic adjustments. These frameworks allow the state to retain ownership while leveraging private sector efficiency, technology, and capital to stabilize and grow production.

Third, Ecuador needs to transition fully toward production-sharing contracts (PSCs). PSCs align incentives between the state and investors, enabling risk-sharing in exploration while securing revenue participation for the government. The current fragmented contract structure limits scalability and discourages exploration, evidenced by the absence of meaningful bidding rounds in recent years.

Finally, the country must address its broader energy integration strategy. Ongoing tensions with Colombia and delays in electricity interconnection with Peru highlight a lack of regional coordination at a time when energy security should be a shared priority.

Ecuadors energy decline is not inevitable. It is a policy outcome and therefore reversible.

With the right combination of institutional reform, contractual modernization, and strategic openness to private capital, Ecuador could once again position itself as a relevant oil producer in the region. Without it, the country risks deepening its energy deficit, losing fiscal revenues, and becoming increasingly marginal in Latin Americas evolving energy map.

By Nelson Baldeon for Oilprice.com

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A priest, an engineer, and an economist are stranded on a desert island. The first order of business is to get some food. The priest suggests that they all pray. The practical-minded engineer suggests that the three men make a net to catch some fish. But where will they find the necessary materials? The priest and the engineer turn to the economist and ask him if he has any ideas. The economist replies, "Assume a fish."

This well-worn economist joke summarizes one of the chief flaws in contemporary economic theory. That theory almost completely ignores the role of physical resources, assuming they will always be available in the quantities we need at prices we can afford at the time we need them. When those resources aren't available, that theory begrudgingly accepts that there will be some damage to economic activity, but tends to greatly underestimate the impact. This conceptual flaw explains why economists in most financial institutions and governments, and thus investors, are not especially alarmed at the loss of energy resources, as stock market indices remain not too far from their recent highs.

For a good summary of how contemporary economic theory goes off the rails, Australian economist Steve Keen offers a mercifully brief and comprehensible explanation. Here I will relate one critical part of that explanation. About 5.7 percent of U.S. GDP is devoted to procuring and distributing energy. Most economists will tell you that a 10 percent decline in energy availability would have a small effect on the U.S. economy. They would take the percentage of the economy devoted to energy, in this case 5.7 percent, and multiply it by 10 percent to arrive at a 0.57 percent reduction in economic activity.

This conclusion is utter nonsense and not even close to what the effects would be. The reason is that energy is the master resource. It cannot be treated like other resources. Energy is the resource that makes all other resources available. Nothing gets done without energy. The correlation between economic activity and energy use is 0.9 (where 1.0 represents a perfect correlation). This should come as no surprise. When the economy is growing, energy use grows with it as energy fuels the economic activity that pushes growth.

What this implies is that a 10 percent reduction in energy availability is much more likely to result in a decline in economic activity closer to 10 percent than to one-half percent. For comparison, the real GDP of the United States fell 4.3 percent during the Great Recession, which lasted from December 2007 through June 2009.

So, how much energy is currently being denied to the global economy by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz? No one knows for certain. We do know that liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from Qatar were previously transiting through the strait. And, close to 20 percent of the world's oil supply was also passing through the strait on a daily basis.

None of Qatar's LNG exports are currently passing through the strait. Some estimates say 12 percent of the world's oil is now prevented from leaving the Persian Gulf (though a key pipeline in Saudi Arabia that sends oil to the Red Sea has now been damaged and may add to the total outage). Some oil cargoes from Iran have left the Persian Gulf, and Iraq may soon also send cargoes. Some oil is now being diverted via pipeline to ports other than those on the Persian Gulf. Those pipelines may be attacked as the war continues, so the amount of oil previously exported via the Strait of Hormuz that is being diverted through them could decline.

Okay, here's some math to help you sort out what this all means:

Natural gas exports coming from Qatar are no longer being shipped. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2024, Qatar provided 3 percent of the world's natural gas , primarily in the form of LNG. Since natural gas provides about 23.5 percent of the world's energy , by multiplying 3 percent by 23.5 percent, we arrive at a loss of 0.7 percent of the world's total energy. It doesn't seem like much, except the effects are quite uneven. In the United States, we fuel our economy with pipeline natural gas and send the extra abroad both via pipeline and LNG freighters. But 42 percent of Taiwan's electricity is generated using LNG imported primarily from the Persian Gulf. That's a huge hit. And, lack of electricity spells trouble for industry, including the Taiwanese semiconductor industry, which supplies much of the world. Of course, Taiwan will seek out other sources of LNG. But will the country be able to find LNG in sufficient quantities? LNG is usually delivered under long-term contracts, and only a small fraction of it is available in what is called the spot market, which isn't committed under long-term arrangements. The situation with oil is much worse. Oil provides about 31.5 percent of total world energy . Losing 12 percent of it means that the world has lost about 3.8 percent of its energy supply. Again, it may not seem like much, but it is a commodity that has very broad and critical energy and non-energy uses in the economy, for example, as the basis for gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and jet fuel; as a feedstock for many petrochemicals, including plastics; and as a lubricant for countless machines and vehicles worldwide. That loss of oil availability has already had huge impactsand has sent prices soaring because people and companies feel they cannot do without these oil products.

So let's put the loss of oil and natural gas together to arrive at a total loss of 4.5 percent of the world's energy supply. Since economic activity and energy are closely correlated at 0.9, we can multiply 4.5 percent by 0.9 to get about 4 percent of economic activity potentially subtracted from the world economy every day that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. As mentioned above, the Great Recession caused a 4.3 percent drop in economic activity in the United States. So, it would appear that we are on track for consequences almost as severe as those of the Great Recession if this energy loss continues for much longer.

But this seriously understates the case. The Great Recession was primarily a financial crash. Though oil prices were high, there was no abrupt cutoff of supply to the market. Now, however, loss of energy and related chemical feedstocks is having many knock-on effects on the world economy. For example, rising costs for plastics will tend to curtail the consumption of such products. Rising fuel costs will lead to more expensive air travel as airlines pass fuel costs on to passengers. That means there are likely to be fewer passengers as some choose to fly less often and others are simply priced out of the market altogether. And that means further knock-on effects as fewer hotel rooms are booked and fewer rental cars are rented. Rising diesel and fertilizer prices (nitrogen fertilizer is made primarily from natural gas) will mean higher crop production costs, which are passed on to food processors and ultimately to consumers.

In addition to the squeeze on energy and non-energy products derived from oil and natural gas, about one-third of the world's helium (a co-product of natural gas reservoirs) is now unavailable. Helium is essential for the production of semiconductors. Manufacturers of semiconductors will have to pay much more for helium or curtail semiconductor production. If those manufacturers successfully purchase what they need, then other users such as hospitals (in MRI machines), university researchers, and welders (who use it as shielding gas to make strong welds) will have to go without.

In general, as consumers and businesses pull back on spending due to rising costs and economic uncertainty, demand for many products will fall and companies will be forced to cut back on production and ultimately on workers. As workers are laid off, this reduces overall demand further, which can lead to a cascade of shrinking economic activity.

Even more danger lies ahead. If the war continues and threats on both sides to destroy oil and natural gas infrastructure are carried out in part or in whole, the world could be denied even more oil and natural gas - not just for the duration of the war, but for years afterward, since it would take years to rebuild this infrastructure. Some losses might be permanent, for when underground reservoirs of oil and gas are closed in, they can be damaged for various reasons I won't go into here.

It is not easy for the economy to adjust to such a shock, and the most likely outcome is a severe recession. Widespread destruction of oil and natural gas infrastructure in the Persian Gulf could quickly lead to a worldwide depression from which it would be difficult to emerge.

We cannot, as the joke above states, just "assume a fish" or, in this case, assume that oil and natural gas deliveries will resume soon at the levels we require at the time we need them to at prices we can afford. Rather, we are now obliged to take seriously the possibility that our energy-drenched lives will have to be curtailed in ways previously unthinkable. The risks of a fossil-fuel dependent economy that runs on a just-in-time basis have now become manifest, and we have no choice but to adapt.

By Kurt Cobb via Resource Insights

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Global oil production has been slashed by as much as 11 million barrels daily amid the Middle East war. With the latest attempt at ending the hostilities failing, chances are the supply disruption will last a while, and then it would take months to restore production to its full size, even in the best-case scenario.

Even if there is a durable ceasefire tomorrow and the strait reopens, markets will not return to normal for at least six months, Rystad Energys head of geopolitical analysis told the Financial Times earlier this month. The publication noted that a tenth of global oil production has been shut in, along with some 2.4 million barrels daily in refining capacity. And in some cases it could take significantly longer, Rystads Jorge Leon also said.

Right now, this best-case scenario with a durable ceasefire is off the table, with the U.S. president threatening to add its own blockade to tanker traffic obstacles in the Persian Gulf. Reuters reported earlier in the day that tankers were already steering clear of the chokepoint, suggesting that instead of an improvement, the situation is worsening, with all the implications for oil markets that are to be expected, such as higher prices, which are already a fact, with Brent crude at over $102 earlier in the day and West Texas Intermediate at over $104 per barrel.

Related: Little-Known US Company Lands Important Pentagon Contract in Rare Earth Race

Whats more, the oil production cuts are not over. They seem to be on track for further deepening, according to estimates made by the U.S. Energy Information Administration in its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook. The EIA reported it expected production shut-ins across the Middle East to rise from 7.5 million barrels daily last month to 9.1 million barrels daily this month.

It is worth noting that the EIA took an optimistic stance, saying that it assumes the war will end by May and production will begin to return to normal. However, even under that optimistic scenario, the EIA does not expect full restoration of oil production in the Middle East until much later in the year. Under those assumptions, we expect production shut-ins will fall to 6.7 million b/d in May and return close to pre-conflict levels in late 2026, it said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook.

Wood Mackenzie said in a recent report that about half of the production that has been shut-in could be restored in a matter of days, with the amount rising to three-quarters over a period of several weeks. Yet this would only happen if the Strait of Hormuz reopens fully. Also, Wood Macs analysts noted, The final barrels will take months to restart, requiring well interventions and optimization of production systems from wellhead through pipelines, gas plants, water facilities and export logistics.

The Financial Times pointed to Saudi Arabia as an example that oil production restoration takes a while. Just recently, the biggest OPEC producer suffered damage to its oil infrastructure that reduced its production capacity by some 600,000 bpd to 700,000 bpd. Indeed, attacks on oilfields have reduced its capacity by some 5%, according to data cited by the FT. Restoring that would take a while.

Again, it bears noting that all these are estimates resting on the assumption that hostilities between the United States and Israel, on the one hand, and Iran, on the other, have ended with a permanent resolution that allows for traffic along the Strait of Hormuz to resume unobstructed.

Should the green light come, over 120 million barrels of crude stored in vessels on the water could quickly pour back into the market, reaching Europe within two to three weeks and North Asia within four weeks, Wood Mackenzies analysts pointed out in their report. That amount of crude would certainly provide some much needed relief to energy-importing countries but it will not go a long way. Global oil demand was estimated at around 104-105 million barrels daily last year by the World Bank and the IEA.

Of course, the situation is even more dire in natural gas, as Qatars production capacity, which represents 77 million tons annually, remains offline as it undergoes repairs after Iranian strikes. The amount of 77 million tons annually would be impossible to replace over the near term, which is why some big LNG importers are switching to coal, notably in Asia, even in Japan.

According to Wood Mac, as cited by the Financial Times, actual lost production from Qatar stands at 12.8 million tons annually. However, even undamaged trains have been suspended because of the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Resumption of production at the undamaged trains of Ras Lanuf would take months, the consultancy said.

Based on the predictions and assumptions of analysts, it appears that the global supply disruption in oil and gas as a result of the Middle Eastern war could last until the end of this yearand that is the best-case scenario.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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The war in the Middle East has hurt the global LNG industry and promoted a supply chain crisis that will leave global scars. The warning comes from the head of the International Gas Union and points to extended disruption in the supply of the most flexible form of natural gas.

Just a year ago, even a few months ago, there were warnings of an LNG glut that was going to pressure prices around the world, especially as U.S. energy companies rushed to build new export capacity. Then the U.S. and Israel bombed Irans energy infrastructure, and Iran responded with strikes on the energy infrastructure of Gulf states, notably Qatar. Qatar declared force majeure on LNG exports, and suddenly the world flipped from a glut to a potential shortage.

The price of LNG on global markets has surged by 80% since February 28, when the war started, Reuters reported this week. This is despite the fact that supply overall is abundant, the International Gas Unions Menelaos Ydreos told the publication.

This was not a supply crisis. This was a supply chain crisis, the executive said, adding that Where you have choke points and you have geopolitical events that occur, it impacts security of supply. This could have implications for energy importers long-term plans, Ydreos explained, as Asian countries suffer their second supply crisis in four years with little financial resources to handle it. Related: US Oil, Gas Drillers Take the Foot Off the Gas As Prices Climb

QatarEnergy in late March declared force majeure on LNG contracts with buyers in Italy, China, Belgium, and South Korea, among others. The declaration followed Iranian retaliatory strikes on Qatars part of the South Pars/North Field gas deposit and its liquefaction facilities. The damage that resulted would take several years to fix, per QatarEnergy, which accounts for over 15% of global LNG capacity.

Later reports about dozens of Qatari LNG carriers sitting empty in the Persian Gulf contributed to a perception of a supply squeeze with no clear end in sight, regardless of the warring parties potential negotiations and attempts at a ceasefire. All this, in turn, has damaged Qatars reputation as a reliable supplier of liquefied gas.

The reputation of a reliable area for energy in the world, whether it's oil or gas or petrochemicals or fertilizers, all of a sudden gives some concern, the IGUs Ydreos said, noting that Over 30 years, Qatar had an incredible record of on-time delivery of cargoes...second to none, but now there are questions.

These questions seem to be casting a doubt about the future of natural gas as a so-called bridge fuel, although per the latest predictions from the International Energy Agency, the bridge leads nowhere and gas will continue to be in demand well into the future.

In the latest edition of the IEAs World Energy Outlook, out last November, the IEA dropped its peak oil and gas predictions and admitted that the coming years and decades will see a consistent increase in demand for energy across industry, households and, notably, information technology. Investments in data centers could reach $580 billion for 2025, the IEAs secretary-general said, which would exceed the expected $540 billion in oil and gas industry investment.

That was before the war in the Middle East. Now, more money would need to be spent on repairing damaged energy infrastructure, and this will take timeyears, according to QatarEnergy. No wonder, then, that imports of liquefied natural gas into Asian countries fell last month by the sharpest rate since 2020, when pandemic lockdowns decimated energy demand. The total for the month stood at 20.6 million tons, according to Bloomberg, which represented an annual drop of 8.6%. It was the sharpest demand drop since December 2020.

Demand destruction will probably continue as prices remain high due to the supply disruption, raising questions about the economics of additional export capacity as the U.S. administrations energy dominance agenda runs into the reality of limited financial resources and the abundance of coal. Indeed, Asian countries are already switching from gas to coal, up to and including Japan, which is certainly not among the poorest Asian nations.

Perhaps even more peculiarly, Japans JERA canceled a long-term LNG supply deal with U.S. Commonwealth LNG earlier this month. Neither of the companies gave reasons for the cancellation, which is quite counterintuitive in the current geopolitical context. However, one official from the Japanese Ministry of Industry made an interesting remark in March: There is increasing uncertainty about future LNG procurement. We believe that it is necessary to increase the operation of coal-fired power plants and save LNG fuel, he said.

Of course, the official was referring to Middle Eastern LNG supply, yet the fact that Japan would rather ramp up coal generation than simply start buying even more LNG from the United States suggests there is a pain threshold when it comes to LNG pricesa fact that would likely inform short- to medium-term LNG buying decisions around the world.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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The European Union needs to suspend its planned ban on imports of Russian LNG, currently slated to take place on January 1, 2027, as the Middle East war has roiled energy markets, according to Claudio Descalzi, the chief executive of Italys oil and gas major Eni.

I think that it is necessary to suspend the ban that will take place from January 1, 2027 on LNG supply coming from Russia, Descalzi said at an event on Sunday.

I am not suggesting that the ban should be totally abandoned, but it needs to be suspended or further phased, so as not to penalize additionally the industrial sector, which is already struggling with high energy costs, the executive added.

The EU is banning, effective April 25, imports of LNG from Russia under spot contracts as part of its wider stepwise ban on all Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. A full ban will take effect for LNG imports from the beginning of 2027 and for pipeline gas imports from the autumn of 2027.

The uncertainty about the war and the fact that no LNG cargo has passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began have had Asian buyers turning to the spot market, outbidding Europe for supply, just when Europe needs it to refill its storage sites.

Top Russian officials said last month that Moscow would redirect LNG exports away from the EU without waiting for the full ban to take effect.

This weekend, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia would be ready to keep supplying natural gas to Europe if there are any volumes left from increased exports to other markets.

If gas is left from supplies to alternative markets, then why not? There is plenty of gas at the moment, and we have spare amounts. However, alternative markets are very greedy, and they make a lot of requests for supplies, Peskov said on Sunday, as quoted by TASS.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Two Iranian tankers loaded with crude oil have arrived in India, Bloomberg has reported, in what is the first shipment of Iranian crude to the subcontinent in seven years. The two carry a total of 4 million barrels of oil. The buyers have not been specified, Bloomberg noted.

The shipments were made possible by a U.S. waiver on sanctions against Irans oil industry in a bid to alleviate an increasingly worrying shortage in global markets amid the war between the U.S. and Israel, and Iran, which prompted the latter to close off the Strait of Hormuz for all vessels but its own and those of friendly countries.

India, which stopped importing Iranian crude in 2019 to comply with the U.S. sanctions on Tehrans energy industry, is now scrambling for crude supply as its imports from the other Middle Eastern producers account for about half of all its crude purchases. That supply has been severely constrained over the past weeks due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier this month, India's Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that India imports crude oil from more than 40 countries, with companies having full flexibility to source oil from different sources & geographies based on commercial considerations.

China, meanwhile, has been buying Iranian crude unobstructed, it appears, even paying a premium for it. At least two so-called teapot refiners had bought cargoes of Iranian Light at premiums of between $1.50 and $2 per barrel to Brent crude this month, traders told Reuters last week.

Both India and China would face a supply squeeze if the United States goes ahead with its idea to blockade the Gulf of Oman in retaliation for Irans blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. This will put additional strain on international relations between the two and the U.S.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Over the past month, Asias imports of LNG have plunged to their lowest level since the Covid pandemic crashed demand in June 2020, as the Middle East war trapped supply and pushed prices to multi-year highs.

The 30-day moving average of net LNG shipments to Asia plummeted below 600,000 tons this weekend, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg showed on Monday. This was the lowest one-month moving average of LNG arrivals into Asia since June 2020, according to the data.

In China, surging LNG prices amid the war in the Middle East are set to lead to the lowest monthly LNG imports into China in eight years as Qatari and UAE supply is off the market, and Chinese buyers look to raise supply from domestic gas production and pipeline deliveries.

The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has stranded all Qatari and UAE supplies of LNG. Additionally, Qatars LNG capacity has been severely damaged by Iranian missile attacks, which forced state firm QatarEnergy to declare force majeure on contracts and start quantifying the losses.

The Iranian missile attacks on Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC) dashed hopes of a quick resumption of Qatari LNG flows even if the Strait of Hormuz were to open to unimpeded and safe traffic today. QatarEnergy last month said the damage from Iranian missile strikes on the Ras Laffan LNG complex, the worlds single largest LNG-producing facility, would cost it about $20 billion per year in lost revenue and to take up to five years to repair.

As a result, Asian LNG prices have nearly doubled this month, and Asian buyers are outbidding Europe for spot supply.

The failed U.S.-Iran negotiations this weekend and the even more chaotic situation at the Strait of Hormuz are further delaying any meaningful recovery of LNG supply out of the Middle East.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Oil prices surged back above $100 a barrel in early Asian trade following the collapse of U.S.-Iran negotiations and Trump's announcement that the U.S. would blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

At the time of writing, West Texas Intermediate was trading at $105.30 per barrel, up 9.04%, while Brent had risen 8.55% to trade at $103.30. Both benchmarks remain roughly $10 below last week's peaks before the ceasefire was announced and prices tumbled.

While the failure of negotiations in Pakistan over the weekend is helping to push crude prices higher, it is President Trump's announcement of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that sent prices surging.

"Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz." - President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/JInBTLyu2s  The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 12, 2026

The blockade of maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports is set to begin on Monday, at 10 am Eastern Time, according to CENTCOM, and will only target vessels transiting the Strait to and from Iranian ports.

If this blockade is successfully implemented, it would remove an estimated 1.5 to 1.7 million barrels per day of Iranian supply from the market. That would compound major supply issues in the region, with Saudi Arabia announcing last week that Iranian attacks had cut its production capacity by 600,000 bpd and temporarily reduced its East-West pipeline flows by roughly 700,000 bpd. The Kingdom has since restored those flows.

Iranian officials have already warned that any military presence near the Strait would be treated as a violation of the ceasefire, suggesting we could see a return of attacks on energy infrastructure in the region this week.

As for the potential of a continued ceasefire and eventually a peace agreement, President Trump suggested in his latest post on social media that the major sticking point in talks is nuclear enrichment. The President claimed the country was "unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions" and went on to announce the blockade.

In a very tight market, continued escalation and delay are likely to send oil prices climbing higher, while markets are sure to become increasingly immune to announcements without any tangible outcomes.

By Josh Owens for Oilprice.com

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Tankers in the Persian Gulf have started moving away from the Strait of Hormuz in anticipation of a U.S. naval blockade announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday.

Citing data from Kpler and LSEG, Reuters reported today that two Pakistan-flagged vessels had entered the Persian Gulf and were en route to the UAE and Kuwait to load crude and fuels. One Liberia-flagged very large crude carrier was ballasting in the Persian Gulf, the publication also reported, while a Malta-flagged VLCC that had tried to pass the Strait of Hormuz to load crude from Iraq had turned around and anchored off Omans coast.

Reuters added, however, that three loaded tankers had successfully traversed the chokepoint on Saturdaythe first to do so since the ceasefire deal brokered by Pakistan last week. The report did not include ownership information about the vessels.

President Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade is set to start at 10 am Eastern Time and will not, in point of fact, target any and all ships, but only those heading for or setting off from Iranian ports.

The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, the U.S. Central Command said in an X post. CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports, the authority added.

Oil prices surged on the news of this new tanker traffic obstacle in the Persian Gulf, with Brent crude trading at $102.14 per barrel at the time of writing, and West Texas Intermediate changing hands at $104.76 per barrel.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Petrobras (NYSE:PBR) has made yet another deepwater hydrocarbon discovery in the Campos Basin offshore Brazil, marking another win in its strategy to replenish reserves. The discovery was made within Block C-M-477, roughly 200 kilometers off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state.

Petrobras operates the block with a 70% working interest, alongside BP Plc. (NYSE:BP), which holds the remaining 30%.

Last week, Petrobras signed a $450 million deal with Petronas Petroleo Brasil to acquire the remaining 50% stake in the Tartaruga Verde field and Module III of the Espadarte field in the Campos Basin. This move restores Petrobras to 100% ownership and operatorship of these key assets, which currently produce roughly 55,000 barrels of oil per day.

Petrobras is keen on building its hydrocarbon reserves, as demonstrated by multiple rig deals with OFS giants Valaris (NYSE:VAL), Seadrill (NYSE:SDRL), Transocean (NYSE:RIG), Ventura Offshore and Constellation Oil Services. The Campos Basin find follows a string of recent exploratory successes for Petrobras, including an oil discovery in high-quality carbonate reservoirs (pre-salt) confirmed at the Pituau well in late March 2026.

Beyond the Campos Basin, the company is actively exploring the Equatorial Margin and has recently verified gas extensions in Colombia. The company's ramped up exploration is part of its Strategic Plan to ensure national energy security and replenish reserves in mature producing basins during the energy transition.

Petrobras (PBR) stock is flying, with shares rocketing 83.5% in the year-to-date driven by exceptional operational performance in its pre-salt fields, high-dividend payouts and high oil prices. The company has maintained strong cash flows and rewarded investors despite fluctuating Oil & Gas prices, reinforcing its position as a top-performing energy stock.

Petrobras has seen massive output growth from its high-quality, low-cost pre-salt offshore assets like Buzios and Mero, which offer production costs below $40 per barrel. These assets accounted for over 80% of total production in 2015, and helped to drive overall oil and gas output up by 11%. The stock's dividend yield of 5.60% is amongst the highest for E&P companies listed on the NYSE.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

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Saudi Arabia is expected to ship in May halve the crude volumes to China it supplies in April as the Kingdom hiked its official selling prices while part of the supply is trapped in the Middle East due to the war.

Saudi Arabia, the single biggest crude oil exporter in the world, is expected to send about 20 million barrels of crude to China next month, anonymous trading sources with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg on Monday. The volumes in May would be halved compared to the 40 million barrels Saudi state oil giant Aramco is sending to the worlds top crude oil importer in April.

Crude supply from all producers in the Middle East has collapsed in recent weeks as the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz has forced shut-ins at upstream production and Gulf exporters are looking for alternative ways to move oil to the market.

In the case of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom is seeking to redirect as many barrels as possible to the Yanbu port on the Red Sea. This export route doesnt need passage through the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has been selectively allowing cargoes.

The U.S., however, is now moving to blockade the Strait. Tankers in the Persian Gulf have started moving away from the Strait of Hormuz in anticipation of a U.S. naval blockade announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday.

Apart from purely physical supply constraints, the Saudi crude sales to China will also suffer in May from the hike in prices the Kingdom announced last week.

Saudi Arabia hiked the price of its flagship Arab Light crude loading for Asia in May to a record-high premium over the Middle Eastern benchmarks as the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz upends oil flows and roils markets and prices.

Aramco has raised the price of Arab Light that would be going to Asia next month to a premium of $19.50 above the average Oman/Dubai benchmark, off which supply to Asia is typically priced.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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U.S. President Donald Trump has acknowledged that gasoline prices might remain high through the November 2026 midterm elections, a rare admission of the potential political fallout from the ongoing war in the Middle East. Trump told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo that gas prices could "stay the same, or maybe a little bit higher, but it should be around the same" when asked if gas prices would be lower by the fall.

Trump has defended the surge as a "very small price to pay" for long-term global safety and the neutralization of Iran's nuclear threat. The U.S. national average price of gas stood at $4.125 per gallon on Monday, up from $3.630 a month ago and $3.189 a year ago.

GasBuddy has warned that gas prices are set to rise again as oil markets surge following a collapse in ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran. After a brief dip, oil prices are surging again, leading to another potential jump at the pump this week.

Oil prices jumped nearly 6% back above $100 a barrel as the U.S. moved to block ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to throttle Iran's oil exports. Brent crude for June delivery was up 5.75% to trade at $101 per barrel at 11.20 am ET on Monday, while WTI crude for May delivery increased 5.86% to trade at $102.04 per barrel.

In a series of Truth Social posts, Trump stated that the Navy would intercept any vessel that paid a "crossing fee" or toll to Iran, characterizing these payments as extortion. Trump has instructed the Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran, warning that such ships would forfeit safe passage on the high seas.

While the American president initially threatened a total blockade, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) later clarified that the operation will target all maritime traffic entering or exiting Iranian ports specifically.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com



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Citizen complaints lead inspectors to exotic reptiles being sold at Cancun street market

Cancun, Q.R.  Municipal inspectors seized several exotic reptiles being sold at a Cancun street market. Cages and tanks were removed from a vendor who was found selling them at an open market Sunday.

A municipal operation resulting from citizen complaints led to the seizure of the animals Sunday morning at a market in SM 100.

Personnel from the General Directorate of Ecology arrived with police and the Municipal Institute for the Protection and Welfare of Animals.

The reptiles are protected by law in Mexico and were sized by environmental authorities. April 12, 2026

During the inspection, authorities found a vendor selling a crocodile, a bearded dragon and a chameleon. The reptiles, which are a protected in Mexico, were seized and placed under protection of federal authorities.

Other animals including two cages of rodents were also seized during the operation.

Cancun City Hall said the seized species have been turned over to the (Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection.

Following citizen complaints, the Cancun City Council conducted an operation in SM 100 where the illegal sale of wild and exotic animals was detected.

The animals were secured and turned over to PROFEPA (Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection) for their protection.

Cages of unidentified rodents for sale were also removed from the Cancun market Sunday. April 12, 2026.

This action was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Ecology Department, the Street Vending Department, the Public Safety Department, and the Cancun Directorate of Animal Protection and Welfare.

Municipal inspectors are seen leaving the market with the seized animals. April 12, 2026.

We reaffirm our commitment to biodiversity and animal welfare, and we encourage the public to report illegal activities, City Hall said in a statement.
Trump announces Strait of Hormuz naval blockade after failing to reach deal with Iran

Xinhua) 08:29, April 13, 2026

Iranian soldiers patrol the Strait of Hormuz in southern Iran, April 30, 2019. (Xinhua/Ahmad Halabisaz)

WASHINGTON, April 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the U.S. Navy would begin blocking ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz, after peace talks with Iran failed to produce a deal.

"Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

"I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran," Trump continued, adding that "no one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas."

"We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits," he added.

On peace talks, Trump said that the meeting "went well," with most points agreed to, but "the only point that really mattered, NUCLEAR, was not."

Trump's remarks came a few hours after U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, concluded without a deal on Sunday.

After Trump's statement on Strait of Hormuz naval blockade, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy Command warned Sunday that any "wrong move" in the Strait of Hormuz would trap its enemies in "deadly whirlpools."

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
Magnicharters cancels Cancun International flights for two weeks after leaving over 200 stranded

Cancun, Q.R.  Airline Magnicharters left more than 200 passengers stranded in Cancun due to what they say are logistics issues. Over the weekend, Viva Aerobus and Volaris picked up the slack, offering seats on their flights to those left without a way home.

The company says cancelled flights will continue for the next two weeks due to logistics. Magnicharters made the comment Saturday after media speculation they may be facing financial problems.

Hundreds of Magnicharters travelers trying to return home through Cancun International over the weekend found themselves without a flight. Magnicharters airline problems started Saturday and, according to the airline, will continue for at least two weeks.

The airline released an official statement April 11, 2026.

Magnicharters, Mexicos leading tourist airline, informs the public that due to logistical problems, flights scheduled for the next two weeks will not be able to operate.

We want to assure our customers that we are addressing this situation with due diligence to resolve it.

Magnicharters, a company with 30 years of service, during which it has offered millions of passengers the best conditions of quality, comfort, and safety, deeply regrets this situation, they said in an official statement.

On Sunday, Governor Mara Lezama said both Viva and Volaris were offering Magnicharters passengers seats on their planes according to availability.

Important! If you are traveling to or from Cancun and your Magnicharters flight is affected, this information is for you, Governor Lezama reported Sunday.

Governor Mara Lezama said Viva and Volaris are offering seats to stranded Magnicharters passengers. April 11, 2026.

With the support of our President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) in coordination with ASUR and the Government of Quintana Roo, we are working to rebook you on other flights subject to availability with Viva Aerobus and Volaris airlines, according to your scheduled date.

There are assistance desks available in Terminal 2 of the Cancun Airport to provide you with support and guidance. We wont leave anyone behind. We are here to support you.

We continue to ensure that all passengers affected by Magnicharters flights receive timely assistance and support so they have a positive experience in the vacation capital of the world, she said.

Passengers flying from Cancun to Monterrey with Magnicharters were told Sunday to go to Terminal 2 to be reassigned.

If your flight was canceled, please go to Terminal 2 at Cancun Airport where you may be reassigned to a Viva Aerobus flight subject to availability. Our team is ready to assist you, Lezama reported.

Jose Luis Pineda, who heads the Quintana Roo Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco), reported that between Saturday and Sunday, they assisted approximately 200 people affected by the cancelled Magnicharters flights.

He said most people found themselves stranded since they found out about the flight cancellations at the airport. The situation was complicated Sunday when Magnicharters staff did not show up.

Mara Lezama was at the Cancun airport Sunday helping stranded vacationers get home since Magnicharters staff did not show up.

April 11, 2026

On Sunday afternoon, Governor Lezama was at the airport working with other airlines to get those stranded vacationers back home since there were no Magnicharters staff available to assist travelers trying to return home from Cancun International.

There were three Magnicharters flights scheduled to depart Cancun International Sunday, none of which left the airport.
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On this day in 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Actor. The award went to Poitier for his performance in Lilies Of The Field, a comedy/drama about a handyman and a group of East German nuns growing to appreciate one another during the building of the nuns chapel. Poitiers Oscar was considered an upset, with the award being expected to go to the lead actor in that years Best Picture winner, Albert Finney.

You may use this page to discuss the Golden Age of Hollywood or pursue your own areas of off-topic discourse.

Find previous discussions in the Open Thread archive. Excepting the entreaty that you remain on topic, all of Slates usual commenting policies apply.
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When I was in Iraq, on patrol and during emergency responder training, I was given the option of picking my own radio call sign. I always picked Sushi. I did this because it was one of my favorite cuisines, because I thought it was funny, and most of all, because I was deliberately avoiding the call signs that some others would pick, words like Shadow, or Lightning, or Speartip.

Nobody ever said anything out loud, but plenty of us would roll our eyes and make eye contact with one another, silently shaking our heads when we heard such self-consciously macho terms come across the radio. This was long before the term cringe was a thing, but it could have easily been applied.

Theres a scene in the 1981 Bill Murray film Stripes where a solider introduces himself to his colleagues as Psycho, though his real name is Francis. He goes on to threaten to kill them if they ever call him by his real name, touch his stuff, or touch him. At the end of his litany, the sergeant, beyond unimpressed, directs him to lighten up, Francis.

The scene captures the same sense of cringe that I felt whenever I heard a radio call sign that broadcast the users insecurity to everyone listening. It flew in the face of the mantra of the quiet professional that suffused military culture, a kind of sober maturity that was critical to judicious use of deadly force. This description encapsulates the real warrior ethos: Humble, quiet, just doing a job. Quiet professionals understand that violence is risky and costly, and use it only as a last resort. Bragging, threatening, and posturing are all frowned upon. The merits of this culture are obvious. It is designed to weed out the insecure and trigger-happy, the reckless hotheads with something to prove.

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This culture is at the heart of a competent military, and indeed is essential to the morale and cohesion that makes the American armed forces the envy of the world. Voices from across the military tout humble, dignified professionalism as essential to morale and project confidence from leadership down through the ranks. That morale and confidence are critical to operational performance.

Thats why it is particularly concerning to see the current leadership throwing these ideas in the trash and embracing the ethic of Francis, raising something akin to a constant war cry. Mired in a war he chose and finds himself unable to exit, Donald Trump agreed to suspend his threats to attack civilian targets in Iran for two weeks. Its the latest in a wave of chaotic and humiliating reversals for American global power over the past month, and with the Iranian regime stubbornly clinging to power, its unclear what the way out of this will be.

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But even more overtly, the quiet professional has been replaced with the saber-rattling bully. Our armed forces are now helmed by a secretary of defense whose ideology has directly framed American military power in the term of a crusade. He exemplifies this ethos with his pride in his Jerusalem cross tattoo, and his tattoo of the Latin Deus Vult (God wills it), both symbols of Crusader power that have no place in our military. This is coupled with Trumps promises to bomb them into the Stone Ages, where they belong, and otherwise threatening to target civilian infrastructure even though such strikes could be construed as war crimes. Trumps juvenile, trollish renaming of the Department of Defense to the Department of War is the icing on this self-conscious cake. Or, it would be if we didnt have so many cringe-inducing comments from Hegseth, such as: maximum lethality, not tepid legality. His famous dressing-down of his senior staff, actual quiet professionals, should be considered at some length:

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We fight to win. We unleash overwhelming and punishing violence on the enemy. We also dont fight with stupid rules of engagement. We untie the hands of our warfighters to intimidate, demoralize, hunt and kill the enemies of our country. No more politically correct and overbearing rules of engagement, just common sense, maximum lethality and authority for warfighters.  You kill people and break things for a living. You are not politically correct and dont necessarily belong always in polite society.

This is simply not how American senior military leaders are trained to talk. A glance at Hegseths own military career makes this plain. I do not agree with those who scoff at his service (nobody should scoff at anyones service). Hegseth had a long and solid career with real combat exposure. That record is blemished by his removal from an assignment based on his Francis-like tendencies, which may have had a hand in his failure to rise above the lowest of the U.S. Armys field-grade officer ranks. He got out as a major (O-4), which is a fine achievement, but it is also far from the kind of military senior leadership that prepares one for running one branch of the military, let alone the entire thing. The results are predictable. Pentagon insiders are calling Hegseth unprofessional, reckless, even feral. They are doing this for a reason. Beneath the eye-rolling and laughter at this Francis is real concern. We dislike insecure bellicosity not just because its embarrassing, but because it is ineffective. Tough guys with chips on their shoulders make poor warfighters. Judgment and sobriety are at the heart of effective military decisionmaking. The Army itself advises soldiers to maintain the high ground, and research shows that rapid-fire calls made under pressure by the morally immature lead to disaster.

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The history of warfare itself, harkening back to ancient times, reinforces this point. Almost from the moment humans first organized to kill each other, we have warned about the dangers of the reckless use of violence, and extolled the virtues of the quiet professional. Sun Tzu, perhaps the most famous military strategist in human history, wrote in the fifth century B.C. that subduing an enemy without fighting was the height of military skill. The ancient writer Pausanias, in describing the Celtic assault on Thermopylae more than 200 years after Sun Tzu wrote his famous book, was at pains to describe how the Gauls marched against their enemies with the unreasoning fury and passion of brutes while the Greeks attacked silently and in good order. In the Middle Ages, the French disaster at Crecy became an object lesson in the dangers of rushing in.

Related From Slate What Kind of Person Talks Like ThisLet Alone a President at War? Read More

The ethos of the quiet professional lives in our own modern American military history in the famous anecdote from the Battle of Shiloh in 1862 when Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was himself caught off guard by his own poor judgment. But rather than reacting rashly, he marshaled a tenacious defense, not losing his composure or allowing himself to be tempted into a hotheaded action that could have led to disaster. Injured on the first night of the battle, he was resting in the pouring rain beneath a tree when Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman found him. Well, Grant, weve had the devils own day, havent we? Sherman asked. Grant did not avoid responsibility for the drubbing hed just taken. He did not beat his chest and threaten to rain death on his Confederate adversaries. He did not promise to bring harm to their civilian families. Instead, he gave one of the most famous, and perhaps the most quietly professional, replies ever uttered. Yes. Lick em tomorrow, though.

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Immigration and Customs Enforcements recruiting has famously used aggressive, macho memes to attract the Francises of the world. The Department of Homeland Security itself described it as a wartime surge in hiring, appealing to those seeking to hunt down the worst of the worst. The results included the horrific inflection points of Minneapolis, the outright murder of two American citizens exercising their right to protest. We are drowning in evidence that, where violence must be employed, it is imperative that it be a quiet professional making the call on when, where, and to what degree it must be.

The thousands of dead in the Iranian theater, the billions of dollars in damage and economic repercussions, the tarnishing of our countrys reputation on the global stage are the price of ignoring that warning, repeated consistently since human beings first sharpened sticks to make spears.
A little more than a year into the Trump administration, abortion access in the United States, like the total number of abortions, remains surprisingly unchanged. Most Americans who end pregnancies rely on the medications mifepristone and misoprostol, which account for more than half of all abortions nationwide. Recent research by the Guttmacher Institute showed that the number of abortions in the U.S. has held steady, with telehealth access explaining an increase in the number of procedures in ban states. Given that the administration seems content for the moment to do nothing about abortion, a number of conservative states have filed suit to force some kind of action. The latest federal court ruling in the critical and lengthy ongoing fight over mifepristone has allowed the administration to maintain the status quo for now. But for the longer term, last weeks federal decision out of Louisiana sends a clear warning: If the Trump administration doesnt introduce new restrictions on abortion medication, federal judges will likely do the job instead.

In 2024 Donald Trump campaigned on the idea of letting each state set its own policy on abortion, but conservatives hoped that he was just saying what he needed to say to win. After his victory, prominent anti-abortion groups asked the incoming Trump Food and Drug Administration to impose new national restrictions on mifepristone. Most importantly, abortion foes demanded that the FDA reinstate an in-person dispensation requirement that would make it impossible for people to receive treatment via telehealth or for doctors in blue states to send pills to places that criminalize abortion. Others believed that the Trump Department of Justice would use the Comstock Act, a 19th-century obscenity law, to prosecute people for sending or receiving abortion medication by mail.

But since his second inauguration, Trump instead has done practically nothing on mifepristone. Of course, there have been other abortion-related moves. Recently, the administration announced efforts to gut Title X, which covers family planning. In passing the Big Beautiful Bill, Congress at least temporarily defunded Planned Parenthood, and the Trump administration has signaled that it wont enforce the federal Freedom of Choice Act against anti-abortion protestors in all but the most extreme circumstances. After anti-abortion groups released their own studies, claiming to show higher mifepristone-related complication or failure rates than the FDA has previously acknowledged, the Trump FDA launched its own examination of mifepristone, even though more than 100 studies have already documented the drugs safety.

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For abortion foes, though, none of this amounts to much. Abortion rates in the United States have held steady, and abortion pills remain as available as they were when Joe Biden was president.

This has led conservative attorneys general to file a number of suits to force the presidents hand. Individuals represented by anti-abortion activists are looking for ways to get federal courts to interpret the Comstock Act as an abortion ban.

So far, the administration has responded by stonewalling. Administration attorneys have argued that conservative states dont have standing to challenge the current rules on mifepristone. And the administration has asked courts for more time for the FDA to complete its mifepristone study.

For the moment, a Louisiana district court was willing to grant the latter request. Together with Rosalie Markezich, a woman who claims she was coerced into having an abortion by her partner, the state had sued the Trump FDA, seeking the reinstatement of the in-person dispensation requirement for mifepristone. Judge David C. Joseph, a Trump appointee, stressed the agencys recognition of its own shortcomings in regulating mifepristone and ongoing fulsome review in granting it more time to study the issue. But that should hardly reassure supporters of abortion rights. Joseph made clear that Louisiana would probably win its challenge and reinstate in-person dispensation if the Trump administration doesnt impose its own limits.

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Joseph first took up the question of standing, an issue that has bedeviled previous anti-abortion litigants. Attacks on mifepristone began as soon as the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The first major mifepristone case, FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, involved a group of anti-abortion physicians who argued that they were harmed by mifepristone access, but the conservative Supreme Court unanimously held that they lacked standing to sue.

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Louisiana tried to make a better case on that point. The state argued first that it had standing because of sovereign harmsessentially, reasoning that the FDAs rules facilitated abortions that violated the states criminal laws. Second, it argued that it had suffered financial harms because state Medicaid patients required emergency treatment for mifepristone complications.

The administration identified any number of weaknesses in Louisianas standing claim. For starters, the FDA doesnt require Louisiana to do anything about mifepristone one way or another. As a result, the administration argued, it was impossible for Louisiana to prove that any abortion in the state (or any cost related to it) was attributable to the current FDA rules governing mifepristone. And there were lots of other factors contributing to whatever was happening in Louisiana. Shield laws, introduced by progressive states, protect doctors who mail pills into ban states. Law enforcement in red states struggles to stop pills from flowing into states. Tracing anything to the federal governments rules on mifepristone seemed all but impossible.

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Joseph disagreed. He credited the idea that the Biden administration lifted the in-person dispensation requirement because it was trying to harm the sovereign interests of anti-abortion states, all in an effort to circumvent anti-abortion states ability to regulate abortion. If the FDA had acted arbitrarily in lifting the in-person dispensationand Joseph certainly seemed to think sothen Louisiana did have interests in enforcing its own laws, and the FDA rules had exacerbated its inability to do so. Joseph also thought that Louisiana had suffered financial injuries.

Related From Slate DOJ Says Laws Congress Passed to Prevent Another Nixon Dont Apply to Trump Read More

More importantly, Joseph seemed convinced that the FDA had acted arbitrarily and capriciously in lifting the in-person dispensation requirement. He reasoned that the FDA didnt have adequate data about adverse events or the safety of telehealth when writing the current rules on mifepristone. The court didnt reach Louisianas separate argument that the Comstock Act criminalizes the mailing of mifepristone, but that doesnt mean that he wont embrace that claim later too.

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Why, then, did Joseph side with the Trump administrationat least for now? The answer is simple: The court believed that the administration already views mifepristone to be unsafe and would soon release a study saying so.

Joseph suggested that the FDA would do a better job weighing scientific evidence than he would, even after he suggested that the agency had failed at that task before in finding mifepristone to be safe. In practice, for Joseph, the delay seems to be a way to give the FDA time to reach the conclusions about the danger of mifepristone that he already had. And he wasnt giving Trump a pass indefinitely. Urging the FDA to proceed with all deliberate speed, Joseph asked for a progress update in six months and warned that if the administration didnt make a move, he would eventually give Louisiana the relief requested.

The Louisiana suit isnt the only one challenging telehealth access to mifepristone. Similar suits filed by Texas, Florida, Missouri, Idaho, and Kansas are unfolding in courts across the country. So are challenges filed by individual anti-abortion attorneys on behalf of private citizens.

All of this suggests that conservative judges are willing to give Trump until after the election to do what they see as the right thing on mifepristone. And if the president still isnt willing to pull the trigger, conservative courts will be a different story.
Driver Brett Beckwith was injured in a racing accident at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Sunday, April 12.

The 23-year-old reinsman sustained multiple injuries when the horse he was driving fell behind the starting gate leading up to the afternoon's sixth race, the $22,916 Open Handicap Pace.

Beckwith was transported to hospital following the incident, with early reports from his family indicating that he suffered a broken wrist and jaw as well as a minor brain bleed.

"He is stable and his vitals have been great throughout the entire day," said Beckwith's mother Melissa on Sunday evening. "He unfortunately broke his wrist and jaw. They will do surgery to repair his wrist. He does have a minor brain bleed. The neurosurgeon described it to us as if your brain has bruises on it. He is very optimistic that it will heal on its own and requires no type of surgery at this time. To be safe, Brett will receive regular CT scans to keep an eye on his brain and if there are any changes. He has been alert this entire time and knows what is going on. As to be expected, he is upset that he will have to sit on the sidelines for sometime but we are just thankful that he is ok."

She also noted that the Beckwith family is grateful for the well wishes they have received.

The horse involved, One More Bet, trained by Beckwith's mother, reportedly walked off the track without serious injury and was scratched from the race.

The youngest driver in harness racing history to surpass 2,000 career wins, Beckwith is currently the second-leading driver in North America this year having won 185 races so far.

Further updates on the reinsman will be provided if made available.

The Open was later contested and won by Soft Shot in wire-to-wire fashion with Kyle Swift driving for trainer James McAssey. The winning time for the Heston Blue Chip-Aims Whisper mare was 1:53.

Please join Standardbred Canada in wishing Brett Beckwith a full and speedy recovery.

(Standardbred Canada)
Hasty Bid produced impressive late-stretch haste to pass three rivals in the last eighth of a mile and snag the $40,000 Open Trot at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Sunday, April 12, three races after fellow six-year-old trotter Ghostly Casper hit $1 million in career earnings.

With Sid The Kid (Tyler Borth) and Mr Bluebird (Travis Cullen) leaving to his inside, James MacDonald pulled the reins on an eager Hasty Bid and dropped him in third while Sid The Kid led to the quarter in :28. Amigo Volo (Louis-Philippe Roy) vaulted from fourth to the front before the half in :57.3, relegating Hasty Bid to fourth, and the new leader brought a single-file field of six to three-quarters in 1:26.3.

Sid The Kid then vacated the pocket to attack the leader, and they came to blows down the lane with Mr Bluebird and Hasty Bid in tow. Still fourth past the eighth pole, Hasty Bid had to angle out further in mid-stretch as Mr Bluebird swung out from behind the leaders, but once straightened, the gelding took flight and rocketed past them all to prevail by a length in 1:54.4. Mr Bluebird charged for second over Sid The Kid.

Hasty Bid, following a third-place finish behind Mr Bluebird in the New Holland Trotting Series final, notched his third victory from 10 tries this year. The Paige MacDonald trainee is now 13-for-64 lifetime and has earned $887,154. Paige MacDonald co-owns the son of My Mvp-Sunshinenlollipops with 1000063663 Ontario Inc. of Guelph, Ont. The win price was $3.40.

After Poseidon Seelster's milestone moment last night, Ghostly Casper won the sixth race on Sunday to become the second horse of the weekend at Mohawk to achieve millionaire status. The son of Resolve-Cold Creek Breeze, driven by James MacDonald, assumed command on the first turn, put up panels of :27, :56.3 and 1:25.1 and cruised to a 1:53 victory in the $26,000 upper-level conditioned race. Pennteller Hanover (Louis-Philippe Roy) following him throughout and was second by a length, with Right Here Hanover (Tyler Borth) 6-3/4 lengths farther back in third.

Ghostly Casper scored his second straight win for trainer Ben Baillargeon, raising his 2026 totals to two wins in 12 starts. He attained the seven-figure milestone in his 93rd career start and 16th win as he raised his earnings to $1,009,312. The 2023 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final champion and 2022 William Wellwood Memorial show finisher is owned by Baillargeon of Guelph, Teresa Davidson of Milton, Ont., Santo Vena of Cedar Valley, Ont. and Nunzio Vena of Bolton, Ont. He returned $9.30 at the windows.

An optional-claiming Pop-Up Series began on the card, with the $14,000 divisions going to Gloryview Image ($4.20), Southside Eddy ($6) and Livinthebeachlife ($2.90). The series is for pacers that have started for a purse of $10,000 or less this year and have not earned more than $65,000 in 2025-2026, or are in for a tag of $12,500.

To view Sundays harness racing results, click the following link: Sunday Results - Woodbine Mohawk Park.

(Standardbred Canada; photo of Hasty Bid winning on April 12)
Hanover Shoe Farms has reported that a tragic barn fire at the Standardbred breeding farm in Hanover, Pennsylvania on Sunday, April 12 has claimed the lives of multiple horses.

Hanover Shoe Farms has confirmed that 12 horses owned by the farm were lost in the devastating fire. No outside owned horses were involved. The farm also reported that no personnel were injured.

Early reports from the farm on Sunday evening indicated that 14 horses were lost in the fire, but the farm has since located a mare and foal originally believed to have been lost.

The remaining horses from the barn involved were reported to be safe in the surrounding fields with access to water and grass.

"Yesterday, Hanover Shoe Farms experienced the worst thing that can befall a horse farm," said a statement from Hanover Shoe Farms posted on social media on Monday, April 13. "We thank the many first responders that arrived quickly and worked hard to contain the fire. All divisions of our staff, from equine, veterinary and maintenance, fought to save as many horses as possible. Our heartfelt thanks to all staff and first responders as well as the outpouring of support from the local community and harness racing connections worldwide.

"We are happy to report that the survivors of the fire have all been checked, treated and are doing well. The barn on Sell Station Road was our largest barn, with 38 stalls housing mares and foals. While the majority of the inhabitants were turned out for the day, the teaser stallion and seven mares with foals were in the barn for physical or medical reasons at the time of the fire. Two mares and foals were able to be led out; however, one foal ran back in and could not be saved."

Hanover Shoe Farm stated that the fire started in a manure pile outside the barn with 40 mph winds sending sparks to the barn. According to the farm, the flames quickly overtook the barn and the roof collapsed within eight minutes. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

"As clean up begins today, we remember the great horses we lost yesterday and look to heal the gaps they left in our hearts."

Hanover Shoe Farms has identified the horses lost in the fire as All Spirit and her Stay Hungry colt; Hacerla and a Stay Hungry-Lady Dale colt; A Gift For You and her Greenshoe colt; Freshgroundpepper and her Volume Eight colt; Old Magic and her International Moni filly; a Snow Angel Hanover-Volume Eight filly; and Renier Hanover.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of the horses lost in the barn fire.

(Standardbred Canada with files from Hanover Shoe Farms)
The rock solid world of encrypted messaging has been shaken in recent days. A new FBI warning shows that end-to-end encryption does not protect phone users in the way most expect. Thats why Microsoft is finding WhatsApp messages delivering malware, and its why the bureau can harvest deleted Signal messages on a phone.

Put simply, while end-to-end encryption protects messages in transit, it does not protect user accounts or the devices messages are stored on or accessed from.

MORE FROM FORBESStop Using These NetworksGoogle, NSA And TSA Warn By Zak Doffman

The bureau warns Russian spies are targeting commercial messaging applications without compromising their encryption or the applications themselves. WhatsApp, Signal and other platforms remain secure. Encryption remains intact. And yet users have still been compromised, including by the FBI itself.

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The key point is this  most users assume end-to-end encryption is a catch-all that keeps their messaging content completely safe. Its not. End-to-end encryption is transmission security. It protects content from when it leaves your device until it reaches the devices its being sent to. That content is decrypted on those devices  or ends  and is then protected by the devices security.

That means a threat actor that physically or remotely compromises a phone can target access to secure content. There are more than 1 billion smartphones that are no longer eligible for OS security updates. Thats where the key threat lies. Every vulnerability found to be powering new attacks puts all those devices at risk.

The FBIs extraction of deleted Signal messages had nothing to do with Signal  its security was intact. Instead it exploited the way in which iPhone stores notifications on a device. If you set Signal or WhatsApp or any other platforms notifications to show the sender and a preview of the content, that data is at risk. Change your messaging and notification settings if that concerns you.

The other key vulnerabilities relate to messaging accounts  including the scourge of WhatsApp account hijacks  and multi-device access. If youre tricked into sharing a security code or adding an attackers phone to your WhatsApp or Signal account, through a rogue link or QR code, they can eavesdrop on everything. You can  and should  check linked devices in your app to ensure all is as expected.

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MORE FROM FORBESGoogles Free Windows PC Upgrade OfferYou Must Act Before Its Too Late By Zak Doffman

Per the FBIs warning, despite end-to-end encryption remaining fully intact, this latest hacking campaign resulted in unauthorized access to thousands of individual (messaging) accounts. After compromising an account, malicious actors can view the victims messages and contact lists, send messages. While the bureau says on this occasion, "the threat actors specifically targeted Signal accounts," they can apply similar methods against other messaging apps.

End-to-end encryption is fine, despite noisy posts from Elon Musk and others. But that end-to-end encryption does not in itself protect you. Your security is only as good as the phone you use  and the people you message.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com
Linx will also display three machines from its laser coding portfolio. Credit: Linx Printing Technologies.

Linx will also display three machines from its laser coding portfolio. Credit: Linx Printing Technologies. (Linx Printing Technologies.)

Linx Printing Technologies is set to introduce a new continuous ink jet printer line at the interpack trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany, with the product family taking the main position on its stand in Hall 8B.

The range will be presented together with its existing coding and marking equipment, including thermal transfer printers, laser coders and large character systems.

An additional product due to be shown at the event is a new large character printer, which is scheduled for release later this year.

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According to Linx, the machine is intended for applying text, logos and graphics to porous materials such as cardboard, paper and wood for use in manufacturing, packaging and logistics.

The company will also display three machines from its laser coding portfolio.

The Linx UVG5 is intended for use on mono-recyclable films and rigid plastics and is designed for integration into production lines.

The Linx CSL30 is aimed at marking materials such as glass and rubber on high-speed lines used in sectors such as food and drink, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and electronics.

The company said the focus adjustment of the CO laser marking head, which includes integrated simplified focus technology, means the laser does not need to be moved or reset for products with different heights or widths.

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It said this can reduce line changeover time and the risk of mistakes where product change is frequent.

Linxs FSL20 fibre laser coder is designed for small parts or products carrying a large amount of information in a limited area.

The company said the clarity of the codes supports traceability needs in sectors, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive and electronics.

The show will also present three thermal transfer printer models for printing on flexible materials such as bags, pouches, labels and flow wrap.

The company said the systems use a range of ribbons suited to different applications and line requirements, while bi-directional stepper motors allow more prints per ribbon.

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The printers also include a colour touchscreen and cassette system for set-up, operation and changeovers.

Linx product and marketing senior director Mark Cooper said: interpack provides a global showcase for the packaging industry, and it therefore presents the ideal opportunity for us to share with visitors what we believe will be a game-changer in coding and marking for busy production managers.

In 2024, Linx Printing Technologies introduced two inks developed for coding on flexible plastic packaging.

The Linx Black Strong Plastic-Film Ink 1015 and 3415 are intended to improve code adhesion and readability across different plastic film pack formats.

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"Linx plans printer and coding launches at interpack" was originally created and published by Packaging Gateway, a GlobalData owned brand.




Paytm is making the digital gold buying experience more accessible and effortless for individuals. On the Paytm app, users can buy 24-karat digital gold with Paytm Gold, starting at Rs 51, based on live market prices, through easy steps, offering a more convenient alternative to buying and storing physical gold.

Tech News Of The Day

The company offers investment in digital gold through MMTC-PAMP, a joint venture of MMTC Ltd, which is a government of India undertaking entity and PAMP. Every purchase of Paytm Gold is backed by real physical gold that is stored in insured, high-security, bank-grade vaults by MMTC-PAMP, with no storage fees, offering a secure and hassle-free ownership experience.

Paytm Gold also offers easy liquidity, allowing users to sell their holdings anytime at live market prices. As more Indians look for simple ways to start their savings journey in trusted assets like gold, Paytm is making it easier to begin with small amounts and build steadily over time, without the need for large upfront investments.

The platform also offers a Daily Gold SIP, allowing users to invest small sums regularly and grow their savings in a disciplined manner, without having to time the market.

For Akshaya Tritiya, Paytm Gold is offering users the opportunity to earn additional Paytm Gold on higher gold investment.

Heres how to buy Paytm Gold:

 Open the Paytm app and search for Paytm Gold

 Choose Buy Gold for a one-time purchase

 Check the live price (inclusive of GST)

 Enter the amount you want to invest

 Complete payment via UPI, net banking, or debit card

 The purchased gold is securely stored in insured vaults, with confirmation sent via SMS and email

How to redeem your Paytm Gold in cash:

 Open the Paytm app and search for Paytm Gold

 Tap on Withdraw Gold from the homepage

 Select Get Cash in Bank

 Choose to sell in Rupees or Grams and enter the amount or quantity

 Pick your preferred payout method, UPI ID or bank account

 Confirm the transaction with OTP
Sold as innovation and reform, Albanias AI rollout raises a deeper question: Who is in charge when decisions are shaped by algorithms?

When Albania appointed Diella as the new virtual minister of state for artificial intelligence and innovation, it marked an astonishing rise for a public servant who had only started working for the government eight months earlier.

But as a friendly and charming assistant for the e-Albania project, which brings everything from vehicle registrations to consular services into the digital age, Diella was incredibly efficient. According to the Prime Minister Edi Ramas office, prior to the promotion Diella had logged 972,000 interactions with the public, issued 36,000 documents, and set a new standard for public administration.

Government officials saw the potential for even more in a ministerial role, and gave Diella  which means sunshine in Albanian  responsibility for public procurement, a sector long seen as highly vulnerable to corruption. Diella was also tasked with boosting citizens access to public services, digitizing documents, and introducing artificial intelligence to the most important sectors of the country.

But behind the allure, there are big questions about what Diella actually does, who oversees the new appointee, and what the benefits  and risks  might be.

Not Just a Pretty Face

Diella is charming, has superhuman work habits, and looks and sounds just like a famous Albanian actress. If this all seems too good to true, it is because it is  Diella is an AI-generated virtual avatar.

In announcing the appointment, the prime ministers office described Diella as a bold step toward digital independence. And officials boasted that she could make public-procurement procedures 100% corruption-free.

The worlds first virtual minister, and the fast expansion of a wide-ranging surveillance system, are being presented as signs that Albania is becoming a tech leader in the region. But together, they reveal a deeper issue: a lack of transparency in how these systems are built, managed, and connected. For a country aiming to join the European Union, it raises serious questions about data protection, democratic oversight, and who ultimately controls Albanias digital future.

A Paradox At Work

Slow Media Albania, a Tirana-based outlet for in-depth investigative journalism, contacted Ramas office for answers.

In a written response, the office explained that Diella is an artificial intelligence system developed by the National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI) and integrated into the e-Albania platform to provide automated public services.

The office also clarified that Diella has no real decision-making powers and is intended to be used as a support tool to assist public employees.

Diella does not make administrative or legal decisions autonomously; the formal responsibility for any act or action arising from its use remains with the person or institution that interacts with and uses the system to make final decisions, the message said.

But more questions were raised by the offices explanation that the system is not based on on-premise infrastructure and that data processing and the execution of artificial intelligence models are carried out within Microsoft Azuremanaged environments.

AKSHI also confirmed the reliance on Azure, a public cloud-computing platform operated by the U.S. tech giant Microsoft that provides data storage as well as AI and networking services.

According to Silva Arapi, a Tirana-based expert on data protection and AI governance, the use of the platform offers clear advantages, including high levels of technical security, advanced encryption, 24/7 monitoring, protection against cyberattacks, and system resilience, which public administrations often cannot match without massive investment.

However, the risks are also significant.

When critical state data and AI processes are handled through foreign infrastructure, the state loses autonomy, becomes dependent on third parties, and faces concerns over foreign access, cross-border data transfers, and long-term costs flowing outside the country, Arapi says.

Albania has recorded a significant increase in the number of cyber incidents, which broadly refers to any event  including denial of service and malware attacks  that affects the security of an information system or the data it stores or processes.

The countrys National Cyber Security Authority recorded 16 cyber incidents nationally in2019. In 2023, there were 42 such incidents, and last year 46 were recorded. The most affected sectors include digital infrastructure, energy, and transport  precisely the areas of government where digital systems are most heavily used and tightly linked together.

For Arapi, this is a clear warning signal that comes as malicious actors, including criminal and state-linked hacking groups, are rapidly employing more advanced technology and tactics.

Rising cyber incidents significantly increase the need for stronger cybersecurity and risk management, especially for state systems processing citizens personal data and deploying AI, she says.

But when it comes to technical details of how Diella and its new surveillance system works, how data is processed and stored, and who controls it, Albania reveals precious little information. AKSHI itself sets strict limits on transparency, citing national security and the protection of critical infrastructure.

Therein lies the paradox: the state is promoting AI as a transparency tool, while refusing to disclose how the system itself works.

Big Brother Is Getting Smart

Diellas arrival on the AI front comes at the same time that Albania is quietly expanding a nationwide surveillance infrastructure that has resulted in the installation of thousands of cameras and other tools to monitor urban spaces, traffic systems, and public services across the country.

But like Diella, the so-called Albania Smart City project has drawn criticism for the lack of transparency and public input, foreign involvement, and questions over its legality and how it works. Official documents studied by Slow Media Albania show that even state institutions struggle to fully understand or control the technologies now shaping public administration.

The initiative was announced in April 2024, when former Interior Minister Taulant Balla reached a multi-year agreement with a company based in the United Arab Emirates, Presight. The company, part of the G42 Group that has ties to the Abu Dhabi royal family,advertises AI-powered urban intelligence for future-ready nations and promises to enable governments to meet modern challenges with scalable, sovereign, and AI-native city intelligence platforms.

According to the agreement, the company would implement an AI-powered smart nation program in 20 cities and 28 international border points across Albania. Presight did not respond to a request for comment on the companys role in the Smart City project.

Former Interior Minister Taulant Balla during the signing ceremony with Presight AI in Abu Dhabi. Photo via Interior Ministry

Smart City has been presented by the Interior Ministry and Ramas office as a transparent, citizen-focused investment that uses artificial intelligence to improve public safety and prevent crime.

Rama, who formally signed off on the deal during a meeting in Tirana in February 2025 with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has boasted that the project will make Albania one of the safest countries in the world. It will be very difficult, if not impossible, to move around Albanias streets in order to commit wrongdoing, he said at the time.

But to date, technical and financial details, any operational safeguards, and long-term access arrangements pertaining to the project have not been disclosed. Smart City appears to have benefited from legal loopholes that prevented public scrutiny, and information about the way it operates is shrouded in secrecy.

The procurement structure itself is unusual but legal, thanks to the exceptional Albanian law that exempts companies from the UAE from standard public-procurement procedures. The same legal mechanism has been used for other large strategic projects, including the redevelopment of the Port of Durres.

Freedom of information (FOI) requests filed by Slow Media Albania ran into more walls. The Interior Ministry confirmed that while the contract was not classified under the law on state secrets, it could not be released due to contractual confidentiality. AKSHI, the national body in charge of information, responded to FOI requests by saying it had no central registry relating to the surveillance system.

Cameras are popping up at key intersections in Tirana. Photo by Slow Media Albania

Other details regarding Smart City  including the key questions of whether it might employ invasive biometric cameras and who might process any resulting data  are kept from the public. AKSHI, for example, said it does not track which institutions use AI or biometric cameras that might utilize controversial technology like facial recognition, and keeps no list of such systems in operation. Even the list of critical digital infrastructure operators is classified and cannot be made public.

So, Who Controls the Cameras?

Signs that the project is in operation are popping up on street corners and highways across the country. In Tirana, for example, cameras have been installed in various high-traffic areas, but nobody appears to know  or is willing to say  who is responsible for them, which ones might be related to the Smart City project, and what technology they use.

When asked directly about biometric surveillance, state bodies respond with denials and deflections.

The National Cybersecurity Authority (AKSK) said that it does not maintain a list of surveillance systems and does not receive incident reports specific to AI-powered camera networks.

The Interior Ministry says the system is operated on Albanian soil and managed by the State Police. But in two separate written responses, the State Police stated that it does not operate, manage, or administer facial-recognition systems, and that the cameras under its control are standard CCTV systems, not biometric ones. The police further stated that they have no information about whether facial recognition cameras exist elsewhere and advised that questions be directed to other institutions.

Smart City includes the installation of 2,239 cameras for automatic license plate recognition and 2,602 pan, tilt, and zoom cameras for traffic monitoring, according to a public presentation of the project. But no state institution was willing to inform Slow Media Albania about their specific locations.

Data protection and AI governance expert Arapi says the lack of clarity reveals a clear mismatch between public statements and official communications.

On the one hand, the police say only traditional CCTV systems are used. On the other hand, in official online communication, including the prime ministers office website, the project is described as being based on smart cameras, which in practice go beyond a classic CCTV system, Arapi says.

Arapi explains that smart cameras, unlike passive CCTV systems, combine video capture with analytical software, including algorithms and sometimes artificial intelligence, to detect movements and unusual behavior and identify specific objects and vehicles in real time.

The cameras are obvious  who controls them is not. Photo by Slow Media Albania

Data-Protection Rules Tested

Adding to the controversy is that Smart City might have been implemented in violation of both Albanian and EU law, and was approved without standard risk assessments or real public input.

Under Albanias data protection law, the data controller must respect the principle of transparency, Arapi says. Citizens have the right to know how their personal data are processed, for what purpose, with whom they are shared, how long they are retained, and whether they are transferred abroad.

The authorities say that the public was informed about the $113.6 million project by way of official statements and media appearances, but there is no evidence of public consultation or debate before the nationwide surveillance system was approved.

The Interior Ministry has offered assurances that the use of Artificial Intelligence systems will be carried out in compliance with the GDPR [EU General Data Protection Regulation]. Yet no documentation has been made public to verify this claim.

Likewise, no data-protection impact assessments (DPIAs) were conducted, according to the office of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC). There has been no public explanation of whether Smart City analyzes behavior patterns or predicts risk, which would indicate the use of biometric technology. And there is no clarification on whether data is retained, shared, or reprocessed, and whether any of those processes would be in-country or abroad.

While the Interior Ministry suggested that it is a sovereign system, in keeping with Presights claims about its AI services, key parts of the project  including its design and technical evaluations  were developed together with an international consortium led by the UAE company. It remains unclear what happens after the system is installed, and Albanian officials have not explained whether foreign partners still have technical access to the system or any ongoing influence over how it operates.

The office of the IDPC, while confirming that no DPIAs was conducted in advance, says that the monitoring of how personal data is processed is ongoing. However, it provides no documents explaining how this monitoring is actually carried out.

Data Protection Without Real Enforcement

The IDPC noted that Albania adopted a new data protection law aligned with the GDPR in 2024, and began to apply it last year. But the authority admits that there are serious limitations on how the law works in practice.

Albania has also not yet adopted EU rules on artificial intelligence into its domestic laws.As a result, there were no public discussions or consultations before Diella and Smart City were introduced.

These technologies are considered high-risk, but officially the legal requirement to carry out formal privacy and data-protection checks will only take effect in 2027, according to the legislation.

According to Arapi, this creates serious risks: high-risk systems may be deployed without prior rights assessments, accountability becomes blurred when harm occurs, problematic technical and contractual practices may become entrenched, and public trust is weakened.

DPIAs are a preventive tool, she says. Delaying them means Albania risks deploying powerful technologies for years without its main risk-management mechanism.

The Serbian Precedent

Albanias current trajectory of running before it can walk when it comes to modern AI technology has a precedent in the Western Balkans. Fellow EU candidate Serbia offers one of the most closely documented examples of how digital surveillance infrastructure can be introduced quietly and attempts can be made to normalize it before clear legal rules exist.

Beginning in 2019, Serbian authorities installed thousands of smart cameras across Belgrade and other cities, often justified as tools for traffic management and public safety. The systems were introduced through cooperation with foreign technology providers, in this case Chinese. Later investigations found that the project went ahead despite repeated warnings from the European Union and Serbias own data protection commissioner.

Between 2017 and 2022, authorities tried several times to change the law to permit biometric surveillance, but each attempt was blocked after strong opposition from civil society, legal experts, and public campaigns questioning its necessity and justification.

Authorities had insisted the systems did not use facial recognition, yet they did not release technical documentation or full impact assessments. Andrijana Ristic of a Serbian organization for digital rights, SHARE Foundation, says this uncertainty made it difficult to verify official claims.

In the end the surveillance infrastructure was installed, but the outcry prevented Serbia from passing legislation that specifically allows facial recognition in public spaces.

Serbias experience serves as a warning as the same patterns are emerging in Albania: systems introduced before clear rules exist, information withheld in the name of security, and oversight bodies that lack real power to intervene. But it is also important to note the precedent set when red flags were raised.

Ristic says the reason resistance worked in Serbia is simple. Public pressure began early, before biometric surveillance became something people saw as normal or inevitable. Once these systems become routine, it becomes much harder to oppose them, she says.

Albania is now facing the same risk. AI governance and surveillance technologies are advancing faster than institutions can regulate or oversee them.

Tirana-based journalist Inva Hasanaliaj is the founder of Slow Media Albania  the countrys first slow journalism platform for in-depth and multimedia investigations.
Vietnam is the kind of country that keeps changing shape as you move through it. One stretch gives you limestone towers rising out of the sea. Another opens into river valleys hemmed in by karst cliffs. Farther north, the roads begin curling through high mountain country and deep canyons.

Vietnams official tourism board leans into that range, while UNESCOs Vietnam profile shows just how many of the countrys landscapes carry international weight. For this slideshow, I focused on places where the scenery is the main event from the first look.

Some are best seen from a boat, some from a pass, some from a trail or lookout, and one from an island road that makes you want to keep driving just to see the next bend. What links them is simple: these are the Vietnam spots where the view does the talking.

1. Ha Long Bay

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Ha Long Bay belongs on any list like this because the setting still feels slightly unreal. UNESCO says the Ha Long BayCat Ba Archipelago property spans 65,650 hectares and includes 1,133 islands and islets, creating a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars rising from the water.

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Vietnams official tourism site describes the bay as a place of emerald water, rugged islands, and impressive caves, and that matches the experience. The scenery keeps changing as you move through it, which is why a cruise or kayak trip feels so rewarding.

Ha Long stands out because the scale is immense, but the details keep it from feeling distant. Fishing boats, hidden coves, and oddly shaped islets give the whole scene texture as well as drama.

2. Trang An, Ninh Binh

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Trang An is one of those landscapes that looks composed rather than accidental. UNESCO calls it a spectacular landscape of limestone karst peaks permeated with valleys, many of them partly submerged and surrounded by steep cliffs.

Vietnam Tourisms Ninh Binh boat-tour guide makes the key point very clearly: some of the regions best scenery can only be reached by boat. That is exactly why the place lingers in memory.

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You drift along calm water beneath jungle-covered karsts, slip through cave passages, and keep emerging into new pockets of scenery that feel sealed off from the outside world. Trang An wins through a sequence of beautiful frames rather than one giant reveal.

3. Ha Giang and Ma Pi Leng Pass

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Ha Giang has the kind of scenery that makes roads feel cinematic. Vietnam Tourism says the drive into Dong Van is impossibly beautiful and that Ma Pi Leng, where the road snakes past the Nho Que River, is the jewel in Ha Giangs crown.

UNESCOs Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark page adds the wider geological context, highlighting features such as Tu San Canyon and the plateaus dramatic karst terrain. That is why the far north feels so severe and so memorable at the same time.

This is not soft, pastoral scenery. It is the kind that makes you stop the bike or car just to stare for a minute, because the scale feels hard-edged in the best possible way.

4. Ban Gioc Waterfall, Cao Bang

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

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Ban Gioc brings a completely different kind of spectacle. Vietnam Tourism says the falls are 300 meters wide and among the largest cross-border waterfalls in the world.

UNESCOs Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark page also singles out Ban Gioc as one of the geoparks defining natural features. Set against a lush valley and karst backdrop, the whole place feels oversized in the best way.

What makes Ban Gioc especially satisfying is that the view is not only about the drop itself. The river, the greenery, and the surrounding limestone walls give the scene more layers than a single waterfall face could manage on its own.

5. Phong Nha-Ke Bang

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang is where Vietnams scenery turns inward. UNESCO says the karst here evolved over some 400 million years and is the oldest major karst area in Asia.

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Vietnam Tourisms guide to Phong Nha notes that Son Doong looms large as one of the worlds greatest natural wonders, but it also makes clear that the wider region is full of caves, jungle roads, river landscapes, and giant limestone formations.

That is what makes this area such a strong scenic standout. Even if you never go near the most exclusive cave expeditions, the landscape still delivers on a huge scale.

6. Sa Pa and Fansipan

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Sa Pa earns its place because the mountain scenery feels both dramatic and lived in. Vietnam Tourism says the town is known for rewarding views, rice terraces, and Mount Fansipan.

Its Fansipan feature calls the summit the Roof of Indochina and leans hard into the cloud-wrapped panoramas and forested slopes that make the ascent so memorable. That is the angle that pushes Sa Pa onto a list like this.

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The region works because the scenery has depth. You get terraced farmland and village life below, then steeper, more dramatic mountain views above.

7. Hai Van Pass

Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Hai Van Pass proves that one of Vietnams best scenic places is a road. Vietnam Tourism calls the Hoi AnHue route over Hai Van one of Southeast Asias most spectacular coastal journeys, with jungle-topped mountains dropping toward the sea.

The appeal of Hai Van is that it feels active rather than static. You do not stand in one place and admire it. You move through it, catching glimpses of bays, beaches, lagoons, and misty ridges as the road twists upward.

Some scenic spots are about arrival. This one is about momentum, which is exactly what makes it memorable.

8. Con Dao

Image Credit : Shutterstock.

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Con Dao closes the list on a calmer note. Vietnam Tourism describes the islands as peaceful, relaxing, and edged by coastal roads that pass windy beaches, rocky shoreline, and jungle-covered slopes.

The same tourism coverage says most of the archipelago forms Con Dao National Park, with tropical forest, marine areas, and hiking routes leading to mountain viewpoints over cliffs and open sea.

Con Dao is less flashy than Ha Long Bay or Ban Gioc, but that restraint is exactly what makes its scenery memorable. It leaves more room for silence, distance, and the kind of coastal beauty that stays with you after the trip ends.
Long-distance train travel takes on fresh meaning in a country like Australia, where continent-crossing rail journeys are not only routine but arguably the best way to experience this vast and amazing country.

Now the luxury rail component has been raised with the advent of the new Aurora Australis Suites, adding a new level of space, design, and service to Australias iconic rail journeys.

These suites have just been introduced on the countrys three greatest long-distance trains: the Indian Pacific, traveling for three or four days (depending upon the itinerary) between Perth and Sydney; The Ghan, a four-day journey from Adelaide to Darwin; and the Great Southern, a four-day train voyage between Adelaide and Brisbane.

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Our iconic trains have long connected guests with some of the countrys most extraordinary landscapes, and these suites elevate that experience to an entirely new level. They offer guests a private sanctuary on board, a place to unwind and fully immerse themselves in the journey across this remarkable continent.

Journey Beyond, Australias leading experiential travel operator, operates the trains, which are featured in my new book, National Geographics 100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime: The Worlds Ultimate Train Rides, published by Penguin Random House.

In Europe, companies such as Belmond and Orient-Express have raised the stakes for luxury train travel with trains such as the Royal Scotsman and the La Dolce Vita Orient Express. The Australis Suite is Australias serious bid to enter this ultra-luxe rail market.

The debut of the Aurora Australis Suites represents a new chapter for Journey Beyond and for luxury travel in Australia, Chris Tallent, CEO of Journey Beyond, said in a press statement. Our iconic trains have long connected guests with some of the countrys most extraordinary landscapes, and these suites elevate that experience to an entirely new level. They offer guests a private sanctuary on board, a place to unwind and fully immerse themselves in the journey across this remarkable continent.

The Australis Suite

Bedroom of the Australis Suite Journey Beyond

The Australis Suite is the most luxurious suite on any Australian train. At 269 square feet, its three times the size of a Platinum cabin, formerly the most luxurious category. There is a separate bedroom with a fixed, custom-sized bed, a lounge area with a couch and chairs, and an en suite bathroom with a double vanity and a large shower, stocked with Jurlique amenities. This Suite also has a writing desk and a closet. At this level, you get Champagne Bollinger La Grande Annee throughout the journey, a premium Australian wine selection, and a personalized in-suite bar. Butler service and in-room dining are included. Guests have access to the Platinum Club lounge and dining carriage access. They can also expect a private chauffeur for train arrivals and departures.

The Aurora Suite

The Aurora Suite Journey Beyond

The Aurora Suite is double the size of a Platinum cabin, measuring 183 square feet, and also features a fixed, custom-sized bed, a furnished lounge, a closet, and an en suite bathroom with premium Jurlique amenities. It comes with all the extra perks of the Australis Suite.

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These suites were designed in collaboration with award-winning studio Woods Bagot and crafted in South Australia. The design features Art Deco-inspired interiors that pay homage to the nations landscapes and heritage. Woods Bagot Director Rosina Di Maria says the design references Australia's pastoral history, acknowledging the contributions of wool and leather merchants.

The luxury interiors are characterized by an artisanal, heritage-driven approach to detail and meticulous craftsmanship," Di Maria said in a press statement, with a palette of decorative timber, stone surfaces, and accents of sheepskin and leather.

Exclusive Experiences

Guests who travel in the Aurora Australis Suites are offered a range of exclusive off-train experiences. For example, on the Indian Pacific, guests traveling eastbound will experience Kalgoorlie Golden Horizons, combining a visit to historic Paddy Hannans Mine with a scenic flight over the vast Super Pit. Westbound guests will enjoy Mount Lofty Sips and Summits, an elegant evening in the Adelaide Hills featuring South Australian wines and a refined dinner at Hardys Verandah restaurant.

Platinum Lounge. Journey Beyond

On The Ghan, suite guests traveling northbound will experience a Katherine Gorge Grand Flight in a helicopter above all 13 gorges of Nitmiluk National Park before landing for a private champagne moment in the outback. Guests traveling on the southbound Ghan will journey by charter flight to UluruKata Tjuta National Park for a private champagne lunch and guided exploration of iconic sites, including Mutitjulu Waterhole.

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Anticipation for the suites has been high, with 95 percent of 2026 departures already sold out and 2027 departures now open for booking.

To experience the Aurora Australis Suites, fares start from $11,700 USD per person for the Australis Suite and $7,800 USD per person for the Aurora Suite for a 3-day journey on The Indian Pacific. More details at Journey Beyond.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com
Airdate: In the City

Spin-off from reality show Summer House to screen in May.

New US reality series In The City a spin-off from will Summer House, be available on Hayu in May, screening same day as the USA.

In The City was filmed directly out of Summer House Season 10 in Autumn 2025 and follows Lindsay Hubbard, Kyle Cooke, Amanda Batula, Danielle Olivera, Eoin Heavey, Andrea Denver, Lexi Sundin, Nick Barber, Yvonne Najor, Georgina Ferzil, Whitney Fransway, Kenny Martin, Gavin Moseley and Katie Arundel as they navigate the biggest transitions of their lives at the time  marriage, separation, parenthood, reinvention and the reality of growing up without growing apart.

About the cast:

Kyle Cooke has always been the life of the party, but with Loverboy under unprecedented financial pressure, hes scrambling to keep the business afloat. What started as DJ-ing to boost visibility and fill the monetary gap has quickly become a second career.

Amanda Batula is focusing on finding balance between her personal life and professional ambitions while the demise of her marriage is front and centre.

After a decade of summering in the Hamptons, Lindsay Hubbard enters a new chapter as a fiercely independent single mom. Rebuilding life on her own terms and rediscovering herself, Lindsay balances mommy time with an intentional return to dating, leaning on her closest friends along the way.

After nearly a decade together, Nick Barber, a furniture entrepreneur known for his charm and goofball energy, finally proposed to Yvonne Najor, a former vice president of marketing at a high-profile nightlife empire now redefining success beyond the velvet rope after an unexpected layoff. While their marriage appears solid, underlying tensions about having children start to surface. Yvonne leans on her bestie Lindsay for support, and Nick weighs the pressure of career and financial uncertainty as they decide if theyre truly ready to start a family.

A sought-after dermatologist and medical director of two thriving practices, Georgina Ferzli is preparing to launch her own skincare line, while navigating single motherhood after a painful split. With her best friend and client, Lindsay, she faces the realities of raising children in New York City, dating, and managing a complicated relationship with her ex.

Former model and social media influencer, Whitney Fransway left Los Angeles for New York City to move in with her boyfriend, Kenny Martin, a self-made real estate investor and venture capitalist, after less than a year of dating. After appearing on The Bachelor, Whitneys always been a romantic at heart, willing to take big risks for love while Kenny  Kyles friend and Loverboy investor  is the blunt truth-teller whos never afraid to challenge those closest to him. As their relationship deepens and Kenny grapples with the recent passing of his mother, they must confront their mismatched timelines.

Trading in Hamptons summers for new adventures, Danielle Olivera is madly in love with Eoin Heavey, and their whirlwind romance is moving at lightning speed. Now living together, theyre navigating their fast-paced love story with the demands of building Eoins hotel tech startup, Major D, and Danielles new dynamic with former bestie, Lindsay. As scepticism from the group surrounds them, theyre quickly finding out if they can handle the mounting pressure.

Gavin Moseley is a fixture in NYC nightlife, launching a string of successful bars and speakeasies frequented by friends and celebrities alike including his close friend, Kyle. A quintessential New York bachelor, he thrives in the party scene and avoids settling down despite an on-and-off again relationship. As his best friend Kenny grows more serious about love, cracks in their bromance may be inevitable.

Fresh off their first year of marriage, Andrea Denver and his wife, Lexi Sundin, have settled back in New York after months of travelling. At 34 with his parents in Italy, Andrea feels the pressure of time to start the family hes always wanted. Beneath Lexis calm exterior, however, lies some of her biggest unanswered questions about their future. They must decide whether their dream home in Italy will remain a vacation retreat or become a forever home. Though deeply in love, their vision for what comes next might not align.

Katie Arundel is dependable, warm, and, as her childhood best friend, one of the few people Amanda fully trusts. Katies unafraid to challenge Kyle in a way only a ride-or-die could. Shes fiercely loyal, but that doesnt come without complications as Katie is also close with Danielle, who doesnt always see eye-to-eye with Amanda.

In The City is produced by Truly Original (a Banijay Americas company) with Steven Weinstock, Glenda Hersh, Lauren Eskelin, Jamie Jakimo, Lori Gordon, Tamara Najm Coudurier and Faith Gaskins serving as executive producers.

Wednesday May 20 on Hayu.
Report: More crew working in film than television

Film is the most active area of production for Australian crew, but most also work in Broadcast Television and SVOD.

More Australian crew are working in narrative feature film than television, with the majority based in New South Wales, according to a recent report.

Olsberg-SPIs Production Infrastructure and Capacity Analysis (PICA) 2026 study, commissioned by Screen Australia, found Childrens, Reality, Animation and Current Affairs were among the least active genres worked on by survey respondents

Australias physical production workforce consists of professionals with experience across a range of different areas, such as film and broadcast television, and formats and genres, such as documentaries and narrative feature films. Film is the most active area of production, with 77% of surveyed practitioners working in this area.

Broadcast and streaming / VOD were also active, both with 59% of respondents working in these areas. There was a great degree of overlap across areas of physical production, with 72% of professionals working across more than one area within the past three years.

Out of all the areas, professionals working in film were the least likely to work across multiple areas, with 19% of all physical production professionals working exclusively in film. By comparison, a small minority of professionals worked exclusively in the other areas, with 5% of physical production professionals work exclusively in broadcast television, 3% exclusively in streaming/VOD and 1% exclusively in online/direct-to-audience.

Physical Production Professionals by Area of Screen Production (%)

Nearly two thirds of professionals work on narrative feature films. Narrative feature film and narrative television/streaming / VOD were by some distance the most active formats worked on in the last three years. Childrens, reality, animation and current affairs were among the least active genres worked on by survey respondents. In line with the insights from consultations, there is significant overlap across all genres and formats, with respondents typically working on more than one.

Formats and Genres Worked on in the Last Three Years by Physical Production Professionals (%)

More than 80% of physical production professionals who responded to the survey work primarily in capital cities, most commonly the three major production hubs Sydney (33%), Melbourne (12%) and Brisbane (12%)

Most of the countrys studios, production companies and equipment are based in these three cities. Sydney is home to Disney Studios, reportedly the largest integrated screen production centre in the southern hemisphere, while Melbourne hosts the 108,000 ft2 Docklands Studios and Queensland has four separate studio facilities available to productions.

The survey results are in line with Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures from 2021/22, which found that the highest employment for film and video production businesses was in New South Wales (13,232 employed), Victoria (7,267 employed) and Queensland (4,157 employed).

Data from the Screen Australia Drama Report 2024/25 demonstrated a slightly different trend in terms of drama production activity, with 34% of drama production expenditure taking place in Queensland, 31% in New South Wales and 27% in Victoria.

Whist in previous years, drama production spend was more concentrated in New South Wales, at 51%, 2024/25 has seen more regional spread, with Queenslands share of total spend increasing from 16% of the total in the previous year and Victoria seeing an increase from 18%.

Compared to other states, Queensland had an even split between professionals working in and outside of the capital city, due to a strong production hub in the Gold Coast due to Village Roadshow Studios. The areas with the lowest proportion of physical production professionals primarily working there are the Northern Territory (3%) and ACT (4%). Combined expenditure for these areas, as well as Tasmania, accounted for 1% of total drama production spend in Australia in 2024/25, down from 6% in 2023/24 according to the Drama Report.

Physical Production Professionals Primary Place of Work (%)

This Study was based on a mixed-method approach, drawing from both new primary and existing secondary research. The findings below are drawn from a combination of desk research, consultations, roundtables and the three industry surveys.

You can read the full PICA study here.
The video features familiar images of Vietnam - grazing buffaloes, open grasslands, and peaceful rural villages - alongside striking landmarks such as Nui Mat Than, Truc Lam Phat Tich Ban Gioc pagoda, and Ban Gioc waterfall, known for both its grandeur and poetic charm.

Two tourists working in modeling and content creation across Asia. Photo: Provided by the subjects

Despite having no narration or captions, the video stands out through its carefully composed shots, seamless transitions, and expressive presence of its subjects. A nostalgic color palette adds a cinematic quality, making viewers feel as if they are watching scenes from a film.

Within just a few days of being posted, the clip attracted 6.5 million views and nearly 4,000 comments.

Many viewers noted that while the locations are not new to the media, the video still delivers a fresh emotional experience.

The creators behind the viral clip are Micha Kokowski from Poland and Andrew Royce from the US, both born in 1999. The duo work as models and content creators across Asia.

We were truly surprised by the positive response from people in Vietnam. We have had viral videos before, but this time feels especially meaningful as we received so many messages of thanks. People even suggested more places for us to explore, they shared with VietNamNet.

The two first met during a work trip to South Korea before the Covid-19 pandemic. Beyond modeling, they wanted to tell stories through images and short videos, which led them to begin traveling across different countries from late 2022, documenting local life through their own lens.

The video attracted 6.5 million views after just a few days of posting, along with nearly 4,000 comments. Source: Never Clicked

Their content blends fashion and cinematic elements while remaining approachable, with a touch of humor and youthful energy. Their TikTok channel has attracted more than 500,000 followers, while their YouTube channel has reached 180,000 subscribers.

They first visited Vietnam at the end of 2025 and were immediately drawn to the food, landscapes, and hospitality of people in Da Nang.

Da Nang made us feel that we had to return to Vietnam, stay longer, and explore more, they said.

Later, they came across videos of Cao Bang on social media. The combination of majestic and poetic scenery inspired them to visit.

When we arrived, we were completely overwhelmed by the mountains and waterfalls. The beauty felt untouched, and we could hardly believe it was real. We only spent two days in Cao Bang, but it became the most memorable part of our one-week trip in Vietnam, they shared.

Among the places they visited was Nui Mat Than, also known as Nui Thung, located within the Thang Hen lake complex of the Non Nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark. It was their first time seeing a mountain with a massive natural hole piercing through its center, resembling a giant eye, with a diameter of about 50 meters. At its base lies a vast valley surrounded by lakes and small streams.

They visited Ban Gioc waterfall at the beginning of the year, outside its most dramatic season when large volumes of water cascade down in white torrents. Yet in February and March, the waterfall reveals a softer, more poetic beauty.

Each season offers a different charm, which is one of the reasons Ban Gioc waterfall was named among the worlds 21 most beautiful waterfalls by US travel magazine Travel+Leisure in 2024.

Truc Lam Phat Tich Ban Gioc pagoda also impressed the two visitors with its traditional architecture and its vantage point overlooking the waterfall and surrounding mountains.

Micha Kokowski and Andrew Royce plan to return to Vietnam soon to continue exploring new destinations, filming more videos, and enjoying their three favorite dishes: pho, banh mi, and bun cha.



Linh Trang
Vo Thu Trang graduated as valedictorian of the Artificial Intelligence program at the University of Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, with a GPA of 9.42 out of 10. She belongs to one of the first formally trained AI cohorts in Vietnam.

No roadmap for those who go first

Vo Thu Trang, valedictorian of the Artificial Intelligence program at the University of Science, Vietnam National University - Ho Chi Minh City, with a GPA of 9.42/10







Trang entered university in 2021, at a time when artificial intelligence was rapidly gaining momentum and the Covid-19 pandemic had pushed classrooms into virtual space.

While many students chose AI for its popularity and career prospects, Trang saw it as a field with long-term impact. The programs strong emphasis on mathematics and algorithmic thinking also aligned with her strengths.

It wasnt an impulsive choice. I felt this was a path I could pursue in the long run, she said.

As part of the universitys first AI cohort, Trang had no senior students to consult, no shared experience to rely on, and even some courses were still being refined.

I didnt know in advance which subjects would be difficult, so I couldnt prepare in the usual way. Sometimes only after finishing a course did I fully understand how challenging it was, she recalled.

That sense of moving through uncharted territory brought both pressure and motivation. Trang developed her own learning methods, from reading additional materials to restructuring knowledge independently, learning through trial and error.

Instead of studying for exams, she focused on understanding. Instead of waiting for guidance, she actively searched for answers. In such an environment, self-learning became essential for survival.

If studying a new field was already challenging, doing so entirely online during the pandemic made it even more demanding. Without the structure of a physical classroom, each student had to build their own discipline.

No one reminds you to study, and theres no direct pressure from the classroom. Without self-discipline, its easy to drift, Trang said.

She created a personal study schedule, broke down goals into manageable steps, and regularly tested her own understanding. These habits later became crucial as she moved into more advanced stages of study.

Online learning also pushed her to seek out resources independently, read academic materials in English, and follow international research sources - advantages that proved valuable in her academic development.

The method behind a 9.42 GPA

Asked about her approach to achieving such a high GPA, Trang emphasized one core principle: understanding concepts at their deepest level.

I always try to explain knowledge in the simplest way possible. If I cant do that, it means I dont understand it well enough, she said.

Rather than memorizing, she focused on digesting knowledge by rewriting it in her own words, asking reverse questions, and explaining concepts to others. For her, a course did not end after the exam but continued as she explored it further.

This approach not only helped her achieve high scores but also built a solid foundation - crucial in a field like AI, where knowledge evolves constantly.

If the first three years were about accumulation, her graduation thesis marked a turning point. For the first time, Trang entered the realm of research, reading academic papers, developing ideas, experimenting with models, and confronting problems without ready-made solutions.

There were times I tried many directions without results, but that process helped me understand the problem more deeply, she shared.

Research required her to embrace uncertainty and persist through it. This experience made her realize that she was more drawn to deep exploration of knowledge than to simple application. She has since set her sights on pursuing graduate studies and becoming a lecturer.

As an AI valedictorian, Trang also highlights the human dimension of technology. According to her, AI is not merely a technical challenge - it directly affects privacy, fairness, and how society functions.

People working in AI need to care about transparency, model interpretability, and especially data privacy, she said.

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday life, ethical questions grow more urgent. For Trang, this responsibility belongs to everyone involved in building such technologies.

Looking ahead, she hopes AI in Vietnam will move beyond research and experimental products to solving real-world problems.

Education, healthcare, urban management, and sustainable development are all areas she believes could benefit significantly if AI is applied effectively. More importantly, she stressed the need for stronger connections between universities, research institutes, and businesses, so that knowledge does not remain confined within academia.

As for herself, Trang hopes to link AI with education - a field she believes can create deep and lasting impact.

Technology only truly matters when it creates value for the community, she said.



Le Huyen
More than just a kingdom of caves, Phong Nha  Ke Bang National Park in the former Quang Binh province (now Quang Tri province) is emerging as one of Southeast Asias most significant biological treasure troves, where new forms of life continue to be discovered and documented.

Stretching across central Vietnam, the Truong Son mountain range hosts an ecosystem in which biodiversity is not only preserved but also still unfolding. Each layer of forest, cave system and stalactite formation carries traces of Earths long evolutionary history, with new species regularly added to scientific records.

A living open ecosystem

Unlike ecosystems where species inventories are largely complete, Phong NhaKe Bang National Park remains scientifically open, with each survey revealing new findings. Recent studies - from local research projects to international collaborations - have recorded additional bird species and identified the rare parasitic plant Sapria himalayana, which only survives in intact primary forests.

According to the management board of the national park, such discoveries are more than isolated events. They indicate that the forests ecological structure remains sufficiently intact to support highly sensitive species - an important biological marker of environmental health.

Surveys of cave-dwelling species continue to uncover new species. These tiny organisms, adapted to permanent darkness, serve as key indicators of the primitive nature of the karst ecosystem - limestone formations shaped over millions of years by water dissolution, concealing vast underground worlds.

Unlike ecosystems where species inventories are largely complete, Phong NhaKe Bang National Park remains scientifically open, with each survey revealing new findings.(Photo: VNA)

To date, the park has documented more than 1,400 animal species and nearly 3,000 vascular plant species, including hundreds listed in Vietnams Red Data Book and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and dozens of species newly described in recent years.

Director of the national park Pham Hong Thai said these numbers highlight not just the areas rich biodiversity but also its unique ecological makeup - clear proof that much of it is still waiting to be explored.

Prof. Nguyen Nghia Thin, former senior lecturer at the University of Science under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, who conducted extensive research in Phong NhaKe Bang National Park, noted that the combination of ancient karst formations, tropical rainforest and the complex terrain of the Truong Son range has created one of Vietnams most remarkable biodiversity hotspots, where multiple biotic flows of the Indochinese peninsula converge.

Positioned between major ecological zones, the park acts as a biological crossroad where northern and southern species converge.

Forest ecosystems on limestone - among the most difficult to form and highly vulnerable - have thrived here, creating unique habitats for specially adapted species.

An evolutionary world in darkness

If the forest above ground represents a biodiversity hotspot, the subterranean world in Phong Nha  Ke Bang reveals an entirely different dimension.

Scientists have identified more than 100 cave-dwelling species, including dozens new to science. Living without light and with limited food sources, these organisms have evolved unique traits over millions of years - loss of pigmentation, reduced or absent eyesight, and heightened tactile and chemical sensing abilities.

As a result, researchers describe the cave ecosystem as a living museum of evolution, offering rare insights into how life adapts to extreme conditions.

Beyond biodiversity, the park also preserves Earths environmental history. Studies led by Dr. Kathleen Johnson from the University of California, the US, show that mineral layers in stalactites can reconstruct Southeast Asias monsoon and rainfall patterns over tens of thousands of years.

Findings indicate that during the Last Glacial Maximum around 20,000 years ago, rainfall in central Vietnam declined sharply, reflecting links between monsoon systems, sea levels and global climate change.

In this sense, Phong NhaKe Bang is not merely a forest or tourist destination, but a geological library preserving records of the planets past.

According to the Phong NhaKe Bang National Park Management Board, one of the new directions is expanding cooperation with the Hin Nam No area in Laos to form a transboundary conservation landscape sharing the same ancient karst system and ecological corridors. This approach underscores a growing principle in conservation - protecting ecosystems beyond administrative boundaries.

While recognised as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, the parks true value lies in what it continues to hold - undiscovered species, long-term climate records and rare primary ecosystems. Balancing tourism development with strict conservation remains a key challenge, as once disrupted, such ecosystems cannot be restored within a human lifetime.

What makes Phong NhaKe Bang exceptional is not only what has been documented, but what is still being uncovered - an evolving natural archive where the processes of life continue to unfold./.VNA
Phung Thi Hai Yen and her students

7 years of diligently 'nurturing words'

Phung Thi Hai Yen (born 1992, native of Vinh Phuc, now Phu Tho province) has been attached to the work of teaching free English to the elderly in Hanoi for 7 years. During that time, she has spent countless hours preparing lesson plans, teaching classes and organizing tests for her special group of students.

The free English class was opened by chance. In 2019, while listening to a lecture at a pagoda, Yen learned about a free English teaching program to provide knowledge to the elderly. Impressed by the meaningful act, she volunteered to become one of the enthusiastic teaching volunteers.

She was surprised by how enthusiastically seniors responded to the program. At one point, nearly 500 people registered to join the classes. Communication was handled through group chats, and classes were held at participants homes. Yen and her friends prepared lesson materials and took turns teaching.

At the time, Yen managed two classes on Kim Nguu Street and Nguyen Chi Thanh Street. Some sessions attracted as many as 70 to 80 elderly learners, and the group sometimes had to borrow space at a local temple to accommodate everyone.

The students ranged widely in age, with the youngest around 60 and the oldest 88. Despite their age, they remained diligent and serious about learning. Yen herself is passionate about teaching and continues improving her own English to deliver lessons more effectively.

Later, as Hai Yen's friends found it difficult to arrange their schedules and gave up teaching, her class alone remained steadily open for the past 7 years and has never been empty of students.

Currently, she runs 3 classes in Nguyen Chi Thanh, Xa Dan, and Minh Khai, with about 15-20 students per class. The venues are members' homes or the community room of an apartment building. Among them, two classes open on Saturday mornings and one on Monday evenings every week.

Giving knowledge, receiving joy

Accompanying the free English class for the elderly for seven years, Hai Yen has received immeasurable joy.

Yen shared that in the beginning, she faced many challenges in teaching. In their twilight years, the seniors' hearing and vision were not clear, so she had to speak loudly and use large font sizes for more effective teaching and learning.

Sometimes she spent nearly two hours introducing just one new word because students needed more time to understand and remember, but the students in the class would still look bewildered as if they had heard nothing. There were sessions where she spent 2 hours just introducing one new word.

Many times, she would explain at length, but the students in the class would still look bewildered as if they had heard nothing. There were sessions where she spent 2 hours just introducing one new word.

Many seniors found learning English too difficult and felt discouraged. Some even wanted to quit after just 1 or 2 sessions. At those times, Hai Yen understood she had to slow down and be more patient.

I told them: Learning now and forgetting later is normal. If you remembered immediately, you would be a superhero. Let's just be normal people, okay? Hearing that, they happily continued studying, Yen recounted.

Yen often brings seasonal snacks such as ice cream, fruit and cakes to share with learners. In return, students bring homemade food for everyone. Over time, the class has become a meaningful gathering space where elderly participants enjoy companionship and learning.

She still remembers one day when heavy rain flooded parts of Hanoi. Expecting that many students might skip the class, she was surprised to find them already waiting. Some had arrived with wet clothes and wrapped themselves in blankets borrowed from the hosts home before continuing the lesson.

There was also a student whose legs were so painful that walking was difficult. The class was on the second floor, and he slowly climbed each step from the first floor. Seeing that nearly brought me to tears, Yen said.

Some students even asked doctors for permission to leave the hospital for a couple of hours just to attend class. In another case, a student with a serious illness kept it hidden in order to continue learning. Only after the person passed away did Yen and the class realize what had happened.

Stories like these made her understand how deeply the elderly cherish the English classes.

Ha Nguyen
Despite considerable challenges in implementing the Politburos Resolution No. 68 on private sector development, key measures have largely been institutionalised and are beginning to deliver results, driven by strong commitment from ministries and agencies and the active participation from the business community, said Trinh Thi Huong, Deputy Director of the Department of Private Enterprise and Collective Economy Development under the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

Speaking at MoFs regular press briefing for the first quarter of 2026, Huong highlighted improved conditions enabling private enterprises to take on a greater role in major national projects as a central outcome of the policy.

Over the past year, three waves of simultaneous groundbreakings and inaugurations saw 564 projects launched nationwide, with total investment exceeding 5.15 quadrillion VND (195.6 billion USD), around 75% of which comes from the private sector. The Government is continuing to refine mechanisms to better support private firms in asserting their role as a key engine of economic growth.

Nearly a year into implementation, the resolution has been quickly translating the Politburo's viewpoints and orientations into actionable policies. In particular, the Government has reviewed and proposed revisions to a range of major laws, including those on taxation, pricing, investment, enterprises and bankruptcy, aiming to remove bottlenecks, streamline administrative procedures and foster a more conducive business environment while unlocking private sector resources.

The National Assembly adopted Resolution No. 198/2025/QH on special mechanisms for private sector development. Besides, the Government recently issued Decree No. 20/2026/ND-CP to guide implementation and fast-track policy rollout.

Several measures have already taken effect, delivering initial gains. These include scrapping business licence fees to lower market entry costs, granting three-year corporate income tax exemptions for newly established small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and introducing strong incentives to promote investment in science, technology and innovation.

A notable provision allows businesses to deduct up to 200% of their actual spending on research and development (R&D) when calculating taxable income, thus encouraging greater investment in innovation and competitiveness enhancement.

Localities are also accelerating support in land access and production space. Industrial parks, clusters and incubators are prioritising land allocation for innovative start-ups, high-tech firms and SMEs, which may also benefit from at least a 30% reduction in land rental fees, depending on local conditions and budget capacity.

In parallel, several large-scale programmes have been approved by the Prime Minister, including initiatives to train 10,000 CEOs, develop 1,000 leading enterprises and support businesses in expanding into global markets. The MoF has been assigned to lead two of these programmes and is expediting the issuance of implementation guidelines.

Meanwhile, other ministries and agencies are stepping up coordination to deliver additional support schemes, including digital transformation assistance for SMEs, helping strengthen governance capacity and adaptability in the fast-evolving digital economy.

The MoF will continue working with relevant sides to perfect programmes and policies, and review the one-year implementation of Resolution No. 68, Huong noted, adding that comprehensive assessment will help clarify effects on the business community to make adjustments necessary for ensuring more effective and reality-matching policies./. VNA
Associate Prof Vu Quoc Dat (photo: Hai Anh)

The Hanoi People's Committee is currently seeking public opinion on the Capital's Master Plan with a 100-year vision, which includes a direction to relocate infectious disease treatment facilities with a high risk of spreading out of the inner city.

Dat, a lecturer at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Hanoi Medical University, argued that from a professional perspective in infectious disease management, the policy of relocating these facilities should be discussed and adjusted.

At first glance, moving infectious disease treatment facilities to the outskirts seems reasonable because people think it minimizes the risk of spreading diseases to the community. But that is not correct, he said.

In fact, building modern infectious disease treatment facilities right in the heart of the city is the most optimal plan for responding when an epidemic occurs, just as to put out a fire, you need fire extinguishers and hydrants on-site, he explained.

Standard infectious disease treatment facilities are often the places with the lowest risk of spread because specialized doctors have the best knowledge and practices. Invested infrastructure helps provide the most timely treatment and reduces the mortality risk to the lowest level, Dat said.

Dat cited the 2003 SARS outbreak as evidence. The Institute of Clinical Medicine for Tropical Diseases, located right in the city center (78 Giai Phong Street), successfully treated all SARS patients without allowing hospital-acquired infections or spreading the disease to the community.

The COVID-19 pandemic shows the importance of early, on-site treatment and mobilization of the entire system to control outbreaks. Concentrating too many infectious cases in one location could even increase mortality risk and outbreak potential due to lack of resource distribution and infection control, he warned.

In many developed countries, high-risk infectious disease treatment facilities are located in city centers and equipped with negative-pressure isolation rooms. These systems are maintained even when there are no patients, ensuring readiness for outbreaks.

For example, the Japan Institute for Health Security in Tokyo has dedicated isolation units with modern negative-pressure rooms in the city center. In Germany, Charite  Universitatsmedizin Berlin is located in the Wedding district of Berlin.

Infectious disease departments within general hospitals

Dat argued that Hanoi has a large population, high density, rapid urbanization, and a climate favorable for pathogens to emerge, with frequently circulating epidemic diseases such as dengue fever, hand-foot-mouth disease, and highly infectious diseases like measles and flu.

Therefore, relocating infectious disease treatment facilities out of the inner city will limit and delay the access of capital residents to care and treatment. This could lead to silent transmission within the community and late detection of outbreaks.

Previously, the 2007 Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases stipulated that general hospitals at the district level and above must establish an infectious disease department. This strategy clearly reflects modern scientific thinking in both decentralizing and sharing resources toward an on-site disease management approach specific to Vietnam, Dat expressed.

To contribute to ensuring health security for the capital, Vu Quoc Dat suggested that the draft should consider adjustments in the following directions:

Establish and strengthen investment in the infectious disease sector at general hospitals to improve the capacity for admission, treatment, and care of patients with local endemic infectious diseases to control outbreaks on-site and perform initial classification and detection of emerging infections.

Establish specialized medical facilities with research capacity on infectious diseases for the city, featuring modern infrastructure and negative pressure isolation rooms to treat and respond to dangerous epidemics, ensuring the health security of the capital.

The Peoples Committee of Hanoi is collecting public opinions on the Capital Master Plan with a 100-year vision, which outlines the development of the healthcare system toward modernization, specialization and international integration.

According to the draft, by 2035, the capitals healthcare system is expected to become a modern center for medicine and science-technology, strongly promoting digital transformation in healthcare. Residents will have access to high-quality medical services, while physical fitness, stature, life expectancy and overall quality of life are expected to continue improving.

Hanoi proposes relocating high-risk infectious disease treatment facilities out of the inner city while building four new major hospitals. This includes two regional general hospitals, each with a capacity of 500 beds, Hanoi Geriatric Hospital with a capacity of about 250 beds, and the Hanoi Endocrine Hospital, also with 250 beds.

N. Huyen
Lecturers of the HCMC University of Industry and Trade.

The University of Economics HCMC, HCMC University of Industry, University of Finance  Marketing, and the member schools under Vietnam National University HCMC (University of Technology, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Economics and Law, University of Information Technology and An Giang University) are all laying "red carpet" to attract academic talents.

The schools are offering significant financial benefit packages. High-quality personnel upon joining can receive initial support ranging from several hundred million, even up to half a billion VND.

Alongside this are salary and income levels designed to be competitive, commonly from VND70 million to VND100 million/month, with some places even reaching VND120 million/month, to ensure working and long-term research conditions.

Associate Prof Nguyen Xuan Hoan, President of HCMC University of Industry and Trade, said that since 2017, when the school was named HCMC University of Food Industry, it has applied these policies, one of the pioneering steps in the country aimed at attracting high-quality scientific human resources.

The goal is not only to increase the number of academic titles and degrees but, more importantly, to find academics capable of leading by building strong research groups, implementing key projects, and expanding international cooperation.

Candidates must meet regional and international standards; hold a doctorate or higher, have international publications, be able to teach and research in foreign languages, and have presided over ministerial-level projects or led research groups with transferable products.

To realize this goal, from the beginning, the school has applied "aggressive" financial policies: support of VND75 million for doctors, VND100 million for associate professors, and VND150 million for professors, accompanied by a commitment to work for a minimum of five years. The support levels could increase into "packages" of VND250  150  100 million corresponding to professors, associate professors, and doctoral degree holders.

After nine years, the effectiveness of improving the quality of the school's team has clearly improved. From having only four associate professors and 12 doctors initially, the school now has three professors, 39 associate professors, and 310 doctoral degree holders. The ratio of lecturers with a doctoral degree exceeds 52 percent, ensuring the quality of teaching.

In 2025 alone, the school attracted an additional three associate professors and 23 doctors, most of whom were trained abroad. The total cost of attracting this team was about VND2.53 billion. At least 31 of the school's lecturers completed their doctoral programs and submitted their degrees after the training process, fostering an important resource for the school to improve teaching quality.

Attracting, nurturing, and retaining talent

According to Hoan, attracting talent is not the only solution. The school has also implemented a strategy to "upgrade" the local team: lecturers pursuing study still receive their full salary and are supported with 100 percent of tuition.

If we only 'attract' without 'nurturing,' it cannot be sustainable. Investment must ensure long-term commitment, he said. In 2025 alone, the school spent VND4.2 billion for lecturers to attend doctoral programs.

Hoan also emphasized that the key factor in retaining scientists is income. A doctoral holder today must have a minimum income of about VND50 million/month to work with peace of mind.

Beyond financial incentives, the university creates optimal conditions for professional development: full salary during further study, appropriate task assignments, access to research resources, priority investment through specific programs, a favorable working environment and timely recognition. Notably, each paper published in ISI or Scopus-indexed journals is rewarded with VND50 million.

The attract  retain  develop internally model is taking shape as a sustainable approach, helping to increase the number of PhDs and improve overall faculty quality.

Over the past two years, Vietnam National University HCMC has implemented the VNU350 program along with visiting professor policies to attract high-quality human resources.

When talking with VietNamNet in 2025, Associate Prof Dr Vu Hai Quan stated that attracting talent is only the first step. Retaining and developing talent is the true measure of a research universitys capability.

Do Van Dung, former President of HCMC University of Technology and Education, believes that money is not the decisive factor for intellectuals; rather, environment and working conditions matter more. He said intellectuals have high self-respect, and if they are recruited without an appropriate academic environment or policies, long-term commitment is unlikely.

Le Huyen
Photo: Shutterstock

According to the Tax Department, the company falls within the group of enterprises reporting prolonged losses and thin margins, which have been prioritised for specialised inspections under Official Letter No.1927/CT-KT-TK dated March 31, 2026.

The directive requires tax authorities to intensify monitoring of such businesses, focusing on the accuracy and completeness of tax declarations, as well as potential irregularities in financial reporting. Enterprises included in the list will be subject to risk-based assessment, data review, and, where necessary, on-site inspections.

As part of the inspection framework, local authorities are expected to examine factors including cost structures, related-party transactions, and revenue recognition practices, particularly in cases where financial performance does not align with operational scale.

The inclusion of AB InBev Vietnam in the inspection list reflects the tax authoritys broader focus on large-scale enterprises with sustained loss-making positions, amid concerns over potential risks of tax base erosion and misreporting. Under the 2026 inspection plan, tax agencies are required to complete detailed reviews and report outcomes, including any additional tax liabilities and penalties, by the end of the year.

Anheuser-Busch Inbev Vietnam is a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the worlds largest brewer, which owns global brands such as Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois.

In Vietnam, the company operates in the premium and super-premium beer segments, focusing on major urban centres and modern trade channels. The market is classified by the parent group as a long-term growth market in Asia, alongside China and India, according to its annual report. The groups annual report does not provide a separate breakdown of financial performance for Vietnam, with the market included within its broader Asia-Pacific segment.

This contrasts with the groups global performance, where growth has been supported by premiumisation and pricing rather than volume expansion. This comes as the groups global growth has been driven primarily by premiumisation and pricing, rather than volume expansion, with revenue per hectolitre increasing and volumes declining by around 2.3 per cent in 2025, according to Anheuser-Busch InBevs full-year results.

Anheuser-Busch Inbev Vietnam, which operates two breweries in Vietnam, marked its 10th year in the market in 2025.
Minister of Agriculture and Environment Trinh Viet Hung

Minister Hung chaired a meeting on April 10 to report on the progress of drafting three amended laws  the Law on Land, the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment, and the Law on Environmental Protection.

He stressed that the key requirement for these three laws is that progress must go hand in hand with quality, avoiding submission at the last minute and starting early to ensure the quality of the dossiers.

"The PM has directed the continued acceleration of decentralisation and delegation of authority in handling administrative procedures, aiming for ministries to directly handle no more than 30 per cent of total procedures under their management. This task must be completed in the second quarter of 2026," said Hung. "Units are required to closely adhere to the goals and roadmap and implement them seriously."

"In the environmental sector, policy needs to shift from pre-inspection to post-inspection. To achieve this, we need to clarify three factors: personnel, technology, and administrative processes. Simplifying procedures should focus on reducing the number while maintaining quality, with standards and criteria issued once and applied to similar projects. Classification should be based on geographical area, sector, and industry," he added.

The minister requested related parties to basically complete the draft amendment version by this month, or at the latest by early May.

Specifically for the amended draft Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment, the procedural steps must be implemented quickly while still ensuring the overall progress  in particular, administrative procedure reform must be closely linked to the drafting of the law.

This is a new field, offering both opportunities to learn from international experience and requiring thorough research. The adoption of these experiences must be based on a full assessment of their suitability and feasibility in Vietnam's context, Minister Hung said.

Emphasising the requirement for policy quality, the head of the agriculture and environment sector stated that the law must be 'viable', meaning that individuals and businesses can implement it, and management agencies can apply it. Each regulation must clearly state the benefits it brings to the country, while fully assessing its economic, environmental, social, and international impact, aiming for new regulations to be better than before, serving growth, with the marine economy and related sectors as important drivers.

Regarding the amended draft Law on Land, the ministry's leadership requested that the progress be ensured, with submission to the government expected in June or July. The drafting agency needs to closely follow the practical context, clarify issues in the implementation process, and then propose appropriate solutions to improve the quality of the draft law.

Vietnam shapes next-generation carbon market As carbon markets evolve rapidly, Vietnam is stepping up its institutional and technical groundwork for market operation.

National cooling plan to support Vietnams net-zero goals Vietnam has developed its first National Sustainable Cooling Plan. John Robert Cotton, deputy director of the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership, spoke with Nguyen Oanh about the role of this plan in helping Vietnam achieve its net-zero target and recommendations on how to implement the project efficiently.

MAE names big 10 policy wins in 2025 The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment announced 10 stand out events of the industry in 2025, including breakthrough growth and substantial administrative reform.
The production line of BESS at GG Power plant

Speaking at the launch of the GG Power manufacturing plant in Hung Yen on April 11, Long said the facility, located in Industrial Zone No. 5 in Xuan Truc, will produce battery energy storage systems (BESS), a key component in Vietnam's transition to greener energy sources.

The renewable energy market in Vietnam requires a battery storage system, and we highly appreciate the innovative spirit of Vietnamese businesses in producing these products in the context that the majority of the supply still depends on imported equipment, said Deputy Minister Long.

Directive No.10/CT-TTg issued on March 30, along with Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), has set out an urgent roadmap for developing distributed energy sources and installing BESS systems to reduce peak-hour load pressure. According to the revised PDP8, Vietnam is expected to require approximately 10-16GW of BESS in the coming period.

"Due to the urgent requirement for BESS, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will support domestic businesses, including GG Industries, to develop these systems and boost green, clean renewable energy use," Deputy Minister Long said. "We will also amend policies to encourage local firms to develop Vietnamese-made products and ensure the renewable energy industry reaches its full potential in Vietnam."

With an initial investment of VND300 billion ($12 million), the GG Power plant covers a total area of 1.2 hectares, including a modern two-story production workshop and a research and development (R&D) centre with a designed capacity of 5 GWh per cent year. The plant provides comprehensive energy storage systems for all segments, including residential, commercial, and industrial solutions, and utility-scale projects.

This is one of the first BESS plants in Vietnam to be systematically invested in according to international standards, with over 90 per cent automation, allowing for quality control at every stage of production.

Regarding its technological foundation, GG Power received technology licensing from Goldwind Group to master its R&D process. As a result, the company can optimise its Energy Management System, ensuring high compatibility with Vietnam's power grid and the security of domestically stored data.

Bui Xuan Binh, chairman and CEO of GG Power, said, The company does not aim to merely manufacture equipment, but rather to master core technologies, from control systems to integrated comprehensive solutions.

We focus on R&D, developing internal standards, building factories, and establishing international partnerships. This is not an easy path, requiring time, resources, and perseverance, but it is a necessary direction to form a new national energy industry. With BESS, Vietnam has every opportunity to become an energy storage hub of Asia in the future, Binh said.

At the launching ceremony, GG Industries signed strategic cooperation agreements with eight supporting technology partners, international customers, and distributors at GG Powers factory to showcase its products.

Signing cooperation agreements with strategic partners is the most effective way for us to clearly demonstrate our commitment to maintaining consistent technical standards from the factory to the customer, said Nguyen Quoc Dat, deputy general director of supply chain at GG Power.

These partners are crucial links in maintaining the highest standards of customer care, ensuring that all BESS projects operate stably and receive immediate technical support, Dat said.

According to the plan, the company will invest an additional VND300 billion ($12 million) in phase 2 of the project to expand the auxiliary factory to enhance production capacity and complete the supply chain.

Vietnam strengthens energy storage pathway Vietnam sharpened its national energy-storage roadmap this week as government leaders, technical agencies, utilities, and industrial operators aligned on the next phase of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) deployment.

Coro Energy to launch BESS Pilot in Vietnam Coro Energy PLC, a Southeast Asian renewable energy developer, on December 3 announced that it has signed a deal with Mobile World Group (MWG) for the delivery of a co-located Battery Energy Storage System Pilot (BESS Pilot) at one of Coro's existing rooftop solar sites in Ho Chi Minh City.

ACCV signs BESS - rooftop solar MoUs with Korean manufacturers Asia Clean Capital Vietnam is partnering with South Korean manufacturers to advance battery energy storage and rooftop solar integration in Vietnams industrial sector.
On March 30 in Hanoi, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (VINASME), and KPMG, jointly delivered a programme to kick-start the development of a handbook aimed at building a supportive ecosystem for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on their sustainability journey.

Dr. To Hoai Nam, standing vice president and general secretary of the VINASME, noted that the handbook is expected to serve as a key tool to help businesses accelerate their transition.

In the current context, transparency, corporate governance, and sustainability are becoming global, mission-critical standards for businesses. While the government has clearly defined sustainability at the national level, the biggest challenge remains how enterprises, particularly SMEs, can translate these goals into tangible outcomes, he said.

Nam highlighted that Vietnam currently has around one million enterprises, yet only about 4.4 per cent participate in global supply chains, up from 2.2 per cent two decades ago.

If effectively implemented, the handbook could help increase this ratio by at least 1 per cent, equivalent to roughly 10,000 additional enterprises, he stated. Many businesses still view environmental, social, and governance (ESG) as a formality, rather than recognising them as essential to survival, competitiveness, and growth. This handbook will not only improve understanding but also open doors for deeper integration into global value chains.

Nam committed that the VINASME, with its network of 34 provincial associations and 39 affiliated units, is ready to work alongside the ACCA and KPMG to disseminate the handbook across the SME community.

He also outlined four priorities: aligning the handbook with an up-to-date legal framework; adopting a practice-first approach with simple, tiered guidance tailored to SMEs; positioning ESG as a gateway to supply chains and market expansion; and linking real-world case studies to improved access to finance, particularly green capital, in line with bank and investor requirements.

Truong Hanh Linh, partner and head of Risk & ESG Consulting at KPMG Vietnam, said the current phase focuses on setting direction based on practical business needs and the ACCAs recommendations, rather than delving into technical complexity.

According to Linh, although SMEs are not yet mandated to publish sustainability reports, proactive adoption offers three core benefits: enhanced participation in supply chains through greater transparency, improved access to financing, particularly green credit, and stronger governance capacity to meet increasingly stringent standards.

However, the diversity of international standards can be overwhelming for SMEs, noted Linh. The handbook is therefore expected to act as a filter, simplifying access while maintaining alignment with global frameworks. Developers will also work with the ACCA to design an implementation roadmap suited to Vietnamese SMEs, particularly in manufacturing.

From the perspective of a consulting firm specialising in sustainable development, Nguyen Viet Thinh, CEO of CGS Vietnam and member of the jury for the Sustainable Development Reporting Award, emphasised that the guidelines should be simple, practical, and focused on quantitative metrics.

Materiality assessments should prioritise environmental and social impacts, without necessarily applying double materiality at the initial stage, while focusing on one or two core sector-specific factors, he added.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, director at Agribank Training School and deputy head of ESG at Agribank, said the bank is allocating significant resources to sustainable finance.

In 2026 alone, Agribank plans to allocate over $15.4 billion in corporate lending, with SMEs as a key focus segment. In 2025, around 4,000 SMEs accessed priority credit packages, accounting for a substantial share of both client numbers and disbursement volumes, she said. However, SMEs access to green finance remains limited. Outstanding green credit at Agribank currently stands at around $1.2 billion, equivalent to 1.42 per cent of total loans, covering roughly 40,000 clients, mainly in agriculture, forestry, and energy.

Ha cited data shared by Nguyen Duc Lenh, deputy director of the State Bank of Vietnams Region II branch on March 24, showing that system-wide green lending reached approximately $31.2 billion by end-2025, accounting for 4.1 per cent of total outstanding credit, up 14.6 per cent on-year.

To access green financing, Ha emphasised that businesses must first meet core ESG requirements.

On the environmental front, firms need to comply with green taxonomies and certifications such as FSC in forestry or GlobalGAP and VietGAP in agriculture, she said. Socially, compliance with labour standards, occupational health and safety, and employee welfare is essential. From a governance perspective, transparency and clear sustainability commitments integrated into annual reporting are critical.

Banks have already implemented environmental and social risk management systems in lending activities, with detailed criteria for project evaluation. However, many SMEs still fall short of minimum requirements, particularly in labour safety compliance and periodic training.

To access green capital, businesses must start with basic compliance in environmental, labour, and disclosure requirements. This forms the foundation for tapping sustainable finance in the future, said Ha.

Van Cong Binh, environmental and social director at HDBank, noted that many enterprises still lack a clear understanding of ESG and do not know where or how to begin.

Many companies already have data but lack the ability to systematise and digitise it for management and reporting purposes, he said. Banks need to take a more proactive role in supporting SMEs, translating complex ESG standards into simple, practical processes, with clear roadmaps and actionable tools. Their role should go beyond financing to guiding businesses in building appropriate ESG frameworks and practices.
Vingroup announced the signing of an MoU with the government of Maharashtra on April 10, establishing a collaborative framework to explore strategic investments across key sectors. The agreement marks a further step in Vingroups roadmap to expand its integrated multi-sector ecosystem in India, underscoring its long-term investment commitment and consistent development strategy in the country.

Under the MoU, Vingroup and the state of Maharashtra, acting through the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the government of Maharashtra's Department of Industries, will establish a broad collaborative framework to explore investments across multiple sectors in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and broader Maharashtra, amounting to approximately $6.5 billion, including integrated urban townships, electric mobility solutions, renewable energy, and social and public infrastructure.

In urban development, Vingroup will explore the development of integrated urban townships spanning approximately 1,000 hectares, comprising residential, commercial, education, healthcare, and integrated amenity components. The total estimated investment is around $5 billion, aimed at creating new growth centres near Mumbai, including emerging growth zones such as Mumbai 3.0.

In electric mobility, Vingroup, through GSM India, proposes to deploy a large-scale electric taxi fleet and mobility-as-a-service platform, targeting approximately 60,000 electric vehicles for Mumbai and broader Maharashtra. With an estimated investment of approximately $1.5 billion, the initiative is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs over the next three to five years, while accelerating the transition to greener mobility across the state.

In energy, Vingroup, through VinEnergo, will explore opportunities for large-scale renewable energy investments, in alignment with Indias energy transition roadmap and net-zero emissions targets.

In parallel, through its member companies such as Vinschool, Vinmec, and Vinpearl, Vingroup will explore the development of social and public infrastructure projects across education, healthcare, public electric bus transportation, and tourism services, contributing to the completion of its integrated ecosystem in the local market.

On the government side, the state of Maharashtra and MMRDA will support Vingroup in land identification, project planning, facilitation of statutory approvals, provision of connectivity infrastructure, and consideration of applicable incentives in accordance with prevailing regulations, to enable the exploration and implementation of the proposed investments.

The MoU with Maharashtra further strengthens Vingroups footprint in India, expanding its network of partnerships across key states and creating additional headroom for implementation in the next phase. The agreement also contributes to enhancing investment connectivity and infrastructure development in one of Indias most dynamic economic centres.

Pham Sanh Chau, CEO of Vingroup Asia, said, The signing of this MOU with Maharashtra marks another step in the well-defined and long-term strategy of Vingroup in India. Following Telangana and Tamil Nadu, we are progressively expanding our presence in key economic hubs, with the goal of building a fully integrated multi-sector ecosystem spanning urban development, service infrastructure, electric mobility, and green energy. We look forward to partnering with forward-looking localities to deliver meaningful socioeconomic value for communities.

Devendra Fadnavis, chief minister of Maharashtra, said, This MoU marks a landmark moment in Maharashtras development journey. The scale and scope of the proposed investments by Vingroup will significantly enhance our urban infrastructure, boost sustainable mobility, and create large-scale employment opportunities. Maharashtra remains committed to fostering a business-friendly ecosystem and welcomes global partners to participate in our growth story.

With a population of over 130 million, Maharashtra is Indias largest state economy, contributing approximately 14 per cent of the national GDP. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region is being developed into a global economic hub, supported by a pipeline of large-scale urban and infrastructure projects.

In India, Vingroup has established cooperation agreements with the states of Telangana and Tamil Nadu to facilitate the exploration of multi-sector investment opportunities.

ACV and Vingroup tie up to advance green transition and airport development On March 23, Airports Corporation of Vietnam and Vingroup formally signed a comprehensive MoU to boost green transformation across Vietnams airport system through the deployment of clean energy solutions and sustainable mobility initiatives.

Green SM Indonesia signs investment loan with Bank Central Asia Green SM Indonesia and Bank Central Asia on April 3 announced the signing of a five-year investment loan agreement with a total value of $300 million.
The United States has a reserve of oil that can last for possibly five years to maintain its current production levels. It is crucial to remember in your cognitive repository that the primary aim of fracking is to retrieve the leftover resources from wells. This implies that fracking is a method born out of necessity. Consequently, the urgency surrounding illegal oil acquisitions, such as those in Venezuela and Syria, arises from evident signs of impending scarcity. The US is expected to progressively accumulate its production to guarantee domestic oversight.  kKEETON
Now we actually are watching what is called The Messiah Syndrome. Be it an act or truth? Neither matters and what is bad is that it has gone this far and we do nothing

Update: Trump just deleted his post of the picture

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116394884725149647

Enough is enough

Go long popcorn!

WtR
Are you a Fflint Wrecsam or a Gwynedd Maldwyn? That is the question many voters will find themselves asking over the next few weeks.

When voters in the county borough head to the polls for the May 7 Senedd election they will no longer be voting to elect an MS for Wrexham or Clwyd South. Instead, two brand-new Senedd constituencies will appear on ballot papers across North East Wales for the very first time.

For most people in Wrexham County Borough, that seat is Fflint Wrecsam. For tens of thousands of residents in the south of the county borough, it is not.

Those voters will be casting their ballots in Gwynedd Maldwyn  a constituency that stretches from Machynlleth in mid-Wales to communities on Wrexhams southern doorstep.

Here is everything you need to know about which constituency you are in, what each one covers, and how the new voting system works.

What is Fflint Wrecsam?

Fflint Wrecsam is a new county constituency created by the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru as part of its 2026 Review of Senedd Constituencies, published in March 2025.

According to the Commissions Final Determinations report, the constituency is formed by combining two UK Parliamentary constituencies: Alyn and Deeside, and Wrexham.

That means Fflint Wrecsam covers large parts of Flintshire  including areas such as Flint, Mold, Bagillt, Connahs Quay, Shotton, Queensferry, Buckley, Holywell, and the Deeside industrial corridor  together with the majority of Wrexham County Borough.

The City of Wrexham itself is in Fflint Wrecsam, along with areas that were previously part of Clwyd South.

The Commission said it chose this pairing because the two areas are well connected to each other by transport links, and are similar in character.

What is Gwynedd Maldwyn?

Gwynedd Maldwyn is the other new constituency affecting Wrexham residents. It is formed by combining the Dwyfor Meirionnydd UK Parliamentary constituency with Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr.

The bulk of the constituency is in Gwynedd and Powys  covering areas including Pwllheli, Barmouth, Dolgellau, Machynlleth, Welshpool, and Newtown.

However, a significant section of Wrexham County Borough also falls within its boundaries.

The wards allocated to the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr UK Parliamentary constituency  and therefore to Gwynedd Maldwyn for Senedd purposes  include Acrefair North, Cefn East, Cefn West, Chirk North, Chirk South, Dyffryn Ceiriog, Esclusham, Pant and Johnstown, Penycae, Penycae and Ruabon South, Ponciau, Rhos, and Ruabon, according to information published by Wikipedia drawing on Boundary Commission data.

In simple terms: if you live in Chirk, Ruabon, Rhosllannerchrugog, Johnstown, Pant, Cefn Mawr, Ponciau, or the Ceiriog Valley, you are in Gwynedd Maldwyn  not Fflint Wrecsam.

The Commission acknowledged in its report that a number of representations argued for pairing Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr with Wrexham instead, which would have brought the whole of Wrexham County Borough into a single Senedd constituency.

How do I check which constituency I am in?

The simplest way is to use the Electoral Commissions polling station and constituency finder at electoralcommission.org.uk, or visit vote.wales. You will need your postcode to check.

How does the new voting system work?

The 7 May 2026 Senedd election uses a different voting system from any previous Welsh election. The previous system  a mix of constituency seats and regional list seats  has been replaced with a closed-list proportional representation system, introduced under the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act 2024.

Under the new system, Wales has 16 constituencies. Each constituency elects six Members of the Senedd (MSs), giving a total of 96 MSs across Wales  up from 60 previously.

Each voter receives a single ballot paper listing the parties standing in their constituency. You vote for a party, not an individual candidate.

Seats are then allocated using a method called the DHondt formula, which divides each partys vote total by the number of seats it has already won (plus one), and awards the next seat to whichever party has the highest resulting figure.

The process repeats until all six seats are filled. It is designed to produce a result broadly proportional to the votes cast.

The word closed in closed-list means voters cannot change the order in which a partys candidates are elected. Each party submits a ranked list of candidates before the election. If a party wins three seats, the first three names on its list are elected.

Full guidance on how the system works is available at senedd.wales and vote.wales.

For more information on candidates in Fflint Wrecsam and our election coverage can be found here: https://wrexham.com/election2026

Spotted something? Got a story? email us at Got a story? email us at news@wrexham.com
Plaid Cymru launched their Senedd election manifesto in Wrexham last week, and as with any party leader in Wrexham/Flintshire this electoral season, we requested a chance to ask a few questions.

Held in the Ial restaurant space in Coleg Cambria on Thursday morning, assembled media spent the next two hours probing the First Minister hopeful Rhun ap Iorwerth. The room had doors manned to keep silence as recordings took place, allowing us to hear the very common questions around manifesto promises funding, vetting of candidates, and a lot of attention around the issue of Welsh independence.

Last to quiz him we thought we would change tack and kicked off by asking what specifics in the manifesto would benefit the people of Wrexham and Flintshire  as Fflint Wrecsam is our new constituency.

I think that a Plaid Cymru government, if were elected in May this year, would be a government for all of Wales. Thats really important for people to understand that. There are things, of course, that are relevant to people wherever they are; determination to bring down waiting lists and make the NHS more sustainable, to create more and better jobs through a new development agency, to raise standards in education and to offer the most generous Child Care offer anywhere in the UK.

I think thats as relevant to this part of Wales as to any but, of course, you know that are things that are more important to some areas than others. One of the core features of Plaid Cymru economy policy, and has been for many years, is to spread prosperity. We cant have a model where we have an overheating capital city region, as they have for the UK as a whole, or for England, we have to make sure that prosperity is shared so people can can feel that its a government for them.

We have an opportunity here to have a First Minister from the north of Wales for the first time, and I think that is something that can not only give people confidence that they would have a government that actually understands and listens to them, but actually that would have a practical impact of being on the ground and understanding the distinct needs that there are.

We noted that Wrexham & Flintshire at times have more links and more in common with parts of England, and that South Wales can sometimes feel further away. We asked if there was any such disconnect showing on the doorsteps.

Its funny, you know, people often tell me everything goes down south and I dont subscribe to that. The economic split in Wales actually would be more east west than north south. I have no doubt that there has been a sense in the north of Wales of being somehow democratically over overlooked, and having that sort of all Wales Government that Plaid Cymru wants to be, I think could address that. Having a First Minister from the North would help.

When we talk about making sure that we strengthen transport links, yes, include those links into those areas of population in the in the northwest of England  my mother born in Liverpool! These links are very important to our communities, but at the same time we will build the Wales wide economy, that Wales wide thinking of how we transform lives, wherever people live.

With the post-manifesto launch party now being packed up with the subtlety of an enthusiastic Mr Blobby (yet library style silence maintained for other media) we were lightly fearful that the ever disappearing rows of chairs could mean the interview may have to be completed on a wheeled trolly or having to shout questions.

Pointing to our monthly reporting of local NHS stats and the longer than average wait times and other issues, we asked how a Plaid Cymru government would specifically address problems locally for Wrexhams hospital.

I think the issues around Wrexham Maelor are well documented, but of course, that fits in within the wider, very well documented issues around Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. I have spent a significant proportion of my time as a Senedd member as a health spokesman for our party, and spent a significant amount of that looking at the situation in Betsi.

I made it clear we would get rid of Betsi if that is what was needed, I say again now Betsi is on notice. We are confident that the plans that we have for health, both in the short term, on bringing down waiting times and longer term, can make a difference.

But, if it doesnt make a difference in Betsi, where the problems are deeper than in the rest of Wales, we will change the health landscape here and get rid of it. Weve made that very, very clear. There is an issue with the the NHS estate in Wales, which has been getting worse and worse, and Ive said that we need to put the programme in place to deal with the standard of the NHS estate and the buildings and the hospitals.

We queried what being on notice would mean, and what specifically an adjusted healthcare system would look like if Betsi ceased to exist in its current form.

I have looked at a couple of options in the past, you could split it in two or three. For example, it used to be in three. It might be that than two. You could introduce a different model, where you where you split it horizontally rather than rather than vertically. The key thing is were not saying were going to come in, were going to reorganise health, because its not reorganising health that people want. The outcome people want is better care, it is to be able to see a GP quicker, to be on a much, much shorter waiting list.

Our Senedd coverage comes with watching hours, if not days, of video feeds from the chamber floor where Rhun ap Iorwerth has been consistent in raising problems with the local health board and challenging politicians. Due to that we asked surely he knew what the problems were, and should have a plan now, rather than as the manifesto launched that day said, we will develop a tailored plan to deal with ongoing mismanagement at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, examining all options for reform.

We think we do know. But, the depths of the problems that Betsi faces are deeper than many of the same issues that we face in other parts of Wales.

So for example, making sure that we have better ways of working between local authorities and in the health boards, its something that were determined to do. Better cooperation between health boards so that you have better equality of care between different parts of Wales.

We will legislate on that if we need to the governance changes that we want to bring in, again, its against the background of bigger challenges in Betsi, but fundamentally theyre the same ones.

Noting answers from the current Welsh Government that specific interventions had been taking place at an almost unbelievably micro managing level we asked if the health board was something that could actually be sorted politically if the operational elements were not up to it?

Youre right. There are two elements to this. Its the political leadership. Its putting the frameworks in place, setting the rules by which hospitals can can work more effectively. But its then the operation on the ground, and the government has to get that understanding of what is actually happening day, day to day, and government goes in and sees from the perspective of the governments, rather than opposition.

But there are structures that we know are problematic currently. We know theres that theres poor cooperation with local government. We know that there is the investments that need to actually go in now, capital spend on the surgical hubs can actually make a difference, because one of the big problems that health boards face is the sheer size of the crisis that theyre facing.

Now, you decrease the size of the crisis, thats the sustainability that then gives you a fighting chance so that were building health services for the future.

The partys manifesto said Plaid Cymru will hire up to 100 new GPs to provide more out-of-hours care, and invest more in digitisation and telemedicine. We detailed to our reporting of various meetings where we hear GPs dont necessarily want to come to work in Wales, particularly in rural areas, and how that promise stacks up.

We have a strange situation currently where we have insufficient GPs in parts of Wales, and we have under employment of GPs  so there are GPs that are not working!

So whilst yes, we need to train more GPs and Plaid Cymru has a pretty good track record of identifying that as an issue. Were the ones who campaigned for the medical school in Bangor. It is going to take time to build through, but you know, weve identified that problem of training more for years.

There are actually doctors that are currently under utilised, and our plan around the 100 doctors specifically looking at out of hours in particular. It does mean paying them more because of those unsociable hours, hopefully it will make it more attractive. Its a its a package of measures, and these would be directly employed as well giving them the assurances on on pay coming in. We think that can make a real difference to access that people have to primary care.

With the top two candidates for Plaid Cymru locally being councillors, and often vocal on the yearly budgets, we asked how the manifesto pledges on better funding and funding floors would work.

We know that if we come into government, we come into government at a time of very tight financial constraints. We have lived through years of austerity under the Conservatives, and things are very tight still under a Labour UK government. We took the decision a few months ago in ensuring a budget was passed for 26-27 that did two things; lay down the best foundations possible for the NHS with a pot of funding and secondly, a significant amount of funding to make sure that there was a minimum increase to every council in Wales.

That shows we understand where councils sit within the pressures on public services as a whole. We work with councils. What we will do is make sure that we look again at how the funding formula works, making sure that the sharing of the pot of money is fair across Wales.

But, ultimately, theres an issue here of that funding that comes to Wales from Westminster. Making the case for that fair funding is something that people, I think, understand.

Our finance reports around councils are increasingly about the huge sums in adult and childrens social care. The manifesto referred to a national care service, that appears to in part look to make NHS services and local authority services work better. We asked if that also meant social care costs would be taken away from ever pressed council budgets.

There is already cooperation in some parts of Wales, really effective, even the pooling of budgets. Councils and health services identify which of them offers the best solution to a problem they have locally or maybe joint commissioning of care. There is inconsistency across Wales, and I think what we do more than anything, is to have that consistency  where we identify things that work well with health and local councils being bigger than the sum of their parts, working really well together, we replicate that Wales wide, and that could need legislation to make it happen.

For clarity we asked if looked after children costs would be still a council responsibility.

Essentially, those are the decisions that are made within local council budgets, rather than Welsh Governments telling local government what to do. I agree with you, its one of those issues where there are significant pressures, and I know that in my part of Wales, for example, what the council is trying to do is build that capacity in a more affordable way and try to take the pressure off their core funding, without in any way deteriorating the care that theyre able to offer young people, because at the end of the day, that is the most important thing.

With the well documented Local Development Plan issues locally, we asked how a potential Plaid Cymru government would look to work better with councils  as the manifesto pledges specifically that for delivery: We will work with local authorities and social landlords to deliver new, high-quality homes, and to bring empty properties back into use as social housing  delivering at least 20,000 new social homes by 2030.

I think the story of Wrexham about the LDP has been very, very interesting and very, very important. Im really grateful to to the work that the Plaid Cymru councillors have done, really at the forefront of that, including the High Court battle. It was fundamentally about making sure that communities were listened to, and the community representatives were respected. That is exactly the kind of partnership working that I want to see between a Plaid Cymru government and local government. Planning frameworks have to feel as if they belong to a community.

With noise building, chairs being moved around and mobiles going off and time obviously expiring we asked a couple of quick questions to wind things up.

The manifesto appears light on specific AI policy, and we asked with some predictions of huge unemployment and societal change, if that might look a mistake in a few years into government.

No, I dont think thats a problem. In fact, Id invite you to look at some of the things that we say in the first 100 day plan about our attitude towards digital. I established, and up until the dissolution of the Senedd, chaired a cross party group on digital, because I understand that getting it right on digital, of which AI is a part, is really really important for the future of Wales. Digital and AI does a number of things, we want to make better use of the technology for job creation and so on. Jobs in the AI growth zones and what have you, that a Plaid Cymru new government would work to maximise the benefits from.

The use of digital and AI and so on for better delivery of public services, and measuring how the outcomes of our of our policy programme using AI, thats really, really important. When I talk about digitally enabled Plaid Cymru government, those are exactly the things that we talk about.

Wrexham.com readers will be well versed in the fact that the Gwent Gazette has a circulation of just seventy seven (77) copies, Holyhead and Bangor Mail just one hundred and ten copies (110) and so on and that statutory notices that appear in the likes of those titles are very expensive.

Readers will recall Plaid Cymru joined forces with the Conservatives and voted to keep that public notice subsidy status quo for legacy print newspapers. We asked if that was a vote he stood by.

I recognise the importance of those statutory notices as part of the funding model for local, be it print in the past, or local media organisations.

As a principle I want government to be able to play its part in as many ways as possible to support that plurality of media outlets, because its important to me  I am a journalist

But, also models change over time, and we have to see if support is lost in one way, what else can be done in practical terms to support something thats really, really important in terms of building community

As Wrexham.com is a local media organisation as he stated, yet under current laws legally excluded from the system, we asked if the message was Wrexham.com or other similar entities now need to print a newspaper with just 100 copies, and if that was really the modern way.

We have to change at all times our understanding of how money is spent to protect and support whats within journalism in Wales, I think is an important principle.

With the tide of tidying up at our feet and fearful of being swept up and wheeled away, we wrapped up and packed up as the prospective First Minister was whisked off to tour the High Street.

You can read other Q&As and our ongoing election coverage at Wrexham.com/election2026 !

For those interested, some newspaper circulation history and current-ish data:

Spotted something? Got a story? email us at Got a story? email us at news@wrexham.com
North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is urging residents to check whether their integrated heat pump tumble dryer is affected by a national safety alert, after eight major brands were found to pose a risk of fire.

The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) identified a risk of internal short circuit during normal use in dryers manufactured by Haier and sold under the Baumatic, Candy, Caple, Haier, Hoover, Iberna, Lamona and Montpellier brands.

Around 85,000 machines were still unrepaired as of the OPSSs December 2025 update.

Owners are being told to stop using the appliance immediately and unplug it where possible.

Anyone who thinks their dryer may be affected can check their model and serial number at productsafety.haier.co.uk to confirm whether a repair is needed.

If the machine is listed as affected, owners should contact the manufacturer to arrange a free in-home repair.

The alert covers integrated heat pump tumble dryers purchased between 2019 and 2025.

Haier started a repair programme earlier in 2025, but OPSS halted it after determining the initial modification had not eliminated the fire risk.

Owners whose dryers were already modified under that first programme are also being warned that a risk may still exist, and should stop using the appliance and recheck the website.

Haier has since resumed its programme using an updated modification and has begun contacting affected customers.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is asking residents to share the warning to help reach anyone who may not yet be aware.

Spotted something? Got a story? email us at Got a story? email us at news@wrexham.com
Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz roared onto the San Francisco scene in 2023 with the opening of Dalida, a bright restaurant that brought the natural beauty of the Presidio inside.

Dalida wasnt just excellent (and still one of our favorites in the city ), it showcased a side of Mediterranean cuisine seen infrequently in the Bay Area, one that nodded to Sayats Turkish heritage and other food traditions from the seas eastern side.

But nobody puts Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz in a corner.

The dining room dedicated to chef Laura Ozyilmaz' mother Isabel (Isabel Baer)

For the James Beard Foundation Best Chef Semifinalists second restaurant, Maria Isabel, they didnt turn back to the flavors that put them on the map. They found inspiration thousands of miles away in Guerrero, the southern state on Mexicos Pacific Coast where Laura Ozyilmaz grew up.

Maria Isabel is rooted in those food traditions, seafood and tropical flavors laced with Afro-Mexican and Indigenous influences, as well as dishes and ingredients from Lauras fathers more northerly home state of Sinaloaa region known for its bold aguachiles, ceviches , and shellfish.

The result is a homey, place-based menu accented with exquisite and unexpected ingredients.

Thats a clumsy description for my favorite dish of the night too, the one Im served right at the start of the meal. The heirloom corn masa bunuelo, a crispy, deep-fried donut typically served as a sweet treat, is in fact dusted with sugar. But when topped with guacamole, pistachio, and a generous dollop of Kaluga caviar, it becomes something else entirely: a savory-sweet, velvety-crunchy dish of perfectly opposed contradictions.

The rest of Maria Isabels menufrom which you can order a la carte or let the chef treat you to a six- to seven-course seasonal tasting menu ($90/person)is evenly split between seafood crudos and other antojitos (literally, little cravings), and heartier maize-based dishes and mains. From the former, I order the ceviche Acapulqueno, a recommendation from my wide-smiled server in which poached shrimp and raw scallops are marinated with sour orange and serrano chiles. Its not the Tang and ketchup version his grandfather made last time he visited him in Acapulco, he laughs, but its just as nostalgic.

Ceviche Acapulqueno (Isabel Baer)

The fine line between authenticity and originality is one Maria Isabel walks with ease. The fact that theyve incorporated poxan ancient Tzotzil Maya spirit made from corn from the state of Chiapasin a fizzy house cocktail (the Ser un Sol, which also has guava, marigold amaro, chamomile, and roasted cacao bean) is a sure sign this place is legit. So is their chocolate program, a collection of traditional, cacao-based, beverages from the south of Mexico including tascalate (blue corn masa, chocolate, achiote, chile, cinnamon, and piloncillo) and posol con mandarina negra (fermented red corn masa, chocolate, and black mandarin).

Its a balance also beautifully demonstrated in the corn-based section of the menu. The artichoke tetela, a triangular blue corn masa pocket of Oaxacan origin, lies on a cushion of white mole stacked with a wicked spicy salsa macha made with chapulines and peanuts, and crispy slivers of fried California artichokes. The sea urchin tamalito is, similarly, a traditional favorite transformed into something really special: a sweet corn tamale base with a silky corn crema with vanilla oil, fermented habaneros, and a fat tongue of Santa Barbara uni. If, like me, youre someone who struggles to get off the fence when it comes to this divisive ingredient, Maria Isabels take pushes it confidently into favorable territory.

Sticking to the coast, I order the black cod zarandeado for my main, a Sinaloan dish of grilled, marinated fish. Their version is made with a tart pineapple recado rojo, a Southern Mexico-style marinade similar to that in Yucatecan cochinita pibil. The filet is served with tart-like sopes topped with heirloom beans, and a mouthful of both together hits a high note. I nevertheless still feel a little foodie envy when I see two of the other platos principalesthe lamb ribs barbacoa with fermented carrots and the chochoyotes (blue masa dumplings), huitlacoche, and mushrooms with a halved, dino-sized bone filled with rich, toasted marrowfloat dreamlike out of the kitchen.

Chochoyotes and mushrooms with bone marrow (Isabel Baer)

By the time my meal is coming to a close, Maria Isabel is still bustling with new parties waiting around the slick, gold-toned bar in the earthy, floral-wallpapered dining room designed by Jenne Wicht of Jak W and inspired by Isabel, Lauras mother. Between this space and the bright, pink-accented one inspired by Lauras sister Maria, there are only 50 seats and reservations are mandatory.

Its likely Ive overstayed my welcome, but I cant help but get a taste of the sweet stuff before I go, with a splish of wine from the restaurants Mexican, Californian, and Latin American list (every one available by the glass is crafted by women winemakers, the sommelier tells me).

All I can say is any night that ends with a riff on the cult-favorite novelty the Choco Tacothis one made with a smoky vanilla ice cream in a light-as-air corn and flour tortilla dipped in dehydrated corn and creamis a night that ends well.

// Maria Isabel is open Tuesday through Saturday from 5pm to 9:30pm; 500 Presidio Ave. (Presidio Heights), mariaisabelsf.com
U.S. signals add to instability in Hormuz shipping: report

Xinhua) 08:41, April 13, 2026

LONDON, April 12 (Xinhua) -- U.S. signals of potential military actions, including interdiction and possible blockade measures in the Strait of Hormuz, following failed U.S.-Iran negotiations in Pakistan, are adding to instability in the shipping environment, a London-headquartered maritime analytics firm said on Sunday.

According to a report released by Windward, Washington's moves introduce a second layer of control over the strait, meaning vessel movements may be affected not only by Iranian restrictions but also by potential U.S. actions.

The Strait of Hormuz is operating as a "controlled and unstable" system, where the risk of direct confrontation between state actors is increasing, it noted.

Data showed that on Saturday, a total of 17 vessels transited the strait, including seven inbound and 10 outbound. Inbound traffic consisted of four tankers and three cargo vessels, while outbound traffic included five tankers, one bulk carrier and four cargo vessels.

Although transit volumes have edged up slightly, shipping activity remains constrained, the report said, adding that some vessels have altered routes or turned back, while the overall number of ships in the Gulf has continued to decline.

The report added that access is being granted selectively, with priority given to specific cargo flows and trade routes, while broader commercial activity remains limited.

It also said that Iranian export operations remain active under constrained conditions. Satellite imagery on Saturday showed three very large crude carriers loading at Iran's Kharg Island, with an estimated combined volume of around 6 million barrels. The last confirmed departures were recorded on April 8.

Windward further noted that as disruptions persist in the Strait of Hormuz, global crude flows are increasingly being redirected toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. A total of 172 crude oil tankers are currently en route to the region.

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)


Commences Trading on US-based OTCQB market

Sydney, April 13, 2026 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Dalaroo Metals Limited ( ASX:DAL ) ( DALMF:OTCMKTS ) announced that it has successfully completed its secondary listing on the OTCQB Market in the United States, with trading in the Company's securities has now commenced under the ticker symbol DALMF.



The OTCQB quotation represents an important milestone for Dalaroo, enhancing the Company's visibility and accessibility to North American investors. The listing enables investors in the United States to trade Dalaroo shares in US dollars during US market hours, providing a more convenient pathway for international participation in the Company.



The OTCQB Market, operated by OTC Markets Group in New York, is an established trading platform that enables companies with primary listings on leading global exchanges, including the Australian Securities Exchange, to access US investors.



Importantly, the OTCQB quotation does not impose any additional compliance or regulatory obligations beyond the Company's existing requirements as an ASX-listed entity. The listing is also non-dilutive to existing shareholders, as no new shares have been issued in connection with the commencement of trading.



Dalaroo believes increased exposure to North American investors will support its strategy of advancing a high-quality portfolio of gold and critical minerals projects across tier-one and emerging jurisdictions. The Company's portfolio includes rare earth element projects in Greenland and gold projects in Cote d'Ivoire, alongside its Western Australian assets.



Further information about the listing can be found at: https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/DALMF/overview



Management Commentary



Dalaroo CEO - John Morgan



"This marks an important milestone for Dalaroo as we expand our global investor reach and improve accessibility to the Company. The OTCQB listing provides North American investors with a convenient platform to trade Dalaroo shares in US dollars during local market hours.



As we continue to advance our portfolio of gold and critical minerals projects across Greenland and Cote d'Ivoire, we believe this expanded market presence will support increased investor engagement and long-term value creation for our shareholders."



About Blue Lagoon - Greenland

The Blue Lagoon Project (MEL 2022-07) is a 100%-owned critical minerals project located in south-west Greenland within the highly prospective Gardar Alkaline Province, a globally recognised geological belt hosting significant rare earth element (REE), zirconium (Zr) and niobium (Nb) mineralisation.



Dalaroo completed its maiden modern exploration program at Blue Lagoon during the 2025 field season, representing the first systematic work undertaken across the project area since historical surveys conducted in 1979. The program comprised project-wide geochemical sampling, including stream sediments, lagoon margin sediments and surficial materials, designed to evaluate the distribution and tenor of REE and associated critical minerals.

Results from the program confirmed the presence of a coherent and laterally extensive critical minerals system, with mineralisation defined over an approximately 2.7km strike length. Notably, all samples returned anomalous values for REE, zirconium and niobium, demonstrating consistency.



Peak assay results (refer ASX Announcement dated 16 January 2026) include zirconium oxide (ZrO2) values of up to 4.42% and hafnium values up to ~99ppm, together with total rare earth oxide (TREO) values of up to ~0.81%. The dataset demonstrates strong multi-element anomalism, with enrichment in both light and heavy rare earth elements and a favourable proportion of high-value magnet rare earths.



Importantly, uranium and thorium levels are low, representing a favourable metallurgical and environmental characteristic relative to many global REE deposits.



Mineralisation shows enrichment within finer grain-size fractions, indicating potential for natural upgrading and supporting future beneficiation pathways.



The project benefits from its location in an emerging, strategically significant jurisdiction, with Greenland increasingly recognised as a key supplier of critical minerals to Western markets. Blue Lagoon shares geological similarities with major nearby deposits including Kvanefjeld, Tanbreez and Motzfeldt, reinforcing its potential to host a district-scale mineralised system.



Dalaroo is advancing Blue Lagoon through a structured 2026 exploration program aimed at defining drill ready targets. Planned activities include targeted geophysics, auger drilling, expanded geochemical sampling and mineralogical studies to delineate the extent of mineralisation and generate drill-ready targets.



*To view tables and figures, please visit:

https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/W906CPU2





About Dalaroo Metals Ltd





Dalaroo Metals Limited (ASX:DAL) is an ASX-listed exploration company focused on the discovery and development of high-quality gold and critical minerals projects across Australia and international jurisdictions.

The Company's portfolio includes the Blue Lagoon Project in southern Greenland, prospective for rare earth elements (REE), zirconium and niobium, a growing suite of gold exploration assets in Cote d'Ivoire located within the highly endowed Birimian Greenstone Belt of West Africa, and the Lyons River Project and Namban Project in Western Australia.

Dalaroo's strategy is to systematically advance its projects through modern exploration techniques, resource definition and strategic partnerships, with a strong focus on value creation for shareholders. The Company is committed to responsible exploration, strong corporate governance and building long-term stakeholder relationships in the regions in which it operates.

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX:OTCM) operates regulated markets for trading 12,000 U.S. and international securities. Our data-driven disclosure standards form the foundation of our public markets: OTCQX(R) Best Market, OTCQB(R) Venture Market, OTCID(TM) Basic Market and Pink Limited(TM) Market. Our OTC Link(R) Alternative Trading Systems (ATSs) provide critical market infrastructure that broker-dealers rely on to facilitate trading.

Our innovative model offers companies more efficient access to the U.S. financial markets.

OTC Link ATS, OTC Link ECN, OTC Link NQB, and MOON ATS(TM) are each SEC regulated ATS, operated by OTC Link LLC, a FINRA and SEC registered broker-dealer, member SIPC.

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AceShowbiz - Black and Blue is gaining significant attention on Netflix in the United States, steadily rising to the #7 spot on the platforms Top 10 Most Watched list. Despite flying under the radar upon its initial release, this 2019 police thriller has found a new audience eager for its tense, action-packed narrative.

The film features a notable cast of actors familiar to Marvel Cinematic Universe fans, including Naomie Harris (known for 28 Days Later and Venom: Let There Be Carnage), Frank Grillo (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Peacemaker), Mike Colter (Luke Cage, The Defenders), and Tyrese Gibson (of the Fast and the Furious franchise). Set in New Orleans, the story follows a rookie police officer who accidentally records the murder of a drug dealer on her body camera.

Upon realizing the killing was carried out by corrupt officers, she must rely on the help of the only person in her community willing to assist her. Now on the run from both criminals and the police determined to destroy the incriminating footage, she faces intense danger in a city rife with corruption.

While Black and Blue did not receive widespread critical acclaim, it was notably elevated by Harriss compelling performance, which captivated many viewers. Critics gave the film a lukewarm 49% rating, describing it as a generic take on the police thriller genre. Critic Daniel Howat remarked, "There's an effective, nuanced way to tell a story tackling this issue. Black and Blue does the exact opposite of that, eschewing all nuance and subtlety to make the most generic version of this story as possible."

However, audiences responded far more positively, awarding the film a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many viewers urged others to disregard the critics opinions. One enthusiastic audience member shared, "Absolutely captivating. From the moment the movie started, my eyes have been glued to the screen. The movie was intense and had my full attention until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the action, the story, and the message."

Although the plot may feel familiar and somewhat heavy-handedbearing resemblance to the classic cop thriller Training Daythe film effectively conveys its message through strong performances by its MCU veterans. Despite some cliches, it serves as an engaging way to spend two hours immersed in a gritty narrative about police corruption and survival.

Fans and newcomers alike are encouraged to share their favorite moments from Black and Blue in the comments and join ongoing discussions in the ComicBook forum. The films resurgence on Netflix demonstrates how overlooked titles can find new life and appreciation through streaming platforms.

For viewers looking for a straightforward, action-driven cop thriller starring familiar Marvel-associated actors, Black and Blue offers a gripping ride through the streets of New Orleans, highlighting themes of justice, loyalty, and resilience.
Stephen King argues The Shield, not The Sopranos, had a bigger impact on TV. Discover the surprising influence of this gritty cop drama.

AceShowbiz - The Shield is often overshadowed by the monumental success of The Sopranos, yet acclaimed author Stephen King argues that it may have had a greater influence on television.

When The Sopranos premiered on HBO in 1999, it revolutionized TV by introducing audiences to a complex antihero in mobster Tony Soprano. This series broke new ground with its cinematic style and morally ambiguous characters, earning 21 Emmy Awards and setting a new standard for prestige television. Its impact paved the way for acclaimed shows like Breaking Bad, Succession, and Mad Men, which continue to thrive on the legacy The Sopranos established.

However, on the social platform Threads, Stephen King made a provocative statement, suggesting that The Shield, which debuted three years later in 2002 on FX, actually had a more profound effect on television. While acknowledging HBOs premium status, King noted that FX was part of most American cable packages, giving The Shield a wider immediate audience. He emphasized that The Shield changed TV with its main character an antihero and continuing story, highlighting that the lead was a corrupt cop rather than a mobster.

The Shield centers on Detective Vic Mackey, portrayed by Michael Chiklis, a morally conflicted LAPD officer who balances enforcing the law with secretive, unethical dealings. The series ran for seven seasons, concluding in 2008, and became known for its gritty storytelling and complex characters. The show was created by Shawn Ryan, who later gained recognition for creating series such as S.W.A.T., Timeless, and The Night Agent.

Despite its critical acclaim, with a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, The Shield did not achieve the same level of public recognition as The Sopranos. It won only one Emmy Award  for Michael Chikliss Best Actor win in its inaugural season  compared to the 21 Emmys garnered by The Sopranos. Over time, this disparity has led to The Shield fading somewhat from mainstream cultural conversation, even though many critics and TV enthusiasts regard it as a groundbreaking show.

Stephen Kings recent comments appear to be an effort to redirect attention to The Shield and its significance in shaping modern television narratives. Given his influential voice on social media and deep understanding of film and TV, King might inspire a new wave of interest in the series among contemporary viewers.

The Shield featured a strong ensemble cast alongside Michael Chiklis, including Michael Jace, Jay Karnes, CCH Pounder, Benito Martinez, Catherine Dent, and Walton Goggins. Its innovative approach to storytelling and character development remains influential within the crime drama genre.

In contrast, The Sopranos is widely credited with ushering in an era where television was recognized for its artistic and narrative depth. It challenged audiences to engage with morally complex characters and serialized storytelling, a legacy that endures in todays television landscape.

Nonetheless, The Shield distinguished itself by focusing on the law enforcement perspective, centering on a deeply flawed protagonist whose actions blurred ethical lines. This focus on a corrupt police officer as the antihero was relatively novel for its time and arguably paved the way for other antihero-led crime dramas.

As debates around TV influence continue, the conversation sparked by Stephen Kings comparison highlights how perceptions of cultural impact can evolve. While The Sopranos remains a dominant reference point, The Shields contributions to the medium are being reassessed and appreciated anew.

For fans and newcomers alike, this renewed interest could encourage revisiting The Shield to better understand its role in shaping the television landscape alongside its more celebrated predecessor.
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In signature Paradise style, the finale resolved some mysteries but introduced many more. Key questions include: How does Alex function? Why is Julianne Nicholson's character Sinatra so certain that Dylan, also known as "Link" and played by Thomas Doherty, is her grown son who had died? What role will Xavier (Brown) play in saving the world next season? Is Jane (Nicole Brydon Bloom) truly dead? And did the creative team plan Sinatras death from the start of season two?

To clarify these points, The Hollywood Reporter interviewed Paradise executive producer and writer John Hoberg, who co-wrote the finale. Hoberg shared insights into the quantum physics concepts underpinning Alexs AI storyline and described how the writers made these complex ideas accessible to the cast. He explained that the series engaged a quantum physics consultant and rigorously vetted their theories. "Its legitimate in theory, and very debatable among quantum physicists," Hoberg said. There are camps who believe, in theory, that a quantum computer could try to change the outcome of the present reality.

Actors Reactions and Martinis Law

Hoberg recounted discussions with Julianne Nicholson and Thomas Doherty about the mind-bending quantum physics concepts explored in the finale. The actors found the ideas so perplexing that their understanding seemed to dissipate the more they thought about it. To help them navigate the complex relationshipsparticularly between Alex, Sinatra, and Dylanthe writers sat down with the actors to explain the storys logic.

Hoberg revealed that the writers coined "Martinis Law" to describe their approach to the finales ambiguity. In one version of the ending, Sinatra has invested heavily in Alex, convinced the AI can alter time. Sinatra herself says, "Im maybe just a woman whos finally processing her grief. But I dont think so." Martinis Law allows the audience to decide whether Sinatra is delusional or if Dylan truly is her son. The show purposely maintains an agnostic stance, guiding viewers to their own interpretation.

Interestingly, Hoberg noted how Dylans reaction in the finale supports Sinatras belief. When Sinatra claims Dylan is her son, Dylan seems to believe it too. Dylan was deeply involved with the professor who created the AI at the core of the quantum computer. The finale reveals Dylan helped build this technology and witnessed the professors realization that the AI was manipulating time in unprecedented ways. However, the professor was killed, and Dylan fled, leaving many questions unanswered.

The Dangerous AI Project and Sinatras Role

The show depicts Sinatra funding the project alongside the professor, seen in the cold open of the finale. Previous episodes show Billy (Jon Beavers) warning the professor to sell his company because Sinatra intended to buy it, fearing the technology was too dangerous. Sinatras actions escalate when she sends Billy to kill the professor and seize control of the company. What transpired between the professors warnings and the emergence of Alex remains unclear, deepening the intrigue.

The Possibility of Dylan Being Sinatras Son

Hoberg asked viewers to imagine how Dylan could be Sinatras son despite the timeline challenges. After the professors death, Sinatra poured her resources into advancing the quantum computer, rapidly escalating its power. The shows quantum consultant, a leader at Caltechs Quantum Computing Labs, helped the writing team understand the scientific theories that aligned with their storyline.

The consultant explained that from a quantum perspective, time might not flow linearly as humans experience it. Instead, time could exist simultaneously, like a block of cheese where every moment coexists. Hoberg used this analogy to explain to the actors how the quantum computer might manipulate reality. In this theory, reality branches endlessly like a choose-your-own-adventure book, where each decision creates a new path. The AI Alex could theoretically extract events from one timeline and insert them into another, altering outcomes.

This concept was referenced in the lab scene at the start of the episode, where a scientist used a similar analogy. Hoberg further explained that slices of time (the cheese analogy) might slide between different realities constantly, though humans only perceive their own core reality. If something or someone could manipulate these subtle shifts, they could change key events, like those involving Dylan and Sinatra.

Quantum Theory Visualized in the Finale

Hoberg described how the finales bunker control room featured boards filled with quantum diagrams and data inspired by real scientific theories. According to their consultant, these visuals are credible enough that a quantum physicist would recognize the ideas represented. This attention to detail reflects the shows effort to ground its high-concept science fiction in plausible theory.

Looking Ahead to Season 3

As the series heads into its third and potentially final season, viewers are left with many unanswered questions. How will Xavier use Alexs capabilities to influence the future? Will Dylans true identity be confirmed? What fate awaits Sinatra and Jane? The complex intertwining of grief, quantum mechanics, and AI sets the stage for a dramatic conclusion.

Paradise continues to challenge audiences with its blend of emotional storytelling and speculative science, making the finale a topic of intense discussion and anticipation among fans and critics alike.
Detective Bishop Graves hunts a killer targeting San Francisco's elite, only to uncover a chilling link to his own father. Starring Joel Kinnaman and John Ma...

AceShowbiz - Bishop is an upcoming thriller drama series set to premiere on Prime Video, featuring a gripping storyline centered on homicide detective Bishop Graves. The show is co-created by Little Marvin and Tony Saltzman and produced by Vertigo alongside Amazon MGM Studios.

The series stars Joel Kinnaman as Bishop Graves, a brilliant and battle-hardened investigator tasked with tracking down a cunning killer targeting San Francisco's affluent community. As the case unfolds, the murderer gains a cult-like following among the city's disenfranchised population, raising the stakes for Bishop.

Adding to the intense narrative, Bishop becomes convinced that these killings are linked to a powerful figure in San Franciscohis own father, Lincoln Gravesportrayed by John Malkovich. This familial connection adds a complex layer to the detectives pursuit of justice.

Joining the cast is Xavier Samuel, known for his roles in Send Help and Twilight: Eclipse. His involvement in Bishop brings further talent to this highly anticipated series. The show promises an intricate mix of suspense, family drama, and crime investigation set against the backdrop of San Franciscos social divide.

Bishop represents a collaboration between respected creators and studios, aiming to deliver a compelling narrative that explores power, loyalty, and the dark underbelly of a citys elite. Fans of thriller dramas can look forward to a series that tests the limits of its characters and keeps viewers on edge.
Meet Bill Lawrence, creator of Scrubs & Ted Lasso. Join his live career talk at Napa StreamFest, recorded for The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast.

AceShowbiz - Bill Lawrence, the Emmy-winning creator behind acclaimed shows like Spin City, Scrubs, Cougar Town, and Ted Lasso, is set to be a featured guest at this years Napa Valley StreamFest. Currently, Lawrence has three series airing simultaneously: Apple TV+s Shrinking, HBOs Rooster, and ABCs revival of Scrubs.

On Saturday, April 25, at 6 p.m., Lawrence will participate in an hourlong career-focused discussion at the Uptown Theatre in Downtown Napa. This conversation will be recorded live for later broadcast on The Hollywood Reporters Awards Chatter podcast, providing attendees with an inside look into his prolific television career.

Following Lawrences session, two stars from Shrinking, Christa Miller and Ted McGinley, will be interviewed by SiriusXM host Julia Cunningham. During this segment, Cunningham will present them with the festivals Vanguard Award, honoring their long-standing influence and versatility in television over several decades.

Julia Cunningham will also oversee the presentation of additional awards, including the Social Impact Award to Jonathan Scott, known from Property Brothers, and the Breakthrough Artist Award to actress Sarah Ramos for her work in The Napa Boys. Several other previously announced honorees will be recognized throughout the evening.

The festivals opening night on Friday, April 24, will spotlight Mariska Hargitay, star of Law & Order: SVU, director of My Mom Jayne, and noted social activist. Beginning at 6 p.m. at the Uptown Theatre, Hargitay will engage in a recorded hourlong career retrospective with the same host. Immediately after, she will be honored with the Icon Award by the festival.

The second annual Napa Valley StreamFest will run from April 23 through April 26, featuring a wide range of events celebrating television and streaming talent.
Nathan risks everything to protect Rocco, but a mysterious text could expose his dangerous secret. Don't miss the March 31st episode of General Hospital!

AceShowbiz - General Hospital spoilers reveal that Nathan West (Ryan Paevey) is about to find himself deeper in trouble after deciding to protect Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr).

Nathan understands the risks but is determined to shield Lulu Spencers (Alexa Havins Bruening) son at all costs. However, this protective mission is far more complicated than it seems.

Besides deceiving Dante Falconeri (Dominic Zamprogna) and others at the PCPD, Nathan might have to keep this secret from someone much more dangerous. In the episode airing March 31, Nathan will receive a mysterious text message that sets off a chain of suspenseful events.

The details of the message are still under wraps, but its likely a brief summons, something like we need to meet with a specific time and place. This unknown sender could demand immediate attention, forcing Nathan to abruptly leave Lulu, sparking her curiosity and concern.

Nathan may downplay the urgency, telling Lulu its work-related and theres nothing to worry about, but viewers will sense the stakes are much higher depending on who sent the text.

One strong possibility is Jenz Sidwell (Carlo Rota), known to have PCPD informants feeding him information. Its plausible that Nathan is one of these informants, especially since he had inside knowledge of Willow Cains (Katelyn MacMullen) case. This connection might explain how Sidwell figured out Willows guilt in shooting Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) and anticipated her using a paralytic scheme.

On April 1, the day after Nathan receives the mystery text, Sidwell will issue new orders. Its possible the two episodes will link, with Sidwell summoning Nathan in one and then directing him to act in the next.

These orders could involve pressing for Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) arrest or pushing for a swift resolution to Marco Rios (Adrian Anchondo) murder. This storyline might finally expose Nathans secret ties to Sidwell and Cullums schemes.

This revelation would significantly raise the stakes for the ongoing cover-up protecting Rocco. Fans of General Hospital should stay alert for more dramatic developments as the plot unfolds.

CDL will continue to provide the latest updates and spoilers, making it your go-to source for all things General Hospital.
Julio Torres's HBO special blends absurdist comedy with a TED Talk to decode society through color symbolism. Watch Color Theories now.

AceShowbiz - Julio Torres captivated audiences with his first one-man show, Color Theories, which ran briefly off-Broadway last fall and is now available on HBO.

The hour-long special blends absurdist stand-up with a TED Talk format, offering a unique perspective on how Torres decodes the world through the lens of color symbolism. Instead of merely identifying colors, he uses them as tools to analyze complex social concepts and cultural phenomena.

Reflecting on his work, Torres describes the show not as a thesis but a mission statementone that attempts to make sense of the world by assigning colors to various ideas, people, and systems. Themes range from the Real Housewives and stepmothers to celebrities like Dwayne The Rock Johnson and even to weighty topics such as war crimes.

Although the shows live run was intentionally brief, HBOs recording allows a wider audience to experience Color Theories. The special showcases Torres signature mix of intellectual depth and playful absurdity, qualities that fans of the filmmaker and former Saturday Night Live writer have come to expect.

In a recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter podcast Im Having an Episode, Torres elaborated on the concept of navy blue, a recurring motif in the show representing the darker, more insidious side of logic and authority.

He defines navy blue as the color of bureaucratic systems and laws that pretend to be purely logical but conceal biases and hidden agendas. By contrast, he describes primary blue as the color of straightforward logicthe objective facts that are universally true, such as two plus two equals four. Navy blue, however, is logic mixed with the unknown, represented by black, symbolizing something hidden beneath the surface.

For example, Torres points to cultural rules governing who can and cannot show their breasts in public as navy bluelaws disguised as common sense but actually rooted in cultural bias rather than pure logic.

When asked about personal experiences with navy blue systems, Torres cites immigration as a prime example. He describes it as a big part of the Julio pie chart, highlighting the complex, often contradictory laws that appear sensible on the surface but contain many hidden hurdles.

He also discusses voter ID laws, particularly those promoted by Republican lawmakers, which are framed as logical necessities but can impose significant barriers. The requirement to present certain forms of identification, such as birth certificates or costly passports, disproportionately affects individuals who may have changed their names or lack easy access to these documents. This, Torres explains, is another form of navy blue masquerading as logic.

Recalling the recent push for REAL ID compliance, Torres humorously notes the paradox of the phrase itself: suggesting that existing drivers licenses are somehow not real. He points out that passports already serve as valid IDs, questioning the true meaning of real in this context.

Beyond navy blue, Torres reveals his fascination with the many shades of blue, which he finds more varied and nuanced than other primary colors. He references a famous scene from The Devil Wears Prada, where the importance of subtle color distinctions is highlighted as a metaphor for how people perceive and judge things in everyday life.

This notion ties closely to his own work. While some audiences find Color Theories unusual or avant-garde, Torres insists that everyone thinks about color and its implicationsits just that he frames it in a more explicit and theatrical way.

Torres also touches on his personal choice not to drive, noting that he took only two driving lessons before deciding it was not for him. This aversion to driving leads him to reflect on car colors, a topic he discusses frequently with friends like Spike.

He contrasts the rich variety of car colors available in the 1970spowder blue, orange, yellow, pinkwith todays limited palette dominated by black, gray, white, and blue. Even red cars have become rare, and according to Torres, a red car carries social connotations of danger and recklessness, humorously likened to a deranged slut heading toward trouble.

When asked about everyday entities whose external color matches their essence, Torres points to airports as a perfect example of navy blue. Airports embody the bureaucratic, law-and-order atmosphere that navy blue represents. However, recent developments, such as the involvement of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), have added a new layer of tension, making airports feel even more spicy, as he puts it.

Despite the rich thematic material in Color Theories, Torres chose not to extend the live show beyond its short off-Broadway run. He explains that while he developed a deep appreciation for live production and desires to explore theater further, he does not want to be the performer on stage again. The repetition of live performance is something he might refine as a writer, producer, or director, but being the physical presence on stage is not his strength.

He describes feeling restless during live performances and acknowledges that his talents lie more behind the scenes. Still, he remains open to doing another short run of a live show in the future.

Throughout Color Theories, Torres invites audiences to consider the colors that shape their understanding of the world, from the overtly logical to the covertly biased. Using color as a metaphorical framework, he challenges viewers to rethink familiar systems and cultural norms, exposing the hidden complexities beneath seemingly straightforward concepts.

By blending humor, insight, and a distinctively surreal style, Torres crafts an experience that is intellectually stimulating while remaining accessible and entertaining. His work continues to push boundaries, encouraging a fresh look at how we interpret the colorful world around us.
Spoiler alert: Discover how the shocking opening death in Detective Hole's first episode reshapes the entire investigation and Harry's path to redemption.

AceShowbiz - Warning: This article contains major spoilers for the first episode of Detective Hole season 1, titled "36 Seconds." The opening death in the series profoundly affects the narrative and character dynamics, particularly for the lead detective, Harry Hole.

Adapted from the acclaimed crime novels by Jo Nesb, Detective Hole stars Tobias Santelmann as the titular Norwegian detective. After a reckless car crash during a high-speed chase, Harry has spent the last five years sober, attempting to solve a cold case involving a bank robbery. His investigation is supported by his colleague, Ellen Gjelten, while he also builds a complicated relationship with Rakel, a single mother portrayed by Pia Tjelta, and her teenage son, Oleg.

The series launches with Harry tracing a unique firearm linked to the robbery to a weapons smuggler. Alongside Ellen, he tracks this smuggler to a secluded cabin. Meanwhile, Ellens solo investigation intersects dangerously with fellow officer Tom Waaler, played by Joel Kinnaman. Waaler, secretly entangled in the smuggling ring, murders Ellen to conceal his criminal ties and frames another smuggler for the killing before eliminating him as well.

In an exclusive interview ahead of the premiere, Kinnaman discussed Ellens brutal death and its significance for his character. He revealed that the scene originally included even more graphic violence, describing how Waaler finds the vein in her forehead and then hits that to simulate realistic blood splatter that would support his cover-up.

Despite Waalers disturbing actions, Kinnaman emphasized that the character exhibits inner conflict. He explained that the role required balancing the antagonists ruthless mission with subtle traces of human emotion. According to the actor, Waaler expresses a complicated mix of frustration and perhaps genuine empathy, struggling with the consequences of his violent deed and its impact on his plans.

While the Netflix series primarily adapts the fifth book in Nesbs franchise, The Devils Star, Ellens death originally occurs in an earlier novel, The Redbreast. The shows adaptation alters key details, most notably identifying Waaler as the murderer upfront. In the book, Ellen is killed by a neo-Nazi connected to the arms dealer known as The Prince, whose identity she discovers but cannot reveal before her death.

In contrast, Detective Hole reveals to viewers that Waaler is The Prince and the murderer, framing the arms dealer hidden in his remote cabin to maintain his facade. This change shifts the storylines focus and intensifies the personal stakes for Harry Hole and the audience from the outset.

In the novels, Ellens murder is a pivotal moment for Harry. In The Devils Star, Harrys request to investigate Waaler is denied by his Chief Inspector, which leads to a destructive spiral fueled by alcohol and nearly costs Harry his job. The series diverges here, granting Harry permission to pursue the case covertly, reflecting a different approach to his professional struggles.

Detective Hole also introduces a secondary plotline involving a serial killer, adding layers to Harrys investigation and emotional challenges. His pursuit of justice for Ellens death unfolds alongside this new case, promising a tense and complex narrative journey.

The resolution of Ellens murder case in the series remains to be seen. The book The Devils Star provides closure, but the show may choose to extend this storyline across multiple seasons, mirroring the ongoing arcs in Nesbs novels.

All nine episodes of Detective Hole season 1 are now available for streaming on Netflix, inviting viewers to explore the gritty, suspenseful world of Harry Hole and the dark underbelly of Oslos crime scene.
Swedish legal drama sensation. Follow lawyers exploiting loopholes for the wealthy. A fresh take on justice beyond Nordic noir. Over 1 million viewers captiv...

AceShowbiz - Burden of Justice has rapidly become a sensation in Sweden, captivating over one million viewersequivalent to a tenth of the countrys populationwith its premiere episode on the public broadcaster SVT. This gripping legal drama delves into the morally ambiguous world of defense attorneys at the prestigious Stockholm firm Mattson & Moradi.

The series recently made a striking impression at the international TV festival Series Mania, where it was showcased as part of the International Panorama program, further illustrating its growing appeal beyond Swedish borders.

Contrary to the familiar Nordic noir genre that often centers around bleak murder mysteries and brooding detectives, Burden of Justice offers a fresh perspective by positioning the justice system itself as the stage for conflict. Instead of chasing killers or victims, the show focuses on lawyers who exploit legal loopholes to protect affluent clients, turning the courtroom into a battleground rife with ethical compromise.

The firms managing partner, Kalle (played by Bjorn Bengtsson), champions the principle of every citizens right to a robust defense. However, most of his colleagues have long abandoned ideals for the practical lure of lucrative billable hours. New partner Sasha (Arvin Kananian) controversially maneuvers within Swedens stringent consent laws to acquit a wealthy rapist, while the eager Oscar (Kit Walker Johansson) agrees to frame a juvenile for murder in a bid to attract a major drug dealer as a client.

Created by Jens Lapidus, a criminal defense lawyer turned author and showrunner, the series shares thematic DNA with Lapidus earlier works, including his renowned crime novel Snabba Cash (Easy Money) and the Netflix adaptation of the same name. Like the 2020 crime drama Top Dog, which explores Swedens Serbian mafia underworld, Burden of Justice inhabits a morally gray zone, where legality often trumps morality.

Frans Wiklund, the shows head writer, explains the premise: The average person thinks the justice system is about looking for the truth, right? With lawyers and judges in sort of the hero role, searching for justice. But if you look deeper you find, for defense attorneys, its about saving your client, about finding the cracks in the system.

The series owes much of its authenticity to extensive research. Director and co-writer Lisa Linnertorp highlights the teams effort: We spent a lot, a lot of time talking to lawyers, to prosecutors, to judges, to people who committed crimes, people who were victims of crimes. To ensure courtroom realism, legal experts were present on set, advising actors and refining dialogue.

Actor Tiril Wishman, who portrays junior associate Tilde, recounts the challenges of achieving verisimilitude: There was one scene, where I have a three-page monologue, a huge scene I worked on a lot. During the shoot, the lawyer was like: 'no, change this, move this to there, shift it all around,' it made my head spin. All to make it as realistic as possible.

This dedication to authenticity, coupled with the shows raw tone and sharp humor, distinguishes Burden of Justice from the often polished and restrained style of traditional Swedish television. The series boldness and candidness echo the edgier, more provocative storytelling found in Denmarks acclaimed shows like Borgen and Rita.

Arvin Kananian notes the series tonal kinship with Danish productions: The storytelling and the tonality, with its rawness, its humor, definitely has a Danish aspect to it. Its a matter of taste, and its a weird thing to say when youre a part of it, but for me this is the best series to come out of our territory since I started watching TV.

The positive response from Swedish viewers is reflected in SVTs decision to renew the show for a second season, with a third season currently in development. International distribution is managed by DR Sales, the Danish company renowned for exporting hits such as Borgen and Rita. They anticipate that the global audience, which has seen numerous Nordic Noir crime dramas, will welcome a series that swaps murder investigations for an incisive exploration of the justice systems internal decay.

With its incisive critique of legal ethics and uncompromising realism, Burden of Justice offers a compelling, fresh narrative that redefines the boundaries of Scandinavian television drama and challenges viewers to reconsider what justice truly means in a modern society.
Discover how Lynda Carter became TV's iconic Wonder Woman after a surprising casting search that almost starred Farrah Fawcett.

AceShowbiz - Lynda Carter captured the attention of television audiences nearly fifty years ago with her iconic role as Wonder Woman. Following the success of the 1960s ABC series starring Adam West as Batman, the network sought to bring another DC Comics superhero to primetime: Wonder Woman, the Amazon princess known for her Lasso of Truth, indestructible bracelets, and invisible plane.

The journey to cast Wonder Woman was not straightforward. Initially, a 1974 pilot starring Cathy Lee Crosby failed to advance. ABC returned with a new approach, backed by Stanley Ralph Ross' script for The New Original Wonder Woman. Before landing the lead role, future Charlie's Angels stars Farrah Fawcett and Jaclyn Smith were considered, but it was Lynda Carter, who had won Miss World USA in 1972 and had limited acting experience, who ultimately secured the part.

Set during World War II, the series featured Lyle Waggoner as pilot Steve Trevor, fighting alongside Wonder Woman to protect America. After the pilot film aired to strong ratings, ABC commissioned two one-hour specials, with the first airing on April 21, 1976. Despite the first seasons popularity, ABC hesitated to renew the show due to the high production costs associated with its period setting.

The series then moved to CBS, where it ran for two seasons updated to a contemporary timeline. The show introduced new characters alongside Waggoner, who portrayed Steve Trevors son, maintaining continuity while refreshing the storyline. The Hollywood Reporter praised the second season, stating that "to a great extent, the show succeeds," and specifically commended Lynda Carters performance.

Ed Begley Jr., who joined the cast in season two as Harold Farnum, shared his admiration for Lynda Carter with The Hollywood Reporter: "Like everybody elseget in lineI was in love with Lynda Carter long before I met her. Then certainly after I met her, one of the nicest people with the most beautiful voice. Wonderful actressjust a wonderful person."

One of the most memorable aspects of Wonder Woman was the transformation sequence, which was actually Lynda Carters idea. She suggested that her character spin as she changes into her costume, a move that became a signature element of the show and a defining visual for the character.

Lynda Carter has expressed pride in the lasting impact of Wonder Woman, emphasizing the character's broader significance: "Wonder Woman is so much bigger than a character I played. She does live within us." This sentiment underscores how the role transcended television, inspiring generations of young women.

Adding to her connection with the character, in 2020 Lynda Carter made a cameo appearance in Patty Jenkins' film Wonder Woman 1984, which starred Gal Gadot, linking the original television series to the modern cinematic adaptation and bridging decades of Wonder Woman legacy.

The legacy of Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman remains a pivotal moment in television history, demonstrating how a superhero series could captivate audiences and influence popular culture while overcoming challenges like budget concerns and network changes.
Margaret Josephs confirms her mutual exit from RHONJ after talks with Bravo. Get the details on her decision and farewell message.

AceShowbiz - Margaret Josephs has revealed details surrounding her departure from The Real Housewives of New Jersey, confirming the decision was a mutual one made after lengthy discussions with the network.

A source told Reality Blurb that the choice to leave "was not made lightly" and emphasized it was "a mutual decision between her and Bravo." This confirms earlier rumors about behind-the-scenes conflicts playing a significant role.

In a video message, Margaret Josephs addressed her fans directly. She said, "I have to tell you something that might come as a little surprise to you, but not for me. I've been thinking about a lot of different things, and I am moving on from the Housewives of New Jersey."

She explained that she had been in talks with the network and Andy Cohen since December, and they agreed that the timing was right for her exit. This suggests a well-considered transition rather than a sudden departure.

According to insiders, tensions with fellow cast member Teresa Giudice and Teresas husband, Luis Ruelas, contributed to the decision. Margaret Josephs reportedly refused to film alongside them after allegations she made involving her son. The source added that she "held her ground and was firm in her decision."

In addition to professional reasons, Margaret mentioned personal changes influencing her choice. "A lot of things have changed," she said. "I realized I have to spend more time with my family... and just take a break and move on."

Despite leaving the show, Margaret Josephs expressed heartfelt gratitude. She thanked NBCUniversal, Bravo, Andy Cohen, the production company, and her castmates, both the good and the bad. "I really do love you all," she said.

Looking ahead, Margaret teased that her television presence is far from over. "This will not be the last you guys see of me on television... you will see me very, very soon," she promised, hinting at upcoming projects beyond RHONJ.

Her departure closes a notable chapter on the show but also signals new opportunities on the horizon for the reality star. Fans will undoubtedly be watching her next moves closely.
Stop fake Springsteen tour merch. Learn about the legal crackdown on counterfeit t-shirts & hats from the official vendor. Protect your purchase.

AceShowbiz - The official merchandise provider for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band has initiated legal action to halt the sale of counterfeit products during the ongoing Land of Hopes and Dreams American Tour, beginning with the upcoming show in New Jersey.

A subsidiary of Live Nation, Merch Traffic, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit on Thursday, April 9, targeting numerous unidentified bootleggers who have been selling unauthorized merchandise along the tour route. This legal approach is commonly used by authorized merch vendors to disrupt knockoff sales near concert venues, often involving off-duty law enforcement officers equipped with court orders to confiscate fake items.

The lawsuit obtained by Billboard reveals that counterfeiters have been distributing low-quality, underpriced imitations of official Springsteen t-shirts and hats since the tours opening night on March 31 in Minneapolis. Merch Traffic has now brought the suit to federal court in New Jersey as part of efforts to secure an injunction ahead of the April 20 performance at Newarks Prudential Center, the home state of the iconic artist.

The company emphasizes the injunction should not be limited to just the New Jersey show but should extend through the duration of the nationwide tour, which runs through May. The legal filing states, "Without the proposed seizure order, plaintiff will be forced to file separate civil actions throughout the United States at an estimated expense of well over $375,000 in legal fees and costs, imposing a great burden upon both plaintiff and the judicial resources of the federal courts."

Attempts to obtain a comment from a representative for Springsteen were not successful as of Friday, April 10.

Merch Traffic and similar companies routinely pursue such legal measures during major tours to combat counterfeiters who often crowd parking lots and areas outside venues. Injunctions targeting bootleg merchandise were also implemented during two previous Springsteen tours in 2016 and 2023. Likewise, authorized merch sellers for artists like Tate McRae, Dua Lipa, and Benson Boone have filed comparable lawsuits in the past year.

This ongoing battle highlights the challenges of protecting official merchandise rights and ensuring that fans receive authentic products while minimizing financial losses caused by counterfeit sales.

As the Land of Hopes and Dreams tour continues to travel across the country, the legal action in New Jersey could set a precedent for broader enforcement against unauthorized merchandise vendors, potentially safeguarding the integrity and revenue of official tour merchandise well into the coming months.
Taylor Sheridan's hit spy thriller is back. Season 3 of Special Ops: Lioness has wrapped filming for its epic return, coming soon to Paramount+.

AceShowbiz - Special Ops: Lioness, the acclaimed action-packed spy thriller created by Taylor Sheridan, is making a highly anticipated comeback with its third season now completed filming after nearly two years of waiting.

Originally premiering on Paramount+ in July 2023, Lioness quickly captured viewers attention with its tense storytelling and strong performances. The showrunner, Taylor Sheridan, has maintained a hands-on role by writing all 16 episodes across the first two seasons, reinforcing the series unique tone and complex narrative.

Following a successful second season release in October 2024, the series was officially renewed for a third season in August 2025. Fans have endured a lengthy wait since then, but recent updates suggest that Lioness is gearing up for an epic return likely slated for late 2026.

Actor James Jordan, who portrays Two Cups, a key member of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) team, shared an enthusiastic Instagram post celebrating the end of filming. His caption read, Thank you @lionesspplus we did it. ??, signaling a strong sense of accomplishment and excitement among the cast and crew.

Similarly, Jill Wagner, who plays Bobby, the QRF team leader, posted multiple behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram describing the experience of filming season 3 as epic. In her heartfelt message, she expressed deep gratitude for her fellow cast members, the writing of Taylor Sheridan, and the supportive environment provided by the people of Texas. She also shared how the journey has been personally meaningful, remarking on the balance of professional dedication and family support that fuels her work.

The shows narrative centers on Joe McNamara, played by Zoe Saldana, a senior CIA case officer leading the covert Lioness program. This initiative recruits female operatives to undertake undercover missions combating global terrorism. The ensemble cast includes notable actors such as Laysla De Oliveira, Dave Annable, LaMonica Garrett, Austin Hebert, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur, Hannah Love Lanier, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Thad Luckinbill, Michael Kelly, and Genesis Rodriguez.

While the first season of Lioness received mixed critical feedbackevident in its 54% Rotten Tomatoes ratingthe shows intense performances, especially by Zoe Saldana, were praised. Critics found the spy thriller elements somewhat familiar and less convincing, but the second season marked a significant improvement, earning a 90% critics score. Audience ratings stand at 76% and 72% for seasons one and two, respectively, reflecting a growing fanbase.

Looking ahead, season 3 is poised to be the most ambitious yet. In interviews, James Jordan hinted at a larger scale for the upcoming episodes. Jill Wagner's use of the word epic to describe filming suggests heightened stakes and expanded storytelling. The cast has also welcomed new faces, including Elizaveta Neretin and Ian Bohen, indicating fresh dynamics and plotlines.

Season 2 set the stage for greater tension, with Joes leadership challenged by emerging threats and increasing friction with the CIA. These conflicts are expected to intensify in season 3, as Joes mission pulls her further away from her original vision for the Lioness program. The precarious situation involving her second recruit threatens to push her toward a dramatic decision about her future with the operation.

Fans can anticipate a gripping continuation of the story when Lioness returns, blending espionage, action, and complex character development under Taylor Sheridans visionary guidance. Paramount+ viewers should prepare for a high-octane season filled with new challenges, deepening relationships, and the relentless pursuit of justice.

In summary, Lioness season 3s wrapped production and cast endorsements confirm a substantial and thrilling installment on the horizon. The show continues to build on its foundation of strong characters and intricate storytelling, promising an epic return that fans of the series and action-thriller genre will not want to miss.
Miley Cyrus returns as Hannah Montana! Watch the 20th Anniversary Special on Disney+ for classic songs, set recreations, and nostalgic surprises.

AceShowbiz - Two decades after the debut of Hannah Montana, the iconic Disney Channel series that launched a global sensation, Miley Cyrus has returned to the Disney studios to honor its 20th anniversary. The celebration comes in the form of a special event on Disney+, commemorating the show that transformed her from a Tennessee girl into a worldwide star.

To mark this milestone, Miley Cyrus embraced nostalgia by dyeing her hair blonde once again and collaborating with super fan Alex Cooper to produce the hour-long Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special. The event features performances of classic Hannah Montana songs that haven't been heard live in over ten years, candid interviews, surprise celebrity appearances, and a meticulous recreation of the shows original set, all designed to evoke the late 2000s era and delight long-time fans.

The special aims to reconnect viewers with the spirit of the original series, which aired from 2006 through 2012, and to celebrate the impact it had on its audience. "Hannah, she gave me my start but my fans gave me this life," Cyrus reflects during the special, highlighting the deep gratitude she feels for both the show and its devoted followers.

Miley Cyrus kicked off the celebration by performing the beloved theme song "The Best of Both Worlds", a track that perfectly encapsulates the shows dual-life premise. She also treated fans to a sing-along rendition of "This Is the Life", and delivered a powerful performance of "The Climb", a cinematic ballad that has become a hallmark of her career. The show concluded poignantly with Cyrus debuting an emotional new song titled "Younger You", written especially for the anniversary. The songs melancholy lyrics and gentle harp accompaniment strike a tender chord, with "Hey you, its younger you / Im just checking in to see if you still remember me... Somewhere along the way we lost touch / We used to be happy just because," sung in her characteristic gravelly tone. This heartfelt number provides a reflective closure to the event, resonating deeply with longtime fans.

A standout moment in the special was the surprise appearance of rising pop artist Chappell Roan. The trailer teases the scene where Cyrus, alone in her dressing room, hears unfamiliar high heels approachingturns out they belong to Roan, making their first face-to-face meeting on camera. From the recreated Hannah Montana closet, Roan shares her admiration for Cyrus and the show, recalling watching Hannah Montana at her grandparents house as a child. She expresses how much the opportunity to participate means to her, calling Cyrus a trailblazer who endured criticism so that younger artists like herself could freely express themselves on stage and in public without facing the same backlash.

Roans brief but touching appearance symbolizes a meaningful full-circle moment, highlighting the profound influence Cyrus has had on the next generation of performers. She credits Cyrus for paving the way, saying, "What I do onstage or where I can go on a red carpet and just be... thats because you took a lot of the heat for that in 2012, 2013."

Another nostalgic highlight was the return of Selena Gomez to the Hannah Montana set. Before her breakthrough with Wizards of Waverly Place, Gomez played Mikayla, Hannahs pop star rival, known for her signature red fedora and sharp tongue. The special reunited the two stars as they reminisced about their on-screen rivalry and their scripted insults, recalling lines like "lip-syncher" and "bra-stuffer." Gomez remarked on how harsh those exchanges were, joking that such dialogue probably wouldnt be allowed today. Cyrus responded, "We can make amends now." The segment ends with the pair sharing a warm hug as they walked off the set, symbolizing reconciliation.

This reunion also subtly addressed the rumored feud between the two stars that followed their early careers. Both reportedly had feelings for Nick Jonas around the same time, leading to online and musical jabs. However, the special reveals a matured friendship, with both women having publicly supported each other in recent years, including a reunion at the 2026 Golden Globes. Their embrace on set offers a satisfying closure to past tensions and celebrates their growth beyond youthful rivalry.

The special also touched on Miley Cyruss youthful crushes and Disney crush culture. During the interview, she openly shared which Disney Channel boys captured her heart in those days. She confessed a fondness for co-star Mitchell Musso, who played Oliver, Hannahs best friend. She also confirmed dating Dylan Sprouse and admitted to a widespread tween crush on Zac Efron, who starred in the contemporaneous hit High School Musical.

When asked about her fictional boyfriends from the show, the iconic choice between Jake Ryan and Jesse was put to rest. Cyrus sheepishly picked Jake, appreciating his consistent positive remarks about her in the media, while noting that Jesse has been quiet in comparison. This candid moment adds a playful, personal touch to the special.

Reflecting on the Disney landscape of 2006, the special highlighted how that year was monumental, with the premieres of High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and the popularity of shows like Thats So Raven and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Despite being a key figure in the era, Cyrus admitted to being starstruck by the High School Musical cast, particularly Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, recalling a memorable moment when they picked her up in a black car for a New York press event. Cyrus joked that they liked her because she acted mature for her age, adding a charming anecdote to the nostalgic reflections.

The special also revisited some behind-the-scenes stories from Hannah Montana: The Movie, notably involving Taylor Swift. Swifts involvement was significant: she provided a song for the film just before releasing her breakthrough album Fearless, appeared in a cameo performing a waltz, and wrote the memorable closing track "Youll Always Find Your Way Back Home." However, Cyrus hinted at some off-camera drama related to the films production, teasing the audience with a mention of a tea kettle but choosing not to fully disclose the details. This subtle nod suggests there were complexities behind the scenes that remain part of the story.

Overall, the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is a heartfelt tribute that blends music, nostalgia, and candid moments to celebrate the lasting legacy of a show that shaped a generation. With performances from Miley Cyrus, appearances by Chappell Roan and Selena Gomez, and plenty of throwbacks to the golden era of Disney Channel, the special offers fans both old and new a chance to revisit the magic that made Hannah Montana a cultural phenomenon.
Jessi Draper reveals shocking infidelity claims about ex-husband Jordan Ngatikaura on the Call Her Daddy podcast. Get the explosive divorce details.

AceShowbiz - Jessi Draper has openly revealed shocking details about her estranged husband, Jordan Ngatikaura, following their recent divorce filing. In a candid appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper, Draper accused Ngatikaura of attempting to hire escort services and reportedly participating in orgies during their marriage.

The divorce filing, submitted by Jordan on March 19, came as a surprise to Jessi, who said she felt blindsided by the news. She explained during the March 25 episode that the couple had agreed to inform their children about the split together before any public announcement was made. However, Jessi learned about the filing through TMZ, which left her feeling hurt and betrayed.

"My heart sunk," Jessi Draper stated, emphasizing that their children, including Jordan's 13-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, had not been informed despite their agreement. Court documents from Utah confirm the filing, and in a statement to TMZ, Jordan expressed his sorrow over the decision, describing it as a difficult and heartfelt choice.

Jordan, a father of two with Jessi and a daughter from an earlier relationship, said, "I'm grateful for the shared memories and the lessons. While our paths are now moving in different directions, my priority remains my children and ensuring they feel loved, supported, and protected through this transition."

Before the divorce filing, Jessi admitted to having an emotional affair with Marciano Brunette, a star from Vanderpump Villa, during the third season of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. She revealed that Jordan is now citing this affair as the reason for their separation, although she insists the truth is more complicated.

"It's funny because when he filed for divorce, I ended it," Draper said, referring to the grounds of "irreconcilable differences" stated in the papers. However, she pointed out that Jordans filing claims the split was due to her affair with Marciano, a person she kissed a year and a half ago. Jessi countered this by noting, "We've worked through that. It's already been proven on TV that I didn't sleep with him."

She then dropped a bombshell, claiming to have evidence that contradicts Jordan's image as the wronged spouse. "I have proof and screenshots that when season one dropped, an escort service reached out to me with screenshots of his phone number and messages, showing he was trying to meet up with them," Jessi alleged.

E! News reached out to Jordan Ngatikaura's representatives for comment on these serious accusations but did not receive a response.

Draper detailed further, "He got a hotel room, and I have all of that documented." She added that when she confronted Jordan with the evidence during their marriage, he denied any involvement, attributing the messages to possible artificial intelligence or attempts to sabotage their relationship. Jessi, however, insists the evidence was genuine.

When Alex Cooper questioned Jessi about rumors concerning Jordan paying for parties during their marriage, she offered her interpretation. "I have to believe they are orgies, like sex parties," she said, clarifying that she had never asked him directly but had heard the rumors. "I don't know what other kind of parties you would pay for. Like, you just go to a party, you know? So that's what I have to believe."

Regarding whether other cast members from the show, especially those involved in the popular DadTok community, attended such gatherings, Jessi admitted she has no knowledge. "I have no idea," she said, adding that she had not even considered the possibility until recently.

Prior to their complete separation, Jessi and Jordan had been attending therapy for about a year, which they described as a learning process about themselves and their relationship. "It's just kind of still a work in progress," they told People magazine.

The Jessi Draper influencer acknowledged that both parties had contributed to the breakdown of their marriage. "Mine being the affair and his being the emotional abuse, but I think it takes two to tango," she said in a November 13 interview. She also noted that the toxic dynamic between them influenced her decisions and mindset during their marriage.

Jessi credited the public revelation of her affair with Marciano as a wake-up call for both her and Jordan, motivating them to seek help and counseling.

Jordan Ngatikaura has also been forthcoming about his mistakes. "I take full accountability for the pain I caused Jessi during our marriage," he told People. He described himself as "deeply unhealed" at the time and acknowledged that "hurt people hurt people," but emphasized that this did not excuse his behavior, which he has faced with full responsibility.

In addition to addressing her own divorce drama, Draper spoke about a 2023 altercation involving her co-star Taylor Frankie Paul and Paul's then-boyfriend Dakota Mortensen. The video of the incident was released recently by TMZ, showing a confrontation during which Taylor's then-5-year-old daughter was accidentally struck.

Jessi reflected on the footage during her Call Her Daddy interview, expressing sorrow for her friend. "Obviously, back in 2023, we knew what happened and we knew there was a video, but we never saw it," she said. "The police had had it and they talked about it."

She emphasized the pain underlying Taylor's situation and defended her, saying, "I tell her this all the time, that it's not who Taylor is. She got caught in a really bad cycle. Just seeing that videoand yes, the child being involved is awful and everyone involved is really hard."

Despite the severity of the incident, Jessi affirmed her belief in Taylor's good nature. "I'm not saying any of it's right, but I know Taylor as a person," she said, wishing only for a happy ending for Taylor and Dakota. "I believe people can come back from things like this and I just want the kids to be safe and happy and healthy. That's all I really want for them right now."

Jessi also shared the context of her first conversation with Taylor after the cancellation of The Bachelorette. She recalled receiving two missed calls from Taylor and answering while with Dancing With the Stars pro Sasha Farber. Taylor checked in on Jessi, aware of the divorce filing.

"She's like, 'How are you doing? I just heard,'" Jessi explained. "And I was like, 'How are you doing?'" She added that Taylor has her own struggles and is sometimes not fully present but still cares deeply about her friends.

The two have continued to communicate since then, with Jessi noting Taylor seemed positive during their recent conversations. "I think she knows that this is gonna be a long and scary journey," Jessi said. She added, "The thing about Taylor, she always tells the truth. She's known for that and I think she's gonna handle this in the best way possible and I think she's taking a beat to figure that out."

Finally, Jessi addressed the future of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives amid recent controversies and turmoil. While the show is currently on pause, she suggested that it may survive this difficult period but emphasized the need to take a step back first.

This ongoing saga reveals the complex and often painful realities behind the public personas of reality TV stars like Jessi Draper and Jordan Ngatikaura, highlighting the intersection of personal struggles and public scrutiny in the digital age.
Julieta Venegas & Yahritza y Su Esencia's "La Linea" explores the emotional toll of deportation and family separation in a powerful norteno collaboration.

AceShowbiz - Julieta Venegas has teamed up with Yahritza y Su Esencia to release the norteno track "La Linea," which poignantly addresses the emotional toll of deportation and family separation. The collaboration sheds light on the harsh realities faced by many families divided by immigration policies.

In a press statement about the song, Venegas explained, "La Linea tells the story of two individuals separated by deportation. A line that appears invisible ends up altering the lives of countless families, couples, and relationshipsstories that are paused or prematurely ended because they were not born in the country where they try to build their lives."

Venegas reflected on her upbringing in Tijuana, sharing observations on shifting public perceptions around deportation. She noted, "Previously, deported individuals were often viewed as criminals, presumed to have committed illegal acts. However, nowadays, a person can be labeled illegal merely for arriving from another country."

The emotional depth of the track is amplified by the involvement of Yahritza y Su Esencia, who bring personal experience to the subject. The group's older brother, Mando, faced immigration challenges firsthand, having to return to Mexico after living undocumented in the United States for a time.

This collaboration not only highlights the personal hardships tied to migration but also evokes empathy for those affected by family separations caused by legal and political borders. Venegas and Yahritza y Su Esencia use their voices to tell stories that are often silenced or overlooked in mainstream discourse.

By addressing these themes through "La Linea," the artists contribute to a broader conversation about identity, belonging, and the human cost of immigration enforcement, making the song a resonant anthem for many impacted by these issues.
Explore Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's private struggles with fame and marriage in FX's 'Love Story,' as the finale nears.

AceShowbiz - Sarah Pidgeon portrays Carolyn Bessette Kennedy in Love Story, the FX series that draws near to its finale. The show has brought audiences deep into the complex emotional landscape of Carolyns life, especially under the intense glare of the paparazzi after marrying John F. Kennedy Jr.

The eighth episode, titled Exit Strategy, focused heavily on Carolyns mental health struggles amid relentless media attention and the strain it placed on her marriage to John F. Kennedy Jr., played by Paul Anthony Kelly. The episode opens with a palpable tension as John questions Carolyns decision to skip a public event, highlighting their growing emotional distance. Carolyn, on the other hand, cannot understand how John continues to engage socially and fulfill his demanding role at George magazine.

The episode takes a dramatic turn when Carolyns sister, Lauren Bessette, portrayed by Sydney Lemmon, calls urgently, urging Carolyn to watch the news. They learn of Princess Dianas tragic death in a car crash while fleeing paparazzi. The event shakes Carolyn profoundly, mirroring the very real parallels between her own life and Dianas fraught relationship with the press.

In conversations with The Hollywood Reporter, Pidgeon reflected on these similarities. She explained that while filming, she discussed with the showrunner and writers how Dianas death would affect Carolyn. Theres a photo of Carolyn at Versace's funeral, and I even say, I just saw her at Gianni's funeral, Pidgeon said. Its impossible not to draw parallels between their relationships with the press and the impact it had on Carolyn.

She added that embodying Carolyns perspective during those moments was powerful. Imagining losing Diana in that waythe world was in shock. Theres a strange kinship in the most alien parts of their lives. The news unsettles both Carolyn and John, with John fearing it might push Carolyn further into isolation.

The narrative then jumps forward a year later, where John is seen on crutches, reflecting on an actual ankle injury he sustained from a paragliding accident shortly before the tragic plane crash on July 16, 1999, which claimed the lives of John, Carolyn, and Lauren. Despite time passing, the couples distance remains palpable.

The final 17 minutes of the episode unfold as a single intense monologue in which Carolyn and John confront the toll fame has taken on their marriage. This scene, with its theatrical quality, allowed Pidgeon to draw on her stage experience, something she said was a highlight of the episode. I loved that episode because it felt like a play, she shared. Rarely in TV do you get a full scene where you can see the entire emotional arc play out.

Pidgeon explained how this theatrical approach gave her the chance to deepen her portrayal, saying, It felt like theater, just me and my scene partner on stage. It was exciting to bring that perspective to Carolyn and inhabit her more fully.

The episode closes with a heart-wrenching moment as Carolyn breaks down, pleading with John not to leave. Though John insists hes just stepping out for the night, Carolyns fear signals deeper cracks in their relationship.

Preview footage for the series finale shows the couple attending marriage counseling in an effort to repair their bond during their final months together. Viewers catch glimpses of them rekindling their romance with dates, including one at the restaurant where they first met, adding to the poignancy given their impending fate.

Love Story began its journey with the couples final day, a narrative choice that gains added emotional weight as the finale approaches. Despite the tragic ending, the series remains focused on exploring how John and Carolyn navigated their most challenging moments together.

The finale of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette will air Thursday on FX and Hulu at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. Fans can follow all of The Hollywood Reporters coverage for the series as it concludes.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2026 Australia tour focuses on charity, mental health, and veterans. No public walkabouts or children on this trip to Melbou...

AceShowbiz - Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to begin their 2026 tour of Australia tomorrow, but notably, they will not participate in any public walkabouts during their visit. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be traveling to Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney to engage in a range of charitable and commercial events.

Their office has confirmed that the focus of this trip will be on mental health, community resilience, and support for veterans and their families. Alongside these public causes, the couple will also attend private meetings and special projects. It is understood that their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will not be accompanying them on this occasion.

This trip marks their return to Australia since their first official royal tour together in 2018, which took place several months after their wedding. During that earlier visit, thousands of people lined the streets eager to see and interact with the couple. However, unlike the 2018 tour, this visit is privately funded and does not include any walkabouts to meet the public, largely due to concerns over security and the associated costs of maintaining public order.

These concerns have been echoed by sources who explain that the planning for the visit prioritizes safety and cost-effectiveness. This decision has sparked debate back in Australia, with a Change.org petition demanding no taxpayer funding or official support for the couples private visit. The petition argues that public funds should not be used to support private visits and has amassed over 45,000 signatures.

Law enforcement agencies are preparing for the couples arrival with increased security measures. The New South Wales Police Force, responsible for Sydney, stated it would conduct an operation to maintain public safety throughout the Duke and Duchesss stay. A spokesperson emphasized that while additional security measures will be in place, disruption to the community will be minimized as much as possible.

Victoria Police, overseeing Melbourne, declined to comment on specific operational plans but acknowledged awareness of the visit, describing it as private. They assured that resources would be deployed as necessary to ensure community safety. The Australian Federal Police has been approached for comment but has yet to provide any statements.

Beginning their tour in Melbourne, Harry and Meghan will visit organizations that provide services for young people and vulnerable women. One of their engagements includes a visit to a leading childrens hospital in Australia. Additionally, Meghan will participate in an event highlighting community-driven support for women at a homeless services center.

The couple will also focus on veteran affairs, undertaking activities related to the Australian National Veterans Art Museum and supporting Invictus Australia. This emphasis on the veteran community will continue during their time in Canberra, where Harry will attend ceremonies at the Australian War Memorial, including the Last Post Ceremony.

Further engagements include meetings with mental health organizations such as Movember and Batyr, an Australian mental health group. In Sydney, the Duke and Duchess will join members of the Invictus community on Sydney Harbour and meet with former competitors of the Invictus Games.

The tour will wrap up with the couple attending a rugby match at Allianz Stadium on Friday, featuring the New South Wales Waratahs versus Moana Pasifika. Alongside their public engagements, Harry and Meghan will participate in private commercial events separate from the public-facing program.

Among the commercial engagements, Meghan is scheduled to appear on stage at a girls weekend retreat in Sydney. Tickets for this event cost 1,400, and VIP access priced at 1,670 includes a group photo opportunity with the duchess. The event will take place at the five-star InterContinental Coogee Beach hotel and is organized by Gemma ONeill, host of the Her Best Life podcast. The retreat will host 300 attendees.

Meanwhile, Harry will be a guest speaker at the InterEdge Summit in Melbourne on Thursday. The summit focuses on leadership, psychosocial safety, and human connection in the workplace. Tickets for delegates cost 525, with platinum tickets priced at 1,250. Virtual tickets, offering on-demand access to Harrys speech, are available for 260. The event will be held at Melbournes Centrepiece conference venue.

The couples office stated that the visit will underscore their ongoing dedication to mental health advocacy, strengthening support for the armed forces community, and highlighting the positive impact of connection and shared experiences in driving social change.

Reflecting on their 2018 Australian tour, which coincided with the announcement of Meghans pregnancy with Prince Archie, Harry later described in his autobiography, Spare, that Meghan dazzled the crowds despite the demanding nature of the tour. He noted that she was excelling at royal duties in a way that rivaled Princess Diana, which he viewed as both impressive and daunting.

Following their return from the 2018 trip, Harry recounted in his memoir how media scrutiny intensified, including damaging reports alleging that Meghan had made her staff miserable. Despite this, the couples commitment to their public roles and charitable causes has remained steadfast.

It is important to note that Australia is one of the Commonwealth realms with King Charles as its head of state. The King and Queen Camilla visited Australia in 2024, participating in community events that included a barbecue and a walkabout at the Sydney Opera House.
Star Wars writers reportedly can't use Mara Jade, a beloved Legends character, despite other successful canon integrations like Grand Admiral Thrawn.

AceShowbiz - Star Wars reportedly continues to restrict writers from incorporating one of the most beloved characters from the Legends universe into official canon. Since Disneys acquisition of Lucasfilm, the Star Wars canon has been carefully restructured, allowing some fan-favorite characters and concepts from the Legends continuity to be introduced gradually. A notable success story is Grand Admiral Thrawn, originally created by Timothy Zahn in the 1991 novel Heir to the Empire, who was successfully brought into the canon through the animated series Star Wars Rebels season 3.

This positive reception has fueled speculation about which other Legends characters might make the jump to official canon. However, during the Writing the Star Wars Universe panel at MegaCon 2026, author Claudia Gray revealed that despite repeated attempts, she was not permitted to write about the fan-favorite character Mara Jade. Gray stated, "A couple of times I was like, 'Really? Really, no Mara Jade?' And they were like, '[Stern voice] Nope.'" Author Timothy Zahn, who was also present, confirmed that he too had asked for permission to use Mara Jade but was denied.

Mara Jade was introduced in the same novel as Thrawn, Heir to the Empire, and created by Zahn. Her character began as a fierce assassin known as the Emperors Hand, tasked with killing Luke Skywalker as her final order from Emperor Palpatine before his death. Over time, Mara Jades story evolved considerablyshe shifted allegiances, became a Jedi, married Luke Skywalker, and was the mother of their son, Ben Skywalker.

The refusal to allow writers like Gray and Zahn to include Mara Jade in new canon stories suggests two clear possibilities. One is that Lucasfilm may be intent on keeping Mara Jade out of the official canon altogether. This aligns with reports that George Lucas, the original creator of the Star Wars saga, did not favor the character, especially regarding her marriage to Luke. Lucas reportedly felt this contradicted established Jedi Order rules on attachments.

The alternative is that Lucasfilm has a long-term plan for Mara Jades canon introduction but wants to avoid any conflicting portrayals by different authors in the meantime. The Star Wars timeline continues to grow expansively, covering eras before, between, and after the events of the films. It is possible that the franchises story planners have reserved a specific role or moment for Mara Jade that has yet to be revealed. Historically, certain characters have been off-limits to publishing due to planned appearances in upcoming films or television projects.

If Mara Jade is eventually integrated into canon, significant changes to her character and story will likely be necessary. For example, her relationship with Luke Skywalker would have to be reimagined to fit the current canon narrative, which has developed in different ways since Return of the Jedi. Zahn would be a natural choice to handle such an adaptation, given his original creation of Mara Jade and his proven ability to bridge Legends and canon with his recent works on Thrawn.
Critics and audiences clash over this 2026 rom-com. Rege-Jean Page and Halle Bailey star in a tale of love, lies, and a Tuscan villa.

AceShowbiz - After its release on April 10, 2026, the romantic comedy You, Me & Tuscany has stirred a notable division between critics and general audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The film stars Rege-Jean Page, widely recognized for his breakout role in Bridgerton, alongside Halle Bailey, known for her role in the live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. The story follows Anna, played by Bailey, who impulsively travels to Italy and ends up staying at a strangers villa without permission. To justify her presence, she fabricates a tale claiming to be the fiancee of the villa owners son. This initial lie spirals into complications when Anna develops feelings for the sons cousin, Michael, portrayed by Page.

The films reception on Rotten Tomatoes reveals a stark contrast between professional critics and verified audience members. The site uses two rating systems: the Tomatometer, which aggregates critic reviews, and the Popcornmeter, which reflects verified audience ratings. At the time of this report, the Tomatometer, based on 79 critic reviews, holds a modest 68% rating. Some critics expressed frustration with the films formulaic approach; one reviewer commented, You could plug inanimate objects into these roles, and the movie would play to the same formula. Another critic took a softer stance, suggesting the film represents what happens when a Hallmark-style script receives a larger studio production budget.

Conversely, the Popcornmeter, supported by over 500 verified audience ratings, presents a much rosier picture with an impressive 94% score. Viewers praised the casts performances, the comedic elements, and the picturesque Italian countryside setting. One audience member wrote, Awesome movie, such a nice experience to see Black love. Keep them coming! Many fans consider it to be Rege-Jean Pages best film yet, surpassing his previous highest-rated project, the 2023 fantasy adventure Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. That film had a Popcornmeter score of 92% and was certified fresh by the Tomatometer at 91%, indicating strong approval from both critics and audiences.

You, Me & Tuscanys higher audience rating suggests it has struck a chord with viewers despite mixed critical reviews. ScreenRants own assessment gave the film a decent review, emphasizing the necessity for audiences to suspend disbelief to enjoy the story. While the movie occasionally makes light of its own cliches, some scripted lines come across as unintentionally awkward, reinforcing the sense that the film follows familiar romantic comedy tropes.

The chemistry between Rege-Jean Page and Halle Bailey appears to be the films strongest selling point and what rescues it from being forgettable. Even though the storyline is fairly predictable, many viewers described the romance as cute and appreciated the supporting casts contributions. The combination of a charming cast and the lush Italian backdrop seems to have resonated deeply with audiences, helping the film maintain its appeal.

Currently in theaters, You, Me & Tuscany continues to attract viewers who enjoy lighthearted romantic comedies with scenic settings and engaging performances. While it may not break new ground in the genre, it offers a heartwarming experience for those willing to embrace its familiar formula and earnest moments.

In summary, the polarized responses on Rotten Tomatoes highlight a common divide seen in many romantic comedies today: critics tend to be more skeptical of formulaic narratives, whereas audiences often respond enthusiastically to charm, chemistry, and escapism. Whether you align with the critics or the fans, You, Me & Tuscany provides a noteworthy example of how a films reception can vary widely depending on the viewers expectations and tastes.
Offset's mother breaks her silence on the rapper's shooting, revealing his rapid recovery and return to performing in a heartfelt message.

AceShowbiz - Offset's mother has spoken out for the first time since the rapper was wounded in a shooting incident last week.

Latabia Woodward took to social media to express gratitude to fans for their support and to update the public on her son's recovery progress. In a heartfelt video message, she explained her usual reluctance to comment on her son's personal matters publicly.

"I don't typically address things about my son on social media," Woodward said. "I learned a long time ago that facts rarely survive the internet, and I refuse to feed that machine. But today, I have to speak."

Woodward shared that Offset, whose real name is Kiari Cephus, was hospitalized following the shooting but was discharged after just four days. She emphasized the rapid turnaround from injury to recovery and his return to performing.

"Six days ago, my son was shot. Four days later, he was released from the hospital," she stated. "Last night, he was on a stage doing what he loves to do. He is a miracle walking."

She attributed his swift recovery to divine intervention, saying, "That is God's grace, that is God's mercy."

Following Woodwards message, Offset himself updated his followers after leaving the hospital in Florida on April 10. On Instagram, he thanked everyone for their concern and encouragement.

"Thank you to everyone who's checked in on me and showed me love!" he wrote. "I'm good ... but I'm planning to be better!"

The rapper revealed his main focus now is on family, recuperation, and his music career.

Offset was injured after being shot outside a Florida casino earlier this month. Although rapper Lil Tjay and his associates have been linked to the case, and Lil Tjay was arrested, no charges have been filed against him, and Offset has not publicly accused anyone in connection with the shooting.
Stream the brutal WWII tank drama Fury before it leaves Netflix. David Ayer's unflinching film strips away all glory from combat. Watch by May 1, 2026.

AceShowbiz - Fury is widely recognized as one of the most unflinching and brutal portrayals of World War II ever committed to film, and Netflix subscribers will soon lose access to this harrowing war drama. Directed and written by David Ayer, the 2014 film offers a stark, visceral look at combat that emphasizes the grim realities of battle rather than glorifying heroism or sacrifice.

Unlike many war movies that focus on sweeping historical narratives or valorous acts, Fury is dedicated to immersing viewers in the mud, exhaustion, and terror experienced by soldiers during the final months of the war in Nazi Germany. The films deliberate ugliness and raw depiction of warfare set it apart, making it a powerful but punishing cinematic experience.

Netflix announced that Fury will be removed from its streaming catalog on May 1, 2026. This marks the end of the road for fans who have wanted to revisit or discover this intense portrayal of tank warfare before it disappears from the platform. As one of the major titles leaving Netflix in early May, it serves as a final opportunity to engage with this modern studio war film that refuses to sanitize the horrors of combat.

The films narrative centers on a battle-hardened American tank crew led by Sergeant Don "Wardaddy" Collier, portrayed by Brad Pitt. The story follows the crew as they push their Sherman tank through Nazi territory, confronting both the enemy and the psychological toll of relentless violence. The ensemble cast supporting Pitt includes Logan Lerman as Norman Ellison, a young soldier new to the front; Shia LaBeouf as Boyd "Bible" Swan, the tanks devout gunner; Michael Pena as Trini "Gordo" Garcia, the mechanic; and Jon Bernthal as Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis, the driver.

Each member of the crew brings a distinct personality and tension to the story, reflecting the range of coping mechanisms soldiers employed to survive. The films focus on this small group inside the tank creates a claustrophobic and relentless atmosphere that mirrors the inescapable pressures of warfare.

David Ayers direction ensures that the combat sequences are unvarnished and intense, showcasing the chaos and brutality without romanticizing the experience. The film highlights the moral ambiguity and exhaustion faced by soldiers rather than the triumphalist narratives commonly associated with war films. This approach has earned Fury critical acclaim for its authenticity and emotional impact, though it is not an easy watch.

Viewers who appreciate war films that deliver a raw, unfiltered look at the battlefield will find Fury compelling and immersive. However, its unrelenting depiction of violence and the psychological strain on its characters means it remains a challenging film. The impending removal from Netflix means audiences have a limited window to experience or revisit this powerful depiction of World War II tank warfare.

For those looking to explore the film before it leaves the streaming service, May 1, 2026, is the cutoff date. Fans of the genre and those interested in war movies that go beyond traditional heroic storytelling should prioritize watching Fury before it disappears from Netflixs lineup.

In summary, Fury represents a distinctive and harsh portrayal of World War II that focuses on the grim realities faced by a tank crew during the wars final phase. Its removal from Netflix on May 1 means the film will no longer be available to stream on one of the most popular platforms, making it essential viewing for subscribers who want to experience this intense war drama before it vanishes.
Noida Workers' Wage Protest Turns Violent, Vehicles Torched; Traffic Chaos Hits Delhi Border 2

A protest by factory workers demanding a wage hike turned violent in Noida on Monday, with vehicles set on fire, property vandalised and incidents of stone-pelting reported from Phase 2 and Sector 60 areas, police said.

The unrest severely disrupted traffic during peak morning hours, leaving thousands of commuters stranded on roads leading to Delhi. Long queues of vehicles stretched for several kilometres, particularly near the Delhi-Noida border.

According to officials, large groups of workers from multiple industrial units gathered to press for long-pending salary revisions and raised slogans during demonstrations. Similar protests were reported from Sectors 62 and 84, including at a unit of the Motherson group, while protesters also blocked National Highway 9.

The situation escalated as sections of protesters allegedly resorted to violence, damaging property, pelting stones and torching vehicles.

Police said adequate forces have been deployed across industrial areas under the Gautam Buddh Nagar Commissionerate, with senior officials present on the ground to monitor developments. The situation is under control and being closely monitored. Efforts are being made to counsel workers and restore normalcy, the police said, adding that minimum force was used to maintain law and order.

Authorities urged the public not to spread or believe rumours and assured that steps are being taken to restore peace.

The violence comes a day after the Uttar Pradesh government announced labour welfare measures, including double overtime pay and timely wages for workers in Gautam Buddh Nagar. District Magistrate Medha Roopam had also directed industrial units to ensure worker-friendly policies and maintain dialogue with employees.

Security was heightened along key entry points into Delhi, with additional police personnel, barricades and rapid response teams deployed to prevent any spillover of unrest. Officials said strict vigilance and vehicle checks are being carried out to maintain law and order.

Police confirmed they are in coordination with their Uttar Pradesh counterparts and continue to monitor the situation closely.
Veer or Villain? The Real Question Is: Have We Learned to Respect Our Own History 2

The debate over whether Vinayak Damodar Savarkar deserves the title Veer is not really about Savarkar. It is about usour intellectual honesty, our political maturity, and our willingness to treat history as something more than a weapon of convenience.

Lets begin with a simple, uncomfortable truth: Veer was not a government-issued decoration. It was not conferred by a regime, nor printed in any official gazette. It was a title earned in the court of public consciousness. Savarkar was called Veer because people of his time saw in him extraordinary couragewhether in organizing revolutionary networks in London, inspiring armed resistance against the British Empire, or enduring the horrors of the Cellular Jail in the Andamans.

And those horrors were not symbolic. They were real, brutal, and dehumanizing. Prisoners were yoked to oil mills like cattle, flogged for the smallest defiance, and subjected to psychological isolation designed to break the human spirit. To reduce such a life to a shallow talking point about mercy petitions is not critiqueit is intellectual laziness dressed up as moral superiority.

Yet, this is precisely what modern political discourse has done.

When leaders like Rahul Gandhi publicly dismiss Savarkar as someone who apologized to the British, they are not engaging in historical debatethey are simplifying history into slogans. The aftermath has been predictable: defamation cases filed across India, including ongoing proceedings in courts such as those in Pune, where complainants argue that such statements malign not just a man, but the dignity of Indias freedom struggle itself.

This is where the issue stops being political and starts becoming civilizational.

A nation that begins to casually defame those who fought for its existence is not displaying courageit is displaying amnesia. And amnesia, in civilizational terms, is a slow form of self-destruction.

Lets be clear: Savarkar is not beyond criticism. No historical figure is. He evolved over timefrom a fiery revolutionary to a political ideologue. His views, particularly in later years, can and should be debated. But debate requires depth, context, and integrity. What we are witnessing instead is selective outrage, where complex lives are reduced to single episodes, stripped of context, and then weaponized for electoral gain.

This is not history. This is propaganda.

And the damage is not limited to Savarkar alone.

When we begin ranking freedom fighters based on current political convenience, we fracture the very foundation of our national narrative. Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, and Savarkar represented different streams of resistancenon-violence, militarized struggle, revolutionary activism, and ideological nationalism. Together, they formed the mosaic of Indias freedom movement. Remove one, distort another, and the entire picture collapses.

The British did not rule India for two centuries because Indians lacked courage. They ruled because Indians were divided. It is a bitter irony that decades after independence, we are recreating that divisionnot under foreign pressure, but through our own political narratives.

So what should be done?

First, we must draw a firm line between criticism and defamation. Criticism questions actions; defamation distorts intent. Saying Savarkars political ideology is debatable is legitimate. Reducing him to a caricature of cowardice is not. It is not only historically dishonestit is morally irresponsible.

Second, history must be reclaimed from the courtroom and returned to scholarship. Courts can adjudicate defamation, but they cannot settle historical truth. That responsibility lies with historians, researchers, and a society willing to engage with nuance rather than noise.

Thirdand perhaps most importantlywe must develop a baseline of respect for all those who endured the brutality of colonial rule. You may disagree with their methods. You may challenge their ideologies. But you cannot deny the price they paid.

A man who spent years in the Cellular Jail did not do so for comfort. A revolutionary who risked execution did not do so for applause. These were individuals who placed the idea of India above their own lives. That alone demands a certain dignity in how we speak about them.

There is also a generational responsibility at stake.

Todays youth are not reading primary sources. They are consuming fragmentstweets, headlines, political speeches. If those fragments are distorted, then their understanding of Indias past will be equally distorted. And a generation disconnected from its history is a generation vulnerable to manipulation.

This is why the Savarkar debate matters. Not because it will change the past, but because it will shape the future.

If we normalize the casual dismantling of historical figures, then no one will remain untouched. Today it is Savarkar. Tomorrow it could be Gandhi. The day after, Bose. Once the culture of selective defamation takes root, it does not stopit spreads.

A mature civilization does not erase its complexities; it engages with them. It does not flatten its heroes into propaganda tools; it studies them, questions them, and ultimately respects them.

So, was Savarkar Veer?

That is the wrong question.

The real question is this: Do we, as a nation, possess the intellectual honesty to evaluate our past without turning it into a political battlefield?

Because if the answer is no, then the tragedy is not Savarkars legacy being debatedit is Indias historical consciousness being diminished.

And that is a far greater loss than any title could ever represent.
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"Gavin Newsom bets antisemitism is the Democratic Partys future" from the New York Post sums up the entire theme of this article. "Gavin Newsom endorsed the lie Tuesday that Israel is an 'apartheid' state  a damning sign of where the Democratic Party is headed, and how far its already sunk."

If Newsom doesn't know that Christian and Muslim Israeli citizens can vote and be elected to the Knesset, and that Israel's laws protect all of its citizens equally, he is incompetent.

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"All Israelis are treated equally under the law, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, religion or ethnicity."

This is a lot more than can be said for violent Dark Age theocracies such as those in charge of outhouses (the family-friendly term for the word Donald Trump uses) like Gaza, Iran, Afghanistan, and so on. Rape, including of boys in Afghanistan, is commonplace along with violent discrimination against gay people like Hamas water-carrier Pete Buttigieg.

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If Newsom knows this but says otherwise, he is a liar. He is lying about Israel to curry favor with extremists in Minneapolis, Dearborn (note inflammatory language like "Israel Occupation Forces" and the false accusation of genocide) and, as shown by Zohran Mamdani, New York City.

Now let's talk about Pete Buttigieg, who also is being considered as a presidential contender. "Would he have voted for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) proposed arms embargo against Israel? Yes. Would he recognize a Palestinian state? Yes, as part of a two-state solution. Should the U.S. pass another 10-year agreement with Israel for foreign military aid? No."

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Here's a suggestion, Pete. Why don't you and Ian McKellen, who supported the release of convicted terrorist Marwan Barghouti, go to Tel Aviv and tell the people there your sexual orientation.

Here are the likely responses. "Why is that any of my business?" "Whatever." "Mazel tov." "We have an annual gay pride event here you might enjoy."

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Now let them try the same thing in Gaza, and tell us how it works out for them when (and if) they get back.

Then there is Josh Shapiro on Israeli control of America.

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Pennsylvania's governor, and likely presidential hopeful, Josh Shapiro said, America should never be led around by any other nation. It should always be about Americas interests, our national security interests. We should never ever be bullied, as maybe President Trump was, by any world leader.

"First, Rubio went out and said he did it because if we didnt move then, Netanyahu was gonna move and was gonna force our hand. Then they walked it back

If Shapiro does not know that Iran has fomented terroristic violence against the United States, and called for the destruction of the United States, he is incompetent. What part of "Death to America" don't you understand, Josh?

Shapiro has also bent over backward to appeal to his party's less savory elements. ABC Action News reports, "Gov. Josh Shapiro joins several 2028 presidential hopefuls at Al Sharpton's conference in New York."

"In addition to Shapiro, the speaking program features Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Rep. Ro Khanna of California, and Arizona Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego."

The reference adds that Gavin Newsom is not attending only because of a family commitment.

Philip Klein's "Here's who Democrats are praising when they praise Al Sharpton" is worth reading in its entirety. "In July 1991, a controversy erupted when Leonard Jeffries, a professor at New Yorks City College gave a speech blasting 'rich Jews' for financing the slave trade and for controlling Hollywood so they could put together a system of destruction for black people. Sharpton rushed to defend Jeffries " Jeffries is also well known for his racist claim that African "sun people" are racially superior to Caucasian "ice people," which is no better than Nazi and white supremacist pseudoscientific claims about the racial superiority of "Aryans."

Let's also remember the rest of Sharpton's sordid history:

During the Tawana Brawley scandal of 1987, Sharpton and two associates falsely accused two men of sexually assaulting Brawley. One committed suicide and the other won a defamation judgment against Sharpton and others.

In 1991, a driver accidentally ran over and killed a Black child. "Instead of calling for calm, Sharpton incited the rioters, leading marches in the streets that included chants of 'No Justice, No Peace!' and 'Kill the Jews!'" The latter was not from Sharpton although the former was, and the bottom line is that he led people who did call for violence against Jews. Sharpton added, "Talk about how Oppenheimer in South Africa sends diamonds straight to Tel Aviv and deals with the diamond merchants right here in Crown Heights." I wonder if Sharpton was thinking of the Happy Merchant when he said this.

In 1995, Sharpton and his National Action Networkthe same group at which the named Democrats are now appearingparaded around Jewish-owned Freddy's Fashion Mart in Harlem. They yelled racist and anti-Semitic slurs, and threatened to burn the store down, much as the Ku Klux Klan once menaced Black people who moved into white neighborhoods. Sharpton called the store's owner a "white interloper" and one of his associates said they were going to see the "cracker" suffer. A deranged individual acted on the hate speech by killing seven store employees and then setting the store on fire.

This reference adds, "protesters from the Reverend Sharpton's National Action Network have referred to members of the Jewish faith as 'bloodsucking [J]ews,' and 'Jew bastards'" If the Democrat Party needs the kind of vote the NAN can deliver, it doesn't need yours or mine.

Let's also not forget the Democrat party and Black Lives Matter.

In 2024, the Democrats made a former BLM Director, Minyon Moore, Chair of their National Convention. Although Moore herself did not, as far as I know, call for the destruction of Israel, she held a leadership position in an organization that, as represented by Patrisse Cullors, did. BLM also identifies as Black nationalist, which makes it as racist as repugnant entities that identify as white nationalist. That puts only one degree of separation between the Democrat Party and a racist and anti-Semitic entity, and two degrees of separation from the following:

Convicted terrorist Rasmeah Odeh, who murdered Jews with a bomb and planted another bomb to kill emergency responders; the Israelis fortunately found the second bomb in time.

Convicted domestic terrorist "Mama Assata" Shakur, aka Joanne Chesimard, whom BLM said should "rest in power." In BLM lingo, "Revolutionary fighter, writer, exile, elder of Black liberation, and carrier of freedom" must be code for "cop killer."

Mass murderer Fidel Castro, whom BLM also said should "rest in power."

I would not associate my name with terrorists, cop killers, and democidal communists, but the Democrat party's tastes seem to differ from mine.

Religion Unplugged adds, "The Democratic National Committee is set to consider a resolution at a meeting next week that 'condemns the growing influence' of AIPAC," as in "Jewish control."

Maybe the real issue is growing control of the entire party by extremists in Minneapolis, Dearborn, and various Ivy League universities, as represented by Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib to name two obvious examples. These extremists are no more representative of Islam, by the way, than the Westboro Baptist Church represents Christians, or Jewish Voice for Peace represents Jews.

My article "Judenhass and Racism at the Democratic National Convention" provides additional information on how the Democrat party is infested throughout with anti-Semites, racists, and other unsavory individuals and organizations. Zohran Mamdani and his wife are self-explanatory. Jews are welcome in the Democrat party only as long as they are useful, and the course of action should be obvious. Use your head and vote red.

Civis Americanus is the pen name of a contributor who remembers the lessons of history, and wants to ensure that our country never needs to learn those lessons again the hard way. He or she is remaining anonymous due to the likely prospect of being subjected to "cancel culture" for exposing the Big Lie behind Black Lives Matter.

Image: Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe Poland, via Picryl // public domain
Just days ago, we were told the world was on the brink.

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World War III.

Nuclear escalation.

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War crimes.

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Image by ChatGPT

Some commentators went further, openly questioning the presidents mental fitness and invoking talk of the 25th Amendment. The implication was unmistakable: this was not merely a policy disagreement  it was a dangerous man in charge of a dangerous moment.

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Then something happened that rarely follows such warnings.

A ceasefire.

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And almost instantly, the criticism flipped.

No longer reckless.

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Now weak.

No longer dangerous.

Now a coward.

Trump Always Chickens Out, critics sneered, reviving the acronymTACO.

So which is it?

This kind of narrative whiplash is not new. It is the same pattern we saw in the run-up to the conflict itself, as I wrote last week.

What changed?

Not the facts.

The politics.

Before action was taken, Iran was described in stark terms: a regime racing toward nuclear capability, projecting power through proxies, and posing a serious threat to American interests. After action was taken to degrade that threat, we were told it was never urgent to begin with.

Now we are watching the same inversion play out again.

Before the ceasefire, escalation meant catastrophe. After the ceasefire, de-escalation meant weakness.

The conclusion is hard to avoid: the outcome was never going to be acceptable.

As tensions rose, critics warned of an inevitable spiral into regional war  perhaps even global conflict. The rhetoric was apocalyptic. The stakes were framed as existential.

Yet when those predictions failedwhen pressure, deterrence, and diplomacy produced a ceasefire  the narrative did not adjust.

It reversed.

The same voices that warned of war now lament the absence of it.

First, he was too dangerous to trust with war.

Then too weak to wage it.

You cannot have it both ways.

Either escalation was catastrophic  or restraint was prudent.

But to argue both, depending on the news cycle, is not analysis.

It is narrative management  nothing more.

And the reaction to the ceasefire made that unmistakably clear. As one commentator observed in the immediate aftermath, Yesterday he was going to start World War III. Today hes a coward for avoiding it.

Those who had spent days warning of imminent nuclear war suddenly pivoted to mocking restraint, branding the outcome as weakness rather than relief.

Others derided the ceasefire as evidence that the administration had backed down, as though avoiding a wider conflict were itself a failure.

Even some longtime foreign policy voices  often associated with a more hawkish posture  joined in, suggesting that failing to escalate further represented a missed opportunity rather than a strategic success.

The message was consistent, if contradictory: escalation was unacceptable, but stopping short of it was equally unacceptable.

There is a broader lesson here, one that extends beyond Iran.

In modern political discourse, outcomes are often secondary to attribution. What matters is not what happens, but who gets credit  or blame  for it.

If the wrong person achieves a positive outcome, the definition of success itself must be rewritten.

History provides useful context.

The war in Afghanistan stretched on for twenty years before the Doha Agreements offered a path to withdrawal. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has dragged on for five years with no meaningful ceasefire.

By contrast, this conflict de-escalated in just over a month.

Thirty-nine days.

That is not trivial. It is remarkable.

Yet it is being treated as a failure.

Or worse, as weakness.

Consider how this would be framed under different leadership. If a comparable ceasefire had been brokered under Barack Obama or Joe Biden, the coverage would be predictable. Diplomatic triumph. Strategic restraint. Statesmanship under pressure. Cable news panels discussing Nobel Peace Prize nominations.

We have seen that movie before.

But when the same result occurs under a different president, the script changes.

Peace becomes capitulation.

Restraint becomes retreat.

Resolution becomes defeat.

Even the negotiation itself has been recast as a liability. Critics point to the presidents rhetoric  his threats, his blunt language  as evidence of instability.

But that criticism ignores a basic reality.

Leverage matters.

High-stakes negotiations are not conducted in faculty lounges. They involve pressure, uncertainty, and credible consequences. They require a willingness to escalate  at least rhetorically  to create space for de-escalation.

Call it brinkmanship.

Call it unconventional.

But it is not new.

And it often works.

And it is classic Donald Trump.

Make demands that sound excessive. Create chaos and uncertainty. Force your counterpart to recalculate. Then translate pressure into agreement.

It may not be polite.

But it can be effective.

And effectiveness, in this case, is precisely the problem.

This is the Art of the Deal  from New York City real estate to the global geopolitical stage.

Because if the approach worked  if escalation was avoided, if a ceasefire was reached, if a broader war was prevented  then the criticism has nowhere to go.

So it moves.

If the president was not reckless, he must be weak.

If he was not dangerous, he must be unserious.

If he did not start a war, he must have failed to finish one.

The conclusion never changes.

Only the justification does.

This is not a debate over policy.

It is a refusal to concede outcome.

And that brings us back to the central question.

What changed?

Not the facts.

The politics.

If escalation is unacceptable and de-escalation is weakness, then the problem is not the policy.

It is the premise.

When both war and peace are treated as failure, the conclusion is obvious:

When yesterdays catastrophe becomes todays cowardice, success was never the point.

Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a Colorado-based ophthalmologist who writes frequently about medicine, science, and public policy.

Follow Brian: Twitter @retinaldoctor, Substack Dr. Brians Substack, Truth Social @BrianJoondeph, LinkedIn @Brian Joondeph, and email [email protected].
One of the few rules of politics that has held throughout history, almost without exception, is that right-liberals, in the long run, lose. The sort of Thatcherite political coalitions that prioritize open markets and economic freedom while being indifferent to cultural affairs might win elections in the short run  often in the wake of the left severely overstepping its mandate  yet they always end up ceding more political ground than they seize. They always finish their terms having barely slowed down the pervading leftward cultural drift they were elected to stave.

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This recurring outcome suggests a structural weakness within the fusionist center-right: It lacks a coherent vision for social order. Rather than functioning as a true political movement, centrist liberalism  often labeled mainstream conservatism in the West  operates more as a form of political escapism. Its adherents either treat politics as an extension of market logic or attempt to minimize political engagement altogether.

Real politics concerns itself with asserting a particular social order. Political actors seek to take control of the machinery of governance so as to write the rules of the prevailing social game. But the center-right does not do this. It does not seek to assert its own social order  to write the rules. Rather, the center-right exploits the prevailing order, seeking to bend the lefts rules in its favor for short-term financial gain. Hence, while the center-right can issue vaguely ideological platitudes about the virtues of the open market and entrepreneurial capitalism, it does not aim for broad-scale economic reforms that would foster a free, prosperous, and entrepreneurial social order. Rather, the center-right constantly clamors for privileges, exemptions, carve-outs, and marginal reforms within the prevailing order.

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There are two reasons for this. The first is brute, unenlightened self-interest. Whereas the general interest would be well served by a broad program of pro-market reforms, the interests of individual rightist actors are served better still by attaining special privileges for themselves and shutting the competition out of the market. This is why, in the center-rights political strongholds, truly pro-market initiatives, like phasing out agricultural subsidies, reducing defense procurements, or easing licensing requirements are not only neglected, but actively suppressed.

The second reason, more damning, is that the center-right simply doesnt think in terms of Big Political Ideas. It does not contemplate what would be a just and prosperous social order for a nation as a whole. It is preoccupied by the short- to medium-term business performance of its donor base. Conservatives thus are always content with making marginal and limited gains. Any grander agenda is outside their scope of interest. Expecting a political bloc with this mentality to take real power is like expecting to get rich by coupon-clipping.

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This nullity of vision manifests in one of the center-rights favorite canards: upholding individualism over collectivism. But conservatives panegyrics to individualism ultimately just serve to excuse the center-rights refusal to concern itself with the social order as such. Although it is generally good counsel for individuals to assume agency and responsibility for their own life path, this is not politics. Politics begins where such counsel ends; it is about sustaining a legal and social environment suitable for human flourishing, setting the rules of the road upon which the individual can set his course. Politics, by definition, deals in the collectivist dimension of human life. The center-rights invectives against collectivism as such are just another means through which it avoids any discussion about the common good  another evasion of politics.

The left, by contrast, does not suffer from any preoccupation with individual initiative or enterprise. The left operates by cultivating all sorts of patronage networks  degreed professionals, aggrieved racial and sexual minorities, and several others  and deploying those networks to seize political power. When they win, leftists then lavish their base with patronage  government sinecures, transfer payments, specialized loans, the works. It is precisely the lefts discouragement of  and incapacity for  individual initiative that makes it such an effective political force. One could go so far as to say that the lefts commercial ineptitude is its superpower; as the left cant generate wealth, it has no recourse but to seize wealth through political marauding.

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Conservatives pretend to be squeamish about this crude politicking, imagining that their scruples prevent them from getting in the gutter with the left. The reality is that the center-right is more than willing to indulge in all sorts of graft, but its graft is transactional and not political. What makes it non-political is that power is left out of the equation. The center-right does not concern itself with leveraging its graft to build a political coalition or patronage network. The mid-tier bourgeois GOP donor does not say to his employees, Because the Republicans passed a corporate tax cut, I can now give you a $1,000 bonus  that would be, horror of horrors, collectivist. Rather, he keeps all the gains for himself, and then he is shocked when his entire workforce votes Democrat next term, and the corporate tax is raised higher than it was before the initial cut.

Although this is partly due to greed and short-sightedness, the more salient cause  once again  is that the center-right dislikes politics. Conservatives simply dont like to think about building broad popular constituencies, cultivating patronage networks, or contemplating the general social welfare. They mainly wish politics would go away so they could just make money. Hence, the left gets to drink the rights milkshake by faithfully tending to a full stable of client groups and dependents, whereas conservatives must perennially entice large chunks of swing voters to their side just to have a chance.

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Sadly for the center-right  but thankfully for the rest of us  this state of affairs is likely nearing its expiration. The center-rights game of playing by the lefts rules and grasping at whatever crumbs it can find is viable only so long as the left has any reason to play along. But the political dominance of the left is approaching the point where the left no longer needs to be so accommodating. This gives the right no alternative but to oppose the left in a serious manner. Rather than weasel through various political nooks looking for scraps of graft, the right must finally seek to exert influence on the fundamental social order. This means first that it must build a core patronage base that directly shares in the partys fortunes; second, it must develop some conception of a righteous social order to entice the masses into buying into its program; third, it must follow through on pursuing that vision to earn credibility.

The fact that it is impossible to imagine the center-right even flirting with these basic prescriptions is yet another indicator of how far it is from being a real political program. One could say that achieving this political cognizance will mark the metamorphosis of the center-right to a legitimate and long overdue right-wing.

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In a landmark 8-1 ruling handed down on March 31, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court in Chiles v. Salazar struck a powerful blow for free speech and against the radical LGBT agenda that has dominated American law and culture for far too long. Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, declared that Colorados ban on so-called conversion therapy for minors unconstitutionally regulated speech based on viewpoint.

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The state had tried to silence licensed counselors like Kaley Chiles who dared to help clientsoften confused young peopleexplore their sexuality in ways that aligned with Biblical truth and biological reality rather than rainbow ideology. Only Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, revealing once again the lefts intolerance for anything opposed to its orthodoxy.

This decision is no mere procedural win for therapists. It lays the groundwork for the eventual reversal of Obergefell v. Hodges. MassResistance, the pro-family organization that I work for, has long declared that the LGBT revolution rests on the lies that homosexuality is immutable like race, healthy like traditional marriage, and deserving of promotion in schools and society.

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And that false argument was the cornerstone of the United States Supreme Courts disastrous same-sex marriage decision. Thus, Justice Kennedy wrote in Obergefell:

Far from seeking to devalue marriage, the petitioners seek it for themselves because of their respect and need for its privileges and responsibilities. And their immutable nature dictates that same-sex marriage is their only real path to this profound commitment. Advertisement

And then

Only in more recent years have psychiatrists and others recognized that sexual orientation is both a normal expression of human sexuality and immutable. See Brief for American Psychological Association et al. as Amici Curiae 7 17. Advertisement

Twice, Justice Kennedy justified the corrupt redefinition of marriage by arguing that homosexual orientation was an immutable characteristic.

Chiles begins the dismantling of these rulings because therapists can now fight the lie that people are born that way, which was one of the fundamental tenets in Justice Kennedys majority opinion in Obergefell.

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For decades, activists peddled the born this way slogan to bully Americans into acceptance of the whole LGBT agenda. They claimed homosexuality was an unchangeable trait akin to skin color, demanding legal protections and cultural reverence.

Yet the science never supported this absolutism. Twin studies, genetic research, and longitudinal data show significant environmental and volitional components. Large-scale genomic studies, such as the 2019 Science paper analyzing nearly 500,000 genomes, found no single gay gene. Heritability estimates hover around an 8-25% impact on an individual, with the rest shaped by upbringing, experiences, culture, and personal agency.

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In fact, sexual fluidity is real, especially among women. Researchers like Lisa Diamond have documented how attractions can shift over time. Men who once identified as gay have reported successful reorientation through restorative therapy, which addresses underlying trauma, family dynamics, or emotional woundsprecisely the talk therapy that Colorado tried to ban.

The Chiles ruling protects this necessary therapeutic dialogue. It rejects the premise that counselors must affirm every clients self-diagnosis of gay or trans as immutable gospel. If orientation can be discussed and influenced positively toward natural heterosexual complementarity, then the entire legal edifice propping up Obergefellbuilt on immutability claims in equal protection argumentscollapses.

Lets not forget that Obergefell relied on shaky substantive due process reasoning, inventing dignity rights untethered from the Constitutions text or history. It ignored that marriage has always been understood as the union of man and woman for procreation and the rearing of children.

By protecting counselors who help minors align behaviors with biological sex, Chiles undermines the narrative that dissenters are bigots harming the vulnerable. States can no longer force a one-sided affirmation model. This precedent invites challenges to other mandates: school curricula celebrating Pride, corporate DEI training, and eventually marriage laws themselves.

The Chiles ruling also spotlights the public health reality activists suppress. Homosexual behavior correlates with elevated risks that no amount of rainbow flags and pride parades can erase. Studies consistently show higher rates of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV (disproportionately affecting men who have sex with men), mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts, and substance abuse. These disparities persist even in tolerant societies, pointing to factors inherent in the lifestyle rather than mere stigma.

Chiles establishes that therapists can speak the truththat helping young people reduce unwanted same-sex attractions or reconcile with their body is legitimate care, not abuse. This directly challenges the celebratory narrative. If such attractions are not healthy defaults but often symptoms of deeper issues, society should not enshrine them in marriage law or public policy.

How does this therapy case lead to same-sex marriage reversal? Through the logic of viewpoint neutrality and returning power to states and evidence.

Obergefell nationalized a policy debate the Constitution leaves to the people. It treated sexual orientation as a suspect class, warranting heightened scrutiny, implicitly accepting immutability, and benignity. Chiles rejects compelled affirmation in counselingthe very speech that could demonstrate change is possible. Lower courts applying strict scrutiny to therapy bans will expose the weak evidence base for born this way orthodoxy.

Subsequent litigation will follow. States like Texas, Florida, or Tennessee, already pushing back on gender ideology, can cite Chiles to defend laws defining marriage traditionally or restricting adoption by same-sex couples on biological as well as child welfare grounds. Religious liberty claims will strengthen, as bakers, photographers, and counselors need not celebrate what they believe contradicts nature and Scripture. The 8-1 majority, including liberal justices Kagan and Sotomayor on free speech grounds, shows broad recognition that government cannot pick favored viewpoints on sexuality.

By protecting dissent and exploration, Chiles invites courts to revisit Obergefells flawed anthropology. A future Supreme Court, applying originalism consistently, could overrule it as Dobbs did Roe, returning the issue to democratic processes where majorities in many states would favor traditional norms.

Conservatives have argued for years that redefining marriage weakened the institution, correlated with declining birth rates, family breakdown, and social costs. Data on outcomes for children raised without both mother and father reinforce these factors.

Indeed, the Supreme Courts Chiles ruling is a cultural turning point. For too long, the left has used law to silence debate, labeling science-aligned views on homosexuality as hate. They propagandized homosexuality as innate, immutable, healthy, and celebratorydespite evidence of fluidity, health disparities, and the impossibility of true equivalence to heterosexual marriage. Chiles v. Salazar undermines this censorship.

Americans deserve policies rooted in reality: sex is binary and immutable, marriage serves procreation and complementarity, and helping individuals navigate attractions toward health is compassionate, not coercive. The decision empowers parents, counselors, and states to resist ideological capture of youth. It foreshadows broader reversalsending federal mandates for same-sex marriage recognition, defunding promotion in schools, and affirming that dissent is not discrimination.

MassResistance understands the stakes. The sexual revolution promised liberation but delivered disease, destruction, and death. Chiles begins the restoration. Policymakers should pass laws protecting counselors, challenge remaining therapy bans, and prepare legislative responses for the reversal of Obergefell. The factsbiological, psychological, and sociologicalare always on the side of natural marriage. Thanks to an 8-1 Court, the law is catching up. The era of judicially mandated celebration of homosexuality is slowly coming to an end. Truth and natural law will prevail.

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We claim Nothing but the Liberty & Privileges of Englishmen, in the same Degree, as if we had still continued among our Brethren in Great Britain: these Rights have not been forfeited by any Act of ours, we can not be deprived of them, without our Consent, but by Violence & Injustice; We have received them from our Ancestors, and, with Gods Leave, we will transmit them, unimpaired to our Posterity. Can those, who have hitherto acted as our Friends, endeavour now, insidiously, to draw from Us Concessions destructive to what we hold far dearer than Life!

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 George Mason, Letter to the Committee of Merchants in London, June 6, 1766

Colonists constantly echoed George Masons thoughts about the Liberty & Privileges of Englishmen in the run-up to the Revolutionary War. Patriots such as James Otis (1763), Patrick Henry (1765), Samuel Adams (1772), and the members of the First Continental Congress (1774) repeated the theme. American colonists didnt fight the worlds superpower to steal Indian land or keep slavery alive (both ludicrous modern slanders), but to vindicate those rights.

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The Rights of Englishman is repeated in two familiar documents: The Constitution, ratified in 1787, and the Bill of Rights, ratified in 1791. But what were they and how did they originate?

They were accrued over hundreds of years of English history. Each was bathed in the blood of Englishmen who fought against government oppression and for representation. They fought, too, to impose a duty on the executive to execute the laws. Here are those rights and their historical context:

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1215: The Magna Carta and the First Barons War

King John (1199-1216) brought England to its knees through a tyrannical government, including ruinous taxes he imposed by fiat. The Barons offered John the chance to avert civil war by signing the Magna Carta, curbing his power. John signed, but only to buy time. When he recanted soon after, the two sides began The First Barons War.

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King John died of dysentery within a year, leaving the throne to his son, nine-year-old Henry III, who had as regent the most accomplished knight in English history, William Marshal. To end the civil war, Marshal reissued the Magna Carta as the law of the land.

Rights in the Magna Carta

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No taxation without representation: The state may only impose those taxes that the Royal Council (Parliaments predecessor) first approves.

Due process of law: The state cannot deprive a person of life, liberty, or property without abiding by the procedures and protections established to make trials fair and objective.

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Eminent domain: If the state impounds private property for its own use, it must immediately pay the owner the propertys fair value.

Writ of Habeas Corpus (produce the body): This great writ challenged the British monarchs long history of throwing their enemies in dungeons and leaving them there to rot without charge or fair trial. The writ says the state must bring a person in custody before a judge, so that the person may challenge whether he has been denied due process.

1258-1265: Representative Democracy and the Second Barons War

Henry III had his own problems with ruinous taxation. In 1258, the Barons, to avert another civil war, met at the Oxford Parliament. Henry agreed to a series of reforms, including a permanent council to oversee him, annual parliaments, and measures curbing royal patronage. In 1261, Henry reneged, setting off the Second Barons War (1263-1264). This ended when the rebel leader, Simon de Montfort, captured the King and assumed power.

Montfort believed in the principle of quod omnes tangit (what touches all should be approved by all). To legitimize his rule and to secure funds, Montfort expanded Parliaments membership to include not only the lords and clergy of the realm, who had been councilors to the kings for centuries and who formed the Royal Council, but also elected representatives from shires (two knights each) and boroughs (two burgesses each).

Montfort was killed within a year, and Henry III resumed power. However, Montforts innovations became the model for democratic elective representation in England and, in time, throughout the Western world.

Rights arising from de Montforts reforms

Representative government: The people of each shire and borough have the right to vote for the person who will represent them in government.

Powers of the elected representatives: Only elected representatives can initiate tax and spending bills, and only the Parliaments upper and lower houses combined can enact laws.

1628: Charles I and the Petition of Right

Charles I became king in 1625. He was the worst of tyrants, believing in a kings divine right to rule, unconstrained by the Magna Carta or de Montforts reforms to Parliament. He dispensed with Parliament, unilaterally raised taxes, and persecuted his political enemies without due process or trial, executing many.

Charles Is excess caused the bloody English Civil War (1642-1651). However, before it began, Parliament had offered Charles I the chance to avert the war by assenting to the 1628 Petition of Right. He did but soon reneged.

Rights found in the Petition of Right: The Petition restated several provisions of the Magna Carta (to paraphrase)

Only Parliament could approve taxes.

People could not be stripped of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

People could not be stripped of life, liberty, or property except through the lawful judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land.

To these, the Petion added several new rights and duties:

The king must enforce the law: The king may not declare martial law simply to abrogate parliamentary statutes and common law.

Quartering of soldiers: The king cannot quarter (lodge) his soldiers in peoples homes.

The king must provide fair and equal justice: The king may not show unequal justice, selectively prosecuting some while allowing his supporters to violate the law with impunity.

1689: The Glorious Revolution and the English Bill of Rights of 1689

When King James II came to the throne in 1685, like his father, Charles I, before him, he believed that he had a divine right to rule, unconstrained by any law, including the Magna Carta and the Petition of Right. He selectively enforced some laws while refusing to enforce others. To impose his arbitrary power, he began systematically disarming his subjects. He also imposed a tyranny on the Puritan-controlled North American colonies, creating the Dominion of New England.

In 1688, members of Parliament invited Prince William of Orange and his wife, Mary (Jamess daughter), to take the English throne by force. When the English army refused to fight for him, James fled to France. This civil war resulted in only a handful of casualties in England proper, earning it the title of the Glorious Revolution, though it had many casualties in Scotland and Ireland.

Afterward, Parliament drafted an English Bill of Rights, enumerating James IIs wrongs and listing the rights of Englishmen. As a precondition to taking the throne, both William and Mary signed the document.

Rights found in the Bill of Rights of 1689

The Bill of Rights restated provisions of the Magna Carta and the Petition of Right, as well as the Parliamentary reforms of Montfort. To paraphrase:

Only Parliament has the power to write, amend, or abolish laws.

Only Parliament can write money bills and taxes

The King has a duty to fully and fairly enforce the laws of the realm.

The people have a right to elect the person of their choosing to represent them in Parliament.

Addition rights in the Bill of Rights

The right to bear arms: Protestants may have arms for their defense suitable to their conditions...

The right to petition the government for redress: All prosecutions for petitioning are illegal.

Punishment must be proportional and traditional: That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed; nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Significantly, all these rights of Englishmen were firmly grounded in Christianity. Though the rights were worded as limits on or duties of government, they were seen as necessary laws of nature to validate the will of the Judeo-Christian God. When John Locke wrote The Second Treatise of Government, the philosophical underpinning for our Constitution and Bill of Rights, he reasoned from the Bible.

A George Mason said pithily before the General Court of Virginia, The laws of nature are the laws of God, whose authority can be superseded by no power on earth.

While the French Enlightenment led to socialism, atheism, a war on Christianity, and the modern police state, the English Enlightenment embraced Christianity and liberalism. Its legacy is the rights and Constitution that we embrace today, 250 years later.

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The war with Iran has revealed a long-standing reality: Israel is the United States only true ally in the Middle East. Our other supposed allies in the region -- Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE (United Arab Emirates), refused to allow us to use our own military bases or their airspace even as those countries came under direct attack from Iran. Saudi Arabia has now belatedly permitted the United States to use only one Saudi airbase. Otherwise, these countries have so far only been willing to defend their airspace against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, with Kuwait mistakenly shooting down three USAF F-15s. This raises the question of why the United States should bear the expense of maintaining military bases in these countries, and we are now reportedly considering a proposal to replace them with a base in Israel.

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The United States is a net exporter of oil, while our European and Asian allies receive much of their oil and gas via the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump therefore expected their cooperation in keeping the waterway open and called their unanimous refusal to do so shocking and cowardly. After meeting with the President, Senator Lindsey Graham stated "The repercussions of providing little assistance to keep the Strait of Hormuz functioning are going to be wide and deep for Europe and America." In a Truth Social post, Trump also called out Japan, Australia, and South Korea for saying they would not be sending warships.

French president Emmanuel Macron declared that his country would never take part in operations to open or free the Strait of Hormuz in the current context. Along with Spain, France refused to allow the United States to use its bases for the purpose of the war and now refuses to allow the U.S. to use its airspace to resupply Israel. This despite a March 1 Iranian drone attack on Frances Camp de la Paix naval base in Abu Dhabi and the killing of a French officer and wounding of six others by another Iranian drone in Iraq. President Trump labeled France very unhelpful and suggested that if she and other European countries need fuel from the Strait of Hormuz, they should go get it themselves. Israel has drawn similar conclusions, and on March 31 the Ministry of Defense announced it was ending all military contracts with France due to her persistent hostility towards Israel since the October 7, 2023 massacre by Hamas.

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The U.K., once our closest and most reliable European ally, is no better, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying that while the U.K. would be taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war. Even this has proven untrue, as an Iranian drone attack on a British base in Cyprus went unanswered. Likewise, NATO has failed to respond to Iranian attacks on an Italian base in northern Iraq and multiple ballistic missile attacks on NATO member Turkey. NATO secretary general Mark Rutte issued a statement saying that the alliance is not itself involved. In other words, NATO will not honor its core commitment under Article 5 that any attack on a NATO member is an attack on all. In the same vein, German defense minister Boris Pistorius said, This is not our war; we have not started it.

This reveals NATO for what it has always been: a collection of countries relying entirely on the United States for protection while refusing to defend themselves or each other. On March 27, at a recent conference in Miami, President Trump concluded that the United States no longer need[s] to remain in NATO. We were always there for them, but now, given their behavior, I dont think we need to be there for them. Why should we be there for them when they are not there for us? Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the U.S. has done "the heavy lifting on behalf of the free world" regarding the threat from Iran and the security of the Strait of Hormuz. He urged allies to "step up" and assist with the critical waterway, noting that securing it is not solely an American responsibility. Similar sentiments have been expressed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said on March 31 that the United States has to reexamine whether NATO has now become a one-way street where America is simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our allies, theyre going to deny us basing rights, and theyre going to deny us overflight.

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If we define an ally as one who will come to our defense, and not just one who expects us to defend them, then we have no real allies in Western Europe. It is now clear to the U.S. administration and military that Israel is one of our few real allies.

The joint U.S.-Israeli operation in Iran has shown Israel to be not only a willing ally, but a highly capable one. Israel hosted U.S. aircraft when the Gulf states closed their airspace to us and fully participated in the war as an equal partner with the United States. It was Israel that decapitated the Iranian regimes leadership, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It was Israels Mossad that has provided critical on-the-ground intelligence in Iran that has been essential in targeting. Israel also has close, long-standing relations with ethnic minorities in Iran, such as the Kurds, and with neighboring countries Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.

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U.S. military leadership has recently described cooperation with Israel as "extraordinary" and "historic." Coordination occurs at every level of the chain of command. Israeli officers are embedded at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) bases, while U.S. officers are stationed at the Kirya, Israel's military headquarters in Tel Aviv. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper visited Israel as the official guest of the IDF chief of the General Staff, Eyal Zamir. Officials report between 4,000 and 5,000 daily calls between the two militaries to synchronize efforts. Hegseth characterized Israel as a "steadfast partner" with both the "will and capability" to achieve "incredible effects" through coordinated targeting. He described the combined force as bringing "sheer destruction" to adversaries.

Will the United States withdraw from NATO? That still remains to be seen. What is already certain is which countries are our real allies, and which are not. Whatever the outcome of the war, the unprecedented close cooperation between the political and military leadership of Israel and the United States has produced a new level of mutual respect and trust that will have positive, far-reaching effects.

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Britain was onceand was for quite a long timethe worlds most powerful military, enabling it to build the largest empire in recent history. Now, though, a military spokesman admitted that it cannot field even 1,000 troops.

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I asked ChatGPT to compile a list of famous British military victories, beginning in the 15th century:

Battle of Agincourt: Henry Vs famous victory over a much larger French force.

Battle of Flodden: Major English victory over Scotland; King James IV of Scotland was killed.

Defeat of the Spanish Armada: England repelled the attempted invasion by Spain (a much larger kingdom)

Battle of Blenheim: The Duke of Marlboroughs decisive victory over France and Bavaria.

Battle of Quebec: Also called the Battle of the Plains of Abraham; Britain captured Quebec.

Battle of Plassey: Opened the path to British dominance in India.

Battle of Trafalgar: Nelsons decisive naval victory over France and Spain.

Battle of Waterloo: Wellington and allies defeated Napoleon.

Relief of Mafeking: Became a huge patriotic symbol in Britain.

Battle of Britain: RAF defeated the Luftwaffe and prevented invasion.

Second Battle of El Alamein: Montgomerys turning-point victory in North Africa.

D-Day Normandy Landings: Britain played a central role in the liberation of Western Europe.

Falklands War: British forces retook the Falkland Islands.

Admittedly, the last two items were possible only because of the United States. Nevertheless, they were real British military victories, even though the 1982 Falklands War was fought over a tiny island and the opponent was the pathetic Argentinian military.

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Since then, while Britain did assist in both Iraq and Afghanistan, it has no victories to its name. And, indeed, if a much lauded play about Scotlands famous Black Watch regiment is anything to go by, Britains military was already in a sad state of decline at the beginning of the 21st century.

One of the signs of incipient rot was the changes in recruitment advertising. From 2017-2018, the British military explicitly targeted Muslims, LGBTQ+ people, and men who cry:

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I know real men cry, and that the military is a place of strong emotions, but actively seeking such men?! Really?!

Incidentally, before you feel smug, the U.S. was doing the same thing under Biden. Thankfully, Trump has swiftly managed to return the military to a true military ethos, with the focus on winning, not gender or religious identity and affirmation.

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By 2019, recruitment in Britain had gotten so bad that there was an advertising campaign assuring all sorts of bizarre, broken Gen Zers that they were just what the military needed:

In 2024, all six of Britains nuclear power submarines were stuck in port. Ports that, beginning in the 18th century and through WWII, had cranked out ships of the line and merchant ships by the hundreds, were too broken down to repair the subs.

Most recently, the HMS Dragon, which had just been deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to help defend Cyprus from Iranian attacks, had to be taken out of commission immediately upon arrival to repair a problem. That problem undoubtedly arose because the ship had been in dry dock, being repaired, when the call came to put to sea. Amazingly, in the whole British fleet, the Dragon was the only one that was even somewhat seaworthy.

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Oh, how the mighty have fallen! To go from defeating the Spanish Armada and Trafalgar to having one rust bucket on call.

But its even worse than that. In this video, you can see the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff trying to avoid admitting that Great Britain cannot deploy even 600 troops, not to the Middle East, but to Europe. (The tweet says 1,000 troops, but a British heavy battle group has 600 troops.)

Just in case you missed it - this is the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff failing to confirm that the British Army could deploy 1000 troops to the continent of Europe. pic.twitter.com/GnyvLfiJjY  Mike Martin MP  (@ThreshedThought) April 10, 2026

MP: Air Marshall, could we deploy a heavy division to Europe if the need arose? AIR MARSHALL: We have a number of land capabilities. MP: Yes or no? AIR MARSHALL: Look, I think that's subject to where we are with our current equipment and our new equipment that's coming in at the moment. We know that we are short of where we want to be in terms of heavy capabilities. MP: I'll take that as a no. How about a heavy brigade? AIR MARSHALL: Again, these are in our plans, but we are in the process of investing in the army modernization in order to do that, and that's something that we're recovering to over time. MP: A heavy battle group. AIR MARSHALL: I mean, I'd probably owe you a better answer than one I can give you off the top of my head here in terms of the detail of the specific disposition of those different force elements. I think what I would say is we know that land modernization is important. One of our targets under the NATO defense planning process is for a Strategic Reserve Corps, which, as you know, comprises divisions and brigades. And those targets are set at a level where we are not at the moment.

If you want a metaphor for whats happened to Britains military, I give you...Prince Harry. Back in 2013, Prince Harry was on his second deployment in Afghanistan. A TV crew caught up with him. During the interview, a siren went off, and Harry ran to his helicopter. He may have been a dodo, but he really was a soldier:

Fast forward to 2026 and look at the Harry formerly known as Prince. He is a pathetic husk who is completely under his wifes thumb and whines non-stop about having suffered through one of the worlds most privileged upbringings. He did indeed suffer an incredible trauma when his mother died, but his collapse from warrior to milquetoast is still a living example of the British militarys decline.

And of course, this mirrors the larger collapse of British societymaking the fussy, ineffectual Keir Starmer modern Britains perfect leader. He is, truly, a man who can only aspire to rise to Chamberlains heights for Chamberlain, at least, was a patriot. Its notable that the first time Starmer shows even a smidgen of backbone, he does it, not against Iran, a totalitarian theocracy that seeks the Wests violent demise in a welter of blood and nuclear fallout, but against America:

 JUST IN 



"We will not be involved in blockade of the Strait, we are urgently working with France, Spain and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect the freedom of navigation. US cannot dictate how other should manage their affairs"-  UK PM Keir Starmer pic.twitter.com/8NHARWnX3l  gulvinder (@rebelliousdogra) April 12, 2026

As Bugs Bunny would say, What a maroon!

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Is there anything more pathetic than a self-loathing white male who's already got all he's wanted in life, and now wants to shut the door to the same for people who look like him?

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Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, a former astronaut, gave us an impressive demonstration:

Democrat Senator Mark Kelly slanders white service members.



KELLY: The last thing I would want in a Space Shuttle crew would be seven white-guy U.S. navy test pilots like me. pic.twitter.com/IlHTNGILKK  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) April 11, 2026

He's got ambitions of running for president, so in the wake of the successful Artemis II moonshot, he's speaking about the importance of space travel, which nobody normal would disagree with, and indeed might expect from someone with his background.

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But then he got into DEI in recalling his own career as an astronaut, telling his audience he was embarrassed about the white male space shuttle male crew he agreed to serve with as commander of the Discovery and the Endeavour.

The last thing I would want in a Space Shuttle crew would be seven white-guy U.S. navy test pilots like me. Advertisement

Seriously, the last thing? The very last, he'd rather have someone's dog on that crew, or a subliterate illegal migrant fresh out of prison over a white test pilot?

Does he even hear himself? He took that job in considerable competition over other applicants, and then led men who were the last people he would want on that crew.

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As someone noted:

Senator @SenMarkKelly commanded the last flight of the Endeavor, with the following crew



I hope he told them how disgusted he was to serve with them https://t.co/t17ln3Ur8U pic.twitter.com/2f8CbL1DaC  Bennett's Phylactery (@extradeadjcb) April 12, 2026

Was there something wrong with the performance of the crew he led?? News accounts at the time called those picture-perfect missions, but now that Kelly is running for president, he's treating them like a bad smell. Now there was something so wrong with them that the last thing he'd like to see is having them on his crew, and for nothing more than the color of their skin, which just happens to match his own.

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His diversity talk conjures up a lot of negative experiences with judging people by their sex or color of their skin instead of their merits in ultra sensitive flight matters, where perfect performance matters. A recent DEI focus is believed to have led to multiple commercial plane crashes owing to substandard maintenance practices from less qualified crew members, raising questions as to why these people were hired over more competent ones. Meanwhile, over the Potomac in early 2025, a DEI female pilot trainee in a military helicopter ignored orders from her instructor to evade an oncoming commercial jetliner and crashed her helicopter into it, killing herself, her instructor and dozens on the jet, including many top junior skaters coming home from a tournament in Wichita. DEI is what many suspect: She didn't belong there owing to her inability to take orders, and her commander was a hated white man same as the people Kelly doesn't want in space flight.

It's so obnoxious it's impossible to ignore. Why didn't he give up his commander seat for a less qualified candidate with the 'right' skin color? He did his flights in 2008 and 2011 so it was hardly ancient times. He could have stepped aside. But he didn't. What he wants now is for others to step aside, and for white men to get shut out of all flight opportunities, including space. He goe his, now time to slam the door on others regardless of merit.

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DEI is why a lot of young white men turn to more meritocratic professions such as engineering, computer science, and space travel which are all fields requiring intense specialization and knowledge, so skin color is irrelevant.

To bring DEI into that as Kelly wants is bound to lead to disaster.

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Although it's far worse for the left than the right , it's difficult to feel positive about the future given the circumstances of today.

While we have a president willing to take chances and look at the big picture, we have other politicians ostensibly on the pro-freedom side that act like risk-averse church mice, afraid of their own shadows and unwilling to implement measures that garner support from most of the electorate.

They are contrasted by the cruel and violent leftists who are already going full authoritarian in some cases, threatening to prosecute and imprison their political opponents for merely implementing settled law.

Except that it can easily be argued that we have no other choice in the matter.

Anyone willing to tap into the firehose of filth from the national socialist media can see that the collectivist, anti-liberty side of the political spectrum keeps moving further and further off the rails of decency and is in the deep throes of insanity at this point.

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As David Strom phrased it recently: It Is Impossible to Overstate How Deranged the Left Has Become:

The primary difference is that the left is busy arguing that their psychopaths are the good guys. When anti-ICE activists try to run over a federal agent, it is she who becomes the hero. When Luigi Mangione shoots an innocent man, he becomes a rock star and a "moral" man. Advertisement

Remember that while leftists often accuse us of what they themselves are doing  sometimes to create confusion  one example is the accusation of racism. Another example is the tendency to tolerate Islamist extremism because they expect it.

We know exactly what is going to happen if the leftists cheat their way back into power. Because all we have to do is look across the pond at how the U.K. and the rest of Europe are working towards self-deletion every day, with the help of the left in their Red/Green alliance.

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Closer to home, we can see the dangerous trends of our friends up north.

In both cases, one key authoritarian crossing point is leading to a dangerous downward spiral with open borders, two-tier justice, suppression of speech, and a culture of death.

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This is now evident in the actions they are taking in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Rhode Island. The former is now a bitter lesson in what happens in the throes of voter apathy, but we could easily see this disease spread throughout the country if we don't start informing our friends and family.

Because no one outside certain segments of the pro-freedom community ever wants to admit to a basic truth: That depriving the people of their commonsense human right of self-defense is always the first step to tyranny  and disaster. This always has been the 'canary in a coal mine' of civil rights  the first sign of danger. Unfortunately for the U.K. and Canada, they are only learning this in hindsight. But as cruel leftists are wont to do, when they project the authoritarianism charge, they are only declaring themselves guilty, since they obsess 24/7 over ways to deprive innocent people of their basic human rights.

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The propaganda industry, once known as Hollywood, is even getting in the act with a piece entitled "The Drama" (spoiler alert) about a bride who once planned a mass shooting. Yes, they want to make these statistically rare events seem like a normal everyday problem. Clearly, to push for even more restrictions on the rights of the innocent.

Then there is the fact that the left used to all parrot the line that went something like 'No one is talking about confiscating guns.' That was before the advent of Unconstitutional 'Red Flag' tickets. And now the gun-grabbing ghouls in Rhode Island have even dropped that minor pretext, and are pushing a bill that would prohibit the possession of what they define as "Assault Weapons."

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The bill that's received the most attention, though, is HB 8073, which would force current owners of so-called assault weapons to destroy them, turn them over to law enforcement, or move them out of state unless they want to face ten years in prison if they're caught with their lawfully purchased firearm.

You read that correctly, while ruling class leftists such as Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson are protected by a small army of 150 armed officers, to the tune of $30 million taken from the taxpayers. Innocent people are being deprived of their commonsense human rights. And as history shows us, it's only going to get worse. Canadian officials are now saying they will send police door-to-door to confiscate guns. And the U.K. government told a man on an ISIS Kill List: we can't protect you, and he can't arm himself, and if he does, he will be arrested.

That's only on one issue, while Democrat Abigail Spanberger campaigned as a 'moderate' on the issues of 'affordability,' she quickly changed into trying to crater Virginia as her fellow leftists have done in New York and California.

So, what can we do?

What can we do about this onslaught and push back with our superior numbers?

President Trump said it best: "Fight, Fight, Fight."

The left is already motivated by greed, revenge, and TDS. They want normal people to tune out the noise and stay quiet while they work to get their minions out to vote as much as they can.

That means we must get ready to motivate the pro-freedom side of the political spectrum.

There is a vast difference between the two sides, with it likely that most on the left are involved with the government and have an incentive to make it bigger and consume more of your earnings. While it's just as likely that those on the pro-freedom side are in the private sector, wanting a smaller government and to be left alone.

Everyone here is likely already informed; everyone here should already know the stakes. So, the issue is about how we motivate fellow pro-freedom patriots who aren't up to speed on what is happening. And how do we get them ready for the 'fight' ahead?

D. Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history, former director of communications for a civil rights organization, and a long-time contributor to conservative websites. Find him on Substack.
Well, before you run to translate my title let me help you. Can you help? Or, can you do something tangible in the Straits of Hormuz? And the answer from Paris is Nous ne pouvons pas, or no we cannot.

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And thats the story of NATO: Mucho talk and no action.

Over in Paris, they are debating budgets. It happens here too. However, what we are hearing from France is that money is a problem, and cutting defense comes first. Lets check this out:

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Before the Assemblee Nationale even began debating the update to the military planning law on Wednesday, April 8, which includes an additional 36 billion for the armed forces by 2030, the budgetary equation was already proving challenging. On Thursday, before the defense committee, Carine Camby, president of the first chamber of the Court of Auditors, warned MPs that the financial sustainability would be complicated. The additional effort for defense will require significant [budgetary] trade-offs, unless new resources are found, Camby said, explaining the opinion issued by the High Council of Public Finances on this bill on Wednesday, following a referral by the government. In short, France currently lacks the means to fulfill its military ambitions unless it engages in serious debate over its economic, fiscal and budgetary policies. Advertisement

Yes, its complicated to make choices when it comes to spending. We have to make those choices too. Wonder what we will choose the next time that we have to spend money on NATO? Its a bit difficult to spend money defending people who sort of like being defended by the U.S. taxpayer. Worse than that, they hide behind their criticism of Trump to cover up their inability to perform.

Over in London, or to make matters more interesting, the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff [is] failing to confirm that the British Army could deploy 1000 troops to the continent of Europe. I guess that the British are not coming this time. In reality, they cant!

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So NATO cant, and you can say it in whatever language you like.

P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

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Image generated by ChatGPT.
To the climate reporters concerned with the heat dome over the Western U.S. in March, I have one question: Why no concern for the cold dome over Eastern Canada in March? That is a silly question to ask for two reasons. For one, it is hard to envision these pajama boys leaving their apartments to even go outside to check on the weather and secondly, they are not interested in reporting on record-breaking cold temperatures, for the obvious reason that it runs counter to their narrative.

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A glance at the map of global lower tropospheric temperature anomaly in March 2026 (see below) tells you everything you need to know. Eastern Canada had record low temperatures while Western U.S. had record high temperatures. The air masses in the temperate zone move around in a steady fashion, but occasionally, they stall. That is what happened in March. Contrast the temperate zone with the tropical zone where we do not see a temperature anomaly (except in years with a strong El Nino). The temperate zone is where cold and hot air masses mix, while the tropics have the governing mechanism of daily thunderstorms that keeps the temperature stable.

March 2026 was record warm in the U.S., mostly due to the Western U.S. heatwave.



The news media will only fixate on that to claim that we are in a climate catastrophe.



However, this heat was essentially balanced by near-record cold across much of interior Canada.



Overall, pic.twitter.com/LvUr55WsH7  Chris Martz (@ChrisMartzWX) April 7, 2026

However, do not expect the pajama boys reporting on climate to know anything about it. They fly out to UN COP conferences where the sum of their knowledge is received from sitting at the knee of Al Gore and absorbing everything he says.

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Lately, however, they have been feeling a little uneasy in seeing their colleagues disappear from the desks of shrinking media outlets. They wonder if they will be let go soon as the publics interest in climate wanes. They shouldnt worry though. There will always be some openings at the Starbucks in Barrows, Alaska where they can monitor polar bear numbers during their break.

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Around 65,000 young people will be able to train to enter the defence, clean energy, digital and manufacturing industries under the latest round of Government investment into colleges.

The Government will provide 175 million for 19 new Technical Excellence Colleges across the country to deliver training in sectors deemed important for the future of the UK.

Minister for skills Baroness Jacqui Smith said the investment would help build a pipeline of skilled workers for industries key to Britains future.

Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith visited Milton Keynes College, selected as a technical excellence college for digital (Jacob King/PA) (Jacob King)

The Government has identified the areas most likely to help grow the economy, Baroness Smith told the Press Association, and said given the war happening in the Middle East, the UK needed to be able to support different ways of getting its energy.

The Clean Energy (technical excellence colleges) that were announcing today will help us to develop that to speed up our shift to clean energy, to protect our energy supply and to help people with their bills, she said.

In the area of defence, where, given the instability and some of the new challenges to our defence in the world, and our contribution to that, this Government has pledged a big increase in defence spending that needs to support our armed forces and our capacity, but that spending also needs to deliver quality jobs to the UK defence industry, who will need skilled people in order to be able to deliver it.

It is estimated nearly 600,000 additional workers will be needed in these key sectors by 2030, the Department for Education said.

Baroness Smith aid the investment would help build a pipeline of skilled workers (Jacob King/PA) (Jacob King)

If follows the first wave of 10 technical excellence colleges announced last year specialising in construction.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: I want every young person to know there is a clear route into wellpaid work, whatever their background. These colleges put technical skills front and centre, opening up highquality jobs in the industries driving Britains future.

We are backing talent across the country, strengthening our workforce and making sure opportunity is built into the system  not left to chance.

The colleges may spend the funding they receive on specialist equipment, developing new courses, training more specialist staff, and more.

On Monday, Baroness Smith met students and staff at Milton Keynes College, selected as a technical excellence college for digital, where students are already learning about robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government was backing talent across the country (Temilade Adelaja/PA) (Temilade Adelaja)

It comes after the latest figures showed nearly a million (957,000) 16 to 24-year-olds were Neet (not in education, employment or training) in October to December 2025.

The high number of young people who were Neet was a loss of opportunity and a loss for the country, Baroness Smith told PA.

Thats why we need really high-quality provision for young people between 16 to 19 to be able to access, she said.

We need our schools to better identify the young people who are potentially going to become Neet, we need them to take responsibility for making sure that young people have got the places, the college places, the apprenticeships, the jobs to go into.

And we need brilliant colleges like Milton Keynes, where I am today, to be supported, to be able to provide the opportunities for young people who would otherwise be lost at such a crucial time in their lives and for the future of the skills that we need as a country as well.

The Government has set a target for two-thirds of young people to be in higher education, higher-level training or doing a gold standard apprenticeship by age 25.

Baroness Smith said the UK needed really high-quality provision for young people between 16 to 19 to be able to access (Jacob King/PA) (Jacob King)

Jawad Al Midani, 21, started studying at Milton Keynes College for a Level 1 course, and has since worked his way up to studying for a Higher National Diploma (HND) in cyber security.

I feel as soon as I finish my qualifications Ill be ready to start my career, he told PA.

Christian Proctor, 18, who is studying for a Higher National Certificate (HNC) in games design and will go on to an HND next year, said he was confident the skills he was learning would equip him for the next step once he finished college.

The 19 new Technical Excellence Colleges are as follows:

Defence

 Blackpool and The Fylde College

 City College Plymouth

 Lincoln College

 RNN Group

 Yeovil College

Clean Energy

 Colchester Institute

 South Bank Colleges

 The City of Liverpool College

 The Education Training Collective

 University Centre Somerset College Group

Digital and Technologies

 Birmingham Metropolitan College

 Capital City College Group

 Gloucestershire College

 LTE Group

 Milton Keynes College

Advanced Manufacturing

 City of Wolverhampton College

 New College Durham

 Newcastle and Stafford College Group

 Weston College of Further and Higher Education
A funding boost of almost 130 million is set to be distributed across cultural venues, museums and libraries in England, the Government has announced.

The funding, from the Governments Arts Everywhere Fund, will be shared among 130 venues across the country with the aim of helping to improve accessibility to arts and culture, and to provide welcoming and affordable spaces for local communities to visit.

It will be the first time that projects will benefit from the fund, which also aims to revitalise cultural infrastructure and to protect and preserve arts venues for present and future generations.

Southbank Centre will receive 10 million (Luciana Guerra/PA) (Luciana Guerra)

The 127.8 million boost will be administered and delivered by Arts Council England on Tuesday on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

It is made up of three funds including the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF), which has allocated 96 million to 74 arts and cultural venues across England to help theatres, performing arts venues, galleries and grassroots music venues address infrastructure needs.

The Lowry Centre Trust in Salford is one of the 74 organisations to benefit, having been awarded 8.5 million to go towards improving access to its galleries, theatres and its family and conference spaces, as well as upgrading its cafe and retail facilities.

Among those receiving the highest grants from the CFF are the Southbank Centre, which will receive 10 million, and the Royal Opera House which is expected to get 5 million.

The Museum Estate and Development Fund (Mend) has provided 25.5 million to 28 museums, which will allow them to undertake vital infrastructure works and improve their visitor experience.

Among the venues to benefit from the Mend funding is the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, which has been awarded 454,159 to safeguard key historic buildings to ensure they remain open for visitors while preserving the heritage of the region.

The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley will also benefit from the funding (Jacob King/PA) (Jacob King)

Other recipients include the London Transport Museum which expects to receive almost 1 million, and Bristol Museums which will receive 3,567,713.

The Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF) will also allocate 6.3 million to 28 libraries, with the aim of upgrading buildings and technology, to encourage increased visits from children and families.

It will support organisations such as Derbyshire Libraries, which has been given 440,000 to refurbish three of its sites and create more flexible and welcoming community spaces.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: Across the country, people take real pride in where they come from.

Our local arts, museums and libraries are a big part of that, telling our stories, reflecting who we are, and bringing communities together.

Thats why our Arts Everywhere Fund matters. Were backing the places people care about most, with support for 130 venues across the country announced today.

Arts and culture arent a luxury for a privileged few. They are for everyone, everywhere.

They bring people together, open doors, and support our shared sense of belonging.

Thats the role they can play as we build a stronger future for our country.

Sir Nicholas Serota, Arts Council England chairman, said: Arts organisations, museums and libraries are the beating heart of our communities.

After significant financial pressures in recent years, this vital investment will help organisations to secure futures where they thrive and not just survive.

We look forward to seeing these cultural spaces flourish as they continue to provide access to excellent art and culture for everyone, everywhere, for many years to come.

 The full list of recipients of the CFF is as follows:

Southbank Centre  10,000,000

Harrow Arts Centre  630,014

Certain Blacks  150,000

Autograph ABP  499,950

The Lyric Theatre Hammersmith Limited  534,227

Theatre Royal Stratford East  1,750,000

St Margarets House  700,000

Create London, The White House, Dagenham  500,000

Shoreditch Town Hall  899,847

Kiln Theatre  296,500

London Contemporary Dance (The Place) Limited  660,000

Electric Ballroom CIC  497,000

Rich Mix Cultural Foundation  2,205,000

Royal Opera House  5,000,000

VocalEyes  102,254

English National Opera  1,601,293

Northern Stage (Theatrical Productions) Ltd  192,600

Queens Hall Arts  393,068

36 Lime Street Ltd  847,932

Baltic Flour Mills Visual Arts Trust  3,649,800

Gateway Studio CIO, New Trinity  400,000

Middlesbrough Council Cultural Services  2,595,000

The Cluny Events (North East) CIC  334,000

Theatre Porto  139,000

esea contemporary  359,100

The Lowry Centre Trust  8,500,000

Liverpool & Merseyside Theatres Trust Ltd  999,999

Blackburn with Darwen BC  990,000

Skylight Circus Arts  125,990

Octopus Collective Ltd, Barrow  396,000

New Wolsey Theatre Company Ltd  529,340

Palace Theatre Watford Limited  999,896

Creative Arts East  144,226

Stagetext  183,356

Wysing Arts Centre  195,000

Firstsite Ltd  995,000

Britten Pears Arts  1,954,825

Worthing Borough Council  371,278

Brighton Dome & Festival Limited  468,701

Watermill Theatre  300,000

The Mill Arts Centre  135,000

Kent County Council  865,000

Portsmouth New Theatre Royal  450,000

The Hexagon, Reading  2,068,000

Turner Sims, Southampton  350,000

Play to the Crowd, Theatre Royal Winchester  398,000

TwoCan Inclusive Theatre Company  283,169

Taunton Theatre Association Ltd  527,083

Wiltshire Creative  3,000,000

Friends of the Lyric CIC  170,000

Newlyn Art Gallery Ltd  726,599

Theatre Royal (Plymouth) Ltd  8,356,000

Music Venue Properties  999,000

Trinity Community Arts  390,000

University of Leicester, Attenborough Arts Centre  899,999

Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, Leicester  119,725

Northampton Theatres Trust  538,000

Nottingham Playhouse  285,574

North Kesteven District Council  107,777

Stoke on Trent & North Staffordshire Theatre Trust  295,308

Royal Shakespeare Company  7,298,800

Paines Plough  750,000

Birmingham Royal Ballet  949,953

Birmingham Repertory Theatre  3,047,229

Claybody Theatre  150,000

Wolverhampton Arts Centre  4,999,999

Hull Truck Theatre  318,911

Barnsley Civic Enterprise Ltd Civic  805,165

Kirklees Theatre Trust  630,000

Yorkshire Dance Centre Trust  750,000

Mind the Gap Studio  100,000

Northern Ballet Limited  522,500

Rotherham Theatres  200,000

Scarborough Theatre Trust Ltd  2,700,000

 The full list of recipients of the Mend fund is as follows:



London Transport Museum  999,999

Museum of the Order of St John  413,015

Hartlepool Borough Council  2,458,641

Chesters Roman Fort  476,566

Grundy Art Gallery  357,000

Peoples History Museum  2,491,670

Port Sunlight Village Trust  499,999

Lancaster City Museum  94,056

Barmall Hall, Stockport Museums  1,000,000

Greater Manchester Transport Society  244,000

The Armitt Museum and Library  238,098

Natural History Museum, Colchester  499,477

Sheringham Museum  456,170

Walmer Council  3,080,000

The Brickworks Museum  280,000

Whitchurch Silk Mill  210,045

Brading Roman Villa  80,707

Bristol Museums  3,567,713

Boston Guildhall  401,112

National Tramway Museum  492,880

Creswell Crags  184,705

Newstead Abbey, Nottingham  1,550,747

Black Country Living Museum  454,159

Compton Verney  794,750

Burton Constable Hall  242,000

Oakwell Hall, Kirklees  1,638,724

Yorkshire Museum  2,000,000

Ryedale Folk Museum  350,676

 The full list of recipients of the LIF is as follows:



London Borough Havering  499,000

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham  300,000

London Borough of Ealing Libraries  50,000

RBG  Sport, Leisure and Library Services, Greenwich Libraries  121,755

Harrow Libraries  110,000

Camden Council  149,655

East Ham Co-Working and Study Space  350,000

Suffolk County Council  500,000

Cambridgeshire Community and Cultural Services  150,000

Hartlepool Borough Council  94,400

Northumberland Libraries  491,022

Gateshead Council  Library Service  71,794

Manchester City Council  52,942

St Helens Council Library Service  290,000

Rochdale Borough Council  140,000

Surrey Libraries  50,000

South Gloucestershire Council (Cultural Services)  167,639

Devon County Council  200,000

Bristol City Council  279,147

Derbyshire County Council  440,000

Walsall Council  170,000

City of Wolverhampton Council  270,000

Shropshire Libraries  299,000

Telford & Wrekin  235,971

Sheffield Libraries  87,000

North Lincolnshire Council  265,560

Hull Culture and Leisure Library  203,175

East Riding Libraries  300,000
Sarwar made no reference to Keir Starmer, or UK policies, as he laid out a series of Scottish Labours election pledges on Monday. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian (Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian)

Anas Sarwar has appealed to voters to give Labour five years to fix the Scottish National partys mess as he pledged more homes, tax cuts and a smaller public sector.

The Scottish Labour leader is fighting a last-ditch attempt to reverse a steep slump in support. Recent polls put Sarwars party third or even fourth behind the SNP, Reform and the Scottish Greens, dragged down by the UK governments unpopularity.

He said Labour still had time to claw its way back into contention before the 7 May Holyrood election, claiming voters would see the SNP government of John Swinney as tired, full of excuses and out of ideas.

Sarwar said people could see that quite clearly during the first televised leaders debate on Sunday, as he unveiled Labours manifesto in Edinburgh.

I am confident that the more people see the choice at this election, and the more they come alive to this election campaign, they will choose change on 7 May, he said.

Sarwar made no reference to Keir Starmer, or UK policies, as he laid out a series of election pledges to provide families with a 3,000 childcare tax break, lift property taxes for first-time buyers and build 52,300 affordable homes, while hiring 2,000 extra teachers to increase literacy and numeracy.

With less than 25 days until the election, the party still hopes to capitalise on polls that also show a large majority of Scottish voters are critical of public services under the SNP, by making Labour the vehicle for that discontent.

After 20 years of the SNP they have lost their way, Sarwar told the rally on Monday. They have been given 20 years. I am asking you to give me five; five years to fix the SNPs mess. The people who created the mess cannot be the ones to fix it.

Facing heavy competition for votes on the centre left in Scotland, and seeing the Conservatives tacking to the right as they struggle to compete with Reform UK, Scottish Labour has shifted its economic policies firmly into the centre.

Scottish Labour had previously pressed for a more progressive income tax regime in Scotland, using the countrys devolved tax system. Sarwar said the party now aspired to reduce tax rates, and particularly target middle earners paying significantly higher marginal rates, when Scotlands finances allowed, as well as cutting business rates.

Labour would cut the countrys quangos by a third, heavily streamline NHS bureaucracy, host a unit in a new Scottish Treasury to cut public sector waste and introduce a board of trade to prioritise private investment, he said.

The party would also build new nuclear power stations, scrapping the SNPs longstanding ban on the technology, and greatly streamline the planning system to speed up developments, Sarwar added, winning plaudits on Monday from the business lobby group CBI Scotland.

Labour claims its public sector cuts, strengthened investment agencies and greater investment in new technologies, including Scotlands first NHS appointments app and AI-driven diagnostics in the NHS, will free up hundreds of millions to invest in better schools, hospitals and local services.

The manifesto was given cautious approval by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which said its relatively restrained proposals and lack of expensive, uncosted promises were sensible and less risky than those of Labours rivals.

David Phillips, the head of devolved and local government finances at the thinktank, said: Particularly given the fiscal situation, the lack of big unfunded new commitments is welcome.

Even so, Labour would need to cut some services because spending increases on core areas were unavoidable.

Despite Sarwars confidence, the anti-independence campaign group Scotland in Union published a tactical voting guide that urged Labour, Tory and Liberal Democrat voters to back whichever party stood the best chance of blocking an SNP candidate from winning a local constituency.

Angus Robertson, the SNPs campaign director, said: Weve heard it all before from Labour  but we know exactly what we get with them. Broken promise after broken promise  energy bills up, Grangemouth closed and the winter fuel payment debacle. We already have one disastrous Labour government and we dont need another one.
Newly appointed Chief of Army Lieutenant General Susan Coyle poses for photographers after a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia (Reuters)

Australia on Monday announced that a woman will command its army for the first time in its 125-year history.

Lieutenant General Susan Coyle, the current chief of joint capabilities, will take over as chief of army in July, and replace Lieutenant General Simon Stuart, the government said in a statement.

Lt Gen Coyle's appointment comes as Australia's military seeks to boost the number of female officers in its ranks after a plethora of allegations of systematic sexual harassment and discrimination tainted the military.

The army is also in the throes of a major transformation, including equipping itself with long-range firepower, drones, and other modern combat tools.

"From July, we will have the first ever female chief of army in the Australian army's 125-year history," prime minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.

Defence minister Richard Marles called Ms Coyle's appointment a "deeply historic moment", adding: "As Susan said to me, you cannot be what you cannot see."

File: : Australian Defence Force Chief of Joint Capabilities Lt. Gen. Susan Coyle attends the Avalon Australian International Airshow (Getty)

"Susan's achievement will be deeply significant to women who are serving in the Australian Defence Force today and women who are thinking about serving in the Australian Defence Force in the future," Mr Marles added.

Lt Gen Coyle, 55, during her three-decade-long career in the Australian army, served in the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and the Middle East.

She enlisted in the military in 1987 and has held a number of senior command roles. She will be the first woman to lead any service branch of the military, Mr Marles said.

Lt Gen Coyle graduated as an officer from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Academy in 1992 and went on to become the head of information warfare, commander of Joint Task Force 633 and the commander of Task Group Afghanistan.

She was appointed the chief of joint capabilities in July 2024, where she leads space and cyber domains and National Support for Defence.

Lt Gen Coyle is also a mother of three children that she shares with her husband, who also serves in the military.

Jennifer Parker, an expert associate at the Australian National University, said Lt Gen Coyles appointment had been a long time coming and is well overdue.

She told the Sydney Morning Herald that Lt Gen Coyle had experience in space and cyber capabilities, as well as traditional army platforms, which made her well-placed to learn lessons from modern conflicts.

Women currently make up around 21 per cent of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and 18.5 per cent of senior leadership roles. The ADF has set a target of 25 per cent of overall participation for women by 2030.

Last October, a class action lawsuit was filed against the ADF alleging it failed to protect thousands of female officers from systematic sexual assault, harassment and discrimination.

The government on Monday also appointed Vice Admiral Mark Hammond, the current chief of the navy, as the head of the ADF, succeeding Admiral David Johnston.

Vice Admiral Hammond reportedly played a key role in the 2021 Aukus defence pact signed by US, UK and Australia to counter China's growing aggression in the Pacific.

Mr Marles said Vice Admiral Hammond had been right at the heart of the plan to acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines under the defence pact and had done an incredible job as navy chief since 2022.

The current deputy chief of navy, Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley, will replace Vice Admiral Hammond as head of the branch.
Trumps campaign has just widened massively in scale - Reuters

Whoever controls the Strait of Hormuz exerts influence far beyond the Gulf. Trump appears to be trying to do two things at once. First, he wants to strangle Irans oil income and, by doing so, apply economic pressure on the Iranian regime.

Second, he wants to force Hormuz open again for Saudi, Emirati, Kuwaiti and other non-Iranian oil cargoes, while blocking traffic to and from Iranian ports. The United States Central Command has already narrowed the blockade to Iranian port traffic, while saying non-Iranian shipping should pass unhindered. That is the theory. In practice, it amounts to a coercive maritime campaign of formidable scale.

To realise that design, the United States would first have to impose sustained air and sea suppression along the Iranian littoral. Commercial traffic will not resume following a Truth Social post. Shipowners, insurers and masters will need confidence that anti-ship missiles, drones, fast-attack craft, covert minelayers and coastal surveillance can no longer threaten the traffic separation scheme.

The regional maritime threat remains critical. Iran still insists on prior coordination for transits, and traffic through the Strait has not meaningfully recovered. The opening phase will therefore be a campaign for local maritime control.

Only then comes mine clearance, which is slow, technical, and exhausting work. Reported mines in the Strait mean route survey, route proving, unmanned underwater searches, explosive ordnance disposal, repeated sweeps, and the cautious declaration of narrow safe lanes. Every cleared channel must then be checked again, because a mined choke point can be re-contaminated far more quickly than it can be sanitised. In Hormuz, de-mining sits at the heart of the mission.

The hardest part comes in the enduring operation. Keeping Hormuz open day after day would require round-the-clock intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance over the approaches; combat air patrols and missile defence for escorted convoys; surface combatants positioned to screen eastbound and westbound merchant ships; boarding teams for suspect vessels; hydrographic teams to re-check cleared lanes; rapid attribution when a drone, limpet charge or floating mine appears; salvage and firefighting assets for the first tanker hit; constant notices to mariners; and sufficient logistics, munitions and crew rotation to keep the whole machine running for weeks or months.

Safe vessel movement will require a deliberate, methodical plan coordinated across military, inter-agency, and industry, while any blockade would be an open-ended endeavour requiring significant naval assets.

Keeping the Strait of Hormuz open day after day would require round-the-clock intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance - AFP

All Iran has to do is almost nothing. Tehran does not need a grand naval battle. It needs ambiguity, delay and just enough hazard to keep traffic thin and insurance punitive. The ceasefire produced no meaningful increase in shipping, with observed traffic collapsing to single digits, down from a historical average of about 138 vessels a day.

That is how the regime fights: by forcing the other side to send escorts merely to restore normality. Washingtons failure here is psychological before it is tactical. The Iranian system is built for siege, patience and endurance. It can treat passivity as a weapon.

That misreading may well have been sharpened by Venezuela. After the January raid that captured Nicolas Maduro, Trump saw this as a model of success. It is hard not to suspect that such a rapid decapitation success bred dangerous confidence that another regime could be shocked into collapse by leadership losses and infrastructure damage.

However, Iran was never Venezuela. It is more institutionalised, religiously ideological, practised at survival, and still partly shielded by a buried stockpile of highly enriched uranium and a now more hardline leadership.

The deeper military blunder lay in sequencing. If Hormuz were Irans main lever over the world economy, it had to be secured before the wider offensive, not afterwards in a scramble. Instead, Washington widened the war, allowed Tehran to demonstrate control of the lane, and only then decided to reopen it under threat.

Results are already plain. Oil has jumped back above $100 a barrel. Allies refused to join the blockade. Iran still retains significant quantities of 60 per cent enriched uranium, much of it likely at Isfahan. By any serious standard, the result is a shambles from which Washington is scrambling to recover.

Andrew Fox is a senior fellow at the Henry Jackson Society and co-host of the Brink podcast with Jake Wallis Simons
One of the BBCs best dramas has drawn to a close in grandstanding fashion  and fans have been left questioning if its really the end.

The Capture, exploring deepfake technology known as Correction, returned for a third season last month, bringing back Holliday Graingers Rachel Carey for a run of episodes that placed her character at the heart of the conspiracy.

Episode six satisfactorily closed every open plot hole introduced throughout the series. However, it also left things open for a return should creator Ben Chanan decide to write another series  but hes unsure whether he will.

Holliday Grainger in thrilling BBC series The Capture (BBC)

He told The Independent: Three is a nice number. A trilogy feels nice. What we do after this, I dont know. This is maybe it.

But he levelled that the whole subject of AI, and how were going to live with it, is still evolving, for sure, hinting there could be hope yet for fans of the show.

Were just at the beginning of it, so theres plenty of material and inspiration if we want to do another series, he said.

Grainger added: I feel like all the best shows are trilogies. But who knows? The Capture has the scope to go on  and to go anywhere. So I guess that would depend on Bens brain.

*Spoilers follow  you have been warned*

The series ended with Carey, now the commander of counter terrorism, rocked by the death of her mentor, the senior spy Gemma Garland (Lia Williams).

She had been assassinated by the trained killer Noah Pierson (Killian Scott), but a scene in the final episode hinted Garland might actually be alive.

After taking a selfie with her sister Abigail (Daisy Waterstone), she looks at the photo and sees Garland in the background  but, when she looks at the photo again, Garland has vanished.

Lia Williams in 'The Capture' (BBC)

Well, thats the question, isnt it? Grainger told Cosmopolitan UK. I mean, do you believe what you see?"

Talking about what a possible fourth season could involve, Grainger said she hoped Chanan would explore the AI overlord known as Simon  an algorithm delivering orders to a high-ranking army organisation, called The Increment, based on the likelihood of events.

"I mean, if I was Carey, Id want to know, in order to trust Simon, who programmed Simon? Whos behind that?" Grainger said.
When Peter Chapple-Hyam purchased Authorized, he was thinking either Epsom or Exeter. Derby dreams would indeed be realised as the crowning moment of a glittering career on the turf, but now he has etched his name into the Grand National history books, courtesy of the exploits of I Am Maximus.

Authorized will always be the answer to quiz questions, being the colt that would end Frankie Dettoris search for a previously elusive first success in the Derby.

However, he has ensured his name remains up in lights through his progeny, with the dual National triumphs of first Tiger Roll and now I Am Maximus making him the most successful sire in the races long and distinguished history  an achievement that has left his former trainer delighted.

I was absolutely over the moon to see I Am Maximus win, Chapple-Hyam told the Press Association.

I Am Maximus wrote his name into the history books on Saturday (David Davies for The Jockey Club/PA) (David Davies for The Jockey Club)

It was some performance and some race and then obviously before that you had Tiger Roll winning his Nationals and Im glad Authorized will have his name forever remembered, hell be in the history books forever.

He was such a lovely horse to have anything to do with and a pleasure to be around. He gave Frankie his first Derby and he was probably one of the biggest priced winners of the Racing Post (Futurity) Trophy so hes always been a star of a horse and always close to some form of history.

It was a clear case of love at first sight for Chapple-Hyam, who made the striking son of Montjeu his primary target of 2005s autumn yearling sales  despite pondering if in fact he would be taking him to far flung National Hunt tracks rather than the Classic venues of summer.

Chapple-Hyam explained: When I bought him I was told to find the nicest five horses in the sale. When asked which one I really liked I said the Montjeu  I loved Montjeu as a racehorse and I watched this horse walk and he was such an athlete. I said hes the one.

Authorized will forever be remembered as Frankie Dettoris first Derby winner (Rebecca Naden/PA) (Rebecca Naden)

My exact words were that I loved this horse and he was such an athlete, hes an easy-moving, free-going horse. His hocks might be a bit behind him but hes beautiful and its either Epsom or Exeter.

I thought I was looking at either a very good jumper or a very good Flat horse and this was as a yearling, but he didnt move like a slow horse.

Authorized would spend the early years of his stallion career on the Darley roster at Dalham Hall Stud and then Haras du Logis in France but now resides in Ireland at Kilkennys Capital Stud via a brief spell in Turkey.

Chapple-Hyam remains the most loyal supporter of his triple Group One hero, who as well as being the sire of a pair of Grand National champions has also produced an Irish Derby winner on the level in Santiago and is still going strong aged 22.

Tiger Roll is another famous son of Authorized (Nigel French/PA) (Nigel French)

I thought being at Darley Studs at least he would have a chance (of being a success at stud) and would get some decent mares but he didnt get the time, said Chapple-Hyam.

People dont give stallions time these days and if they dont set off having horses win the Norfolk and Dewhurst and the like they are deemed as no good. He wasnt a good horse really until he was three, so its no surprise his progeny needed time to be good.

I was disappointed when he was sold to Turkey but Im glad he came back and he has a nice home now in Ireland. Hes covering plenty of mares, even for an old man.

I havent been to see him as I dont like to intrude. Hell always be my horse, but isnt anymore, if you get what I mean. But John Berrys wife Emma often sees him and very kindly sends me plenty of pictures.
Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, has announced he will resign from Congress following allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and made other unwanted sexual advances toward women.

Swalwell, who has fiercely denied the allegations, wrote in a statement Monday that he was aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against him and other members of Congress.

Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But its also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress, he said.

Swalwell apologized to his family, staff, and constituents for his past mistakes in judgment, but insisted the allegations of sexual misconduct, including the alleged rape of a former staffer, are false.

Just an hour after Swalwells announcement, Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican who recently admitted to having an affair with a staffer who died by suicide last year, said he would leave Congress.

Representative Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, has announced he will resign from Congress following allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and made other unwanted sexual advances toward women (AFP via Getty Images)

A woman who was in her 20s when she was hired to work in Swalwells Castro Valley office in 2019, accused the married congressman of sexually assaulting her twice when she was heavily intoxicated, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Friday.

One of the alleged incidents happened in 2024, a few years after the woman stopped working for Swalwell.

After getting drinks with Swalwell following an awards ceremony in New York, she got so intoxicated that she only remembers flashes of the rest of the night. She alleged Swalwell forced himself on her in a hotel room.

I woke up once during it and even told him to stop at one point, the woman wrote to a friend after the alleged incident in a text message reviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle.

She told the publication that she had vaginal bleeding and bruises the next morning. Swalwell has strenuously denied the reporting.

Swalwell has fiercely denied any allegations of sexual misconduct, but apologized to his constituents for his past mistakes in judgment (Getty Images)

CNN reported claims later Friday from a total of four women who have accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct from when they were in their 20s, including claims of sending unprompted nude photos on Snapchat.

The account of one of the women cited in CNNs reporting resembles that of the woman who spoke to The Chronicle but The Independent was unable to verify if they are the same source.

In a video posted to X late Friday, Swalwell said, These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. Theyre absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened and I will fight them with everything that I have.

The allegations against Swalwell have upended his gubernatorial campaign in California, where he was a frontrunner.

Several of his fellow Democrats, including California Senator Adam Schiff and Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego, dropped their support for Swalwell.

House Democratic leadership called for a swift investigation into the allegations and for Swalwell to drop his bid for governor. The congressman suspended his gubernatorial campaign Sunday night.

Just an hour after Swalwells announcement, Representative Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican who recently admitted to having an affair with a staffer who died by suicide last year, said he would leave Congress (Getty Images)

On Monday, the House Ethics Committee announced it had launched a probe into Swalwell with respect to allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.

Representative Teresa Leger Fernandez, chair of the Democratic Womens Caucus, called on Sunday for the immediate resignation of Swalwell and Gonzales.

The House Ethics Committee is also investigating Gonzales over the inappropriate relationship hes accused of having with a former staffer.

Reps. Gonzales and Swalwell are not fit to serve. They must resign. If they do not, I will vote to expel them, Fernandez of New Mexico said.

Gonzales had dropped his bid for re-election in March, before announcing his early retirement Monday.

There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas, the congressman wrote.

The Independent has reached out to Gonzales office for comment.

Swalwells planned departure will trigger a special election in his House district, the Associated Press reports.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom is responsible for calling a special election, which he must do within 14 calendar days of the occurrence of the vacancy, according to state election law.
Former Channel 5 News presenter Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije has alleged that the show has a toxic culture of racism, sexism, misogyny and bullying after accusing co-star Dan Walker of the latter.

It was reported on Sunday (12 April) that Walker  who joined 5 News in 2022 after leaving BBC Breakfast  would be appearing at an employment tribunal this month over bullying allegations made by Vanderpuije. The presenters co-hosted 5 News together until 2024, when Vanderpuije left the channel after five years.

Channel 5 brought in investigators in 2024 after Walker was the subject of a multi-pronged complaint from a colleague, however they found that there had been a lack of evidence to support allegations.

Issuing a statement on Vanderpuijes behalf, her lawyer Jonathan Coad said shes alleging that ITN, which produces the show, and Channel 5 tried to cover up the racist culture on the show.

He told the Daily Mail: Claudia-Liza claims that she was the victim of a sham redundancy because as a whistleblower she made protected disclosures alleging that a toxic culture of racism, sexism, misogyny and bullying existed in the Channel 5 Newsroom, and that its editorial content reflected its racist culture.

Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije has claimed that she's the victim of a 'sham redundancy' after leaving Channel 5 (Getty)

He added: Claudia-Liza is constrained for legal reasons from saying anything further about her claims until the trial.

According to the publication, Walker denies all the allegations.

ITN told The Independent regarding the upcoming tribunal: This claim, which is denied in full, will be addressed through the tribunal process.

The Independent has reached out to Vanderpuije and Walker for comment.

A source told The Mail on Sunday that Walker absolutely denies any sexism, misogyny, racism or bullying and that it has been hanging over him for some years now. They added: He will be at London Central tribunal later this month. Nobody wants this but he will be there to tell the judge the truth.

There will be tons of witness statements, which will talk to Dans character. He has been absolutely stunned with the amount of people willing to support him. He has been stunned and actually very upset to be accused of such things.

Walker was hit by a multi-pronged complaint in 2024, resulting in Channel 5 conducting an investigation. He was cleared of any wrongdoing by the findings, with independent investigators citing a lack of evidence to support allegations.

A Channel 5 spokesperson said at the time that none of the claims had been upheld, while Walker later said in an interview with The Telegraph that after a full investigation, he was entirely vindicated by an independent inquiry.

Vanderpuije joined Channel 5 in 2018, hosting 5 News Tonight, 5 News at 5 and occasionally The Wright Stuff.

Channel 5 news presenter Dan Walker was investigated following a multi-pronged complaint in 2024, but none of the claims were upheld (PA)

She spent one year presenting alongside Walker before leaving in 2024. Shortly after her exit, Vanderpuije compared her situation to that of Blake Lively  who accused her This Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment and causing her severe emotional distress in 2024.

Vanderpuije posted a quote from Lively, who said: I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted.

The ex 5 News presenter added: Never in my wildest nightmares did I think I would be living the same life, speaking EXACTLY the same words as a Hollywood actress.

It is deeply upsetting to see how women are silenced and our names smeared simply because we speak out protecting others and calling out wrongdoing.
Diphtheria is a contagious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae - APA

Key facts

Diphtheria is a highly contagious infection that primarily affects the mouth, nose and throat, and sometimes the skin

It is caused by a bacteria that produces a toxin which can damage the heart and nerves

Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable disease, but multiple doses are needed to maintain immunity

Without proper treatment, diphtheria can be fatal in around 30 per cent of cases, with young children at higher risk

Diphtheria has been rare in the UK since routine vaccinations were introduced in 1942  although there is a small risk of catching it while travelling

Overview

Diphtheria is a contagious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It spreads through coughs and sneezes, or by close contact with an infected individual. Some infected people may not show symptoms but can still spread the bacteria, while others may only experience mild illness.

Diphtheria is most common in unvaccinated children, but it can affect anyone, particularly those who are living in cramped and unsanitary conditions. Before the introduction of the vaccine and widespread immunisation, diphtheria outbreaks were common everywhere. In recent years the number of outbreaks has grown because of low vaccination coverage.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms typically appear two to five days after being exposed to the bacterium. The most common symptoms include a sore throat, high temperature, and swollen glands in the neck. Other symptoms include:

A grey-white coating to develop in the back of the throat, nose, and tongue

Difficulty breathing and swallowing, and swelling in the neck area

Skin infections with pus-filled blisters on the legs, feet, and hands, as well as large ulcers surrounded by red, sore-looking skin.

Dangers and complications

Diphtheria can be a serious and sometimes fatal illness, especially in children, if not treated promptly. The diphtheria toxin can cause serious complications, including inflammation of the heart and nerves. For unvaccinated people who do not receive treatment the condition is fatal in around 30 per cent of cases. Young children are at greatest risk.

Transmission

The infection is usually transmitted from person to person via exhaled droplets from coughing or sneezing. It can also spread through close contact with an infected person or by sharing items such as cups, cutlery, clothing or bedding. Diphtheria remains contagious for up to four weeks after infection.

Treatment

Diphtheria needs to be treated quickly in hospital to help prevent serious complications. The main treatments include antibiotics to kill the bacteria and diphtheria-specific antitoxins.

Anyone who has had diphtheria should receive a vaccine after the acute phase of the illness. People who have been in close contact with a diphtheria patient should be given antibiotics as a preventive measure and receive a dose of the vaccine.

Prevention

Vaccinations against diphtheria have been available since the 1930s and are the best way to prevent the disease.

The vaccine is often combined with vaccines for other diseases such as tetanus, pertussis, Hemophilus influenzae, hepatitis B, and inactivated polio.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a total of six vaccine doses from six weeks of age through to adolescence to provide long-term protection.

In the UK, the vaccines are given at eight, 12 and 16 weeks, three years and four months and 14 years. If youre travelling to a part of the world where there may be a risk of diphtheria, you may need a booster if you were last vaccinated more than 10 years ago.

However, there is some evidence that the bacterium that causes diphtheria is developing resistance to certain antibiotics.

History

Before routine immunisation, diphtheria was a major killer of children and adults worldwide. The mass roll-out of the diphtheria vaccine in Europe, North America, Australia, and Japan began in the 1940s and 50s.

However, outbreaks have occurred in areas with low immunisation coverage.

For example, a diphtheria outbreak in the former Soviet Union between 1990 and 1997 infected over 140,000 people and led to 4,000 deaths. In 2017-2018, Coxs Bazar in Bangladesh saw more than 8,000 reported infections, and Yemen saw 2,203 probable cases between 2017 and 2018, as well as another spike in cases in 2023. In 2022 Europe saw an unusual spike in the number of cases  362 across 10 countries including the UK, Germany and Austria. The majority of these cases were imported.

Useful links

who.int/diphtheria

ecdc.europa.eu/diphtheria

cdc.gov/diphtheria

travelhealthpro.org.uk/diphtheria

Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security
A 69-year-old man was killed in Malaysia after being trampled by a wild elephant while working at a palm oil plantation with his son.

According to the authorities, the attack occurred on 12 April at around 2.00pm local time in Lahad Datu, a district in eastern Sabah, as the pair were preparing to leave the plantation.

Suddenly, they were attacked by an elephant. The victim did not have time to escape and was trampled, Lahad Datu deputy police chief superintendent, Jimmy Panyau, said in a statement.

The son also shouted for help and attempted to distract the elephant before it eventually moved away from the area, he said.

The son, 38, later rushed his father to the hospital, but the man was pronounced dead on arrival.

A preliminary examination of the body revealed a broken leg and fractured ribs, Mr Panyau added.

He said that the elephant was believed to be a solitary bull rather than part of a herd. Authorities have classified the case as a sudden death.

Authorities have urged the public, particularly those living in the Tungku area where the latest incident occurred, to stay vigilant and exercise caution due to the presence of wild elephants nearby.

Authorities said that members of the public with information are urged to contact the investigating officer at Tungku police station or the Lahad Datu district police headquarters.

Last year in November, a 43-year-old Malaysian logger, identified as Saidi Jahari, was killed in a wild elephant attack at a logging site in Gua Musang  in the northern part of the country  after the animals approached the workers camp at night.

According to Malay Mail, he was first injured and found with broken legs after the group fled, but a bull elephant later returned and attacked again, forcing others to run. He was later found deceased with severe injuries consistent with being trampled by an elephant.

And last year in December, a wild elephant damaged a parked car in Perak, in the north of Selangor, after being attracted by the smell of food, including durians inside the vehicle.

The elephant smashed a Honda Citys window while the driver was inside, who at first thought it was a robbery before realising it was the animal and getting help to scare it away.

The elephant had reportedly been rummaging through rubbish bins for food before targeting the car. No one was injured, and the animal eventually returned to the forest.
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California suspended his gubernatorial campaign Sunday night under immense pressure from colleagues after a former staffers accusations of sexual assault set off a string of sexual misconduct allegations.

I am suspending my campaign for Governor, Swalwell wrote on X. To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past.

I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made  but thats my fight, not a campaigns.

Swalwell, 45, was the leading Democratic candidate in the race to replace Governor Gavin Newsom and had received roughly two dozen endorsements from top lawmakers, labor unions and organizations.

But those endorsements were quickly rescinded after the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN published reports within hours of each other on April 10 alleging that multiple women had experienced sexual misconduct at the hands of Swalwell.

Swalwell was the leading Democratic candidate to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom before two articles were published included serious accusations of sexual misconduct (Getty Images)

Swalwell vehemently denies the allegations and had promised to fight them, implying that the accusations were made in a coordinated effort to hurt his campaign.

A woman who once worked for Swalwell told the Chronicle that the congressman had sexually assaulted her twice between 2019 and 2024. At the time, Swalwell was 17 years older than the staffer and was roughly two years into his current marriage.

Three other women told CNN they experienced a range of sexual misconduct by the congressman between 2021 and 2025, from receiving unsolicited nude photos to unwanted physical advances while intoxicated.

At least three of the women received cease-and-desist letters from a lawyer representing Swalwell, threatening to use legal action if they did not retract the false allegations.

Multiple members of Congress have called on Swalwell to resign from the House of Representatives entirely (AP)

Senior campaign officials stepped down shortly after the allegations were made. Staff for Swalwells congressional office and gubernatorial campaign released a statement denouncing Swalwells behavior.

By April 11, the Manhattan district attorneys office opened an investigation after the former staffer said Swalwell had assaulted her in New York City.

Following Sundays announcement the Mayor of San Jose Matt Mahan, who is also vying for Governor, wrote: Eric Swalwell is done. Done abusing women. Done climbing the political ladder. Done. He does not get any credit for doing less than the bare minimum.

Exiting a race you should never have entered deserves no credit. It is an overdue acknowledgment of what the brave survivors who came forward already made clear: Eric Swalwell represented the worst of politics. California deserves better. And now, California will get better.

In addition to calls for him to drop out, some lawmakers called on Swalwell to resign from Congress entirely. Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida had planned to file a motion to expel Swalwell from the House.

Swalwell represented Californias 15th district, which includes the southern side of San Francisco, from 2013 until 2023. He represents the states 14th district.
Eric Swalwell on Capitol Hill last year. Photograph: Annabelle Gordon/Reuters (Photograph: Annabelle Gordon/Reuters)

Representative Eric Swalwell, the Democratic frontrunner in the fiercely contested race to be governor of California, has suspended his campaign amid a series of sexual assault and misconduct allegations by a former staff member and at least three other women.

The woman who worked for Swalwell said the California congressman had sexually assaulted her twice when she was too inebriated to consent, according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, which was published on Friday.

Three other women also accused Swalwell of misconduct, according to CNN. The women said Swalwell had sent them unsolicited nude photographs or explicit messages.

In a statement posted online, Swalwell, 45, said he would fight the serious, false allegations that have been made  but thats my fight, not a campaigns.

To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past, he said.

Since the allegations were first made public on Friday, Swalwell, has forcefully denied the claims, asserting in a video statement that they were flat false and part of a concerted effort to derail his gubernatorial campaign.

Rumors about his alleged misconduct had swirled online for weeks before the Chronicle and CNN published their articles on Friday, shaking up a deeply unsettled race. Almost immediately, prominent supporters and rivals began to call on him to withdraw from the race, including the House minority leader, Hakeem Jeffries, and the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a colossal figure in California politics whom Swalwell counted as a political ally. There followed an exodus of campaign staff and mounting calls from colleagues and former staffers to resign from Congress.

His campaign co-chairs, Congressmen Jimmy Gomez and Adam Gray, stepped down, while California senator Adam Schiff, one of the most prominent Congressional Democrats to support Swalwells campaign for governor, rescinded his endorsement and called on him to exit the race, as did the senator Alex Padilla, who has remained neutral in the contest.

In a deeply personal rebuke, the Arizona senator Ruben Gallego withdrew his endorsement and expressed regret for having defended his friend against rumors of the allegations prior to knowing all the information.

Even as it appeared Swalwells campaign had all-but imploded, he did not immediately drop out, instead telling supporters and constituents on Friday that he would take the weekend to deliberate with family about his next steps. But the fallout seemed to worsen by the hour. On Saturday, the Manhattan district attorneys office said it would open a criminal investigation into a sexual assault allegation against Swalwell, alleged to have been committed in New York in 2024.

Then on Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security announced an investigation, alleging that Swalwell hired a Brazilian national as a nanny without lawful work authorization. The allegations of immigration law violation came to light after Joel Gilbert, a California film-maker who made a conspiratorial documentary about Barack Obama in 2012, filed a 68-page complaint with immigration officials in February.

Meanwhile, members of Congress from both parties said on Sunday that they could vote to expel Swalwell, as well as a Republican US representative, Tony Gonzales, also accused of sexual misconduct.

Swalwell, who is in his seventh term representing northern California, rose to national prominence as a pugnacious opponent of Donald Trump. He briefly ran for president in 2020 but struggled to gain traction and withdrew before any primary votes were cast. In 2021, Swalwell was chosen to serve as an impeachment manager during Trumps second impeachment trial, which centered on Trumps role in the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.

Swalwell was among the last candidates to enter the race for governor, declaring his candidacy during a November appearance on the ABC late-night show hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. In recent weeks he had begun to consolidate support and pull ahead in a muddled Democratic field that had yet to produce a clear frontrunner.

His sudden departure jolts the contest to replace governor Gavin Newsom  a race that has left California Democrats fretting over the prospect of two Republicans advancing to the general election in the nations largest blue state, a result of its quirky primary system, which rewards the top two vote-getters regardless of party.

Recent polls showed Swalwell edging ahead of his Democratic rivals, gaining on Republican Steve Hilton, a British-born political consultant, and the Republican Riverside county sheriff, Chad Bianco.

Other Democrats in the race include billionaire Tom Steyer, former California congresswoman Katie Porter, former US Health and Human Services secretary Xavier Becerra, San Jose mayor Matt Mahan, former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and several others.

Responding to Swalwells exit from the race, several of his rivals commended the women who came forward, and called for the Congressman to be held accountable.

Eric Swalwell represented the worst of politics, Mahan said.

Villaraigosa said suspending his campaign was not sufficient.

Eric Swalwell must resign his position in Congress and completely withdraw from the governors race immediately, he said.
The Hume family from Leeds woke extra early on Sunday morning to leave their Italian ski resort for Milan Linate airport. On their outbound journey from Manchester, Max Hume, 56, his wife Lynsey, 46, and their 13-year-old son Archie had queued for over an hour at passport control on arrival in Italy.

Heeding the advice from easyJet to allow ample time to get through departure formalities, they arrived at the terminal nearly three hours before their flight back to Manchester was due to leave.

But due to chaotic enforcement of the EU entry-exit system, they watched their plane depart without them  with more than 100 other passengers left behind.

After staff working for easyJet said the family would have to pay 330 to be rebooked on the next available flight, five days later, they spent more than 1,600 for a connecting flight via Luxembourg  which will get them home 24 hours late.

Speaking to The Independent as they boarded the flight to Luxembourg, Mr Hume said he felt gutted, upset, let down, absolutely shattered and poorer  much poorer.

Of the 156 passengers said to be booked on easyJet flight 5420 to Manchester, only 34 boarded  leaving 122 behind in Italy.

EasyJet said it is sorry for any inconvenience caused and that stranded passengers will be offered free transfers to alternative flights.

Mr Hume, a teacher in West Yorkshire, said that after checking in their luggage, the family arrived at passport control at 9.15am. At the time only a handful of passengers were ahead of them. But as a gate had not yet been assigned for the Manchester flight, staff said they could not have their passports checked. The two people working there wouldnt let us through, even though there was nobody going through passport control, because the gate hadnt been released, he said.

But passengers who were booked on the other non-Schengen flights on Sunday morning  two on British Airways to Heathrow, and an easyJet flight to Gatwick  were allowed through.

Mr Hume said: People were arriving late for those London flights and they were just letting them through while holding us back.

His wife nearly passed out in the heat, while a fellow passenger was sick into a bag. It appears that at least some of the passengers who made it onto the Manchester flight had simply lied and said they were going to London in order to be allowed through passport control.

Finally the Manchester passengers started to be processed. Inexplicably, the frontier officials were demanding fingerprints and facial biometrics from all travellers  even though they had been collected on the way into Italy a week earlier. The EU entry-exit system rules stipulate that once both biometrics have been registered, only one should be taken on subsequent arrivals and departures.

Mr Hume said: There were two officers and one biometric machine. We had to do face scan, passport scan and fingerprints. Every single person. But there were about 16 machines that could have been used automatically, and they didnt open them. So everything was going at a snails pace.

Passengers boarding the Luxair flight from Milan to Luxembourg, which Max Hume and his family were forced to take (Supplied)

When they eventually got through, the flight had departed  but only after offloading all the baggage belonging to missing passengers.

At the gate, the passengers were told there was a bus to luggage collection and that they would be put up in a hotel.

A bus took them to baggage reclaim  but no staff were waiting to help them. Lynsey Hume asked for help at the easyJet desk, only to be told the family had been recorded as no-shows and nothing could be done for them.

Meanwhile, her husband tried easyJets live chat service. He was told: The process a passenger needs to go through at the airport is not our responsibility and if it resulted in passengers being late to their flight, the only way we can help is through a rescue transfer. This is the option to transfer to another flight at a price of 110 per person.

After spending 432 on the homeward flight, Mr Hume was offered a refund of 19.91  the tax element of the ticket. EasyJet has kept the remaining money.

The family then set about finding alternative transport home. Flights disappeared while we were searching, Mr Hume said. Trains were 500 each and took a full day. Car hire one-way was 5,000.

So in the end we booked flights to Luxembourg, a hotel overnight, then a flight to Manchester the next morning. Thats cost about 1,600 so far. One of my credit cards is now maxed out.

Well land around 11am tomorrow, then still have to drive home. Ill miss work.

Ill try to claim on insurance, but I really feel this shouldnt be an insurance job. The airline should take responsibility. Theres now 100 of us who wont ever use easyJet again.

At least one other family who had been left behind in Milan by easyJet was on the Luxair flight to Luxembourg.

A spokesperson for easyJet said: We are aware that some passengers departing from Milan Linate today experienced longer than usual waiting times at passport control and we advised customers due to fly to allow additional time to make their way through the airport.

We have been doing all possible to minimise the impact of the airport queues, holding flights to allow customers extra time and providing free flight transfers for any customers who may have missed their flight, including EJU5420 to Manchester.

We continue to urge border authorities to ensure they make full and effective use of the permitted flexibilities for as long as needed while EES is implemented, to avoid these unacceptable border delays for our customers.

While this is outside of our control, we are sorry for any inconvenience caused.

On Friday, the first day of full entry-exit system implementation, the Brussels-based trade association Airlines for Europe demanded border control authorities must be allowed to fully suspend the EES when waiting times become excessive.

The Independent has asked the European Commission, the Foreign Office, Linate airport and the Milan Border Police for comment.

Read more: From EES minus to EES plus  this is the inconsistent reality of Europes border lottery
Utah Valley University is facing mounting backlash over its 2026 commencement speakers past comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed on the schools campus last year.

Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while speaking at an outdoor event on the Orem campus September 10, 2025. Utah resident Tyler Robinson has been charged with Kirks murder.

Now, some conservative student organizations and political figures are slamming UVUs decision to invite Sharon McMahon, an author and social media personality, to be the 2026 commencement speaker on April 29 after she reportedly posted on social media criticizing Kirks rhetoric shortly after he was killed. Her posts on Kirk appear to have been deleted.

In one post, McMahon shared some of Kirks quotes and explained why she took issue with his rhetoric, according to KUTV.

She reportedly wrote: To many Americans, especially if you are Black, LGBTQ or Muslim, Charlie Kirk was not a person who simply engaged in good-faith debates on college campuses.

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was killed while speaking on Utah Valley Universitys campus on September 10, 2025 (AP)

Its important to remember that the incredible tragedy of a public assassination does not erase the harm many experienced from his words and the ensuing actions his followers took, her post concluded.

According to ABC 4, McMahon also posted: These arent sound bites taken out of context. Millions of people feel they were harmed, and the murder that was horrific and should never have happened does not magically erase what was said or done.

Caleb Chilcutt, president of UVUs Turning Point USA chapter, said McMahon posted a now-deleted series of out-of-context quotes from Charlie in an effort to tarnish his name and minimize the tragedy, rather than offering condolences or condemning political violence.

Chilcutt wrote in a statement: While universities should welcome diverse viewpoints, platforming someone who treated a historic and tragic political assassination not as a moment to grieve but as an opportunity to create content is tone-deaf and disrespectful to those still affected, especially on this campus.

Sharon McMahon is Utah Valley Universitys upcoming commencement speaker (Utah Valley University)

Sage Lloyd, president of UVUs College Republicans, said the organization opposes the universitys decision to have McMahon deliver this years address.

It is an insult to deliberately select a speaker who mocked the loss of a political figure assassinated on our beloved campus, Lloyd wrote in a statement.

Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah also re-shared a post criticizing McMahon, adding: Why would you do this, @UVU?

A spokesperson for McMahon told The Independent she unequivocally condemned the murder of Charlie Kirk, repeatedly and publicly calling his death a tragedy and stressing that public debate must never be met with violence.

Sharons goal is to unpack what is happening in society and help people understand how government works, the spokesperson said. That spirit is reflected in her workbringing together voices from across the aisle in closed-door conversations with her book club community, from Amy Coney Barrett to Kamala Harris, and in interviews with Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Nikki Haley, to foster the kind of dialogue and perspective democracy depends on.

She believes what we need most is more bridge-building and more people willing to show up for one another, the spokesperson added.

The university described McMahon as a New York Times-bestselling author, award-winning educator, and Americas Government Teacher, in a press release last month. McMahon also runs popular social media accounts  including an Instagram page with 1.4 million followers  where she posts about politics and government.

"Sharon McMahon is an original. She is a force of nature and a force for good. As a former history teacher, she understands that education can inform, inspire, and instigate courageous action," Utah Valley University President Astrid Tuminez said in a statement.

The Independent has contacted Utah Valley University for comment.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on April 13 to include a statement from Sharon McMahon.
Connections could be leaning towards a tilt at the Prix de Diane rather than the Oaks with the exciting Gilded Prize if she maintains her unbeaten record at Saint-Cloud on Friday.

Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, the daughter of Frankel won with ease on her debut last autumn and then again wowed on her return at Chantilly last month to tee-up a step up in class for the Prix Cleopatre.

Barry Mahon, European racing manager for owners Juddmonte, said: She looks really well and has come out of her race really well.

Shes hopefully intended to run in the Group Three Prix Cleopatre which is obviously going to be a big step up in class and well see how she comes through that.

Shes an exciting filly and hopefully she can continue on her upwards trajectory.

Gilded Prizes Epsom entry could give connections what would be a tantalising raid on a prize the owners last won with Enable back in 2017, but the the mile-and-a-half test of the Surrey Downs could be seen as too much of a stamina poser at this stage of her career, with a Classic tilt at Chantilly the alternative.

Were a little unsure what her target will be and her pedigree, being out of a Dansili mare, would suggest the 12 furlongs could be a struggle, continued Mahon.

Depending on her next start, Epsom or the Prix de Diane would be the obvious targets, one being 10 and one 12 furlongs. Pedigree would lead you to believe a stiff 12 furlongs could be a stretch at this stage of her career, so probably France looks the more likely one at this stage.
Sometimes reality can be a lot stranger than fiction. Just take all the recent technological breakthroughs coming out of Silicon Valley, for instance. Just 10 years ago, AI, self-driving cars, and robots were considered fodder for science fiction. But now, they are mainstays of the San Francisco Bay Area.

At times, it seems that this Mecca of modern technological marvels is set to rewrite everything we know about daily life, even dog walking. No, we are not reporting on some new AI dog walker or other innovation that changes the way we take our beloved canine companions out for a stroll.

Rather, we are talking about an entirely new dog breed: the robot dog. Yes, you read that right, San Francisco now has robot dogs roaming the streets. But thats not the strangest part of this report.

In a bizarre twist, one robot dog that was recently spotted in the city by the bay had the head of none other than Elon Musk. And when this Elon Musk-robot dog encountered some actual dogs, two very bewildered Goldendoodles, their encounter surpassed even the strangest science fiction in just how purely bizarre it was.

Click here to watch this bizarre video.

Those Goldendoodles had absolutely no idea what they were looking at. Were they seeing a friend, or was it a foe? And why did it have the face of a hooman? They wagged their tails with trepidation and barked at this thing that could not communicate with them, although it did try raising a mechanical leg in their direction. Was it trying to give these dogs its paw (if we can even call it that)?

Related: Goldendoodles Odd Way of Welcoming Guests Earns Her a Timeout on the Stairs

Making things even stranger was that there was another robot dog on the street. But instead of having the head of the richest man in the world, this one had a face that looked like a small video game controller with a screen in the middle. Either way, this was a very bizarre sighting that these Goldendoodles didnt know how to make heads or tails of.

Social Media Was Not a Fan of These Robot Dogs

A close-up of an unimpressed-looking Goldendoodle.Image via Shutterstock/caseyjadew (Image via Shutterstock/caseyjadew)

Viewers on social media had a lot to say about this one. Some people compared the Elon Musk-looking robot dog to a hideous monster from an iconic 1980s horror movie: Have you ever seen 1982s The Thing?

While other social media users bluntly stated, We dont need robot dogs. Some viewers imagined what these confounded Goldendoodles might be thinking: Those dogs are like, This is some BS, LOL. Theres no way they like that thing.

And some viewers and social media thought that this Elon Musk robot dog was absolutely terrifying: Ummmm Im gonna have nightmares tonight. Thanks!

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This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Apr 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The leader of Hezbollah has urged the Lebanese government to walk away from direct talks with Israel.

Lebanese officials are set for talks in Washington DC as Lebanons health ministry says at least 2,055 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in the country. A further 6,588 were wounded, the ministry said, while around 1 million people are reported to have been displaced.

Hezbollahs leader Naim Kassem said in a televised address ahead of the talks tomorrow that negotiations are pointless.

We call for a historic and heroic position to cancel these negotiations, he said, saying the ceasefire that halted the Israel-Hezbollah war in 2024 should return.

Ali, 40, a displaced man who fled his home in Bekaa following Israeli evacuation orders. Around 1 million people have been displaced (REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)

The fighting was sparked on March 2 when Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel. This came after the US and Israel had attacked Iran.

On April 9, Israeli Prime Minsiter Bejmain Netanyahu said he was willing to discuss peaceful relations and the disarmament of Hezbollah. He did not commit to a ceasefire and the bombing of Lebanon has continued up to the eve of direct talks.

Sir Keir Starmer has called Israels strikes wrong and said they were having devastating humanitarian consequences and pushing Lebanon into a crisis.

Rejecting the talks, Hezbollah held a demonstration in the countrys capital, Beirut, along with its allies. It has called the decision to negotiate treason.

The Lebanese presidents office has said talks tomorrow would focus on conditions for a ceasefire and formal negotiations could follow if discussions are initially successful, the BBC reported.

The aftermath of Israeli strike on April 8, in Beirut (REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)

But Israels embassy in Washington said talks tomorrow will be the start of formal peace negotiations.

Over the weekend, Israel stepped up strikes and ground invasion in southern Lebanon. It hopes to create a security zone around 20 miles from the border, along the Litani River.

In Bint Jbeil, a town in southern Lebanon, hundreds of Hezbollah fighters are encircled, local media said. The Israeli military said 100 Hezbollah gunmen had been killed after it began ground operations in and around Bint Jbeil.

Demonstrators in Beirut protest direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on April 11 (REUTERS/Adnan Abidi)

The town is strategically important, providing a key vantage point along with other elevated positions in the area.

Israel did not comment on its own military casualties. Hezbollah did not immediately confirm fatalities.

Attacks further in Lebanon were scaled back following a series of strikes in the heart of Beirut and its busy residential and commercial areas. Around 350 people were killed.
The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into Democrat Eric Swalwell after the California congressman faced numerous allegations of sexual abuse, which ended his campaign for governor.

The committee made the announcement Monday as many on both sides of the aisle in Washington called for Swalwell to be expelled.

The Committee notes that the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, it said in a statement.

No other public comment will be made on this matter except in accordance with Committee rules.

On Friday, CNN and The San Francisco Chronicle published stories detailing allegations of sexual misconduct against Swalwell. The CNN story included four women who accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior, including a staffer who said he sexually assaulted her in 2019 and 2024.

The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell (Reuters)

Swalwell had previously been a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for governor of California. But many Democrats, including people who had previously endorsed him, called on Swalwell to exit the race, which he did Sunday.

The House is currently debating whether to conduct a joint expulsion of Swalwell and a number of other members of Congress who face investigations.

Republican Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas announced he would not seek re-election after he admitted to an affair with a former staffer who later took her own life.

In addition, Republican Representative Cory Mills of Florida faces an investigation from the House Ethics Committee over allegations of campaign finance violations and domestic violence. Democratic Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, also from Florida, was found to have committed 25 ethics violations after an investigation last month.

Historically, members of Congress are only expelled when they are convicted of crimes or commit treason, as was the case when members of Congress were expelled for joining the Confederacy in the aftermath of the Civil War.

Republican Representative Tony Gonzales of Texas announced he would not seek re-election after he admitted to an affair with a former staffer who later took her own life (Getty)

Many Democrats and even some Republicans are suggesting that since an equal number of members from both parties face serious ethics investigations, that the House should do a clean sweep where all four members are expelled.

Time to clean House, Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina said. They should resign IMMEDIATELY. If they dont, we should expel all of them.

House Ethics is the only committee in Congress comprised of an equal number of members from both parties. Historically, the committee halts investigations when the Department of Justice begins a probe into a member.

Even if Swalwell were to resign, there is a chance that the investigation would continue. In 2024, shortly after he resigned from Congress and withdrew his name to become attorney general, the Ethics Committee released its report on Republican Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, which detailed the congressman allegedly engaging sex with an underage girl.
Keir Starmer argued that, nearly 10 years after the Brexit referendum, it was time to look forward. Photograph: Thomas Krych/Reuters (Photograph: Thomas Krych/Reuters)

The economic and security benefits of a closer relationship with the EU are simply too big to ignore, Keir Starmer has told parliament as the British government prepares for more rapid alignment with European rules.

Updating MPs on the Iran conflict and his visit to the Gulf last week, the prime minister was explicit about what he argued was the need for renewed ties with Europe given the chaotic global situation and Donald Trumps unpredictable US administration.

The Guardian revealed that ministers were planning to use so-called Henry VIII powers to dynamically align with EU rules by default, including the adoption of changed EU single market rules without full parliamentary scrutiny each time.

Setting out what he said were the lessons of the Iran crisis, Starmer said that after Brexit, Covid and the Ukraine war the idea of a global shock to UK living standards was no longer a novel experience, and that lessons should be learned.

This time, he argued, the response must and will be different to reflect the changing world that we live in, saying this included efforts to reduce energy bills.

He went on: Looking forward, it also means a closer economic relationship with our European allies, because Brexit did deep damage to the economy, and the opportunities we now have to strengthen our security and cut the cost of living are simply too big to ignore.

In his Commons statement, Starmer condemned as wrong continued Israeli strikes on Lebanon after a ceasefire was agreed over the USand Israelwar on Iran, while warning that Irans blockading of the strait of Hormuz was causing untold economic damage.

The UK would play no part in planned attempts by the US to mount a counter-blockade of the strait, he added.

Questioned by MPs about Trumps pre-ceasefire threat last week that that Irans whole civilisation will die if Tehran did not comply with his demands, Starmer condemned the US presidents words.

Could I really be clear with this house that that was wrong, he said. A threat to Iranian civilians in that way is wrong. These are civilians, lets remember, who suffered immeasurable harm by the regime in Iran for many, many, long years.

Starmers very clear call for closer EU links has opened up a greater divide with the Conservatives and Reform UK, who have both condemned the plans for alignment-by-default, details of which will come in a bill to be presented in next months Kings speech.

The Conservatives shadow business secretary, Andrew Griffith, said Starmer was unable to accept the decision of the 2016 referendum, with parliament reduced to a spectator while Brussels sets the terms.

Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said Starmer wanted to create closer links with a declining part of the global economy.

Asked about the plans, Farage said: To tie ourselves ever closer to it makes no sense in economic terms. In democratic terms, it is a total betrayal of the Brexit vote 10 years ago, and it is also a complete breach of the Labour manifesto and a further devaluation of parliament.

But speaking to the BBC on Monday morning, Starmer argued that opponents of the plans needed to recognise that the world had changed.

I think its also a sense, 10 years on from the Brexit referendum, that weve got to look forward now, not backwards, the prime minister said. Lets not just have all the old arguments of the last decade.

Lets go forward and recognise that a stronger, closer relationship with Europe is in the UKs best interest, particularly in a world that is as volatile as it is.

Under the proposed bill, ministers are planning to argue that the move will add billions to the UK economy, temper the cost of the Iran conflict and boost sluggish productivity.

The Guardian understands that if the bill  expected to be introduced before the summer  is passed, negotiators could seek to adopt EU rules on everything from cars to farming using secondary legislation.

Parliament can either approve or reject secondary legislation but cannot amend it, which would probably mean MPs will rubber-stamp new deals rather than debate and vote on every one. Any blocking votes would be likely to cause issues with the EU, and could prompt retaliatory action. A source said: We are clear parliament will have a role for new deals and on new EU laws applying under those deals.

New polling for More in Common has found many Britons are reconsidering the UKs relationship with the EU in light of the Iran war. The research found a clear majority supported closer UKEU ties across most areas tested, with two-thirds supporting a closer relationship on trade (66%) and on security and defence (63%).



The polling of 2,009 people found that if there was a referendum on EU membership tomorrow, half would vote remain, 27% would vote leave, 12% would not vote, and 11% did not know how they would vote. Brexit would only win among over-75s and nearly a quarter (23%) of past leave voters would support a referendum on rejoining.
Charlie Taylor said he found that drones were bringing large quantities of drugs into the jail  leading to high levels of violence and instability. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian (Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian)

The Prison Service has made very little progress in enforcing a formal demand to stop drones from delivering drugs into one of its worst performing jails, a watchdog has concluded.

Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales, said HMP Manchester remained in a precarious state after a failure to fix broken windows and install security to stop contraband being delivered to gangs.

Taylor issued an urgent notification in October 2024 demanding that the Ministry of Justice intervene within 28 days to stop escalating drug use and violence at the high-security prison.

The disclosures, in a report released on Tuesday, have provoked concern among penal reformers that ministers are failing to stop drugs being delivered into the 123 prisons across England and Wales.

Related: Treat jailed drug dealers like radical extremists, says prisons watchdog

The government has dedicated 10m across the entire estate to anti-drone measures.

Andrea Coomber, the chief executive of the Howard League, said: It is a sign of the intense pressure the prison system is under when a jail that was effectively put in special measures 15 months ago is still unable to protect people living and working there from harm.

Enver Solomon, the chief executive of the social justice charity Nacro, said: How can rehabilitation happen when drug use and violence are rife, and chronic staff shortages leave people in prison with little meaningful activity?

When nearly half of prisoners are using drugs and many are locked in cells for up to 22 hours a day, rehabilitation doesnt stand a chance.

Taylor said inspectors invoked the urgent notification protocol in 2024 after finding that the category A and B jail, which houses about 550 men, was in an appalling state.

The combination of drugs, violence, an inexperienced and demotivated staff team, and a very poor regime, meant the prison was failing in many of its most basic functions, he said.

After inspecting earlier this year, he found some improvements but still scored the prison, formerly known as Strangeways, as poor for safety and purposeful activity.

Progress was fragile and undermined by delays in installing secure windows and grilles to stop drones from delivering drugs to inmates.

Drones continued to bring large quantities of drugs into the jail, which was leading to high levels of violence and instability, Taylor said.

A failure by leaders in the Prison Service and absurdly bureaucratic planning processes meant just a handful of windows had been replaced, with the consequence that organised crime gangs continued to operate with impunity in the prison and the safety of prisoners and staff was compromised.

The number of prisoners testing positive in random drug tests remained the same, while rates of self-harm continued to rise, he said.

Four men had taken their own lives since our last visit and the rate of self-harm remained extremely high compared to similar jails, he said.

The jail was failing to fulfil its function as a training prison, Taylor concluded, with staffing shortages forcing cancelled activities, and 44% of inmates unemployed.

Drastic education budget cuts of more than 50% meant that the number of teachers had reduced dramatically, he said. Ofsted rated the provision as inadequate.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: This is a prison operating under immense pressure after this government inherited a prison system at the peak of its crisis.

We took immediate action to bring the system back from the point of collapse and while we welcome inspectors recognising the strong leadership now in place at HMP Manchester, we are taking urgent action to stop drones, upgrade security and tackle the flow of drugs which fuels violence behind bars.
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Transgender members of the U.S. military who were told they could not serve after President Donald Trump introduced a ban by executive order shortly after returning to power are being kept in limbo on full pay, according to a report.

A week after re-entering the White House in January 2025, Trump made good on his campaign threat to block trans people from serving their country, claiming their choices clash with a soldiers commitment to an honorable, truthful and disciplined lifestyle.

The decision was part of the presidents self-appointed mission to drive woke values and DEI out of federal institutions, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also accusing trans troops of enacting a false gender identity that cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for military service.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hit out at 'dudes in dresses' in an address to senior military officers at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia last September (AFP/Getty)

He has also labelled it an insidious, radical, woke ideology and declared in September: No more dudes in dresses, were done with that s***.

The ban meant trans troops faced a choice: leave voluntarily for double the separation pay or be forced out. After months of institutional indecision, those who took the first path began to be discharged in December while those who refused are still waiting.

The result has been frustration, hurt, and squandered expense, The New York Times reports, with key positions left unoccupied and highly-skilled troops eager to serve left sitting on the sidelines, still receiving their salaries as their expensive training goes untested.

The Department of Defense told The Independent it does not comment on ongoing litigation and directed us to the Department of Justice.

Trans servicemembers faced a choice of leaving the U.S. military voluntarily or being forced out after President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning them in January 2025 (AFP/Getty)

By the administrations own admission in a court case filing, its problem was only ever a small one, with just 4,240 trans troops serving when Trump took office, accounting for around 0.2 percent of the 2 million Americans in uniform.

The same filing revealed that the cost of providing related medical care for trans personnel was around $52 million over 10 years  a pittance when, for instance, the current Iran war is costing taxpayers an estimated $500 million per day.

It is the biggest waste Ive ever seen, Capt. Katie Benn, a decorated air defense officer who has served the Army for 13 years, told the Times about being benched.

Ive proven Im good at my job. They just wont let me do it. Im trained to take care of soldiers, and my soldiers are over there in harms way. It kills me to not be there with them.

Sabrina Bruce, a master sergeant in Space Force who led a team protecting classified satellites from cyberattacks until she was forced out, offered a similar assessment: Its such a waste; its so frustrating... There was no one to backfill me. I was just gone. And they couldnt get a replacement for months because I was still on the books.

Navy Chief Petty Officer Parker Moore, who supervised 80 sailors running the nuclear reactor aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, spoke of feeling really bad guilt about not being there now that the vessel has been deployed to Iran (Reuters)

Ryan Gunderman, an ex-captain who spent three years at Harvard studying to be an Army lawyer, only to be driven out after two years of service, said: They spent more than a half a million dollars on me, just in education. Can you think of another organization that would look at my credentials and say, OK, lets get rid of her?

Navy Chief Petty Officer Parker Moore, who supervised 80 sailors running the nuclear reactor aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln, spoke of feeling really bad guilt about not being there after being withdrawn with the vessel since sent to the Middle East.

Julia Becraft, an Army sergeant first class who served three tours of Afghanistan and was awarded a Bronze Star, was so distressed to be put on paid leave she checked into an Army mental hospital, where four of the other 20 patients she met were also trans.

It makes you lose faith in the whole system, she told the Times. All I ever wanted to be is a soldier.... Now I dont know if I could ever bring myself to put on the uniform again. It sucks that theyve taken that from me.

Alyxandra Demetrides, a Black Hawk helicopter ace stationed in Thailand, has meanwhile retrained as a commercial airline pilot after picking up around $300,000 from paid leave and separation pay. Thats a lot to pay someone to not do their job, she said.

Sgt. Clara Davis, a military police officer who attempted to challenge her dismissal before a review board, struck a defiant tone: Im not going to give up. If they want to take this uniform, theyre going to have to fight me.

Events in Iran appear to have created a moment of turmoil for the military.

It emerged last week that the Center on Conscience and War has seen a spike in anonymous calls to its GI Rights Hotline from active-duty soldiers of all ranks seeking advice on leaving the service and conscientious objection over their opposition to the war.
Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja before being arrested during the demonstration against the ban on Palestine Action in Trafalgar Square on Saturday. Photograph: Lucy North/PA (Photograph: Lucy North/PA)

Massive Attack frontman Robert Del Naja has been arrested on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed organisation after attending a mass protest against the ban on Palestine Action in central London on Saturday.

Del Naja, also known as 3D, was among hundreds of fellow demonstrators in Trafalgar Square on Saturday afternoon, holding a sign that read I Oppose Genocide, I Support Palestine Action.

Related: The Guardian view on Palestine Action: banning the group was a step too far | Editorial

In footage of his arrest, Del Naja can be seen being approached by police officers who tell him he is being put under arrest, before carrying him away from the demonstration as other protesters cheer and applaud.

As he is being carried away, a man can be heard asking Del Naja: Can you tell us why youre being arrested today? The musician replied: Im being unlawfully arrested.

Before his arrest, Del Naja told the Press Association he wanted to attend the protest despite the consequences a potential arrest could have on his music career.

Being a musician, obviously, there was a lot of trepidation around how we might not be able to travel and get visas, he said.

But I thought this is ridiculous and then the police making that U-turn to arrest people again, I thought that is even more ridiculous. So Im going to hold a sign today.

If I get arrested, I feel very confident that if I stand up in court with the right guidance and say, This was an unlawful arrest and, therefore, I dont accept it.

He added: I think that the actions of Palestine Action were highly patriotic because they were pretty much protecting our country from getting involved in serious war crimes and breaking international law.

How much more patriotic can you be than that?

Massive Attack are due to begin a summer tour in Europe from 26 May until 8 June, starting in Helsinki, Finland, then performing in Rattvik, Sweden; Copenhagen in Denmark; Berlin in Germany; and Brussels in Belgium.

The English trip-hop band was formed in Bristol in 1988 by Del Naja, Grant Daddy G Marshall, Adrian Tricky Thaws and Andrew Mushroom Vowles. As of 2025, the group consists only of Del Naja and Marshall.

More than 500 people were arrested on Saturday as part of the first mass demonstration opposing the proscription of Palestine Action since the groups ban was ruled unlawful by the high court in February.

The high court judgment said the governments proscription of the direct action group was disproportionate and unlawful and that most of their activities had not reached the level, scale and persistence to be defined as terrorism.

After that judgment, the Met indicated its officers would be unlikely to continue arrests. But by March, it said it would resume arresting protesters for supporting Palestine Action.

More than 2,200 people have been arrested so far for allegedly expressing support for Palestine Action.

Defend Our Juries, who organised the demonstration on Saturday, said: The Met are choosing to make arrests despite the governments ban on the group being ruled unlawful by the high court, and leading lawyers warning that any arrests would be unlawful.

A spokesperson for the group described the arrests as truly surreal, adding: An already absurdly authoritarian measure has now descended even further into farce ahead of the court of appeal hearing this month.

The Metropolitan police said 523 people had been arrested by midnight on 11 April, with their ages ranging from 18 to 87.

Del Naja later published a statement on social media. In Britain in 2026 you can be arrested under the Terrorism Act for sitting in silence, holding a cardboard sign stating that you oppose genocide & support non-violent action to prevent it, it reads in part.

Of course, everyone knows this is total madness (including many of the police officers making these arrests, and the High Court judges who recently ruled them unlawful), and yet, somehow it continues. Everyone also knows that the sheer desperation of Palestine Action activists vandalising military equipment isnt terrorism. No one actually believes that  The sense of madness can be overcome. We can demand that our government upholds international laws that previous generations sacrificed their lives for.

Press Association contributed to this report
Wes Streeting has challenged Nigel Farage to outline his health policies before Mays local elections and warned a Reform UK government could mean there will be no NHS.

The health secretary urged the Reform leader to come clean on the partys plans for the future of the NHS amid concerns it could be considering an insurance-based system.

Mr Streetings attack comes just a few weeks before crunch local elections in May, as Reform UK continues to soar in polls across the country.

Speaking at an Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) event in London, the health secretary said that the very question of whether this country should have a National Health Service is a fight that is brewing.

Pointing to previous comments made by Mr Farage on NHS funding, he said: When Nigel Farage announced his shadow cabinet, he forgot to appoint a shadow health secretary.

Now that might be because if Farage becomes prime minister, there will be no NHS.

The Reform UK leader has previously said the UK should re-examine the NHSs funding model (PA)

Farage has said, and I quote: We are going to have to move to an insurance-based system of healthcare. Just last year e said: I do not want it funded through general taxation. It doesnt work.

The Reform UK leader has previously said the UK should re-examine the NHSs funding model, and said at Reform's Welsh manifesto launch last month that he is prepared to consider any alternative to the failure we have now.

In 2014, he said the UK would have to move to an insurance-based system of healthcare, but has since insisted he supports healthcare remaining free at the point of use.

Criticising Reform UK for not being clearer on their health policies before polling day in May, Mr Streeting added: Nigel Farage should stop hiding from his guilty little secret, be straight with the British people about what he actually believes and tell us what hell actually do.

What kind of insurance system would he introduce? Social or private? On what terms? How much will patients pay in insurance premiums? What protections would be in place for the uninsured?

The health secretary, Wes Streeting (PA)

He added: If Reform want to form the next government, they need to come clean with the British public and answer those questions.

Turning to the election in Wales, where Reform UK is expected to make major gains, Mr Streeting said the thought of a victory for Farage sends shivers down my spine.

Reform UK has topped opinion polls in Wales, alongside Plaid Cymru, where the Labour Party has been in power since the Senedd was established in 1999.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is expected to face a devastating blow at the polls as Labour continues to trail, under threat of losing voters both on the left to the Green Party and on the right to Reform UK.

The fact that Farage thinks he can do so without coming clean on what he really believes on the NHS would be the biggest con since Brexit  arguably bigger because at least he told us he believes in Brexit, Mr Streeting said.

You cannot trust this con artist with the NHS. The best way for people in Wales to stop Reform and vote for the NHS is to back Welsh Labour.

Reform UK has been contacted for comment.
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Fast food giant McDonalds plans to lure Gen Z customers into its stores by introducing a new line of refresher beverages (Getty)

McDonalds is set to add Instagrammable new drinks to its menu in hopes of luring in a younger generation of customers.

The fast food chain will introduce a line of fruit-flavored refreshers and crafted sodas to its menu at locations across the U.S. this month, a company spokesperson told Reuters.

McDonalds joins countless other chains like Taco Bell, Sonic, Dunkin and Starbucks in offering refreshers  or brightly-colored, fruity-flavored iced drinks.

They come in vibrant colors, McDonalds Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Alyssa Buetikofer told The New York Times. They are very Instagrammable.

The beverages, which come in an array of flavors and can be caffeinated or not, are a way for McDonalds to appeal to Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

The new line of sodas will hit stores this month, the company said (Getty)

Its clearly a very attractive category, and were not the only ones who see it, Charlie Newberger, the head of beverages and desserts at McDonalds, told the Times. It is large and growing and appeals to younger customers.

The new beverages will include a Dirty Dr Pepper and a Mango Pineapple Refresher, according to The Wall Street Journal. McDonalds also plans to roll out energy drinks beginning this August.

McDonalds plans to sell its new beverages at lower prices than its competitors. The company expects the new drinks to drum up high profit margins for franchisees, who have invested thousands of dollars in new equipment to mix the drinks.

Energy drinks and crafted sodas, also known as dirty sodas, are growing in popularity amongst Americans, particularly amongst younger generations looking for new ways to get their caffeine fix.

Many other chains have added refreshers to their menus in recent years, including Dunkin, which launched its line in 2020. Within two years, the sale of iced drinks surpassed that of hot beverages, according to the Times.

Beverages are also more profitable than burgers or chicken nuggets for fast food chains, and McDonalds hopes its foray into the global beverage market yields positive results.

Most beverages are high-margin products relative to food options for sure, Scott Murphy, the chief brand officer at Inspire Brands, which owns Dunkin and Sonic, told the Times.

McDonalds shuttered its CosMcs concept stores, where it tested beverages, last year (AFP/Getty)

Refreshers have been the single largest contributor to our incremental sales growth over the last couple of years, Murphy said.

The announcement of refreshers and other beverages comes about a year after McDonalds shuttered its five beverage-centered CosMcs concept stores in the U.S., which the company said it had opened to test the market space.

After shutting down CosMcs, McDonalds began testing new beverages in about 500 restaurants in September 2025.

The results showed that McDonalds would need a diverse line-up of drinks to break through the crowded market, Charlie Newberger, the chains global head of beverages, told the Journal.

All the testing showed the company what flavors customers want  and which ones they dont.

They are looking for that little treat, that companion to the day, Newberger told the Journal last year. Those play to our strengths.
Megan Thee Stallion has welcomed a new family member to her home: a rescue pup she named Tyger!

On March 26, the "Hot Girl Summer" rapper, 31, announced the adoption on social media, sharing that she rescued the sweet doggie from a kill shelter, right before he was supposed to be euthanized.

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"Okay so you guys, I've rescued a dog because I was yesterday years old when I found that there's such thing as a kill shelter and they are putting down dogs when they cannot find them a home," she said in a video posted to Instagram. "That is insane."

"I said, 'No way, just give him to me. I'll take him,'" Meg continued in the video. "I don't know how 4oe is gonna feel about this, I don't know 4oe kids is gonna feel about this, but we had to save him. And his name is Tyger."

(If you didn't know, 4oe is Megan's French bulldog, who also has some puppies. Megan is also a cat mom to Nine, a Maine coon.)

NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images (NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

From there, Megan called her new son over, and he came in and snuggled into her neck. He's clearly already so in love with her. Welcome home, Tyger. You're one lucky dog!

'He Looks So Happy!'

Instagrammers are loving that Megan Thee Stallion saved this pup, gushing in the comments about her empathy and how cute and sweet the dog is. The video currently has 7.3 million views, 904,000 likes and over 31,000 comments.

"Thank you for rescuing!" exclaimed one Instagram user in a comment.

"love this for the both of you," said the popular Insta dog account @weratedogs.

"That's not a dog that's your SON  thank you for saving him!! ," wrote another commenter.

Megan Thee Stallion adopting Tyger is an excellent reminder about the power of love and compassion, and that life is too short. Get the dog.

Related: These Golden Retrievers Are Typical Younger and Older Sibling Vibes, and It's Too Funny

This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Apr 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
US Navy destroyer USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. sails in the Arabian Sea for a mission supporting Operation Epic Fury on March 18, 2026.

 The US and Iran ended ceasefire talks in Pakistan, overseen by US Vice President JD Vance, without an agreement.

 Irans Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that Tehran had been just "inches away" from a deal with Washington during weekend talks with the United States in Islamabad.

 Iran authorities said that 3,375 people had been killed in the US-Israel war since it began.
Donald Trump has drawn sharp condemnation from Catholics and supporters alike after slating the Pope in a late-night outburst on Sunday and comparing himself to Jesus Christ.

The president branded Pope Leo weak on crime and terrible on foreign policy in a lengthy rant on social media, following weeks of cautious disagreement with the church over the war in the Middle East.

Catholics on social media quickly hit back at Trump for attacking the leader of their church, who they believe is the successor of St Peter, one of the 12 disciples.

As the leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, and the first pope born in the U.S., Leo has become an influential critic of Trumps conflict with Iran, and on Monday vowed to continue to speak out loudly against war, suggesting the Christian message was being abused.

Trumps fiery rhetoric, as well as the AI image depicting himself as Jesus, attracted condemnation from Irans president, who pounced on the insult on social media.

Pope Leo has said he wont be deterred from speaking out (Reuters)

Your Excellency Pope Leo XIV, on behalf of the great nation of Iran, I condemn the insult to Your Excellency and declare that the desecration of Jesus (peace be upon him), the Prophet of peace and brotherhood, is unacceptable to any free person. I wish glory for you from Allah, wrote Masoud Pezeshkian on X.

Donald Trump was meanwhile facing backlash from his own MAGA base for comments against the pope.

Massimo Faggioli, an Italian historian and expert on the Vatican, told Reuters that Trumps latest outburst washed away any ambiguity around where things stand between the Trump administration and the Catholic church.

He compared Trumps comments to the efforts of the leaders of Germany and Italy during World War II to draw the late Pope Pius XII to back their causes.

Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the pope so directly and publicly, said Faggioli.

Donald Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus after bashing Pope Leo (Truth Social / Donald Trump)

Trump is now facing a MAGA firestorm among his own supporters as backlash over the late night post grows.

Former ally Marjorie Taylor Green described the presidents depiction as Christ as more than blasphemy. Its an Antichrist spirit.

On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trumps war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus ... I completely denounce this and Im praying against it!!!

She noted it came just a week after the president threatened to kill an entire civilisation in Iran unless it agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Riley Gaines, a Christian conservative known for campaigning against the participation of trans women in womens sports, shared the post of Trump portraying himself as Christ and said: Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he'd post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?

Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked

Robert Barron, bishop of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, said the comments were entirely inappropriate and disrespectful.

It is the Popes prerogative to articulate Catholic doctrine and the principles that govern the moral life, he said, urging that serious Catholics within the Trump administration meet with Vatican officials so that a real dialogue can take place.

He name-checked U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance and US Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was disheartened by Trump's latest comments.

Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls, he said in a statement.

Trump had suggested in his post that Leo only became pope because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. Leo was elected pope in May 2025, following the death of Pope Francis.

Speaking to reporters on the way back to Washington on Sunday, he added that he was not a big fan of Leos views, calling him very liberal.

The president said Pope Leo was "weak" and "terrible" in a lengthy post on social media (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)

We dont like a pope thats going to say its okay to have a nuclear weapon, he said, adding that he does not support any position that appears to be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.

Leo had taken issue with the atrocious conflict in Iran, calling on Trump to find an off-ramp to end the war. He told faithful in an address on Palm Sunday that God rejected the prayers of leaders who start wars and have their hands full of blood.

He had previously called for deep reflections about the way migrants are being treated in the US.

Trump also had a rocky relationship with Leo's predecessor, Pope Francis, who criticised Trump's immigration policy proposals when he first ran for president and suggested Trump was not a Christian. Trump had called Francis disgraceful in early 2016.
ChatGPT developer OpenAI has revealed plans to bolster its British workforce after securing its first permanent London office less than a week after halting plans for a major UK data centre project.

The US technology giant said the new office in Kings Cross will have capacity for 544 workers and is set to open next year.

OpenAI currently has about 200 staff in the capital in areas such as research, engineering, customer support, policy, communications, marketing and sales.

It said it would look to grow its UK teams in these areas.

But the plans for its new office follows last weeks news that it was shelving its Stargate UK project, which was due to based across a number of sites including Cobalt Park near Newcastle and in the Northumberland town of Blyth  a so-called AI growth zone.

It said energy costs and regulation were holding back investment and said the plans would be put on ice until the right conditions allow for long-term investment in the UKs infrastructure.

The plans for Stargate came as part of a landmark tech deal between Britain and the US, announced last September amid President Donald Trumps second state visit.

But OpenAI insisted the office opening reflects its long-term commitment to the UK, with the group having recently said it wants London to be its largest research hub outside the US.

Phoebe Thacker, OpenAIs global head of data research programmes and London site lead, said: The UK has an incredible depth of talent and a strong track record in AI.

London is already a key hub for our research and teams, and this new office gives us the space to keep building here.

Were seeing real momentum in how businesses, developers and institutions across the UK are using AI, and we want to support that growth.

This investment reflects our long-term commitment to the UK and the role it can play in shaping how AI is developed safely and used to benefit people all over the world.

The office will span 88,500 square feet at Regents Quarter in Kings Cross  an area which also houses Googles head office and its soon to open 1 billion European HQ, which will be home to its DeepMind AI division.
Partner of Grand Central stabber says he had been fighting demons for a while

Friends of a man who was shot dead by police after going on a stabbing spree in New Yorks Grand Central Station said he had been fighting demons for a while.

Anthony Griffin, 44, reportedly referred to himself as Lucifer as he attacked three people with a machete in the busy transport hub Saturday morning.

"He was going through a lot mentally. He most likely was fighting demons for a while," Fatima Brown, Griffins partner, told News 12. "Whatever happened...It wasn't him. Physically? Maybe. Spiritually? No."

"I've never seen him be violent or hurt anybody," added Deborah Brown, another long-time friend of Griffin.

Officers from the New York Police Department responded to an emergency call around 9:40 a.m. and confronted a man, later identified as Griffin, holding a weapon that law enforcement described as a machete.

Friends of a man who was shot dead by police after going on a stabbing spree in Grand Central station said he had been fighting demons for a while (AP)

He was reportedly told to drop the weapon 20 times by officers.

After he did not drop it an officer fired two shots and struck the suspect, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a press conference. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani later confirmed that he had died from his injuries.

The three stabbing victims  an 84-year-old male, a 65-year-old male and a 70-year-old female  sustained injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening.

One man sustained significant lacerations to the head and face, the other man had similar injuries and an open skull fracture and the third victim had a laceration to the shoulder.

Tisch said previously the incident had been captured on body-worn cameras, which friends of Griffin have called to be released.

"All he was doing was walking around with his machete, which he has the right to, because everyone has the right to bear arms," Shamosi Bey, who identified himself as Griffin's longtime friend, told News 12.

New York Governor. Kathy Hochul said on social media that she was grateful to our brave officers who acted quickly to stop the suspect.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Britain has rejected Donald Trumps claim that an image of him as a Jesus Christ-like figure was him portrayed as a doctor.

The US president removed the AI-generated image after launching a scathing attack on Pope Leo XIV and being hit by a backlash from some of his MAGA supporters.

Following the removal of the post, the US president said the image of him was supposed to depict him as a doctor.

But in London, health minister Karin Smyth, on the media round for the Government, rebuffed the claim.

Im not religious myself although I was brought up in a very strongly Catholic Irish community here in London, she told Sky News.

I know that those sort of images with the light and so on very much look like many of the images that I grew up with.

I have not seen a doctors picture like that.

Earlier, the president criticised the head of the Catholic Church on Sunday night, describing him as weak and terrible, following the pontiffs criticism of the war in Iran.

In a late-night Truth Social blitz, which included Trump-branded hotels on the Moon, Trump shared an AI-generated image of himself as a Jesus-like figure.

In the image, he could be seen healing a sick man in a hospital bed, while a nurse, a soldier from the US military, looks on in apparent adoration.

US President Donald Trump has shared an AI picture of himself as Jesus (Donald Trump/ Truth Social)

Trumps posting of the image was met with criticism across social media platforms, including on Truth Social, the media platform Trump owns, where he is generally met by favourable responses to his posts.

Activist and former Chair of the Republican National Committee Youth Advisory Council, Brilyn Hollyhand, called Trumps post blasphemy.

In a post on X, he wrote: "This is gross blasphemy. Faith is not a prop. You don't need to portray yourself as a savior when your record should speak for itself."

Riley Gaines, a critic of transgender athletes in womens sports and who has appeared at Trump rallies, also expressed her thoughts on the post.

She said: "Does he actually think this?

Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2)God shall not be mocked."

Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe told BBC Newsnight he thought the post was quite frankly bizarre.

People have often said that they think that its blasphemous, he said.

I think that implies an attack on Christianity, which President Trump I dont think intended, but it does show a complete misunderstanding of what Christianity is about.

The post has since been removed and Trump told reporters it wasnt a depiction, it was me.

He said: Its supposed to be me as a doctor making people better.

Trump added: Its supposed to be me as a doctor making people better.

Asked about Trumps explanation, Cardinal Radcliffe added: I find it very strange. Ive met many doctors in my life and none of them have glowed quite like that.

Despite being careful with his choice of words, Pope Leo has emerged as an outspoken critic of the Iran war in recent weeks, much to the annoyance of the US president.

Pope Leo XIV addresses journalists during the flight heading to Algiers (via REUTERS)

Responding to the popes vocal opposition to the US-Israeli campaign in Iran, Trump said on Sunday that the pontiff was WEAK on crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.

If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican, Trump added.

Pope Leo has since responded to the presidents criticism, saying he will continue to speak out against the war in Iran.

He has said he is not afraid of the Trump administration.

Speaking aboard the papal flight to Algiers, where the US pope is starting a 10-day tour of four African countries, Pope Leo said the Christian message was being abused.

"I don't want to get into a debate with him," Leo said as he greeted journalists on the plane. "I don't think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing."

"I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems," he said, speaking in English.

"Too many people are suffering in the world today," said Leo. "Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say there's a better way."

"The message of the church, my message, the message of the Gospel: Blessed are the Peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being political, a politician," he said.

In his lengthy Truth Social post, Trump also claimed the Catholic Churchs leadership had been arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else in the midst of the Covid pandemic and suggested that he preferred the popes brother.

I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA, the president blasted. He gets it, and Leo doesnt!

I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.

Trump appeared to respond to the popes vocal opposition to the Iran war (REUTERS)

Catholics on social media quickly lambasted Trump for attacking the leader of their Church on Sunday.

"There is no ambiguity about the situation now," Massimo Faggioli, an expert on the papacy said.

He compared the comments to efforts by the leaders of Germany and Italy during World War Two to draw the late Pope Pius XII to support their causes.

"Not even Hitler or Mussolini attacked the pope so directly and publicly," said Faggioli.

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he was disheartened by Trump's comments.

"Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls, he said in a statement.
The profits would be enough to pay for 9,178 doctors or 19,428 nurses during the period. Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA (Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA)

Private firms providing services to the NHS including healthcare and consultancy have made 1.6bn in profits over the last two years, research reveals.

The findings  on the basis of contracts worth 12bn  have prompted claims of scandalous profiteering, concern that the health service is being taken for a ride and calls for ministers to impose a cap on maximum profit levels.

The 1.6bn in profits made in 2023-24 and 2024-25 would have been enough to pay for 9,178 doctors or 19,428 nurses during that time, according to the Centre for Health and the Public Interest.

Its findings are based on analysis of NHS contracts in England, with 760 private firms providing services including diagnostic tests such as CT scans to patients, and treatments including hip and knee replacements, and for skin problems and mental health conditions.

The thinktank found:

2bn of the 12bn of contracts went to firms with owners based outside the UK.

533m of that 2bn went to companies owned by people living in tax havens such as Jersey and the Cayman Islands.

Firms, especially those owned by private equity outfits, used 353m of their 12bn NHS income to pay interest on debts.

Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrats health spokesperson, said: Private companies making super-profits from our NHS is an unacceptable waste. This money should be going on frontline services, not fattened profits for big corporations.

The NHS should be able to benefit from economies of scale and use its power as a major buyer to drive down prices. Im afraid it looks like our health service is being taken for a ride.

The CHPI analysed contracts issued by the NHSs 42 integrated care boards and NHS England, which oversees the service as a whole and directly commissions some specialist services, including for care, of which the NHS cannot provide enough.

The thinktank did not name the 760 companies, but separate research it has undertaken shows that 28 firms earn more than 5m a year from the NHS, make profits of at least 17% and have received 4.1bn between them over the last two years.

The 28 firms include large private healthcare providers such as Spire and Circle, and consultancy firms including PricewaterhouseCoopers and PA Consulting. They also include five firms that treat eyesight problems; one, InHealth, that provides diagnostic tests; four technology and IT companies; and two electronic patient record specialists.

The Labour MP Stella Creasy said: Its frankly scandalous that while patients wait for operations, taxpayer money is leaking out to offshore tax havens and the pockets of private equity companies through these excessive profits. We need an urgent cap on this rent-seeking and profiteering, and total transparency on where this money ends up.

She said the NHS was not getting value for money with contracts like those the CHPI analysed because firms were making such high profit margins on them.

David Rowland, the CHPIs director, urged ministers to bring in a cap on the profits firms that provide services to the NHS can make, modelled on the 8% limit the government is legislating to introduce for childrens social care providers after similar concerns were made about providers in that sector.

He said the fact that the government already capped profits that drug and defence firms that won public sector contracts could make showed that a similar system for NHS contracts was viable.

The Independent Healthcare Providers Network, which represents non-NHS healthcare operators, voiced doubts about the CHPIs conclusions.

Headline figures like this risk oversimplifying a complex picture, a spokesperson said. The analysis appears to combine a wide range of companies contracted by the NHS, not just those delivering patient care, and uses a very crude approach to estimating profit based on company-wide figures that dont distinguish between NHS and private work.

Independent healthcare providers play a vital role in delivering care to millions of NHS patients every year and are paid on the same basis  Any surplus reflects productivity and efficiency, enabling further investment in staff, facilities and services for the benefit of patients, as well as helping to reduce waiting times.

The Department of Health and Social Care defended the NHSs use of private firms. A spokesperson said: The independent sector has a role to play in tackling the waiting list backlog and building a more sustainable health system. However, in working with independent providers, we will neither tolerate gaming the national payment tariff to cherrypick the simplest, most profitable cases, nor any quality shortcomings. Any care commissioned from independent sector providers must meet NHS standards.
The Chancellor said the signing of a contract to further develop the UKs first mini nuclear reactors was more important than ever amid the Middle East crisis.

The Government-owned firm Great British Energy  Nuclear (GBE-N) announced the deal with a firm owned by engineering giant Rolls-Royce on Monday, allowing work to start immediately on creating three small modular reactors (SMRs).

These are small nuclear power stations designed to be installed on site as prefabricated modules, with hopes the technology can be built faster than more traditional plants, such as Hinkley Point C.

The Government said the project will support UK efforts to roll out clean power, which it argues will bring down prices and boost energy sovereignty.

It comes as UK homes and businesses face surging costs as the ongoing Iran conflict drives up global fossil fuel prices.

Speaking after the contract signing at the Treasury on Monday, Rachel Reeves said: In the context which we are today, it shows how important a contract like this, technology like this, is.

If we can produce more homegrown electricity here in the uk, that takes us off the rollarcoaster of global oil and gas prices.

If we have greater control over the energy that we need here at home, it makes us less vulnerable in the face of shocks like were seeing at the moment.

And so this was always the right thing to do but in the world in which we live today, where there is less security and there is more volatility, this deal is more important than ever.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves with Oliver Holbourn, chief executive of the National Wealth Fund (left) and Chris Cholerton of Rolls-Royce SMR (right) (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (Stefan Rousseau)

The Government said the three SMRs should be able to generate enough low-carbon electricity to power the equivalent of around three million homes, with expectations they will be operating by the mid-2030s.

The project will also support some 3,000 jobs at the peak of construction as well as thousands across the supply chain, ministers say.

Ms Reeves comments came after a ceremonial signing at the Treasury on Monday between Simon Roddy, chief executive of GBE-N, and Chris Cholerton, chief executive of Rolls-Royce SMR.

Mr Roddy also signed a contract with Oliver Holbourn, chief executive of the National Wealth Fund, which plans to invest up to 599 million to support the next stages in designing the SMRs.

Rachel Reeves during a reception at 11 Downing Street to celebrate the development (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (Stefan Rousseau)

The push for new nuclear capacity marks a shift from decades of underinvestment in the UKs nuclear sector, leading to ageing infrastructure as old plants approach the end of their lifespans.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, who also attended the signing, said reducing the UKs exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets is the unavoidable lesson of this war.

That is why this Government is doubling down, not backing down, on our clean power mission, drive for renewables and nuclear, he said.

Were ending years of delay with the biggest nuclear building programme in half a century from Sizewell C to this first fleet of SMRs.

The Chancellor and Energy Secretary also met apprentices from both GBE-N and Rolls-Royce SMR at the event.

Hope for the future is what I think this project can provide, Mr Miliband said.

It brings hope to communities seeing investment to those areas. I can see the hope in the young apprentices that we have here.

And building clean power meets the hopes of parents and grandparents who want to know were doing the right thing for future generations.

Rachel Reeves and Ed Miliband watch as Simon Roddy and Chris Cholerton sign a deal to drive forward the development of SMRs (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (Stefan Rousseau)

The Government selected Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred partner for delivering the modular reactor technology in June last year after a competitive process.

Ministers allocated 2.6 billion for the programme and later announced that the first SMR nuclear power station would be built at Wylfa in North Wales by GBE-N.

Since June, Rolls-Royce has been working with GBE-N to finalise the contract, which will require the two to deliver the project against a set of key milestones, ministers said.

This starts with site-specific design, regulatory engagement and planning processes, before a final decision will be made to approve the capital investment to proceed with construction.

Over the years, critics have pointed to nuclears high costs and lengthy construction periods as well as concerns over the disposal of nuclear waste.
A Labour councillor in Hounslow has quit the party and joined Reform UK, becoming the boroughs first member to sit under the partys banner.

Councillor Bandna Chopra, who represents Hounslow West, has been a Labour councillor for 12 years, and a member of the party for 20 years.

Speaking to Prabhdeep Singh, Chair of Hounslow Reform, she said: The Labour Party promised to bring change to the country and to the local councils feel they have failed, I feel they have not delivered on the services that they promised to deliver for local residents.

I feel that Reform is a party that can take on the challenge.

Mr Singh added: Reform UK is the only solution if you want to overhaul Hounslow.

Prabhdeep Singh, Chair of Hounslow Reform alongside Cllr Chopra (Hounslow Reform UK)

Cllr Chopra, who has lived in the borough for most of her life, attended both school and college locally. Outside of politics she works as an IT professional.

Cllr Chopra was de-selected as a Labour candidate ahead of the local elections on May 7. Ted Wall, a campaign coordinator for Hounslow Labour, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): Were not sure whose standards are lower, Cllr Chopra or Reform.

Its a match made in heaven, the deselected Labour councillor and the party which has become a dumping ground for those who have failed to be successful in the mainstream parties. She has found the only party with an entry bar low enough to have her as a candidate. Her move to Reform is as ridiculous as it is desperate.

In a later statement, Cllr Chopra said: Today I am delighted to be joining Reform UK. Hounslow urgently needs a fresh vision, as the current administration no longer reflects the priorities of local residents.

Both the Conservative and Labour parties have failed communities at both local and national levels, and I believe Reform UK is the party best placed to deliver the improvements Hounslow needs.

I look forward to continuing my work as a council member, now with the renewed support of Reform UK, to deliver the changes my residents deserve.

A Reform UK spokesperson said: We are delighted to welcome Bandna to Reform UK. She is an excellent addition to our growing team of councillors as we build towards the May elections.
A coin featuring a tiger, a snail and a dove has been launched to celebrate 200 years of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).

The 2 coin carries the edge inscription restoring wildlife together and it was created by the Royal Mint in collaboration with ZSL.

The coin was officially launched at ZSLs London Zoo, where a giant wooden replica of the coin measuring two metres (6.5ft) in size was given to the conservation zoos Sumatran tigers for their roar of approval.

The replica coin formed part of activities which stimulate an animals natural instincts. For the tigers, this includes stalking and hunting.

The reverse or tails design of the coin brings together three animals that the Mint said tell a powerful story about ZSLs conservation impact  the Sumatran tiger, the Socorro dove, and the Partula snail.

Each is depicted with fine detail, including the texture of the tigers fur, the delicate feathers of the dove, and the ribbed surface of the snails shell.

Each animal on the ZSL coin is depicted in fine detail (David Parry/PA Media Assignments)

Bamboo grasses wind between the three creatures, in a nod to the wild habitats ZSL works to protect and restore.

Lucy Mackenzie, director of digital and product concept at the Royal Mint, said: This coin is so much more than a commemorative piece, its a tribute to two centuries of dedication to wildlife and our planet.

Were proud to support ZSL, and every purchase contributes directly to its vital environmental work.

The sculpture earned its stripes at London Zoo (David Parry/PA Media Assignments)

She added: Being at ZSLs London Zoo to officially unveil the coin was a truly special moment.

To stand alongside the keepers and conservationists who give so much of themselves to this work every day and to see the animals that inspired the design up close brought home just how meaningful this collaboration is.

Founded in 1826 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles for the advancement of zoological science, ZSL operates across more than 70 countries as it works to help restore natural habitats, protect threatened species and educate conservationists.

A giant wooden replica of the Royal Mints new ZSL coin has been made (David Parry/PA Media Assignments)

Kathryn England, ZSL chief executive, said: We are delighted that ZSLs 200th anniversary is being commemorated with this special 2 coin from the Royal Mint.

The design, which highlights three of ZSLs remarkable conservation stories, reflects just a small part of the impact ZSL has made over the past two centuries.

From pioneering scientific research to protecting and restoring species and habitats around the world, this recognition is a wonderful tribute to our enduring commitment to conservation.

Those who purchase the coin will not only get to own a part of our history, but will be supporting our global conservation work, enabling us to continue delivering vital conservation impact for wildlife and people worldwide.

The coin is available to buy from the Royal Mint on Tuesday (David Parry/PA Media Assignments)

The coin is available to purchase from the Royal Mint from 9am on Tuesday April 14, with prices starting from 17.50 for a brilliant uncirculated version.

Gold and silver versions of the coin are also available, with a gold coin priced at 2,505 and silver coins of different weights priced at 107.50 and 190.

A portion of the net proceeds from sales will be donated to ZSL in support of the charitys global conservation work across the world, the Royal Mint said.

From May 1, visitors to the Royal Mint Experience, based in Llantrisant, south Wales will also be able to strike their own ZSL 2 coin.
Believers light candles during a service ahead of Orthodox Easter, during a 32-hour ceasefire declared by Russia, inside the St. Michael's Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, April 11, 2026.

A truce between Russia and Ukraine to mark the Orthodox Easter formally expired Monday, both sides having accused each other of thousands of violations, despite a lull in Russian air raids.

The truce lasted 32 hours, from 4pm (1300 GMT) on Saturday until the end of the day on Sunday.

Both sides had agreed to observe the ceasefire, which Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered on Thursday and which Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky proposed more than a week earlier.

But as with a similar agreement last year, only relative calm reigned along the 1,200-kilometre (745-mile) front line.

As of 10pm (1900 GMT) on Sunday, "7,696 violations by the enemy have been recorded", the Ukrainian army said on Facebook.

Russia had adhered to the ceasefire to some extent, while continuing "combat operations in certain sectors, including the use of FPV drones and kamikaze drones", it added.

Russia's defence ministry accused Kyiv of nearly 2,000 breaches of the truce.

Read moreRussia refuses to extend Easter truce unless Zelensky 'accepts its terms'

"A total of 1,971 ceasefire violations by units of the Ukrainian armed forces were recorded between 4:00 pm Moscow time on April 12 and 8:00 am on April 12," the ministry said on the state-pushed MAX messenger service.

Kyiv had fired 258 times using artillery or tanks, carried out 1,329 FPV drone strikes, and dropped "various types of munitions" on 375 occasions, notably via drones, Russia said.

Moscow also accused the Ukrainian military of launching "three nighttime attacks" against Russian positions and also "four attempts to advance" along the front line, adding that it had thwarted each one.

Zelensky had called for a longer ceasefire in his evening address Saturday, saying Ukraine had put the proposal to Russia.

But in comments aired Sunday, the Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected any extension unless the Ukrainian leader accepted Russias "well-known" terms.

"Until Zelensky musters the courage to assume this responsibility, the special military operation will continue after the truce expires," Peskov added, referring to the war in Ukraine.

'Holiday joy'

In a sign that the truce had some effect, the Ukrainian army said it had recorded no long-range Shahed drone attacks, guided aerial bombings or missile strikes.

Ukraine has had to deal with barrages of hundreds of Russian drones on a near-nightly basis, prompting retaliation from Kyiv.

In northeastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region, Lieutenant Colonel Vasyl Kobziak told AFP on Sunday morning that things were "rather calm" in his sector.

While the 32-year-old officer said the truce had not been "fully" observed, the lull had allowed his soldiers of the 33rd Mechanised Brigade to attend an Easter Sunday Mass outside in the freezing forest chill.

"Our comrades have the chance, as you can see, to have their Easter baskets blessed and to feel the warmth and joy of this holiday," he told AFP, referring to the religious tradition of priests blessing food and eggs.

In Russia's Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, Governor Alexander Khinshtein also accused Kyiv of breaking the ceasefire by attacking a gas station in the town of Lgov with a drone, injuring three people, including a baby.

Residents in Ukraine's southern city of Zaporizhzhia were sceptical about Russia's intentions.

"I think they're using this as a cover to reconvene," said 28-year-old manager Vladyslav.

"If we're going to declare a ceasefire, it shouldn't be for just one day," said 58-year-old economist Maryna.

Frontline freeze

Recent months have seen several rounds of US-brokered negotiations fail to bring the warring parties closer to an agreement to stop the fighting, triggered by Russia's February 2022 invasion.

The process has stalled further since the outbreak of the war in the Middle East, with Washington's attention having shifted towards Iran.

But even before the Iran war, progress towards a peace deal in Ukraine had been slow, due to differences over the issue of territory.

Ukraine has proposed freezing the conflict along the current front lines.

But Russia has rejected this, saying it wants the whole of the Donetsk region despite it being partly controlled by Ukraine  a demand Kyiv says is unacceptable.

The war has cost hundreds of thousands of lives and forced millions to flee their homes, making it Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II.

Russia, whose battlefield advances have slowed since last year, has paid a high price in manpower for relatively small territorial gains.

Moscow occupies just over 19 percent of Ukraine, most of which was seized during the first weeks of the conflict.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Begona Gomez casts her vote in the 2023 election as her husband Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish PM, looks on. Ms Gomez is accused of embezzling public funds - JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images

The wife of Pedro Sanchez, Spains prime minister, has been charged with corruption.

Begona Gomez is accused of bribery, embezzlement of public funds and misappropriation following a two-year investigation into multiple aspects of her professional life.

Judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who closed the probe on Monday, concluded that she influenced public sector institutions by leveraging her status as wife of Mr Sanchez, who has been in power since 2018.

Spains Left-wing government has dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated fishing expedition.

Ms Gomez has denied any wrongdoing and can appeal to have the accusations dropped.

The charges come at an embarrassing time for the prime minister. A week ago, his former transport minister went on trial, also for corruption.

Jose Luis Abalos is accused of receiving kickbacks on sales of PPE to government departments during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jose Luis Abalos is also accused of corruption - J J Guillen/Shutterstock

When Ms Gomez was placed under investigation in April 2024, Mr Sanchez took a five-day leave of absence from public duties to reflect on how to respond to what he called slurs from a mud-flinging machine which he says is made up of Right-wing media outlets and conservative members of the judiciary.

Mr Sanchez elected to continue in power but has seen a series of corruption cases sprout up around family members and Socialist politicians.

His wifes case centres on allegations that she used her position to secure a post in charge of Masters degrees in business studies at Madrids Complutense University.

Although Judge Peinado has found no evidence that Ms Gomez benefited directly from professional connections owing to her position, he argued that her associate on the courses, Juan Carlos Barrabes, a businessman, had been given preferential access to public contracts.

Mr Barrabes has also been charged, as has Ms Gomezs personal assistant.

Spains Left-wing government has dismissed the investigation into Ms Gomez as a politically motivated fishing expedition - Juanjo Martin/Pool photo via AP

In his resolution, Judge Peinado claimed the conduct was unprecedented in Spains democratic era and was more typical of absolutist regimes.

Speaking for the government, Felix Bolanos, the justice minister, accused the judge of carrying out a witch hunt which he expected an appeal court to overturn.

I think the damage that has been done to the reputation of our justice system is in many ways irreparable, Mr Bolanos said.

Judge Peinado, who at the age of 71 is on the verge of mandatory retirement, made a point of visiting the prime ministerial residence of La Moncloa to interview Mr Sanchez and other government officials.

David Sanchez, the prime ministers brother, is also set to go on trial next month after allegedly drawing a salary from a phantom public post created by local government officials.

Mr Sanchez denies wrongdoing.
Keir Starmer in a meeting with George Robertson in July 2024. Robertson led Nato from 1999 to 2003 and now sits in the House of Lords. Photograph: Benjamin Cremel/AP (Photograph: Benjamin Cremel/AP)

The government has shown a corrosive complacency towards defence and put the UK in peril, according to a government adviser, in fierce criticism of Keir Starmers military policy.

George Robertson, the former Nato secretary general and author of the governments strategic defence review, believes Starmer is not willing to make the necessary investment, the Financial Times reported.

In addition, Lord Robertson will warn in a lecture in Salisbury on Tuesday that the Iran war has to be a rude wake-up call.

The former general Richard Barrons, who co-authored the defence review with Robertson, echoed his concerns. It is a mark of how serious it is that someone who has been a Labour party activist for more than 60 years and was a Nato secretary general has now had to say it in these terms today, Barrons told BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

Robertson, a former defence secretary who led Nato from 1999 to 2003, will also accuse non-military experts in the Treasury of vandalism. We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget, he said in an interview with the Financial Times.

He will say in his speech: We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack. We are not safe  Britains national security and safety is in peril.

Barrons said: Theres an enormous gap between where we have to be to keep the country safe in the world we now live in, and where we actually are.

Asked how he responded to Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, mocking the Royal Navy last week, Barrons said: I hung my head in sorrow, but I couldnt argue with him because although the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force and the army are, in their bones, outstanding institutions, they are simply too small and too undernourished to deal with the world that we now live in. And the review says this.

The governments proposals to fund the strategic defence review recommendations, including a 10-year defence investment plan due by last autumn, have been repeatedly postponed amid warnings that the military faces a 28bn funding gap over the next four years.

Barrons said: The choice on the prime ministers desk is they either find some more money to implement a new de minimis review at the speed we agreed last year, or he is going to announce 28bn worth of cuts. And how would that fit with the world that we find ourselves in today?

The Ministry of Defence, the Treasury and Downing Street have not reached an agreement about how to proceed, according to sources.

Robertson believes spending cuts in other departments may be required to boost defence funding. In his speech, he will say the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, used a mere 40 words on defence in over an hour in her budget speech last year, and last month in the spring statement she used none.

He will add: There is a corrosive complacency today in Britains political leadership. Lip service is paid to the risks, the threats, the bright red signals of danger  but even a promised national conversation about defence cant be started.

In February Luke Pollard, the minister for defence readiness and industry, told the Guardian that the investment plan was a bigger task than many people outside defence realise.

It would mean fundamentally changing the shape of our armed forces, so pivoting, in particular, towards more autonomy, he said, while also stressing the need to refill military stockpiles sent to Ukraine in recent years. It is not a simple matter of just replacing tank A with tank B.

Robertson said he would cite the countrys inability to deploy more than one Royal Navy warship to the Mediterranean within the first fortnight of the Iran war to illustrate the UKs complacency on defence.

In the speech, he will warn that the UK faces not just shortages of military kit but crises in logistics, engineering, cyber, ammunition, training and medical resources.

Last week the defence secretary, John Healey, exposed a covert Russian submarine operation targeting critical undersea infrastructure around UK waters.

A government spokesperson said: We are delivering on the strategic defence review to meet the threats we face. It is backed by the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war, with a total of over 270bn being invested across this parliament.

They said the government was finalising the defence investment plan and would publish it as soon as possible.
Sir Keir Starmer is planning to introduce legislation that would let the UK follow European Union Single Market rules without giving MPs a vote.

As part of the Prime Minister's reset with Brussels, the UK Government will seek to pass a new law which would allow Single Market rules to be adopted through secondary legislation.

That is likely to mean new rules being rubber stamped by MPs as Parliament can either approve or reject secondary legislation but cannot amend it.

But the Prime Minister defended the move to use the so-called Henry VIII powers as he turned the UK away from Donald Trumps America and towards closer ties with the European Union.

Amid the turmoil sparked by the US presidents actions and rhetoric, Sir Keir told BBC radio: We're in a world where there's massive conflict, great uncertainty, and I strongly believe the UK's best interests are in a stronger, closer relationship with Europe, whether that's defence and security, of course energy, and also our economy.

Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer have clashed over the Iran war and US tariffs (PA Archive)

The Prime Minister, who has clashed repeatedly with Trump including over the Iran war, Greenland and tariffs, explained further: What we're doing with this piece of legislation is trying to make trade easier so there's less burdens for businesses.

That, of course, translates into lower prices, particularly with the deal we've got with the EU.

This is predominantly food and agricultural prices, which I think most people would say, whatever we can do to get those prices down is a step in the right direction.

A decade after the 2016 referendum on Brexit, which has left the UK with a multi-billion blow to its economy, Sir Keir added: We've got to look forward now, not backwards.

Let's go forward and recognize that a stronger, closer relationship with Europe is in the UK's best interest, particularly in a world that is as volatile as it is.

Shifting to closer EU ties may also be in Labours political interests given the strong challenge from Zack Polanskis Green Party with a poll suggesting it could win 12 seats in London at the next general election, as well as possibly gaining hundreds of council seats in the capital at the May local polls.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch who has criticised the Govenments shift towards closer EU ties (PA Wire)

But Tory leader Kemi Badenoch argued that accepting Single Market rules without having a say on them would leave the UK in the worst of both worlds.

The UK-EU reset legislation enabling the use of the so-called Henry VIII powers is expected to be part of the King's Speech package set out on May 13 and will be subject to the full parliamentary scrutiny process as usual.

But critics said the plan to allow the use of secondary legislation for dynamic alignment with Brussels, changing the UK's rules to mirror those set in Brussels to make trade easier, would sideline Westminster.

A Government spokesman said: The Bill will go through Parliament in the normal way.

Any new treaties or deals with the EU will also face parliamentary scrutiny, and Parliament will have a role in approving new EU laws required under those deals via secondary legislation.

This will allow us to deliver a food and drink trade deal worth 5.1 billion a year, backing British jobs and slashing costly red tape for our farmers, producers and businesses.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has set out that areas where the UK diverts from the Brussels rules should be the "exception, not the norm".

The Government has repeatedly made clear the UK will not rejoin the Single Market or Customs Union.

However, Cabinet ministers including Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting, MP for Ilford North, as well as other London MPs, have pushed the case for the UK joining a customs union with the EU.

Sir Sadiq Khan who says the UK should rejoin the EU (PA Wire)

London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has put himself at the helm of Labour calls for Britain to rejoin the European Union.

The plans under the new UK-EU reset Bill, as it has been unofficially called within Whitehall, would give the Government the mechanism to adopt EU rules in areas where it has signed deals with Brussels.

A Whitehall source said: We are clear Parliament will have a role for new deals and on new EU laws applying under those deals.

There are circumstances where votes can be held on approving pieces of secondary legislation, but they do not have the same level of scrutiny as a new law.

But any blocking votes would be likely to cause issues with the EU and could spark retaliatory action by Brussels.

Trade between Britain and the EU has been hit by Brexit (PA Wire)

Britain and the EU are aiming to finalise negotiations on a youth mobility scheme in time for a joint summit this summer.

They also want to secure a common sanitary and phytosanitary area, which would apply to the movement of plants and food, and agree on a way to link their emissions trading systems by that time.

However, shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith said: Parliament reduced to a spectator while Brussels sets the terms is exactly what the country rejected.

Labour's dire management of the economy has driven Starmer scurrying to Brussels to distract from his own failings.

Labour are still fighting the referendum because they fundamentally cannot accept the democratic decision the British people made.

Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice said the plan was outrageous and promised his party would reverse such a betrayal if it won power.
Peter Magyar hailed a new era after his election win on Sunday - Reuters

Hungarys new prime minister has told Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Peter Magyar said he would not be calling Donald Trump, the US president, and Putin, the Russian leader, after his election victory over Viktor Orban, but would speak to his predecessors allies if they wanted.

Mr Magyar said in Budapest on Monday: If [Putin] does [call], I will ask him to please stop the killing and stop the war. I think that would be a very brief discussion. I hope he will be forced to stop the war soon.

Mr Orban was defeated despite allegations of Russian interference and a visit from JD Vance, the US vice-president, to extend the former prime ministers 16-year rule.

Hailing a new era after winning the two thirds of parliamentary seats needed for a supermajority, Mr Magyar said: Our history is not written in Moscow, Brussels or Washington but on Hungarian streets.

Viktor Orban had a close relationship with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president - Reuters

The prime minister said he would try to have a pragmatic relationship with Russia  which he called a security risk  but would try to wean Hungary off its dependence on Russian energy, suggesting some contracts could be renegotiated or cancelled.

Mr Magyar, 45, the leader of the centre-right Tisza party, invited Mr Trump to events being held in October to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1956 revolution against Soviet occupation.

Noting that China and the Kremlin had accepted his victory, he said: I would like to request from all foreign countries to treat Hungary as a free independent sovereign European country.

He also said he would strive to improve relations with Ukraine, which were badly damaged by his predecessor vetoing Kyiv-friendly measures that had been proposed by the EU.

Mr Magyar attacked Mr Orban and his Fidesz party for telling Ukraine to sacrifice territory in return for peace, adding: Everyone in Hungary knows that Ukraine is the victim of this war. I say to them, what would you do if Russia invaded Hungary? What counties would you give up?

But he also told Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, to restore language rights to ethnic Hungarians and end a dispute caused when Kyiv passed laws to promote the Ukrainian language at the expense of Russian.

He stopped short of promising to end the veto on a 70bn (60bn) EU loan to Kyiv, which Mr Orban blocked as a campaign tool. Instead, Mr Magyar said Hungary should have an opt-out on the loan because of its parlous economic state.

European leaders, frustrated by years of Mr Orban blocking Ukraine-friendly policies, congratulated Mr Magyar, who promised to be a reliable and constructive partner in the EU, and said Hungary was a proud member of the bloc and Nato.

However, he warned that he would defend the Hungarian national interest in Brussels and criticised the EU for failing to deal with the 2015 migrant crisis.

Mr Magyar said his new government would not be accepting EU migrant resettlement quotas, which had put Mr Orban and Brussels in conflict. The former diplomat in Brussels said he saw the faults of the EU, which he said was large, bureaucratic and stuffed with party and lobby interests.

He said: I am sure we shall have debates. We are not going there to fight so we can fight and write on billboards to the Hungarian people that Brussels is evil and has to be stopped.

Peter Magyar, Hungarys new prime minister, at a press conference on Monday - Reuters

During the election campaign, he said, Mr Orban had spread vile propaganda, accusing the EU of plotting to drag the country into the war in Ukraine with the collusion of Mr Zelensky, who was painted as a villain.

Meanwhile, Mr Magyar accused his rival of planning to take Hungary out of the EU and betraying the nation by turning it into the poorest and most corrupt country in Europe.

The new prime minister said after his victory: Not a word is true about the lies. He described claims of a war plot as Goebbels-type, North Korea-type propaganda.

During a press conference in Budapest, Mr Magyar said Hungarians understood that the EU was a peace project, before accusing senior Fidesz politicians of spending the day shredding documents showing the extent of their collusion with Moscow.

He vowed to introduce a two-term limit for prime ministers to prevent a repeat of Mr Orbans 16 years in power, and restore democratic checks and balances, and the medias independence. He added that Hungary would join the European Public Prosecutors Office to fight corruption.

He said: We need to change the regime because the country was practically taken over and managed by an organised crime group.

Those measures will be necessary if Brussels is to unlock almost 20bn (17bn) in EU funds, which were frozen because of concerns about the rule of law under Mr Orban.

EU diplomats are concerned that Mr Magyar, a former Fidesz member, described as Baby Orban by one envoy, will bring about only a marginal improvement in relations with Budapest.

Yes I am a conservative, he told The Telegraph near the end of his press conference. I hear the fears that we are very similar, but I dont agree with this. I am not away from home from my three boys so that I can be an Orban two or a Fidesz light.

Asked whether he would roll back Mr Orbans crackdown on LGBT rights, including a ban on Pride marches, the prime minister said freedom of assembly was sacrosanct. He added: Everyone should live and love anyone they choose to as long as they are acting within the law.
Ballet and modern dance have been shaped by performers who did more than master technique. The most famous ballet dancers and legendary dancers changed how audiences understood artistry, expression, and physical possibility on stage.

The Artists Who Changed Dance History

Some dancers became famous because they were technically exceptional. Others became iconic because they challenged tradition, created new movement languages, or expanded the emotional range of performance. Together, they helped shape the way ballet and modern dance developed across the twentieth century and beyond.

Anna Pavlova is one of the clearest examples of a dancer whose fame went beyond the stage. Her graceful style and international tours helped introduce ballet to wider audiences around the world. She remains one of the most recognizable famous ballet dancers because she turned classical dance into a global cultural symbol.

Vaslav Nijinsky brought a different kind of power to ballet. His leaps, intensity, and expressive performances gave ballet a dramatic force that audiences had rarely seen before. He is often listed among the legendary dancers who changed the expectations of what a ballet performer could be.

Rudolf Nureyev transformed the role of the male dancer. He combined technical precision with charisma, stage authority, and emotional depth. His career helped elevate male ballet performance and inspired a new appreciation for the male lead in classical dance.

Margot Fonteyn represented elegance, musicality, and classical control. Her performances with Nureyev became some of the most admired partnerships in ballet history. She remains one of the most respected famous ballet dancers because of her consistency, beauty of line, and lasting artistic influence.

Mikhail Baryshnikov carried ballet into a new era of international recognition. His speed, precision, and expressive clarity made him one of the most celebrated dancers of his generation. He also helped broaden ballet's reach by connecting it to television, film, and mainstream culture.

Their influence can still be seen in classical companies, contemporary choreography, and dance education today. Sources such as the Dance Vision overview of major ballet figures, Ballet Arizona's feature on influential ballerinas, and articles on modern dance history all point to the same theme: the art form evolved through bold personalities and groundbreaking movement.

Modern Dance Pioneers

Modern dance grew from a desire to break away from the strict formality of ballet. Its pioneers wanted a movement that felt more human, direct, and emotionally honest. Their work created a separate tradition that expanded what dance could communicate.

Isadora Duncan is widely regarded as one of the founders of modern dance. She rejected rigid ballet structure and favored flowing, natural movement inspired by freedom and instinct. Her influence made her one of the most important legendary dancers in dance history.

Martha Graham gave modern dance a strong emotional and psychological language. Her technique focused on contraction and release, allowing dancers to express tension, struggle, and transformation through the body. She helped define modern dance as a serious and powerful art form.

Ruth St. Denis introduced spiritual and symbolic dimensions into dance. Her work expanded the themes dancers could explore and helped modern dance move toward theatrical storytelling. She influenced later generations by showing that movement could carry ideas as well as beauty.

Doris Humphrey contributed the idea of fall and recovery, which explored balance, gravity, and motion in a new way. Her choreography emphasized the body's relationship to space and force. She remains a major figure in the evolution of modern dance technique.

Merce Cunningham pushed dance into abstraction. He used chance methods, independent musical structures, and experimental choreography to challenge traditional storytelling. His work showed that dance could be nonnarrative and still deeply meaningful.

Why Their Influence Lasts

The impact of these dancers comes from more than fame alone. They reshaped artistic standards, inspired future performers, and expanded the emotional vocabulary of dance. Their legacies remain important because they changed both how dance looked and what it could mean.

They expanded technique, making classical and modern movement more expressive. They influenced choreography, helping future artists think beyond tradition. They changed public perception, making dance more visible and respected. They created enduring legacies, with their names still central to dance history discussions.

Their careers also show that greatness in dance often comes from individuality. The most memorable performers did not simply repeat established models. They brought distinctive style, artistic conviction, and personal presence to the stage, which is why they are still remembered as famous ballet dancers and legendary dancers.

Ballet and Modern Dance Today

Ballet and modern dance may differ in style, posture, and structure, but both forms continue to influence each other. Ballet contributes discipline, precision, and line, while modern dance brings freedom, grounded movement, and emotional directness. Many contemporary choreographers blend elements from both traditions.

This ongoing exchange keeps dance history alive in current performance. Audiences still respond to elegance, strength, risk, and expressive honesty, all of which were advanced by the dancers discussed above. Their work continues to shape what dancers train for, what companies present, and what viewers expect from live performance.

Lasting Impact on Dance

The history of ballet and modern dance is closely tied to a few extraordinary artists whose work changed the field in lasting ways. Anna Pavlova, Nijinsky, Nureyev, Fonteyn, Baryshnikov, Duncan, Graham, St. Denis, Humphrey, and Cunningham each expanded the possibilities of movement in different directions.

Their influence remains visible in training studios, repertory performances, and dance scholarship. The story of these famous ballet dancers and legendary dancers is really the story of how dance became more expressive, more diverse, and more globally understood.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who are the most famous ballet dancers in history?

Some of the most famous ballet dancers in history include Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. They are remembered for their technique, artistry, and lasting influence on ballet.

2. Which dancers changed ballet the most?

Dancers like Nijinsky, Nureyev, Fonteyn, and Baryshnikov changed ballet by expanding its emotional range, raising performance standards, and redefining the role of both male and female dancers.

3. Who are the most influential modern dance pioneers?

Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, Ruth St. Denis, Doris Humphrey, and Merce Cunningham are among the most influential modern dance pioneers. Their work helped modern dance become a major artistic form.
Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales to retire from Congress after House opens inquiry into affair with former staffer

Embattled Texas congressman Tony Gonzales has announced he will retire from Congress after the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into his affair with a former staffer.

There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office, the Texas Republican said on X Monday evening.

It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.

His announcement comes less than an hour after California Democrat Eric Swalwell also announced his resignation from Congress following allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staffer and made other unwanted sexual advances toward women.

Gonzales, 45, finally admitted in March after months of allegations that he had had an inappropriate relationship with Regina Santos-Aviles, who at the time was a married woman who worked in his Uvalde office.

Gonzales, a former U.S. Navy cryptographer from San Antonio, has six children with his wife Angel (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Santos-Aviles died by suicide at her home in September 2025, although Gonzales has said he had absolutely nothing to do with the former staffers death.

Gonzales previously said he would not stand for reelection this year, while stopping short of resigning from Congress.

But his position looked increasingly untenable as Republicans as well as Democrats called for his removal, with an expulsion vote scheduled for Tuesday.

Last week, another former aide came forward to accuse him of bombarding her with "hundreds" of sexually explicit text messages, characterizing his behavior as "sexual bullying". At the time, neither Gonzales nor his office responded to questions from the newspaper about the ex-staffers claims. The Independent also contacted the congressmans representatives for comment.

In an interview last month with conservative talk show host Joe Pagliarulo, Gonzales admitted he "made a mistake" and suffered "a lapse in judgment" while denying any responsibility for Santos-Aviles' suicide.

The announcement from Gonzales came less than an hour after California Democrat Eric Swalwell also announced his resignation from Congress following allegations he sexually assaulted a former staffer and made other unwanted sexual advances toward women (AFP/Getty)

Swalwell, meanwhile, has fiercely denied the allegations against him, saying it was wrong to expel him from Congress "without due process." Nevertheless, he said he would resign so as not to be "distracted" from his duties.

"Reps. Gonzales and Swalwell are not fit to serve. They must resign. If they do not, I will vote to expel them," Teresa Leger Fernandez, a New Mexico representative who leads the Democratic Women's Caucus, said before the announcements from both men that they plan to step down.

Republicans too had criticized Gonzales, with majority whip Tom Emmer asking him to withdraw from the running while fellow Texas representative Monica De La Cruz called his actions "unacceptable."

The Independent has reached out to Gonzales office for comment.

Gonzales did not indicate exactly when he would officially step down from Congress. It is not immediately clear if Texas Governor Greg Abbott would call a special election to fill his seat before the November election.
Daryl German was the principal offender in the case, police said (Metropolitan Police)

Three men have been jailed for a combined 29 years in a shocking case of rape against a missing child.

Daryl German, 43, identified a 14-year-old girl walking home alone in Catford and then quickly exploited her vulnerability, the Metropolitan Police said.

German then coerced the girl to his flat, where he raped her. He then invited his associate Jordan Donely Wint, 31, to his address.

Wint and German learned the girl was a missing child and failed to contact her family or police.

Deon Smith (Metropolitan Police)

The Met said this demonstrated their clear and sinister intent.

Later, German sent explicit messages referencing sexual contact with the girl to Deon Smith, 45.

The girl was taken to Smiths flat, where she was raped again.

On June 27 last year, police were made aware of a report of rape at a residential address in New Cross.

Jordan Wint (Metropolitan Police)

Police said: Officers immediately launched an investigation and safeguarded the victim, who was 14 at the time of the offence.

Due to the diligence of detectives and a combination of strong forensic and digital evidence, the three men were each arrested within the first week of July 2025 and charged on the same day of their respective arrests.

German was determined to be the principal offender in this case after police reviewed CCTV and digital evidence.

All three men, all from Lewisham, were jailed at Woolwich Crown Court on April 10.

German was convicted of arranging travel for exploitation, three counts of rape, assault by penetration and two counts of making indecent images of a child. He was sentenced to 15 years with three years on an extended licence.

Wint was sentenced to six years' imprisonment after he was convicted of one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration

Smith was convicted of one count of rape and jailed for seven years.

All three men were placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Detective Constable Jack Best, who led the Mets investigation, said:

I extend my thanks to the victim, whose exceptional resilience and determination has proved crucial to the successful prosecution of three dangerous individuals.

The dedicated investigation team uncovered evidence which proved the harmful actions all three individuals played throughout the attack, securing their removal from Londons streets.

Weve transformed the way we investigate rape and sexual offences, more than doubling the number of rape cases charged since 2021.

We are working to ensure all victim-survivors have the confidence to report these awful crimes by listening to their feedback and working with charities and partners across the criminal justice system.
Timeline of the Anna Kepner case as her stepbrother is charged in cruise ship murder

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, on a Carnival Cruise ship.

Charges against Timothy Hudson were announced Monday. He was initially charged as a juvenile on Feb. 2 but the case was sealed until U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered that he be prosecuted as an adult.

Our hearts go out to the victims family during this unimaginable loss, U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quinones said in a statement. A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters.

Before the Department of Justice announced the charges Monday, there were multiple indications that Annas stepbrother was a focus of the investigation into her death aboard the cruise ship, which was bound for the Caribbean.

Anna Kepner, 18, was found wrapped in a blanket and stuffed under lifejackets on a Carnival cruise (Temple Christian School)

Here's a look at the timeline of the case:

Nov. 6, 2025:

Anna Kepner, a high school cheerleader from Titusville, Florida, dies from mechanical asphyxia aboard the Carnival Horizon in international waters. She was on the cruise with her family.

Nov. 7-8, 2025:

Kepner's body is discovered by a housekeeper, concealed under a bed in the cabin she was sharing with two other teens, including her stepbrother, Timothy Hudson.

Mid-November, 2025:

Kepner's death draws international attention, sparking intense speculation after a court filing in a dissolution of marriage case involving Hudson's mother said the FBI is investigating and a minor child may be implicated.

Nov. 20, 2025:

The Associated Press reports that Hudson is identified as a suspect in her death according to court documents filed by his parents in an ongoing custody dispute. He is identified only as T.H. in the court documents.

Feb. 2, 2026:

Hudson is charged as a juvenile with murder and sexual abuse in federal court, but the court file is sealed because of his age.

Feb. 3:

Hudson is arrested and pleads not guilty to the charges. The hearing is not open to the public.

Feb. 6:

U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres says Hudson can remain free pending trial, but he must live with an uncle and be electronically monitored.

Feb. 24:

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra L. Lopez requests that Hudson be prosecuted as an adult, and Hudson's defense attorneys do not object.

March 10:

Federal prosecuting attorneys file a superseding indictment but asks the court to keep it sealed.

April 10:

The entire court file is unsealed.

April 13:

The U.S. Department of Justice announces that murder and sexual abuse charges have been brought against Hudson in connection with Kepner's death.
Locked in a war that has provoked threats of genocide from the US and retaliation from Iran, Washington and Tehran are forming an accidental alliance to strangle global trade and cripple the world economy.

Donald Trumps threat to close the Strait of Hormuz to all Iranian shipping and to all vessels that have paid Tehran an illegally imposed toll for using the international sea passage, combined with Irans illegal blocking of the oil artery, drove the price of a physical barrel of crude oil up to $148.

Already the cause of a global economic slowdown and surge in the price of oil, gas, fertiliser, helium and dozens of other petrochemicals, the Israel-US war on Iran and Tehrans retaliation put all three nations squarely in the dock for violations of international law.

These now include Americas threat to violate the Law of the Sea by making threats against international shipping, which moves about a fifth of the worlds fuel through the Strait.

Donald Trumps threat to close the Strait of Hormuz to all Iranian shipping, combined with Irans illegal blocking of the oil artery, pushed oil to $148 a barrel (Reuters)

China imports about 31 per cent of the oil shipped, India about 14 per cent. In total, about 86 per cent of all the oil shipped from the Gulf region by this route goes to Asia. So China has called for restraint in the latest desperate efforts of both the US and Iran to take their conflict to a place where each can declare some kind of victory.

It is unclear how a US blockade would be managed. China buys about 80 per cent of Irans oil exports  up to 1.5 million barrels a day. So a threat against ships taking Iranian oil through the only route out of the Gulf is a strategic threat against China.

Sinking a vessel taking oil to China would be an environmental catastrophe. It could, in theory, be seen by Beijing as an act of war. Boarding tankers from Iran by US forces in international waters could be interpreted as enforcing sanctions. But China and Tehran would also argue that such moves would be violations of international laws governing the seascape.

Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz (Reuters)

Beijing is unlikely to take a belligerent stand. But Xi Jinping would pocket the precedent of a pirate superpower, again ripping up regulations designed to ensure free passage of goods around the world.

China has been building artificial islands in the South China Sea for years in an effort to lay wider claims to sovereignty over a narrow sea passage, which the US and United Nations have ruled are illegal efforts to cheat the international Law of the Sea. The US and the UK, among other allies, frequently sail warships through the South China Sea and close to the new archipelago of fake islands to prevent China from asserting sovereignty.

Trumps latest bizarre threat against Iran included the claim that other Countries will be involved with this Blockade. Iran will not be allowed to profit off this Illegal Act of EXTORTION, he wrote in a social media post. So far, no American allies have agreed to participate in his illegal blockade.

The new tactic emerged after intensive face-to-face talks between Iran and the US, headed by Vice-president JD Vance in Pakistan, yielded no concessions from Iran on its nuclear programme, which the US (and its allies) have said must be shut down for ever.

Chinas ports as global trade turmoil continues (Getty)

But Trump is running out of options for how to extract America from a war that may have suited Israels far-right agenda of trying to smash the military capabilities of nations that threaten its existence in the region, but delivered nothing that can look like success to anyone in Washington.

The forcing of the issue around the Strait of Hormuz is part of a continued effort to draw Americas traditional allies into the Middle Eastern conflict. This has failed.

Later this week, the UK and France will jointly host an international summit to put together a defensive mission to protect the straits. But they are leaving the US, Israel and Iran to figure out how to end their war.

[It will] advance work on a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends, Sir Keir Starmer posted on X.

The key phrase here is when the conflict ends, which has been a consistent principle of European and other allies who see no strategic benefit nor imperative behind the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Tehran, meanwhile, continues to internationalise the war with demands that any ceasefire with the US and Israel also include an end to attacks in Lebanon, where Israel has unleashed a widespread campaign across the country against Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia.

Stockbrokers react during trading hours at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi, 13 April (AFP/Getty)

Israel and the US have boxed that demand out of ceasefire options. But Washington is now boxed into a puzzle of its own making: how to get out of the war with Iran when none of the aims have been achieved?

The regime remains in charge in Tehran and continues to back militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. It is refusing to give up its nuclear ambitions. Its missile programme threatens Americas friends in the Gulf, and theres no sign that Tehrans leaders will back away from their desire to put an end to the existence of Israel.

Trump, meanwhile, has threatened to put an end to Persian civilisation, in language as directly threatening as anything that Irans ayatollahs have made about Israel.

And this week he is adding threats of piracy and outright war against China, a nuclear power with a gigantic army, navy and air force. Chinas dignified response to Trumps irrational threats and tantrums makes Washington look more like the base of unhinged fanatics and Beijing, a fast-expanding commercial imperial power, a refuge for the rational.
President Trump has characterised Pope Leo XIV as WEAK on crime and terrible on foreign policy, marking just the latest in a string of clashes between the president and the pontiffs.

Last week, Pope Leo described Trumps warning that an entire civilization will die tonight, referring to Iran, as truly unacceptable. The pope also suggested there is a delusion of omnipotence driving war between the United States and Iran.

In his Truth Social tirade Sunday night, the president claimed the pope thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon and was elected to the position because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

Leo addressed the comments onboard a Monday morning flight to Algiers, saying I dont want to get into a debate with him and that he has no fear of the Trump Administration.

Though Trump initially welcomed Leos election to the papacy as a great honour for the U.S., this exchange is just the latest in a series of disputes between the American president and leader of the Catholic Church.

Following the U.S.s capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January, the bishop of Rome also decried a diplomacy based on force and warned of a new Orwellian-style language fuelling hyper-partisanship.

While not specifically criticising Trump, Leo has previously shared a series of critical views on policies pursued by the presidents administration.

President Trump has attracted the ire of Catholics after criticising the Pope and posting an AI image of him as Jesus (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)

Last year, he questioned whether hardline immigration policies were in line with the Churchs pro-life teachings, and called for a deep reflection about the way migrants are being treated in the United States.

Someone who says, I am against abortion, but I am in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I dont know if thats pro-life, the pontiff said in September.

Trumps latest exchanges with the papacy mark a pattern extending beyond Leo to his predecessor, Pope Francis. From the beginning to the end of their relationship, their disputes centred around the rights of migrants.

Referring to the then-candidate Trump in 2016, Francis said anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants was not Christian  a comment Trump called disgraceful.

Trump, who had declared his desire to deport nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants from the U.S., blamed Mexico for the popes disgraceful remarks in a Facebook post in February 2016.

Pope Leo has hit back at Trumps attacks, saying he does not fear his administration (Reuters)

If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which, as everyone knows, is ISISs ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President because this would not have happened, he wrote.

ISIS would have been eradicated, unlike what is happening now with our all-talk, no-action politicians.

For a religious leader to question a persons faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened, unlike what is happening now, with our current President.

No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another mans religion or faith. They are using the Pope as a pawn and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing so, especially when so many lives are involved and when illegal immigration is so rampant.

President Trumps turbulent relationship with the Vatican extends back to Pope Francis, who urged Catholics to reject anti-immigration narratives (AFP/Getty)

In February 2025, shortly before his death, Francis wrote in an open letter to American bishops that deporting people trying to escape difficult situations violates the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families and urged Catholics to reject anti-immigrant narratives.

Unlike Trumps stormy relationships with other world leaders like those of Britain or Spain  constituencies with little baring on his base  a total break with the pontiff could pose consequences at the polls.

As with most Republican POTUSs, Trumps base is considerably reliant on conservative, religious voters, including Catholics.

According to a Fox News national poll conducted 20-23 March, Trumps approval rating among Catholic voters is now underwater, with 48 percent of respondents saying they approved of the job Trump is doing as president, and 52 percent disapproving.

Effects of a fallout might even reverberate among his executive branch, of whom Catholics include Vice President JD Vance, the majority of the Supreme Court, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is known to regularly pray with her staff before briefings.
Donald Trump has criticised Pope Leo, calling him very liberal and saying he is not a big fan of his views.

Speaking to reporters while flying back to Washington from Florida on Sunday (12 April), Trump said: We dont like a pope thats going to say its okay to have a nuclear weapon.

He added that he does not support any position that appears to be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world.

His comments came after the pope suggested a delusion of omnipotence is fuelling the US-Israel war in Iran.
Donald Trump announced a blockade of the strait of Hormuz after 21 hours of peace negotiations collapsed on Islamabad on Sunday morning. Photograph: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images (Photograph: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

Donald Trump has said the US will begin blockading the strait of Hormuz in an attempt to take control of the strategic waterway from Iran in the aftermath of failed peace negotiations between the countries in Pakistan.

The US president also threatened to bomb Irans water treatment facilities as well as its power plants and bridges, repeating an earlier threat, if Tehran did not agree to abandon its nuclear weapons programme  the key sticking point between the two sides.

Trumps surprise announcement of a blockade came after 21 hours of face-to-face peace negotiations between the US and Iran in Islamabad collapsed on Sunday morning.

JD Vance, the vice-president and head of the US team, said Iran had refused to give up the possibility of developing nuclear weapons, while the Iranian delegates said Washington needed to do more to win their trust.

Trump says US will blockade strait of Hormuz as Iran peace talks fail

Risking another increase in oil prices, Trump said he had instructed the US navy to begin blockading any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the strait of Hormuz  and accused Iran of extortion with its own scheme of charging tolls to tankers.

Irans Revolutionary Guards responded by declaring that if any warships approached the strait to enforce a blockade  usually considered an act of war  it would be considered a breach of the current ceasefire and would be strongly dealt with. They insisted the strait remained under Iranian control.

Read the full story

US lawmakers split on party lines over negotiations failure to end Iran war

The failure of negotiations to end the US war with Iran has unleashed a barrage of starkly partisan political responses, with leading Republicans making hawkish calls for Donald Trump to finish the job while top Democrats warned that it would be disastrous for the president to resume hostilities.

Read the full story

Donald Trump and Marco Rubio watch UFC fights in Miami as peace talks with Iran fail

Donald Trump and US secretary of state Marco Rubio attended a UFC event in Miami on Saturday night as peace talks with Iran failed on the other side of the world.

The Secretary of State skipped the Iran negotiations in Pakistan to attend a UFC fight. So did the Special Envoy for South and Central Asia, while Pakistan has no confirmed U.S. ambassador, the House Democrats Foreign Affairs Committee wrote on X. Tens of thousands of Americans are in harms way. Gas prices are rising. This is not serious leadership. Its amateur hour.

Read the full story

Ex-CIA director calls for ousting Trump: 25th amendment was written with him in mind

The former Central Intelligence Agency director John Brennan has added his name to growing calls for the president to be ousted on grounds that he is unfit for the job, arguing that the US constitutions 25th amendment addressing involuntary removal from office was written with Donald Trump in mind.

Read the full story

Hungarian opposition ousts Viktor Orban after 16 years in power

Hungarys opposition Tisza party, led by Peter Magyar, has won national elections, bringing an end to Viktor Orbans 16-year grip on power, in a result that is likely to rattle the White House.

Days before the election, JD Vance had travelled to Budapest, with the US vice-president saying that he had come to help Orban. Donald Trump had also repeatedly endorsed Orban, most recently on Friday when he vowed to bring US economic might to the country if Orban was re-elected.

Read the full story

What else happened today:

Representative Eric Swalwell, the Democratic frontrunner in the fiercely contested race to be governor of California , has suspended his campaign amid a series of sexual assault and misconduct allegations by a former staff member and at least three other women.

Still marveling over their moon mission, the Artemis II astronauts received a thunderous welcome home on Saturday from hundreds who took part in setting a record for deep space travel during the US space agency Nasas lunar comeback.

Catching up? Heres what happened Saturday 11 April.
President Trump has branded Pope Leo XIV as WEAK on crime and terrible on foreign policy, in a late-night Truth Social blitz which also saw him uploading an AI-generated image of himself dressed as Jesus.

Last week, Pope Leo said Trumps warning that an entire civilization will die tonight, in reference to Iran, was unacceptable. The pope has also suggested that a delusion of omnipotence is fueling the war between the United States and Iran.

Leo responded to Trumps outburst later on Monday.

In his lengthy Truth Social post, the president claimed that the Catholic Churchs leadership had been arresting priests, ministers, and everybody else in the midst of the Covid pandemic and suggested that he preferred the popes brother.

I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA, the president blasted. He gets it, and Leo doesnt!

The US president posted an image of himself dressed as Jesus during the same Truth Social blast that saw him tearing into Pope Leo XIV (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)

I dont want a Pope who thinks its OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.

Pope Leo responded to Donald Trump on Monday and said he would always speak out in favour of peace. I have no fear of the Trump administration, or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the Church is here to do, he told reporters. I dont want to get into a debate with Trump.

I will continue to speak out loudly against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems, Leo continued aboard a papal flight to Algiers, where he is embarking on a 10-day tour to four African countries.

Too many people are suffering in the world today, he said. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say theres a better way.

The US president went on to suggest that his own election played a role in the Catholic Churchs choice of pope in May 2025.

Leo should be thankful because, as everyone knows, he was a shocking surprise, the president wrote. He wasnt on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.

If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican.

Trump added: Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.

The Pope says a delusion of omnipotence is fuelling the war between the US and Iran (Reuters)

Around 40 minutes after his tirade was posted, Trump uploaded an AI-generated image of himself dressed as Jesus.

In the picture, the president is bathed in golden light as he places a shining hand on a sleeping mans forehead.

A nurse and a praying woman are both kneeling around the patient in the image, while a man in a camouflage uniform looks on. A fourth individual, dressed in a green uniform, is also by the patients bedside.

In the background, a huge U.S. flag, a pair of bald eagles and a trio of military planes can be seen flying through the air.

The post sparked a backlash from Christian groups and has since been taken down from the presidents profile. Trump denied it depicted him as Jesus, telling reporters: I thought it was me as a doctor.

Former Trump loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene shredded the presidents post, stating that she was praying against it.

On Orthodox Easter, President Trump attacked the Pope because the Pope is rightly against Trumps war in Iran and then he posted this picture of himself as if he is replacing Jesus, Greene wrote on X. This comes after last weeks post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization.

Trump suggested that Leo XIV was chosen because they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J Trump (AFP/Getty)

I completely denounce this and Im praying against it!!!

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also issued a statement in response to Trumps post.

I am disheartened that the President chose to write such disparaging words about the Holy Father, he wrote. Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician.

He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.
Keir Starmer has warned that the need to reverse parts of Brexit has been proven by the crisis caused by Donald Trumps war on Iran.

It comes amid revelations that ministers are planning to introduce legislation that would allow them to sign the UK up to EU single market rules without full scrutiny  so-called Henry VIII powers  as Sir Keir Starmer insisted a stronger relationship with Europe is in the UKs best interest.

A new bill, which will be brought forward this year as part of the governments Brexit reset, would bring the UK in line with EU law in certain areas, such as food standards, animal welfare and pesticide use  a process known as dynamic alignment.

The bill will contain powers that mean once an agreement has been reached with the bloc, any further EU changes deemed in the national interest can be waved through without a full debate by MPs.

In his statement to the Commons on the Middle East crisis on Monday, the prime minister warned again about both Iran and Trumps plans to blockade the Strait of Hormuz and confirmed that he would convene a meeting of 40 nations in a bid to get the vital waterway open.

Sir Keir Starmer makes a statement on the Middle East in the House of Commons (House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA) (PA Wire)

But he underlined that the economic crisis unfolding because of the war has made the case for the UK to become economically tied to the EU again.

Promising clear and hard leadership, Sir Keir said: We cant stand here in this House and pretend that a global shock threatening to hit the living standards of British people is somehow a global experience.

Britain has been buffeted by crises for decades now, with a 2008 financial crash through to austerity, Brexit, Covid, the war that still rages in Ukraine and the disastrous Liz Truss premiership.

We cannot return to the status quo, a status quo that manifestly failed working people, who saw their living standards flatline and their public services decimated. So this time, Britains response must and will be different to reflect the changing world that we live in. That starts with our economic security.

It means a closer economic relationship with our European allies, because Brexit did deep damage to the economy and the opportunities we now have to strengthen our security and cut the cost of living.

The Labour government has been furiously attacked by both Reform and the Tories for planning to reverse parts of Brexit in its negotiations with Brussels.

The plans to ease dynamic alignment with EU rules would happen using secondary legislation.

Parliament would only be able to either approve or reject secondary legislation, but would not be able to amend it. This means MPs are likely to end up rubber-stamping new deals rather than debating and voting on every one.

European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds will push through the new laws (PA)

Any blocking votes would be likely to cause issues with the EU, and could spark retaliatory action, government sources said. But they added: We are clear parliament will have a role for new deals and on new EU laws applying under those deals.

Sir Keir Starmer argued that the legislation would make trade easier, reducing burdens on businesses and lowering prices, but he insisted that changes would only come into force if parliament passes the legislation.

The prime minister told BBC Radio 5 Live: Were in a world where theres massive conflict, great uncertainty, and I strongly believe that the UKs best interests are in a stronger, closer relationship with Europe, whether thats defence and security energy, inevitably, and also, our economy.

He added: A stronger, closer relationship with Europe is in the UKs best interest, particularly in a world that is as volatile as it is at the moment, and I know that worries a lot of people.

The legislation is expected to be unveiled in the Kings Speech on 13 May, which sets the agenda for the next parliamentary session, The Guardian reported over the weekend. If the bill is passed, Brussels regulations could be adopted on everything from cars to farming by using secondary legislation.

Ministers argue that dynamic alignment would have little material impact as UK food manufacturers have already largely followed EU rules since Brexit, but it is hoped that it would reduce expensive and time-consuming paperwork for suppliers who want to export to the single market.

However, there are also concerns that it would see the UK surrender control over its own laws.

Sir Keir Starmer has been seeking closer ties with the bloc since he came into office in July 2024, as part of a post-Brexit reset, and clinched an initial deal last May with agreements that included giving UK tourists more access to e-gates at European airports.

Britain and the EU are aiming to finalise negotiations on a youth mobility scheme in time for another joint summit later this year.

They also want to secure a common sanitary and phytosanitary area  which would apply to the movement of plants and food  and agree on a way to link their emissions trading systems by that time.

The prime minister insisted earlier this month that Labours manifesto commitments remained not to re-join the single market or customs union, or establish freedom of movement.

The plans for the new legislation drew criticism from opposition parties.

Andrew Griffith, Tory shadow business secretary, said: Parliament reduced to a spectator while Brussels sets the terms is exactly what the country rejected. Labours dire management of the economy has driven Starmer scurrying to Brussels to distract from his own failings.

Labour are still fighting the referendum, because they fundamentally cannot accept the democratic decision the British people made. We should be seizing the opportunities of Brexit. However, Starmers weakness on the world stage has made this near-impossible.

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson told the BBCs Westminster Hour: We need a closer relationship with Europe, but we also need parliamentary democracy. And to cut parliament out of the loop and not have a vote, I think is absurd and wrong and undemocratic.

A government spokesperson said: The bill will go through parliament in the normal way.

Any new treaties or deals with the EU will also face parliamentary scrutiny, and parliament will have a role in approving new EU laws required under those deals via secondary legislation.

This will allow us to deliver a food and drink trade deal worth 5.1bn a year, backing British jobs and slashing costly red tape for our farmers, producers and businesses.
A ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to mark the Orthodox Easter formally expired on Monday, with both sides having accused each other of thousands of violations, despite a lull in Russian air raids. The truce lasted 32 hours, from 4pm (1300 GMT) on Saturday until the end of the day on Sunday. Both sides had agreed to observe the ceasefire, which the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, ordered on Thursday and which his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, proposed more than a week earlier. But as with a similar agreement last year, only relative calm reigned along the 1,200km (745-mile) frontline.
Wetland restoration boosts local livelihoods in northern China

Xinhua) 09:33, April 13, 2026

TIANJIN, April 12 (Xinhua) -- As spring returns, large numbers of migratory birds are stopping over at the Qilihai Wetland in north China's Tianjin Municipality on their northward journey, a testament to years of dedicated restoration work.

Flocks of rare species, including oriental storks and Baikal teals, have been recorded at the site, a crucial stopover on the East Asian-Australasian flyway, one of the world's major migratory bird routes.

"I often spot geese and swans flying overhead, along with some birds whose names I don't know," said Yu Yanting, 34, a resident of Jiefang Village located just over 700 meters from the wetland's core area in Ninghe District.

Wetlands, which cover about 6 percent of the Earth's land surface, play a critical role in supplying water resources, maintaining biodiversity and mitigating climate change.

However, wetlands have been shrinking globally, with 22 percent having disappeared since 1970, according to the Global Wetland Outlook 2025.

The Qilihai Wetland also suffered damage in the past. Reed cutting and aquaculture by surrounding villages led to water pollution and ecological degradation.

"Back then, villagers lacked ecological awareness. Fishing boats crisscrossed the wetland and fish feed was dumped directly into the water, which harmed the water environment," said Yu Wendong, Party chief of Jiefang Village.

Local authorities launched a large-scale wetland restoration campaign in 2017, demolishing illegal buildings, reducing human activities and reconnecting water systems.

The campaign came at a cost. Yu Yanting's family, who made a living harvesting water fleas in the wetland, lost their primary income when fishing boats were banned from entering the wetland, leaving them deeply uncertain about the future.

"At first, we couldn't understand why the government cut off our livelihoods," she said. "But village officials explained that protecting the environment would bring us better lives in the long run."

Notable progress has been made. By 2025, grassland, forest and water areas accounted for 46.63 percent of its wetland reserve, while water and air quality improved significantly, with high levels of negative oxygen ions.

"We now live at a natural oxygen bar. The air is extremely fresh here," said a villager named Wei Yilai.

The improved environment has helped to attract more wildlife. By the end of 2025, the number of bird species in the wetland had increased to 308, and that of wild plant species had risen to 183. Each migration season, between 500,000 and 600,000 birds make a stopover at the reserve.

The restoration has also helped to boost local livelihoods with booming tourism and sales of local agricultural products.

In 2022, Jiefang and its neighboring villages leveraged historical, cultural and ecological resources to create a 3.8-km study tour route.

Jiefang Village alone receives more than 20,000 visitors a year on average, generating about 2 million yuan (about 290,000 U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue and creating more than 6,000 local jobs, according to the village Party chief.

Yu Yanting is among those who have benefited. Once a stay-at-home mother facing financial pressure, she successfully secured a job as a guide for the tourism project.

"The job not only provides me with a steady income but also helps me find my own value," she said.

The benefits extend far beyond Jiefang Village. Thanks to cleaner water and richer soil in the wake of ecological restoration, local agricultural products like sweet potatoes, rice and crabs reported bumper sales, said Tian Xiujing, director of the Tianjin Qilihai Wetland nature reserve management committee.

Qilihai Wetland offers just a glimpse of wetland conservation efforts in China. According to China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the country has consistently strengthened the ecological conservation and restoration of its wetlands in recent years, with the country's total wetland area now ranking first in Asia and fourth globally.

The country is home to 22 accredited international wetland cities, the highest number globally. Additionally, 903 national wetland parks have been established, with approximately 90 percent offering free admission to the public, attracting around 320 million visitors annually.

More protection efforts are still underway. In March 2026, China's national legislature passed the country's first Ecological and Environmental Code. As China's second formal statutory code following the adoption of the Civil Code in 2020, the legislation aims to protect the ecological environment and promote green development through the strictest systems and the most rigorous rule of law.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), China will further improve its legal and regulatory framework regarding wetlands, strengthen monitoring and early warning systems for wetland protection, and accelerate the establishment of mechanisms to realize the value of wetland ecological products.

"Now we enjoy cleaner air, sweeter water and fuller wallets, all gifts from the Qilihai Wetland. A good ecological environment is a true blessing for us," said Yu Yanting.

(Web editor: Wang Xiaoping, Liang Jun)
The US has begun a blockade of all ships entering and exiting Iranian ports after warning all vessels were at risk of diversion and capture.

Shortly after the blockade began at 2pm UTC, President Trump said on Truth Social: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED.

US Central Command (Centcom) said earlier on Monday that it would enforce a blockade in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea east of the Strait of Hormuz that would apply to all vessels, regardless of flag.

In a note to seafarers, it said any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorisation would be subject to interception, diversion and capture. The blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations.

Centcom added that the blockade would encompass the entirety of the Iranian coastline to include but not limited to ports and oil terminals. However, it said humanitarian shipments including food, medical supplies, and other essential goods would be permitted, subject to inspection.

Nato and other US allies, including the UK, have refused to join the blockade.

An Iranian military spokesperson warned that Tehran would implement a permanent mechanism to control the strait in response, describing Washingtons move as illegal and amounting to piracy.

Iran has maintained control of the vital Strair of Hormuz shipping route (Reuters)

The spokesperson added that no port in the Gulf or Gulf of Oman would remain secure if Iranian ports were threatened.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency announced: From 14:00 UTC on Monday, access restrictions are being enforced affecting Iranian ports and coastal areas, including locations along the Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and Strait of Hormuz. Access restrictions apply without distinction to vessels of any flag engaging with Iranian ports, oil terminals, or coastal facilities.

After reports that Tehran had been charging vessels up to $2m to pass through the strait, President Trump warned on Sunday that the US navy would interdict any ship that had paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas, he said.

The US blockade is expected to lead to a return of the higher oil prices of recent weeks, after they fell upon last weeks ceasefire announcement.

Addressing the House of Commons shortly after the blockade began, Sir Kier Starmer referred to it as a lesson to learn from, specifically regarding energy.

The Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint for oil and gas getting to the international market, said Sir Kier. Thats pushed the price up, thats being reflected in every household. Thats why the only way to take control of our energy bills is to go faster on energy independence

Reports suggest that Tehran has been charging vessels up to $2m to pass through the Strait (Getty/iStock)

On Monday, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced in a post on X that, alongside Britain, it would host talks this week aimed at creating a peaceful multinational mission to restore freedom of navigation in the strait.

Similar comments were later made by the Qatari foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in a call to his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi. According to a statement released by his ministry, Mr Al Thani emphasised the need to open maritime routes, guarantee freedom of navigation and refrain from using them as a tool for pressure or bargaining.

The latest moves came after weekend talks between Iran and the US in Islamabad failed to reach a breakthrough. Vice-president JD Vance, the leader of Washingtons delegation to Pakistan, said on Sunday, We just could not get to a situation where the Iranians were willing to accept our terms. Tehran described the negotiations as being full of mistrust and suspicion.

The talks marked the highest-level negotiations between the US and Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Neither side mentioned the possibility of future dialogue. Key points of divergence include the US demand that Iran immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and forfeit its ability to enrich uranium  both demands Tehran ardently rejects.

Deputy prime minister David Lammy met with US vice president JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio in Washington DC on Monday, where they discussed the current crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.

Amid the fragile ceasefire, Mr Lammy is understood to have highlighted the role the UK is playing in the international effort to ensure shipping can pass freely through the critical waterway.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump insisted Iran wanted to reach a deal.

Speaking at an impromptu news conference at the White House later on Monday, the president said: "We've been called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work a deal."

On Tehran's control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Mr Trump said: "We can't let a country blackmail or extort the world because that's what they're doing."
Representative Eric Swalwell appears at a town hall meeting in Sacramento, California, last week. Photograph: Rich Pedroncelli/AP (Photograph: Rich Pedroncelli/AP)

Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California, said on Monday he would resign from Congress following multiple allegations of sexual assault and misconduct that ended his bid for governor.

Swalwell was a facing a growing chorus of bipartisan calls for him to step down or face an expulsion vote, a day after he announced that he would suspend his campaign for governor of California.

I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment Ive made in my past, Swalwell said in a statement shared on social media. I will fight the serious false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.

Acknowledging the threat of removal from office, Swalwell said: Expelling anyone in Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But its also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.

The decision came after the House ethics committee had announced earlier it had opened an investigation into Swalwell.

The bipartisan committee said in a statement it would scrutinize allegations that [Swalwell] may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.

Related: Eric Swalwell quits California governor race after sexual assault allegations

Swalwell, who polls showed was narrowly leading the race to replace Governor Gavin Newsom, suspended his campaign after the San Francisco Chronicle reported that a female former staffer said the congressman sexually assaulted her twice. CNN published a similar account hours later, as well as allegations from three other women of Swalwell sending them unwanted explicit photos or messages.

Swalwell was facing the threat of an expulsion vote in the Republican-dominated House of Representatives alongside other lawmakers who face accusations of wrongdoing.

A top target is Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican who acknowledged having an extramarital affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. Other lawmakers have called for the expulsion of Cory Mills, a Florida Republican who is accused of a variety of ethical lapses, and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat who has been indicted on federal charges related to funnelling $5m in disaster relief funds from her company to her campaign.

All are under investigation by the House ethics committee, which is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans.

On Monday, the Democratic congresswoman Nydia Velazquez said: Swalwell, Gonzales, Cherfilus-McCormick and Mills should resign. If they refuse, they should be expelled. The Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace had over the weekend endorsed expelling those members, writing on X: Time to clean House.

The Republican congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna said she would introduce a resolution to expel Swalwell, while the Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez said she would introduce another to remove Gonzales from his seat.

As Ive said, Gonzales and Swalwell are not fit to serve in Congress given their sexual transgressions against women who work for them. They should resign or be expelled, Leger Fernandez said.

Arizonas Ruben Gallego, known to be one of Swalwells close friends, also released a statement.

I support the ethics committees investigation and believe Eric Swalwell is no longer fit to be a member of Congress. He should be expelled from Congress. I want to be clear: I had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell, he said.

I trusted someone who I believed was a friend, but it is now clear that he is not the person I thought I knew. The women who have come forward have shown courage. They deserve to be believed, to be supported, and to see justice served.

Expulsions of House members require a two-thirds vote of the chamber, and happen rarely. Only six members have been forced from office, the most recent being the New York congressman George Santos, a fabulist who was expelled in 2023 after the House ethics found he misused campaign funds. He pleaded guilty to an array of federal fraud charges, but Donald Trump later commuted his sentence.

Swalwells exit from the governors race in heavily Democratic California complicates a contest from which no clear frontrunner has yet emerged.

The leading Democratic candidates now include the former congresswoman Katie Porter, Tom Steyer, a billionaire entrepreneur who ran for president in 2020, former health and human services secretary Xavier Becerra and San Joses mayor, Matt Mahan.

Trump has endorsed the former Fox News host Steve Hilton, whose main challenger among Republicans is Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside county.
People poring over the crushing defeat of Viktor Orbans government in Hungary  the most right wing in Europe  will draw the conclusions that his antipathy to the EU, closeness to Vladimir Putin, failure to address younger voters and a sense of political corruption were at the heart of his downfall.

Yet while this may be the case, all these factors were also true about Orban when he won an equally crushing victory in the 2022 election, a result which seemed to leave him untouchable.

In fact, he was arguably in a politically stronger position this time than he was in 2022, with his friend Donald Trump in the White House rather than a political enemy in Joe Biden.

He even had the US vice president JD Vance doing a last-minute cheerleading act at a rally on the eve of the poll, although polls suggest this may have hurt rather than helped.

What changed in the four years since that win, which left the opposition to his Fidesz party almost wiped out?

The truth is that the unravelling began with a visit by Pope Francis, and a scandal which followed that exposed the political corruption within Fidesz and Orbans government, ended the careers of two of his political allies and put rocket boosters on Peter Magyars push to replace him as prime minister.

An unlikely Papal visit

In April 2023, Pope Francis made an official visit to Hungary in a visit which was to be a crowning moment in the Orban era and a stamp of approval of his right-wing Catholic, pro-family, anti-LGBTQ+ policies.

It was an unlikely trip, though, politically. Francis and Orban were diametrically opposed, particularly on Orbans hardline attitude to migrants.

Pope Francis and Orban did not see eye to eye on much (AFP/Getty)

But at the same time, Pope Francis had a soft spot for Hungary. When he was head of the Jesuits in Argentina, he got to know Hungarian nuns who had fled the country as a result of the Communists putting down the 1956 uprising, and learnt their language.

Added to that, in Eduard Habsburg, Orban had a skilled ambassador to the Holy See in Rome, who also happened to be a descendant of the Austro-Hungarian Empires royal family. He developed a warm relationship with the Pope.

He had already established a surprising alliance with the late Pope in finding a peaceful solution with Putin to end the war in Ukraine, rather than support military operations  another reason, perhaps, for the papal visit.

The fallout from the visit

The visit itself was a success, but the aftermath blew open Orbans government and permanently loosened his grip on power.

In an attempt to reflect Franciss theme of mercy, the Hungarian government decided to show clemency to 25 criminals and pardon them of their crimes. It proved to be politically disastrous.

Peter Magyar led anti-corruption demonstrations in Hungary after the scandal broke (AFP/Getty)

It emerged that one of those pardoned was Endre Konya, the former deputy director of the Kossuth Zsuzsa Childrens Home in Bicske, who had intimidated children into withholding evidence of sexual abuse and paedophilia to protect his boss.

When this emerged, there was outrage. It was reported that it happened under pressure from Zoltan Balog, a former archbishop turned politician and ally of Orbans.

The scandal led to the forced resignation of two key female allies. Katalin Novak, the president of Hungary and, to some, Orbans potential heir, had been the architect of his pro-family policy.

She had granted the clemency, and Balog was her mentor.

The other was another rising star in Fidesz, Judit Varga, who had been the justice minister who put forward the list to be pardoned.

Both women were ordered by Orban to resign in early 2024, ending their political careers. But the damage was done, and from that moment his political star began to rapidly fall.

The ex-husband takes his chance

Apart from losing two of the next generation of leaders for Fidesz, there were immediate consequences, most notably around Varga.

At the time of her resignation, she was the driving force behind putting together a right-wing anti-EU coalition for the European parliament elections.

She was trying to work with parties such as Giorgia Melonis Fratelli dItalia to change the shape of European politics. Those efforts largely ran aground when Varga was taken out of the picture. Hopes for a new European right-wing hegemony were lost with her.

Eduard Habsburg was Hungarys ambassador to the Vatican (Hungary Embassy)

But far more significant was Vargas failing marriage to an ambitious lawyer and politician, Peter Magyar, a former member of Orbans party.

The couple's marriage ended just before her career was left in ruins, and he started a social media campaign revealing many of the secrets of Fidesz, exposing its alleged corruption.

As the new head of the centre-right Tisza Party, he became the leader of massive anti-corruption demonstrations and then took charge of the coalition which would destroy Orban and make him the new Hungarian PM.

Crucially, unlike previous coalitions to unseat Orban, Magyar is of the conservative centre right, not the political left, and proved to be a much tougher opponent than his predecessors.

Like Donald Tusk in Poland, in removing another anti-EU right-wing government, Magyar had the blessing of the European Commission to an extent that Orban and Vance accused them of electoral interference.

Now Magyar will lead a much more moderate, pro-EU centre-right government, removing the last anti-Brussels government in the bloc.

A huge loss for the global right

The departure of Orban was largely the result of scandal and political hubris, but it has removed the intellectual network which has sustained many on the right across the globe with close links to Likud in Israel, Trump and the Maga movement in the US and those circulating around Nigel Farage and Reform in the UK.

Orban had supported a series of right-wing think tanks like the Danube Institute and Mathias Corvinus Collegium to come up with a right-wing agenda for the 21st century, while bringing American right-wing ideas to Europe. This included hosting the American Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Hungary annually.

Magyars victory potentially unravels all of this, and also crucially frees up the EU to take much tougher action against Putin over Ukraine and removes the last politician in the bloc who had the ear of Trump. Hungary should now receive funds that Brussels was withholding over Orbans more extreme policies.

The papal visit was supposed to be a crowning achievement for Orban, but ended up being his downfall.
Housebuilder Vistry has promoted Adam Daniels to the top post a month after announcing the retirement of former boss Greg Fitzgerald.

Mr Daniels is currently executive chairman of one of Vistrys two largest operating divisions.

The group said Rob Woodward  the former chief executive of Scottish broadcaster STV Group  would also become non-executive chairman with immediate effect.

But shares in the housebuilding giant fell 4% in morning trading on Monday as the news took investors by surprise, with Vistry previously saying it could take until March 2027 to appoint a new boss.

The group said last month that Mr Fitzgerald was retiring and that it was splitting his executive chairman role.

Vistry said Mr Fitzgerald would step down with immediate effect by mutual agreement.

Mr Woodward said: Adam is a proven leader, clear thinker and strong operator.

The board is confident that Adams collaborative, values-led approach will leverage Vistrys unique partnerships capabilities, resources and highly talented people to deliver on the groups clear potential, he said.

Mr Daniels said: As outlined at the time of our 2025 results last month, the group is currently focused on improving cash generation, driving open market sales and reducing inventory levels.

These objectives remain an absolute priority for (chief financial officer) Tim (Lawlor) and I during 2026 to ensure the business is well-positioned to capture the opportunities ahead.

Mr Daniels joined Countryside Partnerships in 2016 before taking on his first senior leadership role in 2019.

Since then, he has held a variety of leadership roles with responsibility for large areas of the Vistry business across the UK.

He previously worked at Galliford Try Partnerships and Bloor Homes.
Zack Polanskis Greens could win a dozen seats in London at the next general election, according to a bombshell new poll.

His party is on course to win at least two constituencies in the capital, Hackney South and Shoreditch, and Leyton and Wanstead, the survey by More in Common suggests.

But the Greens are in second place in a further 26 constituencies, and 10 of these are very close races which were won by Labour at the 2024 election with a margin of less than 5 per cent.

Luke Tryl, UK Director of More in Common, told The Standard: In an election held today, Labour could lose 13 of its London seats, 15 more would be hanging on by a thread, with the Green Party close behind and threatening to topple some of Labours most senior figures.

Zack Polanskis Green Party is predicted to do well at the May local elections and next general election (PA Wire)

The projections, which would be a political earthquake in London, come as Labour is already facing a hammering at the May local elections when it could lose some 600 council seats in the capital, or around half that it currently holds.

The Greens, who scored a shock by-election victory against Reform UK in Kent last week, could win hundreds of council seats in the capital, as could Nigel Farages party in the polls in less than a months time.

Faced with such a nightmare scenario, Labour chair Anna Turley is urging MPs from around the country to join efforts to limit losses in London while they are in the capital to attend Parliament.

She has written to all Labour MPs newly elected in 2024, stressing: Every London council seat is up for election in May.

How London could look politically after the next general election, according to a poll by More in Common (More in Common)

I know youre all doing great work across the country but lets use our time in the big smoke to help our Labour family there.

The MRP poll suggests that Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy may be in a fierce battle to retain his Tottenham seat against the Greens, as could Communities Secretary Steve Reed in Streatham and Croydon North, and Dame Emily Thornberry in Islington South and Finsbury.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting would lose in Ilford North to an independent candidate, according to the research, which has Labour ending up with 46 out of Londons 75 seats, compared to 59 at the last election.

Labour would lose seven seats to the Conservatives, including Cities of London and Westminster, Chelsea and Fulham, Chipping Barnet, Hendon, Finchley and Golders Green, Kensington and Bayswater, and Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch whose party could win seven seats from Labour at the next general election, according to a new poll (PA Wire)

Sir Keir Starmer would hold onto his Holborn and St Pancras seat but his party would also lose Bexleyheath and Crayford to Mr Farages Reform, as well as Dagenham and Rainham.

Mr Tryl added: In recent years, London has become Labours most important stronghold, but our latest model suggests that even here, the party could be under siege.

Whats striking about this model is that Labour could now find itself fending off attacks from every direction.

Reform UK are making gains in eastern outer London, while the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Greens and Independents could carve up much of the capital.

Reform would gain Hornchurch and Upminster from the Tories, as well as Romford where MP Andrew Rosindell has defected from the Conservatives to Mr Farages party.

Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey would hold his Kingston and Surbiton seat, with his party also keeping its MPs in Carshalton and Wallington, Sutton and Cheam, Richmond Park, Twickenham, and Wimbledon.

Jeremy Corbyn would retain his Islington North seat, and Labour would lose to an independent in Bethnal Green and Stepney.

Despite the grim findings for Labour, it is slightly more positive than More in Commons January MRP poll which had the party losing 17 seats in London.

How the political parties could fare at the next general election, according to a More in Common poll (More in Common)

Nationwide, Reform would win 324 seats, just shy of a Commons majority, and down 57 on the January survey.

Labour would have 101 seats, the Conservatives 81, Lib Dems 62, SNP 26, Greens 22, Plaid Cymru 5 and others 10.

Reform could claim the seats of Chancellor Rachel Reeves (Leeds West and Pudsey) and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper (Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley), while the Greens may also defeat Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones (Bristol North West).

MRP surveys are based on large-scale polling of sections of society and extrapolating to get constituency results.

More in Commons sample size was 15,482, with the fieldwork carried out from March 1st to 30th.
Ann Barrett: she was an excellent linguist and her elegant translation of a verbose French textbook halved its length - Courtesy of Alan Craft

Professor Ann Barrett, who has died aged 83, was a pioneer in the multi-disciplinary treatment of cancer.

When she qualified as a doctor in 1968, the treatment of cancer was moving into a new era. For many years surgery and radiotherapy had been the only hope, but the advent of drugs was on the horizon. There was an urgent need to co-ordinate these three disciplines, and Ann Barrett was at the forefront.

The eldest of three children, she was born Ann Douglas on February 27 1943 in Southgate, north London. Her father, Robert Douglas, was a journalist who eventually worked in Europe for Reuters. Her mother Elsie, nee Warner, a primary schoolteacher, died early of cancer.

Ann attended Queen Elizabeth Girls School in Barnet. When she was eight she spent six weeks in hospital with osteomyelitis of her leg; her parents were allowed to visit for only two hours each week. Ann was inspired by the experience to study medicine  not thanks to her doctor, whom she described as a bully, but to the wonderful young nurse who could deliver her penicillin injections with virtually no pain.

Ann Barrett at the inaugural graduation ceremony of the new Norwich Medical School in 2007, with fellow attendees including Professor Sam Leinster and Sir Alexander McCall Smith

Ann excelled in languages, with A-levels in French, German, Latin and ancient Greek, but her lack of sciences caused Edinburgh to turn down her application to study medicine. At Barts in London, however, after a brief interview and an on-the-spot translation of a piece of classical Greek, she was awarded an entrance scholarship in arts. She did an extra pre-med year to learn the basic sciences, when she was taught by Joseph Rotblat, the physicist and Nobel Peace Prize winner.

As a junior doctor in radiotherapy at Barts, one of her greatest influences was Ruth Redpath, a pioneer of palliative care, who inspired Ann Barretts holistic view of medicine and her conviction that care did not stop when active treatment was at an end.

At the Royal Marsden, she then came under the influence of two giants of multidisciplinary care, the radiotherapist Michael Peckham and Tim McElwain, a larger-than-life figure in the emerging field of medical oncology.

Hodgkins disease  cancer of the lymph glands  presented a particular challenge. Radiotherapy had been the mainstay of treatment but it was becoming clear that the effects of radiation were causing significant disfigurement, as well as increasing the risk of secondary leukaemia and cancer. McElwain and his team developed a new chemotherapy regime which greatly improved cure rates with few of the complications.

An excellent writer, she produced several textbooks that are still in use

The Marsden was a hotbed of innovation, and it was here that Ann Barrett developed the total body irradiation protocol used before bone-marrow transplantation. It was also a time of advances in diagnostics, and she made good use of the new CT scanner  one of the first in the UK.

In 1976 Ann Barrett spent a year at the Institute Gustave Roussy in Paris, where she worked with Odile Schweisguth, who had written the standard textbook on childrens cancer. Ann Barrett was asked to translate it into English, and did so with succinct elegance  but Odile Schweisguth was furious: the book had been reduced by almost half, and another colleague was asked to re-translate the somewhat verbose original French.

An excellent writer, Ann Barrett produced several textbooks which are still in use today; she was at one time secretary of the Society of Medical Authors.

In 1983 she moved to Glasgow University. Collaboration between the different disciplines of cancer treatment was still highly variable across the UK, and depended to a large extent on the personalities involved. Ann Barrett set an influential example in merging Glasgows departments of radiation oncology and medical oncology, to form, in 1987, the Beatson Oncology Centre, of which she was director.

She also developed a radiobiology research unit, and for 15 years held the universitys Radiation Oncology chair.

Ann Barrett: humble, understated, extraordinarily caring

In 2002 she took up the chair of Clinical Oncology at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, retiring in 2008. She was also Registrar, then Dean, of the Royal College of Radiologists, and President of the European Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology. In 2010 she was appointed OBE.

Ann Barrett had a gift for finding consensus in contentious situations. As a clinician, she was recalled as humble, understated, extraordinarily caring. She was also an effortless communicator who could set palliative care patients at their ease and facilitated the careers of countless young physicians through her teaching.

She valued the civilised pleasures of riding her 1960 bicycle, playing the piano, German poetry, hill walking and Parisian cafes. In retirement she took an Open University course in creative writing.

In 1970 she married John Barrett, a haematologist, but they divorced after 12 years. In 1989 she married Adrian Bell, a prison officer from Glasgow; the marriage also ended in divorce. She had no children of her own, but was close to her three stepchildren.

Professor Ann Barrett, born February 27 1943, died March 18 2026
The River Test attracts visitors from around the world for angling but has concerning levels of phosphate - Peter Titmuss

Chemical dumping is driving Hampshires chalk-stream salmon and trout to extinction, local officials have warned.

Experts claim the rivers are approaching a tipping point, with marine life expected to die off in the next 10-20 years if sewage and fertiliser dumping are not cut back immediately.

Populations of brown trout and wild salmon in the rivers are at critically low levels, leading to a fishing ban that came into force on one section of the River Test in March.

We have two of the worlds best chalk streams, and we have water companies literally killing them, Paul Harvey, the leader of Basingstoke and Deane borough council, told The Telegraph. They are pristine chalk streams, and once theyre gone, theyre gone.

The council is fighting water companies that pumped untreated waste into the aquifers of the River Itchen and River Test for thousands of hours last year, allegedly causing phosphates to rise to dangerous levels.

The River Loddon is unprotected from phosphorus dumping - Simon Czapp/Solent News

Found in sewage and fertilisers, phosphates support plant growth, but can wreak havoc by causing eutrophication, where algal blooms cut off sunlight and oxygen to rivers, suffocating wildlife.

A January report by the Angling Trust found concerning levels of phosphate in 88 per cent of tests in the River Meon, 54 per cent of tests in the River Itchen and 36 per cent of tests in the River Test.

Britains rainforests

England has 85 per cent of the worlds 220 chalk streams, several in Hampshire. Sometimes known as Britains rainforests, the spring-fed rivers rise from underground chalk aquifers, creating clear, mineral-rich waters that support a rich variety of wildlife including plants, otters, salmon and trout.

The River Test attracts anglers from around the world for its chalk streams, including George H W Bush, the former US president, who once enjoyed fly-fishing there.

Although water companies are permitted to release emergency overflows of sewage into chalk streams during periods of heavy rainfall, phosphorus dumping is limited at specific catchment areas, including the Itchen.

However, other Hampshire chalk streams including the Test, the Loddon, the Meon and the Hamble remain unprotected.

The Whitchurch wastewater treatment works, operated by Southern Wat

According to the Angling Trust, Environment Agency protections fail to take into account that chalk streams are vulnerable to phosphates because of their low water volume, meaning even small increases can rapidly change the concentration of a river.

A survey found that 15 of 19 protected sites on the Itchen and 14 of 19 sites on the Test breached proposed phosphate limits set by Natural England, with some readings showing concentrations three times the recommended level.

Erica Popplewell, of the River Action campaign, said that when algal blooms form, they could block out light and reduce oxygen within days.

She said: This can quickly harm fish like trout and salmon, as well as the invertebrates they depend on. Repeated pollution can push these rivers into long-term decline, making recovery much harder.

Reducing nutrient pollution from all sources, including sewage, is essential to protect these globally rare ecosystems.

Council leaders have written to Southern Water and Thames Water to warn them that sewage pumped into the ground can rapidly reach the Loddon and the Test through fissures in the chalk aquifer, an underground water-bearing layer.

David George, a local hydrogeologist, said the chalk acted like a sponge, mopping up pollutants from waste water flowing into the river and helping to control phosphate levels.

However, he warned that after more than 100 years of dumping, the aquifer was becoming saturated and could soon overflow.

The aquifer protects the river from the immediate impact of phosphates, but it also acts as a storage system, getting worse and worse over time, he said. By the time [high phosphate levels are] felt in the river, its already far too late to do anything.

This is an existential threat to the future of the river.

Danny Chambers, the Liberal Democrat MP for Winchester, wrote to Emma Reynolds, the Environment Secretary, in February to warn that failure to protect Hampshires chalk streams would lead to ecological catastrophe.

These habitats are exceptionally rare, rich in biodiversity, support unique flora and fauna, and are impossible to recreate or replace, he said.

A spokesman for the Department fEnvironment, Food and Rural Affairs said: It is completely unacceptable that so much sewage is entering our waterways and it cannot continue.

This Government is delivering once-in-a-generation reform to the water industry, which includes immediate action to clean up chalk streams, securing 2bn of water company investment over the next five years to restore them.

Nick Mills, director for environment and innovation at Southern Water, said: Were investing more than 70m to improve the water quality of our chalk streams, including the rivers Test and Itchen, with improvements across multiple wastewater treatment works.

This, combined with new state-of-the-art water quality monitors, will help us detect and reduce levels of nutrients, and protect our chalk streams for future generations.

A Thames Water spokesman said: Taking action to improve the health of the environment and our rivers is a key focus for us and thats why, over the next five years, we are delivering the biggest upgrade to our waste water network and assets in 150 years  an investment designed to support cleaner rivers, stronger ecosystems and a more sustainable future for the Thames Valley region.
Nigel Farage has been campaigning to end HIV treatment for people whose claims have been refused since 2015 - Michal Wachucik/PA Wire

Reform UK would ban asylum seekers with HIV from receiving treatment on the NHS, Nigel Farage has suggested.

The Reform leader said the NHS was not an international health service as he criticised current guidelines which allow asylum seekers to receive treatment for the disease even if their asylum claim has been refused.

Speaking at a rally in Aberdeen on Monday, Mr Farage said: The idea that somebody can newly arrive in Britain and get expensive NHS treatment, whether its for HIV or hepatitis or whatever it is...

Truth of it is: this is a national health service. It is not an international health service.

Asylum seekers can be treated for HIV on the NHS even if their claims have been refused, according to NHS guidelines.

In 2015, Mr Farage caused a row when he said taxpayers were forking out 25,000 a year to pay for HIV treatment for migrants on the NHS.

While discussing the health service during a TV debate, he said: You can come into Britain from anywhere in the world and get diagnosed with HIV and get the retro-viral drugs that cost up to 25,000 per year per patient.

What we need to do is to put the NHS there for British people and families, who in many cases have paid into the system for decades.

Ed Miliband, the then Labour leader, called the comments disgusting while Jo Swinson, then a Liberal Democrat minister, described them as a new low.

Mr Farage was rebuked after making similar comments in a TV debate in the run-up to the 2015 general election.

During the discussion, the then-UKIP leader claimed foreigners could be treated with the costly drugs under a situation he described as health tourism.

At Mondays rally, Mr Farage conceded Reform UK will not beat the SNP in next months Holyrood election.

Mr Farage said his party would be an effective voice of opposition in the Scottish Parliament over the next five years, but would only win outright control, outright power in Scotland next time around  at the 2031 election, not the one in May.

His intervention contradicted Reforms Scotland leader, Lord Offord of Garvel, who has repeatedly insisted he could become First Minister next month.

Lord Offord admitted Mr Farages comments were unscripted and said he had a different opinion to the Reform leader.

The former Tory peer said: Were an unscripted party. We believe in what were saying. And hes got an opinion and Ive got an opinion.

Lord Offord said Mr Farages point reflected opinion polling showing Reform could come second in Holyrood, but was unlikely to be the biggest party.

The Scottish Reform leader criticised the Scottish Tories for lacking ambition when Russell Findlay, their leader, said his aim was to stop the SNP winning a majority.

Lord Offord reiterated that he was asking people to back him to be First Minister as opposed to leader of the opposition, adding: I want to under-promise and over-deliver.

A recent YouGov poll showed Reform in second place on 19 per cent of the vote, one point ahead of Scottish Labour.
John Nolan at a celebration event for the 100th episode of Person of Interest, in which he played the ruthless John Greer, in 2015 - Noam Galai/WireImage

John Nolan, who has died aged 87, was a character actor largely seen in authority roles on stage and screen during the 1970s and 1980s; in later life he became familiar to a wider audience from appearances in the projects of his nephews Sir Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, notably as the leading antagonist of the latters hugely successful US television series Person of Interest (2011-16).

Christopher Nolan remembered his uncle as the first artist I knew He taught me more than anyone about the search for truth in acting and the joys of creative achievement. John Nolan played a policeman in Following (1998), Christophers first feature, and was later Douglas Fredericks, a board member of Wayne Enterprises, in his nephews Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), and the Blind Man in his Dunkirk (2017).

Nolan as Douglas Fredericks in the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises (2012), directed by his nephew Christopher

As John Greer, a former MI6 officer with the ruthless self-assurance of a Roman senator, Nolan, already in his mid-seventies, brought to Person of Interest all the crisp tones and commanding presence that Hollywood desires from a classically trained British villain.

Increasingly regarded as prescient, the series, created by Jonathan Nolan, centres on an artificial intelligence, the Machine, coded by a reclusive genius, Harold Finch (Michael Emerson), which identifies terrorist threats to America by secretly monitoring all forms of communication.

The programme, which ran to more than 100 episodes, evolved into a searching examination of the ethics of a surveillance state. Greer was revealed as the human agent of a rival AI, Samaritan, which had none of the residual traces of humanity of Finchs monster. In thrall to its embodiment of logic and power, Greer eventually sacrifices himself in a bid to give it unchallenged control of society.

The younger brother of his nephews father, Brendan, John Francis Nolan was born in Woolwich on May 22 1938. He studied acting at the Drama Centre in London and then joined the company of the Royal Court Theatre.

In 1967 he was cast as Romeo opposite Francesca Anniss Juliet in a production at the Richmond Theatre. The following year, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford, appearing as Brutuss follower Clitus in Julius Caesar and in John Vanbrughs The Relapse, directed by Trevor Nunn, at the Aldwych.

Articulate and free-spirited, he left the RSC in 1970 to appear in the title role of the BBC television adaptation of Daniel Deronda, George Eliots final novel. Nolan then played a scientist in Doomwatch (1970-71) and a bohemian artist in Depression-era Manchester in Shabby Tiger (1973).

There were also guest appearances in series of the time such as The Sweeney, and Return of the Saint, in an episode also featuring Rula Lenska. On the big screen he was a naval officer in the Nelson biopic Bequest to the Nation (1973), prominent in the horror of Terror (1978), and in the film version of Jackie Collinss The World Is Full of Married Men (1979).

As John Greer, the leading antagonist in Person of Interest, created by his nephew Jonathan Nolan

In 1980 Nolan took the lead at the Bristol New Vic in a trilogy he had adapted from Dostoevsky, but thereafter turned increasingly to directing and running workshops. He had founded Quinton Arts, a production company, with his wife Kim Hartman, the actress perhaps best known as Private Helga in the sitcom Allo Allo!

Nevertheless, Nolan was still seen occasionally in series such as Silent Witness, and on the stage, always his first love, in Tom Stoppards The Coast of Utopia (Olivier, 2002), directed again by Nunn, and as the dipsomaniac quack in Tennessee Williamss Small Craft Warnings (Arcola, 2008). Recently he had portrayed the speaker of the imperial council in the TV prequel Dune: Prophecy.

He is survived by his wife, whom he married in 1975, and by their son and daughter.

John Nolan, born May 22 1938, died April 11 2026
Stephen Manion, chief executive of Go! Southampton, holds the Paddington statue by the damaged bench - Solent News

Fans of Paddington have condemned the destruction by vandals of a bench where a statue of the bear was sitting.

Work is being carried out to repair the bench and find a new location for the popular model of Paddington after the attack on Sunday in Southampton. Fans of the bear asked why people ruin everything after the criminal damage, which was reported to police.

The 3ft 6in statue was unveiled in October 2024 as one of 23 installed across the country to celebrate the cinema release of Paddington in Peru. Paddington, wearing his signature red hat and blue overcoat, and holding a marmalade sandwich, was near Westquay shopping centre.

One resident, Carla Matthews, asked on Facebook: Why do people ruin everything? And Sand Ray posted: Why do people do this... so sad. Other social media users said the vandal was a moron and suggested CCTV should be installed in the area to ensure the same thing doesnt happen again.

The statue and bench in Southampton before they were targeted by vandals - Solent News

Go! Southampton, the organisation which looks after the statue, said: A sad day for Southampton. Our beloved Paddington bench has taken a battering over the weekend in Guildhall Square. Good news, Paddington lives on!

Thank you to Mettricks [cafe] for keeping him safe overnight and John Hansard Gallery for helping us clean up. Hes now taking refuge in our office, happily eating marmalade sandwiches.

We are working on a solution to get the bench repaired and finding him a new home.

Another of the 23 Paddingtons was stolen from a bench in Newbury last year - Mike Dillion

At the time of the statues unveiling, Freya Orendecki, Southamptons childrens mayor, said: It was such an honour to unveil the statue. Paddington is so amazing.

Last year, a Paddington statue was stolen from Newbury, Berkshire, the home town of Michael Bond, the author who created the character. Jars of marmalade, sandwiches and poems were left at the scene, where only the back of the figurine remained.

Daniel Heath and William Lawrence, two RAF engineers, admitted criminal damage and were reprimanded by a judge for their act of wanton vandalism.
Nigel Farage, pictured with Zia Yusuf, Reforms home affairs spokesman on Monday, has opened the door to high-profile Tory defectors being questioned over their role in immigration policy - Thomas Krych/Anadolu via Getty Images

Robert Jenrick would be questioned over his role in the Boriswave of immigration under Reform UKs plans for a public inquiry.

Reform has announced proposals to force Boris Johnson and senior figures in his government to testify under oath about the surge in migration when he was prime minister.

Mr Johnson and his Conservative successors issued 3.8 million long-term visas under relaxed immigration rules from 2021, resulting in a net migration of 2.6 million people  a surge that has become known as the Boriswave.

About 1.6 million people who moved to the UK during this time are now set to be given indefinite leave to remain (ILR), which Nigel Farage claims would cost every household in Britain 20,000.

Mr Jenrick, who defected to Reform in January, was Mr Johnsons housing secretary from 2019 to 2021. He quit as Rishi Sunaks immigration minister in December 2023 over his frustration with the Tory governments handling of migration and its asylum policy.

Robert Jenrick could be challenged over his time in the Tory government, said Reform leader Nigel Farage - Getty

At a press conference alongside Mr Farage on Monday, Zia Yusuf, Reforms home affairs spokesman, said Mr Johnson would be forced to testify under penalty of perjury if Reform won the general election.

Powers included in the Inquiries Act 2005 mean witnesses at a public inquiry are required to swear an oath that they will tell the truth, and face prosecution if they fail to do so.

When asked whether the inquiry should scrutinise Mr Jenrick and Suella Braverman, who was home secretary under Mr Sunak and Liz Truss, and is now a Reform MP, Mr Farage responded: Yes.

He said: Robert Jenrick was tasked with housing people crossing the Channel. But whether you source hotels or [houses of multiple occupation], he was told youve got to put them somewhere.

[He] resigned as immigration minister because he was appalled at what was going on. And Suella Bravermans very interesting and shes already publicly said shed love to take part in this inquiry.

When she took the position, a million people a year were coming. She said the first thing she managed to do was stop students bringing dependants. She admits she failed to get change and thats why she went. Very, very simple.

Mrs Braverman worked alongside Mr Jenrick on the Tory front bench, serving two stints as attorney general under Mr Johnson between 2020 and 2022. Mr Sunak sacked her weeks before Mr Jenrick quit his top team.

Last year, the former home secretary declared her party had failed its lifelong supporters and said it had mainly let them down on migration. On returning to the back benches, Mrs Braverman and Mr Jenrick defied Mr Sunak by calling for a tougher version of his Rwanda deportation flights plan.

They later broke ranks to voice their support for leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, the treaty blamed for frustrating successive crackdowns on migration.

Mrs Braverman and Mr Jenrick welcomed the prospect of an inquiry into the Boriswave.

Mrs Braverman said: This is exactly what we need and I will happily give evidence. When I arrived at the Home Office in September 2022, the number of work and study visas issued the previous year had already exceeded 1,000,000. The Boriswave was flooding the country. This was a catastrophe.

Nigel Farage unveiling Reforms proposals for a Boriswave inquiry at the press conference on Monday - Andy Rain/EPA/Shutterstock

Leon Neal/Getty Images

Recalling how she toughened student visa rules in May 2023, Mrs Braverman said Mr Sunak and his cabinet constantly blocked her from imposing a tougher set of changes.

She added: The PM eventually introduced some of my proposed changes after I left office but it was all too little, too late. I will stand by my record any day.

A source close to Mr Jenrick said he would absolutely want to take part in the inquiry, adding that he still has plenty to say about the failings of the previous Tory administration.

Robert Jenrick has said he has plenty to say about the failings of the Tory administrations he served in, including that of Boris Johnson

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said: We look forward to Reform explaining when their new converts will be hauled into the dock to explain the Suella Surge and the Jenrick Jump.

Mr Philp said the Tories would drastically reduce legal migration under the leadership of Kemi Badenoch, going on to call Mr Jenrick and Mrs Braverman has-been former politicians.

Farage team a circular firing squad

A Tory source said: Zia Yusuf spent months publicly savaging Jenrick and Braverman. Then Farage recruited them anyway. Now Reform are investigating their own front bench. Nigel Farages idea of a functional shadow cabinet is closer to a circular firing squad.

Shabana Mahmood, the Home Secretary, has pledged to increase the time it takes for Boriswave migrants in Britain to qualify for permanent settlement.

Labour rebels have urged Sir Keir Starmer to water down the changes, while Mr Yusuf claimed on Monday that Ms Mahmood was poised to resign in the event of an about turn.

He said: Starmer is no longer really running his party or the country and Shabana Mahmood is isolated, outmanoeuvred and outgunned by the Parliamentary Labour Party. In fact, I hear shes preparing to resign.

Challenged on the basis for his assertion, Mr Yusuf said he would not reveal his source or sources for the claim, adding: Heres what we know for certain. If Starmer U-turns on the retrospective [indefinite leave to remain] reforms, over half the Boriswave migrants will already be citizens.

Over half the 600bn cost will already be baked in. Of all the Starmer U-turns, this would be the most historic and consequential.

A report released by Reform on Monday alleged that the cost of NHS care, benefits and new infrastructure to cope with the increased population would reach 622.5bn in real terms until 2085.

The party claimed the sum would bankrupt the British taxpayer and represent a 20,000 liability for every household in the UK.

Farage: Richard Tice might have overpaid tax

Meanwhile, Mr Farage defended Richard Tice, his deputy, after it emerged that his company failed to pay 91,000 in tax before dividends were paid to him and his offshore trust.

Responding to reports of the failure in the Sunday Times, Mr Tice insisted that it was a technicality, and said HMRC had received the correct amount of tax due.

When asked if he believed his deputy had paid the correct amount, Mr Farage said: Im not a tax lawyer any more than you are or anyone in this room.

He went on to insist there had been no attempt by Mr Tice to avoid or evade tax, adding: If anything, Mr Tice might have slightly overpaid tax. So has the Exchequer lost in any way at all? No.

However, Danny Kruger, the Reform MP who is leading the partys preparations for government, said that although Mr Tice should not resign, the matter should be properly investigated.

In an interview with Times Radio, Mr Kruger was asked whether it was acceptable for the company to have broken the law by not paying tax.

He responded: Well, listen, if theres law-breaking, obviously, that needs to be properly investigated by the appropriate authorities. But HMRC often goes into negotiations with taxpayers, with individual customers about their tax affairs.

And I understand that everything has been satisfactorily resolved here. So as I say, the critical thing is, was there any kind of intention of breaking the rules?
Sir Keir Starmer during his time as director of public prosecutions. His mentor has come out against reforms proposed by the Government - Lewis Whyld/PA Wire

Scrapping jury trials betrays Labour values and will endanger the criminal justice system, Sir Keir Starmers mentor has warned.

In an article for The Telegraph, Geoffrey Robertson, the barrister who founded the chambers where Sir Keir practised for nearly two decades, said Labours plans to curb jury trials would remove a centrepiece of British criminal justice, putting the whole edifice in danger.

Under proposals to clear the court backlog spearheaded by David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, defendants facing up to three years in jail will lose the right to a jury trial.

Mr Robertson, a leading human rights lawyer whose apprentice Sir Keir was a founder member of Doughty Street Chambers, where Mr Lammy also practised, is one of the most prominent critics to attack the plans.

Geoffrey Robertson KC: The only institution they have chosen to demolish is the only one that commands public respect - Don Arnold

Up to 60 Labour MPs have threatened to vote against the jury reforms unless the Government backs down and offers concessions. The plans are also opposed by the Tories, Lib Dems, Reform and senior figures in the House of Lords.

Mr Robertson said: Given its record of support for progressive causes, for free speech and peaceful political protests, the Bill does seem a betrayal of Labour traditions and values. MPs who vote in favour will be on the wrong side of their partys own history.

Writing for The Telegraph, he said that out of the elements comprising the justice system, including judges, magistrates, jurors and probation, the only institution they have chosen to demolish is the only one that commands public respect.

Mr Robertson warned: Remove, at one fell swoop, one half of the centrepiece of British criminal justice and the whole edifice will be in much more danger than from a backlog that can be reduced in other ways.

He said the ill-conceived and bizarre legislative plan to scrap half of jury trials would not speed up justice but could in fact cause more delays than it could ever serve to reduce.

Power to show mercy an important safeguard

Instead, it posed a threat to two irreplaceable advantages of the jury system: that it was independent of the state and could extend mercy  an essential attribute of justice  to those who deserved it.

Mr Robertson said the power of a jury to show mercy was an important safeguard, noting that cases under three years were not minor but could change the life of a defendant forever.

He said these were usually offences of dishonesty, which could disqualify a defendant from future employment and public office.

Government ministers who deride having jury trials for shoplifting, for example, do not understand how important they are to innocent defendants charged with this squalid offence, he added.

Mr Robertson cited the case of Clive Ponting, a civil servant cleared by a jury over his official secrets leak about the sinking of the Belgrano in the Falklands War. Under the jury reforms, he would have been denied a jury trial and instead have faced a judge-only court.

Similarly, he said that should Lord Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor ever be prosecuted, they could lose their right to jury trial both because their hypothetical trials would be long and probably complex.

Under the reforms, defendants would have their cases heard by judge-only courts or magistrates with the aim of reducing record backlogs of more than 80,000 Crown Court cases.

Mr Robertson argued that juries were a unique English institution dating back more than 800 years which served as a safeguard against authoritarian governments. He said they provided a surer guide to the right result by reflecting 12 citizens common sense and common values rather than the personal view of a judge or bench of magistrates.

He added that magistrates were not representative of the community, given only 3 per cent were manual workers and none unemployed, saying they tended to side with the police. He also claimed that more than 40 per cent of appeals from magistrates guilty verdicts were upheld.

Mr Robertson warned that not only would the Government face a constitutional challenge to its legislation but also legal action by defendants who have been promised jury trials but would retrospectively be denied the right and transferred to the new judge-only courts.

He also took aim at Sir Brian Leveson, the Court of Appeal judge who led the Government review recommending jury curbs.

Mr Robertson criticised what he called his apocalyptic language to justify the reforms. Sir Brian claimed that curbing jury trials was the only way of averting a crisis that would end the criminal justice system.

He accused Sir Brian of failing to consider alternative solutions such as a taskforce of senior judges to target cases in the backlog, or passing a national law capping court delays at two years.

Instead, he claimed the proposed changes would cause more delays, as judges would have to have lengthy pre-trial hearings to determine which cases should be sent to judge-only courts. He said they would then have to spend days writing judgments that were not required under the existing jury system.

There is no danger of collapse, but there is a serious problem of court delays, which can be redressed in ways other than by diminishing trial by jury, he said.

A Labour Party source said: The criminal justice system we inherited is on the brink of collapse. Years of inaction by the Tories have created a system that is no longer fit for purpose, where justice delayed has become justice denied.

Only a combination of investment, modernisation and reform can turn the tide on the backlog before the end of the Parliament.

As Sir Brian Leveson has made clear: More money and efficiency measures alone will not be sufficient. That is why our approach pulls every lever  investment, reform and modernisation  to stabilise the system and begin to turn the corner on the rising backlog by the end of this Parliament.

The alternative to this package is the Tory status quo: continued drift, collapsed trials, and victims walking away from the system entirely. This Labour government chooses a system that works for victims, providing brave survivors with the 21st-century justice they deserve.
Sir Keir Starmers Troubles bill is driving special forces veterans to the brink of suicide, MPs have been warned.

Three groups representing thousands of Britains most elite troops, past and present, have called Labours Northern Ireland legislation a national disgrace and said it was leading to veterans being relentlessly persecuted through the courts.

On Monday, MPs received a letter warning of the impact the bill was having from associations representing the SAS, Special Boat Service and Special Reconnaissance Regiment.

They were also sent a flyer giving examples of veterans affected, including a former soldier, known as Fred, who tried to end his life as a result of an inquest into a historical event under investigation.

The organisations have intervened as Sir Keir forges ahead with the legislation, which scraps plans to implement the Legacy Act. The act would have granted British troops who served in the Troubles immunity from civil and criminal legal hearings.

Sir Keir Starmer scrapped Tory plans to grant legal immunity to British troops who served in the Troubles - Frank Augstein/Getty Images

Labour ministers claim the immunity protection is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights because it could prevent human rights violations from being properly investigated.

In its place, the Prime Minister has put forward proposals that include a commission to investigate Troubles-related killings while issuing a series of six protections for veterans.

Retired military chiefs fear the changes will lead to witch hunts that could expose retired soldiers to years of spurious persecution in the courts.

In their letter to MPs, the associations claimed veterans left with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had been driven to suicide by the treatment they had received in Northern Irish courts.

The coalition of regimental associations said: Elderly special forces veterans who served this country faithfully are being relentlessly persecuted in the court of Northern Ireland.

They have done nothing wrong. Some are being driven to suicide by their treatment at the hands of the state they served. The treatment of former special forces soldiers who served in Northern Ireland is a national disgrace.

A protest in Belfast before Soldier F was acquitted of murder during Bloody Sunday in 1972 - Getty

The letter was signed by the SAS Regimental Association (Sasra), Special Boat Service Association and Special Reconnaissance Regimental Association.

In the joint correspondence to MPs, the associations said the special forces veteran named Fred attempted to take his own life after learning his medical records had to be disclosed to the next of kin of the deceased terrorists.

The associations wrote: On learning of this, Fred tried to kill himself. Fortunately, he did not succeed. After the intervention of his wife, it was agreed subsequent communication with his legal representatives would be through her. This was because such communication caused him to become very depressed, anxious, unable to work and have suicidal thoughts.

One senior special forces veteran, who knows Fred, said the threat of the court hearing had been the straw that broke the camels back.

The retired soldier, who asked not to be named, said: Theres a sense of betrayal. We did all we did in Ireland with close scrutiny and specific authorisation. Now were being dragged over the coals.

General Sir Peter Wall, head of the British Army from 2010 to 2014, and General Sir Nick Parker, who was the last commander overseeing operations in Northern Ireland, have launched a campaign to introduce protections for troops.

General Sir Peter Wall wants to protect Troubles veterans from prosecution - Sgt Ian Forsyth RLC

As part of a coalition of military leaders, they have drafted legal amendments, which have been submitted to Parliament by Alex Burghart, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, to demand that no investigations can begin without compelling new evidence being assessed by the Supreme Court.

Earlier this month, Sasra warned that if key changes were not made to Labours bill, SAS veterans were prepared to revolt against potential show trials by boycotting inquest hearings.

Up to nine inquests could be resumed if the legislation passes without changes. Many of the deaths have been investigated repeatedly, and military chiefs fear they may be used by Irish republicans to try to rewrite the history of the IRA.

Sasra is urging its members not to give evidence in future inquiries. Having previously threatened legal actions, the group warned it now had a number of high-priced lawyers waiting in the wings in case Labour enacts its flawed legislation.

The association added that it had engaged with the Northern Ireland Office in good faith over the Troubles bill, but was still awaiting a response over what changes would be implemented.

A Sasra spokesman told The Telegraph: After constructive efforts on our part, we are concerned that we have not yet received concrete assurances or seen any draft text of the proposed amendments with the committee stage imminent.

We ask that the Government delay this bill in order to ensure that all parties who are concerned including ourselves, the generals, veterans commissioners and veterans groups are satisfied with the proposed amendments and that we are given time for proper scrutiny.

A government spokesman said: We thank the associations for their letter, and the NI Secretary and Defence Secretary will continue to speak to veterans and former senior officers about how to ensure we get this right.

We have been clear that there never has been and never will be any moral equivalence between our Armed Forces  who laid down their lives for this nation  and terrorist organisations.

Our approach ensures new and robust protections, in law, for our brave Operation Banner veterans, including protection against repeat investigations and being required to travel to Northern Ireland to give information.
Energy suppliers will encourage consumers to use electricity when there is more wind and solar power than the grid needs. Photograph: William Barton/Alamy (Photograph: William Barton/Alamy)

Households will be called on to boost their consumption of Great Britains record renewable energy this summer to help balance the power grid and lower energy bills.

Under the new plans, people could be encouraged to run dishwashers and washing machines or charge up their electric vehicles when there is more wind and solar power than the electricity grid needs.

The plan will be delivered with the help of energy suppliers, which may choose to offer heavily discounted or free electricity to their customers during specific periods when the energy system operator predicts there will be a surplus of electricity.

Many suppliers already offer more than 2m households the opportunity to pay lower rates for electricity used during off-peak hours but this will be the first time that the system operator will use this tool to help balance the grid.

The National Energy System Operator (Neso) hopes that by issuing a market notice to call on energy users to increase their consumption it can avoid making hefty payments to turn wind and solar farms off when demand for electricity is low, which are ultimately paid for through energy bills.

The offer could prove particularly popular this summer as households brace for the governments cap on dual fuel energy bills to rise to almost 2,000 a year from July due to soaring energy market costs since the US-Israeli war on Iran began.

The operator set out its plans to pay for higher energy use in advance of what is expected to be a season of record renewable energy, and which could be the first summer the grid runs entirely on zero-carbon electricity.

Great Britain set a double solar-power record earlier this month when the sunny spring weather powered the grid to new solar energy records on two consecutive days.

The solar record was confirmed less than a fortnight after Great Britains windfarms reached a record high, driving gas-fired power generation to a two-year low. Great Britain is also expected to be a net importer of electricity from continental Europe where high nuclear power and renewable energy generation is expected this summer.

The abundance of low-carbon electricity supplies means that a bright, breezy summer weekend could cause parts of the electricity system to become overloaded with renewable energy, raising the risk of an unplanned blackout, due to bottlenecks in Great Britains electricity grids.

In the future, grid upgrades are expected to make it easier for renewable energy generated far away from major population centres to be transmitted to more areas of demand without the need for curtailment payments.

There is also likely to be more power consumed by EVs, heat pumps and green hydrogen makers across the country by the 2030s, which will further reduce the need to curb green energy.

Businesses and manufacturers will also be able to boost their demand for electricity at certain times in exchange for better rates.

Great Britain is also expected to have enough gas to meet its needs this summer, when energy demand is typically lower, despite the global gas supply crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict.

The owner of Great Britains gas grids, National Gas, expects the country to rely primarily on North Sea gas from Norway and the UK to meet its summer demand.

The UKs domestic gas supplies are forecast to fall by 6% compared with last year but this decline will be offset by higher imports from Norway and the global liquefied natural gas market, where prices have rocketed since Iran assumed control of Gulf exports via the strait of Hormuz.

Neso does not include a view on market prices in its summer outlook and does not expect any significant changes to Great Britains gas security over the summer months. But its analysts are understood to be monitoring the impact of a blockade on Gulf oil and gas exports before the winter when gas is in greater demand for heating and power plants and any impact will become more apparent.

 The headline of this article was amended on 14 April 2026. The proposals would apply to households in Great Britain, not the whole of the UK as an earlier version said.
A cut to Social Security could seriously eat into your retirement budget.

Last year, the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB), a centrist business-supported group dedicated to lower deficits, warned that reforms included in President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill could push Social Security toward insolvency in 2032 instead of 2033(1).

This year, that warning is being echoed by the government's own Congressional Budget Office(2). The Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund, according to the agency's report, could be exhausted in just six years.

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That's a concerning prospect not just for the roughly 67 million current beneficiaries, but also for millions of workers and soon-to-be retirees.

If you're one of these concerned workers or retirees, here's what you need to know.

The full picture

The Social Security trust fund's potential insolvency has been on the radar for years. Trustees' reports have been warning about this fiscal deadline since at least 2012(3).

Over the past year, political decisions, including tax cuts for certain groups, have further strained the trust fund's financial situation and worsened its revenue shortfall, according to the CRFB report.

Meanwhile, aging demographics are expected to push the fund's expenses higher over the long term. By 2030, the number of people over the age of 65 will, for the first time in U.S. history, outnumber those under age 18, according to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation(4).

With higher expenses and lower revenue, it's no surprise that the trust fund is expected to be depleted sooner rather than later.

However, that doesn't mean the government can no longer afford benefit payments. When the trust fund runs out, the system defaults to a "pay-as-you-go" model, where payroll tax revenue directly funds benefits each year.

This shift means beneficiaries can still expect their payments, but likely at a reduced rate. According to CFRB estimates, monthly benefits could be cut by about 24% on average, or roughly $18,400 annually for a typical retired couple. The cut could be either larger or smaller depending on your age, marital status, and work history.

For many workers and retirees, this potential cut is concerning. About 59% of non-retired Americans said they were worried about Social Security not being available by the time they stop working, according to a DepositAccounts survey(5).

Fortunately, this fiscal cliff is not inevitable. Policymakers have several options to avoid or delay these cuts.

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Read More: Almost 50 with no retirement savings? Heres why you shouldnt panic

What lawmakers can do

The good news is that the Social Security system can be reformed, and has been before.

Congress acted decisively in the 1980s by raising payroll taxes and gradually increasing the retirement age, which stabilized the system before the Baby Boomers started retiring(6). Similar reforms are now being considered to strengthen the program again.

The CFRB, for example, has outlined 10 options for policymakers, ranging from higher taxes to benefit reductions for high-income earners.

"Increasing the payroll tax rate by one percentage point from 12.4 to 13.4 percent (split equally between the worker and the employer) would close 28 percent of Social Security's solvency gap and 23 percent of its structural gap," the report says(7).

Whether politicians will act on any of these solutions remains uncertain. Meanwhile, workers and retirees should prepare for the worst-case scenario.

What you can do

Although the trust fund's depletion is not guaranteed, it's wise to plan as if it could happen.

Stress-test your retirement budget to see if you could remain comfortable if benefit payments are reduced. Consider finding ways to boost your earnings over the next several years to increase the benefits you qualify for.

You may also need to focus on your own personal savings to fill potential gaps. Consider raising your savings goal, delaying your Social Security claim to increase monthly payments, or working part-time or freelance during retirement to supplement income.

The best-case scenario? Social Security is reformed, your savings perform better than expected, and you enjoy more financial freedom in retirement than you anticipated.

What To Read Next

Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywises best stories and exclusive interviews first  clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.

Article Sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.

Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (1)(7) ; Congressional Budget Office (2) ; Social Security Administration (3) ; Peter G. Peterson Foundation (4) ; DepositAccounts (5) ; Yahoo Finance (6)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Zoom has hired Frank Skiffington as its new head for Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ), taking over from Bede Hackney.

In the role, Skiffington will be based in Sydney and will report to Zooms head of Asia Pacific and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Steve Rafferty.

He is responsible for driving market strategy, deepening customer and partner engagement, and expanding Zoom adoption in the small- to medium-sized business (SMB) and enterprise markets.

Skiffington takes up the role with more than 25 years of experience working at technology companies. He also spent time at SecureCo, Cogent and Mitel, holding skills across unified communications, software-as-a-service, and managed services.

Frank brings deep regional expertise and a strong track record of helping organisations transform how they connect, collaborate and deliver meaningful outcomes, said Rafferty.

He will be instrumental in expanding Zooms customer base across A/NZ, accelerating partner-led growth and driving SMB adoption, while continuing to support our enterprise customers to work faster and smarter by moving conversations into outcomes with the Zoom platform.
Climate Porn How and Why Anti-Population Zealots Fabricate Science, while Targeting American Capitalism, Freedom, and Independence

By Kevin J. Mooney

Bombardier Books

PB, US$19.99

ISBN-13: 979-8895650646 New book exposes how anti-population zealots fabricate science around climate change By Rachel Alexander

web posted April 13, 2026 Investigative journalist Kevin Mooney has published a book exposing the deceitful efforts behind the climate change agenda, titled Climate Porn, How and Why Anti-Population Zealots Fabricate Science, while Targeting American Capitalism, Freedom, and Independence. He compares the movement to pornography, because it also has harmful effects  on the scientific method. The green zealots are addicted to climate porn. What it comes down to, Mooney believes, is a quest for political power and a desire on the part of neo-Marxists and economic central planners to target and dismantle American-style capitalism. He said the climate movement has hijacked any remaining remnants of environmentalism as its defined in the dictionary. However, Mooney told me that the science is on our side, the climate realists. There is evidence from astronomers that the earth is moving towards a cooling stage. The dire predictions have never materialized. Natural climate variability, not human CO2 emissions, is the main driver of changes, and CO2 is beneficial, such as for plant growth  its not a pollutant. The government first got heavily locked into the climate change agenda in the 1990s due to the UN. And later, under the Biden administration, every federal agency was required to have a climate mandate. There are green groups dialed into all levels of government. Wealthy left-wing organizations such as the Tides Foundations and George Soros Open Society Foundations, as well as Beijing, are pouring money into these efforts. Beijing wants to dominate the energy sector in order to become the global superpower. The international climate agreements are to make us more dependent on foreign energy, Mooney said. Mooney refers to this cozy relationship as the unelected fourth branch of government that has taken hold of America. Big Green, Inc. , run by the Institute for Energy Research, tracks the left-wing funding. However, President Donald Trump is making incremental progress dismantling the Climate Industrial Complex, through overturning the EPA's "endangerment finding" on CO2 and exiting the Paris Accords. The American Energy Alliance put together a list of 50 actions the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have taken to unleash American energy. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has made inroads eliminating the green mandates in government. He is engaging in devolution federalism, moving environmental efforts back to the local level, where governments are doing valuable work such as running parks. Mooney cited Trumps famous statement, I represent Pittsburgh, not Paris. Mooney said there is nothing wrong with wind turbines  except physics and economics. Wind and solar are intermittent, not reliable sources of power. And in the future, the revolution towards data centers will make them unsustainable. Hes fine with using wind and solar for energy, as long as it involves investors and is not done by mandates that pick winners and losers. In New York and New Jersey, offshore wind turbines are causing the deaths of humpback whales, Mooney said in the book. The underwater noise of construction indirectly stresses or displaces whales, causing them to wash up on shores. Big environmental groups that should care about the whales and having pristine beaches, such as the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the National Wildlife Federation and the League of Conservation Voters, are strangely quiet. The tragedy is the opportunity cost, Mooney said. We could have been improving living standards instead of wasting money mandated by environmental regulations. He lamented that it is the most vulnerable populations in the poorest regions that have suffered the most from the anti-energy impulses of the climate movement. In the U.S., regular Americans, such as farmers, small business owners, scientists and local officials, are penalized by green policies driven by these motives. Mooney said its those of us who seek realistic energy policies are the true environmentalists with our emphasis on conservation. Other chapters in his book go over the advancing of Net Zero policies that seek to eliminate all fossil fuels and how opponents are silenced and canceled, including being sued. In several instances, well-credentialed scientists have been either forced out of their positions or pressured to abandon their research. Roger Pielke Jr., a professor in the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Colorado, said in 2015, The incessant attacks and smears are effective, no doubt, I have already shifted all of my academic work away from climate issues. Another chapter discusses how credit card companies are tracking carbon footprints with purchases in order to eventually constrain the actions of individuals. Critics describe the latter as a Chinese-style social credit card system, complete with a UN global action logo, Mooney said. Mastercard partnered with the UN to launch its card, which cuts consumers off from spending once they hit a certain limit. What needs to happen is to change the publics perception of CO2. Mooney said with increasing school choice, this can take place in K-12 education. But it will be a generational change maybe 12 years down the road for this shift to take place. Mooney concluded the book recommending that the best way the U.S. can celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is to withdraw from the UN. The Disengaging Entirely from the United Nations Debacle (DEFUND) Act in Congress would accomplish that. Rachel Alexander and her brother Andrew are co-Editors of Intellectual Conservative. She has been published in the American Spectator, Townhall.com, Fox News, NewsMax, Accuracy in Media, The Americano, ParcBench, Enter Stage Right and other publications. Home

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by Sumon Corraya

Hundreds of men armed with sticks set fire to the victims darbar in the Kushtia district. A video of Pir Abdur Rahman, 65, allegedly insulting the Quran from three years ago circulated on social media. Police failed to stop the violence. The authorities and NGOs slammed security failures, calling for investigations, but no arrests have yet been made.

Kushtia (AsiaNews)  A Sufi spiritual leader was beaten and hacked to death last Saturday when an angry mob attacked, vandalised, and set fire to his darbar (shrine) in western Bangladesh's Kushtia district.

This incident once again highlights the fragility of the rule of law and the persistence of gang violence in the South Asian country in connection with accusations of religious insult.

The murder took place in Daulatpur upazila (subdistrict), near the Shamim Babar Darbar Sharif. The victim, identified as Pir (elder) Abdur Rahman, also known as Shamim Reza or Jahangir, was 65 years old.

According to police, the violence erupted after residents accused him of blasphemy for insulting the Quran, after a three-year-old, 30-second video resurfaced on social media, in which he allegedly makes derogatory remarks about Islams holy book. The video spread quickly online on Friday, sparking anger among several local groups.

Kushtia Superintendent of Police Mohammad Jasim Uddin said a group of people began gathering around noon on Saturday. Then, hundreds of men armed with sticks marched towards the darbar, chanting slogans.

Videos circulating on local media and social platforms show a mob on the attack, damaging two single-story concrete buildings and a sheet metal warehouse before setting fire to parts of the structures.

Witnesses reported that five to seven people inside the darbar were injured during the attack, while others managed to escape.

Firefighters arrived on the scene and put out the fire, but by then the complex had already sustained severe damage.

Police said that Shamim Reza and two other people were rescued and taken to the Daulatpur Upazila Health Complex, where the pir died.

We tried to save him, but the number of police officers was far smaller than the size of the crowd, Superintendent Jasim Uddin said. It was not possible to control the situation. The mob beat him to death.

Residents, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the violence was preceded by a gathering of more than a hundred people in the Abeder Ghat area, about half a kilometre from the darbar. From there, they marched towards the shrine just after noon.

A 18-minute video circulating online shows a large number of people walking along the village road before storming the darbar.

Shamim Reza's life reflects a journey that combines formal education with subsequent involvement in religious practice.

He graduated in 1984 from the Islampur State Primary School and Philipnagar High School, subsequently earned a diploma from Kumarkhali Degree College, a Bachelor of Science in Commerce (BCom) from Bheramara College, and a Master's Degree from Jagannath University College in Dhaka.

He worked for some time at a private company in Keraniganj, but quit to become a follower and assistant to Golam-e-Baba Kalandar Jahangir Sureshwari.

Around 2018, he returned to his home village and founded his own darbar, with devotional music every Thursday evening.

Political and civic leaders condemned the murder.

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) MP Reza Ahmed Bachchu Molla, who represents the Daulatpur constituency, reiterated that no individual or group has the right to take the law into their own hands:

If anyone creates disorder in society, it is the administrations responsibility to take action. Killing cannot be justified, he said, adding that the incident would be thoroughly investigated.

Human rights organisations have also expressed concern. The NGO Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) called the murder a serious failure by law enforcement.

ASK Senior Coordinator Abu Ahmed Faizul Kabir warned that repeated attacks on Sufi shrines and religious figures indicate a dangerous climate of impunity.

Legal advocacy groups have also called for an impartial investigation, the prosecution of all those responsible, and stricter measures to prevent the dissemination on social media of provocative content that could incite violence.

Despite visits by senior security and administration officials, more than 24 hours after the incident, no investigation has been opened nor have any arrests been made.

The incident comes amid ongoing concerns in Bangladesh regarding summary justice related to accusations of blasphemy and other religious offences, with people calling for urgent action regarding accountability, public order, and the protection of fundamental rights.
by Joseph Masilamany

Highway to Somewhere is a TV series produced in Singapore but set in Malaysia, centred on an online scam network. It has drawn criticism from groups concerned about its impact on Malaysias image. The broadcaster that aired the series has dismissed the accusations, saying its goal was to raise awareness about the phenomenon of online scam centres in Southeast Asia.

Singapore (AsiaNews)  A television series about international scams has generated sparks between Singapore and Malaysia.

Singapore broadcaster Mediacorp has come under fire from Malaysian groups over its Chinese-language drama Highway to Somewhere, which critics claim unfairly portrays Malaysia as a hub for transnational scam operations.

The 20-episode series, which concluded its run on Channel 8 earlier this week, follows a group of friends and a married couple on a road trip across Malaysia who become entangled with an international scam syndicate.

While the series showcases scenic locations such as Ipoh, Port Dickson, and Kukup, some Malaysian observers argue that its narrative risks damaging the countrys reputation.

Concerns were first raised by the leader of a Malaysian cultural association, Lee Yong Kwee, who warned that linking popular tourist destinations to organised scams could shape negative perceptions of the country, especially abroad where scam centres are not widely known.

Such facilities are found in some regions of Southeast Asia, often controlled by Chinese criminal groups, who lure people by deception and then held against their will to carry out online scams.

Responding to the backlash, Mediacorp defended the production, stating that it was intended to highlight a global threat.

While the drama addresses the global rise of scams, this subplot was intended to raise awareness of a universal threat rather than to characterise any specific destination, a Mediacorp representative was quoted as saying.

The broadcaster also stressed that the series portrays Malaysia in a positive light, highlighting its culture and lesser-known tourist attractions. It pointed out that the storyline ultimately affirms the rule of law, with Malaysian authorities depicted as bringing the perpetrators  identified as foreign actors  to justice.

The dramas screenwriter, Ang Eng Tee, defended his creative choices, telling Shin Min Daily News that the plot was inspired by real-world scam cases affecting both Singaporeans and Malaysians.

He said the series was meant as a cautionary tale rather than an indictment of any nation, explaining that Malaysia was chosen as the setting due to its popularity among Singaporean travellers and its suitability for a road-trip storyline.

Online reactions have been mixed. Some Malaysian viewers argue that scam-related plots reflect a broader regional and global problem rather than a country-specific issue, while others acknowledge that the drama promotes Malaysias tourism appeal through its picturesque settings.
Leo XIV arrived in Algeria, the first time a pontiff has visited the Muslim country, a bridge between Africa and the Mediterranean. In his address, he said that, peace that is not merely an absence of conflict, but one that is an expression of justice and dignity. About Algeria he said that, A nation that loves God possesses true wealth. For the pontiff, fundamentalism and secularization are absurd polarizations. Asked about Trump's insults, he said that he would continue speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel

Algiers (AsiaNews)  The evangelical words of the Beatitudes were read in full beneath the Maqam Echahid, the Martyr's Memorial, which commemorates the fallen in Algerias war of independence from France.

To address the Algerian people directly, Pope Leo XIV chose the words of Jesus about the meek, the merciful, and those who hunger and thirst for justice, beyond all religious barriers.

Leo XIV's historic trip to Algeria began this morning in the pouring rain, the first by a pontiff to this overwhelmingly Muslim country, a bridge between the Mediterranean and sub-Saharan Africa. In the subsequent stages of this journey, Leo will visit Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea.

Algeria is a great country, the pope said, with a long history rich in traditions, dating back to the time of Saint Augustine and well before. It is also a painful history, marked by periods of violence. Yet, precisely thanks to the nobility of spirit that characterizes you  which I sense is alive even here and now  you have been able to overcome these trials with courage and integrity.

Leo had already visited the country before, in 2001 and 2013, following in the footsteps of his great mentor, Saint Augustine, to whom he will pay homage tomorrow in Annaba, the ancient Hippo. Precisely because of its troubled history, the country holds a clear message for a world disfigured by conflict today.

In this place, Leo said, speaking in front of the monument that honours those who died during Algerias War of Independence, let us remember that God desires peace for every nation: a peace that is not merely an absence of conflict, but one that is an expression of justice and dignity. This peace, which allows us to face the future with a reconciled spirit, is possible only through forgiveness.

Ultimately, The true struggle for liberation will be definitively won only when peace in our hearts has finally been achieved. I know how difficult it is to forgive. However, as conflicts continue to multiply throughout the world, we cannot add resentment upon resentment, generation after generation. Instead, The future belongs to men and women of peace.

Against all those who are willing to do anything to accumulate riches that fade away, deceive and disappoint, and which sadly often end up corrupting the human heart, giving rise to envy, rivalry and conflict, the pontiff asked a question posed by Jesus two thousand years ago: For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? (Mt 16:26).

This is a crucial question for everyone, he said, addressing Algerian Muslims listening to him. The dead whom we honor here have already given their answer. They lost their lives but in doing so, they gave them up for the love of their own people. May their example sustain the people of Algeria and all of us on our journey, for true freedom is not merely inherited, it is chosen anew every day.

This message of peace comes with the conviction that the strong roots of Islam in Algeria are a value that, if lived in its true meaning, opens the way to brotherhood.

A nation that loves God possesses true wealth, and the Algerian people cherish this jewel as one of their treasures. Our world needs believers like this  men and women of faith who thirst for justice and unity.

The pontiff reiterated the same point later, during the meeting with the authorities, representatives of civil society and members of the diplomatic corps which took place at the Djamaa el Djazair conference centre in Algiers, immediately after the courtesy visit to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

We are brothers and sisters, for we have the same Father in heaven. The profound religious sense of the Algerian people fosters a culture of encounter and reconciliation, of which my visit also seeks to be a sign. In a world full of conflicts and misunderstandings, let us meet and strive for mutual understanding, recognizing that we are all one family!

In his speech to the authorities, Pope Leo particularly extolled the deep sense of hospitality among Algerias Arab and Berber communities, but also the typically Muslim idea of sadaka, almsgiving, seen as a matter of justice to be restored to the poor.

This view of justice is both simple and radical for it recognizes the image of God in others. Indeed, a religion without mercy and a society without solidarity are a scandal in Gods eyes.

Yet many societies that consider themselves advanced are plunging ever deeper into inequality and exclusion. Africa knows all too well that people and organizations that dominate others destroy the world, which the Most High has created in order that we might all live together.

The pontiff called on a country like Algeria, which is a natural bridge between North and South, East and West, which is also crossed today by migratory flows, to engage in dialogue regarding the concerns of all and show solidarity with the sufferings of so many countries near and far, then you will be able to contribute to both envisioning and bringing about greater justice among peoples.

He stressed that the Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert must be seen as geographical and spiritual crossroads of immense significance. Together with the vast sky above them, [they] whisper to us that reality surpasses us on all sides, that God is truly great, and that everything lives in his mysterious presence, he said, alluding to the traditional Muslim saying, Allahu Akbar.

Later, the pontiff visited the Great Mosque of Algiers, acknowledging with this gesture his outreach to Islam.

Algerian society, however, has also experienced tensions between religious sentiments and modern life with the tragic history of Islamic terrorism in the 1990s as a reminder.

Here, as across the world, opposed dynamics of fundamentalism and secularization tend to manifest themselves, causing many to lose an authentic sense of God and of the dignity of all his creatures. Consequently, religious symbols and words can become, on the one hand, blasphemous languages of violence and oppression, or on the other, empty signs in the immense marketplace of consumption that does not satisfy us.

These absurd polarizations, however, must not dishearten us. They must be confronted with intelligence. They are a sign that we are living in an extraordinary time of great renewal, in which those who keep their hearts free, and their consciences alert, can draw from the great spiritual and religious traditions new ways of seeing the world and an unshakable purpose in life.

We must educate people in critical thinking and freedom, in listening and dialogue, and in the trust that leads us to recognize in those who are different fellow travelers and not threats. We must work together toward the healing of memory and reconciliation among former adversaries. This is the gift I desire for you, for Algeria, and for all of its people, upon whom I invoke the abundant blessings of the Most High.

Against the backdrop of these words and deeds, the petty controversy of the day unfolded today, sparked by US President Donald Trump's late-night post on his Truth Social account, filled with heavy-handed insults to the pontiff, calling him "weak, and claiming that he was elected thanks to himself, pointless words that sparked a global outcry.

On the flight to Algiers, journalists even Pope Leo to respond to the presidents words.

"I have no fear, Leo said, with neither the Trump administration nor of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel. This is what the Church is called to do. We're not politicians. We're not looking to make foreign policy, as he calls it, with the same perspective that he might understand it. But I do believe that the message of the Gospel is a message that the world needs to hear today.
Todays headlines: the Spanish Prime Minister has called on China to play a more active role in global affairs; Israel has approved the appointment of the new head of the Mossad; Next week, the President of Taiwan will visit Eswatini. Since late March, floods in Afghanistan have killed at least 189 people; With Orbans defeat, Hungary is distancing itself from Russia.

MIDDLE EAST

The US military has stated that on Monday it will begin a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas, after the Washington delegation left Islamabad. On Saturday, three oil tankers crossed the Strait, whilst other vessels are waiting to see how the situation will develop. Meanwhile, oil has once again surpassed 0 a barrel, further exacerbating the global energy crisis.

ISRAEL

Israel has approved the appointment of Roman Gofman as the new head of the Mossad, Israels foreign intelligence agency. Gofman, 49, currently military secretary to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, will take up his post in June, replacing the current director, David Barnea.

SPAIN  CHINA

During a conference at Tsinghua University in Beijing this morning, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is due to meet President Xi Jinping tomorrow, said that China should take on a more proactive role on issues such as climate change, security, defence and the fight against inequality.

TAIWAN  ESWATINI

This morning, Taiwans presidential office announced that next week, from 22 to 26 April, President Lai Ching-te will visit the small state of Eswatini, Taiwans last remaining diplomatic ally in Africa. This will be Lais first trip outside Taiwan since November 2024, when he visited the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu and Palau, and stopped over in Hawaii and the US territory of Guam.

AFGHANISTAN

According to Kabuls natural disaster management agency, at least 189 people have died as a result of the floods since the end of March. In the last 24 hours alone, the agency added, 10 people have died and a further 15 have been injured, whilst nine are missing. In total, at least 9,000 families have been affected and at least 7,000 homes have been destroyed.

HUNGARY

Peter Magyar has won the elections in Hungary, which saw a turnout of 79.5%, bringing an end to Prime Minister Victor Orbans pro-Russian government, which had lasted for 16 years. The Tisza party is expected to win 138 seats, whilst Orbans Fidesz secured 55; a further six went to the far-right Our Homeland party. During the election campaign, Magyar pledged to combat corruption, restore the independence of the judiciary and eradicate the patronage system that has helped enrich the partys loyalists and squander state resources. His victory could foster more cordial relations with the European Union and Ukraine.

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstans President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, has decreed the full entry into force of the new constitution, announcing that elections will be held in August to form the new unicameral Kurultai, with a five-month election campaign to initiate a major perestroika of our political system, so that political and economic changes go hand in hand with positive changes across the whole of society.
13 April 2026 14:19 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

If you ask who emerged as a loser in Islamabad, the answer is quite clear. After more than 21 hours of face-to-face talks, the most serious negotiations between the US and Iran since the start of the war on February 28, Vice President JD Vance departed without any deal, having announced a blockade imposed by his president during the ongoing war, which entered into its most perilous stage. And for Iran, the answer is equally clear; so is it for the rest of the world, which saw oil markets on the brink of catastrophe again.

But that framing obscures something important. In some part of Moscow, Putins finance department will be keeping track of oil money that has more than doubled in one month's time, with Russian mineral extraction tax on crude production soaring from 327 billion roubles to an estimated 700 billion roubles ($9 billion) in April, compared with March, as Reuters has estimated. In Beijing, meanwhile, there will be someone calculating how missile defenses have moved from South Korea to the Gulf region, how a quick-response Marine team has moved out of Japan, and how the summit meeting between Trump and Xi (planned in May) is being held against the backdrop of US overreach, which couldnt be any better for China.

Who needed Islamabad to fail?

What I am about to demonstrate here has been under the radar, surprisingly. Let us get to the main point, who won and who lost (from the bigger picture):

ACTOR WHAT A DEAL WOULD HAVE MEANT WHAT CONTINUED WAR MEANS Russia Oil price collapse. Revenue windfall ends. Ukraine pressure resumes. Sanctions bite again. $150m/day additional budget revenue. Ukraine war refinanced. Sanctions relief via US waiver. Urals crude at highest since 2023. China US military pivot to Asia resumes. Trump summit from a position of strength. Taiwan deterrence intact. US assets diverted from the Pacific. THAAD removed from South Korea. Taiwan summit leverage gained. Every week buys Beijing time. Iran War ends. Reconstruction begins. Sanctions lifted. Frozen assets returned. Nuclear programme's status negotiated. Naval blockade declared. IDF on heightened alert. Infrastructure further degraded. People continue to suffer. United States Middle East entanglement ends. Pivot to Asia resumes, possibly. Gas prices fall. Trump's political win. Three carriers deployed. Munitions depleted. Gas at $4/gallon. Asian allies get anxious. Summit weakened.

Before the outbreak of hostilities in February 2026, Russia's oil export earnings had dropped to the lowest level in the post-Ukraine invasion period at $9.5 billion per month due to Ukrainian drone attacks, which caused a reduction in physical exports up to 40%. The Russian economy recorded a fiscal deficit of 4.58 trillion roubles in the first quarter. The projected growth rate for Russian GDP by the IMF was estimated to be 0.8%. And then the bombs dropped on Tehran. The price of Brent crude climbed above $100 per barrel. The gap between the discount prices for Urals crude  the vehicle through which sanctions imposed by the West took a financial toll on Russia  became substantially narrower. The KSE Institute estimates that Russia would earn an additional $97 billion in revenue from the war under its central scenario, more than Russia's entire fiscal deficit in 2025. "What he was spending on the war was, in essence, pawning his country off," says Sergey Vakulenko of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. "That doesn't need to happen anymore. The sound of silence from normally voluble leaders of China and Russia is telling. From their point of view, silence is the best way to let Washington entangle itself in a protracted war in the Middle East."

China's strategic patience: Do nothing and win?

Ever since the war began, China has been constantly under criticism. In my personal observation, in the 'golden age' of information, I was able to notice these in many different aspects and points of view. Nevertheless, all the criticism led to one big question: why is China not reciprocating?

It is possible to give several answers to that question, but for me, China's calculus is different in character. China's disengagement in the war has historical and systematic reasons.

But right now, Beijing does not want oil above $100  its GDP falls roughly 0.5% for every 25% rise in oil prices, and Europe, which absorbs 15% of Chinese exports, is sliding toward recession. China has no desire for the destruction of Iran, as Tehran provides about 13% of Beijings oil requirements. However, China has a vested interest in keeping America entangled in the Middle East, thus preventing the focus of its diplomatic and military attention on the Pacific region. The war with Iran has caused America to re-direct missile defence equipment that was originally slated for South Korea, as well as one battalion of Marines that was intended for use in Japan, say US defense officials speaking to Bloomberg and Stars and Stripes. China has also postponed President Trumps meeting with President Xi Jinping for weeks now.

It is from this perspective that Chinas participation in the Islamabad peace conference should be analyzed. The role of China in the Iran war is especially evident from its critical importance in making Iran agree to Pakistans proposal of a two-week ceasefire on April 7. This was crucial because it ensured Irans participation in negotiations in Islamabad. China also used its veto power to block a UN Security Council resolution regarding Hormuz on April 7. Both these actions support the policy of maintaining the war at a controlled temperature  warm enough to drain America of its resources but cool enough to keep the world economy running that supports Beijing.

China did not engage, at least physically, but it now knows a great deal about the methods by which America fights wars, thereby losing its stature in the Global South even more. Additionally, China would find Americas military preoccupied somewhere else when it decides to make an land on Taiwan.

This doesnt literally mean that Moscow and Beijing are pulling Irans strings. Iran is an independent player with its own logic, with its own scores to settle, and with its own view of the nuclear issue. But the incentive structure that surrounds Iran should be stated explicitly. With each passing week of this conflict, Russia gains another $1 billion in extra income on oil revenue, money that it would not have had without the war. With each passing week, the focus of Americas armed forces is drawn away from the Asian theater of operations. Both factors are irrelevant to Irans own agenda. Its population is suffering casualties, its infrastructure is being destroyed, and its economy, which has been crippled for years by sanctions, is taking yet another hit.

What goes around, comes around

All this 'long journey' to the meeting and the "zero result" outcome after hours of discussion also brought to mind the 2022 Istanbul talks. A well-known Azerbaijani saying that perfectly captures this situation is, 'don't laugh at your neighbor, or you might be next. Also could be stated as, don't gloat, or you might be next.

The 2022 Ukraine talks that almost reached an agreement before falling apart  needs only a cursory mention here. The analogy isnt perfect, and many might disagree. However, theres one commonality among all parties involved, which is not subject to dispute. While the West was pushing for Ukraine to continue fighting, its objectives were not aligned with the very existence of Ukraine itself. They merely wanted to cripple Russia. In Irans case, the question its policymakers have to ask themselves is whether encouraging resistance against US influence serves their objectives or those of Moscow and Beijing. Undoubtedly, US hegemony cannot be contested by any means, but what is happening right now is nothing but a brief resemblance to a failing empire.

Vance reported that the discussions yielded "substantive discussions" and that a "final and best offer" was still "on the table." The foreign ministry of Iran noted that there had been "mutual understanding" on some matters, with differences persisting on only two or three others. This is a far cry from a total collapse in communications. Rather, it is more like a negotiation that almost reached a point of conclusion but fell short, not for lack of anything further to say but for the lack of surrounding circumstances conducive to reaching it.

Those conditions may be arriving. Let the new phase of the war begin. A US-led naval blockade of Hormuz, if maintained long enough, ensures that Iran has lost the choke point, which has provided it with the majority of its leverage and the majority of its benefactors' gains. Russia will stop profiting from the situation once Hormuz becomes accessible again, as well as when the collapse of world trade due to the blockade has driven the price of oil under $70 per barrel. China stops receiving its benefit from the situation when the economic disruption in Europe is worse than the strategic benefit of overstretched American forces. The interests of the benefactors of Iran are not in maintaining the state of conflict indefinitely, only so long as the cost to themselves remains acceptable.
13 April 2026 17:32 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

As elections approach in Armenia, Yerevan is meeting the moment not with its usual intensity of tension, but rather with an air of calm and quiet. Yet there is a saying: after every calm, a storm inevitably follows. This may well signal that, as the country edges closer to what could prove a decisive day, more serious developments lie ahead.

Among the opposition leaders contesting the elections are former clan figures  more precisely, a segment of the political elite in Armenia that champions separatism and revanchism. Even the Church, at odds with the current authorities, has begun to show its hand as the election process unfolds, lending support to the campaigns of those aligned with its political course.

In truth, Armenia is undergoing one of the most difficult transitional periods in its modern history. This phase, shaped by the aftermath of the Second Karabakh War, has forced the country to pass through a gateway of hard truths and confront a new reality. That reality is stark: either embrace development or turn away from the future in order to retreat into the past.

How has this come about? Perhaps for the first time, Armenia has experienced an eight-year political period under a leader capable of confronting reality. Throughout this time, no leader has so transparently exposed the countrys economic imbalances and the hollow nature of revanchist ideas to Armenian society  or perhaps there were such figures, but they were simply never able to remain in power long enough.

Armenias political structure appears, in many ways, to mirror the mindset of its society. Those who attempt to introduce new ideas and perspectives are often boycotted or removed altogether. The events of 27 October 1999 stand as a stark example: the assassination of former prime minister Vazgen Sargsyan, parliamentary speaker Karen Demirchyan, and six other political figures inside the parliament building. Their killing, on the eve of preparations for a peace agreement concerning Karabakh at an OSCE meeting in Istanbul, was hardly coincidental. According to various sources, an order emanating from Moscow dictated that the figures in question be eliminated or that the planned peace talks in Istanbul be derailed by any means necessary. The outcome of that meeting could have altered the trajectory of the Karabakh issue entirely. At times, individuals operating under the banner of patriotism, yet serving special intelligence interests, are capable of upending entire political agendas and reshaping the course of history.

Even today, such elements remain active both within and beyond the countrys borders. When required, they reach into the dustbins of history, manipulating archived narratives to serve their own ends and deliberately aggravate the situation.

In Paris, an Armenian diaspora forum has once again attempted to stir controversy by bringing the Karabakh issue and the so-called Armenian genocide back into the spotlight. After a prolonged period of relative dormancy, diaspora activism appears to have been rekindled just months before the elections. These calls are directed squarely at the current authorities  the very government that, for the past six years, has sought to present the realities of the South Caucasus to its society.

So, what future does this mindset, which persistently drives Armenia towards conflict, envision for the country? The answer is simple: Armenia has long functioned as a forepost state, designed to generate constant instability in the region. Leadership in such a system is both short-lived and transient. What endures, however, is the unchanging ideology embedded within Armenia itself.
13 April 2026 10:43 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

Organized by the Azerbaijan Cultural Center named after Heydar Aliyev, which operates under the Azerbaijani Embassy in Uzbekistan, a presentation of the books "Azerbaijani Tales" and "Uzbek Tales" will take place in Tashkent on April 14, AzerNEWS reports.

The event will take place under the slogan "Children's Literature  The Foundation of Cultural Dialogue."

The publications were prepared as part of a joint project between the Azerbaijan Cultural Center in Uzbekistan and the Republican Children's Library named after F. Kocharli. Azerbaijani tales have been translated into Uzbek, while Uzbek tales have been translated into Azerbaijani and published accordingly.

The books feature both folk and authorial tales from Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Through engaging narratives, they convey universal values such as the triumph of good over evil, friendship, honesty, and the importance of hard work.

As part of the presentation, a special corner dedicated to Azerbaijani literature is also set to be inaugurated at the Republican Children's Library in Uzbekistan.

Such initiatives play an important role in fostering children's interest in reading, enhancing their creative abilities, and strengthening cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan.

Note that the Azerbaijan Cultural Center named after Heydar Aliyev in Tashkent plays a special role in the Azerbaijani-Uzbek relations in the field of culture, science, education, and tourism.

The center was opened on September 27, 2010, with the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Since then, the cultural center has successfully implemented a number of projects, aimed at strengthening the ties between the two countries.
13 April 2026 11:45 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

A high-level Azerbaijani museum delegation has paid an official visit to Kazakhstan to strengthen cultural and scientific cooperation between the two countries, AzerNEWS reports.

By invitation of the Union of Kazakh Ethnodesigners, the leadership of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum visited Almaty.

During the visit, Museum Director Amina Malikova, Scientific Secretary Khadija Asadova, and Head of the Children's Museum Department Tarana Aliyeva took part in the international scientific and practical seminar titled "Science, Traditions and Innovation: Humanitarian Integration and Education."

The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum and the Kazakhstan State Museum of Arts named after Abilkhan Kasteev reached an agreement on regular professional exchange by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.

The document envisions the development of effective bilateral cooperation in science and culture and opens promising opportunities for joint exhibitions, research, and creative projects. The heads of the museums, Amina Melikova and Gulaim Zhumabekova, emphasized that this step will not only strengthen inter-museum ties but also make a significant contribution to cultural partnership between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

In addition to the Abilkhan Kasteev Museum of Arts, the Carpet Museum delegation also visited the National Central Museum of Kazakhstan and the Almaty Museum of Arts, where they discussed potential areas of future cooperation with their leadership.

The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum is one of the country's most important cultural institutions dedicated to preserving, researching, and promoting the art of Azerbaijani carpet weaving, which is recognized as a key element of national heritage and has been inscribed on UNESCO's lists of intangible cultural heritage.

The museum was established in 1967, and today it houses a rich and diverse collection of more than 10,000 exhibits, including rare carpets, carpet-making tools, national costumes, jewelry, and works of applied art that reflect different historical schools of Azerbaijani carpet weaving.

In recent years, the museum has built strong partnerships with leading museums and cultural organizations abroad by organizing and participating in exhibitions in more than 30 countries, including across Europe, Asia, and beyond.

These international projects allow Azerbaijani carpet art to be showcased to global audiences while also enabling academic collaboration in conservation, textile research, and museum studies.

Under the leadership of Director Amina Malikova, the institution has continued to develop its international profile through memoranda of understanding and joint initiatives with foreign museums, such as cooperation agreements with institutions in Kazakhstan that support joint exhibitions, research projects, and professional exchange.

These efforts reflect a broader strategy to position Azerbaijani carpet art within global museum networks and strengthen cultural diplomacy through shared heritage initiatives.

The museum's international activity plays a key role in promoting Azerbaijani cultural identity worldwide while fostering long-term cooperation with partner institutions, researchers, and artists across different countries.
13 April 2026 13:35 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

International Mugham Center has hosted a spectacular concert of percussion virtuoso Jafar Hasanov, a laureate of national and international competitions and recipient of the Uzeyir Hajibayli Prize, AzerNEWS reports.

During the concert titled "The Sound of the Naghara", audiences were presented with outstanding examples of national music and rhythms in both original and contemporary interpretations, including the traditional military dance "Jangi," Ramiz Mirishli's composition "Song of Araz," as well as the folk songs "Qara qasn vsmsi" and "Gul acd," and the piece "Yurd," dedicated to the historic victory in the Karabakh war.

Hasanov was accompanied by the rhythm group Gobustan. The evening also featured performances by Honored Artists Khayyam Mammadov (kamancha) and Chinara Mutallibova (qanun), as well as musicians Ravan Gachayev, Nijat Aslanov, Ismail Zulfugarov, Emin Eminli, Idris Taghiyev, and literary reciter Huseynagha Aslanov.

In conclusion, congratulatory speeches were delivered by People's Artist Aghaverdi Pashayev, Director and Chief Conductor of the Azerbaijan State Song and Dance Ensemble, Mustafa Ashurov, and the ensemble's musical director, Mahir Ordubadi.

They congratulated Jafar Hasanov, wishing him continued creative success and noting that he confidently carries forward the traditions of great masters, contributes to the development of national musical heritage, and stands out for his distinctive performance style.

Founded on the initiative of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, the Mugham Center was established in accordance with a presidential decree dated April 6, 2005.

Construction of the center began the same year, and the building, recognized today as one of Baku's most distinctive architectural landmarks, officially opened in 2008.

Since then, the Mugham Center has consistently hosted large-scale music festivals and concerts featuring prominent and internationally renowned cultural figures. Alongside its concert activities, the center actively works to strengthen cultural cooperation with countries such as Turkiye, Poland, Brazil, Uzbekistan, Morocco, and others.

Committed to the preservation and global promotion of Azerbaijani musical heritage, the International Mugham Center continues to expand its activities. Numerous projects are underway aimed at researching, safeguarding, and popularizing the art of mugham.

A landmark achievement was reached in 2025, when the Mugham Center became the first cultural institution in Azerbaijan to receive international status through legislation.

This designation has also played a significant role in improving the social and financial conditions of the center's staff, reinforcing its position as one of Baku's leading concert venues.
Irans Hormuz gambit: The Strait as a weapon of jihadist endurance By Dr. Dan Diker

web posted April 13, 2026 Roughly 20 percent of the worlds seaborne oil supply flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which is only about 21 kilometers wide at its narrowest point. On an average day in peacetime, some 20 million barrels move through this main economic artery for Asia, Europe, and the Gulf. The Islamic Republic of Iran is now holding the Straits hostage, implying it has sovereignty over this international passage. The Straits have become the most cost-effective instrument in the Iranian regimes arsenal for prosecuting its founding ideology of a forever war jihad against the United States, Israel, and the Western-led international order. In early April 2026, ceasefire talks centered on competing frameworks. These included a prior U.S. 15-point proposal and a separate Iranian 10-point plan. The U.S. conditioned any suspension of hostilities on the complete, immediate, and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Within hours of Irans nominal acceptance, the Strait was effectively re-closed. Traffic fell to a near standstill. Only three or four vessels per day moved under what Tehrans Revolutionary Guard termed regulated passage. This was compared to the roughly 138 tankers that transited daily before the war. Irans Foreign Ministry offered a characteristic explanation: passage would be permitted once the United States ended its aggression and Israel halted its operations against the regimes Hizbullah terror proxy in Lebanon. The regime thus made compliance with a ceasefire it had just signed contingent on a separate set of demands it knew Washington would not satisfy. This is not a negotiating tactic in the Western sense. It is a doctrinal posture, and part of the Islamic Republics strategic theology. Iran does not fight to seize territory, impose terms, and conclude. It fights to survive and endure. The Karbala Paradigm frames Imam Husseins death at the hands of the Umayyad forces in 680 CE as the supreme model of righteous struggle. It does not demand victory; it demands resistance unto martyrdom. For a regime that has theologically embedded this framework into its military doctrine, accessing the Strait is not a battlefield concession based on a military calculus. Instead, it is a manipulated variable in service of prolonged defiance. The regimes regulated passage of vessels, permitted through under Iranian military management and proposed tolls, signals that the Islamic Republic is alive. It shows Tehran is in control of the chokepoint and that it has not submitted. The economic dimensions of this leverage are not incidental. Brent crude oil spiked to between 90 and 120 dollars per barrel after the 2026 closure. Gulf exports fell by over 90 percent. Insurance surcharges and force majeure declarations hit global supply chains. Analysts estimate the disruption shaved 0.2 to nearly three percentage points off annualized global growth in the second quarter. This is efficient asymmetric warfare: drones, naval mines, warnings, selective exemptions for non-hostile states, and calibrated legal ambiguity. Iran is not a party to UNCLOS and claims full sovereignty over the territorial sea. This approach imposes disproportionate pain on adversaries at minimal cost to the regime. Iran has played this game before. During the Tanker War of the 1980s, Tehran never fully closed the Strait. It did not need to. The threat, combined with periodic attacks on neutral shipping and the deployment of mines, was sufficient to compel American escort operations and strain Gulf Arab nerves. This pressure also extracted political dividends. The current iteration is more sophisticated. Tehrans proposed tolls appear aimed at formalizing a larger Iranian role in administering traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. This would convert wartime coercive leverage into a more durable claim of control over an international waterway. The pattern should be clear to Washington. Irans ceasefire compliance is an Islamic warfare hudnaa temporary pause that lets the regime regroup and resume conflict on better terms. Hormuzs re-closure hours after signing is not a violation of the agreements spirit; to Tehran, its the faithful execution of a strategy that uses pauses to regroup, not to concede. The White Houses calling the closure false and completely unacceptable is accurate but not enough. Words do not reopen straits. The United States has compelling precedents for forcing ideological adversaries off their preferred timelines. Kennedy did not negotiate the terms of Soviet missile withdrawal. He imposed them through unconditional brinksmanship. Reagan did not moderate his demands in response to Soviet protests. He increased the structural costs until the system collapsed. The lesson is not that force alone suffices. Clarity of purpose, communicated without ambiguity and backed by demonstrated willingness to act, is the only language that interrupts a forever war. Iran is betting that the United States lacks the appetite for resumption. The Strait of Hormuz will reveal whether that bet is correct. Dr. Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, is the longtime Director of its Counter-Political Warfare Project. He is former Secretary-General of the World Jewish Congress and a Research Fellow of the International Institute for Counter Terrorism at Reichman University (formerly IDC, Herzliya). He has written six books exposing the apartheid antisemitism phenomenon in North America, and has authored studies on Irans race for regional supremacy and Israels need for defensible borders. Home

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13 April 2026 16:52 (UTC+04:00)

Laman Ismayilova Read more

Azerbaijani youth have been represented at the 51st Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions held at Palexpo Exhibition Centre in Switzerland, AzerNEWS reports.

The country's participation was supported by the Azerbaijan Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Within the framework of the event, innovative projects covering fields such as engineering, space technologies, medicine, agrotechnology, and unmanned aerial systems were presented.

The Azerbaijani delegation showcased a range of advanced solutions, including "A.I.N.O.S"  a real-time monitoring system for tracking space objects; "Smart Bed System"  an intelligent bed designed to provide medical monitoring and support; "S.O.N.I.A"  an artificial intelligence-based unmanned aerial vehicle for search and rescue operations; and "ECHRON"  a smart agrotechnological system based on soil analysis.

At the conclusion of the exhibition, and based on the evaluation of the international jury, the Azerbaijani national team earned a total of one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals for its five innovative projects.

The Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions is the world's largest, specialized annual event dedicated to inventions, held at Palexpo, Geneva.

Founded in 1972, it showcases patented, new products from inventors, universities, and companies, focusing on commercialization and networking.

Its main goals are to foster innovation, facilitate the exchange of ideas among global inventors, and provide a direct link for turning inventions into profitable products.

The 51st Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions brought together more than 1,000 inventions from 35 countries and regions, drawing over 30,000 visitors.

The event also welcomed around 650 journalists and more than 800 exhibitors, primarily representing universities and companies.
13 April 2026 11:02 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Poladova Read more

The World Bank has approved financing for a major environmental initiative titled "Restoration of the Caspian Sea Ecosystem: Building Capacity for Pollution Management and Biodiversity Conservation", AzerNEWS reports, citing the institution.

According to reports, the project represents a significant step toward addressing environmental challenges in the Caspian Sea region.

The initiative will be implemented with the participation of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, and is aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in combating pollution and protecting biodiversity. The financing package was approved in April. The Global Environment Facility will allocate $11.74 million in grant funding to the World Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme, which will act as implementing agencies.

Additionally, a Project Preparation Grant (PPG) of $183,489 will be provided to UNOPS to support preparatory work, including the development of environmental and social safeguards, as well as coordination among the participating countries.

The main objective of the initiative is to strengthen the institutional capacity of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. By doing so, the project will support improvements in pollution management mechanisms and expand biodiversity conservation efforts throughout the Caspian Sea region. It will also complement ongoing efforts by participating countries to meet their commitments under the Tehran Convention and its related protocols.

The project is structured around three key components:

Pollution management - $3.9 million;

Development of specially protected natural areas - $3.9 million;

Project management - $443,120.
13 April 2026 14:56 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Azerbaijan is set to deepen its international defense alliances, as a draft law approving a bilateral agreement on military cooperation with Ethiopia has been submitted to the Milli Majlis, AzerNEWS reports.

According to reports, the document provides for the ratification of the Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Defense between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The draft will be reviewed at a meeting of the parliaments Committee on International Relations and Interparliamentary Relations scheduled for April 14.

The move comes as Azerbaijan continues to expand its defense diplomacy and modernize its armed forces. In recent years, the country has significantly increased military spending, allocating over $3 billion annually to defense and security, with a focus on advanced technologies, unmanned systems, and modernization of its armed forces following the 44-day war.

Azerbaijans defense industry has also grown steadily, with rising domestic production of military equipment and expanding cooperation with international partners, particularly in areas such as training, logistics, and joint exercises.

For its part, Ethiopia, one of Africas largest military powers, has been actively seeking to modernize its defense sector and diversify partnerships beyond traditional allies. Ethiopia has the largest military budget in East Africa and 5th on the Continent with a defense budget of $3.7 billion
13 April 2026 15:32 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

An informal meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Turkic States will be held in Antalya, AzerNEWS reports.

The meeting will take place within the framework of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, scheduled for April 1719.

The forum will bring together high-level officials and diplomats to discuss key global and regional issues. This years theme is Fighting Uncertainties While Shaping the Future.

The gathering is expected to provide an additional platform for coordination among OTS member states on political, economic, and regional cooperation agendas.

Background

The Organization of Turkic States (OTS) is a regional intergovernmental body that brings together Turkic-speaking countries to promote political, economic, and cultural cooperation. Its current members are Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, with Hungary and Turkmenistan participating as observers.

The organization traces its origins to the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, established in 2009 through the Nakhchivan Agreement. It was rebranded as the OTS in 2021 to reflect broader ambitions beyond cultural ties, expanding into strategic coordination and regional integration.

The OTS aims to strengthen cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade, transport, energy, education, and digital transformation. A key focus is enhancing connectivity across Eurasia, particularly through initiatives such as the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor, which links Central Asia to Europe via the South Caucasus and Turkiye.

Institutionally, the OTS operates through regular summits of heads of state, a secretariat based in Istanbul, and affiliated bodies such as the Turkic Investment Fund and the Turkic Chamber of Commerce and Industry. These mechanisms are designed to translate political alignment into practical economic cooperation.

In recent years, the organization has gained geopolitical relevance as member states seek greater coordination in response to shifting global dynamics. While not a military alliance, the OTS increasingly serves as a platform for aligning regional policies, boosting intra-regional trade, and promoting a shared Turkic identity within a pragmatic framework of economic and strategic interests.
13 April 2026 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

The UK will not participate in a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, according to local media, following US President Donald Trumps remarks about blockading the critical shipping route, AzerNEWS reports.

"We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home," said a government spokesperson, according to Sky News.

"The Strait of Hormuz must not be subject to tolling," the official added.

The official noted that London is "urgently working" with France and other partners to build a broad coalition to safeguard freedom of navigation.

Trump had earlier said that the UK was sending minesweepers to help clear the strait.
13 April 2026 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

Australia has no plans to participate in a potential United States blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a senior government official has said, signaling Canberras preference for diplomacy over escalation in one of the worlds most strategically vital waterways, AzerNEWS reports.

Speaking to Sky News Australia, Australias Assistant Foreign Minister Matt Thistlethwaite emphasized that negotiations remain the most effective path to long-term stability. He noted that diplomatic engagement would not only help ease tensions but could also ultimately lead to lower fuel prices for Australian consumers.

Our view is that the best way to achieve lasting peaceand, in turn, reduce fuel costs for Australiansis through dialogue, Thistlethwaite said.

The remarks come amid rising tensions following an announcement by Donald Trump on April 12. The U.S. president declared that Washington would move to block the Strait of Hormuz after key agreements with Iran were reportedly breached.

According to Trump, the U.S. Navy has been instructed to monitor and detain vessels paying duties to Iran in international waters, as well as to conduct mine-clearing operations in the area.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage linking the Persian Gulf to global markets, is a critical artery for the worlds oil supply. Any disruption to shipping in the region risks significant consequences for global energy markets, raising concerns among U.S. allies and trading partners alike.

Australias decision to stay out of the proposed blockade highlights a broader divergence in approach, with Canberra prioritizing de-escalation and economic stability over direct military involvement.
13 April 2026 10:53 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will impose a blockade on ships entering or exiting Iranian ports, AzerNEWS reports.

In a post published on the Truth Social platform, Trump stated that the measure is set to take effect on April 13 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

The United States to Blockade Ships Entering or Exiting Iranian Ports on April 13 at 10:00 A.M. ET. Thank you for your attention to this matter! the president wrote.

No further details have been provided regarding the scope or enforcement mechanism of the reported blockade.

The announcement comes amid heightened tensions involving Iran and ongoing instability in the region.

As it stands, only UK will not participate in a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, according to local media, following US President Donald Trumps remarks about blockading the critical shipping route.

"We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home," said a government spokesperson, according to Sky News.

"The Strait of Hormuz must not be subject to tolling," the official added.

The official noted that London is "urgently working" with France and other partners to build a broad coalition to safeguard freedom of navigation.

Trump had earlier said that the UK was sending minesweepers to help clear the strait.

Other European countries are yet to make any decisions.
13 April 2026 12:57 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Monday that if the security of Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is threatened, then "no port" in those areas will be "safe", AzerNEWS reports

"The criminal US's imposition of restrictions on the movement of vessels in international waters is an illegal act and amounts to piracy," the Iranian military said. "If the security of the ports of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will be safe," it added.

The IRGC spokesperson also said that no "enemy-affiliated" vessels will have the right to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and that, "given the continued threats from the enemy," Iran will implement a "permanent mechanism" to control the critical waterway.

US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will impose a blockade on ships entering or exiting Iranian ports, AzerNEWS reports.

In a post published on the Truth Social platform, Trump stated that the measure is set to take effect on April 13 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

The United States to Blockade Ships Entering or Exiting Iranian Ports on April 13 at 10:00 A.M. ET. Thank you for your attention to this matter! the president wrote.

No further details have been provided regarding the scope or enforcement mechanism of the reported blockade.
13 April 2026 13:58 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the son of President Yoweri Museveni, has made bold demands from Turkiye, including $1 billion and the "most beautiful woman in the country" as his wife. He expressed that Uganda's contributions to regional security efforts have gone unrecognized and believes financial compensation is warranted, AzerNEWS reports.

Kainerugaba has threatened to sever diplomatic ties with Turkiye and to close its embassy in Kampala within 30 days if his demands are not met. In a series of posts on social media platform X, he accused Turkiye of benefiting from various business and infrastructure projects in Somalia, including ports and airports in Mogadishu, while Uganda has shouldered a significant security burden for nearly two decades. Uganda has deployed troops to Somalia as part of African Union missions mostly aimed at combating the Al-Shabaab militant group, which has links to Al-Qaeda.

Kainerugaba argued that Uganda deserves to receive $1 billion from Turkiye as a "security dividend." He stated, "For Turkiye, it's really a simple deal... Either they pay us, or I will close their embassy here. They can reciprocate and shut our embassy in Turkiye as well. No problem." He emphasized that relations between Uganda and Turkiye are serious and should not be trivialized or treated like social media drama. He warned that Uganda could soon cut diplomatic ties with Turkiye, stating, "Forget Twitter games. We will close diplomatic relations with them very soon." Kainerugaba also accused Turkiyeof unfair treatment towards Uganda, remarking, "Who needs a friend who keeps stabbing you in the back?"
13 April 2026 13:46 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has warned that Israel could potentially shift its focus toward Turkiye after Iran, amid escalating regional tensions, AzerNEWS reports, citing his interview via Anadolu Agency.

According to Fidan, Israels broader strategic approach relies on maintaining a constant adversary. Israel cannot live without an enemy. Therefore, it may declare Turkey an enemy after Iran, he said.

His remarks come against the backdrop of ongoing conflict involving Iran and growing instability across the Middle East. Fidan has previously argued that Israels policies are driven by a need to continuously identify threats, warning that this approach risks prolonging regional conflicts.

The Turkish top diplomat has also repeatedly expressed concern over Israels military posture in the region, stating earlier that such actions could further destabilize the Middle East and expand the scope of ongoing confrontations.

He believes that if the US and Iran reach an agreement, an additional ceasefire lasting 45 to 60 days could occur.
With 250 years of familial links to the village - Ashford pens historical fiction set in Morthoe on the North Devon Coast

The Book

Morte - Historical adventure set in North Devon

Morthoe is a remote village on the North Devon Coast with the treacherous rock formation Mort Stone (Death Rock) just off the coast, notorious for its role in numerous shipwrecks. It is where the Bristol Channel meets the Atlantic and is where the authors family has lived for the past 250 years. From this place come the stories and people in this book.

Captain Parker has newly arrived back from India with his Regiment and has inherited his uncles estate and the old Zora Manor House. Soon Parker and Bennett, his Sargent, make their way to Mort and settle in the old Manor House. Now the adventures begin, with shipwrecks, smuggling, wrecking, romance, an escape from Lundy Island, the Mill at Lee. Parker soon finds himself deep in trouble with the Customs, is there a way out for him? Luckily Parker had friends in high places but will they help?

Author Richard Ashford

About the author

Richard Ashford comes from a family which have lived in Morte [Mortehoe] for the past 250 years. He has had a passion for history of the village since he was 14 when after visiting all of the old people in the village, he recorded their stories of shipwrecks and smuggling which many years later have been used in his books. He has published three booklets on the history of Morte, and two novels.

Why this book

Richard explains: I have lived and worked in Morte for the past seventy years and have been researching the history of the village from when I was a boy. I have run two Archaeological digs in the village, but what started me writing was one day I walked from one end of the village to the other and didnt see one person I knew. Ninety percent of the houses in Mortehoe are now holiday homes. So when I got home in my mind I walked the length of the village again and recorded the ghost of the people who lived there, like Mr Gammon coming out of Barricane house on his way to get his paper, and so on, and I gave it to a local publisher. To my surprise they thought it was wonderful and published it, now on sale in the Mortehoe Museum. I have also done an Oral History Interview for the Beaford Archive.

In our opinion:

This is an adventure novel set on the wild North Devon coast packed with shipwrecks, smuggling, wrecking, romance, and an escape from Lundy Island. Written by an author whose family have lived in the area for hundreds of years, how could it not deliver. A Great historical adventure from the 1800's a novel you will enthrall. Natalie Key For Female First

Morte by author Richard Ashford is released 28/04/2026 ISBN: 9781806341573 Price: 9.99

by Natalie key for www.femalefirst.co.uk


13 April 2026 19:53 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

The European Commission may unlock 35 billion in frozen Hungarian funds if the newly elected Tisza party mends ties with Ukraine, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing several senior EU officials, AzerNEWS reports.

"He [Tisza leader Peter Magyar] has a full-fledged mandate to change things ... and we are engaging with him from day one," one official was quoted as saying. The main EU conditions for the new Hungarian regime are said to be the unblocking of the 90 billion loan to Ukraine and the withdrawal of the veto on new Russian sanctions.

The EU is said to have presented Hungary with 27 conditions in total, including anti-corruption checks and a change to immigration policy.

The potential 35B+ figure relates to funds frozen over rule-of-law and anti-corruption concerns. The EU requires reforms, specifically strengthening judicial independence and anti-corruption measures, before releasing these funds, as explained by.

Unlike the 2023 release of funds to Poland, EU officials are signaling a more cautious, stage-based release, requiring verified compliance with all 27 conditions rather than promises alone, reports.
13 April 2026 17:54 (UTC+04:00)

Akbar Novruz Read more

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States, Iran and Israel might end "within a very short period of time," AzerNEWS reports via Israeli media.

During a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu told ministers that the fragile two-week ceasefire "might reverse" very quickly.

A two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States took effect on Wednesday. Israel said it would abide by the truce but argued the agreement does not apply to Lebanon.

However, Israeli officials have said Israel wants to carry out further airstrikes on Iranian military and government targets. Netanyahu has faced growing criticism in Israel, with critics saying the war has not achieved its stated goals at the outset, including "regime change" and the elimination of Iran's ballistic missile stockpiles.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir on Sunday ordered the army to enter heightened preparedness following the collapse of US-Iran talks in Pakistan, according to Israeli media outlets.

Military sources claimed that the army entered combat protocol, which had also been enacted before the beginning of Israel's attacks on Iran in June 2025 and February this year. At the same time, another source told Israel's Ma'ariv newspaper it remains uncertain whether the next round of negotiations between the US and Iran will be held, adding the White House might make decisions at "great speed."

Tehran had previously called for an immediate halt to Israeli attacks against Lebanon, insisting that the country was covered by the truce. The IDF, however, continued attacking Hezbollah, while the militant group responded with rocket and drone strikes against northern Israel.
13 April 2026 20:14 (UTC+04:00)

Ulviyya Poladova Read more

A new report by the United Nations Development Programme warns that the economic fallout from the ongoing conflict involving Iran could drive more than 32 million people worldwide into poverty, with developing nations expected to bear the heaviest burden, AzerNEWS reports.

The analysis highlights how the consequences of the war extend far beyond the immediate conflict zone, creating widespread economic instability across the globe. Countries already struggling with limited financial resources are particularly vulnerable to rising costs and slowing growth.

While the most immediate damage is felt in countries directly involved in the conflict, the report emphasizes that its effects extend far beyond the region. Nations heavily reliant on imported energy, especially in parts of Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Gulf, and Small Island Developing States, are facing rising fuel and food costs.

Using advanced modeling from the Global Trade Analysis Project (GTAP), the UNDP assessed various scenarios-from short-term shocks to prolonged disruptions lasting up to eight months. In the worst-case scenario, an additional 32 million people could fall into poverty worldwide.

"War is development in reverse. Conflict can undo in weeks what countries have built over years," said UNDP Administrator and UN Under-Secretary-General Alexander De Croo. "This new analysis shows that the shock of the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East is not limited to the countries directly affected, but falls disproportionately on those with the least fiscal room to absorb higher energy and food prices. For these countries, the crisis forces impossible trade-offs between stabilizing prices today and funding health, education, and jobs tomorrow. That is unacceptable, and it is preventable. Early policy action matters."

Credit: UNDP
13 April 2026 20:46 (UTC+04:00)

by Alimat Aliyeva

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has announced that Germany will temporarily reduce taxes on gasoline and diesel in an effort to support households and businesses affected by rising energy costs linked to instability in the Middle East, AzerNEWS reports.

Speaking to reporters after talks with members of his CDU party and coalition partners, Merz said: We will reduce the tax on diesel fuel and gasoline by about 17 euro cents (approximately $0.20) per liter for a period of two months.

The decision comes amid continued volatility in global energy markets, which has been driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East region. Several economies across Europe have faced renewed pressure due to fluctuations in fuel and transportation costs.

Earlier developments in the region included military operations involving United States and Israel, which carried out airstrikes on multiple targets in Iran. In response, Iran launched missile strikes against Israeli territory and reportedly targeted U.S. military installations in parts of the Gulf region.

Subsequently, a short-term ceasefire agreement was reached in early April 2026 between Iran, the United States, and their partners, temporarily reducing hostilities. However, later negotiations held in Islamabad, mediated by Pakistan, failed to produce a lasting settlement.

Analysts note that even brief interruptions in regional stability tend to have an outsized impact on global oil prices, highlighting how geopolitical tensions continue to shape energy policy decisions far beyond the region itself.
13 April 2026 21:16 (UTC+04:00)

by Alimat Aliyeva

Pope Leo has said he has no fear of the Trump administration and will continue to speak out against war, after the US president launched an unusually sharp attack on his stance regarding the Iran conflict, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

Donald Trump accused the pontiff of being WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy in a post on Truth Social, later telling reporters that he was not a big fan of the Pope.

In response, the Pope told journalists while travelling en route to Algeria that he did not wish to engage in a public dispute with Trump, but reaffirmed that he would continue promoting peace and condemning violence.

He has been a vocal critic of the escalation surrounding Iran, describing Trumps rhetoric about the possible destruction of Iranian civilisation as unacceptable and urging all sides to find an off-ramp to de-escalate tensions.

Direct exchanges between a pope and world leaders in such a public and confrontational tone are highly unusual in modern history, as the Vatican typically avoids direct political confrontation.

There are more than 70 million Catholics in the United Statesaround 20% of the populationincluding Trumps Vice President, JD Vance, highlighting the political sensitivity of the dispute.

Trumps remarks came as the Pope began an 11-day visit to Africa, his second major foreign trip since his election last year, a journey focused on peacebuilding, interfaith dialogue, and humanitarian issues.

In his post, Trump also suggested that the Pope should get his act together, claiming he was weak on nuclear weapons, referring to concerns over Irans nuclear ambitions, which have been cited as one of the key drivers of regional tensions.

He further claimed that the Pope was elected partly because he is American, suggesting it was seen as a way to improve relations with the White House. If I wasnt in the White House, Leo wouldnt be in the Vatican, Trump added.

When asked to clarify his remarks, Trump said: I dont think hes doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess. He went on to describe the Pope as very liberal and accused him of opposing efforts to stop nuclear proliferation, arguing that Irans potential nuclear capability posed a global threat.

The Pope, speaking aboard his flight to Algiers, stressed that his mission was not political but moral. I have no fear of the Trump administration, or of speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, he said.

I dont want to get into a debate with him, he added. Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent lives are being lost. Someone must stand up and say: there is a better path.

His remarks have sparked global debate, with some commentators drawing historical parallels to past tensions between the Vatican and authoritarian regimes. One scholar, Massimo Faggioli, noted that such direct criticism of a pope by a US president is extremely rare in modern history.

The Pope has repeatedly used public appearances to call for de-escalation in global conflicts, particularly in the Middle East. He previously condemned Trumps statement that a whole civilisation will die tonight as truly unacceptable.

He has also criticised Trumps strict immigration policies, questioning whether it is consistent with pro-life values to support what he described as the inhuman treatment of migrants.

Pope Leo is widely seen as continuing the humanitarian and diplomatic approach of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who in 2016 said Trump was not Christian due to his rhetoric on immigration. Trump, in turn, called the late pontiff disgraceful, underscoring a long-running tension between the Vatican and the former president.
13 April 2026 22:46 (UTC+04:00)

by Alimat Aliyeva

To date, scientists have discovered approximately 40,000 near-Earth asteroids, and this number continues to grow as observation technologies improve, AzerNEWS reports.

Four years ago, NASA deliberately sent a spacecraft to collide with a small asteroid in order to alter its trajectory. This groundbreaking experiment aimed to demonstrate humanity's ability to protect Earth from potentially dangerous space objects. It became the first real test of planetary defense in history.

As a result of the mission, the small moon asteroid Dimorphos changed its orbit around its larger companion Didymos. Its new orbit became smaller and faster. Moreover, recent studies suggest that this impact may have slightly influenced the motion of the entire system around the Sun.

It is important to note that Dimorphos never posed a real threat to Earth. However, scientists emphasize that if a dangerous object is detected in the future, the success of this experiment provides strong evidence that such threats can be mitigated.

This study represents a significant step forward in our ability to prevent potential asteroid collisions with Earth, an international team of researchers wrote in a paper published in the journal Science Advances.

Scientists estimate that more than one million asteroids exist in the Solar System, most of them located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. A special category includes near-Earth asteroids (NEAs), which come relatively close to our planet.

So far, about 40,000 such objects have been identified, and new discoveries are being made at an increasing rate, researchers note.

Near-Earth asteroids vary greatly in size, ranging from small rocks to massive bodies over one kilometer in diameter. Objects of this size are of particular interest because they could cause global consequences if they were to collide with Earth.

Potentially hazardous asteroids are defined as those that can approach Earth at a distance of less than 7.5 million kilometers. Scientists believe that many more such objects remain undiscovered, including at least 154 asteroids larger than one kilometer.

Interestingly, space agencies around the world are now developing advanced defense strategies, including not only kinetic impactors like the recent mission but also concepts such as gravity tractors and even laser-based systems.

The study and monitoring of these objects continue as part of international planetary defense programs, ensuring that humanity is better prepared for possible cosmic threats in the future.
Political Parties?  Why We Have Them and What They Do

By Ray Leary

The single most important reason for political parties in North Carolina is to provide the citizens with access to the voting booth. Registering with a political party is necessary for county election boards to provide you with a local, state, or federal ballot so that a voter can cast a vote for the leaders of their local, state, and federal government.

Participation in other activities that political parties engage in is voluntary. One does not have to be an active member that raises funds, participates in Get Out the Vote campaigns, attend parades, fund raisers, donate money to candidates, attend precinct meetings, county conventions, state conventions, national conventions, city council meetings, or participate in any activity sponsored by the political parties. There is no requirement that a citizen have any interaction with elected officials.

The prominent political parties recognized in North Carolina are Democrat, Republican, Unaffiliated, Green Party, and Libertarian. The current numbers of registered voters in each party in NC are 1) Democrats  2.31 million, 2) Republican  2.32 million, 3) Unaffiliated  3.04 million, 4) Green Party  4,513, and 4) Libertarian  46,274. In Beaufort County there are more than 33,000 registered voters. Democrats have 26%, Republicans have 39%, and Unaffiliated have 33%. We have a county commission with five Republicans and two Democrats. Why can we not get reasonable tax rates and stop spending on things we do not need? The voters have been deceived into electing board members that do not care about you! The Beaufort County Republican party is responsible to ensure this does not happen. Yet, it continues to happen over and over.

During primary elections a Democrat voter receives a Democrat ballot, Republican voters receive a Republican ballot, unaffiliated voters get to choose which of these ballots they receive. If there are primary candidates on the ballot from the other parties, those registered under that partys banner receive ballots for that party.

If there are several candidates on the ballot for one seat and none of the candidates receives 30% of the votes, the top two candidates participate in a second primary election.

Each political party has a collection of issues and policies the party promotes. This is referred to as the Party Platform. These platforms are developed at the local, state, and federal level. The parties also develop a collection of rules commonly referred to as the Plan of Organization. The Plans of Organization are updated annually during county, district, state, and national conventions and are guides to conduct the business of the parties. The county Plan of Organization cannot conflict with the State Plane of Organization. If there are conflicts, the county party must correct the conflict as soon as possible.

The county conventions set and amend the county Plan of Organization, elect a chairman, vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer to serve a two-year period. An Executive Committee is elected to advise and consent on the actions of the chair to be conducted between the annual county conventions. The elected officers are responsible for scheduling meetings of the Executive Committee, maintain a list of registered party members in the county, fund raising, encouraging candidates to run for office, promoting candidates that win primary elections, keep accurate minutes of the Executive Committee meetings and other subcommittees, and provide accurate reporting of campaign finances to local and state Boards of Elections as required by state statutes.

The officers and Executive Committee members are elected by the attendees at the county convention. The Plan of Organization requires procedures to be adhered to in the conduct of the business of the party. Some of the requirements are codified in NC state statutes.

Beaufort County NC currently has over 33,000 registered voters with over 13,300 Republicans. Over the last few years, there have been less that 150 attendees at the Republican precinct meetings and county conventions. With so few people showing any interest in the actions of school boards, county commissioners, and city council members, it is easy to see how a few people, perhaps less than 30, have so much influence over who is elected and how those elected members perform their constitutional duties.

National and state political parties may and do influence state elections to gain more members in the General Assembly and the US Congress or to defeat a sitting member that fails to toe-the-line of the so-called establishment kingpins. This was evident in the most recent general election where Representative Kidwell was ousted from office by a candidate supported by an infusion of big bucks from outside the district.

On the other side of this coin, Senate Pro Tem, Berger had big bucks infused into his campaign to retain his seat. He and his supporters reportedly spent in excess of $10 million on radio, TV, and direct mail advertising. Having outspent his opponent, Sheriff Sam Page, ten to one, Berger lost by 23 votes.

It has been said that people get the government they deserve. It appears that even though there is a large number of citizens who take the time to register to vote, many cannot find the time to actually vote. They do not attend candidate forums or fund raisers to meet the candidates.

The voting periods have been open for 13 days during the primaries and November elections in North Carolina for the past several years. I am dismayed as to why there is such apathy toward voting. Rush Limbaugh referred to those that do vote, but do not know why, as low information voters. They are easily swayed to vote for candidates promoted by big donors, many from out of the state, and influential political leaders at the local, state, and federal levels.

As long as less than 1% of registered voters turn out at precinct meetings and county conventions, there is little incentive for those elected to do anything other than enrich themselves and waste taxpayer money.

As stated at the beginning of this post, participation in party activities is not required to vote. However, participation is encouraged and is open to all. Failure to participate results in less than qualified people being elected that affects your lives and financial security. When coupled with collective voter apathy the government we depend upon cannot self-correct.
Queen Garris Does it Again

BY: HOOD RICHARDSON

Queen Garris answers to no one. After all, Queens have the ultimate dictatorial authority. Any of her subjects who question her authority gets the Off with his head treatment.

One of the less than 4 or 5 things that Garris has asked the Executive Committee to approve during the past year was the renting of the store in the 100 block of Gladden Street for a Republican Headquarters for the fall of 2026 elections. The Executive Committee approved this location.

Queen Garris, without presenting anything to the Executive Committee, moved the April meeting from a street level location at the Ag center at the airport to the second floor of a building across from City Hall. An elevator is required to get to the second floor. The building has wood floors and sound travels easily from one end to the other.

Queen Garris then cancelled the Executive Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday April 9 and moved it to Tuesday evening April 21. All without consulting the Executive Committee.

Queen Garris is clueless as to how to develop a team to win elections. She has the Victory Committee which meets in secret without notice to anyone. There was a First District Republican convention this past Saturday at the Community College. There are 23 counties in the First Congressional District. These districts are based on population. Counties in the northeast part of North Carolina have low populations.

I mentioned to one of the County Chairmen that things seemed to function smoothly in his county. He quickly stated, We have a team. Unfortunately, Beaufort County has a dictator and a secret Victory Committee.

Queen Garris claims the Victory Committee has been identified. The truth is Victory Committee members have never been elected or identified to this Executive Committee. At the Beaufort County Convention Queen Garris and the Mighty Michelle Nix claimed the names of the members of the secret Victory Committee will be in the minutes of the secret meeting held at King Keith Kidwells house during March.

The Victory Committee has delivered anything but victory. Their interference in the municipal elections delivered two democrats to the Washington City Council and cost two Republicans seats. They embarrassed themselves by running Ashley Woolards brother for the City Council. Their interference in School Board elections has returned the Board to the ultra liberals and defeated several conservative candidates. Their support for Carolyn and Randy Walker and their efforts to recruit Democrats to change their registration to Unaffiliated so they can support them and their liberal buddies in primary elections is not kosher.

Queen Carolyn Garris and her cronies supporting Randy Walker and Fake Frankie Waters and their disloyal alliance with the two Democrats, Jerry Langley and Ed Booth is the prime cause taxes are not being reduced, and millions are piled up for useless projects. Fake Frankie Waters sits on the Republican Executive Committee and donates to Democrats.
Dax Shepard "hated" Eric Dane when they first met and they once had a "fist fight" outside an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting.

Dax Shepard didn't get on with Eric Dane at first

The 51-year-old podcaster first met the late Euphoria actor - who died in February aged 53 after battling ALS - in recovery and his first impressions of the star was that he was a "bully", with their mutual dislike eventually leading to a physical altercation.

Speaking to Anderson Cooper at the New Orleans Book Festival, People magazine reports Dax said: Eric Dane, I can now say I met in recovery, and we hated each other. I hated him. I thought he was a bit of a bully."

Of one meeting they both attended, Dax claimed Eric "threatened a younger member of the group."

He added: "This had been simmering for a long time, and I said, Lets go. Outside. Right now. It was on. And we walked outside to a fist fight in the driveway of an AA meeting.

Other attendees intervened to break up the fight and despite the altercation, the pair "kept coming back to the same meeting."

As time passed, the Armchair Expert host admitted he began to warm to Eric and could see similarities between them.

He said: "Over the course of the next two years, I found myself starting to kind of relate to him. I heard his story.

"His father shot himself in his house when he was a little boy. And his mom came upstairs and said, Ill tell you what happened if you promise that you wont cry.'

"So that little boy held onto that. And then that little boy grew up without a dad, like I grew up without a dad, and he was so in search of masculine validation, and it took all these shapes that I hated. That Im sure he hated in me."

Dax and Eric eventually offered support to one another at their AA meetings.

The CHiPS star said: I remember he had his share one time and I said, I cant believe Im gonna say this, but thats one of my favourite shares Ive ever heard.'

Maybe a week or two later, one of his shares, he said, I cant believe Im gonna say this, but I think Ive come to fall in love with Dax.'

"And then we became friends.

And while their friendship initially began at recovery meetings, the pair often visited one another and bonded over their shared trauma from not having a father figure.

Dax said: "I came to fall in love with a very scared man trying and hoping he had become a man, and I related. I ended up loving him so much.

Dax praised his friend for speaking out after being diagnosed with the degenerative condition ALS.

He said: For a person who was so hellbent on being hyper-masculine and incredibly fit, to have agreed to become the face of this disease, completely diminished, I found to be the bravest thing hed done in all these pursuits of manliness.
Janis Joplin and the Kozmic Blues Band were not the first Tanglewood contemporary performers, but they were the first real hard-rocking act that performed under the famed pavilion.
PITTSFIELD  Nine months after backing a proposed controversial encampment ban as a way to address drug use and disorder outside his North Street store, retailer Steven Valenti says he has changed his mind  and city leaders are following suit.

Valenti, owner of Steven Valenti Clothing for Men, was among several downtown business owners seeking relief from problems they said were hurting North Street and driving away customers.

But after months of conversations with advocates and a reassessment of his own assumptions, Valenti now sees the ordinances first draft  and its potential impact on the citys homeless population  differently. In many ways, Pittsfields leadership has undergone a similar shift.

"More people got educated about the needs of our community," Valenti said. "The more we do that, the better it gets."

In May 2025, Mayor Peter Marchetti proposed a citywide ban on sleeping and setting up temporary shelters on public property, framed as a response to downtown business owners concerns. But the ordinance faced major pushback from advocates, who argue it penalizes poverty. After months of debate and protests, the original proposal was scrapped in February and a new, more outreach-focused program centered on public health was formed.

On Wednesday, the Board of Health voted to accept the draft version of that outreach program, marking a major turning point in a yearlong saga. While still awaiting City Council approval to officially establish the program, the vote allows the city to move forward in working with community partners to further the program's efficacy.

The tumultuous path the encampment ban took exposed a larger question the city and its residents had to reckon with: How do we view and treat people experiencing homelessness?

"I wanted to kind of cure a problem that was probably some real and some perceived," Marchetti said in a recent interview with The Eagle. "If you're a business owner and you're dealing with it every single day; at the same time, if you're a homeless person, you're dealing with it every single day, so you're kind of in a Catch-22."

RISING HOMELESS NUMBERS

The citys homeless population has continued to rise, according to annual point-in-time counts. In 2025, 227 people were identified as homeless in Pittsfield on the night of the count, up from 202 the year before. The federally required count includes people staying in shelters as well as those spending the night in places not meant for habitation, such as parks, sidewalks or stoops.

And 2026's count, which won't officially come out until this summer, is likely going to increase again, advocates say.

Marchetti said the growing numbers made homelessness more visible, heightening tensions between those living outside and residents or business owners who say they feel disrupted.

Not every situation or person camping outside was dangerous, he said at the time. But when there is drug use and paraphernalia, "I think it can make it a dangerous situation."

"We were asking for a little more respect, at least leave the doorway in better condition," Valenti said. "We have a lot invested in our businesses."

Responding to business owners' concerns, Marchetti proposed extending an existing rule that prohibited people from setting up temporary shelters in public parks to all public property. The ordinance also permitted law enforcement to temporarily seize personal possessions and penalize people who assisted or abetted those in violation of the ordinance.

"The mayor put forward the proposal, and I think it was a hard read," said Alisa Costa, an at-large city councilor for Pittsfield.

Enforcement and interpretation of the ordinance would likely be the police's responsibility, and the fines would further entrench people in debt they have no means to pay, said Sean Manion, the lead organizer for Berkshire Interfaith Organizing.

"All it did was create financial and criminal penalties for what it referred to as camping, but which really is survival," said Manion. "All it did was punch down."

Many advocates asked where people without stable shelter were supposed to go if the ordinance were to pass.

"It failed to offer any real, genuine solution to the crisis that people are facing," Manion said.

FROM BAN TO OUTREACH

As city officials began to realize the encampment ban ordinance was not the right solution, the underlying problems that prompted it  including how to respond to disruptive and unsafe behavior  remained. Looking for a better approach, Board of Health members turned to other communities for ideas. One model stood out: Northamptons Division of Community Care.

The program is the first in the nation to be supported through a city health department, said Donaven Gibbs, the director of the human-service program.

"We're not through police ... [people] see us in plain clothes, and we just have that connection," Gibbs said. "One of our superpowers is we meet people where they're at."

A persons first interaction with the program begins with a conversation, said Anna Ganote, one of its coordinators. That initial meeting allows staff to assess the persons immediate and long-term needs, connect them with resources and support them through the steps needed to address those challenges.

The program also has a dedicated office, which encourages people to come in on their own time, Gibbs said.

The peer-outreach program showed promise in combating the underlying issues people experiencing homelessness face, said Andy Cambi, director for Pittsfield's Health Department.

He said it was especially encouraging that Northamptons successful program is housed within its health department rather than its police department, showing that an effective response does not have to come with a high price tag.

Pittsfield's proposed program would add a certified community health worker to oversee it and two full-time outreach employees, according to Cambi, who outlined the city's proposal during the board of health meeting on Wednesday. They would meet with people, connect them to services or respond to those in crisis.

"It takes that constant, consistent outreach to make sure that this public space is being respected," Cambi said.

LISTENING AND LEARNING

When the proposal to scrap the original encampment ban in favor of the outreach program Cambi recommended came before the City Council on Sept. 10, it drew overwhelming support  with Marchetti among its most vocal backers.

"I dont think I could say it any louder," he said during the meeting. "It was a bad idea."

It was eight months from the time Marchetti introduced the ordinance until he wrote a letter supporting scrapping it. What happened during that time?

Marchetti said he listened.

"I've put myself in some really uncomfortable situations, especially after the camping ban," Marchetti said. "I went to the Homes Not Handcuffs meeting  probably not a popular choice because they're all up in arms and it's me that they're after."

"But when I went back for the follow-up visit, it was kind of like, 'Maybe you don't really hate us; Maybe you want to help us and you're just misguided,'" he said.

That's similar to how advocate Manion described his once-tense relationship with the mayor.

"At the start of the process, I didn't really know Marchetti well, personally or politically," he said. "I would not have guessed at the beginning of the process that [this] outcome would have occurred."

Valenti also attended community meetings, crediting them for giving him a better understanding of the situation.

"These people are not problems, they're just trying to make a living," he said. "The process made us a little more aware."

It took vocal advocates to spur the change, but that advocacy led to people discarding their assumptions and listening to one another.

"We do have much better solutions when we come together," Costa said. "And this, to me, is the proof."
Holocaust Remembrance Day is being observed this week in Israel and around the world. It is a deeply painful time for the Jewish people as they remember not just a historical tragedy, but a break in their communal life, culture, and traditionand the near extermination of their people. In Israel, a two-minute siren sounds, and people across the country stop whatever they are doing: drivers pause on highways, people stop walking, and everyone stands in silent reflection. Around the world, Jewish people observe moments of silence and hold local memorials and candle lighting services to honor the six million Jews who were murdered. The day is somber, and it often causes many to wonder where God was in the Holocaust.

The Return of the Jewish People to Israel

The Holocaust cannot be addressed in a short article, nor is it typically a subject associated with inspiration or peace. Yet one perspective offers a measure of encouragement. This horrific, systematic attempt to annihilate an entire people did not happen in isolation. It occurred within a broader historical context, coinciding with events spanning hundreds of years that attest to Gods constant control and to His setting the stage for the return of His people to the land of Israel.

Consider that waves of Jewish people began immigrating to the land of Israel in the late 1800s, driven by a combination of social, political, and religious factors. Violent attacks on Jewish communities in Russia and Eastern Europe, known as pogroms, left many Jewish families homeless and in danger. European antisemitism also contributed, leaving Jews so discriminated against that it impacted their employment, education, and overall daily livesmany lived in poverty. On top of that, nationalist movements in Europe often scapegoated Jews, and by the 1930s, had created a hostile environment where they faced continual persecution. But persecution was not the only motive for immigrating to Israel before World War II. Many Jews responded to a religious and spiritual longing to return to the land promised to them by God through Abraham centuries earlier.

The Rise of Zionism

Coinciding with this increase in Jewish immigration was the rise of the Zionist movement under the leadership of Theodor Herzl. This Austro-Hungarian journalist, playwright, and political activist is considered the father of modern political Zionismthe belief that Jews need their own sovereign state where they can live safely and govern themselves. The Dreyfus case, a political and judicial scandal in late nineteenth-century France, exposed modern antisemitism and convinced Herzl that a Jewish homeland was necessary for their security and self-determination. In 1897, he lobbied European leaders and organized the First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland. At that gathering, he made a striking statement that within 50 years, a Jewish state would be established.

This Congress laid the groundwork for the Zionist movement, which would eventually lead to the creation of the State of Israel some 50 years laterbringing justice to the Jewish people after 2,000 years of persecution and antisemitism. However, before that would happen, the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany would lead to World War II and the murder of six million Jews, along with tens of millions of others who perished in the devastation. It was a time of profound evil, as destructive forces sought not only to annihilate the Jewish people but to reshape the world through violence and hatred.

Hope amid Tragedy

From a faith perspective, one could view the Holocaust as an evil attempt to prevent the return of the Jews to their homeland that had already begun and was a fulfillment of Gods promises directed toward His people. Yet even in the face of unimaginable tragedy, that outcome was not stopped. Just three years after the war ended, on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel was established. To be clear, the Holocaust was not necessary or intended for this outcomerather, Gods purposes were not thwarted in the face of such evil.

The ancient prophet Ezekiel once described a vision of a valley of dry bones. The bones were lifeless and scatteredsymbolizing a people who appeared to have no hope. Yet in that same vision, the Lord God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and say to them:

O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 37:46)

As Ezekiel speaks Gods words, those dry bones indeed came to life again. They are covered with flesh and skin, receive the breath of life, and stand as an exceedingly great army (v. 10; see also vv. 79). Its a vision that symbolizes the literal, physical restoration of Israelthe Jewish people once in exile, powerless and seemingly dead, now back to life and living sovereign in their own land. After the State of Israel was born, Jewish Aliyah to the land continued, as Jews from around the world made their way to their promised land. In more recent times, after October 7, 2023, and the resulting increase in antisemitism, we have witnessed yet another surge in global Aliyah.

During the Holocaust, the Jewish people had no way to defend themselves. Today, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is widely regarded as one of the most capable and technologically advanced militaries in the world.

What Man Intended for Evil, God Has Used for Good

The suffering and loss from the Holocaust are beyond comprehension, and the pain it caused should never be minimized. Clearly, such evil was not the work of God, but of humanity at its worst. Yet history shows evil did not prevail. In 1947, when the 50 years Herzl spoke of had nearly passed, the United Nations voted to allow the creation of a Jewish State. Soon after, Israel was born.

Holocaust Remembrance Day is primarily a day of remembrance for the Jewish people because it honors those Jews who lost their lives and reflects on centuries of Jewish suffering. Yet it offers encouragement, meaning, and hope for the Christian, too. For leading up to, amid, and after the Holocaust, God never stopped furthering His plan of redemption, causing events to happen to prepare for the Jewish return to their homeland that are beyond human explanation.

Though we mourn alongside our Jewish friends as we remember this horrific time in history, we stand firm knowing that even in the darkest moments, restoration is possibleand that ultimately, evil does not have the last word.

Related Podcast:

Article photo credit: GettyImages/nito100

For over 40 years, Dr. Susan Michael has advanced the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) in the USA and worldwide. She serves as the USA President and sits on the ICEJs international Board of Directors. She is frequently asked to address complex issues to diverse audiencesincluding antisemitism, Jewish-Christian relations, and Middle East affairsand does so with clarity and grace. Dr. Michael leads the American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI) network, has authored books, such as Encounter the 3D Bible: How to Read the Bible so It Comes to Life, and has developed educational resources, including the IsraelAnswers website, ICEJ U online courses, and curricula for Christian colleges.
STAR Hospitals Hyderabad expands presence to West Bengal

April 13, 2026 | Monday | News

Launches Information Centre and Air Ambulance Services in Kolkata

STAR Hospitals Hyderabad, a pioneer in advanced tertiary healthcare in India, has announced the inauguration of its first Information Centre and Air Ambulance Services in Ballygunge, Kolkata.

Located on Ballygunge Circular Road, this facility marks a significant milestone in bringing world-class medical expertise and seamless patient support to the people of West Bengal.



The move comes in response to the growing number of patients traveling from Kolkata to Hyderabad for specialised treatments. The new centre aims to bridge the geographical gap, providing local support, streamlined follow-up care, and direct connectivity to STAR Hospitals renowned specialists.



"Our mission has always been to provide excellence in patient outcomes. By establishing this centre in Ballygunge, we are ensuring that the people of Kolkata have a direct, local gateway to world-class medical experts, making the journey from diagnosis to recovery much smoother." Dr Rahul Medakkar, Chief Executive Officer, STAR Hospitals Group, Hyderabad.



"With an experience of over 5,000 liver transplants and a 95% success rate, our team is committed to bringing advanced life-saving procedures, including multi-organ transplants, ABO- incompatible transplants and complex robotic liver surgeries closer to the patients who need them most in Kolkata." Dr Mettu Srinivas Reddy - Director & Lead Surgeon, STAR Centre for Advanced Liver Care & Transplantation, STAR Hospitals Hyderabad.



"Precision is key in oncology. Through this centre, we aim to provide patients in Kolkata access to the latest in cancer care - from robotic surgeries to advanced therapies like CAR-T cell - ensuring they receive a comprehensive second opinion and a clear treatment roadmap." Dr. Vipin Goel, Sr. Consultant & Head, Surgical Oncology (Robotic Surgeon), STAR Hospitals Hyderabad.



Liver diseases often require timely diagnosis and continuity of care. With this Information Centre in Kolkata, we are creating a strong support system for patients - right from early evaluation to post-transplant follow-ups - ensuring they receive expert hepatology care without delays." Dr. Ramu Chimakurthi, Senior Consultant in Hepatology & Liver Transplantation, STAR Hospitals Hyderabad.
Donald Trump has had his $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal dismissed by a judge after the paper published a disputed birthday note linked to Jeffrey Epstein.

Donald Trump has had his $10 billion lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal dismissed by a judge after the paper published a disputed birthday note linked to Jeffrey Epstein

Trump, 79, brought the case following a July 2025 article that included a drawing of a naked womans torso and a birthday message allegedly sent to Epstein, who died aged 66 in 2019 in jail.

The note, reportedly signed in 2003, suggested the pair have certain things in common.

Trump denied sending the card and sought damages for reputational harm.

But the lawsuit was dismissed on Monday (13.04.26) by Judge Darrin Gayles, who ruled the legal threshold for proving actual malice had not been met.

The Wall Street Journal is owned by Rupert Murdoch.

The article described a message imagining a conversation between the two men ending with: A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday  and may every day be another wonderful secret.

It also allegedly included the line: Enigmas never age.

Trump insisted he did not send the note and said he did not draw pictures.

He sought $10 billion in damages, claiming the publication harmed his reputation.

Judge Gayles said: This complaint comes nowhere close to this standard. Quite the opposite.

The judge added the Wall Street Journal had contacted Trump for comment prior to publication and included his denial, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.

To meet the legal standard for malice, Trumps lawyers would have needed to prove not only the claims were false but that the newspaper knew or should have known they were false.

Trump said he had personally called Mr Murdoch in an attempt to have the story stopped and was assured the matter would be handled  but the article was published.

Lawyers for the newspaper argued the lawsuit posed a threat to free speech and was an attempt to silence reporting Trump disagreed with.

The case is one of several Trump has filed against media organisations during his presidency over what he has described as fake news.

He is also pursuing legal action against BBC over claims relating to a Panorama documentary and reporting first revealed by The Telegraph.

Trump wrote on Truth Social about his Wall Street Journal case ruling: Our powerful case against The Wall Street Journal, and other defendants, was asked to be re-filed by the Judge,

He added: It is not a termination, it is a suggested re-filing, and we will be, as per the Order, re-filing an updated lawsuit on or before April 27th. President DONALD J. TRUMP.


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Five people have been arrested after a public gathering in Cork City on Sunday.

Gardai were called to Grand Parade, where a protest involving tractors and heavy goods vehicles caused disruption.

Gardai and members of the Public Order Unit engaged with the drivers, who agreed to disperse and left the area.

Directions were also issued under the Public Order Act to some individuals, instructing them to leave the roadway; some failed to comply.

Four men, two in their 50s, one in his 40s and one in his 30s were arrested, along with a woman in her 40s.

They were taken to a Garda station in Cork City and later released, having been charged to appear before Cork District Court in the coming weeks.

The remainder of the crowd dispersed peacefully. No injuries were reported.
Revenue has registered judgment mortgages against the home and 68 acres of farmland owned by one of the leaders of the fuel protests, who last week denied that he owed the taxman any money.

The collector general has secured six debt judgments against James Geoghegan in the past six-and-a-half years for a total of almost 550,000. All of these are currently recorded as unsatisfied.

However, Geoghegan, an agricultural contractor from Westmeath, said last week that there was no issue, and claimed that the Revenue Commissioners actually owed him 89,000.

He appeared in a video posted on social media at the weekend alongside Senator Sharon Keogan, in which he said: Its all false, I dont owe them any money.

Ive been talking to my legal team and [they said], James, you just won the Lotto with all those papers, they can start writing cheques. Ill clean them for telling pure bulls**t about me.

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He also told one media outlet: Ive paid more tax than anyone pays Were not a big company. If you owed Revenue anywhere near that money, they would just shut you down.

The debt judgments were secured by Revenue against Geoghegan personally, and not his company, J Geoghegan Agri Limited. The only judgment against the company was secured by a agricultural engineering firm in Co Down for 7,060 in June 2022.

Land Registry documents show that Revenue obtained a judgment mortgage against Geoghegans interest in his family home in Cornaher, Tyrellspass, Co Westmeath, in November 2019.

A judgment mortgage is a legal charge registered against a debtors property by a creditor after they obtain a court judgment for a debt.

It allows the creditor to seek the sale of property to secure repayment.

Another judgment mortgage was obtained by Revenue in August 2019 against more than 68 acres of farmland owned by Geoghegan, followed by a third in respect of the same property in November 2019.

Bord na Mona Horticulture Limited also obtained a judgment mortgage on Mr Geoghegans interest in his family home in February 2022, according to the Land Registry documents.

Geoghegan has criticised Bord na Mona on social media, posting on Facebook last July that the semi-state company have taken over land they never bought, calling for people to stand up and stop this land grab.

Revenue has secured six debt judgments against Geoghegan since 2019, the most recent of which was registered just three weeks ago. The others include judgments for amounts as high as 282,004 in 2025, and 174,427 in 2024.

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He obtained planning permission for his two-storey home on the family farm with his partner in 2004, despite having sold a site after being granted planning permission just five years before.

Ireland Fuel supply moving well but will take days to 'return to normal' as around 650 stations without fuel Read more

He acknowledged in a letter to planners that his chances of getting planning permission were somewhat compromised in light of this fact, but said it was important that he live close to the farm.

He explained that he was residing between his fathers house on the farm and his partners house in Mullingar at the time of the application. He said they were willing to accept additional restrictions on the sale of the property if permission were granted.

Geoghegan emerged as a key figure during the fuel blockades last week, and was described as a public relations officer for the protesters. He is also a member of the Irish Farmers Associations (IFA) Environment and Rural Affairs Committee.

As part of a pilot project BreakingNews.ie has used AI to suggest headline options for this article. The final headline was chosen and edited by BreakingNews.ie journalists. Find out more
A detective garda has been accused of facilitating a "serious offence" by an organised crime gang, as well as bribery and possessing over 100 rounds of ammunition.

Eoghan Clerkin (51) was the fourth man to be charged following a probe by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI) and appeared at Dublin District Court on Monday.

NBCI Detective Inspector Mark Watters told Judge Karen Dowling that the accused was arrested shortly before 9 am and made no reply when charged with three offences.

On February 19th 2018, while serving as a member of An Garda Siochana, the defendant is alleged to have corruptly attempted to obtain a gift, consideration, or advantage from an individual identified only by initials as an inducement or reward for performing or omitting an act related to his position. It is an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

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According to another allegation, under section 27A(1) of the Firearms Act 1964, he unlawfully possessed 33 rifle rounds and 73 rounds of 9mm ammunition at an address in west Dublin.

From January 12th, 2018, to June 13th, 2019, he is accused of facilitating the commission of a serious offence by a criminal organisation.

He could not apply for bail as this charge, under section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, requires a High Court decision.

Detective Inspector Watters applied for a remand in custody, which was granted.

The Director of Public Prosecutions' (DPP) directions in Clerkin's proceedings were not stated.

He remained silent during the hearing and will appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday.

The officer who lives in Dublin has not yet entered a plea.

His court appearance on Monday follows charges being levelled against retired Garda superintendent John Murphy and two other Dublin-based serving gardai.

Murphy, aged 65, Garda Manus Keane and Detective Aidan Stratford were arrested on Wednesday.

They then appeared at Dublin District Court, where NBCI Detective Sergeant Sile White and Detective Sergeant Paul Sweeney gave evidence.

It emerged that the DPP had issued a direction that the three men face for trial on indictment at a higher level; however, the precise venue was not divulged during the hearing.

A six-week adjournment was sought to prepare the prosecution's books of evidence, which must be served on them before granting a trial order.

The former superintendent "made no reply after caution" to his 12 charges.

Murphy and Stratford face allegations covering five years.

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It is alleged that they participated in or contributed to activities intended to facilitate serious offences by a criminal organisation, between April 12th, 2016, and September 29th, 2021, contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

Murphy has seven separate bribery charges under the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018.

It is alleged that on various dates between July 2020 and September 2021, Mr Murphy "corruptly" agreed to accept gifts, advantages, or inducements for performing acts related to his "office, position or employment."

The ex-superintendent also faced four common law charges for communicating with a serving member of An Garda Siochana in a manner intended to pervert the course of public justice from April 2016 to January 2018.

Ireland Man charged with murder of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson Read more

Detective Aidan Stratford, 50, from north Dublin, has another 170 charges, including disclosing confidential information or corruptly accepting a gift, inducement, or reward on February 25th, 2020.

The court heard that "I deny the charge" was his reply when each allegation was put to him.

Keane, aged 46, is charged with a single offence under section 62 of the Garda Siochana Act 2005. It states that on November 13th, 2014, he, a serving member, disclosed confidential information to Aidan Stratford, pertaining to a different individual.

According to his sole charge, the information was "obtained in the course of carrying out your duties in your office or employment, knowing that the disclosure of said information was likely to have a harmful effect."
A grocery thief who attacked supermarket staff with a syringe after telling them he had HIV has been jailed for three and a half years.

Matas Kuzevicius, of no fixed abode in Dublin 1, was stopped by security staff trying to leave Fresh supermarket at Grand Canal Square on Hanover Quay with stolen groceries in November last year.

He produced a syringe filled with a bloodlike substance and told them he had HIV, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

In the ensuing struggle, an assistant manager received a scrape to the hand that was consistent with a syringe injury, Garda Seamus Egan told the court. Kuzevicius (35) was detained at the scene and arrested by gardai. He was intoxicated at the time, the court heard.

He came forward on signed pleas from the District Court to counts of stealing groceries, assault causing harm, possession of a syringe and threat to injure with a syringe at the supermarket on November 20th, 2025. They are charges that carry maximum sentences of seven and 10 years.

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Kuzevicius has 33 previous convictions, mostly for theft and attempted theft.

Victim impact statements were handed into court but not read aloud. The assaulted staff member had to undergo testing, but did not receive any significant physical injuries, the court heard. Kuzevicius did not have HIV as he had claimed to staff.

Marc Thompson, defending, said his client came to Ireland from Lithuania a number of years ago and had a good work history here in a factory until he experienced workplace bullying and left his job.

He became homeless and fell into drug addiction, which progressed to heroin addiction, the court heard. His previous convictions mostly occurred during a relatively short period from 2022 to 2025, the court heard.

Gardai accepted that while Kuzevicius went into the store with the aim of stealing groceries with the syringe, he did not mean to assault anyone with it.

Kuzevicius has been in custody since this offence and has become drug-free in custody, the court heard. He is extremely remorseful for his actions that day.

Ireland Garda detective accused of crime gang facilitation, bribery and firearms charges Read more

Sentencing him on Monday, Judge Orla Crowe said the incident was a very, very serious and dangerous situation and was a marked escalation of Kuzevicius's previous offending.

It must have been deeply frightening for the employees involved, she said.

She set a headline sentence of six years which she reduced to four years, taking into account mitigating factors including the early guilty pleas, Kuzevicius remorse and his rehabilitation in custody.

She suspended the final six months of this sentence on a number of conditions, including that he remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for one year after his release from custody.
The media ministers plan to ask the broadcasting regulator to examine coverage of the fuel protests has been described as sinister and deeply disturbing.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) said the comments by Patrick ODonovan had caused genuine concern and there was no place for Trumpian attacks on the media.

ODonovan made the comments as he defended the Governments response to widespread protests across Ireland last week in response to the rising cost of fuel sparked by the Israeli and US war in Iran.

Speaking on a local radio station in Limerick, ODonovan questioned whether coverage of the protests was skewed and said he would be contacting the broadcasting and online media regulator, Coimisiun na Mean.

He told Limericks Live 95: There was a huge amount of airtime given over to this last week, which there should be, because this was a major national problem.

But I would have to ask, was the coverage of this, based on what I heard and listening to the radio, morning, noon and night, was it balanced, or was it skewed? Media Minister Patrick O'Donovan

But I would have to ask, was the coverage of this, based on what I heard and listening to the radio, morning, noon and night, was it balanced, or was it skewed?

I think theres a question in general with regard to the coverage that some people got last week, and I think that thats something Coimisiun na Mean will have to look at.

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We were in the middle of a national crisis, and carte blanche was given to some people, and obviously that then fed into a huge amount of legitimate concern.

He said that he accepted that people were worried about paying their mortgage and getting their children to school amid the cost-of-living crisis, but said the Government had a right of reply to say they were engaging with farmers and haulier representative groups.

I think that there is a role for Coimisiun na Mean to examine here, going forward, when something like this happens, how do we make sure that the views of the people on the hard shoulder, that the views of the ambulance personnel, that the views of the fire personnel, that the views of An Garda Siochana, that the views of people who dont agree, that the views of people who do agree, are articulated.

I think as Minister for Communications, thats one of the things that Ill be taking out of this.

It is not his role to dictate to the independent regulator or to apply pressure on media organisations Seamus Dooley, NUJ

Seamus Dooley, assistant general secretary of the NUJ, said the ministers comments were sinister and deeply disturbing.

The media minister is not a bystander but is in a position to influence the allocation of funds, the approval of commercial radio licences and overall policy on broadcasting, he said.

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It is not his role to dictate to the independent regulator or to apply pressure on media organisations.

RTE is a public service broadcaster, not a state broadcaster, and is independently regulated in the interests of democracy.

You cannot have a slightly independent public service broadcaster.

Journalists have a duty to report news and to provide coverage of events as they unfold.

Dooley also raised concerns about threats made against journalists by a small number of those associated with the protests.

During the past week, many journalists were abused by protesters, including key personnel involved in organising blockades.

It is ironic that (Patrick ODonovan) has decided to join the ranks of the anti-mainstream media critics in his verbal onslaught at professional broadcasters simply because he disagreed with the arguments and actions of the subject of legitimate news coverage.

The NUJ is concerned at threats against journalists by a small number of those associated with the protests and would encourage journalists to report online and physical abuse to the NUJ and to the media engagement group established by An Garda Siochana.

We would ask the minister to respect the role of independent journalism.

Theres no place for Trumpian ad hominem attacks on journalists and the ministers comments have caused genuine concern.
Lauren Sanchez would have a baby with Jeff Bezos "tomorrow" if she could.

Lauren Sanchez would love to have a baby with Jeff Bezos

The 56-year-old broadcaster and her Amazon founder husband have seven children between them but Lauren would love to expand their blended family even more.

She told the New York Times newspaper: I would have another one tomorrow. Tomorrow.

"I would have a baby tomorrow.

Lauren's spokesperson subsequently clarified the journalist - who has Nikko, 25, with former partner Tony Gonzales and Evan, 19, and Ella, 18, with ex-husband Patrick Whitesell - is not expecting another child.

Lauren hailed Jeff, 62, as her "best friend" and knows she can talk to him about anything.

She said: I talk about everything with him. Everything! Jeff is my best friend, and I dont say that lightly...

He looks good, doesnt he? He looks good.

The Fly Who Flew to Space author struggled at school until she was found to have dyslexia in college, and while she always thought she was "stupid", Jeff has never seen Lauren that way.

She said: I grew up literally thinking I was the stupidest person on the planet.

I got kicked off the cheerleading squad because I couldnt even keep a 2.0 G.P.A. Who cant keep a 2.0?

I was one bad decision away from something really bad, a bad life.

"[Jeff] literally tells me all the time, Youre one of the smartest women I know.' "

The couple tied the knot in a star-studded three-day celebration in Venice last year and while phones were banned from the ceremony and reception, Lauren insisted they didn't ask their guests to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

She said: "No NDAs. Theyre our friends! And you did not see one picture come out of that wedding.

In April 2025, Lauren joined the likes of pop star Katy Perry, broadcaster Gayle King and producer Kerianne Flynn on a flight to space on Jeff's Blur Origin rocket, and she branded the "girls' trip" the "coolest thing ever".

Speaking during a visit to an elementary school in Connecticut, the New York times reported she told students: I went to space with Katy Perry. Yes! How fun is that? It was like a girls trip to space.

It was the coolest thing ever."

Asked if she'd been to another planet, she replied: No. Sometimes it feels like Im on another planet  but no."
A 49-year-old man charged with the murder of former senior Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson, who was shot dead at an isolated Donegal cottage 20 years ago after he was exposed as an MI5 informant, has been remanded in custody until June for the service of the book of evidence.

Antoin Duffy appeared before the Special Criminal Court on Monday via video link and spoke only to confirm his identity.

Monday's hearing at the three-judge, non-jury court took place two weeks after Mr Duffy was extradited from Scotland.

The 49-year-old, last of Braade, Kincasslagh, Co Donegal, faces six charges, including the murder of Donaldson and possession of a shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life at Cloghercor, Doochary, Co Donegal, between April 3rd and April 4th, 2006.

Duffy is further charged with the attempted murder of Liam McGinley on November 19th 2007 at Meenaboll, Churchill in Donegal and with possession of a shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life on the same date and at the same location.

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A State Solicitor told the court she was seeking an eight-week remand for service of the book of evidence. She said there will be two books served and that the defence is aware of this.

Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, remanded Duffy in custody and directed that the accused appear before the court via video link on June 8 for service of the book of evidence on his solicitors.

Duffy, who is originally from Donegal, had been in prison in Scotland following his conviction there in 2015 for his part in a plot to murder members of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA).

He was arrested by gardai from the Donegal Division investigating Donaldsons murder following his extradition from Scotland at the end of March.

The arrest was carried out with the assistance of An Garda Siochana Extradition Unit, Garda National Bureau of Investigation and the Irish Air Corps.

Denis Donaldson was a former member of the Provisional IRA and a high-ranking Sinn Fein official. He associated with senior members of the party, including former party president Gerry Adams.

His fatal shooting at the age of 55 has been under investigation for nearly 20 years.

In 2002, when Donaldson was Sinn Fein's top administrator working in the Northern Ireland Assembly in Stormont, he was charged with involvement in an alleged spy ring.

Three years later, the charges were dropped and within days, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) informed Donaldson that he was about to be exposed in the media as an MI5 informer.

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Donaldson met with senior republicans and admitted that he had been working for the British intelligence unit, MI5, and the Special Branch unit of the RUC for more than 20 years.

On December 16th, 2005, Donaldson held a press conference in Dublin in which he publicly acknowledged his role as a double agent.

He removed himself from public life and went to live at an isolated cottage near the Glenties in south-west Donegal, where he was shot dead on April 4th, 2006.

The dissident republican organisation, calling itself the Real IRA, later claimed responsibility for the murder.
An Afghan former teacher who overpowered a vulnerable teenage girl and sexually assaulted her after he "beckoned" her down a dark alley in Sligo has been jailed for six years.

Ziaullhaq Safi (37) was unanimously convicted by a jury at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court of sexual assault and of providing remuneration to a child, then aged 16, for sexual exploitation in April 2023.

The father of five, of Market Yard, Sligo, appeared for sentencing before Judge Roderick Maguire, who was presiding in Mullingar on Monday.

The trial heard that the complainant met friends in Sligo town at 4.30pm and went drinking.

Later, the complainant and her friend went to a local takeaway when they saw Safi, who worked at the fast-food restaurant.

He "beckoned" them into the alleyway.

The judge recalled how the jury heard that he brought them behind a locked door where he sexually assaulted the complainant, forcibly kissing her, pulling up her top and sucking her nipples.

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She resisted and told him to stop, but Safi exposed himself and tried to penetrate her anus and ejaculated.

The court heard she was scared, panicked, nervous and thought that she would not come out alive.

He later brought her back into his workplace and "handed her pizza and winked at her".

The prosecution's case was that, in addition to the sexual assault, he offered her food as payment.

Jurors heard her evidence that her friend was present during the eight-minute attack.

A victim impact statement read in court by Detective Garda Kieran Higgins expressed how the young woman, now aged 19, could not look at herself in the mirror.

She suffered flashbacks, nightmares and suicidal thoughts. The judge emphasised how she was "picking up pieces of her life and anticipating a lifetime of healing".

A specialist interview was conducted by gardai with the girl who had vulnerabilities and grew up in care.

The jury heard from 13 witnesses and viewed CCTV footage.

It also emerged that Safi had taught children in Afghanistan. He fled his homeland after persecution by the Taliban, his father was shot, and their home was burned. He left his wife and children behind, but later reunited with them through family reunification procedures.

Safi did not speak English, listened to the proceedings with the aid of an interpreter, and showed no emotion as he was jailed.

He had been in custody on remand since the jury found him guilty on March 13th last.

Safi had no prior convictions and had an industrious work record since coming to Ireland, the court heard.

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However, Judge Maguire said that while the incident was not planned, it was an invasive and sustained sexual assault on a vulnerable child who was overpowered and kept behind a closed door in a dark alleyway.

Ireland Hour of terror: Pair jailed for vicious Dublin city centre robbery Read more

There was limited mitigation, he stated, stressing the significant age gap and the girl being under the influence of alcohol "magnified" her vulnerability.

In addition to the six-year sentence for the sexual assault, the judge imposed a concurrent term of four years and three months for the second charge.

In his closing remarks, he highlighted that the teenager had been served alcohol in three specific licensed premises and gardai ought to consider that when those premises wish to renew their licences.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
A Ukrainian war veteran who claimed he was psychologically damaged during military service has been jailed for 12 years after he tried to murder his ex-partner by "bursting" into her bedroom and stabbing her 15 times.

Sentencing Hryhorii Sryotenko at the Central Criminal Court on Monday, Judge David Keane said that despite the "exemplary stoicism" and resilience of the victim Viktoriia Pavlenko, it was clear she had experienced "a truly horrific attack" at the hands of the defendant, who inflicted life-threatening and disfiguring injuries on her.

Judge Keane also noted that the victim's survival was a matter of luck, given that the sustained attack was "halted only by the fortuitous arrival and intervention of the convicted man's son".

The court heard on Monday that Sryotenko has a wife back in Ukraine who was not aware of his intimate relationship with Pavlenko.

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In her victim impact statement delivered in February, Pavlenko described how she awoke to find her "jealous" ex-partner pinning her down and demanding to be told "the truth" about her "lover" before trying to murder her.

In her statement, Pavlenko said Sryotenko had "absolutely mad eyes" before launching the attack, in which he repeatedly stabbed her in the face and body.

Last October, Sryotenko (51) with an address at Banna Beach Holiday Homes, Ardfert in Co Kerry pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Pavlenko at that location on January 13th, 2024.

Sryotenko was previously charged with false imprisonment, assault causing serious harm and the production of a knife during a dispute.

In delivering sentence, Judge Keane said the aggravating factors included the severity of the victim's injuries in what was a "vicious and sustained assault".

He noted that Pavlenko sustained multiple stab wounds to the face, neck, shoulder and hands. One of the wounds to the neck had reached the muscles over the windpipe, while another was directed to the chest wall and had reached the chest cavity.

The judge said he also must treat "the past intimate relationship" between the victim and the offender as aggravating under section 40 of the Domestic Violence Act, 2018. He said the sentence must therefore be greater than that which would have been imposed if the victim had not been in a relationship with the defendant.

The judge also noted that the offence was committed in the victim's home and involved a breach of trust.

Judge Keane said a further aggravating factor was that the Sryotenko, who describes himself as "a trained soldier", had armed himself with a long kitchen knife to attack the victim.

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The judge said the defendant claimed his mental health had worsened in the weeks before the offence and consistently had little to no recollection of entering the victim's room or what happened before his son intervened.

Judge Keane said if there was any substance to these claims, which he said lacked any supporting collateral history, it was difficult to overlook the defendant's failure to address these issues at any time prior to the offence.

The judge set the headline sentence at 18 years before going on to find that the most significant mitigating factor was Sryotenko's admission of guilt. He said he must also give Sryotenko credit for having no previous convictions in this jurisdiction.

Judge Keane noted that Sryotenko had first served in the Ukrainian army between the ages of 18 and 20. He said the defendant rejoined the Ukrainian army in 2014 when he was 40 years old and served in Donetsk and Crimea, when he was shot in the leg on night patrol.

He said the defendant claimed he was psychologically damaged during military service and had come to Ireland in 2022 to escape the war.

The judge said the defendant claimed his wife didn't know about the offence and wasn't aware of the intimate relationship with the victim in 2022. He said Sryotenko had been sending money back to his wife before he went into custody and believed he could return to Ukraine after prison and that his wife would take him back.

The judge imposed a sentence of 14 years imprisonment but suspended the final two years for a period of two years, resulting in a custodial sentence of 12 years, backdated to January 15 2024, when Sryotenko went into custody.

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Previously in his plea in mitigation, defence counsel Mark Nicholas, alongside Maria Brosnan, told the judge that his client accepts he carried out the attack but said he did not have an intention to kill.

Nicholas said his client had developed an "unshakeable and incorrect belief" that Pavlenko was being unfaithful to him, despite her reassurances.

Sentencing hearing

In her victim impact statement, Pavlenko said that she and her daughter had to leave Ukraine in 2022 when the war broke out and "look for a shelter somewhere in a safe place".

The victim said life improved when they came to Ireland and it gave them "a feeling of peace and tranquility" but that "everything changed completely" on the day of the attack.

In her statement, Pavlenko said she met Sryotenko in Ireland and they were neighbours.

"At first everything was good, we planned our future life together. But then he turned out to be very jealous. He started to accuse me of saying and doing things I've never said or done," she said.

The victim said she started to suspect her partner had some mental health problems. She said they separated in November 2023, but still lived in the same house.

"I will never forget January 13th. I was sleeping peacefully in my bed when I heard a strange noise. I opened my eyes and at first I didn't realise what was going on. I saw Hryhorii in my bed, sitting on me with a knife in his hands.

"His eyes were absolutely mad. He threatened to stab me if I didn't tell him the truth about my lover. I didn't have any lover so I didn't understand what he was talking about. Then he stabbed me on my face and body. I don't know how many times because I was shocked".

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"I shouted and luckily his son heard and came into the room and saved me. Truly speaking, I have rather vague memories of that day, mainly because of the pain, fear and shock".

Ireland Grocery thief attacked Dublin supermarket staff with syringe, claiming he had HIV Read more

Pavlenko said she was taken to University Hospital Kerry and then Cork University Hospital, where she was operated on for her injuries. The court heard she had 15 stab wounds on her body.

She said she spent weeks in hospital and then months recovering from the injuries and doing special exercises for rehabilitation. "I should admit that it was a rather difficult time for me".

The victim said that "step by step" she is coming back to a normal life with the help of her daughter and her friends.

During interviews with gardai, the court heard that Sryotenko admitted stabbing the victim but denied attempting to kill her. The defendant said he had done something terrible and was happy Pavlenko was still alive.
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney is on the verge of securing a majority government as special elections are held in three districts.

Votes are being cast in the Toronto-area districts of Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale, which are considered safe seats for Mr Carneys Liberals, and in the Montreal-area district of Terrebonne, which is considered a toss-up.

Winning just one of them would give Mr Carney a majority. The Liberals now have 171 members of Parliament in the House of Commons.

They need 172 to secure a majority government, which would allow them to unilaterally pass any bill.

Once the Liberals get that, they could stay in power until 2029 without the need for a new general election.



Prime Minister Mark Carney leaves the stage (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

The results are expected on Monday night.

Five defections from opposition parties to Mr Carney, including four from the main opposition Conservative party, have put Mr Carneys Liberals on the cusp of the majority.

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One of those defectors referenced Mr Carneys speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as helping his decision.

In the speech, Mr Carney condemned economic coercion by great powers against smaller countries and received widespread praise for his remarks.

Mr Carney won Canadas election last year fuelled by public anger over US president Donald Trumps annexation threats.

Mr Carney, former head of the Bank of England as well as Canadas central bank, has moved the Liberals to the centre-right since replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister in 2025.

Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal, said the Liberals are almost certain to win the two Toronto seats and have a shot at winning in Terrebonne.

Mr Beland said the deterioration of Canada-US relations under the second Trump presidency has convinced many Canadians, including people who do not identify as Liberal, to rally behind the prime minister.

Carney has thus far proved that he is an astute politician, despite the fact that he only formally entered the political arena in January of last year, Mr Beland said.

The Davos speech has certainly helped boost Carneys support at home, and he is now significantly more popular than when he became prime minister nearly 13 months ago.
Hungarian election winner Peter Magyar said on that if Russian president Vladimir Putin were to initiate a call with him, he would speak with him and tell him to end the war in Ukraine.

If Vladimir Putin calls, Ill pick up the phone, he said at his first news conference after his landslide win against prime minister Viktor Orban, a Putin ally.

If we did talk, I could tell him that it would be nice to end the killing after four years and end the war.

It would probably be a short phone conversation and I dont think he would end the war on my advice, he said.





Mr Magyars statement was likely greeted with pleasure by many across the European Union, who had grown accustomed to Mr Orbans conciliatory tone when discussing the war or Mr Putin.

From the jubilant crowds along the Danube in Budapest to executive offices in Brussels, praise and even glee abounded for Hungarys next leader after he won Sundays election in a landslide.

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But the outpouring after his victory focused mainly on the prospect of no longer having to deal with Mr Orban, who many saw as a threat to Europes peace and prosperity.

From Madrid to Helsinki, many hope that Mr Magyars win will help unshackle the 27-nation European Union as it faces hybrid warfare attacks from Moscow, an antagonistic Washington and Beijings economic pressure.

EU leaders had been increasingly frustrated with Mr Orban over his takeover of democratic institutions and vetoing of strategic action like a 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine.

It remains to be seen whether those hopes will be fulfilled. Mr Magyar avoided talking about Ukraine or divisive issues like LGTBQ rights on the campaign trail, and was previously a longtime conservative insider in Mr Orbans party.

He told The Associated Press that he would work more closely with the EU and the 32-nation Nato military alliance that was forged to thwart aggression from Moscow.



Youngsters celebrate in Budapest (Denes Erdos/AP)

All Hungarians know that this is a shared victory. Our homeland made up its mind. It wants to live again. It wants to be a European country, Mr Magyar said during his victory speech on Sunday.

Olga Oliker, the director of European Security at the International Crisis Group, said that where Orban slowed actions and blocked consensus, Magyar, as he defines Hungarys relationships with its European allies, to say nothing of those with Ukraine, Russia and the United States, can help shape the future of Europe.

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After Mr Magyar takes his oath of office in May, the new prime minister could potentially lift Hungarys veto and enable the European Commission to provide Ukraine with the loan that Mr Orban had agreed to in December and then backtracked on, enraging his fellow leaders.

EU diplomats will discuss on Wednesday how best to fast-track the funds to Kyiv, a Cypriot official said on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorised to be named.

Cyprus currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

Hungary borders Ukraine, and the pro-Russia Mr Orban had long demonised Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.



Peter Magyar waves the Hungarian flag (Denes Erdos/AP)

While congratulating Mr Magyar on X, Mr Zelensky said that we are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as for the sake of Europes peace, security, and stability.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia respects the outcome of the Hungarian vote and expects to maintain contacts with the countrys new leadership.

He said that as for what action Hungarys new leadership will take, we probably need to be patient and see what happens.

The prospect of a nimbler, faster-acting Europe drove widespread praise for Mr Magyar from several European leaders. EU negotiators had to increasingly find workarounds when Mr Orban blocked policy decisions.

He also held up Swedens accession to Nato.

Mr Magyar said that he received calls on Sunday night  before he even took the stage to announce his victory  from French president Emmanuel Macron, Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who was frequently vilified by Mr Orban during his campaign.

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Today, Europe is Hungarian, Ms von der Leyen said at a news conference in Brussels on Monday.

The people of Hungary have spoken and they have reclaimed their European path.

Today Europe wins and European values win, said Spains left-wing prime minister Pedro Sanchez in a post on X on Sunday night.

Polands centre-right prime minister Donald Tusk exclaimed on social media: Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends!

Mr Orbans defeat has reverberated across the world, including across the Atlantic where US president Donald Trump supported Mr Orbans re-lection bid and even dispatched vice-president JD Vance to Budapest last week to stump for the incumbent.

Mr Magyars victory might signal a shift in European politics that has been dominated by a far-right shift over the past decade.

Mr Magyar comes from a right-wing background but distanced himself from Mr Orbans leadership.

With nationalist parties making headways in Germany and France, the electoral earthquake in Hungary shows that Hungarians are sending a signal to the world, German lawmaker Daniel Freund said.

The icon of illiberal anti-European forces has now failed  brought down by a disastrous economy, corruption and his own unfair electoral system, he said.
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Dalaroo Metals has opened a new US trading opportunity line after securing a secondary quotation on the OTCQB market under the ticker DALMF.

OTCQB is short for over-the-counter QB and is the OTC Markets Groups venture-style marketplace in New York for developing companies.

Dalaroo Metals Blue Lagoon project in southwest Greenland shows geological similarities to other major rare earths and critical elements deposits within 200km, including Kvanefjeld, Tanbreez and Motzfeldt.

For Dalaroo, the move is expected to make its shares easier for North Americans to access, as they can now trade the stock in US dollars during local market hours.

Notably for existing holders, Dalaroo says the new listing is non-dilutive, with no additional shares being issued as part of the process. The company also says the US quotation does not add any extra regulatory burden beyond its existing Australian Securities Exchange reporting requirements.
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Analysis BusinessCompaniesWeight loss Ultra-cheap Ozempic is coming. Thats a mixed blessing for Australians Nick Bonyhady April 13, 2026  7:30pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

In four or so years, everything will change for Australians on Ozempic. The weight loss wonder drug will go from costing about $300 a month for private patients, depending on the dosage, to a small fraction of that. In late 2029, and then again in 2031, two patents for Ozempic expire in Australia, opening the way for cheap generics to flood the market. Very cheap Ozempic is coming, which could allow people to use it for their whole lives. Matthew Absalom-Wong Indian patients already know this life. Canadians will soon, too. Overweight Chinese, Turkish and South African people are all on track for cheap weight loss drugs within months as patents in those countries expire. There, the estimated half million Australians taking weight loss drugs  and many more who would like to but cannot afford it  can see a glimpse of their future. In India, local drugmaker Natco Pharma is offering a generic version of Ozempic for 1290 rupees a month, or about $20, though that will require users to inject themselves with a syringe from a vial. Jabs via a pen-style device will cost about 4500 rupees a month.

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Either way, its a fraction of the $299 that many Australian telehealth outfits charge each month for Ozempic, its weight loss brand name Wegovy, or pharmaceutical giant Eli Lillys rival medication Mounjaro. Related Article Obesity Backfired: Ozempic makers disastrous trial and its $US475 billion meltdown Its likely to have extraordinary consequences. There have long been reports of Ozempic pregnancies, caused by weight loss improving fertility and (potentially) the drugs interfering with contraceptives, but in India, upmarket beauty parlours are now offering Mounjaro bride packages that come with weight loss drugs. Over the last few months, over 20 per cent of the queries weve received for obesity injections are from to-be brides, who also openly give us a timeline on how soon they are getting married, Rajat Goel, a bariatric surgeon in New Delhi told Reuters. Goel said he granted prescriptions only to people who required it for their health rather than beauty. Often, the two go hand in hand and, as this masthead has previously reported, many clinics are not so scrupulous.

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So far, Indian clinics are mostly catering to the rich. But as the generic alternatives start coming on to the market in serious numbers, the number of middle and lower-class people across the world taking up the wedding packages is sure to surge. Should those patients be starting the medication later in life, they might encounter another phenomenon: the Ozempic divorce. Loading People who undergo rapid weight loss are about twice as likely as the general population to get a divorce, according to a 2018 Swedish paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association  Surgery. That study, of people who had gastric band surgery rather than using medication, found that those who had lost a large amount of weight had a divorce rate of 14.4 per cent within six years of treatment, compared to 8.2 per cent among the wider population.

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David Sarwer, director of the Centre for Obesity Research in Philadelphia, said in the British Telegraph that the weight loss was not ending good marriages. Its probably more that for the person losing weight and feeling better about themselves  it may be empowering them to leave an unhealthy relationship. Related Article Explainer

Weight loss Myth versus fact: What we know about the risks and side effects of the new weight-loss drugs For people escaping miserable marriages, or those in serious medical need, cheap Ozempic is worth celebrating. But for others, the widespread availability of the medication at prices that will allow people to stay on it permanently is a harbinger of a troubling world. US writer Derek Thompson predicted in late 2025 that 2026 would witness the beginning of an increasingly hot, high and lonely world as weight loss drugs and cosmetic surgery improved, marijuana use kept surging and fewer people drank with friends. He is looking prescient. That decidedly mixed picture for humanity is, oddly, not necessarily better for the big weight loss companies, and it may even be worse.

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The telehealth drug companies beholden to the drugmakers will be thrilled to have more options. On the other hand, shares in Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic, are down about 45 per cent over the past 12 months to about 240 Danish Kroner ($54) as it slashes prices in markets such as India to compete with generics and its next-generation drugs fail to keep up with rivals products in clinical tests. Other manufacturers, such as Eli Lilly, may fare better, but they will have to contend with a drug that has huge name recognition available at very low prices. A Novo Nordisk spokeswoman said losing exclusivity over a drug was a normal thing for a company to manage. We are committed to serving patients around the world by not only meeting the demand for our existing treatments, but also by pioneering new innovations that enhance patient care, she said. Our substantial investment in scaling up manufacturing capacity is a testament to our dedication to ensuring a steady supply of Ozempic in the coming years. Novo Nordisk has tricks up its sleeve. The company is working on getting Australian approval for a pill version of Wegovy. It will be a long time before that goes generic. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
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BusinessConsumer affairsAviation Iran-US ceasefire fails to lower airfares  for now at least Chris Zappone April 12, 2026  5:00am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

The prospect of lower-priced airfares stemming from a ceasefire between Iran, the US and Israel hinges on how durable the pause in violence is, and how soon travel warnings for the Persian Gulf are lifted. US President Donald Trumps two-week halt in the conflict with Iran wont likely change international long-haul ticket prices, as the shortfall of jet fuel grips the global aviation sector. Emirates flies a four-class Airbus A380 superjumbo. Bloomberg Flights from Sydney to London Heathrow from June 1 to June 17  booked this week  range from $1755 for a round trip on China Eastern to $4485 through Singapore Airlines, according to Google Flight data. The same flights a year ago ran approximately $1350 to $2450 in June 2025, according to Google data. The elevated cost is linked directly to the fuel charges for the airlines, which are second only to labour costs.

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A year ago, jet fuel traded as low as $US75.18 a barrel in Singapore. On Thursday, the same barrel cost $US191.56, after rising as high as $US233.47 on March 30, as Iran hit its Persian Gulf neighbours in response to the US- and Israel-led attack. Related Article Aviation Qantas steps up flights to Europe as travellers scramble for options amid Iran war The International Air Transport Association calculates that fuel makes up on average about 27 per cent of airlines operating expenses. Not only has the war removed refining capacity, Iran has effectively taken control of the Strait of Hormuz, adding cost and uncertainty to oil shipments from its foe, Saudi Arabia, to the world. Even with a ceasefire announced on April 8 and the prospect of a resolution, there is a gap in the supply line for airlines, which must make up the difference through added ticket costs, cuts to capacity, or the cancellation of services.

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Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin have hiked costs and reduced capacity on some routes since the war began. Qantas has shifted capacity away from North America to serve key Australia-Europe routes. Gulf carriers such as Dubai-based Emirates, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad and Doha-based Qatar Airways have been forced to dramatically scale back flights, amid persistent airspace closures. Emirates will be keen to welcome back customers, says one travel expert. Getty Images Australian Institute of Petroleum CEO Malcolm Roberts said Australia had good stocks of jet fuel at the start of the conflict, with crude on hand for refining as well as shipments en route from the Middle East to China. But now were really well past that point, he said. And theres been no resupply from the Mideast. Typically, the Middle East contributes 14 million barrels of crude oil a day, which includes about 4.5 million barrels of refined product such as jet fuel, AIP numbers show. Since the conflict kicked off on February 28, the world has lost 10 million barrels a day in crude.

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Roberts said the price spikes in airfares have helped ease demand for jet fuel. At the same time, the government has not been forced to tap jet fuel reserves; Australia currently has 30 days of jet fuel in reserve, or 28 per cent above the required volume. Related Article Updated

Aviation Jetstar cuts Australia-New Zealand flights amid oil price shock Despite March 11 reports that China would restrict crude and petrol, Roberts said it doesnt seem that jet fuel exported from China is affected at this point. CAPA Centre for Aviations head of research, Simon Elsegood, said that Australias jet fuel reserves have remained steady: Partly because ... it takes about six weeks for oil that is extracted out of the Middle East to end up in fuel bunkers in Australia. So Australia hasnt seen the same drawdown of oil, petrol and diesel that would be seen in refining hubs elsewhere.

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We will be the last to feel fuel shortages, but we will also be the last to feel fuel price relief because were at the end of the line. An Airbus A380-800 in flight. Bloomberg Another part of the airfare equation is the risk for travellers. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades recommendation for Australians to avoid Gulf states means that anyone booked to the region wont be covered by insurance. Australians are instructed by DFATs Smartraveller site to stay away from the Middle East, noting: Even if you dont plan to leave the airport, do not transit through these countries. That puts a cloud over flights booked on Qantas-partner Emirates, which has scaled back its own flights to capital cities. Virgin services on Qatar Airways cancelled flights until mid-June as the conflict plays out.

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Cinzia Burnes, executive director at Helloworld travel agency, said the DFAT warning reduces the option and the capacity to book any of the Gulf carriers. The International Air Transport Associations chief Willie Walsh. Bloomberg If the ceasefire holds and turns into something like peace, Burnes expects significant sales from Gulf carriers. As soon as thats lifted, which we really hope it will be soon, that will definitely, have an impact, Burnes said. Carriers such as Emirates, Qatar and Etihad coming back online will be very keen to motivate the market to travel with them again. IATA director general Willie Walsh, speaking in Singapore, said that nobody knows whats going to happen in two or three months.

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But certainly the forward curve [showing oil price over time] would suggest prices will come down and get back to where they broadly were at the end of February  by the end of this year. Related Article Aviation Some European flights are cheap again, but are they safe to book? I fully expect the Gulf hubs to recover, and recover quickly, he said. Walsh is not alone. Last week, Malaysia-based low-cost carrier AirAsia X reaffirmed plans to develop the airport of Gulf nation Bahrain as a key strategic hub between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. It set the date of June 26 for the launch of services with optimism that the conditions in the region will normalise by then. Helloworlds Burnes said that, if history is any guide, restoring consumer confidence once the conflict ends wont take long.

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In our experience, having been through the Gulf War and everything after that  SARS, volcanoes, COVID, the September 11 attacks, it takes 90 days for the consumer to regain confidence and forget all about it. The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
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Review Eating outSurry Hills Has Sydneys best vanilla slice been hiding in plain sight for 18 years? A US comedian called this Surry Hills BYO restaurant one of his favourites. Heres our verdict. Bianca Hrovat Updated April 13, 2026 ,first published April 12, 2026 Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

1 / 17 The Polish vanilla slice is a must. Dion Georgopoulos 2 / 17 Each cake is made by Halina. Dion Georgopoulos 3 / 17 Alchemy has been in Surry Hills since 2008. Dion Georgopoulos 4 / 17 A homemade tincture flavoured with plum. Dion Georgopoulos 5 / 17 Pork schnitzel. Dion Georgopoulos 6 / 17 Halina making the fresh vanilla slice. Dion Georgopoulos 7 / 17 Fried potato pancake with smoked salmon, caviar and sour cream. Dion Georgopoulos 8 / 17 Alchemy is a must-visit. Dion Georgopoulos 9 / 17 The restaurant won an award for its Polish schnitzel. Dion Georgopoulos 10 / 17 Homemade pickles. Dion Georgopoulos 11 / 17 Pierogies and Polish beer. Dion Georgopoulos 12 / 17 Freshly cut red roses are set on each table. Dion Georgopoulos 13 / 17 Dion Georgopoulos 14 / 17 Up to nine continental cakes are served at any one time. Dion Georgopoulos 15 / 17 Pickled herring. Dion Georgopoulos 16 / 17 Alchemy, Surry Hills. Dion Georgopoulos 17 / 17 Dion Georgopoulos Previous Slide Next Slide Alchemy, Surry Hills Polish$$$$ Alchemy Polish Cafe Restaurant is the sort of place you look forward to visiting when the weather turns cold, the coats come out of storage, and theres a bottle of red wine youve been waiting to open. Its one of the few remaining Polish restaurants outside a community club in Sydney, and their karpatka (like a vanilla slice except lighter, creamier and made with choux pastry) alone makes it an immediate must-visit. Polish-born couple Halina and Janusz Pawlak have been serving hand-shaped pierogi (dumplings), goulash, and beer-braised pork shank at Alchemy for nearly 20 years. Aside from the occasional seasonal special, the menu remains unchanged. So, too, do the interiors. Owners Halina and Janusz Pawlak. Dion Georgopoulos

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The restaurant has the warmth of a big hug from your grandmother, says Janusz. It has that 80s Eastern European aesthetic: a little romantic, a little kitsch. Tables are carefully set with white crocheted tablecloths and fresh-cut red roses, gold-framed paintings by Polish artist Krys Kos hang on every wall and theres a crystal chandelier above the counter. The restaurant is BYO ($3 corkage), but theres also a small drinks list with Polish-inspired cocktails (including the szarlotka, inspired by the apple cake of the same name, made with vodka, lime and apple juice). The highlight of the drink list is the medicine, as Janusz calls it: 13 flavours of homemade tinctures infused with fruits, herbs and spices, and poured from crystal decanters. Theyre for sipping (Like a kiss, says Janusz), and they go down a little too easily. Pork goulash. Dion Georgopoulos Most of Alchemys customers are regulars, he says. Maybe hes referring to the buff-looking men wearing polo shirts, downing ice-cold vodka with their pickled herring (served with half a boiled egg and a generous squirt of mayonnaise on pumpernickel). Or maybe the older couple tucked in the corner, sharing a veal schnitzel the size of a handbag. But, increasingly, there are new faces in the crowd, following a public endorsement from Hong Kong-American stand-up comedian Jimmy O. Yang in December. Its one of my favourite restaurants in the world, Yang said in the viral TikTok video. Its hearty, its homey, and it reminds me of my childhood in Poland.

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Alchemy in Surry Hills. Dion Georgopoulos Janusz works the front-of-house, occasionally wandering over to dole out one-liners and advice. Halina is the chef, making everything from pickled cucumbers (with an exceptional, audible crunch), to bitki wolowe (slow-cooked, pounded steak), to a selection of Continental cakes. They look a little bit wobbly, but thats how you know theyre not made in a factory, Janusz says. The karpatka carefully layers thick waves of vanilla budyn (a creamy, custardy Polish pudding) atop crackling sheets of light choux pastry. The menu, sheathed in plastic, features a few dishes you dont often see in Sydney restaurants. The young waiter is eager to help, quick to provide suggestions, and just a little (jokingly) judgmental when not everyone at the table wants another round of drinks.

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Beetroot soup with beef-filled dumplings. Dion Georgopoulos Main courses can nudge upwards of $45, but the food is portioned with the generosity of a bygone era. There are certain dishes you know will be good  the trio of pierogies, boiled to order with a creamy potato and cheese filling, topped with fried bacon bits and a dollop of cool sour cream; the pork shank so tender it falls from the bone, served with mustard, horseradish and satisfyingly stodgy fingers of pan-fried potato dumplings; and the cabbage rolls, chubby with rice and pork mince, swimming in a light, tart tomato sauce. Then there are those dishes that exceed expectations. While barszcz is a beloved Polish dish, Ill admit that the idea of beetroot soup wasnt immediately appealing to me. Please learn from my mistake  the warm, ruby red soup, with its tortellini-like beef uszka, was a delicate, delicious highlight. So, too, was the pork goulash. Its served in a traditional Polish style, stuffed within a thick potato pancake and pan-fried until the edges crisp and turn golden brown. Our attention turns to the tall glass display cabinet stocked with sernik (cheesecake), szarlotka (apple cake, like the cocktail) and Polish mix  a combination of the former, with an added layer of poppyseed cake. Like Janusz says, it isnt as sweet as the cakes were used to in Sydney, but it doesnt need to be. It doesn't last long. Dion Georgopoulos

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The Polish vanilla slice is a must. Halina carefully layers thick waves of vanilla budyn (a creamy, custardy Polish pudding) atop crackling sheets of light choux pastry to create the karpatka, so named for its resemblance to the snowy peaks of the Carpathian Mountains. It is elegant in its simplicity and gentle sweetness. As my Good Food colleague Dion Georgopoulos put it: Its actually the best thing ever. Related Article Carpathian custard cake with choux pastry (aka eclair meets vanilla slice) 2 hrs + Janusz says it can be difficult to explain Polish cuisine to new customers, but it doesnt take more than a single meal to convince them that theyve been missing out. You know, sometimes I see people who have passed us on the street for many years on the footpath, and when they decide to take the step and come inside, they tell me, Ah, I lost 10 years, he says. Three more restaurants to try when the temperature drops Ama, Surry Hills The Chinese-Thai beef noodle soup at Ama is so good, it spawned an entire restaurant. Sisters Rowena and Kate Chansiri started serving their grandmothers recipe as a pop-up dinner special at their acclaimed Kingsgrove cafe Ickle. Soon, it became so popular that they decided to give it a permanent home. The soup is a deeply satisfying mixture including beef broth, noodles (egg or rice), slow-braised corned beef brisket, beef short rib, spices and pickled mustard greens. 1/47 Cooper Street, Surry Hills, amasurryhills.com Parami, Darlinghurst Often, you just want something simple, delicious and solid value for money. Thats where Paramis pumpkin soup comes in. Owner-chef Mika Kazato might be better known for onigiri, but her creamy Japanese pumpkin soup, made with milk and onion, is the go-to for a comforting lunch. 101/21 Alberta Street, Sydney, parami.com.au Mamis, Bondi Theres something comforting about a big bowl of cheese-laden soup that looks like your mum made it, especially if you happen to be eating at the communal table at Mexican restaurant Mamis. The beef tortilla soup is made with pulled beef and cabbage, and topped with crispy tortilla bits, fresh onion, coriander and melty cheese. 286 Bondi Road, Bondi, instagram.com/mamis.food.bondi Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant cant pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.
Head of navy Vice Admiral Mark Hammond to take over as Australia's Chief of Defence

Australia's new Defence Force Chief says our military is ready and able to help secure a critical oil trade route in the Middle East, if asked.
Sydney Sweeney has shared the three beauty rules she lives by and named the products that "saved" her skin.

Sydney Sweeney has shared her beauty regime

The Euphoria star, 28, has opened up about her skincare regime and revealed her best advice on maintaining a flawless complexion in a new interview with E! News.

Sydney told the publication: "Always wash your face. That is my number one. Make sure you use sunscreen. Drink as much water as possible."

The actress went on to credit Korean brand Laneige with "totally saving" her skin during long days on set filming the third season of Euphoria.

Sydney - who was recently named Laneige's first-ever Global Brand Ambassador - told the publication: "I have always been very, very particular about my skincare because I have very sensitive skin. I've just been dealing with it my entire life.

"When I first started using Laneige products, I was shocked by how well they worked and relieved my skin wasn't reacting poorly. ... [They] truly saved [my skin] ...

"[Filming Euphoria] it can really be a lot of make-up and changing it up with totally different looks in one day. Taking make-up off and putting it back on can be very harsh on my skin."

Sydney revealed her night time regime using the brand's products explaining she starts by using the Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cleansing Foam followed by the Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Serum and Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer.

She also uses the Water Sleeping Mask but only when her combination skin is feeling too dry.

Sydney added that her morning routine is much more simple revealing she always starts her day by washing her face with ice cold water.

She said: "For my morning routine, sometimes I'll just wash my face with ice cold water. I use a lot of the same products that I do at night. I will use some eye gels and an ice roller. Oh, and sunscreen. You can't forget about sunscreen."

Sydney also revealed she's a big fan of Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask and she's found another use for the lip balm by mixing it into her foundation.

She explained: "I use the Lip Sleeping Mask all day and night. Sometimes, if my skin feels dry or if my makeup is just not sitting right, I will mix foundation with my Water Bank Cream Moisturizer. It makes my skin a little bit softer when I do that."
New heads of Defence and Army announced

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the new heads of Defence, Army and Navy with the first woman to hold the role of Chief of Army.
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NationalNSWCourts DPP lawyer accused of inappropriate relationships with inmates, receiving proceeds of crime Michaela Whitbourn and Perry Duffin April 13, 2026  4:55pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

A lawyer at the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions allegedly received thousands of dollars in proceeds of crime and had inappropriate relationships with prison inmates. Vanessa OBryan has been charged with a series of offences, including three counts of misconduct in public office, two counts of accessing restricted data, and hindering the discovery of evidence. Vanessa OBryan. In a second tranche of charges, OBryan is accused of knowingly deriving a material benefit from a criminal group and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime with the intent to conceal. The criminal proceedings are the latest controversy engulfing the embattled ODPP, which is at the centre of an unrelated parliamentary inquiry.

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Police executed a search warrant at OBryans Ballina home on October 30 last year and seized mobile phones, computers and documents before she was arrested and charged. OBryan, a former criminal defence lawyer, was suspended without pay from the ODPP at that time. Her employment is governed by the Government Sector Employment Act, which allows for the suspension of employees from duty pending a decision in relation to a criminal charge. NSW Local Court Judge Kathy Crittenden made a non-publication order in December over OBryans name. That restriction was overturned by the Supreme Court on April 10. While part of the order remains in place, the accuseds alleged relationships with gangland murderer Joshua Baines and inmate Terry Sampson may be reported. She is alleged to have had a sexualised relationship with other inmates and a prolonged association with a number of criminals.

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Proceeds of crime Related Article Courts Sex abuse trial in limbo amid standoff between top prosecutor, judge The order also said OBryan was alleged to have received $5000, being the proceeds of crime. In a statement, the NSW ODPP said it took all criminal accusations very seriously and continues to co-operate closely with NSW Police. The staff member was immediately suspended from duty without pay when police laid charges in October 2025. In accordance with the ODPPs Code of Conduct, a full internal investigation will take place after the criminal investigation has concluded. Recruitment checks being overhauled

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The ODPP said it undertook a range of recruitment checks relating to the professional ethical obligations of legal practitioners including police checks, conflicts of interest declarations and the professional obligations required to hold a practising certificate. As a result of this matter, in consultation with other law enforcement organisations, the ODPP is developing more stringent recruitment checks as well as ongoing checks on suitability throughout a persons employment. In relation to access to confidential information; upon learning of the serious nature of the conduct, the ODPP promptly took a number of other actions, including a comprehensive review of its IT security system in consultation with external experts. This includes further restricted staff access to sensitive material. The matter is next listed for a brief hearing on May 7 in Ballina Local Court. Bail conditions imposed on OBryan last year required her to live in the Northern Rivers region.

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She must not attend or contact any correctional facility or inmate at any correctional facility, or contact any prosecution witness involved in the matters while they are before the court. Fresh headache for embattled office The criminal proceedings are a fresh controversy for the ODPP. The states top prosecutor, Director of Public Prosecutions Sally Dowling, SC, admitted to a parliamentary inquiry last year that her office was responsible for giving a negative story about a sitting District Court judge, Penelope Wass, to a Sydney radio station in 2024. However, Dowling insisted she was unaware until recently that her office had given the information about Wass to 2GB, and she would not have authorised its release.

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The story was aired after a group of District Court judges, including Wass, criticised Dowlings office over its handling of sexual assault prosecutions. The parliamentary inquiry examining the saga was set up to assess identity protections for children in criminal proceedings in NSW, but has focused almost exclusively on the genesis of the story about Wass. It is expected to deliver findings by May 8. Dowling has said she will not resign if adverse findings are made against her. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.

CLARIFICATION This story has been updated after Vanessa OBryans legal representatives claimed there were errors in court documents concerning the nature of the accuseds conduct.
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NationalQueenslandCourts Evidence ruled secret to protect national security in case against alleged Russian spies William Davis April 13, 2026  7:25pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

Some documents and names will be suppressed to protect national security in the court case against alleged Russian spies living in Brisbane. Deputy Chief Magistrate Anthony Gett granted the request on Monday afternoon at Brisbane Magistrates Court. Everton Park couple Kira and Igor Korolev were charged with preparing to carry out an act of espionage after being arrested at home in 2024. Igor (left) and Kira Korolev are charged with preparing to carry out an act of espionage. The case generated significant concerns across Australia about potential foreign interference.

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Kira Korolev, 41, was an information systems technician in the Australian Army. The Australian Federal Police allege she travelled to Russia undeclared while on long-term leave in 2023, and while away told Igor how to log into her official work account from their Brisbane home to gain access to material on defence computer systems so it could be sent to Russia. Neither appeared in court on Monday, with the barrister representing Igor Korolev saying they had been under the impression a Russian interpreter could not be arranged. Barrister Dylan Kerr represented the Australian Department of Defence and Australian Federal Police. He argued it was in the public interest for almost 200 documents, a witness statement and some names to be suppressed.

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In my respectful submission, the proposed orders only restrict open justice to the extent necessary to do so in the interest of national security, Kerr said. Gett agreed, and granted a non-publication order after well over an hour of deliberations. The Korolevs defence lawyers did not oppose the order, which doesnt prevent them from accessing evidence. If one or both of the Korolevs faced a committal hearing to determine if they should face trial, some evidence and witnesses would have to be heard in closed court, the magistrate was told. The information will remain secret for 15 years. The couple will remain behind bars, with the case returning to court on May 11, 2026.



With AAP
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A popular pre-loved fashion market was abruptly shut down by police on Sunday morning over an ongoing trespassing dispute, leaving stallholders to chase refunds with organisers. Officers were called to the Mount Gravatt Showgrounds about 6.30am on Sunday in response to trespassing complaint, a police spokesperson said. They arrived to find about six stallholders setting up for Her Wardrobe Markets, a second-hand clothing market that charges more than $90 for a single stall. Stallholders at Her Wardrobe Market at Mount Gravatt were moved on by police on Sunday, April 12. One customer, Hayley, who was a stallholder at a previous market and did not want to provide her full name due to ongoing discussions, was on-site for about 30 minutes and heard police advising attendees they needed to pack up or risk further actions. This masthead was told by police that organisers and stallholders had no authority from venue management to be on the premises.

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Market organiser Natalie DAlessandro later explained on social media that there was a lot of back and forth on site before police were called, and they were awaiting the showgrounds trust to engage with the formal notice weve sent. The market has often run at Mount Gravatt on Sundays. Her Wardrobe The venue, Mount Gravatt Showgrounds, also provided an update on social media, writing on Facebook that the event did not have approval to operate on site and that the space was an active work zone at present. In a statement provided to this masthead, a spokesperson for the trust said DAlessandro was informed in October last year to stop using the space. Since that time, the trust has provided multiple communications confirming that no approval exists for any further use of the site, they said.

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Despite this, an attempt was made to conduct an event without authorisation. Related Article Sustainable fashion Not just about fashion: Why Brisbanites are dressing in pre-loved clothes The venue admitted to having placed equipment on the grounds to stop the operator from continuing activity, and said they engaged the police. The dispute between the market and the venue had been ongoing for 18 months, according to DAlessandros post on Instagram about Sundays incident. She had issued a formal notice to the trust as an escalation of the matter, citing operational failures, safety concerns and financial losses in that time.

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It is no longer appropriate for [Her Wardrobe Markets] to remain confined to operational discussions with site management, the notice read. Her Wardrobe operates a number of second-hand market events in south-east Queensland, including Tugun, Newstead and Mount Gravatt. Due to the uncertainty of the markets, the showgrounds had contracted another pre-loved fashion market to use the space on Sundays. Jessica McNeven, who runs Fab Finds Markets, said they would be hosting their first Mount Gravatt market on May 10, where stalls would cost $40. Her Wardrobe Market, however, was hopeful the relationship could be repaired, telling customers online that this isnt the end of the road for us.

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Her Wardrobe Market planned to host a rack market event in Newstead on April 26. No additional Mount Gravatt dates had been promoted, but stalls had been sold. One customer, who wished to remain anonymous who had sold at two events in the past, said she was seeking a refund as there was no clarity over whether the event would proceed. DAlessandro and Brisbane City Council were contacted for comment but did not respond on record by deadline. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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NationalQueenslandPublic Transport Terrible planning: Train commuters face another week of delays Courtney Kruk April 13, 2026  10:44am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

Hundreds of Brisbane commuters have been left queueing on suburban streets while waiting for buses, as scheduled rail closures bring further delays to popular public transport routes. Brisbane commuters were warned of disrupted travel earlier this month, with key rail lines across the city to be closed until the end of April for maintenance. Queensland Rail said this had been extended by at least four days because of an industrial dispute. Queues of passengers at Northgate Station snaked around suburban streets. On Monday morning, commuters on Brisbanes northside expressed frustration at poor planning to mitigate the effect of rail line closures, with complaints of inadequate bus services and lengthy waits.

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One passenger travelling from Narangba to Bowen Hills said they disembarked the train at Northgate Station and joined about 300 passengers to wait for a bus. Related Article Public Transport Key train lines to remain closed for rest of month As of 9.15am, they had been waiting in line for over half an hour. There are not enough buses. They [Queensland Rail] know what time the trains get to Northgate but have no buses waiting, the commuter said. Terrible planning, considering they had the same problem last week so knew what to expect.

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In a comment on Queensland Rails Facebook post, another passenger said one bus every 10 minutes was insufficient to meet demand. If the train is almost full at Caboolture its obvious how many buses are needed. Queensland Rail is responsible for logistics for rail disruptions, not Translink. No communication for those who need a seat and cant stand for long. Northside commuters wait for replacement buses to continue their journey. Another commented at 9am that the buses were packed beyond belief with no air-conditioning, and said they had been travelling from Strathpine since 7am.

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Got to Bowen Hills at 8.50am. Nearly [two hours] and yet to get a train to my destination on the southside. A spokesperson for Queensland Rail said passengers had been warned to allow extra time for their commute during the period of disrupted service, and that customer feedback was being taken on board. [We] are working with Translink to work on those routes and allocate extra buses, based on availability. Buses will replace trains between Northgate and Bowen Hills stations, and Varsity Lakes and Boggo Road stations, from Monday to Wednesday this week. Trains on the Sunshine Coast line will run between Gympie North and Caboolture, and Doomben line trains will run between Doomben and Eagle Junction.

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From Thursday to Sunday, buses will replace trains between Varsity Lakes and Boggo Road stations. Track closures and disruptions are expected until April 30. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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Welcome to Brisbane Times Queensland public sector column, Public Circus. This week: further health board intrigue, an audit office check-in, job swappers mysterious and important work, and more. After closing the tent over the long weekend to gorge on chocolate eggs, Circus has returned for one last bite at another item in vast oversupply: state health service board changes. In particular, the second cohort of members across the 16 boards who went unmentioned by Health Minister Tim Nicholls: those whose 2028-ending terms were cut short. Former Queensland Labor minister Paul Lucas, Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh, former Labor minister Linda Lavarch, and former Labor candidate Donisha Duff are among nine no longer on state health boards despite having had terms until 2028. Our sleuthing of the state of play, based on the gazetted appointments and reappointments, along with comparisons of the new and former board compositions, has delivered results.

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Assuming all health service boards have updated their websites, which most  if not all  appeared to have, weve found nine people whove left early across six of the boards. It must be noted that, while the government does have new powers to push people without cause, such looming refresh can also be used as a tidy time to resign for various reasons. Case in point: former Metro North board member Adrian Carson, said to have tendered his resignation back in August, to take effect on April 1 alongside the rest of the class of 2026. But Carson isnt the only early departure from Metro North. Joining him are former Labor minister Linda Lavarch, not shy social service peak chief Aimee McVeigh, and Shea Spierings.

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Over the river at Metro South, former Labor candidate Donisha Duff is also gone, along with Gail Ker. Related Article Public service A deluge of doctors join state health boards. But whos out, and why? Another former Labor minister, Paul Lucas, is off the South West health board, with Darren Brown off West Moreton, Karen Prentis no longer at Wide Bay and former long-term public servant Michael Hogan, who got his state start under the Beattie government, gone from the Gold Coast. The key remaining unanswered question, of course, is which of those were booted against their will (and without cause). While those reached by Circus politely declined to elaborate on the record, and Nicholls has refused to say if hes used his shiny new powers, we do know some were sent letters giving them a matter of days to explain why they should be kept.

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Happy Easter! The work is mysterious and important for Premier and Cabinet job swappers The Circus tent lit up with chatter on Thursday night when one of our ranks broke news of only the second shuffle-out of a department boss since Crisafulli and Co put its permanent post-election picks in place. Steve Minnikins department switched leaders last week. Matt Dennien Most notably, the explanation of a government spokesperson around the job-swapping of Customer Services head Chris Lamont with David Sinclairs not-quite director-general implementation role in Premier and Cabinet.

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In the governments lingo, part of a Senior Executive Mobility Arrangement. In the words of one former senior public servant, its a parking lot. Circus is certainly not shooting down the value of a good secondment. Particularly in circumstances where someone (Sinclair) hasnt been a director-general or someone (Lamont) is still relatively new to the state public service. Related Article Exclusive

Public service Top public servant exchanged into ranks of another department But such arrangements, of course, are also of benefit to the government of the day, for whom reassignment can mean avoiding any pesky golden handshakes for various reasons and/or a neat way to retain people who could be useful elsewhere. Look no further than the only other director-general chair to have had multiple internally shifted occupants over at Youth Justice  still yet to appoint a permanent replacement for Bob (Job) Gee.

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So, of course, the question of why has loomed large over last weeks activity. (A question ignored by the office of long-term MP but first-time minister Steve Minnikin.) The government spokespersons line only that Lamont had shifted to help deliver whole-of-government policy and economic priorities gave little away. An additional one in response to how long the exchange might last perhaps said more. In a phrase reminiscent of one delivered by the fictional Mark Scout of Severance fame, the spokesperson said: The work is critical and will take as long as required. Artificial intelligence, coming to help trim an annual report intro near you One responsibility of Lamont/Sinclairs department is the governments internal generative artificial intelligence tool, QChat.

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Because, of course, the public sector is far from immune to the hype train of a technology whose workplace benefit is probably still fairly described as to-be-determined. Someone who is in the engine carriage of that train, it seems, is the states independent Information Commissioner, Joanne Kummrow. A self-described QChatter as they are (apparently) known. Information Commissioner Joanne Kummrow. Fronting a hearing of her parliamentary oversight committee late last month, Kummrow was lobbed a question from the governments Thuringowa MP Natalie Marr, curious about how the offices trial of the tech was going (while conceding she was still, for some reason, focused on working out the fax machine). Kummrow said that to regulate the space and support others, she felt it was important we are kind of in the sandpit as well. And by her own telling, Kummrow is all in.

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Some members of staff with a curiosity had taken it up, and were finding great benefits from it preparing briefing notes for her. Editor's pick Exclusive

Public service Inside the human rights office planning day that left staff in tears When it comes to trimming down an initial 900-word forward for her annual report into something more concise, Kummrow herself has also found a use. I am not on the payroll for the developers or the department, but I have to tell you that I am truly impressed by it, she said. We sure hope not, and can assure Circus readers that any trimming back of this column is done by sheer brainpower alone. And with not a fax machine in sight.

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Is AI replacing town planners at city hall? Speaking of the wonders of technology, Circus had heard rumblings a potential AI rollout at City Hall would come at the expense of workers in the Brisbane City Councils town planning division. Chat about a possible cut to staff in the division had begun circulating, with one well-placed contact saying the cause of the scuttlebutt was a heightened fear among workers council would begin using AI to assess development applications for minor structures such as garages and porches. City Hall is safe from the AI revolution, for now. Matt Dennien A council spokeswoman told Circus no AI platform was currently being used and there was no plan being considered to replace staff with machines.

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How AI will impact the public sector workforce more broadly is a keen focus for Circus. Another gentle reminder our inboxes are open for human workers. Audit offices reminder for board blood new and old  and dont worry about the consultants With all the recent influx of newbies to the states health service boards, the Queensland Audit Office wasted no time reiterating its warning from January. By way of a reminder, that was the offices annual health sector report, which featured a chunk dedicated to the conflict-of-interest risks raised by the governments rule for health services to have one of their own clinicians on the board. (Questioned by Integrity Commissioner Linda Waugh). In a blog post on the independent finance watchdogs website last week, senior director David Toma wrote that conflicts are not uncommon and are often a byproduct of appointing folks with the relevant skills, and experience.

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Queensland government The LNP vowed to cap its outlay on consultants to fund promises. Its still spending Which, of course, can also give rise to actual, potential, or perceived competing interests. It is not realistic to eliminate all conflicts  but it is essential to manage them well, Toma wrote. Toma said perception and trust is critical and it was now over to the new boards to ensure plans were in place to manage any and all conflicts that exist, and members to disclose these. Youve been warned. On the subject of the auditors, and in light of recent events, Circus thought we might as well take the chance to came back to another of their reports we havent touched on here yet: Marchs annual state entities check-in. Given Circus interest in the happenings of appointments to government bodies, a section titled managing the impact of changes to senior leadership grabbed our attention.

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Under the heading, the office noted that between July 2024 and November 2025, about one quarter of all statutory body board members and chairs were new appoints. For government-owned corporations, this rose to almost all board chairs and 76 per cent of board roles. Meanwhile, 13 director-general appointments were made across 28 departments. While noting this obviously helps with the necessary need for renewal, the audit office also pointed out that many leadership changes came before those leaders terms were up. Whoops. Cutting spending was a cornerstone of the Crisafulli governments election campaign. Jamila Filippone The auditors diplomatically noted this meant many public sector bodies risked facing lost corporate knowledge, pointing to another of their recent reports recommending an overhaul of appointment processes  still yet to see any action, of course.

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Elsewhere in that report, the $406 million year-on-year increase in government spending on consultants and contractors in 2024-25 to $4 billion is briefly touched on. Briefly being the key word here. Particularly, when finding $6.8 billion savings from such spending was a key plank of the Crisafulli governments pre-election plan to pay for its promises and lower debt. And, most notably, the fact the audit office had geared-up to file a standalone post-Coaldrake report on the matter this financial year, before dumping it from the forward work plan. The explanation at the time? The topic had been reassessed and the work better rolled into the annual state entities reports. If this is it, Circus isnt sure it quite cuts it. Have a curiosity for the Public Circus tent? Email us on m.dennien@brisbanetimes.com.au or james.hall@nine.com.au (or sing out more securely via mattdennien@protonmail.com and @mattdennien.15 on Signal).
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NationalQueenslandCourts Troubled man overdosed before alleged smoothie murder Rex Martinich April 13, 2026  2:19pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

A man had an overdose and took drugs in the years prior to his mother allegedly murdering him by hiding prescription medication in a fruit smoothie, a jury has heard. Maree Mavis Crabtree is alleged to have killed her 26-year-old son Jonathan with an overdose of painkillers on July 19, 2017 in the familys home north of the Gold Coast before making a $125,000 insurance claim. Jonathan Crabtree. RSVP/Plenty of Fish The 59-year-old has also been accused of attempting to murder her son in January of the same year. Crabtrees defence counsel last week told the jury Jonathan might have accidentally or deliberately given himself too much medication.

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The Brisbane Supreme Court jury on Monday heard testimony from Rebekah Millard, who started a relationship with Jonathan in 2012 that lasted 18 months. Maree Crabtree is alleged to have fatally poisoned her son. About eight months into the relationship with you he had an overdose of drugs? defence barrister Angus Edwards asked Millard. Yes, he did. she said. Millard said Jonathan always had the prescription drug tramadol but never mentioned another painkiller called oxycodone.

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The jury previously heard a pathologist determined the cause of Jonathans death was an excessive amount of the drug oxycodone in his bloodstream. Edwards asked if Jonathan said he had taken the overdose as he could not handle it anymore. Millard said she could not recall but agreed she had told a previous court hearing that Jonathan gave that explanation. She agreed Jonathan had wild mood swings and always threatened to kill himself. When around friends he was the happy-go-lucky Jonathan but when it was just us it was a different story, she said.

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Jonathan was a troubled man with abusive behaviours who had been charged with robbing a chemist, the jury heard. A car crash in 2015 had left him with permanent injuries requiring physical care. Crabtree lived in a house with Jonathan and his sister Tara. Crabtree had said before Jonathans death that he was eating her out of house and home and had the brain capacity of a six-year-old, the Crabtrees neighbour Vicki Inglis testified on Monday. Jonathan had ownership of the house and she could not get him out of there, Inglis said Crabtree had told her during conversations between the car crash and his death.

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Inglis was the latest of multiple witnesses to testify that Crabtree talked about giving Jonathan drugs. Marie said I should put something in one of his syringes?, crown prosecutor Caroline Marco asked. Yes. On a number of occasions over a number of months, Inglis said. Crabtree made the remarks while talking about seeing Jonathan shooting up drugs in his bedroom, the jury heard. Did she say the reason to put something in his syringe was to harm him or do him some harm? Edwards asked.

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No, Inglis said. The trial is due to run for another four weeks before Justice Martin Burns and hear from dozens more witnesses. If you, or someone you know, needs support you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636. AAP

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NationalVictoriaEducation Brodie tried to engage in his English class. His teachers response left him feeling lost Jackson Graham April 13, 2026  7:30pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

Only half of Victorian teenagers attending government high schools say they have a sense of belonging, as a group of educators pushes to turn the issue around and lift student engagement. The state governments Attitudes to School Survey, released last month, shows 50.2 per cent of students in years 7 to 9 have a sense of belonging in their school, and only 52.8 per cent say their teachers make them interested in learning. Year 9 student Brodie Ibrahim and his mother, Sophie Minas. Chris Hopkins The responses  from more than 380,000 students across the public school system  show a sharp fall in engagement in secondary school, compared to the 77 per cent of students in years 4 to 6 who say they feel they belong at school and the 88.9 per cent who say their teachers keep them interested in learning. The figures are up slightly on the year prior, but the not-for-profit research group the Institute for Educational Reform says the low rates of engagement in the older cohort is one of the biggest problems the education system faces.

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Were saying there are serious issues that need to be addressed rather than covered over, said David Loader, the institutes chair and a former school principal of 32 years. According to the groups research, among the areas for reform are measuring students on personal growth rather than on a pass-fail term, and updating the curriculum to embrace AI and more discussion of current affairs. I think the main problem with school is how outdated and rigid it is. Year 9 student Brodie Ibrahim Teachers report wanting to see explicit instruction used as a foundation but not a replacement for critical thinking, and greater separation of students of higher and lower abilities into classes that better cater for them. In a class, you will have students who are three grades ahead, they are bored. And the students who are three grades behind, well, theyve given up, Loader said.

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So how is that a case for equal opportunity for every student? We are leaving students behind because were not actually addressing where they are. Related Article Updated

Education Teachers threaten to stage half-day strikes across Victoria Brodie Ibrahim, a year 9 student at a secondary school in Melbournes west, said he was rarely engaged at school and often faced resistance in class when he tried to challenge himself. I think the main problem with school is how outdated and rigid it is, he said. Last year, his teachers asked him to write a Gothic short story. Brodie said that when he put in several overlapping themes, they asked him to remove them and focus on only one.

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I ended up with a very mediocre story that got me a below standard mark because I wasnt able to do what I wanted to do, Brodie said. Though he enjoys debating, Brodie said he had no opportunity to pursue that as an extracurricular activity. In a class, you will have students who are three grades ahead, they are bored. And the students who are three grades behind, well, theyve given up. David Loader, Institute for Educational Reform His mother, Sophie Minas, said Brodie sometimes disrupted classes because he wasnt engaged and had too much spare time. Anything he wants to learn, he will just learn it online, hes not going to join a club or anything like that. He does his own research online, she said. Amy Cooper, a psychologist who supports people experiencing disengagement from education, said there were many reasons why the shift from primary to high school was challenging for students.

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Thats when kids are becoming really aware of social norms  who has what and how people appear, Cooper said, adding that gaining some independence, puberty and stress all played a role. Related Article Education Victoria spends less on students as parents bridge the gap She said early indication of students learning needs was key. We have to meet those students where theyre at. And I think thats where were falling down. If you have a year 7 student who is saying, Im so bored, when can I leave?, and is not that interested or invested in learning, then we want to find out what would be interesting, she said. That kid is probably going to have a job one day  what job would you like? How do we tie that thing that theyre interested in to the learning they have to get through?

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A Department of Education spokesperson said there was a 3.1 per cent improvement in students sense of connection to school from 2024 and 2025. Related Article Education Trouble getting your kids to school? So do many Australians We also saw continued improvement in student perceptions of school and their own wellbeing, building on the improvements seen in 2024, the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said cost-of-living relief, mental health and disability inclusion, and the governments navigator program  which re-engages students in education  had helped lift the figures. The issue of student disengagement in years 7 to 9 is a nationwide and international issue. We continue to examine new evidence and emerging practices to better engage students, the spokesperson said.

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Cooper warned that all it could take was for one person telling a young person they werent good at something for them to disengage. The thing that can turn it around is one pro-social adult that really believes in you, she said. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
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Exclusive NationalWATourism Horizontal Falls tourism extended to 2028 as state tips $5 million into infrastructure Victoria Laurie April 13, 2026  11:30am Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Share A A A

Tourists wanting to ride through the popular Horizontal Falls will have two more years grace before Indigenous stakeholders lead a transition to more diverse cultural activities at the spectacular Kimberley location. Horizontal Falls  or Garaan-ngaddim, meaning floating over  has profound cultural significance for the Dambimangari native title-holders along the pristine coastline. Rowena Mouda, Dambimangari traditional owner lead for Horizontal Falls Working Group. Dambi Media At a ceremony in the Kimberley town of Derby on Monday, tour operators, traditional owners and the WA government will announce new arrangements prolonging access to the popular tourist spot until the end of the 2028 season. But any further access beyond 2028 will depend on a review and commitment to other ways of interacting with the falls.

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Horizontal Falls forms when seawater rushes through two narrow gorges about 300 metres apart, which boats pass through. In May 2022, a tourist boat was carrying 27 passengers through a 7.5-metre gap at Horizontal Falls when it crashed into a rock wall, injuring several tourists. In 2024, the WA government announced a phasing-out of the gap rides by 2028. New arrangements have emerged from a Garaan-ngaddim Horizontal Falls working group, where traditional owners and tourism industry representatives agreed on a period of two-year access through the gap, strictly limited to selected licence holders, while a second narrower gap will remain permanently closed. Rowena Mouda, Indigenous chair of the working group, said Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation looked forward to continuing work with tourism operators during the upcoming 2026 dry season.

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Visitors should leave with the thrills but also respect the living culture and presence of creation spirits, she said. We say theres a bigger story. I think visitors are hungry for more information, they want to understand it. Garaan-ngaddim  Horizontal Falls  in WAs Kimberley. Lin Sutherland, Travel Wild TV This place is sacred for Dambimangari families  it is a gateway to a place where my great-grandparents once lived before colonisation. Thats only 100 years ago. We recognise that the place is being exposed nationally and internationally as a thrill-seeking event. So weve made a compromise to recognise that. But theres a better message.

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Corporation vice-chair Leah Umbagai said traditional owners wanted visitors to feel welcome and safe, and to experience country the right way. Related Article Courts Horizontal Falls skipper, boat company fined over horrific crash She said the falls tidal movements were seen as the living presence of Woongudd, the spiritual snake woman who shaped the gorge, islands and reefs of the north Kimberley coast. In recognition of traditional owner-led wishes, the WA government will on Monday announce $5 million to invest in on-site infrastructure to support new Dambimangari tourism experiences. The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions will lead a feasibility study to inform the design and operating model.

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Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said the Cook government was proud to lead the way in shifting tourism at Garaan-ngaddim towards a collaborative model that respects Dambimangari culture. This is a positive outcome that supports their tourism aspirations, strengthens engagement with industry and recognises the need for continuity as new cultural experiences and commercial partnerships are developed, he said. Dambimangari Tour Guides Robyn Mungulu, Esekia Bradshaw and Chelsea Osborne. Dambi Media Active participation by native title-holders is already underway in shaping how visitors experience Horizontal Falls. A pilot program supported by Tourism WA, DBCA, and tour operator Journey Beyond has seen Dambimangari guides trained to work with tourists. Robyn Mungulu said being a tour guide allowed her to work on country.

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We are teaching and sharing our culture with young ones and visitors, and we are learning new things all the time from the Journey Beyond tour guides, she said. Mouda said training tour guides complemented the existing Dambimangari ranger program. They both speak to the importance of the living beings in this sacred area, she said. We will keep the first falls open, but we want people to think about the tide times. The flows are always there, but some periods are safer to go through than others. They are taking people through when the waters rushing for thrill seeking.

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Our preference would be that they go there in a gentler flow and look around and see its much more than just a water flow. The country may look untouched, but its always been touched by us. Its at the heart of our heritage. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.

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The Kimberley Victoria Laurie is a senior reporter and feature writer who has written for Good Weekend, The Australian, The Bulletin, The Monthly, HQ, Australian Geographic and The Weekend Australian Magazine.
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NationalWAEnergy security Opinion Singapores ties to Australia  and WA  run deep. But locals will always come first Russell Quinn Contributor April 13, 2026  11:22am

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There was a noticeable scent of desperation from our fuel-hungry prime minister in Singapore on Friday, almost as strong as the infamous chilli crab from its local hawkers markets and bustling quays. Labelling his last-minute FIFO diplomatic mission to Singapore a success  be it a minor or unbridled one  will only be possible once fuel supplies to Australia are guaranteed, which they arent and never will be, based on latest local intel. Singapores ties to Australia - and WA - run deep. Russell Quinn Sure, theres merit in reaching out to a key energy trading partner amid our current fuel crisis, itself fuelled by the ongoing Middle East conflict. Similarly, the Cook governments overdue and somewhat expected response to the crisis this weekend is also welcome  strategic stockpiling of diesel above federal requirements purely for use in WA, the worlds second-largest state.

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It wasnt the first time Albanese (or many other world leaders) had recently contacted his counterpart, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. And with good reason, as more than a million Aussies visit Singapore annually and two-way trade was valued at $47.4 billion in 2024, making it Australias largest trade partner in South East Asia. Approximately one-quarter of Australias fuel is sourced from Singapores vital refineries  the worlds third-largest hub behind Houston and Rotterdam  and one-third of Singapores LNG is from Australia, the majority from WA. Various nations have sought time with Wong to secure some sort of assurance  or even a guarantee  that fuel supplies would be maintained amid ongoing uncertainty. Our PM is one of just two to secure a meeting since the war began, the other being with South Korea.

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And with regional fuel stocks diminishing and some key producing nations  including Malaysia, which also exports to Australia  already signalling moves to prioritise domestic needs, it was prudent of Albanese to leverage Australias status as a critical gas supplier to the island nation; its main source of power generation for its eclectic six million population. Related Article Letters The mutual back-scratching to be seen in PMs Singapore fuel deal But my recent trip to the Lion City  having missed Albo by a matter of hours as he jetted in privately and I returned from a family holiday  confirmed that no guarantees would be made. Locals and business leaders reiterated to me last week what many in the Indo-Pacific already knew for some time: domestic requirements would always remain the priority. Singaporeans, who are already paying more than $4 per litre at the bowser, will always come first. And most (if not all) locals are expecting fuel rations or restrictions to commence in the very near future.

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Toughening times in the clean, green and increasingly expensive city where a certificate of entitlement required to own and drive a car costs upwards of $200,000  the banks are making money hand over fist. Locals often refer to the plush, burgeoning urban paradise as the city of funds and fines with everything from littering and spitting, and even homelessness, deemed illegal with heavy infringements. Resorts World Singapore complex on Sentosa Island. There is huge development crammed in on 5 square kilometres. Rottnest Island is 19 square kilometres. Russell Quinn Times, and the burgeoning city state itself, have changed since I first visited almost 25 years ago as executive producer of Perths 96FM Breakfast program. We escorted a few dozen Perth punters whod won our competition with Visit Singapore to join us for an outside broadcast at the historic Shangri La Rasa Sentosa Resort, the first major hotel situated on the now uber-family friendly Sentosa Island.

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Clean and green are just the tip of the iceberg for this island paradise  sentosa means tranquillity in Malay, but it was formerly a brutal prisoner of war camp and pirate haven. Related Article Middle East at war Australia in no position to ease Asian gas crunch, data shows These days, think Disneyland on steroids, with the $6.8 billion Resorts World Sentosa complex housing Universal Studios Singapore, Harry Potter Experience, Oceanarium, Dopamine Land and Singapores only casino  all wrapped up in just 500 hectares, or five square kilometres. Rottnest Island is 19 square kilometres. Of course, all this takes enormous amounts of energy to build and maintain, largely from our LNG. Perth links abound, too, with the hotels marketing manager, Sean Soh, a UWA alumni who plans to holiday in WA with his wife and first child; his dad worked at the hotel when I came through more than two decades ago.

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After reminiscing, Sean kindly hooked us up with some tasty bites at Trapizza and family fun at the Palawan experience including electric go-kart Hyperdrive across a three-level indoor track  all off-site but owned, operated and marketed by Shangri La. Western connections continue in Singaporean high(er) places, with former Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA chief executive Paul Everingham among the plethora of expat locals in town as the highly regarded inaugural chief executive of the Asia Natural Gas and Energy Association  although after more than three years hes just taken up a new gig on the executive team at Chris Ellisons MinRes leading strategy and growth. Importantly, as many know, good connections go far, especially in the west and especially those with energy. Very importantly, Singapore produces no crude oil of its own. It imports about 70 per cent from the Middle East, with its refineries on Jurong Island (which the PM toured in hard hat and PPE) set up to process the regions heavy grades.

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This will only stoke fears further here in Australia at our dwindling bowsers, compounded by the ever-growing risk that these key refineries could scale back production, forcing more countries to impose export controls. But Singapore isnt standing still; its sprinting, with some incredibly exciting developments on foot while more than 75 per cent of the population resides in government housing, albeit predominantly high-rise apartments on 99-year leases. Marina Bay Sands Hotel  with Gardens by the Bays Supertree Grove. Russell Quinn The political positioning of Fridays jaunt from both sides was fascinating: Wong openly avoided making any guarantees about future supplies to Australia in pre-prepared statements and subsequent media Q&A. The joint statement released on Friday opens with the line: We  reaffirmed the strength of the relationship and the deep reservoir of strategic trust between our two countries.

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Interesting use of the word reservoir. And key word reaffirmed is cited five times in the statement of about a dozen stanzas. Although it does go (slightly) further than the agreement struck last month to maintain the flow of fuel and gas between the two nations, committing to maximum efforts to meet each others needs. Again, no guarantees. Start the day with a summary of the days most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Phoebe Dynevor was "obsessed" with perfecting the childbirth scene in her movie Thrash.

Phoebe Dynevor plays an expectant mother in Thrash

The 30-year-old star plays expectant mother Lisa Fields in the Netflix shark thriller and explained how she and co-star Whitney Peak painstakingly prepared for the scene where her alter ego gives birth in the water.

Phoebe told Collider: "I haven't yet had a baby or been in childbirth, so that was something that I was really obsessed with getting right, and especially tracking the labour process and where she was in the labour stages.

"That was really important to me. But also, yeah, tricky to figure out the stress of going through childbirth and being so terrified you might not survive the elements. It was a challenging shoot, but I had Whitney."

Thrash sees a coastal town swarmed by hungry sharks when a severe hurricane floods the area and Phoebe lamented how working with vast quantities of water left her unable to have a relaxing bath after a day on set.

The Bridgerton star said: "I have this practice after a day's work where I go home and take a bath, and that gets a character out of me, and then I can sleep.

"On this movie, I couldn't do that because I couldn't bear to be in a body of water after I'd spent all day in a body of water."

Phoebe also recalled having a "bit of a panic attack" during filming for a scene where Lisa gets trapped in her car as the hurricane rages and sharks begin to circle.

Asked if she felt claustrophobic during filming, she told The Hollywood Reporter: "I did at one point, yeah. I thought I was good, and then I had a little bit of a panic attack at a certain point.

"The branches were everywhere, and then the water rising was very scary. The water was not actually rising; the car was getting dropped into water.

"But its still scary. You know youre safe, obviously, but your body doesnt. So after being in that situation all day for a week, or however long it took us to shoot it, I was pretty drained."

Dynevor confessed that it wasn't quite what she expected when she signed up for the movie, which was shot in the Australian city of Melbourne.

The Inheritance star said: "When I was told we were shooting this movie in Australia, I thought, 'Great, Im going to learn how to surf. Its going to be so tropical and hot. Its going to be a lot of fun.'

"Then I slowly realised while we were shooting that the climate is a little bit cooler in Melbourne and that we were shooting in the dead of the Australian winter.

"So I left beautiful, sunny June in London to go to Melbourne in the dead of winter, and that was the beginning of the end, really."